Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 8/25 - Sizzling

Born in 1943, Janet Evanovich concentrated on raising a family after college. She was eventually infected with the writing bug and even took a class in improv acting to learn the nuances of dialogue. She had moderate success in the romance genre, then, observing authorities at work for two years, she hit it big in the mystery category with her Stephanie Plum series, which will soon see a 19th novel. Her books regularly top the NY Times Best Sellers list. I just finished her 2010 effort, Sizzling Sixteen, a fun read, although it strained credulity. Given the dangerous circumstances and seedy characters, the tone was a too blithe for my taste, sort of like the Thin Man flicks starring William Powell and Myrna Loy, although far seedier. The prose is smooth, the dialogue first rate, the supporting cast quirky. My only quibble is the repeated use of a pronoun or a character’s name when it is obvious who is speaking or present - apples and oranges. The narrative is refreshingly succinct. Its 309 pages read more like 209. So far, only the first of the series, One for the Money, has been made into a film. In fact, it has been done twice. Unfortunately, the first, a TV production (2004), rated 7.4 at IMDb, is not available at Netflix. The second (2012), starring the beautiful Katherine Heigl, is rated only 5.1. I can’t imagine her in the role of bounty hunter, although the character is by no means butch. Nevertheless, I added the movie to my list at Netflix. Maybe it will surprise me. It was not successful at the box office. As for Sizzling Sixteen - three on a scale of five. Remember, I am not a fan of the genre. My thanks to Wiki for the facts on the author.
A bleak, rainy morning evolved to a glorious afternoon. I actually felt the drop in humidity while operating the floating book shop. Several of my regulars showed, as did a new donor, who gave me several books on quilting, two pictorials, a large paperback on origami, and a hardcover Marvel comic compilation. Thanks, folks. It was all good until Ol' Smoky parked his butt on the ledge that surrounds the garden before the apartment building where I set up. He went on one of his rambling diatribes, chain smoking Camels, perhaps scaring potential customers away. He stayed about an hour, dropping the F-bomb continually, coughing up a storm at one point. He said his ex-wife liked to go out for Chinese food after attending religious services. If I understood him correctly, and I'm never sure I have, she was also an alcoholic. His thoughts are so disconnected it is hard to keep up with them. He would fit in smoothly among Evanovich's characters.
Visit Vic’s sites:
Vic’s Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic’s Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic’s Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic’s 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic’s 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic’s Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3