Nothing special really! Two of Meg Cabot books, “Airhead” about a geek girl who get the body of a supermodel and “Victoria and the Rogue” when a Lady Victoria comes to England from India to look for a husband.
And a very simple and childish book by Todd Strasser, “How I Created My Perfect Prom Date”.
Well, I’m wasting my time!
It is the first week of classes and it’s hard to get adjusted.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
More about Molly!
While waiting for the rest of Molly Murphy’s series, I leafed through three other books and was kinda disappointed. Why these rubbishes get published? Ohh sorry, that was so un-PC! Well, “The Bearskin Rug” by Jennifer Stevenson was not even romance, a jumble of ugly scenes and lots of porn-ish situations; the book has no story and no plot! Real rubbish indeed!
“Don’t make me choose between you and my shoes” by Dixie Cash was … ah, should I say cheesy? All this Texas this and Texas that, it reads like a commercial! Also it has been written for 80plus olds with a heart condition!
“Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander” by Ann Herendeen was different. Telling of a love triangle from a different perspective I have no authority to judge the subject but the story telling, the plot and the cast of characters were enchanting.
Then of course I got the rest of Molly’s books and spend four days finishing them. “In like Flynn” starts when Molly finds out her Jewish suitor has issues. She accepts to go undercover on an assignment from Daniel. She goes to a senator’s house to expose a team of fake mediums but four murders later she lets the fake spiritualists walk free and arrests a killer. In “Oh Danny Boy” Daniel is in trouble and Molly is trying to help him, finds a serial killer and track a missing girl. She finds a new ally in a policewoman detective and her friends are helping her anyway they can. Then “In Dublin’s Fair City” Molly goes back to Ireland to track a missing child but on her first day on the ship she gets a new assignment, lots of excitement and a murder. Then in Dublin she gets mixed up with freedom fighters, finds out about her family and leaves the Ireland again under suspicion. Back in New York and with Daniel out of work, she gets more cases in “Tell Me, Pretty Maiden”. One is an opera ghost, the other a traumatized girl and an old lady also asks Molly to find her nephew. With Daniel’s help Molly is working really hard and finally making some money too.
Ms. Bowen has created a wonderful series and each book is thrilling and better than the last one. Her characters are thriving and growing with each book and her narrative is still fresh after seven books.
Then I’ve started “Midnight Brunch” (Casa Dracula Series, Book 2) by Marta Acosta. After reading a great mystery this book seems lukewarm. I better wait until the book ends!
“Don’t make me choose between you and my shoes” by Dixie Cash was … ah, should I say cheesy? All this Texas this and Texas that, it reads like a commercial! Also it has been written for 80plus olds with a heart condition!
“Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander” by Ann Herendeen was different. Telling of a love triangle from a different perspective I have no authority to judge the subject but the story telling, the plot and the cast of characters were enchanting.
Then of course I got the rest of Molly’s books and spend four days finishing them. “In like Flynn” starts when Molly finds out her Jewish suitor has issues. She accepts to go undercover on an assignment from Daniel. She goes to a senator’s house to expose a team of fake mediums but four murders later she lets the fake spiritualists walk free and arrests a killer. In “Oh Danny Boy” Daniel is in trouble and Molly is trying to help him, finds a serial killer and track a missing girl. She finds a new ally in a policewoman detective and her friends are helping her anyway they can. Then “In Dublin’s Fair City” Molly goes back to Ireland to track a missing child but on her first day on the ship she gets a new assignment, lots of excitement and a murder. Then in Dublin she gets mixed up with freedom fighters, finds out about her family and leaves the Ireland again under suspicion. Back in New York and with Daniel out of work, she gets more cases in “Tell Me, Pretty Maiden”. One is an opera ghost, the other a traumatized girl and an old lady also asks Molly to find her nephew. With Daniel’s help Molly is working really hard and finally making some money too.
Ms. Bowen has created a wonderful series and each book is thrilling and better than the last one. Her characters are thriving and growing with each book and her narrative is still fresh after seven books.
Then I’ve started “Midnight Brunch” (Casa Dracula Series, Book 2) by Marta Acosta. After reading a great mystery this book seems lukewarm. I better wait until the book ends!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Spies and adventures
Have read the second book of A Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen. In “A Royal Pain” Georgie has another assignment from the Queen. She is to entertain a Bavarian Princess and attracts the attention of Prince of Wales. David the crown prince is paying too much attention to a certain American lady (yeah, the infamous Mrs. Simpson) and the Queen is unhappy. Several murders later, Georgie has found out some interesting facts and has stopped an assassination.
Then the third book of Molly Murphy’s series “For the love of Mike” by Rhys Bowen. Molly is establishing her detective business, is thrown in jail a couple of time, working in sweatshops and finding a sweetheart (maybe for real this time, not that scumbag Daniel Sullivan!) and is catching murderers. She is uber busy!
Finished the sixth book of Nic Costa series “The Garden of Evil” by David Hewson. Such a sad tale! Poor poor Emily is killed by a ruthless crazy murderer while she is helping Nic just three months after their wedding. The whole team is enraged, Leo goes above and beyond law to find her murderer and every one is bringing their best to the table to catch that powerful privileged killer.
Finally read “Undead and Unworthy” (Queen Betsy, Book 7) by MaryJanice Davidson. Betsy and Sinclair are back and facing a new upraise in their subjects. The Fiends have gained their mental powers back and want to kill Betsy. Detective Nick is asking Betsy to help with a case. Betsy’s dead stepmother is hunting her and … yeah, go read it! After all the other great books I read, Ms. Davidson’s writing looks very simplistic and childish and her story has lots of holes in it. Hey, we are fans and we won’t criticize, right?!
Else? Been reading the rest of Pink Carnation series, books two and three “The Masque of the Black Tulip” and “The Deception of the Emerald Ring” by Lauren Willig. I also went back and reread the fourth book “the Seduction of Crimson Rose”. Well, in the first book you meet Lord Richard (the Purple Gentian) and Amy and Jane two young cousins who travel to France to become spies and stop evil plots of Napoleon to take over Britain. Amy and Richard fall in love, Richard is unmasked by French and thrown in jail, Amy saves him and they go back to England to train more spies and live happily ever after. In the second book Richards’s best friend Miles and Richard’s sister Henrietta are helping the famous Pink Carnation when some French Spies start killing their messengers. With the help of Pink Carnation who is still in France, Miles and Hen arrest the elusive Theresa and think they have found the deadly Black Tulip. They get married too! Then in the Emerald Ring book, Geoffrey another friend of Richard is trying to elope with Marry Alsworthy the love of his life but when he opens the carriage door, he finds Letty, Marry’s little sister. Hey the girl is ruined and he has to marry her. Out of rage Geoff takes of to Ireland right after the wedding and without telling Letty. She follows him and finds him flirting outrageously with a beautiful heiress. Well, what can she do when the Black tulip is there? The Pink Carnation asks them for help in stopping an Irish revolution and Geoff and Letty fall in love! In the Crimson Rose book, we meet Lord Sebastian Vaughn and Marry Alsworthy. Marry has the exact beauty that all the Black Tulip petals had. Pink Carnation asks for Vaughn’s help in requiting Marry and ….
I liked Lord Vaughn’s character more than all the other heroes of the series. Richard was a spoiled child, Miles was like a large shaggy dog and Geoff was too brooding for my taste. But Sebastian, oh, he was perfect, sharp wit and sharp tongue, lots of teasing, really brave, totally pragmatic, self centered and utterly selfish… the perfect hero! I’m so in love!!! Can’t wait till January for the fifth book.
Also read "The moneylender of Toulouse " a Fools' Guild mystery by Alan Gordon. I didn't like it. The author didn't pay any attention to the time frame. People in 13th century surly were not talking and teasing and behaving like modern people, right?
Then the third book of Molly Murphy’s series “For the love of Mike” by Rhys Bowen. Molly is establishing her detective business, is thrown in jail a couple of time, working in sweatshops and finding a sweetheart (maybe for real this time, not that scumbag Daniel Sullivan!) and is catching murderers. She is uber busy!
Finished the sixth book of Nic Costa series “The Garden of Evil” by David Hewson. Such a sad tale! Poor poor Emily is killed by a ruthless crazy murderer while she is helping Nic just three months after their wedding. The whole team is enraged, Leo goes above and beyond law to find her murderer and every one is bringing their best to the table to catch that powerful privileged killer.
Finally read “Undead and Unworthy” (Queen Betsy, Book 7) by MaryJanice Davidson. Betsy and Sinclair are back and facing a new upraise in their subjects. The Fiends have gained their mental powers back and want to kill Betsy. Detective Nick is asking Betsy to help with a case. Betsy’s dead stepmother is hunting her and … yeah, go read it! After all the other great books I read, Ms. Davidson’s writing looks very simplistic and childish and her story has lots of holes in it. Hey, we are fans and we won’t criticize, right?!
Else? Been reading the rest of Pink Carnation series, books two and three “The Masque of the Black Tulip” and “The Deception of the Emerald Ring” by Lauren Willig. I also went back and reread the fourth book “the Seduction of Crimson Rose”. Well, in the first book you meet Lord Richard (the Purple Gentian) and Amy and Jane two young cousins who travel to France to become spies and stop evil plots of Napoleon to take over Britain. Amy and Richard fall in love, Richard is unmasked by French and thrown in jail, Amy saves him and they go back to England to train more spies and live happily ever after. In the second book Richards’s best friend Miles and Richard’s sister Henrietta are helping the famous Pink Carnation when some French Spies start killing their messengers. With the help of Pink Carnation who is still in France, Miles and Hen arrest the elusive Theresa and think they have found the deadly Black Tulip. They get married too! Then in the Emerald Ring book, Geoffrey another friend of Richard is trying to elope with Marry Alsworthy the love of his life but when he opens the carriage door, he finds Letty, Marry’s little sister. Hey the girl is ruined and he has to marry her. Out of rage Geoff takes of to Ireland right after the wedding and without telling Letty. She follows him and finds him flirting outrageously with a beautiful heiress. Well, what can she do when the Black tulip is there? The Pink Carnation asks them for help in stopping an Irish revolution and Geoff and Letty fall in love! In the Crimson Rose book, we meet Lord Sebastian Vaughn and Marry Alsworthy. Marry has the exact beauty that all the Black Tulip petals had. Pink Carnation asks for Vaughn’s help in requiting Marry and ….
I liked Lord Vaughn’s character more than all the other heroes of the series. Richard was a spoiled child, Miles was like a large shaggy dog and Geoff was too brooding for my taste. But Sebastian, oh, he was perfect, sharp wit and sharp tongue, lots of teasing, really brave, totally pragmatic, self centered and utterly selfish… the perfect hero! I’m so in love!!! Can’t wait till January for the fifth book.
Also read "The moneylender of Toulouse " a Fools' Guild mystery by Alan Gordon. I didn't like it. The author didn't pay any attention to the time frame. People in 13th century surly were not talking and teasing and behaving like modern people, right?
Friday, September 12, 2008
So yummy, so good…
What am I reading? A lot of good things!
First, do you remember those three Iranian sisters in Ireland? Yes, Marjan, Bahar and Layla are back in “Rosewater and Soda Bread” by Marsha Mehran. Marjan is helping a mystical creature and cooking her way into the heart of a very handsome landlord. Bahar is acting strangely, becoming very strict and maybe hiding secrets and Layla is up to no good with her boyfriend… should read the book, I can’t tell you everything!
Again remember that group of police detectives in Rome? Nic Costa, Leo Falcone, Gianini Peroni, Theresa Lupe and Emily Deacon are facing some unsolved cases and looking for vicious murderers in “The seventh sacrament” by David Hewson. Everyone is looking forward to a summer wedding and some happy times but before that there are lots of obstacles to go through. Again, read the book, you’re gonna love it!
Two books on Constable Evans series by Rhys Bowen: “Evan's gate” and “Evanly bodies”. Didn’t like the setting and characters. Reminded me of Miss Maple, too much Welsh countryside!
But Ms. Bowen’ other series Molly Murphy mystery is a treasure I’m savoring book by book. So far in “Murphy's law” I got to know Molly, her reasons for going to New York City and how she is dealing with life in a big city in 1930’s. Then in “Death of Riley” we see how Molly chooses her career, what inspires her and how she is going to make money and be independence. Can’t wait to read the rest of series. These books have great mysteries, lovely funny cast of characters and very interesting look at life at the time. A joy to read!
“Her royal spyness” is the first book of another historical series also by Rhys Bowen. A great read, a lovable character and a fun time frame, what else a fan of historical novels and mysteries can ask for?
Finally read the nth book of Blackdagger Brotherhood “Lover enshrined” by J.R. Ward. It was much better that V’s story. Phury is changing the tradition, gets over his addiction, falls in love, blah blah…. Had a lot of though sounding dialogues. Thor is back… John is growing up… Omega has a son, Scribe Virgin has a daughter… one question, if she had a son and a daughter why she is called Virgin?
Am still following the series but don’t like it anymore, just in interest of science,… you understand?
A great new series (new for me anyway) is the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. My favorite period of history, after France revolution and during the napoleon regime, this series explores the life of one great English spy who protected the England against ambitions of Napoleon. We get to know so very interesting characters and hear a couple of romances in “The secret history of the Pink Carnation”. The good thing is, you get to know who the elusive Pink Carnation is and you are one step ahead of every one else in the series!
Due to my just finding out about the series I actually read the fourth book “The seduction of the crimson rose" before the first or even second and third! Oh, well, I just have to go read it again after finishing the second and third book I guess. But let me tell you this much, there are a lot of great adventures ahead and I guess Ms. Willig can continue the series with success. Her story telling is mesmerizing and all the twist and time frame changes? It makes for a wonderful read. Hope you enjoy it as much as I!
First, do you remember those three Iranian sisters in Ireland? Yes, Marjan, Bahar and Layla are back in “Rosewater and Soda Bread” by Marsha Mehran. Marjan is helping a mystical creature and cooking her way into the heart of a very handsome landlord. Bahar is acting strangely, becoming very strict and maybe hiding secrets and Layla is up to no good with her boyfriend… should read the book, I can’t tell you everything!
Again remember that group of police detectives in Rome? Nic Costa, Leo Falcone, Gianini Peroni, Theresa Lupe and Emily Deacon are facing some unsolved cases and looking for vicious murderers in “The seventh sacrament” by David Hewson. Everyone is looking forward to a summer wedding and some happy times but before that there are lots of obstacles to go through. Again, read the book, you’re gonna love it!
Two books on Constable Evans series by Rhys Bowen: “Evan's gate” and “Evanly bodies”. Didn’t like the setting and characters. Reminded me of Miss Maple, too much Welsh countryside!
But Ms. Bowen’ other series Molly Murphy mystery is a treasure I’m savoring book by book. So far in “Murphy's law” I got to know Molly, her reasons for going to New York City and how she is dealing with life in a big city in 1930’s. Then in “Death of Riley” we see how Molly chooses her career, what inspires her and how she is going to make money and be independence. Can’t wait to read the rest of series. These books have great mysteries, lovely funny cast of characters and very interesting look at life at the time. A joy to read!
“Her royal spyness” is the first book of another historical series also by Rhys Bowen. A great read, a lovable character and a fun time frame, what else a fan of historical novels and mysteries can ask for?
Finally read the nth book of Blackdagger Brotherhood “Lover enshrined” by J.R. Ward. It was much better that V’s story. Phury is changing the tradition, gets over his addiction, falls in love, blah blah…. Had a lot of though sounding dialogues. Thor is back… John is growing up… Omega has a son, Scribe Virgin has a daughter… one question, if she had a son and a daughter why she is called Virgin?
Am still following the series but don’t like it anymore, just in interest of science,… you understand?
A great new series (new for me anyway) is the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig. My favorite period of history, after France revolution and during the napoleon regime, this series explores the life of one great English spy who protected the England against ambitions of Napoleon. We get to know so very interesting characters and hear a couple of romances in “The secret history of the Pink Carnation”. The good thing is, you get to know who the elusive Pink Carnation is and you are one step ahead of every one else in the series!
Due to my just finding out about the series I actually read the fourth book “The seduction of the crimson rose" before the first or even second and third! Oh, well, I just have to go read it again after finishing the second and third book I guess. But let me tell you this much, there are a lot of great adventures ahead and I guess Ms. Willig can continue the series with success. Her story telling is mesmerizing and all the twist and time frame changes? It makes for a wonderful read. Hope you enjoy it as much as I!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Beezy bee, beezy bee, yeah; that’s me!
Well, hello there! Did you miss me?! Been really awfully busy!
How is it that for months and months there is nothing exciting in life and you get bored out of your mind and then suddenly your schedule is bursting with appointments and meetings and parties and travel and…. I’ve been attending meetings and seminars, lots of parties and lunch dates and dinner engagements and quite some great traveling and sight-seeing these past few weeks and still have lots planned for coming weeks.
Have you heard that Chinese proverb: “May you live in interesting times”? Yeah, that’s me, living the interesting life! And yes, it is true what they say about that proverb, it is not something you wish for usually! I feel like a highly charged battery, very hyper and kinda lost! Too many pictures in my mind, too many words in my head, too many new people…
Anyway, been visiting the nation’s capital and all the greatness it had to offer. Gosh, I so want to live in a big city again! All that museums, wow; I was a kid in a candy store, a bear in a honey pot, a … OK, enough!! I lived in a green dream for five days and am still dreaming about deer and caverns and grand buildings and green mountains and great works of art. My eyes are still full of sparkles of all those gemstones and crystals I’ve seen, how am I suppose to go back to living the unglamorous life of dear southern California?!
No shopping opportunities though and NO, I’m not regretting! My eyes had been feasting enough and also I have a shopping spree planned right here (ha ha ha!).
Have been working on a bar of “Green and Black’s Organic” dark chocolate before leaving for east coast and my good choice was confirmed by my sophisticated friend there too! How cool is that!
Readings? Not much in the past three weeks but have discovered a couple of great series last Thursday. Full account requires another post! Keep tuned!
How is it that for months and months there is nothing exciting in life and you get bored out of your mind and then suddenly your schedule is bursting with appointments and meetings and parties and travel and…. I’ve been attending meetings and seminars, lots of parties and lunch dates and dinner engagements and quite some great traveling and sight-seeing these past few weeks and still have lots planned for coming weeks.
Have you heard that Chinese proverb: “May you live in interesting times”? Yeah, that’s me, living the interesting life! And yes, it is true what they say about that proverb, it is not something you wish for usually! I feel like a highly charged battery, very hyper and kinda lost! Too many pictures in my mind, too many words in my head, too many new people…
Anyway, been visiting the nation’s capital and all the greatness it had to offer. Gosh, I so want to live in a big city again! All that museums, wow; I was a kid in a candy store, a bear in a honey pot, a … OK, enough!! I lived in a green dream for five days and am still dreaming about deer and caverns and grand buildings and green mountains and great works of art. My eyes are still full of sparkles of all those gemstones and crystals I’ve seen, how am I suppose to go back to living the unglamorous life of dear southern California?!
No shopping opportunities though and NO, I’m not regretting! My eyes had been feasting enough and also I have a shopping spree planned right here (ha ha ha!).
Have been working on a bar of “Green and Black’s Organic” dark chocolate before leaving for east coast and my good choice was confirmed by my sophisticated friend there too! How cool is that!
Readings? Not much in the past three weeks but have discovered a couple of great series last Thursday. Full account requires another post! Keep tuned!
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