Ho Ho Hmmmm...........

After browsing Amazon and Barnes & Nobles websites, I gotta tell y'all - there just aren't a lot of new releases this month. Sigh. Then again, most publishers have already rolled out the big names in hopes of customers buying them up for Christmas presents. And they've definitely gotten all the "holiday" titles out to the shelves, too, hardly waiting for us to come out of our turkey-day stupors. Which leaves us with very little else...

"Divine Misdemeanors" by Laurell K. Hamilton. The 8th book in LKH's Meredith Gentry series. Looks like the woman is still pregnant with twins, still refusing the throne, etc. I've never read any of these, mostly because my sister warned me that they had a LOT of sex in them, and I tend to prefer books with plots.

"Alone" by Loren D. Estleman. This is his 2nd Valentino mystery, and according to my husband, the guy can write. Better yet, Hubster recommends picking up some of his westerns, which are very historically accurate. If you like that sort of thing.

"U is for Undertow" by Sue Grafton. Yep, she's almost made it through the alphabet with her heroine, Kinsey Millhone. I saw a review and they asked Grafton what she planned to do after "Z" comes out; she said she was going to take some time off and take a long nap. Can't say as I blame her! I am sort of bummed about the title - I was hoping for something along the lines of underhanded, or maybe undertaker. Then again, it's not my series, is it?

"The Paris Vendetta" by Steve Berry. Still haven't read anything by him, but have one very good patron who just thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread. His recurring character is Cotton Malone, and this is the fifth book in the series.

"Burning Shadows" by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. This is either the 21st or 22nd book starring vampire St. Germain (it's not very clear on the B&N site). I read the first book in the series, and I've never picked up another one. It wasn't bad, just a bit dry for my taste. I will say this - it's obvious that CQY does a lot of research to the historical feel of the book. She probably would appeal to someone who remembers Anne Rice's style in the first few vampire books.

"KISS Kompendium" by Gene Simmons. OMG, this thing looks so cool! This would be well worth the investment for anyone who was or still is in the KISS army - in other words, an awesome Xmas gift. I really, really wanted us to get a copy for our library system, until I saw the price tag. Sorry, but at a list price of $75, we just can't afford it, both to buy it, and to keep it from walking out the door. Still, it's nice to dream!

"Deeper than the Dead" by Tami Hoag. I think it's pretty safe to say that Hoag is finished with her romance career; this title is all about a serial killer, probably the least romantic topic I can think of. What I'm more interested in is the Publishers' Weekly review that says there are some "unresolved plot threads" - is this what lead to the delay of almost a year in its release? We first had news of its release LAST YEAR, and it's just now coming out. I'll have to see what dirt I can dig up, no pun intended.

"Witch & Wizard" by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet. It's another month, so it's another Patterson book. This is another Young Adult offering, and I'll let you in on a little secret - Charbonnet wrote the book. The idea is usually "provided" by Patterson, with him "helping" out the other writer, and of course, having the final say-so before it's published. I guess it's not the worst thing in the world because he's at least giving the other author credit on the front of the book. And it has led to the authors getting their own book deals, such as Andrew Gross (who some of our patrons have said is better than JP!) But it's still aggravating to have a new "Patterson" book every bleeping month!

"Days of Gold" by Jude Deveraux. Popular women's fiction author puts out yet another book. Look for it to be a bestseller.

"Sizzle" by Julie Garwood. See the above title - ditto!

"Shades of Grey" by Jasper Fforde. Fforde wrote the immensely popular Thursday Next series (OK, popular among those of us that can appreciate the literary humor involved!). He's moving on to a book about a world ruled by the Colortacracy, a group determined to keep colors in line and/or denied to the people. Looks to be a bit like the movie "Pleasantville", but expect a lot more of the very intelligent humor we expect from Fforde. Can't wait!

"Too Much Money" by Dominic Dunne. Hmmm.... two dead authors this month, proving yet again that it's no impediment to one's career. Murder, mystery, and - yes - rich people.

"Nanny Returns" by Emma McLaughlin. As popular as "The Nanny Diaries" was, I'm surprised that the publisher chose to release this sequel this month. Feels like they're burying it, which isn't a good sign. Then again, maybe they wanted a month with very little competition.

"Steve McQueen, King of Cool: Tales of a Lurid Life" by Darwin Porter. A good-looking bio about one of the most famous/infamous "manly" men of Hollywood.

And that's about it, dear readers. Like I said, not a whole lot here, is there? Well, in any case, please hit the stores and buy books for your friends and loved ones. Since this is not what one would call a flush year for most, definitely stalk the aisles of your local used book store - you're sure to find some hidden gems, and you can save yourself a lot of money. Have a wonderful holiday, and yes, there will be reviews, I promise! Just have to get my loose ends tied up at work, then I can focus on y'all!