Mouth to Mouth

In some romancees, the raciest thing in the book is a first kiss. Or they can get a little "H and H". That is Hot and Heavy for you new kids out there. Erin McCarthy's book Mouth to Mouth is definitely "H and H." But it is not just a steamy contemporary romance. It actually has some thought provoking story lines.

Our heroine, Laurel, is deaf. For readers not aware of the struggles of the deaf in the speaking world, it is an entry point into the conditions they face on a daily basis. She is meeting a guy in a coffee shop. She met him online. The problem is the police officer who shows up - has the right name - but he's the wrong guy. Russ is investigating an identity thief who also cons women. Laurel's meeting came up in a note in the garbage that the thief left behind.

He thinks she's naive. She's thinks he's hot but - is not looking to be lectured on identity theft. They keep seeing each other - to further the case. Much to his surprise, the good girl has a naughty streak (I can not believe I just wrote that...kinda cheesy - but descriptive in this case).

All sorts of issues are woven in this book. The concept of responsibility - to yourself and others, not taking first impressions for granted, making sure you don't get conned by a online romeo, and the importance of communication at all levels. And how to get a fat cat to loose weight. See not all of them are serious!

A fun read. A fun author. I would pick up another to see if she keeps up the quality of the story. Have a frothy good time.

Take the Cannoli

Sarah Vowell's book, Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World is another collection of essays by the talented writer. My favorite selections include an essay on the Michigan and Wacker bridge in downtown Chicago. Vowell makes and proves her claim that she can "tell the whole history of America standing on that bridge." And she manages to do just that.

Other offerings are her story of how she and her sister traveled the Trail of Tears that her Cherokee Nation ancestors did. And the tale of the struggles that took place along the way and once they finally reached Oklahoma. The comparison of the Cheerokee and modern day car trips are an interesting diorama of garishness in modern America.

So join the Sarah Vowell bandwagon. You will enjoy the humor and the viewpoint on modern society. A very good read.

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank

Okay - if that title doesn't grab you - or if you do not think it is funny - then this is NOT the book for you. However if that title makes you laugh, come on down and read Celia Rivenbark's Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank and Other Delicate Words of Southern Women.

Rivenbank is a syndicated newspaper columnist from North Carolina. And dang is she funny! Most of these humorous essays are from her columns where she tackles motherhood, wacky celebrities, marriage and plain ol' southern oddities. I haven't swallowed so many laughs in a long time ( I was trying to read this in a quiet environment.) She has a way of getting to the heart of the absurdities of modern day life. She's definitely a laugh out loud kind of gal.

I was so excited about her and this book - that I promptly ordered her other ones to read. My new "funny author" discovery. A very fun read!

Satisfaction

When you first pick up a book - something must catch your eye to draw it in. Maybe it's the title. Or colors on the cover, 0r the cover design. Then if you're a bit more particular, you check out the flyleaf or the backcover for more information on this book that is drawing you in. But every so often, even after you have read all the particulars, and you think you are just getting a typical book in your favorite genre, you get a surprise. Who the hell wrote the backcover copy anyway? Did they read this book? Sometimes it is even a pleasant surprise like Satisfaction by Marianne Stillings.

The back cover says that Georgiana is a tv show personality like Martha Stewart. Ethan is a private eye. Okay, it starts out as a cute romance. He has to protect her on her set where there are a lot of accidents lately. She then cooks her way into his heart.

Maybe in some other book!

The back cover left out the blackmail, the date rape, the secret family, the ties to the mafia, and a murder. Yeah. He is not what he seems. She is tougher than she looks and together they learn to trust each other and solve the mysteries that surround them. Stillings has written some good characters and a driving, fast paced book. Could of fooled me! A fun read.

The Boys of Winter

The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey is a book about a hockey game. But it was a game, that represented more than just a group of amateur young Americans taking the ice. It became a symbol of the country's daring do in a rather bleak point of our history. Coffey does some excellent research and interviews and he takes us along for the ride.

If you are an fan of the Olympics, you will enjoy this book. If you remember the game or the era - you will enjoy it even more. Coffey does a period by period breakdown of the game and brings in the backgrounds of all the players, coaches, and officials in the book. He even manages to make the former Soviet players human. He manages to bring vibrancy and life to an event that is over 25 years old. And he does so with a journalist's eye and perspective, so that the book is not just a puff piece. It made me eager to watch the game (not the glamorized movie version) all over again. A very good read.

Black Orchids

Rex Stout's novella Black Orchids has a bit of everything from his classic books. The setup - Nero Wolfe hears about certain black colored orchids that are featured at the New York City flower show. The progression - he sends Archie Goodwin to scout them out and report back. He then must see these amazing plants for himself. The death - was at the flower show. One of the people who was featured in a grower's display is killed while Wolfe and Archie are there. It happened in front of an audience. The dame - happens to be the other person featured in the display. The victim - was a blackmailer. There were a few people who would not mind seeing him dead. The mystery - can Wolfe figure it out? Of course he can. But the real question may be: will Wolfe end up with the black orchids?

One has to love the way Stout aptly mixes snappy dialog, clues and characters into one lively story. I really loved the way he planned the murder at the flower show - having just been to one - it was pretty perfect. A very fun read.

The Amateurs - an Olympic story

The Amateurs: The Story of Four Young Men and Their Quest for an Olympic Gold Medal by David Halberstam is an intense story of the sport of amateur rowing. This is not a glamour sport. Only a few colleges compete in it, at the time of the story, and besides the Olympics, there is really no sporting "afterlife".

So what pushes these people? Glory? Fame ? Self worth? Their Coach? Perhaps all of the above. As he concentrates on his four main athletes, we find that each of them have a different reason to achieve their goal of making it into the Olympics. Halberstam focuses on the 1984 single scull trails but we also learn how rowing is a sport of conditions, so that scores and times can not be trusted past a day's workout or competition. This is also a study of the psychology of sports - before it became a standard part of the athletic training process.

So who will win? The older guy, who was the back up on one Olympic team and also on the team that had to boycott the Olympics - is this his last chance? The one from Seattle, recovering from a bad back, and not really part of the Eastern group? But what about the guy who has been known to pull an upset on any given day? Or that moody California guy who is determined to beat out the Ivy Leaguers? You will have to read it yourself - because I'm not telling! A good read.

"Perhaps in our society the true madness in the search for excellence is left for the amateur."