Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Project X, Irish Warriors, Library Weeding, And Wall Street

I can't seem to muster up a topic for a full-length blog post, so y'all are getting fragments of stuff floating around in my tiny pea-brain. Brace yourselves.

+++++

First up, Megan Frampton (one of my favorite people in Romance Bloglandia) is working on a Top Secret project and has put the call out for romance and mystery bloggers. She's looking "for people to write engaging, substantive posts, for which you’ll be paid." More deets at Megan's blog if you're interested.

+++++

I'm currently reading Surrender to an Irish Warrior by Michelle Willingham. This is the last book in her medieval MacEgan Brothers series for Harlequin Historical.

I wanted to read this book because I've enjoyed other medievals by Willingham (I haven't read this whole series yet, having hopped around a bit), and that's the reason I picked this one up. Ahem, not because of the cover. Although now I'm posting about this book because of the cover, feeling particularly shallow today. Doesn't this fellow look dreamy and kickass? Although I'm not sure where that sword is coming from since a scabbard is nowhere to be found on his person - but dayum.

And ::swoon:: really short hair. I'm probably in the minority here, but I tend to detest long hair on men. Just do. If I wanted to drool over someone who looks like a girl, I'd switch teams. Just sayin'.

Oh, the story you ask? I literally just started it (as in, I'm only 50 pages in) but dang these people have a mountain of baggage. Angst ahoy!

+++++

One of my work responsibilities is to keep a finger on the pulse of weeding among our library branches. Yes, it's true. Libraries get rid of books. We have to. If we didn't we wouldn't have room for new stuff, and eventually Everything Must Go. Books get worn out. They get nasty and grungy.

When we get down to the final copy owned by the entire system, and the owning branch wants to discard it (for whatever reason), they e-mail me. I then make a final decision on if we want to hang on to the book for whatever reason, replace it, yada yada yada. Enter Dakota Dream by Sharon MacIver, which ended up getting weeded based on condition (gnarly). But the weeding librarian didn't stop there. Oh no! Her exact words:
"Nobody cares about how "their love defied two worlds" anymore."
I literally laughed out loud and startled everyone who shares my cubicle-divided office space.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious? Turns out Sharon MacIver also wrote books under the name Sharon Ihle. Hadn't heard of MacIver before, but I have heard of Ihle. I've got at least one book by her in Ye Olde TBR Mountain Range.

++++++

Once upon a time, My Man and I went to the movie theater a lot. These days? Yeah, not so much. But My Man did want to see the sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, so we made the trip this weekend. Plus I had a coupon for a free pass. Can't beat that!

I have a spotty history with Oliver Stone movies. All Most of the time I find him too self-indulgent for my tastes. But this movie? I liked it a lot more than I was expecting. Most of the "money stuff" flew right over my head, but it's well-acted, I stayed interested in the script, and it was just really nice to see Michael Douglas on the screen. Whatever "it" is, that guy has it. And Shia actually flexes some acting muscles here. He seemed more like a "grown-up" in this movie to me.

So while I wouldn't say you need to drop everything and see this tomorrow, it is worth watching. Says me. Plus Stone reined in most of his excesses here. Color me pleasantly surprised.

19 comments:

Lori said...

I'm probably in the minority here, but I tend to detest long hair on men. Just do. If I wanted to drool over someone who looks like a girl, I'd switch teams. Just sayin'.

Haha!! And I agree 100%. Why all the long hair, people? Why?

Elizabeth said...

I agree with you and Lori, Wendy. I don't like long hair on men. I find this romance hero a very nice change from the long-haired, shirt-half-open variety. I hope we see more of this sort of picture in the future!

PK the Bookeemonster said...

Looks like the cover has an influence from Spartacus, the Showtime series.

marelou said...

Wendy, is the Willingham book out now? Oh, My!! I'd buy the book just for the cover (I'll pick through the angst). And no, I don't think it's shallow to appreciate a beautiful man, err, cover

Wendy said...

Lori & Elizabeth: It's a look that has never worked for me. Not even a little.

PK: For a nice change of pace, the cover model actually fits the story! I just got past a scene where the hero re-shaves his head.

Marelou: It was a September release, so you might have trouble finding it in brick & mortar stores - but it should be found easily at online retailers.....

Leslie said...

Agree - love the buzz cut. I'm fine with longish hair if it's pulled back. Don't like a man with long, flowing tresses that are prettier than mine. LOL

JamiSings said...

I kind of like the 70s long haired look on men, like how Barry Manilow, The Bee Gees, etc looked back then. Mostly because their hair looked washed and clean and I'm a sucker for a guy with good hygiene even if his hair is long. But the heavy metal long hair or biker long hair - ug, that's just gross. And Fabio's hair makes me want to puke. He always looks so greasy!

I think though with historicals they think "way back went = men with long, flowing locks." Seeing a guy with short hair on a historical kind of gives me pause.

I don't care for buzz cuts either. I like just plain old clean cut the best. Not too long, but enough for me to grab - I mean run my fingers through....

JamiSings said...

*sigh* "When" not "went"!

SVU is on. I've got a thing for Munch. I was - distracted.

What can I say? I like big noses and I cannot lie.

CindyS said...

LOL - I was wondering if others would chime in about hair cause I so can't take a man with long hair seriously. Ever. The first romance book I put money out for way back in 1988 had a hero with short hair on the cover and other than the cover blurb, it was the reason I bought it! (Katherine Sutcliffe's Renegade Love)

And seeing as how I can count Bruce Willis as one of my major crushes (poor Harrison Ford got knocked out a few years back), I like a man with very short to little hair ;)

CindyS

DianeN said...

Count me in on the short-to-no hair love! I'll even admit that I've read a book or two simply because the hero has a buzz cut or *gasp* is bald. Considering how many buzzed lads I spot on any given day, a large portion of the female population agrees with us that less hair is better, so I guess long hair is just a Romancelandia thing. Romance authors/readers need to let go of that old Fabio obsession and join the 21st century!

Lusty Reader said...

i like whats going on in your pea brain!

thanks for posting about Michelle Willingham books, im always on the lookout for good medievals, and um, i also enjoy the cover ;)

the new wall street movie is on my wish list, but i haven't seen the original which i def want to watch first, but im glad to hear you enjoyed it so now i feel better about committing my time to both!

Wendy said...

Leslie: Or a guy who uses more product in his hair than I do. Always suspect! LOL

Jami: I have a theory that Fabio has a oil-filled swimming pool. He always looks....shiny.

LOL - and way back when, I blogged about my love of the nose. I'm glad to hear I'm not all alone in the world!

http://tinyurl.com/2czsjh9

Cindy: Soooo happy Bruce shaved his head. So, so happy.

Diane: In general the cover models have been getting a bit better for me. Thankfully, less mullets now :)

Lusty: Would also recommend Kris Kennedy for medievals. Really enjoyed her first two books, and she has a new one coming out early 2011 :)

Tracy said...

See I'm an equal opportunity hair lover. I love it short,or long or really anywhere in between. I think it's the men I like, can't say for sure. lol

I'm so glad you laughed at that fellow librarian. As if! lol

Aislinn said...

I'm sorry, it looks like he's using that sword as a back-scratcher...

Wendy said...

Tracy: I always look forward to getting e-mails from that librarian. I usually get a good chuckle.

Aislinn: My first thought was "Where is he pulling that sword from?!" The lack of a scabbard is really disconcerting! LOL

nath said...

Oh no, you're not in the minority!! Long hair sucks. I don't get why all these cover models have long hair!!

And good that you enjoyed the movie. I think that's what matters the most, enjoying the movie when you go to the theater and shell out the $$ for it :P

Anonymous said...

Oh yes, weeding library books. We used to be able to put ours in the booksale. Now it all has to be boxed up and someone from the county office gets them because they were bought with county money. This just started in July. Have you ever heard of such a insane thing?

Barb in Maryland said...

Okay--
I've been following this conversation for several days and no one has mentioned this re: the cover for our Irish Warrior---Just what is it with his chest?? C'mon ladies, hit the zoom and check out that strange bulge highlighted by the fancy loop of the 'M' of Michelle's name. Third bit of mantitty? Photoshop fail?, Mysterious Irish mist? Just what is going on??
But I do love his haircut!

Wendy said...

Anon: That's just...insane. Although since we're talking county government, sadly it doesn't surprise me. Do they not realize that weeded books go to the Friends of the Library, who sell them, and then they pour that "profit" back into...the library? It's not like they're bilking the county out of revenue. Said revenue goes right back into a county agency! The frackin' library! Geez.

Bafriva: LOLOLOL - his man titty is so mighty it can not be contained in two mere pectoral muscles. Bwahahahahaha! I hadn't even noticed that until you pointed it out!