(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Do you have auto-read authors?  You know, writers whose books you grab, no matter what, just because their name appears on the cover?  I do.  Lots of them, in fact.  Case in point:  Mary Higgins Clark.  My dad introduced me to her books back when I was in junior high.  Even though she's always written for adults, Clark keeps her stories pretty much PG-rated, so I could enjoy her novels even as a teen.  And I did.  She writes in short, addictive chapters that kept me up way, way, way too late on many a school night.  All these years later, the format of her books remains the same, but the quality of Clark's writing seems to have tanked.  Or maybe I've just matured as a reader.  Whatever the reason, I'm finding her newer mysteries increasingly formulaic, predictable and annoyingly tell-y (as opposed to show-y).  And yet, I still put my name on the library's waiting list every year when a new Mary Higgins Clark mystery comes out.  Why?  I don't know!  I guess it's because I know what to expect with her—I get a fast, clean, entertaining story that requires little brain work on my part.  Some days, that's a definite win-win for me.  

Having said that, I have to admit that Clark's newest, I've Got You Under My Skin, does change up her usual formula just a bit.  The novel revolves around Laurie Moran, a 36-year-old t.v. producer.  Although she has a successful career and a charming young son, Laurie is still haunted by the murder of her beloved husband five years ago.  Especially since his killer warned that her son would be next.  Half a decade has passed with no threats, but she still can't allow herself to breathe easy.

Given all that, Laurie feels a little uneasy about her newest production project.  The true-crime reenactment program, focused on cold cases, could be the key to boosting her station's ratings.  Not to mention her career.  So, despite her misgivings, she's going forward.  The series premiere will be a doozy, too, reuniting all the suspects in the infamous "Graduation Gala" murder.  Filmed on location at the glamorous mansion where the crime occurred, the show will have enough glitz and drama to attract millions of viewers.  Especially if it leads to the discovery of a killer.  What Laurie doesn't know is that the Graduation Gala killer isn't the only one lurking around the set ... and this one's got his eyes on her.

Like I said before, I've Got You Under My Skin isn't great literature or even a very complex or clever murder mystery.  What it is is mindless entertainment, a fast, easy way to kill a few hours.  If you're looking for a effortless beach or airplane read, you can't go wrong with Mary Higgins Clark.  

(Readalikes:  Other books by Mary Higgins Clark)

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If this were a movie, it would be rated:  

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

It's been awhile since I've participated in Top Ten Tuesday and I've missed my favorite weekly meme.  This week's topic didn't require much thought, so it seemed like a good time to jump back into the fun.  This time around, the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish want to know about the Top Ten Books I've Read This Year.  I always keep a running list of the books I've finished, using asterisks to mark those I enjoyed most, so it was a cinch to recall my favorites.  Here they are, in no particular order:






1.  The House at Riverton, The Distant Hours, and The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton—Since these three novels are by the same author, with lots of similarities in theme and story, I'm going to count them as one.  Morton excels at writing lush family sagas and I loved each of these.  If you forced me to choose a favorite from among the three, I'd probably go with The Forgotten Garden, but seriously, I enjoyed all of them.



2.  A Death-Struck Year by Makkia Lucier—Good historical YA novels are not exactly plentiful, so I'm always excited when I find one.  Especially when it's set in the same neck of the woods where I grew up (Portland, Oregon).  The novel concerns a wealthy teenage girl who's left alone in the city during the vicious Spanish influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918.  It's a tense, haunting story that kept me riveted.



3.  All The Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry—This spare, but lyrical YA novel centers around a young woman who hasn't spoken since she returned from a mysterious absence.  It tells an intriguing, suspenseful story.  All The Truth That's In Me won a well-deserved Whitney Award for Best General YA novel.



4.  Stung by Bethany Wiggins—Although this YA dystopian wasn't all that original, I still enjoyed the Sleeping Beauty twist on a familiar post-apocalyptic/zombie story.



5.  Cress by Marissa Meyer—The Lunar Chronicles is one of my very favorite YA series.  It's original, it's fun, it's clean, and it gets better with every installation.



6.  In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis—McGinnis' first book, Not a Drop to Drink, sucked me in so totally that it became one of my favorite books of last year.  While the sequel isn't quite as fresh, it still offers up a taut, harrowing tale of survival told in tight, gripping prose.



7.  A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd—This quirky MG novel is a fun, playful story about the power of words.



8.  Save the Cat by Blake Snyder—I've been hearing about this writer's Bible for years.  I finally read it and, yes, it definitely lives up to the hype.  If you're having trouble plotting your novel, definitely check out this guide for screenwriter's.  It's invaluable.



9.  Mississippi Jack by L.A. Meyer—This is the fifth book in another of my favorite YA series.  Like its predecessors, this novel tells a rollicking adventure tale starring the indomitable "Bloody" Jack Faber.  Jacky's one of my favorite YA characters of all time—it's impossible not to love her.


10.  Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana—An atmospheric MG novel about a young girl living in the Ninth Ward during Hurricane Katrina.  It's a gritty, but hopeful tale.

How about you?  What are your favorite books so far this year?

*All book images from Barnes & Noble