Deadly Promises by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love, Cindy Gerad and Laura Griffin

Romantic suspense was a surprising genre for me.   My introduction was fairly recent.   The three stories in this book have a commonality of action and sexual tension.   The guys are all hunks with soulful eyes, gentle hands and the smell of danger.  

My only complaint about this book is that there doesn’t seem to be any normal kind of guys who rise to heroic deeds.   The male protagonists are way larger than life, reveling in physical mayhem and then showing up in a silk shirt with passionate plans.

The stories are harder to believe than the sword and sorcery or space operas that I prefer.   That doesn’t mean that the books won’t cause heaving bosoms and shortness of breath in the gender targeted audience.  (I don’t think I have ever typed the word bosom before.)

What is truly dismaying is that I didn’t find the book repugnant.   I enjoyed the stories.  I can’t decide if this means that I am a manly man in touch with my feminine side or a major woos.   (Word defined woos as to woo, but the Urban dictionary clearly states woos is a synonym for wimp.)  I am sure you can guess which description I favor. (at least in my own mind.)

I recommend the book.  

Body of work of Sherrilyn  Kenyon

Body of work of Dianna Love

Body of work of Cindy Gerad

Body of work of Laura Griffin

Web Site: http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

http://www.authordiannalove.com/

http://www.cindygerard.com/

http://www.lauragriffin.com/

Racing in the Rain, My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein

 This is a painfully poignant story narrated by a dog.   If you like soupy books and love dogs, prepare your reading time with a full box of tissues. 

This is the story of a family and their dog.   A dog that just knows that his next revolution on the wheel of creation he is going to have opposable thumbs and vocal cords uses his insight and narrative skills to tell the story.

The story is moving and characterizes the value of perseverance, patience and tenacity.   Love can not conquer all but love can sustain life.    Driving race cars provide Denny and Enzo metaphors for living their lives.   This story can teach compassion and a willingness to help others. 

This is purported to be a kid’s book and admittedly the reading level is hardly taxing.   However it is emotionally charged and could be a bit intense for the younger reader.  (Remember Ole Yeller?) 

Although this book could easily be read by the literate first grader I would not recommend it for the primary grades.   I think it would be fine for the upper elementary grades and on up.  I enjoyed it but then there have always been questions regarding my maturity level.

I recommend the book, it is inspiring, sad and satisfying.

Body of work of Garth Stein

Web Site: http://www.garthstein.com/arr/

Dominance by Will Lavender

This is a mystery the bounces back and forth between 1994 and the present.

The plot involves a grizzly murder a psychopathic professor and a group of students.

I suspect if you were a big fan of silence of lambs you will probably enjoy this book too.

For whatever reason I don't find mental dominance books particularly interesting. I found this book a struggle to read. It seems like the characterizations are good and the plot is interesting, I just

couldn't get into it.

This book wasn't my cup of tea but I suspect that it will be well regarded by many people.

Body of work of Will Lavender

Web Site: http://willlavender.com/index2.php

Revenge: No Statute of Limitations by Whit Gentry

 If you carry a grudge, you will find a pair of kindred souls in this debut thriller.  

Whit Gentry has successfully created a positive reputation with his first book.   His characters were believable and portrayed with clarity and panache.   I found myself highly outraged at the circumstance and oddly sympathetic.  

Evoking emotion always indicates to me a consummate story teller.   Whit has certainly evoked emotions in this book.   A masterful display of creative ambivalence characterizes the plot.  

I look forward to reading more from Whit Gentry.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Whit Gentry

Web site:  http://whitgentry.com/bio

All the Sad Young Literary Men by Keith Gessen, A Guest Post

All the Sad Young Literary Men is literal in its title and literary in its aspirations. The novel chronicles the lives of three young men who you will have a really tough time telling apart. When Gessen wrote All the Sad Young Literary men, he claimed he was attempting to revive a style of writing about young, White, urban, hyper-educated men in a way that hadn’t been seen since F. Scott Fitzgerald. Whether or not you agree that his subjects are over or under-covered, it’s clear that Gessen has succeeded in his Fitzgerald imitation.

The novel’s greatest achievement is its translation of a Fitzgerald-esque style to contemporary fiction. Gessen writes about bloggers, Harvard jerks, and working day jobs the same way Fitzgerald writes about lawn parties, impotence and post WWI life in the roaring 20s. The Fitzgerald influence is clear from the title to the subjects to the style of storytelling. It’s refreshing to read about a contemporary age – the 90s in this case – in a voice that sounds familiar, but takes its cues and structure from 1920s literature. The characters, unfortunately, are less interesting.

Sam, Mark and Keith all go to Ivy League universities, keep the company of other intellectuals, have trouble with women, sign book deals (or don’t), and feel insecure about themselves from the beginning to the end. They are all connected by a lowest common denominator (education), and don’t interact much besides.

If the characters seem like three versions of the same person, it’s because they are. Gessen barely manages to fictionalize the three facets of his own personality: the Harvard graduate, the writer, and the Russophile. Each takes a slightly different path, and spends a large time considering what could have been. Incidentally, the whole novel feels like Gessen himself is wondering what could have been had he followed the whims of his inner Sam, Mark or Keith. This is narcissistic to be sure, but many can relate to these themes, and in its chronicle of a certain sebset of society, the book is a triumph.

The writing is at times labyrinthine, but rarely obtuse. Gessen has a roundabout way of making his points, but he gets there eventually. This is something I can identify with and therefore appreciate, though I understand if it’s not everyone’s slice of cheesecake. 

The book is very personal, and very quiet. Conflict is kept to a minimum, but that doesn’t keep characters from fretting about everything. That is to say, nothing really happens. Relationships form and dissolve, egos rise and fall, transcontinental flights are taken and don’t seem to go anywhere. By the end of the novel, I don’t know the characters much more than when I started. Despite this, the lessons each character learns on their respective journeys to nowhere are insightful and worth the price of entry.

Those in the mood for a traditional, yet interesting story about the lives of young white intellectuals will enjoy this book, provided they do not also like tidy endings. Though the characters can go from insufferable to underdogs in the same sentence, there is heart here that is worth exploring, even if you can’t immediately relate.

Blake Fields is a literary omnivore and home improvement enthusiast. He spends his free time looking for internet deals, and supporting his local library. Find him in the New Fiction section!