Books by Larry McMurty, 259 pages

 McMurtry, who wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Brokeback Mountain, returns with a fascinating and surprisingly intimate memoir of his lifelong passion of buying, selling, and collecting rare and antiquarian books.

Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane and the Making of the Little House Books by Christine Woodside, 259 pages

 Generations of children have fallen in love with the pioneer saga of the Ingalls family, of Pa and Ma, Laura and her sisters, and their loyal dog, Jack. Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books have taught millions of Americans about frontier life, giving inspiration to many and in the process becoming icons of our national identity. Yet few realize that this cherished bestselling series wandered far from the actual history of the Ingalls family and from what Laura herself understood to be central truths about pioneer life.

In this groundbreaking narrative of literary detection, Christine Woodside reveals for the first time the full extent of the collaboration between Laura and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. Rose hated farming and fled the family homestead as an adolescent, eventually becoming a nationally prominent magazine writer, biographer of Herbert Hoover, and successful novelist, who shared the political values of Ayn Rand and became mentor to Roger Lea MacBride, the second Libertarian presidential candidate. Drawing on original manuscripts and letters, Woodside shows how Rose reshaped her mother's story into a series of heroic tales that rebutted the policies of the New Deal. Their secret collaboration would lead in time to their estrangement. A fascinating look at the relationship between two strong-willed women, Libertarians on the Prairie is also the deconstruction of an American myth.

The Wet Nurse's Tale by Erica Eisdorfer, 259 pages

Susan Rose is not your average Victorian heroine. She's promiscuous, lovable, plump, and scheming-especially when it comes to escaping life as a kitchen drudge in a country house. Luckily for Susan, her big heart is covered by an equally big bosom, and her bosom is her fortune-for Susan becomes a professional wet nurse, like her mother before her. But while scullery maids and cooks live below stairs, a wet nurse lives upstairs, and if she's like Susan, she makes it her business to know all the intrigues and scandals that the upper crust would prefer to keep to themselves.
When her own child is caught up in a family scandal, Susan must use her plentiful street smarts to rescue her baby from the powerful mistress of the house. The scheme she weaves is bold, daring, and could spell ruin for her if she fails-but Susan Rose has no shortage of gumption. Bright, clever, and with a crackling wit all her own, Susan is an irresistible heroine.

Popular by Maya Van Wagenen, 259 pages

A modern, uncool geek decides to try for popularity based on tips from a 1950s teen book. This was very well-done, I'm shocked at how much I enjoyed it based on the writer's youth. I felt for her and saw so much of my own teen years in it. The author was so much braver than I ever could be.

TimeBangers-One Does Not Simply Walk Into Tudor by Ivery Kirk & Luna Teague, 259 pages

There was quite a collection of authors at Planet Comic-con, and this book caught my eye. Tawny and Beth go time traveling to see just how great a lay Henry VIII actually was. I love historic books, especially those set in England. I also enjoy campy and torrid books. This one was a perfect melding of all those categories. I was a little worried since it was an independent book, but it was surprisingly well-done. I enjoyed the friendship between Tawny and Beth, Beth's anxiety about being a good parent was spot on, and Tawny's social anxiety was well presented. The sex scenes weren't tasteless and were actually pretty fun. All in all, I can't wait to read the next book. Plus, I got to meet the one of the authors (Ivery Kirk) and she was so nice and humorous.

Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood, 259 pages

This one featured pirate's treasure, missing servants and movie making. Lots of action and lots of fun.

Death By Water by Kerry Greenwood, 259 pages

Another great entry in one of my favorite series. It's a toss up as to if I like the show better than the books, and that's a sign of how great both are.

As You Wish by Cary Elwes, 259 pages

This is a behind the scenes look at the making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes, who played Westley. I really love this movie and the book, so it was really great to see what went into the making of bringing this wonderful book alive. Cary Elwes just comes across as a class act, and this movie seems like it was so much fun to make.