Gina is my homegirl...

So I've definitely been having a case of the "it's not you, it's me"s (tm KristieJ). I was having trouble getting into a book, not because it's bad, but because it just wasn't fitting my mood. I was looking forward to something grabbing me the way Demon Angel did, but it just wasn't happening. Definitely the January blahs. What to do? I pondered. Aha, time to call on an old standby. Paging Ms. Brockmann.

So I committed a breach of personal protocol, and read Breaking Point, even though I was going out of order. I needed to get some resolution on Max and Gina. I first fell in love with Max and Gina in Over The Edge. Max Bhagat was the unflappable FBI agent and ace hostage negotiator. Gina Vitagliano was the Italian-American college student from East Meadow New, York (right next store to me! Strong Island in the house!) stuck in the cockpit with the terrorists. They communicated via radio, and Max was eventually able to save Gina, but not before she was beaten and gang raped by the terrorists. While Max was forced to listen and watch. Their relationship developed over the course of the books, a mix of animal attraction and deep emotional connection mixed with a large dose of Max's guilt over his "failure" to save her, as well as his weirdness over their almost 20 year age difference. Eventually, Gina has it up to here with Max's shit, and takes off for Africa. Breaking Point begins when Gina's name appears on a list of casualities in a German terrorist attack. Jules Cassidy (He's gay. Did you know he was gay? Well, he is and don't ever forget it.) is the lucky stiff who gets to break the news to Max. And away we go!

Now let me just say, one of my favorite types of romance hero is the uptight, controlled guy who underneath it all seethes with passion. Well, Max takes it a step further. He is eaten up by passion with Gina, but he is thrown into a tailspin by what he perceives as any weakness or failure. In short, he is a mess. As I mentioned before, Max needed some therapy toute suite. What's so bad about a beautiful, intelligent, strong, nubile babe adoring you? Stop it! As for Gina, she's great. I find many of Brockmann's heroines somewhat... emasculating, but Gina's someone I'd hang out with. She's strong and down to earth, and sees through Max's facade to the mess underneath, but adores him anyway. However, she's not a doormat or a martyr, so when she's had enough of Max's crap, Gina decides to cut her losses. We see the deterioration of their relationship through flashbacks, as Max travels to Europe and then to Indonesia
to find out what happened to her. (Spoiler: she's not dead. But I bet you already guessed that).

I enjoyed this one, it definitely had me from the get go. It was interesting, emotional and hot. Although, as per usual for me, my interest in the "action-y" bits started to flag towards the end, so I started to skim to get back to the emotional bits. Max and Gina had as much chemistry as ever, and a very satisfying reunion. And I'll definitely be picking up Out of Control to get the full story on the secondary couple, do-gooder Molly and man-of-many-aliases Grady, because they were hot too. My main complaints were the fact that I started to get bored of the action, that Max and Gina were apart for too long for my tastes and that Max was such an annoying bitch sometimes.

Plus, enough already with Jules. I do live in a blue state and all, but I find it hard to believe that no one can react to Jules without discomfort and homophobia. For God's sake, "Will and Grace" was on for, like, 8 years. They're here, they're queer, aren't some people getting used to it at least? It's just so heavy handed, the way everyone's like, "Yikes, he's gay!" But then they decide he's not so bad after all, even though he's GAY. Love Jules though. Give him a man, already. Actually, I'm reading Hot Target next. I read Suze's dedication to her son, and it made me verklempt. No joke. Keep it up Brockmann, and I'll be your bitch forever. A B for this one.

Speak of the Devil...

Just as I was thinking about forcing my sister to read a romance novel, I popped on over to her blog (which is very funny, btw), and lookee! The group blog that she is a part of Hockey's Ladies of Greatness had an interview with Deirdre Martin, who writes hockey-centric romance. Anyone like sports romance out there? Those SEP ones I like (and I was going to make Margee read one). I also read See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson. Anything else good out there?

Things on my Mind...

*Jane Eyre (the new BBC version)--I watched the second and final part on Sunday night. I've been thinking a lot about whether I liked it or not. I feel they took some liberties in this retelling, but in the end that's all right with me. The first part, with the young Jane and at the Lowood school was highly condensed. But the Jane/Rochester stuff is more interesting anyway. I thought that the actress who played Jane looked the part perfectly, but had a limited range of expression. I've been pondering the portrayal of Rochester by Toby Stephens (who is Maggie Smith's son, by the way). At first I was like, eh. He didn't fit my expectations. But in the end, I thought he was very good. As a young'un, I found R. to be terribly brooding and romantic. But age, maturity and Women's Studies classes led me to realize that actually, he's pretty much a dick. I thought that Stephens expressed R.'s inner turmoil and conscience well. Not so much about his wife (Who's definitely the bad guy and deserved to be locked in the attic. Snerk.), but about what he was doing to Jane. It wasn't all just sexy, tortured guy. I really did enjoy this (and they had GREAT chemistry). I'd like to see it again.

*Misleading movie commercials--This just pisses me off.Blood and Chocolate, which recently came out, is based upon a YA novel written by Annette Curtis Klause. I loved this book and re-read it not long ago. It's a shame that Klause doesn't have more books published, because B&C and The Silver Kiss were both quite good. However, the trailer implies that the story has been drastically changed. The setting has been moved, and the characters aged. Plus,the human guy that Vivian dates has been turned into a hero, while Gabriel gets the evil treatment. Meh. Indeed, a quick skim of the IMDB comments suggests that fans of the book should stay away. I was startled by the commercials for Bridge to Terabithia, based on the Newbery Award winning novel by the fabulous Katherine Paterson, which seem to present it as a fantasy. Very different from what I remember. So I popped on over to IMDB. As of yesterday, there was only one comment. The review suggests that the movie is, in fact, true to the book, which is a moving story dealing with themes like friendship, being an outsider, bullying, and death. The fantasy scenes are only a tiny part of the movie. Although the review was quite positive, I gotta wonder if parents expecting something Harry Potter-esque might be in store for some serious discussions that they weren't planning on when they chose the movie.

*Guest reviewers wanted--So I want to do something where someone who has never read a romance novel (chick lit doesn't count) before reviews a book of my choosing. I'll provide the book, you provide the honest opinion. Volunteers are welcome. I have a couple of victims in mind, so they may as well volunteer now before I come after them. I'm thinking a little hockey or football romance to start. Hmmm, Margee?

Demon Angel by Meljean Brook

Demon Angel by Meljean Brook has been making quite a splash in the blogospere lately, perhaps not surprisingly. since Ms. Brook is an active blogger herself. A lot of people have reviewed this one. I was looking forward to reading this one since I first saw it at Sybil's. I actually stopped reading the reviews because I didn't want to spoil myself. So,now it's my turn to take a stab at reviewing this one, which is the author's first published full length novel, I believe.

The Story (My apologies to the author if I’ve left anything out. This is a dense story, and I mean that in a good way): Demon Angel begins in thirteenth century England, where seventeen year old, newly knighted Hugh meets the demon Lilith as she wreaks havoc near the estate of his liege lord. They are immediately drawn to each other, as Lilith torments Hugh, and he is alternately attracted and disturbed by her. Once Lilith’s machinations result in Hugh’s death, she finds that she is unable to complete the ritual that will send his soul to Hell. Instead, she turns him over to Michael (as in the Archangel), the head of the Guardians. The Guardians are men and women who have been given angelic powers in order to protect humans (and their souls) against demons. Over the next eight hundred years, Hugh and Lilith cross paths repeatedly as they carry out their respective roles. They are adversaries, but their relationship is tempered by their strong attraction and respect for each other. Part One ends in 1991, when Hugh, dillusioned and disenchanted with his afterlife, decides to Fall. In a last ditch attempt to save Lilith’s soul, he stabs her through the heart. The second part of the book resumes in 2007, where Hugh has become an English professor in San Francisco. When one of his students is killed in a ritual murder, Hugh is brought face to face with someone he thought he’d never see again: Lilith, now FBI agent Lily Milton. She has changed a bit, but she still serves Lucifer, and he still wants one thing from her: Hugh’s death.

[Ok, I tried to make that as succinct as possible while still getting the point across.]

The Good: I loved Part One. I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but I’m a geek for medieval stuff. One of the fascinating things about the Middle Ages was people’s overwhelming concern for their souls, and their absolute belief in the demonic. There are many narratives of people’s encounters with demons. So I liked the idea that demons actually were fucking with people and setting up their downfall. As I mentioned, the “universe” of demons, Guardians (and vampires and nosferatu) created here was a dense one, with a lot of rules and backstory. I thought it was developed well—fit within the story (not “info-dump”-y), and I came to understand everything. I just found it to be a fascinating world. And I loved the development of Hugh and Lilith’s relationship throughout their encounters over the years.

But I think that Brook’s particular strength is characterization. Man, Hugh and Lilith were freaking awesome characters! Hugh was very strong, and a warrior, but also singularly kind and compassionate. Although he is very concerned with saving souls (especially Lilith’s), he is not self-righteous. He’s got a good sense of humor and I loved how he just got Lilith and accepted and loved her for who she was. Lilith was a very strong, kick ass heroine, and not in that annoying, aren’t-I-so-sassy-and-petulant way. She was a demon (actually, half-demon/half-human), but she wasn’t evil. Lilith enjoys meting out her brand of justice to those she thinks deserves it, but she can’t quite stomach some of the other demon stuff. And hey, I’m sure that lots of us have a streak where we wouldn’t mind if rapists, molesters and murderers got damned to hell. And her vulnerability where Hugh is concerned…these two just rocked! They were fully fleshed out characters, rather than types, with a really interesting (and HOT), well-developed relationship. They are just drawn to each other from the start, they really get each other, and their feelings deepen over time. There is always that sense that they genuinely like and respect each other. Plus, there are a lot of great secondary characters, from Sir Pup the hellhound to Colin Ames-Beaumont the vampire (“’But I’m extraordinarily handsome.’”).

The Bad: I have read that some people felt that there were problems with pacing. I have to admit, after Hugh and Lilith got together, the last hundred pages or so lost a lot of momentum for me. The whole mystery/action subplot just wasn’t as interesting to me as the character/relationship stuff. I wanted to know how everything would get resolved, and how they would get their HEA, but my attention flagged here and there. I hesitate to blame it all on the writing though, because I’ve been exhausted this week. I think it’s a combo of the cold and the fact that the Destroyer’s getting her two year molars. She’s been a whack-a-doodle this week. My husband actually called me at work on Thursday to beg me to come home. Who would’ve thought that a man with multiple tattoos, two Harleys and a black belt in Karate could be reduced to a quivering mass by someone who’s two and half feet tall and 24 pounds? Wimp. She is a hellcat though. I think that Lilith would like her.

The Verdict: This would perhaps vary according to reader taste, but for me, the great character and relationship development, and the world building, definitely trump the slow final act. I am looking forward to future stories by Ms. Brook. I hope she has many great ideas, characters and relationships in store for readers. I’m giving this one an A-. Her next one, Demon Moon, features Colin (yay!) and Savitri Murray, who was also in DA. She’s getting a pre-emptive thumbs up for me for an Indian heroine. I don’t think I’ve read an Indian heroine in a romance since The Far Pavilions by MM Kaye, many, many years ago.

P.S. Sorry for the long ass post. I seem to be unable to make the expandable posts anymore. Also,at Dear Author, Demon Angel is the book club selection. Now that I finished the book, I'm off to take a look.

Other interesting things...

...though perhaps not as interesting as possibly murderous transgendered rock stars who love lesbians.

I wasn't going to reveal the subject of my whiny DNF post, but to give readers fair warning: it was Dark Whispers by Samantha Garver. Although I did give up on it, I found a review at AAR today, that I very much agreed with. The reviewer, Leigh Thomas had many of the same concerns that I did, and her assessment of the hero and heroine were spot on. I'll be looking to see if anyone else takes this one on, and what they think. It's unfortunate, because I would've liked to pimp a new author, and it was a fun idea.

Anyone watch Jane Eyre on Masterpiece Theater? I love this story,ever since I saw an old BBC miniseries of it (with Timothy Dalton) when I was 14. I loved Rochester, although now, in my old age, I want to smack him around a bit. Is it me or is this version a little, well, sexier than the novel? Not that there was any actual sex, but Jane and Rochester seemed a little flirty to me. I'm not a stickler though, and I enjoyed it plenty. I'm looking forward to next Sunday and Rochester's betrayal. I thought Jane was particularly well cast.

Best of Both Worlds...

Chicks with dicks!!!



A couple of weeks ago, I was at my parents' house on a lunch break, and All My Children was on. Bianca (AMC's resident lesbian) is talking to her sister about her attraction to a man. I'm like, "What the Hell? They're turning Bianca straight?" Mom's like, "I don't know. The guy's name is Zarf, and he's a rock star, and wears eye makeup." And I'm like, "What, is he Ziggy Stardust? Is he from Melmac?" And then Zarf shows up in a black dress, a slightly adrogynous but distinctly male figure with a very affected accent. What in the name of all that is holy? Day-um. If anything could start me watching soaps again, it's trannies with smudged eyeliner.

Apparently, Zarf was introduced as female rock star "Zoe." Then he came clean about being a man. Then he fell in love with Bianca, and realized that he's a lesbian in a man's body. Bianca's pissed at him now, although he's going to get gender reassignment surgery, and you'd think she'd be happy about girl parts. And half the town thinks he's a serial killer, or something. I don't know. It's all very confusing and over the top, but fascinating. Even though I'm obsessed with Zarf, I don't get to watch it every day. He's handsome, but somewhat creepy, which is unfortunate. I think it's the accent, a faux British lockjaw thing. It makes him particularly bizarre, so I don't know if I'm rooting for him and Bianca.

I'm just amazed that AMC went there. For those not in the know, AMC has a reputation for dramatizing social issues. They had AIDS and homosexual storylines way before it was dealt with on prime time. And Bianca, the lesbian, gets way more play than any gay character on prime time network tv. I mean romances and love triangles and the whole bit (though being a soap opera, they never end well.) But will they really go through with a man becoming a woman? I don't know. All I know is, it makes for some hee-larious tv. Apparently, I'm not the only one. I was looking for a picture to post, and apparently VH1's Best Week Ever blog is doing a daily Zarf Clip. You must check out her big breakdown.

p.s. I couldn't find a single pic of Zarf in a dress or the Silence of the Lambs bathrobe. What a shame!

I give up...

I spent many hours Thursday evening and Friday, trying to get my wireless connection fixed. That problem seems to be resolved, but now when I click on many of the links on my sidebar, I get a "Bad Request Error 400" sign. It appears to be Blogger sites only that are giving me this message. However, if I go to, say, Dear Author, I can acess the sites from there. I've run spyware programs and looked for information on fixing this problem. It is suggested that it may have something to do with the server. So I spent a fruitless half hour on the phone with a customer service rep who had never heard of Blogger. I'm out of patience.

But I am curious. If someone is dropping by, please take a moment to click on "Romance Reading Mom" or "Ramblings on Romance". I want to know if this is a computer related or site related problem. If you can access these sites through my sidebar, let me know. And of course, if you have any idea how to fix this problem, please let me know. Thanks much. Have a good Sunday.

The Great DNF Debate

I have a really hard time giving up on books. I feel like I owe it to myself to finish after investing a certain amount of time. And the author put her/his time and effort into it, shouldn't I finish it so that I can form an opinion based upon the entire work? Plus, what if I give up and it turns out that I missed something really good? Like, if I had only continued reading for ten more pages, the whole thing would have turned around. I have issues. But if all those concerns aren't enough, I also spent money on the book, dammit!!

I am currently reading a book that I was looking forward to, and had really hoped to enjoy, for a number of reasons. But it's slow going, I admit. I'm putting it down or falling asleep a lot. I knew I was in trouble when I picked up the book this evening and sighed deeply when I saw how much I had left.

There are several glaring problems with this book, which are growing increasingly distracting. The first is a problem I believe is associated with the phenomenon of the "wallpaper historical." I am completely confused about when this book takes place. It must be some time during the nineteenth century. One of the main characters is a Bow Street Runner (early Victorian?). Men wear tricorn hats, stockings and breeches (Regency? Georgian?) The behavior is very anachronistic. Everyone is awfully informal, calling each other by the first name. The heroine is charming and witty, but her winking, eyebrow waggling, and constant facetious/funny/provocative comments seem like they might cause consternation in others. In the last chapter I read, a group of characters trooped off to a tavern, where scantily clad men and women dance like extras in "Dirty Dancing." There is a talent contest, where a titled lady gets up and sings in front of the entire tavern. The heroine then dresses up like a man, and gets up on stage and sings a very suggestive song, aimed at the hero (who she has kissed once). Maybe I'm just clueless, but I'm confused and getting irritated.

Plus, there are editing/sloppiness issues. Everyone is scowling all the time. Characters' eyelids draw together (one more than one occasion), which gave me a disturbing mental image until I realized that what the author meant was that their eyebrows had drawn togther. The heroine is described as "uncommonly tall". How tall is she, you might ask? At one point she is described as being two feet taller than a man, at another point she is one foot taller than another male character. Even if we place these men at a petite 5'3", that's one freakin' tall woman.

I'm the kind of reader who can forgive all kinds of errors and absurdity, for the sake of an intriguing and entertaining love story. Alas, that doesn't seem to be the case either. I know I'm rambling here, but I had to get this off my chest. When is it time to give up on a book? I keep hoping it's going to get better, but instead I'm getting caught up in and distracted by the issues. Should I cut my losses? My head says yes, but my heart says, "Keep going, give it chance." It seems like a lot of work, though.

Fun with Blogger...

So I upgraded to the new Blogger. Please bear with me as I play around. I haven't done much with the blog and I'm having this whole New Year's burst of energy and I want to snaz it up a bit. Why are people suddenly coming up as "anonymous"? Because they haven't upgraded yet? Oh well, bound to be annoyances.

I finished Man in a Million by Jessica Bird. It was ok. I try to judge categories a little differently, because they tend to leave me a bit disappointed. I think that the format puts some limitations on what an author can do, so I try to keep that in mind. This one started off strong, then lost steam as it went along. Spike Moriarty is a tattooed chef with a dark past. Madeline "Mad Dog" Maguire is an Amazonian professional sailor, with plenty of confidence in her athletic skills,and not so much in the personal and social arena. They met in Bird's previous title, From the First, and are extremely attracted to each other. Ms. Bird/Ward does the mental lusting thing extremely well. So often it is cringe or vomit inducing, but I was squeeing for these two to get it on already.

But when they did, it wasn't as hot as I was expecting. There is a contrived, rather stupid "big misunderstanding." Mad has very low self esteem, due to years of emotional abuse and manipulation by her family. I imagine that this is supposed to make it more understandable that she would jump so quickly to a ridiculous conclusion, but I couldn't help being annoyed and frustrated.

Also (and I admit this is a hot button for me), Mad is described as never eating, to the point where she doesn't menstruate. On the last page, Spike suggests that she should eat more often. I don't know if the author was intimating that this is normal for a female athlete, rather than a sign of an eating disorder, but coupled with the other evidence of Mad's poor self-image, I found it troubling. I wish that Spike had suggested therapy along with food. I wouldn't have minded if Mad's eating issues had been presented as an issue for them to deal with, but I was not comfortable with the way it was just a throwaway thing. But maybe that's just me. Eh, so I'm giving this one a C. I'll read future Bird works, but I'll just have to keep in mind that they're no Black Dagger Brotherhood. Heh.

Finally, and perhaps I'm the last to know because I live in a cave, there are two upcoming television shows that may be of interest. The Sci-Fi Channel is doing a television series based on the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. Entertainment Weekly gave it a mediocre review, but I'll still give it a try. Also Masterpiece Theatre (PBS), is showing a new miniseries of Jane Eyre, for those who care (meaning me). It looks goooood. Alas, I believe that they are both on this Sunday, so I think I'll be choosing Jane over Harry.

New Books for Me!

I had gotten a Barnes & Noble gift card for 50 dollars and I hadn't made it to the store yet. So I decided to take a little field trip. I didn't think that there was too much out that I wanted. But I ended up buying five books and two magazines, YogaLife and Everyday with Rachael Ray. I bought the Rachael Ray mag before, and the articles were interesting, but way too much Ray Ray. I don't hate her, but seeing that doofy grin too much definitely makes you want to smack it off.

Anyhoo, I was quite proud of myself for trying out some new authors and not sticking within the same old, same old. On the other hand, I don'tknow anything about a couple of them, so I hope they don't suck.

I bought (linking because I have no idea how to upload pics without them being fuzzy):

A Man in a Million by Jessica Bird--This one, by J.R. Ward's alter ego, I was planning on buying. I read the previous one, From the First, and thought it was just ok. But I've got a soft spot for tattooed former bad boys, and it sounds a bit corny, but appealing.

Demon Angel by Meljean Brook-- I also went shopping thinking I'd pick this one up. It's been getting good buzz, and I'm just happy to see a paranormal that's not about vampires or wolves. And I don't think that there are any fated mates.

Midnight Eyes by Sarah Brophy-- I was kinda planning on this one too. I usually don't like medievals, but I decided it was time to try again, and the blurb sounds interesting. Plus, it was 3.99

Dark Whispers by Samantha Garver-- This one was an impulse buy. This appears to be the second release by this author, who also doesn't have website. I picked it up because it was 4.99, and then the cover blurb got me. It sounds kinda Gothic-y, and there aren't enough Gothics these days.

Twilight Magic by Shari Anton--Another impulse buy from a new to me author, although she has a number of books out. Another medieval, I picked it up due to the cover, read the back and decided I needed it. Hopefully it wasn't a mistake.

So...contemporaries, medievals, demons, ghosts, psychics...I'm switching it up a bit after the VampFest that was the fall. Does anyone know anything about these, particularly the last two? Next I have to make a list of the crap that I didn't buy, but think that I may need sometime in the future.

Things I've Seen...

I've actually watched two movies in the last week!

*The Wicker Man, starring Nicolas Cage. This is a remake of a seventies film which starred Edward Woodward, and the original supposed to be much better. But I've never seen it, so that didn't really concern me. It was an interesting movie, slow at times, but different than most of what seems to be out there these days. It's about a policeman who goes to a small island colony in the Pacific Northwest. What he finds there is very strange. There were some strong actresses in small roles (Ellen Burstyn, Frances Conroy from Six Feet Under, Molly Parker from Deadwood, Diane Delano). But the female lead, an actress I had never seen before, was beautiful, but incredibly wooden. It was kind of jarring every time she came onscreen.

*The Covenant, starring a bunch of young good-looking men I've never seen before. The husband brought this home for me. Sometimes he makes strange choices on my behalf, but this looked promising enough. There were a bunch of hot, shirtless young men on the back of the case, and it was about young sorcerors in Ipswich, MA. It started out promisingly enough, with an (unconscious?) homage to The Lost Boys. I was looking forward to some cheesy fun. But the story was very poorly told. I suspect the movie was edited to within an inch of its life. The narrative took big leaps, so that it didn't make too much sense. Things seemed to happen with no reason. Except for a note at the beginning, the boys' powers and their origin were never explained. The Covenant of the title was given only a cursory mention about 2/3 in. I don't really know the what or why of it. If it's the title it should be explained. And the villain and his motives? Just dumb. This was a disappointment. One note: one of the actors, Taylor Kitsch, was quite pretty. And he's over 21. I checked, so I don't have to feel guilty over ogling.

Things I've Read...

*Fear the Darkness by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I got this online short story from Nath. Worthwhile for completeness, for those of us who enjoy that sort of thing. Pretty much more Nick angsting/bitching. Bleh. I'm sure he'll be redeemed and all, but at this point I could give a rat's ass. The excerpt for her next release, The Dream Hunter, didn't particularly excite, either. But I popped on over to her website, and I did do a little dance when I discovered that Ash's book will be out at the end of the year. I'm still excited for it, but there's so much build-up, I can't see how it won't disappoint.

*New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. Another winner. One might think that one would not like this book, given that Bella and Edward are apart for 3/4 of the book, Bella was in a lot of emotional pain, and she grows close to another guy, Jacob. But the angst was good angst. I felt awful for Bella, but I felt for her. It wasn't just whining (I'm looking at you, Nick) And I really liked Jacob. There. I said it. I actually kind of wished it was more of a triangle. All I am saying is oy, the break up scene, and the scenes after Bella and Edward see each other again. Must be read several times.

*Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning. A decent read, not stunning but I'll be looking for the next one at the library (August 2007). I think that half the books I read as a teenager had a young woman travelling to a foreign country to investigate a mystery regarding her family and meet an enigmatic stranger. I have an affinity for that type of thing. Plus I'm a sucker for Ireland and the Fae. There were two issues that I hope go away. First off, this a recounting of events that happened to the narrator, MacKayla Lane. So "Mac" seems to feel the need to say something like "Little did I know..." or "If I had only known then..." or some other hokey foreshadowing phrase, at the beginning and end of each chapter. Y'know, the kind of thing that screams "DUN, DUN, DUN! Ruh-roh, some bad shit's about to happen." Heavy handed and lame. Next problem is the main male character. His name is Jericho Barrons, and for some reason, I have taken a violent dislike to that name. And I don't like him much either. It's too early to tell if he's the hero of the series, and I kinda hope he turns out to be a bad guy. He crosses the line from enigmatic to dickhead. Actually, I have a theory about who he'll turn out to be, so hopefully I'll stick with the series long enough to find out if I'm right.

Best of 2006...

Some other stuff...

Best Non-J.R. Ward Vampire Book:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. A very engrossing read. Anyone who likes stories about teenagers or vampires would like this one. Worth a try even if you don't like vampires.I just finished New Moon, and I can't wait until Eclipse.

Best E-book:

Bone Deep by Bonnie Dee. I debated whether or not to make a separate category for this one, because I don't want to make it seem as though e-book are somehow different or less than print romance. I just wanted to mention more books. All jokes about crappy covers aside, one only has to visit an EPublishing site like Samhain, Ellora's Cave, or Liquid Silver to see that some of the most interesting and unusual stuff is being published in electronic format. Whenever I drop by, I always want to read so many of them. Damn my tight budget! [Will review for free books!] Tatooed guy from the carnival! Forties setting! You won't be seeing Avon publishing something like that anytime soon. I just loved this one. It was very sweet, yet very sexy. I think I might re-read it tonight. P.S. Great Cover.

Best guilty, guilty pleasure:

Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Abandon reality, all ye who enter here. The hero is a "tigard" (a mix of of tiger and a leopard), the heroine is a wimpy law student/senator's daughter. Since this is an SK, they have cartoonishly nasty parents. There are also cartoonishly nasty preppies named Todd and Blaine, a trip back to 1981, and a general disregard for rules set up by Kenyon in previous books. Even for the over the top Dark Hunter series, this one was over the top. I used to wait for one of this author's releases with baited breath (reality be damned is my motto), but her output has been increasingly disappointing, and I find myself increasingly uninterested in reading. But although I found UTN a bit ridiculous, it was fun and sexy, and very readable. I think this might be due to the absence of Ash. I actually love Ash, but his story has started to overshadow that of the primary characters in some of the more recent books. Hopefully, things will get back on track this year, and thanks to Nath, I have a new online Kenyon story to read.

Well that's all for now. Off to console the family over the Jets loss. Hopefully 2007 will be full of good, and so bad it's good reads.

Best of 2006...

Best Romantic Suspense/Best Contemporary/Best pre-2006 read

Killing several categories with one stone! I don't read much straight up comtemporary romance or romantic suspense, but on this blog I've made no secret of my love for my new(ish) discoveries, Tara Janzen and Suzanne Brockmann. I read the first four of Janzen's "Crazy" series back to back, in a frenzy. Pure over the top, escapist, fun. My favorite of the series so far has been Crazy Cool. Christian "Superman" Hawkins was an awesome hero, and his appearances in subsequent books only confirm his greatness. I didn't expect to like Katya Dekker (poor little rich girls bug), and I didn't like the idea that he had gone to jail because of her. But this story of lovers reunited delivered on all fronts: sweet romance, hot sexin' and wild action. Some of the others books were a little flawed, but this one totally hit the mark. As I'm typing this I'm thinking that I really want to give it a re-read.

What else can I say about Suzanne Brockmann? Her characterizations can be flawed, and some of the details might be a bit ridiculous, but when you mix it altogether, it just plain rocks. Brockmann is fun to read and different. You run across characters that you don't really find in romance. Although my glom got derailed by a sudden interest in reading vampire books, I'm sure I'll pick it up again in 2007. It's kinda nice, 'cuz I still have a bunch to look forward to. My favorites so far are: Over the Edge and Gone Too Far.

Best of 2006...

Historical Style!


I didn't read a lot of memorable historicals this year, so this was an easy one to pick. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas was a great read. Kleypas is a very reliable author, in my opinion. Even her mediocre books are very readable. I think she's just good at creating chemistry between her characters, and also at creating memorable heroes. Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent is a fabulous rake--witty, cynical and naughty, without any tiresome torturedness. He just was who he was, unapologetically, and what he was was delicious. It's a toss up between him and Derek Craven, for real. I enjoyed the stuttering, mousy Evie Jenner too, although she wasn't quite as vividly drawn. The Virgin and the Rake has been done, done, done to death, but this was a nice take on the story. The gaming club setting was a nice callback to Dreaming of You, and I loved the secondary character Cam Rohan, who will be the hero of Kleypas' next historical.

Ahhh, Loretta Chase! Another very reliable author. I just wish she published more often. Her books are distinguished by great characterizations, and sparkling dialogue, and Lord Perfect was no exception. I liked the proper hero (Benedict Carsington) and the unsuitable heroine (Bathsheba Wingate), which is a reversal from the usual. This was a fun road romance. I love how Chase creates these very contained characters who fall ridiculously in love. It turns them into idiots and they don't know why. And it always works.

There has been a lot of discussion about the state of the historical. There are certainly a lot of mediocre ones out there. It just seems like they keep retreading the same plots, character types, and settings over and over again. But books like these remind me that a good historical romance can be the greatest escape there is. There's nothing like a world of wealth and beauty, with gorgeous men, balls and ladies' maids, to take you away from your concerns and daily grind.

Best of 2006...

Paranormal edition!





Overall, I must say, 2006 was not quite the reading year that 2005 was for me. I read a lot of books that I was "whatever" about, and a number that were outright disappointments. This week, I'd like to highlight some of my favorites of the past year. Let's begin with the paranormals. The romance market has absolutely been glutted with paranormals, as everybody and their mother tries their take on the vampire legends. In a genre that has quickly become hackneyed and cliched, J.R. Ward's books stand out. The premise is not particularly original (leather-clad vampire warriors), but the execution is so vivid that you can't help but get caught up in the world. I think the characterization is a particular strength. Thus far, Ward has created heroes (and potential heroes) who are not only vividly drawn, but quite distinct from each other. They're not all just grumpy, broody guys whose parents were mean to them or whatever. I enjoyed both Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened a lot. Have already re-read both a number of times. I loved both heroes, and I liked that the stories were so different from each other in tone. Ward's world is telescoping at a nice rate, so that I'm actually intrigued and interested. It must be said that Butch and Marissa are the characters I find least interesting, but I'm very excited (like dance in my seat excited) for their book, Lover Revealed, just for the return to the world of the BDB. Then again, I didn't think I'd like Rhage's book that much, but it's my favorite so far, so who knows?

In short, bring on the stupid spellings and names, and the annoying slang! Ms. Ward makes it work. Slap my ass and call me a fangirl.

Happy New Year!

Hope this post finds everyone well and curled up on the couch, recovering from last night's festivities. Here at the house of Germs, we are watching "The Honeymooners" and continuing to avoid cleaning up the post-Christmas mess. Everytime I try to start putting things away, I turn around and they're all back out again.

So over at Romancing The Blog, a brave columnist has decided to take on the the very original, never addressed topic of mean bloggers, with their nasty 'slash and burn' reviews. As usual, I was late to read this, and by the time I did, all that needed to be said had been said. This particular posting seemed particularly obnoxious. So I just need to say one more thing. Or two.

I discovered reader blogs by accident when I was looking for an author website. I was amazed to find intelligent, funny writing about something I loved, and that I was kind of embarrassed about loving. I didn't know anybody besides my mom who read romances, and nobody thought too much of them. Then I decided to give the blogging thing a try myself. I thought it was a way to exercise my writing muscles, and to get out my thoughts about the great and not so great. Because I do actually find romance novels fascinating on a number of levels. As I kept writing, I found that I really enjoyed it. And it was one of the few outlets that I have, as a mostly stay at home mother. Silly as it may sound, it was something that was just about me, about something I enjoy. It had nothing to do with family, home or dog. I really enjoyed reading other's interesting, funny, and yes, snarky thoughts on books and whatever else crossed their minds. And as I started to face some personal difficulties, the blogosphere was an easy escape for me.

So I raise a toast (of chamomile tea) to you, reader/reviewer bloggers, for sharing your thoughts and love of this genre, and inspiring me to do the same. Here's to a new year of memorable reading. I look forward to seeing what you all have to say!

Music to read by...

It's ten p.m.. The minutes left in 2006 are ticking down, and I, for one couldn't be happier. Overall, it was a crappy year for me personally, and I'm looking forward to making some positive changes in the new year. I've got some ideas for the blog too, which will hopefully be interesting. But bear with me, because I've still got the husband at home (temporary unemployment), and it's hard to write with him around. He's constantly asking me what I'm doing, even though he has no real interest. I think he's nervous that I'm talking to guys, or something, even though I keep offering to show him the blog. Anyway, as you might have guessed we're having a thrilling New Year's Eve. I am slowly but surely recovering, but he's coming down with what I had, and he's curled up in the fetal position on the couch, shivering under a blanket and watching "Nacho Libre." Which seems pretty bad, by the way.

So I've been thinking about music. Do you like to listen to music while you read? Or do you find it too distracting? I love music, all kinds. But I can take it or leave it while reading. If I do listen, I like something mellow.

What makes a good romance reading soundtrack? Do you prefer the operatic schmaltz of Celine Dion or Josh Groban? Do you listen to Nu Metal (or whatever it's called) or Techno while following the adventures of leather clad vampires? Does some Schubert put you in the mood for a Regency?

There are certain songs which really evoke romance novels for me. They are not just romantic songs, it's just that something about them really reminds me of certain characters or plots. They just fit romances so well.

Some examples (links to lyrics where possible):

Misguided Angel--The Cowboy Junkies
Smoke and Ashes--Tracy Chapman
We Both Go Down Together--The Decemberists
Trouble--Ray LaMontagne
Save Me--Aimee Mann

Yeah, those would be on my "Romance Reading" playlist. Some other songs I find romantic:

I Believe (When I Fall in Love With You--Stevie Wonder
The Engine Driver--The Decemberists
Chariots Rise--Lizzie West
Lovers in a Dangerous Time--Barenaked Ladies
Ring of Fire--Johnny Cash

I've definitely got a mellow, "Adult Alternative" vibe going on. I'll stop here and turn it over to you. Comments Please! What do you listen to while reading? What songs scream "Romance" to you? Hair Metal Ballads? Sinatra Standards? Upbeat Boy Band numbers? I'm very curious to hear what others have to say.

Happy New Year to all!!

I dreamt of warm flesh and tossed cookies...

I actually read Mistral's Kiss by Laurell K. Hamilton almost a week ago, but then I got an upper respiratory infection for Christmas (not quite as nice as the laptop I got last year), and I've been in a fog since then. Every time
I tried to write this review my head felt like it would explode. Then again reading this book often had the same effect on me. If this review is not quite coherent, I blame it on my sickness and the muddling effect Laurell K.'s writing has on the brain. There will most definitely be spoilers ahead, and some meanness. I just can't help it. As I skimmed some of the book to prepare myself to write, I found myself giggling and shaking my head all over again. Don't read her books with a drink in hand. Spewing will likely occur at some point.

Now I have nothing against LKH as a person. On the contrary, I find her inane, somewhat incoherent pronouncements, TMI, and delusions of grandeur (see the notorious blog) rather amusing and refreshing. And she seems like quite the animal lover. I'm sure she's lovely and she has managed to land herself at #1 on the NYT bestseller list a number of times. But Christ on a Cracker, what a steaming pile of crap!!! I stand in awe.I want to just quote chunks to illustrate how shitty her writing is, but undoubtedly I will write for far too long as it is, so we'll skip it.

I read my first Anita Blake way back in 1998. I thought it was ok, but I didn't quite get what the fuss was. I didn't like Miss Anita all that much. I thought her a bit self-righteous and, for me, she crossed the line from spunky to annoying. And Jean-Claude was okay, but he always evoked a strange mix of Prince circa Purple Rain, and the lead singer of the Cult, in my mind. Not sexy.
So I read them a bit here and there, but didn't get truly sucked in until A Kiss of Shadows, the first installment of Hamilton's Meredith Gentry series. I don't know why this series grabbed me so much. Perhaps it was because of Doyle, the Queen's Darkness, and my favorite male character by LKH (also the only one Meredith has any chemistry with). Perhaps it was because Merry lacked Anita's need to moralize and justify every action. Perhaps it was because of Sholto, the guy with the tentacles that Merry almost gives a BJ to. Perhaps my Irish blood means I like all things Faerie. Anyhow, I got caught up in the adventures of Merry, an LA P.I. who is also a Faerie princess. These books take place in a universe where the Faerie made a treaty with Thomas Jefferson to live in America and so humans live alongside all sorts of fey creatures. Merry is forced by her aunt, the Unseelie Sidhe Queen, into a competition with her psycho cousin, Cel, to become the next ruler. She's got to conceive if she wants to be the queen. To that end, she's given a bunch of her aunt's guards, including the aforementioned Doyle (Doyle 4 king 4 eva!), to fuck. The sidhe are like the nobles of the Fey, and the Unseelie are the bad guys (although the Seelie seem like assholes too). These guys aren't little guys with wings, they're tall and supposedly hot, and in true LKH form, we are treated to endless descriptions of their hair and eyes.

The first books had mystery plots, but by the third it had pretty much descended into a sexfest. Plus LKH kept adding more and more guys, and who could keep track anymore? It went from like eight or nine to like, twenty. The time frame also slowed down, so the entire books would take place over the course of a night. I can barely remember anything from #4, Stroke of Midnight, except for one good Doyle/Frost/Merry scene. So now we're up to #5, Mistral's Kiss.

The book begins with the line, "I dreamt of warm flesh and cookies," and moves right into an endless, unintentionally hilarious sex scene. I mean, unless I was reading something wrong, Mistral literally falls through the door and onto Merry while she's doing it with some other guy, then he gets in on the act. That's pretty fricking funny. Then, through the power of Merry's magic va-jay-jay, all of them are transported naked into a magic forest. And then Merry's aunt, Queen Andais sweeps in and is mean to everybody and sweeps out. Then people are glowing and climbing trees or something. And having conversations and standing around naked. And meanwhile Merry still spread-eagle with two guys on her, with twigs digging into her back. And I'm wondering if anyone's ever going to get off. This is why I find LKH's "erotica" so not erotic. The scenes are so interminable, and there's so much other stuff going on that I get distracted by the details. I'm wondering how many of them are standing around, and where's that creepy little Kitto guy who wears the running shorts from the boy's department. Is he in the forest too? And Mistral almost bites off Merry's boob, and I'm wondering if he can dislocate his jaw to get one of her big jugs into his mouth. Oy, I'm getting dizzy reliving it all.

In a smart move on LKH's part, when Merry finally finishes, the freaky sex magic makes all the guys we don't give a crap about get swallowed up by trees and the ground and stuff. So we're left with Merry, Mistral, the drunk one, and characters that we have gotten to know, like Doyle (4eva!), Frost, and Rhys. And they wander around the forest (nekkid) trying to get back home. Then they end up in the realm of the Sluagh, which means Sholto! And tentacles! Yay! I like Sholto, and I've been waiting for four books to see how Hamilton writes tentacle sex. Yes, we finally have the scene, and yes, it was disappointing. Then the magic hoo-ha causes more freaky shit to happen, and everyone's running about naked and bloody and dirty, and all I can think about is all those schlongs flapping in the wind, then they pop out in LA. The End. No joke. I think there was a tiny bit of development in the story arc at the end, but I was feeling lightheaded by then. Like I am now, thinking about it.

This book was pretty much pointless, plotless shlock. However, it was more entertaining shlock than the two previous installments. Nothing happened, but it was less boring, and that's a good thing, right? I do still enjoy this series (probably because of all the unintentional funny). I'll probably keep up with it until we get more Merry/Doyle action, but I don't understand how long it can be dragged out. How many more guys can she screw? Get knocked up already! I'm not giving this one a grade, because it is beyond a grade.

See, I told ya, incoherent.

More Free Books

One of my favorite review blogs, Sanctuary's Finest is giving away free books in honor of the holidays. Isn't that cool? Head on over there to check out their fun reviews and commentary. And once again, Happy Holidays to all.

At Christmastime...

There's no need to be afraid,
At Christmastime,
We let in light,
And we banish shade...

I was quite pleased to hear my favorite Christmas song today, "Do They Know It's Christmas," by Live Aid. I admit, I had been feeling disgruntled by local radio's apparent abandonment of one of the best tunes evah. Nothing puts me in the Christmas spirit like Bono screeching, "Tonight Thank God it's them, instead of yeeeee-ooooou." Since it was fifty-something degrees I was able to open the windows, turn up the radio, and sing along loudly. Until the H-Bomb told me to stop that noise and put on "Bye Bye Bye." Much thanks to Margee for introducing him to boy bands. But I haven't heard "Christmas Wrapping", by the Waitresses yet, unbelievably. Yet I've heard Elvis' "Blue Christmas" about ten times? It's a sad state of affairs, New York radio.

I'm in a state of Christmas induced exhaustion. The only reading I've gotten done is some "The Office" Jim/Pam fanfiction. But don't tell anybody,'cuz it's kind of embarrassing. I haven't really read any fanfiction since I accidentally discovered the glorious world of Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley smut. That was an accident, I swear.

Anyhow, I'm unlikely to be around the next couple of days. So I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate (or don't celebrate, for that matter)! I leave you with some outtakes from a Christmas Card photo shoot. This year was not our best.



My husband decided to try and bribe them to sit, but then, of course, they wouldn't let go of the money.







Next week=The year in reading 2006. Oh, the excitement!

Help?

Perhaps I am just having a spacy moment, but I can't figure out how to add some text to the column at the side of my blog. I just want to finally put in the guide to my review ratings. It's not even links or anything. Could anyone give me a clue or point me in the right direction?

I am currently reading New Moon, the sequel to Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. It is painful so far, but good. I believe it was Tara Marie who mentioned that Meyer writes the first person very well. I totally agree. Our girl Bella is in a lot of pain right now, and I'm right there with her. I rilly, rilly hope that we don't have to wait until 2008 for the third installment.

If my last review was kind of crappy, it was because I was terribly distracted by a double shot of excellent holiday viewing: The Office (a whole hour!), and The O.C. (back from the crapper). Seriously, this show has had such a turnaround. I coulda told them that getting rid of Mishka Barton (as my pop insists on calling her) was a good idea. It was two hours of will-they or won't-they love. My love for Jim (sigh) and Pam knows no bounds, and Ryan and Taylor have way more chemistry than Ryan ever had with Marissa. I have a new TV night, methinks.



I heart Jim and Pam.



I'm starting to heart Ryan and Taylor. Who knew?

I really have nothing of interest to say. I'm just avoiding gift wrapping. I need to find a new icon thingy, I guess. Where'd she go?

Like Free Books? Want Free Books? Read Below. LOL

Copied from Mailyn's Blog:

It’s that time of year and you know what it means: gifts, gifts and lots of gifts! LOL. Well, your Twisted Kingdom hostesses caught the holiday spirit and have decided to give away 4 books to our lovely readers as a way to celebrate.

The four books are:

-Daughter of the Blood [Book One of the Black Jewels Trilogy] by Anne Bishop
-Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
-Archangel by Sharon Shinn
-Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

There are two ways to enter the contest:

1.You simply copy and paste this post, including our funky little banner below, on your blog.

Or

2.Post just our contest banner with a link back to us.

Soon as you do this you then leave a comment in this sticky post so we can enter you in the drawing.



You have until Thursday December 21st so get to it and tell your friends!

Sincerely,
Dance Chica, Kailana, Mailyn and Nath...your Twisted Kingdom twisted hostesses who wish you a healthy and happy holiday season!


I'm hoping to win the Shinn or Caine book. Go check out Twisted Kingdom. It features reviews of paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy books.

Hungry Like the Wolf...

So I finally read A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. I avoided this one at first, because I was sure it was more of the same: badass, hipster paranormal beings, soulmates, vampires, werewolves yadda, yadda, yadda. Plus, the hero was supposed to be really overbearing, and there was some "forced seduction" type stuff. Not my favorite. Plus, the cover. Oy, the cover. This cover makes me think of eighties videos. It makes me think of smoke machines and strobe lights. Like the guy's about to start swinging the woman around like they are competing to be the new couple on DanceTV.
(What random movie am I referencing?) But then it started to get quite a bit of attention and alot of it was good. Let me point out some reviews here,
here,and here. Somewhere along the way, it started to sound interesting. So I decided it was worth checking out.

I'm not really feeling up to summarizing, so here's the blurb:

A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her...
After enduring years of torture from the vampire Horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy...
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents—until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae—and their notorious dark desires—ebb as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all consuming desire...
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be...?

Yeah, so I liked this one. Liked it quite a bit. It's one of those books that had several elements that made me cringe, yet was just so compulsively readable. This shit was hot. Some writers just know how to get that sexual tension going. Man, I couldn't wait for these two to do it. Even when the hero, Lachlain, was being a dick and pushing himself on Emmaline Troy (his fated soulmate), I didn't mind it that much. I did a bit, but Cole knows how to write the soulmates thing, in my opinion. Lachlain was wary, angry and resentful to find that the mate that he had searched for for so long was a vampire (well, half vampire), but the author didn't overdo the hostility. The connection he felt for her was always clear, and his feelings towards her changed and deepened at a good pace. I found his intensity to be quite sexy. I know some other reviewers didn't like Emma too much, but I found her to be a nice change of pace. She was very timid, but able to stand up when the time came. At the same time she didn't suddenly morph into super woman. She was still a bit awkward and doofy. I could see why Lachlain would start to like her so much. I found the world of the Lore(this alt-universe) to be pretty interesting.
Now for the not-so-good. The slang/pop culture references were overdone. This is a particular pet peeve of mine. The attempt to make the characters sound hip or cool just seems so forced and has the opposite effect. I could do without the characters saying things like, "...I've got madskills [sic] going on...", "This skeeves me out," "Frau Badass", "Mate-Schmate..." Yadda, yadda, so on and so forth. "U-ee" "'Kay" I know people use slang in real life, but too much on the page just seems overly cutesy and lame. There were also a few too many Valkyries. They were kind of annoying and started to blend together a bit. But overall, this was an enjoyable and satisfying read. I give it a B. I'll definitely be looking for the next one, No Rest for the Wicked. This cover features another couple who may or may not be auditioning for featured dancers in a Pat Benatar video. BTW, even if you have no interest in reading this book, I encourage you to check out Jane's video review at Dear Author. It's a hoot.

Blandula...

Christmastime is here...and everything seems to be insane. Or, more correctly, my kids are fucking insane. The H-Bomb is 3 1/2 now, and totally clued into the whole Santa/toy equation, and he neeeeeeds everything that he sees. This is why I love PBS. No commercials. Seriously, his head may explode by the time we actually hit December 25. The Destroyer, on the other hand, is pretty clueless, but I think the fever's catching. She's just off the wall, and if she's not endlessly screaming "Mam," "Mam" over and over, she's hitting her head against the wall or the floor, just to watch Mommy shriek in horror. Plus, the hubby's home and hogging the computer. All this means I barely have time to blog hop, much less comment or write my own posts.

I have been reading, though. I'm on a vamp kick. I finished Vamps and the City by Kerrelyn Sparks. This is the second in a series, though the first one that I've read. I read the first couple of pages in the library and thought, "This'll do. Looks like a cute vampire romcom." And that pretty much sums it up. This is the kind of book you read when you're waiting for something really good to come out, and you just want something to pass the time.

The heroine is Darcy Newhart, a former tv reporter who was turned five years before. She hates being a vampire and doesn't think much of the vampire world. But for some reason, she was in the harem of Roman Draganesti, the hero of the first book in the series, who is the head of the "good" faction of vampires, known as the Vamps. Which is kind of dorky. If you were a vampire, would you rather be known as one of the Vamps, or the Malcontents (the bad guys)? The Malcontents is a much cooler gang name. Anyhow, I don't know why this guy had a harem, but now that he's married a human, Darcy and the other ladies are out on their butts. So Darcy manages to talk the head of the vampire television network into giving her a reality show, in which the former harem ladies choose the sexiest man on Earth. As a twist, she decides to secretly enter some humans in the competition. Adam Something (oops, I already returned the book) is a human with psychic abilities who is part of a top secret government team called the Stake-Out team (c'mon now!), which hunts vampires. Adam is a dedicated vampire slayer, until he spots Darcy, and falls head over heels in lust, though he can't believe she's a Vamp. So when the Stake-Out team (groan) catches wind of this show, Adam gets himself on it. Love and kinda boring hijinks ensue.

This book reminds me of the vampire romances of Lyndsey Sands: nice, but bland characters, bland love story and a few small chuckles. It was okay, but nothing special. Darcy and Adam were okay, but I just found their story to be boring. No sparks (Ugh! Bad pun.) It was just they see each other, they fall in lust at first sight, then all of a sudden they're in lurve, but they can't be together because she's a vampire, blah, blah blah. I just didn't feel the tension or urgency. The romance, y'know what I mean? There was nothing new here, no interesting twist on the vampire mythology. It felt very by the numbers to me. I almost didn't finish, not because I hated it, but just because I was bored. The only thing that kept me reading was the reality tv show scenes with the other vampire harem ladies. The other ladies are firmly rooted in their respective pasts: a Medieval princess, a Civil War era Southern Belle, a Regency Miss, among others. They have no concept of an independent life. They provided the amusing moments as they finally enter the twenty first century and learn to take control of their own destinies. I wanted to find out what would happen to them.

This wasn't a bad book, just a bland one. If you like light vampires, or Lyndsey Sands, you might enjoy it. It just didn't do it for me, because I couldn't get into the love story. But next up, we have A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole. You wanna talk tension and urgency? That one's got it in spades.

More Star-Crossed than Buffy and Angel...

So I've been all fired up to blog and...nothing. I feel like I haven't had anything to say about anything. I haven't even really been reading. But I've finally kicked the doldrums with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.. This Young Adult novel (the author's debut) made a quite a splash in the review journals (SLJ, Booklist etc.) awhile ago. But I gave it a pass because I was burned out on vampires. But then Mailyn luuuurved it, and so did Dancechica, and since we have similar tastes, and they were so darned enthusiastic, I decided to check it out after all. It took awhile, but I finally read it. And ladies, you were certainly justified in your enthusiasm!

Bella Swan has just moved back to Forks, Washington, the home of rain and little else, to live with her dad. It's a big change from Phoenix, where she was raised by her mother, and she's not happy about it. But her mother has remarried a minor-league baseball player, and wants to travel with him. Her first day at Forks High School, Bella notices a group of five incredibly beautiful people, sitting there, not eating, not really interacting with anybody. Her eyes lock with one of them, a gorgeous bronze haired god. After lunch, Bella goes to Bio class. As luck would have it, the only open seat is next to the beautiful boy, whose name is Edward Cullen. To Bella's shock and dismay, Edward reacts to her with barely contained revulsion. Still, she finds herself increasingly fascinated by him. Something about him is very different. Then one day, Bella is almost hit by a truck. Edward saves her. This starts them on a wonderful and difficult journey that the two of them are powerless to resist.

I loved this book. So much. So, so much. It was very well done, and really stands out from the vampire crowd. Yup, Edward's a vampire. I'm not giving anything away there, they tell you that on the back cover. But these vampires are straight up predators. It is difficult for them to be around humans at all. The thirst is overwhelming. For Edward, Bella's scent is particularly enticing. He finds it almost impossible to be around her without attacking her. But he can't stop being intrigued. Compounding this is the fact that she is one of the few people whose thoughts he cannot hear. Edward doesn't want to go near Bella, because he doesn't want to hurt her, yet he grows increasingly fascinated by her. This push-pull that Edward feels makes the developing love story both exhilarating and painful, truly star-crossed. He is aloof and sarcastic, but he's not just a tormented, broody guy. It is always made very clear that there is a real looming threat of Edward losing control and killing Bella. For Bella's part, the attraction is obvious: Edward is intelligent,amusing, different and gorgeous. She goes down for the count quickly. There's no sex in this book, but it is hot. There is just so much tension, as they try to figure each other out, as Edward tries to resist Bella and as they fall head over heels for each other. Bella is only seventeen, and though Edward is a hundred-plus, it wasn't too weird. I got the impression that Edward had had only very limited contact with anyone other than his "family", and no one had ever made him feel like Bella did. So there is that whole euphoric, almost ridiculously passionate "first love" thing going on, but at the same time he can barely be near her. It's awesome and torturous, and had me hook, line and sinker, as I waited with bated breath to find out what would happen next. Whether they would even get to smooch, much less get it on, godammit!

This was a great read. I didn't want to put it down, except for those pesky kids. And husband. And work. Great characters (secondary characters too), great love story, and it really moved. Luckily, there's a sequel out, New Moon, currently on reserve at the library. There's going to be a third, too. Squee! Unfortunately, we have to wait until October 2007. Sigh. Oh well, it's great to find a new author, with so many of the authors I love seeming to deteriorate lately.

Ummm...hmmm...

I'm kind of at a loss here. This is kind of embarrassing. I've been saying that I was going to review The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros. I read it about two weeks ago, and at the time I enjoyed it, I really did. But it has almost completely faded from my memory. No joke. I had to look at the back of the book to remind me of the hero's name (Julian Kane, FYI). So I don't have all that much to say about it.

TVWLM is the sequel to After Midnight, which I also read and enjoyed and promptly forgot. Like After Midnight, this is a Vampire Regency romance featuring the younger sister and brother of the hero and heroine of the first book. Portia Cabot has never forgotten Julian Kane, the gorgeous, brooding vampire she nursed a huge crush on, and who bit her before disappearing. The dissolute Julian returns to England after a period of time (3 or 4 years?), during which he's been searching for the vampire who holds his soul and trying to get himself killed. A bunch of stuff happens and they get together. And...yeah.

Anyway, I like Medeiros' writing style, which is light and breezy, with some very amusing moments. I also liked Portia, who was strong and spunky without being annoying. I also totally bought into their love story. I felt that they really loved each other, so Medeiros was definitely doing something right. Unfortunately, I can barely remember a specific thing about the plot or characters, so I guess that's not so good. The thing that I remember most was the love scene. There was only one major love scene, which is different from the books I usually read. And the author's real big on the disturbing cliches. We have "the thick, creamy nectar of her surrender,"the live ember nestled at the crux of her nether curls," and several mentions of "delicate petals" and "molten nectar." There was another "ember" reference as well. Oy. That kind of stuff knocks me right out of the story.

In conclusion, this was an enjoyable, but unmemorable read. If you enjoy paranormals, you'd likely enjoy it. Too bad the purple prose stayed with me more than anything else. But perhaps that's just me.

Comfort Movies

Much like comfort reads, I find that there are certain movies which always make me feel shiny and happy. This time of year finds me hankering for certain movies. They aren't Holiday movies, but there's something about them that I associate with this time of year. There are so many crappy romantic comedies, and these are great ones. Ridiculous, passionate and utterly satisfying love stories. If you're looking for some escapist fare, might I suggest one of the following:



Last night I watched Moonstruck for about the hundreth time. I love, love, love this movie. I just adore the dizzy, romantic, warm feel of the whole thing. If you've never seen it before, Moonstruck is the story of Loretta Castorini (Cher), an Italian-American widow in her thirties, who accepts a proposal from long time beau Johnny Cammereri (Danny Aiello), who then takes off for Sicily. Her orderly, humdrum life goes to hell in a handbasket when she goes to meet Johnny's estranged brother, Ronny (Nicolas Cage) to tell him about the wedding. I don't particularly like Cher or Nicolas Cage, but they are fabulous in this movie. Nicolas Cage does crazy romantic so well (see my other favorite performance of his, Valley Girl, the best 80's teen movie evah). This is a quieter comedy, not rolling on the floor guffawing, but more giggles and smiles and things that strike you later. The Brooklyn of this movie is a place you'd definitely want to live in. It also has incredible dialogue (John Patrick Shanley is a playwright). This is probably the most authentically "Italian" movie I've seen and not in a cheesy, "that's-a some-a spicy meatball" way. Everything rings true, from all important discussions taking place in the kitchen, to adult children never leaving home, to family constantly being up each other's butts, which can be as reassuring as it is annoying. If you've never seen this one, it's worth a shot. It's different, sweet and romantic.

Next on my list to re-watch is You've Got Mail. Far superior to Sleepless in Seattle, if you ask me. Meg Ryan is hit or miss for me but I love her (and her hair and wardrobe) in this one. Aside from how great she looks, she also plays the owner of a children's bookstore on the Upper West Side, so she's pretty much the person I always planned on being when I grew up, which is also probably part of why I adore this movie. And of course you've gotta love the Hanks. Tom Hanks is the man (don't forget his early movies, like Splash, Nothing in Common, or The Money Pit. There are just so many.).
They have great chemistry, the banter is witty, the supporting characters are entertaining, and of course the bookstore settings. This is another movie which makes New York look like a dreamy, romantic, fabulous place to live. I haven't seen this one in awhile. I'm definitely renting it.

The first time I saw Roxanne was on Christmas Eve, which is probably why I'm in the mood to watch it.
Steve Martin is great as CD Bales, a beta hero if there ever was one. He's smart, witty and saddled with an enormous schnoz. Daryl Hannah is typically wooden, but that's okay. This movie also has a great setting (small town Colorado), filled with eccentric characters, which adds to the fun. It's very funny, even when you're cringing, and has a saisfying happy ending.

Hope all you Americans enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Perhaps soon I'll be in the mood to read and review some books.

things you've always wanted to know about...moi

Found at Stacey's Place on Earth

5 Yummy things (I always try to eat healthy)

1 Big Macs
2. Starbucks White Chocolates Mochas
3. Chocolate Reese's Italian Ice from Ralph's
4. Pizza
5. Taco Bell Soft Tacos

5 songs I know by heart (There are oh so many, but you don't want to hear me sing 'em)

1. "I will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
2. "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure
3. "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest (I'm an excellent rapper)
4. "Untouchable Face" by Ani DiFranco
5. "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor

5 things I'd do with a lot of money

1. Pay off my student loans
2. Ensure that my kids had money for college
3. Buy a new house
4. Give some money to my parents and sisters
5. Give money to children's charities, paricularly those that deal with foster care and abused children

5 places I would escape to

1. Italy
2. Ireland
3. England
4. Hawaii
5. Aruba

5 things I would never wear

1. Platform Hiking Boots
2. Dark Lip Liner with Light Lipstick
3. Those new skinny jeans that stop at the ankle
4. Stilettos (I'm a comfy, clunky shoe gal)
5. Dress shorts

5 favorite TV shows (Some old, some new)

1. Veronica Mars
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. Project Runway
4. America's Next Top Model
5. Northern Exposure

5 things I enjoy doing

1. reading
2. sleeping
3. hanging with the kiddies and the hubbie
4. listening to music
5. watching old favorite movies

5 favorite toys

1. Laptop
2. Ipod
3. Cabbage Patch Kids
4. Trivial Pursuit
5. Play-doh

Sheee's baaackk....

Okay, so I haven't been around for awhile. I may or may not write more about it at another point, but basically I've been suffering from a bit of a depression for awhile, and I pretty much hit bottom. I started getting a lot of anxiety and had a couple of panic attacks and freaked out. Never really happened to me before, but it had been building for some time, and had several causes, I think. I feel like I just lost myself for awhile there. But the situation has been taken in hand, and I'm working to turn it around. I plan on getting back to blogging, because I really enjoy it, and it's one of the few things that I do just for fun, that is just for me and isn't for anyone else (although I suppose it's for your reading enjoyment as well).

I have been reading though. I'm on a vampire kick again. As I mentioned, I read The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros. It's only the second book I've read by Medeiros, and I enjoyed it, but much like its predecessor, After Midnight, it's rapidly fading from memory, so I'd best review soon. I also plan on reviewing Light My Fire by Katie Macalister. I got about 3/4 of the way through Divine By Mistake by PC Cast, and was totally into it. Then I put it down for the Macalister, and I haven't felt like picking it up again. Isn't it weird how that happens?

So I'm at work today, and I notice that Twilight is finally back in. But I was really busy, so I figure I'll grab it on my break. Twenty minutes later, and it was gone. Aargh! I shook my fist at the ceiling, patrons and coworkers be damned. I think I'm just gonna buy it. Oh and Rosario's review of A Hunger Like No Other has finally pushed me over the edge. I was not interested, but the reviews have done their work on me. I'm buying it. So that's where I'm at. In a vampire romance place.

Grab that Book

Haven't been around much lately, will post more about that some other time, but for now I'll just do this meme that everybody's doing. I'm catching up on the blog hopping, and I've got a book sitting right next to the computer.

Grab That Book

1. Grab the nearest book.

2. Open to page 123.

3. Find the fifth sentence.

4. Post the text of the next six sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

5. Don't you dare dig around for that "cool" or "intellectual" book on your shelves. (I know you were thinking about it.) Just pick up whatever is closest.

Can you guess my book?

"I'm not going to answer that."
"Why?"
"Because I don't have to. I don't know you, I don't owe you."
"You got to know me pretty damn well last night," he said in a low growl. "And I got to know you very well."

Ooh, I lucked out. Nice and succinct.

Happy Halloween!

Have a great day everybody! I love Halloween, but this year I'm a bit Halloweened out. My son is 3 and a half and really into it, and we've been celebrating all month. He's got a parade at school, then later we're going trick or treating. Not for very long I'm sure. But the weather is supposed to be quite nice.

Just an observation: Is Blogger trying to drive me nuts? Don't they know they're dealing with a woman on the edge? With how low I've been feeling, plus my sinus infection, it's been really difficult for me to sit down and write a post. My brain feels cloudy, y'know? But every time I am in the mood, to post or even to blog-hop and comment, Blogger's having issues. Everybody was napping yesterday, and no Blogger all afternoon! That just ain't right!

I'm going to attempt to write quickie reviews of Gone Too Far and Into the Night by SB later. Perhaps it will be the return of the review haiku . I also want to write a review of The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros. Is anyone else getting a bit cheesed out by all the plays on classic titles and sayings with "Vampire"? Too cutesy, plus it almost never has anything to do with the book.