I Finished It...

I finally sat down and read Force of Nature. I still don't know why it took me so long to delve into this book. I did enjoy it... was it one of my favorites, no. But it definitely wasn't near the bottom either. I liked Ric and Annie together. I liked that they were not perfect people. He wasn't this perfect action hero, in fact, Annie with no training could out-shoot him. And she was a big girl... the evil drug lord, Jr., kept referring to her as "double-wide". So I love this about Suz that she writes about real-looking people. They aren't all Barbie doll perfect and even her SEAL heroes are human with real emotions -- hello, does anyone remember Wildcard crying in the men's room over a girl?

As for Jules and Robin, I loved where she took this storyline. I never thought that I would like Robin. He was just a whiny sleaze in the previous book. How could Suz put him with someone strong like Jules. But Suz made it work and even more, she made me like Robin. Some people may be "sickened", "grossed out", "disgusted" by two men kissing and the alluding to them having sex... to them all I have to say is, get over your prejudices and deal with it. Suz writes about them in such a way that you don't focus on the fact that these are GAY men... you just see them as two men who happen to be in love... with each other.

Someone replied in my comments section on an earlier FON post that Suz picked Ric because while he had been introduced to the readers before he wasn't this major player. We didn't really know him and LOVE him. While he would be the primary storyline in FON, he wouldn't mind sharing the spotlight with Jules. I remember after reading Hot Target, that I was left disappointed. It was supposed to be Cosmo's book yet after reading it, there was too much going on with the storylines and the build-up for Jules that it felt like Cosmo got cheated (at least for me). This one had two involved, intertwined storylines and it worked for both of them and you didn't feel like this was a build-up to Ric and Annie's story that left you wanting more. All in all, another great read by Suz.

Now what to read next...

Speaking of Books...

Can I just put a plug in for a great book, Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen. This book was one of the "in" books for bookclubs. I had noticed it a few times and thought it might be interesting but I was in no hurry to read it. I placed it on my wishlist on paperbackswap (I think I am 5oo and something in line to get it) and continued working my way thru other books.

It wasn't until one of the internet bookclubs I belong to on SP chose it as the September book that I really started to look for a copy. My position at the library was 85... definitely wouldn't have it this month. I decided to get it from Audible then I could listen to and from work each day. The only problem is that this book grabbed my attention (mainly due to the two narrators) and I found myself walking around the house with my mp3 player on.

I found myself absorbed in the story. I am not sure if it was the words or the readers who took me straight to circus grounds. I could smell the horses as the train raced down the track headed to its next destination. The sounds of organized chaos surrounded me as the tents were being set up in anticipation for that night's show. And I could feel Jacob's heartache, confusion and anger as he tries to figure it all out that summer spent with the circus. As for Jacob at 93, it made me think about our families that we dump in nursing homes and honor them with our Sunday visits. Isn't that wonderful of us? What is their life like those other 6 days while we are so busy living our lives? Jacob at 93 made me laugh, cry and cheer him on.

I really loved this book...

From the Publisher:
An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of Riding Lessons.

When Jacob Jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her.

Beautifully written, Water for Elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford.

I Finally Started It...

Suzanne Brockmann's latest book, Force of Nature, was due to be released while we would be on vacation. How was I supposed to find the book in tiny little West Yellowstone, MT (pop. 1100). Did the town even have a bookstore. Actually, it did... a quaint little one with a coffee bar in the back. If I couldn't buy the book on its release date then the only alternative was to have it waiting for me when I came home. I ordered it thru Suz's virutal signing and resigned myself to waiting til I got home.

We arrived home on the 19th and when I went to the post office to grab our mail... there it was... my very own - autographed - copy of Force of Nature... complete with Reader's Guide. It was tempting but I was in the middle of Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series so I decided to finish that off before starting FON. Within a week I had completed that series but instead of picking up FON I started in on a different book... then another... and yet another. I'm not sure why but I just couldn't seem to pick FON up and start it.

I didn't read any of the posts on the BB about the book... primarily to avoid spoilers (though it never seemed to bother me before) and also I was rarely on the BB this summer. Because of my avoidance, I had no preconceived ideas about it... I didn't know who liked, who loved it, who hated it (is there anybody?) More recently I've picked up little tidbits here and there from posts on the BB.

But still, I just couldn't seem to pick it up and read it. The only thing that I can think of that made me hesitate each time I went to pick it up is the fact that I didn't know either of these characters (yes, yes, I know.... we've met Ric before... for about 5 minutes many books ago). And anyone reading this post and who has never read Suz is probably thinking... "So what? Do you always know the characters before reading a book?" Normally, no. However, this is Suz... she writes an on-going series involving US Navy SEALs, an FBI Counter-Terrorism group and Troubleshooters, a private security contractor. There is almost always a build-up to someone before they get their HEA (Happily Ever After)... gawd, some of these guys have to wait up to 6 books before getting their story. So with all the characters Suz has running around in her head, why - WHY - did she pick two virutally unknown characters to base her book on? I'm not sure... maybe I will know more after actually reading the book.

Now just because the two main characters are unknowns doesn't mean that we don't get to see familiar faces. Jules, the FBI agent, has a secondary (?) storyline. And other well known characters make appearances. So it's not like going to a party where I won't know anyone... there will be familiar faces to catch up with.

After reading about 6 pages the other night, I forced myself to start in on it today. K2 and I stopped at Starbucks on our way to the library and spent 45 minutes drinking Iced Vanilla Chai lattes and reading (she has started in on The Silenced and is LOVING it!). I am slowly getting into the story... although it has that "we need to pretend we're a couple to infiltrate the evil mobster's compound" (I should've posted that on the BB today under the discussion of storylines that turn us off.) Maybe this is another reason that I have been hesitant to pick it up.

Well, whatever the reason for my delayed start, I have finally begun and will continue reading it til it is done. Normally, it would take me a day (at most 2 days) to read a Suz book... this one I am not so sure how long it will take.

But shhhh! Don't tell anyone from the BB... they may take away my posting privileges. I am probably one of the few - the only? - who has not read the book. I am off to read....

We Will Not Be Silent

Today the girls and I went to B&N to hear a realtively new author promote his YA book. James DeVita is a local (as in Wisconsin) author/actor/playwright. His new book, The Silenced, is about Marena, a girl who lives in a dystopian society. In Marena's world, the Zero Tolerance Party came into power after the Millenium War to make the people safe again. They had to take away most civil liberties and freedoms in order to accomplish this but at least the people would be safe. However, once society was "safe" again, the freedoms were not given back to the people.

Mr. Devita actually spent most of his time today talking about his inspriation for the book, Sophie Scholl. She (and I must admit that I had never heard of her before today) was a leader of The White Rose, a non-violent student resistance group in Nazi Germany who opposed Hitler's Third Reich. The members of the White Rose, including Sophie and her brother, Hans, distributed leaflets between June 1942 and February 1943. They were eventually caught, tried and executed by beheading -- all for distributing leaflets.

I plan to read this book as well. While it is a YA book, I think it is something that everyone can learn something from. K2 has read an enjoyed many books with similiar themes... The Giver by Lois Lowery, The Shadow Children series by Margaret Petersen Haddix and Cliff McNish's, Silver Series, which is why I thought of her when I first saw this book. She was interested in the book but her interest definitely grew after listening to Mr. DeVita talk today. I will post my thoughts on the book after I finish it.

Here's the trailer that was created for the book...

Reading...

While I haven't seemed to find the time for much else... my house is a disaster right now and has been for months! I have made time for reading. I make sure that I get at least an hour at bedtime to help wind me down.

Teenage Vamps
Right now I am reading Stephenie Meyer's vampire series. It started with Twilight, next came New Moon and I am currently on the latest, Eclipse. This is categorized as a Young Adult book series about a young girl, Bella, (17) and her boyfriend, Edward, who just happens to be a vampire. No synthetic blood for this vamp however, he and his family are a peaceful sort who try to rely on animal blood rather than human.


I started reading this series to see if it would be appropriate for K2. She is 12 and mentioned it. The material is definitely mild enough for her. However, unlike her mom, romances are not her preferred genre and she will probably wait a year of two before venturing into this series. I, on the other hand, love it.

Historical Romances
Shortly before I left on vacation, a friend... a certain book pimp we all know and love, sent me a historical romance... told me to give it a try. She knows that I recently just started reading them again after not having been able to for quite a long time. My complaint was that they were all the same, boring, no sex and the women were generally WEAK! Well, Ms. Book Pimp said to try it and if I liked it there were 7 more in the series. This book was The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, the first in the Bridgerton Family series. I took along with me last month on my way to a family wedding in MN. I was so hooked that I read well into the night and again in the morning while the kids swam. Lucky for me our hotel had a skywalk to a small mall that had a Barnes and Noble. I bought the next book, The Viscount Who Loved Me, and had to stop myself from buying the third in the series. However, when I got home that Sunday, I immediately went to my Paperbackswap account and put in requests for the next 6 in the series. The only bad news is that I didn't have any of them before I left on our vacation so I suffered thru some slightly disappointing paranormal books. However, when I got home all but one had arrived (in fact, that one was lost in the mail I have never received it but read the library copy instead). I zoomed thru this series and loved it! Not all were great but all were definitely enjoyable and some were even pretty hot and spicy for a historical. But mostly, I found that Julia Quinn writes with a sense of humor. I really enjoyed her writings. So if anyone wants to recommend any other books of hers, please do!





Yellowstone Reading
Also, while in Yellowstone I discovered some other books fiction and non-fiction that I needed to add to my TBR pile. The non-fiction, Lost in my own Backyard, was written by Tim Cahill. This was a very short, very easy to read book on some of the trails both main and in the backcountry that he has hiked. It was fun to read his interpretation of them and it made me want to go back and try some backcountry hiking next time.


The other Yellowstone fiction I mentioned is by C.J. Box. His series' main character is Joe Pickett, a Wyoming Gamewarden. In his latest, Free Fire, a murder is committed in Yellowstone Park. However, the murderer is going to walk free due to a loophole. It sounds interesting enough to grab my interest. I am just trying to decided if I should start with this one or go back and start with book one in the series.

It's getting late and I need to get my reading in before bed... it's the only "Me Time" I have been getting. Night!

The Book Chicks

The first meeting of the Book Chicks was a resounding success!

What is the Book Chicks you ask??? It is a new book club K2 started up with her friends. This month they read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. It is a very serious YA book about two boys who become friends, one who is the son of an officer presiding over a concentration camp and a young boy who is imprisoned within the camp.

K2 is a voracious reader and most of her friends are too. A month or so ago I had a book out from the library called the Mother-Daughter Book Club. K2 and I talked about book clubs and she decided she wanted to start one with her friends. I told her I would help her but that I wouldn't be responsible for all the work. So she had taken care of creating the notices (they were cute too!) and setting the date and time and picking the book.

Tonight they met at a local B&N cafe...ordered their strawberry lemonades and spent an hour chatting about the book. All in all a successful first meeting. Their next book is Darkhenge by Catherine Fisher picked by another member of the group.

The Downside to Exercising...

LESS TIME FOR READING!!!

Wahhh... I have barely read in the last week! I finished my last book on April 17 and just started a new one today. Well, I tried starting it on Saturday but read about 2 pages and passed out asleep on top of the book. I was going to start The Sunday List of Dreams... one of the community boards that I joined on SparkPeople is a bookclub and that was their choice for April. As I already had the book sitting here at home, I thought now would be a good time to read it. HA! Fates are playing a trick on me. The damn book sat in one spot for months!!! Then I pull it out to read it and the freakin' thing disappears!!! I kid you not! Gone... vanished!

So I decided to go with a series that has been a favorite of mine recently... Sookie Stackhouse. I am reading Dead as a Doornail. The only problem is that after my dismal attempt to start it on Saturday night, I have had no time to read at all!!! So today I was determined to MAKE time. I went to the mall for a haircut and afterwards went to B&N for lunch and some much needed reading time. It felt so good just to sit there with a book in my hands and lose myself in someone else's world. Gawd, I have missed that.

Then after coming home... I was almost feeling down that I hadn't gotten a bike ride in today. It was 70 degrees when I left for the mall and by the time I came home it was in the 50's, gray and drizzly. What I wanted to make for dinner was missing one ingredient... I was going to drive to the grocery store and then after a quick check outside decided to bike there. The girls even came with me. On the way there it was fine... but on the way home it started to drizzle. But the funny thing was... it felt great! Even the girls had fun... we were riding our bikes in the rain. People probably thought we were nuts! But, you know what... I still managed to get in a 30 minute bike ride today! Woo Hoo!

So now I am off to bed... with my book... and lets hope this time, I make it past two pages.

Good things:
1. A fresh new haircut (that I actually like!)
2. Quiet reading time at B&N
3. Riding in the rain

Today was better...

With respect to the girls... at least bedtime was smoother. However, we were shopping at Target and I swear the two of them just have to nitpick at each other... K2 has to hang onto the cart that K3 is pushing... then will walk faster or slower. Then if K2 said anything to her sister, K3 would respond and respond and respond. My mantra became "Just let it go. Just let it go." Ahh well, I need to appreciate the good times more and not take them for granted.

Good news... the library called me. I had filled out an application back in November for a library technician job. I never even made it to interview stage... talk about depressing!! Anyway, today I got a call from the library... nothing new there as they call me just about every other day letting me know that I book I have on hold came in. However, this time as I was listening to the machine, the woman says "hi, this is Sue from the *** library..." And I am thinking, "Huh, that's new... they never introduce themselves when they call about a hold." The woman then goes on to say that they are currently interviewing this week and next for a job posting and they had my application on file... was I still interested. Well, yeah... I really don't want to start a full time job right before summer but if I am offered it I will have to think about making it work. The library pays pretty well... Well, better than what I get now, that's for sure! However, it sounds like they are interviewing lots of people for this job so I am not getting my hopes up... if it works out great... if not, that might not be such a bad thing. Anyway, I am interviewing on Friday morning and I hate interviews... I never feel like I interview well. We'll see...

I did well on the exercise front today... another 30 minute bike ride with the girls (that makes 4 bike rides in a row!), then I did BR legs and abs today (did BR abs and arms yesterday.) I also took my measurements AGAIN today... although I have no idea how I compare to January. I lost the paper I wrote them down on and I thought I entered them on the computer but if I did I can't find where... so today I start fresh with the measurements. Still it would've been nice to see how I did... then again... maybe not... considering how lackluster my exercise performance was this winter. :)

I finished The Raven Prince today... awesome book!!! It was so unlike what I grew to hate about historicals... this one actually deserved a scorching rating... it was HOT! My biggest problem reading too many historicals is how everyone is so prim and proper and there is not a lot of nautiness... yes, I know I LOVE P&P but I still don't want a steady diet of it. Give me something HOT and I usually found that historicals didn't cut it. Also, I love that this one, neither the hero nor the heroine is perfect. He has pox scars and she is plain. Gawd save me from the "perfect people". This was a great read! I may have to run to B&N tomorrow to find the next in the series... although from what I read it may not be quite as good but that's okay... just so it's not a dud.

I should go to bed... 5 a.m. comes way too soon... but before I go... my 3 good things:
1. Reading a GOOD book.
2. News about the job interview.
3. My boss telling me I did an awesome job last night (I did, and deserved her noticing.)

MARCH READING UPDATE…

March was a great reading month... I found my way thru 12 books this month easily closing in on my goal of 50 for the year! I stayed with a lot of old stand-bys and even through some new works into the mix. Here's my reading list...

1. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris – This is the third in the Sookie Stackhouse series and I loved it. You would think that as a series goes on, especially one that focuses primarily on one couple, that we would tire of the characters… they tend to get that same old, same old thinking going on. I know that this is the thinking on the Stephanie Plum series (which I tend to agree with but damn they are funny!) But so far I have not even begun to tire of Sookie. In Club Dead, Bill is taken captive by another vampire faction and Eric sends Sookie in to help rescue him with the assistance of a werewolf, Alcide. In this one I became disillusioned with Bill, as does Sookie, and she learns that Bill is not the only suitor trying for her attentions… of course, there is Eric but we are also introduced to Alcide, a were. Depending how these relationships play out, it could fall into the Stephanie/Ranger/Morelli scenario (just pick one dammit!) but I don’t think so. It seems like Sookie really loves Bill even after his betrayal in this book. He doesn’t really deserve her love and especially her efforts at saving him. But despite her unwillingness to let him burn, Sookie is still a strong (even moral) heroine and is not willing to turn a blind eye right away to Bill’s actions. When this book ends, she has rescinded Bill and Eric’s invitation to her home (a vampire can only enter a private domicile when invited) and she is hurt and considering her options. I can’t wait to read the next to see where this couple’s relationship goes… will they get the quick fix or will Ms. Harris make Bill work for her attentions and love…. OR will their relationship come to an end?… A-

2. Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie by Holly Black- This is a young adult book that I read because K2 was interested in it but she was concerned about the age rating on it. I had told her that I would read it first and then decide if she could read it. This is the story of Valerie who after being betrayed by her mom, her friend and her boyfriend runs away from home to NYC. There she meets up with some tunnel kids who live in abandoned subway tunnels. Life is rough but then Val notices that not is all as it appears. Her friends are doing deliveries for someone who turns out to be from the faerie world banished to ours. After intruding upon the trolls home and being caught trying to steal from him, Val is bound into service to him for a month. It is while she is serving her sentence that she comes to know the troll better and see him in a better light… all is not as it seems. But someone is murdering those from the faerie world and making it look like Ravus, the troll, is doing it. Val and her friends need to solve the mystery and save Ravus’ life… B

3. Dead Sexy by Amanda Ashley – In this story, humans know that vampires exist however they are contained within certain areas of the city. Someone is murdering mortals and the undead so former vampire hunter, Regan Delaney, must team up with vampire Master of the City, Joaquin Santiago. In trying to solve the murders, Regan comes up against Joaquin’s old nemesis, a werewolf. In an attack, Regan is bitten and will become a werewolf at the next full moon. In an attempt to reverse the curse, Regan and Joaquin travel to the Black Hills to find an old medicine man rumored to have a cure to a werewolf bite. However, the werewolf gets to the old man first and kills him. Now the only way for Regan to rid herself of the werewolf curse is to kill the werewolf who brought her over. In the final showdown, Regan does kill him but is so gravely injured that Joaquin brings her over to the vampire world. While its true I like my paranormal romances, this one fell flat… C

4. Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward – Finally we get Butch’s story… I honestly didn’t think I would like Butch’s story all that much… I have not been a fan of Marissa’s and I didn’t know if there would be enough to fill a whole book. But not only does JR Ward do it, but she gives us the largest one yet. The best thing about these books besides the action and the HOT factor, that is… is that there is usually so much more to the story. We get to see more of what is going on NOT just what is happening in Butch and Marissa’s lives… we get to see the struggle that John is going thru, we get to see V and his relationship with Butch. I loved this book but then I have loved all of the Brotherhood books so far…A

5. Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day – Let me start by saying that I am a fan of Alesia Holliday but not necessarily her writing. I think she is a very funny woman in person but the books of hers that I have read have been “take ‘em or leave ‘em” for me. But this one… this one I loved! I loved the whole idea of using Atlantis as a backdrop. I usually find that the first book in the series tends to be the weakest…too much of the story is taken up giving us the necessary background for the storyline. And I believe this will be true in this case as well. I did really like this book and I am looking forward to the rest of the Warriors of Posiedon…. A

6. Murder on the Rocks: A Gray Whale Inn Mystery by Karen MacInerney – I have read so many paranormals lately that I decided to give a mystery a try and one with no sex in it, too! This one was one I found on the library shelf. It involves Natalie Barnes leaving Texas behind to start up a bed and breakfast on the coast of Maine. But before she can barely get her business off the ground, a resort owner is looking at putting his new resort right next to her Inn. Natalie is trying to get the sale of land to him stalled by having the land declared a safe haven for birds that are nesting there. However, when the resort owner dies and Natalie finds the body, she has to solve the mystery or face being arrested for the murder. It was intriguing enough to make me look up others in this series…. B+

7. Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb – This book has Eve and Roarke delving into the supernatural. Friendships are placed in jeopardy when Eve has to look into the dealings of a former mentor and his subsequent death. When his granddaughter then dies, it all becomes personal for Eve. She will stop at nothing to stop whoever is doing this. Although in her pursuit, Eve wears blinders for a bit which almost hurts her in the end. I loved this book… I love watching Eve as a kick ass heroine but watching her lower her defenses for Roarke just makes her that much more human… A

8. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips – SEP is not an automatic buy for me… although I have read most of her Chicago Stars series. I usually find myself laughing out loud while reading one of her books and this one was no different. I loved the banter between Blue and Dean. I liked watching his mismatched family come together and it didn’t happen in this nice pat little way. There were times when I wanted to reach thru the pages and smack the hell outta Dean but he did have his redeeming moments. Makes me want to go back to see if there are any SEP’s that I missed out there…. A-

9. Firegirl by Tony Abbott- Another YA book… This story is told thru the POV of Tom, a self described, “sweaty fat kid” who seems to be invisible most of the time and is quite happy with that. His mom is pushing him to get out there and make an effort to get involved at school. His friend, Jeff, is angry most of the time since his dad moved out and is far too concerned with showing how cool he is… he does not want to be invisible or different from the other kids in school. Then one day a new girl joins their class… but the teacher warns them that she is different. Jessica was in a fire and was burned over most of her body. She just moved to town to have treatments done at a local hospital. Because of her appearance, the kids don’t know how to treat her… so they make up stories about her. When Tom’s teacher asks him to drop homework off for Jessica after she misses school, a tentative friendship develops between them. This was a very good book for kids to read about friendship and dealing with those who are “different”… A-

10. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas – This was my first historical in a very long time (well, other than my P&P mysteries). I had given up on historicals awhile back because I wanted to throw the books at the wall so many times. I just couldn’t relate to most of the heroines and the time period of women being completely controlled by men… to me, it made them seem weak. But that is definitely not the case with this book. Our hero is Derek Craven, one of the richest men in England but a self-made man who rose up from the ashes of being raised by prostitutes after his mother abandoned him. He runs a gaming house. Our heroine is Sarah Fielding, a famous author of the time who is researching her next book and needs inside info on the gambling world. Derek at first tries to deny his attraction to Sarah, knowing that her reputation will be ruined if associated with him and he sends her back to her almost fiancée. Sarah is a strong heroine who stands up for herself… she is not willing to give up her writing nor be forced to live with her interfering future mother-in-law. She ends up calling off her engagement. After Sarah is attacked in an act of revenge against Derek by his former lover, Lady Ashby, Derek is made to realize that Sarah must marry. After first trying to marry her off to members of the ton, he marries her himself (when she refuses to even consider the others.) I liked this one because of the strength of the characters. Sarah is not a shrinking violet agreeing with everything her husband says. And Derek is strong enough not to be threatened by her intelligence (his spelling and grasp of vocabulary is not even close to hers) and her passion and success for writing. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in this, Lily and Alex, Worthy, Tabitha and the house wenches and the others. I now have to go and find the first in this series which tells the story of Lily and Alex.

11. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris – Sookie is at a crossroads in her life… she has broken up with Bill and unsure of where she is going from here. When Bill leaves the country on a mission for the Queen of Lousiana, Sookie finds vampire, Eric, wandering the highway. He has amnesia and is wanted by a coven of witches. All involved decide that Eric is safest hiding out with Sookie. However, Eric is different with amnesia… more sweet, more tender. Sookie finds herself falling for this new Eric knowing full well that nothing can ever come of it because once Eric gets his memory back he will resort to his usual cocky self. I loved this installment … I am not used to reading books where it looks like the heroine has her HEA only to find that maybe he wasn’t the one. I love Bill but there are things that he does that makes me wonder if he could ever be Sookie’s HEA. And while Ms. Harris is figuring it out, I have no problem with Sookie testing the waters with others… A

12. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh – After not having read a historical in so long, I went and read two this month. I picked this one because this author is very popular among members of the BB and I wanted to see if she was worth the hype. Well, if this book is anything to go by, she is. I LOVED this book… it wasn’t like anything that I had come to hate about historicals. Lauren Edgeworth is no shrinking violet afraid to be her own person. She is a very strong independent character who can dish out insults while still remaining a lady. Our hero, Kit, is being pressured to marry by his family who have gone so far as to enter into a marriage contract for him. He however wants at the very least to pick his own bride. Lauren after being left at the altar wants nothing more than to retire to Bath and live her own life. She would not normally be attracted to such a scoundrel as Kit however her family who is throwing men in her path at every opportunity don’t like Kit and warn her away from him. This alone makes her curious. The two concoct a plan where Kit and Lauren will be engaged for the summer… long enough for Kit to be rescued from marrying neighbor, Freya. At the end of summer, Lauren will “break” the engagement and be free to retire to Bath. Although all does not go as planned as Kit finds himself truly falling for Lauren and he must convince her to give their engagement a shot for real.

Books...Kids... and How Much is too Much...

A few weeks ago during a library visit, K2 brought a book to me that she was interested in but "it says its for 14 and up, mom." It looked interesting enough that I told her I would read it and let her know if it was appropriate for her. I figured it was the least I could do since she actually read the age recommendation and brought it to my attention.

The book was Valiant by Holly Black. It tells the story of a 17 year old girl who runs away to NYC after discovering a horrible secret. In NYC, she meets up with some kids who are living in abandoned subway tunnels. It isn't long before Val realizes that there is more going on here than she first thought possible and is introduced to the magical beings living in exile among the humans. It is a really good book with interesting plot lines on old story ideas. However, I ran into problems with whether or not I would let K2 read it.

First, and actually of least concern is the language. The "F" word is used quite a bit throughout the book. Unfortunately, K2 has a mom who has used the word quite frequently so it is not a word that is unknown to her. But on the positive side, K2 really dislikes swear words and does not use them and frowns upon her mom and her older brother when they use any variety of cuss words from the mild to the extreme. So based on this knowledge, I disregarded that as a reason for not letting her read the book.

More importantly though are the sexual themes mentioned in the book. In the first few pages of the book, Val is thinking about her boyfriend and how she can barely get him to kiss her let alone have sex anymore. Then Val arrives home unexpectedly to discover her mother being undressed by her (Val's) boyfriend. There is no nudity however, the mother's blouse is unbuttoned and he is touching her bra. Then later on in the book, two of the characters are mentioned as having sex frequently and in fact, Val and one of the tunnel rats she hooks up with have sex after they "magically" alter their appearance to look like other people. (Val imagines the boy as someone she likes and the boy imagines Val as someone he wants.) This was the one scene that I found most disturbing... not because of the way it is described but just the fact that each has "changed" the other one to reflect someone else. So, in essence, in their minds they are having sex with someone else completely. It is just the way that they use each other that I found disturbing and wondering if a pre-teen/adolescent could actually understand and see how this is so wrong.

My first reaction was no way... nope, K2 was not reading this book. Maybe in two years but not know (she is almost 12). But then I slowly stopped and thought about it. None of what is mentioned is graphic or detailed very much. I don't want my kids growing up with no idea of sex, good or bad... I don't want to treat it as if it doesn't exist. I have a brother and sister-in-law who wouldn't even kiss in front of their daughter because they didn't want her to know about sex in any way so she wouldn't get ideas. To me, this is absolutely ludicrous. But I also don't want K2 to think that I condone the behavior in the book. So I told her she could read it but that she had to keep in mind that first, this was a work of fiction. Second, that the kids in this book are 17 and older and most have been living on the streets for quite awhile. And third, that we would talk about the book as she read it and if she has any questions about it whatsoever, I want her to ask me. So I don't know if I made the right decision... parenting... we learn by trial and error.

One other note... I was reading Harlequinn romances by 7th grade and had quickly moved into the "red" Silhouette Desires (the raciest of the Harlequinn line at that time). I was reading so much more intimate stuff and I turned out okay (alright, I can hear some of you laughing out there!) BUT looking back I realize that I missed so many great books when I was younger... maybe that is why I don't mind reading children and young adult books now.

I Gave up on a Book

I have been trying to read one author's sequel to Pride and Prejudice... Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, however, it has just not been working for me. I don't normally read historicals... I used to when I was much, much younger but just stopped. They all seemed to be the same and I tended to get lost in the dialogue. Plus, there were so many times when I just wanted to slap the heroine even though the way they were acting would've been normal for that time period. However, I LOVE Pride and Prejudice and thought I would give the "sequel" a try seeing as how I already know the characters. But I was barely 60 pages into it and I finally said enough. It starts off fine... Darcy and Lizzie finally consumate their relationship (WooHoo! and thank gawd, considering they are married)... however, so far that is all they do! There is no interaction like they had in P&P... no feistiness... They go at it like rabbits (even in the coach on the way to Pemberley) and that is all that we have seen of them so far. New characters are being introduced but so far they bore me. Old characters revisit and their scenes (which occur as flashbacks) have been humorous, especially when Lydia advises her sisters on what to expect on their wedding night. But the story was dragging... I had read mixed reviews and maybe it gets better but I just don't have the time to devote to it right now so I am putting it off to a later date... like when I am stuck in the van driving to a camping destination and I have nothing else to read. The copy I have is from the library so back it goes tomorrow. I plan on hunting on-line and UBS for a cheap copy... if I find one I will buy it to have on hand (same goes for Darcy and Elizabeth: Days and Nights at Pemberly) but until I find it cheap, I am not investing the money in it.

Did I Really Need Anymore Books???

Apparently I have a book addiction... and I don't think it is necessarily a reading addiction...just a simple book addiction... I have to browse, whether it be a bookstore or on-line. It doesn't matter, I just love to read the backs of books and try to imagine the story.

I have many sources for obtaining books. First, I have some pretty great friends who have sent me lots... did I mention LOTS... of books. I am beginning to feel bad because I haven't read half of what they sent... I plan to as all the books sent have interested me. BUT there they sit in my TBR pile. When I look upon it, I begin to feel guilty that these books could've gone to someone else who may have gotten around to reading them sooner... say this year, perhaps! Having mentioned my friends, I also live in a large suburban area with a fantastic inter-library loan system. Most books that I hear mentioned are available thru my library or one of its affiliates with the exception being books from fairly new authors. So with these two fantastic sources of books, will someone please explain to me why I felt the need to buy some more today... some? How about 10???

I actually was able to get some down time at Barnes & Noble today. I browsed for a bit, saw a couple of interesting ones, and then had lunch at their cafe and started to read a book that was in my purse. Fantastic time! I am usually pretty safe at B&N... I really, really have to want a book in order to buy it there. In fact, the most books I end up buying there tend to be for the kids. However, on my way home I decided to stop in at Half Price Books to see if there was anything for Grams. Now while it is true that I picked up a couple for her, most of the ones that I bought were for myself. I was like an addict and Nancy Reagan's "Just Say No" wasn't working. Here is what I bought today (and truth be told, I did put a couple back on the shelf): The Pact by Jodi Picoult, Dead Sexy by Amanda Ashley (had just seen this as a new release at B&N), Make Me a Match by Diana Holquist, The Sunday List of Dreams by Kris Radish, Luscious Craving by Cameron Dean, Eternal Hunger by Cameron Dean (but those have to wait until I can find the first one, Passionate Thirst), The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler, and three for Grams, Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes (it was $1.00!!), The Quilter's Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini (hey, quilting...old ladies... figured it had to be safe!), and Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (this one I might try to read before I send it out... but dang, she may never get it then!).

So my TBR pile has just gotten considerably larger and while I am reading so much more than I was last year, I still don't know when I am going to get around to them! And hey, if anyone is interested in reading any of these after I'm done, let me know and I will be happy to forward them on... you should count on getting them by July 2012.

Great Friends...

That is exactly what I have... GREAT FRIENDS! On a day when I needed it the most, their kindness and generosity came thru in emphatic style.... and they didn't even know that I needed it. In today's mail, I received two catalogs, two advertisements, NO BILLS (for a change) and count them, five, yes, that was 5... pieces of fun, fantastic mail from friends... okay, one was a thank you card from the daughter of a friend but it was still great mail. I received 1 box, 2 envelopes and 2 cards... the box was a wonderful assortment of valentine's goodies... the two envelopes contained a treasure trove of BOOKS (one came from England and arrived in less than a week!)... quite honestly that envelope was for K2 but it made my day too... the second envelope of books was from my very favorite Book Pimp (and honestly the only person I know that truly deserves that name!) who sent me 4 books (including the newest Nora Roberts series) and a special treat... the envelopes contained the aforementioned thank you card and a Valentine's card& cd of LURVE songs from Ranger. This is right on top of receiving another book from the Book Pimp on Saturday and a envelope of books a few days ago from Cin. To you all, you have no idea how wonderful it was to get this mail today. It really made me smile and reflect on what fabulous friends I have. Something truly to be thankful for... I love ya!

I am doing better but still need to deal with some issues around here... tomorrow is another day. Plus, I am working tonight which lately is not a happy place for me to be. I promise to come out of my hibernation soon. I am not in the best of spirits and seemed to have lost my sense of humor right now... I need to clear some things up here at home before I will feel up to playing again.

I just really need to let you all know how wonderful you all are... and how truly lucky I am.

My Book Store Trip...

The kids are home from school today because of the cold weather...quite stupid is you ask me. If they were going to cancel school, yesterday was the day that it should've been canceled...however, our school district was only 1 of about 3 that were open. The rest of them in the surrounding 5 counties were closed. Temps were -2 for a high and windchills were -30. Plus, did I mention that the buses were running 20-30 min late...yeah, I was not a happy camper yesterday. I seriously think that they canceled school today to make up for yesterday (although there are quite a few schools canceled today as well). My guess is that they received lots of phone calls from irate parents. For me, it doesn't really matter all that much... my kids get to watch for the bus from inside the house... our back door offers a nice view of the road that the bus comes down. So really they are not outside for very long.

Since I had to go outside to take K2 to a friend's house, I decided to make the most of it and hit some bookstores. First stop was B&N... I had to get my Chai after all. I mostly looked around...I thought the new Lori Foster book was out today but didn't see it. Then I found two of the Darcy books, Mr. Darcy's Daughters and Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy on the clearance rack. I had been looking at them at Target but instead was able to buy them both for under $5.00 each... not bad.

I am also on the hunt for some books for a woman in England. She very kindly offered to buy a book that my K2 desperately wants but isn't published here in the States yet. All she asked in return was the same kindness. No problem! I love book shopping and seriously don't need to buy any more for myself. So shopping for someone else... that I can do! I found a few of the titles on her list but decided I would stop at Half Price books on the way home.

I ended my B&N shopping trip with a sandwich and Chai latte in their cafe... very nice...no kids...some seriously needed quiet time!

My next stop was Half Price books. I found a few more titles from A's list but picked up the two that I have not been able to find new in the stores... they are older and are probably special order ones. I also found a book that Farmwifetwo mentioned on her blog, Rumble on the Bayou. It seemed interesting and since I didn't have to pay the new book price, I grabbed that one too. Plus, I took a small bag of books, mostly children ones, in to sell to them. I was offered $8 for what I took in and was pleased with that. So my shopping trip here only cost me $1.15.

So three books for me... two to send out to a British friend... a good day.

Reading Update...

Okay... so one of my goals this year was to get back to reading. I hadn't done that much last year and I really miss it. My goal is to read 50 books this year and after a math correction from Sin that means I need to read just over 4 books a month. It sounded like quite a bit.

So how did I do? Well, as of January 31, I completed 9 books with 3 in process. Not bad for me! I think I deserve a great big Hoo Yah! for that one... I probably only read 9 books last year total... okay, it was probably a few more but trust me, not many more.

This was my January reads... I suck at giving descriptions and evaluations but will try...

1. Blue Water by A. Manette Ansay - I rarely read books like this. Most of my reading involves Romance with some mystery or high drama thrown in. In this one, a couple have to face losing their only child to a drunk driver who happens to have been the wife's best friend in high school. The couple not only have to deal with the driver but also with family and small town WI. They decide to pack it all up and set sail for open water... live aboard their boat and leave the rest of it all behind. Of course, it is never that easy. Because although they have said good-bye to family and friends, they still have to face and deal with each other. Then a wedding back home brings the wife face to face with her old friend again and she finds that running away never works and she must face her past before she can deal with the present. I liked this book... not my favorite... there were times when I wanted to reach thru the pages and smack them but all in all not bad... B+ ...

2. Darcy's Story by Janet Alymer - I have a confession to make... I love Pride and Prejudice, well the movies at any rate. See, I have NEVER read the novel. I have always shied away from reading historicals. I know there are people out there who love them and read almost nothing else. But for me, I always tend to get lost in the language differences. However, since I know the story frontwards and backwards (at least from the film versions... and I am told that the Colin Firth P&P stays very true to the book), reading Darcy's Story was very easy. It is basically Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view. I love seeing how he interacts with Elizabeth and what he is "thinking" about her. Also, in P&P we don't get to see much of his relationship with his sister, Georgiana. However, in this telling, we do. I know that there are others who find lots of fault with it... stealing from Jane Austen, language inconsistencies, etc but I have to admit... I loved it! ... A ...

3. Jacob: The Nightwalkers by Jacquelyn Frank - This book brought me back to my comfortable romance genre, albeit in a paranormal version. This is the first in a new series, The Nightwalkers. From the title, you may think at first that they are Vampires... not true, although they do admit to Vampires walking the earth in this book. The Nightwalkers are in fact demons. Not your Satan, fire and brimstone demons... but rather a race of beings who live in the night. Part of their way of life includes protecting humans. And because of this, love of any sort is forbidden between demons and humans. Jacob, the Enforcer, is the one demon responsible for making sure that demons do not stray and attempt to interact with humans. However, there is trouble abound for the Demons in the form of the necromancers who are trying to obliterate the Demons. It is in tracing a demon who was summoned by a necromancer that Jacob meets Isabella. Theirs is a great story and a true love match. I loved reading how they grow and learn about each other and themselves. It is a paranormal so you truly need to let your imagination flow and just go with it. I really liked this book and can't wait for the next installment... Gideon.... A- ...

4. Dawn Undercover by Anna Dale - This was a young adult book that K2 desperately wanted me to read. We have talked about writing our own stories (she is actually working on hers). The story idea I have is for the Young Adult genre however I am having issues with the characters in the story being minors but yet having to protect themselves. Do they carry weapons? Kaitlyn told me to read this book for ideas on how to possibly cure some of those issues that I was having. Dawn is a lonely little girl who is going thru life basically unnoticed by everyone. All she wants is to be noticed. However, her ability makes her the perfect candidate for S.H.H (Strictly Hush Hush, a spy organization). A plan is underway to catch the largest spy against Britain in ages however, every spy sent in to capture him has been found out. Their last efforts are to send in a spy that Murdo Meek would never suspect... a child. I would definitely recommend this book to parents of elementary school children. It is a fun read and Dawn discovers more about herself along the way.... B+ ...

5. For One More Day by Mitch Albom - This is my first Mitch Albom book. I haven't even seen the television versions of his books. He always struck me as someone similar to Nicholas Sparks... good writer however huge tearjerkers... a person can only take so much at one time. I had bought this book for our grandma but she had already read it, so a perfect opportunity for me to give it a try. This is the story of Chick Bennetto who always favored his dad while growing up... even after his dad leaves them. Years later, Chick's life is falling apart... besides battling alcoholism, the final straw comes when he finds out his daughter got married and never told him til after the fact. Chick decides to end it all and returns to his childhood home to do the deed. There he meets his mother (who died 8 years earlier) and treats him as if nothing has happened. Through his visit with his mother, he learns of family secrets, what his mom had to endure being a divorcee and he can finally ask for forgiveness from her. I liked it... it was a fast read... and definitely provided food for thought regarding second chances and how we treat others...even those we claim to love... A-...

6. The Silver Child by Cliff McNish - This is the first in a trilogy and another young adult book recommended by K2. This is one of her most favorite series which she claims is better than Harry Potter... of course, she hasn't read HP, either. In this first book, we meet 6 kids who are compelled to leave home and travel to Coldharbour... an abandoned town that consists mainly of a garbage dump and child gangs. Something starts happening to each of the kids...physical changes for some...mental, psychic changes for others. And all of them can hear The Roar. They don't know why these changes are happening to them or what the Roar is but they know it can't be good. This first book is about their coming together and forming a pseudo family of mutants who will soon have to go to battle against the Roar. A very interesting plot to a story.... I think it is different being a mom reading this than being an 11 year old kid reading it. My heart was breaking during one scene when one of the boys starts physically changing at home... and the mom doesn't know how to help him. I definitely will read the next two books to see where this is all going... and what exactly is the Roar... B+...

7. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamilo - This is a children's book that K3 and I did together as a read aloud. What a wonderful story! It is the story of Despereaux Tilling, a very tiny mouse who happens to fall in love with the human princess. However, when he lets his feelings be known, the mouse community decides that he must be banished to the dungeon, which is basically a death sentence. We also learn about a poor servant girl who is not very smart and falls under the spell of an evil rat out looking for revenge against the princess. The story brings all the characters together for the final climax. What I found most interesting about his book is that even though it was a children's book with the obligatory happy ending... the book was not always happy itself. Terrible, some sad, some scary happen along the way. The author writes an intelligent book for children and treats them as smart human beings. A great story...with some very nice lessons learned... A+ ...

8. North by Northanger or the Shades of Pemberly (A Mr. and Mrs. Darcy Mystery) by Carrie Debris - Okay so this month I really was on a P&P kick. There were other more recent stories involving Lizzie and Darcy after they married that I put on hold at the library. However, in my wait I came across this series and decided to give it a try. This is the third in the series but I don't think it matters all that much where you start. In this book, Lizzie is pregnant with their first child and trying to settle in at Pemberley. However, she is having some problems coming into her own as the former Mrs. Darcy is still well loved (despite her having died 18 years prior). Then Lizzie finds a letter from the former Mrs. Darcy addressed to her, the current Mrs. Darcy. This starts off a whole mystery that many are interested in dating back to an old friendship of Mrs. Darcy's and some lost ivory statues. We get to re-visit with many of the favorite characters from P&P... Lydia and Wickham, Mrs. Bennet and of course, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. This isn't any great piece of literature but it is a fun read.... a mystery with familiar characters. I liked it... B+ ...

9. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull - Let me just say AWESOME book! This is definitely a young adult/children's book but it is still a fantastic read! K3 recommended this book to me.. it is her favorite in her young life so far. This is the story of Kendra and Seth and their 2 week visit to their grandparents house. They know there is something strange going on and because Seth has trouble obeying the rules, they soon find out that things are VERY strange in Fablehaven. Their grandparents are caretakers of a preserve where fairy tale creatures are free to roam and be safe. However, not all of the creatures are necessarily good... even the ones that seem good and wholesome, like the fairies, are not. Unfortunately, their stay coincides with the summer solstice, the night when all the creatures become "party animals". Again Seth disobeys and begins a chain of events that lead to his grandfather and other caretakers being taken. They must then work to free them from the clutches of the witch and her demon. Some parts were a bit scary for younger kids but a great book... with the sequel (you knew it was coming) due out later this year. I can definitely see this being made into a movie.... A+ ...


So there you have it... my reading selections for January. Maybe you will find something for yourself or a child in your life... maybe not. I am just thrilled to be reading again... and enjoying it!

Boredom...

I have been wanting to post but haven't had the energy... nor creativity to do so lately. Old Man Winter has arrived and it is COLD! Windchills were below zero this morning. All I want to do is crawl back into bed and I will as soon as K3 leaves but that is still over an hour away. And nothing but a short nap for me today. I need to put in our GS cookie order via computer this afternoon and since I missed the "training", this means I need to spend time on the phone getting verbal instructions first.

Then as has been normal of late, I need to get K2 from school today. This time it is forensics practice that is keeping her late. Her first meet is this Friday and she has been working hard to fine tune her demo. She missed qualifying for poetry reading last week and then had to switch to Demo. So she has had less than two weeks to prepare for Friday but I know she will be fine... hell, better than I would do. I hated public speaking (still do in fact) and did everything to avoid it. Forensics was never even something that I considered in school.

I haven't been doing much of anything lately. Working... reading... revving (finally!)... being a mom... I really feel the need to do something for myself and can't find the time. J's birthday is Sunday and his mom suggested coming down and going out to dinner with us. Don't get me wrong... I love having them come down but the house has just never been put back together since Christmas and that is a huge project I have ahead of me. But this is good... it definitely needs a good thorough cleaning and with them coming, that will kick my butt into gear to actually do it!

So I apologize that there has been nothing to read lately... hopefully soon. Maybe I will pull an older post from my Yahoo 360 page to share here. We'll see...

Books, Books... Too Many Books

Lately I have had 3 books going at one time... one read aloud with one of the girls, one children's/young adult book recommended by one of the kids and one picked out by me, for me. I normally HATE reading more than one book at a time. The kids do it for school ALL the time and I never understood it. There is usually one book that they are reading as a class. Then there has to be a book that they are reading for fun and sometimes that book stays at school and that means they have to have a book at home for reading. To me that always seemed crazy! However, I am actually doing quite well with 3 books at once. Now to be honest, two of the books are usually recommended by the girls so they are not exactly War and Peace, however, they aren't Dick and Jane books either.

My girls have some great taste in reading material and are actually quite particular. In fact, K2 spent a month trying to read a book that she had picked out and made it as far as page 150 (it was almost a 400 page book). Finally, she begged me to please let her stop (it was one that I had bought for her). She said that while the whole idea of the book was interesting, she hated the way the author wrote. She had such convictions for why she disliked the author's writing so much that, of course, I let her pass on it. You see K2 wants to be an author and is currently writing a chapter book. She knows what she likes and what she doesn't.

K3 and I finished The Tale of Despereaux last week so it was then K2's turn at having my attention for a read aloud book. No problem...except that I was also reading another book myself also recommended by K2. Then K3 wanted to know why I wasn't reading one that she liked? The next book I was going to read was the second in the Silver Sequence series however K2 loaned it to her friend so I get a reprieve and get to try a book that K3 liked... Fablehaven. This book looks very interesting and a bit more dark and scary than K3 normally likes them, but she LOVED this book so I need to check it out and see what it is all about.

I love that my girls have book recommendations for me. I started reading series romance books by 7th grade and missed out on alot of good books. But now it seems like ever since the explosion of Harry Potter, children's literature has broadened and there are so many incredible books to choose from. The only problem is that my own TBR pile is not decreasing by much. Oh well... there will always be time to read and always more books... I don't think a TBR pile is meant to ever disappear.

By the way when I googled Fablehaven, I came across a YouTube movie(it follows below) that a couple of teens had put together in honor of their favorite book. I showed it to K3 and aside from saying that it was cheesy, I did see her smile a couple of times. But when I asked her what "that" was or what "this" meant, all she would say was "Read the book, Mom!" Okay, K3, I will.

Reading...

Last year I fell way behind in my reading... in fact, for most of the last 6 months I barely read anything. This is amazing from someone who could read 1-2 books a week. I really don't know what happened. I honestly can only remember reading a handful of books in the last 6 months of the year. And in fact, I can remember more than just a few titles that I started to read and put down... not because they weren't expected to be enjoyable just that I didn't have the time to enjoy them. And the sad thing is that I have friends, wonderful friends, who have sent me lots and lots of books... and they sit.

So this year, I have set a goal of trying to read 50 books.. that is just over 2 per month. And not only is it my goal to read that many books but I would also like to vary my reading choices. I have generally read romance, some mystery... but there are so many other good books that I am missing out on. I created a list on another website of books that I would like to read and books that I have read so far. Some of these books I already have in my possesion others I will need to find at UBS or the library. Also, added to my book reading list are books that my daughters have said, "Mom, you have to read this book!" My daughters both love reading and it only encourages them to share their love of books with me if I sometimes read their favorite books either with them or separately. So some of my TBR list contains recommendations from them.

So far for January I have read two books and am working on another. It's just a matter of making the time and telling myself that I am going to read for at least 15 minutes... which thankfully turns out to be more. I believe that at the end of each month I will do a blog entry detailing the books that I have read that month. Maybe that will help me continue on my mission.