All My Children Discussion Group -- Stephanie Plum Fans

All My Children Discussion Group

Topic: Stephanie Plum Fans - Advice Needed

Topic Posted by: Wendi
Date Posted: Fri Jan 20 13:05:04 2012
Additional Comments:

Hello fellow bookworms! I have a question. I'm in need of something to read, and I was just browsing in our little lending library at work (people bring in books they're done with and you can borrow them - it's wonderful) and came across Hard Eight. I haven't read any of the Stephanie Plum books so I'm wondering how important it is to start with #1. Normally my analness would not allow me to read #8 in a series first, but on the other hand I really need a book to read! My stupid public library has such inconvenient hours that I can never get there before they close, or else I'd go there and start with the first book. So tell me, can I start with #8 or will I be totally lost?

Thanks!

Posted by: izi
Date posted: Mon Jan 23 21:41:50 2012
Message:
I haven't read a Stephanie Plum book in a while but I love them all. The stories are fun, a quick read and I like the characters. I understand that the books may be made into a series or movie. That would be fun but you need a certain kind of actress to play Stephanie, she's got to be fun, funny and attractive.

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izi, the movie One for the Money, is coming out on this Friday, January 27, starring Katherine Heigl and Debbie Reynolds. Hello, where have you been, girl?? LOL.

Posted by: lemerba
Date posted: Sat Jan 21 19:06:47 2012
Message:
All of this series is hilarious but the general information gets carried from book to book so I would recommend reading the first one for sure. After that, it's up to you. I just finished seventeen and it was pretty funny! The characters don't change much from book to book. My personal favorite and there are many is Visions of Sugarplums Sixteen had some really good laughs in it but, I digress. Finish Hard Eight and report back!

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Thanks lemerba! I went to the library on Saturday and renewed my card and reserved the first SP book online, so I'm going to wait for that and start from the beginning. I didn't get so far into Hard Eight that I have to keep reading it, and I have other stuff to read while I wait for the first book to become available. Glad I have lots of good books to look forward to though! //Wendi

Posted by: Wendi
Date posted: Sat Jan 21 16:00:03 2012
Message:
So I got two chapters in to Hard Eight, and I'm really enjoying it, so I decide to go to the library and take out the first book, set #8 aside, and pick it back up in order. Would you believe there was not one Stephanie Plum book at my library? But now that I've renewed my card I can try to reserve it online, or just wait until I get my iPad (if that ever happens) and download the series.

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Thank you know who for I-Pad. yeah, him too, but I meant Steve Jobs Lol!

Posted by: goldie
Date posted: Sat Jan 21 14:52:53 2012
Message:

I am reading a wonderful book by Edward P Jones "The Known World" It won the Pulitzer Prize. I found it at the thrift store and thought it looks interesting, it is one of the best books I have read in a while. Can't put it down.

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What's it about goldie? Fiction, non-fiction? Always looking for recommendations! //Wendi

Prior to the Civil War, some free black people owned slaves. he writes about this little known fact and has written a vivid first novel that looks at slavery through a different lens, this book has some great characters and tells a story that we either never knew or just didn't consider. His first novel. /goldie

This is a really good book, you will enjoy it, it is a novel with a lot of history.

Posted by: Isis
Date posted: Sat Jan 21 9:19:03 2012
Message:
I don't know Stephanie Plum, but I did find this gem at my library just about 2 days ago!! What a GREAT BOOK and I couldn't have found it at any better time!!!

Read about it here

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sounds like the ideal book for me! vh

Lol! Sounds like one to put on the list for sure!

Posted by: Holly
Date posted: Fri Jan 20 19:06:29 2012
Message:
For Stephanie Plum fans, you need to watch THE VIEW on Monday, January 23.
Janet Evanovich and Katherine Heigl will be on The View.

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Ooh - I'll have to record that, and I'll have to get reading over the weekend so I'll have some idea what they're talking about. Thanks Holly! //Wendi

Woohoo!

Posted by: vh
Date posted: Fri Jan 20 17:26:04 2012
Message:

I can't remember 8, but I started with Hot Six (I didn't know there was a series either) and I was hooked...at the time, I too had access to a sort of informal lending library like yours and when I finished 6, I found Four to Score and High Five (I've read those so many times it not funny!(.

Woo hoo! I'm so excited that we might soon have another Stephanie Plum devotee!

The vast majority of her Stephanie Plum books have made me laugh out loud throughout the book and often to the face hurting

, stomach cramping extent.

But I'll stop there because you know how it is when someone tells you how great a book is and ou read it and you feel cheated...

So, really, it is awful, really bad-you'll just Hate it! :P

I've also read the Sue Grafton series to date. I think I started that one with D is for Deadbeat. Thought is was awfully sad. I think I read the first five or so out of order but in order after that. Kinsey (Grafton's heroine) is the polar opposite of Stephanie, though.

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Hey you, I knew you'd be checking into this topic! Thanks for warning me about the books, I'm sure I'll absolutely hate them ;) Actually, I love books that make me laugh, especially when there's someone else in the room, they always wonder what could possibly be so funny in a book. BTW, did you ever read Room? If you did and already told me, I apologize, but this pre-menopause stuff is wreaking havoc with my memory, not that it was very good to begin with. What were we talking about again? //Wendi, I think

not yet, but it is downloaded and ready to go if I ever force myself to read it... as to memory...the horror! I didn't call my best friend for three weeks and I went to call her on Thursday and I could remember three of the numbers... I'm skeered of the future now! vh

Posted by: Kenara
Date posted: Fri Jan 20 15:42:45 2012
Message:
I agree that you can start with #8. Have you tried going on line to your library system and reserving books? I can do that here, so I can usually get a series in order delivered a few at a time to my local library.

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Thanks Kenara. I reserve library books online all the time, but I went to reserve one this week and it said my card had expired! There's no expiration date on my card so I didn't know it could expire. Anyway, like I said above, it's really hard to get to my library because they close so early during the week, so I'll have to try to get there this weekend to renew my card. Once I get back into the system I can start reserving all the SP books! //Wendi

Call them. They'll straighten it out over the phone. They probably periodically use this stupid method to verify their records. // friendly advice

Posted by: Patem111
Date posted: Fri Jan 20 14:01:08 2012
Message:

Hi Wendi!

No you won't be totally lost. There's usually a paragraph or two in the first few pages that tells you that she's a bounty hunter and who Joe and Ranger are. The only thing you will be missing is the history of her and Joe and how her and Ranger's relationship has evolved. Sometimes here and there a character or situation will pop up that relates to a previous story, but at least in the earlier books where you are, she will give a brief explanation of how it ties in.

I'm pretty anal like you and like to read things in order. I started reading Sue Grafton's alphabet series with E and that made me nuts. So I stopped reading it halfway through and hunted a used bookstore until I found A-D really cheap. That's another good series if you like a mystery and a strong female lead. She's not funny like Stephanie Plum, but I like her. The latest book is the letter V so there's plenty in the series to catch up on. Those you can pretty much read in any order though.

Let us know if you read it and how you like it!

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Thanks Patem! I may go ahead and read this and if I like it I'll make an effort and start from #1. I read a Nelson DeMille book not realizing at first that it was #4 in a series (The John Corey series) so I had to go back and start at the beginning and read them all (including #4 again). I'll let you know what I think of Hard Eight. //Wendi