Tube Talk - on hiatus

Just wanted to let you know that Tube Talk is going to be taking a little break for the next few weeks - due to the overwhelming amount of work Amy is putting into making the 2nd annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week a success, we have decided to postpone our discussions of Supernatural until mid-September, when BBAW has concluded. But don't worry! We'll be back soon - we can't just leave the Winchester brothers hanging! =)

Review - Written in Blood by Sheila Lowe

Written in Blood by Sheila Lowe
306 pages
published 09/08

Synopsis from publisher:

The widow of a rich, older man, Paige Sorensen is younger than—and hated by—her stepchildren. And they’re dead set on proving that she forged their father’s signature on his will, which left his entire estate, including the Sorensen Academy for Girls, to her. Claudia admits she’s intrigued by this real-life soap opera, and breaks her first rule: never get personally involved. But she’s grown attached to a troubled Sorensen student—and when disaster strikes, she’ll realize that reading between the lines can mean the difference between life and death…

My thoughts:

This book was a lot of fun. Lowe's heroine, Claudia Rose, is a handwriting analyst, which is something I've always been fascinated by, so I found those parts of the story to be incredibly interesting. Lowe is a professional graphologist as well as an author, and she uses her years in the business to make Claudia an interesting, well-rounded character. I found some of her secondary characters to be not quite as vividly drawn, but each was fleshed out enough to keep from feeling like a stereotype.

The mystery itself was fast paced and entertaining, and while I had several ideas about who the bad guy was, Lowe kept me guessing up until the end. This is the second book in what has the potential to be a great series, and I definitely plan to keep reading. The third book in the series, Dead Write, will be available August 4. I enjoyed reading this very much!

Finished: 8/2/09
Source - the author (Thank you!)
Rating: 8/10

TSS - Monthly wrap-up

By now I should be back in Iowa, although quite possibly still not recovered from the car ride yesterday. I should be back to regular blogging activities in the next couple of days - I shudder to imagine my Google reader....

Here's what I read in July, minus the vacation reads - those will get their own post in a few days.

A Good House by Bonnie Burnard - 50 year in the life of a small-town Canadian family, this was a quiet, introspective read. Rated 7/10. (My review of A Good House)

Exodus by Julie Bertagna - YA sci-fi about the polar ice caps melting, and a young girl's quest to save her family. Interesting, but a bit heavy on the message. Rated 7/10. (My review of Exodus)

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - fascinating novel about an autistic man pressured to "fix" himself. Highly recommended. Rated 9/10. (My review of The Speed of Dark)

Somewhere in Time by Richard Matheson - classic sci-fi romance, about a man who falls in love with a picture and travels back in time to meet the woman of his dreams. Rated 7/10. (My thoughts on Somewhere in Time)

Trap by Un-Tied Artists - suspense thrilled about an American interpol agent trying to solve a series of arsons in Paris. Rated 7/10. (My review of Trap)

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs - fun women's fiction about a tv-cooking-show host trying to salvage her career, and "fix" her loved ones' lives. Very entertaining. Rated 8/10. (My review of Comfort Food)

Still Alice by Lisa Genova - honest, heartbreaking novel about a 50-year-old woman's diagnosis and descent into early onset Alzheimer's. Highly recommended. Rated 9/10. (My review of Still Alice)