I've read several books lately, but haven't had time to sit down and write about them. I'll try to summarize them below:

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brasheres

This series tells the story of 4 close friends who find a magic pair of pants - at least the jeans seem to be magic, since they look great on all of the differently-shaped girls. In the first book, the girls decide to pass the pants around to keep them close throughout their summer apart. Each of the girls has ups and down - Lena is in Greece, smack dab in the middle of a family crisis; Bee's spending her summer at a soccer camp in Mexico, trying not to get herself into too much trouble, especially with an attractive, older coach; Tibby's working at a drug store, when an intriguing little girl enters her life; and Carmen discovers that her Dad's got a few surprises that will change the shape of her whole summer. The book is funny, realistic and surprisingly deep, even heartbreaking in spots. The sequel is just as good as it continues the story of each of the girls. There are two more books in the series that I haven't read yet, but I'm definitely planning to read them soon.

The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl

This was an interesting read about Quentin Clark, a Baltimore lawyer, who is determined to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his favorite author, Edgar Allen Poe. The year is 1849 and Poe has just been found dead in the city. Clark, outraged by the press' coverage of the author's demise, commits himself to finding Poe's murderer, thereby restoring the writer's good name. Realizing that he cannot solve the puzzle himself, Clark travels to England to find Auguste Dupin, a famed detective. Together, the two men return to Baltimore, where they set about collecting clues. Increasingly frustrated with the eccentric Dupin, Clark obsessively scours the city for information, determined to solve the mystery. He's not the only one looking into the matter, however, and he soon finds himself looking over his shoulder for would-be attackers. As if that isn't enough, Clark is in danger of losing his career, his fiancee and his best friend.

Unfortunately, the plot summary makes the book sound much more exciting than it really is. It is a compelling mystery story, but it plods along so slowly that I was tempted to ditch it several times. I stuck with it, but was disappointed in the ending, which tied up the loose ends in far-fetched and unconvincing ways. After reading Pearl's debut novel The Dante Club, I was looking forward to reading his sophomore novel, but I simply found it too long and tedious to be enjoyable.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This is another interesting book. It tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, a young man who finds himself adrift after his parents die in a car accident. Rather than face a bleak future at home, he takes off and unwittingly joins a circus. Here, a meets a host of strange characters, who show him the ropes, as well as the gritty underworld of circus life. Eventually, it is discovered that Jacob is almost a veterinarian - he skipped his final exams after finding out about his parents - and he is put in charge of the show's menagerie. He enjoys his new-found status as a higher-up, but finds that it has its own problems, including his boss, a charismatic and dangerous man named August. Worse still, Jacob finds himself longing for August's wife, a beautiful, disillusioned performer. A relentless do-gooder, Jacob fights to keep his sanity and soul in the strange, dazzling world of which he is suddenly a part. Like I said, an interesting story. It's well-written, but odd and shocking in parts. I found it riveting, but...strange.

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton

I just finished this cozy English mystery about an aggressive businesswoman who decides to retire to a cottage in the Cotswolds. It soon becomes apparent, however, that the quiet life is not for a woman like Agatha Raisin. Determined to make her dream work, Agatha decides to win over the village by entering its annual cooking competition. The fact that Agatha has never touched an oven doesn't bother her in the least - she happens to know a lovely shop that makes a killer quiche. She enters the dish, clears a spot on her mantle for the winner's cup, then sits back to wait. Pretty soon, the local police are knocking on the door accusing her of poisoning the judge with her quiche. Determined to clear her name, she sets about solving the mystery. Although the book is poorly-edited and predictable, it was entertaining, mostly because of the caustic Mrs. Raisin. Her brash nature is balanced nicely by her vulnerability, making her interesting and likable. The mishaps she gets herself into are humorous and somewhat original. All in all, the book is okay, although I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the books in the series.

I started Elizabeth McGowan's The Expected One this week, only to abandon it about 1/3 of the way through. The book was not only a copycat of The Da Vinci Code, but it was also difficult to get into. At 1/3 of the way through the book, I realized I didn't care much about the characters or what might happen to them, so I abandoned the whole thing. I also happened to read the Author's Note at the end of the book, and that did it - I think the author is delusional.

Anyway, I have been hearing a lot about Andrew M. Greeley, a Catholic priest and bestselling novelist, so I picked up the first book of his "Irish" series, Irish Gold. It's the story of Dermot Michael Coyne, a 25-year-old Irish-American playboy, who travels to Ireland to leisurely solve the mystery of his grandparents' past. A sometime writer, Dermot believes the story will make a fine novel. What he doesn't realize is that their story is linked to a violent time in Irish history -- "The Troubles" -- and that there are people in Ireland who will do anything to stop the story from being told. In the midst of Dermot's search, he meets Nuala McGrail, a mysterious and talented Irish girl. When Dermot unearths his grandmother's diary, Nuala proves to be an able translator, as well as a very appealing companion. Soon what began as a half-hearted quest to get some answers about his beloved grandparents, turns into Dermot's obsession to find the truth. He also finds himself becoming more than a little obsessed with Nuala, who proves to be as intelligent as she is beautiful. The duo's race to find answers is an exciting race into time and history that keeps the reader turning pages as fast as possible.

As exciting as the plot is, it's the characters that really sparkle in this novel. For all his faults, Dermot is an extremely appealing hero. He's an overconfident Yank who knows he's no 007, but who, nevertheless, holds his own against beautiful, scheming women; knife-wielding Irish thugs; and dangerous enemies of every sort. Nuala is no less appealing. She's a 19-year-old Irish wonder, who's at once a tough-talking Dubliner and a shy country girl, capable of charming everyone from the Irish elite to her parish priest. The electricity between them is captivating and hilarious. Then, there's Dermot's grandmother, whose indomitable spirit shines through her diary entries. Historical giants like Michael Collins, Winston Churchill and Daniel O'Kelly also make cameos in the novel.

In short, it's a rich, thrilling novel. It's not exactly what I would expect from a Catholic priest (the f-word [in its less-offensive Irish form, but still...] is used repeatedly throughout the text), but it's still a good read. I loved it, and will be grabbing the sequel next time I'm at the library.

I have been on a non-fiction kick lately, with two very different books: Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley and Reading Like A Writer by Francine Prose. I enjoyed both books, although I have my issues with each :)
Sink Reflections is written by a woman nicknamed "FlyLady," who runs a very successful website about organization (www.flylady.com). On her website and in her book, she talks about how to keep your home in order, starting with shining your sink. She recommends getting dressed "to your shoes" every day in order to feel more ready for housework and life. This is the part I don't think I could do - everyone knows I love to be barefoot. Anyway, she goes on to talk about performing daily housework routines, de-cluttering your home and keeping "hot zones" tidy. It really is a helpful book. It's not extremely well-written, but the author comes off as sweet and confirming. I wish she had addressed more time-management strategies, but she sticks mostly to cleaning house, with only a few pages on other subjects. All in all, it's worth picking the book up, especially if you are living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome).
Prose's book is also instructional. It's subtitle is "A Guide for People Who Love Books and For Those Who Want to Write Them," but it's not a how-to guide. It's actually a manual for what Prose calls "close reading." She encourages would-be authors to study the classics, paying close attention to the writers' techniques. She devotes whole chapters to words, paragraphs, details, gestures, etc. Although the book is a bit dry, it's thorough and well-written. It's not a book you would want to read while on the treadmill to make your workout go faster, but it's one you should read - closely - for its apt examples. The book also includes a list of "Books to be Read Immediately," which is interesting for its wide range of selections.

It's hard to explain why I like Jeffery Deaver so much. His books are gory, violent and full of some of the vilest criminals on the bestseller list. But, they're also home to one of the most interesting protaganist I've encountered in a long time - quadriplegic criminologist Lincoln Rhyme (Just to be accurate, not all of Deaver's books are about Rhyme, but the ones I like are). In fact, like his creator, it's hard to explain why I like Lincoln Rhyme so much. He's abrupt, rude and intolerant of even the slightest human error. If I encountered him in real life, I would be terrified of him. On the page, however, he is brilliant, fascinating and even hilarious in a dark, wry kind of way. His girlfriend and professional partner, ex-model Amelia Sachs is almost - but not quite - as interesting. So, I guess the reason I like Deaver so much is because his characters are so good that I'll wade through all the blood and gore just to find out what happens to them.

Anyway, if you are a Rhyme-Sacs fan, you should definitely grab their newest adventure, Cold Moon. It pits the formiddable criminologists against The Watchmaker, a killer whose calling cards are the old-fashioned clocks he leaves next to his victims' bodies. As Rhyme and his team investigate the murders, they uncover more questions than answers. Meanwhile, Sachs has her own case to worry about - the homicide of a businessman - which she suspects points to crooked cops. To complicate the matters more for Sachs, her investigation also reveals some unpleasant rumors about her revered father, which trouble her enough to quit police work altogether. When The Watchmaker case turns upsidedown, Rhyme and Sachs realize they are dealing with a killer far more brilliant and dangerous than they ever suspected.

As with the rest of the Rhyme-Sacs books, this one takes a close and fascinating look at the work of forensic science. It's also a testament to Deaver's genius that he has come up with another plot full up twists, turns and many layers of subterfuge. My only real complaint with the story is a "girly" one - Deaver only briefly mentions Rhyme and Sachs' personal relationship. Otherwise, it's an intense, page-turning thriller with characters that you'll miss long after you close the book.