Happy Birthday, Izzy Spellman!

If you read The Spellman Family mystery series by Lisa Lutz, you're already well acquainted with Izzy Spellman. And while you may laugh to know Izzy's birthday is on April Fool's Day, it should also come as no surprise! It's such a fitting birthday for this offbeat young sleuth.

Document 5
(latest release)

I started reading the Spellman Family mystery series in the fall of 2009 and quickly became enamored by the female protagonist Isabel Spellman. She's quirky and at times immature and impulsive, often making poor decisions. But her heart is in the right place and she's really doing the best with what she's got and that's an equally quirky family. The Spellman family is a tad dysfunctional, but hey--whose family isn't, right? Theirs perhaps just lingers more on the edge of wacky than most. But who am I to judge? In fact, I suggest you read the series and find out for yourself. It is for the most part a lighthearted, amusing series with many laugh-out-loud moments about a family of private detectives, but don't be fooled by the alleged comic factor--there's a dose of seriousness to the stories as well, especially for the cast of core characters. Document 4--The Curse of the Spellmans even made me cry! --but take that with a grain of salt. I am a crier.

I posted about the first book in the Spellman Family series on my blog WITH THIS POST which pretty much links to a buddy review of The Spellman Files, Document 1 that I did with nath on the blog Breezing Through that you can read HERE.

The Spellman Files
Document 1

If we don't convince you to give the series a try, maybe this will: For a limited time [NOW through April 6 ONLY], the ebook version of the first Spellman Family novel-- The Spellman Files is only 99 cents! Grab it while it's hot or at least dirt cheap! Check your local independent bookstore or anywhere books are sold.. Amazon, B&N, iTunes, etc. You know the drill.

The FREE E-Sampler!

ALSO, there's a series E-Sampler available FOR FREE. The E-Sampler includes a charming letter from the author, a guide to reading footnotes on e-readers [these books have lots of very fun footnotes..], chapter excerpts from all 5 Spellman Documents, reading group guides and special bonus material including dossiers on the Spellman family members and a list of Izzy's ex-boyfriends. No, seriously. Did I mention it's FREE? You've got nothing to lose. Go forth and sample.

Document 5 in the series, The Trail of the Spellmans was released on February 28, 2012 [omgosh more than a month ago, already?! Gotta get my butt in gear!]. I can't wait to read it and see what kind of trouble Izzy is up to! Or uh... I mean, what kind of cases she's solving.

Visit Lisa Lutz at her website lisalutz.com.


Do you read The Spellman Family documents? 

If not, and you decide to pick it up, come back and let me know what you think! :o) 

BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

1. Let's start with the obvious. Did you like the book? What's your overall impression?

I liked it very much. The mystery wasn't too complicated, yet compelling enough to hold my interest and Harper is such an interesting character. I wanted to keep reading to see how she did her job and I wanted get to know her better.

2. Did you like Harper?

I'm accustomed to the protagonists in the books I read to be warm, likable people, but Harper comes across more indifferent, if not cold. You'd think this would make it difficult to warm up to her, but Harris actually has a knack for writing such a character in a compelling way with an inner vulnerability for which you can't help but empathize. Harper's past makes me sad and I can't say much about her present situation either. She has her work and she has Tolliver, but I sense that they're both kind of sad and lonely and they're definitely treated more with hostility than with kindness in their livelihood. I'd really like to see Harper heal some more and be genuinely happy.

3. What did you think of the murder mystery and the people of Sarne, Arkansas?

Oh my what a horrible mess! Even before the murders, these people really needed some help. I'm glad the murderer was figured out and held accountable, but what a waste that he had to take those lives like he did--the lives of people he should have been taking care of no less! Poor Nelly Teague! She is going to have a rough time processing everything that's happened to her family. I'd like to think she gets the psychological help she needs and maybe leaves Sarne behind for a better life somewhere else. I was glad to hear Harper praise Nelly at the end and assure her that she'd grow up to be a great woman. I think Nell needed to hear that. I'd also like to think she and Hollis remain good friends and support each other over the years. It's a nice thought, right?

4. Do you think Harper will ever find out what happened to her sister Cameron?


Harper is convinced that Cameron is dead, but has never located her remains. Of course the romantic and optimist in my would like to believe Cameron is still alive and will someday reunite with Harper. This series isn't exactly the sugar-coated kind and she has been missing for a long time already, so I think it's more likely that Harper will find Cameron's remains and help release her soul as she did for Helen Hopkins in Grave Sight.

5. What do you make of the relationship between Harper and Tolliver?


To me, it's obvious their relationship goes beyond simply step-siblings and I sense a chemistry between them that's unusual, but makes sense. They lived under the same roof since they were teens, but it really doesn't seem right to call them brother and sister. Not just because they're not blood related, but also as a result of their extremely dysfunctional upbringing and because of the way their selfish, cruel and negligent parents basically forced them to take care of themselves and essentially act as parents to their step siblings born to Harper's mom and Tolliver's dad. Harper and Tolliver's closeness actually feels more powerful than brother and sister or even friends after they survived what they did growing up. I feel sad for them, really. I guess we'll have to read the rest of the books in this series to learn more about these two.

6. Do you think you'll continue reading this series?


I definitely will! Harper is interesting enough to make me want to read more. I think the mysteries will be fun to read, but mostly I feel I need to see Harper figure out how she wants to live. I don't see Harper and Tolliver making their living like this forever. If anything, they need a home and maybe even an office. Some structure. Some peaceful happiness.


Tune in next month when the Authors by the Alphabet Book Club read a book by an author brought to us by the letter 'I'.  On which we're still deciding! Any suggestions? 

REVIEW: Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

'H'Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris is the July book selection for the Authors by the Alphabet online book club for the author last name beginning with the letter 'H' and was chosen by me. Stop by tomorrow for the Q&A book club discussion. Anyone is welcome to join the discussion. If you'd like to join the Authors by the Alphabet book club, we'd love to have you. Visit the sign up post on Paula's blog HERE.

Grave Sight is the first book in the Harper Connelly Mystery series by Charlaine Harris. Harper Connelly was struck by lightning when she was a teen and since then, she has been able to locate dead bodies and know how they died. Now an adult, Harper offers her services as a means of earning her living. Her stepbrother, Tolliver Lang, is her manager and together they travel around the country wherever there's work, living out of hotels.

In this story, Harper is summoned to the small town of Sarne, Arkansas to find the body of a missing teenager named Monteen "Teenie" Hopkins. Teenie went missing the same day that her boyfriend Del Teague was found shot dead in the woods, presumedly from self inflicted gunshot wounds to the head. Harper finds Teenie's remains in the same woods and reveals that she was indeed murdered while trying to run away. Despite the fact that Harper helped the community by finding the murdered teen and determining the causes of death of both Teenie and Del, the townspeople are suspicious and unkind to Harper and Tolliver and soon they are caught up in all sorts of trouble. Circumstances force them to stay in Sarne until things get cleared up, so to help their own cause, Harper and Tolliver try to figure out the mystery of who the killer is in Sarne.

The murder mystery was not terribly convoluted, but mysterious enough to keep me turning the pages to see how it would be solved and the consequences the truth would have on the characters. There were moments where I had to pause and recall how the various citizens of Sarne were connected to each other, because it sure felt like everyone had some unusual or secret connection to everyone else.

What made this book most compelling to me was Harper herself. She's a very interesting character. She's very straightforward and 'tells it like it is' it comes to most people and aspects of her life. This often makes Harper come across as a cold, uncaring person, but it's actually a really good attitude when it comes to her job when most people with whom she interacts are so quick to judge Harper as unnatural or evil and she's constantly subjected to disapproval from the very same people whom she helps.

While Harper exudes a blasé attitude on the outside, she also harbors an emotional vulnerability on the inside. She typically only lets this side show when she's either alone or with Tolliver. She and Tolliver grew up in an extremely dysfunctional home and both are still trying to deal with many ramifications of their early life. Harper also has major anxieties with thunderstorms due to having been struck by lightning. Harper seems lost and depends completely on Tolliver as her anchor in life. Both she and Tolliver live a pretty lonely life. It's sad really, and I hope they find some true joy and contentment in life soon.

I enjoyed Grave Sight and look forward to unraveling the mystery that is Harper Connelly in subsequent books in this series as she and Tolliver solve more mysteries.  4 out of 5 stars.

GRADE: B

NOTE: The Authors by the Alphabet Book Club Q&A for Grave Sight will be posted tomorrow.

YOU'RE INVITED: Read Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris with us!

It's my turn to select a book for this month's online Authors by the Alphabet Book Club. We're up to the letter H and I chose Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris. Grave Sight is the first book in The Harper Connelly mystery series, first published in 2005.

Summary from the publisher:
Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living—but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent—even if the dead can wait forever.

I'd like to invite you to read it with us this month and join our book club discussion here on my blog at the end of the month. Maybe you've read Harris' popular Sookie series? This is the perfect excuse to try something different from the author. So head to the library or bookstore, grab the book and start reading!

The Authors by the Alphabet Book Club is an online book club that was started by Paula who blogs at Tome's Devotee and is made up of a small group of bloggers who take turns every month selecting a book for the group to read and discuss, making our way through the alphabet by author last names. The person who makes the monthly selection is the one to host a discussion on her (his) blog on the last Thursday of the month. New members are always welcome!

You can read more about Charlaine Harris at http://www.charlaineharris.com/.

REVIEW: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

The Spellman Files is the first book in the very fun and quirky Spellman Family mystery series by Lisa Lutz. Nath and I picked up and read The Spellman Files last fall and finally wrapped up a buddy review that's posted today over at Breezing Through. Click over and check it out HERE! :)

Psst! While you're there, be sure to also check out the awesome Anti-Valentine's Day Romance Giveaway the gals at Breezing Through have going on. You can win your choice of several different romance novel prize bundles... three books in each bundle! The hard part is going to be deciding which bundle to choose from!


You can learn more about Lisa Lutz and the Spellman books at http://lisalutz.com/. In fact, I dare you to read the overview of The Spellman Files that you can find HERE, and if you're still not interested in checking out at least the first book in this series... there's seriously something wrong with you! LOL. Kidding! No, actually I'm not. ;P

Seriously, though, this series is adorable and amusing and also has some very serious elements. You're going to think these characters are wacko, but I assure you, they will grow on you and you'll become emotionally invested in each one of them in no time. Okay, maybe not David. Nah, you'll like David, too. But Isabel will definitely worm her way into your heart without you knowing it. At first you're probably going to think she's odd, obstinate, and perhaps a tad immature. You're going to want to shout at her through the pages of the book and say things like, "Nooo! Izzie! That's a bad idea!" or "Uh oh, Izzie. You're gonna regret that." or "Izzzz-iiiie" and roll your eyes. But I'm telling you, you're going to love her and root for her and want to read the whole series just like I did. The series just got better and better. Really fun stuff.

The Spellman books are currently available in hardcover and have recently started to become available in trade paperback and mass market paperback as well.

The fourth book in the series, The Spellmans Strike Again will be released on March 16, 2010 in hardcover.

AND! There are plans in the works for a movie based on the first book in the series! Yay! So exciting!

I want to thank Li at Me and My Books for recommending this series. Thank you, Li! :)

I want to thank Michelle at red headed book child for sharing the love of this series with me in comments and emails as I read all three of the currently released Spellman books AND for sharing her ARC of the fourth book, The Spellmans Strike Again that will be available on March 16, 2010. I'm so lucky! Thanks, Michelle! :)

I also want to thank nath at Books, Books and more Books --and Breezing Through, of course, for inviting me to do the buddy review with her over at Breezing Through. Thanks, nath!! It was a lot of fun discussing the book with you and I hope to do it again sometime. Maybe for Curse of the Spellmans. ;)

Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge

Host: J. Kaye of J. Kaye's Book Blog

Details: For more details, including rules and how to sign yourself up, visit J. Kaye at Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge.

Challenge: Read all of the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich between July 23, 2009 and December 31, 2010.

I wavered whether or not to join this challenge. I read the first three Stephanie Plum novels last fall and while I did enjoy them and will probably eventually read the rest of the novels, I really don't know if I'm so into them that I'd catch up in the entire series by the end of 2010. But what's a challenge if it isn't challenging, so what the heck.

1. One For the Money read in 9/09

2. Two For the Dough read in 11/09

3. Three to Get Deadly read in 12/09

4. Four to Score read in 3/10

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Yikes! How many are there again?