Hello There Sexy

First, I feel the need to apologize for how "bare" my posts are going to look. I'm using The Boyfriend's lap top and frankly, I'm just not a lap top kind of girl. So don't expect lots of shiny graphics. I have taken some pictures, but I'm thinking they'll be posted after I'm back home.

Yesterday was a full rich day. The Librarian Event was, once again, a very good day. I now have a girl crush on Stephanie Laurens, who gave a great talk on biology and the romance novel (trust me, it ruled). I also really enjoyed the historical romance presentation given by Patricia Rice, Jo Beverley, Jodi Thomas. I got a lot of wonderful goodies, that I'm going to have to sort through and post about later. Sigh. Seriously, I'm working on sensory overload at the moment.

The Literacy Signing last night rocked socks. This was the first year I stood in line for a "big name." I hit Nora Roberts' line early, mostly because I wanted to earn major points with a coworker who lurves the In Death books. I know when I take that autographed book back to work, that my coworker will be over the moon. And also, because I'm selfish, I wanted to get a copy of Tribute for myself.

I bought a handful of books, a few for me, a few for friends. I also stopped to chit-chat with a few people. I always say hi to Kathryn Smith (love her!) and Susan Grant, who had her very adorable teenage son with her. I reviewed both of their debut novels back in the day, and loved both of them, so it's like a sort of "kinship." I know that sounds silly, but for me there is nothing more exciting that discovering an author on the "ground floor."

Then the unthinkable happened. I got a voice mail from The Boyfriend. The Detroit Tigers traded my man, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez. As if that weren't heartbreaking enough.....

Pudge's incredible butt (oh, and his talent as a baseball player) is now going to be wearing Yankee pin stripes. PUDGE IS A YANKEE!!!!!

ARGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

A dirty, dirty Yankee!!!!!!!!!!

For the love of all that is holy, if you're going to dump Pudge can't he go to the National League? You know, where he wouldn't "hurt us" unless we saw him in the World Series?! Ugh!

Rosie was quite flummoxed by my outrage. Well, mostly because she doesn't give a crap about baseball (I hear some of you thinking, "It ain't just Rosie"). But for me, Pudge and his magnificent butt signifies "hope." Because he came to the Tigers back when the team was an embarrassment. They had just lost 119 games the season before. Nobody wanted to play for us. We were a joke. A laughing stock. And signing Pudge put us back on the road to respectability.

And now he's a Yankee. Seriously. Rosie is keeping all sharp objects away from me. But Kristie. Our dear sweet Kristie, who likes baseball. She understands. She's also keeping sharp objects away from me. Bless both their hearts.

At least I'm at RWA. Distraction is the best cure for a broken heart. Oh and in other news? My voice is shot. I've lost it. This is my fourth time coming to RWA and the first year I've lost my voice. Damn. I sound like a two-bit phone sex operator. Oh well. I probably would find my voice if I stopped flapping my gums long enough to look for it. But who am I kidding?

The Walrus Was Paul

Well folks, here I am in San Francisco. Tuesday is always a mellow day at the RWA conference, because that's when the bulk of the attendees really start rolling in. My day started out around 6:30AM, when I kissed The Boyfriend goodbye, gassed up the car, got my morning caffeine jolt, and drove out to the hinterlands to pick up Rosie. We were promptly on the road by 8AM, and made it to San Francisco is a little over 7 hours (perfect!).

The drive itselft was blessedly uneventful. Leaving from Rosie's was definitely the way to go since we were able to avoid the nightmare that is Los Angeles morning rush hour traffic. Heavens be, I even got to use my poor neglected cruise control! The trip flew by, mostly because Rosie and I prattled on the entire time.

The real fun was reserved for when we got into the city. For those of you who have never been to San Fran, every street is a frickin' one way street here, and parking isn't terribly obvious. After dropping Rosie off, driving several blocks, dodging pedestrians and one illegal u-turn later, I was able to flag down the hotel doorman who gave me directions to the hotel's valet parking. Once I, you know, asked....piece of cake.

Kristie and Katie flew in the day before, so they were out doing touristy stuff when we arrived. We soon hooked up with them, and several other bloggers for drinks at the bar.

Kristie, Rosie and I hit a local bar for burgers for dinner, and this is where things got sticky. Wendy had raw onion on her burger. It was mighty tasty. Despite the fact that raw onion and Wendy don't always get along so well. Yeah, I woke up around 4AM not feeling too hot. No one to blame but myself here - and now I've got Glass Onion by The Beatles wedged like a stubborn ear worm in my skull. Rosie, bless her soul, gave me drugs - and I'm on the mend.

Well, time to cut this short. Today is my busiest day, with the Librarian Event starting in about an hour. Tonight is the big Literacy Signing, and I'm currently telling myself to behave. Will I? Yeah, outlook not so good.

I Wonder If I'll Find My Mojo?

Here's a mind-numbing, rambling blog post for you all to enjoy before I take off for San Francisco and the RWA conference tomorrow. I've been planning this trip longer than most attendees. Try a couple of years. Once I moved to California, and noticed that San Fran was a "future conference site" I had it marked on my calender. Why? Because it means I can drive.

When I was a wee little Super Librarian, I lived in Michigan. The vast majority of my relatives live in Ohio. Which means from about the time I was 6 months old, my parents had me strapped in a car seat for what is, on average, a six hour drive. We made that trip to Ohio at least a couple of times a year. So while some people quake in horror at the thought of a long car drive....Yeah, me not so much. Hell, it will be just like old times.

I don't mind driving alone because it just means I run through my collection of Beatles CDs, but this year will be great because Rosie is hitching a ride with me. So I'm sure both of us will probably lose our voices on the way because we'll be blathering on. I'm heading out to the boonies bright and early to pick her up, which means I hope we avoid all Los Angeles traffic, and we're in San Fran absolutely no later than 5PM.

Today I need to hit the bank, hit the grocery store (so The Boyfriend doesn't starve while I'm gone), and hit the car wash to get my filthy car cleaned. Don't ask me the last time it saw a vacuum, because I don't know. Scary. Then it's home for last minute laundry and packing.

In random news, a friend of mine got her August RWR (Romance Writers Report - RWA's newsletter) and told me that I'm even more famous than she already suspected I was. What now seems like a billion years ago, the fabulous Sherry Thomas "interviewed" me for an article she was writing on how libraries purchase and select materials. Well that article is in the August issue, so for all you RWA members out there, check your mailbox for another dose of Super Librarian! I don't receive a paper copy of the newsletter, so am stuck waiting for them to post it online - which I'm assuming will be done once August actually rolls around.

In between packing and last minute errands, I'm hoping I do some reading today. I am in the mother of all reading slumps. Want to know how many books I've read in July? Two. Yeah, two. I'm hoping RWA will inspire me to stop being so lazy and to actually pick up a book again. Cuz dang, I'm starting to get a little depressed.

As far as blogging goes - I will be blogging from RWA thanks to The Boyfriend. He quit his job recently. No fretting, he has a new job. But this new job means that his shiny laptop he got for the old job is now available for me to steal use. So I'll be blogging, and skimming most of my Google Reader while I'm away. As for Twittering? Yeah, probably not so much. My cell phone is from the Paleozoic era, so texting is out - and I doubt I'll be hauling the lap top around with me.

The next time I'll be blogging I'll be at the conference. Stay tuned for updates and more general Super Librarian blatherings.

Hellllloooooo Nurse!

I've gotta be honest - the beefcake covers don't do a whole lot for me. Yes, I like men. In fact, I adore men. But I don't need to see a bare-arsed chest on every single one of my romance books. Just don't. That being said, I recently got some promotional bookmarks and among the batch was this eye-popping, jaw-dropping, stud muffin on the cover of Christina Skye's September release, To Catch A Thief. I hate to morph to one of those giggly romance fangirls who gets steamy over some hunky cover model - but dayum!

What I'll Be Doing

Today is my last day in the office before RWA, which means in between wrapping up some mindless projects here at work, I'm running through my head what I need to do, and need to get done before picking Rosie up on Tuesday morning and heading to San Francisco.

This got me thinking about what librarians actually do at conferences like RWA, because honestly it is incredibly varied. In the past I've done everything from the bare minimum to the whole shebang. This year it's going to be more in the middle, although I do have some specific tasks before me.

For one thing I'm going to try to be more diligent about is passing out my business cards, especially to any editor/publisher types. Mostly because I'm hoping they'll pass my information on to any library reps they may have, and also to get on mailing lists for things like catalogs and promotional items. Whether the publisher sends them via snail mail or electronically - my business card gives them either option. Plus, this year, I'm thinking I'll print up my blog address on return address labels and slap them on the back of my business cards. Two cards for the price of one, which should be handy.

My dance card isn't completely full, but it's also not completely empty. Wednesday is my Shot All To Hell day between the Librarian Event, the Literacy Signing, and a blogger gathering happening afterwards. Thursday night finds me with a dinner invitation, and Saturday is another invitation and the RITA ceremony. Any down time I have (ha!) will be spent at workshops, book signings and the bar.

Also this year I find myself having to work - well more so than usual. I've talked before about my library's annual Literary Event. Well, we're in the planning stages for our third annual to be held in April 2009. This year it wasn't just "Wendy find us some romance authors," but "Wendy find us some romance and mystery authors." In what is sure to be one of the greatest ironies of our time, I've got the mystery authors totally nailed down. The romance authors? Yeah, not so much - although the lovely Christie Ridgway has been confirmed. So it looks like I'll be spending some time at RWA trying to sway a "maybe" romance author into the "definitely yes" column, and scrounging up a third author to round out our panel. This sounds easy, right? Yeah, it would be if we had any money to offer for things like travel expenses. Which we don't. Which means I tend to throw myself at the feet of local authors. I've got some people in mind, and hopefully I'll be able to get one step closer to finalizing. After all, I'm probably going to be the one moderating the romance panel again this next year - so it's in my best interest to get this thing set in stone.

In between all of this, I have plans to scare up some goodies for friends and coworkers. Autographed books by favorite authors, and also promo items like bookmarks and pens. I love giving gifts, and surprises, so I'm hoping I can keep my greedy streak in check and share a bunch of the goodies I haul back with me.

Whew! It sure does sound like I'm doing a lot - but honestly, this is a lot more mellow than last year. The trick will be finding time to blog, although those following me on Twitter will likely be disappointed. I suspect I won't be Tweeting all that much....

For My Michigan Peeps

When it comes to book orgies, I've been spoiled living in southern California. There's more of everything out here - traffic, people, pollution, earthquakes, wild fires, sunshine and naturally, book stores. It also means there are more authors living out here, which means book signings are fairly easy to come by.

But when I lived in Michigan? I was a desperate woman. I once drove two and half hours to the Detroit area to attend a signing that Susan Wiggs was at. She signed my ARC of The Firebrand, which is still lovingly housed among my "keepers." I once went to see Debbie Macomber at a local signing, regardless of the fact that I had never read her (I since have, and have really enjoyed a couple of her books). When I attended my first RWA conference way back in 2002? I was still living in book-signing-deprived Michigan, so you can imagine how insane I went at the Literacy Signing. It was ugly folks. Really, really ugly.

Anywho, I was surfing around and landed on Jade Lee's web site (which I think is gorgeous by the way) and noticed she's doing a book tour this fall of Meijer stores in the southern part of Michigan. Coincidentally, it was on a tour like this that Susan Wiggs was on, when I hopped in my car and headed for Detroit.

I just checked out the roster, and damn skippy - if you're a romance reader living in this part of the world I encourage you to check it out. Authors on the schedule include: Jade Lee, Jessica Anderson, Kresley Cole, Allison Brennan, Kathryn Caskie, Elizabeth Hoyt, Kristan Higgins, Angela Knight, Susan Mallery, Sophia Nash, Gena Showalter, Sherry Thomas, and Roxanne St. Clair. Whoa doggie!

For a complete list of authors, plus dates, times, and stores where they will be signing - check out this page. I check my stats, and I know I have some Michigan readers out there. If you attend one of the signings, be sure to tell them Super Librarian sent you. Assuming, of course, they know who the hell I am - and most of them probably don't (although I know for a fact that Allison and Sherry do!). Still, it sounds cool for me to say that.

Dude, if I was still living in Michigan, studly cabana boys wouldn't be able to keep me away. If anyone decides to attend, be sure to give me all the dirt!

Sign Of The Times

It's hard for me to say no to kids. So when the sweet-looking, roughly 8-year-old little boy came up to my front door in his baseball uniform selling subscriptions to the local newspaper to earn money so he could go to summer camp, I found myself getting my check book out.

I hope the Girl Scouts don't find out where I live, or else I'm really screwed.

My newspapers started showing up over the weekend, so on Sunday I parked myself on the couch, turned on the baseball game, and proceeded to flip through it. What before my wondrous eyes should appear? A book review for Tribute by Nora Roberts. You could have knocked me over with a feather.

As a general rule I have little sympathy for people who refuse to help themselves. My most recent Romancing The Blog column was about independent booksellers refusing to stock romance fiction, then wondering why they lose business to Borders, B&N, Amazon and WalMart. Duh. I feel the same way about newspaper book coverage.

At this point, it's been fairly well documented that book review sections are dying in many national newspapers. Many literary types are gnashing their teeth, sending out battle cries, and generally continuing to remain utterly clueless. This trend has been no different for one of my local papers where book review coverage used to be a separate pull-out section a la The New York Times Book Review. Then it was cut in half, and the pull-out section became book reviews and editorial commentary. Now? Bye-bye pull-out section, hello to burying a couple of book reviews in the entertainment section.

I look at a variety of review sources for my job, including newspaper reviews. You know why these sections are in trouble? Because 95% of what they review are shit books nobody really wants to read. Maybe I was in college for too long (in fact, I know I was) but the minute I left I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Not only because I was done with school, but because I would never again have to read a book just because someone told me I had to. I could read whatever the hell I damn well pleased, and I wouldn't have to dissect it into little pieces, discuss it in class ad nauseam, and write a 20-page paper on it.

Sheer bliss.

I'm a very simple girl, with simple tastes. All I really want in a book is to be entertained. I want characters I give a damn about, an interesting plot, and to keep flipping the pages. Really, that's about it. And I think after you strip it down to the bare bones, 99.9% of readers out there would agree with me. But for too many years, newspapers have been providing book reviews for books your average Joe Schmo has no desire to read. The argument has been that newspaper reviews shouldn't cater to the lowest common denominator, to which I say "get bent," but hell - a couple of popular fiction reviews isn't going to cause the demise of western civilization. I'm not saying chuck all of the hoity-toity stuff, but dang, bring it down a notch or two.

So it was with part elation, and part trepidation, when I saw the book review for Tribute in my local paper this past Sunday. My good angel was thinking, "Yippeeee! They're reviewing a romance" while my bad angel was thinking, "Danger, Danger Super Librarian. Sneers, condescending attitude, and high blood pressure ahead!" But much to my delight it was a good review! And there was no backhanded sneering towards romance novels! Oh joy! Oh delight! Oh sunny day!

The review itself isn't online yet, and I already chucked my copy of the paper, so I'm paraphrasing wildly here - but in a nutshell? The reviewer said that Tribute was a highly-enjoyable pageturner, which should come as no surprise since Roberts has a reputation for writing highly-enjoyable pageturners.

So we'll see where this goes. Part of me hopes that the national newspapers will wake up and smell the coffee now that entire book review sections have been slashed. But then my bad angel pipes up and the natural cynic in me finds it highly unlikely. I'd resort to knocking newspaper editors in the head with a frying pan, but I'm not sure that would work all that well either.

Patience My Pet

It's here! It's finally here! Of course, who knows when I'm actually going to see it. As much as I'm dying to, I don't think I'm willing to brave the crowds on opening weekend. Probably not until after I get back from San Francisco....

Assuming Your Goal Is Longevity

Thirteen Songs That Should Never Be Played At A Wedding
(at least if you're hoping to stay married for more than an hour)

1) Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac - First line of this song? "Loving you, isn't the right thing to do." Yeah. In fact, with the possible exception of You Make Loving Fun, it's probably a good idea to avoid the entire Rumours album when you're looking for wedding music.

2) Me And Mrs. Jones by Billy Paul - Paul damn near rips the listener's heart out on this track, but it's probably not a good idea to play a song about a man's clandestine affair with a married woman at a wedding. Just saying.

3) Poison by Bell Biv Devoe - Best line in this whole song? "Never trust a big butt and smile." OK, so basically you're telling the bride you 1) don't trust her and 2) that she has a big butt. Guys, if you want to play with fire - feel free. Just make sure the Little Mrs. doesn't have access to any guns.

4) You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette - Really people. This one is self-explanatory.

5) Before He Cheats by Carrie Underwood - Groom beware. She loves you, but dip your pen in someone else's ink and personal property damage is in your immediate future. Although it's better than her destroying precious parts of your manly anatomy...

6) Girls, Girls, Girls by Motley Crue - Ahhh, the Crue. The Boys Of Romance. This ode to strippers is probably not the best wedding material. Depending on who you're marrying of course.

7) Every Breath You Take by The Police - Nothing says I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you quite like crazy stalker music.

8) Use Me by Bill Withers - Love this track, but much like Billy Paul, should not be played anywhere near a wedding. "My friends feel it's their appointed duty. They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me."

9) Run For Your Life by The Beatles - John Lennon gets in touch with his inner, creepy misogynist. "Well I'd rather see you dead, little girl/ Than to be with another man." Honey if you haven't run yet, it's too late.

10) I Hate Myself For Loving You by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - The classic Boy Meets Girl, Keeps Treating Her Like Crap, Girl Keeps Coming Back For More story.

11) Love Her Madly by The Doors - One of the classic Boy Meets Girl, Girl Screws Over Boy songs. "Don't you love her as she's walkin out the door/Like she did one thousand times before."

12) Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent - Ahhh, Uncle Ted. He shares the Mr. Romance title with the Motley Crue boys. "I make the pussy purr with/ The stroke of my hand/ They know they gettin' it from me/ They know just where to go/ When they need their lovin man/ They know I do it for free." So not only is the groom a hound dog, he's probably got a whole pack of various diseases to pass on to his blushing bride. I always have the urge to take a hot shower, with bleach, after hearing this song....

13) I Need A Lover by John Cougar Mellencamp - "I need a lover that won't drive me crazy/Some girl that knows the meaning of/Hey hit the highway!" Truly, haven't we all wished for the same thing at some point in our lives (substituting girl for boy depending on your preference?) That being said, probably not a sentiment you want to express to your blushing bride or groom on your wedding day.

Hey, the weekend's almost here! Let's have some fun in the Bat Cave today. Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

Trying Something New

I've got to be honest; I don't really get text messaging. I just don't. It might have something to do with the fact that I come from a fine family of women who refuse to shut the hell up. The family motto? If it's worth doing, it's worth talking someone's ear off about it.

Which is probably why I haven't really looked into Twitter before now. I don't text. I don't even own a cell phone that is capable of texting (I know, I'm a dinosuar). So exactly why do I want to become a Twit? Well, during the week I'm pretty much chained to a computer. And I come across the occasional informational nugget that can really only be shared in one sentence and not morphed into a blog post.

Plus Rosie is doing it. I know, if my friends jumped off a bridge - blah, blah, blah. But I figure it won't hurt to try. And I'm just narcissistic enough to actually think anyone, anywhere cares about what the heck I'm doing.

So yeah, I'm on Twitter. Follow me. Be my friend. Looooooove meeeeeeee!

Portrait Of A Frustrated Librarian

It was one of those days yesterday. The kind of day where I wanted to bitch slap about 50 people. Then I came home and took it out on The Boyfriend.

Amazingly enough, he was still talking to me this morning. I knew I fell in love with him for a reason.

So yeah, everybody needs to do me a favor and not start any Blog Drama for at least the next week - cuz I'll probably end up wading into the fray screeching, "WTF?! *$&^!@$#!!!! Your a bloody bleeping moron!!!"

On a good day I'm not eloquent. On a bad day I revert back to my natural banshee state.

You know what I need? A vacation. Or liquor. Yeah, definitely liquor.

On the bright side: I got this in the mail yesterday. So happy. Now I just need to kick my butt back into gear and get reading. Thanks Karen! And thanks Sybil for giving Karen my addy! I still need liquor, but this definitely helps.

Welcome Back To The World

So yeah, I sorta dropped out of the blogosphere for the weekend. I don't know about you all, but I have a hard time blogging on the weekends. Especially during baseball season.

So what did I do with myself? Stop the presses, I finished reading a book. My review of Sleep Softly by Gwen Hunter is forthcoming over at TGTBTU. Also, in preparation for RWA San Francisco, I got new front brakes on my car. Hey, it's not as sexy as new clothes or shoes, but since she's driving up with me, I'm sure Rosie is pleased with my "shopping spree."

In other news, my latest column is up over at Romancing The Blog. Wendy gets all Ranty McRanty this time out of the gate. Viva La Evil Corporations!

Top Five: Wendy's Problem Children

Some of you seemed to like my inaugural Top Five post, so I'm thinking I'll keep it up for a while. This time out I want to talk about my problem child books. These are the books that are currently in hot demand, and that, for the most part, blindsided me.

I'm not going to lie to you - adult fiction is generally pretty easy. But every once in a while a book comes out of nowhere and gob-smacks you. These are currently the ones where I'm beginning to think I'll never have enough copies to satisfy our waiting lists.


The Shack by William P. Young

Description: Four years after his daughter is abducted and evidence of her murder is found in an abandoned shack, Mackenzie Allen Philips returns to the shack in response to a note claiming to be from God, and has a life-changing experience.

Wendy Says: This originally came in as a patron request. I bought a few copies, as while inspirational fiction circulates nicely for us, I wouldn't call it a blockbuster genre. Then this book started showing up everywhere. Lots of media rounds, and a crap-load of word of mouth. Now everybody and their dead grandmother wants to read it.



Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Description: Believing her marriage to Andy to be perfect in every way, Ellen runs into former flame Leo and wonders why she has been unable to forget him even though they brought out the worst in each other.

Wendy Says: OK, I've at least heard of Emily Giffin, but I foolishly thought this book would follow the same pattern as her other titles. It would be mildly popular and generate a modest holds list. How wrong I was. This book has been off the charts for us, again thanks to media attention and it being touted as a "summer read."



The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Description: A member of a species that takes over the minds of human bodies, Wanderer is unable to disregard his host's love for a man in hiding, a situation that forces both possessor and host to become unwilling allies.

Wendy Says: OK people. I really am not a moron. I knew this book was going to be popular. But, I thought it was going to be popular with teen readers crossing over into the adult fiction stacks, and our library patrons who fit this mold? Generally do not place their names on a waiting list. They grab the book when they happen to see it on the shelf. Nope, not this time. Waiting list ahoy!



Dear American Airlines by Jonathan Miles

Description: Traveling to the wedding of his estranged daughter and left stranded in O'Hare Airport when his flight is cancelled, Bennie Ford, a fifty-three-year-old failed poet and translator, begins writing a letter of complaint to the airline that evolves into a painful lament for a life that has gone badly awry.

Wendy Says: Like a lot of things in life, success in publishing is sometimes thanks to excellent timing. I truly believe this debut novel is doing so well because people are currently really pissed off at the airlines. Having The Book Club Stink doesn't hurt matters either.



The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Description: Evaluating his life on the eve of his death, atypical canine Enzo considers the sacrifices his master, Denny Swift, has made in his pursuit of becoming a professional race car driver; the painful custody battle between Denny and his in-laws, and the dog's own efforts to preserve the Swift family.

Wendy Says: I actually bought several copies of this out of the gate because of the dog gimmick. People seem to love dogs in fiction. Then Starbucks decided that this was going to be the latest book to be promoted and sold in their stores. That sealed the deal. Oh, and The Book Club Stink didn't hurt matters either.

And there you have it. The five books with super huge waiting lists driving me slightly insane. I'm going to be honest, none of these sounds remotely tantalizing to me - but I'm Little Miss Finicky Pants. What about you all? Read any of these? Plan to read any? Inquiring minds want to know.

Another Year? Already?

more cat pictures

Yeah, today is the official day - although it's a bit anticlimactic, since I already got my gift from The Boyfriend. For the record, I love you book case. You are the bestest book case ever.

So Much For That

Well poop. Thanks to Alyssa for ruining my day.

From the RWA Literacy Autographing page:

We solicit your support and ask you to purchase books at the autographing rather than bringing copies you already own.

Years past, you've been allowed to bring 5 of your own books to get signed. Prior to the signing, happy volunteers walk through the line of waiting romance fans and put a sticker on your book(s) so that the cashiers wouldn't charge you for it.

I understand why RWA is doing this. No, really - I do. You've got people who bring more than five books from home. Then you have to have volunteers go through the entire line - and if you've never been to one of these signings? Trust me, it's the mother of all lines. It's mammoth. I totally see that it's a big pain in the ass.

Still, it makes me sad. Last year I was able to get my lovely copy of Courting Miss Hattie signed by Pamela Morsi. I was also able to have Ruth Ryan Langan sign my ancient copy of Nevada Nights, the first historical romance she had published - way back in 1985. Also, the first romance novel I ever read. Period. And the first "grown-up" book I read over the course of one day.

I'll admit it. I'm a nostalgia whore.

It was a real treat to have both of those books signed, especially Nevada Nights since even the author hadn't seen a copy of it in years.

Oh well. I'll get over it. Still, it makes me sad.

Tomorrow, A Restraining Order

Katie(babs) has apparently been stalking the RWA web site, and just fired off an e-mail to me (and others) to declare from the mountain top that "The List Has Been Posted!"

Dear Katie, is talking about the list of authors that will be signing at the "Readers For Life" Literacy Signing in San Francisco on July 30. Even if you couldn't pony up the bucks to attend the whole conference, if you're in the area, I do encourage you to check this one event out. It's open to the public, and is honestly the best time to be had at the entire conference (says I). Also, the money from every book you purchase goes to various literacy charities. Since 1991, RWA has donated $600,000 to literacy organizations.

That's so colossally awesome - words fail.

Usually there is one author, every year, that sends me into a fit of fangirl squee-ing. Last year it was Emma Holly. This year, while there are oodles of authors I will most definitely be stopping by to see, I'm happy to report that booksigning attendees will be spared from any latent fangirl tendencies I have.

I was going to post a list of authors I have plans to stop by and say hello to - but damn, it's a long list. I will say that this year's mission will be to have Thea Devine sign my copy of Desired (y'all have your J.R. Ward crack, I have my Thea Devine crack), and to hit Nora's line early in the event that she'll be signing copies of Tribute. Never mind that I still have High Noon to read. Geez.

Oh To Have That Waist!

Our own dear sweet Nicole sent me this blog fodder - embroidery patterns of sexy librarians. It's times like these that I wish I was moderately crafty. Oh, who am I kidding? I'd just settle for having that waist line.

And neither here nor there, the Super Librarian's Mom used to have some kick ass cat's eye glasses like that. You go on with your bad self Mom!

Timing Is Everything

This is a pretty juvenile thing to whine about, given that I know many others with more serious problems right now, but hey it's my blog. I figure that gives me the inalienable right to whine like a petulant three-year-old child.

I came home from work yesterday to discover a lovely notice from my apartment complex. Apparently, it is now part of the California State Fire Codes that "multi-family" dwellings, such as my apartment building, are no longer allowed to grill on their patios. No charcoal, no propane, no nothing. If we do not remove our grill post haste we could be in violation of our lease which means, penalties or my personal favorite....eviction.

Never mind that you pay your rent on time, don't harass people, don't leave your dog's shit lying in the middle of the sidewalk, and have never bounced your rent check. You have a grill on your patio! Be gone!

Reflect for a moment on how happy The Boyfriend was to get this bit of news. Separating a red-blooded American male from his grill? Yeah, he's been a peach.

I love the timing of this. Right before the July 4th holiday. Way to go asswipes.

I did some digging today, and sure enough, the state of California has been cracking down on this. I understand why they're doing it, what with half of northern California burning down at the moment. Still, it galls me that I can't grill because I refuse to live above my means and buy a non-scary, non-dilapidated house for half a million dollars and because a few assholes every year leave their grill unattended and start fires.

So where does that leave me? I did some investigating online. Electric grills are OK. Grills of all sorts are fine if 1) your patio is made of something that won't burn down, like concrete or 2) you have a sprinkler system on your patio. Also, grills with teeny propane tanks (like those used for camping) appear to be OK, although I can't seem to get a solid answer on that.

Sigh.

I still haven't a clue what I'll end up doing about this (past the whining of course). Probably buying a stove top grill. Which doesn't solve the problem of the unhappy man I have to live with who thinks the only way to cook meat is over an open flame. Joy.

On the bright side, we literally ran out of propane this past weekend. Maybe that was a warning sign from the gods?

Public Service Announcement

Take my advice, never become a librarian. Oh sure, it sounds like a cool job - and if I'm honest, it is. But there's a very scary dark side to my life. One that I'm not proud of.

Because I'm a librarian, and literally have millions of books at my disposal, it's impossible for me to quit authors/series. There, I said it. Don't get me wrong, I stop buying my own personal copy - but it's damn hard for me to cut the cord completely. Shiny copies of offending series roll into work, I get distracted by the smell of new ink, and I think to myself, "Maybe this time will be different."

Which means when an ARC of Book Of The Dead by Patricia Cornwell rolled into my office, I got excited. Against my better judgment and the "Danger, Danger Super Librarian!" bells going off in my head. However, that was back in September and I'm just now getting around to reading this book that was released to the masses in October 2007. Why? Because I was scared. Because this series just ain't what it used to be, and I'm holding a grudge. Finally, the Older Sis read it and nagged me into finally reading it so we could discuss. So I did, and I have. My reaction?

Well....I didn't hate it.

How's that for faint praise?

This is the 15th book in the Dr. Kay Scarpetta, Medical Examiner series. The problems I had with this book are pretty much the same problems I've had with the last several. There's too much head-hopping, not enough Kay, and the author's betrayal of the Pete Marino character continues to grate on my nerves. Also, this series stopped standing alone a long time ago. I can't see any reader, not familiar with the series, starting with this book, and understanding anything that's going on. The writing style doesn't help matters, as it continues to spiral into disjointed and abrupt territories.

All that being said? I liked some things. For one, I liked Lucy in this book, and if you tell anyone I said that I'll deny it with my last breath (she's normally a character that annoys the crap out of me). I also like that Cornwell has finally pushed Marino off the cliff. Yeah, I'm still pissed that she's betrayed his character (in my mind anyway), but if you're going to do that, you might as well go whole hog. Frankly, assuming she doesn't drop the ball, it should make for compelling series fodder.

As for the plot? Um, yeah. I could have done without the politics. Listen, I know the Iraq war is a huge clusterfuck mess. I know many people think George W. is an overzealous cowboy playing cops and robbers with the largest military in the world. But just because I know this doesn't mean I want to read about in my fiction. I just don't. It's not that I want to hide my head in the sand, it's just that I like fiction as entertainment. Getting pissed off and angry is not, nor will it ever be, my idea of entertainment. So for that reason? I tend to avoid books that feature "real life" politics. I get enough of that crap at work (librarians should receive combat pay for wading through the monstrous pile of political books now being published) and on the evening news. So keep it out of my fiction thankyouverymuch.

I also feel that Cornwell has strayed too far afield from her trademark. Over the years she's focused more on her characters - much to their detriment (see above Pete Marino rant). Because of that, she's gotten farther away from her suspense threads. There's still a kernel of a compelling suspense thread, but between the disjointed writing and the character angst, it tends to get lost and underdeveloped. Says I, and I know all.

This is a hard book for me to assign a grade to, especially since this review is rather stream of consciousness. Lets go with Final Grade = C. I'm still pissed about Marino, but I was compelled by his story in this book. I also felt that while the writing left a lot to be desired, the author ended the whole affair on a strong note. Sucker that I am, I'll be reading the next book in the series. Damn me, and damn my job.

The Month That Was: June 2008

A lot of readers around Romance Bloglandia post month-end recaps detailing what books they read over the course of the past 30-odd days. I've never done this, mostly because 99.9% of what I read gets reviewed on the blog. No joke. But now that I'm going to have some reviews posted over at Sybil's, I thought a month-end recap would be a good idea. This way a list of my reviews will all be in one place, just in case you missed one. Of course, this is assuming you care.

June was pretty productive for me, and I finished eight books. Hey, I have a full-time job and it's baseball season. Finishing eight books is pretty darn good. Here it goes:

Kidnapped By The Cowboy by Pam Crooks - Review posted at TGTBTU - Final Grade = C

Wendy's Thoughts: To be brief, the characters did things that annoyed me. What really chapped my buns was that the hero didn't understand why everybody shunned him, and nobody liked him. Um, hello?! You confessed to killing a boy you moron! Of course nobody is going to "like" you anymore. Geez.

The Last Rake In London by Nicola Cornick - Review posted at TGTBTU - Final Grade = B

Wendy's Thoughts: I really liked this one. It does have moments of melodrama, but I loved the heroine and the Edwardian London setting. Also, I thought this was one hawt book. Kind of surprising since Harlequin Historicals tend to be PG-reading for me.

Western Weddings by Jillian Hart, Kate Bridges and Charlene Sands - Review posted on TGTBTU - Final Grade = B-

Wendy's Thoughts: The Hart story is the stand out here, which isn't too shocking since she's the reason I wanted to read this anthology in the first place. The Bridges' and Sands' stories were average.

Sweetheart by Chelsea Cain - Random ramblings posted here - Final Grade = A

Wendy's Thoughts: Loved this book. Loved it! That being said, I see a lot of readers having issues with the places Cain chooses to take her characters in this story.

Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan - Review posted at TGTBTU - Final Grade = A

Wendy's Thoughts: I love frontier style westerns, and Kernan really seems to have a knack for them. Great heroine, great hero, fabulous book.

Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine - No review - Final Grade = B

Wendy's Thoughts: Another entry in the author's Jaine Austen cozy mystery series. More of the same. Wacky antics, great chick-lit-style first person narration, total brain candy. It didn't change my life, but I enjoyed myself while reading it.

Sleeping With The Devil by Vanessa Marlow - Review posted here - Final Grade = B

Wendy's Thoughts: I was very pleasantly surprised by this erotic thriller, and found it compulsively readable. I also found it heads and shoulders above the author's work under the name Cheryl Holt - but that's just me.

The Angel and the Outlaw by Kathryn Albright - Review posted at TGTBTU - Final Grade = B-

Wendy's Thoughts: A pleasant debut read. I did feel the author had too many secondary characters mucking up the works, but I loved the setting and the heroine.