Lavender Morning by Jude Deveraux

Lavender Morning is the first in the exciting new Edilean series by Jude Deveraux. Joce Minton, daughter of a Williamsburg, Va., debutante and a handyman, is alienated from her family after her widowed father marries a woman who is decidedly not debutante material and has a pair of selfish twins. Joce ends up in the care of an elderly neighbor, Miss Edi, who watches over the girl through college. When Miss Edi dies, she leaves Joce an ancestral manor house and a trove of secrets going back to 1941 that compel Joce to visit Edilean, Va., where she meets the local color, including a sexy lawyer and his sexier gardener cousin who has a secret or two, himself. Alternating WWII battlefront tragedy with contemporary romance, Deveraux packs in something for every generation. There is an intriguing mystery and of course the love story that will offer something for everyone. I enjoyed the story and appreciated the slow pace that nonetheless kept me interested. I love forward the next story.

Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin

In 12th-century England, a fire at Glastonbury Abbey one of England's holiest sites uncovers an ancient box containing the skeletons of a man and a woman. King Henry II calls on his "mistress of the Art of Death," Adelia Aguilar, to identify the bones. The devastated community of Glastonbury, as well as King Henry, would like them to be Arthur and Guinevere. Adelia enlists her regular cadre of companions (Mansur, Gyltha, and daughter Allie) to help her investigate. Franklin's third entry in her medieval historical series (after Mistress of the Art of Death and The Serpent's Tale) re-creates a living, breathing past populated with entertaining characters. This medieval Arthurian mystery is fascinating on many levels and very readable. I have found the series to be a wonderful read and characters are well drawn with incredible historical details. If you have not read this series, it is one I would heartily suggest.

Laura Rider's Masterpiece by Jane Hamilton

Jane Hamilton is one of my favorite authors. Her Book of Ruth (an Oprah choice) is also on my top 10 favorite novels. Her latest Laura Rider's Masterpiece is a bit of a departure for her. Laura Rider and her husband, Charlie, live in Hartley, Wis., where they own and run Prairie Wind Farm. After 12 years of marriage, Laura decides to stop sleeping with Charlie, and although lovemaking is his one superb talent, she's convinced she's used up her quota. Also, Laura has a secret fantasy: to be an author. After she meets local public radio host Jenna Faroli, Laura decides to write a romance and encourages a flirtation between Charlie and Jenna, an experiment that she thinks will help her write her book. This novel is populated with very unique characters who are humorous but the plot is predictable. Not one of my favorite novels, but she is still a top novelist.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

For all you Harry Potter fans out there, the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being released 2 days earlier than scheduled. It will now be released on Wednesday July 15th. In case you're wondering where I got this information, I found out about it on Associated Press. Here is what it says: "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" now is opening Wednesday, July 15, two days earlier than its previous release date, Warner Bros. head of distribution Dan Fellman said Tuesday."

Execution Dock by Anne Perry

Most of you know that Anne Perry writes two very unique and satifying series. Her Thomas Pitt series began in 1979 with The Cater Street Hangman and William Monk in 1990 with The Face of a Stranger. I have read both series but am very partial to William Monk and Crimean nurse Hester Latterly. The lastest Monk story is Execution Dock and was just released. When a thirteen-year-old boy is found floating in the river Thames with his throat slit, William Monk, superintendent of the Thames River Police, pursues a child pornographer who runs a sex ring using small boys. Monk's wife Hester and several memorable characters make this a richly complex story. Monk and his wife are very intriguing characters full of human vulnerablilies. The stories also give a very detailed feel of London in the 1800's.

May Movies

I'm one of those people that likes to know what's coming to the theater's in advance. There are some notable movies coming out in May. Coming out May 1st is X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This has been in the news as of late because an early version was leaked online. This gives background to the other X-Men movies about the character Wolverine. Coming out May 8th is Star Trek. This movie also gives background to Captain Kirk, Spock and other crew members before they boldly go where no one has gone before. Angels & Demons comes to theater's May 15th, based on Dan Brown's book of the same title. This does star Tom Hanks. Last but not least is Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian coming out May 22nd. I'm hoping it to be as good as the first one. I can hardly wait!

Heart and Soul

Maeve Binchy transported me to Dublin in her new book Heart and Soul. It was a wonderful book to read especially in the month of March. Irish pride is very prevalent in Chicago with parades, revelers and the kelly green Chicago River. The main character of Heart and Soul is Clara Casey. She is a cardiologist whose marriage and career have fallen apart. When Dr. Clara Casey becomes manager of the controversial and woefully unsupported outpatient heart clinic, she swiftly assembles a motley supporting staff of charismatic doctors, compassionate nurses, capable therapists, and clever assistants. Though she stands at the center of the book, Clara cedes the stage to others, such as Declan Carroll, a young doctor at the clinic trying to make a life for himself, Ania, Clara's assistant, whose affair with a married man forced her to leave her Polish hometown, Fiona, the beautiful nurse who beguiles Declan and a bumbling parish priest being pursued by a devious con artist. Binchy once again engages readers through a reassuring and persuasive combination of gracious warmth, gentle humor, and genuine affection. She reintroduces some of the characters from her previous novels and completes the circle of writing for her many fans.