Mambo Peligroso

Mambo Peligroso by Patricia Chao

I have been thinking about living in Minnesota and how antsy I am by January. Since I rely on my running shoes and my neighborhood streets for exercise, I'm feeling pretty cooped up right about now. I am a pretty resilient outdoor runner, but even I balk when the temp is -18.

In an effort to do more, I've been playing with my Wii Fit, have gone rollerskating, ice-skating and even went dancing a while back, to shake some winter booty. Dancing was very satisfying.

So while pulling books for displays yesterday, Mambo Peligroso caught my eye, along with a pile of other things. (Oh, the curse of working at the library!) Even though I have many, many books checked out, I don't usually just read everything. I start and don't finish a great many. When I like something, however, I don't put it down until it the story is over.

So I started Mambo Peligroso at about 9:30 last night, and finished it this morning. It is a fabulous read for a stir-crazy Minnesota girl in winter. From the very first page the dancing is hot, the characters are interesting, and the plot is insiduously layered. It does not seem like a complicated story at first, but like watching the most spectacular dancers, it only looks simple.

Did I mention how HOT this book is? Set in New York over a year, it is steamy throughout. Scenes between dancers, the descriptions of the dances all sizzle and pop. Song lyrics, poetry and the descriptions of the music all wash over the reader like your favorite memory of a night out. This is not for the faint-hearted, but will warm you up from the top of your head down to your poor, frostbitten toes.

The conclusion of the book feels like the mellow morning after a long night out. You may be tired and sore, but are looking forward to the next big thing to come, and filled with a sense of life moving on, with just a little regret.

And as an added bonus, there is a diskography in the back. I'm heading to ITunes right now.