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.
11 comments:
The cold, it was the cold that incapacitated you :)
Hopefully, 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.
I 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.
That 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.
I 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)
Only 3 books, huh? That hurts. How many did you buy? That's probably scary. :-)
Nath: That's it! It was the cold! LOL I was dangerously close to slipping into hypothermia and couldn't read!
LoriK: 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
Three 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
We 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.
I 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.
Post a Comment