In Theory

It's really a disservice to call Megan Hart just an "erotica writer." Oh sure, she writes hot sex. The kind of sex that peels wallpaper. The kind of sex that would cause my father to stroke out if he knew what I was reading. Erotica, at it's core, titillates. That's part of it's "job." Megan Hart's erotica, at least for me, is not about titillation. It's about relationships, how people behave within those relationships, and how those interactions change over the course of the story. Sex is a catalyst.

Anne Kinney adores her husband, James. They have a great life together. In love, with an enjoyable sex life, and a house on the lake, they are the couple that has it all. Then, one day, James gets a call from his old school buddy Alex Kennedy. After spending years in Asia making a gazillion dollars, Alex has sold his company and is headed back to the states. The plan is to spend a few weeks playing house guest at the Kinney home, but when Alex arrives with his smooth charm, infectious smile, and flirtatious manner, one thing leads to another. Soon Alex is sharing their bed, and complications ensue.

Menage a trois in the erotic romance universe have become so common place that they're giving Greek billionaires, virgin heroines, and secret babies a run for their money. The problem I have had with many of these books is that they use the menage a trois for titillation purposes only. Human beings are emotionally messy creatures. Sooner or later, no matter how hard we try, we are unable (or unwilling) to keep our emotions in check. We aren't machines. No matter how many times we say, "it's just sex" or "let's just have fun" - sooner or later someone mucks up the works by thinking and feeling too much.

Which is what happens in Tempted.

Anne truly believes she has the perfect life with her husband. It's not until Alex shows up, stirring the pot, that she realizes that no, it's not. Anne has spent her life trying to make everything better for everybody else. She wants to "fix" everything and everyone. Whether it be her shrewish mother-in-law, her drunken father, or her three sisters, all of whom have divergent personalities. It's Anne's job to put the shiny finish on everybody's lives. To make it all look perfect, even though it's anything but.

Tempted is the story of how Anne changes once Alex enters her life, how it effects her marriage, and how it effects her relationships with the other people in her life. If that sounds like a mountain of internal conflict, it is. And for that reason, it also means this book has a slow pace. I adore Hart's writing, and I love how her books challenge me, but this one takes a while to find some momentum. Anne doesn't have her first sexual encounter with Alex until almost halfway through the novel. Certainly some build-up is necessary, but after a while I was like, "OK, any day now." I became impatient waiting for "it" to happen so we could get on to the consequences.

I didn't love Tempted the way I loved Dirty or Broken, but honestly that's just me splitting hairs. Hart continues to use sex to explore relationships, the choices (good and bad) that people make, and how those choices impact lives. I never feel like I'm sleepwalking through a Megan Hart novel, and Tempted keeps that tradition alive.

Final Grade = B+.

The Year Of The Slump

Between travel and Christmas I haven't been reading. I packed three books with me, and am only halfway through Tempted by Megan Hart. That would be the book I was hoping to have finished last Saturday on the way to Michigan. At this rate, I hope to have it done by the time our plane touches down in California.

I plan on doing a more in depth "2007 Reading In Review" recap once 2008 hits, but looking back it's kind of depressing. I hit many a rough patch, stalled out on books that I should have plowed through, and just suffered from mood swings in general.

I know, me? Mood swings? Shocking!

What's ahead for 2008? Well now that I have a shiny, new Sony Reader (oh how I love that man o' mine!), I think it's going to become Harlequin Central. I love Harlequins, but ever since my move to the west coast I have a hard time unloading them, with the bulk of them go to the library where we sell them for $0.25 a pop. I figure if I can't trade them or take them to the used bookstore, I might as well read them electronically where they'll take up less space! Also, once I get settled, I suspect I'll be looking for ebook recommendations - but I'm not quite there yet. First I have to download the software and figure out how to work the thing.

The Boyfriend and I hit the road tomorrow afternoon for Home, Sweet Home. I'm currently asking everyone to pray to the deity of their choice on our safe, uneventful flights back. If I have to sit on the tarmac again for an hour I'm not sure I'll be able to swallow my rage.

Best. Boyfriend. Ever.

Longtime readers of this blog know that The Boyfriend is an excellent gift giver. He seriously is. Great gifts over the years have included everything from jewelry to a full English tea service. But this year? This man has outdone himself. It almost makes up for him never taking the garbage out.

What did I get? What wonderful, new, shiny, marvelous toy did I get?

A Sony Reader! And it's engraved! The inscription? "Queen Librarian Of The Universe."

Does this man know me or what?

I also got a gift certificate for the works at a local spa (heaven!) and a lovely red cashmere sweater set because I complained about "not owning anything Christmas-y to wear." Both gifts lovely and fantastic in every way, but....

Sony Reader! Yippee!

That Wasn't So Bad

I was dreading today. Today is (was) The Day Before A Trip. Which means once I crawled out of bed, I hit the ground running. Cleaned the apartment (I even mopped!), did up all the laundry (I even washed our sheets thankyouverymuch), paid bills, hit the bank, confirmed our shuttle to the airport and packed. Then I triple-checked to make sure I packed all the Christmas presents I bought. Yep, there they are. Snug in the carry-on.

Then I had to wrestle with eHarlequin, who still hadn't shipped my order that I placed on December 3. Today I got an e-mail saying my credit card had expired (uh, no not until 2010 morons) and when I called to straighten that out they found a record of my order number with "no books attached to it." So that meant replacing the order online, choosing the Bill Me Later option (which I've never, ever had issues with and frankly I should have just stuck with it) and mentally whined that two of the older Harlequin Historical titles I ordered on December 3 are now "no longer available." Damn.

I have had nothing but good luck with eHarlequin in the past. Their free shipping is about as fast as a transatlantic crossing during the 17th century, but other than that it's always been pleasant. Frankly, I think KristieJ jinxed me.

But I probably shouldn't be whining about books seeing as I own over 900 already.

Speaking of, I made the decision today on what books are making the trip with me to Michigan.

I won't tell you how long I've had an ARC for Tempted by Megan Hart. It's embarrassing really. But I'm a firm believer in reading books "close to the release date" because when I love something I want all the people I gush to about it to be able to walk into the bookstore and buy it right there, that very minute. This is my airplane read and I'm a couple chapters into it already. I loved Hart's first two books for Harlequin Spice, so am anticipating another good one.




Sigh. I'm hopeless. Seriously, never become a librarian. It makes it damn near impossible to quit series/authors that have stopped working for you. You just tell yourself "I'll get it from work. I have to buy it for work anyway, so where is the harm in borrowing a copy to read." Cornwell hasn't worked for me in a long while, but I did enjoy the last 100 pages of Predator so am willing to give Book Of The Dead a go. Well that and we got in two shiny ARCs at work.




I might have mentioned a time or two already how much I'm dying to read this book. Again, another ARC I've had for several month but have been holding back on because the release date isn't until the end of January. But dang, I'm dying to read this one. Money Shot by Christa Faust marks the first book by a female author to be published by the cool boys club that is Hard Case Crime. Plus it's about a pissed off porn star who's a wee bit irritated that she's been shot and left for dead in the trunk of a crappy Honda Civic. I mean, what's not to love about that set-up?


Now it's off to relax. I have to haul my butt out of bed at 4AM tomorrow thanks to our early morning flight out of Dodge. Which just proves that I really do love my family. Honestly, who knew there was a 4:00 in the AM?

Head, Meet Desk

Seriously, my brain is mush. I haven't been blogging, I haven't been reading and I leave for Michigan on Saturday. The Boyfriend is excited. No work for a whole week. Me? All I can think about is all the crap I have to do before then.

He's taken to calling me Little Miss Merry Killjoy. Ho, ho, ho!

On the agenda? Laundry, packing, cleaning, and getting everything squared away at work (almost done!). And I really, really, really want to finish Extremely Hot by Jennifer Apodaca before we leave. One, it's a library book and two, I probably should post a review of something over at Paperback Reader.

My week "off" at home isn't shaping up to be very relaxing either. I'm booking up fast. People actually want to see me and ::gasp:: spend time with me. I know, I don't get it either.

Listen to me. Whine much? Just overwhelmed. I hope to blog while I'm "on the road" and hopefully I'll actually have some books to talk about. Wouldn't that be novel? (Ha! Get it? Novel! I slay me!) In the meantime, I say be naughty. Life is too damn short.

I Am So Smart, S-M-R-T

Besides not blogging over the weekend, I also didn't read. Bad Wendy, bad! What I did do was hit The Boyfriend's office Christmas party Saturday night where everyone spent the whole evening telling him (and me) how "smart Wendy is."

Did I mention there was also quite a bit of alcohol at this party?

So why am I so smart? My team won the Christmas trivia contest. Ah yes, that money my parents spent on my liberal arts education has been so worth it. Sure, it did teach me how to write (and that's debatable if you're a regular reader of this blog) and research, but by far the real benefit has been all the completely useless knowledge I have rattling around in my brain. I can't do simple math in my head, but dang I can kick your butt in Trivial Pursuit.

So what did I win? A $25 gift card at Nordstrom. Which I figure will buy me a belt buckle or a pair of socks.

In way more exciting news, the trailer for the new Batman movie has landed on the web. Here at the Super Librarian Bat Cave, we love all things Batman and squee'ed like a teenage girl over the fact that hunky, delectable, and very good actor, Christian Bale was reprising the role as our favorite vigilante anti-hero. We were less thrilled upon learning that Heath Ledger was going to play The Joker. Heath "Pretty Boy" Ledger? As our most favorite Batman villain ever? But after watching this trailer we think he'll do just fine. Color us surprised that he doesn't totally suck and actually looks rather unhinged. We, of course, reserve final judgment until the movie is actually released, but for now it's a big, collective sigh of relief.



And we only have to wait until Summer 2008.

Money To Burn

Thirteen Books That Wendy Has Purchased Recently

A Christmas To Remember by Kay Stockham - I'm a big ol' ho for Christmas books and Harlequin SuperRomances. It's the only reason to explain the fact that I just bought a book that features an amnesia plot.










Untamed Cowboy by Pam Crooks - This has been out forever, and I'm just now getting around to buying it. Luckily for me (or maybe that's unlucky), Harlequin tends to keep their backlist available online for a few months. Another Harlequin Historical western to add to the pile.








In Pursuit of Anna by Natasha Rostova - A naughty Black Lace erotica book. It landed in the basket because it takes place in southern California.











Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson - Another HSR Christmas book. This has a stranded-in-a-blizzard plot and I tend to enjoy "cabin romances."












On The Wings of Love by Elizabeth Lane - Sybil told me this one is really good. I've enjoyed Lane's books in the past and this one features an early 20th century time period. We should all buy it just on principal.









The Angel and the Outlaw by Kathryn Albright - This is a debut Harlequin Historical and it's a western. But what's really cool about it? It takes place in Southern California, a setting that you don't see all that often in westerns (don't ask me why).







A Town Called Christmas by Carrie Alexander - Yes, another HSR and yes, more Christmas. I tend to really enjoy Alexander's HSR books, which is why I picked this one up.










Betting on Santa by Debra Salonen - You know the drill by now right? Christmas and HSR = Wendy buying. I was also intrigued by the poker storyline.












Tongue in Cheek by Tabitha Flyte - More Black Lace erotica. This has been on the wishlist for a while because it features an older heroine/younger hero plot.










Suite Seventeen by Portia Da Costa - I really liked The Tutor, an earlier Black Lace title by Da Costa. This one intrigued me because the heroine is in her forties - which I think is pretty darn awesome for an erotica novel.









Bound in Blue by Monica Belle - Um, OK. I'll admit it. I dig this cover. It sets off my naughty-librarian-bells. I also think the plot sounds intriguing. Another Black Lace erotica title, this one featuring a university professor who falls under the spell of her female boarder.








The Cowboy by Vonna Harper, P.J. Mellor, Nelissa Donovan, and Nikki Alton - Do I really need to explain myself here? I mean, look at this cover! It's an erotica anthology about cowboys! Seriously, how could I resist? Even if every story is barely readable, this book was worth it just for that cover model.






A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith - I love the way Smith writes characters, and as a general rule I tend to get sucked into her stories. Basically what I'm saying is that this was a must-have-autobuy.

That Old Black Magic

Bloodfever is the second book in Karen Marie Moning's "Fever" series that features bubbly 22-year-old Southern belle in training, MacKayla Lane. In the first book in the series, Darkfever, Mac travels to Dublin, Ireland to get justice for her beloved older sister's murder. What she quickly learns is that she's a sidhe-seer, a person who can see Fae. This is not welcome news as Fae in Moning's world are very, very bad and they are crossing over to the earthly realm at an alarming rate. Mac hooks up with her mysterious mentor, Jericho Barrons, and is quickly dispatched to find the evil Sinsar Dubh, a gazillion year old black magic book that, if it falls into the wrong hands, could spell certain doom for mankind.

Bloodfever picks up immediately after Darkfever ends, and in many ways feels like a place holder. In fact, it's kind of hard for me to talk about a plot because there really isn't much of one. Mac's still looking for the Sinsar Dubh, Barrons is still hunky and mysterious, Mac still wants vengeance for her sister, Mac doesn't know who she can trust etc. etc. etc. There's not a lot new here.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the story, because I did. And that's where logic flies completely out the window because I shouldn't be enjoying this series. No really, I shouldn't. So far it's committed two sins I generally can't abide by: 1) Endings that haven't been tidy (see Darkfever and Bloodfever) and 2) Series that flow from one book to the next without a discernible plot to hang on. So why am I enjoying this series so much? Well Moning has created an interesting world. It also helps that I lurve dark paranormal worlds. I like the paranormal to equal bad and scary not love, sunshine, puppy dogs and rainbows. I also enjoy Mac's voice, part chick lit, part cynic, part girl kicking her way into womanhood. It works for me.

The only real quibble I have with Bloodfever is that more hints and clues are dropped without anything really being "answered." Sooner or later, Moning is going to have to answer some questions (most notably, what exactly is Barrons) and the longer she drags it out, the more annoyed I think readers (OK, I) will become. Hopefully though it won't be much longer, as the author has announced she's currently slated this series for five books (with maybe a few novellas tossed in). If she sticks to that, I'm along for the ride - but if it morphs into the paranormal equivalent of the Cynsters I'm going to have major issues.

Final Grade = B-. A half-point deduction because I would have liked more answers, as opposed to more teasing. And for newcomers out there, no sweat impulsively picking up this shiny new hard cover in the bookstore or library. I was very impressed with the way Moning brings the reader up to speed with the world-building and story without resorting to mind-numbing info-dumping. A gold star and a cookie for her! Now when is the next book coming out?

Infiltrating Blog Land

I'm over at Sybil's today participating in her ongoing Duodecimal series. Go over and read my list of Top 12 Western Romances. And before you start an argument on why such-and-such isn't on the list - chances are it's still languishing in my TBR. I'm sick like that.

In other news - WooHoo! The holiday cards are done! Go Team Wendy!

Brick By Brick

America is a country of immigrants. Unless you're native, all of our ancestors came from somewhere else. It's the really great thing about this country, but it also means our "culture" is a mish-mash. To put it bluntly, we took a bunch of customs/beliefs/whatever from other places and twisted them around to fit our needs. To my way of thinking Americans have only come up with three original ideas - jazz music, baseball and the western.

Lonesome Dove has, over the last 20-odd years, morphed into the seminal western. It tells the story of the Hat Creek Cattle Company run by a small group of former Texas Rangers who decided to bed down in tiny Lonesome Dove, Texas once they chased all the Indians out of the territory. Their leader is Captain Woodrow Call with the court jester role being ably played by Augustus McCrae. Call believes in hard work and celibacy (he doesn't have much use for women) while Gus enjoys his whiskey and women. While they occasionally steal horses from Mexico, life is by and large passing them by in one big blur. Then their former compatriot, Jake Spoon, rolls into town talking about Montana. It's wild, untamed, breathtakingly beautiful, and perfect cattle country. That's all it takes. Call gets a bug up his butt, wrangles up some steers, assembles a motley crew of cowboys, and hits the road for Montana.

The trick to any book of this length (945 pages long thankyouverymuch) is that you need to get past the set-up. In this case, it took me about 200 pages to really get into the story. During that time McMurtry is introducing the characters and laying the foundation. And what characters they are! It's the strength of this book. Gus and Call are different men with one thing in common - their wandering, exploring spirit. There is also the menagerie that makes up the Hat Creek outfit; my favorites among them being Newt, the teen boy who is Call's son even if he won't admit it and Deets, a free black man prior to the war, the smartest guy of the bunch, and a world-class tracker.

It's not until Jake Spoon rolls into town that any sort of plot shows up, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that he's the oil that greases the wheels. He's a cross between Peter Pan and Casanova. A man who wouldn't know responsibility if it bit him in the ass, who earns his living on cards, and sweet talks every whore that crosses his path. When he sweet talks Lorena, the beautiful blonde working girl in Lonesome Dove, issues are further complicated, as Call and Gus soon find themselves saddled with a woman on their long cattle drive.

The women in this story tend to be very hard on the men. For a while I felt that they were too hard on them, but by the last 200 pages I wanted to leap through the pages and strangle anyone with a penis. Thankfully McMurtry must have been thinking of potential female readers, because he gives us Clara, who makes Maggie Osborne's heroines look like genteel southern belles. Needless to say I loved her. There's a scene between Clara and Call towards the end of the book that pretty much makes the book for me. She gives it to him with both barrels, and by God, he deserves it. Boy, does he deserve it. This is also the point where my tears began to flow freely.

I appreciate this novel for the grand, sweeping epic that it is. I enjoyed it immensely, but it ain't perfect. (Sorry Pulitzer Prize committee!)

The problem with Lonesome Dove is me. I cut my teeth on genre fiction at the tender age of 12, and that's where the problem lies. 99% of my reading is genre fiction, which means I've come to expect that books should end. Lonesome Dove doesn't "end," it merely "stops." McMurtry does tie up some things, but the vast majority of the characters (the ones left standing anyway) are left hanging. Off the top of my head (for those of you who have read it), Clara, Lorena, July and Dish are all begging for closure. However the one that really sticks in my craw is Newt. Newt needs closure dagnabit!

Ultimately I think that will be the issue for hard core genre types. The ending that just "stops" and the fact that McMurtry likes to kill off his characters. I made the mistake of getting attached and yes, there were tears involved (I do not, as a general rule, cry over books).

I'm not sure how to grade this book. I loved it, but the lack of a proper ending annoyed me. And while I know this story will "stick" with me for a long time, I don't see myself rereading it. So Final Grade = B+.

This Is Sparta!

I have finished Lonesome Dove! Super Librarian victorious! Kapow!

And it only took me three weeks to finish it (OK, 20 days). See, I told you I was a slow reader. Review to be posted later. I need to sleep on it....

I Know, Nobody Cares But Me

But let me tell, so much more fun to be a fan now! While the Red Sox and the Yankees are busy masturbating over Johan Santana, the Tigers closed a whopper of a deal with the continually going-out-of-business sale that is the Florida Marlins organization. Because the Marlins can't have an off-season where they don't have a fire sale, they dumped Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis (yes, both of them) into our laps for a whole mess of guys - most notably Andrew Miller, Cameron Maybin, Mike Rabelo and Eulogio De La Cruz (plus two pitchers I've never heard of - so sue me).

After I got over my shock (there was much shock), I think I like this deal. In fact, I think I love this deal. If only for the fact that the Tigers can now pull off a deal of this caliber. What a difference four years and a competent general manager make.

It wasn't that long ago that our minor leagues were a joke. Devoid of any prospect. Heck, the entire 2003, 119-loss team was essentially a AAA team playing in a major league ball park (and I'm being generous here since a lot of the time I think they could have gotten their asses kicked by a high caliber high school team). What the Tigers have done very, very well in the last four years is draft guys, and sign them. In fact, most of our "top prospects" were signed because other teams were afraid to pull the trigger on drafting them for fear they couldn't get a deal signed. But our owner seems determined to "get it done" so money has been flowing fairly free through the Great Lakes.

Well, not as free as Boston or New York - but still....

If I'm to be honest here, the only thing that sort of bugs me about this whole set-up is Willis, who had a pretty horrible year last season. A horrible year in the National League. Uh oh. But I'm optimistic. Unlike his time in Florida, we won't be expecting Willis to be our savior. Our Magic 8 ball. Our "ace." Nope. We just need a guy who can pitch a mess of innings. I spent most of last season praying any of our guys would last past the 5th inning (and a lot of times, they didn't). Miller is talented, but he's young. Pitchers are a lot like football quarterbacks. They can have all the talent in the world, but that doesn't always mean they pan out on the big stage. I think Miller will - eventually. But at this point I think he needs some extensive minor league seasoning (I firmly believe the Tigers shouldn't have called him up last year - but hell, Kenny Rogers got hurt, and whatcha gonna do?)

The other notable pitcher here is De La Cruz who has a lightning fast ball. Of course that also means his control is a tad iffy at times, and I don't think the Tigers ever figured out what they were going to do with him (starter? reliever? future closer?).

I'm going to miss Rabelo, just cuz he was so dang cute! Like a team mascot! But with our "regular" back-up catcher, Vance Wilson, expected to return from Tommy John surgery this year Mike got expendable.

And Maybin? I'm going to say. I just don't "see" what everybody else seems to "see" in this kid (OK, he's fast). However, he is painfully young. And I've been known to be a dumbass - so there you go. Maybe he is the second coming of Willie Mays and a few years from now I'll be crying in my beer. But sorry, ain't convinced yet.

But dang Tigers fans - ain't this exciting? A team that isn't a laughing-stock? A GM and owner willing to spend some dough and take chances? Another year of listening to Jim Leyland's entertaining post-game press conferences? When the heck does Spring Training start?

Contest Ho

The ladies over at Book Binge are hosting a holiday contest and the prize is an eBookwise eReader! In the immortal words of Chris Farley, "Holy Shnike!" I realize that I need another way to horde books like I need a hole in the head - but what the hell? I'm going to be honest here, the sole reason I want this bad boy is because it would make traveling oh so much easier. No more packing 5+ books into my carry-on bag. Here it goes:

Christmas Meme:

1. What is your favorite Christmas romance to re-read each year?

Rereading is a rarity for me, so the answer here is, "I don't have one." That said, the one Christmas romance I have sitting in my keeper stash is the most excellent The Nights Before Christmas by Vicki Lewis Thompson (Harlequin Temptation #853). Steamy lovin' and a blue collar hero. Pick it up the next time you hit the used bookstore.

2. What is your favorite Christmas movie/show?

I have several. Leading the pack is probably How The Grinch Stole Christmas. You get the fabulous Chuck Jones animation and Boris Karloff narrating. I try to catch it every year. I also rather enjoy The Year Without Santa Claus, which features the lounge singer stylings of the Heat Miser and the Snow Miser. As far as "grown-up" shows - I'm partial to Scrooged with Bill Murray, even if it is very 1980s.




3. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

I'm partial to my aunt's butter cookie recipe. Think cut-out sugar cookies with frosting. That doesn't do them justice though, since they melt in your mouth. The only downside is you have to be a touch anal retentive when you bake these and pull them out of the oven at the exact, right moment. But they're well worth the effort. I really should post that recipe here sometime.

My second favorite cookie would be Buckeyes. This is what we call them in the American midwest, as they look like a buckeye nut. Basically they're peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.

4. When do you start Christmas shopping?

Usually the first week of December. Have I mentioned that I haven't started yet this year? Yikes!

5. Do you re-gift?

Never. Personally I think it's tacky. If you don't like it, return it.

6. What is your favorite Christmas song?

The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) by The Chipmunks and David Seville. I can't help it. Every time I hear it (much to The Boyfriend's horror), I need to sing it at the top of my lungs in my very own "chipmunk voice." I need help.



7. When do you get your Christmas tree?

Ever since we moved to California we don't put one up. I know, I know! We always had real trees when we lived in Michigan, and I just refuse on principal to get a "real tree" in California. Plus we travel every year. One of these years I'm going to get around to getting a nice looking artificial tree. For now though it's a few holiday knick-knacks.

8. Wrapping presents: Love it or hate it?

Hate it - but only because I'm horrible at it. And I just refuse to spend the money to have someone "professionally" wrap them.

9. Who is the hardest person to buy for?

The Boyfriend! He's such a fuddy-duddy. He hates surprises. Even "good" surprises. Plus he has finicky tastes. So we always buy his presents together. How boring is that? In the almost 10 years we've been together I think I've gotten him one "surprise" gift that he really loved - a personal DVD player to use when we travel. The runner up in this category would be my Mother. Or as my sisters and I like to call her Mrs. I Don't Need Anything! It's not about needing Mother, it's about wanting.

10. Christmas tree: Real or artificial?

In the "real" world? Real. In California? Artificial.

Backlog

Like a junkie needing a fix, I'm itching to buy some books online and am currently at a stalemate. I'm waiting on Amazon to credit a gift certificate to my account, then I'm finally going to order A Gentle Rain by Deborah Smith and a whole slew of erotica. I don't know about you all, but I almost exclusively buy my erotica online these days because I get annoyed when I walk into a Borders to find that some asshole has bent the spines on all the Black Lace titles. Yes, I know I'm militant when it comes to spine creasing but color me crazy - if the book is being sold in a bookstore as new, it should look new (Which is why I think all new bookstores should banish comfortable seating. Yes, I know that view won't make me popular, but I'm not spending $7.99 plus tax on a paperback that has a spine all bent out of shape.)

I also have been putting off an eHarlequin order. I still haven't ordered all the yummy looking holiday-themed books that Harlequin SuperRomance put out in November. And now? Well now eHarlequin is doing their 12-days of Christmas promotion and I'm trying to decide the best time to order. Given that many of those holiday HSR titles are 50% off today, I might be ordering today instead of waiting for December 12, when all books are 40% off (I need to catch up on my Harlequin Historical buying as well).

If that weren't bad enough, I now have the last two issues of Romantic Times that I've only flipped through. I'm a plot synopsis ho, which is why I shell out the bucks for RT. Plot synopsis is the first phase in landing on Wendy's Coveted To Be Bought List. The TBB is a living, breathing entity, with titles getting added or dumped as more information is made available (Soul mates? Gone! Virgin hero? Come to Mama!). Yet there they sit. Two magazines chock full of plot synopsis completely free of highlighter markings. Sad Wendy, just sad.

Side note: Lonesome Dove Update: For those who care (probably not many of you). I almost called in sick today so I could read more. Honestly, I have a problem. Page 548 and counting....

Hey Na Hey Na

The Boyfriend is back. So life is back to normal until December 22, which is when we leave to visit my family for Christmas. I'm telling ya, the holiday season ain't for wimps.

I finally got around to downloading the photos from our trip, and thought I'd share a couple of lovely shots. The day we hiked a (very) small portion of the Appalachian Trail, it was rainy and damp.

Given the uneven terrain, and abundance of fall leaves on the ground, it made for slick going. The Boyfriend was proud of me for tagging along with him and The Tater. I'm not sure why. Even with the raging head cold that I had incubating in my sinus cavity, I wasn't going to miss out seeing the Appalachian Trail! Despite the questionable weather (did I mention that it was rainy and damp?) it was really breathtaking. I can almost understand why some people temporarily lose hold of their senses and hike the whole blessed trail. Well, almost.

And I can't believe I'm posting this picture on my very public blog - but it pretty much symbolizes our whole side-trip to the Hudson Valley. We had fun, and we laughed ourselves silly. Plus I never pass up the opportunity to grope The Tater's butt.