Passion & Prose, Non-Bookstores, Heroic Librarians & Fatty McFattins

So, I haven't posted jack on this blog since Monday.  I also haven't read a single word in any book since last weekend.  Not good considering I'm knee-deep in stuff I really need, and want!, to read.  I need to stop getting distracted by The Shiny.  In the meantime, while I look around for my
misplaced mojo, here are some linky highlights I've culled off the Interwebs the last few days.

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For romance junkies that live in Southern California, there is the Passion and Prose event in Long Beach on February 25.  The event is a wee bit on the pricey side - but there is a fantastic mix of authors on board, plus keynote speakers like Meg Cabot, Christina Dodd and Gail Carriger.  This certainly looks like it could be a nice alternative if ponying up for the entire RWA conference in Anaheim this summer isn't an option.  I'm planning on attending, hopefully I'll see some of you there!

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I've been kicking around this blog post in my head about publishers and libraries, but Amber takes care of the task for me with this lovely, succinct post When Is A Bookstore Not A Bookstore?  Seems Amber decided to visit the Barnes & Noble where she used to work and was none too pleased with what she encountered.  Can't say I blame her.

Publishers, you know besides Borders going belly-up, this would be another good reason why you shouldn't be jerking libraries around.  Frankly?  You need us.  A lot.  Because if this is the future of brick and mortar bookstores?  Y'all are screwed.

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Speaking of libraries being awesome-sauce, there is this list of 20 heroic librarians who save the world.  See publishers, librarians can even save the world!  I'm quite pleased to see that my alter ego made the list, although to have her sitting behind Noah Wyle?  I mean, really?!

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And finally, in baseball news.  Yes, the Detroit Tigers have lost their damn minds and given a bloated, fat contract to....well, Prince Fielder.  Yes folks, this is the fine athletic specimen we've got for the next 9 years at over $200 million dollars.

For the record, I'm the only Tigers fan on the planet who hates this deal.  Oh sure, there will be a lovely honeymoon period of about three years, and then after that I foresee Jabba The Hutt wearing the Old English D.  Also, moving Miguel Cabrera to third base?  Whatever drugs they're doing in Detroit, someone pass some this way because it's obviously something potent.  I now have the slowest, fattest infield in the history of the world.  Oh sure, they'll mash some taters, but defense?  You know, the other half of the game?  Just sayin'.

The Month That Was December 2011

Lemon Drop: OMG, seriously Auntie Wendy?  Seriously?!  You finally show up just when I'm getting ready to conquer a mountain?  Has anybody ever told you your timing stinks?

Me: Well you're not the first to say so young lady, nor do I doubt you'll be the last.  What can I say?  I was busy.  Plus I had to recap the whole reading year of 2011 first....

Lemon Drop:  Yeah, and don't think I didn't notice I was mentioned, like, nowhere in those posts ::pout::

Me: Sweetie, you shouldn't pout.  Smart girls looking pretty in pink shouldn't pout.

Lemon Drop:  ::mollified::  Well, I might be able to spare a few moments before Mommy takes me sledding.....

Title links will take you to full reviews

All Fall Down by Megan Hart, Contemporary general fiction, Mira, 2011, Grade = B+

• Thought-provoking fiction from Hart featuring a young woman, with three babies, who escapes a religious cult on the eve of them committing mass suicide.  I love how Hart takes ordinary people and puts them in extraordinary circumstances.  Excellent choice for book clubs. 

Maggie's Wish by Sharon Ihle, Historical western romance, Zebra, 1996, Grade = DNF

• My aborted TBR Challenge read.  I was looking for angst in a story about a woman who hires the hero to track down her scumbag ex so their little girl won't be disappointed again at Christmas.  Instead, the "heartbroken" little girl is a mischievous imp who gets up in everybody's business and the author shoots for farcical humor by having the hero try to man-up the scumbag ex into being a suitable husband and father.  Yeah, so not what I wanted.

Another Chance by Portia Da Costa, Erotic romance digital short story, Spice Briefs, 2011, Grade = B+

• Vintage Da Costa, with a lovely playfulness to the erotic shenanigans.  Also, a heroine in her 40s.  Sign me up! 

A Seduction at Christmas by Cathy Maxwell, Historical romance, Avon, 2008, Grade = C

• Super thin historical back-drop not aided by an equally thin suspense subplot.  I'm telling you though, there's something about Maxwell's writing that reels me in.  It's like drinking liquid candy.
  

Craving the Highlander's Touch by Michelle Willingham, Historical romance digital short story, Harlequin Historical Undone, 2011, Grade = B

• A short story with surprising depth and a whole lot of plot.  Connected to a series, but stands alone well.  Says me.

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston, Historical fiction, Ecco, 2011, Grade = B+

• A picture book for grown-ups (scrapbook), that tells the story of a young woman in the early 1920s.  Great stuff for social history nuts and crafty types.

One Night as a Courtesan by Ann Lethbridge, Historical romance digital short story, Harlequin Historical Undone, 2010, Grade = B-

• A sexy story with a nice historical feel about a rakish Duke and a gently-born heroine down on a her luck.  Had my issues, but really appreciated the slow, sensual feel to the love scenes.

One Wicked Christmas by Amanda McCabe, Historical romance digital short story, Harlequin Historical Undone, 2011, Grade = D+

• This one breaks my heart because I normally like McCabe's Undones.  Hero pining for his BFF's widow comes off as distasteful in this short format.

The Queen's Consort by Leia Rice, Erotica digital short story, Spice Briefs, 2011, Grade = B-

• Uber-lusty heroine paired with a hero who could set a world record in stamina.  Yeah, it's pretty much all about the sex here.  But you know what?  That's not always a bad thing.

Me: And that was that.  Lots of short stories this month because I was trying to delude my way into hitting 100 books read in 2011.  It didn't happen, and instead I hit 95.

Lemon Drop: Yeah, yeah, yeah - that's nice Auntie Wendy.  Now, where's Mommy with my sled?

Me: I'm lucky she stood still this long....

Digital Review: Romancing The Toe Bone

It shouldn't take anyone who likes to read short stories very long to generate a list of go-to authors who work well within a shorter format.  Barbara Monajem is one of those authors for me.  Her work for Harlequin Historical Undone tends to feature a nice historical flavor, interesting characters, and "different" plot-lines to keep me from feeling like I'm reading a retread.  In the case of The Unrepentant Rake, the "different" was what held me back. 

Readers first met Simon Caling in another Undone short story, The Wanton Governess.  A younger son, he's a bit of a cad.  A charming, sexy cad - but a cad nonetheless.  One of his acquaintances is hopelessly in love with a young lady, but he's too damn tongue-tied to offer for her.  He's hoping Simon can help him out.  Simon, with nothing more amusing to do, agrees - only to find himself captivated by the girl's governess, Beatrix March.

Beatrix will soon my leaving her employer, but she cannot do that until she finds her missing relic.  Her family has had possession of a toe bone of St. Davnet for generations.  She believes the relic is what has been responsible for family harmony all these years.  And now her foolish young charge has swiped it from her thinking it will help with her love life!  Bah!  To make matters worse, Simon Caling, a rake of the first order, is visiting and he's sniffing around.  The lady of the house is completely unconcerned, which means it is up to Beatrix to protect the girls.  Little does she know Simon only has eyes for her.

As much as I enjoyed the previous short story, this latest entry didn't really cook for me.  While I enjoy Monajem's light touches of humor, and she continues to write excellent banter, the whole sub plot revolving around the missing toe bone (seriously?) was just a bit too farcical for my blood.  It was just....silly.  And unfortunately, since I found it silly, the heroine, who deeply believes in the powers of said toe bone, comes off as silly. 

Simon is what carries this story for me.  He's charming, he's rakish without being slimy, and it's a wonder that all the females in this story manage to keep their clothes on around him (well, Beatrix doesn't succeed - but then she's the heroine).  But I couldn't help but think Simon would have been better matched with a more mature heroine.  Someone who has been around the block.  Someone who didn't believe in magical, saintly toe bones. 

So where does that leave us?  Well, with personal preference.  If you can swing with a little bit of farce, enjoy sexy banter, and don't mind heroines who participate in a bit of "magical thinking" - you will likely enjoy this story more than I did.  I still enjoyed the author's writing, and she continues to work well in this tough shorter format.  It's just this particular story wasn't really my cup of tea.  Someone pass the Earl Grey....

Final Grade = C+

TBR Challenge 2012: Family At Stake

The Book: Family at Stake by Molly O'Keefe

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin SuperRomance #1365, 2006, First book in duet (book two = His Best Friend's Baby), Out of Print, Available In Digital 

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?: Well, I can tell you I bought it at a local used bookstore that has since closed up shop - so my guess is I read a description somewhere and it sounded good.  This particular book did win Best Category Romance in AAR's annual reader's poll in 2007 - so that might be the reason too.

The Review:  After falling totally in love with a Molly O'Keefe Super last year, I immediately pulled out the giant Rubbermaid tote I have wedged in a storage closet where I house my print collection of category romance.  The mission?  See if I have any other books by this author collecting dust in the mountain range.  And sure enough, I did - including this one which happens to be the first story she wrote for SuperRomance.

Rachel Filmore and Mac Edwards were BFFs in high school.  Before you can say This Isn't Going To End Well, the two succumb to their teenage hormones and have sex the night of their graduation.  Mac has been hopelessly in love with Rachel forever, but she has one mission - and that's to get the hell out of her tiny hometown and as far away from her father, who beats on her, and her mother, who enables Daddy's drinking.  Having sex with Mac doesn't change that mission, although he foolishly hopes that it might.

Fast forward many years later, and Rachel is a social worker who hasn't strayed far from her hometown (a scant 30-odd miles away in fact).  There's been a retirement higher up the food chain, which means cases are getting shuffled among existing staff.  That's when Rachel sees Mac Edwards' name on a folder with a scary red flag on it.  Seems Mac is having issues with his 12-year-old daughter, Amanda.  Serious enough issues that the guy who just retired?  Yeah, made a notation that maybe it was time for Amanda to be removed from the home.  Rachel cannot reconcile this Mac in the file with the Mac she grew up with - so she volunteers to take the case, without telling her new superior that there just might be a teensy conflict of interest.

Mac is floored to see Rachel standing on his doorstep.  Her leaving broke his heart.  When he learns she's their new case worker?  He doesn't know what to think.  This new Rachel - this Rachel who is aloof, cold, and acts like they have no history really depresses him.  However, he loves his daughter, and he's desperate to find out what has been troubling her.  She seemed to handle her mother's death fairly OK (considering), so why now, many months after the fact, is she falling apart?

I generally look to Supers to get my emotional angsty fix, and this story is pretty much textbook.  Mac and Rachel have a lot of baggage, mostly because as 18-year-old kids they were too stupid to talk to each other.  Also, it's easy to understand Rachel's desire to get the heck out of Dodge given how craptastic her family life was.  She couldn't be bothered to think about the people around her (Mac, her brother) who would be effected by her leaving.  All she knew was that 1) this is a bad place and 2) anyplace else has to be better.

I found myself enjoying this book, but for all the other reasons besides the romance - which honestly was incidental for me.  I was intrigued by Amanda.  What was she hiding?  What was slowly eating away at her?  I also found myself terribly interested in Rachel's past.  Was she going to stop running from it?  Was she finally going to take the steps to address the toxic sludge in her life that she was pushing to the side?

The romance is rather heavy, given the past that Mac and Rachel share.  They have a tendency to say things to each other that are rather hurtful.  I did find Mac's response to Rachel rather Pavlovian after they finally hit the sheets (when we first had sex she left ergo now that we've had sex a second time she'll leave again) - and I also found myself feeling really sorry for Mac's dead wife.  She was a pretty, popular girl who wanted Mac but found herself competing with the fact that he was in love with Rachel.  Naturally this eventually wears on her, and while I won't necessarily say the author demonizes her for it - I can see how some readers would feel that she does.

So where does that leave us?  Well, this was a strong read with many enjoyable elements to it.  I also really appreciated that the author addressed the ethical issues concerning Rachel's job and her history with Mac - when in many other romances one would see an issue like this swept under the rug entirely.  While I didn't love it and want to have babies with it - if it had been my first introduction to O'Keefe's writing?  Yeah, she would have landed on my Check Out Her Next Release list.  As it is, I've now gone back and ordered her backlist titles that I didn't already have buried in the TBR.  So much for this challenge being about making progress with my hording....

Final Grade = B-

Reminder: TBR Challenge For January 2012

For those of you participating in the 2012 TBR Challenge, a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, January 18. 

The theme this month is Category Romance.  You know, one of those cute little books with the dippy titles.

Remember, the themes are completely and totally optional.  If you're not much for category romance, or heck - you just don't feel like reading one this month, that's totally cool!  The themes aren't nearly as "important" as digging some long neglected book out of your TBR pile.

And hey, and it's only January!  It's not too late to sign-up for the challenge and join in on the fun.   If you're interested, or just want to be a snoop, please check out the TBR Challenge 2012 information page.

Unusual Historical Spotlight: Retro Rippin', Cowboys, Egypt, Gladiators, Ottoman Empire, and Vikings

Love and War by Patricia Hagan

What You Need To Know: Publication date December 13, 2011; Digital Release; originally published in 1978 by Avon; first book in series

Description:

A tale of sizzling passion in a world consumed by the Civil War.

Beautiful and spirited Southerner Kitty Wright is torn between Rebel Nathan Collins and Yankee Travis Coltrane, the dashing Cavalry officer who can melt her heart with desire while sending fury coursing through her veins.

As war erupts, Kitty is abducted and ravished by a war-crazed Rebel. Rescued by Yankees, she is held captive and thrust into the battlefields to help tend the wounded. But from the first moment Travis Coltrane ignites—and satiates—the wild, raw desire in her that she never knew existed, she realizes her heart is imprisoned as well as her body.

Hating Travis for his Yankee loyalty, while loving him despite their different worlds, Kitty struggles with her guilt over Nathan, the Rebel to whom she is promised…all while struggling to survive as the world explodes around them all.

This title was originally published by Avon Books in 1978.

Product Warnings
This sweeping Civil War saga features accurate and graphic descriptions of battlefield wounds, nursing, and the brutality of war.

What Makes It Unusual: Dude, a Civil War saga!  Plus it sounds like just the ticket for those of you who are yearning for some Old School Bodice-Rippin' Action (see review at Get Yer Bodices Ripped Here)

Susanna's Choice by Sara Luck

What You Need To Know: Publication date December 27, 2011; debut

Description:

A Chance Encounter
Soon after stepping off the train, Rab rescues a beautiful woman from an oncoming wagon, and they are consumed by the strength and seduction of their embrace. Susanna is an aspiring writer and agrees to interview a stranger, who she is shocked to discover is none other than Rab Trudeau, the man that everyone is talking about and the man that saved her life.

A Life Changing Choice
Promised in marriage to another, Susanna fights her overwhelming desire for Rab, but as the scandal surrounding his company heats up, Susanna must make an impossible choice—one that could bind her to Rab forever or destroy any hope of their future happiness.

What Makes It Unusual: Dude, a debut western!

Priestess of the Nile by Veronica Scott


What You Need To Know: Publication date January 23, 2012; Digital Release, short story

Description:

Egypt, 1500 BC

Drawn to his abandoned temple on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man, he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical joining of a Great One and a human.

Merys is attracted to the handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the future—or love.
Sobek takes every opportunity to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life, their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?
21,000 words

What Makes It Unusual: Dude, ancient Egypt!

 Mask of the Gladiator by Georgie Lee

What You Need To Know: Publication date January 30, 2012; Digital Release, short story

Description:

Rome, 41 AD
Livia Duronius is driven to seek out a gladiator after watching him triumph in the Colosseum. His touch arouses a sense of hope she hasn't felt since Rome fell under the tyrannical rule of Caligula—and her late husband betrayed her. Though in danger of losing more than her heart, she vows to see him again, even after she learns her uncle has arranged her marriage to a senator.

Senator Titus Marius cannot resist indulging in a passionate encounter with the veiled woman who waits for him after the games, though he faces execution if his true identity is discovered. Bound by honor to wed another, and embroiled in a plot to free Rome from madness, he never expects to see the mystery woman again.

When the fates reunite them in the marriage bed, Titus vows to protect Livia at all costs—even from the lecherous eyes of the emperor...
17,000 words

 What Makes It Unusual:  Dude, ancient Rome!

A Secret in Her Kiss by Anna Randol

What You Need To Know: Publication date January 31, 2012; debut

Description:

She would gladly relinquish her life of intrigue…

A rare beauty, raised in the exotic heart of the Ottoman Empire, Mari Sinclair knows it’s time to end her career as a British spy when she narrowly avoids a brush with death. Unfortunately her employers think otherwise—and they are not above using blackmail to keep Mari in the Game.

Saddled with a handsome, duty-obsessed “minder” to ensure that she completes—and survives—one last mission, Mari is incensed…for her guardian, Major Bennett Prestwood, is simply too dedicated, too unbending, and too disarmingly attractive. But in the face of dark secrets and deadly treacheries, as the true peril to Mari is slowly revealed, loyal soldier Bennett realizes that, to save and win this extraordinary woman, he will have to do the unthinkable and break the rules—rules that passion and desire have suddenly, irrevocably changed.

What Makes It Unusual: Dude, a debut novel published by Avon (all England, all the bloody time) set in the Ottoman Empire.  

The Viking's Touch by Joanna Fulford

What You Need To Know: Publication date February 21, 2012; sequel to The Viking's Defiant Bride

Description: 

Wulfgar and his band of warriors are on their way to join Rollo when their ship is damaged in a storm, and puts into a small bay off the Anglian coast.  They need to carry out urgent repairs and this looks like a perfect haven.  However, it turns out to be anything but.  For a start there is Lord Ingvar’s war band who make it clear that the newcomers are not welcome. Then there is Anwyn, the beautiful and wealthy widow, on whom Ingvar has designs.  Having escaped one forced marriage she is not about to embark on another.  Striving to maintain her independence and protect her young son, she feels increasing isolated and under threat. When she agrees to help Wulfgar he is grateful and, on learning of her predicament, even sympathetic. Unfortunately, he won’t be around long enough to become involved, and anyway it’s none of his business.  However, Anwyn, soon realises that he is the one person who could help her.

What Makes It Unusual:  Dude, Vikings!

• This is just a small sampling of upcoming and recently released titles. Have you read any promising unusual historicals of late?   (Seriously, the last time I did a UH post was back in September!  In other words, let the recommendations fly!)

The Year That Was 2011: The Best Of Everything Else

Now that I've corralled the best reading I did in category romance last year, it's time to talk about everything else.  This also marks my last post on the subject of rehashing 2011.  It's time to look forward, and kick my reading butt in gear if I have any hopes of cracking 100 books read in 2012.  So, what were some of the gems that I read last year that weren't category romance?  Here they are!

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran (historical fiction, Crown, 2011)

• My other A read of the year.  Compelling, riveting, historical fiction detailing the life of Madame Tussaud (of wax museum fame) before she was a madame and living in Paris on the eve of the French Revolution.  Loved it!

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin (YA crime, Little Brown, 2011)

• Pulpy crime noir set in a suburban high school.  Not a book for everybody (Lil' Sis DNF'ed it!), but if you love crime noir, and can deal with a mother-lode of slang, this is a really clever read.

Fourth and Goal by Jami Davenport (digital erotic romance, LooseID, 2011)

• An erotic romance with some lovely character depth.  Also, a sports-themed romance (professional American football) that didn't make me want to drive my fist through a wall.  Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Portrait of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (digital historical romance, Carina, 2011)

• A fantastic star-crossed lovers story with a happy ending!  Beautiful period detail, compelling conflict, and achingly romantic.

Flawless by Carrie Lofty (historical romance, Pocket, 2011)

• A wastrel hero who grows up and a heroine who learns to stop running scared.  All while set against the back-drop of Victorian South Africa.  Seriously, someone needs to lock Lofty in an attic and tell her to keep churning out historical romances.  They're really magical.

Fall From Grace by Wayne Arthurson (mystery/suspense, Forge, 2011)

• Thought-provoking suspense with a seriously eff'ed up hero and a great sense of place (Canada!).  The ending warped my fragile little mind, but I couldn't stop thinking about it for days afterward.  A winning debut.

The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen (mystery/suspense, Ballantine, 2011)

• Gerritsen has been on a roll for me with her last several Rizzoli/Isles books.  This one has a great mystery set in Boston's Chinatown and it's a "Jane book."  Yippee!

The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt by Caroline Preston (historical fiction, Ecco, 2011)

• A picture book for grown-ups.  Tells the story of Frances "Frankie" Pratt through her scrapbook.  Yeah, it's a gimmick - but it's a clever gimmick.  If you're a social history junkie, look no further.

All Fall Down by Megan Hart (general fiction, Mira, 2011)

• I love the way Hart takes "ordinary people" and puts them in extraordinary circumstances.  Heroine wakes up one morning to discover her husband had a child by his first wife.  A child who is now 20, with three kids of her own, and oh - just escaped from a cult that committed mass suicide.

Princess Forever by Meg Cabot (YA, HarperTeen, 2009)

• The final chapter in the author's popular Princess Diaries series.  I'm putting this one on the list mostly because it's a series that ended - and it ended beautifully.  The author gives her fans what they want, and wraps it up in such a way to make me believe that an 18-year-old girl is going to live happily-ever-after.

This is probably the most variety I've ever had in a Best Of list before.  Part of this is thanks to work.  Two of these, including the lone A read?  Yeah, I picked up to prepare for a "book talk" I did at a local senior center.

I hope you enjoyed looking back with me on my reading year in 2011.  It's always fun for me to go back and reminisce on some of the great stuff I read over the course of the year.  And hopefully you were able to cull a couple of suggestions from this trip down memory lane.