2008 Book 101: Temperatures Rising

Book #:	101
Book Title:	Temperatures Rising
Author:	Sandra Brown
Publisher:	Bantam
Pub. Date:	1989 (original); 2006 (my version)
Pages:	214
Started:	November 23, 2008
Finished:	November 24, 2008
Time to Read:	2 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Darkly handsome with an arrogant edge, architectural engineer Scout Ritland is the kind of American man who spells trouble. Chantal duPont should know, for she has experienced the best and worst of the country and its people - including one who broke her heart. Yet here she is, home on sultry Parrish Island, putting herself in the way of another bold Yankee. This time, however, it's for a good cause: Scout is the one man who can help her village, and she's not about to let him get the better of her - no matter how much she may want to. Fresh from completing his work on the island's new luxury resort, Scout's ready for a little recreation - though being kidnapped and shot isn't on his agenda. But when he catches sight of an exotic beauty with electric blue eyes, events quickly spin out of control. Scout should be outraged to find himself held captive, but an abductor as alluring as Chantal makes it hard to stay angry. Soon Scout is swept up by Chantal's need to help her people - and the role he is to play in her ambitious plan. With each passing day, the work and the woman present him with challenges he could never find at home. But as the project progresses, intrigue and adventure burn hotter than the island's volcano - and two people who have met their match in each other face a future that could tear them apart."
Stars:	*
Review:	I'm a fan of Sandra Brown - of the Sandra Brown, that is, who wrote Fat Tuesday and Hello Darkness. Those books are mostly suspense with a bit of romance thrown in. Funny, witty characters with a few steamy scenes. Temperatures Rising is a distinct departure from this. This book is mostly romance with a bit of porn thrown in. Seriously! My step-mother-in-law tried to pick it up while I was reading it and I about died of shame. Interesting characters, interesting use of Stockholm syndrome, beautiful setting, porn. That about sums it up. If you like porn on paper, get a copy!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 100: Gone with the Wind

Book #:	100
Book Title:	Gone with the Wind
Author:	Margaret Mitchell
Publisher:	Scribner
Pub. Date:	1936 (original); 2007 (this version)
Pages:	959
Started:	November 15, 2008
Finished:	November 22, 2008
Time to Read:	8 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time. Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone with the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and hunger for the rest of our lives. In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since Romeo and Juliet."
Stars:	****
Review:	When I first began on my quest to read Pulitzer Prize winning novels, I was actually surprised to find Gone with the Wind on the list. Seen the movie. Years ago. Didn't like it. (STOP GLARING AT ME!) Never read the book. (STOP IT!) Despite a passion for history, and in particular military history, and even more in particular Civil War history, I just never had a bit of interest in this story. Boy, did I make a mistake! The only reason this story took so long to read is because we have family visiting to meet our new baby and help us wrangle our yard into shape and get ready for Thanksgiving. Otherwise, I believe I would have glued myself to an armchair for however long it would have taken me to read this story straight through. What a vivid look at life during the Civil War and its aftermath - not from the same military viewpoint as I've read time and again - but from the class of people who stood to lose the most by the new world order. I felt myself feeling truly sorry for the richy rich...as they lost their riches and struggled to find their way in a completely different life. I felt myself feeling angry at those who were forcing the change. And through it all, I wanted more. Now...having said that...the drawbacks: I wanted to throttle Brett about a million times for his attitude issues and I wasn't much happier with Scarlett's behavior at times. Ashley was a wuss. SLAP! Melanie - the only sweet, sweet character. LOVED Mammy! If you're stubborn like me and haven't read this book in the past, drop everything and go get a copy now!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany

2008 Book 99: In the Presence of Enemies

Book #:	99
Book Title:	In the Presence of Enemies
Author:	William J. Coughlin
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date:	1993
Pages:	309
Started:	November 11, 2008
Finished:	November 14, 2008
Time to Read:	4 Days
Back Cover / Inside Flap:	"'Seldom does mystery/thriller fiction ring as true as this lucid, emotionally demanding book,'" said Publishers Weekly of the best-selling Shadow of a Doubt (SMP, 1991). Now, in his final work, former federal judge and veteran author William J. Coughlin combines an insightful look into our legal system with this beautifully crafted thriller. When billionaire banker Augustus Daren dies, a history of front-page scandal lives on with his controversial will. At the center of the conflict is his beautiful widow, Elizabeth, left with control of the bank and now accused by her rich and embittered stepchildren of holding Daren in her thrall after his severe stroke. Not only are billions at stake, but also the power to lead Daren's bank to dominate the international banking scene. Living in her remote northern Michigan estate, Elizabeth is as threatened by the ambition and greed of those who work for her as by her known enemies. To Jake Martin, a partner at a prestigious Detroit law firm, the case appears watertight, and he has a videotape of the signing of the will as proof. But when the tape disappears and key witnesses begin changing their stories, Jake finds that his own future is on the line. Unrealized resources of strength and determination force him to continue - to fight not simply the opposition, but the growing attraction he senses between himself and Elizabeth. As the court date approaches, Jake's position becomes increasingly isolated as Elizabeth's enemies become his own. In the Presence of Enemies is an authentic and powerful legal drama written by a courtroom expert, with twists and surprises right up to its stunning conclusion."
Stars:	****
Review:	Reading this book, I found myself becoming emotionally involved. In a very deep way, I loved the characters of Elizabeth and Jake, I wanted to get to know them better, and beyond all else, I wanted them to win. It was all too easy to take their enemies as my own. At times, during the book, I felt deja vu - had this author foreseen the Anna Nicole Smith story with this plotline? At other times, I felt a bit comical, with some of the dated descriptions and technologies - ah, the early 1990s. But at all times, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and am sorry that I started my literary journey with Coughlin with his last work - 15 years ago - instead of his first. Get a copy today!

If you have read or are planning to read this book, please make sure to stop back by and leave me a comment to let me know your own thoughts!

From my library to yours,

Tiffany