I've just come across a new website that looks interesting. WhatShouldIReadNext.com. I'm pretty sure the caps aren't necessary but it helps to figure out what it says the first time you see it.

Two books this time. The first is frankly not worth the time to read-Highland Laddie Gone by Sharon McCrumb. Not a bad book, just not very good. It's set at a Scottish Festival in West Virginia. One of the review blurbs inside the cover calls it a social comedy. It's certainly more that than a murder mystery but also it wasn't very funny.

The next one is the polar opposite. Hot Money by Dick Francis. If you've never read anything by this author you're in for a real treat. He was the queen's jockey in England and knows the racing world forward and backward. Every book he writes is in some way connected to racing, however, the world of horses and racing only serves as a backdrop to the incredible writing and character development he manages to create book after book. He only has a couple of continuing characters and that worried me when I was first introduced to him (courtesy of my mom) because I enjoy following the lives of the characters. However, now I grab a new one whenever I have a chance. It doesn't matter what the dust jacket says about the plot. He could write about anything and it would be worth reading-and difficult to put down til it's finished. When you do finish there is the distinct mixture of satisfaction after finishing a really well written book and dismay that you have to leave that world.

I checked his website-DickFrancis.com and it says that his last one was published in 2000 but I thought I read in the paper that he had a new one out this last year. However, it did list 38 novels and a collection of short stories so there are enough to keep us going for a while. Francis is 88 years old so we can only hope he continues writing as long as possible.

I just read some of the posts to his site and several (dated within the last week) mentioned his latest-Under Orders-written with his son. So I was right and his blog is just not quite up-to-date. Yeah, I have another one to find!