Best intentions..

Well I haven't kept up with this blog like I wanted. I am a slacker but also I haven't had much to say lately. :)

Here is my June reading list. Sad list that it is.

1. No Time For Goodbye- Linwood Barclay. This is a suspense/mystery book. I know it sounds cliche but I could not put this one down. I like that the story was told from the point of view of the husband, I think it kept the the suspense high. I recommended this one to my Mother, the librarian and she loved it too.

2. A Secret Rage- Charlaine Harris. Very early Charlaine Harris mystery, nothing as good as the Sookie series, or even the Lily Bard series, but still a good read. Not a happy story by any means, but still worth a read.

3. Delicious- Sherry Thomas. I am becoming a fan girl for Sherry Thomas. I really enjoyed Delicous and these books have renewed my interest in historicals.

4. The Influence- Ramsay Campbell. About once a year I get in the mood for a horror story. Not just Stephen King who I would read anytime, but a really intense, scary, keep you up at night horror story. This was not it.

5. The Price of Pleasure- Kresley Cole. A book about a girl shipwrecked on an island? The LOST fan in me just had to read this book. Of cousrse this is historical romance,not strange mysterious t.v. show, but I was game. This books started really strong for me. I loved the scenes on the island and the thrill of the chase was fun, but about halfway through I just started getting bored. Mostly I wanted to beat the hero with a clue stick. Still not a bad read, certainly not the worst I have read this year.

6. 84, Charing Cross Road- Helene Hanff. I am an Anglophile, so I grabbed this book as soon as I got it in. It is short but very sweet. Over the course of 20 years the author had a correspondence with the employees of a rare bookstore in London. Originally she sends an inquiry to this store looking for some English literature that she cannnot find stateside. Her main correspondent was a man named Frank Doel and he kept her in books for the next two decades. Very quick read, but will stay with me for sometime.

Star Trek

No Spoilers.

The New Star Trek movie is amazing. I love it from start to finish!

Go see it!
Run, Don't walk!

My Month with the RITA Noms.

Wow, I haven't even touched this blog in weeks. I am such a slacker.
I have had a semi-busy month reading though. I managed to stick to my plan to read as many RITA nominees as I could. A few of them I started but couldn't get into so I won't even list them here.
These are the ones I finished.

1. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas. I had heard the raves about this book, but had put off reading it because I hate it when books don't live up to the hype. This book really lives up to all the praise heaped upon it. I loved it. It sparked my interest in historicals again and that is a huge accomplishment.

2. Last Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart. A sweet, quick read. I am not sure it will be in my brain for months to come, or if it is a keeper, but it was enjoyable.

3. Out of Time by Samantha Graves. Some good romance and adventure. Would have liked a little more paranormal in the story, but it still felt well balanced. I want to read the first book in the series and I will be looking for more books by her in the future.

4. Twin Targets by Jessica Andersen. I have to admit, I have never enjoyed any of the Harlequin Intrigue books that I have read. This one was no different. I don't know if it is the "intrigue" part or what. I finished it, but I skimmed a big portion of the end. I really wanted to like it because the first chapter was wonderful, it just didn't hold my attention.

5. The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter. How much of a drama queen does it make me to state that I am totally in love with this book and would marry it if it were legal to do so??? This is my first Showalter book, and I swear to God I am on the verge of becoming a fan girl. Sigh.

6. Moonstruck by Susan Grant. Everything I said about the Showalter book applies to this book as well. I am so glad I have three more Susan Grant books on my TBR pile.

7. Penance by Sharon Sala (Short story from the Aftershock anthology) Would have been a cute story except the heroine was a little whiny for my taste. She had good reason to be I suppose, but it still annoyed me.

8. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson. I like Gibson's books a lot and this one was no different. I skimmed a bit, only when they were talking about football, but on a whole it is a very good read.

I might read a few more before the RITA awards are announced, but for now I want to go back to the paranormal worlds of Grant and Showalter. *fan girl squees*

RITA Nominee reading challenge

I decided to read some of the books nominated for the prestigious RITA award. I pulled as many as I could find and stuck them in a special "RITA" bag so I won't mix them up with all the other books in my apartment. So far, I have finished Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas and am in the middle of Last Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart.

I loved Private Arrangements and can certainly see what all the hype is about. The characters were very flawed, but at least they knew that about themselves. I am very glad I finally read it, I think it might be a keeper.

I only have about 14 of the nominated books in my bag, but I am hoping to read each and every one of them.

Bad poetry inspired by Twilight.

Twilight.

What is the big deal?
Am I too old to feel,
the teenage angst
the pain is REAL
oh why couldn't
Bella
just be a tasty meal.

the end.

Books for February.

A list of the books I read in February.

1. Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister. I love this series, but I found myself struggling a big with this one. I think there was too much going on and I got a little confused. I would still recommend this series because it has a great set of characters and has some steamy scenes.

2. The Way Home by Jean Brashear. I love the Super Romance Everylasting Love imprint but I didn't care for this book. It started strong but I strongly disliked the husband of the story. The writing was good, I just thought the story was lacking.

3. Sisters by Nancy Robards Thompson. (Harlequin Next) I have to admit that this book has been sitting on my TBR pile for months. I am glad I finally got to it because it has introduced me to an author that will be an auto-read for me.

4. A Woman's Place by Barbara Delinsky. Ugh! I really wanted to like this book. It just fell flat for me. I usually love Delinsky but this is not a book I am going to be telling people to read.

5. Blasphemy by Douglas Preston. I enjoyed this book quite a bit and think that anyone who is offended by it is blinkered to say the least. This book will make people crazy in the same way the DaVinci Code did.. It is just fiction people...

Only 5. um. I have no excuse.

Ok. I give already!

I am going to go ahead and read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I have been asking for opinions on this one from customers, friends and finally my mother. It was my mothers opinion that decided it for me. She loved the book, she read the second book in the series, she has reserved the third book at her library. That is good enough for me. My mother reads a lot of books, she is a librarian and we have similar tastes when it comes to vampire literature so I trust her.
I will review the book when I am finished with it, no matter what I think of it.

update

I have really been slacking this week when it comes to this blog. I haven't felt very inspired this week I guess.
I finished reading a couple of my books. I wasn't overly inspired by any of them. The Barbara Delinksy book started off strong, but the ending was such a let down. It probably says more about my own personality though. A Woman's Place wasn't a bad read, but it is not a keeper.
I am currently reading Blasphemy by Douglas Preston. Not my usual genre, but so far it is good. I occasionally like a good action book to shake up my mind.
I have read 9 books this year, and while I enjoyed a few of them, nothing kicked my ass with awesome. If anyone knows of something that can make me rave on for days, let me know.

MBS

I am not a person who reads one book at a time. I usually have multiple books that I am working on at the same time. I suppose for many people this would get confusing, but I am usually able to keep all the stories straight. I have been doing this most of my life, but I find it happening more since I have been working in the bookstore. As I am sorting books to put on the shelves I will find one that looks interesting and start reading it. Most of the time I just end up putting it on the shelf, occasionally I keep reading and it ends up in my bag to to home with me. At this moment I have four books on the go; One non-fiction title about religion, A Woman's Place by Barbara Delinksky, Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie, and The Way Home by Jean Brashear.
I am sure I am not the only one who does this, some people have a book ready to go in different rooms of the house. Some people read a different book to fall asleep at night, because the one they have been reading all day just won't do. (I used to like to read a few pages of one of my comfort reads before going to bed)
I have a feeling it says more about my varying moods than about the amount of books I am exposed to. I am not always in the mood to read a certain book, but I love reading too much so I need options!

ER ( A short panicy rant)

I have a dilemma of epic proportions! *cue the dramatic music* What the heck am I going to do when ER goes off the air this year? I have been watching this show since it started! What am I going to do with my Thursday nights??
I have probably only missed half a dozen episodes in 14 seasons. Just about everyone I know who watched it in the beginning has stopped watching it. I am loyal! I am still watching! I am starting to panic at the thought of it going off the air!

*breathes*

Ok. My grandma didn't call me a drama queen for nothing...

Tea, please!

I love tea.
It is my beverage of choice and I consume a lot of it. I always have quite the selection of flavors in my cupboard, but my favorite is good old Canadian Red Rose.





I lived in Canada for about 20 years and this was always my choice of tea. (I know you can buy this here in the states, but I swear it doesn't taste the same) I always stock up when I go to visit my family, or I make them bring it to me when they visit!
Chai tea is another favorite of mine and I will always thank Starbucks for bringing it into my life. Very few things can lift my mood or feel more like a treat that getting a chai tea latte at Starbucks. Yes, I am sad like that. The Stash brand Double Spice Chai is also quite good. It is very spicy without being too strong.




I am also a big consumer of herbal teas. I have peppermint to settle my stomach, chamomile to relax me and Celestial Seasonings Sleeptime blend to put me to sleep.



Of course, I love iced tea as well. I prefer it unsweetened with lemon, but I will take whatever is handy.
All this talk of tea has made me thirsty. I want to go home and snuggle up with a cup of tea and finish the book I am reading.

Oh the weather outside is frightful....

Today is a good day to stay inside and read books and blogs. Driving rain, strong winds and chilly temperatures are happening right outside my door! So, you see, it isn't always sunny and beautiful in So Cal.
I am sitting here with my laptop, watching an interesting conversation unfold over on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Not sure I am going to put my two cents in because quite a few people have already said what I would say.
I am also in the middle of the Harlequin Next book Sisters by Nancy Robards Thompson. This is the first book in that line that I have picked up. I am enjoying it a lot so far.
My girl cat just walked across my lap, and since my laptop is ON my lap at the moment she managed to hit a few keys. I think she is dropping a hint that I should pay attention to her now.

My Babies.

Before I moved to So Cal in 2006 I lived a lonely life. A life where I really didn't have to vacuum every week and I didn't have little furry assassins dashing in front of me, trying to trip me. I was never stared at while I ate my supper. (As crazy as my friends are, they were never that rude!)
Now, I have cats.
I really do love them and can't imagine life without them. They make me laugh and they make me crazy. The shed EVERYWHERE and they don't even have the courtesy to clean up after themselves!
I will probably mention them a lot in this blog. I don't have human children, just these furry faced ones. I often think I am becoming that boring mom who can't stop talking about her kids all the time.

My life in Romance.

When I was a teenager I read a lot of romance books. Teenage romance, Jackie Collins, Danielle Steele, Judith Krantz....
My favorites were the Bantam Sweet Dreams books, probably because I understood them. I might have liked Judith Krantz for her racy scenes, but what did I know about the adult world these books took place in? The Sweet Dreams books were quick reads, I could read at least one a day depending on my mood. I have to admit that after leaving high school I pretty much gave up on romance books. I suppose books for college got in the way, or maybe I spent too much time reading books that would impress the boys in my life.
Sometime around my late 20s I started reading chick lit, but it wasn't until three years ago that I got back into the romance genre. Taking over a used bookstore will open your eyes to all kinds of books you would have overlooked in any other venue.
I started picking up the paranormal romances first. I went through quite the vampire and werewolf phase in my early twenties so these just seemed a natural progression. I will admit that at first I wouldn't crack open a Harlequin or Silhouette. The titles amused me, but I just couldn't bring myself to read one.
I started reading a lot of romance blogs, just to familiarize myself with the genre. I read many reviews and suggestions and in the name of research I started to read a little bit of everything. Even a Harlequin or two. Ok, so I was right and wrong. Yes, some of the titles are silly. But No, they are not the tomes full of bad writing that I thought they might be.
I am proud to say that I am a romance reader. I read a lot of other genres but whenever I need a fix of "happily ever after" I reach for a Super Romance or a Blaze.

Independence Day

I have a serious problem. As compulsions go, it isn't the worst one. It certainly isn't bad for my health and it is not harmful to others. It usually strikes when I am bored, and flipping through the channels on my T.V.
If I come across a station airing "Independence Day", I have to stop and watch. No matter how far they are into the showing, no matter if I have seen it the day before, I have to stop and watch it.
So many of my favorite actors are in it. Brent Spiner, Adam Baldwin, and Will Smith. I know how cheesy this movie is, probably why I love it so much.

I wonder if there are any 12 step programs for this problem.

First post.

I decided to start a blog in order to talk about books, and to occasionally rant about things that piss me off.
I am not a professional blogger and will not even pretend to be. I just want to have fun and if anyone else reads it, well that is okay too.