"Making Money"

For those who don’t know Terry Pratchett’s Disc-world, I pity you people!
I finished “Making Money” and love love loved it! Moist Van Lipwig is back and is taking over a bank and renovating the banking system and money making business of Ankh-Morpork. Yeah, he used to take money out of the banks (mostly at night!) not into it but hey, he is reformed! He just likes to pick the locks of post office (he is general postmaster and the big boss there) for practice and out of boredom! Anyway he is back and it’s fun and excitement all around! Lord Vetinari and people of Ankh-Morpork believe in him, why don’t you?!
Then it was “A Vision of Light: A Margaret of Ashbury Novel” (Margaret of Ashbury Trilogy) by Judith Merkle Riley. Remember her? In this book she is dictating her life story to grumpy brother Gregory and learns to read and write. After the unexpected ending of the story (yeah, like I already hadn’t read the third volume!) I can’t wait for the second book of the series. Ms. Riley’s style is really interesting. You get absorbed into the story and somehow live and breathe with the characters. I have three or four more of her books and I know I’m going to enjoy them enormously.
What else? Oh, a contemporary fiction which hasn’t been very interesting so far. I’m in the third chapter of “Wednesday Night Witches” by Lee Nichols and already think Eve is a doormat! Well, let’s see what happens at the end!

“Exit Strategy”

When I put hold on 15-20 books last Friday night, I was absolutely fed up with all the romances I was reading (Well paranormal romances to be exact. I hate romance!) The only saving grace was they all had happy endings and were helping my stress level (something somewhere was going right!). I didn’t know how much I’ve missed a well written book and a wonderful plot until I started “Exit Strategy” (Nadia Stafford Series, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong has done a great job with Women Of Other World series but in “Exit Strategy” she has shown her total mastery in describing human emotions and complicated characters. Nadia’s character is so real you can laugh and cry with her. Although at the beginning you wonder how a hit-man (hit-woman) can have normal emotions, at the end of the book you come to love Nadia and Jake and even Evelyn. I impatiently wait for the second book of the series.
I checked out the book on Tuesday afternoon and was finished by Wednesday morning!
After that I spent a half day on Stephanie Rowe’s “Sex & the Immortal Bad Boy”. Well, remember Theresa, Justin and Becca? This one is about Paige. Cute story and a total fluff!

Now that I've started the latest book of my all times favorite author Terry Pratchett, I’m going to savor it!

Hooray, it’s Christmas!

I’m alive; I’m well and done with the exams! Hooray! Now I can live my life for three glorious weeks any way I want! I can shop until I drop (already started that one!) I can read as much books as my heart desires and I can eat chocolate and enjoy it too! Haa! Did you know when you are stressed you can’t taste chocolate? I just found out! So now after almost finishing a box World finest Mint Meltaways, I can enjoy the taste of the last one!
Anyway, last week in my study breaks I finished “Swimming without a Net” (Fred the Mermaid, Book 2) by MaryJanice Davidson and started on “Wife for Hire” by Janet Evanovich. It is funny but not as great and simplistic as her other books.
Then Friday night right after my last exam, I started searching for the books on my list. Thank heaven many of them are available in the library! I have a list of 15 books on hold!
Then I started a Christmassy book in honor of the holidays! Yes, “Santa Baby” by Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster, and Carly Philips. Crusie’ novella wasn’t up to her usual standard, but the novella from Carly Philips more than made up for that! I tell ya!
After that was a paranormal romance by Susan Squires. “The Burning” is about Stephen a two thousand years old vampire from Carpathian Mountains and beautiful and weird Miss Ann Van Helsing who can read everyone’s life by a touch. Well have you ever wondered why Mr. Van Helsing hated vampires? In this book you will find an answer but you’ll come to dislike Van Helsing so much it would ruin the movie for you! Be truly warned!
Had I read anything else from Susan Squires? Yes, “Sacrament”. And yes, “The Burning” is much better! Apparently they are from a series but I won’t recommend it. Just my opinion really! You feel like reading some gory torture and abuse and nasty sex scenes, go ahead and read them, I can’t stop you! Her other books are "The Comanion" and "The Hunger" and NO! I'm not going to read those two! Mark my words!

I wish it was next week!

My reading is limited to a chapter of “Swimming without a Net” (Fred the Mermaid, Book 2) by MaryJanice Davidson every other night and I’m way tiered of Fredrika’s wise cracks! That mermaid is a punk marine biologist with a vocabulary worse that a sailor!
To amuse my self (and get my mind of the exams next week), I’m daydreaming and composing my list of HAVE TO READ.
Well, these are on top (or near the top!):
First, To Finish:

“Holidays Are Hell” by Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands, Vicki Pettersson, and Marjorie M. Liu
“No Rest for the Witches” by MaryJanice Davidson, Cheyenne McCray, Christine Warren, and Lori Handeland
“Kitty Goes to Washington” (Kitty Norville Series, Book 2) by Carrie Vaughn

Then read:

“Making Money” by Terry Pratchett
“Lover Unbound” (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5) by J.R. Ward
“Holy Smokes” (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 4) by Katie MacAlister
“Kitty Takes a Holiday” (Kitty Norville Series, Book 3) by Carrie Vaughn
“Kitty and the Silver Bullet” (Kitty Norville, Book 4) by Carrie Vaughn
“Iron Kissed “(Mercy Thompson Series, Book 3) by Patricia Briggs
“Elijah” (The Nightwalkers, Book 3) by Jacquelyn Frank
“Exit Strategy” (Nadia Stafford Series, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong
“Succubus On Top” (The Georgina Kincaid Series, Book 2) by Richelle Mead
“An enchanted Season” By Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh, Jean Johnson
“Wife for Hire” by Janet Evanovich

And some more….
As soon as I remember I’m going to expand this list!
Yeah, I’m planning a really fun Winter-Break! I just wish it was next week!

Happy Endings!

What better time for reading except right before final exams?!
I spend a day and half of my scare and precious time to read:
“After Glow” (Ghost Hunters, Book 2) and “Ghost Hunter” (Ghost Hunters, Book 3) by Jayne Castle. “After Glow” is again about Lydia and Emmett and how they come to know each other more and get married. “Ghost Hunter” is the story of Elly and Cooper. Elly cancels their engagement when she thinks Cooper doesn’t love her and is after her family’s connections. Cooper then tries to the end of the book to convince her otherwise. Lydia and Emmett make an honorary appearance as well! Both books were fun (at least better than Math and my other subjects!).
“Visions of Heat” by Nalini Singh is the second book of Psy-Changelings series (First and third being “Slave to Sensation” and “Caressed by Ice”). It is the story of Faith, a far-seer Psy who thinks she is going crazy and Vaughn, a jaguar changeling from Lucas’s pack. The happy ending? Of course! She chooses love over power and comes to live in jungle!
What else? Don’t ask! I’m tired of whining about school!

Harmony!!!

“Achieving the perfect harmony in life is next to impossible -- but you need to make the effort today.” Can you believe this nonsense? This is my supposed horoscope for today!
How am I going to achieve harmony when I have a power point presentation to prepare for next week, a project to work on (with a team, first meeting at 18:00!) and three courses to study for and turn in homework for with exams in 2 weeks? I have no idea! I’m going hysterical here, have you noticed?!
I’m munching on chocolate without tasting it (almost finished two boxes of truffles), I haven’t gone shopping in a long long time, and I can’t read my favorite books! How am I supposed to achieve harmony? How?

Little reading, lots of homework!

Well, that sums it up pretty neatly! I reread “Tall, Dark and Dead” and “Dead Sexy” by Tate Hallaway to calm my nerves.
“Obsession, deceit and really dark chocolate” by Kyra Davis was a mystery novel narrated by a mystery writer. Aside from this quirk, there was nothing interesting or new in the story.
“After Dark” (Ghost Hunters, Book 1) by Jayne Castle is another novel from planet Harmony, and the story of Lydia a Para-archeologist. Had I said I’m not going to read from Jayne Castle anymore? Well, I was wrong; her stories are growing on me! I kinda like all these ghost hunter stuff!
A couple of books from my favorite authors are out, but I don’t have time to read, how sad! I think I need a long hibernation, just me, some books, a warm fluffy blanket, and lots and lots of chocolate! Oh, I wish!

Live life to the fullest!

Chatting with old friends, making new friends, having friends over and going to parties, eating and drinking and being merry, sight seeing, and reading, I was fortunate to enjoy all these pleasures in a five day period and am happy there is more planed for this weekend. So much so that I totally forgot my established routine and had a hard time going to classes yesterday! Dragging my exhausted body and happy soul to school after a weekend full of fun was hard work, I tell ya!!! So glad there is no more classes for the rest of the week (just one on Wednesday afternoon).
Finished:
“Eye of Heaven” (Dirk and Steele, Book 5) by Marjorie M. Liu is the story of Blue and Iris. He can manipulate electricity in any form and from any source; she can talk to big cats and turn into a leopard herself, a match made in heaven! The book was a little violent and had more than enough gory scenes, but a happy ending never less.
“The Dark Highlander” by Karen Marie Moning wasn’t that attractive. I had a little problem accepting the characters and logic of the story. I’m not going to read any more of her Highlander books for sure.
I feel like I have to make some changes in my life style but everything depends on my schedule for next quarter. Let’s see what happens!

Beeez, Beeez! I is Beeezy!

Well, looks like it’s one post a week now! I had the good fortune of reading a little more than past few weeks. So here it goes:
“Sacrament” by Susan Squires is a historical romance with a vampire hero. The book is too long in my opinion; the author could have made two or three books out of this one. In grade of 1-10 it would make a 3.
“Silver master” (Ghost hunters, Book 4) by Jayne Castle is a Sci-Fi romance about people 100 years in future in a planet name Harmony, a colony from earth. Psy powers are common but strong and strange ones are frowned upon. A matchmaker and an investigator are linked by an ancient artifact and persuade by mafia. They fall in love and live happily ever-after!
This one was book fourth in the series but I’m not sure I want to read more about this world and its people’s love life!
“The Plain Janes” by Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg was a comic book about 9/11 and its effect in a teenager’s life.
“Slave to sensation” and “Caressed by Ice” by Nalini Singh were book one and third of a Sci-Fi romance series about a parallel universe where people are in one of the three caset: Psy (those who have psychic powers), Changelings (Were-anything) and humans. Psy are the ruling caset by help of a program installed years ago. Silence stripes young Psy of their emotions when they are still babies. Psy grow up to be robotic unfeeling logical people. In the “Slave to sensation”, a powerful but damaged Psy starts to trust her feeling and see the truth of Changeling's society. She falls in love with a were-panther and the rest is history!
In the “Caressed by Ice”; a Psy soldier and assassin is feeling quite tender toward a Were-wolf who was abducted and abused in book one. They both have some learning and adjusting to do until they can find their happily-ever-after.
Then I checked “Shadow Touch” by Marjorie M. Liu. The story of Artur (he can read the history of things with touching them) and Elena who can perform miracles and heal any disease. Well, book two of Dirk and Steele novels was not as great as I thought but much better than book 3 (“the Red heart of Jade”). I wonder why all Ms. Liu’s heroes should be damaged and abused? Why can’t she see the attraction in strong perfect men? And what is the name of book 4? I can't find it anywhere!
And then finally I read “Your Coffin or Mine?” A Novel of Vampire Love (Dead End Dating, Book 3) by Kimberly Raye. Lil is busier than me in this book! She is looking for Ty (maybe he is abducted if he can’t call), is matching a variety of beings, is dodging her mother’s calls, playing bride maid to her would-be sister in law, and adopting a cat! Wow, talk about multitasking! Very fun and funny book, all in all. Loved it!

“Express yourself!"

“Express yourself! Do something creative!” This was the most recent (Wednesday night) fortune cookie massage I got, right after a math exam! It takes more than twenty four hours after stressing over exams (two in 3days, studying for them for a week) for the creative juice to flow! Anyway, I calmed myself by re-reading “Moon Called” and “Blood Bond” by Patricia Briggs.
Last week after finishing that Toxicology exam, I had a day and half to spend on:
“Soul Song” (Dirk & Steele, Book 6) by Marjorie M. Liu. Well, I like “Tiger Eye” much better. But “Soul Song” was better than “The Red Heart of Jade”. Should I reserve judgment and look for “Eye of Heaven” and “Shadow Touch”? Hooom! Maybe!
“Blame it on Cupid” by Jennifer Greene was a plain old-fashion romance with no trace of supernatural what so ever. Kind of refreshing! And nothing special! Girl meets boy. Boy is a player; girl doesn’t want to be tied down. They fell in love and change their nature and settle down with happily ever-after!
Then “Dangerous games” (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 4) by Keri Arthur. I don’t think I’m up for all the violence in her books. I curb my curiosity and won’t read anymore of Riley Jensen's adventures. She is a hybrid of vampire and werewolf, very sexy and very kick ass, but she has something missing. She does not appear real. Her character is lacking something!
And finally, “A lick of Frost” (Meredith Gentry, Book 6) by Laurell K. Hamilton. I enjoyed it! I loved it! I want to read it over and over! Merry is defending her guards against her uncle’s (King of light and Illusion) accusations, she is bargaining with Ash and Holly (twin half-breed goblins), tries to pacify Frost and Rhys, is surviving her aunt (Queen of night and darkness) attentions, and is carrying twins! Wow! Talk about action packed! But the ending! Ah, Ms. Hamilton is so cruel! How could we wait a year (at least) for the next book?! What will happen at the hospital? Will Merry get to sit on the golden throne or she remains in dark court? What happens to Frost? And Mistral? What about other guards, will they have to go back to the queen? Eeeeeeesh! I can’t wait! It is not fair!
But the book was great, I tell ya!

Time flys when you're not having fun!

With the schedule I’m having it’s a wonder I’ve not gone totally nuts! I’ve been working on a midterm (take-home) for 4 days. I’ve completed one set of homework and stressing over two exams.
I finished 2 books (very quick reading) last week. One was “damsel under stress” by Shanna Swendson. Book three of Katie Chandler adventures in a magic company, it tells a supernatural love story in corporate settings with lots of twists and humor. The first two books are “Enchanted Inc.” and “Once upon stilettos”. Katie is finally dating the man of her dreams but every magical being in the world is interfering with their dates, most specially Katie’s fairy godmother who after years and years of absent from Katie’s love life has chosen this particular time to appear. If I was going to rate it in scale of 1-5, the book only would have made a 2.
The other book was “Falling out of fashion” by Karen Yampolsky. A very lukewarm biography of a fashion editor. After second chapter you get bored out of your skull. The narrator voice is way too dull and flat. I just skipped through and read every couple of pages to get the whole story!
What I really want to do is get the “A lick of Frost” by Laurell K. Hamilton and forget every thing else for a day which is not possible. I have waited months for this book, the sixth book of Meredith Gentry series and now that it’s out I don’t have time to read it except for a few pages every other night or so. Life is so not fair!
On a positive note, it’s raining chocolate! Just received a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts from Australia. Hooooooooom! Very fancy, very delish! The box is almost empty and it took only a couple of days!

Wild Fires

Wild fires! No, it is not the name of a book; it is what’s happening right now in southern California. San Diego and Malibu LA are burning from Sunday, fires have not been controlled, hundreds of houses are damaged and large areas are evacuated. These tragedies are happening every couple of years in Santa Ana season (warm dry winds blowing from South). And yes, there are always smaller fires around as well. Sky was dark today, Air smelled of smoke, and it was raining ash.
In this sorry state we (dear hubby and I) were asking ourselves what will happen if we have to evacuate. What are we going to take with us?
Well, we both had the same answer: our cats, important papers, our photo albums, a couple of art works that are one of a kind, two velvet jewelry pouches my grandmother made before she passed, and maybe my jewelry (all of it fits in one hand!). These are all our un-replaceable belongings and with the exception of cats and framed art work, will fill only one small duffel bag.
The interesting part was I didn’t think about my books, my journals, my stories and poems, my clothes, handbags, or not even my necklace and pendant collection although I got every piece of it from a different city.
My other interesting discovery was when you have to prioritize you see you only have a very few and important belongings: your loved ones and your memories.

Baby it's cold!

Ah, No! Blogging is a thing of past. I don’t have time anymore (or energy)! Well I’m fighting a nasty head-cold, finishing two sets of homework, dropping one class, attending meetings, eating chocolate to calm my nerves, and reading a little in between! And yes! Saturday was my birthday! Lots of lovely presents, including three box of chocolate! Haa, I’m spoiled rotten! Didn’t you know it? (wink)
I read a couple more Nancy Drew books when I was lying feverish in bed and could do nothing else. And last week found time to read “The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes”, a novel by three authors, Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer, and Anne Stuart. Three Fortune sisters, Dee, Lizzie, and Mare are running and hiding from their power-crazy aunt Xan. To end it all (and play the part of perfect aunt) Xan conjures a spell, attracting girls’ true loves to them. The problem is how much our sisters can depend on their hearts and desires and their love for each other and how much they can trust their newly found soul mates? And the million dollar question: What is Xan’s price for the only good she ever did in her life?
It is a very attractive story, however; it is very brief considering it had three authors collaborating over it.
Well life is not perfect!

Scientific laws and your daily lives!

It is a proved scientific fact that you can lift your mood by putting on make-up, the more the better. Try your brightest color eye-shadows, your darkest or brightest lipsticks, three or four layers of mascara and pile on foundation and powder. As an extra boost you can dance from one mirror to the other in your house, check yourself in different lights, and try to improve your make-up by adding other colors to your face. You can even answer the door bell in this state if you are brave enough and know the person on the other side of the door doesn’t have a heart condition!
Well, this very accurate test-study was done in our college days by a couple of friends and me. Now years later, I’m thinking of taking this law one step farther and say:
It is proven that when you dress nicely, people are nice to you.
I have a theory about it: when you dress your best, you feel confident, you are happy and smiling and nice, therefore whoever you are communicating with is nice back at you!
Anyhow, I need volunteers in their best dresses going around living their daily lives.
Will you do it?

Paris, Nancy Drew, chocolate, and science!

What a life! Classes, homework, stress… Sheesh! I can’t even sleep well, I keep thinking about all the things I have to finish the next day or on the weekend or … I’m going crazy and it’s still the third week of this term!
The worst part? Having very little time to read! I managed to finish the second book of Imogene adventures “Project Paris” by Lisa Barham and Sujean Rim. Imogene goes to Paris to report fashion week but fashion models go on strike and she has to work hard to stay in Paris for the summer. She may have to invent a new designer, produce a whole new collection and assemble a fashion show! Well, she is cute, has great fashion sense and very good friends, if anyone can do it, it’s her!
Else? Yeah, “Nancy Drew” series by Carolyn Keene! Don’t sneer now! It is very relaxing, believe me! Plus Nancy has great style. I finished three of her books in one afternoon, and then worked on a set of homework and today I finished the fourth one and am in the middle of the fifth!
May be it’s the chill in the air but I can’t eat dark chocolate anymore. Right now I’m very much in love with chocolate bars from Tommy and sally’s. Yup! That's the name of the manufacturer! These handcrafted tasty chocolate bars plus some handmade truffles and two sets of “Care Bear” chocolates are great discoveries of dear hubby. I’m very thankful and totally addicted! The only problem is I love “Care Bears”; I can’t bring myself to bite off the head of Sunshine Bear!
Now I’m taking pity on all you ignorant people in the world and am going to share my extensive knowledge of water with you one pearl of wisdom at a time! (wink wink) Well, did you know it takes 3000 to10000’s of years for the water of deepest parts of the ocean to get to the surface? But after evaporation that water stays in atmosphere for only 10-11 days? And when it gets to the ground (and gets sucked by the soil), again it may take up to hundred of years for it to come back to the surface? Aren’t you amazed? Well, you should worship me for sharing this with you! (batting eyelashes)

School is a bitch!

Been awfully busy. Class after class after class. Why am I doing this to myself? Anyway, I managed to finish some books, like:
“Weird” by (somewhat I can’t find her name! Edited,a week later: her name is Liz Maverick) is a Sci-Fi romance and has the format of a computer game, a little confusing because there are several versions of reality and you keep jumping from one to another. Every chapter is like: beep! Game over! Reset! Now start over! Anyway the cover design reminded me of computer games and Japanese anim.
Then “The Jane Austen book club” by Karen Joy Fowler took a couple of my days. I didn’t like it that much, not the characters, and not the format. The connection to Austen’s books was very weak and the story dull. What the movie is going to look like, I wonder!
From Nightwalkers series by Jacquelyn Frank “Gideon” was great. The demon/ Healer Gideon has been in love with the king’s little sister, but now with the dark-magic users close by and demons community peace jeopardized; he has to play more political roles. But he will win the heart of his fair maiden at the end.
Two books from Raintree series, “Raintree: Inferno” by Linda Howard, is the story of the king and the oldest Raintree siblings Dante. The last book “Raintree: Sanctuary” by Beverly Barton, is the story of Mercy and her daughter. I loved Hunted, liked Inferno, and tolerated the Sanctuary! It says a lot about the three authors!
What else? Yeah, been reading “Witch in the House” by Jenna Mcknight. The love story of Jade (one of the three widowed witches of a small town). The detective, who is sent to investigate the disappearance of Jade’s husband, falls in love with her. Question is: is it real love or is it due to a spell Jade did right before opening the door? Nice story, really liked it!
Then “A girl like Moi” by Lisa Barham and Sujean Rim, adventures of Imogene, a teenage fashionista. Very nice, especially all those clothes and shoes. The book has cute illustrations too.
Not too shabby for a week full of classes, Huh?

Before School (kinda like Before Sunrise)!

Well, Jennifer Crusie “Manhunting” was quite fun. I was laughing hysterically while reading those disastrous dates Kate had.
Then it was a YA by Kaz Delaney “My Life as a Snow Bunny”, young love, unfeeling parents, and all that.
“Raintree: Hunted” by Linda Winstead Jones is part of a trilogy about Raintree family, magic users for generation. Hunted is the story of Gideon, a homicide detective and electricity-controller, and yes; he can talk to ghosts!
My side reading was “Vampire Academy” by Richelle Mead. It’s about a living vampire girl (or Moroi) Lissa who can heal, and her guardian and best friend Dhampire Rose. The story was very high-school drama with a twist because the characters were super-naturals. I liked Mead’s other book “Succubus Blues” much better. Can’t wait for the second book “Succubus on Top”.

What else? Nothing, only worrying about start of the term and all the hard classes I’m taking.
I’m going shopping with a friend this afternoon, and am happy that I’ve focused on the accessories. Belts, scarves, hats, bags are much more fun and you can play with colors better than buying a bright pink skirt or blouse and wondering what to match it with. What I need is a bright orange belt, a purple one, a beret and a great bag. I’m still looking for the handbag of my dreams!

A giant of a book!

Well it’s books again: “Jacob” by Jacquelyn Frank is the first book of The Nightwalkers series. Jacob is a demon and not any demon either, he is the Enforcer, the one who monitors others of his kind and protects humans from his people’s advances. But one cold night when he is out on a mission, a human girl falls from a window five story high and right into his embrace. Well, who’s gonna protect whom? That’s the question. I liked this book so much I’m going to find the second book of the series “Gideon”.
Then it was “Beneath the skin” by Savannah Russe. It is the third book of Darkwing Chronicles. In the first book “Beyond the Pale” we know Daphne Urban, daughter of a medieval pop and a vampire. Daphne has lived these last couple of centuries in solitude and away from vampire community and her political mother Mar Mar. Now she is invited to work at a governmental anti-terrorist agency in a team of vampires, team Darkwing. She meets Darius a spy/ vampire hunter and falls in love, saves the day (or night!) and turns Darius into vampire. In the second book “Past Redemption”, team Darkwing is investigating a new drug and the mafia who sell it. Daphne loses a team-mate and befriends a new guy, a black Irish cutie. In “Beneath the skin” Daphne is trying to get over Darius, know that Irish guy better, investigate a strange Countess and steal some important document for Mar Mar, and oh yes; help prevent an assassination. She is uber busy, but not enough to avoid a couple of mouth full of someone’s blood! The fourth book of the series “In the Blood” will be out in November.
Next it was “Wyrd Sisters” by Terry Pratchett turn. I love love love his Disc World novels. So funny and entertaining. In this book Granny Weatherwax and the other two witches of Ramtop are trying NOT to meddle in the affair of kingdom and they certainly are NOT helping anyone to be the new King. To know more about the Disc world and its characters check his website. Terry Pratchett is one of my favorite authors. He mixes humor, political and philosophical views, and references to classic literature and mythology into amazingly deep and funny stories. His latest book of Disc World series is “Making Money” which should hit the book stores pretty soon.
After all these great books, I checked a few Feng Shui and Astrology books, got my birth chart sorted and finished and am planning to start the latest book of Jennifer Crusie “Manhunting”.
I received my first text book of this quarter today, a massive 1100 page giant of a book on Advanced Engineering Math. I’m loosing my nerves and panicking really bad just by looking at it! I need to go shopping!

In a hurry!

Two weeks without a new post. Huh? I’ve been lazy, What you can tell about that?!
OK, for first 4-5 days after finishing first three books of Anne Shirley adventures I wasn’t reading anything, just eating chocolate and fighting my mad cravings for shopping! Then I started reading “Anne of Windy Poplars”, “Anne’s House of Dreams”, "Anne of Ingleside”, and “Rainbow Valley” from L.M. Montgomery. I loved following Anne’s stories, but as the pace is slow and I was reading slower, It took a long time to finish!
Beside that, I finished a couple of etiquette books by Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh, “The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum” and its sequel, “The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Grace under Pressure”. Some of the rules had me laughing feverously like how to manage love affairs with grace and manners! Ha ha ha!
Another book which I leafed through and got bored with was “Girl Anatomy” by Rebecca Bloom, the story of Lily’s heartaches and loves and basically her being without a backbone!
“What the lady wants” by Jennifer Crusie is the story of Mitch -a Sam Spade wanna-be - and his great big case, catching the killer whom Mae Belle (a femme fatal) hires him to find. Fun, light, happy-ending, like all Jennifer Crusie’s books.
I finished “Over the Moon” a collection of four novellas by Angela Knight, MarryJanice Davidson, Virginia Kantra, and Sunny. Loved two of the stories more than others: "Moon Dance” by Knight and “Mona Lisa Three” by sunny were fantastic, imaginative, funny, and sexy. Kick-ass heroines and handsome heroes, what else you wish for in a novella?
My side-reading had been “Dead Girls are Easy” by Terri Garey the story of a girl who has a near-death experience and after that sees ghosts (and just has to help them go to light) and “Changeling” by Yasmine Galenorn the second book of The Sisters of the Moona series featuring three half blooded Fae sisters. This book is about Dalilah the second sister who turns into a tabby cat when she is stressed!
Autumn is finally here and I have just a few days before start of the term to finish my shopping and get ready for school. I don't think I have much opportiunity for reading books when the term starts.

Anne spelled with an e!

Been reading three first books of Anne Shirley series by L. M. Montgomery, "Anne of Green Gables", "Anne of Avonlea" and "Anne of the Island". The humor, morals, and simplicity of the stories fascinated me but truth to be told, I liked the TV series better! Although it hasn’t stopped me from putting hold on the rest of the series! Anne’s childhood character is so perfect and cute and her dialogs so un-child-like that I wondered if she wasn’t knowingly manipulating adults around her, but NO! Such wild accusations are wrong concerning little Miss Shirley!
Anyway I adored her melodramas. She is a perfect drama queen. I wish this concept was known when Ms. Montgomery was alive.
After all the froufrou and cuteness on Anne’s adventures, I spend a day reading “Death by Pantyhose” by Laura Levine. The sixth book of Jaine Austen series, a freelance poor journalist who has low confidence and high appetite and is solving crime mysteries in her spare time. Way tiresome, very cliché, unbelievably dull!
My new discovery is Trader Joe’s Belgian Chocolate Hazelnut “Seashells”, a box of twenty chocolate in shapes of shells and seahorse and starfish. Very cute, uber yummy!

I’m somehow stocked with Young Adult books and although I’m enjoying these books, I’m getting a little sick of all these nice cute puppy love! (Hooom, feels like eating too many sweets!)
Anyway, I read “Spin Control” by Niki Burnham. It’s the second book of Valerie Winslow adventures in a small European principality, the first being “Royally Jacked”.
Then it was “Ripped at the Seams” by Nancy Krulik, the story of a small town girl who goes to New York with dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
And last but not least, “Pants on fire” by Meg Cabot. Katie has a perfect existence (a little dishonest maybe) in her sport crazed town starting junior year of high school when someone from her past (OK, eight grade!) comes back to town and into her life.
Not one single mind challenging book, I tell you; but my mind is going to be challenged enough with term starting in a couple of weeks!

Me, myself and books!

After my Harry Potter marathon, I worked for a couple of days on finishing a report for school. Remember that olive oil thing? Yeah, it’s done and gone (finally)!!! In my break times I finished “Blood Lines” by Eileen Wilks. Book three of a series when super-naturals are out in the open and Gifted people (magical) help FBI fight crimes and werewolves roam in Washington DC!
Then I started “The witch of Portobello” by Paulo Coelho. It is the story of a (real) gifted woman, told by people who knew her. Despite all the talk about greatness of this girl (Athena or Shrine), my take of her character was of some one very self center, showy, and spoiled but with great charisma. Anyway, that’s my opinion; you can read the book and fall for the girl! I’m starting to think Coelho’s glorious days of story telling are behind him. His last couple of books have left a lot to be desired (compare to Alchemist or Brida).
Have I told you how much I love Jasper Fforde’s work? I can say it again, I love his books! I read “First among Sequels” from Thursday Next series with incredible speed and truly enjoyed it. In this book, Thursday is retired from SpecOps and is working in a carpet store. Yeah, don’t believe it, it’s a cover! She still has her Jurisdiction duties in the Book World, monitors Goliath projects, communicates with her genius uncle Mycroft (the fact that he died six years ago is irrelevant!) and tries to move her lazy smelly teenage son from bed and into career world. She also has to deal with one of her daughters constantly absent, two text characters for apprentices, and Time running out and people getting addicted to dumb TV shows (a lot of reality TV)! Hey, she is a kick ass literature detective, she can do it!
Else? Ah, do you remember that three Salem witches? Last book “The Scott, The Witch, and the wardrobe”? Annette Blair has started a new series on triplet sisters of Victoria, Harmony, Destiny, and Storm. The first book “Sex and Psychic witch” is about Harmony. She buys a vintage gown, finds a ring, and sees a ghost and goes to send a century old ghost into light. The finding of a cute guy is just the icing on the cake!
Yeah, yeah, I’ve been really busy. How did you know?!

Harry Potter in seven days (or years!)

All the doom and gloom mood of mine in past couple of weeks primed me for Harry Potter! So I started reading from book one and worked my way very slowly (it took a whole week!) to book seven “Harry Potter and Deathly Hollows”. Rowling changes her story telling style in the last book and adopts an epic kind of format, high drama, and heroism. I think this book is the best one in the series but maybe I’m still shaken from that last battle! Another point is you can see how these seven years has changed and shaped Harry, from an unconfident neglected boy to a good leader with a hearth of gold.
However indecisive and lost, Harry after the death of Dobby becomes a responsible goal-oriented person.
The climax of the story is when truth about Snape is revealed. His fishy character during the series attracts different reactions but mostly hate and dislike. Although Harry hated Snape, at the end of each year he learned and gained something from him. Book seven is not different, Harry and every one else learns something about Snape which causes them to remember him forever.
All and all, a mesmerizing story and great series which I will go back reading again and again. My only concern is that by making a movie of this one, the great story and high morals of it will be lost.
I won’t call it an entertainment, the whole series is about morals, trust, ethics, loyalty, and love; concepts we do well to apply in our daily lives.

On mice and Men (and everything else!)

I read “Season of the Witch” by Natasha Mostert. Gabriel is a hacker and an information thief and a remote viewer. He confronts two extraordinary sisters suspected of murdering a young man and finds a new world and new powers, and also a power struggle. The winner? No one! In matters of love and death and power to dominant, no one is a winner but the path is fascinating enough that most people don’t mind! (Too vogue, I know! If you like witch craft, alchemy, and mind games; this is the book for you!)
“High school bites” by Liza Conrad is a new play on dear old Bram Stocker’s book. A new teenage Lucy is battling Dracula! Ha! Fun too read, too young adult and childish for discussion!
What else? “Blue Blood” by Susan McBride was an entertaining adventure. Loved the characters!
Also finished all the stories in “Blood Bank” by Tania Huff. I like Henry Fitzroy much better than Vicki. She is too cold blooded for my taste. Henry on the other hand is a true prince!
And yes! Finished “Alpha and Omega” by Patricia Briggs and “Bought Trouble” by Karen Chance from “On the Prowl”. Some authors are so good, I never have enough of their stories. Wish they would hurry and write the next books in the series!

A new series? Why not!

Finished “Eldest” by Christopher Paolini. Eragon and Saphira spend their time training with elves while Varden is getting ready for attacking the Empire, declaring open war. Roran (Eragon’s cousin) has been growing into a leader and a general. Now the wait starts for the final book of this series. Ah, the agony!
Then again I started “Sloppy Firsts”, “Second Helpings”, and “Charmed Thirds” by Megan McCafferty. These are a series about Jessica from her sixteenth birthday until she graduates from Columbia. The fourth book “Forth comings” is out. The question is when do I have time to read it? Pretty soon!

Half and Half?!

Looks like I’m half way through everything! I’m in the middle of fourth story in the “Blood Bank”, am reading “Alpha and Omega” from “On the Prowl” by Patricia Briggs, one-third into “the Winter Prince”, and in the middle of “Eclipse” by Stephenie Meyer. OK, so I cheated and read the last two chapters too! Sue me! Ah, “Eclipse” was a disappointment, I’m telling you! This Bella character is driving me crazy! She is too stupid to live!
What else? Finished “Circus of the Darned” by Katie Maxwell. Now, Fran is what I call proper vampire girlfriend. She can appreciate Ben’s powers and bossiness. She tolerates him and tries to make him see her point of view and her need for independence. And of course she is not a whiny baby, unlike Bella! Loved Fran, Hate Bella!
And “Hot Stuff” by Janet Evanovich and Leanne Banks. For a book with two authors, it left very much to be desired. But of course I like Janet Evanovich simple idiotic characters! They are so goofy! Fun for reading, not worth talking about!

How was your day?

I had the most hectic day yesterday! I woke up pretty early (for me!), my cat was sick and I had to do some cleaning, went to court for the first time in my life (toll road violation! We have an account with them. I just didn’t have my fast track device with me! That was my first ever ticket), spend three hours there, saw a lady find a date there (there has to be a book or something on: Where NOT to find Dates!), issued a check and forgot to sign it, and last and the most frustrating of all; saw the copy of “Eldest” being picked from library shelves by someone else! If I just got there two minutes earlier! Sheesh, what a day!
Then I started “Cabal” by Clive Barker and half way through decided I don’t like it. It was a horror romance, full of murder and mayhem and psycho killers and gory details, yuck! So got home and started reading “The Winter Prince” by Cheryl Sawyer. It is a historical novel happening in England of King Charles I, telling of why he closed the parliament and how the war started. I’d though I left historical novels in my teens, but this book proved me wrong. I love Marry Duchess of Richmond. More on the book later!

Weird recommendation!

A friend had been telling me (for past two years!) that “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini is a great book and I should read it. Finally I went ahead and finished the book. Tonight, I told him about it and he said he liked the movie. So I asked him “Which one you liked more, the book or the movie?” He answered: “I haven’t read the book!” WHAT THE …!
Anyway, can say for myself, I loved the book. I can’t believe Christopher Paolini was a teenager when he wrote it. It’s so well thought and organized and the plot is great. Cast of characters are real and there isn’t any exaggeration in emotions. I think it was very much comparable to Shannara series by Terry Brooks. “Eragon” is a great story and I love to start the second book “Eldest”.

Shop but not drop!

I fast-forwarded through “In the Tenth House” by Laura Dietz. It’s the story of a psychic girl who is a fake medium and a psychiatrist doctor. Dr. Gennett becomes obsess with Lily when he hears her warning in a crowded train station. He has to prove she is mentally sick and has to protect and cure her. What he doesn’t foresee is falling for her and sacrificing his life. See, even in Victorian times it wasn’t good to be a Freudian scientist and be in love!
When I got home yesterday and told dear hubby I went shopping all he said was: “Were you depressed?”!!! I’m getting a bad rep here! I had to explain in detail that NO! I wasn’t depressed and from eight pieces that I bought, five are gifts! Just three things, a shirt-vest, a pencil skirt, and a white shirt (it’s an essential! You can’t live without one!) were for me! Sheesh! Talk about prejudice!

“Fangland” by John Marks is a modern day Dracula (yeah, the original one by Bram Stoker). A female reporter and network editor Evangeline goes to Transylvania Romania to meet a crime boss and set up an interview. She is led to a hotel, become imprisoned, escapes, changes, sees dead, and goes back to NY to face a bunch of blood thirsty ghosts, save her friends and the world!
It was a dark and gloomy story in the format of reports, emails, therapy journals, and business letters. I’m still shuddering! Don’t recommend reading it!
I played the tour guide yesterday and took someone out shopping. I think I’m sick or something because in four hours that we spend going store to store I didn’t feel like buying any thing myself!!! I’m checking my own pulse now and yes! See, I’m feverish! It wasn’t normal behavior, I was sure!!!

Antidepressants

What makes Young Adult books attractive is the fact that “Happy ending” is guaranteed, so you can enjoy a stress-free usually funny story and be entertained. This weekend I went through seven books by Katie Maxwell (Katie Macalister) and had a lovely time. There was Emily series, featuring the year she leaves Seattle for England up to when she comes back to US and graduates from high school. In the “The year my life went down the loo”, she gets to England, starts school there, finds out her underwear drawer is hunted, and meets some English hotties. “They wear what under their kilt?” happens when Emily and her friend go to Scotland for a month to work in a sheep farm. Yup, they start a competition to bag a Scottish kilt-wearing boyfriend! “What’s French for ‘Ew!’?” is Emily’s adventures in France. In “The taming of Dru” she is packing her bags to go back to Seattle and “Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Hotties” is when Emily is graduating from high school.
“Got Fang?” is the first book of Goth series and the story of Fran. She has strange powers, a witch for a mother, freaks for family and friends, and (just maybe) a vampire for a boyfriend. How well she deals with all? Read the book and see!
In the “Eyeliner of the gods” Jan -an untalented girl from a very talented family- goes to Egypt on an archeology dig but she digs up trouble, a cursed bracelet, a frustrating chaperon, and a cute boyfriend! Have fun digging!
After all the happy time I had with these books, I started “Room service” by Amy Garvey. Olivia is daydreaming while the hotel she has inherited from her father is falling apart around her. She walks back to have a better perspective on her dreams and falls in the arms of Rhys (a handsome chef and the finalist of a reality TV cooking show). Olivia’s uncle is threatening to take the hotel from her, her chefs are quitting, and the chandelier in dinning hall is falling down! How is she going to deal with all these and still have time to daydream about a knight in shining armor? With a little help from Rhys she can manage, I assure you!

I had some time to waste so I checked the number of new books I’ve read from the day I started this weblog. Guess what? I passed a hundred mark this weekend! Wow, more than a hundred new books in five months! It’s a record! To mark this special special occasion, I invite you too enjoy some chocolate. Bon appetite!

Blood and Chocolate!

I’m reading “Blood Bank” by Tanya Huff. It is a collection of stories under one general name, each story featuring either Henry Fitzroy or Vickie Nelson from Blood Series. When I was collecting the Blood books this collection was not published but in the new edition of books each volume includes two books and “Blood Bank” is in volume three after “Blood Debt”. Henry is an old school type vampire (he drinks blood of his victims and is not gentle or cute). He is all power and mystery, an old aristocrat. Victoria (victory) Nelson on the other hand although a child by vampire standards is acting very mature and trying to keep her new life style pretty normal. All in all, very interesting study while waiting for a bunch of new books to come out.
Again I’m in the lab, sitting in cold, freezing my nose off, waiting for the time to pass. Again no chocolate bar in site. Why I’m forgetting to bring one with me?
After some time straying from my dark chocolate (gourmet) diet, I’m back to 71% Dark chocolate again. Finished a bar of 71% Valrhona, another box of chocolate mosaic these past couple of weeks, and now am working on a bar of 70% Lindt. I learned my lesson from that rebellious period. Eating Dove bars, Hershey sticks, and a couple of bags of M&M is not satisfying. You keep eating and eating and adding to your pant size but two hours later you still crave chocolate! Now with these Dark ones (ooh, sounds like a race of vampires, maybe those from Katie Macalister’s books!) you eat one square (1/8 or 1/10 of a bar) and you don’t want to look at any type of chocolate snack. Isn’t it great?!

Later maybe!

Finished “Friends in High Places” by Marne Davis Kellogg. It is from a series with more than ten books, this one being the most recent in the series. Kik Keswik was the most notorious and daring jewel thief, but she is retired now living in a ranch in Provence with her husband Sir Thomas Curtis an ex-detective from Scotland Yard. Her nickname? Shamrock bulgur. His nickname? Samaritan Bulgur. They are minding their own business, enjoying French wine and cuisine and a quite upper crust country life with no shadow in site (except his fascination with a hot TV reporter and his often absents due to his job assignments) till Kik overhears a conversation in a party. Her past has come to hunt her and she needs all her skills and cunning (plus some uber cool cloths and make up tricks) to right the wrongs and enjoy some great parties in the process. I only read another book of this series some years ago. I’m fighting a major temptation to put hold on all the books of the series but so far I haven’t bended!
Other than that, I started “Coyote Dreams” Book Three of The Walker Papers by C.M. Murphy. The series is about a police officer and shaman named Joanne Walker, battling some strange paranormal forces. The whole thing has a Native American background, the shamanism, totem animals, demons, healing, drums…, everything. I left the books half finished because didn’t like the writer’s style. Hey, that belief system of Joanne’s felt very confusing and foreign and I am not interested in someone else’s nightmares…I have plenty of my own, thank you very much!
Colleen Shannon’s “Catspell” a paranormal romance (Ha!) happening in Victorian times is the story of two rival forces of ancient Egypt, fighting over immortality, ethics, power, and a beautiful girl –a direct descendant of queen Cleopatra, no less-. I give you this, in these cheesy romances you don’t have to look for logic or even expect a good background research from the author. Someone (!!) didn’t even know Civet cats are not from feline family but related to otters and mongoose. I’m not gonna mention all those mistakes in Egyptian mythology. Why bother anyway! He/She can assemble a bunch of nonsense with no one even batting an eye to correct her. Why would we? Not worth the effort!
Another good old fashion romance was “Beware of Doug” by Elaine Fox. Cute story of a man-hating pooch protecting his owner from advances of the suitors!
“X-Rated Blood suckers” by Mario Acevedo would have been fun if I was a guy with appreciation for crude jocks, bad language, description of sexy porn stars and action in form of lots and lots of shooting and explosion. Pretty gross for me considering a lack of necessary equipment to understand blood and gut and fire and big bangs and big … ah, well… every thing else (!). A vampire version of Sam Spade/ Rambo (with a little of Arnold thrown in) is searching for truth in the murder of an ex-surgeon turned porn star! Ah, the ways we amuse ourselves!
I am absolutely bored with all these books, no writing talent, no excitement, not even one good plot. Where are all the good books? You said "Harry Potter and Deathly Hollows"? I’m actually planning a little retreat, reading from the first book and finishing the series in a couple of weeks or maybe in a couple of days depending on my mood. I want to savor the books one by one in peace and have fun. I know I would be disappointed and the last book is sad. Right now I’m not in the mood for sad!
Later in a few days or a few weeks!

French women,Shopping, Chocolate, and Cold

I read "French women for all seasons" by Mireille Guiliano for the second time. OK, technically, I didn't read it the first time, I just leafed through the book and check the ways you can tie a scarf, but hey; I also read the recipes for the chocolate desserts so it counts! Anyway, read the book carefully for this time and am regretting it! It very much looks like ramblings of one’s grandmother and as much as I would cherish my grandmother’s advice and memoirs, I have no patience for someone else’s grandmother’s! Her first book "French women don't get fat" was interesting, having a new take on eating and dieting, chocolate and wine, and other simple pleasures of life. but this second book is totally B O R I N G.
Currently I’m trying to read a little of “Life lessons learned while shopping” by Amanda Ford in between my research on OMW thingy but it’s not possible. It’s a beautiful warm and sunny summer day outside but here in Lab I’m freezing cold and sneezing and wishing I had some chocolate to eat! I’m gonna get pneumonia if they don’t rise the AC temperature! On the bright side it is another hour here and then I’m out shopping (or at least window shopping!). yoohoo!

Witch or Wiccan? Which is which?

Been reading Kimberly Raye “Dead End Dating” the first book of Vampire Love series. Lil (Countess Lilliana Arabella Guinvere du Marchette) is a very trendy five hundred years old hot single vampire who is totally satisfied with her life, has great highlights, a fab sense of style and a wardrobe to die for and the best job ever. The job: Her matchmaking business for equal opportunity clients (vampires, werewolves, humans and others). Problems? Nothing, Nada, Zip! All those eligible handsome vampires her mother handpicks for her? She can turn them to clients with a blink of an eye (or whispering a number). And that serial killer who uses dating agencies as his hunting ground? She can find the SOB single handedly (Evie, Francis, and hot hot hot bounty hunter Ty Bonner were just along for the ride!) Yup! That’s Lil; she can do every thing even avoiding romance with the most gorgeous vamp she’d met! She can do it (hopefully! Aaam, Maybe?... If she tries really hard and keeps reminding herself of what her family would think?... Nauh, not working…).
The second book of the series is “Dead and Dateless” in which Lil is framed for murder and is trying to catch the real killer and clear her name. Ty is helping her (in more ways then one!) and the third book will be out in Sep 25, 07. Sheesh! Two months? I can’t wait that long!
“Tall, Dark and Dead” by Tate Hallaway is the story of Garnet Lacey, a witch who loves to disguise herself in Goth ensemble (Vatican assassins are following her). She is a manager in a New Age book store and is meeting a very special customer. He is a thousand years old, an alchemist, an herbalist and a vampire who walks in day light and eats regular food. Very special indeed, very handsome too! Can she study this unique species in peace? Oh no, not with a team of Vatican assassins on their trail and a moody (a hundred years old) teenager wrecking havoc. But you know what? All is well that ends well!
In “Dead Sexy”, Garnet’s past is catching up with her. Of course it is not just her cute ex-boyfriend but a FBI agent investigating death of six priests. Oh boy, can she ever enjoy her Halloweens again? Maybe! If she tries hard, casts lots of spells and be happy with what she got!
The interesting part was the use of words Witch and Wiccan interchangeably. Are witches and wiccans the same? Not an easy answer. Every magic doer can call him/herself a witch even if his/her religion preference is not pagan (means there can be Christian, Jew and Muslim witches too). But Wiccans are believers of the old religion and followers of Goddess (they worship gods too, but in their belief system the creator is the Goddess). The notion of white or dark witch is not well defined either, but generally those who hurt others are considered dark witches (or evil doers). But in some beliefs (for very narrow minded people, I might add!) every enchanter and spell caster is an evil doer regardless of what she/he does! This lead to many witch hunts in history and produced such hatred in people that even today many wiccans prefer to hide their beliefs and practices. A shame really! World would have been a better place with a goddess in charge!

“Tucker for mayor: More of the same!”

I was reading “Lean Mean Thirteen” by Janet Evanovich as slowly as I could. Her books are like a glass of cold lemonade in hot summer afternoon. Her jokes and sense of humor is childish, simplistic and really funny. Stephanie Plum is a disaster walking and all the king’s men (at least Joe Morelli and Ranger) can’t stop her from happening time and again in each book. The best part is these all happens with such a frequency that you keep laughing your way through the whole book and certainly feel disappointed when it is finished. I absolutely adore Stephanie’s character and lust (shamelessly) after Morelli and Ranger. I’m waiting for the fourteenth book and am planning to start collecting all of Stephanie Plum novels.
Reading LM13 put me in a mood for more of Evanovich humor so I worked my way through “Thanksgiving”, “Manhunt” and “Smitten” in 24 hrs where two matchmaking troublesome pooches and a cute rabbit with warm brown eyes and an appetite for clothes are finding eternal love for their owners. Very funny indeed!
The whole “Tucker for mayor: More of the same!” stuff in BBC had me quite curious, so I finished “Welcome to Temptation” by Jennifer Cruise and loved Phin, Sophie, Amy and Davy. The best part was (because I had read “Faking It” three years ago) I got the full scope (finally!). Loved loved loved those crooked Dempseys! Hope she writes Amy’s story next!
Then again for more pleasure from Cruise writing I finished “Crazy for you” and “Anyone but you” but they paled compare to Dempsey series.
Rest of my reading has been about olive oil wastewater treatment and I’m sure you are not interested in that. Lucky you by the way, you don’t have to sit in a small office with three other people and with only one computer and read about ways people screw the planet! Humph! I’m grumpy, did you notice?! I need shopping so badly I was reading my copy of “A girl’s guide to retail therapy” last night and mooning over description of goodies in that book! How pathetic! I’m going out (and not to school) right now!

Jackie is always IN!

Have been reading this book and truly enjoyed it! Jacqueline B. Kennedy Onassis was more than a lady, she was a legend, a true icon and an inspiration! I'm so in love with her style!

Frustration may consume you!

With a purring kitty cat on my lap, it is hard to concentrate on what I’m gonna write! Anyway, the newest Laurell K. Hamilton’s book “The Harlequin” was entertaining but I couldn’t help thinking Anita Blake is trapped in a whirlpool and is sinking deeper book by book. OK, here is an almost ordinary woman, a federal marshal and she is pushed into unthinkable with lightening speed! She used to feel remorse and have second thoughts when she was dating Richard and Jean-Claude in the same time, what happened to her that now she is dating (!!! her word, not mine!) and loving six or seven men in the same time, in the same bed? Yeah, yeah; people change and all that, she is a succubus and she needs sex as food, blah blah… You know what? It is not making sense for me. I have a feeling our dear author is running out of plots and stories fast and has an obligation to continue the series, so she keeps introducing new lovers in Anita’s life, going from threesome and food fetishes to S&M and bandage and dominant and submissive shit! Three quarter of this “Harlequin” is filled with her lovers quarreling and competing with each other and every male body around wanting to have sex with her! Come on! Oh, and that stupid Ulfric Richard wrecking havoc in the middle of important meetings! I keep reading her books just to follow Anita’s fate but I’m getting tiered of all this jumble of characters and twisted thinking.
Aside from that, “Daddy’s Girl” by Lisa Scottoline wasn’t that bad. Although Nat and her rotten luck had nothing to do with her being a daddy’s girl (which truth to be told she wasn’t). Yeah, being the only girl in the family with none of your brothers paying any attention to you, doesn’t make you a spoiled brat!
Yes, these two books were very disappointing. I’m in a dark mood!!! I need a good book with a good plot, strong characters, wide vocabulary and attractive style. Oh, heck! I’ve been spoiled after those great books about medieval characters! Help! Someone please tell me about a new great book!

Beware, vampires are coming!

I can’t deny it! I have been fascinated with vampires after watching Bram Stocker’s Dracula when I was 16 years old. Forgetting the horrors of that movie (I couldn’t sleep for a week, I couldn’t stay alone at home for months!), I’ve been reading vampire novels seriously for three or four years. So many books I can’t remember them very well, let’s try and list those that I can:
By Barbara Hambly: “Those who hunt the night” and “Traveling with the dead”
By Tania Huff: “Blood Debt”, “Blood Pact”, “Blood Trail” and “Blood Debt” (from Blood Series)
By Patricia Briggs: “Moon Called” and “Blood Bound”
By Mary Janice Davidson: “Undead and Unwed”, “Undead and Unemployed”, “Undead and Unappreciated”, “Undead and Unreturnable”, “Undead and Unpopular”, and “Undead and Uneasy”, “Dead and loving it” (from Betsy Taylor series)
By Kim Harrison: “Dead witch walking”, “The Good, the Bad, and the Undead”, “Every which way but Dead”, “A fist full of Charms”, and “For a few demons more”
By Kelly Armstrong: the woman of other world series
By B. Hendee and J.C. Hendee: “Dhampire”, “Thief of Lives”, “Sister of the dead”, “Traitor to the blood”, and “Rebel Fey” (from Dhampire series)
By Michelle Rowen: “Bitten and Smitten” (from Toronto vampires series) “Fanged and Fabulous” is out too.
By Gerry Bartlett: “Real vampires have curves” book
By Kimberly Raye: “Dead End Dating” and “Dead and Dateless” (from A Novel of Vampire Love series)
By Katie Macalister: “A girls guide to vampires”, “Sex and the Single vampire”, “Just one sip”, “Sex, Lies, and vampires”
By Lynsay Sands: “Single White vampire”, “Tall, Dark, and Hungry”, “Love bites”, “A quick bite”, “A bite to remember”, “Bite me if you can” (from Argeneau Vampire)
By Charlaine Harris: “Dead until dark”, “Living dead in Dallas”, “Dead to the World”, “Club Dead”, “Dead as a door nail”, “Definitely Dead”, “All together Dead” (from Southern Vampire Mysteries)
By Savannah Russe: “Beyond the Pale”, and “Past Redemption” (from Darkwing Chronicles) books 3 is out too.
By Karen Chance: “Touch the dark” and “Claimed by shadow” (from Cassandra Palmer series)
By Laurell K. Hamilton: (from Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) “Danse Macabre”, “Micah”, “Cerulean Sin”, “Incubus Dreams”, “Obsidian Butterfly”, “Circus of the damned”, “Narcissus in chains”
There are some more that I can’t remember the name of the authors or the books. Also some collection of short stories by different authors like “Bite”, “Cravings”, “Dates from hell”,…
But all in all I kept myself away from Anne Rice books for no certain reason. May be it wasn’t the right time to start her work. I had seen half of the movie “Interview with a vampire” and heard “Taltos” on audio book but hadn’t pay attention to the name of the author. But that spell finally broke this last week and I finished three of Anne Rice books “Memnoch, the Devil”, “Blackwood Farm” and “Blood Canticle”. I love Lestat, OK, maybe love is a strong word for that self center vain SOB (even after his moral evolution). I can say I like him fine! About plots and cast of character it is too early too judge. Anne Rice style? Do I like it? Hoom! Let me read a few more of her books, but the answer is Yes up to now!
More on this subject later!

So many books, so little time!

So many books I finished and haven’t got the time to write about them. “The mistress of the Art of Death” was one of the best books I’ve read recently. Adelia is a doctor in middle ages and coming from Salerno Sicily to investigate death of four children in a backwater town in England. Town folks are divided and Christians are making life hard for Jews, destroying their businesses and attacking their houses. Working parallel with Adelia and her team (Mansur an eunuch Arab who is her bodyguard, Simon a Jew and agent of king of Sicily, a Celtic housekeeper and her grandson, and prior of the town) is Sir Rowley Picot, handsome crusader and tax agent; inspiring love, friendship, and a deep suspicion in Adelia’s mind and heart. What will happen? Who is the murderer? Read the book and find out!
Next, I spend much time reading five of Lisa Scottoline books. Most of her books are about a cast of characters whom you come to love after a while. Rosato and Associates is an all woman law firm, having Bennie Rosato as the owner. “Mistaken Identity” and “Dead Ringer” are about her. Judy Carrier an athletic Californian lawyer with artistic flair tries her own case in “The Vendetta Defense”. Marry DiNunzio, good catholic Italian girl with dark blond hair and low confidence; is solving her complicated historical case in “Killer Smile”. The fourth associate Anne Murphy, the red head beauty had her adventure in “Courting Trouble”.
“Devil’s Corner” is about some one not related to Rosato & As, so I didn’t like it that much!
I read the most recent book of Kim Harrison, “For a few Demons more”. I love Rachel Morgan and Ivy and Jenks. I had waited for this book impatiently but was very sad at the end of the story. Yes, Rachel did good introducing Trent and Ceri and interrupting Trent’s wedding and helping FIB and David, but oh my god! I was so sad. I cried some when Kisten died. I loved that confident sexy blond vampire, I loved him. Why? Why should he die? I don’t want to read more about them, it is not fair to Kisten’s memory.
The other book which I had waited long and hard for it was “No humans involved” by Kelly Armstrong, one of my favorite authors. This book is about Jamie Vegas the cute red headed spiritualist and necromancer. She finds the killers of children in LA with some help and protection from Jeremy (oh, yes, that sexy black haired middle aged alpha werewolf).
What else? Hooooooom, “The Water Devil” by Judith Merkle Riley, third book of A Margaret of Ashbury Novel series.
“A Vision of Light” and “In Pursuit of the Green Lion” are the first two books which I missed but going to hunt down. In "Water Devil", Margaret a beautiful healer in medieval times is trying to solve all her domestic conflicts, tame her wild daughters into ladies and save her son’s life from a jealous madwoman. She also has to find time to help her father-in-law and make her husband’s relationship with his father better. She is funny, entertaining and utterly kick-ass in a very lady-like gentle fashion. Loved her!
I’m getting a taste for those dark ages and those manly man knights!
“The sun over Breda” is the third book of Captain Alatriste adventure by Arturo Perez-Reverte Spanish author. Loved the first two books “Captain Alatriste” and “Purity of Blood”. Happening in inquisition times in Spain under Philip IV regime, Inigo tells the story and adventures of Captain Diego Alatriste. Series is great historical novel and I loved reading about Spain.
Yes, finally I gave up and have started to read from Anne Rice. I’ve just started the “Blackwood Farm”. We’re gonna talk about Lestat later. I promise!

Free at last!

Took the final exam yesterday afternoon. I'm hoping against hope it went OK. I didn’t read any books except my text book for a whole four days and I was feeling really down, so I started “Damsels is distress” by Joan Hess the night before my exam to calm my jitters! Not a bad book if you are over seventy with a heart condition! It is from a mystery series staring Clair Malloy a small town bookseller in Arkansas and her daughter Caron. Anyway, I finished the book right after the exam and started one very exiting book by Ariana Franklin. “Mistress of the Art of Death” is a detective mystery happening in middle ages. I’m half way through the book and love the main characters. More on it later!
I finished “Stray” by Rachel Vincent in my study-breaks and loved the book! It’s about a Were-Cat girl who doesn’t like to be tied down by rules and responsibilities. She ignores her father and pride alpha as much as she can and fall in trouble really bad! Her ex boyfriend and her brothers and every one else helps her help herself! Good happy ending, very nice!
Don't have much time, should go out and have lunch with friends! Later!!

something strange is happening here. I can't publish my new post!!! Help! Anybody, help!!!!!!!

p.s: Yey! It was published! Never mind that HELP part! :)

How is it when you have no time for socializing you get invited to all these events and your schedule is overflowing but when you are dieing to go to a party, not even one dinner party invitation comes your way?
I have been turning in home works, trying to find time to study for my final (on Monday) with no luck what so ever and attending a couple of parties and dodging a couple of more invitations. There is still one baby shower I have to attend on Sunday and a wedding in another three weeks, but hey, that is a long way out! Have been out going up and down hill sides and checking hiking trails three time this week, just to find a waste water treatment plant for class project! What a lousy class this one turned out to be! And what do I do in this most fabulous time when not attending obligatory gatherings or cleaning dust from my sneakers after walking up and down a mountain trial for an hour in hot sun? Why, read of course!
Have finished three more books by Lisa Scottoline, “Running from the law”, “Courting Trouble”, and “Rough Justice” are all about female lawyers in Philly and their cases. I like her style of writing although after reading four books from her I’m getting used to her tone and twists in story.
Another book I just finished is “The Devil Wears Prada” by Lauren Weisberger. OK, don’t laugh now! Of course I’ve seen the movie, I loved it; but for some reason I didn’t think the book is going to be any good, may be because of all the advertising! I’m honest to admit I was wrong and the book is very well written and quite entertaining. See, I changed my mind, although I still like the movie better! It is the first time it has happened, me liking a movie better than the book it was based on! I think all those gorgeous clothes in the movie are the reason but hey, read the book, see the movie (if you haven’t already) and then we talk.
You know the only great thing about going to party after party is a chance to wear my lovely clothes and I fully appreciate it! I love pretty clothes! That beautiful bargain dress from ATL was worn to a wedding reception Saturday night with a golden shawl and a golden little clutch (bought for just that purpose the day before), how cool is that!

To the Big Easy and back!

While preparing for my trip I had time to finish “Night Rising” from “Vampire Babylon” series by Chris Marie Green. I loved the idea behind the plot. Have you ever wonder how some Hollywood Stars are a new someone? Like maybe Scarlet Johansson is the new Merlin Monroe? OK, what if someone told you that she is the same old Merlin Monroe who has not died and has lived these past few decades young and happy, and is going to stay young and happy forever? Haa? What do you think?
“Night Rising” is the story of Dawn daughter of a famous Hollywood actress who faces with the mystery of supposedly dead actors and actresses coming back (on and off the screen). What is happening in LA underground? Well my dears, you should read the book and wait anxiously for the second book to come out (like me!). As my chance had it, this book is (again) the first in the series! Lucky lucky me!
The second book I read was “Tiger Eye” from Marjorie M. Liu. It has some of the same characters as “Red Heart of Jade” and happens before that book. A beautiful artisan metal worker (Dela) buys a riddle box in a Chinese flee market and opens the box. A two thousand years old were-tiger (Hari) is freed but his true freedom is harder to achieve. They fall in love (naturally!) and set out to free Hari from the magi who imprisoned him in the first place. Some assassinations attempts on Dela’s life and few entanglement with Chinese mafia later; they get married and live happily ever after! Funny when you retell the story it sounds ridicules but when you read it, you are attracted. That is the power of author I guess! Still I stand firm for my opinion; story is way out there and not believable what’s so ever! It’s entertaining but hey, you don’t want to read it for the second time!
Our little trip to “Big Easy” was fun! Not so much in the way of shopping, only some fudge, a dress from “Ann Taylor LOFT” for $25.00 (a real bargain!) and a small pendant for my pendant collection; but fun never less! We walked for hours along the river and in French Quarter, tasted the local food and sweets, and visited a couple of museums! You can’t expect more from a three day trip! Can you?!
-What to take? If it’s summer, clothes made of silk, cotton, and linen. It is very humid there and man-made form fitting clothes are going to suffocate you! Even tight jeans are not suitable! A sun dress is the best. Ah, and comfortable shoes, Please; you’re gonna walk a lot! And a water repellant hoodie or umbrella (just to be on the safe side!)
-What to eat? Gumbo (and if you know about the history of this food, brace yourself; it tastes very original! Yup! Exactly like something made of kitchen leftovers!) And Jambalaya (more of the same!). Crawfish, catfish and shrimp if you like seafood, and for dessert have some King Cakes, café au lait and beignet (I fell in love with beignet! So very yummy!).
-Where to shop? Shops at Canal, River walk shops, French market and fair in French quarter.
-What to see? French quarter and its museums, Louisiana State museums, Jackson square, swamp tour and if you are into morbid or Goth stuff definitely go for a cemetery tour. And also Audubon aquarium and zoo.
A very good source of information is http://www.neworleansonline.com/ , have fun and forget to care!

Ready for the take off (Not!)

I have so much to do, I don’t know where to start (yeah! That’s why I’m writing and spending time web-surfing instead of doing something productive! Sheesh!) We are taking a trip this weekend and I haven’t packed yet, I have not done my homework for next week (due Tuesday), hadn’t done laundry, not shopping, nothing! I’m going crazy!
But surprise, surprise, I had time to finish two books and start a third one! I finished “Dante's Girl (Kayla Steele)” by Natasha Rhodes. Very strong characters, nice story, good action! I can’t wait for the next book and rest of the story. Why do I always do this? Start a new series and have to wait (long and hard) for the rest of the books of the series to come out?!
The other book I read was “You suck” by Christopher Moore. This is the third book of him I read and had mix feelings about it. I love his style of story telling; love the characters, just not the endings. He finishes the stories like they are artistic black and white European movies: lights out, curtains drawn, end of the story! It leaves you hanging, not knowing what happens next. I don’t like this feeling of being suspended for ever, worrying about the lives of my favorite characters!
Anyway, In “Bloodsucking fiends” he tells the story of Jody, a cute redhead with sucky love life and how she is turned to vampire and how she deals with her new life style and how she finds Tommy C. Flood, her boyfriend/blood-source/day-time-bitch!
“You suck” starts when Jody has turned Tommy and they are facing a whole new can of worms. Who is going to do the day-work? Whom to bite? And in the middle of it all there is one money-hungry Ho who is making trouble! All in all the book worth every minute of time you spend on it but at the end… let’s not go there!
The only other book I’ve read from Christopher Moore is: “Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings”. An amusing story about whales and marine biologists and love.
I didn’t have much time or appetite for shopping these past few weeks. Only yesterday I bought two beautiful silk scarfs (one blue and one bright pink) and a white plastic frame sunglass (very retro!) out of necessity!
Better get to work and start packing! Bye now!

Yeah, had the exam on Friday! How did you know?!! Anyway, it’s finished and gone now and I’m free to enjoy my excessive readings one more time (or until next exam 3weeks from now!). I started (and finished) “Pomegranate Soup” by Marsha Mehran.
The story of three immigrant sisters in Ireland. Marjan, Bahar, and Layla who fled the revolution in Iran and sought their home and future in London. But something makes them uneasy and they move to cold colorless and unfriendly little village in Ireland. Marjan with her magical cooking and Layla with her youth attract friends, but what about Bahar? Why is she so cold and dramatic and bitchy? Well, don’t be lazy! Read the book! It is enchanting and you will get to love characters. A love struck teenager who wants to be an astronomer, a comedian catholic priest, drama queen ex-actress hairdresser, and a sweet (literally!) Italian widow help our three sisters fight the cold unfriendly villagers and set up their exotic café. The book is full of descriptions of Persian cooking and has recipes too. Totally yummy!
The second book of the series (at least I’m hoping it is!) is named “Cafe Babilonia” and I have not seen it yet. I seriously hope the story continuous; I really liked Marjan and Layla. I want to see them live a happy life in their chosen home!
The other book I’ve started tonight is “Dante's Girl (Kayla Steele)” by Natasha Rhodes. I’m almost halfway through it and fell in love with the heroin Kayla from the page one. But still too soon to judge!

I’m smart enough to know I’m in trouble. I can’t stop reading even when I want to. I have so much to do (make something for tomorrow’s potluck, reading 3 text books, doing homework that’s due Monday, prepare for exam that is on Friday,…) but I can’t focus. I can read every thing except my textbooks! What I’m gonna do?
I should check myself in a rehab or something. This obsessive reading is making me dysfunctional!
I have finished “He loves me, He loves me Hot” by Stephanie Rowe. It is the third book of series which involves the same characters. The first one “Date me baby, One more Time” is about Justin, a two hundred plus years old guardian of “Desdemona’s Temptation” (Mona for short) or the goblet of eternal life to us. She is taking care of Mona which is currently in the shape of a coffeemaker with the help from her dragon friend Theresa. Justin falls in love and marries a guy who might die if he doesn’t drink from Mona. The second story “Must love Dragons” happens when Justin is in her honey moon. Theresa is bored and wants to meet her cyberspace lover in real life. She has been trapped in her dragon form for two hundred years, so she makes a deal with Satan. Turns out there is someone looking for her from her past and yes, the lover boy is a dragon slayer by birth. But hey, they are in love, Satan wants Mona, and his second in command -the Rivka Becca- has a soft spot for her scaly silver and blue dragon friend. No worries! With Becca’s help every thing ends well and Theresa marry Zack. “He loves me, He loves me Hot” is the story of Becca, a cold hard bad-ass bitch and Satan’s right hand Rivka. Ooh, she has problems. She has enough of Satan’s ordering her right and left and midway. She wants time for herself, she wants to be independent. She has to separate her life force from Satan’s. She has to find a way to keep her friends, to feel things. But her spell goes wrong and as a punishment Satan saddles her with an apprentice. Some entanglement with a hot guy whom she shouldn’t like (or love or lust after) and some maternal instincts toward Paige (her annoying pupil) later, she is hooked up to her lover's life force for eternity. The guy has become immortal with Theresa’s help and Becca and Paige are free of Satan and Rivka life. The fourth book is supposedly about Paige and her affairs. It is not out yet.
All and all entertaining but you have to have a really wild imagination to accept Satan’s character as an egoistic sex-addict who is a good guy despite being the leader of hell!
The other book I finished was “All together dead” by Charlaine Harris. I love Sooki, she is kind, she is smart, and she is responsible. She goes to a summit with vampire queen of Louisiana and her entourage. She barely sees her boyfriend were-tiger Quinn and worse of all she has another blood exchange with Eric, the handsome Viking vampire. But you know what is really bad? There is an explosion and many people and vampires are killed. She barley manages to save Eric, Pam, the Queen, the demon lawyer, her boyfriend and a handful of friends. Ooh, remember I told you that were-tiger is suspicious? He had a couple of secrets as Sooki finds out.
One other book, I just finish is “Succubus Blues” by Richelle Mead. The story of cute, kind, and utterly one of a kind succubus of Seattle -Georgina Kincaid- who is in love with an author, is dating another nice guy but tries not to drain him and has sex with low-lives for energy fixes. Her friends are a plastic surgeon imp, two kosher vampires (they drink animal blood and love their steaks row), her demon boss, and his drinking buddy archangel Carter. Loved the story and characters. Can’t wait for the second book. What a pity it would take a year to see the second one!

Ooh, forgot to tell! Finished “Claimed by shadow” by Karen Chance too. Loved loved loved the characters. Cassie (Cassandra) is a really kick-ass cool gal and that mage John Pritkin? He is brooding, stubborn and totally cute! The master vampire Mircea is hot, steaming, and sexy as hell. Thomas? I didn’t like him that much, he was a betrayer; wasn’t he? He didn’t deserve to sleep with Cassie but he did! Bastard! And that ghost Billy? Cool cowboy! Can I have a pet ghost like him, please?

My cat is purring on my lap and I feel relaxed. After a long time, I had the opportunity to do what I wanted today. I stayed home and cleaned my office and organized my books and papers. I’ve been very busy and stressed and reading like crazy these last few days.
Books I finished:
“Cover girl confidential” by Beverly Bartlett. About a mixed-race immigrant girl who becomes American sweet Heart and a celebrity and then gets deported after a couple of scandals (one of them involving the president!). I liked this book more than the other one by the author. “Princess Izzy and the E Street Shuffle” was a little boring.
From Princess Diaries series, I read “Party Princess” and “Princess on the Brink” by Meg Cabot. I very much like Princess Mia’s character but she has became whinny, spoiled and totally self-righteous. In the last book she has broken up with her boyfriend Michel for a stupid reason and is flirting with another boy! She is showing her royal heritage finally!
“Sweet and Deadly” by Charlaine Harris was not up to her Sooki Stakehouse series standard. The book had a slow pace. I also have started “All together Dead”, in which; Sooki goes to a couple of weddings and a vampire summit out of state. I like Sooki’s adventure and am hopping she hooks up with Eric the Viking vampire again. He is handsome, powerful, and totally bossy! A very yummy combination! I don’t like her current guy Quinn. Maybe because I don’t like guys who shave their heads, but I have a suspicious he is hiding something. He is a were-tiger and I love tigers. OK, not the Bengal type with its yellow eyes but Siberian ones. Those beautiful creatures with white and black-brown stripes and emerald green eyes? Yeah, those I love. But Quinn is the normal every day garden variety tiger, yellow and brown stripes and yellow eyes. Nothing special!
Another book in Blackbird sisters mysteries, “A little thing called death” by Nancy Martin; was fun (if you can call murder mysteries FUN!). Nora is engaged to Mike ( A mafia heir), Libby is trying to escape her own life and children by planning Nora’s wedding and Emma is receiving calls from strange men in odd hours (Is she moonlighting as a lady of the night?).
One other book was “Duped by Derivatives” by Gail Farrelly. A hotshot investor is murdered and a finance professor, a private detective and an ex-chamber maid are trying to find the murderer. The book is suitable for seventy year olds! The pace is so slow you have to keep your eyes open with match-sticks!
I’m also reading “Dirty Blond” by Lisa Scottoline. It’s about a lady judge who is a sex addict. Her job and life is seriously threatened when media finds out her secret.
Ah, yes! I started “The Maltese Falcon” but didn’t have the patience to finish it. For reading something like that you have to be in a hotel in a tropical beach and just lay in the sun and enjoy the word play and smartness of the author. I am in no position to take a tropical vacation right now! So the book plus two others by Dashiell Hammett goes back to the library. Some other time maybe, baby!
I couldn’t resist buying two box of “Chocolate Mosaic” from Trader Joe’s. Seven different heavenly flavors in a box that is three feet long! Totally gorgeous. And also working on a bar of organic milk chocolate (has soybean milk in it!) from a brand name “Rapunzel”. It is from Belgium.
No more shopping! you can probably tell by my bored and tiered tone. But hey, I bought five sets of gem stone earrings online and am saving to buy that delicious handbag from Banana Republic. Ooh, the sacrifices I make!

I'm in love! I'm in love with a handbag from Banana Republic. It's this nice soft dark chocolate brown leather handbag. The color is beautiful. Its size is perfect and that aged creamy leather is delicious. I'm so in love!!!
I have a collection of 25 different bags (large and mini bags), purses, clutches and totes, but I don't have anything in brown, chocolate brown to be exact. I want it! I want that bag!

I went to the library Monday and checked out some books. I finished three books of “Fudge” series by Judy Blume. Love the characters and the funny happy stories. I know! It’s kind of late for me to read children books but I can’t help it. Sometimes, I need happiness and fun and innocence that comes from childhood. How can I have that without reading books? Maybe one day when I have a child I can share her/him happiness and playfulness but until that day; I’m happy reading children books.
The other book was “Not Another New Year’s” by Christie Ridgway. It was a typical romance, a cute but sad and betrayed school teacher, a hunky secret service agent, nice family members, passionate love from first accidental kiss, belah belah belah…. I wonder how these people can fall in love and decide to marry in just a couple of week? But hey, it’s romance-land and make-believes. It’s very unrealistic! Don’t authors think about real life at all? What if some reader believe all this nonsense and think they can marry the first stranger who draws their fancy? The thing is, I love good stories. If you can’t write well and answer all your readers’ questions, you better not bother at all; that’s my opinion on writing.
Another book was “The Accidental Florist” by Jill Churchill. It’s the latest book of a series and reads like a journal entry without having a journal format. “She woke up, she had breakfast…she talked to her friend…” no emotions, no thoughts, nothing… you can not relate to characters. It’s like a third grader's essay. It’s a report! Forget it. I’m not talking about it!
What I look forward to starting is (or rather are) three books by Dashiell Hammett. I heard so much about him, and I love love love “the Maltese Falcon”. I can’t wait to start them.
Why do I hate grocery shopping so much? I went yesterday (after a five days delay and eating out a lot!) but it was so exhausting! I don’t like supermarkets, that’s for sure. The only stores I like for food shopping are a couple of organic food suppliers. Not that I am addicted to organic, I just like the ambience, the different décor and displays and all those breads and cheese. Yumm!

Ok, I finished “Persuasion” by Jane Austen but I’m going to wait until the end of the month and discussion session in BBC (check the link) to write about it.
Three books were finished this week as well. The first one is: “I Went to Vassar for This?” by Naomi Neale. The story of a headstrong PR and Ad specialist who is aiming for a big promotion with her last project but instead gets fired. She goes home and by a freak microwave accident, ends up in 1959 and lives (and works) there for three weeks; inhabiting body of a young woman who is very much like her (physically). She falls in love too and when by another accident she is thrown back to her time, she has a new take on life and a broken heart. But hey, what was that BANG from neighbor’s apartment?
It was a good story, strong characters, nice humor, good plot and all!
The second book was “Art geeks and prom queens” by Alyson Noel about a girl moving to Newport Beach California and starting in a private high school, up and downs of teenage life, privileged kids and shopping. Yup, as a resident of Orange county reading about it was fun and the description of South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island had me laughing pretty hard! Shopping is good and South Coast Plaza is one of my favorite shopping malls so of course I had fun reading the book.
The third book was “The curse of the Holy Pail” by Sue Ann Jaffarian. It was about an over-weight middle-aged paralegal living in Orange County (yes, again!) and solving mysteries. It was innnnnnnnnnnnteresting! Kind of boring toward the end with all the scene descriptions. The author has a tendency to talk and describe a little too much about small simple things like warping paper of a famous chocolate (like no one has ever heard of those cheapo chocolates!!) I wonder if she was paid by words, but hey; that’s just my opinion!

Be good at what ever you do!

I finished three books of pet-sitter mysteries by Linda O. Johnston. Kendra Ballantyne in the first book “Sit, Stay, Slay” has a suspended law license and starts her new career as a pet-sitter for rich people and spoiled pets of LA. Her first client is a sexy PI, Jeff. She ends up being a suspect in murder (three of her clients) and she does everything in her power (and Jeff’s power) to clear her name. In the second book “Nothing to fear but Ferrets”, Kendra is working on her test for restoring her license, Jeff’s ex-wife is coming back to him as a damsel in distress, and Kendra’s tenants are accused of murder (all of two humans and their six ferrets). Kendra has to find the real murder if only for the sake of those cute weasels. Oh, yes; she passes the bar and starts in a cool law firm too. Best news is she keeps her pet-sitting business which leads to the third book “Fine Feathered Death”. In this adventure Kendra is avoiding Jeff but he is prime suspect of killing one of her law partners. She just has to clear his name so she can break up with him without feeling guilty. Her new tenant is another sexy guy and his daughter despite her childish dreams of stardom in Hollywood ends up helping Kendra in pet-sitting.
Murderer is caught thanks to our super pet-sitter and Jeff kicks his ex out (again!).
We should wait and see what will happen in other books!

I'm back!

Yeah, I’m fine, I’m alive, thanks for asking every one! Ha ha ha!
Sooo, I’m back kind of from hell although I didn’t move, it’s just that the hell moved! I mean it’s gone from my life for now! Good news all around! I have been busy with selecting classes for this quarter; have turned in a couple of sets of homework and attended one lab session (on mold and fungi in air! Such a fun subject! Don’t you like it?!). Yes, and yesterday best of the best things happened and I got my admission for grad school (that waiting and stressing and nightmares? That was the hell I mentioned!). Now I just have a couple of more impossible tasks to achieve like enroll in three classes and have them counted for credit in my Master. Ah, well, I’m working on it!
Aside from all these fun stuff I was going through, I was able to finish “the Mediator” series. Yeah, Jess became alive and he and Suze lived happily ever after.
Another book from Meg Cabot I finished was “Size 14 is not fat either”. Ok, Heather solved another murder case in Death Dorm and found a cute Calculus instructor to keep her warm instead of Cooper. Why he doesn’t date her and ends this series is beyond me! It is the second book of the series and I am tired of Heather and her endless complains and her low self esteem about her weight problem. She is just so irresponsible! She keeps eating and eating and eating and then worries that she has gone up a size? Give me a break! It’s like this, the other day I saw an over weight lady (one of the staff in college) going back to her office carrying one coffee, two large muffins and a bagel! I assume (and by one cup of coffee, I assume right!) that those were her snacks (in worse case scenario there is a %50 chance that they were). Ok, I’m asking you; what normal person can eat all that and not gain weight?! You know I’m not against eating sweets or cakes for that matter, just keep in moderation when you eat! Is it too much to ask? Or these people have no self control? I can understand sometimes a pastry is too delicious to pass, a cake is the fluffiest lightest best cake ever… so you eat, worse you make a pig of yourself, you go for second and third, hell; you even finish it all by yourself (happened to me in case of a large marble cake with cream cheese for filling, three types of cream cheese and a thick layer of chocolate cream on top! Ooh, heaven!!) But not always!!! I mean you don’t (can’t! shouldn’t!!) make a habit of it! Or if you have a large Muffin with your coffee at six in the afternoon, you better skip dinner (how can you eat after that, I wonder?! You would be so full!) Anyway I think Heather is tiresome and if she doesn’t do something about her eating habits, she’s going to have a stroke soon!
I read “The Big Over Easy” by Jasper Fforde. I love this guy! He is a genius, have I told you before? Jack Spratt in Nursery Crime Division is my hero! I like him much more than Thursday Next. He is more real and his flaws are endearing.
What else did I read? I can’t remember. Ok, I finished “Touch the Dark” by Karen Chance. First book in the series. Love the heroin, loved those vampires and that ghost character is just plain cute! Can’t wait for the second book “Claimed by Shadow”. It is out but I couldn’t find it in the book store.
I read one of the books in “Wicked woman” series. Not worth mentioning, very cheesy indeed!
Oh, yes! The story of Edward and Bella in “Twilight” and “New Moon” by Stephenie Meyer. Bella is this klutz who always ends up in trouble and Edward the gorgeous seventeen (and one hundred) years old vampire falls in love with her. He thirsts for her blood but loves her so much that he promises to stay beside her as she ages. Question is why he loves her, no apparent reason except the smell of her blood! And he can not read her mind either. Is it reason enough to love? I give her this, she is warm hearted and very kind and friendly but antisocial too! She didn’t want to make friends in her new school; she just wanted to be ignored. Yeah, ignored by humans and cold toward them, but warm and fuzzy with monsters! She admits it herself, she is a freak! Ok! And Edward?!! Ooh, too much Romeo and Juliet for my taste, head over heels and all that stuff but why? Has anyone asked the author why should we believe these artificial characters? But I confess I like Edward’s family, His mom and Alice are very nice and yes; I’m in love with Charlise his vampire father. He is so dreamy! Yum! Right now they have survived an attack from a crazy hunter and his mate and six months of separation, a couple of suicide attempts (mainly on Edward’s side) and a face-to-face with vampire royalty. Yeah, add to that a pack of teenage werewolves (specially one lovesick Jake, poor puppy!), some high school dramatic friends, an angry father, and an irresponsible mother! Sweet!! So when is the next one out?
Nothing special in chocolate-land, just one new bar of “Dove” dark chocolate filled with coffee crunches. Kind of sweet for my taste but yum all the same!
Shopping, yes; shopping. I went out shopping with a friend the weekend before last. Four beautiful t-Shirt/tops were purchased (ha! By me of course), Pre-ordered cosmetics were picked, and 3-4 hours were spend in fun. Then a couple of days after that I received a package from my parents full of beautiful clothes! Dear hubby was looking at closet thinking how I’m going to fit everything in! I managed it though, no worries!