Romancing The Blog has been rerunning previous columns this month under the header of "Best of RTB."
Guess who's the best today?
In case you missed it the first time around, my soulmates column is up once again for your comments, approval and general criticism.
About The Bat Cave
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Pimpin' Book News
Picked up this tidbit from NovelTalk's newsletter:
Charlotte Hubbard (writing as "Melissa MacNeal") has just accepted an invitation to write a novella for an anthology of historical erotica with a harem theme! Kensington will publish this in 2006. Check her website for more details.
I'm quite pleased that Hubbard has not abandoned her down and dirty MacNeal pseudonym! Given that her new series under her Hubbard name has strong inspirational overtones, I wondered if she had left erotica behind. Not so!
I have to admit, this tickles me. Some authors who have gone the inspirational route have not only abandoned writing "non-inspirationals," they've also denounced their earlier heathen books. Call me wacky, but the fact that Hubbard continues to write in a different sub genre, especially steamy, "dirty" erotica pretty much makes my week.
You go girl!
In other news - my parents are coming to visit. I pick them up at the airport tomorrow and they'll be here over the long weekend (for you non-Americans, Monday is our Labor Day). What does this mean? Well besides some of the touristy stuff I'll finally get a chance to do, it also means my cyper-presence will be nonexistent until Tuesday.
My apologies to the blog junkies.
Charlotte Hubbard (writing as "Melissa MacNeal") has just accepted an invitation to write a novella for an anthology of historical erotica with a harem theme! Kensington will publish this in 2006. Check her website for more details.
I'm quite pleased that Hubbard has not abandoned her down and dirty MacNeal pseudonym! Given that her new series under her Hubbard name has strong inspirational overtones, I wondered if she had left erotica behind. Not so!
I have to admit, this tickles me. Some authors who have gone the inspirational route have not only abandoned writing "non-inspirationals," they've also denounced their earlier heathen books. Call me wacky, but the fact that Hubbard continues to write in a different sub genre, especially steamy, "dirty" erotica pretty much makes my week.
You go girl!
In other news - my parents are coming to visit. I pick them up at the airport tomorrow and they'll be here over the long weekend (for you non-Americans, Monday is our Labor Day). What does this mean? Well besides some of the touristy stuff I'll finally get a chance to do, it also means my cyper-presence will be nonexistent until Tuesday.
My apologies to the blog junkies.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Accentuate The Positive
As the tone of my last several bloggings may indicate - I've been cantankerous lately. I'm not even PMSing, so it's not like I can use that as an excuse. No, I've just been generally pissed off with the universe as a whole - which in the wake of Hurricane Katrina makes me look like a spiteful, ungrateful bitch.
So in an effort to be a better person (Ha!), I'm going to bask in what I call "simple pleasures." Really, most of the joy I take out of my life can be deemed simple. I'm an easy girl to please. So instead of bitching about library patrons I want to strangle, I'm going to focus on the positive.
When I was at RWA in Reno they had some editors speak at the Librarians Day event. My memory is shot to hell at the moment, but I distinctly remember reps from Warner and Tor being there. They said that if we had business cards to give them, they'd put us on the list to receive Advanced Reading Copies.
OK, I'll admit it - I'm a book whore. That, and I rarely have the opportunity to throw my business cards around. So I tossed them each one.
Guess what I got today? An ARC of The Snow White Bride by Claire Delacroix, release date November 2005. Like how cool is that?
In other happy news, I just had a library patron gush all over me about how wonderful, fantastic I am and how my library is the friendliest library she's ever been too. God, I love dealing with nice, pleasant people. I wonder if she could be cloned.....
Postscript: I just had to tell a library patron to put his shoes back on. Yes, he was walking around barefoot in a public building. Sigh
So in an effort to be a better person (Ha!), I'm going to bask in what I call "simple pleasures." Really, most of the joy I take out of my life can be deemed simple. I'm an easy girl to please. So instead of bitching about library patrons I want to strangle, I'm going to focus on the positive.
When I was at RWA in Reno they had some editors speak at the Librarians Day event. My memory is shot to hell at the moment, but I distinctly remember reps from Warner and Tor being there. They said that if we had business cards to give them, they'd put us on the list to receive Advanced Reading Copies.
OK, I'll admit it - I'm a book whore. That, and I rarely have the opportunity to throw my business cards around. So I tossed them each one.
Guess what I got today? An ARC of The Snow White Bride by Claire Delacroix, release date November 2005. Like how cool is that?
In other happy news, I just had a library patron gush all over me about how wonderful, fantastic I am and how my library is the friendliest library she's ever been too. God, I love dealing with nice, pleasant people. I wonder if she could be cloned.....
Postscript: I just had to tell a library patron to put his shoes back on. Yes, he was walking around barefoot in a public building. Sigh
Vanish
In a concerted effort to not whine about my job today, I've decided it's high time I get back to discussing reading.
I wrapped up Vanish by Tess Gerritsen last night. Final verdict? Pretty good.
Just pretty good? Well let's be honest here - it's a little hard to top the last couple of books in this series. The Sinner featured a pregnant nun and Body Double had a ready-to-pop-at-any-moment pregnant woman who spent the whole novel being buried alive.
Vanish features a corpse who wakes up in the morgue. So that's what they mean by "undead."
After medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles discovers the undead corpse, they rush Jane Doe to the hospital across the street. The woman is clearly aggitated and impossible to control. Meanwhile, in a different part of the hospital, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli has been admitted. Her water has finally broke and her husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean has gone home to get her packed hospital bag.
Chaos ensues when Jane Doe escapes her hosptial bed, kills a security guard and takes all of the Diagnostic Imaging department hostage - including Rizzoli.
Turf wars erupt. The Feds show up unannounced, while Boston PD is on the scene with their hostage negotiator. Only he and Gabriel Dean are acting rationally, wanting to end the scene in a calm manner. Everyone else wants to act like stormtroopers.
One thing I really like about this series is that Gerritsen doesn't follow just one character. Early books focussed one Rizzoli, the last couple shifted to Dr. Isles, and this time out? Gabriel Dean is the focus for a large chunk of the story. I especially enjoyed some insight into his relationship to Rizzoli. Readers will better understand how Mr. Gray Suit FBI feel in love with fire and brimstone Rizzoli.
The rest of this might constitute a spoiler - so consider this your warning.
I also really liked how Jane was after the baby was born. I'm not a mother, but I know enough to know that the whole Madonna and child myth is a big bunch of hooey. Women feel like maternal failures if they can't breastfeed and/or they are completely overwhelmed by the bundle of screaming, squalling joy that has dropped into their laps. Jane is at that spot. She feels completely ill-prepared for motherhood, and feels guilty about the fact that she misses having her own life and career away from baby. It's the big stinky elephant in the room that no woman wants to acknowledge, and Gerritsen does. Brava!
That said, I found Vanish a little uneven where Dr. Isles was concerned. There is a revelation during the climactic finish that I really wanted her reaction too, and didn't get. Also, the book ends rather abruptly. I wanted fall-out dagnabit, but suspect that Gerritsen will touch on these issues in later installments.
All in all a very good read.
I wrapped up Vanish by Tess Gerritsen last night. Final verdict? Pretty good.
Just pretty good? Well let's be honest here - it's a little hard to top the last couple of books in this series. The Sinner featured a pregnant nun and Body Double had a ready-to-pop-at-any-moment pregnant woman who spent the whole novel being buried alive.
Vanish features a corpse who wakes up in the morgue. So that's what they mean by "undead."
After medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles discovers the undead corpse, they rush Jane Doe to the hospital across the street. The woman is clearly aggitated and impossible to control. Meanwhile, in a different part of the hospital, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli has been admitted. Her water has finally broke and her husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean has gone home to get her packed hospital bag.
Chaos ensues when Jane Doe escapes her hosptial bed, kills a security guard and takes all of the Diagnostic Imaging department hostage - including Rizzoli.
Turf wars erupt. The Feds show up unannounced, while Boston PD is on the scene with their hostage negotiator. Only he and Gabriel Dean are acting rationally, wanting to end the scene in a calm manner. Everyone else wants to act like stormtroopers.
One thing I really like about this series is that Gerritsen doesn't follow just one character. Early books focussed one Rizzoli, the last couple shifted to Dr. Isles, and this time out? Gabriel Dean is the focus for a large chunk of the story. I especially enjoyed some insight into his relationship to Rizzoli. Readers will better understand how Mr. Gray Suit FBI feel in love with fire and brimstone Rizzoli.
The rest of this might constitute a spoiler - so consider this your warning.
I also really liked how Jane was after the baby was born. I'm not a mother, but I know enough to know that the whole Madonna and child myth is a big bunch of hooey. Women feel like maternal failures if they can't breastfeed and/or they are completely overwhelmed by the bundle of screaming, squalling joy that has dropped into their laps. Jane is at that spot. She feels completely ill-prepared for motherhood, and feels guilty about the fact that she misses having her own life and career away from baby. It's the big stinky elephant in the room that no woman wants to acknowledge, and Gerritsen does. Brava!
That said, I found Vanish a little uneven where Dr. Isles was concerned. There is a revelation during the climactic finish that I really wanted her reaction too, and didn't get. Also, the book ends rather abruptly. I wanted fall-out dagnabit, but suspect that Gerritsen will touch on these issues in later installments.
All in all a very good read.
Monday, August 29, 2005
Wendy's Making Up Wacky Rules Again
OK, is it really too much to ask someone to use their own library card? Honestly?
I had this little old lady come in a couple of weeks ago who used her sister's card to get on the computer. That's a no-no. So my children's librarian told her, "You need to get your own card." Which the lady did.
Well being as I'm not stupid, and have little faith in my fellow man, I put a stop on dear old sis's card rendering it useless for logging on to the Internet.
Sure enough, the little old lady tried to use the card again and just couldn't understand why I wouldn't reactivate the card.
Now honestly, am I the bad guy? It's her sister's card - it's sister's responsibility - so sister needs to haul her scrawny ass down here and get it fixed herself.
God I'm such a bitch. I'm surprised the Library Police don't revoke my license.
Well, that's if librarians had licenses. Which we don't.
Anywho, I'm on my lunch break when my children's librarian asks me if my ears are burning. Turns out the little old lady was chatting it up with the guy on the computer next to her and every other word was "manager this" or "manager that."
Ah, sweet, sweet validation. All this time I just thought I was an irrational bitch. Now I have proof.
And yes, I know I haven't been talking about books lately. I should be able to report on Vanish by Tess Gerritsen tomorrow. Hopefully. Barring anymore run-ins with senior citizens.
I had this little old lady come in a couple of weeks ago who used her sister's card to get on the computer. That's a no-no. So my children's librarian told her, "You need to get your own card." Which the lady did.
Well being as I'm not stupid, and have little faith in my fellow man, I put a stop on dear old sis's card rendering it useless for logging on to the Internet.
Sure enough, the little old lady tried to use the card again and just couldn't understand why I wouldn't reactivate the card.
Now honestly, am I the bad guy? It's her sister's card - it's sister's responsibility - so sister needs to haul her scrawny ass down here and get it fixed herself.
God I'm such a bitch. I'm surprised the Library Police don't revoke my license.
Well, that's if librarians had licenses. Which we don't.
Anywho, I'm on my lunch break when my children's librarian asks me if my ears are burning. Turns out the little old lady was chatting it up with the guy on the computer next to her and every other word was "manager this" or "manager that."
Ah, sweet, sweet validation. All this time I just thought I was an irrational bitch. Now I have proof.
And yes, I know I haven't been talking about books lately. I should be able to report on Vanish by Tess Gerritsen tomorrow. Hopefully. Barring anymore run-ins with senior citizens.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Crazy Fangirl
I'm such a little hypocrit.
I've mentioned on this blog a few times how crazy fangirls scare the hell out of me. I stand by that.
Even if....
I'm a Tess Gerritsen fangirl.
There, I said it.
Here's how Wendy's day went:
Boyfriend took day off work. We decide to hit the mall. Boyfriend needs new underwear. Wendy decides it would be a good idea to go to Waldenbooks and spend some recently acquired gift certificates on the new Tess Gerritsen novel, Vanish. Laydown date was August 23. No problem.
Go to Waldens. No Vanish. Not anywhere. So I ask. Clerk says to me: "We don't have it in stock yet. It's listed as an August release, but it might not come out until the end of the month."
Wendy manages to not jump across the counter and strangle the clerk.
Chooses instead to console herself with a pizza for lunch. It was good.
We come back home. I'm starting to foam at the mouth. I think of the gift certificates burning a hole in my purse. Tell Boyfriend I'm going to Borders, which is around the corner.
He says, "OK, preseason football is on. Could you get me some cookies while you're out?"
Sure.
I get to Borders. I'm perusing the new books section. Nothing. I'm getting frantic. So I take another look at the new books table. I look closer. Closer....
Viola!
There it is!
3 measly copies and one of them is mine! All mine!
So guess what I'm reading right now?
And yes, The Boyfriend got his cookies.
I've mentioned on this blog a few times how crazy fangirls scare the hell out of me. I stand by that.
Even if....
I'm a Tess Gerritsen fangirl.
There, I said it.
Here's how Wendy's day went:
Boyfriend took day off work. We decide to hit the mall. Boyfriend needs new underwear. Wendy decides it would be a good idea to go to Waldenbooks and spend some recently acquired gift certificates on the new Tess Gerritsen novel, Vanish. Laydown date was August 23. No problem.
Go to Waldens. No Vanish. Not anywhere. So I ask. Clerk says to me: "We don't have it in stock yet. It's listed as an August release, but it might not come out until the end of the month."
Wendy manages to not jump across the counter and strangle the clerk.
Chooses instead to console herself with a pizza for lunch. It was good.
We come back home. I'm starting to foam at the mouth. I think of the gift certificates burning a hole in my purse. Tell Boyfriend I'm going to Borders, which is around the corner.
He says, "OK, preseason football is on. Could you get me some cookies while you're out?"
Sure.
I get to Borders. I'm perusing the new books section. Nothing. I'm getting frantic. So I take another look at the new books table. I look closer. Closer....
Viola!
There it is!
3 measly copies and one of them is mine! All mine!
So guess what I'm reading right now?
And yes, The Boyfriend got his cookies.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The Sweet Smell Of Success
My children's librarian is on vacation this week, and given that I'm clinically insane, I decided to surprise her.
Last week I finished weeding our nasty, horribly out of date reference collection. How horrible was it? Well one gem I found was a "Current Events" book from 1990. It talked about the Soviet Union of cripes sake.
This week I've:
Last week I finished weeding our nasty, horribly out of date reference collection. How horrible was it? Well one gem I found was a "Current Events" book from 1990. It talked about the Soviet Union of cripes sake.
This week I've:
- Finished shifting the reference collection
- Relocated all the adult biographies over to the end of the reference collection
- Miscalculated how many shelves I would need - had to have a strong, young able-bodied volunteer shift oversize collection (think "coffee table books")
- Took all the oversized Chilton automative repair manuals and had volunteer shelve them in their own special area.
- Weeded mystery paperbacks and found 2 empty shelves.
- Cataloged a butt-load of romance paperbacks from Reno, as well as from the library patron who decided to get rid of her entire Nora Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Jayne Ann Krentz collection.
This means I have a whole new bank of empty shelves next to the children's area. My children's librarian should be quite pleased. But she's on her own with shifting that nonsense. I'm toast.
In other news, I did a "school visit" yesterday (again, children's librarian on vacation!) to a local school. The kindergarten teacher was having an orientation for incoming students and she wanted me to talk about how wonderful the library is to their parents. I also read a story to the kiddies. It went well. Again, I think my youth threw them. I'm 30 - but a young looking 30, so when I introduce myself as the "branch manager" most people do a double take.
It's a good problem to have. Trust me, I'm not complaining.
The kids seemed to like the story, but they were a shy bunch. I think it had more to do with being at school then having the strange library lady read to them - but you never know.
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