Real Life

It's taken every bit of the past week to get back to real life after the RWA conference. Work is as busy as ever and I'm beginning to think with my on-going training it's just going to be that way now. This is my new normal.

On the home front even though Beanie was always gone a great deal and had a busy life I'm still adjusting to him living away from home. It just feels different and don't tell anyone, but I'm feeling a bit hollow. I miss him.

Reading was pretty good over the weekend. I not only finished TURBULENT SEA by Christine Feehan, but I read two of the stories in the FIRST BLOOD anthology, Meljean Brook's and Erin McCarthy's. Both pretty good. In Meljean's "THICKER THAN BLOOD" I just wanted more, more, more! McCarthy's was a bit too pat and ended a little quickly for me, but a pretty decent tale. As anthologies go, it's good news here folks.

I also read/skimmed an ARC of MR. CAVENDISH, I PRESUME by Julia Quinn. I was a bit disappointed with this book, not because it wasn't good or well written, but many parts of the story are the same as THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM but from a different character's perspective. Unfortunately, there's really no new story, or at least I didn't think so. The backdrop for this love story is the same one as THE LOST DUKE OF WYNDHAM so it was like reading the same book over again to a certain degree. Thus the skimming.

I also got some packages ready and mailed on Monday (yesterday). Praise be. It took me a week to get organized enough to do it. So all of you who are expecting a package from me...'it's in the mail'.

It was fantastic to have a reading day. We got other chores done around the house too, but being able to have big chunks of time to read was grand. I actually feel better and less agitated. Weird, huh?

So now I'm dying to read the ARC Ann Aguirre so graciously (I only begged a little bit) gave me at the conference. WANDERLUST is the follow up to GRIMSPACE. I can't wait to read it, but I need to get a book in for the TBR challenge. And, no Nath, I'm not a book ahead...again...wait maybe I have something in draft... Gah! Who knows, I should read something out of the TBR anyway that's the point of the challenge to begin with.

So real life, it goes on and I'm rolling with it. It feels pretty good.

Just Finished...

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN by Julia Quinn and BIT THE JACKPOT by Erin McCarthy.

Both of these books were just enjoyable reads. I won't be stopping people in the aisles at my local B&N or Borders to tell them to read either one of them, but I enjoyed each of the books for being unapologetically what they are.

BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN is pretty much standard Regency fare, but Ms. Quinn does have some very clever and witty exchanges between the H/H. I very much enjoyed their relationship and its dynamic. This is a quick read and an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon. Great for when you are in the mood for something light.

I have to admit that I wasn't all that thrilled with the first Vegas Vampires book HIGH STAKES by Ms. McCarthy. Vampires and Las Vegas seem like a match made in...umm...er...hell? What surprised me is that after enjoying Ms. McCarthy's contemporaries so very much the foray into the vamp world didn't do much for me. Imagine my surprise when I decided to purchase the second book. Not only was I expecting not to like it, but I picked it up when I was in a defiant and obnoxious mood. So up against all that I still got engaged in the story and enjoyed it. Don't expect to read this and think you will be reading about the dark side of vampires particularly when the vamp world is in the middle of a presidential election. Yeah, interesting hook, huh? Again, an enjoyable read. Definitely a dessert of books and not the main course.

Right now I'm waiting for February 6th even with the TBR I have I'm anxious to read SEP's new book which is due out then and also, I'm going to give Lora Leigh another chance. I've been a big fan of her Breed series, but her storylines are beginning to have a repetitive theme to me. What books are you looking forward to this spring?