And Then I Read... By Merry at Annie's Book Stop/Sharon, MA

Here we go again! Big news in the Book World - paper (tree-based) books are not yet dead! The pundits are actually beginning to understand that there is room for
both electronic and "old-fashioned" books. Whew. Glad to hear that, as I fear my Luddite tendencies lead me to stick with genuine made-of-paper reading material. I know e-books are convenient when traveling, but at least my books never run low on batteries, thank goodness.

As the weather appears to finally be thinking Spring-like thoughts, a reader's attention turns to... accumulating more books. What have you read lately? Something gripping, thrilling, thought-provoking, sentimental, or just not worth the reading time invested?          

I've recently completed an armload of other books - William C. Dietz's "Bones
of Empire" - a rip-roaring SF adventure that already has me hunting down
the next book in the series; three mysteries by Julie Hyzy - "Grace Under
Pressure", "Grace Interrupted", and "Grace Among Thieves" - a trio of cozy mysteries set in a Great House (think a la Newport mansion) open to the public for tours with Grace as the person responsible for the entire place's smooth operation, through heck and high water; and R.M. Meluch's "The Ninth Circle", fifth in the Tour of the Merrimack series, a terrific space opera with pirates and politics vying for the reader's attention. Also caught up on my Mercedes Lackey fantasy world of Valdemar, reading "Changes", which is Book 3 of The Collegium Chronicles.

Just been tearing through the TBR pile lately - also finished the first two books in the Vineart Wars trilogy by Laura Anne Gilman - "Flesh and Fire", and "The Weight of Stone", and am waiting for the library system to cough up the third book. In the meantime, I'm ripping through yet another Rogue Angel book by Alex Archer. If you like adventures like Indiana Jones', coupled with sword fights and mysteries, then this series about Annja Creed, custodian of Joan of Arc's sword, is lots of fun to read. Any time I can't decide what to read next, I take a break with Annja. There are nearly 40 in the series, so there's plenty of choice - although I would suggest making the first book your first, because it explains the basic premises of the series. After that, it's catch-as-catch-can.

I do apologize for not posting more often - I'm never sure that you're even
interested in hearing about all these books. I hope you've found at least one
recommendation to your liking over the past few months!

Remember to visit your local independent shops - the money we earn stays in the
community and doesn't take off for parts unknown as does the cash you drop at
the Big Chains. If you want a friendly local bookstore in your neighborhood,
then you're a major factor in keeping that shop alive - we can't survive without YOU.

Annie's carries new books, as well as a huge selection of pre-read ones; we can order 'most any book you need, too. We purchase textbooks (but we don't sell them - a conundrum) so that you can clear your shelves of those no-longer-needed texts and make room for more books. We'll take your paperbacks in trade - and you can use the credit from that transaction like a 50%-off coupon on your purchase of more used books. And we just got in a new selection of greeting cards that sell for 99 cents and $1.99; some adorable bangle bracelet sets (20 bracelets) for $1.99; and a new style of clip-on book lights that cost only $1.99, too - heck, the (included) batteries are worth that much!

Hope to see you in our little reading nook someday soon... 

Keep reading, and visit us on Facebook (Annie's Book Stop of Sharon) or on our own website, nearly ready for business... www.anniesbooksofsharon.com.