Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Hump Day Humor



Theme: Getting Older


You Know You're Getting Older When...
Everything hurts and what doesn't hurt, doesn't work.
The gleam in your eyes is from the sun hitting your bifocals.
You feel like the night after, and you haven't been anywhere.
Your little black book contains only names ending in M.D.
You get winded playing chess.
Your children begin to look middle aged.
You're still chasing women but can't remember why.
A dripping faucet causes an uncontrollable bladder urge.
You know all the answers, but nobody asks you the questions.
You look forward to a dull evening.
You walk with your head high trying to get used to your bifocals.
Your favorite part of the newspaper is "25 Years Ago Today..."
You turn out the light for economic reasons rather than romantic ones.
You sit in a rocking chair and can't get it going.
Your knees buckle and your belt won't.
You regret all those mistakes resisting temptation.
After painting the town red, you have to take a long rest before applying a second coat.
Dialing long distance wears you out.
You're startled the first time you are addressed as an old timer.
You just can't stand people who are intolerant.
The best part of your day is over when your alarm clock goes off.
You burn the midnight oil until 9 pm.
Your back goes out more often than you do.
A fortune teller offers to read your face.
Your pacemaker makes the garage door go up when you watch a pretty girl go by.
The little gray-haired lady you help across the street is your wife.
You have too much room in the house and not enough room in the medicine cabinet.
You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there

Tuesday Thingers




Today's question: Cataloging sources. What cataloging sources do you use most? Any particular reason? Any idiosyncratic choices, or foreign sources, or sources you like better than others? Are you able to find most things through LT's almost 700 sources?


My answer: Ever since I've been collecting books and having a huge TBR, I've input all my books into an Excel spreadsheet. Since I've been doing this everytime I get something new, it's been easy to update. My spreadsheet has title, author, published date, if it's a series (Harlequin, Silhouette), and then I give it my own personal rating. Recently I've joined Shelfari and Goodreads and have put my books in there, but I can't possibly input all the books in my TBR. There are just too many of them, so I add them as I go along.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Manic Monday #127



Every person you have ever slept with is invited to a banquet where you are the guest of honor. No one will be in attendance except you, the collection of your former lovers, and the catering service. After the meal, you are asked to give a fifteen-minute speech to the assembly.
What do you talk about?

What a hottie my husband is :)

What's your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?

I like to read and watch DVDs.

Are you a window person or an aisle person? Why?

Definitely an aisle person. I feel too claustrophobic sitting by the window.

All About Evie by Beth Ciotta




Genre: Romance

I must admit, I’ve been pretty lucky lately. I’ve been reading some great books and this one is no exception. I’ve never read anything by this author before, but rest assured, she’s now on my auto-buy list.

Evie Parish, a fortysomething out-of-work Atlantic City showgirl, goes to an audition at one of the casinos but finds herself having to compete with younger women. Getting tired of being turned down, she daringly bares her breasts to the judges to show them what they are missing. She finds herself, not only turned away, but perhaps never working in Atlantic City again.

She pays a visit to her agent, who happens to be her creepy ex-husband who left her for a younger woman. Against his better judgment, he sets Evie up for a theater performance on a cruise ship, neglecting to give her any real information about her assignment Evie was desperate so she grabbed the job before either one of them could have second thoughts.

When she arrives, she meets up with, Arch, the man pretending to be her older husband. However, in reality, he was no old man. He was hot to say the least! Evie’s job was to be his wacky ex-vegas showgirl wife, Sugar Dupont. She realizes this is no theater performance and she’s not quite sure why they are doing this, but a job is a job and she goes along with it.

Evie ends up on a dangerous adventure she never expected. She needed a scorecard to tell the good guys from the bad guys. She wondered which category Arch fell in, especially since she found herself falling in love with the sexy man.

This story is filled with twists and hilarious situations that will have you ROFL. Each character is carefully crafted with a personality of their very own. This is one book guaranteed to turn any reader’s bad day into a great one. I absolutely cannot wait to read the second book about Evie Parish, which I already happen to have in my TBR. I’m looking forward to meeting up with Evie and her friends once again for another wild adventure.

Another 5 star read for me.

For the following reading challenges:

Romance Club Reading Challenge (author I never read before)

The Sunday Salon



Happy Sunday everyone! Another week has gone by. I only had time to read one book this week and just finished it this morning. "All About Evie" by Beth Ciotta. I'll post my review later, but this was an excellent book. It left me smiling and I needed a smile this week.

I'm not sure what book I'm going to pick up next, but I'll make my big decision for the week as soon as I return from grocery shopping. Important decisions like these cannot be rushed. LOL I do hope you all have a great week.

Happy Reading!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Saturday Special



~Summer Favorites~


1. Favorite Summer Activity: Sitting by the beach or pool and reading.


2. Favorite Summer Meal: Hamburgers on the grill.


3. Favorite Thirst Quencher: Diet Coke


4. Favorite Summer Weather: Around 80 degrees, sun shining and no humidity


Stop by and visit the Saturday Special at http://satspecial.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 25, 2008

Friday 5 for July 25: Metaphors Be With You

1. When you go to the beach, lake, or pool, are you more likely to lower yourself gradually into cold water or to take a determined plunge and get it over with?

I gradually lower myself into the water. I'm such a chicken :)

2. How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other tasks or ordeals?

I'm cautious about everything I do, so it's very similar.

3. When someone gives you flowers, are you more likely to let them turn completely brown and gross before throwing them out, or to discard them the moment they take on that sick-flower look?

I keep them until they are disgusting. LOL

4. How is this like (or unlike) your approach to other gifts, purchases, or relationships?

I keep things forever. So, again, it's very similar.

5. Think of your favorite movie (or a movie you really like, if you can’t think of a favorite). Some people say that the reasons you love your favorite movie are related to what you value in romantic relationships. How is this true or untrue in your case?

My all time favorite movie is A League of Their Own but I can't see any way that is related to my romantic relationship.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Tuesday Thingers




Today's topic: Recommendations. Do you use LT's recommendations feature? Have you found any good books by using it? Do you use the anti-recommendations, or the "special sauce" recommendations? How do you find out about books you want to read?


I've never used LT at all, so I never used their recommendations. I go through Romantic Times each month and write down all the books that interest me, based on the synopsis of each book (not the ratings). I, also, rely on recommendations from people in reading groups I belong to or authors I'm familiar with. I receive email newsletters from authors and publishers, so if I see something in those that interest me, I'll get them.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Manic Monday #126

What's your favorite beach in the world?

Cancun, Mexico. I loved it there.




What's the next country you want to visit?

I'd love to go to Australia.

What one thing are you craving today?

A day off from work! However, that's not happening so I better go to work :)

If you'd like to participate in Manic Monday, click on the button in my sidebar.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell



Genre: Cozy Mystery

I will start this review with, I loved this book!!!! LOL I thought I’d just get that out right at the beginning. This is a brand new series by Sarah Atwell. It’s a Glassblowing Mystery and takes place in Tucson, Arizona. Although I live in New York, I felt immediately transported to Tucson after the first chapter.
Emmeline Dowell is an artist who teaches glassblowing, as well as sells her craft. A quiet young woman shows up at her shop and Emmeline immediately takes her under her wing. She doesn’t know why she feels so protective of Allison, but she does. When Emmeline finds a dead body in her studio’s furnace and learns the body belongs to Allison’s husband, she begins to wonder just how innocent the woman really is. Things get really dicey when Em’s brother visits and is immediately smitten by Allison.

Odd and dangerous things continue to happen when Em finds another dead body and receives threats. She gets right in the middle of the investigation. No way will she leave things up to the police after their incompetence becomes obvious when bad things happen right under their noses. However, is she making things better or worse?

This book has a cast of characters that I fell in love with immediately. Em is a strong heroine with a lot of spunk. Even the secondary characters are well-developed and very well portrayed. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series which comes out in November 2008. I don’t usually rate my books, but I’m giving this one a 5 star rating! This also allows me the chance to cross off another book in the amateur sleuth reading challenge.

Bookroom Contest!



The Bookroom is having a contest to win a set of fourteen books! Make sure you go over there and enter by clicking the title of this post.

The Sunday Salon



Good Afternoon and Happy Sunday to everyone! We've been having a mini-heatwave this weekend, but today seems a bit better.

I've spent the week reading Sarah Atwell's cozy mystery Through a Glass, Deadly. I loved it and will post a review soon. Another book to cross off the Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge. I'm now reading All About Evie by Beth Ciotta. Too soon to say what I think about it.

This evening we're going to see The Dark Knight - the latest Batman movie. We haven't actually seen a movie in the theater for years. We usually wait for the DVD, but we're going today (and [probably next week when the new The X-Files movie comes out).

I do hope you are all enjoying the summer and your weekend.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Pay it Forward Contest




The Bookroom Reviews blog is holding several exciting free book contests including The Host by Stephenie Meyers. Check it out by clicking the title of this post "Pay it Forward Contest".

Booking Through Thursday

Do you buy books while on vacation/holiday?

Do you have favorite bookstores that you only get to visit while away on a trip?

What/Where are they?



No, I don't buy books while on vacation, but I do bring a huge stack of books from my own TBR to read. It's my favorite part of packing - choosing which books to read and choosing enough so that I have enough to read for whatever mood I happen to be in at the moment :)

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Tuesday Thingers

Today's topic: Book-swapping. Do you do it? What site(s) do you use? How did you find out about them? What do you think of them? Do you use LT's book-swapping column feature for information on what to swap? Do you participate in any of the LT communities that discuss bookswapping, like the Bookmooch group for example?

Yes! Absolutely! I use both Bookmooch and PaperbackSwap. PBS was the first time I ever used a swap site and it's my favorite. Although, I do like Bookmooch too. I like PBS best because I can print out the labels with the postage on it. I like that. I've never used LT.

What I like about the swap sites is that I often find books that are no longer available anywhere else. It's been especially helpful in collecting the cozy series that I love so much.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Manic Monday

What do you do when you are feeling very sad or depressed?


I buy books! I know that sounds strange, but I have to go out and buy something and I love books. (Less expensive then jewlery!)


Who was your first crush?


Bobby Sherman!






If given a chance to skip work for a day (without repercussions), how would you spend the entire day?



Reading on the beach.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Boys of Summer by Julie Elizabeth Leto, Kimberly Raye and Leslie Kelly




Harlequin Blaze #264

Genre: Romance

Another book I read for the Harlequin/Silhouette Romance Reading Challenge. This is an anthology type of book with three stories set in the world of baseball. The Louisville Slammers are threatening to leave the town of Louisville causing an uproar amongst their fans, as well as the local businesses which would suffer due to their departure. Each story follows the women who own three of those businesses and their struggles to keep things going. The women decide to throw caution to the and fulfill their fantasy with someone connected to the Slammers before they go.

Julie Elizabeth Leto’s story starts things off as her ex-husband is the one responsible for the possible departure of the Slammers. As team owner, Donovan Ross found himself in dire financial trouble leaving him no choice but to sell the club. Callie Andrews wants to make him change his mind, but more than that, she wants one last chance to be with her ex. If the sale goes through, it could mean she’ll never see him again and she might even have to close here restaurant.

The Sweet Spot is the ice cream shop that caters to the crowds after each game. Kimberly Raye gives us a heroine who wants one chance to be with the team’s shortstop before the team leaves town, but she strikes out. She doesn’t realize the team’s coach is interested in more than her delicious ice cream.

The final story is by Leslie Kelly. Janie Nolan has sacrificed her own happiness for her brother’s sports memorabilia store. She knows nothing about sports, but while her brother is in the military, she finds herself desperate to keep his store open. When she hears that the team might leave town, she realizes she might not have any chance of making a success of the business. She sets her sights on the team’s sexy pitcher, but can she put aside her brother’s dream for one of her own?

This was a quick read. A nice way to spend an afternoon. I think each book could really have been the length of a full Blaze, but the characters were cute and I enjoyed it. The three authors involved always write a sexy, hot romance. All three are favorites of mine.

The Sunday Salon



Another Sunday has arrived and here in New York we're having very hot and humid weather.

I just finished reading Boys of Summer. A Harlequin Blaze by Julie Elizabeth Leto, Kimberly Raye and Leslie Kelly. It was good. I'll post a review later today or tomorrow. Another book crossed off my Harlequin/Silhouette reading challenge. Only one more book to go.

Now, I'm starting Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell. Looks like a good cozy.

On a sad note, I'm a huge New York Yankees fan and one of our players from my youth (as well as a current broadcaster)passed away yesterday from brain cancer - Bobby Murcer. He was only 62. It's a very sad day.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Friday's Feast

Appetizer

When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

A couple of weeks ago.

Soup

Name one thing you miss about being a child.

Being oblivious to the bad things in the world.

Salad

Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Love butter, but use margarine as a substitute. Butter has too much fat :)

Main Course

If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

Spanish - So many people speak Spanish.

Dessert

Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

I wish I could say retired, but I'm still too young :) Probably exactly where I am now.

How long could you survive the vacuum of space?

How long could you survive in the vacuum of space?
Created by OnePlusYou

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Danger Zone by Debra Webb




Harlequin Nascar

Genre: Romance

Jenna Williams loved Buck Buchanan with all her heart, but she knew he loved his NASCAR team the Rocket City Racers even more. His team members hated her and she never felt comfortable in the world of NASCAR, so she walked out on him. What he didn’t know was that she walked out pregnant with his child. Twelve years later that daughter was in big trouble. Jenna had no choice but to plead with her ex-lover for help, but would she have to tell him the secret about their love child?

Buck Buchanan never got over losing Jenna and never quite understood her reasons for leaving him, but when she turns up on his doorstep twelve years later, he can do nothing but help her any way that he can. When her daughter is kidnapped and the ransom note asks for a million dollars, he’s the only one Jenna knows with that kind of money. Buck doesn’t hesitate to get it, but he soon starts to wonder…could Jenna’s daughter be his too?

This was a fast-paced read and an enjoyable romance. There were a couple of times I wanted to choke the heroine and screamed “Tell him already!”, but that just added to the fun of the romance and led us to a very sweet ending. I’m not a NASCAR fan, but I did enjoy the couple of books I read and this is one of them. Very well written, good concise plot and very well-developed characters. The good guys were likeable and the bad guys were oh so bad! I have a few Debra Webb books in my TBR – mainly Harlequin Intrigues, and I will definitely be reading more of her books and more in the NASCAR series, as well.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Sunday Salon




Another week has gone by....time is absolutely flying. I can't believe July 4th has come and gone. I took off Thursday to give myself a four day weekend. I thought I'd have a nice, restful four days but it didn't quite work out that way. On the very first day my car broke down and I don't live in an area where public transportation helps. Nor can I walk to anything from here, except maybe 7-11 and there's only so much time you can spend there :) I'm supposed to pick up my car tomorrow sometime, but of course my husband and I will have to work out the logistics so we can both get to work, but we only have his car to work with. We'll figure something out.

You would think being stranded I would have done a lot of reading, but that's not the case. I was too busy worrying and getting restless, so I did lots of laundry. Not to mention not pulling myself away from the TV or the computer. I've become a soap opera addict again, just when I thought I was pulling away from them, I'm back to being a fanatic. LOL

I did manage to do some reading, though. I finished Bitter Sweets by G.A. McKevett for a book discussion and part of a reading challenge. I loved this book and this series.

Now, I'm reading a Harlequin Nascar book "Danger Zone" by Debra Webb. This is for my Harlequin/Silhouette reading challenge. It's pretty good, so far. I like these Nascar books even though I'm not a Nascar fan. Go figure!

That's my Sunday in a nutshell. I hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Bitter Sweets by G.A. McKevett


Genre: Cozy Mystery


This is the second book of G.A. McKevett’s Savannah Reid Mystery series and I’m such a big fan of this series after only reading the first two books. Savannah is a wonderful, strong character. She is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy heroines.

This story begins with Savannah, recently fired from the police department, desperately trying to make her new PI business a success. She gets her first break when a man comes in looking for his long-lost sister. Savannah has no problem locating the missing woman and her daughter, but when murders start occurring afterwards, she wonders if she made a mistake in uncovering the whereabouts of the missing woman and her child. Things especially get dicey when the little girl is kidnapped and there is no trace of her anywhere.

As Savannah begins to investigate further, she comes up against so many twists and turns, she doesn’t know which way to go. One thing is for certain, she must find the real culprit before the police decide she’s the only possible killer.

I have to admit, I didn’t have much trouble in figuring out who the killer was but I still loved this story and the characters. This is a fast-paced mystery and all the characters are incredibly well-developed. I especially loved Savannah’s grandmother. She’s wonderful and I’m hoping to see more of her in future stories. The next book in this series “Killer Calories” sounds excellent and I’m looking forward to reading it.