I think I’ve said before – oh so long ago now since I took a lengthy sabbatical – that my reading life has been turned upside down over the past couple of years. I was a hold out to ereading, being one of those who said they loved holding a book too much, purchasing eBooks was too complicated, I like book covers – well some of them, etc. etc. But I bowed to the electronic age and purchased a Kobo. It was OK but I still read more print books than eBooks on the Kobo. Then I got an IPad and that is when my reading life was forever changed.
 

•  The books had covers. Coloured covers. And if it’s a naked guy cover, no one knows.

• I could get books either through Kindle, Kobo or IBook’s which means I can do comparison shopping for the best price.

• It’s backlit so I can read at night without lights. If the hydro goes out, I can still read. I was listening to Coast to Coast AM this morning before getting up – a fascinating, yet at times chilling show it is and they were saying we are due for a huge solar flare that will knock out electricity all over the world. I may not be able to cook or get money out of the bank or call anybody or get gas or any number of other terrifying things that will result (see – scary show) but I WILL be able to read

•  I can carry hundreds and I do mean hundreds of books around with me at all times

•  If a book starts to bore me, or it’s so ramped up for one reason or another and I need a break, I can easily switch to one of many jewel games.

• I can adjust the size of the font; the later in the day, the more tired my eyes get. Can’t find my reading glasses? Simply increase font

•  I can do a real quick look up if I’m reading a good book and want to know if there are more. I don’t have to put the book down and go to the computer

• Buying a new book, in my pajamas, at 3:30 in the morning if I can’t sleep

• Investigating a book; checking Good Reads, Amazon, that kind of thing The pros of having an IPad and reading on it are limitless. Probably a good 97% of the books I read are now eBooks.

And this has rocked my reading world. So, if this is the case for me, it must be the case for some many others – SO - I can’t understand how the big publishers can charge MORE for an ebook than for print. Yes I’ve read a few articles technically on why they do this; behind the times, trying to stick it to Amazon, other reasons. But I only care about ME and other readers. And I care about AUTHORS. We are both losers. For the most part I don’t read the same books I did a few years ago, even last year. I’ve stopped reading so many authors I’ve loved in the past and it hurts that I don’t.

But I WILL NOT CAVE to corporate greed and bickering because on huge corporate greed might be making more than the other. And in that battle, in my little corner, Amazon is coming out so far ahead. Because I don’t pay stupid prices, most of the books I’m reading these days are from authors I’d never heard of even a few months ago. The prices are SO much lower and even better; I am really liking many of them. A lot.

While I was blocked out of the blog and after the mojo started coming back, I started posting reviews to Good Reads. I have quite a few now of Amazon Digital books and just a very few of the big publisher books. I would have done them here – but, well, I was locked out of my own ‘home’. So all of this long winded post is just to say that in up-coming posts I will be focusing a lot on reviews by mostly epubbed authors I’ve enjoyed

‘til later

A Word of Advice

 

I can while away many an hour on Amazon, just browsing around; looking up authors backlists, checking out reviews, following other books which are recommended.  I was having fun this morning doing exactly this.  There was one author’s whose book popped up as recommended so I followed so see what I thought.  The synopsis of the book looked interesting so I thought to check out a few reviews.  I usually start at the one star ones because sometimes what bothers the reviewer might not bother me and one can be sure it’s not a ‘fan girl’.  When I did this, I saw the author had made a MAJOR FAIL.

 

Authors take note and DO NOT DO THIS.  This particular author had responded to the bad grades and when I read what she had written, I had an “oh no you didn’t” reaction.  The first reviewer didn’t say much in her review but did say she enjoyed the book.  The authors response?  She requested the reviewer change her grade!!!!!!  Seriously!!!!!  She wrote that!!!!!! 

 

The next low grade was even better – in a ‘boy is this a bad author thing to do’ way.  She accused the reviewer of being mean and as there were so many positive reviews, she didn’t understand why the reviewer would do this; she must be one of those people who got off on bringing other people down  AND THEN she requested that she not read or review any more of this authors work.  A huge WTF??  I read the review and I thought it was well written and the reviewer had been clear on why the book didn’t work.  She made no slight to the author personally.  So why the author had to do what she did is a complete mystery.  Of course there isn’t a chance I’ll try her now because she was so stupid in what she did.  They could be the greatest books in the world but her behavior made sure that this reader will never know.

 

I think many an author knows this, but for those who may not – not everyone is going to love your books.  I would say almost impossible that any writer will get universal high marks.  So instead of getting your knickers in a knot, accept this as an ‘it is what it is’ attitude.  Take something from bad review if possible.  In the case this morning, the negative had some issues the author could work on and try and improve instead of telling the reviewer not read her books anymore.  I can’t imagine a more absurd statement.  You don’t think that’s going to make its way around the wires?  It made it to me.  Because I like to ramble and my motto why say in 10 words what I can say in 100 I wrote more than needed.  So in 10 words

 

AUTHORS, DO NOT REPLY TO BAD REVIEWS OF YOUR BOOKS

 

‘til later

The Anatomy of a DNF

The following is the opinion of the post author only and does not reflect probably many different reviews. In fact, looking at other reviews on GoodReads and Amazon I’m in the minority

When I buy a book it is with the intention of if not loving it, at least liking it a lot, though sometimes not even the a lot applies.  But then there are the books we readers call the DNF which stands for Did Not Finish.  Not everyone has DNFs.  Some readers do finish every book they start, a philosophy I don't hold myself.  My reading life is littered with DNF'

 

At times it seems like every book I read I give high grades.  But that is not the case.  I’ve debated on doing this for a while and decided to go ahead.

 

The following is the opinion of this blogger only and does not reflect probably many different reviews.



When I buy a book it is with the intention of if not loving it, at least liking it a lot, though sometimes not even the a lot applies.  But then there are the books we readers call the DNF which stands for Did Not Finish.  Not everyone has DNFs.  Some readers do finish every book they start, a philosophy I don't hold myself.  My reading life is littered with DNF'.  There are any number of reasons why I DNF a book and the following is one of them.

Her Kind of Trouble by Sarah Mayberry.  Before I go further, I have to say I’m a big Sarah Mayberry fan.  I have all of her books and have quite enjoyed most of them, though a couple not as much as others.  But this is my first DNF book by this author.  Vivian Walker is the heroine and Seth Anderson the hero.  I didn’t like Vivian from the first page.  She is a wanna be fashion designer and when she passed her course, promised she would design a special dress for her sister.  And she didn’t.  She just didn’t have the mojo but instead of calling her sister and letting her know she just couldn’t find her designing muse, Viv ducked her sister calls until finally it was too late and rather than finding that special dress for that special day, her sister had to buy one off the rack.  When I think ‘What a thoughtless selfish bitch’ right off the bat, it’s not a good sign.  But I believe redemption is possible and I’ve loved her books in the past so I kept going.  Seth is the brother of Jodie, Viv’s sister’s fiancée.  They meet briefly at the rehearsal; they had never met before, and each think the other is hot.  Seth is a musician and as such is quite a tom cat on the prowl if you know what I mean.  They size each other up and there is an attraction.  Then the meet again at the wedding, have another brief conversation and then ‘hook up’ in a limo.  It was at this point that the author really began losing me.  They talk to each other maybe a total of half an hour before acting like dogs in heat. I have no problems with sex scenes and though I prefer the hero/heroine to have a good relationship developed before they get horizontal, I accept that is not always the case.  But after having two brief meetings they do this at their respective siblings wedding is IMO just plain trashy.

But still I continued on.  It’s now 10 years later and Viv has come back to Australia after years living in the US.  Seth has given up being a musician and is now a bar owner.  He’s also about to be father.  He’s 34 and his baby mama is 24.  Again, just ick, just ick.  She also seems to be a number of crayons short of a full box and any respect that I didn’t have for Seth anyway disappeared.  But the book totally lost me and if it were a paperback may have hit the wall, was when Seth questioned the wisdom of making Viv a guardian for his two nieces along with himself.  He didn’t think she was “mature” enough.

 

I disliked both of these characters already, but at this point they were both completely non-redeemable.  Even if they turned out to be the greatest hero and heroine in the world, I dislike them intensely.  And that abhorrence unfortunately is too deep.  I will still read her – I’ve enjoyed way too many not to – but this one is an indisputable

 

DNF

Decisions, Decisions

Gack!!!!!  I have 8 books I just added to both my Kindle and my Kobo and I want to read them ALL!!  Right now.  Which to choose?  How to do it?

However , that choice is taken away as my iPad is only charged 40% and the flowers in my gardens little voices are being choked out by weeds.  Therefore this difficult decision will have to wait.

In other news, I've been doing a lot of reviews at GoodReads because I COULD get into them.  And with that handy feature I saw and longed to use, looks like I can copy and paste them into Ramblings.  So hold onto your hats.

And looking around, it seems I have a lot of updating to do here.  I still can't get the Internet working on my desktop, my laptop is pretty much toast and it will take much figuring to copy and paste stuff on the iPad, but hopefully, look for me to get into the 2014's.  Until then, it will kill me, but I'm pictureless

Well, time to pull those weeds out by their roots now that the rain has stopped.

'til later.

O.M.G. Finally

Thumbs up to my roomie Wendy, Superlibrarian for guiding me through helping me back in here.  I've been trying off and on for months now.  When one forgets a password, that can thing very hard.

I've had so many things I've wanted to blog about but couldn't get in.

I'm sad, sad, sad that I can't make RWA this year but here in my little neck of the woods it's The Year of the House.  I have 8 years worth of wear and tear I'm having fixed all within a month or so period of time starting last week including:

• New screen door
• Ceiling checked for water leak (thankfully there wasn't any) BUT
• Ceiling painted
• Railing to basement fixed
• New lock on back door
• Various cupboards and drawers unstuck
• New front porch step with railings
• New backyard fence
• New aluminum siding and last but biggest project
• BRAND NEW BATHROOM!!

We are talking floor tile, toilet, shower stall to replace tub, new vanity & sink, totally new color.

While all this stuff really needs done, in an odd way a lot of it dates back to the broken leg.  The basement railing kept coming off so I was nervous going down those stairs. -  flashback time.  Even though I did have quite a hoot with my stoned on pain killer broke fibula/tibia, I don't really want to go through it again.  I had NO rail on the front porch so I stopped using it completely.  And since I much prefer showers to baths and was getting more and more freaked out stepping up and into the tub, a walk-in shower became more and more appealing.  And since I was getting a new shower and my Reno guy told me I needed a new toilet and I've hated the vanity for years, I decided to go for broke.

So with all that, the added expense to head to San Antonio was just too much.  But I will be thinking of all my peeps, wishing I was there with you all.

Well I've got my feet back in the blog water again so I'll end with my signature sign off for now.....

'til later and since I wrote my new password down this time I won't be gone as long.

Because....

Wendy of SuperLibrarian fame has her latest TBR book up and it's one I "encouraged" (relentlessly hounded) along with Rosie's help, the least I can do is finally update on how thing are going and recent books read. First off, (Nath) I have 2 new kittens only 8 weeks old. They are (very, very, very) rambunctious. Adorable though they are, they exhaust me. For any Law and Order SVU fans, I called them Munch and Finn. They are brothers from the same litter. Because they are so little, Munch in particular seems to think I'm his mama and when he's tired, feels the need to suck on any part of my body he can get to; my fingers, my toes, my arms, my neck. Last night it was the end of my nose!! Finn, on the other hand, goes for either my neck or for some bizarre reason, the top of my head. And they are both most persistent little critters. On a couple of occasions, I've gotten tired of removing them and I've sat in hot summer weather covered in a blanket. On the book front, I've been on a real Shannon Stacey/Kowalski Brothers books. I think I'm up to about book 5 now. Having said that I just did a wonderful reread of a book I first read years ago, The Lighthouse Keeper by Susan Wiggs. I LOVED it and simply must do a review. I'm slow on the uptake sometimes and I've just discovered the Kindle Daily Deal and it's become the first thing I check every morning. I don't get them every day but I have gooten some fine finds. I got a keyboard to go along with my iPad since my other Internet is still on the fritz, but as with much of the electronic type stuff, I still haven't really figured out how it works. I have figured out texting though, in part of what I learned in Atlanta. I don't do it much, but I know how. Cant send pictures though. That's still beyond me. Well, that's the latest news. Though I can't promise to be back soon since if I do, that seems to be the kiss of death, I will keep my fingers crossed that I will do better. 'til later

And then she was home

Just a real (real, real, real) quick post to say I made it. After 2 days of almost non stop driving, coming home to a too warm house (I had turned air conditioning off), Blue Jays losing, again, I'm just going to veg.

Even petting and admiring all my new books is beyond me.  But I shall retun, oh yes I shall!

'til later

PART 1 - Just Like I Promised

I'm not going to be gone so long. This will be a short one as the Wifi at the IHop I stopped at for breakfast isn't exactly "high speed"

RWA is over for another year and again I had a wonderful time.  It was great having Wendy as a roomie again as well as spending time with my other 2 partners in crime, Lisa and Rosie.  Rosie and I tag teamed Wendy until we forced her to get Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell.  Now I'll be waiting with bated breath to see what she thinks of it.  But no more nagging.  I'm sure she was getting ready to smack us.

I also spent time with Blythe and Lynn from AAR, whether standing in line, sitting in the bar or sitting with them at the RITA's.  AAR has had such a profound and positive effect on my life, it's so nice getting to know some of the people involved better.


And now, time to eat. More thoughts to come

'til later

Hard to believe it's Friday already!!

Despite the fact my Brain is getting slower and slower to work, it still won't give me a break. I have so many thought s running through it. Right now I'm sitting in what promises to be a very long line up for Berkley. Because my reading habits have changed so much over the past several years, this is the publisher I really want to visit. 98% of the books I read now are ebooks and I refuse tp pay the prices that Berkley charges. It infuriates me they charge often $3 MORE for an ebook than a print copy. I'm angry I'm missing beloved authors and I'm angry that the authors aren't getting my money.


 Kristin Higgins was the keynote speaker at lunch and she was SO good. I could tell by the slight shake in her voice she was nervous but she spoke from her heart on how romance novels have helped her through the very toughest times in her life and as anyone who has followed me over the years wil know, it has been the same for me. It was great as I ran into her on my down to the line and I was able to tell her one on one how much her talk had moved me.


 The literacy signing was nuts as usual. I may have said this before but I don't like them. I don't collect autographs, I'm not a picture taker, I'm uncomfortable talking to someone who is sitting while I'm standing, I get claustrophobic easily and I'm not very good making small talk with people I don't really know. Nevertheless, I seem to go year after year.


 This is my first conference as a non-smoker and it's a wonderful feeling no longer being a slave to that habit. I still have an urge come over me every so often, specially here for some reson, but the Fear of Ryan is keeping me from giving in.

It's wonderful seeing old friends. It's humbling that some authors seem to be glad to see me. Little old me!!

Sinse I drove, I can load up on as many books as I want and as a proud romance reader who is picking up books for coworkers, I'm having a ball.

And all is right in my RWA conference world as Wendy and I are roomies again.

'til later.

(and this is driving my left brain nuts, going picturless!!)

Another New Day, Another New Adventure

First off is the adventure of getting into the guts here from my iPad. I'm not really used to it. I was a good little Type 11 diabetic and got up at 6:45 to go to the Continental breakfast. For the first time in days it seems I ate healthy, OJ, banana, yogurt, an egg and a scone, all the food groups. I don't like breakfast, but I eat it. Then I headed off to a workshop with Karen Rosr, Sharon Sala and Karen Robards who won my heart with One Summer. It was very entertaining though more geared to those wanting to write RS which was what it should have been. Last hight I went to an event that Sarah of Smart Bitches. I went with Blythe and Lynn from AAR. Being a frequent visitor at AAR it was great to see them again. We didn't stay too long as it was after the very hectic literacy signing. Loved seeing Sarah and Angela James again but that was about all who I knew and I was saying, I was getting very tired of being "ON" by that time of the day. Right now I'm sitting with Wendy waiting for the luncheon to start. I had something very special happen but it needs a post all on its own and so I will end this one with a promise to come and a 'til later

Yep, it really is me again!!

Before I say anything else, HUGE thanks to Carolyn Jewel who showed REMARKABLE patience in getting me back on Blogger as it has been so long, I forgot all passwords.

I am here in Atlanta at #RWA13 and having a wonderful time so far.  Wendy, Superlibrarian, my roomie once again is wanting me to get back to blogging again.  And I agree with her.  I've missed everyone so much. Work, while I'm loving it, is leaving me mentally exhausted every night so my return posts will probably be much shorter.

I'm doing very well for all those wondering 'what the hell ever happened to KristieJ?'.   I got a brand new car a onth ago, a Chevy Cruise that I have named Matilda.  I drove her down to Atlanta, a two day trip.  I love hiway driving and with Serious XFM, or whatever it's called being a feature, I just bopped to the tunes all the way down.  I stopped overnight in Lexington Kentucky and if one could hug a state, I would hug Kentucky.

I'm currently reading Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox which is rather serendipitous as it looks like I had just read another book of hers when last we met.


I just finished a Karina Bliss read-a-thon and loved them all.

I'm posting this from my iPad so unfortunately I don't know how to add pics so it's all just text *heavy sigh*. I NEED to add pics.  I even got in trouble at work for adding pics to emails I am THAT much of a visualist.  (stay there word!!  I know I made it up, but it works)

Well that's it for the moment.  Stay tuned for continuing stories of KristieJ at RWA.  My son hates it when I refer to myself in the third person so of course I do it often.

'til later

After A Very Long Absence.....

I'm back!!

Yes, after a very long (much longer than planned) absence I’m back again.  The reasons for the lengthy time away are many.  First off, because of the Very Evil Person who was the manager for the department I worked in, I had to leave it.  I was heartbroken that I couldn’t stay in a place I truly believed I was meant to be.  And it took a while to completely understand I was a victim of workplace harassment and that no one would do anything.  I went to the union and they tried but the HR department kept putting us off again and again and after a while in the new department, I had to let it go to get past it.  I wish now I hadn’t as she struck again and my dear coworker I worked with also recently bid out as the Very Evil Person cast her spell on my friend – to the point of calling her into her office and telling my friend she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone unless it was work related and especially me and another person.  The irony is I barely spoke to my friend at work, not wanting to draw the attention of the Evil Person to her.  And my friend has returned (early) after taking time off from dealing with breast cancer.  That didn’t stop the Evil Person though and so far the union hasn’t really helped my friend though she has gone to them too.

But I love the department I’m in now though I had never seen busy until I went there.  For a few months I was working overtime just about every day and weekends in an effort to try and catch up on the massive amount of work that pours in – and another reason I wasn’t blogging.  I finally burnt out and faced the fact that we were never really going to catch up.  Since the manager knows this too, though the pressure to work hard and fast is there, the NEW manager is a good one and is very supportive.

Then there was the fact I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I think I mentioned that, but I started going to the gym more and more in an effort to get myself out of the terrible shape I’d managed to get into over the years.  Combine that with a whole lot of overtime and I’d come home and zombie like watch some telly, read some and crash.

Then, when I was getting ready to make a return, the gym I belong to had a weight loss challenge I signed up for and that meant even longer hours at the gym.  The prize for first place was $10,000 so as you can imagine, that was an excellent incentive.  One of the conditions was you had to have so many sessions with a trainer.  Way back when I first joined, knowing if I didn’t do something like work with a trainer, I would drift back into old habits.  That kind of happened over summer.  Although I was still working out, bad food was creeping back into the diet.  But now I’m straightened out again and discovered much to my amazement that I LOVE roasted veggies and that a salad with some cooked chicken thrown in tastes very, very good with a vinaigrette instead of say Thousand Island dressing.

I ultimately didn’t win, the person who did lost 66 pounds next to my measly 23, but better than winning was stopping at the gym and eating healthy has become a lifestyle now which is good.  And while I still have quite a ways to go, I’ve lost almosthisclose to 50 lbs – probably by next week it will be *official*.  And as I said on Twitter – yep I came back there tonight – it’s being healthy that’s the best.  It’s being able to go 10 minutes on the elliptical, ride the bike over 5 miles, walk a mile on the treadmill, that makes me feel really good.  It’s knowing my heart is healthy and getting healthier, that I’ve lengthened my life expectancy I think, that I’m not so short of breath I even scare myself that is the wonderful thing.

I really do have so much to say that I think I’m going to have to do this in 2 parts.  What I’ve wrote so far is much of the outer of me, but the inner me has undergone changes to so that’s up next post.

Recent Read

About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Why this one: I read a pretty good review for it at AAR.  The reviewer said it had been "recommended" by Amazon if she "liked" Sarah Mayberry.  I was getting the same rec and once I read the AAR review, was convinced to try it myself.

Steam Level:  Oooh, it's a steamy one alright.

Blurb:  Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

 
Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

My Thoughts:  I thought this was a very enjoyable read. It was the story of two opposites, Cath, an American with ties to the Mafia living in England and Nev, a uppercrust businessman with the soul of an artist. Although a contemporary and while not titled, Nev kind of reminded me of how  an author might right the second son of a duke or earl or something.

 

Both Nev and Cath were well done characters.  Cath was a bit on the prickly side, not wanting to get involved with Nev because of her screwed up past and certainty that someone like him was too good for her screwed up self.  When done right, a prickly heroine is one of my favourite kinds and Cath is done very good.  I love the way Nev, a wonderful Beta type heroes admires so much about Cath.  He is completely gone for her and I love when the hero is so take with the heroine and has to battle to 'win her over'.

And I appreciated that despite his upper class upbringing, Nev, far from being the starchy banker Cath thought he was by the very nickname, City, that she gave him, was very unpretentious and down to earth.  And I also enjoyed the fact that Cath worked so hard to overcome her early mistakes.  I got a kick out of the inner battle she wagered between earlier, wilder Cath and wiser and more mature Cath.

Although I've read English set historicals for years, this is the first contemporary book I can remember reading that is set in England and that made it even more interesting. I like that she was an American trying to make her way in the art world in London.  

I'm glad I have Ruthie Knox's other book, Ride with Me in my queue.  It saves me the time in having to go back and read it.  This is the second LoveSwept title I've read recently and both have impressed me quite a bit.  I have a few other ones in the line now on my Kindle, both new releases like Ride With Me, Slow Summer Kisses by Shannon Stacey and Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry along with some older books rereleased under the LoveSwept line such as Lightning the Lingers by Tom and Sharon Curtins and the next one I plan to get asap, The Last Warrior by Kristen Kyle.  Love those two books!

Recent Read

Because of You by Jessica Scott

Why this one: To be explained below

Steam Level: Just about perfect

Blurb: From the war-torn streets of Baghdad to the bittersweet comforts of the home front, two wounded hearts navigate the battlefield of coming home from war in this explosive eBook original from newcomer Jessica Scott.

Keeping his men alive is all that matters to Sergeant First Class Shane Garrison. But meeting Jen St. James the night before his latest deployment makes Shane wonder if there's more to life than war. He leaves for Iraq remembering a single kiss with a woman he'll never see again- until a near fatal attack lands him back at home and in her care.  Jen has survived her own brush with death and endured its scars. And yet there's a fire in Shane that makes Jen forget all about her past. He may be her patient, but when this warrior looks her in the eyes, she feels - for the first time in a long time - like a woman. Shane is too proud to ask for help, but for Jen, caring for him is more than a duty -it's a need. And as Jen guides Shane through the fires of healing, she finds something she never expected - her deepest desire.

My Thoughts:  Not long ago I got an email from this author asking if I would do a review of her book.  I don’t always respond to requests to review, but something prompted me to this time.  As I was reading the email and then reading the synopsis she had included, it did sound like a book I would enjoy so the next time I went out to a place with WiFi – yes, I still can’t get the WiFi working at home – I bought a copy and sent her an email saying I didn’t like accepting books but I did buy a copy and hopefully I’d be in a mood to read it and would let her know what I thought.

Well, I was in the mood sooner than I thought I would be and started reading Because of You yesterday.  Once I started, I could hardly bear to put it down.  I worked today – I’m working overtime like crazy these days – but even as I was working I was looking forward to getting home so I could read some more.

 

I’m not quite sure where to begin in describing this book.  From the very first page I appreciated that the hero, Shane Garrison, was a regular soldier.  It’s not that I don’t like SEAL’s but they are becoming the dukes and viscounts and earls of contemporary romance and a little are starting to go a long way.  So I found it refreshing that Shane was a Sergeant First Class.

Another thing that really struck me from the beginning was Because of You has such an authentic feel to it.  Apparently Ms. Scott is a career soldier herself and you can tell with every word and every nuance that this is real.  The characters may be fictional, but they don’t come across that way at all.  They truly come to life, from the hero Shane and the heroine Jen St. James, a nurse who works as a nurse in the army hospital, to the men under Shane’s command and the friends of Jen, each one is so fully alive, you could swear you are reading about real people.

And while this is a romance, it’s a romance plus so much more.  It’s about loss, the loss of a way of life for Shane when he is severely injured and shipped home to recuperate.  His whole identity is wrapped up in leading his men and he’s lost when he can’t be there to protect them.  It’s about physical loss with Jen.  She has lost a part of her body and hasn’t come to terms with it yet.  She is unprepared really for the desire that flares between her and Shane.  It’s about the loss of a partner that Jen’s best friend feels every time her husband and good friend of Shane’s is shipped into combat and it’s about the loss of friends that plagues one of the men under Shane who has also been seriously injured while fighting for his country.

And it’s about healing. It’s how Shane and Jen heal each other.  Shane is a loner who hasn’t had much of a personal life; he didn’t know who his father was, his mother was a drunk and his ex-wife cheated on him and took him to the cleaners.  So he is awed by Jen and who she is.  And with Shane, Jen is forced to confront her own issues that have remained unresolved.

While this is an intense and emotional book, there are wonderful moments of humour, especially in the hilarious character of Carponti, one of Shane’s men and the bane of his existence.

I don’t know what it was that caused me to linger on this one, but I’m sure glad I did.  I missed the buzz when it first came out due to my terrible online track record lately so I’m glad I found it now and will be waiting eagerly for her next book.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

I went missing again didn't I?

So I owe an update I think.  I've still been busy working out a lot lately but I've also been dealing with another issue that's had me somewhat stressed.  It seems my manager and I don't get along.  It's been like that since she started last summer, but it's really been magnified since I went back to work full time.  It became very apparent to me that she 'had it out for me' and I never knew when I would get into, well, I'll say it, shit.  It happened quite a bit but I never knew what would set her off.  As one can imagine, living under that kind of pressure was somewhat taxing.

After one particular ugly incident, I realized that I could no longer work for her; that one of use would have to go.  I was starting to get that feeling when I got up in the morning that I didn't want to go to work, that I was almost afraid.  And of course once you start feeling like that it was downward spiral.  After the incident, though it almost broke my heart to do it, there was an opening in the department I previously worked in and I applied for the position and got it.  I don't expect everyone to like me, thank goodness I've reached the point where it doesn't bother me if they don't, but I will not work in the kind of environment I was working in.  I had my performance evaluation as one last kick at the can so to speak and it was the worst one I've ever had in all the years I've been working.  I wasn't surprised though.

So the new/old department is crazy busy and unlike where I came from, the manager appreciates the people who work for her and already it's like a heavy boulder has been lifted.  The department doubled in size today and in preparation for it, we have been working quite a bit of overtime.  So much so that last week I only worked out ONCE all week!  The rest of the nights I worked late.

I also did something that was very, very unusual on the weekend.  My son we shall call Ryan and daughter-in-law we shall call Kara came over and Kara and I went out to a garden centre and bought some plants, most of them for me.  The three of us then spent about four hours planting them.  Now people who know me will be laughing and laughing and laughing because I'm so not, or at least I so wasn't a plant person.  In fact I used to tell many of my coworkers who could discuss plants and flowers for hours on end, that they had been taken over by the Flower Pod People and warned those few of us who didn't discuss flowers to be on our guard in case they tried to get hold of us!!  

Well, the Plant Pod People found me.  At age 57, I planted my first flowers.  And if that's not scary enough, I went out the next day and bought a few more to plant.  And I got three bags of soil!!    

And tonight I terrified myself when I stopped at a hardware store and bought a shovel to dig a whole to plant the plants I bought yesterday.  See, Ryan dug the holes before and he had some strange looking implement that was in the shed and said it would have been a lot easier if I had a shovel.  And seeing as they spent almost the whole day with me minus the evening on Saturday, and Kara showed me how to plant flowers, I want to try these ones on my own.  And for that, I figured I'd need a shovel.  And as if I'm not scaring myself enough with this sudden and perplexing urge to "garden" and buy plants and shovels, I also bought a specialized implement to get rid of weeds and one of those kneeling pads for when I *shudder* weed the garden.

See!!!  I'm scaring myself.  I've been taken over!!  Good think I've been working overtime to pay for these new tools and plants and things.  I really must take pictures once the weeds are all gone.  Pod Kristie thinks it looks very nice and is very proud of the work done.

So that's what's been keeping my from blogging.  And oh, one more thing.  I took the wobble cushion off my chair in the computer room and it's ever so much more comfortable sitting down now.  The wobble cushion may be good for my back, but it sure is uncomfortable to sit one I tell you!

I hope to be back much sooner this time.  I have rather a large number of books I want to blog about that I'm most excited about.

So, until later......

For those who haven't seen this yet

I hadn't and my son showed it to me outside a restaurant yesterday and I was laughing so hard tears were rolling down my face!!

Ponderings

 

I don’t understand this new hair style on guys – the bald style.  There are a number of trainers at the gym and I think they are young dudes, but they all have their heads shaved so it’s kind of hard to tell.  I do not like this look.  I try to imagine them with hair to tell if they are cute or not, but I can’t imagine it.  While I thought Yul Brenner was fine in his day, Vin Diesel, the Rock and other famous head hairless guys are a turn off for me.  I don’t know why, if they have hair, they shave it all off.  It’s one thing if they really are bald.  My youngest, should he let his hair grow, would be half bald, and don’t think I didn’t give him many a warning when he was a kid and trash talked to his dad and his lack of hair.  I told Rye chances are he would lose his too – and sure enough I was right!)  My older son on the other hand, also keeps his hair to an almost nonexistent level, but he does have it should he let it grow.  I just don’t get this trend.  I may have pondered this before – but if so, I’m still pondering on it and the why of it.  Short hair on men I've come to grips with, but no hair????

 

They have a pool at the “club” I go to so when I go to the locker rooms, there are many women in various stages of undress.  I’m very disconcerted that this disconcerts me.  I don’t know why I’m rather unnerved at the sight of half-naked women.  The lockers are in short rows and if there is someone sitting there minus their clothes, I automatically move to the next short row and look for a locker.   I think I maybe should talk to a shrink about that.  I'm sure they would be fascinated

At the risk of sounding redundant, I hate the word haters.  In so many areas anymore if you don’t like something, you are called a “hater”.  I may not like the Kardasians but in no way shape or form could I be called a “hater”.  To me to hate something involves strong passion.  And I don’t have a strong passion against Kardasian family.  I think the mother (who most annoyingly shares the same name as me) is your typical stage mother magnified many times over; the girls are somewhat annoying although I do have a certain fondness for Chloe.  Poor Bruce has made a mockery of what was once a fine face and I did like Rob on DWTS.  As for the younger girls, I’ve never watched the show so I have no opinion on them.

But my point is I think most people accused of being haters aren’t – they just don’t give a rat’s ass.  Of course you have your nut jobs, you will always have those.  But in general, “hater” is a misnomer.

I am bound and determined to cut down on my TV reality show watching.  I watch way too much of it.  From Sister Wives to Toddlers and Tiara’s to DWTS, it’s taking over my life and sucking time I could be cleaning the house or reading or any number of better time management things.  I started last night when I turned the TV off after DWTS and refused to give in to another season of the Bachelor/Bachelorette.  I will allow myself So You Think You Can Dance – and that’s it!  I’m going to have to get my Wi-Fi working at home again though as there are some of us who live tweet during the show; apart from the main hash tag group.  I prefer the group smaller and more intimate.

But other than SYTYCD THAT IS IT.  No more reality TV for me!

On a further note about not getting Wi-Fi on my IPad – it’s driving me batty!  I have tried everything I can think of to get it going.  It works when I go to a wireless place such as McDonalds (only for coffee these days, only for coffee – I haven’t had any real fast food other than the very healthy choice at Subway going on 2 months now – and surprisingly enough, I’m not missing it.  I’m not missing cola either).  Wireless worked at my sister’s place though I didn’t use it that often as she isn’t limitless.  Should someone with an IPAD come to my place it works on theirs.  I have had a technician over twice – and have the bill to prove it – but to no avail.  It cut out on me again the last upgrade and I haven’t been able to get it back again.  I miss my tweeting.

It just seems wrong that healthy food costs more than garbage food.  My food bill has skyrocketed since I started eating healthier.  And a nice bag of chips last ever so much longer than a tray of strawberries.    This just seems grossly unfair to me.  The more I eat healthy, the more it's costing me.  Apparently there is an epidemic of obesity going on in North America but the food producers and restaurants aren't helping things out any!

The ANTI 50 Shades topic

There is a ridiculously long thread over at one of my favourite places to visit, AAR on this series of books.  Mind you, I think most of the pages are kept going mostly by two particular posters, but that’s neither here nor there.   I think 18 + 18 + 12 (and counting) PAGES of this book is a record. I’ve only made one post during the whole thing and that wasn’t really connected to the topic of the book.  So I think us ANTI 50 Shades need a voice.


Reason #1: I have no intention at this time of reading this book. Nothing in the VAST number of posts there has convinced me otherwise. First off, and I mean this as no judgment, but the conflict of the book; the hero is into BDSM has zero, zip, nada interest to me. Again no judgment but for me personally, this is a lifestyle I have no interest in. I prefer a relationship that is balanced between the protagonists. That’s reason number one why I don’t plan on getting/reading this book.


 Reason #2: From what I gather, this is not unlike a Harlequin Presents line – only hotter and by many accounts, better. I enjoy many a Harlequin line but I never have tried and do not really want to try this particular one. Again, they strike me as slightly unbalanced in power between the uber rich Greek/Italian/etc. Tycoon/Millionaire/Billionaire and the baby mama/secretary/dog walker – whatever.


Reason #3: From some of the posts I gather the hero/heroine don’t talk the way Americans/Canadians would. They talk Brit speak. One particular poster said she just had to think they were actually British and not Americans to get past some of the peculiar phrases and terms. I’ve no desire to play that kind of game in my mind. I have no trouble suspending belief on many a subject in romance, but I don’t want to do it because the author doesn’t get the difference between the ways the two cultures talk. Set the book in England for Pete’s sake and don’t make us pretend we are playing ‘airplane’ in order to swallow things.


Reason #4: One of the big discussion points/controversies on this book is it stated as a work of fan fiction and then took off to the stratosphere. I haven’t read the Twilight books it’s based on and I don’t care to. So I can’t say how much it may resemble them. But I’m not interested in fanfic. I know some authors, such as Meljean Brook started off writing fanfic. But then she developed her own brand new world. I may be wrong but it seems to me like fanfic was her springboard onto other things.  She then went on to completely develop her own entire worlds and characters, which in my opinion makes the two authors totally different cases.  But I do believe the author of 50 Shades is selling her fanfic work. Where once it could be found free, now it’s over $11 a book here in Canada. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that, though I tend to think ‘good for her’ but I still don’t want to read this series of books.


Reason #5: I think its first person – someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I have a much harder time getting into first person as a rule. Of course there are exceptions; the Stephanie Plum books, Lisa Kleypas trilogy and the Blair Mallory books by Linda Howard. But those authors I trusted having read many of their previous books – well, not the Evanovich books but they aren’t really romance so for some reason it’s a bit different. In romance, I also want the hero’s POV and you just don't get it in Fifty Shades.  Some books where I know the author, while disappointed, I can accept and even love the book.  But in this case I don't really want to try.


Reason #6: The price. As I mentioned, they are over $11 here for the eBooks and as there are 3 of them, that’s $33. I’m not about to spend that kind of money anymore on an unknown author. There are two of them and only two that I will go over $10 and they are JD Robb (not Nora) and Linda Howard. It drives me crazy not buying authors I love if they are charging over $10 for an eBook so I certainly won’t be paying over that for an unknown to me author.


Reason #7 I’m just perverse. I’m not sure if I can exactly say this to come out the way I want to, but the attention this book is getting is just SO overblown to me. I was on the stationery bike today at lunch (yes, I’m still a beast) and Access – the hour long one – and Billy Bush and Lisa Rinna were on talking about this book and speculating about who should play the roles.  I have been reading romance for all my life in one form or another and romance almost exclusively for the past 20 years or so. For a good deal of those years I wouldn’t tell other people my genre of choice but in the past few years, I’ve not only been telling people, I’ve been proud to tell them. And now this book comes out and all of a sudden it’s ‘cool’ to talk about sex and 50 Shades.

I’ve known all my life what a wonderful thing the romance genre is so I’m not going to go jumping on some particular book bandwagon just because Billy Bush and so many other people are talking about it. It may be the most wonderful book ever, but I’m not a wagon jumper, and I often don’t want to go along with the crowd. So those are my reasons why chances are very good I won’t be reading this book. Unlike what some of the more prolific posters have said on the never ending thread, it’s not about jealousy, it’s not because I’m a fan girl of other sites that have discussed this book; in fact the only place I’ve actually half-assed followed any discussion of this book phenom is at AAR.

In the past couple of days since I started this post, the 50 Shades discussion has started where I work and even still - I've no desire to read it.  


Some on that lengthy post have said us who don't plan/want to read the books really don't have the right to talk about it.  But I say we do!!!  And I'm here to say why this is one romance reader who will be passing these by.

Recent Movie - Review

The Lucky One

Synopsis:  Based on Nicholas Sparks' bestseller The Lucky One, Zac Efron ("17 Again," "Charlie St. Cloud") stars alongside Taylor Schilling (TV's "Mercy") and Blythe Danner ("Meet the Parents" franchise) in this romantic drama directed by Academy Award®-nominated writer/director Scott Hicks ("Shine," "No Reservations").
U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq, with the one thing he credits with keeping him alive—a photograph he found of a woman he doesn't even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm
Steam Level:  Oh! My!

My Thoughts:  Oh! My!  My job share partner bid for another job at the same place a couple of weeks ago and she got it.  So I had to decide whether to go back full time or see if I could find someone else to job share with.  Since I went part time, things have changed quite a bit.  First of all, when I did go part time I lost all benefits, sick days, vacation time etc.  Since I was diagnosed with diabetes, my expenses have gone up.  I'm having to take more meds (for the time being anyway) I joined a gym and have myself a personal trainer.  On top of that, I seem to have misplaced my glasses and since it's been more than a few years since I had my eyes checked, it's most definitely time for a new pair.  All of this is costing money I'm not making anymore so I decided to go back full time.  I'm much healthier now, have more stamina and more endurance and all this exercise is starting to have a very strange effect on me, in a good way.  I am able to handle stress much better.  The same kind of thing that would drive me batty a few short months ago doesn't bother me as much as it used to.  I start back full time on Monday.

So what, you are wondering, does any of this have to do with the movie The Lucky One???  Well, I've kind of been wanting to see this movie, but every since Message in a Bottle, I've been gun shy of Nicholas Sparks movies.  But I was talking to a coworker today who went to see the movie on Monday.  I asked her, not exactly how it ended, but did it have a happy ending.  She laughed and said yes.  Tomorrow is my last mid-week day off so at the last minute, I decided to go to the show after my workout tonight.  The theatre is nice and close, the timing of when the movie would start vs the time I would finish with my trainer was perfect and I've been having such a craving for movie popcorn, I decided to go it alone and go to the show.

Now we get to the movie :-)

Oh! My!  Now it's no surprise to anyone I love a good romance and this one was excellent.  I LOVED THIS MOVIE.  Yes, yes, it can be argued it's rather simplistic in it's storyline.  I got talking to the girl sitting next to me before it started and she said she didn't like this kind of movie (chick flick).  When it was over and the lights were up and the credits were rolling, I asked her what she thought.  She said it was kind of cheesy and I'm not saying it wasn't, but even as she was saying it, I noticed she was smiling seemed rather happy.  And really, isn't that how we like to feel after we finish a good romance.

Yes, the story was almost step by step and I've no desire whatsoever to read the book as I think this kind of thing would bother me, but Zac Efron, besides being wonderful, wonderful eye candy, brought a lot of character to the role of Logan Thibault (pronounced Teebow which I found amusing).  He made me feel the loneliness and lostness of Logan and the frustration in not being able to tell Beth the truth about why walked from Colorado to Louisiana.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how well he played the role.

And I also loved the way Taylor Schilling played Beth.  She is intimidated and rather frightened of her ex, but she grows through the movie and is able to stand up to him.  Of course there is a misunderstanding between her and Logan - don't romance books have them all the time?  But they both made it believable.   And the chemistry between them - wowzers thought I.  The love scenes weren't too explicit, but very steamy nevertheless.

And Blythe Danner was quite a scene stealer as Beth's Nana.

The Lucky One isn't going to win any kind of Academy Awards.  I'm sure some people will make fun of it - just as some people make fun of romance books.  But at the end of the movie when someone who doesn't like this kind of movie was smiling, well, to me that says it's done it's work of making us romance fans sigh and feel good.  That's what I want most of all from a movie - or a romance book.

Grade: 5 out of 5