Testimony by Anita Shreve

anitashreve.com

Released: September 2008

I've been a huge fan of Anita Shreve since reading The Pilot's Wife almost 20 years ago. Since then, I've stayed on top of reading all of Shreve's novels over the years whenever I get hold of one. Testimony is one of two books I hadn't read by Shreve previous to now.

In the first chapter of Testimony, a headmaster of a prestigious New England boarding school gets hold of a sex tape featuring three seniors and a freshman girl. As the sex tape starts hitting the email accounts of students and staff members throughout the school, the boys go to trial over the incident and their lives basically become ruined. The boys' families also end up suffering for their mistake.

The Gift by Danielle Steel

photo courtesy of daniellesteel.com

Released: Christmas 1994

This may be the second novel by Danielle Steel I've ever read in my entire life. I've always felt that her stories are predictable and reminiscent of the movies aired on the Lifetime Channel. Before reading The Gift, I think the only other Danielle Steel novel I've read all the way through was Ransom, which I had purchased at an airport right before take-off.

The Gift was included in a bulk box of books I purchased at a yard sale. If this were any other title, I would have tossed it in the donation pile, however, I have a soft spot for holiday books, so I kept it around.

The Book of Common Dread by Brent Monahan

www.amazon.com

Released: June 1993

The early 1990s: a lovely era during which some of the best vampire fiction was released. Anne Rice's vampire chronicles featuring Lestat were going strong, Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series was just starting out, and LJ Smith's Vampire Diaries had just made its debut on the teen scene (before The CW ruined it for me. Long live LJ Smith and her original works!).

Considering the early 1990s were great years for vampires, I wasn't surprised to find that The Book of Common Dread was ranked right up there with them.

Someone at the Door by Richie Tankersley Cusick

fantasticfiction.co.uk

Released: October 1994

Richie Tankersley Cusick, RL Stine, and Christopher Pike are the authors I lived for between the ages of nine and 12. During those years, I devoured everything in print by these authors. Their style was spooky and edgy, and the mysteries were great! I think toward the end of my twelfth year when I was about to turn 13, I graduated to Dean Koontz, John Saul, and Stephen King, and never looked back...until recently.

I don't quite remember how Someone at the Door came to reside on my bookshelf. I never read this one since it was published after I stopped reading these "teen thrillers," so I figured I would read it for nostalgic purposes. I've been holding on to it for several years only because the cover features a snowman -- I wanted to save it for winter reading.