Too Rested?

I think I've been operating under such a massive amount of sleep deprivation lately that it feels really weird to have actually slept through the night. Yep, that's right. I slept through the night -- second night in a row. With a little help from Mr. Ambien, that is. 

The side effect warning with this medication had me rolling. Something like, after taking this medication you may do things that you don't remember doing such as driving a car, having sex, eating... Considering the fact that my last insomnia med was a. not letting me sleep through the night and b. could possibly cause weight gain when I am trying so hard to lose, eating in my sleep would really suck. 

No noticeable side effects as of yet, thank goodness. The only downside of taking such a strong sleep med is that it only takes a few minutes to zonk you out, if you fight it bad things happen (hallucinations in my dad's case, or no sleep at all in my neighbor's case). That means that if you get a Deaver or a Coben or a Preston/Child going at bedtime, there's none of that just the next chapter, just the next chapter stuff going on. 

Fortunately, I finished last night's read before I passed out. It was the third in Terri Persons's Bernadette St. Clare (a psychic FBI agent) series. I posted something on the debut, Blind Spot, here. And, yes, this is the third, but there won't be any spoilers for you. 

In Blind Sight Bernadette and her boss, Tony Garcia, are called to the forests of Minnesota when the body of a teenage girl is discovered. The murder is particularly gruesome because the gild had been pregnant, and the body of the child is missing. Bernadette must again rely on a combination of her FBI skills and her sight (something that still has to remain secret from everyone except Garcia) to help track down the killer and to help discover what happened to the infant. Making matters worse, the girl just happens to be the daughter of a senator who is very outspoken against the FBI. 

This is one of those series that I think just slipped in under everyone's radar. Blind Spot was released around the same time as George D. Shuman's 18 Seconds (I posted something here). It's ok to like them both, readers. I find that stylistically they are different enough that they each stand out for me. 

Plus, if you enjoyed the short lived Violets series by Stephen Woodworth, you should definitely check out both Persons and Shuman. Makes for some fun summer reading in my eyes, and can't you tell I'm ready for it to be officially summer? I really wish I still got 2 months off for summer break. 

Persons's latest hits shelves next Tuesday, May 26.

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.