Also finished Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale. I got to sit next to Stephanie during the RWA conference in Dallas, and she was nice enough to sign a book for me.

This is a young adult novel that focuses on Aspen Brooks. Aspen is smart, beautiful, and one of the coolest girls in school. So, it’s just natural Aspen would be crowned homecoming queen. But somehow, her arch rival, Angel Ives, ends up wearing the tiara instead. As if that isn’t bad enough, weird things start happening to Aspen. Someone slashes her tire. Her inhaler gets stolen. Soon, the so-called Beauty Bandit kidnapper is on the loose, and Aspen’s mom is among the missing. Can Aspen figure out who the bandit is and save her mom before it’s too late?

I thought this book was going to be your typical, spoiled-girl-gains-a-heart read, but it takes an interesting turn with the kidnapping plotline. Hale also makes some spot-on observations about high school life, and how it can affect people for the rest of their lives.

Aspen starts out as a snotty, self-absorbed drama queen, but she learns some important lessons along the way, including there’s more to people than just what labels they wear. I wound up rooting for her in the end.

So, thumbs up.

Up next: Something from my to-be-read pile.

Finished Spare Change by Robert B. Parker. It’s the latest in his Sunny Randall series about a Boston private investigator.

This time, Sunny is helping her father, Phil, investigate the reappearance of the Spare Change killer, a serial killer who leaves three coins beside all his victims. Phil, a former police officer, was in charge of the investigation the first time around. Now, Spare Change is back, and Phil needs Sunny’s help to catch him. Sunny and the rest of the task force identify a likely suspect, and Sunny starts playing a game of cat and mouse with him … by offering herself up as bait.

I always enjoy Parker’s books, especially his dialogue-heavy style. But I have to admit I’m tired of characters going over the same ground from book to book. Two of Parker’s characters, Sunny and Jesse Stone, just can’t let go of their exes. A big part of every book featuring either one of them has them trying to come to terms with their feelings.

In Spare Change, Sunny’s ex-hubbie decides to leave his current wife and try to make things work with Sunny. (Conveniently, the exes can’t let go of the main characters either). I really don’t care if they get back together or not. I just want somebody to make a lasting decision about it one way or another … and never talk about it again! (This also bothers me when it comes to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Seriously, Steph, just pick one of the guys already.) 

As much as it pains me, I have to give this one a thumbs down.

Up next: Revenge of the Homecoming Queen by Stephanie Hale.

What about you? What have you read lately? Inquiring minds want to know …