Sammy’s Hill (2004)
by Kristin Gore
Genre: Chick Lit
Maybe I’m stereotyping a bit, but I never would have imagined that the daughter of a politician could have me laughing hysterically! Kristin Gore (Al’s daughter) brings Washington to life with her main character, Samantha (Sammy) Joyce. Sammy is a young senatorial aid who is dedicated to bringing better health care to seniors. She’s also a self-deprecating hypochondriac whose love life is a mess and who finds herself constantly in sticky Bridget Jones-esque situations. She insists on having fish as pets, for example, though she can’t keep them alive. She does have the flushing ceremony down pat, complete with the song “Octopus’s Garden” playing in the background as the fish are flushed to their watery graves. Despite her quirks, as you delve into her personal and professional life, you find yourself becoming proud of the girl as she stands up for what’s right… no matter how much trouble it lands her in.
Gore’s debut novel is one of the funniest I’ve read in awhile; and, I’ve just discovered that the sequel, Sammy’s House, was released in July of this year.
If you love comedy and politics, try these out, and let me know what you think.
Get inside the minds of your fave crime authors!
CourtTV’s series Murder By The Book is back!
In case you missed it last year, the hour-long show is narrated by popular mystery authors who tell true stories of crimes they’ve witnessed or been involved with and that subsequently inspired them to write. For example, James Ellroy kicked off last season’s series with his chilling tale of the still-unsolved murder of his mother in a suburb of Los Angeles when he was a child, and how it has haunted him throughout his life.
Other episodes from last season featured a different author each week and included stories from both Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Lisa Scottoline, and Michael Connelly. This season, best-selling authors such as Sandra Brown, Harlan Coben, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Elizabeth George, and many others, get to tell their stories.
The show is full of drama and reenactments, documentary footage, and the author’s insights; it will hook you if you’ve ever wanted to get inside the mind of a successful mystery/crime author. The season kicked off November 5 and will air on CourtTV every Monday evening. Don’t miss it!
