who says you have to be crowded into the living room, kitchen, and/or dining room to hold a book club? we are ladies of the 21st century. we don’t need no stinkin’ couches. so pull up a blog and join in the conversation.
the members of the BOOK HUNGRY are (alphabetically): patty blount, kelly breakey, karla nellenbach, vanessa noble, alyson peterson, cynthia reese, elizabeth ryann, and myself. here’s the deal. we pick a book to read. we discuss via email. we post a review on our individual blogs on the same day (3rd thursday of the month). we link to each other. done. i know, genius. click on each one of their names (above) and it’ll take you to their review. browse. enjoy.
this month’s BOOK HUNGRY selection is:
HEAT WAVE by Richard Castle
what it’s about from amazon: A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.
Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City’s top homicide squads. She’s hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York’s Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren’t her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them.
my opinion: first things first. there’s this ABC tv series called CASTLE. in it, there’s the detective kate beckett and the writer richard castle. castle has friends in high places and has been granted access to tag along with beckett so he can get firsthand research experience for his next book series which is based on a female police detective. you follow?
which means the author of this book, richard castle, is a fictional character from a television show.
essentially, this whole book is an elaborate inside joke.
fortunately, i was in on the joke, as i’ve watched more episodes of CASTLE than not, but again, as patty said (in our monthly conversation about the book), this is basically one big marketing ploy. i’m okay with that, but it’s important to keep in mind when reading this book.
it’s fun, fast read, but in this case, i’d rather just watch nathan fillion on screen on monday nights.
p.s. i love that kelly picked a book she’d never read as her choice. i don’t have the cojones to do that because for me, i need to know what i’m recommending, which means i have to have read it first, which means: join us next month as we tackle my pick LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by susan beth pfeffner.
//
Abigail Mumford 
Yes, it does take a certain amount of…er…guts to choose a book that you haven’t read and enjoyed first. I don’t think I could do that, so I’m glad Kelly did.
er…that sounded suspiciously like a compliment. Don’t tell Kelly I said that. I’ve got a reputation to uphold you know.
ps…karla is a big meanie. pass it on. (you will NOT ignore PS)
HA. i love how your niceness keeps filtering out.
and p.s. thank YOU for your opinions in our discussion on tuesday. it was interesting for us (though probably frustrating for you) to hear what the book was like for someone who hadn’t seen the show.
hahahahahaha – cojones. *wipes a tear* Too funny. I think you nailed it… it’s fun if your expectations are half-mast.
yes, this is definitely a book to go in with low expectations so that there’s a chance you’ll be pleasantly surprised. and if all else fails, flip the book over and look at nathan fillion’s picture on the back of the jacket. :)
Abby:
I am with you in regards to understanding the inside joke, I just didn’t find it particularly funny.
I don’t really think I did anything extraordinary picking a book I had not read before. Yes, for the first one I wanted to share with you guys one of my favorites, but there are a lot of other books out there that I want to try. And with the help of our lovely book group I’ve been given the chance. To think I had never read Hunger Games. *gasp* Shocking, I know. I don’t know if I will continue this trend as my first foray into suggesting something I had not read wasn’t really a winner, but then again, I am a gal that likes to live on the wild side, so chances are I will do it again.
I am so glad you liked the read at least. So the book wasn’t a total waste. BTW everyone knows that Karla is nice. Her frown is perpetually upside down. She just chooses to look in the mirror the wrong way.
picking a book for the group is tough though because while there are SO MANY SHINY NEW BOOKS to read, there are also SO MANY FANTASTICAL ones i’ve already read and want to read again. the ones you can’t stop thinking about. that’s one of the ones i chose for next month.
and yes, karla needs to stop standing on her head while looking in the mirror.
NOT LIFE AS WE KNOW IT!!!!!!! did you prepare them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i still freakout whenever the power goes out now!!!! but anyways, I thought the book plot seemed familiar, and then i realized I was reading the screen play of a Castle episode…. :) sounds like a fun book anyways :)
BEWARE all who read Life As We Know It!
-E
The fact that I still think about LIFE AS WE KNEW IT years after having read it means it’s an incredibly successful book. I want other to know about its glorious terror.
Wait, you watch Castle? Did not know this.