The Help A Pitch-Perfect Southern Masterpiece

It's a well-established fact that I need another book like I need a hole in the head. Still, walking into a bookstore makes me feel all tingly inside. That new-book smell, those glossy covers, and the stories - oh, the stories just waiting to be read. I know I don't have to explain. You're bookworms. You understand. At any rate, when I walked into the BYU Bookstore last week, I saw that Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, The Help, was on sale for 25% off. I've been coveting this book for awhile now, but a brand new hardback isn't exactly cheap, so I've been resisting the urge to buy it. Even with the discount, it was insanely expensive, but I broke down and bought it anyway. I just couldn't help myself. (Funny enough, when my MIL saw my purchase, she just laughed. She'd nearly finished her copy from the library, and had been planning to pass it on! Ah well.) While I regretted parting with that much money, I have to say, the more I read, the happier I became with my exorbiant purchase - The Help is one of those luscious books that makes you want to savor every delicious word. Having my own copy meant I didn't have to rush.

The Help takes place in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi. For the city's wealthy white women, life flows along in a whirl of bridge games, League meetings, and tennis matches at the club. Black housekeepers tend to their sprawling homes and neglected children, leaving ample time for social outings. On the other side of town, those same housekeepers come home to another round of cooking, cleaning, and child care - this time for their own families. Just as the society women complain about the ineptitude of their "Help," so do the maids complain about their lazy, always critical bosses. A great, invisible line separates the women - a barrier of race, class and culture - that prevents them from realizing just how similar they really are.

Despite being part of the society crowd, Skeeter Phelan has always been different. With her beanpole figure and woefully frizzy hair, she's neither beautiful nor elegant. Her fingers are more comfortable poised over a typewriter than clasped around a teacup. A degree from Ole Miss hasn't gotten her far - she's living on her family's cotton plantation writing a silly housekeeping column for the local newspaper. Sick of the banality of it all, Skeeter longs to do something with her life. She aches to write about something more meaningful than ring-around-the-collar. When she starts investigating the mysterious disappearance of her beloved maid, Skeeter begins asking herself questions she's never pondered before - What is it like to be a black maid working for a white family? Finally, she's found a worthy subject. Her curiosity leads her to a project that will challenge everything she's ever known. In a city already boiling with racial tension, Skeeter's clandestine meetings with local maids are risky, indeed - discovery could mean anything from imprisonment to death. Yet, she forges on, knowing that her purpose is "For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought." However noble her aims, Skeeter's project will be disastrous. And illuminating. In fact, it will change her life - forever.

Told in the voices of Aibileen, a long-suffering maid with a soft spot for children; Minny, her mouthy best friend; and Skeeter, the white woman who gives them the biggest, riskiest opportunity of their lives; The Help is a pitch-perfect Southern masterpiece. It's this funny:

For four days straight, I sit at my typewriter in my bedroom ... On day three, Mother calls up the stairs to ask what in the world I'm doing up there all day and I holler down, Just typing up some notes from the Bible study. Just writing down all the things I love about Jesus. I hear her tell Daddy, in the kitchen after supper, "She's up to something." I carry my little white baptism Bible around the house, to make it more believable. (155)

And this poignant:

"I give her a good hug. I reckon she don't get too many good hugs like this after I go home. Ever so often, I come to work and find her bawling in her crib. Miss Leefolt busy on the sewing machine rolling her eyes like it's a stray cat stuck in the screen door. See, Miss Leefolt, she dress up nice ever day. Always got her makeup on, got a carport, double-door Frigidaire with the built-in icebox. You see her in the Jitney 14 grocery, you never think she go and leave her baby crying in her crib like that. But the help always know" (4).

And this beautiful:

"All my life I'd been told what to believe about politics, coloreds, being a girl. But with Constantine's thumb pressed in my hand, I realized I actually had a choice in what I could believe" (63).

If you can't tell, I love this book. I could scour my thesaurus looking for adjectives convincing enough to make you read it, but I think you get the picture. It's a lovely, satisfying novel. Read it. Share it. Recommend it to your book club. I promise you'll never forget it.

Grade: A

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13, for some language, sexual innuendo, some violence and adult situations.

(Book image from Barnes & Noble)

You're All Winners Here ...

... but only two of you snag prizes this time around. Thanks to all who entered and to Hachette and Disney for providing books for this giveaway. Without further ado, here are the winners:

Planetbooks wins a copy of The Garth Factor by Patsi Bale Cox.

Valerie wins a copy of A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov.

Congratulations, ladies! If you'll send me your snail mail addresses (blogginboutbooksATgmailDOTcom), I'll get your books out as soon as I can. Thanks again for entering. If you didn't win this time, don't fret - I have lots more books to give away!

Post-Vacation Notes

So, I'm back from Utah, where we had a fabulous time celebrating the 4th with family and friends. The weather was cool and drizzly - it made coming back to Arizona very, very difficult. It's so hot here that the pool water feels like bathwater. Ugh. I did come home to a large box of books from Disney, as well as a stack of other review books. So, guess how I'll be spending the rest of my summer? Mmm hmm.

Anyway, I wanted to mention a couple of things:

- Tomorrow, I'm going to be drawing the names of the winners of the two book giveaways I have going on right now. There aren't tons of entries, so you still have a good chance of winning. If you haven't entered the giveaways, do it now! Check out my right sidebar for more info.

- On my left sidebar, under the heading "A Note to Authors/Publishers," you may have noticed that I have a link to a list of the review books I currently have in my possession. Apparently, I never checked to make sure the link actually worked. Author Diana Orgain let me know she couldn't access the spreadsheet (Thanks, Diana - you get a good review for sure :) ). I have now fixed it, so you can check out my ridiculously long list of books to review. The crazy thing is, I have a good 20-25 more to add. I've tried to stop myself from accepting new books, but I just can't help it. I'm an addict.

- Okay, time to get back to real life. The worst part about vacation is transitioning back to normality - laundry, housework, bills, a messy desk, etc. *Sigh* So much to do, so little time ...

Dismantled: Too Much "Ick" for True Enjoyment

(Image from Jennifer McMahon's official website)

Have you ever gotten halfway through a book and thought to yourself, "Why am I still reading this?" That was my experience with Jennifer McMahon's Dismantled, except that I repeated the question 1/3 of the way, 1/2 of the way, 3/4 of the way, etc. My reluctance had nothing to do with a slow plot, shoddy writing or dull characters - it had everything to do with McMahon's constant use of profanity, some fairly graphic sex scenes, and the depressing tone of the novel. As much as I wanted to cast the book aside, though, the plot kept me riveted. I had to find out what happened. So, I finished Dismantled, but I can't quite decide what to say about it.

The story revolves around Henry and Tess DeForge, a couple who are drifting further and further apart every day. Emma, their 9-year-old daughter, will do anything to keep them together. When she begins snooping through her father's things, she discovers that her parents were part of a college group called the Compassionate Dismantlers. Reuniting them with their old friends seems like a good way to help them rekindle the passion they must have felt back then. Tossing a handful of postcards into the mailbox seems innocent enough, but Emma's desperate act will have dire repercussions for her and everyone she loves.

As Henry's past comes crawling into the present, he heads straight for the bottle. But Jack Daniels is no match for the memories that have haunted Henry since the Dismantlers dismantled. He remembers the group's beginning - under the seductive leadership of Suz Pierce, five art students assembled to commit meaningful acts of eco-terrorism. Soon, however, what started as a social statement became Suz's tool for exacting revenge on everyone who wronged her. It didn't take long for things to go awry. While living together in a lakeside cabin, the friends commited an unspeakable act. In abject terror, the group dissolved, swearing never to speak of the incident. Now it seems someone wants to reunite the Dismantlers. But why?

Emma has no idea what kind of monster she's unleashed. She's only following directions from Danner, her mischevious invisible friend. All she wants is for her parents to stay together, but with messages mysteriously painted on trees, a P.I. poking around, and the appearance of a strange woman, Henry and Tess are more freaked out than ever. As events spiral out of her control, Emma finds herself caught up in the mess created by her parents' past. The question is: Can any of them escape unscathed?

The whole past-coming-back-to-haunt-the-present thing has fueled plenty of novels, but I still love the device. It makes stories deliciously suspenseful. With a little bit of the supernatural thrown in, McMahon gives her version a nice, spine-tingling twist. Still, it's got the traditional tension build-up, followed by a heart-pounding, truth-revealing finale. McMahon rounds out her story with intriguing, very human characters. They are a tortured, depressing bunch, but they're interesting. If it hadn't been for the swearing, the sex scenes (some of which are homosexual in nature), and the bizarre ending, I probably would have really liked Dismantled. Unfortunately, all the "ick" kept me from truly enjoying the read. I did learn something, though: If I have to ask myself (repeatedly), "Why am I still reading this book?" then I really shouldn't be wasting my time.

Grade: C

If this was a movie, it would be rated: R for excessive profanity, sexual/homosexual content, drug use, and violence.

This, That and The Everything Austen Reading Challenge

I've been posting like mad lately so that you won't miss me too much while I'm gone on vacation. The fam and I are headed to Utah tomorrow - it's our favorite place to spend the 4th of July. I'll be reading books and email, but I won't be posting until I return in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are a few things to keep you busy (including 2 new giveaways!):

- You may have noticed on my review of If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? by Melissa Kantor that I launched a new feature called If this were a movie, it would be rated ... I know a lot of readers wish books came with a rating system similar to that used on movies. This is my completely subjective version. If you disagree with my evaluation, feel free to let me know. Hopefully, this will be a valuable tool.

- If you're an adoptee, an adoptive parent, someone considering adoption, or if you are just interested in the topic, you might want to check out Adoptive Famiiles magazine's list of the best books about adoption. You can find the list here, or check out the magazine's bookstore here. They have some great recommendations.

- If you haven't read the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris (and I haven't), here's your chance. Melissa at Melissa's Bookshelf is giving away a set of the first 7 books. Go here to enter. Contest ends July 5 at 8 p.m. EST.

- Lisa at Online Publicist is doing a series of BEA (Book Expo America) giveaways. Currently, she has 2 children's books up for grabs. For more info, click here. Contest ends June 26, so hurry on over and check it out.

- Nymeth has a fun contest going on over at Things Mean A Lot. The winner gets a copy of any YA sci fi/fantasy book he/she chooses. Woo hoo. Contest ends Sunday, so get on over there and enter.

- Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word is hosting a reading challenge. You may remember how I got myself in waaaay over my head with challenges last year - so much so that I unentered all of them and swore off challenges. Well, this one is just a little too tantalizing. So, I'm going to enter her Everything Austen Challenge. You have to choose 6 Austen-themed things to do between July 1 and January 1, 2010. The challenge includes prizes (woo hoo!). Here's my list:

1. Read Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

2. Read Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattilo

3. Read Austenland by Shannon Hale

4. Read Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

5. Watch Pride & Prejudice (BBC version)

6. Re-watch Pride & Prejudice (2005)

I'm really excited about this one. Emphasis on one, as in this is the one and only challenge I'm doing this year (not counting My Light & Fluffy Fluke-A-Thon, of course).

Okay, about the giveaway ... I have two books up for grabs. I described each contest in the following posts. Hopefully, it all makes sense. Both contests end on July 10 and are open worldwide. Good luck

Have a wonderful 4th, everybody! I'll catch you all when I get back.

Gone On Vacation Giveaway #1

Hachette Book Group sent me several non-fiction books, one of which does not appeal to me at all. Since I'm not a Garth Brooks fan (although I used to know all the words to "I've Got Friends in Low Places"), and I don't have any interest in country music, The Garth Factor by Patsi Bale Cox just isn't for me. If you're a Garth fan, I'd love to pass this brand new hardcover on to you. All you have to do is make a comment on this post, and you'll be entered into the giveaway. Blog about it for an extra entry. I'll choose a winner on July 10. Good luck!

Here's the blurb from the front jacket cover:



Since his debut in 1990, country music icon Garth Brooks has sold over 128 million albums and has been certified by the RIAA as the #1 selling artist in U.S. history. But Garth had more than his share of controversy. Throughout his unprecedented rise he has been denounced as a media and market manipulator, a country music poseur, and a megalomaniac. Others claim he is simply a brilliant businessman and marketing strategist. Either way, his record-breaking success has had a revolutionary effect on the music industry.

Examining his career within the context of music history, author and industry insider Patsi Bale Cox goes behind closed doors at the labels and delves into the inner sanctum of the Nashville music community. The Garth Factor paints a portrait of how Brooks broke into the tight-knit country music community, his dealings with songwriters and label heads, and his relationships with fellow country stars, including how his friendship with Trisha Yearwood developed into love and marriage. The choices behind the making of each album, from songwriting through recording and marketing, will be shared by those who know him best. Garth's controversial and groundbreaking videos will also be examined as well as the true story behind his "alter ego" Chris Gaines. Finally, the book will cover the reasons behind Garth's retirement, and what he has been up to since.

A portrait of not just a hugely successful artist, but also a key period in American music history, The Garth Factor reveals an in-depth look at the industry that earned Nashville the nickname "Music City."

(Book image from Barnes & Noble)

Gone On Vacation Giveaway #2

Occasionally, I can be a bit of an airhead. Occasionally, this works in my favor. Like now. I received an extra copy of A Sweet Disorder by Jacqueline Kolosov from Disney Publishing. Turns out, I requested it twice. Duh. The good news is I'm going to pass this beautiful hardcover on to one of my readers.

I haven't read this book yet (although I plan to take it on vacation with me), but here's the blurb from the front cover flap:

After her father's death abroad, sixteen-year-old Miranda faces a broken engagement and a paltry dowry. Worse yet, she finds herself the ward of distant family relations, the Earl and Countess of Turbury, who are determined to bring her to court to marry her to the boorish Lord Seagrave for their own profit.

At Queen Elizabeth's court, Miranda soon learns that her survival is largely dependent upon knowing whom to trust. Once her exquisite sewing and embroidery skills distinguish her from the other maidens, Miranda discovers her chance to escape marriage to Lord Seagrave and establish an independent life as the queen's semastress. The smoothness of her course, however, is jeopardized by the jealousy and anger of other ladies-in-waiting and even a trusted "friend," as well as the queen's embattled history with Miranda's beautiful mother. Complicatin gher situation further is the arrival at court of Henry Raleigh,the man to whim Miranda was once promised - the man she has always loved.

Jacqueline Kolosov brings to life the intrigue and deception as well as the pageantry and high fashion of Elizabethan society in this lush second novel.

If this sounds like something you would enjoy, leave a comment on this post. Blog about it and you get an extra entry. I will draw the name of one winner on July 10. Good luck!

(Book image from GoodReads; Book courtesy of Disney/Hyperion.)

The Sitting Swing: Transcending the Need to Blame

Oh, the blame game. I loathe it. One of my big pet peeves is people who can't accept responsibility for their own actions, people who always have someone (or something) else to blame for their misfortunes. So, I guess it's not surprising that I spent the first half of Irene Watson's The Sitting Swing despising the author. I mean, I felt for little Irene who grew up with parents so cold and overprotective that they damaged their daughter emotionally, socially and (on occasion) physically. However, I wanted to strangle her when she made excuses like:

"This situation developed because I was a second child without a sibling to look to for example, without a parent to look to for example either, because Mom was my clear and present enemy, and Dad was around for meals and bedtime and that was about it. He wasn't any protection from the enemy, so he was, in this scenario, in the bad camp" (104-105).

Used to the stoic example of my mother, who grew up with an emotionally abusive, alcoholic father, but went on to become one of the most caring, content adults I know, I just don't buy the idea that a traumatic childhood automatically begets a miserable adulthood. Luckily, I missed Irene Watson's point completely. Her book isn't about blaming; it's about transcending the need to blame.

The Sitting Swing is Watson's story of coming to terms with her childhood, a period that left her broken-hearted and bitter. The first half of the book describes her early years in rural Canada. Living on an isolated farm in Alberta, Irene spent the majority of her time with her mother, a hard woman made even more so by the loss of her first child. Under her tutelage, Irene learned that everything she said, did or thought was wrong. Although her mother claimed to want only the best for Irene, she routinely ignored, rationalized or waved away problems Irene brought to her attention, even when they involved outright abuse. Not surprisingly, young Irene turned into an angry, rebellious young woman. Even after she married, she couldn't shake her mother's constant criticism. Years later, Irene was still so crippled by the hurts she suffered in childhood that she checked herself into a treatment center.

The second half of the book describes Avalon, and the 12-step program Irene went through there. Through the process, she learns to accept responsibility for her own reactions, stop blaming the past for her current problems, and start fulfilling her life's true purpose. Although her time at the treatment center was difficult and humiliating, it was also cathartic and illuminating. The experience allowed her to move past her childhood and become a successful author and businesswoman.

Although I found the author's story inspirational, it was told in such an odd way that I had trouble sticking with it. Her tone is conversational, making the book very readable. However, it's so casual that she tends to meander, losing focus and straying from the points she's attempting to get across. The first part of the book, in which Watson paints a portrait of her early years, is almost compulsively readable. However, once Watson comes to her marriage, the narrative stops. Before we even get a chance to know her as a newlywed, we're given a grown up Irene who's now a mother, a therapist, and a woman on the brink of divorce. She's also a woman whose turned herself in for intensive counseling because of vague childhood trauma. We see her go through Avalon and emerge as a whole, healed human being. We never really learn about her marriage, her children or her adult relationships with her parents. It's like she gives us the beginning and ending of her life story, but no middle. Without it, I felt lost, like I was missing some vital information.

My other big beef with this book is that once Watson started talking about her 12-step program, I started to lose interest. This section included very long paragraphs of dialogue from her counselors; I admit I started skimming, since all I really wanted to know was what Watson got out of the program and if it helped her patch up her life. In the end, she learns to forgive and forget, but she seems to receive no insight into what made her mother tick. Although she goes back to her childhood home and tries to get information out of an uncle, she never confronts her mother, which made the whole book seem unresolved to me. I really wanted to know what happened between her and her mother, how they related (or didn't relate) as adults and if she ever talked to her mother about the injustices she suffered as a child. Without all this, Watson's story just didn't seem complete.

All in all, I didn't love or hate this one. Some of it was engrossing, some of it wasn't. Some of it was illuminating, some of it wasn't. So, I'm ambivalent. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it.

Grade: C

If this was a movie, it would be rated: R (for language and references to sexual/adult situations, although more implied than graphic)

What's Cinderella To Do When Her Fairy Tale's Looking More Brothers Grimm Than Disney Princess?

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

For some girls, moving to New York, starting over at a posh high school, and buzzing to the city to visit trendy boutiques and galleries would be a dream come true. Not so much for sophomore Lucy Morgan. Her little fairy tale seems to be coming straight from The Brothers Grimm. She's got the absent dad, the wicked stepmother, even the evil stepsisters - if she resembles any of the Disney princesses, it's Cinderella. Pre-prince.


When Melissa Kantor's If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? opens, Lucy is the invisible new girl at Glen Lake High School. At home, it's more of the same - when her dad's not traveling for work, he's busy nuzzling his new wife; when her 12-year-old stepsisters (whom she dubs Princess One and Princess Two) deign to speak to her, it's usually to criticize her fashion sense (or lack thereof); and Mara, her new stepmother, blames Lucy for anything and everything that goes wrong. The only place she can find solace is in the school art room, where she can forget reality and lose herself in painting.

Then, one day, everything changes. Her offhand comment about basketball grabs the attention of Connor Pearson, the hottest guy at Glen Lake High. Suddenly, the cute senior not only knows she's alive, but actually wants to go out with her. Having been acknowledged by the prince, Lucy's popularity skyrockets. Just like that, she's going out with the coolest guy around, she has girlfriends to giggle with, and rumor has it she's in the running for prom queen. So what if things are a little rocky at home? She's finally living out her princess fantasy.

The funny thing is, the more Lucy gets to know Connor, the more she realizes they have nothing in common. She's much more natural around Sam Wolff, an annoying, but incredibly talented artist. Still, Connor's the hottest thing around. Besides, she reasons, "What did Prince Charming know about Cinderella besides her shoe size?" (54). With everything else going on, being with Connor just makes her feel good. Nothing else - not her dad, who always sides with Mara; not the Princesses who can't be bothered to lift a finger; and certainly not Mara, who cares more about finding antiques than getting to know her new stepdaughter - can give her that kind of satisfaction. She's Cinderella - so why isn't she dancing and singing with mice to celebrate her bliss? Where, exactly, is her happily ever after?

If I Have A Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? is a lighthearted Cinderella story with lots of modern twists. Unlike Disney's bubbleheaded blonde, our heroine is smart, diverse, and not always sweet as honey. She's an EveryGirl, with whom teens will immediately identify. Her story's predictable, but still manages to be interesting and fun. Although Lucy does ask herself some big questions, there's not tons of depth to this novel. It's also not quite as innocent as it sounds - there's some language and while not explicit, there are references to underrage drinking, drug use and partying (see my note below). Overall, though, it's a fast, enjoyable read that will appeal to any girl who's stuck in reality but determined to make her own happily ever after.

Grade: B

If this was a movie, it would be rated: PG (for mild language, some suggestive content, and scenes involving drinking, drugs, and partying)

Cookin' the Books: Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars

Chocolate Highlander Bar Cookies (from Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in middle position

1 c. softened butter (2 sticks, 1/2 lbs.)

1/2 c. powdered sugar (make sure there's no big lumps)

1/4 t. salt

2 c. flour (no need to sift)

4 beaten eggs (just whip them up with a fork)

1 c. melted butter, cooled to room temp. (2 sticks, 1/2 lbs.)

1 c. white sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. flour (don't bother to sift)

2 1/2 c. chocolate chips (measure BEFORE they're melted)

1/3 c. powdered (confectioner's) sugar to sprinkle on top of pan.

FIRST STEP: Cream butter with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and salt. Add flour and mix well. Pat it out in a greased 9-inch by-13-inch pan with your fingers. (That's a standard cake pan.)

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes. That makes the shortbread crust. Remove from oven. (Don't turn off oven!)

SECOND STEP: Mix eggs with melted butter and white sugar. Add baking powder, salt, and flour, and mix thoroughly. (A hand mixer will do the job if you're tired of stirring.)

Melt the chocolate chips in a small double boiler, a pan over hot water on the stove, or nuke them for 3 minutes in the microwave on high. (Be sure to stir -- chips may maintain their shape even after they're melted.)

Add the melted chocolate chips to your bowl and mix thoroughly.

Pour this mixture on top of the pan you just baked and tip the pan so it covers all of the shortbread crust. Stick it back into the oven and bake it for another 25 minutes. Then remove if from the oven and sprinkle on additional powdered sugar.

Let it cool thoroughly and cut into brownie-sized bars. You can refrigerate these, but cut them before you do. (They're pretty solid when they're cold.)

Hannah's note: Andrea said these were so rich, no one could eat more than one. (I watched her eat three at the wrap party.)

My thoughts on the recipe: Divine. I love these. The recipe was super easy to follow, and the cookie bars turned out perfectly. Halfway through making these (I'm a little slow), it occurred to me that this is basically a chocolate version of the Lovely Lemon Bars I made from Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. Like those, the Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars have a yummy, flaky crust; they're also sweet, but not sickenly so. I tried to take a side view of these bars so you could see what they actually look like, but the pictures were blurry (you wouldn't think it would be so difficult to snap a photo of a stationary object!) - basically, it's like eating a super-moist brownie pie. Does that make sense? Anyway, these are delicious. Love, love, love them.

Note: This recipe was used by permission.

Oh, Sarah!

I still haven't heard back from Sarah, one of the winners of my copies of The Lost Hours. If this is you, would you please send me your snail mail at blogginboutbooks[AT]gmail[DOT][COM]. I hate to do this, but if I don't hear from you by Wednesday, I'll have to pick another winner. So, please, please contact me. I don't want you to miss out :)

Fluke Bakes Up More Murder and Mayhem in Second Swensen Mystery

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Tiny Lake Eden's quickly becoming murder central, and much to her mother's chagrin, Hannah Swensen seems to be finding all the bodies. In Strawberry Shortcake Murder, it's Boyd Watson, the high school basketball coach, who's taken the bullet (actually the hammer). He's no one's favorite person - in fact, his snide comments during last night's stint as a cooking contest judge earned him even more enemies. No one blames Danielle for offing her unpleasant husband, especially since he'd used her as a punching bag on more than one occasion, but the battered wife claims innocence. She says she took a large dose of cold medicine, went to bed, and woke up to find Boyd laying in a pool of blood in their garage. As to who else would have motive to kill him - well, really, who wouldn't?

Although the town cops - Mike (one of Hannah's steady dates) and Bill (her brother-in-law) -warn her to let the professionals handle this one, the cookie chef's not about to back down. While she's pondering how to clear Danielle's name, another mystery saunters right into her cookie shop: Lucy Richards, Lake Eden's sad excuse for a cub reporter, decked out in expensive clothes and driving a new Grand Am. The newspaper hardly pays enough to keep her in steno notepads, let alone her pricey new wheels and wardrobe. She hints at an upcoming book deal, but Hannah knows Lucy can barely write her own name. What kind of publisher pays big bucks for an expose by an unknown, and not very talented writer? Hannah smells a lie. But, if Lucy's not collecting a big advance, where did she get the money?

With her sister playing Watson to her Sherlock Holmes, Hannah uncovers some disturbing truths about Lucy. The more she investigates, the more she realizes that Lucy's windfall and Boyd Watson's murder might be connected. But, just when she's about to confront the reporter, she finds that Lucy's up and skipped town. Desperate to free Danielle from suspicion, Hannah chases down clues until she knows exacty what happened to Boyd Watson. The trouble is she needs to confront an absent Lucy (the reporter's nowhere to be found), share her evidence with the police (which would mean admitting she broke into Lucy's apartment), and keep her own neck out of harm's way (which is getting increasingly difficult since she knows who the killer is and the killer knows she knows). Can Hannah expose Boyd's murderer in time? Or will hers be the next body to make an appearance at the town morgue? With Hannah on the case, one thing's for sure - it's bound to be one interesting (and delicious) investigation.

Everything I said about the first book in this series is basically true for Strawberry Shortcake Murder - it's light, fun, and pretty predictable. Ah well, Hannah's a likeable character, who keeps me coming back for more. Plus, these "light & fluffy" provide a nice counterpoint to my more serious reading. And did I mention how delish the recipes look? Stay tuned as I try out Chocolate Highlander Cookie Bars - chocolate, shortbread crust, two kinds of sugar - what's not to love?

Grade: B

Note: Remember to comment on this post to be entered into my first Light & Fluffy Fluke-A-Thon giveaway. If you've already commented on my review of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, then you're already entered. Only one comment counts per giveaway, but don't let that stop you from speaking your mind about Joanne Fluke, Hannah Swensen, culinary mysteries, etc. I always love to hear from my readers.

Want more entries? Just blog about the Fluke-A-Thon, and send me the link. Presto! An extra entry.

6 Teens + 1 Night in An Abandoned Insane Asylum = YA Horror At Its Spookiest

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

If you think a crumbling Victorian provides the perfect background for a horror novel, try this one on for size: A sprawling insane asylum, abandoned, but littered with debris that screams of desperation, cruelty and madness. Kind of trumps the haunted house, don't you think? The setting alone makes Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz a sinister little creepfest. Add in a ghost, a freaky talking doll, the whispers of a madwoman, and you've got a recipe for YA horror at its spookiest.

When Derik "LaPlaya" LaPointe discovers that his town's infamous psychiatric hospital is about to be bulldozed, he sees a perfect opportunity. If he can figure out a way to break in, stay the night in the haunted institution, and get it all on videotape, he might just have a shot at winning an internship with Reality TV. That could lead to a real career, one that doesn't involve flipping hamburgers at his family's diner. Now all he needs is some equipment (luckily, he has an uncle in the photography biz), a cast (other than his goof off buddies who would never take his project seriously), and a way to get into Danvers State Hospital without landing himself in jail (a minor issue). Finding stars for his production turns out to be more difficult than planned, but Derik ends up with a motley group of 5, each with his/her own reasons for being there: there's Chet, the redheaded prankster who's in it for laughs; Tony and Greta, the lovey dovey drama rats, trying to be "seen"; beautiful Liza, who needs an extracurricular to convince Harvard to accept her application; and Goth girl Mimi, who has her own agenda. Together, they sneak into the hospital, prepared to brave the night.

It's not long before the creepy setting starts getting to them. Even though the place hasn't been used in ages, the cries of the insane seem to reverberate off the walls. Macabre artifacts like nooses, twisted paintings, and bizarre graffiti send shivers up their spines. But when they encounter Patient #17, it's as if they've opened Pandora's Box. They sense a presence, a presence that wants something from them and won't stop until it gets what it wants. Derik's movie be darned, the teens just want to get out alive.

Although Project 17 isn't all that original, it's still pretty freaky. The story's intense from beginning to end, with a few truly horrifying scenes (I'm not going to give anything away, but the two scariest incidents have to do with a doll and a chair, respectively). Goofball Chet provides some needed comic relief, as do the sweet as sugar drama couple. All of the characters struck me as well-rounded and believable. The relationships that develop between them provide some escape from the horror show, but pretty much, the book's a taut, spine-tingling tale of terror.

While Project 17 had me biting my nails and startling at every noise, I don't know if I truly liked it. It meanders quite a bit, branching out into subplots that never quite develop properly. This is distracting, as is all the swearing and locker talk; there's no sex in the book, but that doesn't stop the characters from talking about it. A lot. The ending is also weird for me - it feels vague and unresolved. So, all in all, the read was just okay for me. It's spooky enough, but its other issues left me feeling unsatisfied. Maybe books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Hunger Games have ruined this genre for me, making me crave horror stories with a little more depth. Who knows? Whatever the reason, this one just didn't quite work for me.

Grade: B-

A Sleepy Announcement

My eyes are seriously droopy this morning. I stayed up late waiting for my son to get home from cub scout camp; to keep myself awake, I read a freaky little book called Project 17. I managed a nightmare-less snooze, but I'm still really tired. Her Highness wanted her bottle at 7:30 (the nerve!), so I had to get up. As soon as I can, I'm heading right back to bed. Before I do, though, I wanted to announce the winners of The Lost Hours by Karen White. They are:

Chantele and Sarah

Thanks to everyone who entered, and to Karen for donating books for the giveaway. Chantele and Sarah, if you'll email me (blogginboutbooks[AT]gmail[DOT][COM]) your addresses, I'll get the books to you as soon as I can. If you didn't win, don't despair - I have lots more books to give away. If you're interested in this book and you live near me (Tara), feel free to come borrow it.