Book Review ... Nope

Ah well.
The problem is I won't review a book I haven't finished.  It just doesn't seem fair.  And the book I've been reading I didn't finish, and I never will.  I just couldn't get into it.  Second Street Station by Lawrence H. Levy is a Historical Mystery based on a true story.  And you might love it, but I couldn't get into it.

Book Review Friday: The Belgariad

The Belgariad
By David Eddings

Technically, The Belgariad is not a book.  It is five books.  The first one was published in 1982.

Pawn of Prophecy
Queen of Sorcery
Magician's Gambit
Castle of Wizardry
Enchanter's End Game

This is one of my favorite stories.  I've read it a dozen times, at least.  I've shared it with friends, I've read the books aloud to my children.  I've warn out paperback copies.  But, frankly, as a librarian, this isn't something I'd recommend everyday, because they're just not on the library shelves anymore.  But if you can find them and you love a good epic fantasy.  You should try this.

The story begins with young Garion living on a farm with his Aunt Pol, who cooks for the farmer and his large staff of workers.  One day the old storyteller shows up and Garion's life is turned upside down.   And Garion slowly comes to realize that the storyteller, Aunt Pol, and even Garion himself are not who he thought they were and that they have a task to perform that will change the world.

Great characters, lots of humor, knights, thieves, magic, villains, and even a dragon make their way across the pages of Eddings' epic adventure.  And if you can't get enough, Garion's adventures continue in The Mallorean (another five book series).

Digital Footprint Webinar

I just watched an informative webinar and found a great resource for more library education. Win Win.  The webinar was Your Digital Footprint.  Brought to us by the Nebraska Library Commission.  The link takes you to their list of offerings, including their archive of recorded webinars. The Nebraska Library Commission sponsors NCompass broadcasts live every Wednesday at 10 AM Central Time with topics of interest to librarians.  I will be back.
Today's webinar discussed the digital footprint we all leave behind on the Internet and offered strategies we can use to minimize our footprint and keep our data secure.  The webinar also offered strategies for presenting this information to library patrons young and old.

Book Review Friday: Saint's Gate

Saint's Gate: A Novel of Suspense
Bu Carla Neggers

Heron’s Cove is a beautiful, scenic town on the coast of Maine.  Home to scenic overlooks, trendy boutiques, and the Convent of the Sisters of the Joyful Heart.  It is also the longtime home of Emma Sharpe, whose family owns the world renowned Sharpe Fine Art Recovery firm, specializing in solving high end art thefts.  Emma was once a postulant at the convent, but left before taking her final vows.  Now she works for the FBI.  A call from Sister Joan at the convent draws Emma into a mystery surrounding a painting and then Sister Joan is murdered and the painting disappears.

Half an hour up the Maine coast is tiny village of Rock Point.  Lobstermen make their home here. And so do the Donovans, four rugged, independent brothers and their parents.   Colin Donovan is one of the FBI’s most valuable deep cover assets.  Home recuperating from a dangerous mission, Colin gets drawn into the mystery at the convent. 

Emma and Colin, highly trained, independent, and wary, must learn to trust one another as they work together to catch a killer and find the missing painting before anyone else dies.

Saint’s Gate is the first book in Carla Neggers’ FBI series, featuring Agents Sharpe and Donovan.  The sparks fly as these two strong, complicated characters solve crimes and fall in love.  Neggers’ narrative provides beautiful descriptions of the Maine coast as well as Ireland.  The mystery is intriguing and the suspense builds to a surprising twist of an ending.  The romance that blossoms between Emma and Colin is no surprise, but their complex pasts add just enough tension to keep the relationship interesting. 

I read Saint's Gate, but listened to Heron's Cove.  I recommend skipping the audio versions.  The narrator wasn't the best and Neggers' prose is not well suited to reading aloud. 

Hot as opposed to steamy, I could recommend this romantic suspense series to my mother without blushing. 

Other books in the Sharpe And Donovan Series
Heron’s Cove

Declan’s Cross

Harbor Island

Keeper’s Reach

If you like Carla Neggers’ Sharpe and Donovan Series you may like:

The Callahan & McLane series by Kendra Elliot

The Buchanan novels by Julie Garwood

The Nikki Heat series by Richard Castle

And books by:

J. D. Robb

Sandra Brown

Christine Feehan

Jennifer Crusie

Amanda Quick
Iris Johansen

Linda Howard