Before I get around to delving into a Year End Review for 2009, I thought I better take care of business and post a December 2009 recap. I opened up my handy-dandy spreadsheet and was confronted with.....Three books.
Yeah, I only read three books in December. Beyond pathetic. I'm going to blame the holidays in a dismal attempt to make myself feel better.
Anywho, here's how it breaks down: (title links lead to full reviews)
Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John, Harlequin Historical, Western, 2009, Grade = B
- When unwed heroine is sent away to "school" because of her pregnancy, she returns home with her infant son to discover her protective grandfather has concocted a make-believe husband. Then a man shows up with the make-believe husband's name, and all hell breaks loose. Hero's motivations are a bit fantastical, but the author sells it really well. Also, an interesting and lively setting - centered around a large German clan and their brewery business. The best read of the month.
- I think I'm finally ready to break up with this series. A totally unfocused plot that takes forever to get anywhere. Vague villains with even vaguer motivations. Too much series baggage, most of it centered around stuff I was supposed to "remember" from previous books - but didn't. I did get my Detective Pete Marino fix, but that's the only good thing I can say about this one. Blergh.
- American heiress comes to London hoping to gain audience with Queen and thereby making herself "acceptable" to her would-be fiance's family. She hires the hero, a destitute blue blood to turn her into "a lady." He's snooty and snobby, she's American through and through. Several eye-rolling elements (a Victorian Duke who knows Kung Fu? Really?! A rescued pet monkey? Really?!) and a stubborn heroine sunk the romance a bit for me. Still, it wasn't completely without charm, and it ended up being an "OK" read for me.
The cold, it was the cold that incapacitated you :)
ReplyDeleteHopefully, 2010 will be better for you!!
If it makes you feel better I only finished 2 books in December. I had some work things that were kicking my butt and between lack of time and lack of energy reading just didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteI realized after I posted my year end recap that I completely spaced doing a December recap. Whoops. That one's gonna be a bit out of order.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks that you were only able to read 3 books. Hopefully January will be rockin'.
I gave up on Scarpetta several books ago. Somehow I lost my interest in her. Don't know what happened.
ReplyDeleteI hope you get to read more in January. I have vowed to read more, and play on the computer less. right. like that's going to happen.
I realized yesterday that before acquiring a boyfriend in September I had read 41 books for the year. After said boyfriend I have read a total of 4. Not that I'm going to complain too loudly about my reading time being replace with snuggle/watch movies time :o)
ReplyDeleteOnly 3 books, huh? That hurts. How many did you buy? That's probably scary. :-)
ReplyDeleteNath: That's it! It was the cold! LOL I was dangerously close to slipping into hypothermia and couldn't read!
ReplyDeleteLoriK: I felt completely overwhelmed by the holidays this year - and I was even lazy and didn't do cards.
Katie: I'm hoping for better things in January - although so far only one book and one short story read :( Must find groove.
Nikki: My vow is to get a little reading time in every day. I was really hit or miss in 2009. I was either plowing through a book a day or not reading anything for long stretches.
K8E: It's a new relationship, so you haven't found that balance yet. Although I've been with My Man for going on 12 years now - and I'm STILL looking for balance on most days. If you find some - throw a tinch my way will ya?
Phyl: Really not that many. Well except the mess of Harlequins I downloaded. And the box of romantic suspense a friend sent me. Surely those don't count? LOL
I've never kept track of "the books coming in" before. I should consider doing that this year - although it's only likely to depress me.
The cold? Aren't you in SoCal? :D
ReplyDeleteThree books is sad but the good news is that it can only go up right?
Or you could be like my sister-in-law and read three books over three months - the most she's read in 20 years! You should have seen her face when she asked me how many books I read. LOL
Leslie: Hey, it gets cold here. As long as you consider 45 F cold :P
ReplyDeleteWe romance readers are a funny lot. I think we tend to forget we just flat-out read more than "other" readers. So three books? Dismal. While the lit. fic., mystery or scifi reader may consider that a "good" total.
I'm not a huge historical fan, but I'm trying to broaden my horizons. That'll learn me.
ReplyDeleteI read Her Colorado Man and was heartily disappointed. The story didn't live up to the blurb at all. The blurb seemed to act as a prologue, and the story picked up after all the things promised on the back cover.
When I tried to put my finger on why I was so disappointed, I came up with a few things. Most importantly though, I think I just didn't like her voice. So no matter what story she delivered, I wasn't going to be engaged.
Venus: Bummer. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. Keep up with the broadening though. Lots of different voices and styles out there to choose from, just a matter of hitting on some that work for you.
ReplyDelete