During a coffee break this week, the periodical librarian pointed out an interesting article in one of the new magazines. The title was "Brace Yourself: August is Gonna be a Scorcher with these Sizzling Ideas." I wasn’t even going to look at an article with the non-word "gonna" in it, but reconsidered thinking perhaps it was a list of ideas to prevent sunburn or heat stroke. (Did you know that a moderate sunburn damages the blood vessels to the extent that it takes four to 15 months for them to return to normal?) I’m getting sidetracked. The article turned out to be a list of sizzling ideas for women to improve the marital love experience. (I’m trying to express this in a refined manner.) I wanted to share these tips with you, but the article specifically said "marital" and some non-married people might read this. You can check out the magazine yourself. There was one idea, however, that might be suitable for all marital statuses and I will share that with you. Ladies, we are scheduled to try this on Monday, Aug. 23. "Feed him a sexy dinner with chopsticks, then clean his mouth with your kisses." I didn’t want to scream, "That’s disgusting!" in front of the other librarians, for fear they would think me prudish. But after polling the other staff members, I found that we agreed, don’t come home for supper on Aug. 23. You can read the whole list for yourself in Redbook magazine. Or, if you want something really entertaining, try " ‘R’ " is for Ricochet" by Sue Grafton. Wealthy octogenarian Nord Lafferty hires P.I. Kinsey Millhone to help his newly paroled daughter, Reba Lafferty, find her way back to the straight and narrow after doing time for embezzlement. Abandoned by her rebellious mother when she was an infant, she was the only child of a rich man already in his mid-50s when she was born, and her adoring father thoroughly spoiled her. Now, at 32, having had many scrapes with the law, she is about to be released on probation from the California Institution for Women, having served 22 months of a four-year sentence for embezzlement. Though Nord Lafferty could deny his daughter nothing, he wasn't there for her when she was brought up on this charge. Now he wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers. It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: Baby-sit Reba until she settles in and make sure she follows all the niceties of her parole, maybe a week's work. The woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good. But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than 24 hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round. "Kill the Messenger" by Tami Hoag. At the end of a long day battling street traffic, bike messenger Jace Damon has one last drop to make. But en route to delivering a package for one of L.A.'s sleaziest defense attorneys, he's nearly run down by a car, chased through back alleys, and shot at. Only the instincts acquired while growing up on the streets of L.A. allow him to escape with his life — and with the package someone wants badly enough to kill for. Jace returns to Lenny Lowell's office only to find the cops there, the lawyer dead, and Jace himself considered the prime suspect in the savage murder. Suddenly he's on the run from both the cops and a killer, and the key to saving himself and his 10-year-old brother is the envelope he still has — which holds a message no one wants delivered: the truth. In a town built on fantasy and fame, delivering the truth can be deadly. We also have Bill Clinton’s new biography, "My Life." We have quite a waiting list for this book, so call and get your name in early.
