Being a life-long reader, I have quite a collection of bookmarks. I have bookmarks imprinted with wise, inspiring quotations from remarkable people, bookmarks with beautiful pictures, liquid crystal bookmarks that change color, and bookmarks cut into shapes like a school bus or sea horse. I have bookmarks made of metal, plastic, paper, cardboard, cotton, silk, satin, ribbon, string, thinly sliced wood, feathers and even some made of parchment and decorated with Egyptian hieroglyphics; bookmarks exhorting me to save the rainforests, whales, wolves, baby seals; hand-painted bookmarks; bookmarks with pictures of horses, dogs, cats, birds, lighthouses, angels; bookmarks with cartoons or clever sayings like Im a novel lover, but Im booked for tonight; bookmarks that are really other things, like a clock or a light; bookmarks with things attached, such as semi-precious stones, crystals, and all manner of iconic tokens: fairies, Asian baubles, insects, musical notes, etc.
I see bookmarks as the ultimate reading accessory sort of the matching belt and shoes of the literary ensemble. Sometimes I like to take a few minutes to choose the perfect bookmark for the new book Im about to start reading. Ill look through them all and pick out just the right one: a yin-yang symbol for a book on Eastern philosophy, a palm tree for a Carl Hiaasen book.
Thus it was that I selected a Powerful Women bookmark, poured myself a mug of coffee, and sat back comfortably in my rocker by the window to read Janet Evanovichs newest Stephanie Plum novel, Ten Big Ones, setting my bookmark on the table next to me.
And heres my point: I never got to use it.
Seriously, it was a rainy afternoon when I sat down to read this book, and five hours later I finished it, jumped up cheering, and finally fed the cat, who had been waiting impatiently two hours for her supper. My poor, unused bookmark I just couldnt put the book down.
Like all her Plum novels, this one is outrageously wonderful, with sexy, smart, lifelike characters. And like a complex recipe, she cooks up a plot that pulls in sweet and sour romance, salty language, and spicy hot and dangerous characters to create a work that is at the same time filled with hilarity and breath-catching tension. It makes a delicious concoction.
Darlene McKenzie, reference librarian at Reed Memorial Library, told me that several of the librarys patrons said this was Evanovichs best so far. It may very well be. She just gets better and better. This book gets my vote for Most Fun Readso far this year.
In case youre not familiar with this series, lets start with Stephanie Plum herself. Shes a bond enforcement agent that is, a bounty hunter. She works for her cousin, Vincent Plum, a bail bonds agent no ones favorite relative: Vinnies rating as a human being would be in the vicinity of pond slime.
Stephanie has a lot of issues, and in this book she has a big issue with her eating habits: We each got a [low-carb] sub. And then we each got six doughnuts. As a result, there comes a point when she decides shes fat and has to diet. But there, again, she has strange rules: If you buy chocolate with loose change the calories dont count. And anyway, one of the pieces was a raspberry truffle, so it was fruit. And fruit is healthy, right?
Stephanie brings with her a whole tribe of colorful recurring characters, including one of the most beloved characters in popular fiction, Grandma Masur. Grandma is always eager for something new and likes to ride shotgun on Stephanies cases. But she cant seem to find the off-switch when she talks. Of her family, Grandma says, Were tough. We come from a long line of army deserters and nasty alcoholics. Her description of all the diets shes tried especially the Sex Diet had me falling off my chair laughing. (Lets all turn to page 210.)
Then theres probably my favorite reason to read a Stephanie Plum book: the men. Ah, the beautiful, intense, boiling-just-under-the-surface, smell-like-heaven and make-you-want-to-run-your-fingers-through-their-hair men.
First, theres Joe Morelli, her cop boyfriend on-again, off-again Joe. Hes certainly no slouch in the romance department. In Stephanies words, When Morelli kissed me, I thought anything was possible. Morelli was a terrific kisser. As the book opens, shes living with him in domestic bliss well, sort of. But, of course, that cant last or can it?
Then theres the amazing Ranger, the sexy and mysterious bounty hunter who is always around to bail her out of a jam. Ranger was Rambo meets Batman. His hair was dark, and his eyes were dark. No one knew where Ranger lived or where his cars and cash originated. Probably it was best not to know. Ranger wants her, too lucky girl. Ah, the enigmatic, curl-your-toes beautiful and incredibly wonderful-smelling Ranger. Batman, eh? No wonder all the ladies want to find the Bat Cave.
Brad Pitt, eat your heart out. These guys are steamy.
Evanovichs books are pure pleasure. The Plum books start with One for the Money and Two for the Dough and progress numerically from there. And you dont have to read them in order, but it helps. Hers are some of the only mysteries Ill read more than once.
But if you want to use a bookmark, find a different book.
Ten Big Ones: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich. St. Martins Press, 320 pages, $25.95. Hardcover.
Whats Happening: Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna is scheduled to reopen Tuesday at its temporary site, 705 Oakwood St., in the former Ohio Department of Transportation administration building. The main entrance and parking are on the east side, closest to Cleveland Road. Handicapped-accessible parking and entrance are on the west side, closest to Jones Street. For more information, call (330) 296-2827.
Local author Philip Weeks will be at the Blue Heron Bookstore in Peninsula at 1 p.m. Oct. 23 to sign copies of his book, Buckeye Presidents: Ohioans in the White House.
What Theyre Reading: Good Morning Americas Read This! Book Club is reading Someone Not Really Her Mother by Harriet Scott Chessman.
If youre reading The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, along with Oprahs Book Club, you may want to sign up on her Web site (www.oprah.com its free) so that you can have access to the good information available there, including a printable bookmark with a map of China and a list of the characters.
Let us know what books youve liked this year. Send an e-mail to MLRuehr@recordpub.com.