The Lineup edited by Otto Penzler

Subtitle: The World's Greatest Crime Writers Tell the Inside Story of Their Greatest Detectives.

Little Brown sent me this book for review, and I didn't realize it was non-fiction until it arrived. I tend to read mostly fiction, but I've read a great many Otto Penzler anthologies, so I decided it couldn't be bad. I was right.

It was like being in a room with authors at a convention where they shared with you what led them to choose a certain character (or what character chose them) and why the various attributes, successes and failures of each make the character they like to write about.

21 authors speak of their characters intimately. It's fun to see what inspired them, why some keep their characters true to type and some have characters that change throughout the series.

My personal favorite was Jeffery Deaver's contribution about Lincoln Rhyme's funeral. He always grabs my attention and leads me on.

Not only will this book share writer talk with you, it may inspire you to start thinking about a character you'd like to write about or a situation that could jump start a story for you.

For being non-fiction, this was really an enjoyable read. Try it, you'll like it!

Angel and Apostle by Deborah Noyes

I received this ARC from Unbridled Books and wasn't altogether sure of my expectations. I'd never read The Scarlet Letter, but the thought of a book written about her life after she'd been scorned by the Puritans had to be interesting. And it was!

I can't imagine being ostracized by an entire community. Or raising a child who cannot go school or interact with other children because of your "sin".

While she never talks to her daughter about it, the daughter gradually learns the story from other people. Her mother is really not at fault, but she keeps earning the rage of the community again and again...

Pearl, the daughter, is content with her wild life and her imaginative ways. But even that can't last forever.

The ending surprised me in some ways and, in other ways, turned out to be what I was expecting.

It reads smoothly, takes you back to the days of Puritan judgement and hatred, and intrigues your mind. What more could you ask?

If you'd like my copy of this ARC, leave a comment here on the blog and then email me at info NOSPAM @bookfaerie.com (remove spaces and NOSPAM) with you name and address and why you'd like to read it. I'll pick a winner in about a week.

Mrs. Kaputnik's Pool Hall and Matzo Ball Emporium by Rona Arato

This is a marvelous children's chapter book published by Tundra Books, who sent it to me for review.

My reason for requesting it was that it had a dragon in it. But it also has two very important messages for children.

Shoshi, Moshe, their mother, and their pet dragon, Snigger, all move from a very tiny Russian village to New York - where their father has come to start them a new life in America. The discussion of the difficulty they had at Ellis Island and entering the states as well as their lack of English and a communication problem are very realistic and will teach your child about a piece of history that my grandparents lived through. They were Ivan and Marija. They became John and Mary. So, too, do the children and their mother end up with a name change...

Shortly after they arrive, they find that father is missing and the remaining "partner" steals all their money. So they have a vacant building and no visible means of support.

Mother believes they need to continue as a restaurant and cleans the place up and starts making Matzo balls. Of course, if they cook too long, they make good baseballs... And with Snigger helping provide the cooking flame, they have some funny problems.

Then they find out about Nick the Stick - a gangster who wants a piece of the action. If they pay him, they have nothing left.

So how will they resolve this? While that problem is fermenting along, a Russian comes along that wants the dragon and it gets even more complicated!

It's a good read, I'd recommend it. And it teaches young adults about some of the real challenges in the world.

Cowboy Poetry and Humor

I'm working away at listing another dealer's inventory I purchased. At this point, I'm on Cowboy poetry, humor and songs. Lots of horses, cows, lost loves, drinking, hard riding, rodeo and more...

I don't know much about it, but I'm learning. And it amazes me how much of it is based on history and life events of the cowboys. There are tall tales, but most of this writing is based on experience.

While reading, don't forget "The Code of the West", you might meet some women ranchers that are tougher than the men working for them, horses that are worshiped even after death, near death experiences that are blown off as just being a normal working day, who knows what they might write about?

There are snakes and rats (as in people's characters), men of their word, honest men, evil men, loners who would rather live with their horse, and those who long for a ranch and a family of their own.

I can honestly tell you, whatever cowboy poetry is, it's not boring!

Saving Rachel by John Locke

The author sent me this book for review, and while I expected it to be interesting, I didn't expect that I would get so caught up in it that I didn't quit reading until the last page had been consumed...

Sam is very interesting character. He's so into his geeky computer programming money scam that his personal life, while staid and reliable, is falling apart - but he doesn't know that. And once the story takes off, you can't tell who has more secrets than the other, who's screwing who, or who's going to win at the end. So you keep reading...

It all begins with Sam developing a girlfriend, almost by accident. Then he finds his home has been invaded, and his wife is missing. He's taken captive - almost reminiscent of some situation James Bond has been in, and then he's forced to make a choice between his wife or his girlfriend - only one will live.

But nothing is what it seems, and even the ending doesn't leave you feeling that who won and who lost has really been determined yet.

If you like mind twisters and creating alternate endings to books, this would be a great read for you. Just suspend your disbelief and go for it!

If you would like my copy of this book, leave a comment here on the blog and email me at info NOSPAM @bookfaerie.com (take out spaces and NOSPAM) with your name and address and tell me why. I'll be giving it away in about a week. Good luck!

Topsy-Turvy Town by Luc Melanson

This charming picture book is from Tundra Books and will be published in March, 2010. The book is very good quality and the illustrations are amusing.

Do you have an imaginative child? If not, would you like to encourage them to use their imaginations? This book would be great for either type.

The young man in this story lives in Topsy-Turvy Town - and it is! Where else can you fish in your living room, or bath with a robot, or juggle a wildcat before bed? Maybe his other relatives think he's making it up, but his Mom understands...

It's 32 pages, and a fun read for children. Then let them make up their imaginary town and see how many ideas they can come create to make their town different!

This would work well for a daycare center or a reading program - it will lead to further conversation and ideas.

A Question on Twitter...

...was about what you were doing ten years ago. I don't usually pay much attention to time or the change of years, just go on about my business and work on accomplishing my goals. But ten years ago was a milestone for me.

I quit my job with the city (for personal and political reasons) and moved away from my hometown for the first time ever. I packed up my car and computer and moved from Chehalis, Washington to Las Cruces, New Mexico!

I came to become partners in a bookstore. That fantasy only lasted a couple of months, and then I started selling books online in my own business. I started with 100 books and two bookcases in a one bedroom furnished apartment.

I now have over 7,000 books and many more bookshelves. I've also managed to metamorphosis into a more experienced better bookseller.

I got rid of almost all the paperbacks I was carrying. Selling them on a big site like Amazon ended up leaving me with no profit at all. I've eliminated categories that didn't sell well. I don't buy stock that just sits. I now only buy stock I know will move or I am confident that it has enough value to hold for a bit.

Buying another dealer's western stock got me into western and cowboy history. I began picking up craft booklets and found people buy them constantly. So that's my new niche in life. Those are my major sellers.

I just love children's picture books, but they don't sell as well. I doubt I'll ever get rid of them, though. I can always read them again if they don't sell...

So ten years ago, I was poor and had nothing. Now I have a home (paid for), lots of books, and lots of shelves. Yeah, I'm still poor. But I'm doing what I love.

And I have this theory: when I get to 60 my pension kicks in from the city. What do want to bet that then my sales will take off?

I still have lots of beautiful books to list, but I've been taking some time off. I have never taken a vacation since I started this, so playing on Facebook has been fun. But one day soon, I'll be back to listing every day. That's what keeps my business perking!

Happy New Year and happy reading!