From Support Services Library Assistant, Joan Medina

I recently finished Eclipse, the third book in Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. After I devoured Twilight (the first book in the series) last year, I found myself eagerly anticipating my turn to check out the next installments. The popularity of this series seems to have snuck up on book providers who originally under-anticipated demand. And I suspect that numbers for the request queue will only continue to swell as the author is currently listed number one for NY Times bestseller fiction and the movie-version of Twilight nears its holiday season release date – so place your request now before the queue gets any longer.

I must disclose that I am a huge fan of the paranormal fantasy fiction genre, specifically stories that feature action and suspense more than superficial romantic fantasy fluff. Series featuring the characters Rachel Morgan, Riley Jensen, Joanna Archer, Detective Inspector Chen, and early Anita Blake are among my favorites. I tend to avoid anything that says “paranormal romance” at the top of the spine. That being said, I had not heard anything about Ms. Meyer or her books before I checked out Twilight on a co-worker’s recommendation: “I don’t want to tell you anything about it, just trust me, you’ll LOVE it.” She was absolutely spot-on and I would recommend this series to any other fans of paranormal fiction.

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From Karen Nielson, Library Assistant at Shadle Library:

I just finished “Collateral Damage” by Fern Michaels. It is the latest of the ‘Revenge of the Sisterhood’ series.A fun and quick read, it has just the right amount of male bashing and intrigue with a dash of romance. Seven women find that Justice is often blind and that bad things happen to good people. They take it upon themselves to serve up justice outside the bounds of the law. Things get dicey and intense when seven women go after their prey. I would encourage interested readers to start at the beginning of the series with “Weekend Warrior” to get the full effect of this latest entry.

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From Indian Trail Library Team Leader, Diane Stone

I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Bohjalian’s new book, Skeletons at the Feast. His writing style continues to paint characters of depth in picturesque environments and in this case the story material was most interesting. Using an actual diary for his inspiration, Bohjalian tells of a family’s flight ahead of the Russians invading the Eastern front of Germany at the end of WWII. Some of the content is quite depressing, but the characters show great courage, grow in awareness and fall in love. I found it hard to put this book down.

James Patterson has been a disappointment lately. I usually find him a good storyteller; his mysteries have surprise twists and keep you turning the pages. His books are fast reads, with easy dialogue. For example, Beach Road was a legal thriller with a zinger at the end. Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas was a wonderful love story with heartfelt characters. On the other hand, I found The Quickie (co-authored with Michael Ledwidge) to be poorly written and predictable. Maybe giving other co-writers a chance is coming back to bite Patterson. His banter between characters has gotten sloppy and disjointed, and I find more editing errors than there used to be. Incorrect names and typos really distract from the reading experience. The intense drive to publish, publish, publish has hurt the quality of his novels.

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Try “Shadowbridge”–a new fantasy

Attracted by the words ’storyteller’ and ‘puppeteer’ I tried a brand new fantasy by Geoffrey Frost called “Shadowbridge” and was not disappointed. I used to tell lots of stories and create and perform puppet shows in my job as a children’s librarian so novels with those kinds of characters always intrigue me. Leodora travels a world made of impossibly complex bridges which tower above endless seas. As she gathers stories which she then transforms into puppet shows, the young woman who is escaping a violent past, is accompanied by her drunk of a manager and a young musician who has been touched by a god. Vibrant characters and an intiguing setting make me eager for the promised sequel.

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Favorite Fantasies

Each year I try to read a particular genre of fiction. In 2007 I concentrated on fantasy.

My favorite was Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. Based on Anansi, the popular character from African folk literature, the book is a wild ride between modern day Florida and an imaginary land that just about defies description. At turns poignant, bawdy and humorous, this is Gaiman at his exuberant best.

After reading this title, I had to try Stardust also by Gaiman. Not as complex as Anansi Boys, this book was charming and quirky. With characters and situations based on European folktales more familiar to American readers, it may be more approachable to many people.

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