June has little time to dwell on the incident. Her hands are soon full with a drunk who beats his family; a baby who's coming too soon; a paranoid Vietnam vet; and a new doctor who may not be quite as perfect as he seems. As if that isn't enough, she also has to deal with a womanizing preacher, a distraught pregnant woman, and drug dealers who demand treatment at gunpoint. June, who hasn't had a date in a decade (in Grace Valley, you have to choose your spouse in 9th grade if you don't want to avoid old maidenhood), also finds herself falling for a mysterious DEA agent. Her life is so frenzied that she's even seeing angels. Could she be delusional, or is it all just another year in the life of crazy, wonderful Grace Valley?

This is an exciting opener that introduces readers to a fascinating cast of characters, including June's eccentric Aunt Myrna; her father and his irreverent cronies; the reclusive Mulls; June's crochety nurse Charlotte; and handsome newcomer Jim Post. It also highlights the hard-working doctor and her absolute devotion to her town. Funny and warm, it's a delicious appetizer to this pleasing series.

Just Over the Mountain, the second book in the Grace Valley trilogy, picks up where its predecessor left off. June's still worrying about the same ol' folks - Clarence Mull, a Vietnam vet with PTSD refuses to take his meds; Justine Cussler insists on having a baby instead of undergoing chemo for her ovarian cancer; and her nurse, Charlotte, wears the grey pall of death. Of course, June has plenty of new worries to keep her busy - there's the strange love triangle between Daniel, Blythe and Sarah; the reappearance of June's high school sweetheart and his troublesome twins; and the discovery of bones at her beloved Aunt Myrna's house. To top it all off, June's got the worst bug she's ever had - between the nausea, crying jags and exhaustion, she's barely able to take care of herself, let alone the town. In this state, is it any wonder she's having trouble resisting the advances of her sexy ex?

Deep in the Valley left me hungering for a second helping of Grace Valley in all its colorful charm, and Just Over the Mountain definitely satisfies. It introduces a different, more vulnerable, side of June that makes her even more likeable. Although the doc is a bit more melancholy than usual, the quirky townfolks keep things lively. A weary June would love to crawl under her quilts and hide, but one thing is obvious from the get-go: There will be no rest for the big-hearted June Hudson.

Although this one is pretty predictable (A doctor doesn't recognize what nausea, crying jags and an increased appetite mean for a sexually active woman??), it's so fun and warm that I really don't care. If Grace Valley existed, I'd be packing up the moving van. I love this series.

Down By the River delivers the exciting conclusion to this enchanting trilogy. When the story
opens, Grace Valley is buzzing with excitement - not only is the town's doctor, June Hudson, glowing with a decidedly maternal light, but she's been seen canoodling in public with a mystery man. June can hardly believe it herself. Her secret boyfriend, Jim, is newly retired from undercover work and here to stay. Although they have been seeing each other for some time now, June has been forced to keep the town in the dark for Jim's safety. Now that he's come out of obscurity, tongues are wagging all over town. Jim (whose only flaw seems to be his roof-raising snore) soon charms the townsfolk. The only question now is, "When's the wedding?"

June, who can calmly stitch up wounds, deliver babies, and treat patients at gunpoint, finds the idea of marriage terrifying. After all, she's approaching 40 and set in her ways. Besides, it's not like she's known Jim since kindergarten - she simply needs to get to know him better before she can commit. (Caution: This may make you want to whack the good doctor upside the head.)

Besides, June doesn't have time to pick out colors and shop for bridal gowns. She's got her usual patients - Clarence, the paranoid vet; the Forrest twins, who are still in traction after the infamous stunt with their grandma's Cadillac; and Birdie, whose stress levels have skyrocketed since her son returned to town. As if that isn't enough, June runs into a family in crisis right on the side of the highway. She finds young Erline Davis groaning with labor pains, while two children look on, and her husband Conrad bumbles about in a drug-soaked haze. When Grace Valley's residents get wind of the troubled family, they rally to help, but Conrad seems determined to abuse their kindness. It's not as if the town doesn't have enough to worry about - the preacher's acting strange, the river's rising faster than it should, and someone's robbing local businesses. June's exhausted by her pregnancy and the town's problems, not to mention her instant nausea at any mention of the M word. As if life isn't quite interesting enough, Aunt Myrna announces she has her own mystery man, and he's coming for Thanksgiving!

Obviously, Grace Valley teems with "eccentric people who minded everyone's business but their own" (119) - the folks don't miss much, including an opportunity to help those in need. With characteristic warmth, the residents band together to care for their own, proving once again that the most important things in life, are not things at all. In fact, artist Sarah Kelleher sums it up perfectly when she says, "People around here seem to take more stock in making a difference than making a dollar" (304). Down By the River showcases Robyn Carr's wonderful characters doing what they do best - making a difference in each other's lives.

You can always count on Robyn Carr for a happy ending, which makes her books both predictable and sentimental. I can spot her plot "shockers" a mile away. And, guess what? I don't care. My (uncharacteristic) ambivalence to predictability and sentimentality is a testament to Carr's magnificent ability to create endearing characters and magical places. I don't care if I can predict each character's every movement, I just want to pull up a chair at the cafe and glory in the charming little town that is Grace Valley, California.

Since our big move is coming up, I have been scouring the city for moving boxes. U-Haul charges big bucks for theirs, craigslist posters demand $1 per box, and Wal-Mart insists the only way to get your hands on their boxes is to come between midnight and 1 a.m. So, I have taken to Dumpster diving. I've fished piles of boxes out of a Dumpster behind Old Country Buffet - I've found some good ones, but they're usually a bit dirty and smelly (kind of like the restaurant - ha ha). So, in hopes of some cleaner boxes, I drove around a strip mall that's down the street from my house. Guess what I found in the Dumpster behind Half-Price Books? Well, I did discover a couple of good boxes, but I also found a pile of books! Not old, dingy paperbacks either, but like-new trade paperbacks. Being the book lover I am, I really wanted to scoop them all up and drop them off at places where they would get some love (like the library, which is begging for book donations). It felt criminal to rescue only one book - Wally Lamb's I Know This Much Is True - but I was too scared to grab more (because you know stores always have security cameras watching over their precious garbage). As it was, I hid my stolen novel underneath some boxes just in case.

I know Half-Price Books isn't unique in throwing away "old" books - Sam Houston posted this article not too long ago about Barnes & Noble. These books weren't deliberately destroyed like the ones at B& N; still, when there is a library a couple miles down the road with posters in every window asking for books, you just have to wonder.

So, I'm still plugging away at my "homework." I really shouldn't call it that, because I always love finding great new authors. Robyn Carr's Grace Valley series is fun and heartwarming - my reviews should be up in the next few days. I've also got a stack of Linda Greenlaw's books on my desk that I can't wait to dive into. I'm also really excited about the other interviews and giveaways I'm getting ready to present to you. So, although not much is happening here at the moment, stay with me ... lots of fun stuff is coming up.


In the meantime, here are a few things I wanted to share:

Thanks for all your responses on the two questions from my last post. I will pass all of your recommendations on autism books to my sister, who I'm sure will be very grateful. She lives in Guam (her husband's in the Navy) and I don't know what kind of libraries they have there, but hopefully she can find what she's looking for. My other question about "bookwormism" being a product of nature or nurture brought in some excellent comments. If you haven't checked it out, do, and be sure to weigh in on the subject. Personally, I think readers can be nurtured, but true bookworms are born. I grew up in a home where books were plentiful. My parents both read a lot and encouraged me and my siblings to do likewise. All but one of my brothers and sisters enjoy reading, at least on occasion, but nobody else is as book-crazed as I am. I think, too, that would have found books to read whether or not I grew up in a book-friendly household. Books are that ingrained into my being. Anyway, it's been fascinating to hear everyone's thoughts on the subject. Keep 'em coming.

Also, if you just can't get enough of my book reviews, you can see more of them at Rebecca's Reads. I've only done one so far, but I will be reviewing for them regularly, so keep an eye out. I also FINALLY received an email from Elle about their "Readers' Jury" Program (I can't find a link for this, but you can email eagerreader[at]elle[dot]com for more info). Megan provided the head's up on this one, and I'm really excited about it.

Wow - is that it? Did I miss anybody? Anyone else running fun contests/giveaways right now?