By nature, I am a slow reader. If I'm on an absolute tear, I can read two "normal sized" books per week (normal in my mind being around 300 pages). I just finished a book in a 24 hour period - and more shocking is that it was by an author who was firmly on my "never again under no circumstances" list.



I read my first Jane Graves book back in 2001 - and hated it. Worse still, I think I was the only person alive who hated that book. Other online review sites liked it. Publisher's Weekly liked it. I hated it so vehemently that I vowed I would not read the author again. Why you ask? The unforgivable sin of an idiot heroine that was a compulsive liar. It also didn't help matters that the hero knew she was lying to him, but continued to let her lead him around by his *ahem* pants. I mean, I know men can be morons when it comes to sex - but really fellas. Get a grip already.



So when I got my latest shipment of review books and saw Light My Fire by said author I literally threw a hissy fit. Bad enough that my boyfriend asked me what was wrong. Usually getting books in the mail is a joyous occasion for yours truly. But I told myself to buck up! I'm a book reviewer! We're all about keeping an open mind. Besides, the back cover blurb looked promising.



Boy oh boy - what a treat this book was! Not an idiot heroine in sight! And while the hero is a lawyer (::shudder::) he's so flawed and interesting it was hard to hold his profession against him.



The hero is a defense lawyer who doesn't like himself very much. He's just won a big case, and decides to celebrate by wrapping his Porsche around a tree. Not smart. He misses a DUI by a squeak, but the judge decides to make an example of him anyway. He sentences him to 40 hours of community service on a neighborhood crime watch patrol.



The heroine is the one who will oversee his punishment, and her 3 younger brothers aren't happy about it. They're all cops. The hero is a defense lawyer - a really damn good one. Do the math. But the heroine is strong enough to not let her brothers bully her, and tells them to buzz off. Besides, the hero doesn't look like the devil incarnate. Surely his reputation for cutthroat tactics and womanizing can't be all true. Can they?



These two like each other instantly. They joke. They banter. There's sarcasm flying. Then a murder happens in the heroine's neighborhood and one of her employees in arrested for the crime. She begs the hero for help. He agrees. They end up seeing a lot of each other. And while he tries to keep his distance (he's one night stand, she's home and hearth) it's useless. It's an attraction too strong to deny.



I like wounded heroes in my romantic fiction, and this hero is different because he's not really wounded in the traditional sense. He's made his bed and now he's lying in it. Sure he's got a fabulous house, cars and plenty of fast women willing to entertain him for an evening - but our boy has a serious problem with self-loathing.



By contrast the heroine is in the twilight of her 30s and has a good life. A good family, a good business, good charitable causes - and she's lonely as hell. She wants a man who challenges and excites her - but pickins' are slim. Then she meets our hero - a man her brothers would never approve of. Well bully on them, she's entitled to a little fun. The problem being, the hero doesn't seem all that interested. Naturally he is interested, but feels she deserves way better than him.



It's an excellent read. The mystery plot keeps things humming along, but this book is all about the romance. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. Fantastic.

I only have to get through 6 more hours before ::drumroll please::



Veteran's Day!



I'll let you all in on a little librarian secret: the pay blows monkey balls - but we get a butt load of holiday time off. Quick rule of thumb: if your post office is closed for the holiday, so is your local library.



So big wet kissies to all the veterans! I love not working almost as much as I love reading.



In exciting library news - I need to stop leaving this building early. Before closing last night one of our regular homeless patrons got aggravated when we told him "the library is closing." Normally he's quiet, keeps to himself, and we have no issues. But he was apparantly a bit on the twitchy side last night.



Makes you want to run out and work in the public service industry doesn't it?



In reading news - I'm still slogging my way through Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks. I'm having a hard time with this one, because I feel like I'm *missing* something. Despite being the first book in a new series, it reads like a book three. There are lots of characters, and so much "political" stuff going on in the backstory that the author mentions, but fails to fully flesh out. Does that make any sense? However, the heroine is totally fabulous. I have this thing for tough female cop characters, but Wilks' girl is also Chinese! Not a whole lot of Asian characters floating around in Romance Novel Land - sad but true.



The story is roughly as follows: There's a dead body and it appears the guy was killed by a werewolf. The supernatural in Wilks' novel are known to exist - it's just they are persecuted. The hero is a werewolf who happens to be having an affair with the dead guy's wife. The heroine is the lead detective on the case. Naturally they end up working together.



The political stuff that has me confused involves the werewolf clan system. There's some intrigue going on behind the scenes, and the author just sort of dumps the reader in the middle of it. I just passed the halfway mark and I still feel like I'm play catch-up.



But have I mentioned how fab the heroine is?



I hope to have this one wrapped up by tomorrow. After that, I'm really itching for a historical of some sort. Maybe a western.

Oh No! Clayton Farlow died! Whatever will Miss Ellie do?

WooHoo! Excellent TV Night!



Not only will I get football all day - but The Simpsons is kicks off new episodes tonight. While the show has lost some shine for me in recent years, I will admit the idea of Bart and Lisa hunting for Jack The Ripper appeals to the Victorian history nut in me.



And at 9PM! Oh My Gawd! A Dallas reunion! Could my life get any better? I wouldn't be surprised if my grandmother made an appearance from beyond the grave just to see Sue Ellen, J.R., Bobby and Pam again. I was totally hooked on Dallas when I was a kid (I can't believe my mother let me stay up to watch it - it was so trashy!), and would spend every Friday night watching it with my grandmother. I plan on TiVo-ing the special and catching it on one of my days off later in the week.



In car news - my boyfriend is now the proud owner of a 2005 Honda Accord EX Coupe. Of course, he got a standard transmission - which means I might actually have to bite the bullet and finally learn how to drive a stick. And believe me, it's tempting. This car is quite choice.



I'll admit it - I think I have car envy....

I couldn't post yesterday because Blogger was having some sort of snit - so here I am one day later.



Per the election - I don't get it. There, I said it.



I also don't get a lot of the propositions that were voted in across the country. Banning gay marriage?! Yeah, I know - it's against God's law! Well, if you're a Christian - don't marry someone of your own sex. Frankly, divorce is against God's law too - but I don't see any states putting a ban of that on the ballots. I figure God's going to sort it all out in the end - so why force the issue? If God is really ticked off about gay marriage - well the gays will have to answer for that eventually.



Also, in Florida - home of Wendy's younger sister - doctor's are now required by law to notify parents if their child comes seeking an abortion. Now yes - I agree, young women should not be getting abortions. Hell, they shouldn't even be getting pregnant. But if you need a law to get your daughter to talk to you - well there's something a bit off there dontcha think? This begs the question - why isn't your daughter telling you she wants an abortion? Things that make you go hmmmm....



But what really blows my mind is that the election all came down to Ohio. Ohio - home of most of Wendy's family. If any of you know my extended family - well you'll realize how frightening this truly is ::shudder::



And that's that. I think I feel better now. I think I can finally put all this election who-ha behind me and move on to more important matters - like worrying about money. It's official as of Election Day - my boyfriend's car is dead. That means, new car shopping this weekend.



Blah.

I call my office here at work the "cell block." Not only is it a glorified cubicle, but the walls are a white painted brick. I'm about ready to see if I can slam my head through said bricks - anyone want to wager?



Not only did I have a slightly mentally ill library patron complain to me through our locked front doors this morning (we were still officially closed) - but we've finally gotten word that my boyfriend's car is dead. Just put a bullet in my brain now.



Both problems should be fairly easy to solve - but frankly I shouldn't have to deal with either. For the mentally ill fellow - I'm going to have to deal with him directly from now on. Well, or at least until his current overdue fine issue is resolved. As for the car - we go shopping this weekend, and spend money that we don't have.



Joy.



In other news, I'm down to the last story in the Man Of My Dreams anthology. So far the verdict is as follows:

1. Kenyon story nice, but too short
2. Shayne story well written, nice characters, but mystery plot painfully obvious
3. Forster story: nice heroine who deserves better than the hero but stays with him anyway.
   
   

That just leaves the Kantra offering, which I should be able to breeze through during my lunch today.



And yes, I did vote - and it was pretty darn cool. I got to vote using one of those new computer ballot booths. Neat-o.

It dawned on me yesterday that it was Week 8, making the NFL season half over.



::sobbing::



Normally what I do between the no-man's land of the NFL season ending and baseball season starting is watch the NHL. But with the lock-out still going on, it doesn't look good.



And don't even mention the NBA to me. How can anyone watch today's basketball? I will admit that I enjoyed watching the Pistons pound on the L.A. Lakers in the finals last year - but that's about it. I have little tolerance for the NBA these days. Repeat after me boys - "TEAM sport, TEAM sport...."



But back to football - who knew the Buffalo Bills could score 38 points? I actually still doubt that they can - since those 38 points were mainly the work of our special teams - which finally had a great game on Sunday.



In other news - tomorrow is Election Day! Yippee! Yahoo! You people in Florida better not muck this one up either! I can't take anymore. I really can't. This coming from someone who has purposely stayed as far away from TV coverage as humanly possible.



It's almost worse being a librarian, since we tend to be bombarded with the new "political" books that seem to be published every other day. "Why Bush Wouldn't Know His Butt From A Hole In The Ground" and "John Kerry: Magnificent Fraud." Remember the good old days when a political figure had to be dead for 25 years before a biography came out? Frankly, I'm starting to long for the days when the only political books being published were about the Kennedy family.



In reading news, I seem to be getting back into a groove. I started the Man Of My Dreams anthology this morning and have finished the Sherrilyn Kenyon offering. It's pretty good, despite featuring one of the more tired romance conventions. If I read about one more virgin determined to "ruin" herself I'm going to scream. But anywho, at least Kenyon dressed this one up as a futuristic, and has a way with a story. She skimmed over some of the finer details (in a nutshell, the story needed to be longer), but I liked her characters and it was a pleasant diversion. Really, that's about all I want from a short story collection.



I hope to finish the Maggie Shayne story on my lunch break today.