by Jan Ison LTLS Executive Director
My favorite "escape" reading is mysteries, detective and crime stories. I am a huge J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) fan. The "in death" series has become almost an addiction with me. Former Carle Assistant Librarian Morgan Thomas introduced me to the series. I was at a meeting and she had the latest book and naturally I was curious. After she described the storylines - I went out and started reading from the beginning of the series. When I get into a book I really enjoy, everything else at home takes a "back seat" position to the reading. In the next month or so I read all of the J.D. Robb series and was like a "lost child" when I had finished. Now I regularly check the website to see when the next one is coming out and I am quick to download the book to the Kindle.
The "in death" series is set in mid twenty first century New York. The main character is Eve Dallas who is a police detective in New York. Eve is all about solving crime in the books but the story is also about her relationships with her husband Roarke, her assistant Della and all of the other primary characters in the books. They are fun reads and especially great if you need a break from the routine mystery or detective story.
I also enjoy reading Clive Clussler, Margaret Truman, Tom Clancy, Janet Evanovich, Patricia Cornwell, Jeffery Deaver and others. I am currently reading Jeffery Deaver's The Broken Window, It was great to relax in the sun yesterday, May 31st and begin this novel with the famed Lincoln Rhyme. Lincoln is a quadriplegic who can move only one finger but has a great mind and can still work a crime scene with the help of his partner Amelia Sahs.
I am looking forward to reading more enjoyable fiction over the summer, but will try to temper my enthusiasm so I don't let my gardening slide.
I also read a lot of things professionally but my focus is mostly on organizational development, management and facilitation. My favorite book is The Facilitator's Fieldbook. It has lots of great information on how to facilitate meetings and planning in many different arenas. I take it with me whenever I have the opportunity to facilitate processes as it is an essential tool and provides a tool kit for facilitators.
P.S. It looks like the next J.D. Robb won't be out until November 2009. Can't wait.
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