My Kind of Town – Chicago!
by | Posted in Booklust, Wanderlust 6 Comments »This week I’m in the Windy City, trying to make myself write while Mr. Wonderful is at a conference. I’m about to hit two big milestones: 200 pages and 60,000 words. Whoot! Tomorrow I’m going to meet my blogging friend Shannon, who blogs at What Women Read and DIK Ladies Rule!. She is going to give me a tour of Millennium Park, the delights of Chicago, and her favorite bookstore (Yay!). I’m really looking forward to gushing about our favorite books! Shannon stole Adam Hauptman from me in the DIK Hero Round Robin, so I’ve been sharpening my nails to steal him back. Watch out Shannon – I’m coming for him!
I read Nalini Singh‘s 2nd Psy/Changelings Book Visions of Heat (great!) on the airplane and brought two books set in Chicago with me.
Title: Storm Front
Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files, Book 1
Publisher: Roc, April 2000
Genre: Urban Fantasy
This will be my first full-length novel by Butcher. I enjoyed his short in My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon, which also featured Harry Dresden and his dog.
Synopsis: “The novels of the Dresden Files have become synonymous with action-packed urban fantasy and non-stop fun. Storm Front is Jim Butcher’s first novel and introduces his most famous and popular character-Harry Dresden, wizard for hire.
For his first case, Harry is called in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with the blackest of magic. At first, the less-than-solvent Harry’s eyes light up with dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage. Now, that black mage knows Harry’s name. And things are about to get very…interesting.”
Or, in Haiku:
Cynical Wizard
solves magic crimes in Chi-town
with his awesome dog.
Title: It Had to be You
Author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Series: Chicago Stars, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins, March 2002
Genre: Contemporary Romance
I’ve read almost all of the Chicago Stars books (out of order, I know) and loved them. SEP is speaking at the RWA Conference in San Fran in July and my critique partner told me she’s not to be missed. What do you think of this cover??? I can’t think of another romance cover quite like it. Usually covers have pictures of half-nekid men.
Synopsis: “The Windy City isn’t quite ready for Phoebe Somerville — the outrageous, curvaceous New York knockout who has just inherited the Chicago Stars football team. And Phoebe is definitely not prepared for the Stars’ head coach Dan Celebow, a sexist jock taskmaster with a one-track mind. Celebow is everything Phoebe abhors.”
Or in Haiku:
Blond bimbo takes on
stubborn alpha football coach.
Opposites attract.
All About Romance has a search engine that allows one to search by location setting. Chicago turned out these books:
- The Firebrand by Susan Wiggs
- The Mistress by Susan Wiggs
- The Hostage by Susan Wiggs
- Wild at Heart by Patricia Gaffney
- The Savage Heart by Diana Palmer
Has anyone read any of these? What did you think?
June 17th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
You must read Wild At Heart!!! It is about a man who was raised by wolves and found in the wilderness and brought back into society. One of Gaffney’s best books! A great and wonderful romance and THE HERO IS A VIRGIN!!
June 17th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Like Mowgli? Or George of the Jungle? It sounds like something I’d like. I’ll have to see if Shannon’s bookstore has it. Thanks!
June 17th, 2008 at 7:11 pm
Yay! You are here! I am hit or miss with SEP’s books. I adored Match Me If You Can. The last one I read (can’t remember the title, but I reviewed it on my blog) made me angry. I have Storm Front in my TBR pile, too. Hmmmm, perhaps we shoudl both read it and do a comparison….
Oh, and girl, sheath the claws. Adam is MINE!
June 18th, 2008 at 10:26 am
I have never read SEP’s books… I did love the Dresden series. On book 4 of that one. Have fun in Chicago with Shannon you two are going to tear up the town!!!
June 20th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
First of all… how very cool that you will be in Chicago with Mr. Wonderful and get to meet up with Shannon! Second of all…. you are so very clever to research for books set in your destination city! What a great idea! I’m going to do that the next time I travel, too!
Smart girl…
June 25th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Oh, I discovered Butcher’s work through the Honeymoon story as well. Now I’m addicted. (Hell’s bells!, as Harry would say.) Mouse doesn’t appear until the book Blood Rites. Love the series.