No Beaches to Speak of

Every summer millions of folks finally get to go on vacation. This means an abundance of recommended beach reads. Just what is a beach read? Well, my thinking is that a beach read is a paperback (easy to transport) book that's going to really grab your attention but not require a lot of thought. Chick-lit is especially good for this as are mysteries and thrillers.

Not being in school and not having kids, summer really doesn't mean much to me in the way of changing my reading choices, nevermind the fact that we really don't have any beaches nearby for me to worry about sandy hardcovers. I do, however, think long and hard about my vacation reads. I am a determined reader who really isn't inconvenienced by hardcovers (although I do see the point in packing paperbacks). I travel light on clothing so there's usually plenty of room for books in my luggage!

This year, we are planning a road trip. A friend of ours is getting married just a few hours from where we grew up and we want to bring home plenty of Louisiana stuff that we can't get here - the car makes it easier.

In preparation for this trip (still a month away, btw) I have already made some purchases for road trip reading! One of these is Terri Persons's latest, Blind Rage. Rage is the follow-up to last year's Blind Spot (which I also read on a trip home to the folks'). 

Persons falls into the recent influx of "psychic detective" fiction. What I really liked about Persons's debut was that it still felt new and fresh even with the growing popularity of the subject matter. Unlike George Shuman's 18 Seconds, however, Persons didn't seem to get much recognition. I'll keep you posted on Rage, but in the meantime, I recommend you run out and buy Spot - newly out in paperback and perfect for a travel tote or beach bag, or just late-night reading!

So, here's my review of Blind Spot from bookbitch.com:

Everyone has heard that twins have a special connection. When Bernadette Saint Clare and her sister were young, they developed a special talent – they could see through each other’s eyes. Then, her sister died in a car accident and somehow Bernadette’s vision was transferred to that of her sister’s killer. Now, Bernadette can see through murderers’ eyes and uses her talent to help her in her job as an FBI agent. After being transferred to yet another new office, Bernadette finds herself in an odd situation. Her new supervisor seems to believe in her ability. On her first day in St. Paul, Minnesota, two boys find a hand while fishing; a body is discovered that afternoon in the woods. The first problem is that the hand is that of a woman and the body is that of a man. The second problem is that just one month ago, a hunting dog brought home a severed hand and a body was discovered shortly thereafter. Bernadette’s gift leads her to a serial killer hell-bent on his own form of retribution. Although the “psychic” detective is appearing quite often lately, it’s still a concept that I find intriguing. Persons’ thrilling debut makes a great stand-alone, but I sincerely hope, and suspect, that we will see more of Bernadette Saint Clare in the future.