I Is This Many

Today the Bat Cave is festooned with streamers, balloons, and oh look - there's a game of pin the oily pectorals on Fabio over there in the corner. That's right kiddies - today The Misadventures Of Super Librarian is five years old. Which I guess means we're now ready to ride the school bus and learn how to read.

It's been an interesting five years. In the beginning I don't think anybody was reading this blog that wasn't blood related. It was around the time I moved to California and had really interesting (and downright bizarre) library stories to share that some of you started showing up. And when I got a "boring" job in administration (albeit a pretty damn cool job as I get to buy adult fiction for an obscene amount of libraries) some of you actually stuck around. I'm not even serving punch and pie. Who knew people would actually care (or pretend to care) about anything I had to say? Of course The Boyfriend is convinced I could talk a brick wall to death - so maybe some of you are simply in some kind of shocked-induced stupor.

Lots has happened here in our little corner of Romance Bloglandia since 2003. By my counts, back in 2003 there were three of us. Rosario, LLB and me. And what a motley crew we made. Then something really cool happened. More of you started showing up. Interesting individual voices crying out from the wilderness. Collective and group blogs began appearing. Professional, silly, controversial, diverse, thought-provoking - you all started arriving, suitcase in hand and a box of books under your arm. You set up camp. You staked your claim. You carved out your own little piece of wilderness.

(Amazing, I can even evoke western cliches in a benign post about my blog anniversary. It's a gift I tells ya!)

Over the past five years there have been cries, gnashing of teeth and much caterwauling about mean girls, the shrinking barriers between authors and readers, and the rising author vs. reader debate. But me, I say bring it on. Because five years ago, there were only three and we were lonely. More voices isn't always a bad thing. And even if it is? I can steer the Batmobile away from your camp site and move further down stream. Amazing how free will works huh?

This is one of few instances where I think the Internet is a truly amazing thing. I have met so many wonderful, interesting and intelligent women thanks to blogging. We all come from different backgrounds, have different beliefs, but one thing units us. The "silly" and "trivial" world of romance novels. So while critics may sneer, and our friends and family marvel at our insatiable book habit - nothing that can bring so many people together can easily be dismissed as "silly" or "trivial." Because despite our differences, we are united. Heck, we could damn near take over the world! ::insert maniacal laughter here::

OK, maybe not. But it's still pretty dang cool. I'm glad I got bored one day and decided to try blogging. Cuz honestly, it's still fun even after five years.

Experiment

One of the cool databases I have access to here at work is Books In Print. I recently set it up so they'll "alert" me by e-mail whenever new "historical romance" titles are added to their database. I got a huge e-mail this morning, and waded through the muck to come up with a decent size list of upcoming titles from April 2008 - December 2008. Naturally not all of the titles have been posted yet, and the list is pretty heavy on Harlequin and Avon. But still, it's kinda cool to look into the future.

For kicks and giggles I thought, why not share it with you all? So I started a really fugly Yahoo Blog (and you all think Blogger is bad?!) and posted the information there. I'm just warning you again, it ain't pretty. Also the information here is pretty basic: author, title, price, ISBN and publisher. If you all want plot descriptions you're on your own.

Disclaimer: This is not a complete list of titles and publication dates (as we are all too well aware) are subject to change. Also, I don't see myself doing this for every sub genre. My first love is historicals, so that's why it's winner, winner chicken dinner.

Consider this an experiment. It's no skin of my nose to post updates as I have them, but I'm thinking the page will continue to look half-assed for all eternity. I just can't be bothered, unless I decide to move the thing to WordPress or Blogger and "make it look purdy." Which heck, I probably won't. I'm well aware of my own shortcomings and laziness.

I think my Books In Print notification is set-up for every 30 days, so updates won't be frequent, but hey - as crappy as this blog is, there is an RSS feed for it. Happy days! So if you'd like to take a gander, here you go. But don't say I didn't warn you about the fugliness.

Grain Of Salt

Brace yourself, I'm writing one of those reviews.

I tend to really dislike it when paranormal is mixed with erotica. I don't really know why. Yes, I'm burnt out on paranormal - but I am still capable of liking non-erotic paranormal books. I also love erotica. So what's the problem? No clue. Maybe I don't like the idea that women have to hold out hope that "other worldly" men do exist just so we can all have fabulous orgasms (tongue in cheek)? Whatever the reason, it's always been an uneasy mix for me. If anyone has theories, I'm more than happy to entertain them, cuz I can't seem to find an answer.

So if this is the case, exactly why did I attempt to read Pleasures of the Night by Sylvia Day? Yep, more homework reading. Plus I felt it was important, for homework purposes, to get an idea of Day's other sub genre writing. It's all in the name of being well-prepared.

The premise here is actually quite imaginative. Captain Aidan Cross is a Dream Guardian. He protects Dreamers (uh, that would be us humans) while we are sleeping so the evil Nightmares don't warp our fragile little minds. How does he do this? Um, he has "dream sex" with us. Ladies, you know that dream you had last night featuring you and Brad Pitt in Cabo San Lucas rubbing coconut oil all over each other? Well, that was a Dream Guardian disguised as Brad Pitt so the Nightmares didn't attack you. See, clever.

There's also some intrigue going on involving The Elders (those in power in Aidan's world) and their search for The Key. The Key is allegedly "bad." In their quest for The Key, The Elders decide to send Aidan on a mission to crack one Dreamer's mind. Lyssa Bates is a pretty veterinarian who has always had trouble sleeping. No wonder, the girl can't dream. Aidan has to break through a serious door she's erected, and there she sits, alone in the dark. Once he teaches her to dream though (and they do the nasty), he realizes that she could be in danger from The Elders, who Aidan has begun to question. So off he hops to the mortal world to protect Lyssa, arriving on her doorstep and wasting no time getting down to business.

I'll be honest, I skimmed most of this book. It's not bad, it just ain't my bag baby. I do see it strongly appealing to other readers though. The paranormal aspect is interesting, and the sex is certainly hot enough, I'm just being difficult. The only "complaint" I can hang my hat on is that when Lyssa opens her front door to find Aidan there and she doesn't "know" him. She has a sense of deja vu, but that's it. So - strange, albeit hunky, stud shows up on your front door and what do you do? Have sex with him of course! Then, after a few chapters, he tells her who he is, she suspects he's whack-a-do, but quickly shifts into "I love you," "I trust you" mode. Um, yeah, sure.

Readers should be warned that while the ending is happy, the paranormal aspect and intrigue surrounding The Elders, Nightmares and Dream Guardians isn't wrapped up. Which gives Day more fodder for this series, but readers should be aware that if they want total closure, they're going to have to look for future installments.

So Final Grade = Technically a DNF. I skimmed such a large chunk of it that I don't feel comfortable assigning a grade. Well that and my weird mental block regarding paranormal erotica. If you were to back me into a corner I'd probably fall somewhere in the C+/B- camp - but take that for what it's worth. In other words, break out the salt.

RWA Chatter

Every year, for the last several, RWA has hosted a Librarian's Day event at their annual conference. The itinerary and registration forms are now up on their web site, so that means it's time for Wendy to dither on whether or not she'll attend this aspect of the conference. Oh sure, I'm already registered for the full enchilada (should I leave my cape and tiara at home?), but the Librarian's Day event requires a separate registration form.

Part of me feels like I really should go. For one thing I'll get a cool badge holder that says "Librarian" on it. I get a ton of love when authors see that "Librarian" badge holder. Yeah, I'll admit it - I'm vain. So sue me. Plus, it's a dirt cheap event to attend. $25, which includes breakfast, lunch and traditionally a few freebies. Librarians are whores, we can't say no to freebies (I'm talking books here people!). Also, I'm intrigued by the line-up:

Tentative Schedule
7:00 – 8:00 AM: Registration

8:00 – 9:00 AM: Librarians’ Day Breakfast sponsored by William Morrow/HarperCollins.

WooHoo! Food! Would it be poor form to hold a butter knife to hapless Avon reps and demand they go back to publishing at least some westerns? Probably. I might get kicked out too. That wouldn't be good.

9:00 – 9:45 AM: Pulling in the Hispanic Romance Reader
Speakers: Mary Castillo, Caridad Ferrer, Tracy Montoya, Caridad Pineiro, Berta Platas and Lara Rios.

This is of particular interest to me given that I buy adult fiction for a very large southern California library system. We do have more than a few Hispanic library users, but I know we could be reaching out to more.

9:45 – 10:30 AM: Nine New Trends in Romance Readers’ Tastes and How To Mine Pop Culture for Trends
Speaker: Debbie Macomber

I have a girl crush on Debbie Macomber. There, I said it. Even if you aren't a fan, if you have an opportunity to hear her speak at a booksigning, conference, workshop, where ever, I highly recommend you attend. Although I gotta say, she's not the author that leaps to my mind when I see a topic like this one. Color me curious.

10:30 – 10:45 AM: Coffee/Tea Break

Yeah, tea!

10:45 – 11:30 AM: The Popularity of the Paranormal Romance
Speaker: Heather Graham

Yawn, more paranormal romance. But it is still insanely popular, and it's the Heather Graham. What I've read by her I've only found so-so, but dang I tend to get stupid when I "see" any author who has published a shitload of books.

11:30 – 12:15 PM: Merchandizing Your Romance Collection
Speakers: Marcia James, Jennifer Stevenson and John Charles

Meh. But maybe I'll learn something new.

12:15 – 1:00 PM: Focus on Historical Romance
Speakers: Jo Beverley and Jodi Thomas

The title is beyond vague here, but it would give me the opportunity to fall down and worship Jodi Thomas. She's still publishing westerns, and seriously folks, that's all it takes for me.

1:00 – 2:30 PM: Librarian and Bookseller Luncheon featuring special speaker, Stephanie
Laurens.

I've never read Laurens. There, I said it. I have this thing about romance series that just. won't. end. I keep telling myself to read The Devil's Bride (because most readers seem to love that one), but dang, have you seen my TBR?

2:30 – 5:30 PM: Librarian and Bookseller Networking Event with published authors.

Oh, so glad they are cutting the day short! They've traditionally held the event right up until the Literary Signing and it just makes for a really long day. Last year I bugged out of the Librarian Event early just so I could dump off my freebies and meet up with Kristie prior to the signing. It will be interesting to see what authors stick around to mingle though.

So do I go, or not go? I'm leaning towards going, although I might wait to register (although space is limited!) until I see the full RWA conference program. If you're a librarian, and have never gone to this event, I do highly recommend it. Me? I'm debating it because this will be the 4th go around for me, and I'm wondering if I want to do something "different" this time around. Decisions, decisions.

He's Already Tired

The Boyfriend is already sick of hearing me go on and on about baseball. That's right kiddies, spring training is upon us. And this year is particularly tiresome for him since my beloved until they start to tick me off Detroit Tigers have the best team, on paper, they've had in their 114 year history. Of course being the best team on paper doesn't mean much of anything. At this point I'm chanting like a voodoo priestess that my pitching doesn't melt down like it did last year. So until the regular season starts, let's all bask in some 2007 highlights shall we? Cuz really, it's getting kind of boring just annoying The Boyfriend....

Edited 2/25/08 - Well crap that was quick. The video has vanished off YouTube. Those of you who skim over my baseball ramblings will likely be very pleased. For those of you who care (or want to pretend to care) the video is still up on the Tigers home page.

Hijacked By Stupid People

Nothing I hate more than reading what should be a very good book only to have The Scene happen. Every reader knows what The Scene is. The Scene is that moment in the book where everything goes to Hell and you want to chuck the damn book across the room. In this instance, I was able to finish In Between Men by Mary Castillo, but damn if The Scene didn't ruin an otherwise great read for me.

Isa Avellan is having a really bad day. An ESL teacher, this southern California single mom has just learned that the students of her school have voted her the most unfuckable teacher. She's so undesirable, she took first place over of the science teacher nicknamed Bilbo and the librarian who is 500 years old. When the fallout happens (as in press coverage because some students feel they're wrongly suspended) her slime-ball ex-husband cashes in on her 15 minutes by trash-talkin' her on a sleazy morning radio show (think Howard Stern). On top of all this, she takes a soccer ball to the head at her son's practice and starts having visions of Joan Collins (as Alexis Carrington) as her guardian angel. Then there's Alex Lujon, her son's soccer coach, hunky single guy, and way, way out of her league. Why are they always finding themselves alone together?

This starts out as a fun, fast read. I love the Joan Collins' touch (hey, I've always wanted my own Pips), and the author alternates first person point of view between Isa and Alex. I really like Isa, who seems like a nice woman, overwhelmed and a little unsure of herself. It's funny without being slapstick, and there's a lot of interesting, meddling characters around that keep things moving along.

I'm even willing to overlook a few things. Namely, the list that circulates among the students naming Isa as the most unfuckable teacher. It's a photocopy. Um no. This was published in 2006. High school kids would IM it, text message it, or post it on MySpace before they'd hand out photocopied lists. Just saying.

And I'm willing to overlook the author's glaring lack of Beatles knowledge. Something was not written about Yoko Ono and it is not sung by John Lennon. That's all George Harrison, and it was written about rock n' roll muse Patty Boyd (who also inspired Eric Clapton's Layla and Wonderful Night). Sure I'm a huge Beatles fan, but geesh, doesn't everybody know this?

Ahem, anyway - I'm going along for the ride. I'm overlooking the little annoyances. It's fun, it's reading fast, things are going along just fine and then I get to it. The Scene That Ruins Everything. The Scene That Makes Me Want To Scream. You guessed it. Yep, the characters have impulsive, unprotected, didn't even think about birth control until after the fact sex. ::hurling book against wall::

I'm all for characters having free will. I'm all for them making "bad" choices. But when the characters are too damn stupid to learn from their past mistakes? That just makes them idiots. Idiots who are incapable of learning. Isa's son was the result of an unplanned pregnancy at 19. She shelves her "dream" of going to med school and instead goes into teaching. Her asshole husband leaves, and she's now a single mom. I'm not one, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say being a single mom is no walk on easy street. Don't you think this would make Isa more diligent about birth control? And to have sex with the guy in the back seat of his car and not for one single moment think "condom" or "did I take my pill?" No, she isn't even on the pill. Hey, I know she hasn't had sex in a long time but - hellosy, you're a single mom!!!! You can take the pill even though you aren't having hot, sweaty sex every day of the week. Honest.

Ugh.

Can you tell this is a bit of a hot button for me? Which makes it sound like I loathed and hated this book. I didn't. I really enjoyed parts of it. But the unprotected, is-she-pregnant conflict drove me bat shit crazy. There was enough going on in this book conflict-wise without this bit of nonsense. But I take comfort in knowing I'm not alone, because one of the characters towards the end says exactly what I had been thinking since The Scene. Isa's best friend, Tamara, implies that Isa might not have made the best decision in the whole world by having unprotected sex. Isa then reams her out by saying:

"You're not the one who has to live through this again. Think I forgot? Am I that stupid to you?"

Um yes darling, you are. You really, really are. And it's a shame too because for the vast majority of this story I really liked you. Bugger.

Final Grade = C-

But We Can Still Be Friends

I'm still working on my homework reading for my upcoming turn as romance fiction panel moderator in April. But after slogging through 100 pages of the RITA-nominated No More Lies by Susan Squires, I'm calling it quits. Nothing personal to Squires. I've read and enjoyed her work in the past. This particular book just wasn't working for me. Not because it's "bad," but because the plot just wasn't doing a whole lot for me.

Dr. Holland Banks is a preeminent psychiatrist living in Los Angeles. Her ground-breaking work with schizophrenics has brought her acclaim, recognition, and naturally a deep understanding of the disease. So when she starts hearing voices she fears for her sanity. Couple that with her father's unethical DNA studies, a sniper picking off people in L.A. and a guy in a flannel shirt stalking her - well it's easy to see why she feels crazy.

I think my main issue here was the set-up. It takes forever (or maybe it just seems like forever) for this story to go anywhere. And even at page 100, I feel like I'm still waiting for something to "happen." We don't learn until page 50 that the stalker is our hero, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who also is hearing voices. By page 100 he's a patient in Holly's hospital and she's discovered that when they touch, the voices in their heads are silenced. It also doesn't help that the first 100 pages are filled with "science-talk." It's not incredibly involved, but I'm a science idiot. Start talking science and my eyes roll back in my head. I guess it was necessary to set-up the back story and plot - but I found it dull. And boring. And I was getting impatient for the plot to show up already.

Plus, being really burnt out on paranormal-anything these days - the author really has to grip me in the opening pages to invest me. That's not the author's fault, it's merely a product of the paranormal tidal wave that has engulfed Romancelandia for the last several years.

So Final Grade = DNF. I think this is probably a good book that other readers will enjoy. Me? It was like trying to eat plain broccoli without any veggie dip or cheese sauce. I'd slog on through, but I've got a lot of homework reading to cover before April 5, and Squire's vampire novels have worked for me in the past. I'm thinking I need to stick with the vampires.

More Wendy Randomness

Jace tagged me with this latest meme making the blog rounds. Since my reading seems to have stalled out at the moment, I figured it would make good filler.

Here are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share six unimportant things about you.

4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.

5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blog.

• I'm addicted to tea. Mostly black teas. I'm not a huge fan of herbal tea unless I'm sick, but green tea has grown on me over the years. I also like to drink my tea sweetened. Sugar will do in a pinch, but my poison of choice is honey. My cure for the common cold? Drink enough hot tea to float your kidneys. I swear by it. It won't cure you overnight, but I swear my tea drinking accounts for the fact that my colds don't tend to "linger."
  

• I could watch Law & Order non-stop, for days on end. The original Law & Order. The cops on SVU are too whiny, and the only reason I got hooked on Criminal Intent is because they brought back the Mike Logan character. Oh how I lurve me some Mike Logan. Regular Law & Order was slipping for a while (Jerry Orbach's passing left a vacuum), but it's been pretty good so far this year. They gave Det. Green another male partner, Lt. Van Buren still kicks major butt, and watching Jack McCoy deal with politics is fun in a perverse sort of way.
  

• I have two different thumbs. No joke. I have a short, stubby thumb (like my mom's) and a longer, skinny thumb with a larger nail-bed (like my dad's). I'm a freak.

• I often say I became a librarian because I was failing high school geometry. My junior year I was doing dismal in geometry and it was pulling my GPA down. I didn't "need" the class to graduate, so at the end of the semester I dropped it in favor of working in the school library. I thought it would be a cake-walk. Imagine my surprise that the librarian actually wanted to teach me something and I wanted to learn. At 16, my fate was sealed.

• When I was in college I would joke that I wouldn't date a guy who was older than my oldest sister (5 years older than me) or younger than my youngest sister (3 years younger than me). You guessed it - I broke the rule both ways. I dated a guy who was one year older than Older Sis and The Boyfriend is one month younger than Lil' Sis.

• I used to work at Arby's. To this day I still know how to properly clean a meat slicer. Surprisingly enough, I still love to eat at Arby's. It's my favorite fast food.
  

Who am I going to tag? No one. Honestly, I think I'm the last blogger in Blog Land to tackle this meme.

We Heart Emilio

How is this for totally cool news? Emilio Estevez plans to follow up Bobby with a movie about librarians! This almost makes up for the Mighty Ducks franchise, Young Guns II and his marriage to Paula Abdul.

The story is loosely based on a Los Angeles Times op-ed piece written by Chip Ward, a retiring librarian in Salt Lake City, which discussed the epidemic issue of libraries becoming de facto shelters for the homeless and the mentally ill in light of many social program cuts.

Yeah, it was kind of a rude awakening upon arriving in California that I was now expected to be a social worker. News flash America, I wasn't exactly trained for that and certainly didn't spend almost six years in college for it. I think this is an idea that can be a good movie, and while I haven't seen Bobby, I rather liked Rated X - which Estevez directed.

So go on with your bad self Emilio! Sloppy wet librarian kisses for you!

Full length Hollywood Reporter article

Judith McNaught Still Hates Librarians

Yes, she still hates me. The publication date for Can't Take My Eyes Off of You has been pushed back. Again. For those of you keeping score at home:

1) November 27, 2007

2) April 29, 2008

and now....

3) December 30, 2008

I still have copies on order from when I was an idiot and ordered this one month in advance back in October 2007. Dumb Wendy. Really dumb.

And yes authors, I know that sometimes real life bites you in the ass and you can't meet your deadlines. But it shouldn't be habitual. That tends to annoy. Well, at least it tends to annoy me. Imagine how peeved off I would be if I was a McNaught fangirl. For those of you who are, sorry to rain on your Valentine's Day parade, but I had to vent my annoyance.

Hearts, Flowers And Harlequin

So it's Valentine's Day. Which means if you're reading this you're either really happy or really peeved off. You have a significant other and they remembered you with chocolate, flowers or jewelry. You don't have a significant other and you feel like throwing rocks at people. Well, never fear! No matter what category you fall into, Harlequin has a little something to perk up your day. For today only, they're offering a free eBook "mini" by author Sherryl Woods. You can get your copy of The Valentine Wedding Dress here. And it's free! Happy, happy!

Homework Assignment

As I mentioned in a previous post, come April I'll be moderating a romance panel discussion - and while I hand-picked all of the authors, I still need to do some "homework" reading. First out of the gate is Sylvia Day.

I had an interesting reaction upon reading The Stranger I Married. It's the type of story where I can see the "problems" with it, but I don't really care all that much. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. Trust me when I say homework has never been so much fun.

Gerard Faulkner, Marquess of Grayson is a rake of the first order. He drinks, he gambles and he adores having sex with other men's wives. While he pretty much does as he pleases (this is a man keeping two mistresses after all!), he's getting weary of being single. For one thing, even with his reputation, he's still dodging debutantes. Plus, he's really peeved off at his meddling mother. So he proposes a marriage of convenience to Isabel, the scandalous Lady Pelham. Like him she has no desire to marry, enjoying her widowhood by taking a series of devoted lovers. However Grayson is very persuasive and convinces her that a marriage of convenience would be beneficial to them both. They're friends, like each other well enough, and they wouldn't have to worry about servicing each other as neither of them is lacking in lovers. She agrees, they wed, and it all is going quite swimmingly until Grayson's mistress, a married woman he adores, dies giving birth to his child. The child dies as well. This is too much to bare, and Gray takes off for parts unknown.

Four years pass. Pel is still a scandalous figure in society, and rumors abound given how Grayson up and disappeared. Then one day, he unexpectedly returns - a very different man than the one she married four years ago. Grayson was a boy. A petulant, selfish boy that she could easily control. This man who has returned in his place has trouble written all over him. This is a man Pel could lose herself in, body and soul. And having already been spurned by her first husband, and haunted by his ghost, she has no desire for a repeat performance.

Gray has returned to court his wife. Now he wants a real marriage, and this is where the book loses some footing. The reader never really understands why Gray chooses this moment to return. He claims it's because of the rumors surrounding his abandonment, but four years? It takes him four years to figure out that his leaving affected her reputation more than his? And while Pel wrote to him during his absence, he returned all of her letters unopened. He's literally had no contact with her outside of handling her monetary affairs from a distance. So why now? And why four years? Certainly the reader understands that he "grows up" - but it just wasn't enough to entirely convince me.

What follows is a battle of wills. Gray wants his wife and Pel is determined to resist. Naturally they don't resist for long, and the love scenes ignite this story. This one is a real barn-burner, and better yet? There's no over-the-top, kinky, acrobatic sex mucking up the works (not that there's anything wrong with that). What we have here ladies (and gentlemen) is just good, old-fashioned hot sex with some franker language tossed in (the F-bomb and both C-bombs are dropped on a fairly regular basis).

Overall I liked the tone of this story. Pel and Gray are both rakes, both with healthy appetites. I loved the way the author portrayed the scandal-ridden goings-on among the elite, and the banter between the two main characters is particularly well done.

There were moments that I wished both Pel and Gray were a bit more self-aware, and I could have used one good long emotionally confrontational scene between the couple, but it doesn't diminish the fact that I had a good time reading this book and I finished it in less than 24 hours. So, who am I to quibble?

Final Grade = B

Mojo Rising

I love that "Dear Lord I Can't Put This Book Down" feeling, and I had it this weekend when I wrapped up Revenant by Carolyn Haines. A full review can be found over at Paperback Reader.

I should probably note that even though this novel is published under Harlequin's Mira banner, it's not a romance. It's not even romantic suspense. No, it's straight-up suspense with certain women's fiction elements tossed in. It's as much about the serial killer, as it is an exploration of Carson Lynch, girl reporter, and her relationships with the people around her.

I guess you could say there are romantic elements, but that's overstating it. There could easily have been three heroes in this story, and the reader doesn't know who Carson will "choose" until the final chapter (as for sex - there's only one scene in the book featuring one of these potential heroes). And even then? It's not so much "Let's Get Married And Have Lots Of Babies" as it is "Let's Hang Out Together And See Where This Leads Us." And honestly? It's the most believable ending any reader could hope for. Carson is too damaged for anything else.

I highly recommend this one, as long as you don't want Sunshine Happy Puppy Dog Rainbows. Still waffling on the grade a bit, but given my "Can't Put It Down" reaction I'm going with an A-.

It's Not TV, It's HBO Telling You You're Old

The Boyfriend: ::Yelling from other room:: Hey, have you heard of this movie Benny & Joon?

Me: Yeah, it's a good movie. ::As I walk into living room::

Me: Cripes, this is an old movie, look at how young Johnny Depp is.

The Boyfriend: It's not that old. ::Hitting info button::

::TV displays 1993::

Me: Um, honey? 1993 was 15 years ago.

The Boyfriend: ::Sheepishly amused look::

Still, it's a good movie. Even if it does make me feel bloody old.

A Date Which Will Live In Infamy

The Boyfriend and I normally can't be bothered with our anniversary. Actually, I tend to forget it half the time (yes, the girl in this relationship tends to forget, you read that right). But today is pretty special because it marks 10 years that we've been together.

Not bad for two people who have nothing in common.

Ours is a story of true love. We met in college. At a fraternity party. And um, he took one too many laps around the punch bowl and kept forgetting my name.

"You know, Wendy? Like in Peter Pan?" Duh.

We were "just friends" with complicated feelings for each other for a while. I hit a self-destructive mode (well, as self-destructive as I'm capable of getting), he stuck by me, and I eventually pulled my head out of my ass when he started spending time with another girl. Skank.

Yeah, I got jealous. I'm not above admitting that I was a selfish, self-absorbed little girl. Bad Wendy. Bad.

Finally he gave me an ultimatum, I said "OK" and the rest, as they say, is history.

Ten years is a long time. Especially when you factor in what we've been through. He nursed me through a serious broken heart, and he matured right before my eyes. He's followed me, and I've followed him. It's the only romantic relationship I've ever been in where I've felt totally comfortable. Like I didn't have to hide anything. He has never made me feel stupid, inferior, silly or anything less than beautiful. He's made me laugh, he's made me cry, and he's kissed me senseless more times than I'll admit to in public.

He's a good man who doesn't realize he's a good man, and I know with every fiber of my being that he loves me. I know it when the sun rises, and I know it when the sun sets. I know it when he says it and when he doesn't. And best of all, he never nags me about the 900+ books I have stuffed in our office closet. Some people might say it's because he gave up. I think it's because he loves me.

Happy anniversary sweetheart.

Pleasantville

I originally bought Beauty And The Baron by Deborah Hale because I'm a sucker for the "Beauty And The Beast" storyline. Human beings have a great capacity for "love." Whether you are short, tall, fat, skinny, ugly, beautiful - everyone can fall in love. Which might be why I get annoyed with English historical romances so much. I'm sorry, while they controlled a great many things, the privileged didn't hold the market share on falling in love. I'm sure butlers and scullery maids fell in love all the time! However, you'd never know it by picking up a romance novel set in 19th century England.

Ahem, anyway....

Beauty and the Baron takes place in the English countryside several years after Waterloo. Lord Lucius Daventry came home from battle a changed man. Once a handsome rake, he now has facial scars and hides behind a mask. He lurks on his grandfather's estate, only venturing out at night to do God only knows what. This leads to the locals calling him "Lord Lucifer" behind his back (of course they do, it was either that or the Devil Baron). While he's been wallowing, his beloved grandfather has befriended Miss Angela Lacewood, a local girl who has a habit of adopting neglected strays. However, now his grandfather is ill, and the doctor believes he only has three months to live. Lucius wants to make his last days happy, and since the old coot keeps trying to play matchmaker, he thinks a "pretend" engagement will do the trick. He proposes the idea for Angela, who at first balks. But Lucius sweetens the pot by offering to buy her brother's commission to India, plus she really does care for his grandfather quite a bit. She agrees, and the two decide that she will break their engagement after the old man passes. The scandal will be lessened if she's the one who breaks it off.

The best way to describe this story is pleasant. It's an easy read, unoffensive, and didn't illicit any strong emotions. That's good, because I didn't hate it. It's bad because it didn't inspire much in me outside of "pleasantness." It's an OK read that didn't get my heart thumping and travels along at an leisurely pace. It sat smack dab in the middle of "average" territory for the majority of the book.

Then Chapter 17 comes along, and I start to see some shine to the story. Angela has come to Lucius' estate and he's trying to convince her that the time has come to end their sham engagement. There's a fabulous exchange between the two characters, and a "spark" to the story finally makes enough of an appearance to ramp up my "average" grade to B- territory.

"I can't explain it, but I have a feeling it's different with you. If I let you go, I may never get you back. Perhaps if I'm patient, you'll come to see that my feelings for you aren't the maiden's daydream you believe them to be. And perhaps you'll come to see that your feelings for me are stronger than you think."

To me that's just perfect. One or two more chapters to wrap it up, and I would have left this story satisfied. Unfortunately, the author continues to write and we get 50 more pages and a slightly bizarre Cyrano de Bergerac storyline. It just seemed odd and tacked on. I tend to think of Cyrano as a farcical storyline, while Beauty and the Beast just, well, isn't. It just seemed out of place for this story. And so goes my elevated B- grade, back down to merely average. Oh well.

Beauty And The Baron is pleasant enough fare, but that's all it is. I didn't hate it, which is good, but it also means I have no burning desire to run out and snap up Hale's backlist. That's not so good.

Final Grade = C

Total Randomness

I have a bunch of random, most likely useless, thoughts swimming around in my head and wanted to blog about some of them. Consider that your warning.

****

First, like how totally awesome was that Super Bowl last night? Not only was it a fantabulous game, but the Patriots lost! Let's put it in perspective for longtime Bat Cave readers. You know how much I hate the Yankees? I hate the Patriots more. Yes, more. I know, it doesn't seem possible. But while I have a grudging respect for some in the Yankee organization (Jeter, Posada, Mariano, Bernie before they kicked his ass out the door), I hate, loathe and downright despise everything about the Patriots. It also doesn't help matters that my Buffalo Bills are in their division and have been stuck in Mediocre Hell. They're not even bad, they're just boring. Sometimes I think boring is worse.

****

My reading has slowed to a crawl. It took me a week to read Yours, Mine...Or Ours? by Karen Templeton, a Harlequin-length novel for cripes sake. And I loved the book, so it's not like it was a slog or anything. No, just my real life is getting in the way. Work has been slightly chaotic because we're thisclose to opening a new library and it's been a total time suck.

Speaking of Karen Templeton, I downloaded a few more of her titles this weekend - A Husband's Watch, Baby Steps, Pride and Pregnancy. Here's an indication of how much I've enjoyed her last two books - I bought one title that has a satanic looking baby on the cover and another that features the "Whoops! We Had Sex Once And Now I'm Knocked Up" plot device. That's saying something folks.

****

April 5th is just around the corner and that means it's time for Literary Orange. For those of you who live around Orange County, California, this event is worth checking out. It's a day filled with authors, discussion, book signings and food. I'm once again going to be moderating the romance panel discussion and I hand-picked all of the authors this year (Go Team Me!). Sylvia Day, Susan Squires and Mary Castillo will be joining me, which I think makes a wonderfully diverse group. Also for those who read outside of romance there's some other really great authors lined up. To name just a few - Elizabeth George, Janet Fitch, Stephen J. Cannell (the guy who gave us the A-Team y'all!), Larry Niven, Susan Vreeland, Earlene Fowler, and Denise Hamilton. Plus, you can rub elbows with me - The Super Librarian! Cost is $75 for the day-long event, but trust me, you'll make up that cost in the authors attending and the food. Last year there was an incredible amount of food. I might bring along an extra purse this year. Of course this also means I have homework reading coming up. I want to read more by Squires and Castillo, but I've never read Day before. Time to pull her out of the TBR...

Gypsies, Tramps And Thieves

The Boyfriend and I decided we needed to get out and do something with ourselves today. Since I still had some unspent gift certificates from the holidays, the outlet mall won out.

I might have mentioned it a time or two (or three) on this blog how hopelessly addicted I am to tea. If God came down from heaven one day and said, "Wendy, if you never drink tea again you'll lose 20 pounds overnight," I'd say, "Thanks anyway God, I rather like being fat." Seriously, addicted.

So when I spotted this very cool Twinings tea cannister today I had to have it. Not only does it look cool, but it came with 100 English Breakfast tea bags. All for only $25! My preeeccccioussss.

While we walking around in World Market (AKA Tea Heaven), The Boyfriend said, "Have you bought any of your rose petal tea yet?" Oh. My. God! I had totally forgotten!

Taking a cue from Cadbury, Republic Of Tea only makes their rose petal black tea available around Valentine's Day. Last year, I didn't get any, and it almost slipped my mind again this year! So the minute we got home I quickly ordered myself three cannisters online. It is oh so very yummy, but oh so an acquired taste. When I first had it, I wasn't all that wild about it. Oh sure, it was "OK," but "eh." Then I drank more. And more. And more. And fell in love. Now the question is, how long will three cannisters of loose leaf rose petal tea last one girl?

So let's do the math. One cool Twinings cannister with 100 tea bags and three cannisters of rose petal tea, bought all on the same day. Oh, and I picked up a Cadbury Dairy Milk bar while I was a it. I'd swear the Gypsies kidnapped me from an English hospital as a baby if I didn't look so much like my parents.

Running Down A Dream

Well it's official. I haven't been reading nearly enough Karen Templeton.

Yours, Mine...Or Ours? is the second book in a trilogy featuring the Vaccaro family. Rudy Vaccaro is a cop with a dream. After his wife abandoned ship when their daughter, Stacey, was six months old, Rudy did the only thing he could think to do - he ran home to Mom and Dad. But now Stacey is twelve, and Rudy is tired. Tired of putting his dreams on hold, tired of listening to everybody's advice on how he should parent his own daughter, and very tired of being a cop. So he empties his savings account and buys a dilapidated bed-and-breakfast in New Hampshire. Rudy knows it won't be easy, but he sees this as his ticket to a better life.

Of course once he arrives in the small town, chaos smacks him in the face. Stacey is convinced her father has ruined her life, and then he meets Violet Kildare. Violet used to work at the inn Rudy bought, and the old lady who used to own it swore to Violet that she'd inherit it after she died. Of course no will was ever found, the inn went to the old lady's daughter, and she couldn't unload the albatross fast enough to Rudy. After her ex-husband abandoned her and their two boys two years ago, Violet thought it couldn't get any worse. Big surprise, it has.

Rudy feels like a major shit-heel. OK, Violet's predicament isn't his fault, but he still feels responsible. Wanting to right a wrong, and realizing he needs the help, he asks Violet to come work for him. He needs someone to help restore the inn, plus a cook once they open for business. Violet loves that old house, and frankly with no other options, she agrees.

What I love about this book is that Templeton gives us characters that behave like real people. Rudy is a painfully nice guy who just wants to do the right thing. He wants to raise his daughter without interference and he wants to start having a life of his own. The minute he lays eyes on Violet he knows he's in trouble. He's basically been a monk for the past eight years, and one look at her wild red hair and sad eyes and he's practically begging. The snag is that Violet can't make up her mind.

Violet's husband Mitch was steady as a rock. He saved her from a horrible childhood, was a good husband, and wonderful-beyond-words father. Then two years ago - poof! Vanishing act! Even in hindsight Violet can't find any signs or signals she missed. When she asks for a divorce he doesn't contest it, but it doesn't keep the clueless moron from writing the occasional letter home. Leaving Violet in virtual limbo, and unable to move forward or back. Then Rudy comes along and all her pesky hormones start doing the mambo. And Lord knows the fact that he's so incredibly nice isn't helping matters either.

Everything about this story is really fantastic. The kids behave like kids, and while Stacey sulks like a typical 12-year-old, her angst doesn't last the entire story, nor is she used as the sole source of conflict (Thank you baby Jesus!). No, most of the conflict arises from the question of the inn and Violet's uncertainty about what she really wants out of her life. There were moments that I thought she should have been more angry at her idiot ex-husband, but the author handles the conflict in a believable, mature manner and the resolution wraps everything up beautifully.

I enjoyed this story just as much as the first book in the series, Dear Santa. I cannot wait until April when Kevin's story, Baby, I'm Yours, makes it's appearance. Really, an excellent series thus far.

Final Grade = A