Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Random stuff...

Yeah, so, my brain hasn't been in the mood to write much lately. Reading yes, writing no. That's the great thing about having your own blog - you're your own boss :)

My boss is a total slacker.

Anyway, I picked up two books from my friendly neighborhood Barnes & Noble today:


Rarely anymore do I let myself go into an actual bookstore since I have no willpower among all the pretty new books. Today, though, I made the trip just to pick up Mind Games by Carolyn Crane. This book is EVERYWHERE on the net and not only is the premise interesting but I've yet to see a negative review. My real reason for buying this book and paying cover price for it that her blog, The Thrillionth Page, is where I caught my first whiff of Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series. I am forever thankful for that. Wraith, however, was in the sale section and since willpower can't penetrate the force field surrounding the sale section, I can have what I want.

As I've mentioned, I've read quite a bit this month. Most of these reads where pretty good too. Here's a few words for the standouts in the crowd:

Julie James's Just the Sexiest Man Alive was great. I started it one night before bed, intending to just get a taste. I ended staying up until 2:30 because I couldn't put it down. Literary crack indeed, Angiegirl :)

Toni McGee Causey now has a special place in my heart that is right next to Janet Evanovich. Bobbie Faye Sumrall is definitely a woman you don't want to mess with and may be even more of a Calamity Jane than Stephanie Plum. The first book, Charmed and Dangerous, was the best of the three IMHO, and I can't wait until more books about Bobbie Faye are available.

Eternal Pleasure by Nina Bangs was a shock to me. What a ridiculous title for a book like that. Dinosaur souls transplanted into men's bodies in today's world? Sure, there were sex scenes in it but I wish the publishers would not conceptualize the titles and covers that way. This book was funny and touching and I liked it.

Jennifer Echols rocks. I've read only two of her books, Major Crush and The Boys Next Door, and am dying to get a hold of more. She has a way of making a YA romance novel so much more than puppy love. I also read two of Sarah Dessen's books, Along for the Ride and Lock and Key. The first one was ok but Lock and Key blew me away.

I've been through a lot of contemporary romance in the past few weeks and it's kinda a relief. I couldn't live in a house without books but mine are (occasionally) starting to feel like a burden. Isn't that awful? I have a hard time searching them to pick something to read because they overwhelm me with that sense of "You have so much to do Jen, so many books to read, how are you going to get through them all?" So getting through the pile of contemporary romances is definitely progress. I read two Susan Crandalls, a Susan Elizabeth Phillips (love all her books so far except for Just Imagine), a Susan Andersen, two Jennifer Crusies, and a Linda Lael Miller. The good news is that I've actually completed my reading challenge for this month! Woot! And it only took me three months :)

5 comments:

Angiegirl said...

*grin* No other word for it. Definitely give PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT a try if you enjoyed JtSMA.

And I read WRAITH awhile back and enjoyed it! I'd forgotten. I even have SPECTRE on my shelf and just haven't gotten around to it. Let me know what you think.

Which Crusies did you read?

Jen said...

PRACTICE is on my shelf, waiting TBR. I'll definitely be getting SOMETHING ABOUT YOU in the near future.

WRAITH has been on my book radar for awhile now. I remember reading the back cover and thinking that it sounded really depressing but still worth the read.

Jenny Crusie is a favorite of mine and I've read pretty much all her books. This month I read WHAT A LADY WANTS and CHARLIE ALL NIGHT. CHARLIE was cute but not a favorite but I loved LADY! It felt like BET ME. I just got WILD RIDE the other day. Her books with Bob Mayer are hit-or-miss with me - I loved AGNES but not DON'T LOOK DOWN. I plan to do a long post about Jenny Crusie after I've read WILD RIDE. How many of her books have you read? She's like potato chips to me - can't read just one :)

Angiegirl said...

I read BET ME (definite favorite) first, followed by WELCOME TO TEMPTATION, ANYONE BUT YOU, and MANHUNTING. Went out and bought BET ME cause it's a keeper. :)

Rebecca @ DSB said...

I hope you enjoy Mind Games Jen. It was such a treat to read. I always like to support debut authors too, and with the amount of entertainment Carolyn Crane has given me for FREE, it's only fair to pay her back a little. I'm a big fan of her Thrillionth Page too.

Jen said...

I had no idea until about a week before Mind Games came out that she was behind The Thrillionth Page! I guess I need to clean my glasses :) I can't wait to see what she's written - I love her sense of humor.