Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

Grave Sight
by Charlaine Harris
Berkeley Prime Crime Books, 2005

This is the debut novel for a brand new series. The heroine is Harper Connelly, a woman with a special gift. Ever since she was struck by lightning at the age of fifteen, Harper has been able to sense the dead. She knows where they are. With the help of her step-brother Tolliver, she hires herself to people who want or need to find the bodies of those who have disappeared. And though she can't speak with the dead, she can sense their last moments before death and know how they died.

When Harper and Tolliver are hired to come to the tiny town of Sarne, Arkansas to find the body of a missing girl, they find themselves under attack, both from a mysterious assailant with something to hide and from fundamentalist townsfolk who think her ability is evil. And someone is willing to kill to get rid of Harper.

This is a tightly written, quick-paced thriller that leaves the reader wanting more. Readers who enjoy the now popular subgenre of "modern urban magic" will find it highly satisfying, and Charlaine Harris fans will definitely want to give it a try, though it is very different from her other recent books, the light-hearted Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire series. It's closer in tone to Harris's previous series featuring Lily Bard set in the town of Shakespeare, Arkansas.

Honey, Mud, Maggots, and other Medical Marvels

Honey, Mud, Maggots, and Other Medical Marvels:
the science behind folk remedies and Old Wives' tales
by Robert and Michele Root-Bernstein
Houghton Mifflin, 1997

Unfortunately, this book is out of print, but I highly recommend buying it through Bookfinder.com, Amazon.com, or anywhere else you can lay your hands on it.

I picked this book off my shelves yesterday to re-read. It is a well-written, intriguing, and thought-provoking book on folk remedies. These cures, some of them grotesque by today's standard, were scorned and scoffed by the medical profession for years. Ironically, that same medical profession is taking a new look at them and even, in some cases, embracing them.

The authors give the background and current medical understanding--and use--of a wide variety of treatments, including using maggots to treat gangrene and leeches in microsurgery, the antibiotic properties of honey for deep wounds, clay eating, and more. This volume is very readable and hard to put down. When I first read it, I was so intrigued that I began to do look further into some of the treatments it covers and learned that the authors were not exaggerating current usage by some in the medical field of these folk remedies. Today, with the increasing problem of antibiotic-resistant diseases, the alternative treatments offered in this book are even more worthwhile to consider.

Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee and David Thurlo

One subgenre of mysteries which I have always enjoyed are those featuring nuns or priests as the sleuth. The Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee and David Thurlo are among the best I have ever come across.

Sister Agatha belongs to a small community of cloistered nuns, the Our Lady of Hope Monastery, in New Mexico. She is one of two extern sisters that form the community's connection to the outside world, as well as being its mistress of novices. Sister Agatha is an intriguing character: a strong self-sufficient woman who rejoices & finds fulfillment in submitting her will to that of her order and her faith. As she seeks to solve mysteries involving her monastery--in the first book a priest drops dead during mass--Sister Agatha also must deal with the local sheriff who, as a former beau, has difficulty accepting her vocation. The books also have their share of humor; for instance, the nuns refer to the monastery's old car as the "Anti-Chrysler."

So far there are two books out in this series: Bad Faith (2002) and Thief in Retreat (2004) . A third entry, Prey For a Miracle is due to be released on June 13 this year.

I also highly recommend a similar series by Veronica Black, the Sister Joan mysteries.

Sony's great new E-Ink reader for e-books!!

For the past few years I have been growing more and more interested in e-books. Especially since the number of e-books has grown larger and larger. Old classics as well as new novels of all genres, non-fiction, and original e-books abound--as do Internet sites that offer them.

The only reason that I haven't yet downloaded any of them is the fact that I have not fancied any of the hardware available to read them on. Sitting at the computer to read a book doesn't appeal to me, nor does balancing a laptop. PDA's are handy, but the screens are dinky.

But now it seems that the E-Ink technology has finally gotten to the point that a reader has been created that is as comfortable to read as a book. I have been reading about it on various sites, but here is a link to a great article on PCWorld.com:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,124126,00.asp.

It looks like Sony will have an American version of their reader on the market in April or May of this year! It's about the size of a paperback book, but thinner. The E-Ink technology is easy on the eyes, can be read in bright outdoor light as well as in darkness, and the reader has a long battery life. The price is supposed to be about $300 or $400.

I am looking forward to getting my hands on one of these readers. Not only will I be able to comfortably access e-books, but it will save me stuffing fat paperback books in by fanny pack when I go out. An added plus--I will be able to have a number of books stored on it so I can read what I'm in the mood for at a given time.

Bliss!

I love romance novels, but...

I read books from just about every genre and sub-genre. Often I will read a mix of genres depending on what comes to hand, but sometimes you get in the mood for a single type of novel. So you read just mysteries, or just science fiction. Or just romances. These last few days I have been in a romance novel mood, so I have been indulging. And I have to say that some of these novel are, to put it bluntly, nothing more than soft porn.

It wasn't always this way. I first started reading romance novels in the late 1960s, during high school. I remember picking up a Harlequin romance off a rack in a variety store. I enjoyed that first romance novel and began looking around for others. In those days Harlequin was the king (queen?) of regular romances. Gothic romances with darkly sinister heroes living in forbidding houses were also very popular. Regular or gothic, kissing was about as sexual as the books got. And mostly the hero and heroine didn't have sex at all until the very end. When they got married. And you only knew they were going to have sex, but you didn't get the details.

Then Bodice Rippers came on the scene. They started appearing in the early 1970s and I can remember that they made quite a splash. Their covers featured (as they mostly do today) nubile women in various stages of undress clasped in the arms of usually shirtless and incredibly muscular men. And they were a lot more daring than romances had been up to that point. Over the years they have become more and more daring....

Honestly, a large portion of what is published under the banner of "romance" these days is less about romance than it is about sex. The setting may be modern, medieval, western, a pirate ship, you name it. Whatever the subgenre, you will find yourself in the midst of almost continuous sex scenes and when the plot isn't focusing on a sex scene, it is relating the man's desire to start having sex with the heroine or her physical responses to the mere thought of the hero. In fact, women in romance novels have no control over their own bodies which have some truly amazing reactions to the mere sight of the heroes.

And the sex scenes can get pretty steamy. Expect just about every sexual position, including missionary. Oral sex. Sex in the library. Sex on the stairs. Sex in the stables. Sex in carriages. Bondage. Sex with objects. I have seen rape scenes as well, but the heroine almost always forgives the man or at least finds excuses for him. So far the only thing I think I haven't seen in regular romances you can find in any bookstore is sex with animals. Thankfully.

Oddly, while a woman's body parts may be discussed using their proper names, you rarely see the word "penis." No, more usually that particular body part is referred to with euphemisms: member, rod, loins, or staff, for example. And often a man's penis may be called "his manhood," "his masculinity," or "his throbbing sword." I have even read historical novels that use the word "cock."

Foreplay in romance novels in strangely regimented. I have noticed over the years that there are trends in foreplay that make a sweep of the genre until almost every novel, from every publisher, uses the same devices. For example, a few years back most romance novels featured heroes sucking on the woman's breasts--through her clothes. These days, though, there is an hysterically funny trend. It seems that the, ah, "masculinity" of romance heroes has grown to such proportions that the heroine must be prepared to receive his magnificence. This preparation involves the man inserting his fingers to stretch her enough to receive him.... A few novels have even gone so far as to get rid of the heroine's virginity this way. It's a wonder some of these romance heroes can even walk based on the stated proportions of their "masculinity" even in a flaccid state. Much less ride a horse.

A couple of years ago I wrote a micro short story inspired by romance novels:

The Wish by Susan Umpleby

Monica leaned forward to peer eagerly at the newest romance novels on the display rack. The vivid covers featuring muscular heroes embracing beautiful, scantily clad women made her heart race in anticipation. Placing one copy of each new title into a hand basket, Monica wondered what life would be like if she were a romance heroine. While paying for the books she thought it would be exciting if she could suddenly plunge into the pages of one of her favorite novels. As she left the bookstore, Monica whispered, "I wish I could be a romance heroine" and laughed at her own foolishness.

The man walking towards her on the sidewalk could have stepped off the cover of any romance novel. A tailored shirt emphasized his wide shoulders. Jeans molded themselves to his muscular thighs and hugged his lean waist. His ruggedly handsome face and deep blue eyes made her tingle with awareness as warmth seemed to flood her body. She felt suddenly breathless. How amazing to be reacting to a complete stranger like this.

"I wish you'd stop doing that," the man said peevishly as he stopped in front of her.

She gaped at him in amazement. "What on earth are you talking about?"

Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Your thighs. They were taunting me." His gaze wandered over her body. Monica flushed, growing annoyed. This couldn't be happening. As she stepped hurriedly back, though, she felt her thighs thrusting arrogantly against the narrow skirt she wore.

"I don't even know who you are," she squeaked as the stranger leaned closer. "Max Osborne," he murmured absently, looking with appreciation at her chest. "God, it's distracting when you do things like that."

Monica looked down, appalled to see that her breasts were swelling, jutting proudly toward him, and she prayed the buttons on her blouse would hold. What was happening to her? Feeling the heat radiating between them, she wondered if she was becoming ill. Max's eyes fixed intently on her lips as she bit them and Monica felt them grow fuller under his gaze. As he dipped his head she felt her lips open helplessly under his kiss. His hand cupped her breast, bringing Monica to her senses and she pulled away from him. How could she behave this way in the middle of the sidewalk with a man she'd just met? As she walked away from Max she felt her bottom surge roundly inside her skirt and knew his eyes were following her. Her mind racing with confusion, Monica suddenly remembered the wish she’d made as she left the bookstore. "Oh, Lord," she groaned. "I've become a romance heroine!"

She staggered as she walked, desperately trying to control legs that willfully thrust forward. Monica found it difficult to keep her balance. Her tumescent buttocks caused her back to arch uncomfortably, while her engorged breasts heavily pulled her shoulders forward. She felt like a travesty of a woman, and she marveled that she had ever thought that being a romance heroine could be fun. Thank God she had stopped him before he ruined her best silk blouse by sucking on it! Reaching the bookstore, she lunged through the door. Lurching up to the counter, Monica laid down her shopping bag and made her request. The clerk looked confused. Monica mumbled again, struggling to control passion-swollen lips: "I want to exchange these for some mysteries, please."

The Far Traveller -- great ghost story

The Far Traveller
by Manning Coles
Rue Morgue Press, 2001

This ghost story was originally published in 1956, and I was fortunate enough to stumble across it in a library in the early 1970's. When I tried back then to get my own copy, I discovered that it was out of print. And in those pre-internet days, it was impossible to find; used book stores just didn't carry it. When it disappeared from library shelves as well, I gave up hope. So it was a delightful surprise a few years ago to discover that Rue Morgue Press had released a paperback edition of this and a couple other Manning Coles fantasies. I immediately bought a copy and discovered that the story is as good as I'd remembered it.

In post-War Germany an American director arrives in the village of Grauhugel to make a film in the local castle based on the life of a Graf who's lived and died there almost 90 years before, inspired by local legends that the Graf's spirit still walked the halls. When his star falls on the stairs of the castle and must be replaced, the director is thrilled when suitably aristocratic gentleman and his servant arrives on the scene and offers him the part. The newcomer is actually the ghostly Graf himself. He takes the acting job to give himself the chance to right old wrongs that have prevented him and his servant from moving on.

Fans of Thorne Smith's Topper novels (and the movies based on them) will love this amusing ghost story.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

Darkly Dreaming Dexter
by Jeff Lindsay
Vintage Books, 2004

This is a crime thriller with a different kind of hero! Dexter Morgan works as a blood spatter expert for the Miami police. His foster sister is also with the force. A brutal series of murders is rocking the community and Dexter's job on the force gives him the opportunity he needs to track the man down. But Dexter has both a special interest in this case and an advantage over his colleagues: he is a serial killer himself.

In this first novel in a series, we learn that Dexter's foster father, a cop, discovered early on about his lethal tendencies--and taught him how to discriminate in his victims. He also taught his foster son how to blend in with "normal" people by simulating the emotions and responses to others that he is incapable of actually feeling. Thanks to this training, Dexter only kills those who deserve his attentions. And a rival serial killer definitely fall in that category.

This is a darkly humorous and swiftly paced novel that is hard to put down. Jeff Lindsay has done an amazing thing: he created a sadistic, emotionless killer that holds the reader's sympathy and support.

The second book in the series, Dearly Devoted Dexter, is just as good a read and has the addition of an interesting twist at its conclusion.