Books

Honestly, this is more like an approximation of a booktalk because after the first two sentences, I held up the book, the room buzzed with appreciative recognition, and I kind of winged it. It was an easy sell, especially when I hold up the latest book in the series. Squish: Super Amoeba by Jennifer L. Holm, illustrated by Matt Holm Random House, 2011 I don’t know if you’ve ever heard somebody called “pond scum,” but it’s not a nice thing to be called. Unless that slimey, oozy stuff is your hometown, like it is for Squish. Squish is your everyday amoeba who loves comic books and idolizes his favorite hero, Super Amoeba! He has a couple of good friends, an odd amoeba named Pod, and Peggy a paramecium who is happy happy happy all the time. Squish has problems too, especially in a bully, Lynwood, who wants to copy Squish’s science homework and well... absorb Peggy. Can Squish live the message of his idol and “have the courage to do what is right?” Find out in the first book of the Squish series, by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm, the same team that brought you Babymouse. Links to material on Amazon.com contained within this post may be affiliate links for the Amazon Associates program, for which this site may receive a referral fee.

You knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happened, right? As Omnimystery News explains: Amazon Studios has ordered a pilot based on a character created by crime novelist Michael Connelly. Titled Bosch, it will be centered on LAPD homicide detective Harry Bosch, first introduced in the 1992 novel The Black Echo, which won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel the following year. Deadline reports that Connelly co-wrote the pilot screenplay, though it isn’t clear if it is an original story or based on one of the novels in the series. A hearty congratulations is due Michael Connelly. I’m only surprised it has taken this long to fashion a TV series from his very popular Hieronymous “Harry” Bosch books. * * * Speaking of small-screen endeavors, the British TV series DCI Banks, starring Stephen Tompkinson as author Peter Robinson’s longtime Yorkshire cop, Alan Banks, has been renewed for a third series (aka season). Production on a trio of two-part episodes is scheduled, beginning in August of this year. Those episodes will be based on the novels Wednesday’s Child, Piece of My Heart, and Bad Boy. In the UK, DCI Banks started showing in 2010, but here in the States, series I and II didn’t debut until this last January, running back to back. Series III is being prepared for broadcast in the UK next year, but there’s no news yet on when it might reach these shores.

THE BANE CHRONICLES #3Cassandra Clare teams up with Sarah Rees Brennan to bring you the third installment in The Bane Chronicles: Vampires, Scones, and Edmund Herondale. Find out what happens next in this original monthly eBook series featuring the immortal warlock Magnus Bane, which has already hit the New York Times bestsellers list with the first two eBooks, What Really Happened in Peru? and The Runaway Queen. Buy now Visit The Bane Chronicles series website Download the ShadowHunters app for free COMING SOON IN AUDIO

Daniel Radcliffe and the cast and crew of The Cripple of Inishmaan celebrated their opening night with a party in London on Tuesday evening. Photos of the Harry Potter actor with costars Ingrid Craigie, P?draic Delaney, Sarah Greene, Gillian Hanna, Gary Lilburn, Conor MacNeill, Pat Shortt, June Watson, and director Michael Grandange and author Martin McDonagh can be seen here. Four new images from the production itself at the Noel Coward Theatre in London were released online, featuring Dan as Cripple Billy with his costars. SnitchSeeker will be heading to the play on Wednesday and will have a review later this week.

Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy?A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It’s a tribute to the power of both “pride” and “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart…Beth Ann Bennet isn’t looking for love. She’s an aspiring social worker using an online alias to study sex-role stereotypes. Dr. William Darcy isn’t looking for love either. He’s just trying to fund his new clinic by winning a major bet. Both think Lady Catherine’s Love Match Website will help them get what they want—fast, easy and without endangering their hearts. Both are in for a big surprise.Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match…where true love is just a fib and a click away.STORY EXCERPT:Beth reviewed her stereotypes list: Greater size and strength, goal-oriented, often highly ambitious, etc., etc. It seemed to pretty much sum up the major male stereotypes as she knew them, omitting universal truths like men’s bizarre predilection toward big tools and bigger remote-control devices.She set down her pen. She was armed and ready for today’s coffee “date” and planned to find as much direct, supporting evidence as she could for each point in the few minutes she and Will would spend together. She hoped she could pull this off.Somehow she managed to get Charlie to kindergarten, do a morning’s worth of work at the agency and arrive at the Koffee Haus right on time. The scent of warm, roasted coffee beans enticed her nostrils even before she made it through the doorway. The singles’ bar of this century had cinnamon shakers and skim milk pitchers on the counter instead of vodka jiggers and salty peanuts, but the idea was unchanged.A pair of lanky guys leaned against the counter waiting for their orders to be ready. Neither of them looked anything like Will’s website photograph. Where was he?A small table opened up near the door and Beth leaped for it. She slid into the chair and began casing the room. Mostly couples or small groups of friends. A dark-haired man in his early thirties sat alone with a newspaper. His back was to her so she leaned to the left to try to catch a glimpse of his face. It could be him. Might be.She leaned a little further but before she could see him she felt that roller-coaster dip in her stomach and lost her balance—hands swiping the floor, chair scraping awkwardly. Very smooth move.The guy turned to stare at her. So did everyone else. She readjusted herself and tried to bury her head in her purse. That looked like him. Close enough to the photo anyway to make her pretty sure. He had to think she was a klutz.When she looked up, he was staring at her again. An assessing glance. Yep. The game was over before it had a chance to begin. Something about him struck her as odd, though. His email personality was so warm, so charming. This guy—well, arrogant seemed to be a better descriptor.She wondered what he’d do now. Ditch her? She grabbed her stereotypes list from her purse, scanning it covertly in case he worked up the nerve to come over before she approached him. A glimpse at her watch told her it was already ten minutes past one. When she looked back at his table, he was gone.She sighed. Not good. Her final project was due in a few weeks, and she needed to cite concrete examples of Case Study #1’s behavior, documented and dated over a period of thirty days. She didn’t have time to start again with a new subject...and Charlie’s future was at stake. She stood to go.“So, are you the woman Lady Catherine thinks I’m destined for?” a deep voice with a laugh hidden in it whispered in her ear. She swiveled around and stared at the man behind her. He wasn’t the guy with the paper, but he, too, looked like Will's photo. Only better.“If so,” he added, “I’m your Perfect Match.” Purchase

Last month in a book store in Killarney I acquired two collections of short stories that have secured my belief that the best days of the Irish short story are still to come. One of the books was Dark Lies the Island by Kevin Barry. The other is a work I have just completed, Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan. (Last year I read and posted on her debut collection, Antarctica.)I was deeply moved by the stories in Walk the Blue Fields. I will reread, I hope, some of them numerous times. Keegan (1968, County Wicklow, Ireland) has received many honors and intense praise online and in print reviews. Her work, in my opinion, is clearly in the tradition of Dubliners and the stories of John McGhern. They are very rooted in Ireland mostly in the Rural west. The people in the stories are often deeply alone. These are sad stories of people some how left out, often centering on people who have faced terrible losses, isolates. There is a deep wisdom in these stories but in a way it is a wisdom that will harm, not help, those who can understand the pain in these works. I think it maybe that only partially damaged people can fully relate to these stories. I know that may not make sense to most people and perhaps you are better of that way. These stories are superb works of art. In the last story, "Night of the Quicken Trees" I felt my ability to understand this story was well enhanced by my recent visit, in the company of my brother Max u, to the west of Ireland. I hope to read more of her stories as time goes on. Mel u

We enjoyed a nice date over a delicious breakfast out this morning with Iris asleep in the sling, and had a good time thinking of how far we’ve come since our seaside wedding eight years ago. Or even more remarkable, how far we’ve come since the last time we had a two-week old and I spent all my time sprawled half-naked on the carpet and crying…

I want to say thanks for sharing my twisted tales. I know there are a lot of good books out there, and I appreciate that you continue to buy mine. As a thank you, I'd like to send you a special gift when you pre-order STRANDED before July 16th. Not only that, you get to choose: a black 14 oz. ceramic mug (#2 in our collector mug series) with the imprint "I got stranded with Alex Kava;" an insulated lunch bag imprinted with, "On the run with Alex Kava;" or a fun tote with the imprint, "Get stranded with Alex KavaWant all three? Pre-order three copies [hardcover, audio and ebooks qualify]. Each order is eligible for a gift. But hurry, these are limited editions!For more details and to submit your proof of purchase click here.(Proof of purchase required. Gift is sent directly from Alex and not any bookseller. Because of breakage, ceramic mug is only available to USA/Canada sales.) WANT AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY? Pre-order from one of the booksellers listed and I'll autograph AND personalize a copy for you. Better yet, come meet me while I'm on tour. (CLICK HERE for cities and dates.)Remember these copies also qualify for a gift so don't forget to submit your proof of purchase via the website.

cover image courtesy www.jeanienefrost.comWhat Halfway To the Grave is about:Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father?the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership. In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalkerI'm so glad that I finally started this series, because I was glued to my headphones and seriously did not want the story to end! I loved Cat and Bones, most especially their chemistry and instant attraction to each other. The miles flew by while I listened to this audio production on my workouts. In fact, I often walked an extra mile just because I wasn't ready to quit listening. The narrator knocked this one out of the park..loved her voices, male and female. Halfway to the Grave has it all.......awesome action, steamy sex, and vampires that are NOT campy or sparkly!!Big shout out to my girl, Sheree, who raved about this series and BONES way back in 2009. Sorry that it took me so long to finally join the club!! Do yourself a favor and click on the link to read Sheree's fantastic review of this book!!!Recommend? If you like vampires and the paranormal romance then yes, give this one a shot!Source: Audible.com Narrator: Tavia GilbertLength: 10 hours 30 minutesSix Sentence Bookish Thoughts #108© 2013, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Following a pattern established in 2012, my contributions to the Crime Fiction Alphabet in 2013 will feature authors or books that I have read recently. My choice this week is KINGDOM OF STRANGERS by Zoe Ferraris Synopsis (Amazon) A secret grave is unearthed in the desert revealing the bodies of 19 women and the shocking truth that a serial killer has been operating undetected in Jeddah for more than a decade. However, lead inspector Ibrahim Zahrani is distracted by a mystery closer to home. His mistress has suddenly disappeared, but he cannot report her missing since adultery is punishable by death. With nowhere to turn, Ibrahim brings the case to Katya, one of the few women in the police department. Drawn into both investigations, she must be increasingly careful to hide a secret of her own. Portraying the lives of women in one of the most closed cultures in the world, award-winning author Zoë Ferraris weaves a tale of psychological suspense around an elusive serial killer and the sinister forces trafficking in human lives in Saudi Arabia.. See my review This is the third in this series that I have read, and I think they all have been winners. See what others have chosen for the letter K.