LJ Roberts

Female

United States

Profile Information:

Hometown:
Oakland, CA
About Me:
I can't remember a time I didn't read and still have the first book I bought with my own money--Jane Eyre for $.75 through Scholastic Books. For many years now, I coordinated the East Bay Mystery Readers' Group (http://www.ebmrg.org) since 1994 and have evaluated manuscripts for Poisoned Pen Press. I am a contributing reviewer to "The Strand Magazine" and "Mystery Readers Journal" as well as Calamity's Corner. My reviews also appear on www.iloveamystery.com, Amazon (US, CA and UK), DorothyL, 4MysteryAddicts, Crime Thru Time, Mystery Readers Cafe and Criminal-History.co.uk.
I Am A:
Reader, Critic
Website:
http://booksaremagic.blogspot.com/
Books And Authors I Like:
It is easier to list the types of books for which I'm not a big fan. I don't care for the super cozy where the neighbor, shop owner, etc, keep stumbling over bodies and solves the case without the police, nor am I a Tarrentino-like noir reader, particularly with the serious anti-hero, the crooked cop or the drug-addicted DEA agent. Otherwise, my reading spectrum is fairly broad.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
I watch very little television--it cuts into my reading time.

Comment Wall:

  • Meredith Anthony

    LJ-- I think it's auspicious that you joined CrimeSpace the day my new book is released! Let me know if you'd like a copy! You'll love this site. It's fun. Meredith

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Rose

    Hi LJ
    Glad tso see you here. 4MA gets larger everyday.
    Beautiful cat.
    Married to a Virgo. And we find reincarnation fascinating. Have done some past life exploration. TMI?

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Patricia

    Hi LJ....nice to see you here

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Fran Read

    G'day and welcome LJ! I think it's all part of a big 4MA takeover.

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Rose

    Omigosh. 33.5 lbs is larger than some dogs. Does he have his own room?
    My husband and I have discovered a very intersting history together with past lives, from various readers.

    Apr 12, 2007

  • HappyRuby

    Thanks for the invite. I see many familiar names here.

    Happyruby

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Rose

    Why is it the largest critters always want to sit on your lap and the smaller ones want nothing to do with you? Only time our last cat was a lap sitter, was when I was still able to knit and she wanted to chew the yarn.
    Tiger sounds as if he could be a pack cat. Ya right.

    Apr 12, 2007

  • LC Fraser

    Rose - it goes with white cats on black slacks and vice versa.

    Apr 12, 2007

  • Laura Benedict

    Hi, LJ. Thanks for adding me!

    I bought Jane Eyre at a school book fair when I was in fifth grade. I remember standing in the gym, holding it, wondering at it. Read the covers right off--after about twenty readings and twenty years! I felt so sad when I had to finally replace it....

    Apr 13, 2007

  • Maxine Schmidt

    Thanks for the add, LJ. Do you know about Library Thing (www.librarything.com)? You can catalog your books and annotate the list, and look at other people's lists and notes. As a librarian, I find it fascinating.

    Apr 14, 2007

  • LC Fraser

    I love how cats smile. We have a bunch too (although not sure ours weigh in all that much with the heaviest being only 16 pounds).

    Apr 14, 2007

  • Rose

    A face; a LJ has a beautiful face.
    Husband is a virgo also, Tell me about lists. No, thinking about that , don't.

    Apr 14, 2007

  • Pari Noskin Taichert

    Nice to see the picture, LJ. Even better to see you here.

    Apr 14, 2007

  • Leann Sweeney

    There's the great face that goes with all those great reviews!! Good to "see' you here.

    Leann

    Apr 14, 2007

  • Mary Saums

    LJ - Good to see you! Love the kitty pics. I've got one skinny cat and one fat tabby. I once knew a cat who was so big, they named him Sumo.

    Apr 14, 2007

  • Charles Kelly

    Hi, LJ. Thanks for the invitation. Where did you live in Nebraska? My family's all back there, mostly in Lincoln and Omaha. I spent about two years in San Francisco, too, as a military policeman at the Presidio during the Zodiac killing period (just to get in a mystery reference). It's a beautiful area.

    Apr 15, 2007

  • Charles Kelly

    I remember Fremont. A few years ago when the Nebraska football team was in the Fiesta Bowl here (for the national championship) I went around Nebraska interviewing people, and Fremont was one of our stopoffs.

    Apr 15, 2007

  • David Magayna

    Hi LJ. Thanks for the invite. Great photos.

    Apr 15, 2007

  • Kerrie

    LJ I can't work how to get to your page, even though, as you can see I've got yo your chatterwall

    Apr 15, 2007

  • Kerrie

    So where are your reviews going to be LJ?
    Are you going to put them in your blog?
    I am a bit put off doing that in my blog because it looks as if it is going to stretch way down my page

    Apr 15, 2007

  • David Magayna

    LJ,
    I wish I knew how to answer your questions, but I'm just muddling along and trying stuff. I figure we can't break anything, so what the heck.
    I figure you can always answer on your page after the previous person's comments and then they have to check back to see if you answered them. Or you can just click on their name and answer on their page and they'll be notified via email that chatter occured on their page.

    As far as tags for blogs, I don't know anything about that. You can always send Daniel a message or go to the Help tab and see if your answer is in the FAQ's
    Hope that helps.

    Apr 15, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    So I've learned from Daniel that one cannot yet tag blogs. He hopes this feature will be added within the next month.

    Apr 17, 2007

  • Delphine Cingal

    Hi!
    Thanks for the invite. I know the Bay Area quite well, my ex in laws lived in Dublin, CA and I still have friends both in Dublin and in Sunnyvale. :-)))

    Apr 17, 2007

  • Robert Freemyer

    LJ, I'll be sure you get a copy of Broken City when it's published. I'm finishing the second in the triology, Murder on High Ground, and, if you like Broken City, I'll see you get a crack at the second.

    Apr 18, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    Thanks, Robert. I'll be interested to read Broken City. Let me know when it's ready and I'll tell you how to get it to me.

    Apr 18, 2007

  • a g bennett

    Thanks for accepting me as a friend. You seem like a very interesting person and look forward to chatting in the future.
    Cheers.

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Bill Peschel

    Thanks for the invite. I 'm looking forward to checking out more of your reviews (especially the older ones; I'm curious to see where we overlap).

    Apr 29, 2007

  • Brian Kavanagh

    Hi LJ, nice to meet up. I'm with you on Paris!
    Cheers,
    Brian

    Apr 30, 2007

  • Bernd Kochanowski

    Hello LJ,

    thanks for accepting my invite. A look on your “best reads” showed me that there are some books/authors where we agree and some were we don’t . I think yours reviews of the latter will be especially interesting for me.

    May 11, 2007

  • Bernd Kochanowski

    Hello LJ,

    Isn't that the essence of discussing books ? To understand a different opinion (and sometimes to broaden one´s own view) ? Although, naturally, I cannot discuss as fluently as you.

    May 11, 2007

  • Brian Kavanagh

    Hello LJ,
    I have placed some sample chapters from CAPABLE OF MURDER and THE EMBROIDERED CORPSE on my website of you'd care to take a look,
    http://beekay.tripod.com
    Cheers,
    Brian

    May 20, 2007

  • Tom Cain

    This is me, hands together, knees bent in supplication, praying for an 'ex' ...

    May 27, 2007

  • Dave Zeltserman

    Hi LJ, I wanted to thank you for reading Fast Lane, writing a nice review for it (even though the book's a bit on the demented side and probably not your cup of tea) and mentioning me with Tarantino and Jim Thompson. Much appreciated!

    Jun 13, 2007

  • Kathryn Lilley

    Hi LJ, Actually, that post on four-leaf clovers was written by my blog mate, Joanna Campbell Slan (it's an rss feed from our blog, "Killer Hobbies"). You sent me running for my dictionary about "faerie stone". What is a faerie stone, exactly? I've heard of them, never knew what thy were. Thanks!

    Jul 4, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    A faerie stone is a rock you find by a fresh water stream/river with a hole in it that was created by the water--you can't cheat and make the hole. If you find and carry it, it protects you from evil. Someday, I hope to find one.

    Jul 4, 2007

  • Rose

    I have a couple of them. One on my kitchen window still and one on my dresser.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • Rose

    I figure that I am blessed to have found those, and I wasn't even looking for them at the time.
    Am gifted by the universe with all kinds of things. Lately it has been a very friendly robin to keep me company when I am outside.
    Figure if I need it, it will come.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    The universe does provide. Blessed be.

    Jul 5, 2007

  • James R. Benn

    Nice to put a face to all those reviews on DorothyL!

    Jim

    Jul 18, 2007

  • Lyn LeJeune

    Hi, readers like you and librarians will go to heaven. My book, The Beatitudes, is a paranormal thriller set in New Orleans. It will be out in the fall and I am donating all royalties directly to the New Orleans Public Library Foundation. Libraries support the infrastructure of a great city, so I have started The Beatitudes Network to promote awareness of the importance of public libraries in NOLA.
    The blogsite www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspot.com describes the Network, has excerpts from The Beatitudes, recipes, and more. Merci mille fois. Lyn Lejeune.
    Writers, please pass the word…..it’s for a good cause….don’t let the libraries of New Orleans or the US go the way of The Great Library of Alexandria. P.S. just posted an excerpt on my Crimespace page. I am sending out information now to book groups - readings, cooking, and events....starting in November. If you would like the info. let me know. it will be posted on my blog in September.

    Aug 14, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    HI Lyn. I'm the person who coordinates The East Bay Mystery Readers' Group and whom you emailed. Do let me know when your book is available.

    Aug 14, 2007

  • Mark Stevens

    LJ,

    I've enjoyed your reviews on DorothyL. I'd love to get your thoughts on Antler Dust. How can I send you a copy? If you don't want to publish that info widely, feel free to drop me a line through my web site. And, where did you live in Boston? I grew up in Lincoln, Mass. (between Concord and Lexington) but have lived in Colorado now for 27 years. New England never leaves the blood.

    Best,
    Mark
    www.writermarkstevens.com

    Nov 8, 2007

  • LJ Roberts

    Hi Mark,

    Thank you for your offer and I understand how important how important it is to have people read your work but I just can't accept anything right now. I have approx. 1,000 TBRs plus I evaluate manuscripts for Poisoned Pen Press, plus I read three books per month for my mystery readers' group. My cup is not only full but definitely runneth way over.

    I love the area around Lincoln. I lived one year in Cambridge and four years in Watertown. I've been in California for 32 years and still miss New England, especially this time of year.

    All the best,
    LJ

    Nov 8, 2007

  • Darren Laws

    Hi LJ, well I am pretty new here and after enduring some of the purile nature of MySpace have so far found Crimespace to be a breath of fresh air. I'll check out GoodRead though. Many thanks for accepting the invite.

    Jan 9, 2008

  • Darren Laws

    Hi LJ, made my way over to Goodreads and am now a fully fledged member. It's great to keep finding such useful sites and interesting people...such a distraction from writing!

    Jan 10, 2008

  • Janet Rudolph

    Hope you can join us at an At Home soon. 3/13 we'll host Penny Warner and Clare Langley-Hawthorne. Should be a great evening. 7 p.m.

    Mar 12, 2008

  • Brian McGilloway

    Hi LJ
    Nice to meet you online at least and thanks for such a kind review of Borderlands. I'm glad you enjoyed it and hope Gallows Lane doesn't disappoint.
    Thanks for your support for the Devlin series.
    Best wishes
    Brian

    Jun 18, 2008