5 Erotic Romance Novels Better Than Fifty Shades of Grey

October 10, 2013December 27, 2024 / Linda / 1 Comment

While you’re waiting for the movie version of Fifty Shades of Grey to come out, here are a few highly recommended erotic titles to keep you entertained.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day – This is book one of a trilogy that focuses on the complicated relationship between Eva and Gideon who were both abused and are looking to find true love.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice (under pseudonym A.N. Roquelaure) retells the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty with an erotic twist.

Sweet Addiction by Maya Banks – The story of two lovers who seem to be living the ultimate love story, but end up separating and then meeting years later.

Sexual Life of Catherine M. by Catherine Millet – A memoir translated from French detailing Catherine’s vigorous sex life.

House of Holes by Nicholson Baker. A story about the exploits of an adult resort that specializes in sexual fantasies.

USA Today Picks This Fall’s Coolest Books

October 8, 2013June 30, 2014 / Louise / Leave a comment

USA TODAY’s Jocelyn McClurg and Bob Minzesheimer share their picks for 30 of the coolest titles for fall.

September Releases:

Never Go Back by Lee Child
W Is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Wilson by A. Scott Berg
Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan
Simple Dreams by Linda Ronstadt
Bleeding Edge by Thomas Pynchon
Local Souls by Allan Gurganus
Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri

October Releases:

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
Camelot’s Court: Inside the Kennedy White House by Robert Dallek
The House of Hades: Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
Solo: A James Bond Novel by William Boyd
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
Identical by Scott Turow
We Are Water by Wally Lamb
Sycamore Row by John Grisham
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Most of Nora Ephron by Nora Ephron
The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy

November Releases:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney
Double Down: Game Change 2012 by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann
The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan
This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Author Tom Clancy Dead at Age 66

October 2, 2013June 5, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Tom Clancy

Prolific writer Tom Clancy died Tuesday night, Oct 1st, at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. The cause of death has not been released.

He was best known for his technically detailed espionage and military thrillers. Several were made into movies including The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger. The first Net Force book was made into a television movie and the first Op-Center book was made into a mini-series.

He was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1947. He attended Loyola College as a physics major, but switched to English in his sophomore year. Before becoming an author, he ran an independent insurance agency.

In 1979, he began writing Patriot Games where his hero CIA agent Jack Ryan was introduced. In 1982, he set aside that book and started The Hunt for Red October which was based on a real incident in November 1979 about a Soviet missile frigate attempting to defect.

Seventeen of his novels have appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. Besides his stand-alone novels, he has written several series available in paperback format. They are: Op-Center, Net Force, Net Force Explorers, Power Plays, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and EndWar.

He was a part owner of a baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, author of several non-fiction books, developed three board games, and co-founded the video game developer Red Storm Entertainment. He is one of only three authors to sell two million copies on a first printing (other two – J.K. Rowling and John Grisham).

His newest book, Command Authority, is due out in December.

Linda Reads: The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice

October 1, 2013August 27, 2014 / Linda / Leave a comment

Luanne Rice

Luanne Rice is the author of 31 novels, including 22 New York Times bestsellers. Five of her books have been made into movies and mini-series.

Luanne was born in New Britain, CT and spent most of her life in Connecticut. She currently divides her time between New York City and Southern California. She is an avid environmentalist and advocate for families affected by domestic violence. Her first published poem appeared in the Hartford Courant. Her first novel, Angels All Over Town, was published in 1985. Many of her books take place in or have a connection to Connecticut.

Ms Rice delivers another captivating book, The Lemon Orchard. It’s a love story between two people from completely different worlds, but with a common bond from their pasts. The story starts off in Connecticut and moves to Santa Barbara, California.

Five years after a family tragedy, Julia, an anthropologist who graduated from Yale, goes to Malibu to house-sit her aunt and uncle’s house located in their lemon orchard. She hopes to start healing and move on with her life. There she meets the handsome, illegal immigrant who oversees the orchard, Roberto. She learns that Roberto is also trying to heal and move on from a devastating loss in his life. Their relationship starts off as a comforting friendship and moves on to something more. Julia then realizes that she might be able to help Roberto resolve the issue from his past.

Ms Rice is quite skilled in character development and sets a beautiful stage with her descriptive settings. She deals deftly with grief and loss, love, forgiveness and redemption. This book is also quite relevant as it explores the world of illegal immigrants and the struggle they endure to try to live a better life.

On Our (virtual) Shelves: New E-Books

September 29, 2013September 12, 2013 / cheshirelib / Leave a comment

There are lots of new titles to choose from in our E-Book collection. If you’re a Cheshire Library cardholder, check out our Connect Downloadable Catalog for more ebooks and audiobooks. Here’s a sample of what’s new…

New Fiction

The Hero by Robin Carr. In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She thought she wanted to hide from the world, but in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it…and sometimes, you find a hero.

Big Brother by Lionel Shriver. From the acclaimed author of the National Book Award finalist So Much for That and the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin comes a striking new novel about siblings, marriage, and obesity.

New Non-Fiction

The Library Book by various authors. From Alan Bennett’s Baffled at a Bookcase, to Lucy Mangan’s Library Rules, famous writers tell us all about how libraries are used and why they’re important.

Between Man and Beast by Monte Reel. The adventure of an unlikely young explorer who emerged from the jungles of Africa with evidence of a mysterious, still mythical beast–the gorilla–only to stumble straight into the center of the biggest debate of the day: Darwin’s theory of evolution.

New for Teens

Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they’re keeping…

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley. Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she’s going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He’s out there somewhere–spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night. and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for…

New for Kids

Oddkins by Dean Koontz. Blockbuster author Dean Koontz’s first novel for young readers, a beautifully illustrated and visually stunning story about a magical band of living toys who learn to overcome the fears we all face in the dark.

My Name is Mina by David Almond. Award-winning author David Almond reintroduces readers to the perceptive, sensitive Mina before the events of Skellig in this lyrical and fantastical work.