A Book Lover

alice! it's not rocket science!

2010-07-15T12:02:00.001-06:00

How difficult is it for Alice to borrow the correct book from the library for book club?

Apparently, it is incredibly difficult.

Two weeks ago, I reserved and picked up the book Devil in My Bed by Celeste Bradley. Oh man! I'm so going to read the book for this month's book club! I thought to myself. I had been horrible and had skimped on reading the book for the past two months, so now! now was the chance to redeem myself! More of, know what's going on when everyone else starts to talk about the book... it's a don't-be-completely-clueless survival technique.

I checked the evite a couple of days ago to get the address of the location of book club which is to be held this Saturday.

"Hi Everyone! Our book for July is Rogue in My Arms by Celeste Bradley. I hope to see you all there :)"

Um.. what?!
Gaaaah!
*headdesk*

Luckily, I had placed the correct book on hold too (I must have been confused. Or drunk. Why I would browse the library catalog while drunk is a story for another day.)

Fear not, readers! I will succeed in having this book read.

I shall prevail!

Nalini Singh: Angels' Blood

2010-07-15T10:02:00.000-06:00

Angels' Blood: D
Elena Deveraux & Raphael
Paranormal: angels, vampires

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she's the best—but she doesn't know if she's good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear—failure is not an option...even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other…and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break… (author's website)

When I think of Ms. Nalini Singh, I think of Slave to Sensation, the first of the Psy-Changeling series and the book that shot her into authordom. I loved that book. Loved it. I thought it was innovative and that it featured such a wonderful love story.

Unfortunately... Angels' Blood was nothing like that. I mean, I want to like this book because I like Ms. Singh, but truth be told, I couldn't take the story seriously.

I think the first disconnect I felt with the story was because our hero, Raphael, is an archangel. Yes, the strongest and mightiest being, who has control over vampires, but still, he is an angel. He is goodly and drop-dead-gorgeous with blazing blue eyes and perfect, perfect features, but .... I didn't know angels had sex. I just couldn't get over this fact. When there was heavy "sexual tension" in the air, all I could think was, but... but! He has huge wings sprouting out of his back! I don't care if they're beautiful and covered with angel pixie dust... he has wings!

Then again, what makes it normal to read about vampires (dead, immortal beings with animal-like fangs protruding from one's mouth) and not about angels? That, I can't really tell you. Regardless, I was still weirded out.

The hunt for the rogue archangel was good enough. The new fantasy world that Ms. Singh created was readable enough.

It was the characterization that I found to be lacking, especially between Elena and Raphael. Minus the sexual attraction and lust they had between them, I couldn't really say much about either without sounding like a cliched mess: Elena is fierce. Raphael is deadly and cold.

Perhaps there are only so many ways for character traits to be written, but really, the art of writing is in how these traits are shown, and Ms. Singh has failed to justly portray each character.

Bottom line: Skip.

Sophia Nash: Secrets of a Scandalous Bride

2010-07-13T10:02:00.001-06:00

Secrets of a Scandalous Bride: B+
Elizabeth Ashburton & Rowland Manning
Historical - British Regency

Elizabeth Ashburton lives behind a charming, happy façade in an effort to forget her former life. But when she is forced to confront the devil from her past, her friends in the dowager duchess’s widows club can not save her, and Elizabeth turns to the last man on earth willing to help her…

The extraordinarily powerful Rowland Manning has never pretended to be anything but a bastard, in every way imaginable. Through innate grit and determination, he built an astonishing empire and he’ll do anything and everything to save it. Yet, the one thing he secretly craves . . . something even he cannot name, can never be purchased with his kingdom of riches.

Each has something to win. Each has something to lose. Only love will determine if the price of redemption and sacrifice is too high. (author's website)

Elizabeth Asbhurton has a secret. She is also running from someone who really wants to marry her, but he happens to be someone she cannot trust, so she runs into the arms of Mr. Rowland Manning (tall, dark, and handsome - why would you not run into his arms?).

I don't really remember the back-story with Rowland, but apparently he has done some low, scum-like things in previous books: something along the lines of kidnapping someone and trying to hold her ransom...from his legitimate, half-brother. But then, you find out Rowland's past and you realize why he is the way that he is.

One thing that was really interesting was Rowland's dislike of food and of hunger, in general. When Elizabeth runs into his arms, he covers for her and demands that she repay her debt by temporarily working as a housekeeper and cook in his home. Rowland works hard and spares little time and resources for unimportant things like food. She sees this and cooks him (and his men) sumptuous meals, forcing him to eat it as he tries to deny it.

It's pretty much representative of the love he feels for her.

But in the end, all of the nastiness gets solved and Elizabeth gets him, despite having sacrificed herself (in having plans to marry untrustworthy man to save Rowland).

Aw! Happily ever afters are awesome!

Bottom line: Good read. Alice recommends!

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-03T15:48:00.001-06:00

I finished reading The Secret Life of Bees yesterday while I waited for my sister to come back. It was a little difficult for me to get in to, but then... I got sucked in.

The book was more than a story about race issues in the south during the 1960s, but reading about those times once again reminded me of the struggle that people had to go through for equal rights. There are still people who are working for their freedom: freedom for their rights and independence from their struggles.

I hope that this Independence weekend will give you some of that freedom.

Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman: Dragons of Autumn Twilight

2010-06-25T10:02:00.000-06:00

Dragons of Autumn Twilight: A
Fantasy; fiction
Dragonlance Chronicles #1

Lifelong friends, they went their separate ways. Now they are together again, though each holds secrets from the others in his heart. They speak of a world shadowed with rumors of war. They speak of tales of strange monsters, creatures of myth, creatures of legend. They do not speak of their secrets. Not then. Not until a sorrowful woman, who bears a magic crystal staff, draws the companions deeper into the shadows, forever changing their lives and shaping the fate of the world. No one expected them to be heroes. Least of all, themselves.
(back cover)

It's sad that fantasy and sci-fi books have such a bad rep because I think if written well, such stories are super fun to read. Besides, I don't discriminate: if the book tells a good story, I read!

The citizens of Krynn believe that their True Gods have abandoned them and in the True Gods' place, rises the Seekers and a group of friends are out to set right all the wrongs. This includes creepy Raistlin with hour-glass shaped eyes, the noble half-elf Tanis, the silly Tas, and the grumpy but fierce dwarf, Flint.

In pursuing this journey, they struggle with questions of honor, of love, of doing the right versus the wrong.. they go up and down mountains, meet elves, fight the evil draconian and reptilian Seekers, and essentially takes you through four hundred and something pages of adventure.

Apparently, the Dragonlance Chronicles inspired 90+ books to create this magical world of dragons. I don't think I'll read all ninety books just yet, but I do plan on reading the other three in this series.

Hooray for fantastical reads!

Karen Robards: Shameless

2010-06-24T10:02:00.000-06:00

Shameless: C
Elizabeth Banning & Neil Severin
The Banning Sisters Trilogy #3
Historical - Regency

Lady Elizabeth, the youngest and most headstrong of the three Banning sisters, has been engaged three times, and has most scandalously broken off all three engagements. Her fear of becoming any man's property has kept her from marriage and earned a reputation in the ton as a heartbreaking flirt. Neil Severin is a wicked rogue, black of heart and black of reputation. A man of no morals, devoid of compassion, he is a government-sanctioned assassin. And his newest target is a man Beth holds dear. When the flame-haired beauty thwarts his plan, Neil exacts his own brand of spicy revenge. Beth despises him. Neil doesn't care. But circumstances most unexpectedly throw them together, and with Beth's life in danger, Neil finds himself in the unexpected role of hero, racing to save her before it's too late... (back cover)

Here are some facts:

I have read all three of the stories about the Banning sisters.
I loved the first one: Scandalous.
The second one, Irresistible, was pretty cliched and uninteresting.
The third - this story - is slightly more interesting but still pretty cliched.

OK. End of review.

Just kidding... sort of.

What more to say about this novel other than the fact that I've been waiting years and years for Beth's story only to have it sort of peak and then plateau into an abyss of semi-blandness?

I liked Beth, though I couldn't really relate with her unwillingness to have any man be her master. I mean, I knew she was headstrong and stubborn, but when I read Scandalous (book 1), she was but 15. What 15 year old isn't headstrong and stubborn? Ms. Robards neglects to delve into Beth's psyche as to why she dislikes marriage. What we know about Beth's cruddy family situation is from past books... and authors cannot rely on back information from other books to support the current story. Besides, I never got Beth's perspective on it. (In this aspect, Meredith Durant did a better job in explaining Mina's absolute insistence on being her own person in Written on Your Skin. )

And I liked Neil, but only in the most vague and superficial manner possible. As in, he fulfilled the part of the cold, heartless assassin in a manner that was most expected. Cliched, I suppose.

Surprisingly, the adventure was enough to keep me reading without sighing in irritation and without copious amounts of eye-rolling.

HOWEVER!

The way Ms. Robards ended the novel was bad. As in, without the epilogue, there would be no happily-ever-after. In essence, she didn't end the story: the epilogue was the last chapter of the novel. Why she labeled it as an epilogue is beyond me.

Authors, 'epilogues' are not used as last-chapters. It is a step beyond the end of the story. It's the "what happened after the happily-ever-after? Where are they now?" chapter, not a "let me finish the story."

Let me explain myself another way.

An epilogue is a bonus feature that can be taken out without adversely affecting the story. The story will still have an ending without the epilogue.

Without the epilogue at the end of Shameless, it would have felt unfinished and would have been highly unsatisfying. This is the point I would add in the WTHeck?! This is Ms. Robard's, like, twentieth book. I would think she knows all this already......

Regardless, the entire story proves to be a most average sort of story.

Bottom line: Read, I suppose, but don't buy.

Joanne Harris: Chocolat

2010-06-23T10:02:00.000-06:00

Chocolat: A
Fiction

When beautiful, unmarried Vianne Rocher sweeps into the pinched little French town of Lansquenet on the heels of the carnical and opens a gem of a chocolate shop across fro the square form the church, she begins to wreak havoc with the town's Lenten vows. Her uncanny ability to perceive her customers' private discontents and alleviate them with just the right confection coaxes the villagers to abandon themselves to temptation and happiness, but enrages Pere Reynaud, the local priest. Certain only a witch could stir such sinful indulgence and devise such clever cures, Reynaud pits himself against Vianne and vows to block the chocolate festival she plans for Easter Sunday, and to run her out of town forever. Witch or not (she'll never tell), Vianne soon sparks a dramatic confrontation between those who prefer the cold comforts of the church and those who revel in their newly discovered taste for pleasure... (back cover)

I must say that this book was a gem to read. Ms. Harris' words are itself like warm, sweetened confections and completely succeed in making your insides tingle. She is one I would consider to be a poetic writer, with such beautiful taste and style.

The story is also very delightful, with the church pitted against Vianne's chocolate shop. Is it all right for one to indulge in their passions and desires? And what to do when one in a position of authority leads the people (or the congregation, in this case) in a direction that does not have so much to do with the people's well-being but has to do entirely with obtaining power? Are there absolute black and whites with no grays?

Oh, the questions! (And you know how much I like books that ask thoughtful questions..!)

Besides that, the entire book was about Vianne preparing delicious goodies that literally made my mouth water. Mmm..

If anything, read to see how Ms. Harris' sculpts her words to simply create a wonderful read.

Meredith Duran: Written On Your Skin

2010-06-22T10:02:00.001-06:00

Written On Your Skin: C+
Mina Masters & Phineas Granville, Earl of Ashmore
Historical - Victorian

The society beauty who saved his life...
Beauty, charm, wealthy admirers: Mina Masters enjoys every luxury but freedom. To save herself from an unwanted marriage, she turns her wiles on a darkly handsome stranger. But Mina's would-be hero is playing his own deceptive game. A British spy, Phin Granville has no interest in emotional entanglements... until the night Mina saves his life by gambling her own.

The jaded spy who vowed to forget her...
Four years later, Phin inherits a title that frees him from the bloody game of espionage. But memories of the woman who saved him won't let Phin go. When he learns that Mina needs his aid, honor forces him back into the world of his nightmares.

In lives built on lies, love is the darkest secret of all...
Deception has ruled Mina's life just as it has Phin's. But as the beauty and the spy math wits in a dangerous dance, their practiced masks begin to slip, revealing a perilous attraction. And the greatest threat they face may not be traitors or murderous conspiracies, but their own dark desires... (back cover)

This is the sequel to Bound By Your Touch and Ms. Duran's third novel. I have only read her first, The Duke of Shadows, and if I'm remembering correctly, it was an enjoyable read.

This one was a little harder for me to get through.

Sometimes, I read something and I wonder if I'm just not smart enough to comprehend what's happening. There were times when I was reading this story and I thought, my goodness, what on Earth is happening?

Essentially, Ms. Duran's writing is complex and all-together good, but is sometimes a little superfluous. The narration is roundabout and I'm not quite sure if this is because the characters happen to be super complex and I am just... not. This is highly plausible, and if this is the case, it's no wonder the wording of the novel took me a while to get through.

Whether this is the case or not is rather irrelevant here. When it comes down to it, the superfluous writing made it hard for me to truly get into the story and more importantly, to stay with the story. Most of the time, I manage to finish romances in one-sitting. This story took me days to get through, and even though everything else was fine, I cannot say that I felt a kinship with the story.

In the end, that's what matters to me. I want to feel as though I'm walking away knowing the characters and their story without a haze of mild confusion.

Bottom line: Read but only if you're smart.

Liz Carlyle: Beauty Like the Night

2010-06-17T10:02:00.002-06:00

Beauty Like the Night: A-
Helene de Severs & Camden Rutledge, Earl of Treyhern
Historical -British Regency

The daughter of London's wickedest widow, Helene de Severs left England in disgrace and has struggled to overcome her heritage. Renowned within Europe's emerging psychiatric field for her gift for healing children, she returns to England confident she has learned to govern her reckless emotions. A disastrous marriage left notoriously ruthless Camden Rutledge, Earl of Treyhern, with a traumatized child and he decides to hire a governess so that he can concentrate on other family fires. Yet the moment Helene arrives, Treyhern's cold reserve is melted by desire he long thought dead. With her elegant clothing and mountain of luggage, the woman is not who he expected. Or is she? Sometimes the workings of the mind are as dangerous as those of the heart. And soon, danger is truly everywhere... (back cover)

I like Ms. Carlyle. I feel that she stays true to the dialogue and the nuances of eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain.

I also happen to love reunion stories. You know, the cheesy first-love, you're-the-only-one-for-me stories where years have passed and yet, the hero and heroine are still in love with each other. What is more romantic than that? (answer: nothing!)

As a novel with the two above-mentioned aspects, I devoured this rather lengthy (419 pgs) story in a matter of hours.

Helene and Cam grew up with each other due to the affair between Helene's mother and Cam's father. Both adult figures were less than stellar parents. Cam's father was inebriated most of the time, flitting from woman to woman while Helene's mother - well, she was a demimondaine.

They fell in love in the wild, unrestrained way that seventeen/eighteen year olds do. But it was more than mere teenage histrionics; lo behold, eleven long years have passed since Helene and Cam were separated and when they meet - Helene is hired as Cam's daughter's special governess - it is hard for them to control their emotions. Whatever happened in the past ...is the past... right? (Wrong!)

The angst that Helene and Cam face, I feel, is founded on realistic doubts and insecurities: both people work hard to avoid turning out like his/her respective parent, but at the same time, they struggle with the depths of their feelings they have for one another.

As I've stated in previous blog entries, I'm not fond of kids that play a vital part in the romance equation because the focus is then not on the hero and heroine, but on the child as well. And dammit, those children need a lot of attention! Though Beauty Like the Night featured Cam's little daughter, she played a cool and un-bratty character. I had no desire to, like, smack the child upside the head.

There is also a tiny little mystery-adventure at the end. It's as adventurous and thrilling as one might expect an adventure in a romance novel to be. (I mean, how can it be super duper mysterious if you know all's going to turn out well in the end?) I realize I'm being somewhat vague with the plot, but I can't help it. I dislike spoilers and so I will leave you with:

Read. Be happy. Ignore the giggle-inducing cover.
(Really, were gentlemen's breeches that tight? Because... uh... IthinkIseemalecoverartmodel'sbuttcrack. I can't ignore it, really - it's smack-dab front-center! See for yourselves!)

on a completely off-topic note

2010-06-17T10:00:00.000-06:00

I laughed so hard while I watched this... and then thought, We're fucked.

Um, I still can't figure out how to embed videos here. Alice, you are smarter than e-blogger. You are smarter than e-blogger.

Who'm I kidding? E-blogger is completely smarter than me.

But I figured it out! Hooray!

Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games

2010-06-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

The Hunger Games: A+
YA fiction

Oh man, this book was good. It was really good. It was really, really good.

The United States is no longer and has given way to a nation called Panem, split into twelve districts and its Capitol. In order to have the citizens of Panem remember the cost of rebellion, the Capitol hosts The Hunger Games annually, where two kids (ages 12-18) are sent from each district to fight to the death.

Our heroine is Katniss, sixteen and toughened from the harsh conditions of living in Disctrict 12, a coal mining district. Her father passed away when she was young and when her mother went into serious depression, she took over as the head of the household, working hard to support her family. She adores Prim, her sister younger by four years.

It is time for The Reaping, and out of all applicants, Prim is the female tribute selected and Katniss quickly volunteers to go in her stead.

So starts The Hunger Games, a story that will really have you on your toes, but even greater is how it makes you think ...about life. What is love? What is death? And what do you do when you have to survive? Katniss sees the indulgence and excess in the Capitol - what is overindulgence and what is compassion? Of course, what had me in tangles was the love angle of this entire affair.

Simply put, it is quite a grand read. I rushed to Borders the next day, consumed the sequel in three-and-a-half short (but glorious) hours, and am counting down until the third is released.

It's the kind of book that makes me remember why I love reading.

Sabrina Jeffries: Never Seduce a Scoundrel

2010-06-08T10:02:00.001-06:00

Never Seduce a Scoundrel: D-
Lady Amelia Plume & Major Lucas Winter
Historical - British Regency
The School for Ladies series

Sometimes when books are bad, I finish reading it... just to see how the ends turns out. Usually, the end isn't enough for what I consider to "redeem" the book. As in, the end might be all right, but I still close the book thinking, whaaa?

I think this book failed me on two different levels: the love scenes were pretty laughable and the plot was lame.

Amelia Plume is a decently wealthy young lady looking to get married. She dreams of adventures and passion: she spends her time reading raunchy romance novels (insert laugh here, LOL) and wants to get awaaaaay from England.

Major Lucas Winter comes to her in his completely tall, dark, and handsome form, but Amelia suspects Lucas to be up to something so she plays the part of a henwit (read: ditz). He is, in fact, looking to solve a mystery and to clear his name while at that. Some person has stolen all of his family fortunes, ruined his good family name, and Lucas wants to come down to the mystery for the sake of his family honor and for closure.

Bad news: Lucas suspects Amelia's step-mother is the bad person.

And then they go about trying to solve the mystery and then fall in love.

So, here enters the bad love scenes. Not that I'm looking for anything grand or special, but gads, the things they say to each other as they... uh... "pleasure" each other... just.. is really laughable. It's silly enough for me to be thrown out of the nice, romance-y feeling and into a what just happened here? mood.

And also enters the overly long solving the mystery plot. I lost track of what was happening and then just read it, hoping that something magnificent would happen so that I would be... oh, I don't know... romanced? But that didn't happen.

Bottom line: don't read.

Jane Austen: Persuasion

2010-06-07T10:02:00.001-06:00

Persuasion: A+
Anne Elliot & Captain Frederick Wentworth
Historical - British Regency

It would be untrue for me to say that I am a huge fan of Ms. Austen because the only other book of hers that I've read is... yes, you've guessed it: Pride and Prejudice. And while I love Mr. Darcy with all my heart, I couldn't bring myself to read any other of her novels for the same reason I dislike reading classic literature (the whole hard, heavy, dramatic, and stiff issue).

But I seem to have forgotten how delightful Ms. Austen's writing really is. It is witty. It is genuine. And she really speaks of the matters of the heart: real feelings, honest emotions, and humor.

I finished Persuasion over the weekend and I have pretty much made up my mind to go out all her other works (read: massive glommage).

Persuasion in a nutshell would be as follows: Anne and Wentworth ("Wentworth" sounds so much better than "Frederick" to me. hehe..) were young loves, she nineteen and he twenty-three when he proposed to her. Because of Anne's snobbish and utterly idiotic family opposed the match (he was poor and was not of significant social standing), Anne turned Wentworth down.

Heartbroken, betrayed, and angry, Wentworth departed for the navy where he worked up to the prestigious rank of Captain.

Eight years have now passed. Anne is a spinster, living underneath the shadows of her shallow father and older sister. Her younger sister, Mary, has married (a surprise to us all since she is completely whiny and annoying). Anne's father mismanaged his finances and the Elliots are required to move out of their home and put it up for rent. Surprisingly, Wentworth's sister and her husband move in.

And so! Wentworth comes back to town, to stay with his sister... and then! Anne and Wentworth meet again.

With Austen, a happily-ever-after cannot be guaranteed. Her stories, though focused on love and relationships, are not category romances... which makes it even more delicious. Austen realized, two hundred something years ago, that a happily-ever-after is not what is important, it is the love story between the hero and heroine that make the story worthwhile.

I lurve it!

Bottom line: Read!

review roundup

2010-06-04T10:02:00.001-06:00

Instead of having an individual post for each average novel, I have decided to lump them together. For books that I felt were better or worse than average, I will have a separate entry.

Candace Camp: Swept Away
Grade: C+
Historical - British Regency
Julia Armiger & Deverel Grey, Lord Stonehaven

Deverel wrongly accuses Julia's brother of stealing funds from a trustee fund. After her brother's death, she is determined to clear his name by getting close to Stonehaven. Of course, the only way she can do this is to seduce him.

Though the mystery and Julia's pursuit to clear her brother's name wasn't an eyesore to read, the relationship between Julia and Deverel was slow and superfluous. It took so long for Julia to convince Deverel of her brother's innocence that I had already given up on the mystery: who cares about the mystery? Let's just get this show on the road. This, of course, is never a good feeling to have while reading a happy romance.

Bottom line: read if bored.

Elizabeth Boyle: This Rake of Mine
Grade: C
Historical - British Regency
Miranda Mabberly & Lord Jack Tremont

Jack mistakes Miranda for his mistress, and in a very public place, kisses her, succeeding in ruining her. She disappears and comes back nine years later with as a decorum teacher with a new name at an academy for young ladies. She is given the responsibility of escorting three students home when they find themselves stranded at Jack's rundown estate.

The three girls try to set Jack and Miranda up, Miranda suspects Jack of being involved in some shady business, and then a lot of things happen in which they discover their love for each other anyway.

I'm not especially fond of Ms. Boyle's writing style, but it was readable. What I am interested in are the books to follow this one. Clearly, each of Miranda's charges will get their own book and I'm curious about their story.

Karen Hawkins: An Affair to Remember
Grade: C
Historical - British Regency
Anna Thraxton & Anthony Elliott, Earl of Greyley

I read this a month ago and I cannot really remember what happened... I think something about Anthony inheriting five unruly orphans and he hires Anna as their governess. She, who was once a peer, has to now work her for her wages since her grandfather (I think grandfather... some male figure) has wasted it away.

I actually can't remember why Anna and Anthony are at odds with each other and why they don't just hop together in bed at the very beginning. It might have been Anna's independent and stubborn nature and it might be Anthony's.... I can totally be making this up.

Seeing that I can't remember what happened a mere couple weeks after having read it, the read itself wasn't entirely thrilling.

Happy Thursday!

Laura Lee Guhrke: The Marriage Bed

2010-06-01T10:02:00.001-06:00

The Marriage Bed: A-
historical - Victorian
Lady Viola Hammond & Viscount John Hammond

The third book in an unofficial series, we have seen Lady Viola's estrangement from her husband in the books Guilty Pleasures and His Every Kiss.

On Ms. Guhrke's blog, she stated that she had received many inquiries about Viola and her story. When was she going to kill off John (the lowly scumbag!) so that Viola would be able to get her own story? Ms. Guhrke decided to rekindle the romance between the two, something this blogger feels she did successfully.

After eight and a half long years of separation, John is in desperate need of a legitimate heir. His cousin, Percy, whom had been responsible for producing an heir, suddenly passes and John realizes he must make amends with his wife.

One problem.
She absolutely hates him.

When they had married, she was a naive and innocent girl of seventeen who was madly in love with John. After all, he was charming, handsome, and paid the kind of attention to women that they desired. Unfortunately for Viola, John needed to marry someone with a large dowry, something Viola was in possession of with her older brother being a duke and all.

They have six months of happiness.
Then Viola realized John married her for her money, that he had never loved her, and he had even had a mistress until the day of their wedding.

She shuts him out, devastated, and John found comfort in the arms of other women.

By the start of the novel, John has had numerous (but not an excessive number) of mistresses. Viola has created a new life for herself. And society knew that Viola and John were to never be invited to the same social functions. Ever.

And so begins this surprisingly emotional novel.

Emotional for me because I completely felt for Viola. I have the greatest of admiration for any author who manages to make the main conflict of the book less than idiotic. (Like the heroes who are traumatized by a bee sting from their childhood, heroines who refuse to get with the hero because of, oh I don't know, something stupid). Had I been in Viola's situation, I would have been equally as appalled and devastated, but at the same time, I empathized for John.

I also felt this novel managed to capture a sense of realism that a romance is generally unable to do.

I did, however, have some disagreements with the way the author managed to end the book. Thirty pages left and she managed to throw some unnecessary stuff in that bungled the complete happiness I would've felt otherwise.

Bottom line: a worthwhile read, disregarding the last two (stupid) chapters.

PS: I'm totally sneaking into Borders to read Lisa Kleypas' new novel, Married by Morning. I refuse to buy it unless I know I like it. Yes, I'm cheap like that. That's how I roll. *dust shoulders off*

=D

Happy Tuesday!
I hope your Memorial Day was safe and filled with fun.

Mine was awesome:

Pro: managed to get a tan
Con: only from mid-thigh to the knees. I'll extraordinarily tan (and hot!) thighs. Ooh yes, just call me sexy....

the pressure

2010-05-24T10:02:00.000-06:00

So, I started my little 101 books in 1001 days challenge back in 2008 or so and for some reason far beyond me, I decided to put a bunch of classic, literature books on there. These books, you know - the acclaimed ones like Lolita and War and Peace - are good books... so I've been told. A definite must for a book whore like me.

But as you also know, I dislike reading hard, heavy, dramatic, stiff books. I have enough stress in reality and when I read, I enjoy reading light-hearted, easy books - hence the love of the romance genre.

This was a dilemma; how was I going to read all of the books on my "books to read before I die" list if I don't want to... well... read it?

Ooh yes! Put a whole bunch of those books on my list for a book challenge (where I'd be forced to read it in order to complete the challenge). Yes! I would have to read these delightful books.

Nooooooo!!
Bad, bad idea!

I just realized I now have months - eight? - to read, like, sixty, hard, heavy, dramatic, stiff books.

Like The Iliad and The Great Gatsby (nooooo!) and Crime and Punishment and War and Peace and Lolita...and ... and... curses!!

Not enough time! Not enough time! Getting through one of those honkers will undoubtedly depress, bore, or stress me. I'm hoping only for one of those options per book.

Oh dear.
Wish me luck.

Susan Mallery: Sweet Trouble

2010-05-12T10:02:00.000-06:00

Sweet Trouble: D-
contemp
Jesse Keyes & Matthew Fenner

Jesse Keyes has done some serious growing up. With a steady job and a vibrant four-year-old son, Gabe, she's in a far better place than when she left Seattle five years ago…pregnant and misunderstood by almost everyone in her life.

Now it's time to go home and face her demons. But her sisters, Claire and Nicole, aren't exactly impressed with the new and improved Jesse. And then there's Matt, Gabe's father, who makes it clear that he never wants to see her again despite the lust that still smolders between them.

Jesse doesn't know if she can make up for all the mistakes of her past. But the promise of sweet nights with Matt might just give her the extra incentive she needs to make it worth the trouble.… (amazon)

I shall try to make this review sweet and simple. It's not so much a consideration for you, bloggers, but because of my own shortcomings: I read this book a couple weeks ago and I cannot really... recall... what happened. Why I'm writing a review in this state, I'm not so sure myself. But I cannot blame myself entirely for neither remembering the characters nor the plot.

This book was insignificant.

It is like my favorite romance, Paradise, but, like, fifty times worse.

There are some similarities between Paradise and Sweet Trouble:

1. Both books have heroes whose name is "Matthew."
2. Both books are about lovers who reunite after years of separation.

And that is where the similarities end.

Unlike Paradise, Sweet Trouble has a lackluster and unexciting plot(s). Not only is our heroine, Jesse, trying to win back the favors of her older sisters, she is also trying to win back the love of her life.

Matt has come a far way from being the geek he was when he first met and fell in love with Jesse. Then something about a (really dumb and lame) misunderstanding that tore them apart which caused Jesse to run away and give birth to her son in secret.

And then she comes back in town after having matured.
And then copious amounts of drama ensues because her sisters are dumb and Matt is even dumber: he loves her but cannot get over the past because... of his fear, I think. Though this sort of fear is not the sort to be laughed at, Ms. Mallery does not do her characters justice by writing about him/ them in a way that makes me... care.

Oh, wait. I do believe Matt's anger stems from the fact that Jesse kept from him the fact that he fathered a son. His anger is hard to sympathize with, as I felt she had valid reason to genuinely believe that Matt would have no interest in his son. Since I couldn't sympathize with Matt and the foundation of the central conflict, I just wanted to tell Matt to "get over it and move on."

Bottom line: reading about Jesse's secret brownie recipe made me want to have a brownie by the end of the book. Mmm... brownies.....

Catherine Anderson: Morning Light

2010-04-29T10:02:00.000-06:00

Morning Light: D
contemp
Loni MacEwen & Clint Harrigan

Crusty Clint Harrigan (of the same Harrigan clan as Anderson's Sun Kissed), is, at 37, a Catholic cowboy who's sworn off romance. The arrival of a cute Catholic clairvoyant in his hometown of Crystal Falls, Ore., challenges his resolve and his skepticism. Seer Loni Kendra MacEwen, still a virgin at 31, is shocked when she bumps into Clint at the grocery store. He's the dream cowboy she's had visions of her whole life, and she has recently connected those visions to visions of Trevor, an endangered boy who (along with his protective Saint Bernard) was lost in the Shoshone Wilderness Area after a river accident killed his mom and stepdad, an Oregon senator. Loni tells a resistant Clint he's the only one who can save Trevor, and soon the hunt is on... (amazon)

As a prelude to this especially snarky entry: I like Catherine Anderson... for the most part. I find that she writes about real characters, people who go through real hardships (not ones like, "I was unloved as a child so now I'm a heartless jerk."). Her traumatized and troubled characters are believable. I feel for them.

Buuuut...

This book wasn't fun to read.

I will surely go to hell for this - sorry, God!- but the main reason I disliked this book was because of the constant references to religion and the Catholic faith. Being a believer, I personally have nothing against Christianity or the Catholic faith. However, it grated on my nerves that the hero and heroine talked about their faith all the time. I understand that topics like that require a lengthy and a hefty discussion. But that doesn't mean I want to read all about it.

By the halfway mark, I wanted to pound on something (insert *headdesk*).

I mean, if (when??? oh drats, I'm getting old..) I am looking for a prospective husband, religion would be a huge (and quite possibly, the only) factor. But ...but .... the constant praying on rosary beads, feeling touched about how each person kneeled to pray, the fact that she's a virgin at 31 (they might have just danced to VIRGIN! VIRGIN! VIRGIN!), the decision to not do the hanky-panky, then doing the hanky-panky (losing control), then talking about talking to Father Mike (Matt?) in confession for repentance... goodness gracious!

Clint, dude. I get you. You're Catholic, you're ethically and morally upright. You're a good citizen. But for the love of God, let's get over that and talk about something else... yes? No? Oh.........dammit..

The book is a hefty one at 422 pgs aaand I wasn't too interested after the halfway point. But I made myself finish... I need to develop more perseverance in finishing books (though I'm pretty good about it most of the time)

Anyway, most of the book is spent looking for Clint's newfound son (what is up with fathers being in the dark about their children? Females: horrible decision you made!), who is lost in the Oregon wilderness after a bad rafting accident. Loni, a psychic person of some sort, sees this, contacts Clint and tells him he needs to search for his son.

Clint clearly thinks Loni is crazy since he doesn't even have a son. (He is soon surprised.)

Loni and Clint go trek through the wilderness together to search for the lost boy. They fall in love. They have epic discussions about their faith. Then they start talking about other things.

Pros in reading this story: I learned a lot about navigating my way through the woods, should I ever get lost.

Cons: their faith! It might have been better if they were both hedonists.

Bottom line: Not worth your read, though Clint is a hunky rancher.

Laura Lee Guhrke: His Every Kiss

2010-04-27T10:02:00.003-06:00

Hallo!
I'm keeping true to my word and am back with reviews!

At this point, I should probably thank Jen, a book clubber, because I "borrowed" books she no longer wanted to keep, aka books she wasn't planning on rereading. She was going to donate it, but I took them instead. I have the big box in my trunk (it's easier to keep in there and take out several books instead of transporting the entire box). Fear not, I will donate it after I get through the books.

So, thanks Jen! :)

And without further ado:

His Every Kiss: A-
Historical - Victorian
Grace Cheval & Dylan Moore

Everyone knows about Dylan Moore -- his brilliant talent and his pleasure-seeking ways -- but no one knows the torment that lies beneath his reckless veneer. Only one woman gets a glimpse of the forces that drive Dylan's soul, a woman who haunts his dreams and evokes his passions as no other woman ever has before.

Disgraced and destitute, Grace Cheval wants nothing to do with the seductive man who desires her. When Dylan offers her a position as governess to his newfound daughter, she knows his true intentions are dishonorable. Yet she finds this charismatic man hard to resist, and she returns his passionate kisses with a fire that matches his own. Can Dylan dare hope that this proud, spirited beauty will melt the ice around his heart? (amazon)

I was first introduced to Mr. Dylan Moore in Guilty Pleasures. He is dark, wild, an utter rake, and ...tormented.

Now, it sounds so wrong to say that I like dark, "tortured" heroes, but it's true. I don't like foppish guys. I don't like effeminate, overly expressive guys who are wont to get dramatic and start up a sobfest. (Mr. Darcy > Mr. Bingley..!)

So when we meet Moore in Guilty Pleasures, he is prolifically gambling, whoring, drinking, and smoking.

Then you start reading His Every Kiss, and you find out that he has suffered a damage that causes him to hear a perpetual whining in his ears at all hours of the day, a tragic accident for Great Britain's greatest composer. He gives up hope, but our lovely heroine, Grace, steps in and saves him. He doesn't find out who she is, what her name is, and she has disappeared.

Five years later, they meet again.

Moore also discovers he has a child - a daughter - one he has never known about. Isabel is the product of one of many affairs he's had, and when Isabel's mother dies from scarlet fever, Isabel is dropped off at Moore's house. He is, unsurprisingly, horrified.

Seeing that Grace is living in a state of near poverty, he offers her a job as a governess to his daughter. She grudgingly accepts, knowing that Moore will try to hit on her and turn her into his mistress. But what can she do? She needs the money!

Hence, their relationship starts.

For one, I'm always wary of reading a story where there is a child/ children involved. Don't get me wrong. As mean and snarky as I am, I completely love children - how could I not? I'm surrounded by children since I tutor. But children are bratty and take up a lot of time, energy, and attention. I normally like my stories to focus solely on the hero and heroine, as I read romances for their journey into love. I don't read romances to read about kids who throw temper tantrums and have issues only the most qualified therapists can being to unravel. Since most authors cannot do an adequate job writing about two people falling in love, I don't see why they feel the need to throw a kid into the mix.

Luckily, Isabel is eight, not a full-fledged teenager (*shudder*) and I was surprised to find that she brought a unique aspect to the story. I enjoyed reading about her and I liked Moore's slow transformation into a caring and loving father.

I also found Grace and Moore's story to be quite enjoyable. Grace has been badly burned from her previous marriage and unlike other dim-witted females, she works to apply what she's learned from her previous marriage.

In other words, she doesn't say "I'm not going to lose my heart as easily as I did last time!" and ten minutes later, professes her love to some random stranger on the street. She shows admirable restraint and self-control, two traits I admire greatly.

Though Moore is quite the dark, brooding figure, I must admit, I ended up giggling and rolling my eyes towards the end when he is so pathetically groveling on the ground. (The part where the two people gush about their love for each other..) He was turning the entire scene into an entirely dramatic sobfest... I guess it was an emotional thing for them both, but.... gad, man! Get a hold of yourself!

Bottom line: Despite the slight emo ending, it was a good read and I would recommend it as a fun, fast, light read.

PS: Read an excerpt here.

PPS: the back of the book is ridiculous. As long as I've been reading romances, I can not get over the atrociousness of cover art.

Eek, why is this dude shirtless in the middle of the night?

Oh right, to seduce the woman whose dress is falling off her.

Hotness!

Also, HI APRIL! I haven't followed up since my last entries, but I don't think I will be able to get an e-reader anytime soon. It's one of those greedy wants, haha. Your recommendations don't sound familiar to me, so I will (happily) look into it!

Also, why erotica > chick-lit?
Is it because the chick-litty females are sometimes so ...dumb? :P

i sort-of... sort-of..

2010-04-15T10:02:00.001-06:00

...want an e-kindle.

There! I said it!

(covers face in shame)

I like books. I like holding it in my little hands, creasing the spine, and hearing the swishes as I flip the pages. I like my stories to be in my hands.

But I realize that printing mass quantities of books uses a lot of paper. And the electronic readers offer something that books never will: the lightweight convenience of carrying multiple books around.

If I had an e-kindle, I wouldn't have had a suitcase full of books when I moved out of my dorm room several years ago. I wouldn't have had to lug around the weight of three fat babies when my family and I went on a cruise last summer. And when I start traveling (since that day will come..shortly!), it would be so easy to pull up books with a few, magical clicks.

But this means I would have to buy the e-book as opposed to borrowing it for free. Darn.

But I'd be able to carry multiple books for only two-and-something lbs!

Oh the dilemma...

erm, happy new year?

2010-04-13T10:02:00.001-06:00

So I'm guessing it's a little late to wish you a happy new year.

But it's so right that I would wish you a happy 2010 in April (mid-April, to be exact) because 95% of the time, I'm un-punctual. (The word "late" just has a nasty ring to it.)

The reason for my brief abandonment of this blog is because... it kills me to say it, but it's because I haven't been reading. I KNOW! Life and other weird stuff have kept me busy and I have not read. I still have not finished Pride and Prejudice and Zonbies (horrible because I need to give it back to a friend).

Oh, why?!!

Several reasons, in fact:

First, reading non-romances take me twice as long to finish. Some books can be a real downer. Brilliant, but depressing. This means, I read a couple of pages, go watch some happy movies, eat some candy, play with my hair, and come back. Instead of finishing a book in three hours, it takes me three, five, seven, fourteen days. !!!

Second, the romance genre is pretty much going into two directions:
1. erotica
2. chick-lit

I dislike erotica and chick-lit is good, but in short amounts for short periods of time. What I am really searching for is a story, a love story, about two people who meet and fall in love, and their journey of this love. I don't care for the sex, unless it's blown out of place (someone told me it was amusing when I complained about the sex scenes - I complain because it was poorly written).

This makes finding genuine romances/ love stories that much harder. And I would start myself on Nicholas Sparks, except I've been reading about how he's kind of an arrogant prick he is, and so I hesitate. I know, I really need to separate authors from their works, but if some guy is an ass and a half, I don't want to support him. (Kanye, y'hear?)

Third, the time issue. I simply don't have the time to read much.

But, here's hoping for that to change! :) Book club meets in two weeks....... ohno, it's this weekend! Jeepers.........

Change of plans.

Book club meets this Saturday.
I will have the book read by Saturday afternoon, 1pm.

I will have a review of it... soon.

Until then,
XOXO Alice

Ann Patchett: Bel Canto

2009-12-11T10:02:00.001-07:00

Bel Canto: A
fiction, love story

Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of Mr. Hosokawa, a powerful Japanese businessman. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening — until a band of gun-wielding terrorists breaks in through the air-conditioning vents and takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different countries and continents become compatriots. Friendship, compassion, and the chance for great love lead the characters to forget the real danger that has been set in motion and cannot be stopped.

Have you ever read a book where your heart gets so involved, you're a little heartbroken when you finish reading the book?

That's kind of what this read was for me.

It was beautiful. The writing was lyrical, the characters were so real and so wonderful.

I really loved this story. I loved, loved Gen (the multilingual, genius translator) and I loved his love, Carmen, I loved Mr. Hosokawa and Roxane. I loved the terrorist group who attacked the group of special, important people in the rich estate in an unmentioned South American country.

You'd think that the story would get boring after the people have been trapped inside said rich estate for months, but it gets more intricate. Ms. Patchett is able to delve into the human consciousness so brilliantly, I forgive her for having two whole pages of writing without indenting for paragraphs.

However, the book wasn't perfect.

I was unsatisfied with the ending (which is why I wouldn't give the book an A+). It was very bittersweet and very... haunting. I couldn't get over the ending of the book, as in, I kept on thinking about it over and over again. In fact, I couldn't think about anything else for the next couple of days.

I believe I scared some of my co-workers by groaning (out of the middle of nowhere), smacking my head, and going, "Augh, I cannot believe it ended like that!"

Readers, it was a great work of fiction and you must read it.

In fact, read it and let me know so that we can discuss the book *cough*theending*cough* together.

Please?

Thursday, November 19 2009

2009-11-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe November is almost over!! There are Christmas decorations everywhere... I would know, I helped set up for it at work a couple days ago. I don't mind the festive mood; at least not until the Holiday music starts to play. Christmas music is okay two, three weeks before the special day. Playing it before Thanksgiving means the Holidays change into HELLidays.

I've also just committed myself to the fact that my desk will always, always be skanklike. How I get any work done on it is a mystery to me (and to the rest of humanity).

Lately, I've been watching online episodes of How I Met Your Mother and I love it. I realize how much I've been missing out on wonderful shows.

Now, book lovers, it might come to you as a surprise that I've been a very deprived child and growing individual. I'm not familiar with hit bands like The Beatles or singers such as Frank Sinatra, and I am not remotely familiar to any of the classic movie stars: Audrey Hepburn (though I have seen some stuff - and have loved!), Gregory Peck, Katherine something or another...

Heck, I didn't even know Jimi Hendrix was black until... well.. that's really a story for another day. (LOL!)

But in order to culture myself, I've signed up for this really wonderful thing called NETFLIX.

Really, the moral of that random tidbit about myself was to ask you for your recommendations (and you know how much I love recs!).

What are movies that you think I must see?

So far on my Queue list, I have:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Fight Club
Little Miss Sunshine
La Femme Nikita Season 1
Mad Men season 1
Julie & Julia (when it comes out)

and classics like:
An Affair to Remember
Singin' in the Rain
West Side Story
It's a Wonderful life
The Godfather
Scarface

and wonderful things like:
I love Lucy Season 1 (love love love!)

What other movies must I watch?

Elizabeth Hoyt; To Desire a Devil

2009-11-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

To Desire a Devil: B-
Beatrice Corning & Reynaud St. Aubyn
Legend of Four Soldiers, book 4 (last)

NOTHING IS MORE INTOXICATING—

Reynaud St. Aubyn has spent the last seven years in hellish captivity. Now half mad with fever he bursts into his ancestral home and demands his due. Can this wild-looking man truly be the last earl’s heir, thought murdered by Indians years ago?

OR DANGEROUS—

Beatrice Corning, the niece of the present earl, is a proper English miss. But she has a secret: No real man has ever excited her more than the handsome youth in the portrait in her uncle’s home. Suddenly, that very man is here, in the flesh—and luring her into his bed.

THAN SURRENDERING TO A DEVIL.

Only Beatrice can see past Reynaud’s savagery to the noble man inside. For his part, Reynaud is drawn to this lovely lady, even as he is suspicious of her loyalty to her uncle. But can Beatrice’s love tame a man who will stop at nothing to regain his title—even if it means sacrificing her innocence? (author's website)

To Desire a Devil is the last of Ms. Hoyt's Legend of the Four Soldiers series. Appropriately, the mystery as to who betrayed the English soldiers is finally solved in an anti-climactic end. At the end of book 3 (To Beguile a Beast), the former soldiers (and the men who were betrayed) had a very telling clue to the identity of the traitor. *HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILER* We discover that the traitor is a man with a French mother.

Fingers are pointed at Reynaud St. Aubyn, but that doesn't make much of a difference since Reynaud had died in the battle.

Much to everyone's surprise (and horror?), a wild, dangerous man bursts into Beatrice Corning and her Uncle Reggie's (now, the Earl of Blanchard) room. This man claims to be Reynaud and the true Earl of Blanchard.

Beatrice, who has admired Reynaud (from a painted picture of him) for years, is strangely attracted to him, knowing that if what "Reynaud" claims is true, then her Uncle would be stripped of his title and home. Uncle Reggie has cared for her since she was young and she cannot help but to be loyal to him, however, she cannot resist Reynaud...

Readers, I'm not going to lie: I was hoping for more from this book. I was a little annoyed at Beatrice and Reynaud, a little bored by the mystery (though I had started the book really wanting to know who the traitor was), and overall, a little unsatisfied.

Beatrice is a lovely, proper English lady with a romantic nature. The kind of English girl who wants a boy to love her - to really, passionately love her. She imagines Reynaud St. Aubyn is this type of a man. When she meets him, she's intrigued and vexed by his stubbornness and his change in ...everything. Reynaud is no longer the mischievous carefree boy; instead, he is war-torn, has been tortured, and has come to know one of the harsher realities of life.

The problem I had with Beatrice was her lack of conviction in what she wanted, or needed. Or maybe it was just the way Ms. Hoyt wrote about Beatrice and her actions.

Sexual tension has been leading up.... something bad happens and Beatrice is shattered. She is mourning, and right then!, Reynaud decides he wants her. You know, wanting in the bedroom-tango, hanky-panky type of way. (Jerk!)

Beatrice, while she is grieving, realizes life is short and she needs to grab it for all its worth... and even though she is saddened by the fact that Reynaud doesn't love her (she doesn't even know if he likes her much), she goes, YES! Sleep with me because I'm sad and lonely and emotionally overwhelmed. It doesn't matter that I've been wanting to do this with a really special person, one who loves me because Reynaud, I think you're smokin' hot!

...erm...

Okay, let's, for the sake of well... giving Beatrice a chance, let's say she really needed to feel alive that night and being with Reynaud was the only way she was going to feel this. Fine.

She does it again the next night.

Woman!
Have you no dignity?!

More than anything, it comes down to control. Beatrice couldn't control herself, couldn't say no to Reynaud (didn't want to say no to Reynaud even though she did. You know what I mean..) despite all else.

I hate that.
I hate it when men or women are portrayed to have no control over one's actions. You can control yourself, no matter how hot and Brad Pitty he is. It's a good thing Reynaud ended up loving her by the end of the book (LOL, though did we ever doubt it...?).

Besides from that major beef, I'd say that the ending was a little lackluster. Not that the book was really read for the mystery, but since the mystery spanned four books, it should have ended with a bigger pizzazz...

Bottom line: read but don't be expecting to experience the greatest love story.

cover complaint

2009-11-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

I've made my way through the Julia Grey Mystery series by Deanna Raybourn. Though these books are thoroughly enjoyable, I have a gripe I'd like to share:

Who in the world decided it was all right for the covers to go from awesome to skanktastic? (By skanktastic I mean "lame." Why I don't simply write "lame".. that, readers, is a question for another day.)

Look below for references.

Books 1 & 2 are awesome. Classy and interesting.

And the third... is... what? Some dude (Brisbane?) clutching some dudette (Julia Grey??).
It might be because the third book came out not as a mass paperback but as a Trade Paperback, those blasted books with the awkward heights. But why, oh why, did the publishers condone such monstrosity on the covers?

These books are shelved in the MYSTERY section of the bookstores, not in the romance section, though there is a continuous love story in the books. So why is there a bosom-clutching cover on the last book? It doesn't even match the first two covers!

Gah!

Dumb marketers trying to target the romance-reading audience, I curse you!

Grumbling unhappily,
Alice

PS:
Readers, I've figured out how to follow blogs! Hooray! I know, it only took me two years and something...

Furthermore, Sally, I'm feeling a little left out that I'm not invited to your blog. *ahem*..*nudge*... *cough*

Also, my little CURRENTLY READING widget is working thanks to Namoi and Princess April. Hooray for DNs!

Elizabeth Hoyt: To Beguile a Beast

2009-11-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday and Happy Veterans' Day, readers!

good morning kitty by luciana on WeGIF

I don't like cats or kittens much, but the one above is so darling... I just had to share!

With that, I shall proceed to Ms. Hoyt's third book in the Legend of the Four Soldiers series,

To Beguile a Beast: B+
Helen Fitzwilliam & Sir Alistair Munroe
Legend of the Four Soldiers #3

CAN A WOUNDED BEAST . . .

Reclusive Sir Alistair Munroe has hidden in his castle ever since returning from the Colonies, scarred inside and out. But when a mysterious beauty arrives at his door, the passions he's kept suppressed for years begin to awaken.

TRUST A BEAUTY WITH A PAST . . .

Running from past mistakes has taken legendary beauty Helen Fitzwilliam from the luxury of the ton to a crumbling Scottish castle . . . and a job as a housekeeper. Yet Helen is determined to start a new life and she won't let dust-or a beast of a man-scare her away.

TO TAME HIS MOST SECRET DESIRES?

Beneath Helen's beautiful façade, Alistair finds a courageous and sensual woman. A woman who doesn't back away from his surliness-or his scars. But just as he begins to believe in true love, Helen's secret past threatens to tear them apart. Now both Beast and Beauty must fight for the one thing neither believed they could ever find--a happy ever after. (back of book)

This novel was unique in several aspects, which I greatly appreciated.

I like to think this novel is one of a higher level than the regular mass romances on the bookshelves, mainly because the both the hero and the heroine are not squeaky clean. Helen Fitzwilliam is a great beauty and surprise, paramour to a high-standing someone in the London ton. She has been with this man for so long, she has two children fathered by this less than spectacular gentleman.

Alistair Munroe, on the other hand, has holed himself up in his castle since returning from fighting in the Colonies. It was there that he was severely tortured. Not a whipped-back has-knife-wound kind of tortured, Munroe is missing an eye and two fingers from one hand, among other "disfigurements." If this story were to be paralleled to the story of Beauty & the Beast, I am fairly certain Alistair would fall under the Beast category (not the Beauty. I think that would be Ms. Helen Fitzwilliam).

Helen finds herself running for her life. She and her children end up on Munroe's doorstep (er.. castlestep) and announces herself his new housekeeper.

He, undoubtedly, is appalled by her bravado and is stunned by her beauty.
She is intimidated by his scars.

And there starts the story of how these two characters fall in love. Why is Helen running for her life? Glad you asked. Something about an overpossessive certain-somebody...

You also get to find out more about the mystery as to who betrayed the British during that war. It wasn't Alistair, as he was tortured the way he was... so who...?!

I felt the characters came to life in this story. While the whole Helen-in-grave-danger part wasn't particularly exciting nor interesting, seeing Alistair and Helen interact was fun. And... I don't see how a hero can be more tortured or "wounded" (physically and mentally) than our very own Alistair Munroe.

Bottom line: Recommended reading.

Side Question: So... does it make anyone else laugh that the men's woohoo is referred to as a "prick?" I understand that this might be culturally and historically accurate from the Regency era, but a prick? I almost prefer "throbbing manhood" to it... okay, not so much, but you get what I'm saying.

Your reviewer, Alice

2009-11-10T14:48:00.002-07:00

This is a late post, but believe me, I have a good reason for posting late.

Today's my birthday!

Yes, readers, twenty-something years ago, this exact day, my mother suffered to bring me into this world... most likely for the sole reason of reading romance (and other) novels.

So, I'm going to be vain and share stuffs about me. Awesome, yes.

Alice; 5'1.5", brown eyes, black hair, shoe size - 6,

Occupation: In addition to being a superstar, a tutor, part-time barista, a student (in an abstract sense), closet dancer, and a book reviewer!

Loves:

Movies - Anastasia, Beauty and the Beast, Sweet Home Alabama, The Matrix, Mulan, Legally Blonde,

Books - this list will take forever, but Paradise, Almost Heaven, Again the Magic, Scandalous, Bel Canto, The Alchemist, The Time Traveler's Wife, Wuthering Heights, Like Water For Chocolate

Food - butter and fried goodness... and fries, sushi, great salads, paininis, pineapples, pastas, Korean ramen..

Dessert - Creme Brulee and ice cream.

Curse word of preference: shit.

Makeup must haves: Shu Uemura eyelash curler, Maybelline turbo boost waterproof mascara in very black,

Perfume: Bright Crystal by Versace

All right, good readers, I'm going to have a cup of coffee with my sister.

Your dutiful reviewer,

Alice

Julia Quinn: What Happens in London

2009-11-09T10:02:00.002-07:00

What Happens in London: C
Olivia Bevelstoke & Hero (Harry Valentine)
sequel to The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancee, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

I happen to think What Happens in London is a very average book. It has average characters with average writing, with an average... well, average everything. The characters are so forgettable, I've actually forgotten the hero's name. This almost never happens... well, unless the characters are forgettable.

I do remember Olivia Bevelstoke as the heroine. She's pretty and as as a pretty girl in London during the regency times, she has to hide the fact that she has a brain. But she meets the unnamed hero (all right, I'll look up his name for you..!) in a very unsmart, albeit funny, manner: hearing rumors that hero might be a psychopathic killer prompts her to spy on him when he moves in next to her.

He catches her spying on him, they are acquainted, and then somehow, he ends up being her bodyguard. The details are failing me, but something about one of Olivia's suitors (a Russian prince!) being suspicious... in any case, they're around each other all the time and the flames of passion ignite!

Other than the entertaining way in which she spies on hero, I can't remember any significant things about the story... other than the fact that Olivia and hero's sex scene (you know, that ultimate, cataclysmic scene in which both realize they've found the love of each others' lives because of the amazing sex and etc) is the worst sex scene I've ever read. It's worse than an unwritten sex scene (in which you imagine hero and heroine has a soul-shattering moment) and this scene, readers, was so laughable and uncool, I promptly forgot why I found it so horrible; I'm only left with the thought of, 'Worst sex scene ever!!'

I think this is a good place to say that I'm not a huge fan of Ms. Quinn's writing style.
She aims for the cutesy, witty, intelligent style that is lacking in details (of all kinds, including characters, plot, setting...) and fails to be humorous. It just... tries too hard? is unfunny? witty but not really witty? If paired with a decent plot (I did enjoy her The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume though it had the same unfunny writing style) I think the book is enjoyable enough, but without it, the book is just an average read.

With that, I'll end this very average book review.

Oh! While searching for the book's synopsis, Amazon tells me hero's name is Mr. Harry Valentine. Ah yes... Harry Valentine...

Deanna Raybourn: Silent In the Grave

2009-11-06T10:02:00.002-07:00

Silent in the Grave: A
Lady Julia Grey & Nicholas Brisbane
Victorian-era mystery, romance

"Let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave."

These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a longstanding physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

I've decided to start off on a happy note and decided to have my first review from my (slackingness) vacation be a read I enjoyed immensely. I cannot take credit for having "found" the book since I heard of it through a fellow reader friend in Book Club (thanks MeganB!).

Having only mediocre thoughts of the book from last month's Book Club (What Happens in London by Julia Quinn), I wasn't particularly desperate to read Silent in the Grave. My only consolation was that I was told it was a mystery, a genre I am also a fan of.

It's a good thing I'm so open-minded about bookstuffs (LOL) because this one was wonderful to read.

Julia Grey's husband convulses and dies before Julia and a dark, mysterious stranger (hehe!). Later, it is suggested to her that husband's death is not a natural death as they all presumed and suddenly, Nicholas Brisbane is talking of murder and dark motives. He is dismissed, but then Julia finds reason to suspect Brisbane is in fact, telling the truth. Soon enough, Julia and Brisbane are working to discover the truth of the matter.

I loved this book for several reasons, the first being Ms. Raybourn's writing style. The book is written in the first person - Julia's - but unlike other horrible, poorly written, undeserving first person POV books *cough*theTWILIGHTseries*cough*, this one is beautifully crafted with wit and descriptive observations. Though you only get Julia's thoughts, you pretty much get to know all of the other characters in-depth (including her nine brothers and sisters). You do not get Brisbane's anything at all... that man is an enigma.. which brings me to my second point...

The chemistry between Julia and Brisbane is delicious. Unlike regular mass market paperbacks where the hero and heroine must end up together at the end of the short three-hundred pages, this story is the first of the Julia Grey mystery series. This means interactions between Julia and Brisbane are spread out and realistic, doing wonders to build tension between the two characters. The romance is there, but it is budding and in the baby stages, unlike a fast track meet-love-have sex-be happy romance. Granted, there were times when I wanted to throttle Brisbane for not being cliched like the other heroes ("JUST KISS HER, you dolt!), but you will come to appreciate their relationship.

Third, the characters. Julia's family - the March family - is. so. weird. !! In the most amusing and insightful way, that is.
The characters are real characters, from her batty aunts and uncles, to her Shakespeare-quoting father; from her once-married-turned-lesbian older sister to her gypsy laundress... it's so much fun to read about all of them and get to know their stories.

And, of course, the mystery is compelling to read. Very twisty and turny.
Think In Death series by JD Robb (Nora Roberts) ... and actually, most mass paperback "suspense" novels but 100x better.

Verdict: Read! Read! Then tell me about it. I don't bite.
Well, for the most part... (unless you have H1N1. Then I definitely won't bite.)

Naturally, you shouldn't be surprised to discover that I read this book in practically one sitting - despite having had to work all Thursday morning. When I finished two nights ago, I went to the library ten minutes before closing time to borrow the sequel, Silent in the Sanctuary.

I'm happy to say that I had the sequel in my grubby, little hands and after reading it all day (minus the working thing again), I've finished it. No hoorays for me yet: I am trying to get a hold of the third, Silent in the Moor... SILM, donde estas?? Public library of my city, why are you failing me so?!

Read an excerpt of Silent in the Grave here or below:
(I hope I'm not infringing on copyright laws by posting here for your convenience. Retrieved from Deanna Raybourn's website.)

La~ enjoy!

To say that I met Nicholas Brisbane over my husband’s dead body is not entirely accurate. Edward, it should be noted, was still twitching upon the floor.

I stared at him, not quite taking in the fact that he had just collapsed at my feet. He lay, curled like a question mark, his evening suit ink-black against the white marble of the floor. He was writhing; his fingers knotted.

I leaned as close to him as my corset would permit.

“Edward, we have guests. Do get up. If this is some sort of silly prank—”

“He is not jesting, my lady. He is convulsing.”

An impatient figure in black pushed past me to kneel at Edward’s side. He busied himself for a few brisk moments, palpating and pulse-taking, while I bobbed a bit, trying to see over his shoulder. Behind me the guests were murmuring, buzzing, pushing closer to get a look of their own. There was a little thrill of excitement in the air. After all, it was not every evening that a baronet collapsed senseless in his own music room. And Edward was proving rather better entertainment than the soprano we had engaged.

Through the press, Aquinas, our butler, managed to squeeze in next to my elbow.

“My lady?”

I looked at him, grateful to have an excuse to turn away from the spectacle on the floor.

“Aquinas, Sir Edward has had an attack.”

“And would be better served in his own bed,” said the gentleman from the floor. He rose, lifting Edward into his arms with a good deal of care and very little effort, it seemed. But Edward had grown thin in the past months. I doubted he weighed much more than I.

“Follow me,” I instructed; although, Aquinas actually led the way out of the music room. People moved slowly out of our path, as though they regretted the little drama ending so quickly. There were some polite murmurs, some mournful clucking. I heard snatches as I passed through them.

“The curse of the Greys, it is—”

“So young. But of course his father never saw thirty-five.”

“Never make old bones—”

“Feeble heart. Pity, he was always such a pleasant fellow.” I moved faster, staring straight ahead so that I did not have to meet their eyes. I kept my gaze fixed on Aquinas’ broad, black-wool back, but all the time I was conscious of those voices and the sound of footsteps behind me, the footsteps of the gentleman who was carrying my husband. Edward groaned softly as we reached the stairs, and I turned. The gentleman’s face was grim.

“Aquinas, help the gentleman—”

“I have him,” he interrupted, brushing past me. Aquinas obediently led him to Edward’s bedchamber. Together they settled Edward onto the bed, and the gentleman began to loosen his clothes. He flicked a glance toward Aquinas.

“Has he a doctor?”

“Yes, sir. Doctor Griggs, Golden Square.”

“Send for him. Although, I dare say it will be too late.”

Aquinas turned to me where I stood, hovering on the threshold. I never went into Edward’s room. I did not like to do so now. It felt like an intrusion, a trespass on his privacy.

“Shall I send for Lord March as well, my lady?”

I blinked at Aquinas. “Why should Father come? He is no doctor.”

But Aquinas was quicker than I. I had thought the gentleman meant that Edward would have recovered from his attack by the time Doctor Griggs arrived. Aquinas, who had seen more of the world than I, knew better.

He looked at me, his eyes carefully correct, and then I understood why he wanted to send for Father. As head of the family he would have certain responsibilities.

I nodded slowly. “Yes, send for him.” I moved into the room on reluctant legs. I knew I should be there, doing whatever little bit that I could for Edward. But I stopped at the side of the bed. I did not touch him.

“And Lord Bellmont?” Aquinas queried.

I thought for a moment. “No, it is Friday. Parliament is sitting late.”

That much was a mercy. Father I could cope with, but not my eldest brother as well. “And I suppose you ought to call for the carriages. Send everyone home. Make my apologies.”

He left us alone then, the stranger and I. We stood on opposite sides of the bed, Edward convulsing between us. He stopped after a moment, and the gentleman placed a finger at his throat.

“His pulse is very weak,” he said finally. “You should prepare yourself.”

I did not look at him. I kept my eyes fixed on Edward’s pale face. It shone with sweat, its surface etched with lines of pain. This was not how I wanted to remember him.

“I have known him for more than twenty years,” I said finally, my voice tight and strange. “We were children together. We used to play pirates and knights of the Round Table. Even then, I knew his heart was not sound. He used to go quite blue sometimes when he was overtired. This is not unexpected.”

I looked up then to find the stranger’s eyes on me. They were the darkest eyes I had ever seen, witch-black and watchful. His gaze was not friendly. He was regarding me coldly, as a merchant will appraise a piece of goods to determine its worth. I dropped my eyes at once.

“Thank you for your concern for my husband’s health, sir. You have been most helpful. Are you a friend of Edward’s?”

He did not reply at once. Edward made a noise in the back of his throat, and the stranger moved swiftly, rolling him onto his side and thrusting a basin beneath his mouth. Edward retched, horribly, groaning. When he finished, the gentleman put the basin to the side and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. Edward gave a little whimper and began to shiver. The gentleman watched him closely.

“Not a friend, no. A business associate,” he said finally. “My name is Nicholas Brisbane.”

“I am—”

“I know who you are, my lady.”

Startled at his rudeness, I looked up, only to find those eyes again, fixed on me with naked hostility. I opened my mouth to reproach him, but Aquinas appeared then. I turned to him, relieved.

“Aquinas?”

“The carriages are being brought round now, my lady. I have sent Henry for Doctor Griggs and Desmond for his lordship. Lady Otterbourne and Mr. Phillips both asked me to convey their concern and their willingness to help should you have need of them.”

“Lady Otterbourne is a meddlesome old gossip and Mr. Phillips would be no use whatsoever. Send them home.”

I was conscious of Mr. Brisbane behind me, listening to every word. I did not care. For some unaccountable reason, the man thought ill of me already. I did not mind if he thought worse.

Aquinas left again, but I did not resume my post by the bed. I took a chair next to the door and remained there, saying nothing and wondering what was going to happen to all of the food. We had ordered far too much in any event. Edward never liked to run short. I could always tell Cook to serve it in the servants’ hall, but after a few days even the staff would tire of it. Before I could decide what to do with the lobster patties and salad molds, Aquinas entered again, leading Doctor Griggs. The elderly man was perspiring freely, patting his ruddy face with a handkerchief and gasping. He had taken the stairs too quickly. I rose and he took my hand.

“I was afraid of this,” he murmured. “The curse of the Greys, it is. All snatched before their time. My poor girl.” I smiled feebly at him. Doctor Griggs had attended my mother at my birth, as well as her nine other confinements. We had known each other too long to stand on ceremony. He patted my hand and moved to the bed. He felt for Edward's pulse, shaking his head as he did so. Edward vomited again, and Doctor Griggs watched him carefully, examining the contents of the basin. I turned away.

I tried not to hear the sounds coming from the bed, the groans and the rattling breaths. I would have stopped my ears with my hands, but I knew it would look childish and cowardly. Griggs continued his examination, but before he finished Aquinas stepped into the room.

“Lord March, my lady.” He moved aside and Father entered.

“Julia,” he said, opening his arms. I went into them, burying my face against his waistcoat. He smelled of tobacco and book leather. He kept one arm tucked firmly around me as he looked over my head.

“Griggs, you damned fool. Julia should have been sent away.”

The doctor made some reply, but I did not hear it. My father was pushing me gently out the door. I tried to look past him, to see what they were doing to Edward, but Father moved his body and prevented me. He gave me a sad, gentle smile. Anyone else might have mistaken that smile, but I did not. I knew he expected obedience. I nodded.

“I shall wait in my room.”

“That would be best. I will come when there is something to tell.”

My maid, Morag, was waiting for me. She helped me out of my silk gown and into something more suitable. She offered me warm milk or brandy, but I knew I would never be able to hold anything down. I only wanted to sit, watching the clock on the mantel as it ticked away the minutes left.

Morag continued to fuss, poking at the fire and muttering complaints about the work to come. She was right about that. There would be much work for her when I put on widow’s weeds. It was unlucky to keep crepe in the house, I reminded myself. It would have to be sent for after Edward passed. I thought about such things—crepe for the mirrors, black plumes for the horses—because then I did not have to think about what was happening in Edward’s room. It was rather like waiting for a birth, these long, tense minutes of sitting, straining one’s ears on tiptoe for the slightest sound. I expected to hear something, but the walls were thick and I heard nothing. Even when the clock struck midnight, the little voice on my mantel chiming twelve times, I could not hear the tall case clock in the hall. I started to mention the peculiarity of it to Morag, because one could always hear the case clock from any room in the house, when I realized what it meant.

“Morag, the clocks have stopped.”

She looked at me, her lips parted to speak, but she said nothing. Instead she bowed her head and began to pray. A moment later, the door opened. It was Father. He said nothing. I went to him and his hand cradled my head like a benediction. He held me for a very long time, as he had not done since . . .

back from the dead

2009-10-14T10:02:00.000-06:00

I am back from the dead! This blog seems to reveal the worst in me. Really, I am not this horrible in real life.

But good news is that I have a little more time to read... which means, more stuffs to base my mean reviews on.

Though I'm not reading nearly as much romance as I did, I'm reading a little of it, with genuine and earnest efforts in breaking out into the non-romance fiction world.

Book suggestions are always welcome, though if you recommend me your favorite book and I bash it via blog, don't hate. Books are not necessarily a reflection of us... and our intelligence.... most of the time. LOL =D

Viva los libros!
(erm, did that make any sense? I definitely "made it up." hehe)

Kicking the bandwagon

2009-07-23T10:02:00.001-06:00

Not that I like to stir up trouble, but I always feel compelled to dislike the things that everyone else likes. Like the "totally in" huge necklaces and gaudy baubles, or the huge rings (the ones that come up to my knuckles) worn on the index finger. Or the trendy, new haircuts. I feel morally opposed to the new and the trendy. Why should I like something because the girl next door likes it? And why should I follow the dictates and whims of society?

I find that the same happens with books, but on a deeper level. I don't hate books because everyone else loves it; I am more critical of books that everyone else loves, and usually don't feel the "oh-my-gawd-you-totally-need-to-read" compulsions.

And then come the books that everyone else loves... and for the love of pearl, I just don't see why.

Here are some of those books:

Janet Evanovich's Plum series - all of them. Bad books, uninteresting characters. Maybe it's because I think Stephanie Plum is a bit of a dipwad.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series - I got through 4.5 and called it quits. Maybe it was because of the book I was reading. I didn't like Night Embrace - I didn't even want to finish it.

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series - I can say that this one is the worst pseudo-romance I've read in a long time, and Bella to be the most idiotic "heroine" - ever. Twilight wasn't so bad (I'd give it a C), but New Moon - mother of pearl - was so bad, I am aghast at the fact that it was published - and then devoured by so many. !?!! Bottom line is: Meyer is not a good writer. The writing itself sucks! And Bela is an idiot. The cons outweigh the single pro: Edward Cullen.

Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - I'm surprised I didn't like this one since I love fantasies, but I might be a little ahead of myself: I've only actually tried to read The Hobbit which is the prequel to the LOTR series, but The Hobbit was so boring, I gave up after 50 pages, and since that fated day eight years ago, I haven't been able to tell myself to give the actual trilogy a chance. Maybe I will....................

J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood vampire series: I read the first four, until Vishous's story. The first two aren't particularly stimulating and the fourth (V's book) was just awful. (However, Zsadist's was enjoyable.) After that, I had no desire whatsoever to invest any more of my time into Phury's story (which sounded dumb) or Rehvenge's story... or Xhex + John Matthew's story (if it ever comes to be that they are together). Goodness, I think I just gave myself nightmares by thinking of Xhex and John Matthew. (insert shudder here)

Other honorable mentions:
books that aren't ghastly but are, in this lady's opinion, overrated.

Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series: I read all eight and it wasn't horrendous. But it also wasn't great. It's a bit like the same story being retold eight times. They're books that are entertaining to read (no intense plot, no intense characters, no intense love stories..) but after you've read it, you immediately forget the characters' names and what the story was about.

Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels: It was a good read, but not fabulous, as everyone else cried. Definitely not a must-read.

Lee Harper's To Kill a Mockingbird: What is all the fuss about? Sure, it's a good book, but it was s-l-o-w and meaningless until the last 1/4th of the novel.

Kim Edward's The Memory Keeper's Daughter: The ending felt so unsatisfactory.

Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada: Funny, but not hysterical. Enjoyable but not read-or-die.

Lisa Kleypas's Smooth Talking Stranger: This won't go on the "what's all the hype about - kicking the bandwagon" list... yet. If the fourth novel is as bad as this, I will cry sad tears and put it there. LK, I have faith in you..!

Agree?
Agree to disagree?

Emily Giffin: Something Blue

2009-07-22T10:02:00.000-06:00

Something Blue: C+
Darcy Rhone
chick-lit, women's fiction

Giffin's sophomore effort-which tells the story that her bestselling Something Borrowed did from a different character's point of view-stars such an unsympathetic narrator that it's a little like reading a Cinderella story featuring one of the wicked stepsisters. Perhaps beautiful Darcy Rhone isn't really wicked, but she is one of the most shallow, materialistic, self-centered and naïve 29-year-olds around. Ostensibly a high-powered PR person in Manhattan (though she never seems to work), Darcy spends most of her time shopping, partying and getting ready for her wedding to perfect guy Dex. But an alcohol-fueled Hamptons fling with one of Dex's pals, Marcus, starts to break Darcy's perfect life down; and discovering Dex hiding in her best friend Rachel's closet really shatters it. Pregnant with Marcus's baby, Darcy decamps for London, where she crashes in high school pal Ethan's flat and annoys the heck out of him with her endless shopping and complete disregard for her impending motherhood. But after a good lecture from Ethan, whom Darcy has started to fall for a little, Darcy embarks on a self-improvement plan, thereby demonstrating she can think about someone besides herself...
(publisher's weekly)

The funny thing about this book is that I actually read it. Considering all things, I was sure I would fling it to my wall and have it be a thing of the past... and yet, there I sat, on my family cruise, flipping through the pages.

As you know from my (scathing? unpleasant? hate-love-hate?) relationship with the first novel in the series, Something Borrowed, that I pretty much hated all of the characters in this (and that) story. Rachel for being a vile home-wrecker (though the home was on its way to being wrecked), Dex for being a nimwad (who proposes to a loved one if the loved one isn't really loved?), and Darcy for being a superficial, callow bee-atch.

Something Borrowed ends with the calling off of Darcy and Dex's wedding, Darcy pregnant with Marcu's child (Marcus, as you know, was Dex's best man and the one she had been cheating with while Dex was with Rachel. Egh...), and with Rachel and Darcy's friendship in the pooper.

Something Blue starts out with Darcy still being her usual, selfish, spoiled (but beautiful!) self. In reality, 3/4 of the book is about her, her selfishness, and her spoiledness. Realistic, I suppose. Though I would expect any normal human being - after having experienced the kind of drama (and trauma?) she went through to critically analyze herself and to examine why things happened the way they did... Darcy doesn't.

She proves to be an insecure individual who thrives on the attention of others to feed her "ego." She fools herself in thinking she's in love with Marcus, so that her child will have a father, and so she will have someone to lean on.

Eventually, Darcy's idiocy drives Marcus away (and let's be honest here, Marcus was no fine catch to begin with..). He tells her, in no short words, that he wants out of the relationship, and that he can care less about the child whose DNA he's supplied half of.

Panicked, she decides to go to London and stay with her (and Rachel's) friend, Ethan. She packs her bag with the largest misconceptions of London and of motherhood and jets on over to Ethan, who is less than pleased to see her; Ethan (correctly) remembers Darcy as the selfish, spoiled, likes-to-party, center-of-attention (but beautiful!) girl.

Once in London, she spends most of her savings buying designer outfits, trying to fit in, assuring herself of her beauty, despite the ever increasing baby bump.

It's not until 3/4 of the way through the novel that Darcy miraculously comes to her senses, with the help of patient Ethan... and a little bit of blossoming love..

As with Something Borrowed, Something Blue is a book that uncovers human nature to its dirtiest and grittiest, and is shows, perhaps, the most honest part of ourselves. It makes you think and it exasperates you.. and shows you the consequences of reality.

Read with caution!

BBC's Big Read

2009-07-21T10:02:00.000-06:00

I am marking the pitiful low numbers of books (classics? semi-classics? popular novels?) that I've read. It is my goal to read every single book on this list before I die... even if it kills me. Which, in retrospect, it probably will since I don't even want to touch Tolkien's books. Bleh!

BBC's Big Read (2003)

1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

24/100

Sophocles: Antigone

2009-05-25T10:02:00.000-06:00

Antigone

Let's awkwardly turn to another book that I read last month.

It's not a romance, not a fiction (well, not really), not a non-fiction, not a contemporary, not... many things, it is not, however, it is a book from my 101 books in 1001 days challenge. Hooray! (point for Alice.)

A brief background of the story (this is going to get even more awkward), starting with Oedipus.

Antigone is the daughter and sister of Oedipus, who killed his father and married his mother. It goes like this - Oedipus was fated to kill his father and marry his mother. His father, King Laius, heard and was horrified (rightfully so) and ordered for him to be left to die. His mother, Jocasta, gave him to a servant because she couldn't bear to kill her son, and the servant carried Oedipus to the next county, or kingdom, (or what-not) where he became the adopted son of the king and queen there.

Oedipus is unaware that the parents who raised him are not his biological parents and when he hears of his own fate, he is horrified (rightfully so) and runs away from "home."

While running away, he comes across an old man at a crossroads. They get into a fight and Oedipus kills the old man (aka Laius).

Times passes, and he solves a riddle from the sphinx that has been tormenting his homeland. It's solved, the sphinx is gone, and he wins the prize, which is the hand of the queen of the land, Jocasta.

They marry (ew!) and have four kids (double ew!): Eteocles, Polyneices, Ismene, and our star, Antigone.

Oedipus finds out what he's done, is horrified (duh) and flees the country. He later gouges out his eyes. Jocasta hangs herself.

And Eteocles and Polyneices fight - and kill - each other. Ismene and Antigone are horrified and unhappy (once again, this isn't rocket science).

In Antigone, Jocasta's brother, Creon, is king of the land. He orders Polyneices' body to remained unburied because he was a traitor to the country, however, Antigone desires a proper burial her brother.

Creon has declared anyone who buries Polyneices to be a traitor, a crime that will be harshly punished, but Antigone does it anyway. She is taken before Creon where she argues her point of view and her loyalty to the law of the gods, not to Creon.

She later hangs himself and Haemon, fiance of Antigone and Creon's son, argues with dad. Then he stabs himself. Creon's wife, upon hearing of Haemon's suicide, kills herself as well.

Creon is left, "humbled" and horrified by what has happened (rightfully so).

Not the happiest of stories, this Greek Tragedy was great in that Antigone, who previously seemed an unlikely candidate to be a heroine, proves herself worthy. She is aware of what she does and does not believe in, and most importantly, is able to act in a manner that reflects her beliefs. She is willing to take the consequences of her actions - not shying away from Creon when she is brought before him - and she argues with him (you go girl!).

The cons of this story: written in play form (kind of a pain), almost everyone commits suicide (did someone say Hamlet?), it is full of negativity, and I still don't understand the role of the chorus. I feel like they have more purpose than to provide with background info and current mood. (What's an antistrophe and strophe?)

It was fun to read something besides romance and I enjoyed the story.

Lisa Kleypas: Smooth Talking Stranger

2009-05-22T10:02:00.002-06:00

Smooth Talking Stranger: B-
Ella Varner & Jack Travis

Ella Varner grew up with a troublesome mother and an insecure sister, but she has managed to come out of it reasonably sane, with a good (if vegan) boyfriend, Dane, and a job as an advice columnist. All of this gets turned upside down when her sister disappears and sticks Ella with her newborn, Luke. Determined to find Luke's father, Ella tracks down a likely suspect—millionaire playboy Jack Travis. The encounter results in Travis and Ella unexpectedly engaged in an irrepressible attraction. Meanwhile, Ella grows fond of baby Luke and fears what will happen when Tara returns. As Ella grapples with conflicting desires, she learns some important lessons about love and trust... (amazon)

Here is another installment of a Travis man, Jack Travis, and though the book had great potential, as do all the Travis men, it fell short of the greatness I was expecting.

I normally love love Lisa Kleypas' books because she is able to develop the characters and really portray the growth of the hero and heroine's relationship. The journey is as wonderful as the end, since we all know endings to romance novels are happy. Even knowing that the hero and heroine will end up together, LK makes it exciting.

This one, however, was a combination of unpleasantness, on several different levels.

1, the hero and heroine have chemistry (as Jack is hot hot!) but they don't really develop their relationship because...

2, Ella is taking care of the damned baby. I have nothing against babies, however, the fact that LK is sticking babies into romance stories left and right is starting to irritate me. Taking care of a child is a HUGE responsibiilty and needs to be of the utmost priority. But in this story, Ella is thrown into her new role as a mother around the same time she meets Jack. Things are crazy, no doubt about it, but with duties as a new mother, where is the time for romance? For love? I'm sure it happens in reality, but not in the way LK portrayed it. There needed to be more details, more development, especially because the story is not only handling a love story, it's handling a story about a mother and child. She did neither story justice.

3, Um, the ending? What was that? It was rushed and lame. And rushed.
Kind of like: "Ohhh, we have twenty pages left, so I love you Jack!"
"Oh yea, I forgot to tell you that I love you, too."
"Yay!"

4, Lack of development of Ella. She obviously grows up in a very dysfunctional family. So... I can kind of assume how she became the woman she is, but I don't want to assume. I want you write your beautiful prose, LK, and tell me, dang it!

5, Excess sex scenes. ...which, for me, without relationship development, is like too much icing. Unsatisfying and uncool to swallow.

It was decently fun to read and Jack is hot hot, but don't expect a stunner out of this one.

hi bloggers!

2009-05-22T09:02:00.001-06:00

Greetings, earthlings!

I know, I know. I'm sucking at updating. I don't know what's wrong with me... wait, there are many reasons, but we are not going to get into that now.

What's been going on in my life?

Well...

I'm almost done with higher education. HOORAY!
I'm starting to read more - the past five months have been reading suicide. (I think I read four books, total.)
I read Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas.... andohgoshIdon'twanttosaythisandadmitit but I was disappointed. Yes, disappointed. Not up-to-par to her other works. Sadness!

The other books I'm waiting for:
LK's third (fourth?) book in the Hathaways series with Poppy and the *mysterious* Harry (?) Rutledge; Elizabeth Hoyt's fourth and last in the "Legend of the Four (?) Soldiers" series, To Beguile a Beast (talk about tortured hero!)... and that's it.

First, I realize that I SUCK at remembering stuff. I used to be so good, especially with my beloved romance novels. What happened?! (I think it's my age. Sigh! LOL)

Second, I know I said I wouldn't read any more romances, but after these two, I'm done! Well, I bet I'll keep reading LK's... dang it, it's like an addiction.

Third, I will try my very, very best to update at least three times a week. (we're starting out small and working to greatness.) I'm thinking Mon-Wed-Fri. And, if you haven't noticed, I time-stamp so that all my entries are at 10:02 am. 10:02 is a good time, I say.

Fourth, I have followers! (What does that mean? I'm still not familiar with eblogger....) But HOORAY! Someone kind of wants to read all of the douchebaggy and jerkish things I have to say! Thanks, you guys :)

Fifth, I need to erase my nail polish. It's cracking. Goshdarnit.

With that, I bid you a wonderful Friday and a book review, which will, amazingly, be in exactly an hour. Hooray!

xoxo,
Alice

Emily Giffin: Something Borrowed

2009-05-08T10:02:00.000-06:00

Something Borrowed: C+
Chick-lit, women's fiction

An unexpected love affair threatens a long-lived friendship in this soap opera–like debut from Atlanta ex-lawyer Giffin. Since elementary school, Rachel and Darcy have been best friends, with Darcy always outshining Rachel. While single Rachel is the self-confessed good girl, an attorney trapped at a suffocating New York law firm, Darcy is the complete opposite, a stereotypical outgoing publicist, planning a wedding with the handsome Dex. After Rachel's 30th birthday party, she knocks back one drink too many and winds up in bed with Dex. Instead of feeling guilty about sleeping with her best friend's fiancé, Rachel realizes that Dex is the only man she's really loved, and that she's always resented manipulative Darcy. Rachel and Dex spend a few weekends in the city together "working" while Darcy's off with friends at a Hamptons beach share, but finally Rachel realizes she'll have to give Dex an ultimatum... (Publisher's Weekly)

Here is a book that I loathed to read. Really, really loathed. There are many reasons as to why I would have never even touched this novel.

1. I hate reading about cheaters
2. Rachel, the heroine, cheats with her best friend's fiance.
3. I hate cheaters.

"But Alice," my book buddy Nancy said to me, "just try it."

And so, I did, with mixed feelings. And all through the book, I read with mixed feelings.

This book is not a romance. It, however, is a book about friendship, about relationships, and about self and on discovering who you are.

The gist of the story is this: Rachel turns thirty. She has a party, with of course, her best friend, Darcy, who is gorgeous and everything Rachel is not. Rachel is smart and intelligent, but more Plain Jane than anything else.

So she turns thirty. She gets pretty drunk. She and Darcy's fiance, Dex, are on their way home when ...one step after another, they get to her place, and they do the unthinkable.

What was so hard for me to read about this book was not that they cheat once and own up to their mistakes.

It's that they repeatedly sleep with each other - and the "mistake" turns into a full-fledged affair. A secret affair. It's the fact that they both knew what they were doing, and yet they did the wrong thing.. over and over and over again.

Gritty. Dirty. Ugly.

Reality?

Perhaps.

Griffin explains why the affair happens: that Rachel had always had feelings for Dex but never felt she was good enough, how Dex really loved Rachel, too, but got caught up with Darcy, how Darcy is selfish and pretty-much spoiled...

..and it's through this affair that Rachel is finally able to say, "Darcy, I love you because you're my best friend, but I love myself and I care about what I want, too." - and hence the affair. Rachel wants it and she wants Dex.

But, good citizens of the earth, we cannot all have what we want. And no matter what anyone tells me, getting involved with a man who is already in a relationship is wrong on so many different levels. Have more respect for yourself: if I was Rachel and Dex claims to love me, why can't he love me enough to leave Darcy? Why does our relationship - our love - have to be something clandestine?

It's not a healthy way to start - or be in a relationship, and I don't care what your heart tells you. Listen to your rational brain!

However, I will give Emily Giffin credit in that... the book sucks you in. I read it, partially cringing, partially intrigued - in the same way a fatal car accident is (minus someone dying). And it did give me much to think about.

What would I have done if I was in Rachel's position?
What would I do if I was in love with my sister's (with whom I'm very close with) or best friend's fiance?

As much as I would love to jump up and yell, NO, I WOULD NEVER DO WHAT RACHEL DID!, I cannot be 100% sure.

All I can hope is that I wouldn't do what Rachel did: I hope I would be woman enough to find myself - and respect myself - to walk away and do what is right to myself, no matter how delectable the boy is.

In conclusion: read if you want to think about these issues. But don't read if you want a snuggle, feel-good romance. It's definitely not that.

A B+ for writing style - she really is marvelous at telling the story, but D for the overall content of story.

Tess Gerritsen: The Keepsake

2009-03-09T10:02:00.000-06:00

The Keepsake: B+
Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles series, book 7

Y'all know how much I love Tess Gerritsen and her lovely writing. I got my grubby little hands on her latest novel, The Keepsake, and read the day away - finishing it in something like five hours.

And, of course, I liked it, though her descriptions of psychopaths and sociopaths really scare me. This might be a good place to state that if you're the owner of a weak heart, this is not a read for you.

A mummy is found in the basement of an eclectic museum in Boston. Dr. Maura Isles, semi-reclusive medical examiner, is present at the CT scan to determine more specifics of the mummy. When they discover that the mummified body dubbed Madam X is not 2,000 years old and instead is a modern-day murder victim, the Boston PD step in.

Tough woman and Boston PD homicide expert, Jane Rizzoli steps in with her team to investigate when they find yet another victim, a keepsake of another sort. It's discovered that the killer, the "Archaeology Killer," is obsessed with preserving its victim. It's when a third body is found, along with the disappearance of a beautiful but suspicious Egyptologist that the situation intensifies.

I was engrossed in my novel - the dark scene where Rizzoli is investigating when my sister knocked on my door. My heart tripped. "I'm reading a murder thriller... leave me alone!" (LOL)

I'm a huge fan of archaeology (I wanted to be an archaeologist when I was younger.) The digging, the discovery... Egypt with its pyramids and hieroglyphics - awesome! (Plus, the whole sexy-swagger-of-Indiana-Jones didn't hurt.) It's no surprise that I was entranced by The Keepsake from the very beginning.

...and now, I really want to be an archaeologist! (Similar to how I wanted to be a doctor when I was watching Grey's Anatomy. Me persuaded by media? No way Jose!)

The story moves fast, the characters are complex, and the thrill is disturbing, but enticing.

The further development of Daniel and Maura's illicit and forbidden relationship had me gripping the book even tighter. Dang it, I want to know what happens! Dang it! Dang it! And, I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more interaction between Gabriel and Jane, but that's just me being selfish.

The ending was a little predictable, but good, regardless. If you can stand the blood and gore - and you are thirsting for some good 'ol action, read this one. It's fun, I tell ya!

Lisa Kleypas's SMOOTH TALKING STRANGER excerpt

2009-03-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

From the wonderful ladies at the Judith McNaught Bulletin Board, here is an excerpt of Lisa Kleypas's new book, Smooth Talking Stranger, that was printed in the Romantic Times Magazine.

Only twenty-seven more days! Hooray!!

Excerpt

Jack Travis kissed me until the sensations flowed in directions I couldn't go, spilling and sliding darkly. As I felt a desperate ache cambering low in my body, I finally understood that if I slept with this man, he would take everything. All the defenses I had built would be destroyed.

Shaking, I pushed at him and managed to turn my head long enough to gasp, "I can't. No. That's enough, Jack."

He stopped at once. But he kept me against him, his chest moving hard and fast.

I couldn't look at him. My voice was hoarse as I said, "That shouldn't have happened."

"I've wanted this since the first second I saw you. His arms tightened, and he bent over me until his mouth was close to my ear. Gently he whispered, "You did too."

"I didn't. I don't."

"You need some fun, Ella."

I let out an incredulous laugh. "Believe me, I don't need fun, I need--" I broke off with a gasp as he pressed my hips closer to his. The feel of him was more than my dazzled senses could handle. To my mortification, I hitched up against him before I could stop myself, heat and instinct winning out over sanity.

Feeling the reflexive response, Jack smiled against my scarlet cheek. "You should take me on. I'd be good for you."

"You are so full of yourself . . . and you would not be good for me, with your steaks and power tools and your attention-deficit libido, and . . . I'll bet you're a card-carrying member of the NRA. Admit it, you are." I couldn't seem to shut up. I was talking too much, breathing too fast, jittering like a wind-up toy that had been wound to the limits of its mechanism.

Jack nuzzled into a sensitive place behind my ear. "Why does that matter?"

"Is that a yes? It must be. God. It matters because--stop that. It matters because I would only go to bed with a man who respected me and my views. My--" I broke off with an inarticulate sound as he nibbled lightly at my skin.

"I respect you," he murmured. "And your views. I think of you as an equal. I respect your brains, and all those big words you like to use. But I also want to rip your clothes off and have sex with you until you scream and cry and see God." His mouth dragged gently along my throat. I jerked helplessly, muscles jolting with pleasure, and his hands gripped my hips, keeping me in place. "I'm gonna show you a good time, Ella. Starting with some take-no-prisoners sex. The kind when you can't remember your own name after."

"I've been with Dane for four years," I managed to say. "He understands me in a way you don't."

"I can learn you."

It seemed as if something inside me had started to unravel, weakness spreading, all my body tightening against it. I closed my eyes and bit back a whimper. "When you offered me the apartment," I said weakly, "you implied you had no ulterior motives. I don't appreciate the position this puts me in, Jack."

His head lifted, and his lips brushed the tip of my nose. "What position would you prefer?"

It's gonna be good... I can feel it in my bones. :)

Siri Mitchell: A Constant Heart

2009-02-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

A Constant Heart: DNF
Some girl and some guy

Y'all know how hard I try not to be a hater.
I try hard.
Really hard.

Well, actually, that's a lie. I don't try hard when the writer writes something that is complete monkey poop.

In most cases, I force myself to read half the book before I toss it out the window. I got about twenty pages in when, in exasperation, I banged my head on the desk several times. So not only did I have a bitter mental experience from reading this book, I had a large forehead-bruise to show for it.

A Constant Heart takes place in the medieval times, when ladies and gentlemen paid their respects to the King or Queen by going to court.

Some Girl, with the face of an angel, is to marry Some Guy... an earl, if I'm remembering correctly. She is well prepared for the task, but is still scared, reasonably so.

Some Guy is some earl who has had a very bad experience of marriage because of the cheating ways of his first wife. He is determined to hate everything about Some Girl and Some Girl's business, and every aspect of married life.. better yet, he doesn't even want to marry her. He just needs her dowry to buy back his family's estate.

So off starts their brilliant and very charming marriage. Then they go to court. Some Girl is scared and she discovers that the Queen hates her. We don't know why. (Actually, it's just me since I didn't finish..)

Not so bad of a start to a medieval romance, you might be thinking.

Do not be fooled!

It was the writing style of the book that threatened to eat my soul. It is a book written in the first person POV, which normally doesn't bother me at all.

However, it switches off between Some Guy and Some Girl's point of view... indistinguishably! It would switch off between the Some Girl's first person POV and then Some Guy's.

This is an example and interpretation of a scene from the book and what Alice was thinking as she read through this jungle of point-of-views.

I was unhappy.
I was unhappy at the world and everything that was happening. Did I do something wrong? What was I doing wrong? I needed to talk to someone... I knew this wasn't a good idea.
Alice: who is talking?

--

I was unhappy. Was this supposed to be happening? Unfortunately for the both of us, we were in this situation whether we liked it or not. It would be in our interest to make the best of everything.
Alice: Right. Unhappy. Who??

--

Unhappy. I'm unhappy.

Alice: I'm unhappy too. Who are you?

---

Unhappy.
I wished I had never married. I wanted to talk to my best friend (insert Another Girl's name).
Alice: We know that both of them are unhappy, damn it! Who the he--... oh.... *reads Another Girl's name)... this is Some Girl!

*Goes back up to the very front of the page to reread, keeping in mind that the first person who talked had been Some Girl.*

Now imagine doing this every two or three pages. The little dotted line (---) indicated a change in the perspective, but never revealed who was talking. The font was the same. The color of the font was the same. The I's and you's were the same.

And when a new chapter began (every two or three pages), sometimes it was the POV of the person who had been talking/ thinking at the end of the previous chapter... or it was the start of the other person's POV.

You had to read in order to figure out who was talking, and then go back to re-read everything in context.

How aggravating!!!!

It not only took me twice as long to read everything, I was tired of reading the same scene twice - once in Some Girl's POV and the other time in Some Guy's POV. For the love of mother earth, I don't need to know both character's thoughts for each. and. every. single. action they commit.

It's dreary. And boring. And dull. And uninteresting.

Moral of review:
If you're an author, don't write like this. It sucks.
If you're a reader, don't read this. It sucks.

not in any way book related

2009-01-26T16:25:00.002-07:00

...but I practically peed in my pants reading this.

Happy end-of-Monday!

kind-of sad news

2009-01-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

I wish you had a wonderful New Year and that you kept warm during your holidays.

I've decided, after much thinking, to not (really) read category romances this year and instead, focus on the books I've listed on my '101 books in 1,001 days' challenge - which are (sadly) littered with classics and other "noteworthy" books of literature.

I'm also very busy this semester with my five (!!) classes... which means Alice's time for reading has gone from <----------------> to <-->.

I will try to update this blog with useful tidbits and reviews of books that I've read last year, but I will not be focusing on romance new releases (minus the new Elizabeth Hoyt and Lisa Kleypas that I've been selling my soul for).

My sincere apologies. I'm sure you'll now go home and cry into your pillow, but fear not... I shall remain being my extremely interesting self and I will continue to blog about bookish stuff. What can I say?

I'm a booknerd.

With that said, I'm almost done with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Um. Well. It's different... and hilarious. I laughed a lot - not that it really takes a to get me to laugh - but I did.

Review will come. Shortly.

Lisa Kleypas: Mine Till Midnight

2008-12-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Mine Till Midnight: B-
Amelia Hathaway & Cam Rohan

A little spin-off of the Wallflower series, Lisa Kleypas takes us into the world of chaos and of the Roma.

The Hathaways are a family of misfits, with four sisters (Amelia, Poppy, Beatrix, and Winnifred), one brother (Leo), and a gypsie (Kev Merripen). They are truly a strange bunch, with Leo cynical and bitter from losing his first love to the scarlet fever, Beatrix's problem of stealing things - albeit accidentally and her curious collection of animals, including her pet ferret, Dodger; Win's weakness as a result from contracting scarlet fever; and Kev - the wordless and almost menacing gypsie.

In charge is Amelia, practical and steadfast Amelia, spinster but too busy worrying about the state of the family to truly think about herself. Besides, she had given her heart away before, only to have it be smashed into a thousand pieces.

She meets Cam when she searches through brothels for her brother, Leo, who is a complete mess after the death of his first love. He saves her from drunken fools, fighting for her, because he is attracted to her, for some strange reason. She is unlike the other women he's had, perhaps the reason why Amelia is so intriguing to him.

He then shows up on the Hathaway estate - the estate that had not been taken care of for years - and offers to help Amelia out.

She is attracted by his different, part Roma looks and his suave way of handling difficult situations.

Cam Rohan is a hero unlike any other. He is ridiculously wealthy, but it is wealth that he has no desire for because of the bad stigma the Roma associate with money, especially a white man's money. He is in the strange limbo of not being accepted by the British and yet not being accepted by the Roma because of his mixed bloodlines. Trying to figure out his identity - who he really is - is an endeavor, and he finds himself at peace with the Hathaways, who are all far from being conventional.

I loved that Cam was the hero for Amelia; he was her knight in shining armor, even though she was fully capable of handling things on her own. Not to say that all women need men to save them or any foolish things like that (*grin*), but sometimes, it's nice to have someone take care of you, even if you can do it yourself. It's always nice to know that someone is watching out for you.

I wasn't as into the Hathaways as I'd hoped, but it was a good read, full of surprises and laughs. I'm especially excited for Win and Kev's book, which is next in the series - and also the next review for LK week!

Lisa Kleypas: Scandal in Spring

2008-12-27T14:02:00.000-07:00

Here is my review of the fourth Wallflower novel from a couple months ago, being reposted for LK extravaganza!

Okay, I really want to do a reread of it now. ASAP.

Scandal in Spring: A
Daisy Bowman & Matthew Swift
The Wallflower series 4 (last)

“I want you to do everything you’ve ever imagined doing with me…” With those scandalous words, Daisy Bowman, the sole “Wallflowre” yet to be married, seals her fate with the last man she ever expected to tempt her.

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman’s father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can’t snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses – the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone…anyone… other than Matthew. But she doesn’t count on Matthew’s unexpected charm…or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams. But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered…one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy’s wildest fantasies.

Since I’ve been proclaiming my love for Lisa Kleypas, I’ve decided to write a haiku dedicated to her.

Oh, Lisa Kleypas
Please write your novels faster
I love your stories

I should become a poet, you say? So I’ve been told my entire life. I’m kidding. But I do love 99% of Ms. Kleypas’s stories, and Scandal in Spring was a fabulous end to the Wallflower series.

Daisy is romantic. She loves to read. She is also very short. (At this point, I’m thinking I can substitute in Daisy’s name and put in Alice.) Her father is a mean hag. (What’s the male form of hag?) He orders that she marry – soon. Or else she will have to marry the self-made super-wealthy American Matthew Swift.

It can’t be too bad, right?
It isn’t, except for the fact that her father ordered her to do it.

So her lovely (but kinda naggy and kinda bossy) older sister Lillian (book 3: It Happened One Autumn) hosts a hunting/fishing/ some-sort of a cool party where lots of eligible gentlemen (and few ladies) are invited for Daisy’s choosing pleasure. It’s been three years since Daisy has last seen Matthew, and to her, he remains an awkward but ambitiously avaricious type of fellow, one who reminds her greatly of her own unpleasant father.

But when she finds out the mysterious man who has been on her mind is Matthew – her mind is opened to a world of possibilities. She and …Matthew…!

I love how Daisy and Matthew meet – it’s a bit of a tease and sigh-worthy.
I love how there is chemistry in the air between them – you can practically hear crackling.
I love how she seduces him – hot hot hot!

Spoiler:

The whole locking-the-door, dropping key-down-bodice was so hot. Seriously!! Ingenious of Daisy and something I so would not have the guts for, unfortunately.

End notes

I love how he’s loved her ever since way back when – aw!!
I love how he tries to stop himself from loving her because he’s so damn honorable. Okay, I don’t really love this, but it’s still endearing.
I love how they love each other.
I also love the little cameos of the other Wallflowers.
I don’t particularly particularly love it when the scandal explodes since it was a little predictable, but I still kind-of love it because well… I just do!

Read this book and the other Wallflower books. (Well, you might be able to skip the first because I remember not being so fond of it, but I might have to re-read it. I might have been delusional.)

The Wallflower series

Secrets of a Summer Night - Annabelle
It Happened One Autumn - Lillian
The Devil in Winter - Evie
Scandal in Spring - Daisy

Have fun reading! Cheers to good friends and great books.

Lisa Kleypas: Devil in Winter

2008-12-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

Devil in Winter: A
Evanegeline Jenner & Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent

A devil's bargain

Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!

Sebastian's reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fine eye for beauty could do far worse.

But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded broken hearts -- which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions...or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

At the end of the last book - It Happened One Autumn, we discover that Sebastian is in need of a bride - the wealthier the better.

Evie's father is seriously ill and her awful relatives treat her like a pile of cow dung, so she escapes and proposes to Lord St. Vincent, hoping that marriage will grant her the freedom to tend to her ailing father.

Sebastian finds the proposal is highly comical. Evie is the shyest Wallflower, with the painful tendency to stutter when talking. While she is unconventionally beautiful with her flame-red hair and freckled face, speaking with her is known to be a trying ordeal. So to have her propose to the cynical Sebastian is unheard of!

However, she asks that they not do the dirty deed in bed, a condition that Sebastian isn't hard-pressed to agree to.

So off they go to Gretna Green!

It is the months after the marriage that is completely fun to read. St. Vincent needs to manage Evie's father's famous gaming business - Jenner's - and look over Evie. He is surprised to find that there is so much more underneath her stuttering and he is strangely attracted to her tenderness.

When I first read the Wallflower series, I loved this Evie and Sebastian's story the most. LK stays true to Evie's shy nature, while bringing out the core of who she (and he) really is (are). One can really see the dramatic change in Sebastian and when they both make their love known to each other - oh, it's grand!

A great read, I'm always thrilled to snap open their story and reread it, just for old times sake.

Lisa Kleypas: It Happened One Autumn

2008-12-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

It Happened One Autumn: A
Lillian Bowman & Marcus Marsden, Lord Westcliff

Continuing with the Wallflower series, is Lillian Bowman's story.

The Wallflowers are back at Stony Cross, the home of Lord Marcus Marsden, a duke with bloodlines greater than any other's. A progressive peer, he is the definition of conventional and honorable, with a small dash of 'uptight' mixed in.

He is horrified, absolutely horrified, with Lillian Bowman. She's loud, rambunctious, and hell - he's seen her playing rounders (baseball) in her undergarments! He's convinced she's in England to wreak havoc. And the more they come across with each other, the more she gets on his nerves. Why did she have to talk and walk so funny? Why couldn't she be like everyone else? Spectacularly, Lillian feels the same way about Marcus as he does for her.

When he loses self control and kisses her, she uses it as a means to trap him into agreeing to get his mother to sponsor her and Daisy into society. After all, it means nothing that they are mega-rich; their social graces are atrocious.

Frustratingly, Marcus grows increasingly attracted to Lillian, and is upset when she catches the eye of the ultimate devilish rake - Lord St. Vincent, a gorgeous but cynical peer. And when he finds her completely and adorably drunk in his library, one autumn afternoon...

Read on to find out!

I love that LK's characters are flawed and realistic, and yet, readers grow to love them. Lillian is bossy and impulsive; Marcus high-handed and domineering - and yet when they are together, they soften each other by first infuriating the other person (LOL) and then bringing out the side of the person that is hidden from the world.

I loved the scene where Lillian unknowingly seduces Marcus, I also love the perfume motif in the story.

And of course, I loved seeing them fall in love. Their 'hatred' for one another (the hatred that each freely express towards each other) is full of chemistry and tension, and while they bicker like cats and dogs, it is so adorable how they cannot get enough of each other.

*sigh*

more Lisa Kleypas

2008-12-27T09:02:00.001-07:00

I guess when I wrote that it was going to be Lisa Kleypas week, I failed to mention that it was going to be Lisa Kleypas weeks.

I hope your Christmas went well and that it was as hectic as mine - lol.

Trekking onward, with our LK glory: It Happened One Autumn.

Lisa Kleypas: Secrets of a Summer Night

2008-12-22T12:02:00.002-07:00

Secrets of a Summer Night: A
Annabelle Peyton & Simon Hunt
The Wallflowers Series #1

Annabelle and Simon's story is the first in the Wallflower series. I read it ages ago and didn't like it because I didn't like Annabelle. whom I viewed as a shallow, greedy, money-grubbing punk.

But in honor of I-love-Lisa-Kleypas-week, I re-read it and to my surprise, loved it.

How could I have not liked it the first time around? There must have been a misunderstanding!

Annabelle Peyton is a gorgeous on-the-wall spinster at twenty-five years of age. Without a dowry and the poor economic state of her family, she finds it impossible to find an adequate suitor.

It is at a ball that she finally speaks with three other young ladies who have also been labeled as "outcasts" in the ton. They choose to call themselves the Wallflowers and agree to help themselves find husbands. Of the young ladies, there are the Bowman sisters - Lillian and Daisy, whose family is ridiculously wealthy but to everyone's chagrin, the Bowmans are American and uncultured. The last is Evangeline Jenner, the daughter of the man who owns a famous gaming house in London. She has flame colored hair and a freckled face; unconventionally beautiful but is horribly shy and speaks with a stutter.

When Annabelle realizes the dire situation she, her mother, and younger brother are in, she decides to marry wealthy and a peer, no matter the cost.

Unfortunately for her, she has caught the eye of Simon Hunt, a son of a butcher ...from the working class! He is handsome, tall, and arrogantly aggressive. His alpha attitude intrigues her, but she knows she cannot marry him because he is of the working class.

Simon Hunt has worked his way up, amassing ludicrous amounts of money as a businessman. He finds himself in a limbo when he realizes he is neither accepted by the ton (because of his family origins, and because he works for his living) nor his true middle-class peers (because he is so wealthy and he interacts with the British peers).

He sees Annabelle and immediately falls for her. He senses that she is the one for him... except for the fact that she continuously rejects him.

The Wallflowers decide that since Annabelle is the oldest, they ought to work together to find her a husband first. They all venture to Stony Cross, Lord Marcus Marsden's country home.

Annabelle meets Simon there and is horrified. But excited.
At Stony Cross, Annabelle deems Lord Kendall to be the best candidate as her husband, knowing that he is all wrong for her and her for him.

And things get serious when Lord Kendall develops an interest in Annabelle....

What I love about LK's novels is that usually the heroes are self-made. They're from ordinary background and make something out of themselves. Simon is an excellent example of this. He works his tail of, knowing that he would never be satisfied as a butcher's son.

Another characteristic I love about Simon is his determination in making Annabelle his. He genuinely cares for her and expresses this to Annabelle. He speaks to her and shows her that he knows who she is.

Annabelle is another story; she cares for her family and therefore decides to marry wealthy, however, her stubbornness and pride prevent her from pursuing her attraction to Simon. Even after they are together, she seems to be embarrassed of Simon's humble origins.

However, this is remedied and she redeems herself when.. *spoilers - highlight to read*

she shows her love for Simon by risking her life for him. She redeems herself 1000%

*end spoiler*

... how can you not love her and Simon both?

The end of the story is fabulous. All the lead-up to the ending is worth it and wonderful.

All I can say is: Secrets of a Summer Night is what a love story ought to look like.

Is it May yet??

2008-12-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

On a non-Lisa Kleypas note...

I just finished Elizabeth Hoyt's To Seduce a Sinner. It was just okay.

But!!! I am so excited for the third in her The Legend of the Four Soldiers series, To Beguile a Beast.

It. Sounds. Amazing.

*squeal!!*

...I just want May to come. Is it May yet?

Do you think if I emailed Elizabeth Hoyt profusely, she would pity me and send me the text or send me an ARC?

...sigh...

Lisa Kleypas: A Wallflower Christmas

2008-12-22T10:02:00.003-07:00

A Wallflower Christmas: A
Hannah Appleton & Rafe Bowman

The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for true love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world’s most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe.…

It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts... (amazon)

YAY for Lisa Kleypas!

It's a little strange singing praises for Ms. Kleypas, especially when I haven't read all of her novels. However, she has become one of my most favorite authors, who is unlikely to disappoint through her charming and sensual novels.

A Wallflower Christmas is perfect for the HOLIDAY SEASON (and upcoming Christmas, in a scant three days!!) and also perfect to start off my I-Love-Lisa-Kleypas extravaganza!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Wallflower series, it is a story of four young ladies who were the outcasts - the wallflowers - during their debut. They quickly befriend each other and strive to marry, and coincidentally fall in loooove.

The Wallflower series are as follows:
1. Secrets of a Summer Night
2. It Happened One Autumn
3. Devil in Winter
4. Scandal in Spring

Reviews for these novels will be here in the days to come, however, in A Wallflower Christmas, we are introduced to Rafe Bowman, Lillian(book 2) and Daisy's (book 4) eldest brother.

He is a magnetic "rake" from the United States, as is the rest of the Bowman family, and comes to London to secure a marriage that his parents have deemed worthwhile and pleasing to them and everyone else.

The chosen bride is Lady Natalie, beautiful but uninteresting. Rafe quickly loses interest in her, but acknowledges the fact that she would be a "good match" because of their dull compatibility.

He, however, meets her chaperone and a common woman, Hannah, and is utterly intrigued with her wit and personality.

They try to resist each other, however, sparks fly and the chemistry between them in intense.

Rafe is left to make a difficult decision: marry Natalie and live without the one whom he loves, or marry Hannah and be cut out from his family (aka parents).

It is surprising that I was able to relate to these characters since the novel itself is quite short.
Unsurprisingly, one of the qualms I had with this story was that it was too short. Too short too short too short! Boo!! If I have to wait another several months for her next contemporary release, she might as well have made the story some five-hundred pages, or something along those lines...

But I digress. In a meager two-hundred something pages, I fell in love with "common and plain" Hannah and the devilish Rafe.

I loved how Rafe loved Hannah and how Hannah loved Rafe.

And, ohmygosh, I'm a total sucker for heroes who write passionate love letters to or about the woman they love.

Rafe did so and the letter was magical.
If I was Hannah, I pretty much would have been like, "See ya! I'm going to elope with Rafe." or maybe even, "Sure Rafe, I'll sleep with you. Right now? Okay, let's go!"

(um.. TooMuchInfo? Sorry folks.)

Anyway, this story was beautiful and Christmas-y, so it left me feeling all gooey and mushy and all holiday-seasony. I also loved seeing all of the former Wallflowers (especially Daisy and Matthew) and how (unrealistically) happy they are in their marriages.

What a (sigh) delicious read.

It's Lisa Kleypas week!

2008-12-22T09:02:00.003-07:00

I've declared this coming week (December 15-22) to be Lisa Kleypas week!

I know, I probably should have done this when one of her novels this fall (Seduce Me at Sunrise or A Wallflower Christmas) , but ..um... I like to be different and unique!

Regardless, I've decided that my task this winter is to glom LK's books, even though I'll probably be depressed after I finish. What will I have to keep me company if I fall into a book slump?? However, this glomming must be done!

So this week will be full of Lisa Kleypas reviews and probably love letters to the author, herself.

My wish is that she never come upon this blog. I would be mortified......and thrilled because I'm a punk like that.

Let the LK love begin!

Julia Quinn: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

2008-12-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever: C-
Miranda Cheever & Nigel Bevelstoke, Viscount Turner

At the age of ten, Miranda Cheever showed no signs of Great Beauty. And even at ten, Miranda learned to accept the expectations society held for her--until the afternoon when Nigel Bevelstoke, the handsome and dashing Viscount Turner, solemnly kissed her hand and promised her that one day she would grow into herself, that one day she would be as beautiful as she already was smart.

And even at ten, Miranda knew she would love him forever.

This was the most disappointing read, and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why this book won the 2007 Best Regency Historical Romance in the Romance Writers of America's annual RITA Awards. (But then again, I don't understand how JQ won it for her novel, On the Way to the Wedding because that one wasn't too great either...)

The breakdown of the story, short and un-sweet. Miranda Cheever writes in her diary every day. (I like that. Yay, journals!) She is not a Great Beauty. She accepts this. She meets Nigel Bevelstoke, older brother of her best friend...and she falls in looove.

Years later, Nigel has gone through a nasty marriage and is now a widow. His wife was a total loser, cuckolder, and what-not. Unsurprisingly, he's grown bitter.

He sees Miranda when she hangs out with her still-best friend, Olivia. He doesn't really notice her, but she's having heart palpitations from being in his presence.

And then one day he notices her.
And then he marries her because ...hm, I can't remember the reason.
But then after the marriage - they have great sex.
And then some more time passes, and she's about to give birth and is having complications. (She might die)
He realizes he loves her... *yawn*

Definitely not one of JQ's best novels. Not very interesting and not too romantic. No post-reading obsession of the book. In fact, I do believe I read this book in September... and a mere three months later, I fail to remember the details. This usually never happens to me. (Perhaps the tears of boredom made the words blurry to me - too blurry for me to remember...?)

With that said, I shall leave with the unanswerable question: since TSDOMMC won the 2007 RITA..... are the RITA awards rigged?

Think about it.

SQUEAL!

2008-12-10T10:02:00.001-07:00

I don't think I've ever blogged about the sister-duo, Dixie Cash (Pamela Cumbie and Jeffery McClanahan), but let me just say that their books are wickedly funny. (By wicked, I mean "very." LOL)

The first thing that caught my eye was Cash's book's title.

My Heart May Be Broken But My Hair Still Looks Great

...um, awesome!!

Intrigued, I checked the book out, giggling to myself. When I cracked open the spine and started reading - I laughed aloud at the hilarity of Debbie Sue and Edwina.

MYMBBBMHSLG (lmao) was fabulous so then I borrowed the 'prequel' to it: Since You're Leaving Anyway, Take Out the Trash. Oh goodness, who comes up with these amazing titles? It's a wonderful advertising ploy - the titles alone are enough to entice an innocent victim into purchasing the novel!

Their third, one that I haven't read yet, is called I Gave You My Heart But You Sold it Online. I have yet to read because the novel entails the antics of a 12-year old girl... and pre-pubescent teenagers tend to mildly irritate me.

However - here's the reason for the squeal - Cash's fourth novel is out (HOORAY!) and awesomely titled, Don't Make Me Choose Between You and My Shoes. Just for the title... just for the title, I shall read IGYMHBYSIO and then proceed to devour DMMCBYAMS.

So, readers, if you have a niggling for big-haired, hairdressers who also manage a private detective business (The Domestic Equalizers), or hunger for a light-but-hilarious romance, read Dixie Cash.

Note: I heartily recommend MYMBBBMHSLG (the second).
[A review will be coming shortly.]

Emily Giffin: Love the One You're With

2008-12-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Love the One You're With: A+

The New York Times bestselling author of SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE, and BABY PROOF delivers another captivating, straight-from-the heart novel. This is a story for everyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with, when I can't forget the one who got away?

Ellen and Andy's marriage doesn't just seem perfect, it is perfect. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo for the first time in eight years. Leo, the one who brought out the worst in her. Leo, the one who left her heartbroken with no explanation. Leo, the one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she’s living is the one she's meant to live. LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH is a powerful story about one woman at the crossroads of true love and real life.

Let me rave of a book I just recently finished that I love. It's the fourth novel of chick-lit writer, Ms. Emily Giffin. Giffin shot to the bestseller lists with her debut novel, Something Borrowed, and then Something Blue.

When my book buddy, Nance, told me about how much she loved Giffin, I quickly jumped onto amazon to investigate these amazing books. I was horrified when I read the synopsis of Something Borrowed. The heroine gets drunk at a party-thing and wakes up the next morning next to her best friend's fiance.

Adultery is a big no-no for Alice.
Adultery with your best friend's lover is an even bigger no-no.

"No, Nance, no way jose," I told her.

A couple months ago, she texted me, telling me how much she loved Love the One You're With. "You have got to read it, Alice!" LTOYW is a story of what happens when your old love - the one that got away - reappears in your life.

I agreed and told Nance I'd read it, if only to discuss with her. I read... and loved it.
I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.
I got no sleep the night I started the story.

Ellen is a thirty-three year old newlywed. Her marriage to her husband, Andy, is perfect; he is a wonderful, wonderful man who is incredibly thoughtful, handsome, caring, and loving.

It's a couple of months into their marriage when Ellen sees her ex, Leo. The one with whom she had a flaming, passionate relationship. The one who she loved with everything she had. The one who was probably 'the love of her life.'

And it's after she sees Leo, after she start re-talking to him, that she starts to question her marriage - and the love - she has for Andy. She wonders if she made the correct decision in marrying him.

I was reading this, praying that she would make the correct decision. It's really a compliment for Giffin - as an author, you know you have talent when your reader is rooting for both Andy and Leo.

Oh, if only Ellen hadn't married Andy.
Oh, if only Leo had appeared sooner.
Oh, if only Ellen hadn't seen Leo.
Andy! Leo! Andy! Leo!

...see, it's chaos. Absolute chaos.
And I loved it.

Giffin's words are powerful and you can feel - almost tangibly feel - the love, frustration, aggravation, and confusion pouring out from Ellen. She is an excellent writer - a smart chick-lit writer (sorry, I kind-of think chick-lit authors write less-than-great, with all the italicized words and parantheses and what-not) and one whose words you want to keep on reading.

If you've ever had a 'the one that got away' type experience, or have felt the slow crumble of a relationship with one whom you've loved deeply - you'll relate to this story. And you'll love it.

In short: READ!

Catherine Anderson: Baby Love

2008-12-02T10:02:00.001-07:00

Baby Love: DNF
Maggie Stanley & Rafe Kendrick
Kendrick/ Coulter series 1

Though I usually love Catherine Anderon's novels, I found this one to be most uninteresting. It is the beginning of her series (one with many, many novels - like eight or nine?) and I'm glad I read some of the other books in the series before reading this one or else I would have given up on the entire series.

From reading roughly half the book (approximately 160 pages), this is what I got:

Rafe lost his beloved wife and child.
He proceeded to lose himself and "ran away" from his home and duties, traveling around to different cities on trains.
He meets Maggie on one of these trains.
She's a damsel in distress.
He falls in love with her - almost overnight.
He takes care of her when she needs to be taken care of at the hospital.
He immediately makes amends with his estranged family - and they welcome him back with open arms.

..and then I stopped.

What?!

First, I hate second-love stories.
Like, when the hero or heroine has desperately and passionately loved XYZ and XYZ dies. They're heartbroken. Then the new hero/ heroine steps in and takes the place of the former love. (Ex: Susan Elizabeth Phillip's Dream a Little Dream, Lisa Kleypas's Where Dreams Begin..)
I am a huge advocate of first-love stories and therefore, losing one's first love only to move on and love a second love, though realistic, is not something I'm chum chum with.

Second, how unrealistic is this story?
Not that I look for realism in a romance, per se, but the whole journey of falling in love (aka the reason why I read romances) was lost in this story. Rafe falls in love with Maggie ...just there and then. No real explanations. And even after the story progresses with him loving her, it never really explains why he loved her. Bogus!!, I say.

Third, I flat-out lost interest. I put it down - in mild exasperation - and never wanted to pick it back up.

Sadly, this one is a no-go, DNF.

Joanna Bourne: My Lord and Spymaster

2008-12-01T10:02:00.001-07:00

My Lord and Spymaster: C-
Jessamyn Whitby & Captain Sebastian Kennett

Bourne's latest espionage-based series historical (following The Spymaster's Lady) entices with subtle subterfuge and heated romance. Jess Whitby, daughter of suspected spy Josiah Whitby, is doing everything in her power to exonerate her imprisoned father. In order to free him, she must prove that someone other than her father is the Cinq, a notorious mole. But Jess has met her match in Capt. Sebastian Kennett, wealthy bastard son of an English nobleman, equally as clever at keeping tabs on Jess as she is at tracking him. Sebastian is responsible for Josiah's arrest; Jess believes that Sebastian may be the Cinq; their mutual attraction proves a lovely foil for their suspicious minds. (amazon)

I just know I'm going to be in the minority, but I didn't find much in this story that I really enjoyed.

The plot, after a while, became tedious, as did the characters. I felt like the plot moved really slowly and I lost interest half or a third-way through. I chugged along, hoping that the romance between Jess and Sebastian would outweigh the dullness of finding Cinq, going after the suspected Cinq candidates, and Jess's constant visitations with her father.

The romance was lukewarm. It was a lot of Sebastian trying to empower Jess, but Jess resisting, and then them showing their love for each other in dangerous ways. Example: Jess going off to her previous master (when she was a thief) so that Sebastian wouldn't have to go himself since the master is a feared and very dangerous slumlord, etc. Those and other kinds of actions that I would normally find sigh-worthy grated my nerves.

Then there was the suspicion between Jess and Sebastian, since Sebastian was one of the candidates who could possibly be Cinq. Then Jess trying to un-love Sebastian because of the uncertainty, and yadda yadda yadda...

Before I knew it, I wanted the novel to be over and I didn't care much if Sebastian and Jess ever did get together.

I hate to say it, since I did enjoy Ms. Bourne's debut novel The Spymaster's Lady, but I would have rather passed on this one.

Sasha Lord: In My Wild Dream

2008-11-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

In My Wild Dream: D-

Kassandra & Cadedryn Caenmore

Wild series #5

For years, Kassandra has dreamed of a strong Scottish laird, surrounded by a cloak of evil, whom she's destined to marry. When the dreams begin to change, and a dream-world knife follows her into the waking world, she fears for the man in her dreams and persuades her half-sister, Princess Kalial, to take her to court where she may find and help him. Kassandra's intended turns out to be Cadedryn, a powerful warrior dedicated to regaining the land and title his murdered father lost when he married for love rather than politics. Determined not to repeat his father's mistake, Cadedryn rejects Kassandra, pronouncing his intention to marry the landed Lady Corine. Abandoning her courtly accoutrements, Kassandra pursues Cadedryn by posing as peasant. Soon, Caderyn falls for the fiery, flame-haired commoner he knows as Kaitlynn, threatening the plans of Lady Corine-as well as other, more sinister forces.

The fifth of Ms. Lord’s Wild series is of Kassandra, “wild child” and of Cadedryn. They are…interesting.

Let me give a prologue-y sidenote before I begin:

I understand that in the medieval times, girls married in their early to mid-teens, from fourteen to seventeen. Anything older = spinster!! This age gets progressively later as time passes. So when a girl is sixteen in medieval time, I immediately equate it to modern day of maybe twenty six, twenty seven. Therefore, a girl of marriageable age ought to be …not quite so childish and at least, be somewhat mature.

Perhaps this is my mistake: maybe girls in the medieval times at age sixteen were still… girls, not quite women. Weird. (But didn’t everyone die a lot younger back then? So their sixteen is like today’s thirty five… no? Oy…!)

Okay, back to the review.

Kassandra is a “wild child,” raised in the woods, running about the woods with her wild animal pet, weasel Triu-cair. She is also the half-sister of Kalial (now Kalial McTaver from book one). With her strange prophetic powers, she sees her beloved soulmate in her dreams. It gives her a precious sword and asks her to look for him.

Being a romantic, she is determined to search for this mystery man. She convinces Kalial to take her to the city (I forget which but the King is there) and on her trips, she meets an infuriatingly annoying man by the name of Cadedryn. He, of course, is her hero, something she doesn’t realize.

Cadedryn is in the city to regain his family’s name, something that was lost when his father disobeyed the King’s orders to marry a woman – he, instead, chose to marry the woman he loved and in turn, the King stripped the Caenmores of their wealth. To Cadedryn’s horror, his father was murdered when he was a young boy, and Cadedryn went to live with Laird McCafferty and his son, Curtis. It’s been Cadedryn’s desire to regain his family’s honor by proving himself as a worthy warrior and by marrying advantageously. By meeting the king and agreeing to an arranged marriage, he feels he will right the wrongs of his father.

When Cadedryn falls for the wild Kassandra – surprise!

Things get a little twisted when Cadedryn mistakenly believes Kassandra has a twin sister, and he falls for both… and someone is trying to kill both of them…

Kassandra acts like a sixteen year old – foolishly in love with her romantic notions and heady with the desire for love, yet it is clear that she is not a strong enough heroine. I just can’t picture her to soothe Cadedryn when he is in need of her arms and yadda yadda yadda. She is fickle. Young. And holy cow, she really does sound like a modern teenager going through growing pains.

Skip this melodramatic bore.

Sheri Cobb South: Brighton Honeymoon

2008-11-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Brighton Honeymoon: A
Polly Hampton & Sir Aubrey Tabor

Suddenly unemployed and with no place to turn, orphaned Polly Hampton refuses to abandon the project that brought her to London in the first placeDthe search for her unknown noble father. In a flash of audacious inventiveness, she presents herself at the home of wealthy weaver Ethan Brundy, claiming to be his long-lost sister. Although Ethan sees through her ruse immediately, his aristocratic wife decides to take Polly under her wing, with rewarding and highly entertaining results. Good attention to period detail, a lively, witty style, and wonderfully atypical characters combine in a sparkling story vaguely reminiscent of Georgette Heyer's classic These Old Shades. Here, South nicely continues the story begun in The Weaver Takes a Wife...(amazon)

In the continuing glomming of Ms. Sheri Cobb South's books, I was delighted to discover that there was a sequel to The Weaver Takes a Wife. As you know, I loved TWTAF so I opened Brighton Honeymoon with high expectations.

I was not disappointed.

In Brighton Honeymoon, we are introduced to Polly, a sweet girl who came to the city in search of her father. She was a child born out of wedlock and was assured by her mother that her father was someone of importance; after her mother passes away, she is determined to find her father, envisioning their reunion to be glorious, filled with happy tears, and all that jazz.

She finds employment at a bookstore, partially because of her love of books (ooh, I love characters who love to read!) and partially because she hopes that her father will magically walk in.

The situation quickly turns sour when she is fired from her job. With nowhere to go, she goes to our beloved Mr. Ethan Brundy's home and claims she is his long-lost sister!

His wife, Helena, who is not nearly as snotty as we once believed, embraces Polly, however, Ethan remains unconvinced. He knows that he is extraordinarily wealthy and he knows that the world is full of people hoping to snag a piece of his hard-earned dough. (er, money..)

Ethan calls upon his friend, Sir Aubrey Tabor. Aubrey knows something is not right with Polly and tells Ethan he will rid the newly-wedded couple of her.

Unfortunately for Ethan, Aubrey, Polly, and Aubrey's mother (cranky, hoity-toity haughty woman) join him and Helena on their honeymoon to Brighton!

This is a delightful romp and it is filled with giggles, impeccable characters, and Ms. South's exquisite writing. It is so delightful that you will overlook the cliched and very coincidental ending - it somehow works.

Another must-read in my book.

Meredith Duran: The Duke of Shadows

2008-11-27T10:02:00.001-07:00

The Duke of Shadows: A
Emmaline Martin & Julian Sinclair, Duke of Auburn

In a debut romance as passionate and sweeping as the British Empire, Meredith Duran paints a powerful picture of an aristocrat torn between two worlds, an heiress who dares to risk everything...and the love born in fire and darkness that nearly destroys them.

From exotic sandstone palaces...

Sick of tragedy, done with rebellion, Emmaline Martin vows to settle quietly into British Indian society. But when the pillars of privilege topple, her fiancé's betrayal leaves Emma no choice. She must turn for help to the one man whom she should not trust, but cannot resist: Julian Sinclair, the dangerous and dazzling heir to the Duke of Auburn.

To the marble halls of London...

In London, they toast Sinclair with champagne. In India, they call him a traitor. Cynical and impatient with both worlds, Julian has never imagined that the place he might belong is in the embrace of a woman with a reluctant laugh and haunted eyes. But in a time of terrible darkness, he and Emma will discover that love itself can be perilous -- and that a single decision can alter one's life forever.

Destiny follows wherever you run.

A lifetime of grief later, in a cold London spring, Emma and Julian must finally confront the truth: no matter how hard one tries to deny it, some pasts cannot be disowned...and some passions never die.

I saw Trollop from the book bitches searching for this book, an I can see why. After waiting patiently for several months, I got my grubby little hands on my very own copy (well, my own copy for the next three weeks). I read it through the night (horrible habit, I woke up looking atrocious the next morning) and folks, it was a damn good read.

Debut author, Meredith Duran, has done the very difficult and almost-unthinkable: she has managed to write a romance that can effectively serve as a saga - in three-hundred and something pages.

Emmaline and Julian meet in Delhi in 1857, where tensions are running high and the country's turmoil is glaring. She has come to India to be with her fiance and after a disastrous journey, she arrives, only to realize that her fiance is a flaming jerkwad. Emma also meets Julian, the notorious Duke of Auburn, known for being a quarter Indian. He has been grudgingly accepted by British society because of his dukedom, however, he is neither liked nor admired - much.

When situations in India explode, Emma is caught in the middle. Julian saves her and they abscond to a village where he leaves her - in safety.

Things do not go well and they are separated.

They meet again in London after years of separation, and their experiences have changed them into different people. And the love that was so strong between them has turned into something akin to rage and bitterness.

It is, of course, reading of their journey to reconciliation that was so satisfying and so lovely.

Ms. Duran is a doctorate student in cultural anthropology and I can see that she loves her field and she loves this era of time through her precise and descriptive writings. Furthermore, her prose is beautiful (she uses "meaty" sentences - remember when your English teacher told you to stop being a pansy and to beef up your sentences with details?) and her writing sucks you in.

I didn't love the last thirty pages as much as I wished because I felt it was a little roundabout and a little long-ish, but I decided that was trivial in comparison to her skills as a debut author.

Do give this a try.

PS: Julian is quite delicious. :)

Happy Gobble Gobble Day!

2008-11-27T00:08:00.006-07:00

I hope you spend this wonderful day with your family members and loved ones.

Please remember all of the things you are blessed with!

I am grateful for:
good books that I can curl up and enjoy because it allows me to travel many places and be many characters; Hazelnut lattes because they hit the spot; my old, junkie laptop because I have one; my iPod Miss Daisy because I am never lonely with music playing in my ears; my book club ladies because they're so much fun; Judith McNaught because she made me believe in romances; authors that can make you laugh and cry; this blog that I can abuse; for libraries because you can read books for free; librarians because they help you when you get confused; my bed because I love to sleep; my evil little dog; my family and friends...

and to you - thanks for reading!

..really, I'm not that mean in real life.
......oh fine, I am, but usually have candy with me so I can make you like me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lauren Weisberger: Chasing Harry Winston

2008-11-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

Chasing Harry Winston: C+
Chick lit-ish romance-ish

Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer -- whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems -- could they be right?

Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life...

Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and -- as her mother keeps reminding her -- she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best?

These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned -- first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large -- they're not quite sure they like what they see...

One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.

This, by far, is the worst book out of the three that Lauren Weisberger has written.

While the premise of the book might be interesting, the book is fast paced... a little too fast-paced. There isn't much time to invest energy into the characters and not enough time is spent on each of the three characters. It's a whirlwind, flipping back and forth between Emmy, Leigh, and Adriana.

I still get confused - which one was Leigh again? Was she the one who got dumped or was she the one who is neurotic?

The outline of the book also made a huge difference for me, strangely. Instead of starting new chapters, there are those page gaps in between paragraphs to indicate the passing of time, by which I mean - the passing of months and months of time.

Before you know it, it's Fall. Then it's Christmas. Then it's the end of February.

The time passes and passes and the reader doesn't realize the year is almost over... until it's over. The ending was cheesy, which isn't too bad (I like cheese a decent amount) but a little too coincidental.

And for purely subjective, non-concrete reasons, I can't say that I really really enjoyed this read. Not because I really hated one aspect of the book, but because it was just... un-outstanding.

A C+ for being decently entertaining.