In 2009, I read What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman for my book club. I haven’t posted my review yet, but I promise, it’s nothing short of gushing!

Because I loved What the Dead Know so much, I thought it would be fun to read more books by Lippman, and what better way to do it than in a challenge! Another impetus for doing a Laura Lippman challenge is because Life Sentences is coming out in paperback on March 2, 2010, and she has a new book coming out this summer, tentatively scheduled for September.

Lippman has written 16 books, not including the book that will be released this summer. She has a Tess Monahan series, which are mysteries, but novels that she’s writing now, like Life Sentences, are stand-alone novels. Having read What the Dead Know, I think Lippman’s stand-alone books are more literary fiction than just fiction, though there is a mystery element to What the Dead Know.  So you certainly have plenty of books to choose from! And if mysteries aren’t your thing, then be sure to try some of Lippman’s stand-alone novels.

Here’s a list of Lippman’s books, as well as when they were released, awards they were nominated for and/or won, and what genre they are.

 Baltimore Blues

Released February 1997 (Hardcover released December 2006)

Nominated for a Shamus for best first novel

Genre: Mystery (this is the first Tess Monahan series)

Charm City

Released October 1997 (Hardcover released December 2007)

Winner of the Edgar and Shamus awards, nominated for the Anthony

Genre: Mystery (2nd in the Tess Monahan series)

Butchers Hill

Released July 1998 (Hardcover released October 2008)

Winner of the Agatha and Anthony awards, nominated for the Edgar, Shamus and Macavity

Genre: Mystery (3rd in the Tess Monahan series)

In Big Trouble

Released September 1999 (Hardcover released October 2009)

Winner of the Anthony and Shamus awards, nominated for the Edgar and Agatha

Genre: Mystery (4th in the Tess Monahan series)

Sugar House

Released September 2000 (Mass market released August 2001)

Nominated for best P.I. novel by the Romantic Times, cited as one of the best mystery novels of the year by the Washington Post, the London Times, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and Amazon.com

Genre: Mystery (5th in the Tess Monahan series)

In a Strange City

Released September 2001 (Mass market released October 2002)

Genre: Mystery (6th in the Tess Monahan series)

.

The Last Place

Released October 2002 (Mass market released August 2003)

Genre: Mystery (7th in the Tess Monahan series)

.

.

Every Secret Thing

Released September 2003 (Mass market released October 2004)

Winner of the Anthony and Barry awards

Genre: Mystery (stand-alone)

By a Spider’s Thread

Released July 2004 (Mass market released July 2005)

Genre: Mystery (8th in the Tess Manahan series)

.

To the Power of Three

Released June 2005 (Mass market released June 2006)

Genre: Mystery (stand-alone)

.

.

No Good Deeds

Mass market released February 2007

Genre: Mystery (9th in the Tess Monahan series)

.

.

What the Dead Know

Released March 2007 (Trade paperback released February 2009)

Genre: Fiction/romance/suspense

.

Another Thing To Fall

Released March 2008 (Mass market released February 2009)

Genre: Mystery (10th in the Tess Monahan series)

.

.

Hardly Knew Her

Released October 2008 (Trade paperback released October 2009)

Genre: Short stories, mysteries

.

Life Sentences

Release March 2009 (Trade paperback released March 2010)

Genre: Fiction/suspense

.

.

Here’s the rules/details:

• The challenge goes from January 26, 2010 through December 31, 2010.
• Anyone can participate! You do not need a blog!
• You can use the button I’ve got at the top of this post. Please save it down to your computer and upload it to your own blog.
• Challenge books can overlap with other challenges.
• You do not need to pick your book in advance.
• You can change levels mid-challenge!
• Levels:
  • Taster – 1 book
  • Dabbler – 2 books
  • Interested Party – 3 books
  • Laura Lippman Lover – 4 books
  • Stalker – 5+ books

Have fun with me! Sign up using the Mr. Linky below.

This second Mr. Linky? This is where we can put the links to our reviews, so there’ll all in one spot. And that way we can see which books people totally loved.

I wanted to let you know about this cool thing I’m participating in and even hosting a little bit!

Myself, Jen from Devourer of Books, Michelle from Galleysmith, and Heather from A Capricious Reader (and Beth from Beth Fish Reads, though she won’t be participating until 2011) have started a book club! The book club will read classics, and we’ll read four books a year, or one book per quarter. I’m sure you’re wondering why this is so awesome (Because it is. Awesome.). Let me tell you!

Lots of us want to read more classics! This is a way to do it!

One thing I want to do this year is try to delve into books more and try to get the message, the point, the author’s purpose in writing the book. I want my reading to go beyond, Oh, that was entertaining. The way the Classic Reads Book Club is set up, you’ll be able to do that because we’ll be discussing it in little chunks. You won’t have to worry about remembering things from too far back, because we’ll be discussing it as we go.

Since we’re discussing the book over 3 months, you can dip in and out of the book. You don’t have to worry about having to devote a week or two to one book. Instead, read the assigned portion, and then move on to another book!

There are so many benefits to the way we’re doing the Classic Reads Book Club. I hope you’ll join us!

You don’t need to do anything to join; all you need to do is read the book and join in on the discussion!

Our first book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Here’s the schedule:

January 25th – Section 1 (Chapters 1-11)
February 8th – Section 2 (Chapters 12-22)
February 22nd – Section 3 (Chapters 23-33)
March 8th – Section 4 (Chapters 34 – end)

Join us to discuss East of Eden at

http://classicreads.wordpress.com/

This is kind of a silly challenge, but I can’t get it out of my head so I’m going ahead and announcing it. I’m not sure if anyone else will want to participate because it’s kind of loosey goosey, but if you do want to participate, I’d love to have you!

This challenge started in my head because I was thinking back in November 2009 about what I wanted to read in 2010. I knew I wanted to be more deliberate in what I read, and part of that would include making sure I read more Joyce Carol Oates. That also included reading Margaret Atwood, specifically The Blind Assassin, because I’ve tried three times to read that book, and three times I’ve given up. However, I think I can do it!

So then I was thinking, Oates…O-A-T-E-S.

O for Joyce Carol Oates, A for Margaret Atwood…maybe I could come up with other authors to fit T, E, and S!

Immediately Ernest Hemingway came to mind, and even though he doesn’t fit the rule that it’s the author’s last name that has to fit the acronym, he can slide since it’s ERNEST HEMINGWAY. Then Twitter came to my aid and it was decided that T could be Leo Tolstoy (yes, even *I* am cringing as I write that), and S can be for John Steinbeck.

I’ll lay it out easier for you to see:

O – Joyce Carol Oates
A – Margaret Atwood
T – Leo Tolstoy
E – Ernest Hemingway
S – John Steinbeck

I’m nothing if not a fan of changing things up, so if there’s a literary author on par with any author already on this list, and their last name begins with A, T, E, or S (come on, this is the O.A.T.E.S. challenge, you can’t substitute anything for Joyce!), then you can substitute that author in. For example, if you wanted to substitute George Eliot for Ernest Hemingway, you could. Or if you wanted to substitute Mark Twain for Leo Tolstoy, you could and I would probably even encourage you in that! Because I think Tolstoy’s shortest book (not including short stories, because duh, those are short) is a million pages.

Here’s the rules/details:

• The challenge goes from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010.
• Anyone can participate! You do not need a blog!
• Challenge books can overlap with other challenges.
• You do not need to pick your books in advance.
• You can change levels mid-challenge!
• Levels:
  • Instant OATES – 1 book
  • Old Fashioned OATES – 2 books
  • Rolled OATES – 3 books
  • Steel Cut OATES – 4 books
  • Whole OATES – 5+ books

Woohoo! Some really nice bloggers made some buttons!

Heidenkind made this one, which I love. Thank you so much!!

McVane tweaked heidenkind’s button…pretty cool, huh? McVane, you’ll never know how much I appreciate this!

Caribousmom made this one, which I love. Totally goes with the theme!

Thanks for helping me out you guys! If anyone else ends up making their own button, let me know so I can add it in.

Have fun with me! Sign up using the Mr. Linky below.

This second Mr. Linky? This is where we can put the links to our reviews, so there’ll all in one spot. And that way we can see which books people totally loved.

Part A

Part B

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

can you eat crisco raw – Heck yes! It’s even better with some brown sugar on it. Don’t ask me how I know that.

i know this much is true. i loffed it – “I loffed it”? Is this the new version of lurve? I kinda like it. Sounds very…foreign and sophisticated.

“giving a dutch oven” – *snicker* Umm, I won’t give you instructions on how to give one, nor will you find any stories about giving dutch ovens. I don’t give them because the payback I would receive would not be worth it. (Apparently, there’s a bunch of people who actually don’t know what a dutch oven is, so I’ll go ahead and tell you: it’s when you’re in bed, someone farts, and then that someone pulls the covers over your head, trapping you with their stink. Charming, huh?)

how to be a book blogger – that’s way more involved than I want to get into right now. BUT! If you want to start a book blog, you’re welcome to email me at trish(at)heylady(dot)net. I don’t bite, and I answer all my emails.

co-workers always turns on ac – I KNOW. So does mine, and I think it’s ridiculous that I’m bundled up but she’s wearing long sleeves. I mean, seriously?

granny eats granpa – There is no good answer to this.

hairless butt – Hmm. When have I ever talked about this? Oh, that’s right. NEVER.

sexy grannys.org – My eyes! My eyes are burning!

let me introduce you to my little friend – I think the phrase is, “Say hello to my leettle fren.” (Sorry, I’m horrible at writing out diction, or whatever it’s called. But I found the video clip for you!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gy-Cq75BWY

where do i poop when there is no bathroo – erm…your pants?

recipe for oreogasms – I HAVE NO IDEA BUT WOULD LOVE THE RECIPE. Oreogasms? Heck yes! Sign me up.

semen-based recipes – I can only hope you’re looking for the silly book that has recipes featuring semen. I hope I hope I hope.

can’t find internet explorer icon – sounds like a personal problem.

Don’t forget that Nicole from Linus’s Blanket is interviewing me tonight on Blog Talk Radio. You DO need to register with Blog Talk Radio in order to be in on the shenanigans, but it will be worth it, I promise. Here’s the deets, all nice and big and bold:

WHAT: Nicole from Linus’s Blanket is interviewing me

WHERE: On Blog Talk Radio. Don’t forget to register!

WHEN: TONIGHT, October 27, 2009 at 6pm PST/9pm EST

WHY: Because we have so much fun together. And because Nicole is awesome. And because she has scoured my blog for some dirt to bring up, and frankly, I’m a little scared at what she may have found. Believe me, there’s a reason my Archives are called “Cringe Worthy”.

Also? We’ll be discussing The Story of a Marriage  by Andrew Sean Greer. So even if I bore you, you should tune in for our spoilery discussion.