November releases

OK, rather than go week by week as I've been trying to do, I'm just going to hit the highlights for this month. I have a coming up, some field trips to handle, and at least one meeting to attend, so The Bookbabe doesn't have much time for anything other than work. Yes, please feel sorry for me! LOL! Anyway, there's not a whole lot coming out unless you want to go thru the endless "holiday" titles, and we all know how I feel about those. I will, however, list them just so you can look for them in the store, should you choose to part with your hard-earned money on the little buggers.


Week of November 2nd
"Ford Country" by John Grisham. No, it's not a legal thriller. No, it's not a novel. Yes, it revisits his setting for his first book, "A Time to Kill". Yes, it's a collection of short stories by him, all about said setting. No, I don't think people are going to be happy when they read it.

"The Audacity to Win: the inside stories and lessons of Barack Obama's historic victory" by David Plouffe. I don't know about this. It's being talked about on all the news shows and such, and I guess it could be interesting - if you like our current president. I sort of think it's a bit too soon to be writing a work like this, but that's just me. That, and I can't get over the guy's last name! Sounds too much like "poof" - the sound of something suddenly disappearing...

"A Christmas Blizzard" by Garrison Keillor.

"It's Your Time: activate your faith, achieve your dreams, and increase in God's favor" by Joel Osteen. I have a big, big, big problem with the leaders of the so-called mega-churches. I think they've achieved the spiritual equivalent of rock stardom, and it goes to their heads just as easily as it does the guy singing about his last groupie. Osteen seems a bit less smarmy than some, but just as wrong. Plus I don't think you need to buy a book to "increase in God's favor".

"Kindred in Death" by J. D. Robb. #29 in the series by Robb, aka Nora Roberts. I am becoming suspicious that Roberts has others writing for her, sort of like James Patterson (who puts out a "new" book almost every month). At least Patterson gives the other authors credit.

"The Lacuna" by Barbara Kingsolver. Her first novel in nine years, according to Publisher's Weekly. I've never read her, but I remember when one of her books kept getting assigned in high schools. Doesn't seem to have much of a fan base here in my library.

"Rainwater" by Sandra Brown. Another wunderkind that will sell out her title, no matter how good or bad it is.



Week of November 9th
"Under the Dome" by Stephen King. Always up for a new King book, especially one with a promising plot. However, this one clocks in at almost 1100 pages, which is awfully long. I'll probably wait and try to get my reserve set for sometime around Christmas, when we're closed for 4 days!

"Fly by Wire: the geese, the glide, the Miracle on the Hudson" by William Langewiesche. This is the book to pick up if you only want to read about Captain Sullenberger's flight and landing back in January of this year. If you want to read about Captain Sullenberger's life, pick up his book "Highest Duty" instead.

"Ice" by Linda Howard. Romantic suspense, highly popular, never read her, don't plan to.

"Last Words: a memoir" by George Carlin. The world lost a great guy when Carlin died. I can't wait to read this, and I hope there's some comedic gems in it. Mostly, I just think he had a fantastic way of pointing out the obvious, especially when it came to human stupidity. RIP George.

"Open: an autobiography" by Andre Agassi. I was surprised to see someone in our system suggest purchasing copies of this book for our branches. Agassi? Would anyone even remember who he was? Then I started seeing a few reviews and read an excerpt, and now I have to admit, it might be worth it. Not for our whole system, but yeah, at least two copies at our main branch. Turns out Agassi says he hates tennis, would even go so far to say he loathes it. Well, it certainly made him a lot of money, didn't it?

"Wishin' and Hopin': a Christmas story" by Wally Lamb.

Week of November 16th
"Going Rogue" by Sarah Palin. Hmmm. I'd heard that part of the reason Palin quit her govenor post was to write a memoir, saying that she'd be able to make a lot more money writing than running Alaska. And here it is! Guess this is one rumor that's true. I don't consider her to be much of a rogue, though.

"How to Be Famous: our guide to looking the part, playing the press, and becoming a tabloid fixture" by Heidi Montag. Lord save us from inane "reality" stars. Heidi is the "idi" part of Speidi, aka Spencer and Heidi Montag, from The Hills. Or the OC. Or one of those TV shows that I don't watch. How on earth people can be famous for pretty much just existing is beyond me. And after watching her on "I'm a Celebrity - Get Me Outta Here!" this summer, I really, really don't get why she's "famous". Sigh.

"I, Alex Cross" by James Patterson. Another entry in his famous and well-loved Alex Cross series, which used to use children's games and nursery rhymes for titles. Sadly, the last 4 or 5 entries have all used "cross" in them somewhere, which just smacks of laziness to me. I think these are the only books of his that he's still actually writing.

"The Wrecker" by Clive Cussler. Action-adventure sort of tales. Not to my taste.


Week of November 23rd
"Pirate Latitudes" by Michael Crichton. Proving yet again that you don't have to be alive to publish a book. This is supposedly from a manuscript that they "found" after he passed away. We'll see if this is the only one, or if there will be more.

"Breathless" by Dean Koontz. You'd think as much as I enjoy reading horror/paranormal/just plain weird books, I would have picked up a Koontz title by now. But I have not. Strange, isn't it? And so many of his have sounded pretty good...

"First Lord's Fury" by Jim Butcher. This is book 6 in the Codex Alera series, and according to one of our patrons, this is a very good series. Much more sci-fi than his Harry Dresden series, but she said it's still good. I haven't tried any of them - yet. One of these days!

"KISS Kompendium" by Gene Simmons. Oh, how I wanted to be able to get this for our library system! But, it's also very pricey, say around $75 or so. Sigh. If you've got the money, and you're a KISS fan, I would say this is worth it. Better yet, buy your library system a copy!

"Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog: the amazing adventures of an ordinary woman" by Lisa Scottoline. I love the title. I have no idea if it will be any good, but patrons like her fiction.

OK, people, wich me luck getting through November! Good reading!