Forging an Art

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, June 2010.

Chick Lit:
Jackson, Lucy. Slicker

Contemporary:
Bourne, Phyllis. Operation Prince Charming
Brockmann, Suzanne. Infamous
Higgins, Kristan. All I Ever Wanted
James, Lorelei. Corralled
Kelley, Karen. The Falcom Prince
McCarthy, Erin. Hot Finish
Phillips, Carly. Kiss Me if You Can

Erotica:
Alexander, R.G. Possess Me
Croft, Sydney. Tempting Fire
Harper, Vonna. Falcon’s Captive
Hart, Megan. Naked
Small, Bertrice. Passionate Pleasures
Whitefeather, Sheri. Private Dancer

Fantasy:
Sagara, Michelle. Cast in Shadows
Swann, S.A. Wolf’s Cross

Futuristic:
Owens, Robin D. Heart Journey

Historical:
Ashe, Katharine. Swept Away by a Kiss
Bernard, Renee. Seduction Wears Sapphires
Chase, Loretta. Last Night’s Scandal
Crooks, Pam. The Lawman’s Redemption
Dahl, Victoria. A Little Bit Wild
Dare, Tessa. Three Nights With a Scoundrel
DiPasqua, Lila. Awakened by a Kiss
Fyffe, Caroline. Montana Dawn
Gray, Allegra. Nothing But Deception
Heino, Susan Gee. Damsel in Disguise
Hoyt, Elizabeth. Wicked Intentions
James, Eloisa. A Kiss at Midnight
James, Judith. Libertine’s Kiss
James, Sophia. One Unashamed Night
Justiss, Julia. The Smuggler and the Society Bride
Moore, Margaret. Highland Rogue, London Miss
Morgan, Kira. Captured by Desire
O’Banyon, Constance. Wolf Runner
Ranney, Karen. A Highland Duchess
Stuart, Anne. Ruthless
Wine, Mary. Bedding the Enemy
Wolff, Veronica. Devil’s Highlander

Mystery:
Barrett, Lorna. Chapter & Hearse
Cavender, Chris. Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder
Douglas, Carole Nelson. Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme
James, Miranda. Murder Past Due
Lee, Amanda. The Quick and the Thread
Martin, P.D. Kiss of Death
Swarup, Vikas. Six Suspects
Warner, Penny. How to Crash a Killer Bash

Paranormal:
Barry, C.J. Body Master
Blair, Annette. Bedeviled Angel
Cooke, Deborah. Whisper Kiss
Feehan, Christine. Water Bound
Glass, Seressia. Shadow Chase
Graham, Heather. Ghost Night
Grant, Susan. Sureblood
Harris, Charlaine, et al. Death’s Excellent Vacation
Kellison, Erin. Shadow Fall
Kenyon, Sherrilyn. No Mercy
Knight, Angela, et al. Burning Up
Morgan, Alexis. Dark Warrior Untamed
Naughton, Elisabeth. Entwined
Pearce, Kate. Kiss of the Rose
Quinn, Devyn. Siren’s Call
Raye, Kimberly. Here Comes the Vampire
Silver, Eve. Sins of the Heart

Romantic Suspense:
Davis, Dee. Desperate Deeds
Eden, Cynthia. Deadly Fear
Fetzer, Amy J. Damage Control
Jennings, Elizabeth. Shadows at Midnight
Novak, Brenda. White Heat
Sala, Sharon. Swept Aside
Shayne, Maggie. Kill Me Again

Suspense:
Finder, Joseph. Buried Secrets
Teller, Joseph. Overkill

Urban Fantasy:
Butcher, Jim, et al. Dark and Stormy Knights
Caine, Rachel. Total Eclipse
Drake, Jocelynn. Wait for Dusk
Frost, Jeaniene. Eternal Kiss of Darkness
Gideon, Nancy. Captured by Moonlight
Hallaway, Tate. Almost to Die For
Kane, Stacia. City of Ghosts
Liu, Marjorie M. A Wild Light
Meding, Kelly. As Lie the Dead
Richardson, Kat. Labyrinth
Smith-Ready, Jeri. Bring on the Night
Twain, Mark, et al. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, January 2010.

Contemporary:
Carr, Robyn. Moonlight Road
Chapman, Janet. Tempt Me If You Can
Dimon, HelenKay. Leave Me Breathless
Edwards, Louisa. On the Steamy Side
James, Julie. Something About You
Linz, Cathie. Mad, Bad and Blonde
Miller, Linda Lael. Garrett
Palmer, Diana, et al. More Than Words
Ryan, R.C. Montana Legacy
Trent, Pauline. Fall Into Me

Erotica:
Black, Shayla. Delicious
Burton, Jaci. Bound, Branded & Brazen
Fox, Cathryn, et al. Naughty Bits 2
Pearce, Kate, et al. Some Like It Rough
Renwick, Sophie. Velvet Haven
Taylor, Tawny. Decadent Master
WhiteFeather, Sheri. Masquerade

Historical:
Bernard, Renee. Revenge Wears Rubies
Chase, Allison. Most Eagerly Yours
Dodd, Christina. In Bed With the Duke
Elliott, Cara. To Sin With a Scoundrel
Henley, Virginia. The Irish Duke
Joyce, Brenda. An Impossible Attraction
Lane, Elizabeth. The Horseman’s Bride
Lerner, Rose. In For a Penny
MacTavish, Dawn. Renegade Riders
Maxwell, Cathy. The Marriage Ring
Merrill, Christine. Miss Winthorpe’s Elopement
Morin, Donna Russo. The Secret of the Glass
Nash, Sophia. Secrets of a Scandalous Bride
Neville, Miranda. The Wild Marquis
O’Riley, Kaitlin. Desire in His Eyes
Ridley, Erica. Too Wicked to Kiss
Sands, Lynsay. The Hellion and the Highlander
Scott, Bronwyn. The Earl’s Forbidden Ward
Smith, Bobbi. Relentless
Terrell, Heather. Brigid of Kildare
Wilkinson, Lisa Marie. Stolen Promise
Willingham, Michelle. The Accidental Princess

Inspirational:
Copeland, Lori. One True Love
Perry, Marta. Rachel’s Garden

Mainstream Fiction:
Allen, Sarah Addison. The Girl Who Chased the Moon
Cano-Murillo, Kathy. Waking Up in the Land of Glitter
Fforde, Katie. Wedding Season
Fishman, Zoe. Balancing Acts
Jump, Shirley. Around the Bend
McGilvary, Marion. A Lost Wife’s Tale
Raybourn, Deanna. The Dead Travel Fast
Read, Cornelia. Invisible Boy
Wiggs, Susan. The Summer Hideaway
Wright, Kim. Love in the Air
Yip, Mingmei. Petals From the Sky

Mystery:
Allan, Barbara. Antiques Bizarre
Bentley, Jennie. Plaster and Poison
Bowen, Rhys. The Last Illusion
Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Death Threads
Childs, Laura. The Teaberry Strangler
Conant-Park, Jessica and Susan Conant. Cook the Books
Connolly, Sheila. Red Delicious Death
Fluke, Joanna. Apple Turnover Murder
Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls Gone Wild
McKinlay, Jenn. Sprinkle With Murder
Martin, Nancy. Our Lady of Immaculate Deception
Olson, Karen E. Pretty in Ink
Orgain, Diana. Motherhood is Murder
White, Kate. Hush

Paranormal:
Adams, C.T. and Cathy Clamp. Serpent Moon
Cameron, Stella. Out of Body
Cole, Kresley. Pleasure of a Dark Prince
Crusie, Jennifer & Bob Mayer. Wild Ride
Douglas, Kate. Demonfire
Fox, Addison. Warrior Ascended
Hayes, Erica. Shadowglass
Kearney, Susan. Jordan
Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Darkness Within
Knight, Angela. Master of Fire
Krinard, Susan. Bride of the Wolf
Morgan, Alexis. Defeat the Darkness
McDonald, L.J. The Battle Sylph
Nance, Kathleen. Dragon Unmasked
Quinn, Sherrill. Taming the Moon
Rendahl, Eileen. Don’t Kill the Messenger
Sparks, Kerrelyn. The Vampire and the Virgin
Thompson, Vicki Lewis. Chick With a Charm
Ware, Joss. Abandon the Night
Warren, Christine. Born to Be Wild
White, Skyler. And Falling, Fly

Romantic Suspense:
Albert, Michele. Her Last Chance
Clare, Pamela. Naked Edge
Leigh, Lora. Black Jack
Reece, Christy. No Chance
Robards, Karen. Shattered
Staub, Wendy Corsi. Live to Tell
Thompson, Colleen. Touch of Evil
Walker, Shiloh. Broken

Science Fiction:
Bear, Elizabeth. Chill

Suspense:
Ellison, J.T. The Cold Room
Perrin, Kayla. Spring Break
Spindler, Erica. Blood Vines
Wilson, Dolores J. Dark Secrets of the Old Oak Tree

Time Travel:
Squires, Susan. A Twist in Time

Urban Fantasy:
Benson, Amber. Cat’s Claw
Black, Jenna. The Devil’s Playground
D’Arc, Bianca. Once Bitten, Twice Dead
Green, Chris Marie. Deep in the Woods
Henry, Mark. Battle of the Network Zombies
Rowland, Diana. Blood of the Demon
Vincent, Rachel. Shift

I stumbled on this on my flash drive this morning, and remember when the teacher assigned this in response to an argument in class three years ago about, yes, the uses of fiction.  I am sure there are many who would disagree with me on this one, but this is my story and I’m sticking to it. 

Fiction is and should be an accurate representation of reality.  Therefore, fiction should be used to reflect the impression the author has of reality.  Reality, however, is, well, relative, and the author may describe a reality that is fantastical or unbelievable to readers.  This is okay – the only requirement of that fiction is that it represents that reality completely, in such detail that the reader, disbelieving, can still understand that reality in some way, can picture or feel that reality in such a way that they are able to find something in common with the characters.  As Henry James said, the novel exists to compete with life – it must be interesting enough to keep the reader from his own reality, to entertain while forging connections between readers and characters.  The author has the freedom of choice in the story itself, but the way the story is presented must include the detail necessary to capture the empathy of readers.  The author is responsible for the intensity and specificity required to accomplish this, and these qualities lie in the execution of the story, not in the story itself.  The author may and often does have a purpose to his choice of story, and may want to persuade readers to his own opinions on various matters, but this is not a requirement and should not be the author’s primary purpose in the creation of his fiction.

Review of Julie Berry’s The Amaranth Enchantment at BSCreview.

Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, September 2009:

Contemporary:
Castell, Dianne. Hot and Irresistible
Dale, Lisa. It Happened One Night
Davis, Dee. Set Up in Soho
Donovan, Susan. Ain’t Too Proud to Beg
Halliday, Gemma. Scandal Sheet
Kauffman, Donna. A Great Kisser
Kendall, Karen. Take Me for a Ride
Mallery, Susan. Hot on Her Heels
Novak, Brenda, et al. The Night Before Christmas
Warren, Nancy, et al. A Very NASCAR Holiday

Erotica:
Alexander, Lacey. What She Needs
Hayes, Jasmine. Yours for the Night
Jones, Lisa Renee, et al. Wrapped in Seduction
Jordan, Crystal. Untamed
Lloyd, Joan Elizabeth. Flesh for Fantasy
Lyons, Susan, et al. Men on Fire
McIntyre, Amanda, et al. Winter’s Desire
MacNeal, Melissa. Sexual Secrets
O’Clare, Lorie. Seduction Island
Swann, Leda. Temptation
Whiteside, Diane. Captive Desires

Fantasy:
Howell, Morgan. Candle in the Storm
Taylor, Holly. May Earth Rise
Wilson, C.L. Queen of Song and Souls

Historical:
Bridges, Kate. Alaskan Renegade
Brighton, Lori. Wild Heart
Campbell, Anna. Captive of Sin
Enoch, Suzanne. The Care and Taming of a Rogue
Garlock, Dorothy. Leaving Whiskey Bend
Grothaus, Heather. Taming the Beast
Haeger, Diane. The Queen’s Mistake
Heath, Lorraine. Midnight Pleasures of a Scoundrel
Howell, Hannah. Wild Conquest
Hoyt, Elizabeth. To Desire a Devil
Hunter, Jillian. The Wicked Duke Takes a Wife
Laurens, Stephanie. The Untamed Bride
Lawson, Anthea. All He Desires
Layton, Edith. To Love a Wicked Lord
London, Julia. Courtesan’s Scandal
Lyon, Kate. Destiny’s Captive
McCabe, Amanda. The Winter Queen
MacTavish, Dawn. Counterfeit Lady
Metzger, Barbara. The Bargain Bride
Miller, Linda Lael. Creed Country Christmas
Mortimer, Carole. The Rake’s Wicked Proposal
Nash, Joy. Silver Silence
Petersen, Jenna. What the Duke Desires
Rosburg, Helen A. Lady Blue
Stone, Lyn, et al. A Regency Christmas

Inspirational:
Perry, Marta. Leah’s Choice

Mystery:
Baxter, Cynthia. Murder Had a Little Lamb
Caine, Leslie. Holly and Homicide
Coyle, Cleo. Holiday Grind
Harris, C.S. What Remains of Heaven
Harris, Charlaine. Grave Secret
Kingsbury, Kate. Decked With Folly
Viets, Elaine. Fashion Hound Murders
Washburn, Livia J. Huckleberry Finished
Washburn, Livia J. Killer Crabcakes

Paranormal:
Armintrout, Jennifer. Child of Darkness
Black, Shayla. Possess Me at Midnight
Butcher, Shannon K. Finding the Lost
Chapman, Janet. A Highlander Christmas
Cooke, Deborah. Winter Kiss
Francis, Diana P. Bitter Night
Graham, Heather. Home in Time for Christmas
Gray, Ava. Skin Game
Hall, Traci E. Beauty’s Curse
Kessler, Jackie. Road to Hell
Laurenston, Shelly. Mane Squeeze
MacAlister, Katie. Me and My Shadow
McCarty, Sarah. Caleb
Markham, Wendy. The Best Gift
Owens, Robin D. Heart Change
Pineriro, Caridad. Sins of the Flesh
Rosetti, Denise. Thief of Light
Singh, Nalini. Blaze of Memory
Sizemore, Susan. Dark Stranger
Stover, Deb. The Gift
Summers, Jordan. Crimson
Windsor, Anna. Captive Soul

Romantic Suspense:
Brant, Kylie. Waking the Dead
Burton, Mary. Dying Scream
Dane, Jordan. The Wrong Side of Dead
Howard, Linda. Ice
Lovelace, merline. All the Wrong Moves
Lyons, CJ. Urgent Care
Neggers, Carla. Cold River

Suspense:
Beres, Michael. Traffyck
Gagnon, Michelle. The Gatekeeper
Martin, P.D. The Killing Hands
Robb, J.D. Kindred in Death
Teller, Joseph. Depraved Indifference

Time Travel:
Halliday, Dawn, et al. A Highlander Christmas
Wolff, Veronica. Lord of the Highlands

Urban Fantasy:
Arthur, Keri. Bound to Shadows
Garey, Terri. Silent Night, Haunted Night
Hamilton, Laurell K. Divine Misdemeanors
Hamilton, Laurell K. et al. Never After
Handeland, Lori. Apocalypse Happens
Kenner, Julie. Tainted
Peeler, Nicole. Tempest Rising

Young Adult:
Cast, P.C. and Kristin. Tempted

Part 1 ended with Mary Flannery O’Connor’s Hazel Motes of the terrifyingly honest Wise Blood; Part 2 begins with . . .
#37 – Marcel of Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past.  Oh, please. I only mention this because it is one of those titles – like Infinite Jest - that people don’t actually read but carry around so others notice and say, wow, what a big book!  You must be smart/dedicated/insane/without a life.  Okay, so no one wants others thinking that last one, but you know they do, and those are the ones who believe that you are actually reading the brick.  There are some gigantic books that are so worth the time and effort (Gone With the Wind, Kristin Lavransdatter); these two are not of that persuasion.
#38 – Toad from The Wind in the Willows.  Pooh, and now Toad.  Wait for it . . .
#39 – The Cat in the Hat.  I just don’t know what to say.  I like him.  I like Toad. I like Pooh.  Dare I say again that there are no Henry James characters on this list?
#40 – Peter Pan – not too far down, not too far up.  Barrie’s flying perpetual child maintains a huge popular culture influence over 100 years after he first appeared in the Darling children’s window.
#42 – Sam Spade, of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon.  Hammett peopled his fiction with complicated yet simple – yes, exactly – characters who brought life to his detective tales.  Nick and Nora Charles check in at #65; fabulous fun with not a little questionable coping behaviors.
#44 – Willie Stark of All The King’s Men.  Robert Penn Warren’s masterpiece wasn’t just about Stark.  Jack Burden sure had a, well, burden to carry, and while his story ends on a happier note than Willie’s, it is at a great cost to him and those he holds close.  This is true American fiction, an exploration of identity, politics, and integrity.  Everyone should read this book, as an adolescent and then again as an adult.  It is a reminder than while the ends are important, we are also responsible for the means.
#46 – Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince.  This poor creature is probably responsible for multiple suicides. 
#51 – Sula Peace of Toni Morrison’s Sula.  If we’re going to talk Morrison, let’s talk Pecola Breedlove of The Bluest Eye.  Let’s talk about responsibility to family; taking care of your own.  Let’s talk about looking at your own behaviors and how they affect those close to you, those you bring into the world and should protect, even at your own emotional and physical expense.  Blaming the rest of the world is easy; looking at your own faults and the damage your inflict on others is hard.  Pecola is what – and not who – happens if you don’t.
#55 – Hurston’s Janie Crawford doesn’t have enough depth to interest me.  The author’s descriptions are vivid, but the emotional draw is flat.  I’m not sure where exactly this went wrong, and although the story is interesting, the characters lack dimension.
#57 – Grendel.  For all his popularity, this monster remains all too human.
#59 – Big Brother.  Orwell is so misused. I’ll leave it at that.
#61 – Salinger’s Seymour Glass probably causes the suicides that are not directly related to the The Little Prince.
#63 – Charlotte the spider.  Do I have to indicate the book as well?  Honestly.
#66 – James Bond in Fleming’s Casino Royale.  With the background to authenticate his fiction, Fleming made Bond, who easily could have become a caricature, into a flawed being worthy of idoltry.  In the film version, Daniel Craig really picked up the latent insecurities missed by previous Bond actors who, while creating an suave icon who was above human flaw, left the third dimension at the door.
#69 – The Sound and the Fury‘s Benjy.  Quentin drops in at #97.  Why is Faulkner so far down the list?  Did these people read Sanctuary?
#75 – Ah, Babbitt arrives.  Sinclair Lewis’ title character of his 1922 novel is a bit more complex than he seems, although the same can’t be said of some of the other characters, which makes him appear as the only folded creation in a pop-up book.
#76 – Tietjens in Parade’s End.  I can’t stand Ford Madox Ford, as a writer or as a person.  I expect artists to be self-absorbed to an extent, but he made it an art form.
#77 – Frankie Addams.  Carson McCullers can drive one to The Little Prince’s end, as some of her characters are inclined, and leaving her towards the bottom quarter of the list is a travesty.  Noting only one of her characters is an even greater one.  Ignoring The Heart is a Lonely Hunter is heresy when discussing American fiction.
#84 – Yuri Zhivago of Dr. Zhivago fame.  Wow, Pasternak is incredibly boring.  I don’t know if it is just the translation or if he is as awful in the original Russian, but I can’t find the people in this book. 
#85 – Harry Potter.  I always get nailed on this one.  I haven’t read any titles of Rowling’s series because I can’t.  I tried, I really did, out of duty as a youth librarian and curiosity as well.  I don’t know that the writing is that much worse than Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, because I was able to muddle through those, but it is wretched.  Love Harry if you will, but I can’t.  The movies are great fun, because one doesn’t have to read Rowling’s dreadful abuse of the English language to access the story.  Call me a literary snob if you must, but good writing is good writing, whether it is literary fiction or romance or young adult.  I admit that I read some pretty trashy historical romances, but they are well written trashy historical romances.
#86 – Ondaatjie’s Hana of The English Patient doesn’t grab me the way David, Katharine, and Geoffrey do.  The author takes love and control to believable heights while drawing parallels with the political situations surrounding the trio.
#90 – Lennie Small in Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.  Wow, really?  At #90?  As Steinbeck’s only entry?  The Grapes of Wrath, anyone?
#93 – Kipling’s Kim.  Kipling was a genius; while much contested on grounds of his political views, the beauty of his writing, as a craft, should not be.  Whether you agree with him or not, if his characters are honest enough to upset readers, he has done his job well.
#95 – Clyde Griffiths.  I am not a Dreiser fan, and I can’t stand Sister Carrie.  He redeems himself with this absorbing and frightening story of a man without conscience.  His downward spiral – or has he always been this way, without manifesting obvious indicative behaviors? – is disturbing.  I considered An American Tragedy in book and movie format here.
#99 – Celie in Alice Walker’s The Color Purple.  I can’t stand the end of this book.  I don’t buy it, and I don’t want to.  Poor Celie deserved better from her creator.

Seven years ago, Book magazine (which I am unable to locate now – no idea when it was discontinued) published a “100 Best Characters in Fiction Since 1900″ list (April 2002).  I discovered it in my file cabinet while cleaning earlier this summer.  It is thought provoking – of course – as well as annoying and frustrating.  Obviously, the creation of such a list is quite an undertaking, and as the article indicates, provokes a great deal of argument.  Some of those included, as well as some not included, call for attention. 

#1 – Jay Gatsby, from Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.  I can’t argue with this one, except to say ‘uneasy lies the head . . .’ because there are a few others on the list that run a close second, if not a tie for first.  Gatsby is a heartbreaker, and more importantly, a real person.  That is not to say that Fitzgerald necessarily based him on a real person – although this was a habit – but rather that James Gatz is as real as my hands typing at the keyboard right now.  I know him; you know him; we all know him.  Sometimes I know him too well, as I recognize myself and others in him.  Fitzgerald was a wizard in the characterization department; Gatsby is one of the many products of his magic.
#2 – Salinger’s Holden Caulfied.  Well, Holden has his time and place, and we’ve all been there and done that.  We all pass through the same developmental stages; how we manage them, and what circumstances surround our experience make us who we are, and Holden is there to hold a torch for those of us who fear that we aren’t “normal” or “right.” 
#3 – Nabokov’s Humbert Humbert.  It’s all about the empathy here, and Nabokov knew the language well enough to create droves of it for this genuinely disturbed character.  I am amazed every time I return to Lolita by the fullness of the characters, as well as the depth of Humbert’s immersion in his own perverse, but terrifyingly understandable world.  Lolita herself appears as #14, but I don’t think she qualifies to the list, period.  It’s all about the Hum.
#4, 8, 9 – James Joyce – doesn’t matter which characters, I don’t remember them, and I couldn’t care less.  His short stories are good enough, but the rest . . . ugh.  Never could understand his appeal. As John Dos Passos said of a Joyce production, “the hero doesn’t seem to me remarkable particularly.” Across the board.  It helps to have one’s opinion validated by the great Dos.
#7, #24, #81 – Atticus, Scout and Boo, To Kill a Mockingbird.  Yes, I am on the bandwagon with these. 
#10 – Wharton’s Lily Bart – wait a minute, I don’t see any Henry James creations on this list.  Sure, he only gave us a handful of novels and stories after the turn of the century, but if Miss Bart is present, surely Maggie Verver, Charlotte Stant, Marie de Vionnet, Kate Croy, Nan Midmore – yes, Nan, thank you very much – deserve a place on this list.  And Newland Archer, #94 – nope.  Move over, buddy.
#12 – Gregor Samsa – Kafka does not do it for me.  He stops in again at #83 with The Trial’s Joseph K.  Still doesn’t do it for me.
#16, #19 – Woolf’s Dalloway and Mrs. Ramsay.  I’m not big on Woolf, but her stream of consciousness narratives do work for me.  Some scholars/readers/people in general claim that she ‘invented’ such a narrative device, but this isn’t true.  William James was the first to note this method and to use this phrase; Faulkner, I believe, is the master of it.
#20 – Richard Wright’s Bigger Thomas.  Wright makes characterization seem effortless; and yes, Bigger is remarkable and memorable, but of the two, I think Fishbelly of The Long Dream made me a believer in Wright’s talent and brilliance.  I was surprised at how well I knew and understood Fishbelly, someone completely different from me in every possible way.  Or maybe he isn’t . . . this is what Wright made me consider, and continue to consider.
#21, #47, #53 – all Hemingway: Nick Adams, Santiago, and Jake Barnes.  Yes, but what about Robert Jordan?
#23 – Scarlett O’Hara.  Yes, definitely, and the book version, please, not Vivien Leigh.
#26 – Kurtz from Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.  At least it isn’t Jim of Lord Jim.  I think if we’re going to do Conrad, it should be Marlow, who steps in at #98.  Let’s switch Kurtz with Marlow and the world will make sense again.
 #27 – Stevens, the butler from Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day.  Speaking of Ishiguro, I’d say Kathy, Ruth and Tommy of Never Let Me Go should be here instead.  NLmG gave me nightmares for weeks.  I am still unsure if it has found a place in my head yet, a comfortable one, that is.
#29 – Winnie the Pooh.  I am not sure how to respond to this one.  Who doesn’t like this silly bear, but really, I must reiterate that there are no Henry James characters on this list.  But Pooh is here, at #29.  Shaking my head.
#31 – Oh, yes, Hazel Motes of Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood.  She has a variety of highly memorable and disturbing characters to choose from; Motes is perfect here, but the list should include some of her other frighteningly real and honest attention-grabbers.

 . . .  to be continued

Latest review up at BSCReview.com.

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews magazine, June 2009.

Chick Lit:
Dawson, Lucy. His Other Lover
Harmel, Kristin. Italian for Beginners

Contemporary:
Bevarly, Elizabeth. Neck & Neck
Foster, Kennedy. All Roads Lead Me Back to You
Hill, Sandra. So Into You
Holquist, Diana. How to Tame a Modern Rogue
Macomber, Debbie. Almost Home

Erotica:
Davis, Jo. When Alex Was Bad
Hill, Joey W. Beloved Vampire
Holly, Emma. Saving Midnight
James, Sasha. One + Two = Three
Kery, Beth. Sweet Restraint
McIntyre, Amanda. Tortured
McLeod, Anitra Lynn. Wicked Harvest
Quinn, Devyn. Men in Blue
Rice, Lisa Marie. Dangerous Passion
Ryan, Cassie. Trio of Seduction
Stevens, Shelli. Take Me

Fantasy:
Sagara, Michelle. Cast in Silence

Futuristic:
Granger, Jess. Beyond the Rain

Historical:
Allen, Louise. The Notorious Mr. Hurst
Benedict, Alexandra. The Infamous Rogue
Bradley, Celeste. Devil in My Bed
Carroll, Susan. Twilight of a Queen
Cornick, Nicola. The Undoing of a Lady
Dahl, Victoria. One Week as Lovers
Dare, Tessa. Goddess of the Hunt
DeHart, Robyn. Seduce Me
Donner, Kit. The Notorious Bridegroom
Duran, Meredith. Written on Your Skin
Fyffe, Caroline. Where the Wind Blows
Halliday, Dawn. Highland Obesession
Hawkins, Karen. Sleepless in Scotland
James, Eloisa. A Duke of Her Own
Kernan, Jenna. Sierra Bride
Laurens, Stephanie. Mastered by Love
Long, Julie Ann. Since the Surrender
Marvell, Delilah. Lord of Pleasure
Miller, Linda Lael. The Bridegroom
Moore, Margaret. The Viscount’s Kiss
O’Banyon, Constance. Comanche Moon Rising
Rogers, Rosemary. Bound by Love
Simmons, Deborah. Reynold de Burgh: The Dark Knight
Thomas, Melody. Beauty and the Duke
Westin, Jeane. The Virgin’s Daughters

Mainstream Fiction:
Alt, Carol. Model, Incorporated
Atkins, Raymond L. Sorrow Wood
Cash, Dixie. Curing the blues With a New Pair of Shoes
Coburn, Randy Sue. A Better View of Paradise
Coyne, Terri. The Last Bridge
Drake, Abby. Perfect Little Ladies
Gudenkauf, Heather. The Weight of Silence
Jump, Shirley. Around the Bend
Kline, Christina Baker. Bird in Hand
Lamb, Cathy. Henry’s Sisters
Maynard, Joyce. Labor Day
Reaves, Cheryl. The First Boy I Loved
Rosenblatt, Jill Amy. For Better or Worse
Stokes, Penelope J. Heartbreak Cafe
Van Wormer, Laura. Riverside Park
Weiss, Laura. How It Ends

Mystery:
Bentley, Jennie. Spackled and Spooked
Blair, Annette. Larceny and Lace
Casey, Elizabeth Lynn. Sew Deadly
Causey, Toni McGee. When a Man Loves a Weapon
Cavender, Chris. A Slice of Murder
Connor, Beverly. Dust to Dust
Douglas, Carole Nelson. Cat in a Topaz Tango
Jance, J.A. Fire and Ice
Kellerman, Faye. Blindman’s Bluff
Lowe, Sheila. Dead Write
Maron, Margaret. Sand Sharks
Wolfe, Liz. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Paranormal:
Andersen, Jessica. Skykeepers
Child, Maureen. Beguiled
Dodd, Christina. Storm of Visions
Evans, Georgia. Bloody Right
Foster, Lori. Out of the Light, Into the Shadows
Herron, Rita. Dark Hunger
Jackson, Melanie. The Night Side
Joyce, Brenda. Dark Lover
Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Bad Moon Rising
Leigh, Lora. Bengal’s Heart
Liu, Marjorie. The Fire King
MacGillivray, Deborah. A Wolf in Wolf’s Clothing
Morgan, Alexis. Dark Warrior Unbroken
Palmer, Pamela. Obsession Untamed
Quinn, Erin. Haunting Beauty
Quinn, Sherrill. Seducing the Moon
Simmons, Lynda. Getting Rid of Rosie
Strong, Jory. Spider-Touched

Romantic Suspense:
Brockmann, Suzanne. Hot Pursuit
Bruhn, Nina. Shoot to Thrill
Garbera, Katherine. The Mercenary
Janzen, Tara. Breaking Loose
Lamb, Joyce. Cold Midnight
McKenna, Shannon. Tasting Fear
Naughton, Elisabeth. Stolen Heat
Novak, Brenda. The Perfect Couple
Parrish, Leslie. Pitch Black
Rose, Karen. I Can See You

Suspense:
Brennan, Allison. Cutting Edge
Caldwell, Laura. Red, White & Dead
Jackson, Lisa. Chosen to Die
Ladd, Linda. Enter Evil
Roy, Allyson. Babydoll

Urban Fantasy:
Black, Jenna. Speak of the Devil
Briggs, Patricia. Hunting Ground
Caine, Rachel. Cape Storm
Frost, Jeaniene. Destined for an Early Grave
Kane, Stacia. Demon Inside
Mead, Richelle. Thorn Queen
Saintcrow, Lilith. Redemption Alley

Young Adult:
Hall, Megan Kelly. The Lost Sister
Vincent, Rachel. My Soul to Take

  Bits and pieces off the shelf . . .

Eudora Welty as Photographer
Pearl Amelia McHaney, Sandra S. Phillips and Deborah Willis contribute very informative essays to surround this collection of thoughtful photographs by this great Southern writer.  Of great interest is the discussion on Welty’s use of light as she captures moments in time, moments when flickers of interest pass through a man and a woman’s face as they meet on the street, or as tomato pickers on a break talk amongst themselves, a few noticing the camera and gazing at what? The device, the photographer?  What do they think as they are frozen in time, carried forever into the future and the gaze of readers like me?  They may be lost to us, but their expressions become familiar as we recognize them as our own.  Welty the photographer shines through the black and white of these pages in a must-see collection of Americana.

The Du Mauriers
When one’s family history is as fascinating as Daphne Du Maurier’s, what else can a great writer do but fictionalize it?  First published in 1937, this no holds barred account of her, um, more interesting predecessors shows no shame or pity on the part of the author.  She weaves her great-great grandmother into a caricature of motherhood, a woman devoid of morals and obsessed with pleasure.  Her daughter Ellen is a serious child, embarassed by her mother and eventually disappointed in her husband and her children.  George, or “Kicky,” her eldest and the author’s grandfather, stumbles on his way to becoming the writer we remember him to be.  This is quite a soap opera, and since, as we say, the truth is often stranger than fiction, it is the more charming for it.

Mouse Noses on Toast
Oh, the cleverness of an insane Tinby! 

A Gift of Grace
First time author Amy Clipston has penned a complicated story that makes it clear that in spite of the simplicity of the Amish way of life, members of the Amish community struggle with the same relationship problems and emotional issues as the rest of the world.  When Rebecca’s sister Grace, who left the community and the faith years earlier, dies along with her husband in a car accident, she becomes guardian to her two nieces.  Lindsay finds comfort in Amish traditions and beliefs, but Jessica wrestles with her aunt and uncle, insisting that she doesn’t belong with them.  Rebecca wants to fulfill her sister’s wish to raise the girls, but her insistence may be blinding her to God’s will.  I was sorry to reach the end of this well-written story, and will be happy to see the next book in this series.

Crowned in a Far Country
This is more than a series of facts about eight royal brides; Princess Michael of Kent reveals the distinct personalities of each woman as she fulfills her duties as a monarch.  Some had voracious appetites for men or for jewels; others longed mostly for their homeland and their families.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that Catherine the Great, known for her many lovers, was patron of her new country’s literary culture.  She founded the Russian Academy of Letters and charged them with producing a dictionary and a grammar for the Russian language, both of which did not exist before Catherine determined the need.  The other seven contributed in some way to their new culture, making the best of what, in some cases, were frightening and unwelcome situations.

Sarah MacLean’s debut is just the thing for those girls who have been sneaking peeks at Mother’s regency romances, but aren’t quite ready for some of the more adult themes and details many of them carry.  Three friends enter the social season together, determined to maintain their independence in spite of the pressure to marry the best prospect as soon as possible.  Meanwhile, a Stephanie Laurens-esque mystery, replete with murder motivated by treason, greed, and jealousy, keeps the story, and romance, brewing.  My only issue - Alex’s lady’s maid, Eliza, has a strange accent that comes and goes.  Is it an Essex (as one might expect, considering the setting and facts of Eliza’s upbringing) accent, and if so, why does it follow only certain trends of such an accent, and not others?

I read this in one evening, bowl of popcorn and large, warm cat friend at hand, and went to sleep with pleasant, Austen-inspired dreams.  Here’s to hoping Ms. MacLean lets readers in on events that lead to the happy marriages of the other two heroines left single at the end of this title.

Joyce Carol Oates always terrifies me (have I written that somewhere already?) so I am always on guard, anxious but excited, as I hold a new publication in hand – it is much like standing in line at the Millennium Force, blood rushing down into my toes, smiling and trembling at the same time.  I know that afterwards, my head will feel scrambled, and I will stumble down the steps and maybe even fall, as I did last summer; and with Oates, I know she will lead me somewhere that I may fall and stumble blindly towards that which I know to bring me out and away.  Obviously, some of her work is stronger and more influential than others, depending on the reader’s experience and expectations.  As the parent of an autistic child, I was particularly moved by Special, in which a younger daughter watches as her family is victimized by her developmentally disabled older sister, and the parents wrestle with their identities as parents, as a couple, and as individuals in search of hope for themselves and their children.  A Princeton Idyll takes that sharp rollercoaster turn when a former maid reveals too much too well to the idealistic granddaughter of a deceased logician.  One looks at the fragile photo on the back flap of the book jacket and wonders how that same temperate-looking creature can explore so well the terrifying workings of the mind.  She is both brave and brilliant, but does not seem to find anything extraordinary about herself. 

When discussing the short stories and novells I have been reading in the Nebula Awards Showcase 2009 – which features some fascinating work but also some with which I had some issues, both as a writer and a reader – I mentioned to my former husband, who is a sci fi/fantasy aficionado himself, that the work that failed to speak to me stood out as that which had unnecessaries, as I refer to them, bits that are not important.  If it is there, it had better be important.  During an interview with the Washington Post several years ago, Oates was asked about this exact phenomenon, and her response: There should really not be anything gratuitous in a work of art.  I smiled as I read that, thinking that there may be hope for me, as a writer, yet, to have something in common with such a great artist.

 ”Clyde had a soul that was not destined to grow up.”

It has been nearly 85 years since Theodore Dreiser’s greatest success was published, but the infantile and selfish motives behind Clyde Griffiths’ behavior have run rampant since the beginning of time, so An American Tragedy will always carry an appeal to those of us interested in psychological drama.  Much like the title character of the author’s rather boring Sister Carrie, Clyde is incapable of considering others within his view of the world.  When his deeds carry harm to those around him, in particular those who trust and care about him, he shrugs and thinks, why should he care?  The young woman he seduces, sweet-talking her into actions she would never consider on her own, is discarded like dirty laundry when he discovers something, or someone better – Sondra, who is like “a bright colored bird.”  Her father’s fortune and the family’s carefree, expensive lifestyle are a large part of the attraction.  Clyde is one of those people who want something, everything, for nothing, and feels a sense of entitlement to it.  Why him and not others?  Who knows. 

Raised by street evangelists, he hates poverty and labor and begrudges the insinuation that he should work for his supper.  An unwanted pregnancy leads him to contemplate the unthinkable – but for Clyde, there is no unthinkable.  He can and does rationalize every sort of behavior in the name of serving his own desires. 

The book, which is long but riveting, is considerably different from the pretty 1951 Hollywood film, A Place in the Sun, directed by George Stevens and starring Elizabeth Taylor, Montgomery Clift, and Shelley Winters.   The movie is heavy on the second half of the book, obviously due to time constraints, but there are details that change characters and relationships to an almost unrecognizable extent.  Clyde is not so cold in person, the handsome face of Montgomery Clift not so easily condemned as the Clyde of the vast explication at the hands of Dreiser.  He is immature, but murderous?  It isn’t so clear; and neither is the vapid nature of Sondra, who is called Angela in the film, and carried regally by the glorious Taylor.  Angela visits Clyde in prison, where he awaits his death, while in the book, Sondra and Clyde never see each other again after his arrest.  Angela takes pains to have access to her love and to reassure him of her affections; Sondra never would have compromised herself in such a way. 

There is a disturbing Oedipal situation between Clyde and his mother in the film, while Dresier alludes to nothing of the sort.  If, in my close reading, I have missed it, then it is so carefully hidden as to not attract the attention it does in the film.  Clyde’s mother is strangely nervous during phone conversations, admonishing him to be good, which she does in the book but still seems bizarrely unnatural doing so in the film.  Before Clyde kisses Angela for the first time, Taylor gazes lovingly, obsessively at Clift and croons, “Tell Mama all.”   This brief moment was a huge shift in tone from the book, and what I would assume, Dreiser’s intent.  That aside, it is shocking and strange. 

Winters, who does not have a glamorous part, absolutely steals the show from Taylor and Clift with her fussy, annoying Alice.  Yes, Roberta is a crabby creature in the novel, but understandably so.  Roberta is a girl true to her principles and her family, and her fall from grace and concern for her future lead her to badger Clyde for help and fulfillment of promises made and ignored.  Alice, the Roberta of the film, is dull and whiny, and one can imagine how Clyde could wish her harm, although not necessarily how he could perpetuate murder on the girl and his unborn child.  The camera angled from Clyde’s point of view as she harasses him, focusing on her monotonous, perpetual questions (“You wish I was dead, don’t you?”) is enough to make the audience scream in frustration, but one doesn’t deserve a death sentence for annoying behavior.

Forget Sister Carrie; readers turned off by Miss Meeber will find a meaty scandal in the pages of Tragedy and lustrous color wash of Sun.  Read first, watch second – the details make interesting detective work for discerning readers and viewers.

Publisher’s previews for July 2009, courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews:

Chick Lit:
Coplin, Kira. Pop Tart
Dean, Zoey. Hollywood is Like High School With Money

Contemporary:
Andersen, Susan. Bending the Rules
Bond, Stephanie, et. al. Sand, Sun . . . Seduction!
Dahl, Victoria. Start Me Up
Langtry, Leslie. I Shot You Babe
Leigh, Lora, et. al. Real Men Last All Night
Mallery, Susan. Straight From the Hip
Maynard, Janice. Mating Game
Shalvis, Jill. Double Play
Shalvis, Jill. Instant Gratification
Shepherd, Kandy. Love is a Four-Legged Word

Erotica:
Betts, Lucinda. What She Wants
Carew, Opal. Secret Ties
Devlin, Delilah. Darkness Burning
Douglas, Kate. Wolf Tales VIII
Evans, Anna J. Skin Deep
Harper, Vonna, et. al. Tempted by a Cowboy
Hart, Megan. Deeper
Lee, Deanna. Games Girls Play
McCarty, Sarah. Wild Instinct

Fantasy:
Mills, K.E. Witches Incorporated

Historical:
Allen, Louise. The Disgraceful Mr. Ravenhurst
Blayney, Mary. Stranger’s Kiss
Brisbin, Terri. The Conqueror’s Lady
Busbee, Shirlee. Surrender Becomes Her
Cameron, Deanna. The Belly Dancer
Chase, Loretta. Don’t Tempt Me
Cornick, Nicola. The Scandals of an Innocent
Duran, Meredith. Bound by Your Touch
Foley, Gaelen. My Wicked Marquess
Garlock, Dorothy. The Moon Looked Down
Grange, Amanda. Colonel Brandon’s Diary
Gray, Allegra. Nothing But Scandal
Healey, Judith Koll. The Rebel Princess
Heath, Lorraine. Surrender to the Devil
Henke, Shirl. Chosen Woman
Jeffries, Sabrina. Wed Him Before You Bed Him
Kalogridis, Jeanne. The Devil’s Queen
Kayne, Stacey. Mountain Wild
Lejeune, Tamara. The Heiress in His Bed
Mallory, Anne. For the Earl’s Pleasure
Mallory, Margaret. Knight of Desire
Marcos, Michelle. Wickedly Ever After
Maxwell, Cathy, et. al. Four Dukes and a Devil
Merrill, Christine. A Wicked Liaison
Putney, Mary Jo. Loving a Lost Lord
Quinn, Julia. What Happens in London
Rice, Patricia. Mystic Warrior
Rickloff, Alix. Dangerous as Sin
Rubenhold, Hallie. The Lady in Red
Scott, Amanda. Tamed by a Laird
Scott, Susan Holloway. The French Mistress
Smith, Bobbi. Runaway
Wells, Christine. Wicked Little Game
Williamson, Beth. The Redemption of Micah

Inspirational:
Smith, Debra White. Texas Heat

Mainstream Fiction:
Carter, Mary. Sunnyside Blues
Frank, Dorothea Benton. Return to Sullivan’s Island
Harbison, Beth. Hope in a Jar
Monroe, Mary Alice. Last Light Over Carolina
Morsi, Pamela. Red’s Hot Honky-Tonk Bar
Page, Jean Reynolds. The Last Summer of Her Other Life
Porter, Jane. Easy on the Eyes
Richards, Emilie. Happiness Key
Sheehan, Jacqueline. Now & Then
Valdes-Rodriguez, Alisa. The Husband Habit
Wingate, Lisa. The Summer Kitchen

Mystery:
Alt, Madelyn. Where There’s a Witch
Blackwell, Juliet. Secondhand Spirits
Bowen, Rhys. Royal Flush
Connolly, Sheila. Rotten to the Core
Howell, Dorothy. Purses and Poison
McGee, Chaz. Desolate Angel
Olson, Karen E. The Missing Ink

Paranormal:
Burton, Jaci. Taken by Sin
Day, Alyssa. Atlantis Unmasked
Eden, Cynthia. Midnight’s Master
Feehan, Christine. Hidden Currents
Finn, Lucy. Best Wishes Always
Frank, Jacquelyn. Rapture
Graham, Heather. Dust to Dust
Havens, Candace. Dragons Prefer Blondes
Holly, Emma. Breaking Midnight
Kane, Tammy. Breath of Fire
Madison, Tracy. A Stroke of Magic
O’Shea, Patti. Edge of Dawn
Palmer, Pamela. Desire Untamed
Raye, Kimberly. Sucker for Love
Showalter, Gena. Seduce the Darkness
Singh, Nalini. Branded by Fire

Romantic Suspense:
Brady, Kate. One Scream Away
Christofferson, April. Alpha Female
Freethy, Barbara. Suddenly One Summer
Howard, Linda. Burn
Johnston, Joan. Outcast
Neggers, Carla. The Mist
Parrish, Leslie. Fade to Black
Reece, Christy. Run to Me
Roberts, Nora. Black Hills
Ross, JoAnn. Breakpoint
Rowe, Stephanie. Ice
Webb, Debra. Everywhere She Turns

Suspense:
Adler, Elizabeth. There’s Something About St. Tropez
Caldwell, Laura. Red Blooded Murder
Hinze, Vicki. Kill Zone
Johanse, Iris and Roy. Storm Cycle
Martin, P.D. Fan Mail

Time Travel:
Montgomerie, Pamela. Sapphire Dream

This is Anna Godbersen’s third novel in the Luxe series, and is just as satisfying as the first two.  Carolina, former maid to the almost-fallen house of Holland, has her ups and downs as well as a bit of romance, and another wedding completes the book but not the story.  Diana takes drastic steps to overcome her addiction to Henry, and even more desperate measures to be with him.  Elizabeth?  Well, good things come to those who wait, although Mrs. Holland might not agree on that account.  This was hard to put down – in fact, I didn’t, but rather read it straight through.  Soap opera in the time and place of Henry James - how could I resist?  Looking forward, of course, to the next episode, I mean, title, which will complete the series.

“They too had something in their hearts that made every thought, every movement, a danger.”

Hugh Walpole had a fan in Henry James, who pointed me toward The Duchess of Wrexe with a kind review published in The Bookman long ago.  Duchess concerns the affects of social and political change, as well as war, on a once and somewhat still powerful family and their circle.  This is psychological drama on a James scale, grand and full and real.  The younger generation, which, for the most part, fears and detests the older, is considered sentimental and shameless to the old.  Even those employed by the Duchess become entangled in the family drama, as the steadfast secretary discovers that she is not as heartless as she once believed:

“The room, dark as pitch before her, was filled now with a red glow – Her hands, clenched, were ice in a world that was all of an overpowering heat.”

Everyone is waiting for the old Duchess to die; of course, she stands for the old world, old ways, and she refuses to leave any sooner than her time.  Feared, revered, emulated – she knows her value and intends to leave her mark. She has tormented those she should have held close, her own grandchildren, holding them in contempt for thinking beyond the world she has drawn for her family.  

Like James’ The Sense of the Past and Besant’s Beyond the Dreams of Avarice, Duchess is infused with the affects of an eerily authentic painting.  There is something to this device during this era, hinting towards Dorian Gray.

Dr. Christopher, trusted family physician, holds his own somewhere between the two classes and insists on the one truth he holds close:

“Simply that I believe in an age when a man’s neighbour will matter to a man more than himself, when it won’t be priggish or weak to help someone in worse plight than yourself, when it will simply be the obvious thing . . . when, above all, there’ll be no jealousy, no getting in a man’s way because he does better than you, no knocking a man down because he sees the world – this world and the next – differently.”  

Some of us are not so removed in time as to disagree with him.

With a 2010 release date, Jane Yolen’s original action-fantasy graphic novel, The Last Dragon, will be worth the wait.  The Nebula and Caldecott award-winning writer covers all ages and genres – nothing seems out of her reach.  I am particularly fond of  her children’s and young adult books (How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and Girl in a Cage, to name a couple of my favorites), and I have am pleased that she is in agreement with me on the subject of the Harry Potter series; that is, neither of us think they are well written.  It’s nice to have support from a reputable source in libraryland, especially when most librarians in my system are Rowling fans.

Ted Hughes is terrifying but I can’t stay away from him.  Reading his poetry (including his work for children) and short stories is like swimming in the ocean amidst gently rocking waves that lull me into security before the undertow hits, and listening to his voice as he reads his poetry is captivating.  Difficulties of a Bridegroom represents work created over a thirty-nine year span but it is clear, oh so clear, that the man who shares “O’Kelly’s Angel,” a fable packed with greed and violence, is the same who tells the suspenseful ghost story “The Deadfall.”  Hughes spares no detail, however physical and gory, but does not abuse his talent or our time with gratuitous violence.  It is all necessary and satisfying, although I am moderately disturbed to be satisfied with such horrors.  He captures realities within a haze of fear and uncertainty.  Hughes’s primary focus is man’s struggle with and for harmony with nature and spirituality, however that might be addressed under different circumstances, and survival within those usually violent circumstances.  Hughes included a foreward in which he described his belief that these nine stories “hang together” alongside his poems, and detailed the origins of some of the tales.  He said little, however, of the story situated last in the series, “The Head,” save that it was for Emma Tennant who called for a “fairy story” for her magazine in 1978.  It is the most horrifying of the collection, and perhaps more so because it is the only one to call Sylvia Plath to my mind and only at the very end, like a hard slap that brings tears to the eyes.  And it did.

*Courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews, January 2009:

Chick Lit:
Kala, Advaita. Almost Single

Contemporary:
Banks, Leanne. Trouble in High Heels
Hughes, Charlotte. Nutcase
James, Julie. Practice Makes Perfect
Kleypas, Lisa. Smooth Talking Stranger
Ledbetter, Suzann. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Leigh, Lora. Maverick
McLane, LuAnn. Redneck Cinderella
Miller, Linda Lael. Montana Creeds: Dylan

Erotica:
Amber, Elizabeth. Dominic
Devlin, Delilah. Texas Men
Hart, Carole. The Family Jewels
Hart, Megan, et. al. Naughty Bits
Hill, Joey W. A Vampire’s Claim
McCray, Cheyenne. Total Surrender
Mercury, Diana. Pleasures of the Forbidden Valley
Reynolds, Maya. Bad Boy
Schone, Robin. Cry for Passion
Stuart, Amie. Hittin’ It
Teglia, Charlene. Animal Attraction
Zedde, Fiona, et. al. Satisfy Me Tonight

Fantasy:
Lynch, Scott. The Republic of Thieves
Valente, Catherynne M. Palimpsest

Historical:
Balogh, Mary. First Comes Marriage
Barbieri, Elaine. The Rose & the Shield
Bryan, Emily. Vexing the Viscount
Carlyle, Liz. Tempted All Night
Cornick, Nicola. Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress
Davidson, Carolyn. Eden
Greenwood, Leigh. Someone Like You
Greiman, Lois. Seduced By Your Spell
James, Samantha. Bride of a Wicked Scotsman
Johnson, Susan. Gorgeous as Sin
Jordan, Nicole. To Romance a Charming Rogue
Kelley, Christie. Every Time We Kiss
Laurens, Stephanie. Temptation and Surrender
McCarty, Monica. Highland Outlaw
Maitland, Joanna. His Cavalry Lady
Metzger, Barbara. The Wicked Ways of a True Hero
Nash, Sophie. Love With the Perfect Scoundrel
Neville, Miranda. Never Resist Temptation
Noble, Kate. Revealed
O’Brien, Anne. Conquering Knight, Captive Lady
Page, Sharon. The Club
Raleigh, Deborah. Seducing the Viscount
Raybourn, Deanna. Silent on the Moor
Warren, Tracy Anne. Tempted By His Kiss
Welfonder, Sue-Ellen. Seducing a Scottish Bride
Welsh, Kate. Questions of Honor
Wilkinson, Lisa Marie. Fire at Midnight
Williamson, Beth. The Education of Madeline
Wolf, Pearl. Too Hot For a Spy

Historical Fiction:
Kyle, Barbara. The King’s Daughter
Lebra, Joyce. The Scent of Sake
Lovejoy, Charlotte. Madame Bliss

Inspirational:
Efken, Meredith. Play It Again, SAHM

Mainstream Fiction:
Ball, Donna. A Year on Ladybug Fam
Barrett, Jo. Don’t Let It Be True
Center, Katherine. Everyone Is Beautiful
Flock, Elizabeth. Sleepwalking in Daylight
Fowler, Earlene. Love Mercy
Kelsey, Linda. Fifty is Not a Four Letter Word
Lopez, Josefina. Hungry Woman in Paris
Mallery, Susan. Sunset Bay
Schieber, Phyllis. Willing Spirits
Steel, Danielle. One Day at a Time
Welling, Tina. Fairy Tale Blues

Mystery:
Ash, Maureen. A Plague of Poison
Ault, Sandi. Wild Sorrow
Brightwell, Emily. Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
Childs, Laura. Oolong Dead
Dennison, Hannah. Scoop!
Emley, Dianne. The Deepest Cut
Fluke, Joanne. Cream Puff Murder
Laurie, Victoria. Ghouls Just Haunt to Have Fun
McCoy, Judi. Hounding the Pavement
Marberg, Peg. Fatal Flip
Pollero, Rhonda. Fat Chance

Paranormal:
Ashley, Jennifer, et. al. Immortals: The Reckoning
Benson, Tara. Death’s Daughter
Cassidy, Dakota. The Accidental Human
Davis, Lexi. The After Wife
Dayton, Gail. New Blood
Garey, Terri. You’re the One That I Haunt
Henry, Mark. Road Trip of the Living Dead
Ione, Larissa. Desire Unchained
Ivy, Alexandra. Darkness Revealed
Jones, Linda Winstead. Bride by Command
Kittredge, Caitlin. Second Skin
Lyone, Jennifer. Blood Magic
Madison, Tracy. A Taste of Magic
Stenzel, Natale. Between a Rock and a Heart Place
Thompson, Vicki Lewis. Casual Hex
Vaughn, Carrie. Kitty Raises Hell

Romantic Suspense:
Alden, Jami. Kept
Carr, Robyn. Temptation Ridge
Dodd, Christina. Danger in a Red Dress
Kauffman, Donna. Let Me In
Korzenko, Julie. Devil’s Gold
Robards, Karen. Pursuit

Suspense:
Carr, Eileen. Hold Back the Dark
Eisler, Barry. Fault Line
Gross, Andrew. Don’t Look Twice
Pinter, Jason. The Fury
Stevens, Amanda. The Whispering Room
Thompson, Carlene. You Can Run . . .

Time Travel:
Joyce, Brenda. Dark Victory
Mallory, Tess. Highland Rebel

Vampire:
Gleason, Colleen. As Shadows Fade
Showalter, Gena. The Vampire’s Bride
Singh, Nalini. Angel’s Blood

Young Adult:
Cast, P.C. Hunted

*courtesy of Romantic Times Book Reviews Magazine, December 2008:

Chick Lit
Daneshvari, Gitty. The Makedown
Haobsh, Nadine. Confessions of a Beauty Addict
Isenberg, Lynn. The Funeral Planner Goes to the White House

Contemporary
Betts, Heidi. Tangled Up In Love
Carmichael, Kathy. Hot Flash
Carr, Robyn. Second Chance Pass
DeLeon, Jana. Trouble in Mudbug
Foster, Lori. My Man Michael
Higgins, Kristan. Too Good to be True
Miller, Linda Lael. Montana Creeds: Logan
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth. What I Did For Love
Rochon, Farrah. Rescue Me
Shalvis, Jill. Instant Attraction
St. John, Kelley. Flirting with Temptation
Trent, Pauline. Falling in Love
Walker, Shiloh. Fragile

Erotica
Copeland, Jodi Lynn. Escape to Ecstasy
Danes, Lacy. Being Wicked
Dawson, Delilah. Better on Top
Feather, Cherie. Submission
Featherstone, Charlotte. Addicted
Harper, Vonna. Night of the Hawk
Swann, Leda. Captive
Taylor, Tawny. Wicked Beast

Fantasy
Bujold, Lois McMaster. The Sharing Knife, Volume Four
Golden, Christopher and Tim Lebbon. The Map of Moments
Mills, K.E. Witches Incorporated

Historical
Blake, Jennifer. Gallant Match
Bridges, Kate. Wanted in Alaska
Brockway, Connie. So Enchanting
Burrows, Annie. The Earl’s Untouched Bride
Camp, Candace. The Courtship Dance
Dain, Claudia. The Courtesan’s Wager
Emerson, Kate. Secrets of the Tudor Court: The Pleasure Palace
Fulford, Joanna. The Viking’s Defiant Bride
Garbera, Kathernie. Bare Nerve
Gray, Kayla. Seducer
Harper, Karen. Mistress Shakespeare
Henley, Virginia, et. al. Lords of Desire
Holby, Cindy. Fallen
Hunter, Madeline. The Sins of Lord Easterbrook
Jewel, Carolyn. Scandal
Johnson, Alissa. Tempting Fate
Kelly, Mary Pat. Galway Bay
Landon, Juliet. The Rake’s Unconventional Mistress
Linden, Caroline. A View to a Kiss
MacLean, Julianne. When a Stranger Loves Me
McCarty, Monica. Highland Warrior
Morin, Donna Russo. The Courtier’s Secret
Sands, Lynsay. Devil of the Highlands
Thomas, Jodi, et. al. Give Me a Cowboy
Thornton, Elizabeth. The Runaway McBride
Whiteside, Diane. Kisses Like a Devil

Inspirational
Cote, Lyn. The Desires of Her Heart
Raney, Deborah. Insight

Mainstream
Barrett, Lorna. Bookmarked for Death
Carlisle, Kate. Homicide in Hardcover
Collins, Kate. Evil in Carnations
Connor, Beverly. Scattered Graves
Davis, Katharine. East Hope
Gallaway, Morgana. The Nightingale
Hannah, Kristin. True Colors
Kelly, Cathy. Lessons in Heartbreak
Lyons, CJ. Warning Signs
Nash, Jennie. The Only True Genius in the Family
Peacock, Caro. A Dangerous Affair
Pickens, Cathy.  Can’t Never Tell
Rice, Luanne. The Geometry of Sisters
Richards, Emilie. A Lie for a Lie
Robb, J.D. Promises in Death
Rozan, S.J. The Shanghai Moon
Scott, Michele. Corked by Cabernet
Stabenow, Dana. Whisper to the Blood
Wells, Melinda. Death Takes the Cake
Wiggs, Susan. Fireside

Paranormal
Adams, Cat. Magic’s Design
Armstrong, Kelley. Men of the Otherworld
Ashwood, Sharon. Ravenous
Banks, L.A. The Thirteenth
Blair, Annette. Never Been Witched
Briggs, Patricia. Bone Crossed
Cole, Kresley. Kiss of a Demon King
Cooke, Deborah. Kiss of Fate
Crusie, Jennifer, et. al. Dogs and Goddesses
Frost, Kimberly. Would-Be Witch
Grant, Susan. The Warlord’s Daughter
Jackson, Melanie. Divine Fantasy
Kenyon, Sherrilyn. Dream Warrior
Leigh, Lora. Coyote’s Mate
Maclaine, Jenna. Grave Sins
Miles, Cindy. MacGowan’s Ghost
Morgan, Alexis. Darkness Unknown
Perry, Kate. Marked by Passion
Smith, Kathyrn. Night After Night
Taylor, Helen Scott. The Magic Knot
Vaughn, Carrie. Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand
Vincent, Rachel. Pride
Wilks, Eileen. Mortal Sins

Romantic Suspense
Brockmann, Suzanne. Dark of Night
Crandall, Susan. Seeing Red
Gray, Ginna. The Prime Objective
McCray, Cheyenne. The First Sin
Noble, Cate. Dead Right
Rose, Karen. Kill for Me
Ross, JoAnn. Shattered
Rush, Jaime. A Perfect Darkness
Sorenson, Jill. Crash Into Me

Suspense
Dane, Jordan. Evil Without a Face
Hunter, Gwen. Rapid Descent
Jackson, Lisa and Nancy Bush. Wicked Game
Jordan, Chris. Torn
Wolfe, Liz. It Takes a Thief

Time Travel
Mayhue, Melissa. A Highlander of Her Own

Vampire
Ashley, Amanda. Night’s Pleasure
Hart, Raven. Vampire’s Revenge

Young Adult
Noel, Alyson. Evermore

I have had this strange fear that Joyce Carol Oates is going to die soon.  I woke up a few days ago, and there it was.  It has followed me since.  It isn’t too irrational, she is seventy, after all, but really seems to be one of those people who are above such earthly interruptions.  I maintain that she is the only great living writer - fiction, essays, reviews, you name it, she is the master.  It is terrifying to imagine an end to her production.