The Romance Girl's Guide to Fiction

And Thanks for All the Fish

2011-11-25T00:27:00.001-05:00

Admittedly it's been awhile since I've posted, but my life has been pretty darn busy since then... school, friends, dating, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll (oh, wait, I'm not quite that interesting). But with Thanksgiving being yesterday, I realized I have a lot to be thankful for, and why not post them on this blog. After all, romance is all about love, happiness, smexy men, and I have those first two! So here is an impromptu top ten.

The Top Ten Things I Am Thankful For This Year:

1. My mental health. This is seriously something that should never be taken for granted, in my opinion, and it's been a good year for me. I am thankful I've kept it together.

2. My parents. My parents are the two most awesome people I know. They have been incredibly supportive of me over the years and I couldn't be more lucky.

3. Dr. Pamela Regis' Popular Romance class which I was lucky enough to take this semester. I had been hoping to blog about it, but perhaps being overwhelmed with classes, one of which involves me writing about romance, is why I'm not blogging right now. However, this point leads me into my next one...

4. The International Conference on Popular Romance was held at my school this year, meaning I got to attend part of it (and posted a little about it here)...

5. ...And because of the conference I've now meet SB Sarah twice! She even remembered me (though she didn't remember from where). Maybe she just doesn't get a lot of fans who become stuttering, incoherent messes at the site of her...

6. The entire romance genre. Do I really need to explain this? I mean, come on! Would my mental health still be ok without some good escapist reading?

7. My pets. I have a beautiful, playful, and utterly aggravating black cat named Abyssinia, and a Betta fish named Napoleon. I'm particularly thankful for Napoleon at the moment, as he's been dying for the past year (visibly sick and everything). I have no idea how a Betta fish even made it to 3 years old, but he's a trooper and I'm going to miss him when he's gone.

Napoleon, a younger, happier, healthier time

8. My friends, both old and new. I think I've meet some people this past year who are really great!

9. Black Friday Deals that aren't on Black Friday. Because Black Friday scares me. I've hear one to many horror stories about injuries inflicted by overzealous shoppers.

And finally...

10. The Internet, for providing pictures of hot men.

(So when does the next season start again?)

Movies: Flashdance

2011-08-15T00:17:00.001-04:00

Title: Flashdance
Genre: Drama/Romance
Grade: C-

Flashdance is one of those movies you have to see once, just to know what all the buzz is about. There are a lot of cheesy dance flicks I like- Save the Last Dance, Center Stage, Step Up- but Flashdance fell flat for me.

Let me start off with the dancing, since that is the focus of the movie. First off, the style of dance isn’t one I like. It’s a personal taste thing, but I never got into the 80’s and a lot of the dance routines reminded me of exercise videos. I felt really guilty eating popcorn during this movie. Maybe if you’re into the 80’s or grew up then the dancing will click with you more. The skill used is amazing, but it’s also obvious that Jennifer Beals is not the one dancing.

I also had issues with the dancing at the bar where Alex works at night. What exactly is it supposed to be?! The summary says she’s an exotic dancer, but the girls don’t really strip. They just have these elaborate artsy dances in skimpy outfits. And the one routine where she had the white paint on her face and was dancing in front of a tv… was she a mime? Very, very confusing.

Most of the reasons I don’t like this movie stem from Alex herself. She’s moody, volatile, and has a toxic relationship with Nick. It’s not just that he’s her boss and older than her. Nick first takes note of Alex after seeing her dance at the bar. It seems sleazy to me that a girl's boss would try to pick her up after learning she also works as an exotic dancer (or whatever she is). In their relationship, Alex will be happy-go-lucky one moment and crazy the next, breaking windows, getting out of cars in the middle of the highway and slapping Nick. Not exactly the ideals of a healthy relationship. I think Dr. Drew would have a thing or two to say about her behavior.

I Got You Covered

2011-07-02T15:48:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago JR Ward announced the hero in her next book will be Tohr. I know a lot of us (myself included) were a bit upset. It seems too soon to let go of Wellsie. But I'll do my best to read his book with an open mind... I think all us fans do want to see him happy again.

In exciting related news, the title and cover have been released!

I think the title is great! Lover Reborn is so fitting for Tohr. And overall, I really like the cover. It's a pretty golden hue I find appealing, and the cover model is smokin'. I'd totally go for a guy with that sculpted face and piercing blue eyes. BUT... (except for looking somewhat haunted and driven) that's not what I imagined Tohr to look like. For some reason I feel this image belongs on the cover of a book with a Navy SEAL or other military hero. I was really hoping this cover would be like Lover Mine or Lover Unleashed- those two were HOT!

RWA Loot + Photos

2011-07-01T16:22:00.000-04:00

Going to the RWA Literacy Autographing was amazing- but rather than just tell you let me break it down for you...

Tuesday June 28, 2011

5:55 Wake up, alert and excited for that afternoon's RWA Autographing!

5:58 Realize that actually involves getting out of bed. No longer so happy.

6:30-7:30 Run to catch the Metro to get to Union Station to catch BoltBus to NYC...
which sounds simple except five different Union Station workers gave me different directions to BoltBus, and the bus lines to NEW YORK and NEWARK were two feet apart (really, who does that in a loud, crowded terminal?!). Luckily, I got on the right bus just as it was ready to leave.

11:50 Arrive at Penn Station, NYC.

12:00-3:30 Shopping on Broadway!!!
While the Autographing was the purpose and highlight of the trip, I was really looking forward to spending some time walking around Times Square area. My three favorite places I visited were:

Toys R Us

It has a Ferris Wheel inside the building! How cool is that! No, I didn't go on it (there was quite a line, mostly of little kids) but I thought about it.

Each one of the passenger cars represents a different toy. There's a pink Barbie car!

The Disney Story

This place really is magic. You can't tell from the picture, but the tree is an LED screen of some sort- the images move and change! Whoever designed the store was a genius. The place was fun just to walk through.

A kids area. It has a touch screen so people can choose to watch clips of any particular Disney movie. The Princess and the Frog was on when I went by.

The entrance to the Princess section of the store. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was photo-worthy :)

The M&M Store

There is an entire store dedicated just to M&M's- key chains, magnets, plushies, and of course, the candy itself. Huge vats of it in every single color.

One of their fun little in store gimmicks was a "mood analyzer". Stand under the beam, and the screen tells you what kind of M&M you are.

I was Dark Pink. I guess the scanner knew I was off to RWA!

3:30-4:50 Chill in the Marriott's Atrium Lounge

I get to the hotel two hours early, read the Marriott's events board (at the main entrance) and see the Autographing is on the sixth floor, and decide to people watch in the hotel's bar for the meantime. While hanging around the Atrium I spotted Roxanne St. Claire and Julie James, and chatted on and off with some RWA attendees. I really wished I could have come back after the signing, but NYC buses wait for no gal...

4:50-5:05 Essentially, I was lost and confused

Forty minutes before the Autographing was about to start, I return to the sixth floor only to be told the line starts on the first floor (because of it's huge, wrap around the block length). Really?! It would have been nice if they had made that clear earlier on (i.e. at the main entrance!). But- it turns out there are some advantages to being places you aren't supposed to be...

First, I meet SB Sarah! Fun fact: This photo was taken by Jaci Burton, just as Jennifer Crusie checked in behind her. Oh yea. (Kat- this picture is for you <3 )

And... while taking the elevator back down to the first floor, I was given some free books by a volunteer from the Librarians Luncheon. Moral of the story- always smile to people on elevators!

-The Iron King by Julie Kagwa

-The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde

5:05-6:40 Wait in line

This was the not-so-fun part. But I was in good company. All of us loved romance novels, so there was always something to talk about. I met both Rita from Not Another Romance Blog and Jamie from For the Love of Romance, who were quite a bit of fun to talk to.

6:40-7:30 Collect Swag!!!

Then, finally, I was in!

Here's what I walked out of the signing with:

-Yours for the Taking by Robin Kaye
-Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl
-Something About You by Julie James
-A Lot Like Love by Julie James
-Here Comes the Groom by Karina Bliss (unfortunately unsigned, Karina Bliss couldn't make it herself)

-The Countess by Lynsay Sands
-Unveiled by Courtney Milan
-Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney
-The Perfect Scandal by Delilah Marvelle
-Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah McLean
-The Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone

-Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

-The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton

-The Princess in His Bed by Lila DiPasqua

I didn't take as many photos during the signing (I was crunched for time, and I didn't want to hold other people up either), but here's a couple shots I snapped:

Robin Kaye, holding up Yours for the Taking.

And Eloisa James and me!

7:45-1:05am Pay, dash out to Port Authority and take the bus home.

A very successful day :)

Top 10: Favorite Series

2011-06-30T23:54:00.000-04:00

I meant to have a post up today detailing the AWESOME time I had at the Literacy Autographing Tuesday, but between travelling and getting back to work I'm exhausted.

So instead here are my top ten favorite romance series!
10. Legend of the Four Soldiers by Elizabeth Hoyt
9. Love by Numbers by Sarah MacLean
8. The Matchmakers by Candance Camp
7. The Hellions of Halstead Hall by Sabrina Jeffries
6. The Wallflowers by Lisa Kleypas
5. Domestic Gods by Robin Kaye
4. The School for Heiresses by Sabrina Jeffries
3. The Bridgertons by Julia Quinn
2. The Hathaways by Lisa Kleypas
1. The Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward

Pictures and a recount of Tuesday's events should be up soon :)

RWA Countdown!!!

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Guess who's going to RWA... I'm going to RWA! The Literacy Autographing at least.

I can't afford the whole conference, but I am taking a bus up to NYC for the day and going to the signing. How friggin' awesome is that? So if any other readers/bloggers/authors are going to be up there and know of any events immediately before the signing (like I said, I'm only going to be there a few hours), let me know!

Show Your True Colors

2011-06-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

Do you know what's in two days?

The New Season

That's right! It's the True Blood Season 4 premiere! I'm getting chills just thinking about it. In the meantime I've been watching (and re-watching) all of the HBO online promos, which are beautifully done and are only feeding the frenzy.

For the other TB-addicts, I would recommend checking out:
-http://www.inside-true-blood-blog.com/ (careful! some of the videos can be spoiler-ish)
-http://www.babyvamp-jessica.com/ (a cute vlog for Jessica that ran parallel to Season 3. I only just learned about it, but it looks like they're starting it up again for Season 4!)

Jessica's Blog: Special Guest Appearance!

Top 10: Authors @ 2011 Literacy Autographing

2011-06-23T23:12:00.000-04:00

In this case "Top 10" is a bit of a misnomer, since I doubt there is anyway I could narrow this list down to just ten authors I want to see at the signing. Here's is my list of authors that I am sooo excited will be there!

-Victoria Alexander
-Jo Beverley
-Karina Bliss (I will be bringing my copy of What the Librarian Did)
-Elizabeth Boyle
-Jaci Burton
-Jennifer Crusie
-Victoria Dahl
-Lila DiPasqua
-Laura Lee Guhrke
-Elizabeth Hoyt
-Sabrina Jeffries
-Eloisa James
-Julie James
-Robin Kaye
-Delilah Marvelle
-Sarah MacLean
-Kate Noble
-Julia Quinn
-Lynsay Sands
-Jill Shalvis
-Sherry Thomas
-Simone Elkeles
-Mary Jo Putney
-Courtney Milan

There's no way I can get to all their tables in two hours, but visiting any mix of these awesome women will be amazing. What authors are other people looking forward to seeing?

Movies: The Bounty Hunter

2011-06-22T22:37:00.000-04:00

Title: The Bounty Hunter (2010)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Grade: B-

Summary:
Milo Boyd, a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, gets his dream job when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife, reporter Nicole Hurly. He thinks all that's ahead is an easy payday, but when Nicole gives him the slip so she can chase a lead on a murder cover-up, Milo realizes that nothing ever goes simply with him and Nicole. The exes continually one-up each other - until they find themselves on the run for their lives. They thought their promise to love, honor and obey was tough - staying alive is going to be a whole lot tougher.

Review:
This movie really surprised me. I found it on Netflix Instant when I was browsing around looking for something mindless. I was hoping a light romantic comedy would get me out of a stress induced funk I was in. I was just looking for cotton candy for the brain.

The Bounty Hunter is never going to make it on any of AFI's lists or even my favorite movie lists, but I think it's better than some of the other romcoms out there. What made this movie work for me was that it had a great mix of romance, comedy, action, and mystery. I particularly enjoyed the physical comedy, and Jason Sudakis has a small but hilarious role. There are a lot of plot lines that encompass these different aspects, but they were interwoven well.
I also really enjoyed the soundtrack. All of the songs were top 40's, and several were songs I normally never would have liked, but everything fit well with what was happening at that moment in the film. Also The Bounty Hunter had a very contemporary feel for me with the fashions and locations so top 40's seemed like a good pick.

In so many ways I felt that The Bounty Hunter could have originally been a contemporary romance novel and now I was just watching it play out on screen. The development of Milo and Nikki's relationship follows the same path that is seen in a lot of novels, right down to the Big Misunderstanding and how it is later resolved. In fact, maybe that's why I liked this movie so much- I got to see it all acted out visually instead of just reading it! It can definitely be argued that it's like that for most romcoms, but for some reason it was a lot more clearly defined for me in The Bounty Hunter.

I did think Milo and Nicole's romance could have been more dramatic or could have been taken more seriously at points, and Milo certainly went overboard with being a jerk once or twice. Like I said, not the best movie ever, but very, very fun. Team Aniston will also love this film- she looks absolutely fabulous in it!

Review: Lover Unleashed

2011-06-20T22:28:00.000-04:00

Title: Lover Unleashed
Author: JR Ward
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood (#9)
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary:
Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, warrior cloth as her brother: A fighter by nature, and a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of Chosen females, there is no place for her on the Far Side… and no role for her on the front lines of the war, either.

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

Review:
I LOVED Lover Unleashed. I devoured it, reading during my lunch breaks and into the night. But despite how much I enjoyed it, I’m still only giving it three stars. The other BDB books I’ve given three stars to have generally been because the main characters annoyed the heck out of me, but other characters and overall story arc redeemed it for me. In this case, there was so much going on that even the main romance felt like a side plot!

Manny and Payne didn’t feel like the centerpiece of the story. Compared to past couples they weren’t given that much page time, and at the end of the book their situation didn’t feel resolved. Maybe their story arc will continue into the next book- there seems to be a lot of that going on.

In a lot of ways, Lover Unleashed felt like a way to introduce future plots- Panye/Manny was just the excuse used to create the book for it. The reason I still liked it (besides being a die hard BDB fan) is that most of these plots weren’t boring. In a lot of past books there’s been endless filler about the inner workings of the Lesser Society, and a bunch of baby powdered undead white guys can only be so interesting. The Lessers have all but disappeared in Lover Unleashed, which for the time being I’m quite ok with.

There were a few things missing besides the Lessers though. Like where was Tohr? Isn’t the next book his? Even Qhuay, had a limited presence, was heavily lopsided, with the reader often in Quinn’s head, but Blay seeming to breeze on and off screen.

So all in all, Lover Unleashed gets a big thumbs up for fun, but two stars knocked off for missing pieces and heavy plot juggling.

Top 10: Favorite TV Shows

2011-06-17T00:28:00.000-04:00

Summer is a time for escapism- and what better way to escape than some good TV!

1. Arrested Development. Best. Friggin'. Show. EVER!!! Whenever I'm down in the dumps this is my go-to show for immediate pick me ups. I should do a Top 10, or maybe Top 100, reasons why I love this show. There's witty dialog, running gags, Ron Howard's deprecating narration, celebrity appearances, and a political and social awareness. Why am I writing this? I should go watch it now...

2. True Blood. I wanna do bad things with you... I also want to steal Sookie's wardrobe. She has some of the cutest dresses ever! Like Arrested Development, I could make a whole list about all the reasons I love this show. It's like crack- I need my fix. Besides crazy, overlapping, outlandish plotlines (which apparently don't follow the books that much), you have fun characters (Pam and Lafayette being two of my favs), HOT men, cool special effects, and some awesome settings. Can't wait for season four! I've added a countdown to my sidebar.

3. 30 Rock. Behind Arrested Development, I'd rank 30 Rock as my favorite comedy series. It has an awesome cast (and guest appearances from various SNL cast members), and Tina Fey is amazing. You will feel better about life after watching this show.

4. Six Feet Under. Dark humor created by Alan Ball, the same guy who did True Blood. Not nearly as sexy, much more cerebral and often depressing (it's about a family that runs a funeral home), but I got hooked on it and am almost done watching all five seasons. It's definitely good, but not for everyone.

5. NCIS. Soooo cheesy. Soooo good. I once heard someone with an NCIS ringtone and actually squee-ed.

6. White Collar. I once actually turned down a date saying flat out, "I can't go out then. White Collar will be on." It was worth it.

7. Glee. I love Glee, but it's also definitely a guilty pleasure. All the boyfriend/girlfriend swapping? The bands and sets that magically appear out of nowhere? Singing and dancing in the hallways and no one seems to care? It's ridiculous and over the top (especially compared to the first season), but I still watch every episode as soon as it's up on Hulu.

8. SNL. I don't watch this regularly, but I love SNL. If you don't you have no sense of humor and should not be friends with me. Go away now.

9. House. Admittedly I feel off the House-wagon about two seasons ago, but it still ranks as one of my favorite shows. Hugh Laurie is amazing. Kids shouldn't watch this because he makes drug addicts seem cool. Can I have him? Thirteen would be another good reason to watch the show. Olivia Wilde is gorgeous and I like her character.

10. Boy Meets World. Total throw back y'all! Why aren't there more reruns of this show? Corey and Topanga were the It couple of my childhood. And why did my favorite teacher never live in the house next to mine? Mr. Feeny! MR. FE-EE-EENNY!!! It was so awesome.

Summer Reading Ain't Just For Fun

2011-06-13T19:14:00.001-04:00

Remember how I said I'm taking that course next semester on Popular Romance? My prof e-mailed all of us to give us a partial reading list!

Books required for ENG 2272 Popular Romance Fiction
Pamela Regis
Fall 2011

Maurice by E.M. Forster

The Sheik by E.M. Hull

The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Montana Sky by Nora Roberts

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander by Ann Herendeen

I have to read all of them so I can practically guarantee they'll all get reviews as well. There's a lot of diversity in the material chosen (which makes sense since the course also counts as a multicultural credit). I can't wait to get the rest of the syllabus! Anyone read any of the books listed? Thoughts?

ETA: Just ordered the books off Half.com! They're shipping out from three different sellers and should be arriving over the next two weeks. :D

Top 10: Events of My Summer (so far...)

2011-06-12T22:55:00.001-04:00

Good job, D.L., good job. You said you would abandon your blog again, didn't you? You said you wouldn't go weeks and weeks in between posts, reviews and commenting on other blogs, didn't you? Even went as far as making it a New Year's Resolution, DIDN'T YOU? Ok, I confess, I did, I did! Forgive me?

Since for the umpteenth time I've gone MIA, I though I'd open up this blog revival post with a what-has-D.L.-been-up-to update (because you all really care, don't you?). Normally Top Ten is something I do on Thursdays, but Happy Sunday! Here are the Top Ten highlights of my past month:

1. I finished exams! Oh yay baby! No more tests. No more papers. No more Virginia Woolf! (I had a whole course on her- to say the least, I'm glad it's over.)

2. I went to the beach! To my great shame, despite living in Maryland I had not been to the beach in four years. Count that, four years! Admittedly I'm not much of a beach person (I hate how sand sticks to everything), but that amount of time was just unacceptable. I can now say it has been remedied.

3. I started my summer job! I work for my college's Conference Services, so I end up doing mostly odds and ends: setting equipment up, taking it down, inspecting rooms, directing cars, info desk, and lots and lots of laundry. It's actually pretty fun though. Pay is decent, and they house and feed me. The hours are crazy though, literally. Some days we work twelve hours, some days less than one, and we never know ahead of time.

4. I drove a golf cart! This was actually part of my job, but it was pretty sweet. And no pedestrians were put in danger. ~~will not point out that it's summer and there are no pedestrians on campus...~~

5. I got this summer's first paycheck! And better yet, I haven't blown it yet! I haven't deposited it yet either, but that's something else entirely.

6. I've eaten dessert every single day! Often every single meal. And only gained one pound. It's the main benefit of having a job which is several hours of physical labor a day. I suppose I could just stop eating so many sweets and lose some weight, but I'm in the healthy weight range, and red velvet cake taste so darn good.

7. I went to the movies! I saw both Priest, which was so bad it was awesome, and The Hangover II, which was just tons of fun.

8. I got a tan! This is the first summer since I was a kid I've managed to get a tan, and I'm quite pleased with it.

9. I got a summer wardrobe! There is nothing I love more than a cute, breezy dress and now I have several.

10. I followed my own advice! Remember when I reviewed He's Just Not That Into You? I really liked it, even made my own set of dating rules based on the book. I actually put them into place... and sucked a bit, because (just like the book said) instead of having a guy who wasn't that into me, I had no guy. Well, I guess I am a little better off... one down, on to the rest of the male population.

I have tons of news and reviews I'm hoping to get up over the next week or two- even though I've been out of the blogosphere I've still been reading. I hope everyone else is having an awesome summer!

My Good Luck Charms

2011-05-09T08:35:00.002-04:00

Just a few days left!!! So these guys came over to wish me luck ;)

Ok, end of silliness. I gotta get back to work.

Top 10: Reasons I Can't Wait For Finals To Be Over

2011-05-05T08:47:00.001-04:00

Ok, I'll admit the is a bit of a cheap post, but I'm stress and need to vent a little!

1. I can read romance novels again!!! I cannot even say how much I miss my babies :( I knew how much work I had to do, so with the exception of Lover Unleashed I packed up ALL my books in a box, taped it up, and put it under my bed. Ugh.
2. I can blog again. Once I start reading again I'll actually have something to blog about.
3. I can read other people's blog's again. My RSS feeds are currently piled sky high.
4. I can sleep without feeling guilty. I haven't given up sleeping, but yea, I wake up feeling bad about doing it.
5. I can start making some moolah. My summer job (which is working for the college) starts less than two weeks after exams, and I'm actually pretty excited. The house I'm living in is decent (which is nice since they're paying for it!), the people I'm working with are cool, and a few of my good friends live nearby. Score! The one downside is that it's a lot of physical labor and I'll have some pretty strange hours.
6. I can watch more TV. True summer activity there!
7. I can go swimming. I don't know if I'll get to go to the beach this year, but I'm sure I'll get to hit the local pool a few times.
8. I can work on my tan. I tan pretty quickly, so this should be an easy on to knock off.
9. I can eat better food. The downside of working for the college is that I'll still be eating at the dining hall, but you know people will be throwing picnics and bbqs from time to time!
10. I can go to summer parties. Love these the best. Tend to be more laid back, relaxed, and chill then parties during the rest of the year when people are stress out.

In conclusion- bring on the summer, the sun, and the fun little drink umbrellas!

April Wrap-Up

2011-04-30T15:58:00.000-04:00

Sorry everyone, April was definitely a sloooow reading month for me, so almost nothing to report here.

1. Top Book of the Month: He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

I know it's not a romance novel (and therefore not the sort of thing I'd normally review) but I loved it! Review here.

2. The Royal Wedding!
I didn't watch the whole thing, but I did watch snippits of it over breakfast. There's been so much speculation over Kate's dress (I guess now we have to call her Catherine). I liked it.

The shorter train (heck, it's still long!) and modern touches fit her signature style much more than say Princess Diana's fairy tale wedding dress would have.

I didn't like her dress for the reception as much. What's with the fuzzy sweater? Please don't say those are making a comeback...

3. Glee!

Back for the second half of the season and making me happy again :)

Top 10: Royal Wedding Mania!

2011-04-28T08:02:00.005-04:00

Ever since the Royal Engagement was announced, memorabilia has been popping up left and right. For the most part it's the smiling couple's faces on pieces of china, coins, and stamps. But of course, there are those few pieces that are a bit more... out there. Add in the internet, where we can now make videos either honoring or spoofing the royal couple and you're bound to get some interesting odds and ends. In honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton's nupitals tomorrow, here's a list of my Top 10 favorite crazy knick-knacks and videos that have been spawned from the Royal Wedding Mania!

1. The T-Mobile Royal Wedding. Remember that fun dancing down the aisle video that went viral? T-Mobile did a spoof using Will and Kate as models.

2. Royal Romance- TheTheOtherGuys. This is by far my favorite video made for the royal couple. It's a parody of Bad Romance made by some of the guys who went to St. Andrew's with Will and Kate. If you haven't seen it yet, take a minute to watch it.

3. PEZ Dispensers

4. Beer. While not exactly high brow, I love the name.

5. Royal Couple Nails

6. Ash Trays

7. Toilet Seat Cover. Is this supposed to be one of those sitting-on-a-throne references?

8. The Royal Refridgerator. Is this just in case you ever forgot who your future monarchs are?

9. Heritage Condoms. I thought royals wanted heirs?

10. Sick Bags. After everything I've just showed you, do I really need to explain?

Marines Making My Day

2011-04-25T08:02:00.000-04:00

How is it that men in uniform can make any day better?

Top 10: Favorite Heroes

2011-04-21T08:14:00.003-04:00

Last week I did my Top 10 Favorite Romance Novels, so this week I thought I'd add my Top 10 Favorite Heroes. It's also based off my list at DIK- I had eight heroes listed there, so I only had to pick two more, though I changed one on the list so I guess that makes three additions total. Once again these are in no particular order.

Favorite Heroes:

1. Marc “Hunt” Hunter from Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare

2. Hardy Cates from Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

3. Matthew Swift from Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas. Originally I had Kev Merripen on my list (omg Barbara, look, another LK I'll-love-you-from-afar-but-do-nothing-about-it hero!), but that was mostly because I wanted some diversity between my "Favorite Books" list and "Favorite Heroes" list. Matthew Swift holds a special place in my heart and just might be my all time favorite hero. If I met him on the street today I would be his Daisy in a heartbeat.

4. David Masters from Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries. I think this book made a great finale to the Heiress series.

5. Spike from A Man in a Million by Jessica Bird. He's a BDB Brother in disguise. I swear his real name is Spihke.

6. Nick Romeo from Romeo Romeo by Robin Kaye.

7. Julian Sinclair from The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

8. Devin Freedman from What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss.

9. John Matthew from Lover Mine by JR Ward. I wanted him with me on the Island, but it wasn't too bad since I did get Lover Mine on my list of books.

10. Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything. If you have not seen this movie, go watch it- now! Seriously, I'll wait.

Milking The Cash Cow

2011-04-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

I don't have anything against Taylor Lautner. Anyone who can go from this...

to that...

seriously gets some credit. (Give me a call, kid, when you hit twenty-five.) But, despite his ability to harness puberty better than 99.9% of the population, he's not the best actor out there. I mean there's a reason we've got meme's like this one popping up:

So I wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or cry when I saw this trailer:

Milking the cash cow are we? No, Taylor Lautner isn't the best actor, but casting him in action/thriller films that blatantly bank on the Twilight crowd wanting to see them isn't going to help his career. There's a reason actors like Jason Statham and Bruce Willis usually take those roles- because when a nineteen year old does it, it looks kind of dumb.

Review: He's Just Not That Into You

2011-04-15T04:51:00.000-04:00

Title: He's Just Not That Into You
Author: Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo
Genre: Self Help
Series: none
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary:
For ages women have come together over coffee, cocktails, or late-night phone chats to analyze the puzzling behavior of men. Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo are here to say that —despite good intentions— you're wasting your time. Men are not complicated, although they'd like you to think they are. And there are no mixed messages.

The truth may be, He's just not that into you.

He's Just Not That Into You —based on a popular episode of Sex and the City— educates otherwise smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn't like them enough, so they can stop wasting time making excuses for a dead-end relationship. This book knows you're a beautiful, smart, funny woman who deserves better.

Review:
I loved He's Just Not That Into You (the movie). I thought it was funny and smart and had a great ensemble cast. However, I had never thought to pick up He's Just Not That Into You (the book). I'm not a fan of self-help books. Normally I'll start reading them and diligently nod my head at what I assume must be such sage and wise advice (after all it did manage to get published). But somewhere around a fourth of the way through I always end up setting the book down because, as awesome as the advice sounds on paper, it doesn't seem feasible in my life. Sort of like a crash diet- maybe I could keep it up for a week or two, but down the line I'd be right back to all my old habits.

I started He's Just Not That Into You with even lower expectations than that. To be honest, I started it with a bad attitude, fully planning on hating it and making fun of it. A few weeks ago while surfing the interwebs I came across an excerpt of this book that had me up in arms. The very first chapter (and the excerpt I read) says that if a guy is into you, he'll ask you out, no ifs, ands, or buts. In otherwords, stop asking men out and wait for them to ask you. The whole idea sounded so infuriating and anti-feminist to me! What could this book possibly say that's worthwhile? Let me get this confession out of the way early: I was wrong.

The whole point of the book is summed up in a phrase use right in the intro: don't waste the pretty. You're pretty, you're smart, you're interesting. So don't waste the pretty on men who don't reciprocate, or who make excuses, or who don't make you happy. Don't waste the pretty on men who waste your time.

He's Just Not That Into You is divided into a series of chapters all starting with "He's Just Not That Into You If..." and then tackling a specific issue such as asking you out, calling, and seeing other people. Within each chapter Greg responds to letters that have different dating and relationship dilemmas where, you guessed it, he's just not that into you. Each chapter ends with further remarks from Greg and how Liz (the single girl like the reader) is handling the subject, and then a silly "exercise" to drive home the point.

The book really had a way of punching me in the gut then making me stand up straighter. I'll start with the feminist who-aks-out-who debate. Greg points out that men have been given all these advantages in our society, so despite what many would have you believe, they are fully capable of asking someone out, especially if it's someone they're into. It's painfully logical. He doesn't say everytime a gal asks a guy out is bad- the point of the chapter is more to push the point that there is no reason to ask out (and continue to call) a guy who has not proven that he is into and therefore worthy of your time and prettiness. We have a right to expect better for ourselves. Way to go Greg for reminding us.

Greg deals out a lot of tough love in the book. Most of it is harsh and hard to swallow. If it had only been his opinion, I still would have thought it was a good book. Liz's sections added the gal's perspective, voicing all of our worries and doubts and acknowleding the complexities of the situations, ultimately concluding (using Greg's advice) all we can do is make the best choices based on what we know. This dual perspective made the book not just good but great.

That sounds really sad and depressing, but it's not, it's empowering. What I realized is if I hadn't been wasting all my time with all those guys who weren't that into me (and who often I wasn't that into either) I probably would have found or noticed a guy who was into me! Clearly I'm not the only woman who felt this way. The library copy I got was thoroughly dog-eared, even before I checked it out.

The final chapter is the only place with a serious exercise. It's where you have to create standards for yourself- actually write down concrete behaviors you will not tolerate. I thought hard over this one, so here's what I came up with:
1. I will not go out with a guy I have to ask out beyond the first date.
2. I will not go out with a guy who doesn't make clear he's dating me.
3. I will not go out with a guy who doesn't regularly communicate with me.
4. I will not go out with a guy who already has a girlfriend.
5. I will not go out with a guy who cannot speak openly about sex or deal with with sex-related issues.
6. I will not go out with a guy who uses drugs or drinks excessively.
7. I will not go out with a guy who whose political or religious views make me uncomfortable, or who makes racist or homophobic remarks.
8. I will not go out with a guy if making me happy isn't one of his priorities.
9. I will not go out with a guy if he won't show me off to his friends or won't stick up for me in front of his frineds.
10. I will not go out with a guy if I cannot see myself having some sort of future with him.

Liz (sans Greg) wrote a section at the end of the book about life and dating after writing He's Just Not That Into You. It's about the process that went with putting these ideas into place. Obviously some of it can be intimidating. Why be alone when you can be with someone who's good enough for now? She suggests waiting a year or two before reading the section. Normally I'd disregard that statement and read it anyway, but for once I did what I was told. Yes, I thought the book was that worth listening to.

I know a lot of people who read this blog are happily married, but I'd still recommend this book because we all have at least one friend who needs to read it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Top 10: Favorite Romance Novels

2011-04-14T04:44:00.000-04:00

I really like Top 10 lists. They're fun, quick, and easy. I think I might decide to do more of them in the future. I'm pretty busy today so I thought I'd throw together a fast list of my Top 10 favorite romance novels. I already have seven listed over at DIK, so this list includes those. It was tough to pick the other three, but here's what I came up with (in no specific order):

1. Lover Mine by JR Ward

2. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

3. Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie

4. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

5. Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

6. Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas

7. Between Mist and Midnight by Kathleen O'Brien

8. The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

9. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

10. Bait by Karen Robards

In conclusion, I seem to like books whose author's first names are Jennifer, or at least begin with a J. Interesting! I had no idea.

Movies: The Lady Eve

2011-04-13T08:41:00.003-04:00

Movie: The Lady Eve (1941)
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Grade: B

Summary:
Returning from a year up the Amazon studying snakes, the rich but unsophisticated Charles Pike meets con-artist Jean Harrington on a ship. They fall in love, but a misunderstanding causes them to split on bad terms. To get back at him, Jean disguises herself as an English lady, and comes back to tease and torment him.

Review:
A few days ago when hopping around the blogosphere I came across Dear Author's review of The Lady Eve and was intrigued. I'm a big fan of 1940's romances and screwball comedies, and also a lover of Barbara Stanwyck. Reading the review I realized, "hey I've seen this before!" but for some reason only the second half, so I jumped on Netflix Instant and watched the whole thing to judge it for myself. Interestingly enough, I came up with the same grade as Dear Author reviewer Jayne, but I completely disagree with her review. Janye, you've got it all backwards! Let me set the record straight...

I think I should start off my review by stating that I don't like Henry Fonda. Not one darn bit. I think he pulled his weight a bit in 12 Angry Men, but that had more to do with excellent direction by Sidney Lummet and strong actors like Lee J. Cobb to play off of. In The Lady Eve it's not his character Hopsy that's wooden, it's him! I also had some qualms with William Demarest's portrayal of Mugsy (to say the least it was one dimensional and over the top) but it was more a reflection of 1930's comedic acting styles than actual bad acting (i.e. Henry Fonda!).

Janye and my biggest disagreement is over the first half of the movie. The first half of the movie takes place on a steamboat headed back to New York from South America, where happy-go-lucky Jean begins a flirtation with Charles "Hopsy" Pike, millionaire and heir to an ale brewing company. Jean is the daughter of a card shark, and the flirtation was meant to help distract Hopsy, but soon she's falling for him too and calling off the whole scam. Janye thought this half was fantastic and laugh out loud hilarious. I thought it was mediocre and generic. I agree with her that the first half of the movie is a lot more light hearted, but that's what makes it so bland. There's no real tension that's developed yet.

That being said, the tone changes and becomes darker in the second half, once the tension has developed. At the end of the ship ride, Hopsy discovers what he believes to be Jean's deception and callously rejects her. She vows revenge and later stays with a family friend who lives by the Pikes, introducing herself as the Lady Eve only to capture Hopsy's heart once again, this time to break it. I felt Stanwyck really got a chance to shine in this half of the movie. She slide between the smiling society girl and the hurt and angry lover with ease (I couldn't help but think of her future character in Double Indemnity!). Ultimately she sides with good though and because of her love for Hopsy sees the error of what she's done.

The Lady Eve is a classic 1940's slapstick romantic comedy, and it's in the second half that it really acts like one. For most the movie the comedic burden has been on Stanwyck (and somewhat Demarest) but here Fonda finally helps out with some physical gags. I think to modern viewers these might seem silly and over the top, but I find them funny, especially when I look at them in comparison of other movies of the time when that's what comedy was.

There is one scene which really gets under my nerves though- the way in which Eve breaks Hopsy's heart is by confessing to a series of past flings and a previous marriage, which apparently is horrible enough to make him jump out of a train and refuse to ever speak to her again. Really?! Oh 1941... so appallingly anti-feminist. However, if you can block what they're actually saying out and just watch Stanwyck's delivery it's still funny.

Overall, I don't think The Lady Eve is the best romantic comedy, ever or of the 1940's. I don't think it holds up to the rapier wit of some of Cary Grant's early films (such as The Phildelphia Story) or The Thin Man series. It was, however, a wonderful performance by Barbara Stanwyck and a great way to spend an hour and a half. B

Why Being an English Major Rocks

2011-04-12T08:14:00.001-04:00

~~Here's the part where I once again rub in your face that I am a college student and probably significantly younger than you.~~

Ever heard of a book called A Natural History of the Romance Novel by Pamela Regis? Well, if you haven't here's a brief summary of it taken from RomanceWiki (cuz anything ending in Wiki is so scholarly ;p):

Taking the stance that the popular romance novel is a work of literature with a brilliant pedigree, Regis asserts that it is also a very old, stable form, properly defined as a work of prose fiction that tells the story of the courtship and betrothal of one or more heroines. Arguing that the ending in marriage found so objectionable by critics is hardly the sole governing element, Regis brings to the forefront other, more significant narrative components, such as the reform of a corrupt society and the breakdown of the barrier between hero and heroine. She traces the literary history of the romance novel from canonical works such as Richardson's Pamela through Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Brontë's Jane Eyre, Trollope's Framley Parsonage, and Forster's Room with a View, then turns to the twentieth century to examine works such as E. M. Hull's The Sheik and the novels of Georgette Heyer, Mary Stewart, Janet Dailey, Jayne Ann Krentz, and Nora Roberts. Situating each novel in its own time while interpreting it through the critical vocabulary she proposes, Regis specifies how romance conventions change yet retain the essential formal requirements of the genre.

In other words, this book and this lady are awesome, because she uses academic arguements to shut down all those jerks who say romance novels are nothing but trashy bodice rippers for bored lonely housewifes who sit around eating bon bons.

So why am I so psyched about this book right now? Because Pamela Regis is a professor at my college, and as an English major next semester I am taking her Popular Romance course! How freaking awesome is that?! I was so excited about it I was even willing to take it despite it being an 8am course.

At first a part of me wondered if having to analyze and do as work what I normally do for fun would be a turn off, but then I was like, "Romance novels for homework? Having to write papers about them instead of about boring dead white guys? Lolz I am sooo there!" I think I see a senior thesis in my future.

Review: Prom and Prejudice

2011-04-11T04:07:00.000-04:00

Title: Prom and Prejudice
Author: Elizabeth Eulberg
Genre: YA Romance
Series: None
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary:
After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.
Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Review:
I have a soft spot for YA retellings of classic fiction, and I definitely have a soft spot for retellings of Pride and Prejudice. So when I spotted Prom and Prejudice I sent in a request to my local library and had them purchase a copy for me.

In my opinion YA fiction can either be very complex and thought provoking, or complete and utter fluff. In this case it, Prom and Prejudice fell in the latter category. Pride and Prejudice itself isn't a particularly morally complex book, but I felt Prom and Prejudice started off with the concept of tackling class differences at a private elitist boarding school but then fell flat. I think the problem for me was that, with the exception of Jane and Darcy, all the other students were stereotypes of "rich kids". In fact, all the characters, including Lizzie, Darcy, Jane lacked any real depth giving them a cardboard effect. Because of this I would say Eulberg didn't bring anything new or insightful to her retelling.

Despite the flatness of the characterization, it was a fun and easy read which I flew through and was still entertained by. The places which Eulberg chose to deviate from the original storyline made it much more appropriate for modern times, but it still strongly resembled the good old text. I'd really only recommend this to all the mega fans of P&P- for me it was a 3 star read.

Review: How to Woo a Reluctant Lady

2011-04-07T20:40:00.000-04:00

Title: How to Woo a Reluctant Lady
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Hellions of Halstead Hall (#3)
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:
Lady Minerva Sharpe has the perfect plan to thwart her grandmother's demands: become engaged to a rogue! Surely Gran would rather release her inheritance than see her wed a scoundrel. And who better to play the part of Minerva's would-be husband than wild barrister Giles Masters, the very inspiration for the handsome spy in the popular Gothic novels she writes? The memory of his passionate kiss on her nineteenth birthday has lingered in Minerva's imagination, though she has no intention of really falling for such a rakehell, much less marrying him. Little does she know, he really is a covert government operative. When they team up to investigate the mystery behind her parents' deaths, their fake betrothal leads to red-hot desire. Then Minerva discovers Giles's secret double life, and he must use all the cunning tricks of his trade to find his way back into her heart.
Review:
I would say that, so far, How to Woo a Reluctant Lady has been my favorite of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. For some reason I find that Sabrina Jeffries books pack more of a punch when the primary character is female (like with her Heiress series) than when the primary character is male (i.e. Oliver or Jarret). I don't really know why since every book has a hero and heroine, but this is what I've noticed. Also, I was excited that Giles got his own book! David Masters is one of my all time favorite heroes, so getting to read about his little brother (even though his little bro seriously messed up in Wed Him Before You Bed Him) was real fun.
Minerva and Giles have great chemistry together and are strong independent characters as well. Minerva's career as a gothic novelist is fun to read about, especially since we've heard so much about her character Rockton in The Truth About Lord Stoneville and now we're getting a whole new take on him. Normally I get bored with the "rake who isn't actually a rake" plot, but it worked fabulously for Giles because it was layered with his job, his values, and the pressures it put on him. He was a fleshed out character. A main point of the series is the Sharpe's family scandal, and Jeffries does a great job of carrying through the series story arc and keeping it interesting. The tragedy of the Sharpe's parent's death applies to all the siblings, but here it was woven right into Minevra and Gile's romance so it didn't weigh the plot down.

However, there were things that irked me throughout the novel- in particular Minerva and Gile's trust issues. Come on, work through them already!

For the first half of the novel Minerva obsessess that marrying ANY man will mean the loss of her freedom. She is determined to live alone in some cottage and write her books, even though she has some obvious envy of her brother's and their marriages. This is all understandable after her witnessing her parents marriage, but it was rubbing me the wrong way how she was treating Giles. We know he's had to play the dissulote rake for years, but she doesn't let him get two words in edgewise for a good quarter of the book. Instead she just disses him, his career, and his ability to take responsibility. If she had let him get in two words she might have seen just how much he really had accomplished. And he was trying really really hard to show her! I just wanted to shake her!

On the other hand, for the second half of the book Giles wasn't any better! He's so determined to believe that Minerva can't keep a secret (becuase she is a writer and will accidently write it into a book) that he doesn't tell her anything. His secretiveness almost destroyes her and their marriage. Ok, I get it, he's been a spy all these years and now can't trust anyone. I half like that part because it adds depth to his character. But at the same time, Ravenswood, his superior, has already given him permission to tell Minerva! Could he be anymore of an idiot? I wanted to slap him!

Of course, it all works out wonderfully in the end, and I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it. Niether Minerva's nor Giles's flaws were enough to turn me off to the book, or even significantly pull me away from the plot. All in all 4 stars.

BDB News

2011-04-06T12:38:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm a little late on posting this, so a lot of you have probably already heard this news but I wanted to comment on it anyway. JR Ward has announced that the next BDB book will be Tohr's!

(Sorry for the off sound and odd subtitles!)

First off, I haven't read Lover Unleashed yet so I can't remark on anything that might have developed there, but I think I read somewhere that he's going to be mating with No'One. I don't know if this was officially announced, so if anyone knows for sure please comment! Either way, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. It's not that I don't want to see him happy again, but I'm not sure how JR Ward is going to pull this off. I still really love him and Wellsie and I don't particularly want to see him with someone else (well... maybe Lassiter lol). I just want him to be less depressed! The book doesn't come out until 2012 so I have some time to get used to the idea.

And I don't think I'm alone in saying I wish she would just write a book for Qhuinn and Blay instead!

You Could Have Fooled Me

2011-04-01T08:24:00.000-04:00

Happy April Fool's Day! I hope everyone is staying out of too much trouble? Here are a few of my favorite pranks that I've stumbled across:

1. The Left-Handed Whopper

In 1998 BK "unvieled" the left-handed Whopper, where all the ingredients were rotated 180 degrees to satisfy their lefty customers. Apparently it was quite frequently requested the following day, though several right-handed folks made sure to request the original, right-handed version.

2. Dihydrogen Monoxide
Sounds dangerous doesn't it? While not specifically an April Fool's Day prank, I had to include this one.

Dihydrogen monoxide is a fancy name for... water. This hoax can be traced back to the Coalition to Ban Dihydrogen Monoxide, a hoax organization started by Craig Jackson. Among the many things it warned against were dihydrogen monoxide being a major component of acid rain, that it contributes to the greenhouse effect, that it can cause severe burns, and that it is fatal if inhaled. This prank has been replicated several times since- and can always be reproduced with some of your less chemistry inclined friends!

3. LA Highways Down for Repair

In 1987 a LA DJ announced that all LA highways would be shut down for an entire month for repairs starting April 8th. Since LA is absolutely dependent on these highways, most residents who heard (and believed) the DJ were in a state of panic. The station and the California Highway Patrol were flooded with calls for the rest of the day. Understandibly, the Highway Patrol did not think the prank was that funny.

4. Walled In
A video prank- and my favorite office prank of all time!

The moral of all this? Remember what day it is and take everything with a grain of salt and some good humor!

Title Goes Here

2011-03-28T23:43:00.000-04:00

I meant to post this as a Sunday recap, but to be honest I just got lazy.

1. My Dad got HBO for us, which is so friggin' awesome because now I can watch True Blood season 3 on my laptop at school! Not that I hadn't already seen it, but since I was watching it online the quality was awful. Besides the wonderful amounts of Eric we get in this season (omg omg I cannot wait for next season to start) I am absolutely head over heels in love with Alcide. I know a lot of y'all are beard girls (and he's starting to turn me into one too) so here's one of my favorite screen caps of him ;)

2. RIP Elizabeth Taylor 1932-2011. You ~~were~~ ARE an icon for the ages.

3. Reading Recap:

I finished Sabrina Jeffries' A Hellion in Her Bed last week. While it didn't blow me out of the water, I did generally enjoy it. I would only really recommend it though if you're already reading or planning to read the whole series. Nothing about it really stood out to me. I could set it down for days at a time and not have trouble picking it back up, but nothing compelled me to find out the ending (like I've felt with some of her other books). 3 stars. I am already reading How to Woo a Reluctant Lady, so it'll be interesting for me to see how Minerva's story compares to her two brother's. I do like the overall story arc of the siblings uncovering what happened to their parents, and I love Mr. Pinter so I'm eager to read his and Celia's book whenever that is released (especially since I think Gran might disapprove of him!).

Interweb Humor

2011-03-24T09:17:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to share a few things I'd found online over the past few days that had really made me laugh.

Under The Influence

2011-03-23T16:48:00.000-04:00

Now that Kris has gotten ratings on my mind, I've gotten to wondering, what influences you? Or doesn't influence you? Ok, maybe you're one of those people who manages to keep all of their reviews and ratings completely subjective. Good for you. But I think most of us are influenced by a lot of factors when making decisions, even ones so seemingly simple as rating a book.

1. Profession
This may seem like an odd one to put at the top of the list, but I know it has the biggest influence on my ratings. I'm a college student (as if I haven't mentioned it enough) and something that really bugs me is grade inflation. To me, a 3 star rating is average and by definition most books you read are going to be average. I know it must feel horrifying for an author to be told their book is average or worse (at least I would be horrified) but it's not meant as an insult. For me, the problem is if everyone is out there rating most books at 4's and 5's ratings become so much less reliable.

2. Other reviews
I suffer from review hype. I seriously do my best not to, but if I've read too many good reviews for a book, it will impair my ability to judge the book for myself. One the one hand, I'll be so prepared to love it that I might give it a 5 when otherwise I probably would have given it a 4, or I'll have been expecting so much from it that, when it doesn't deliver what I wanted, I downgrade it.

3. Author/Series
This isn't something I do, but I sometimes wonder about other people. Does loving an author or a series mean you automatically love all the books by that author or in that series? Here's an example. I love love LOVE the BDB. Can't get enough of them. But I don't love all the books equally. I gave Lover Eternal, Lover Enshrined, and Lover Avenged all 3 stars. They would have been given less if not for the side plots and heavy appearances by other characters I did like. But I'll go on Goodreads and see people who have rated all of the books in the series 5 stars. Really?! You think they're all that amazing?

Does anyone else feel they get influenced? Do you have a method for only assessing your own feelings when rating a book? Or worse- are you a grade inflator?!

Rating System

2011-03-22T12:34:00.002-04:00

Lately Kris over at Kris 'n' Good Books has been on a kick about ratings, and I realized I've never set up an official rating system for my blog. I have one in my head of course, but I thought I ought to publish it as well so everyone knows I'm not making everything up!

5 stars: I can't stop thinking about this book. I likely stayed up all night to read it. I was wowed by the originality, characters, plot, or development. I would recommend this book to everyone. I will buy from this author in the future.

4 stars: The book ad no problem passing the set down/pick up test. I love almost all of the plot and characters and thought any flaws were negligible. I would recommend to almost anyone.

3 stars: A completely average read. Some good things and some bad things. I might recommend it to a friend depending on what exactly their tastes are, but it probably won't stick with me personally in the long run.

2 stars: The book struggled (or failed) to pass the set down/pick up test. There were major flaws and/or plots that annoyed me. I would not recommend it to anyone.

1 stars: I can't stop thinking about this book. I likely threw it at a wall or trash can. I was wowed by stupidity, typos, lack of character development, bad dialog, or simply the fact it was published at all. I will avoid this author in the future.

In Other News

2011-03-21T06:31:00.001-04:00

A couple things have happened in the past week, but since they're not particularly related here a bit of a mash up.

1. For all you Gleeks- Kurt/Blaine FTW! I think we all knew it was coming, but in my opinion it played out perfectly.

I also just loved the episode as a whole. The original songs were great and I'm sad we're going to have to wait a while for the season to start up again, but the mid-season did end on a stellar note. I'm really counting on Finn and Rachel getting back together later in the show (it's pretty obvious right?) because they're my favorite pair. Any thoughts from other Gleeks out there?

2. Sabrina Jeffries has officially announced that in the final book of the Hellion series Celia will be pair with Pinter. I don't know if anyone else felt this way, but I thought the pairing was clearly set up since the first book (sort of like Minerva and Giles), which is something I've really enjoyed and am looking forward to. She's said on her Facebook that David Gandy is her model for Pinter.

Very nice.

3. I got to try TruBlood! I know, I know, it's so gimmicky, right? It tastes pretty good though. It's carbonated blood orange soda, so it's just like a premium over price regular orange soda, but the bottles are soooo awesome! I'm such a fan.

4. The Iditarod recently concluded. When it comes to this dogsled race, I am the definition of a superfan. I constantly am running back to my computer to check the standings of the mushers. I was pretty psyched because I won my bet this year. I predicted Dallas Seavey would not win but place in the top ten, and he came in fourth! Look, here's me being superfan-y.

My Spring Break is over and am now back at school. Le sigh. Time to get back into gear.

All The Single Ladies!

2011-03-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is for all the single ladies out there, because I know you feel me.

Dating is very confusing. There are so many self-help books on the subject, usually with conflicting views, that where do I even start? Do I call him? Do I not call him? Give him another chance or strike out after one infraction?

I think most of us single women have a general set of "guidelines" for what we want or what we avoid. I admit, I'm very superstitions, so my "guidelines" probably seem totally ridiculous to most people. But I swear these rules didn't come out of thin air! Certain seemingly inconspicuous things kept coming up over and over again for me until I finally decided I was cursed.

1) Scorpios.
I've posted about this before, over at DIK. I'm sure a lot of people think I'm crazy for it, throwing out a whole group of eligible men just because of their birthday. And I don't even believe in astrology. I just really really think that any Scorpio and I are doomed. Trust me, there's tons of precedent for this rule.

2) Pianists.
Think Sugar and her saxaphone players in Some Like it Hot, except without Tony Curtis and me riding a speed boat into the sunset. Yep, all that's left is that squeezed out tube of toothpaste.
3) Libertarians.
It has nothing to do with the fact that our political views clash. I just have a long history of getting involved with Libertarians and then having it go sour as a Lemondrop.
4) Blonde blue eyed guys who wear camo and shoot guns.
I don't know if this actually belongs on here, but since that's the exact image of all of my ex's, I'm voting I steer clear of these fellows for a while.
5) Andrews.
I know this probably sounds unfair since it's not like all the Andrews out there named themselves, but I haven't met one yet who hasn't tried to pull one over on me. They're like magnets for bad karma. I don't care how you choose to use it- Andrew, Andy, Drew- if it's your name, keep on walking.

New Books Cheer Me Up

2011-03-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

I am in the midst of a really bad stomach flu, so to say the least it hasn't been the best week for me. I'm happy to finally be going home today. I haven't gotten much reading done (I haven't gotten much of anything done!) but some fun books came in the mail this week for me, so I thought I'd go ahead and celebrate that.

Love in the Afternoon and His at Night have been on my To-Buy list forever, and both Lisa Kleypas and Sherry Thomas are autobuy authors for me. I've been hearing a lot of buzz about When Beauty Tamed the Beast and What I Did For a Duke, so I decided to add them to my Amazon order. Since next week is my Spring Break hopefully I'll get to read some of them!

Bukkits All Around

2011-03-06T17:24:00.000-05:00

Holy hole in the donut, Batman, have I been out of the loop!

Apparently a few days ago something I sent into Smart Bitches got featured in a post, and I didn't even realize it until a friend mentioned it to me!

That Bucket Gets BUSY gives credit to "sharp-eyed reader DL" (me!). This is very exciting in my world. This is actually the second time something I've sent in got featured on Smart Bitches, and both times have featured the magic bukkit! The last one was Nathan's Bukkit, which includes a very pretty picture of Nathan Kamp and his abs.

I seem to have an excellent memory for covers and stock images... if only I could turn this into a marketable skill...

Movies: TiMER

2011-03-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

Movie: TiMER (2009)
Genre: Romance
Grade: A-

TiMER was an unexpected pick I found when browsing on Netflix. It's hard to exactly pick a genre for it- I'd maybe even place it as a romantic comedy, but with darker humor than usually seen and not the usual outcomes (I don't want to give too much away!).

If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?

Oona (staring Emma Caufield, Anya for all us Buffy fans!) has had the TiMER implanted in her wrist since puberty- a device that counts down to the exact moment when your soul mate enters your life. However, since her soul mate has not yet had his implanted, her countdown remains blank, and she feels in limbo. Steph, her sister, has a TiMER set to go off when she's 43, making her feel just as lost.

Each sister deals with their dilemma differently- Oona by making every un-TiMERed man she can find get the device and Steph by running through a series of meaningless one-night stands with other TiMERed men. But what happens when Oona meets Mikey, the younger, TiMERed guy who makes her ok with living in the present, and Steph finds Dan the Man, the un-TiMERed man who she might actually stick around for?

This was the most relatable romantic comedy I've seen in a while, despite it's alternate reality premise. It's so normal to be worried about when you're going to meet "The One" that you start to lose sight of the big picture and are willing to throw out a perfectly decent relationship because it likely won't last forever. I think to an extent everyone worries that love has no guarantees, so there are a lot of universal themes in this movie.

It's hard to discuss specifics of movie, because it took a lot of turns I didn't expect and it's not something I'd want to spoil. As I finished this movie and the credits began to roll I thought this would be a great movie to watch after a break up. It's all about the fact that the road to love is rocky and unexpected, and that there is no right answer, but it the end it will be ok. I would definitely recommend this one no matter your mood!

Gleeked!

2011-03-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

I've had a case of the February blues, so I'm glad March is finally here. The weather is warming up bit by bit and even though spring showers are right around the corner it's nice to see the sun peaking out for now.

I can't say that I've been doing much reading, but lately I've gotten myself hooked on Glee. I never thought I'd say because I never quite got the appeal of the show, but after seeing a recent episode I ended up going back and devoring the first season and am now making my way through the second.

I can't say it's my favorite show I ever got hooked on. There are some major, gaping plot holes and since it's an esemble cast no one plot thread or character (no matter how much I like them) gets focused on for very long. However, I do think it does do a fairly good job of capturing the stresses and stereotypes of high school

Other than that, I'm looking forward to my Spring Break. It's about a week away. Any further and I think the rest of the student body and I might go nuts.

Go Obama!

2011-02-24T00:45:00.000-05:00

In light of the recent determination by President Obama that the Defense Against Marriage Act is unconstitutional, I thought I'd post this fun little video I found.

Review: Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman

2011-02-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

Wow, I'm on a real roll with my reviews here!

Title: Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman
Author: Lorraine Heath
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: London's Greatest Lovers #2
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I am having so much trouble rating this book, so let me start with the good stuff.

I LOVED Stephen. I cannot even say this enough. Before I picked up this book, I was getting tired of the reformed rake plot, so it stands to reason I wouldn’t be too fond of Stephen. This guy was the biggest player ever and was in no hurry to repent for it. But unlike a lot of the reformed rake plots that have been starting to grate on me, Stephen didn’t just drop his womanizing ways because he found The One. His traumatic experiences in the Crimean War, and his guilt for being unable to remember them, spurred him to be a better person. It made his reformation believable. And in the end, he was a really great guy! He was so serious about doing the right thing and marrying the mother of his child, stepped up to the plate to become a father of a child he didn’t know he had, and was really determined to make sure Mercy was pleasured. Really, who wouldn’t want to meet a guy like that? Stephen alone gets 5 stars.

Mercy on the other hand… I couldn’t stand her! Don’t get me wrong, I could totally see where she was coming from. She truly did love Stephen and his son John who she had saved, and the trauma she endured as a nurse during the war did explain a lot of her actions. At a lot of points I did consider her brave and admirable. But her frantic drive to keep Stephen and John in her life, including sabotaging her husband’s attempts to gain his memory, left a bad taste in my mouth. I just ended up skipping everything between the wedding and when Stephen finds out the truth. I don’t think the lying bothered me as much as her disregard for other people and the consequences of her actions. I think a lot of people would feel differently, but it was enough to almost make this a DNF for me.

On a third level, I really enjoyed Lorraine Heath’s writing style. That was a plus for this book. I’ve enjoyed her before, so I think I might go through her back list and pick up some titles.

How do I sum all this up? The ending was wonderful, but I can’t ignore the fact that I had to skip over almost fifty pages to get to it. Take this review as you will. Overall, I can only give this book 2 stars.

Review Mashup!

2011-02-17T14:06:00.000-05:00

I have been so out of the loop over the past week and a half! Sorry for going totally MIA on everyone. My profs decided it would be a wonderful week to slam everyone with tons of material. I haven't even been checking my blogger feed :p I did somehow manage to squeeze in some reading, so to make up for my disappearance I'm just posting a sort of review mash up of what I was up to. And Happy Belated V-Day everyone!

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

I’ve heard great things about this series, and with the final installment coming out fairly soon, I decided to check this out of my local library. While I did enjoy it immensely, I didn’t feel it lived up to all the hype.

I think my biggest problem with the book was Callie’s complete and total disregard for her personal safety and well being. She was an intelligent female, but then she would do things (like sneaking around at night alone) that made me wonder where all that good sense had gone. It was so unrealistic that nothing bad happened to her, and that kept pulling me out of the story. (Not that I wanted something bad to happen! I just wanted her to take care of herself.) Also some of the situations seemed too contrived to me, such as Ralston ALWAYS being where she happens to sneak off to. London wasn’t that small of a place.

The second half of the book was much better to me. I felt like that was where Callie really began to come out of her shell. It was especially fun when items on her list began to be completed in unexpected ways. Despite my complaints, I did enjoy the book in the end and think it deserves 4 stars.

Nine Rules to Break sets up well for the rest of the series, in particular Juliana’s book (the one which is going to be released soon). She was a fun character, and the tension has already been set up between her and the Duke of Leighton. I don’t know if this is furthered in the next book in the series, but I hope to read it soon to find out.

The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries

Like with Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, the release of a book spurred me to go back and start a series. Also, I’m a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries, in particular her Heiress series. She’s my go to author for a light, fun, historical read.

While The Truth About Lord Stoneville had all the elements of Jeffries’ style that I love, the book just didn’t work for me. Almost all of my issues can be isolated to Oliver. He seemed to have some real problems in the logic department. Because he was torn apart as a child watching his parents fight because of his father’s infidelities, he believes a marriage with children should be faithful. However, later he refuses to promise fidelity because it’s “just not in his nature”, but is still ok with getting hitch and having kids. Wtf? For most of the book I just found him annoying. He clearly believes everything his father did was wrong, but is so busy repeating those mistakes (often hurting Maria in the process) that he just came off as a hypocrite to me. Even if it’s unintentional, he’s constantly rubbing in her face how much of a womanizer he is.

I did like Maria very much. She wasn’t weak willed and was very resilient. Her cousin Freddy was a great addition too, even if he was rather two dimensional. 3 stars, and I can’t wait to read more of this series.

A Pirate’s Possession by Michelle Beattie

I’m not the biggest fan of pirate romances, but when I do go for them, I generally need them to be the over the top swashbuckling type, not the sappy, humorous secondary character type. This just wasn’t the sort of book for me.

I found Vincent, Nate’s second mate, to be a very distracting character. A dwarf pirate who was trying to prove his manhood was one thing, but he was so gabby and “get in touch with your emotions” that it got annoying and clashed with being a pirate.

I felt like a lot of Nate and Claire’s Big Misunderstandings could have been more easily resolved. It was utterly obvious that they were not on the same page about why they were mad at each other, and I felt like one of them would have said something revealing while they were busy sniping at each other. However, the dialog was carefully crafted to keep them both in the dark until the Big Reveal could later be used as a plot point.

I enjoyed the action scenes though. They were well written and propelled the plot forward while it lagged romantically. The fight scenes were some of the best I’ve read in a romance novel. I kind of wish they had been attacked more. 2 out of 5 stars.

My Personal PSA

2011-02-08T01:42:00.000-05:00

There's NO excuse for ABUSE.

Sounds a bit obvious, right? But I'm finding a lot of people are having trouble understanding this concept. Last Thursday I blogged that my week hadn't ended on the best note. I live in a dorm, and anyone who has ever lived at college (or in a New York apartment) knows that when the walls are paper thin you can hear EVERYTHING.

Unfortunately what I heard was my suite mate verbally abusing his girlfriend. They've gotten into fights before that have crossed the line into the gray area of verbal abuse, but this crossed the line and jumped off the cliff. Shut the fuck up. You're retarded. Do you want me to hit you?

So why didn't I report him? I was paralyzed. The best thing I could do was leave the dorm altogether. Last summer I took a seven month hiatus from blogging. At the time I was in an emotionally and psychologically abusive relationship. This was not my sole reason for not blogging, but my ex did make it very difficult for me to devote any time to my personal interests. Listening to my suite mate, living on the same floor as him, sharing the same shower has brought up a lot of buried emotions that I blocked out for a reason.

This isn't the first instance of verbal or emotional abuse in my dorm alone. My friend who lives on a different floor is in a similar situation where because of the paper thin walls she's been able to hear her suite mate say some pretty out of line things to his girlfriend. Is my dorm just cursed with abusive asshats?! I'm totally reading the fine print before room draw for next year.

While I was to paralyzed too report either guy, I did find my own way to take some action on the situation. I designed a series of domestic abuse awareness flyers which I've posted all across my dorm.

The lighting on the pictures isn't the best since my friend and I ended posting them up at 3am. I also did posters for emotional and sexual abuse. (If anyone wants them, I can e-mail you them in word format)

Romance novels get a bad rep when it comes to abuse. Look at the asshat heroes of Harlequin Presents. But the romance genre is HUGE. It can't be judged based on one series, or books published in the '70s or '80s. Reading romance has always reminded me that love and relationships don't have to be that way, that people can respect each other as equals. One of the first things I did when I got out of my abusive relationship was read tons of romance- it was really therapeutic.

If you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship of any sort, there is a way out. No one deserves to be abused.

There is NO excuse for ABUSE.

Victory!!!

2011-02-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

YEA!!! Packers won last night! Sorry to all you Steelers fans. Well, sort of sorry ;P

Last Week's Recap:

Married By Morning by Lisa Kleypas
Loved loved LOVED it! But really no shock there. I feel like I've been waiting to read this book for ages and I can't believe I only got around to reading it now. I was so upset when I found out Poppy's book was coming out before this one. I remember thinking What?! I have to wait a whole friggin' year for Leo and Cat's story? In the end I had to wait longer since I've been so busy with other stuff but this book was sooo worth the wait. Leo and Cat's sparring was so fun to read I almost didn't want them to get together. Almost. Lisa Kleypas writes some of the best humor. I spent most of this book in stitches. In traditional LK style, the chemistry sizzles right off the page and the whole Hathaway family makes regular appearances, especially Dodger the ferret! 5 out of 5 stars.

Wicked Nights With a Lover by Sophie Jordan
4 out of 5 stars, review here

TGIF: Hawt Football

2011-02-04T16:08:00.000-05:00

TGIF everyone! This hasn't been the greatest week for me, so I'm glad to see the weekend. What's the best solution to a bad week- hot men and a funny video of course!

Since the Super Bowl is coming up I decided to go with a football theme! I'm not a big football fan but I get shivers looking at these guys ;)

I was deeply distrubed when I was googling these photos(and no, not just because google images without safe mode is a mine field). Why are they all white?! I didn't want to use professional football players, so I mostly looked up models, but since a whole lot of pro footballers are black, wouldn't it make since to have some black models too? Not that these guys aren't smokin', but what's up with all the white washing?

On a different note, look a funny video, because British people make us laugh:

Review: Wicked Nights With a Lover

2011-02-02T17:31:00.001-05:00

Title: Wicked Nights With a Lover
Author: Sophie Jordan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: The Penwich School for Virtuous Girls #3
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:
What should a proper lady do when she believes her days are numbered?

Step One: Take a Lover . . .
After being told she will not survive beyond the year's end, prim and lovely Marguerite Laurent intends to live what remains of her life to the very fullest. Though she may never know love, she will know passion—and she agrees to a whirlwind romance with a former admirer. But hours before embarking upon her grand adventure, Marguerite is abducted—by an unscrupulous rogue who boldly announces his intentions to bed and wed her before the week is out!

Step Two: Live With No Regrets . . .
Ash Courtland pulled himself up from the gutter to become a successful man of business, and now he wants revenge on his one-time partner for betraying him. Still, his enemy's bewitching daughter is most certainly not about to surrender her innocence to the infuriating—if shockingly attractive—cad who took her captive. Yet with no more than a touch, Ash makes her tremble with desire . . . and resisting the heat of his passion could cost Marguerite her last, best chance for ecstasy.

Review:
Wicked Nights with a Lover was a fun read that I had no problem getting into. Both Marguerite and Ash are very strong willed and well matched for one another. It’s not your typical abducted heroine romance, which was refreshing. Marguerite doesn’t succumb to Stockholm syndrome in two chapters, feel sorry for Ash and fall in love with him. She fights him tooth and nail, not just because she doesn’t want to fulfill the prediction, but because, hey, he abducted her, remember?

I thought Ash was a very sexy alpha hero. The two of them had a lot of chemistry. The one problem I had with him was that the moment he realized he loved Marguerite, he was willing to lay aside all of his plans of revenge and do anything for her. He had years of pent up anger at her father and had spent all of his life being treated as an inferior. It was clear that he loved Marguerite, but those other feelings weren’t just going to disappear. Also, considering that he was willing to lay the revenge aside, deciding to send her away rather than risk losing her seems nonsensical. He did grovel enough at the end for me to forgive that brutish move.

This was my first Sophie Jordan and I’d definitely be up for reading her again! 4 out of 5 stars.

I’ve been meaning to write this review for ages and I’m only now getting around to it. At first there was a very specific reason I chose to hold off. My birthday was last month, and the big event of the day was that I had an appointment with a psychic! Doesn’t that go so well with this book?

This wasn’t just any psychic. Her name is Julie and my aunt had been seeing for years. She’s made several unique and accurate predictions, including about my aunt’s second husband and that she was pregnant with a boy. In other words, not the usual vague predictions that can be taken any which way the wind blows. I have the whole session recorded on a cassette tape so I can go back over it whenever I want!

My predictions weren’t anything as dramatic as Marguerite’s, but here are some of the highlights:

1. Let’s start with the romance, because I know that’s what y’all are going to want to hear about ;) I’m going through a rough patch emotionally right now, so I’m not interested in a romantic relationship. That wasn’t a prediction- I told her that. However, Julie said the higher powers are keeping any men I might have romantic relationships with out of my life until I become more balanced. More specifically, I will begin a romance (or have romantically charged months) between May and August this coming year.

2. I will be coming into money. Hey, sounds really nice right? This could be from anything, but will likely be from my own creative endeavors.

3. I need to get a blood test. She said it could be either diabetes or a thyroid problem. This was the really freaky prediction- I have a blood test for hypothyroidism scheduled for next week, and I scheduled it before
the reading!

4. I will be travelling soon, apparently to Canada. The travelling could be education related (that makes sense since I’m a student) or I could be working for an airline (which would be funny if that came true since that used to be my dream job before the economy crashed).

5. I will be getting new friends who are positive people. Ok, cool.

So nothing super specific (other than the blood thing), but it’ll be fun to look over these in a year and see how things matched up.

Apparently Dragons Are Scary

2011-02-01T12:00:00.005-05:00

Hope everyone is having a good week. We're about to be hit by ANOTHER ice storm. Wherever you are be safe!

I know a lot of people a fans of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I've seen it blogged about several times and it's been a best seller for ages. I've never gotten around to reading it, but a few nights ago I was looking for a movie to watch and lo and behold, there it was on Netflix instant. It's 2:30am and I get myself comfortably situated and set up for some Swedish cinema. Now, can anyone see the problem with watching this movie in the middle of the night WITH NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLOT!? Yea, there was some mental scarring.

Don't get me wrong. I loved the film and I don't regret watching it. I just wish I had a warning so I could have had a safety blanket and a tub of cookie dough ice cream on hand. European cinema is way more graphic than American. I know they're doing an American remake of the film, but even with a "R" rating they'll have to edit it way down. The funny thing is I almost went to this movie on a date a few months ago- so glad that didn't pan out!

Seeing that movie has altered my reading plans for the week ahead. At first I was considering downloading Anne Calhoun's new e-book Under His Hand. I really loved Liberating Lacey, so I'd like to read more of her work. However, after my recent experience, I think it's understandable why I'm going to wait a week or two before reading a book which focuses on dominance and submission.

Instead I think I'm going to hunt down something entirely light and fluffy. I'm sure I have something on my shelves, but any good suggestions are welcome!

Facing The Week Ahead

2011-01-31T00:31:00.000-05:00

I'm not that much of a slacker, but after charting out my upcoming semester I've come to the conclusion that the upcoming week is going to be hellish. I have this theory that professors try to scare everyone the first week (done!) and then work everyone to death the second week (about to happen) to weed out anyone who isn't serious about the course. Now if only I didn't have four professors doing this at the same time...

Because of the intensity of the upcoming week, I doubt I'll be able to fit in much more than one book or novella, but we'll see how things roll. As a motivator, I ended up buying a few books I had planned on one day reading. Sort of a buy-now/read as an "I survived the first month!" celebration. Here's what I ordered:

Julia Quinn's When He Was Wicked and It's in His Kiss
I love the Bridgerton series. I have On the Way to the Wedding sitting on my bookshelf, but I'm refusing to read the books out of order. I know it doesn't really make a difference since they're stand alone novels, but I've read them in order up until now and I would hate to break the pattern.

Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey
It's her first novel and I heard it was awful. So I had to read it. I've been told several times I might enjoy it for the sheer horror of it.

Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John
I've never read Cheryl St. John but I know a lot of people really like her. And I really like the Harlequin Historicals line, so this seemed like a good place to start.

Finally, I redesigned the blog! It had a "makeunder" I guess. Since I have zero capacity for HTML/CSS, I tried to pick a blogger template I thought I could work with in the future, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

Movies: The Jane Austen Book Club

2011-01-29T02:40:00.000-05:00

We've been hit with several inches of snow over the past few days. The weather people are predicting a few snow showers tomorrow night, but I hope nothing to bad. It's days like this I'm glad I don't have car.... (Taken by my friend in the parking lot behind our dorm)

So what is there to do on these snowy evenings? Besides read, I already do that ;) Curl up and watch a movie of course!

Movie: The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)

Genre: Romance

Grade: C+/B-

Summary:

Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen, only to find their relationships -- both old and new -- begin to resemble 21st century versions of her novels.

Review:

The Jane Austen Book Club is a fun romp through Austenland with no particular emphasis on one book. I wouldn't say it's particularly deep, as all the connections between movie characters and book characters are obvious, and it's definitely not thorough with six characters and six books being covered. It does, however, capture a certain essence about Jane Austen lit, maybe about the dangers and resumptions of love, and the idea that somehow it all turns out well in the end.

About sixty percent of the movie is ho-hum standard romance for me (and ten percent I can't stand), but there is about thirty percent of the movie that I absolutely love and that's why I own a copy.

First, I absolutely love the May-December relationship between Jocelyn and Grigg. Jocelyn is an older woman who is a very successful dog breeder (and thus is related to the book Emma. Get it, she likes pairing things up?). Grigg is a well-off computer geek and sci-fi fan, and smitten with Jocelyn since their first meeting, not that she's noticed. If only he would stop being such a gentleman and make a move ;) Their courtship is sweet, hilarious, and of course, riddled with misunderstandings.

But really, the force which drives this movie for me is Prudie, played by Emily Blunt. At first cold and stern, we watch as she spirals out of control and her marriage falls apart. Considering how horribly unlikeable Prudie starts off as it is amazing how easy it is to come to care for her. She is by far the most interesting of the characters and I think Emily Blunt is an amazing actress.

On those two factors alone I think the film is worth seeing once.

It ends a bit like a Jane Austen book, which is perhaps why the acting takes a turn for the worse at the end. With everything so neatly tied up in little bows their isn't much to work with. Every couple is neatly paired off, ecstatically happy and dialog is reduced to a mush of sappy cliches. I suppose if the movie meant to imitate Austen, a true advocate of the happily ever after, they did it well.

Let it snow, let it snow, ELIZABETHAN VAMPIRES!

2011-01-27T14:46:00.000-05:00

We are snowed in here in northern Maryland. My college shut down early yesterday and classes were cancelled today as well. From what I hear it's going to snow tomorrow as well. Nice time to curl up with a good book, eh?

In the meantime, oh look, a mini book review!

The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer by Lucy Weston
DNF
DNFs are really, really rare for me. I usually end up pushing myself to finish stuff because I'm the type of person who loves to know the endings. But once I had set this down for more that an hour, I just couldn't bring myself to pick it up again. It was easy enough to read, but could be rather dull. In particular the language grated on my nerves. The syntax used was very high brow, almost pretentious. I think the point was to make Elizabeth appear both royal and from a previous era. Elizabeth would have used Early Modern English, like in a Shakespearean play, but the language seemed more Victorian. I know I seem like a stickler right now, but it was very distracting. I did like the character of Mordred though. Anyone who is familiar with the legends of King Arthur would find him interesting. Since I never finished it, please feel free to e-mail me if you know the ending :)

I'm Back!

2011-01-26T00:27:00.000-05:00

I’m back from vacation… right in time to dive headfirst into Spring Semester.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be back on campus. It’s nice to see all my friends again and I like getting into a routine, but there’s always something about Spring Semester that’s more hectic. Maybe it’s all the dreaded snow storms that tend to mess up syllabi and make everyone fall behind.

Here’s my quick reading re-cap from the past week. I might post reviews of one or two of these if I have time by the end of the week.

Right Hand Magic by Nancy Collins
1 out of 5 stars
I found this to be a very disappointing read. I probably wouldn’t have even finished it if I hadn’t been on a plane and reading material was scarce. The plot/idea of the novel wasn’t too bad and I might have actually like it if the execution hadn’t been so awful. For some reason the writing style kept reminding me of fan fiction- maybe it was because the characters’ clothing was constantly be described and for some reason Hexe was always in a band shirt. Hexe (the hero) was especially boring because he was just too perfect. Everyone should have some flaw.

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
3 out of 5 stars
My biggest problem with this book is that it’s told in first person by the character who I find most annoying. Other than that, I like the plot/world building and intend to continue reading the series. I saw all of True Blood before reading this book, which I’m sure that influences me. I’m likely going to offend a lot of people by flat out saying I like True Blood more, but that’s probably because the show isn’t from Sookie’s POV and has an ensemble cast, which I always like.

Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun
4.5 out of 5 stars
I loved this book! I deserves all the hype it’s been getting. I don’t expect eroticas to have heavy romantic elements, and I don’t expect romance novels to be eroticas, so it was amazing to find that this book was the perfect balance of each. Lacey was a great character, a real strong, kick-ass contemporary woman. Hunter was a fabulous hero, though harder to understand than Lacey, and the chemistry between them seeps off the pages. I swear the room I was in heated up 5 degrees! The only reason I took half a star off was because even at the end of the novel, Hunter had a lot of baggage to work through, which made me wonder how they were going to work out. I definitely would recommend this one!

So that was my week. Happy reading everyone!

Gone Fishin'

2011-01-18T19:00:00.000-05:00

I'm on vacation this week, so I won't be posting at all. No, I'm not staying in an awesome villa by the sea, but I am in Texas where it's warm enough to be sweater weather, so I'm not complaining. I'll be back around this weekend, and I'll let everyone know if I got myself into any interesting adventures. Try not to miss me too much ;)

DIK: Day 3

2011-01-15T17:16:00.002-05:00

Today was my final day posting on DIK. I had a lot of fun guest posting. Today I talked about how the new Zodiac sign affected me. Hope no one else got too bent up over it!

DIK: Day 2

2011-01-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

It's my second day on the Island, and today I'm discussing on of my favorite vamps, John Matthew, as well as ASL and my love life (sorta).

DIK: Day 1

2011-01-13T10:38:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day of posting at DIK, so go check it out. I'm talking about people's reactions to romance readers.

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

2011-01-11T16:09:00.001-05:00

I'm still not in full blogging mode. My RSS feeds are piling up and every time I mean to post something I end up on LOLcats instead. I hate to admit it, but I can't wait for the semester to start back up. This no schedule/set routine thing is going to kill me if it goes on much longer. On the up side I am at least reading again, so I thought I might as well throw some of my thoughts out there about my recent reads.

Title: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi
Author: Jill Myles
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Succubus Diaries #1
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I had really been looking forward to getting around to this series, maybe because of the hype, maybe because succubi aren't that commonly used, but probably because I love the covers. I won't discredit a book for a bad cover, but I will pick up a book for a good one :)

Unfortunately, with all those high expectations for the book, it was really easy to disappoint me. I didn't necessarily dislike it and I did enjoy reading it. I think the main problem was that I felt like it had an idea with so much potential and then didn't go anywhere with it.

Stuff that got on my nerves:

1. Why were the succubi so powerless?! Jackie and Remy have absolutely no power in this book- even when it comes to seduction. They need to have sex or they will stave, so they are slaves to their desires. Ok, I get that. It's a cool twist to the whole succubi thing, but aren't succubi supposed to be able to control the desires of others? Instead, Remy and Jackie are physically desirable (not that they have any control over that). Their bodies have been transformed into the image of the ultimate male fantasy- which apparently is a size six with 32DD. Oh, and the thing that almost made me stop reading all together? They can't be raped because their hormones would kick in and they'd want it. Can I even say on how many levels that is disturbing and wrong?

2. The action/adventure was fairly lame. I ended up skimming over it.

3. I think Jackie got on a lot of people's nerves because she kept doing stupid stuff over... and over... and over... except it wasn't her fault! No one ever bothered to tell her anything, so of course she didn't know and would go make a fool of herself, and then everyone would stand around laughing going "oh silly young succubus". So... I guess Jackie doing stupid things was something that didn't get on my nerves...

Things I liked:

Despite the many things I didn't like, there were things I liked about this book:

1. The sex. Myles can write a good sex scene, that's for sure. And the sexual tension was good too. I almost wish the book had let go and been a bit more sex-focused. After all, it is about succubi, and the action/adventure needed work anyway.

2. Noah and Zane. I loved both heroes (kinda like Jackie hehe). I don't think I could pick one as a favorite. They both have some really excellent scenes in this book, though Zane gets much more page time and more is revealed about his emotions, etc. I really wish more time had been spent developing them in this book, but this book was clearly about Jackie's beginning as a succubus.

So tallying all that up I'm rating Gentlemen Prefer Succubi 2.5 out of 5. Not great, but just enough of a pull that I'll stick around for book two.

The Dreaded Slump... Or Not

2011-01-04T15:33:00.000-05:00

Ok, I'll admit it already! I'm in a total book slump... sorta.

Usually this happens when I've burned myself out on a certain sub-genre, series, or author and end up needing a break from romance in general. But I can't say that's what is happening right now. I'm just not that... motivated to read romance. It's funny because I had all these plans to read and blog over the break, and instead I'm doing these less. I don't regret it since that time has instead gone into seeing friends and family, shopping, relaxing, and sometimes just sleeping.

And then it hit me! Romance novels and blogging are my escapes from reality. Since I've been on break for the past few weeks there has been almost no stress in my life. No stress means no need to escape.

What all this means is while I'll be around over the next three weeks, I probably won't be posting or commenting regularly until late January or early February. Sorry guys! However, I do plan to change my blog layout in the next week or so, and I'm guest posting on DIK from Jan 13-15, so I'm not quite dead.

Top Picks of 2010

2011-01-03T00:02:00.000-05:00

With the New Year just gone, I though I'd reflect back on what I've read in 2010. Here are my favorite reads from over the past year.

Top Picks
1. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

I normally don't go for "chick lit", but I really loved Cannie's story. She goes through the whole self-discovery journey without being too self-indulgent, usually poking fun of the overabundance of self-help books and programs available. I though the second half of the book became a little unrealistic and fantasy-like, but overall a really great read. I tore through it.

2. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (review here)

I love this book. Period. It was not at all what I expected, which probably made me love it even more. I think the best compliment I can give it is that Perfect Chemistry is the book that turned me back on to YA-romance.

3. Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries

Sabrina Jeffries has been one of my go-to historical authors for years. I love the humor in her books. Wed Him Before You Bed Him was a great and satisfying ending to the Heiress.

4. Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

Yea, I think everyone knows I go wild for the BDB... John Matthew has been one of my favorite characters since Lover Eternal. I cannot say how badly I was looking forward to his book, and it did not disappoint. And that cover is on fire!
5. What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

This was a fun read. Devin is now one of my favorite heroes. And it takes place in New Zealand! How awesome is that?!
Honorable Mentions
1. A Man in A Million by Jessica Bird (review here)

I ended up reading Jessica Bird because of my love of J.R. Ward, and probably loved this book for the same reason- Spike could sooo be a Brother! The rest of the story was good too though ;)
2. Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

I think I was one of the few people who hated Sugar Daddy, so I'm not sure why I read Blue-Eyed Devil other than that I already owned it, but I definitely don't regret it! Haven Travis was an inspiring heroine and heavy duty material was dealt with without being either flippant or melodramatic.
3. Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

This was a surprise since I didn't not like Practice Makes Perfect all that much. While the ending was a bit care-bear and rushed, the rest of the book was great and had just the right amount of sexual tension and witty dialog.

4. The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

Dark! But in the best way. It was a great emotional roller coaster- mentally you just get sucked in. I don't know what took me so long to try Meredith Duran!
5. Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

The characters were what really made this one for me- Trev and his boyish charm, Callie and her bull Hubert!
Shout-Outs
1. Lord of Scoundrels by Lorretta Chase (review here)

I really really enjoyed this book (after all, I did read it without ever setting it down). The reason it's not an honorable mention or a top pick is more that I didn't find it particularly memorable, so it's hard to recommend other than to say... "um, well I know I liked it."
2. Sinful Surrender by Beverley Kendall

While I liked this book, it didn't blow me out of the water. However I did like it enough to find it memorable, be willing to maybe recommend it, and to want to buy the next book in the series some point after it is published- therefore I felt it deserved a spot on my shout out list.

Those were my picks for 2010! I'm excited to see what this year has in store for me.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T23:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Enjoy 2011 responsibly ;)

Is That a Challenge?

2010-12-28T19:01:00.000-05:00

I don't think I'm going to be finishing the A-Z Book Challenge like I was hoping. New Years is less than three days away and I still have the letters R, Z, X, I, Q, U, and Y. I don't see any point in speed reading though seven books. That wouldn't be any fun. I don't think think these sort of challenges are supposed to be stressful. I probably could have done this one fairly easily except that I didn't plan out for different letters and there were a good five months this year I stopped reading romance.

But, despite not actually completing this challenge, I really enjoyed it, so I've decided to do a few next year!

The first one I want to do is the Off the Shelf Challenge hosted by BA Reading Challenges:

The challenge is to read some of those books you already own. Ya know, the one's you've been meaning to get around to for ages but are currently buried under all the new books you bought... I chose the "tempted" challenge level, so I have to read 5 of those books in the next year. I figure I'll do more, but I wanted to start off simple.

The next challenge is 2011 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge hosted by Romance Book Maven:

The challenge is to read 10 contemporary romances (no paranormal, fantasy, or time travel elements) in the next year. I decided to do this one because I like a lot of contemporaries, and I have tons on my TBR shelf so this seemed like a good way to knock some of those out.

The last challenge I decided to do is the 2011 Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Reading Challenge hosted by Nitty Gitty- Romance and Erotica Reviews:

To be honest I don't think I'll be able to finish this challenge. The goal is to read 12 paranormal romances over the next year. While that doesn't sound like a lot for some people, that's a heck of a lot for me. I don't read a lot of paranormal- which is why I decided to try the challenge. Even if I don't complete it, I'll still have expanded my reading horizon. At the moment I feel like the books I pick are heavily tilted toward historical romance, and I want to break out of that a little and explore.

Anyone else participating in fun challenges? Any reading goals for the New Year?

Welcome to the Dark Side

2010-12-27T17:31:00.000-05:00

A lot of romance readers dip into YA fiction, myself included. Some of my favorite books have ended up being YA-romances, which were much more complex than I expected. I was intruiged today when I saw the article The Dark Side of Young Adult Fiction in the NYT's. It's not an article really. It doesn't take a side but presents a serious of opinions about why so many dark themes and dystopias reoccur in YA-fiction. It made me take a moment to look at my TBR list and sure enough books like "The Hunger Games" and "Matched" were on there.

However, unlike some of the op-ed pieces, I don't think these are *new* themes to YA-fiction, but inherent to the genre. I can remember being 13 and loving books like "The Giver" and "Z is for Zachariah".

Whatever your take is on YA-fiction and its various themes, the piece is well worth taking a look at.

Santa Baby

2010-12-25T15:36:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone is having a great day right now. My gift to you is beautiful men ;)

This is a great video if you're like me and you go for your heroes tattoed up *cough*BDB*cough* Plus I just love this song.

This is Bloody Good Stuff

2010-12-23T09:43:00.000-05:00

Sorry everyone for the unexpected hiatus. I swear I have not abandoned my blog (again)! After the semester ended I decided to take a week to unwind, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I think the bags under my eyes are just about gone now. I should be blogging more frequently some time after Christmas or New Years.

So I am now officially addicted to True Blood. My friend gave me the first season as an early Christmas present- I finished all 12 episodes in less than 2 days. I practically cried when I found out that Netfix doesn't have the second season on watch instant. Is the universe conspiring against me! Either way, the day after Christmas I am going to run out and buy the second season. I don't think I can wait.

I'm a little on the fence though about whether or not I'm going to read the Sookie Stackhouse novels. For one thing, my TBR pile is so high it's threatening to topple over. And another, while I've read a book then watched the movie/series, I've never watched the movie/series then read the book. I don't know how I would feel about that. Watching the next season is still a higher priority for me though.

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

2010-12-16T12:14:00.000-05:00

Bride and Prejudice (2004)
Genre: Romance/Musical
Grade: C+, but still recommended

Loving Pride and Prejudice seems to be a prerequisite for loving the romance genre. Ok, maybe prerequisite is a strong word, but I can probably count on one had the number of people who love the romance genre but aren’t lusting after Mr. Darcy. And how many of us have gotten into a debate about whether Colin Firth or Matthew McFadden played it better? Uh, guilty!

There are so many knock offs, spin offs, and take offs on Pride and Prejudice it’s impossible to keep track. So let me tell you about one of my favorites. Anyone ever heard of a movie called Bride and Prejudice? Yes? No? Well let me say this is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I’m going to come out and admit it’s not the best of movies, but as long as you don’t think about that too hard you can really enjoy it.

Bride and Prejudice is essentially Bollywood-lite meets American musical with a healthy serving of beautiful people. And it works. Because it’s fun! The landscape is gorgeous, you have bright colorful saris swirling all around, funny stereotypical Indian mothers running around arranging marriages, and people bursting into song in the middle of the street.

The worst part about this movie was that it made me want Indian food really really badly! I go to school in a small town and there are no Indian restaurants anywhere near me. I can’t wait to go home on break because there are tons of Indian restaurants near my parents house. Bring on the curry!

Can You Think of Anything More Awesome!?

2010-12-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

Drumroll please... I am now officially a member of the DIK team! Go check it out.

Honestly I'm a smidge nervous. I've never done any guest posting before. In fact, my first thought after I sent off the application was, "D.L. what have you gotten yourself into!?" But everyone on the island has been welcoming, and I'm certain nobody bites. Well, maybe some of the heroes do, but I wouldn't mind that ;)

Review: A Man In A Million

2010-12-11T09:18:00.000-05:00

Here's another old review I'm only now getting around to posting. I read this one about a month or so back and really enjoyed it.

Title: A Man In A Million
Author: Jessica Bird
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: The Moorehouse Legacy #4
Grade: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:
As far as bad boy Spike Moriarty was concerned, Madeline Maguire defined female perfection. When they'd met, she'd walked up as if she wasn't the most gorgeous thing on the planet and asked to see his tattoos. He - a tough guy who'd make grown men run - had just about passed out. But their connection was definitely one-way...it had to be. Because he could never be the man in a million she was looking for, not with the things he'd done and seen. So for as long as she'd let him, he'd give her whatever she wanted. He'd worry about her walking away when it happened.

Review:
Before JR Ward decided to write paranormals about ass-kicking vampires, she wrote as Jessica Bird and wrote contemporary romances. I think I decided to buy this book based on a review over on Dear Author. I can’t quite remember. I already knew JR Ward had previously written under Jessica Bird and I was willing to buy one of her books based on a good review.

A Man In A Million was a pretty straight forward read compared to some of the books in the BDB series, which can have up to five different plot threads running at once. While I often love multi-layered plots, it was also nice to just focus on the hero and heroine. Spike is a French chef with a tragic past that he keeps hidden. After getting dumped by his ex over the issue, he believes no girl would want to stay with him if she knows the whole story. He keeps things casual so no one gets hurt. Pleasantly enough, he doesn’t come off as a womanizer either, but a nice guy who cares about his friends and sister. Mad is a competitive sailor, and though she’s fierce on the water, she is still insecure after always having being verbally put down by her overbearing father and now her step brother. A lot of the book revolves around her learning to stand up for herself, which Spike supports her through.

One of my absolute favorite aspects of this book was comparing it to the BDB. To begin, let’s look at the character of Spike himself.

“Spike was wearing a black leather jacket, a black-button down and a pair of black slacks. His jet-black hair was sticking straight up off his head in all directions, but instead of looking unkept, the jagged peaks emphasized the hard lines of his beautiful face. His big body filled the doorway. The hall. The whole apartment as far as she was concerned.
Oh, God, his eyes… Those incredible, impossibly yellow eyes were still hidden under heavy lids and thick lashes. And the tattoos… On either side of his neck, two elegant, curving designs marked his skin. In his left ear, he had a thick, silver piercing.”

Let’s see, does Spike fit the prerequisites of the Brotherhood? Wearing all black, including leather- check. A very large, imposing body- check. Tattoos and piercings- check. The only thing missing is a random “h” inserted into his name and then he’d be in Lesser-slaying business. A major difference between the two books, though, was that “combat boots” was used in place of “shit kickers”. For some reason I get the feeling that Silhouette wouldn’t have gone for that…

I would have rated this book a 4 just on the fact that Spike could have been a Brother, but I enjoyed it overall as well. It was fairly unique, especially for a Silhouette, which I don’t usually go out of my way to purchase.

First off, Spike and Mad know one another before the beginning of the book, and are already crazy about each other. So in theory it should be smooth sailing to a happy ending (yes pun intended since Mad is a sailor), especially since their mutual friend is playing matchmaker. But of course the book has the Big Misunderstanding. And not only does it have the Big Misunderstanding, but it has quite a few little misunderstandings along the way. It was pretty easy to forgive Spike and Mad though because, unlike most characters, they didn’t let the misunderstandings simmer. They actually bothered to go talk to each other! It was nice to see two characters repeatedly working things out, especially since communication is so important in believing the relationship with succeed. Also, the sex scenes were pleasantly steamy. I will never look at a motorcycle the same way again.

One touchy subject is that throughout most of the book Mad does have an eating disorder, which is not outright stated or dealt with. It seems odd that this isn’t mentioned since Spike’s profession is a Chef, ya know, food related and all. But by the end of the book Mad works out in her internal monologues that she’s going to start eating again, so in a way it is dealt with. It just seems an odd part of the plot since it wasn’t explicitly linked to her self esteem as other incidents in the book were, but rather lumped with her obsession with her training schedule.

Overall, I’d recommend this to any J.R. Ward fans, or any Silhouette fans who are looking for something a little different. It was worth going a little out of my way to find online (which isn’t my usual m.o. for book buying) and I’m also considering looking up some other Jessica Bird backlisted titles.

In other news...I managed to finish my final paper for Grammar at 12:45... 15 minutes to print and get to class! I won't say it was the worst paper I ever wrote, but it ranked in the worst five. What really upset me was about half an hour after turning in the paper I realized I had a cold. This could not be happening! I still have two exams and two final papers due next week! The okay part is that it's less than 48 hours later and I can breath through my nose again, so there is hope.

Look! Look!

2010-12-09T08:03:00.000-05:00

Hey check it out! The New York Times has an article this morning about the booming sales of romance e-books. And best of all, it treats the romance genre with respect! The growing trend of positive representation of romance in the news is something I love to see. Talk about a great start to my morning.

Here's the link: Lusty Tales and Hot Sales: Romance E-Books Thrive. It's not a long read so hop on over there.

Ok, back to writing my final paper for my Grammar and Usage class. Sounds fun right? It's on gender biases in the English language and due at 1pm today. I still have quite a bit to go. Ek! Wish me luck?

Review: The Kiss

2010-12-07T11:58:00.000-05:00

Not exactly a new read, especially with the time crunch I'm under, but I realized I had posted this review on Goodreads within the past month but hadn't put it up over here as well. Enjoy!

Title: The Kiss
Author: Sophia Nash
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Widows Club #2
Grade: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Summary:

He had once been her cherished childhood companion, and then the man she lusted for in secret, but Georgiana Wilde hasn't seen recently widowed Quinn Fortesque since the day he married another woman and shattered her heart. Then fate intervenes and brings the man she dreams about each night back to her . . .
Returning to the estate on family business, Quinn would like nothing more than to turn the land over to Georgiana and leave the memories of his former life behind. But then the brooding marquis finds himself under the spell of the beauty he once left behind. With her barely concealed passions, Georgiana melts his coolly guarded heart. Suddenly his well-ordered world is in danger of crashing down. And it all began with just one kiss . . . .

Review:

The summary on the back doesn't give a very clear description of the book. Georgiana had also been married and widowed (thus her inclusion in the Widows Club series), and more specifically, was married to Quinn's cousin and their mutual childhood friend Anthony. So of course a large portion of this book ends up being the "you still love him!"/"it was always you!" tango.

Most of the book really grated on my nerves. The characters themselves were extremely annoying. I can't name a single character from the book I would want to meet in real life. Generally their actions didn't make sense or didn't jive with how they were described. Quinn is supposed to be a diplomat- never once do we see him be diplomatic, in the present or in flashbacks of his past. In fact, his past seems pretty irrelevant except that we are told his dead wife was bad. Other than that we don't know anything about their marriage or why he married her in the first place. Their marriage is a blatant plot device. And Luc, the "hero" from the first book in the series, spends most of the time strutting around acting like an ass. Not going to read that book... Though this is not usually a pet peeve of mine, everyone's actions were cpmpletely out of place for the time period.
The main redeeming factor of the book was its ending, which I found sweet and endearing. The final resolution to the Big Misunderstanding was fairly heartwarming, and if the entire book had been like the final 50 pages I would have given The Kiss between 4 and 5 stars. While that is not the case, I'm glad I pushed through to finish it, because the cute ending justified picking it up in the first place, but I would still not recommend this book.

The Final Countdown

2010-12-03T23:00:00.000-05:00

It’s that time of years again. No, not the holidays… FINALS WEEK!!! Only ten days until that hellish period marked by excessive amounts of caffeine, poor personal hygiene, and overwhelming anxiety about ~~escaping~~ graduating.

Whoever thought of jamming everything important into one week is an idiot. Really, colleges would be much healthier if we got rid of finals week… and fraternities… and Four Lokos. I’m still waiting for them to ban it here in Maryland. For those of you out there who don’t know what Four Lokos is, observe the horror:

I’ve been dealing with the stress pretty well *knock on wood*. I don’t have class on Fridays, and since I’ve been worried I’m getting sick I took today easier than planned. I stopped by Goodwill to check out their book selection. I was mildly disappointed- there were tons of paperbacks, but almost all of them were Danielle Steel or Harlequin Presents from the ‘90s. I think I’m just spoiled by some of the truly awesome thrift stores I’ve found back home. I did manage to find a few I wanted though.

1. The Heir- Johanna Lindsey

2. Not Another Bad Date- Rachel Gibson

3. Fast Women- Jennifer Crusie

4. Anyone But You- Jennifer Crusie

I also ended up going to Buffalo Wild Wings with one of my friends. I’m a total wings fanatic, and just last week she turned me onto their Blazin’ wings. On the menu the Blazin’ wings come with a disclaimer- “Keep away from eyes, pets, children: The hottest sauce we got.” Later I looked it up on the internet. It’s 200,000-350,000 Scoville units, which is 70 times hotter than a jalapeño pepper. And. They. Are. Amazing. Both times I thought I was going to die, but the endorphine rush is absolutely incredible. Even if you don’t like spicy wings, I would still recommend Buffalo Wild Wings. Their Sweet BBQ and Garlic Parmesan sauces are delicious without the zing.

Review: Every Frat Boy Wants It

2010-11-29T07:31:00.000-05:00

Title: Every Frat Boy Wants It
Author: Todd Gregory
Genre: Gay Erotica
Series: None
Grade: 3 out of 5 stars

Summary:

Jeff Morgan is about to get the education of a lifetime...
At eighteen, Jeff Morgan is the quintessential all-American boy--blond, blue-eyed, and a star jock at his small Kansas high school. Enrolling at California State University-Polk, Jeff plans to become a writer. He also hopes that the macho nature of fraternity life will help him get over his lifelong attraction to other men. The reality couldn't be more different...

Through Blair Blanchard, the drama major son of divorced movie stars, Jeff discovers the Beta Kappa fraternity, and enters a world where alcohol and drugs serve as an excuse for covert trysts between frat brothers...where the pledging process becomes a sensual, S&M-fueled bacchanal...where weekends in L.A. and Palm Springs are no-holds-barred adventures in sexual exploration...and where Spring Break is a boys-gone-wild porn movie come to life. Through every encounter, from intense couplings with older frat brothers to sizzling three-ways with hot new pledges, Jeff also deals with his increasingly complex feelings--for Blair, for a handsome new arrival, and for life within Beta Kappa itself.

Sexy, steamy, and incredibly erotic, Every Frat Boy Wants It proves that when it comes to learning all there is to know about mind-blowing pleasure, nothing beats hands-on experience...

Review:

The set-up seems fairly simple: Naïve, innocent Kansas boy goes to a big, California campus, and subsequently a macho frat where innocent Kansas boy gets his eyes opened by beefy men who like to get it on with each other.

And that’s what happens, sorta… I think I got it figured out…

Something that really frustrated me throughout the whole novel is that there didn’t seem to be a central conflict. Was this about Jeff and Blair’s relationship? Was this about Jeff’s need to come out as a gay man? Was it about just how incredibly ridiculous and dangerous frat houses can be? Or was it really all just an excuse to write a series of disjointed gay hook ups?

I think this was supposed to be a gay erotica/romance because the central story kept circling around to the relationship between Jeff and Blair. It’s not that romantic of a relationship. Sure, they tend to fall into each other’s arms a lot proclaiming their love, but in the end Jeff still has a hell of a time keeping it in his pants. One moment he’s confessing his love for Blair then two seconds later he’s screwing some of his frat brothers. Seriously? This probably wouldn’t have bothered me as much if they were both getting around, but I just felt sorry for Blair because it was clear Jeff’s actions hurt him.

But the main reason I question if this was truly intended to be a gay erotica/romance is because of the amount of time spent on Jeff’s initiation into the frat, Beta Kappa. If there was anything I took away from this book it is to NEVER JOIN A FRAT! Reading about the initiation and hazing is not for anyone with a weak stomach. It’s an in-depth, honest look at drinking on today’s college campuses. I’m surprised none of the characters were sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. The thing is, I don’t really get what was the point of having all that detail. None of it was part of the erotica… it sort of felt like two books mashed into one. Book one- a study of Greek life on today’s campuses. Book two- gay erotica.

Another thing that was grating on my nerves by the end was the number of loose plot threads. Blair states at the beginning of the novel that straight guys will do just about anything when they are horny, including fooling around with gay men and then pretending it never happened in the morning. It seems to be implied (at least to me) that at some point Blair was in love with, or at least involved with another frat brother or straight guy who burned him. This would explain why he’s so secretive about his and Jeff’s relationship and about his own past, but for some reason this is never explained to the reader. It’s just left hanging.

Blair himself annoyed me by the end of the book. He started off as this awesome character, full of mystery and glamour, and then just ended up being whiny and needy. Even Jeff was bored with him, which made me completely doubtful that their relationship would last much farther than the end of the novel. I can’t say too much more for Jeff. He started off as this young boy from Kansas, and his innocence and constant discoveries is what initially gave the book its erotic edge. By the end he was this coked out horn dog slowly dying on the inside. At the same time, he was still a better character than Blair, because it wasn’t a weak character, just extremely unlikable. The Jeff’s physical and emotional decay is supposed to be a blatant reflection of the toll that pretending not to be gay is taking on him. The problem with this is that the decaying went so far that it seemed too abrupt that he would suddenly be ok again and that his and Blair’s relationship would be revived just by coming out of the closet. Yea, that would go a long way toward helping, but he was pretty messed up by that point, and that’s saying something after all he went through to get into the frat.

The book’s saving grace that kept it from falling into the 1 or 2 star categories is that it was well written. It’s painful when something is written well enough that you want to keep going, but the story isn’t compelling. I’d be willing to try Todd Gregory again in the future, but I wouldn’t recommend Every Frat Boy Wants It, unless there is someone you are trying to scare out of joining a frat.

Please Don't Hold Me To It

2010-11-23T01:43:00.001-05:00

I try to keep my promises. Really, I do. Except I'm terrible at keeping the promises I make to myself. Like, "I'm going to keep up with posting on my blog" and, of course, New Year's resolutions. Yea, remember those things? Those wonderful grand promises we make to ourselves when we see a whole year spread out in front of us, full of endless possibilities. Well, this year is coming to a close soon, and I am determined to keep at least one of my New Year's resolutions before I create a whole new set.

To quote one of my resolutions:

Participate in the DIK Reading Challenge. I joined up because hopefully this will help me with resolution number one. [Resolution #1 was to start posting regularly... sorry guys!] It's my first reading challenge, and I have always wanted to try one out.

Ok, for me the DIK Reading Challenge is shot, but there is no reason I can't finish the essence of the resolution, which was to participate in my first reading challenge. In addition to the DIK Reading Challenge, I also posted on the Goodreads groups Romance Readers Reading Challenges section 2010 A-Z Book Challenge, which is exactly what it sounds like: during this calendar year read at least one book starting with each letter of the alphabet. I think there is some leniency with the letter X though.

Here is how I've done so far:
A-
B- Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas (3/19)
C- The Courtship Dance by Candace Camp (1/4)
D- Don't Bargain with the Devil by Sabrina Jeffries (1/6)
E-
F-
G- Gone With the Nerd by Vicki Lewis Thompson (2/1)
H- Her Secret Fling by Sarah Mayberry (3/7)
I-
J- Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James (3/17)
K- The Kiss by Sophia Nash (In Progress)
L- Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (1/24)
M- The Marriage Wager by Candace Camp (1/15
N- Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries (2/8)
O- Open Season by Linda Howard (8/1)
P- Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (2/25)
Q-
R-
S- Sinful Surrender by Beverly Kendall (11/19)
T- To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt (1/14)
U-
V- The Villa by Nora Roberts (In Progress)
W- The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp (1/3)
X-
Y-
Z-

And ya know, with my Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks coming up, I think I might just be able to finish up the remaining letters! Going through the books I own, here's what I know I'm going to read:
A- An Unexpected Pleasure by Candace Camp
E- Every Frat Boy Wants It by Todd Gregory
F- False Colors by Alex Beecroft or Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
R- The Return of the Earl by Edith Layton
Z- Zoya by Danielle Steel

As for the remaining letters (I,Q,U,X, and Y) I welcome any and all suggestions before I buy or check out any books. Wish me luck :)

Digitize Me

2010-10-22T15:35:00.000-04:00

It’s been a bit longer than I wanted to go without posting something, but three weeks isn’t as bad as my seven month hiatus, so I still have hope for reviving The Romance Girl’s Guide.

Today I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon of doing an e-reader review. Almost all the romances I read (as in 99%) are mass market paperback. Admittedly, I’m unlikely to switch to reading mainly digital. I love holding books, looking at their covers (yes, even the awful ones that give our genre a bad rep), flipping through the pages, turning to the back and reading the uselessly vague blurb, and even the clutter as the books spill off the shelves into boxes and across the floor. I know that sounds sarcastic, but I mean it. As a librarian’s daughter, raised around books all my life, I love the physical experience. Am I a format snob?

Despite all this, I definitely see the value of owning an e-reader. Going on vacation and trying to stuff a suitcase with the books I want to read has always been a pain, and bringing back the books I buy and absolute headache. And despite my ongoing defense of the genre, there are just some days sitting on the bus I don’t want to be seen with that cover. On top of that, more and more there are romances that aren’t even being published in print.

For my high school graduation I was given a first generation Kindle. Even with my hesitations about digital printing, I was incredibly excited. Since then I have only used it to read a small handful of books. This hasn’t been because of any unhappiness with the Kindle, but mainly because I already have a huge pile of TBR books that I already own and a really bad habit of walking into a bookstore and not walking out empty handed (I do not seem to be alone on this). Also, my freshman year of college I left it at home and decided not to ask my mother to mail it across the country. And if I’m truly honest, there has always been some ignorance on my part about the vast world of digital printing. Now years later my Kindle has collected dust and has trouble keeping a charge.

A few days ago a friend of mine lent me her Nook for some pleasure reading. I have NookStudy on my laptop for rented textbooks, but I had never used the actual reading device. I have to say I liked it. So I’ve decided to do a comparison between my experiences with my outdated Kindle and my friend’s Nook and see how they match up.

My favorite aspect of both the Kindle and the Nook was the screen. Neither had backlighting, and text size could be easily adjusted, so my eyes were never strained. Personally I think this is the most important aspect of an e-reader, as what I really want to do is read my book without any distractions. A slight distraction with the Kindle was the placement of the page turn buttons. They take up the entire side of the reader, so if I wasn’t careful where I rested my thumb, I was suddenly flipping through pages. This wasn’t too big a problem as my Kindle was in a case, but I can see how this would have been a problem for someone who was just holding the Kindle itself. I liked the page turn buttons on the Nook much more. The small solid buttons just required one firm push.

I was impressed with the battery power of the Nook. After reading an entire book the charge didn’t seem hugely affected. I won’t comment too much on my Kindle. It never seemed to be able to keep a charge for long periods of time, and definitely can’t now, but that might have more to do with age and my inability to learn about power settings.

Personally I found the Kindle easier to navigate. It uses a keypad and buttons, whereas the Nook used a small touch screen at the bottom portion of the device, which didn’t always seem to respond to me or do what I wanted it to do. Maybe it just took practice.

I asked my friend and found out shopping from the Nook is just like shopping on the Kindle. However, she said she always had trouble downloading books from a wifi location, a problem I never had.

If someone came up to me today and asked, “Whaddya think? Should I get a Nook or a Kindle?” I really wouldn’t have an answer. I’ve had great (if limited) experiences with both, and haven’t even gotten to check out the newer Kindles. What I can say is that, while I still love my paperbacks and clutter, I should get over my fear of the unfamiliar and start exploring the world of digital publishing, beyond the obvious stocked shelves of Amazon and BN. After all, a book is a book, and I love ‘em any way I can get ‘em.

Time Goes On

2010-10-03T19:31:00.002-04:00

I feel so bad for staying out of the loop for so long. What has it been now- seven months? Wow, just two more months and I could have had a baby!

No, I was never preggers, if you're wondering if that's what kept me from the blogosphere. Rather I was consumed by transferring colleges, the world's worst waitressing gig at Ruby Tuesday (never eat there!), a series of disappointing flings followed by the break-up from hell. Seriously, I need some vodka in me just to remember this guy. I think I'll be sticking to my tried and true romance heroes for a while now, thankyouverymuch.

However, despite the insanity that comes with being 20 and alive, I did manage to squeeze some enjoyable reading time in there. Anyone who is friends with me on Goodreads may or may not have seen any books I recently posted. I unfortunately didn't have time to get a review up for "Lover Mine" but there was definitely some sqeeing involved when I read it.

I wish I could promise some more regular postings, but as it stands with my class load, and already horrible organizational skills, I don't know. I'll try to pop back from time to time, skip around to say hi on all of your blogs, and keep people posted of any projects or news.

You like me.. you really like me!

2010-03-27T00:04:00.000-04:00

I don't normally follow any type of Awards shows, but the 2010 Rita Finalists are up and I thought I'd comment. I don't have top picks for all categories, but here's who I'm rooting for:

2010 RITA for Contemporary Single Title Romance Finalists:

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl

2010 RITA for Historical Romance Finalists:

Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

2nd Pick:

To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

2010 RITA for Young Adult Romance:

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

(You can read my review for this a few posts back here)

Grade Inflation

2010-03-25T00:02:00.000-04:00

I'm quite excited. What The Librarian Did just arrived from Amazon today. I'm hoping I'll get a chance to read it in the next week or two. I'm still swamped with work. I'm just coming off of mid-terms, which is why I haven't been posting much recently. It looks like for the next two months things are stacking up, so I might be going a week or so between posts. *Sigh* This semester is turning into a total roller-coaster. Summer is looking more beautiful by the minute...

Something which popped into my mind earlier today when I was browsing on Goodreads is grade inflation. And I don't mean the academic kind (though I really wouldn't mind if someone pumped some air into my chem grade o.O). Goodreads has this nifty little stat on everyone's profile that says what their average rating is. Mine is 3.40, which is fine considering 3.00 is about average. In my boredom I began to hop through my friend's profile's and look at their stats and I began to see a trend. Not only was the average "average" rating well over 3.00, but most were over 4.00, and even 4.50! I know everyone has their own way of rating a book, but come on, is every book really that good? What's so wrong with rating a book as average?

Mega Post of Happy Things

2010-03-14T19:07:00.001-04:00

I've been out of the blogosphere for almost two weeks now. Like most of the population I've been under the weather, and then got backlogged with life and had no time to update. So, to make up for that, I'm doing a Mega Post of Happy Things. In other words, a big list of things that make me smile with as many links as possible.

Non-Romance Blogs I Follow
1. Lolcats: Who doesn't follow this one? I'm also going to mention the numerous associated blogs I check out on a regular basis: ROFLrazzi, Pundit Kitchen, Graphjam, Kludges, Failblog, Failbook, and Hacked IRL.
2. Nathan Kamp: Book Covers: Ok, so this is sort of related to romance, but more under the hot men category. You can probably recognize him because he's on tons of romance covers. Did anyone else watch the pilot for Royal Pains just for Nathan's two-second cameo...?
3. Odd News: Mainly from the UK, but the articles are universally funny.
4.Oddly Specific: I think this one is also associated with Lolcats, but I like it enough to give it its own line.
5. Picture is Unrelated: Another golden Lolcat cousin filled with WTFckery.
6. Sleep Talkin' Man: From the UK as well, but this guy must have hilarious dreams.
7. Stop Making That Duckface!: You know someone who does it, and please, just stop.
8. manvszombies: I've never really gotten into the whole zombie thing, but I get a kick out of this. If you've read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies you might like it.
9. WEDINATOR: Snark-worthy wedding moments.
10. Cake Wrecks: This goes well with WENDINATOR.
11. XKCD: Geeky jokes for the nerd in all of us.
12. Autocomplete Me: When Google suggest goes awry.
13. Hunk du Jour: Self-explanatory. Hot Men make me happy.
14. 5-Star Men: More hot men! Both this and Hunk du Jour are targeted for gay men, but I see no reason a straight woman can't enjoy it.
15. Indexed: Clever messages on index cards.
16. PostSecret: Sometimes funny. Sometimes tragic. I've been following this blog for almost six years and have gone to a few signing events.
17. FMyLife: As most this list proves, life's fails are entertaining.

On My YouTube Account
1. CommunityChannel: Apparently spunky Asian-Australian girls make big youtube sensations. Usually posts every 3-7 days with easily to relate to self-deprecating humor.
2. CollegeHumor: I'm pretty sure MTV owns this. They post pretty frequently with a variety of ongoing shows and series. Really funny and some of the stuff is very well done.

Blog Awards

Tracy was really awesome and tagged me (quite awhile ago) for the Sugar Doll Award. I'm supposed to list 10 things about myself and pass it on. To be honest, I'm horrible about tagging other people so I'm just going to encourage anyone who wants to do this to post it on their blog.

My ten things:
1. I'm obsessed with the Iditarod. For those poor souls who do not know what the Iditarod is, it's the dog sled race up in Alaska. (Anyone seen Balto?) I've been known to get pretty big crushes on some of the younger mushers, my two favorites being Rohn Buser and Dallas Seavey. Rohn isn't in the race this year, but Dallas is and I'm definitely cheering him on. The race is still going on now, so check it out!
2. I want to become a flight attendant. Most people look at me funny for this. Would I really want to deal with the insane hours and crabby passengers. Well yea, I do. I'd be awesome at it (I have amazing customer service skills) and the benefits would be sweet.
3. I love the movie Repo! The Genetic Opera. It's hard to describe, except that it's as campy as Rocky Horror and you get to see Paris Hilton's face fall off.
4. I'm terrified of relationships. I love reading romances, but there's a big difference between enjoying the story and actually being ready for a relationship.
5. Cary Grant is my hero. I have a nice little collection of his comedies, my favorite being The Philadelphia Story.
6. I'm focusing on school right now, but one day I want to write romance. Probably contemporary romance. I already have a few ideas bouncing around my head.
7. Red and black are my favorite colors.
8. I have three stars tattooed on my body.
9. I have two cats, Jesse (James) and Aby (which is short for Abyssinia, the source of the Nile), and a betta fish named Napoleon.
10. I am not a morning person, whatsoever. When left to my own devices I become completely nocturnal. This happened to me for a few weeks during my freshman year at college. It was very inconvenient.

Just Friggin' Awesome
A couple weeks ago over at Smart Bitches there was a contest to promote The Marriage Ring. The winner got a $1,500 gift certificate to Fragments jewelry. My friend won! I was in a state of shock for the first few minutes after she told me. I'm so happy for her!

Twilight
Whether you love it, whether you hate it, most of us can't take our eyes off it.

Yea, I'll be there.

Hot Men
Would any make-you-feel-better blog post really be complete without them?

DIK Reading Challenge: Perfect Chemistry

2010-02-28T03:18:00.006-05:00

Title: Perfect Chemistry
Author: Simone Elkeles
Genre: YA-Romance
Series: Series Unknown, but a sequel is coming out
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Summary:
At Fairfield High, everyone knows that south siders and north siders aren’t exactly compatible elements. So when cheerleader Brittany Ellis and gang member Alex Fuentes are forced to be lab partners, the results are bound to be explosive.

Neither teen is prepared for the most surprising chemical reaction of all – love. Can they break through the stereotypes and misconceptions that threaten to keep them apart?

Review:
*Beware. Minor spoilers ahoy.

Every now and then a book comes along that exceeds your expectations and makes you go, “Wow, I really enjoyed that.” For me, Perfect Chemistry was one of those books. I picked it up only intending to read a chapter or two, and finished the whole book in one sitting. I love the characters, the plot, and the writing. Perfect Chemistry was not what I expected. From the reviews and book trailer, I thought this was going to be a romantic comedy. Was it romantic? Yes. Funny? Yes. But Perfect Chemistry is more than just a humorous piece of YA fiction. It had some unexpected depth.

Both Brittany and Alex have some big issues in their lives. Brittany lives in a glass house. Her anxiety-prone, obsessive mother is determined to show the world a good face, no matter what happens. Her emotionally absent dad is no better, spending as much time as possible at work and away from the family. Her older sister has cerebral palsy, another one of the family’s secrets. Most of the tension in Brittany’s family comes from her parents wanting to send the sister to an institution while Brittany feels pressure to become the family’s perfect daughter.

Brittany was a bit of a stereotype. Rich. Beautiful. Head of the poms squad and dating the quarterback. Guys want to bang her and girls want to be her. Despite her sister and the problems with her parents, it was hard to feel too sorry for her. In terms of her social life, she’s the school’s princess. Her character does evolve as she stops keeping everyone at arm’s length and stops worrying about fitting the social mold.

In many ways Brittany’s character is easier for the average teen to relate to than Alex. Parents, siblings, social anxiety and pressure to have sex are universal teen issues. Alex’s problems go beyond that, and I think that also made him a more fleshed out character than Brittany.

I love Alex’s character. He’s poor, Latino, and in a gang. Perfect Chemistry doesn't skirt around the issues the way a lot of books do. When it says Alex is in a gang, Alex is in a gang. I don’t want to get too much into Alex’s gang life as it’s such a major part of the plot, but I like that the issue wasn’t made light of. He may not run major drug deals or shoot people, but he carries a loaded gun most of the time and leads a violent lifestyle. It didn’t feel fake. He may have a heart of gold somewhere deep down, but that doesn’t make him warm and cuddly.

For a YA romance, I found it fairly steamy. Things never get graphic, but a lot of scenes are emotionally charged. Elkeles really brought out the thrills of young love. Everything is in first-person, so readers get a good sense of a character’s thoughts and emotions. I don’t usually like romances in first person since I want to know what both characters are thinking, but the chapters alternate between Brittany and Alex’s point of view, taking care of that problem.

Some people felt Perfect Chemistry was cliché. Yea, it is. The clichés were almost unavoidable. Star-crossed lovers are about as cliché as you can get without moving into archetypes. But the theme is played with enough to feel fresh. The only cliché that got under my skin was that Alex and Brittany’s sister connected after meeting. It just felt like shorthand for “Look! This guy is so much better than your current jack-ass boyfriend.” I didn’t like when the sister was used as a plot device. The ending was cliché too, but after everything they went through I was happy with a warm and fuzzy ending and care-bear epilogue.

Another small thing that did annoy me was the timing of events. Ninety percent of this book takes place between the beginning of the school year and Halloween. That’s maybe ten to twelve weeks for our two love birds to get over their mutual hate, become attracted to each other, decide to break the social mold, and fall in love. The short time span didn’t bother me. It’s a staple of the romance genre that once you've meet “the one” obstacles shall arise and be conquered in short order. However, the remaining ten percent of the book moved in five month spans. I found the change in pace jarring. I would have preferred if the timing of the book was more even, but by the end I was so eager to see what happens that it’s probably good I didn’t have to wait.

To sum up, if you like YA fiction, go read this book! This is one of the few books that has wowed me lately. I’m excited to see there is a sequel, which is about Alex’s younger brother, coming out in a few months. I’ll definitely be reviewing that some time later this year. 5 out of 5!

In My Mailbox

2010-02-28T00:04:00.010-05:00

Ok, this isn't breaking my challenge because I did buy these at the beginning of February, way before I decided to go give up book-buying for a few months. It took them so long to get here because of the blizzards. All from Half.com, all totally old-school.

This is the book that started the round of book-buying. It was on one of the Smart Bitch's Help a Bitch Out pages. It sounded interesting so I decided to look it up, and of course one thing lead to another...

I was actually really excited to find this book. I was browsing through the seller who had Night Games when I saw this cover and recognized it immediately. I've been looking for it for years- it's one of the first romances I ever read, probably around when I was 13 or 14. I found it on my grandma's bookshelf when I was visiting for a week. Pirates, amnesia, men who don't communicate- classic. I suppose I could have just called her and asked, but it just felt too awkward.

Both the category regencies are throwbacks to the beginning of my romance reading days as well. I used to buy a bunch of Harlequin Historicals at yard sales. I always like having them around for short, light reads.

Thanks everyone for your support of my no-buy challenge. It's daunting to see how many other people have tried and failed, but if I don't make it at least I'll be in good company!

Challenge: 5-month No Buy

2010-02-20T15:12:00.005-05:00

After looking at my income to book spending ratio, I've decided to set up a new kind of challenge for myself- I will refrain from buying books for five months.

I would have done six months but there is no way I'm going to the RWA Lit Signing and not buying stuff.

Knowing me, this challenge is probably going to be one of the hardest I do this year. I love buying books almost as much as I love reading them. I love the way they feel, the smell, the un-cracked spine. Retail therapy is a total drug. I buy when I'm stressed, when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm bored.

Because of my spending problem, I now have a very large TBR pile(s), so I'll hardly be without books. I also am going to stop getting stacks and stacks of books from the library, as this does nothing to help decrease said TBR pile. On top of everything I just don't have the time this semester to read as much as I would like. My free time is quickly disappearing, especially since everyone over here is in a crunch because of the blizzard.

But (don't you just love that there's a but), I have decided on a set list of books being published in the next few months which are the exceptions:

March 16

What the Librarian Did by Karina Bliss

-I think Wendy reviewed this on her blog recently. The main reason I'm reading it is that my mom (who is a librarian) saw the cover and cracked up, so now I just have to know what happens.

April 27

Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

-Self-explanatory. John Matthew is one of my favorite characters so I'm really psyched for this book to come out. The one bad thing is that it's being released in hard back, which I'm not a big fan of. I'm really obsessive about having all my series in the same format.

May 25 (This is going to be a really good day...)

His at Night by Sherry Thomas

-I've been a huge fan of Sherry Thomas ever since Private Arrangements came out a few years back. She's the only author who is solidly on my auto-buy list.

Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

-I was just blogging about the Hathaway's a few days ago when the covers were released. After the ridiculous cliffhanger at the end of Tempt Me at Twilight, I'm really for this one.

Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn

-I almost didn't include this book. I don't think JQ's recent novels have been as great as the Bridgertons, and this cover is awful. But I do still enjoy her works, so I'm putting it on my exceptions list.

June 29

Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

-I'm glad this one is so soon after Married by Morning. Now I don't have to worry about any cliffhangers.

July 6

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley

-I loved The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. I'd list it as one of my favorite romances. So of course I'm glad the next in the series is coming out.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T19:10:00.004-05:00

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

I meant to post something yesterday (seeing how V-day and romance go together and all...) but ended up distracted by mundane household errands. I have to admit that V-day is one of those holidays that always slips my mind. I'm not in a relationship, so I'm not going to be doing something with my significant other. And I'm not lonely, so I'm not going to spend the day cheering myself up. I'd use it as a day to celebrate romance, but hey, I do that everyday.

All in all, I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day, whatever you decided to do with it.

Recent Reads:

Title: Never Seduce A Scoundrel

Author: Sabrina Jeffries

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: School for Heriesses (#1)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I can generally rely on Sabrina Jeffries for a fun, light read. Never Seduce a Scoundrel was possibly my favorite- there was some great tension between Amelia and Lucas. Lucas is a bit bullheaded for most of the book, but he comes around before I started to dislike him. The suspense and mystery are fairly predictable, so any interesting conflict is confined to Amelia and Lucas and whether or not their romance can survive the lies around them. I liked the scenes involving "The Scottish Scourge", who later goes on to be hero in another book in the series. Overall it was very enjoyable.

Title: High Heels and Holidays

Author: Kasey Michaels

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Series: Maggie Kelly Mystery (#5)

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

I couldn't get past the first chapter of this. It begins with our heroine, Maggie, writing in her journal about all the things that are going on in her life, mainly her boyfriend who is a fictional romance hero come to life. I think its a cool concept, but I never got past that first chapter to find out. She keeps referring to the journal as "Fred" (at least I think that's what was going on). For quite a while I couldn't figure out who Fred was- was he another character, a figment of her imagination, or was I supposed to be Fred? I might have been able to push myself more and gotten into the book after a chapter or two more, but it seemed like too much effort. This is the fifth in the Maggie Kelly Mystery series, so Maggie and her not-so-fictional boyfriend Alexandre would probably have made a lot more sense if I had started at the beginning.

Title: Gone with the Nerd

Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Series: Nerds (#4)

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I definitely want to write a full review of this one as soon as I have time. This one had some serious WTF moments, and the characters and plot seemed to be all over the place. There is some strong animal attraction between the two main characters. Longer review to come.

From the Look of Things

2010-02-05T15:15:00.025-05:00

1. I am completely snowed in. I'm sure anyone in the MD/DC/VA area is having the same problems right now. It just stopped snowing an hour ago, but there's a predicted storm for Tuesday.

Our power went out last night, so I was incredibly relieved when I woke up this morning and everything was running again, though it flickers a bit. I don't do really well with power outages. I can deal with no light, no computer, no TV, and no hot water, but not all at the same time. I think it's the boredom that comes with being stuck in a dark house. And then the boredom makes me want to eat and sleep. By the time the snow begins to clear out I'm going to look like a squirrell ready for hibernation.

I though I'd add some pictures of my back porch and of the tree limbs weighed down in the snow.

Ironically, the first thing that popped into my head when the blizzard hit was, "I have a library book that's overdue and there is no way I can return it this weekend." I guess that's what I get for having a librarian for a mother :)

2. I feel I might as well add my two cents about the new Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn book covers. I've seen a lot of people posting about it. In both cases, I think the covers are a step down from the previous books in the series.

Lisa Kleypas:

So far the Hathways have some of my favorite covers. In fact, that's how I began reading the series.- back in '07 the blue and gold cover of Mine Till Midnight caught my eye when I was stuck in a long line at CVS. I like the covers for Seduce Me at Sunrise and Tempt Me at Twilight even more.

I love image of the single female reclining. There's a touch of mystery in that you can't see her eyes. To me, those covers are attractive and sensual without being overdone.

The covers of Married by Morning and Love in the Afternoon match each other, but not the other books in the series. This is a pet peeve of mine. I know it doesn't bother a lot of readers, but I hate when things don't match. The titles match, so why can't the covers? On top of that, the covers don't seem as interesting or romantic.

I'm unsure why the publishers decided to make the covers more tame- I doubt the books will be. Both the covers are pleasant, but I find them bland. I can see why Love in the Afternoon has a stack of letters, but the roses on Married by Morning just seem to be garden variety romance symbolism (hehe forgive the pun). They're not nearly as sensual as the earlier book covers.

Also, comparing the step backs, the first three follow the formula of shirtless male/dress falling off. Then these two are shirt falling off/dress on. I don't think that's a big deal. I just wonder why the publishers decided to go that direction.

Julia Quinn:

The cover for What Happens in London is a lot like what the new Hathaway covers look like (minus the step back). While I don't think it's remarkable, I do like it.

So I'm really lost to how the publishers decided on the cover for Ten Things I Love About You (the follow up to What Happens in London).

The cover almost works if you start from the bottom. You've got a lovely flowing white dress, a hint of cleavage, a mysterious letter... a washed out brunette? I feel bad for whoever was the model for that cover- it is not a flattering angle for her face and the expression looks more bored and vacant than intriguing. The face is so jarring it takes any romance there was out of the cover.

Personally, I think Julia Quinn has been screwed over on covers for the past few years. I remember the WTF moment from when I first saw The Lost Duke of Wyndham. I would have hoped publishers learned from the Wyndham/Cavendish covers, but apparently not. In these cases, while cartoonish, I think I prefer the UK versions.

DIK Reading Challenge: Lord of Scoundrels

2010-01-31T23:00:00.003-05:00

Title: Lord of Scoundrels

Author: Loretta Chase

Genre: Historical Romance

Series: Scoundrels (#3)

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Summary:

Tough minded Jessica Trent's sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian ballister, the notorious Marquess of Diain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And When Daines reciprical passion places them in a scandously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction...

Dawn the minx for tempting him, kissing him...and then for forcing him to salvage reputation! Lord Dain can't wait to put the infuriating bluestocking in her place -- and in some amorous position. And if this means marriage, so be it -- though sebastian is less than certain he can continue to remian aloof...and stell his heart to the sensuous, head strong lady's considerable charms.

Review:

For the past few years I’ve heard a lot of hype about this book. I’ve only read one other work by Loretta Chase (Your Scandalous Ways) and loved it- 5 out of 5 stars. So, when I decided to take on the DIK Reading Challenge, Lord of Scoundrels seemed like a good book to kick off the year with. The book is excellent and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the kind of book I couldn’t set down, even when there were other things I needed to get done. Lord of Scoundrels has great characterization and depth and I can see why many people put it on their favorite.

I would love to add to Lord of Scoundrel’s praises, but as much as I enjoyed it, I didn’t find it memorable. This can be a major problem when trying to write a review, or even keeping track of the plot. For the life of me I couldn’t remember who was angry with Dain, who wanted revenge, who was manipulating who, and why anyone was doing any of those things to begin with. In the end, I’m writing this more based on impressions than memories.

Dain is the definition of the tortured hero. His mother abandoned him. His father didn’t love him and packed him off to school as soon as he could. The other boys beat him up, called him ugly, and said his mother was a whore. The traumatic childhood resulted in the belief that no one could ever love him, and that the best way of dealing with it was to engage in as much debauchery as is humanly possible. Normally I’m not a big fan of this plot as I don’t believe true rakes can be “reformed”. And Dain was a true rake. If his character had been any less well written I would not have been able to believe the HEA. His childhood explains his determination to revolt against anything “respectable”, but at the same time didn’t excuse his behavior. Even though you know the type of man he will become, it’s impossible not to feel sorry for him as he spends all of his childhood being looked down on and degraded. From his thoughts it’s clear how his lack of self-worth has been ingrained in him. A lot of time is spent in Dain’s head, which is consumed with the “no one could love me/I’m ugly/I’m evil” monologue. It could get repetitive- he’s pretty whiny and insecure. Essentially, Dain is stuck as a child for most of the book. He hasn’t grown emotionally, and whenever he doesn’t get his way he starts stomping around and yelling like a little boy. I think watching the emotional development made his groveling much more satisfying later on. Despite all of his brutishness and stupidities, Dain does some really good groveling in the end.

I know a lot of people had issues with how Dain treated his son. It was heart wrenching to see him do what his father did to him. All in all, the book has a plethora of bad parenting. However, Dain reacting to his son differently wouldn’t have been realistic, especially since he was still so emotionally immature. I did think it was resolved (Dain gained the ability to be a father as he began to sort out his own issues) and I like that once shoved into the situation, he managed to figure a bit of it out without Jessica’s help.

I think I had more problems with Jessica. I liked that she was intelligent and witty. Her ability to hold her ground in any situation was necessary considering how overwhelming Dain could be. But she was often just too perfect. She could walk into an antique store and in minutes find a priceless antique than no other collector had noticed. She was a spinster, but by choice. Despite her age and lack of fortune she still had no shortage of suitors. She was uncommonly beautiful and could reduce the average man to rubber by batting her eyes. She was infinitely patient with Dain. She managed to let not only him into her heart, but his bastard son who even he didn’t want to deal with. Just on principle. I think I would have liked her more if she showed some flaws. However, any less of a character could not have taken on Dain. Since she was neither a wet rag nor TSTL, I can forgive that at moments she felt like a Mary Sue.

I would recommend Lord of Scoundrels to any of my friends. It’s easy to get into, has complicated and realistic characters, and was a satisfying read. Even with the annoying blip in my memory I know it was an excellent book and I’m up for reading any of Loretta Chase’s other novels. 4 out of 5 stars.

Review: Chasing Stanley

2010-01-23T15:40:00.005-05:00

Title: Chasing Stanley

Author: Deidre Martin

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Series: Blades (#6)

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I'm surprised I even picked up this book considering the cover...

Summary:

What do a New York City dog trainer and a pro hockey player have in common? They both love Stanley, an adorable but naughty Newfoundland...

When dog trainer Delilah Gould spots a rambunctious Newfoundland disobeying orders, she can't help but stepping in and teaching the gentle giant to heel. But it's his hunky owner she's really like to teach a few tricks. Too bad he's clearly the untrainable kind.

Professional hockey player Jason Mitchell is thrilled when he's traded to the New York Blades--the team of his dreams. There's just one problem: his pooch isn't adjusting to city life too well. Good thing he crosses paths with dog trainer Delilah Gould. At least that's what he thinks--until he realized he's fallen for her.

Now, with the season heating up, Jason realizes he'll have to score big-time to win the Stanley Cup and the woman who had tamed his dog and unleashed his heart.

Review:
I found Chasing Stanley to be a disappointing book. The first few chapters leading up to Delilah and Jason getting together were fun, light-hearted, and amusing. Jason had hero potential- I loved that he was attracted to Delilah despite her being shy and always covered in dog hair. However, once they got together it was all downhill from there.

Neither Jason nor Delilah showed any character growth throughout the novel. Delilah is painfully awkward and shy, interacting better with dogs than people. Whenever she is in a social situation she ends up babbling and embarrassing herself. Neither of these are particularly horrible traits, except that she has no spine. Not only is she socially awkward, but she spends most of the book on the brink of tears about one thing or another. She’s overly vulnerable. She doesn’t have a lot of common sense. She runs out of parties the minute she thinks someone doesn’t like her. She’s been traumatized by her parents fighting and bickering, so it makes some sense that she’s hesitant about relationships, but she literally becomes a nervous wreck just thinking about her parents. The only character who is less mature than her is Jason.

Jason is essentially a little boy now living in the big city playing hockey. He’s impulsive about everything. He buys digital cameras before furnishing his apartment. He goes out to get drunk with his teammates and his brother. And he’s about a zero on the maturity scale. I had major issues about Delilah and his first major public outing. Jason wants to go have dinner with some of his teammates. Delilah was clear she didn’t want to go and that her social anxiety would probably cause some problems. They go, and she babbles. It wasn’t much of a shock, but at the same time it wasn’t a major deal. Yes, she embarrassed herself, but she didn’t say anything offensive or anything that should have embarrassed Jason. Jason, however, gets really angry about what happened. In the car ride home he starts lashing out that she needs to get help about her social anxiety problems at that she hasn’t been doing anything to fix it. Hello! Delilah clearly stated that she didn’t want to go, that it would be hard on her, then Jason pressures he into it and gets mad when it doesn’t go the way he wanted? I was so annoyed by the whole incident I had to put the book down for a while. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to bother to finish it.

Jason spends a lot of time in the book considering Delilah a liability, which makes me really doubt that they belong together. She’s a homebody, and he likes to go out and party the night away. A lot of couples can overcome this, except Jason wanted Delilah to start partying and Delilah wanted Jason to stay in more. They weren’t very good at compromising. For a few months, they take a break from dating and stay friends. They work way better this way, and even though they get back together at the end, their future as a couple appears doomed. I’m not sure what it says about Jason’s character that the moment he and Delilah break up he starts going to Victoria Secret fashion shows and clubbing with models- to “distract him from missing Delilah”. I had trouble seeing him as long-term relationship material. (Why were they together again?)

Jason’s twin brother Eric isn’t particularly likeable either. I know he has a book later on in the series, but I had trouble ever seeing him as a hero. He’s smooth and charming, but mostly uses that to cause trouble for everyone else. During the book Eric starts a fling with Delilah’s father’s fiancée, which isn’t resolved by the end of the book and feels like a loose plot thread.

Almost every other character was a two dimensional stereotype. You have the high strung Jewish mother. The gay best friend. The father with the midlife crisis, horrible fake tan, and blonde bimbo on his arm. The darling parents from Minnesota who love each other, live on a farm, and don’t worry what people think of them. The list goes on. There are several large group interactions which involve the team, coaches and past players. I could sort of guess which characters were in past book in the series, but consider how uninteresting they were, I doubt I’ll be reading their books. They were generally described as beautiful people with beautiful children who are beautifully happy. Yay.

I think the biggest problem with this book is that there is absolutely no tension. I’m not a sports person, but I really like hockey which is one reason I chose this book. But not even the hockey was interesting. There was no suspense built up. The descriptions of the games didn’t convey at all the adrenaline rush the players would be having. They won the Stanley Cup before I even realized they were in the finals. The sex was basically the same. There was no spark. It would have been better if those scenes were never included- they were so bland.

The only thing I really liked was Jason’s dog Stanley’s connection to everyone. He brings most of the humor to the book with his antics. He’s a very lovable dog and eventually becomes the team mascot. However not even a big lovable Newf could save this book. 2 out of 5 stars, and I doubt I’ll be reading anything else in the Blades series.

The Romance Girl's Guide to Fiction

And Thanks for All the Fish

Movies: Flashdance

I Got You Covered

RWA Loot + Photos

Top 10: Favorite Series

RWA Countdown!!!

Show Your True Colors

Top 10: Authors @ 2011 Literacy Autographing

Movies: The Bounty Hunter

Review: Lover Unleashed

Top 10: Favorite TV Shows

Summer Reading Ain't Just For Fun

Top 10: Events of My Summer (so far...)

My Good Luck Charms

Top 10: Reasons I Can't Wait For Finals To Be Over

April Wrap-Up

Top 10: Royal Wedding Mania!

Marines Making My Day

Top 10: Favorite Heroes

Milking The Cash Cow

Review: He's Just Not That Into You

Top 10: Favorite Romance Novels

Movies: The Lady Eve

Why Being an English Major Rocks

Review: Prom and Prejudice

Review: How to Woo a Reluctant Lady

BDB News

You Could Have Fooled Me

Title Goes Here

Interweb Humor

Under The Influence

Rating System

In Other News

All The Single Ladies!

New Books Cheer Me Up

Bukkits All Around

Movies: TiMER

Gleeked!

Go Obama!

Review: Pleasures of a Notorious Gentleman

Review Mashup!

My Personal PSA

Victory!!!

TGIF: Hawt Football

Review: Wicked Nights With a Lover

Apparently Dragons Are Scary

Facing The Week Ahead

Movies: The Jane Austen Book Club

Let it snow, let it snow, ELIZABETHAN VAMPIRES!

I'm Back!

Gone Fishin'

DIK: Day 3

DIK: Day 2

DIK: Day 1

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

The Dreaded Slump... Or Not

Top Picks of 2010

Happy New Year!

Is That a Challenge?

Welcome to the Dark Side

Santa Baby

This is Bloody Good Stuff

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Can You Think of Anything More Awesome!?

Review: A Man In A Million

Look! Look!

Review: The Kiss

The Final Countdown

Review: Every Frat Boy Wants It

Please Don't Hold Me To It

Digitize Me

Time Goes On

You like me.. you really like me!

2010 RITA for Young Adult Romance:

Grade Inflation

More Happy and Some Reads

Mega Post of Happy Things

DIK Reading Challenge: Perfect Chemistry

In My Mailbox