Reading for Pleasure Wednesday -- "Metro Girl"

Metro Girlby Janet Evanovich was a lot more fun than my previous books, "Pledged" and "Class Action" --

I'm generally a fan of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series -- the quasi-mysteries with the numbers in the titles. This isn't in that series, but it is kind of fun anyway. The basic idea for the book is that the man character, Barney, gets a phone call from her little brother who is in Florida and in trouble. In order to rescue him, she gets herself in a few interesting pickles and other assorted tight places. It gets a little tedious at the end -- but it was generally a fun read.

Barney's side-kicks are, like in the Plum serise, rather fun on their own merits. The main side-kick is NASCAR Guy, who (for the Plum fans) is a little like Ranger -- only with less mystery but the same amount of sex appeal. Evanovich's view of south Florida seems to be dead-on for me... of course, I like Carl Hiaasen's amazingly funny books about South Florida, and Evanvitch's characterizations are similar.

If you love New Jersey and the characters that go with it, you really need to read the Stephanie Plum series... -- Plum is a so-so bailbondsperson. She gets into a variety of situations bringing in people who skip bail. That part is only mildly interesting -- it is the people in Plum's personal life that are a lot of fun. Her family is really funny and the two men in her life are wonderful, and like a characature of the guys you'd like to hang with. This is a fun book and perfect brain-candy for the beginning of the school year... you can find them at used bookstores and on discount racks -- and they are worth it. It kind of helps to read them in order, but it isn't necessary by any means.

I do have to issue a "reading in bed with your spouse, while said spous is trying to sleep" alert -- there are parts of both "Metro Girl" and the Stephanie Plum series, that will probably make you laugh out loud. Doing so when you sweetie is about to go to sleep can disturb them and make them kind of grumpy. Even if you read the passage to them, they won't find it as funny as you do... you've been warned.

I got "Metro Girl" on a discount rack in hardcover at Border's, and the price was about right. I'm really picky about what I'll buy in hardcover because I don't generally go back to them and I read very quickly, so they go by too fast for the money :).

I'm now working on "Anonymous Lawyer" by Jeremy Blachman -- not sure what I think of it so far, but it is fun as it is written in blog post and e-mail style... hopefully I'll have it finished by next week, so more then --- if not, I'll do some of my summer reading.