Thursday, January 31, 2008
TT #85
Take 2
I did this a while ago, but it was so much fun, I couldn't resist looking for more.
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy as drama.
- Batman Begins as a heartwarming drama.
- The Exorcist as romantic comedy.
- Good Will Hunting as a thriller.
- Groundhog Day as psycho/slasher/horror.
- Hitch as a suspense/thriller.
- Jaws as a um... sort of a romance.
- Mission Impossible as drama.
- My Best Friend's Wedding as action/adventure.
- Rush Hour as a gay romance.
- Sleepless in Seattle as a thriller.
- Toy Story as horror.
- Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as horror.
Enjoy!
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
- Adelle: charitable bikers
- JoyIsMyGoal: grooms
- Melody: from the stacks challenge
- Jennifer Shirk: light brown
- Tempest Knight: libido-stirring foods
- blogs Jennifer McKenzie visits
- Lori: PMS
- Renee: Lyrical Press
- Renee Lynn Scott can't imagine herself as...
- Janet: photographs
- what's irritating Di
- Ellen B's Hope for Spring walk
- Miranda's week
- Robin's daughter's bed
- places Harris Channing has visited
- Open Grove Claudia: new favorite words
- why Julia's in a reading slump
- Puss Reboots: cats on covers
- Susan Helene Gottfried: the 6 things meme
- Julia: Heath Ledger films
- Nap Warden: Lost
- Heather: Madison book stores
- things Natalie misses from home
- what's in Tink's fridge
- Scribbit: favorite games
- You're next!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Labels: TT
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
The Wicked and the Wondrous
The Wicked and the Wondrous by Christine Feehan.
- ***½ The Twilight Before Christmas. Contemporary paranormal romance.
This is the second story in the Drake sisters series about a magical family.
Kate Drake is the second oldest sister and a writer, returning to her hometown to open a bookstore and settle down. Matt Granite has also returned to their hometown--an ex-army ranger, he's now joined his family's contracting business. They become reacquainted when Matt offers his professional services to help with the old mill building Kate wants to renovate for her bookstore.
Unfortunately, in the process, they accidentally release an ancient evil that hates Christmas and is threatening the entire town, and the sisters have to work together to defeat it.
Kate and Matt were pretty cute together: Kate's one of the more private sisters, and doesn't think someone as great as Matt would be interested in her, particularly since whenever she's around him, she gets clumsy, and his brothers keep laughing at her. Little does she know that they're laughing at Matt, who tends to get clumsy in her presence as well, and for the same reason. I always enjoy the type of plot that has the characters looking at the same thing but drawing completely different conclusions.
However, the horror plot leaves quite a bit to be desired. The evil entity's motivation is weak, and the fight gets repetitious until it's ended in a predictable manner.
Also, this story suffers from the same problems as the rest of this series: awkward dialogue, and too much repetition. Still, it's worth reading as part of the series.
- ***** "After the Music". Gothic.
Dillon Wentworth was a famous musician, until he was seriously burned trying to rescue his children from a fire that killed his unfaithful wife. The injuries have made it impossible for him to play as well as he once did, but the guilt and depression were worse. But now he's starting to work again, to help out his former band members, some of whom are in financial difficulties, and they've all gathered at his secluded estate.
Jessica Fitzpatrick has been taking care of the children since the fire, but there have been mysterious threats, and she's worried about them, so she decides the safest place for them will be with their father... and if moving in forces him to face his fears and act like a father again, so much the better.
This is a classic gothic romance: you've got the brooding, scarred hero in the secluded country estate; the spunky yet innocent governess; mysterious danger; and you can't tell who to trust. And, of course, the happy ending.
I would never presume to tell an author what to write, but good lord... Feehan's gothics are the absolute best things she writes. Too bad there are so few of them. Part of it, admittedly, is my own love of the gothic subgenre, but there's more to it than that. Her dialogue, choppy and awkward in other books, particularly in the Drake and Dark series, is smooth and realistic. The plots and the atmosphere fit perfectly, and the descriptions are some of the best I've ever read. Ah, well. Their rarity makes them even more of a treasure.
Categories: Books, 5stars, 3.5stars, ParanormalRomance, Gothic
Labels: 3.5 stars, 5 stars, books, gothic, ParanormalRomance
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Gun Shy
****½ Gun Shy by Donna Ball. Mystery.
This is the third in the Raine Stockton dog mystery series. Raine Stockton is a dog trainer and works search and rescue. In Gun Shy, she's called in to help with a dog who's been trapped in a cabin while his owner's lying dead behind a closed door.
The dog is a service dog, and the scene is very peculiar. The woman is dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, but where are her car, her luggage, her identification, food, etc.?
Raine is a little more on the periphery of this case--that is, she's not officially involved, but between her uncle the sheriff, and her sort-of-ex-husband Buck, his deputy, she stays informed. And with a little help from her friends, she figures out the clues the traumatized dog is hiding.
Gun Shy is an appropriate title for this book, as it describes not only the dog but Raine's relationship with Buck. There are more developments in her personal life, not what I'd expected, but not out of thin air, either.
This is a solid, enjoyable mystery series with interesting characters and clever and suspenseful mysteries. Although I'm not a huge dog person, I found the details about the dogs' training both interesting in its own right and applicable to human nature as well. I also appreciate that the characters and the relationships between them are not static; that they grow and change with time. Both those things (the dog details and the changing characters) raise the series above the clever puzzle level and make it a keeper for me.
I'm keeping an eye out for Cold Kill, the next book in this series. I'm looking forward to spending more time with Raine and her dogs and seeing where Ms. Ball takes them.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, Mystery
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, mystery
The Golden Compass
***½ The Golden Compass. Fantasy.
Directed by: Chris Weitz.
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Sam Elliott
We saw this at the Hercules.
This is a fantasy movie that takes place in a world where people's souls exist outside their bodies in the form of animals, and are called daemons. Our Heroine is a little orphaned girl named Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) who lives with her uncle (Daniel Craig) at Jordan College. He's going on an expedition to the north to study "dust". So when the mysterious Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman) says she is also going to the north and offers to take Lyra along, Lyra eagerly agrees.
Meanwhile, children have been disappearing, including, just before her trip, Lyra's best friend.
Turns out, the Magisterium, a sort of government body which is trying to suppress her uncle's research, is behind the disappearances: they're conducting experiments, separating children from their daemons.
Oh, and before he leaves, Lyra's uncle gives Lyra the golden compass of the title, which is supposed to tell the truth, but he doesn't know how it works. The Magisterium wants the golden compass, too.
As you can no doubt tell from my choppy summing-up, my biggest problem with The Golden Compass is that the movie is too short to adequately explain all the details. Or alternatively, that they tried to squeeze in too many details (presumably from the book--I haven't yet read it).
I don't know why the Magisterium wants to separate children from their daemons. I don't know why they want the golden compass. I don't know how it works or why Lyra is suddenly able to read it. I don't know why I'm supposed to care about dust. The witches and the armored ice bears came out of nowhere and I have no idea what they have to do with anything. I'd heard the movie was about preserving free will, but if it was, I didn't notice.
In the end, I had to give up trying to make sense of anything and just accept it and go with the adventure. It's a nice adventure. Well, except that it ends abruptly without resolving much of anything...except perhaps speculation about whether a sequel is planned. There are some cool airships, and fights with armored ice bears, and exciting sneaking around, and Sam Elliott being all Sam Elliott-y, which is always fun.
I'm glad I saw it, but I'm not going to get the DVD. Maybe I'll have more appreciation for it once I've read the book.
Categories: Movies, 3.5stars, Fantasy
Labels: 3.5 stars, fantasy, Movies
The Cop
The Cop. Erotic romance.
- ***** "Sex as a Weapon" by Sasha White.
Vanessa Lawson is the manager of the O Club, a BDSM club. She's also the Risque Robber: as a favor to their ex-wives, she seduces men into letting her tie them up, then cleans out their safes, leaving them bound for their new wives to find.
Kane Michaels is the cop who's trying to stop her, and to that end he visits the O Club, looking for a woman skilled in shibari.*
The sparks between Vanessa and Kane lead to more, and both of them are challenged by the directions their budding relationship takes them.
This story--or rather, this author--is the reason I bought this anthology, so it's not surprising that "Sex as a Weapon" was my favorite of the three stories. Even in novella-length, these characters come alive and deal with not only the cop/criminal conflict but with the conflicts within themselves. There's a satisfying blend between the erotica/romance plot and the suspense plot, with developments in one affecting progress in the other, and neither being given short shrift.
Sasha White is on my must-buy list, and I'm working on collecting all of her backlist.
- **** "Arrested" by Alyssa Brooks.
Kirsten Montgomery left her ex-boyfriend after overhearing some scary and incriminating evidence. But she knows too much, so he reports the car he'd given her stolen, and Kirsten is arrested for auto theft by sheriff Reid Walker.
The small town's jail is being remodeled, so Reid takes Kirsten home with him for the weekend, until authorities can arrive to escort her back to California.
Kirsten believes her life is in danger, and she keeps trying to escape, but at the same time, she and Reid can't keep their hands off each other.
This is a very steamy story, but I found myself frustrated by some of the non-sex elements--in particular, Reid's refusal to take Kirsten's fears seriously or even listen to them. Of course, a sheriff taking someone he's arrested home with him to await extradition is seriously unrealistic, but that didn't bother me so much--it was just part of the fun.
I very much enjoyed the exciting, action-packed climax--I just hope Reid's learned his lesson about listening and not making assumptions.
- **½ "Detroit's Finest" by Renee Alexis.
Tracey Shane has a job doing filing for the police department and has been lusting after Officer Troy Davenport for a while. She finally gets up close and personal with him when he stops her for speeding.
So far, so good, until Tracey finds out that Troy is married, and not just married, but married to a woman with a gun: Tracey's bitchy boss Daisha.
I have to say, this story would have worked better for me as a women's fiction, because from that point, it was the story of every woman who got involved with a married man and believed him when he kept delaying his divorce. I'd have been so much happier if Tracey had wised up and found somebody new, or just gone on her way happily single. Instead, she did everything she could to entice him, and settled for crumbs. Sexy crumbs, but I was so busy yelling at her to wake up that I couldn't really enjoy them.
I don't often demand social responsibility from fictional stories, but in this case, I couldn't help squirming thinking of women who'd find hope in this story for their relationships with married men.
Categories: Books, 2.5stars, 4stars, 5stars, EroticRomance
Labels: 2.5 stars, 4 stars, 5 stars, books, EroticRomance
Who Should Paint Your Portrait?
| Who Should Paint You: Alfred Gockel |
 All American yet funky, you inspire an artist's imagination And while not everyone will understand your portrait, you will! |
Okay. Now I've got to go look up Alfred Gockel. brb.
I'm back--did you miss me?
Very cool. I like his paintings. If I were to have a portrait of myself, I think his style would suit me.
Categories: Quiz
Labels: quiz
Monday, January 28, 2008
Link of the Week #56
http://www.biography.com/home_page/dead_celebrity_soulmate.jspDead Celebrity Soulmate Search
Yep, it's exactly what the title suggests: a dating game pairing you up with dead celebrities. It's not a quiz--after you input your personality and your choices of attributes for your date, you get to pick one of three bachelors (or bachelorettes, as the case may be... don't blame me for "bachelorette"--I'm channeling the Dating Game), choose what you'll do on your date, and then the game tells you how it turns out.
Little hint: Edgar Allan Poe isn't impressed with friendship posters, and Henry VIII won't go for the pre-date agreement.
Have fun!
Categories: LOTW
Labels: cool links
Weekend Update
- So, what happened exciting last week? Well, the sheep came back:
this is the view from our back yard. Every winter the shepherd brings the flock to graze for a week or two in the meadow between Buchholz and Miesau. It's actually further than it looks--Camden used the zoom. And there are actually more sheep than that. Probably a hundred or so. - I finally caved in and got a new mouse and keyboard for my computer. I needed them. The M and N had completely worn off the keyboard and a few other letters were fading away as well. But I'd have ignored that if the mouse hadn't gone wonky. Periodically when moving the mouse around, the cursor would abruptly jump to a corner of the screen--any corner--it wasn't fussy. So I'd had enough.
Now, of course, the new keyboard and mouse are giving me fits. The old mouse had a scroll button. This mouse has the dial, and you can scroll manually, but pushing it gives you a magnifying glass instead of making the page scroll automatically. The keyboard has the "home," "end," "delete," "page up," and "page down" buttons arranged differently, and I'm still not used to that. And both the keyboard and the mouse are stiffer than the old ones. *sigh*
- It was the end of the first semester, so Curran had exams, and was typically stressed and irritable. Not because he's worried about his grades--but because he's philosophically opposed to testing. Thinks it's not an accurate or effective means of determining whether he's learned the material. He's rather stubborn on the subject, which undoubtedly affects his performance. Unless he likes the class. He did great on AP European History and on AP Physics--the rest... we'll find out when report cards get here.
- Dagny had a scare with her cat Sage--she had an open, oozing sore under her chin, and so we got a bunch of panicky phone calls until she'd secured a promise from us to pay the vet bill and had taken the cat to the vet. Sage is 18 years old--pretty old for a cat, so she was imagining all sorts of things. Turned out to be just an injury that got infected, thank goodness.
- Curran and Dagny weren't the only ones stressed all week. Carl's promotion ceremony was scheduled for Friday, and he never handles being the center of attention well. He was alternately panicking that nobody would show up and that too many people would show up (we'd had the club prepare hors d'ouvres for about 50), and just generally being a bundle of nerves. Camden and I had a busy week keeping everybody from exploding. Which would have been easier if it hadn't been that time of the month. (Can somebody explain why at 47, I'm as regular as clockwork, when for 30 years I was extremely irregular? Gah.)
- Despite the nerves, the ceremony turned out very well. Carl's mom and brother were able to come, as was Willie, who's been a friend of ours for 20 years, so that was nice. He'd asked the hospital commander to promote him, and had me and his mom and the boys stand up with him. It was in ACUs, so there was no fumbling with pins, just a yanking of velcro. Mike took a bunch of pictures, but hasn't sent them yet--I'll post some if and when. I don't think I've ever shook that many people's hands... ever.
- This weekend was spent recovering from the stress: a trip to the Tierpark, one to a model train exchange, two movies, and several episodes of Dr. Who and Hitchhiker's Guide.
Categories: WeekendUpdate, AboutMe
Labels: about me, weekend update
Friday, January 25, 2008
Friday Flashback
Ever a Princess by Rebecca Hagan Lee. Historical romance.
The quotes beginning the chapters were fun. Particularly because they were pertinent. I liked that. Too often in books, there are little quotes to start each chapter that seem either chosen at random or pertinent in a way that makes sense to the author but is too obscure for me. And I've probably just stuck my foot in my mouth here... It wouldn't be the first time, & undoubtedly not the last.
I really hope we find out more about The True Adventures of the Bountiful Baron. I'm really curious about who wrote it. I'm guessing either Kirstin or O'Brien, although I'm leaning toward Kirstin. I think Adam's underestimated her.One thing I really liked about this book was that the hero was the one who had to change his life for the heroine. I liked how Rebecca pointed out that it wasn't an easy decision for him, and how much his life would change.
The undercover stuff was just hilarious. Adam was just so perplexed by their behavior. I can just imagine coming into a household at that time where everyone's deferring to the chambermaid.
Interesting detail in Giana & Queen Victoria exchanging drawings rather than letters. Did Queen Victoria ever do this, or is it just that drawing was something expected of ladies at that time?
And how do you pronounce "Giana"? I'm guessing Gee-Anna, but in my head I gave up & pronounced it "Gina". It always made me smile when Adam called her "George".
You can see the whole thread, including a synopsis and a short discussion with the author, here.
Categories: Flashback, Books, HistoricalRomance
Labels: books, flashback, HistoricalRomance
Thursday, January 24, 2008
TT #84
or
Thirteen Statistics About Nichtszusagen
from 2007
note: click on the links to see the categories
- Books: 286. Not nearly as many as in previous years. Here's how they stacked up:
*****+ 4 1.4% ***** 72 25.2% ****½ 88 30.8% **** 92 32.2% ***½ 28 9.8% *** 23 8.0% **½ 13 4.5% ** 3 1.0% *½ 1 0.3% * 0 0.0% action/adventure 2 0.7% chick lit 5 1.7% contemporary fantasy 12 4.2% erotica 8 2.8% fantasy 28 9.8% general fiction 5 1.7% graphic novel 1 0.3% historical fiction 7 2.4% horror 5 1.7% humor 2 0.7% mystery 31 10.8% nonfiction 8 2.8% science fiction 5 1.7% women's fiction 8 2.8% YA 8 2.8% contemporary romance 58 20.3% erotic romance 10 3.5% gothic 2 0.7% historical romance 22 7.7% paranormal romance 28 9.8% romantic suspense 26 9.1% western historical romance 2 0.7% - Movies: 81.
***** 16 19.8% ****½ 19 23.5% **** 24 29.6% ***½ 7 8.6% *** 8 9.9% **½ 3 3.7% ** 3 3.7% *½ 1 1.2% action/adventure 15 18.5% adult 5 6.2% comedy 28 34.6% documentary 2 2.5% drama 16 19.8% fantasy 2 2.5% horror 1 1.2% musical 4 4.9% romantic comedy 3 3.7% science fiction 5 6.2 - Quizzes: 41. They show up on Tuesdays. Some are still filed under"about me"
- Weekend Updates: 6.
- Memes: 9. Other than Thursday Thirteen, that is. They're mostly found on Mondays.
- Booking Through Thursdays: 23. I stopped doing these at the end of June--I just got too busy.
- Flashbacks: 6. This is a new thing, to try to move all my old reviews onto the blog. They show up on Fridays.
- Links of the Week: 25. Interesting, funny, or useful sites I want to pass on. I try to post one every Sunday.
- Reading Challenge: 4. They're quarterly, and in the sidebar.
- TBR Challenge: 10. Odd, April and September seem to be missing. Maybe I just didn't put them on del.icio.us. Monthly, also in the sidebar.
- Smart Bitches Day: 4. SBD is on Mondays, but I seldom have a) the time or b) a good idea for a post.
- Theories: 6. And here I'd intended to write down dozens. Ah, well.
- Thursday Thirteen: 47. Happy Thursday!
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
- Melody: Booking Through Thursday
- Julia: songs from movie musicals
- Susan Helene Gottfried: Trevor & co. look at vacation pix
- Doug: insomnia
- Jennifer Shirk has been shopping
- Renee Lynn Scott: a mystery about ships
- Ellen B.: oldest operating McDonald's
- why Joely Sue Burkhart hasn't been TT-ing
- Lara Angelina: dead or alive?
- You're next!
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants
Labels: TT
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Bishop's Wife
**** The Bishop's Wife. Drama.
Directed by: Henry Koster.
Starring: Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven
Every year, I get at least one new Christmas movie on DVD. This is 2007's, and we watched it Christmas Eve. I'd never seen it before, but hey, it's got Cary Grant, so if nothing else, I could just watch and listen to Cary Grant. Mmmm.... Cary Grant....
Cary Grant plays an angel (well, of course!) sent to answer the prayers of a bishop (David Niven) and his wife (Loretta Young).
The bishop is trying to raise the funds for a new cathedral, but the wealthy woman who's prepared to donate them has put strings on the donation, wanting the cathedral as a monument to her late husband. So the bishop prays for guidance, and the answer is the angel Dudley.
Dudley's assistance doesn't turn out exactly the way the bishop expected, though, as the angel ends up taking on all the "niceties" the bishop hasn't had time for: mostly spending time with his wife.
This could have been an overly sentimental holiday movie about realizing what's important in life, if it weren't for two things: the humor, and there's quite a bit of it; and the notion that Dudley starts to fall for the bishop's wife. Dudley's dilemma isn't emphasized, but it adds a little extra depth to the story, making him a little more human, a little more interesting than a perfect being sent to show people the error of their ways.
The Bishop's Wife is cute, and sweet, and it's always a pleasure watching Cary Grant.
Categories: Movies, 4stars, Drama
Labels: 4 stars, drama, Movies
Divine by Choice
****½ Divine by Choice by P. C. Cast. Fantasy.
This is a sequel to Goddess by Mistake (#20), which has been reprinted as Divine by Mistake. Although it stands alone, it's much more effective emotionally if you read them in order.
In the first book, Oklahoma schoolteacher Shannon ends up switching places with her double Rhiannon, becoming a goddess incarnate in the alternate reality land of Partholon, and marrying ClanFintan, a (shapeshifting) centaur. She's in love, and happy in her new life.
Now, a spell takes her back to Oklahoma, where Rhiannon is wreaking havoc. She's able to see her father and best friend again, though it ends up putting them in danger. Most importantly, her only true ally, who both believes and understands what's going on, and who has the ability to be of real help, is ClanFintan's double, a shaman named Clint.
Clint, however, is also a source of emotional distress. He's very much ClanFintan's double, and no matter how much Shannon reminds herself that Clint is not her husband, she finds herself drawn to him. Particularly when it looks as if she may not be able to return to Partholon.
A good number of readers will object (about a third, if Amazon reviews are any indication) to Shannon's attraction to and involvement with Clint, but it made a lot of sense, and added a lot more emotional impact to Shannon's choice of whether to stay in Oklahoma or risk her life trying to return to Partholon. It also made me think about the natures of love and identity--a nice little plus.
So often in fantasy stories when a character is whisked to another world, their old world ends up forgotten--and understandably so: the character doesn't know what's happening in their old world, and they have to put it behind them to get on with their new lives. But as a reader, I'm often curious to find out what happened in their absence. For that chance alone, I'd have enjoyed this book.
But there was plenty more to enjoy as well. Engaging characters, edge-of-your-seat suspense, interesting magic. I also appreciated learning more about Rhiannon, who turns out to be intriguingly three-dimensional, and not just the powerful spoiled goddess who wanted out of her proscribed lifestyle.
I can't discuss this book without discussing the ending, but I don't want to give it away, either. It was surprising, inevitable, and powerful. I sobbed. Really. It takes a lot to make me do that and still say I loved the book.
The next book in this series, Divine by Blood, is in my TBR pile. I'm looking forward to it.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, Fantasy
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, fantasy
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Your Name's Hidden Meaning
| What Darla Stokes Means |
 You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. |
Wow. Well, I'm impressed. I'm cooler than I thought I was.
Categories: Quiz
Labels: quiz
Monday, January 21, 2008
9 1/2 Days
****½ 9½ Days by Mia Zachary. Contemporary romance.
I got a handful of books signed by Mia Zachary in a charity auction a while ago. This is the second one I've read. The first one I read was entertaining, but this one was fabulous.
Attorney Jordan Gregory is in a bind. She told her family she's engaged to her boyfriend David, and with a family wedding coming up, they're all expecting to meet him. The only problem is, he's been very distant lately, and the one time they had sex, it was pretty unsatisfying. So she decides to go all out to get David back, and buys a book on sexual fantasies to spice things up.
Unbeknownst to Jordan, however, David's finally admitted to himself that he's gay. He's still a typical male, though, and thinks that just easing out of the relationship is a kinder way of handling it.
Then a lingerie show for her sister's new business (a previous Mia Zachary book, I presume--I think it's in my TBR pile) and a power outage sticking Jordan in an elevator in the dark combine with her new sexier self and produce a very hot encounter with a firefighter.
The encounter gives her more courage, so she decides to act out one of the fantasies in the book and kidnap David. Except the man she kidnaps and has her way with is David's twin brother Danny, who just happens to have been the firefighter in the elevator.
Danny's well known for his 8-date rule, but he agrees to pose as Jordan's fiance David in exchange for no-holds-barred sex.
First, as you might expect from the synopsis and the title, and from the fact that this is a Blaze: this book is steamy. And not embarrassingly or cheesily steamy, either. Honestly steamy. I'm known for being picky about sex scenes. These are good. Well-written, natural-feeling language (self-conscious "dirty words" in sex scenes are always obvious), full of emotion and sensuality, and integral to the plot.
It's also a wonderful love story. Both Jordan and Danny grow as they fall in love, and there's a lot about acceptance and family.
9 1/2 Days is a sexy, entertaining, complete read. I definitely recommend it, and have put Mia Zachary's subsequent books on my to-look-for list.
Categories: Books, 4.5stars, ContemporaryRomance
Labels: 4.5 stars, books, ContemporaryRomance
Monday Morning Meme
Here's how to play: "Take the letters of your name and write out a title of a romance novel for it. It's that simple, see if you can actually do it. You can omit the words "A" and "The" from the title to suit your needs if you want". It's a lot harder than it looks but try Amazon.com for help.
Dating Game by Beverly Brandt
Ain't She Sweet by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
River's End by Nora Roberts
The Longest Night by Kathleen O'Reilly
Absolute Trouble by Michelle Jerott
Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu
Total Rush by Deirdre Martin
Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan
A Knight Like No Other by Jocelyn Kelley
An Enchanted Affair by Barbara Metzger
Seeing Red by Jill Shalvis
Actually, this was easier than I thought. I even made it harder on myself by picking only books from my shelves and only one per author. It would have been even easier if I hadn't stuck to just romances.
Tag yourself if you like, and feel free to use other genres if you're not a romance reader.
Categories: Meme
Labels: random memes
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Link of the Week #55
This site will check to see if you're registered to vote--a lot of people think they're registered, but they aren't. And if you're not, it'll help you get registered. Do it. It's important. Remember, if you don't vote, you can't complain. Registration is the first step.
Categories: LOTW
Labels: cool links
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Weekend Update
- For a change, this week I don't have any pictures at all to share. The camera has been sitting securely in its docking station all week.
- As planned, we went to Carl's brother's house on Sunday. It was cold and foggy (ever see freezing fog? It covers everything with a really thick frost, and is pretty, but it's a treacherous PIA to drive in.), but interestingly, the middle third of the 75-minute drive was blue skies, sunshine, and 10 degrees warmer.
Despite the cold, we brought along burgers to grill, and buns--American ones are different, and according to the in-laws, tastier, than German burgers and buns. I'm not sure what the difference in the ground beef is, but the German hamburger buns tend to be very dry and crumbly, much like their "toast bread." We also brought mayo & ketchup--German mayo and ketchup are, inexplicably, rather sweet.
Carl and the boys took the BIL with them and went to a model train exchange in a nearby town, while I hung out with my SIL, drank coffee, ate rhubarb cream cake and chatted. The nieces were off to see Alvin and the Chipmunks with their other aunt, so it was just the two of us. The nieces are 10 and 13, so I could commiserate, having lived through those years with Dagny. I had to laugh--apparently IM/text-speak has migrated into German kids' slang: Andrea was mystified by her daughters and their friends going around saying "lol." I explained "Laugh Out Loud," and felt marginally proud of myself for being a cooler mom.
The drive home was pretty tense--dark and foggy--and took us nearly twice as long as usual.
- Monday, Carl found out that "oh, by the way, your promotion was effective as of 1 January." Huh? He'd been expecting March, and had been expecting at the very least to get some notification. Instead, he only found out after innumerable phone calls and emails. So everything's now a big rush-job. The ceremony is on next Friday at the club on post, with no time to get Carl's dad here from Florida, which is a real shame. But at least he'll be able to use those special parking spots now!
- On the moving front, we found out that the position in Heidelberg has been downgraded to an O-5 position, so that decreases the chances we'll be moving there. Still keeping my fingers crossed for San Antonio. There's an O-6 job, a 2-year position, opening up here in Landstuhl in 2011, which would be absolutely perfect. But that's getting ahead of things. Much as I want to get back to my house in San Antonio, I hate the idea of never living here again. We keep toying with temporary assignments with contractors or DoDDS once Carl retires just so we can move back periodically.
- Last night, we went to dinner with a friend of Carl's and his family. He's a German preventive medicine doc, used to work in the Bundeswehr, and he's very smart and talkative. Like most of the Germans I know, he skipped the small talk and went right to talking about issues and important stuff.
We went to Chili's on post, and there was a 90-minute wait (it's the only restaurant of its kind in the area), so we took them to the BX while we waited so they could look around. It was interesting the things they found interesting or unusual. While there, I discovered that David Baldacci is having a signing at the Ramstein BX tomorrow, so I'm going to try to make it. I've only read one of his books, but authors almost never show up here, so I want to do my part to make it a success.
It was a very pleasant evening, despite the decibel level at the restaurant and the fact that concentrating on in-depth, rapid-fire conversation in German with so much background noise meant my brain was complete mush by the time we got home.
- By the way, if you're in the area next Friday, stop by the club at 3 p.m. for Carl's promotion. There'll be hors d'oeuvres and punch.
Categories: AboutMe, WeekendUpdate
Labels: about me, weekend update
Friday, January 18, 2008
The Hunt for Red October
***** The Hunt for Red October. Action/adventure.
Directed by: John McTiernan.
Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill
I watched this in bits and pieces on VHS while exercising. Since I've seen it several times, I didn't miss anything, and it's good enough that it kept my mind off the exercise--which was the point.
It's hard to believe this movie is 17 years old--as old as Curran. The Hunt for Red October is old enough to be considered a classic, and I think it is.
Set near the end of the cold war, the Soviet Union's legendary submarine commander, Captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) has taken the Soviet fleet's newest, most advanced submarine, the Red October, and is on his way to the U.S. coastline... to defect, as CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) suspects, or to attack, as the Soviet ambassador (Joss Ackland) suggests?
It's a tense, exciting game of cat and mouse with Ryan convincing U.S. submarine commander Bart Mancuso (Scott Glenn) to give Ramius the benefit of the doubt, and both submarines eluding the entire Soviet fleet.
This is the first of the movies based on Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series, and I'm pretty sure I saw it before I read the book. I'd venture to say it's also the best of the films, but then it's been quite a while since I've watched the others, so maybe having this one freshly in my mind is coloring my opinion.
I truly don't have any complaints whatsoever about this movie--I loved the pacing and the action, and the performances. The balance between humor, drama, and suspense was just right. The extraordinary feats of both eluding and fooling the Soviet fleet might be exaggerated, but that's part of this whole genre, and wasn't too much.
One of my all-time favorites.
Categories: Movies, 5stars, ActionAdventure
Labels: 5 stars, action, Movies
TBR Challenge for December
Examples from my shelves:
The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams (tea)
Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn, ed. by Robert Lynn Asprin (mugs of ale)
Dearly Depotted by Kate Collins (flutes of champagne)
I chose:
***½ Full Blast by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes. Mystery.
First, a public service announcement: this is not a Stephanie Plum book. I figured I should post that right up front, since a good half of the reviewers on Amazon couldn't seem to grasp the concept. Okay, rant over. Deep breath.
This is the fourth in the series about Jamie Swift and Max Holt. Jamie runs a small-town newspaper and has just started a personals column. Then she's approached by a psychic named Destiny who's new to town, offering to write a psychic advice column for free. But before she can get started, Destiny has a vision: murder, and it's connected to the personals column.
Sure enough, a lingerie store owner is found murdered after a controversial grand opening, and the personals column does seem to figure in the case. Jamie and Destiny team up to help figure out whodunit, and Jamie, seeing
Max is there, with Muffin, the computer in his car that's... well, imagine a female version of K.I.T.T., complete with PMS. In fact, "Knight Rider" is a good comparison to this series--they're both funny and a bit over-the-top, light reading/viewing, and not really to be taken seriously.
If you play, let us know what you read, how it fit the challenge, how you liked it, and how long it had been in your TBR pile.
Categories: TBRChallenge, Books, 3.5Stars, Mystery
Labels: 3.5 stars, books, mystery, tbr challenge
Friday Flashback
The Diamond Key by Barbara Metzger. Historical romance.
The Diamond Key was a wonderful book to read when I wasn't feeling well. It's a very fun, entertaining book.
I was sucked in to the story immediately, which doesn't happen easily when you're sick. We first meet Torrie when she's in a life-or-death situation, trapped in a burning dressmaker's shop. Even though she's in some pretty serious danger, we catch some of her sense of humor as she wonders why anyone should answer her prayers since she's missed church a couple of times, cursed, and not honored her parents by finally finding a husband. So she shouts for help, and vows to herself to marry whoever rescues her.
Wynn's dog hears her, & leads Wynn to rescue her. Wynn is one of my favorite kinds of heroes--he's always helping people, but he tries to tell himself he's not a good guy.
From this first dramatic meeting to the wedding at the end, this book is a whirlwind of laughter, romance, and intrigue. The scene at Mrs. Reese's ball is destined to be a classic. I'd love to see it on film. First one then another of Torrie's, then Wynn's, dance partners have to be carried away by the footmen.
Even with all the laugh-aloud moments, there's an honesty to the romance. I could feel Torrie & Wynn falling in love--it wasn't just that the book said they did.
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it, even to non-Regency fans.
You can read the entire thread, including a short discussion with Barbara Metzger, here.
Categories: Books, Flashback, HistoricalRomance
Labels: books, flashback, HistoricalRomance
