Friday, June 16, 2006

Jennifer Crusie Is My New Best Friend

Well okay, maybe I've never actually met Jennifer Crusie, but I'm sure if I did we'd hit it off. I read my first Jennifer Crusie book, Bet Me, the other week and it prompted me to do what I haven't done in ages - sit on my butt on the couch for most of Sunday and read, read, read. I loved her voice, I loved the characters, I loved the story. There wasn't anything about this book I didn't love and I thought, 'damn, no way is she going to be able to top this.'

Then I picked up Welcome to Temptation.

It's even better. I can't put it down. I'm carrying it with me to work to read during lunch in the noisy lunch room where I want to smother my co-workers because they keep talking out loud and making me lose my place. I read it while soaking in the tub, while cooking supper, I haven't had the computer on in the evenings for over a week. I went to the movies last night and while watching Hugh Jackman as Wolverine trounce the bad guys in the ending scene, I'm thinking 'Good, now I can go home and see what Sophie and Phin are up to'.

Because I like to have humor mixed with depth of emotion in my own work, it is a great education watching how Jennifer Crusie does it and does it so amazingly well. I'd probably be jealous if I weren't so busy mowing through the story and getting totally sucked in until the everyday world faded away and the only place I knew is this little town in Ohio called Temptation.

I hate the idea of leaving Phin and Sophie behind, but I'm about 50 pages from the end and already on the hunt for my next book on the list. Thank God she has a backlist. I might go a little mad if I had to wait too long for something new. Picture me frothing at the mouth, lurking about the aisles of the local bookstore, waiting...


Not a pretty sight.

11 comments:

Maxx said...

New best friend?
Well HMPH

Melissa Amateis said...

I need to buy a Jenny Crusie novel...

Unknown said...

I LOVE Welcome To Temptation, one of my all time favourite contemps. I didn't love the rest of her books quite so much but that book is a very hard act to follow.

Have you read Susan Elizabeth Phillips?

Kelly Boyce said...

I haven't, but I have one of her books at home that I picked up at last year's conference. After hearing her speech at the conference I really wanted to read some of her stuff.

Tess said...

Sounds like me on my recent Cathy Kelly binge *g*

Maybe I'll give one of Jenny's books a try!

Bailey Stewart said...

I love Jenny Crusie. I think I've mentioned that Getting Rid of Bradley is one of my favorites, followed by Crazy for You.

Rene said...

I was really disappointed in "Welcome to Temptation." I didn't really care for the characters although I will say Crusie is an amazing writer. I always point to Crusie, however, because the one thing I did appreciate is her use of dialogue. I think my problem is I don't like contemporary unless is it full of dark angst and lots of death. What does that say about me? LOL

MJFredrick said...

These are my 2 favorite Crusies, too. I also loved Fast Women and....Crazy for You, I think.

Dixie Belle said...

Isn't it fun to find a great book that keeps you reading? I read one of her earlier books, I think. I can't recall the title. The one author who keeps me glued to the page is Jeffery Deaver, who is a pro at plotting!

Anonymous said...

I really loved Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie. It's one of her old Temptations, but it was so funny and poignant. Loved it.

And you should definitely read Susan Elizabeth Phillips. You would like First Lady or Nobody's Baby But Mine.

Kelly Boyce said...

Just finished that one the other week. It was okay, but didn't grab me as much as the Temptation, Bet Me, Faking It or Tell Me Lies did. Those are my faves so far.