Hey all. I've hit a snag once again. My son's girlfriend is asking for more book recommendations. She loves the grisly and wants some romance in there as well. Is it any wonder I love this girl? She's perfect for me! ...errrrr...... him.
The problem is that I am not that comfortable recommending most of the awesomely amazing rom-susp books I read to her because of all the S.E.X. Somehow giving my son's 17 year old girlfriend a book full of explicit sex, including oral, and very open bedroom doors just seems wrong. So very wrong. And OMG, what if her mother found out that she got the books from me? Noooooo. And yes, I'm totally aware of how dorky I sound.
She's a voracious reader and would easily read a book or two a week (did I mention I love this girl?), so the few things I've come up with should hold her for a while, but I just know there's something perfect that has completely slipped my mind.
I've been wracking my brain, and I've come up with a few books/authors I'm fairly comfortable with recommending to her. Here's what I've got:
Mariah Stewart's FBI series (I've reviewed most of them here)
Lisa Jackson's rom-susp
Some Karen Rose (the stuff from the last few years, where she's gotten more thriller-y and less romance-y.)
And.... then I'm done. Everyone else I was thinking about has just a little more sex than I'm comfortable with, although I'm thinking Allison Brennan's books might likely work, since I lent her Mary Burton's Breathless and Senseless and she loved them both. Some of the other Burtons had a little more sex than I was comfortable with sharing, though, so I stopped giving them to her.
Yes, I know I must sound silly, and in a few more years I won't care, but now? Does it sound really prudishly mommy of me to say I really don't want to give these kids any more ideas than they already have? I know that they're teenagers, getting ready to head off to college, they've been together for a year and a half, so they've likely done some of the things I'm trying to shield them from (nooooo!!!!!!!!!!), but I kind of feel like it's not really my job to be giving her books with very explicit sex in them.
And then I think back to reading books like Forever by Judy Blume. I read it in junior high, and though I would have to reread it to be sure (BTW, her books are all coming in e!!), but I recall that their first sex scene was fairly explicit, although not erotic by any stretch. Bear in mind, that's my 35 year old recollection, so I may be way off base.
So... can you all recommend any romantic suspense, heavy on the suspense and light on the open door sex?
Showing posts with label Personal Glimpses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal Glimpses. Show all posts
Friday, March 16, 2012
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
It's like I won the lottery!
Today when I got home from work, a package from my bestie JenniferB was waiting on the doorstep for me. Bigger than a breadbox, it could only be one thing. But we usually have a conversation before we send each other a box, just to be sure the right stuff is in it. I remembered no such conversation, likely because I'm losing my mind, and can't remember what I had for breakfast, much less a conversation about which books to exchange.
So what was inside the surprise package? Several things that have had me scratching my head lately. Where the hell did I put my coveted signed copy of Relentless, or my signed Beth Williamson Plum Creek trilogy, or my Pamela Clare historicals?
Lookee!!!!
Not only are my Williamsons, Clares, and Dane's there, but my copy of Daring Time - my favorite Beth Kery, I think.
Along with these favorites were a slew of others that Jen obviously thinks I will enjoy - a Connie Brockway, a Cherie Feather, Skin Game (which she's been trying to get me to read for ages), plus a couple In Death books.
Is there anything better than a good friend who loves the same books you do? Or, when you're racking your brain trying to figure out where you left all your best treasures, freaking out that maybe you accidentally brought them to a SoCal Bloggers get together and someone snatched them right up, she sends you a care package filled with love.
Or is it just me who can't remember anything from one day to the next?
Thanks, Jen!! You rock.
So what was inside the surprise package? Several things that have had me scratching my head lately. Where the hell did I put my coveted signed copy of Relentless, or my signed Beth Williamson Plum Creek trilogy, or my Pamela Clare historicals?
Lookee!!!!
Not only are my Williamsons, Clares, and Dane's there, but my copy of Daring Time - my favorite Beth Kery, I think.
Along with these favorites were a slew of others that Jen obviously thinks I will enjoy - a Connie Brockway, a Cherie Feather, Skin Game (which she's been trying to get me to read for ages), plus a couple In Death books.
Is there anything better than a good friend who loves the same books you do? Or, when you're racking your brain trying to figure out where you left all your best treasures, freaking out that maybe you accidentally brought them to a SoCal Bloggers get together and someone snatched them right up, she sends you a care package filled with love.
Or is it just me who can't remember anything from one day to the next?
Thanks, Jen!! You rock.
Monday, January 17, 2011
WTF, Borders?
No wonder you're going out of business soon. If you offend everyone the way you just did me...
Friday, January 07, 2011
ALS, music, and hope
This is a very personal post for me. My sister-in-law has been sick for the past couple years, and she and my brother have been visiting doctors non-stop trying to get a diagnosis. She was finally definitively diagnosed a couple months ago with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease), which is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. It is progressive and always fatal.
My brother and his wife have been together since the early 80s. Married in 1989. Neither of them have really had any other boyfriend or girlfriend. Only each other. We used to joke that if they came to dinner, you only needed one chair, because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Obviously, over the years, that has mellowed, but they are still very much in love. I worry for my brother.
They have two beautiful daughters – one is a junior in college who just got back from a semester abroad in London. The other is a high school senior, who has her heart set on going to BU. Now that SIL is no longer working, I hope that they can work something out so that she can still go. And yet, I hate that if she goes, she won’t be able to spend the last bits of true quality time that she can with her mother. My heart breaks for all of them, and for our entire family. We have no way of knowing how fast the disease will progress for SIL, but there is no doubt that it will. She is already in a wheelchair, because she doesn’t have the strength in her feet and ankles to support her body.
I don’t know what decisions they will make as they move forward. Whatever they decide will be the best they can for their family.
As most of you know, I am a huge supporter of the ACS and cancer research. Each year, Inag beg ask you to support my Relay for Life walk. This year, and moving forward, I am going to branch out and find different ways to support the ALS as well as the ACS. There is a ton of research going on for both diseases, and much of it surrounds stem cell research. Since the ruling that reversed President Obama’s 2009 executive order that widened the opportunities for federal funding, there is even a greater need for donations and funding of research for all diseases, but especially those that are fatal where research could make such a difference literally between life and death. I definitely don’t want to turn this into a discussion of the rights or wrongs of embryonic stem cell research – just making a point that funds are needed in order to conduct research – of any kind. There are several organizations out there conducting research for a cure for ALS; one is the ALS Association, another is Project ALS. Both are doing wonderful work not only on the research front, but in providing support to ALS patients and their families.
This morning on the radio, I heard an ad for a CD from an artist who is donating 100% of the proceeds to Project ALS. This is such a simple and easy way to support ALS research and get something completely enjoyable out of it. The artist is Peter Gusmano, and his website is Guitar for a Cure. From there, you can read his story, or link off and purchase his CD, A Flickering Light, which is really great. The CD is available at Amazon and iTunes, among other places. Music Therapy is such a great thing, and I hope that ALS patients, their families, or really anyone who hears this beautiful CD can derive even more pleasure knowing that every dollar spent on that music is going to work to save the lives of ALS patients.
I promise not to flood you with requests for money, but will definitely be participating in the Walk to Defeat ALS and looking for other similar opportunities so that I can support funding the ALS cure research. I hope that, if you don't have your own personal pet cause, that you'll consider looking into supporting a cure for ALS or cancer.
My brother and his wife have been together since the early 80s. Married in 1989. Neither of them have really had any other boyfriend or girlfriend. Only each other. We used to joke that if they came to dinner, you only needed one chair, because they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Obviously, over the years, that has mellowed, but they are still very much in love. I worry for my brother.
They have two beautiful daughters – one is a junior in college who just got back from a semester abroad in London. The other is a high school senior, who has her heart set on going to BU. Now that SIL is no longer working, I hope that they can work something out so that she can still go. And yet, I hate that if she goes, she won’t be able to spend the last bits of true quality time that she can with her mother. My heart breaks for all of them, and for our entire family. We have no way of knowing how fast the disease will progress for SIL, but there is no doubt that it will. She is already in a wheelchair, because she doesn’t have the strength in her feet and ankles to support her body.
I don’t know what decisions they will make as they move forward. Whatever they decide will be the best they can for their family.
As most of you know, I am a huge supporter of the ACS and cancer research. Each year, I
This morning on the radio, I heard an ad for a CD from an artist who is donating 100% of the proceeds to Project ALS. This is such a simple and easy way to support ALS research and get something completely enjoyable out of it. The artist is Peter Gusmano, and his website is Guitar for a Cure. From there, you can read his story, or link off and purchase his CD, A Flickering Light, which is really great. The CD is available at Amazon and iTunes, among other places. Music Therapy is such a great thing, and I hope that ALS patients, their families, or really anyone who hears this beautiful CD can derive even more pleasure knowing that every dollar spent on that music is going to work to save the lives of ALS patients.
I promise not to flood you with requests for money, but will definitely be participating in the Walk to Defeat ALS and looking for other similar opportunities so that I can support funding the ALS cure research. I hope that, if you don't have your own personal pet cause, that you'll consider looking into supporting a cure for ALS or cancer.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Thoughts on reading quantity vs quality
Every month when I do my reading roundup, I get comments on the number of books I read, and at least one person comments on how they need to get moving on their TBR because they haven't read nearly that amount. I have a different take on it.
I read because it's how I relax. I'm fortunate enough to have two very self-sufficient kids who are more than old enough to take care of themselves when I want to relax for an hour with a book. Plus, they are never home in the evenings, and stay up far later than me!
I'm also a very fast reader, and always have been. A category romance usually takes me about 2 hours to read. There have been vacations where I've read 4 categories in a single day. But my husband reads about a book a month. And he's good with that.
Having said all that...
I went through a period of several years where I hardly read at all. I was too busy with my kids, too busy with my job, too busy to interact with anyone, much less have time to sit around reading when the house needed to be cleaned, the dinner needed to be cooked, the laundry needed to be done, kids needed to go to play dates or one sport or another... oh, and a marriage to keep on the front burner. Sound familiar to anyone?
At some point in the last few years, I realized that I need to take some time for myself, and that makes all the other relationships easier to manage. Of course, it didn't hurt that my boss actually wrote it into my yearly goals that I needed to work less and take more family time. Cool boss, no? But it's an indication of the kind of time I was devoting to my job and not to my family or myself.
I never, ever pay attention to the number of books other people read. As long as they feel happy and are satisfied that they get some "me" time in their busy lives, then I think whatever they read is awesome. In addition to not paying attention, I also never compared my reading quantity to anyone else's. Yes, I missed reading. A lot. But I found ways to sneak some in.
When the kids hit a grade in school where extra reading became required, we had family reading time. Everyone would grab a book and we'd all sit in the family room and read for a half hour.
When sitting in the stands waiting for a baseball, basketball, football, volleyball (fill in your sport, although they all apply to me) game to start, I snuck in a few pages.
When I got to school to pick up my kids and I had 15 minutes to wait, I read a little.
I don't think a day has gone by when my kids haven't seen me with a book in my hands. But some of those days, I was lucky to fit in a chapter in total.
But back to the comparison thing... I love books. As I know all of you do. But I also love my family. As I know you all do (ok, your own family, not mine! But why don't you love mine?!). There's a time and a place for every priority. And once I stopped to realize I needed me time, I slowly began reading more. And the more I read, the more I realized how much I had missed losing myself in a great story. I also think that while I will finish out the year with my monthly wrap-ups, I doubt I'll do it again. I'm only going to review the books I felt strongly enough about. I don't need to track my reads, I've come to realize. I just need to know that I'm reading enough to make myself feel good.
So my hope for you is this: that you are able to read enough that you feel you've satisfied your "me" time - even if it meant that the dishes went undone until morning. That you feel good about taking the time for yourself, even if it meant that your child needed to entertain themselves for a half hour. (Honestly, that's ok. They need to learn how to do that, and they need to realize that while you love them more than anything, if you're happy, they're happy, too.) That you feel like you've done enough to recharge your batteries, even if it meant instead of watching TV with your hubby one evening, you buried your nose in a book.
Whatever it is, it's not about how many. It's about why you read, what you read, and making yourself happy.
I read because it's how I relax. I'm fortunate enough to have two very self-sufficient kids who are more than old enough to take care of themselves when I want to relax for an hour with a book. Plus, they are never home in the evenings, and stay up far later than me!
I'm also a very fast reader, and always have been. A category romance usually takes me about 2 hours to read. There have been vacations where I've read 4 categories in a single day. But my husband reads about a book a month. And he's good with that.
Having said all that...
I went through a period of several years where I hardly read at all. I was too busy with my kids, too busy with my job, too busy to interact with anyone, much less have time to sit around reading when the house needed to be cleaned, the dinner needed to be cooked, the laundry needed to be done, kids needed to go to play dates or one sport or another... oh, and a marriage to keep on the front burner. Sound familiar to anyone?
At some point in the last few years, I realized that I need to take some time for myself, and that makes all the other relationships easier to manage. Of course, it didn't hurt that my boss actually wrote it into my yearly goals that I needed to work less and take more family time. Cool boss, no? But it's an indication of the kind of time I was devoting to my job and not to my family or myself.
I never, ever pay attention to the number of books other people read. As long as they feel happy and are satisfied that they get some "me" time in their busy lives, then I think whatever they read is awesome. In addition to not paying attention, I also never compared my reading quantity to anyone else's. Yes, I missed reading. A lot. But I found ways to sneak some in.
When the kids hit a grade in school where extra reading became required, we had family reading time. Everyone would grab a book and we'd all sit in the family room and read for a half hour.
When sitting in the stands waiting for a baseball, basketball, football, volleyball (fill in your sport, although they all apply to me) game to start, I snuck in a few pages.
When I got to school to pick up my kids and I had 15 minutes to wait, I read a little.
I don't think a day has gone by when my kids haven't seen me with a book in my hands. But some of those days, I was lucky to fit in a chapter in total.
But back to the comparison thing... I love books. As I know all of you do. But I also love my family. As I know you all do (ok, your own family, not mine! But why don't you love mine?!). There's a time and a place for every priority. And once I stopped to realize I needed me time, I slowly began reading more. And the more I read, the more I realized how much I had missed losing myself in a great story. I also think that while I will finish out the year with my monthly wrap-ups, I doubt I'll do it again. I'm only going to review the books I felt strongly enough about. I don't need to track my reads, I've come to realize. I just need to know that I'm reading enough to make myself feel good.
So my hope for you is this: that you are able to read enough that you feel you've satisfied your "me" time - even if it meant that the dishes went undone until morning. That you feel good about taking the time for yourself, even if it meant that your child needed to entertain themselves for a half hour. (Honestly, that's ok. They need to learn how to do that, and they need to realize that while you love them more than anything, if you're happy, they're happy, too.) That you feel like you've done enough to recharge your batteries, even if it meant instead of watching TV with your hubby one evening, you buried your nose in a book.
Whatever it is, it's not about how many. It's about why you read, what you read, and making yourself happy.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Stand Up 2 Cancer
As I sit here watching the Stand Up 2 Cancer telethon, I've found myself tearing up many times. It's really been beautifully done from what I've seen of it so far.
Cancer and stroke are the two causes that I fight to find a cure for all year long. My dad died 6 years ago today from multiple strokes of unknown etiology. My grandparents all had cancer - for two of them, it was their cause of death. I have many friends who have suffered from cancer, some who have survived, and others who have not. My brother-in-law had melanoma. My mom just lost her best friend two weeks ago from complications from her cancer treatment. My oldest child is named for my husband's grandmother, who passed away from leukemia about 2 weeks before he was born.
Yet, we also have many, many friends who have had a happy ending. My husband's musical partner is a survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. And that is due to positive thinking, wonderful treatment and physicians, amazing families, and the grace of G-d. The wonderful treatment they received wouldn't be possible without incredible people like you, who support the cause; who support finding a cure in deed as well as in word.
I hope that you will support me in my quest to find a cure for cancer by donating to my Walk for Life. You can donate on my page here. If everyone I know donated only $10, I could make my goal with ease. But even if you can only donate $5, or even $1, you will be making a huge difference in the lives of so many. Every penny counts. I'm so pleased that this year, it's a family affair again. My kids are both walking, and youngest is raising money as well. My husband's band will be performing at the event again, too. And oldest will be walking the graveyard shift with his friends like they do each year (ahhh, the stamina of a teenager!).
This song was written for a friend of my husband's who passed away from lung cancer at age 30. She was a non-smoker and had no family history. A couple weeks later, my husband's grandmother passed away. Mary Carves the Chicken dedicated this song to both of them. I hope you'll listen to it.
Great Wide Open
Please, please help out. All it takes is a few clicks of your mouse. And for those of you who have donated to my walk each and every year, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are heroes, each and every one of you.
Donate here. And thank you for your heroism.
Cancer and stroke are the two causes that I fight to find a cure for all year long. My dad died 6 years ago today from multiple strokes of unknown etiology. My grandparents all had cancer - for two of them, it was their cause of death. I have many friends who have suffered from cancer, some who have survived, and others who have not. My brother-in-law had melanoma. My mom just lost her best friend two weeks ago from complications from her cancer treatment. My oldest child is named for my husband's grandmother, who passed away from leukemia about 2 weeks before he was born.
Yet, we also have many, many friends who have had a happy ending. My husband's musical partner is a survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. And that is due to positive thinking, wonderful treatment and physicians, amazing families, and the grace of G-d. The wonderful treatment they received wouldn't be possible without incredible people like you, who support the cause; who support finding a cure in deed as well as in word.
I hope that you will support me in my quest to find a cure for cancer by donating to my Walk for Life. You can donate on my page here. If everyone I know donated only $10, I could make my goal with ease. But even if you can only donate $5, or even $1, you will be making a huge difference in the lives of so many. Every penny counts. I'm so pleased that this year, it's a family affair again. My kids are both walking, and youngest is raising money as well. My husband's band will be performing at the event again, too. And oldest will be walking the graveyard shift with his friends like they do each year (ahhh, the stamina of a teenager!).
This song was written for a friend of my husband's who passed away from lung cancer at age 30. She was a non-smoker and had no family history. A couple weeks later, my husband's grandmother passed away. Mary Carves the Chicken dedicated this song to both of them. I hope you'll listen to it.
Great Wide Open
Please, please help out. All it takes is a few clicks of your mouse. And for those of you who have donated to my walk each and every year, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are heroes, each and every one of you.
Donate here. And thank you for your heroism.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Getting a mammogram, and finding a cure
Crossposted at Living In The House of Testosterone
Normally, I don't talk about getting a mammogram, but I registered yesterday for the annual Relay for Life walk, and so the timing seems right. (click the RFL logo to donate!)
Today I had my 5th mammogram (hell, now I know I'm old!). And while I hate having my boobs squished and handled by a stranger and smushed into pancakes, it's definitely a small price to pay for ensuring my continued health.
I am fortunate to have wonderful insurance that pays for my annual mammogram. I hate that my mom's insurance changed their recommendations and now doesn't pay for the annual, but only once every 4 years (even for older women - I guess they figure older women are bound to die sooner or later, right? Ugh.) Considering my grandmother was diagnosed at age 70 via mammogram, had a mastectomy and lived to be 84, this change in my mom's insurance irks me no end. Of course, it was my paternal grandmother, so she can't even claim familial risk.
When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force came out last November with new recommendations for mammograms, women and physicians everywhere were outraged (myself included). I worry about the thousands of women who may be affected and go undiagnosed because they didn't get their mammogram.
So today, I am focused on prevention and cure. Prevention because I had my mammogram, I've changed my eating habits to be more healthy, have begun exercising again, and try to do more to be healthier overall. Cure, because I registered, once again, for the Relay for Life walk. The American Cancer Society is a wonderful organization, and if you've never been to the Relay for Life, I encourage you to do so. Not only is it a fantastic fundraiser for funds to find a cure, but it's such an inspiring event, from the survivor's lap to the luminarias that light up the night.
So... here is my plea. Please, please support me in the 2010 Relay for Life. We all know someone who has/survived/passed away from cancer. The most recent to make their way into blogland awareness is Jennifer Haymore, who just finished chemo and will soon be facing radiation. I wish her all the best and have been thinking of her.
If I make my goal this year, I will have raised $6000 for cancer research. I'd love to make it $10k if I could - so I'll be pimping until October. Please bear with me. To donate to find a cure for cancer, please visit my donation page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mctclover
Once you've donated, I encourage you to post this badge of honor on your blog or website:
Thanks for all your support over the years and for your continued support this year. You guys are truly the best. Ever.
Normally, I don't talk about getting a mammogram, but I registered yesterday for the annual Relay for Life walk, and so the timing seems right. (click the RFL logo to donate!)Today I had my 5th mammogram (hell, now I know I'm old!). And while I hate having my boobs squished and handled by a stranger and smushed into pancakes, it's definitely a small price to pay for ensuring my continued health.
I am fortunate to have wonderful insurance that pays for my annual mammogram. I hate that my mom's insurance changed their recommendations and now doesn't pay for the annual, but only once every 4 years (even for older women - I guess they figure older women are bound to die sooner or later, right? Ugh.) Considering my grandmother was diagnosed at age 70 via mammogram, had a mastectomy and lived to be 84, this change in my mom's insurance irks me no end. Of course, it was my paternal grandmother, so she can't even claim familial risk.
When the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force came out last November with new recommendations for mammograms, women and physicians everywhere were outraged (myself included). I worry about the thousands of women who may be affected and go undiagnosed because they didn't get their mammogram.
So today, I am focused on prevention and cure. Prevention because I had my mammogram, I've changed my eating habits to be more healthy, have begun exercising again, and try to do more to be healthier overall. Cure, because I registered, once again, for the Relay for Life walk. The American Cancer Society is a wonderful organization, and if you've never been to the Relay for Life, I encourage you to do so. Not only is it a fantastic fundraiser for funds to find a cure, but it's such an inspiring event, from the survivor's lap to the luminarias that light up the night.
So... here is my plea. Please, please support me in the 2010 Relay for Life. We all know someone who has/survived/passed away from cancer. The most recent to make their way into blogland awareness is Jennifer Haymore, who just finished chemo and will soon be facing radiation. I wish her all the best and have been thinking of her.
If I make my goal this year, I will have raised $6000 for cancer research. I'd love to make it $10k if I could - so I'll be pimping until October. Please bear with me. To donate to find a cure for cancer, please visit my donation page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/mctclover
Once you've donated, I encourage you to post this badge of honor on your blog or website:
Thanks for all your support over the years and for your continued support this year. You guys are truly the best. Ever.
Thursday, January 07, 2010
A brief, random look back
Just a few thoughts on last year's reading and blogging.
One very marked difference...many, many more DNFs. If the writing is poor or the characters unbelievable, I'm done. No matter the author, no matter the promise of the book's premise. I put down over a dozen books last year. And when I look at them written there in my little calendar book, I've no desire to try them again.
The new authors or discoveries on my list weren't really new, LOL. (Though I think Carolyn Jewel and Julie James were still relatively new in 2009--loved them both to pieces.) The rest were big or buzz names I finally got around to reading--Jeannie Frost, Deana Raybourne, Lauren Dane and Patricia Briggs. All worthy of the big and the buzz.
Not sure if I will continue reading them however. Frost read very young to me, so I'm not sure. I think I'd rather pick back up with Colleen Gleason's series--also young, but maybe not as. Brigg's was a well-paced, well-written, completely engaging kitchen sink. Not unlike Kresley Cole in its busy, and like I said, very engaging. But it didn't snare me like Cole did. Raybourne is another hmmmm. Enjoyed her first title very much and I really enjoy her blog, but I may put reconnecting with Maria Snyder ahead of continuing Raybourne's series. As for Dane, let's just say I'm glad her backlist is long. I've years of good reading ahead.
Other buzz...Not being an e-reader (yet), or a noticeable Harlequin consumer (at least I don't notice), or a conference attendee (some day)...I remained pretty much on the discussion sidelines this year. Not unlike other years, LOL. In 'reading' news however, I will say that I was impacted by Walmart's book-buying changes--and not in a good way. I couldn't even get Singh's Blaze Of Memory last month. Very frustrating. In other 'news', I was also disappointed to learn that Brockmann plans to break from her Troubleshooters and SEALs. So fewer glimpses of Cosmo in my reading future, sigh. Time to let him go I suppose.
Reading and blogging resolutions...for 2009. I did good. I wanted to read more from my TBR list. I wanted to read at least one new or current release a month. And I wanted to get flush with my fave series. Check, check and check. I may have read fewer books overall (again), but I didn't 'miss' anything this year. (If I did, please do not tell me.)
For 2010, I really would like to review more, no question. I enjoy reviewing books. But like 2009, I expect that parenting a busy kid and working the day job will again trump reading and writing. Like Lori, I'll keep posting--totally committed but with zero rhythm, zero discipline.
(Do have to say, seriously, you would not believe the number of times a post drifts through my head. Sometimes making it to a post it note or my planner. But rarely making it to Blogger. I'm talking to you all way more often than you know. Can you hear me? Like yesterday, when I wondered at the phenomenon of flip flops (bare feet, yes) in the snowy, below 10 degrees winter conditions. Or the day before, when I recognized my contentment as I dropped G off to school and drove to work. Contentment, cuz we're doing fine. Or the night before that, when I was pressured into paying obscene money for a Party Lite candle. BTW, does anyone want this? I don't burn candles.)
Which leads me to ask, how many online communities do you support? Cuz that last bit, about the candle? I can't post that on FB because my friend who hosted the candle party is there. But here? I can. Just another reason I need you. So did FB, Twitter, etc. steal you away from blogland? For me, it was Facebook that squirreled some of my 2009 online time. And because it comprises the same audience I had for my son's online journal, it pretty much sealed the demise of that online journal as well. We're back to long-hand, but it's all here and there--just not cohesive (just like my blogs-on-post-it-notes). So there's probably my biggest goal for 2010--figure out the journal thing for him and just do it. And, remind, remind, remind myself of the need for my own journal...of book reviews. ;-)
Starting with one for Skin Game by Ava Grey. I read that before the holidays and because it was wow, stunning, f'ing fab...my journal demands an entry. I'll attempt a review this weekend.
Happy New Year Ladies
One very marked difference...many, many more DNFs. If the writing is poor or the characters unbelievable, I'm done. No matter the author, no matter the promise of the book's premise. I put down over a dozen books last year. And when I look at them written there in my little calendar book, I've no desire to try them again.
The new authors or discoveries on my list weren't really new, LOL. (Though I think Carolyn Jewel and Julie James were still relatively new in 2009--loved them both to pieces.) The rest were big or buzz names I finally got around to reading--Jeannie Frost, Deana Raybourne, Lauren Dane and Patricia Briggs. All worthy of the big and the buzz.
Not sure if I will continue reading them however. Frost read very young to me, so I'm not sure. I think I'd rather pick back up with Colleen Gleason's series--also young, but maybe not as. Brigg's was a well-paced, well-written, completely engaging kitchen sink. Not unlike Kresley Cole in its busy, and like I said, very engaging. But it didn't snare me like Cole did. Raybourne is another hmmmm. Enjoyed her first title very much and I really enjoy her blog, but I may put reconnecting with Maria Snyder ahead of continuing Raybourne's series. As for Dane, let's just say I'm glad her backlist is long. I've years of good reading ahead.
Other buzz...Not being an e-reader (yet), or a noticeable Harlequin consumer (at least I don't notice), or a conference attendee (some day)...I remained pretty much on the discussion sidelines this year. Not unlike other years, LOL. In 'reading' news however, I will say that I was impacted by Walmart's book-buying changes--and not in a good way. I couldn't even get Singh's Blaze Of Memory last month. Very frustrating. In other 'news', I was also disappointed to learn that Brockmann plans to break from her Troubleshooters and SEALs. So fewer glimpses of Cosmo in my reading future, sigh. Time to let him go I suppose.
Reading and blogging resolutions...for 2009. I did good. I wanted to read more from my TBR list. I wanted to read at least one new or current release a month. And I wanted to get flush with my fave series. Check, check and check. I may have read fewer books overall (again), but I didn't 'miss' anything this year. (If I did, please do not tell me.)
For 2010, I really would like to review more, no question. I enjoy reviewing books. But like 2009, I expect that parenting a busy kid and working the day job will again trump reading and writing. Like Lori, I'll keep posting--totally committed but with zero rhythm, zero discipline.
(Do have to say, seriously, you would not believe the number of times a post drifts through my head. Sometimes making it to a post it note or my planner. But rarely making it to Blogger. I'm talking to you all way more often than you know. Can you hear me? Like yesterday, when I wondered at the phenomenon of flip flops (bare feet, yes) in the snowy, below 10 degrees winter conditions. Or the day before, when I recognized my contentment as I dropped G off to school and drove to work. Contentment, cuz we're doing fine. Or the night before that, when I was pressured into paying obscene money for a Party Lite candle. BTW, does anyone want this? I don't burn candles.)
Which leads me to ask, how many online communities do you support? Cuz that last bit, about the candle? I can't post that on FB because my friend who hosted the candle party is there. But here? I can. Just another reason I need you. So did FB, Twitter, etc. steal you away from blogland? For me, it was Facebook that squirreled some of my 2009 online time. And because it comprises the same audience I had for my son's online journal, it pretty much sealed the demise of that online journal as well. We're back to long-hand, but it's all here and there--just not cohesive (just like my blogs-on-post-it-notes). So there's probably my biggest goal for 2010--figure out the journal thing for him and just do it. And, remind, remind, remind myself of the need for my own journal...of book reviews. ;-)
Starting with one for Skin Game by Ava Grey. I read that before the holidays and because it was wow, stunning, f'ing fab...my journal demands an entry. I'll attempt a review this weekend.
Happy New Year Ladies
Friday, December 11, 2009
Holiday woes?
So I went to the mall last night to do some last minute Hanukkah shopping. For the first time in my memory, the mall isn't open until 10 pm in the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's, and it was empty. I mean, we immediately got a parking place in the very front.
You'd think all the slow business would translate to lower prices, wouldn't you? But apparently not. I'm very thankful that we put away $200 a month each year for the holidays. Then we pull it out on Thanksgiving weekend to shop. Otherwise, we'd probably be in as big a predicament as lots of other folks.
How about you? Are your malls as empty as mine? And are you getting better deals this year?
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Don't Smoke, Just Read
You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that cancer is my pet cause. Every year I hound you politely request that you support my Relay for Life walk. What you may not know is that I also give money throughout the year to City of Hope, and that my grandparents left the bulk of their estate to the City of Hope. It's a family tradition, doing our part to fight cancer.
Some self-indulgent storytime... my hubby was a double chain-smoker when we met in college. He was like the double helix of smokers. Cigarettes and... well, you get it. Thankfully, he quit cigarettes at the age of 22. Cold turkey. The other? Let's just say it took a little longer :)
Both my parents also chain-smoked. It was a lot more common back in the day. I remember my mom sending us to the store to buy her cigarettes. My dad quit cold turkey when I was 2. He was home alone with me during a bitter snowstorm in Boston when he ran out of cigarettes. After smoking every butt in the house, he just figured he wasn't meant to be a smoker anymore. But to the day he died, he had smoking dreams so realistic he'd wake up and ask my mom if he'd smoked the night before.
For materials on how to quit and where to get support, please go here.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
When the parent becomes the child
More of the personal stuff...
I've been absent from blogland for a good part of the last few weeks. We're going through some serious issues with my mom. First off, She's 71. Not terribly old, but you know the saying that you're only as young as you feel or act? Yeah. She acts the 71 of my grandmother's time, not the 71 of today. For the last several years, she hasn't taken good physical care of herself. As a result, she has a lot of health issues, I'm shocked by her sudden lack of good hygiene, and her mental health has taken some hits as well. She's suffered some memory issues over the last 5-6 years that has me and my siblings very concerned. She refuses to see or acknowledge these issues, however. Add to that, she's a typical Jewish mother. There's an old joke: "How many Jewish mothers does it take to screw in a light bulb? None. I'll just sit here in the dark, dear. Don't worry about me." That describes my mom to a T. She's the perfect martyr.
So about 6 weeks ago, my mom called my siblings and me to let us know that she decided to buy a condo. Since she and my dad sold their home in Arizona and moved back to California in 2003, they (and now she) have been living in an apartment about a mile from both my sister and myself. My brother lives about 15 minutes away. The problem? She didn't let any of us know about this proposed purchase beforehand. She decided to do it, and kept it secret because she knew none of us would approve. She arranged to pull approx $300,000 out of her retirement funds to buy it. Even though she's constantly complaining she can barely make ends meet. She put several offers in at once on short-sales, out of sheer desperation to be a homeowner once again. The reason she finally let us know? It looked like one was going to actually accept her offer and close.
We came to find out that she had kept this secret from her children, but had told my in-laws and my sister's MIL. And sworn them to secrecy. And that her loan officer was my sister's BIL, also sworn to secrecy. Unbelievable.
AND, she won't be saving any money at all on a monthly basis, which was her rationale to us in the first place. Besides the "I miss owning my own home" argument. And the "My apartment is too small" argument. (The condo that she closed on is actually smaller than her apartment, but she saw it without furniture, so she thinks it's larger - square footage means nothing to her.)
My mom doesn't handle stress well. When something goes wrong at her apt right now, she calls maintenance. If they aren't there to fix it ASAP, she gets pretty pissy with them. I can only imagine how it will be as a homeowner. I don't have the time to maintain two homes. Nor does my husband. As it is, we spend an inordinate amount of time over there fixing little things for her. I don't have a problem with that, but now I anticipate it will be expanded to plumbing and other maintenance issues. My brother and BIL are pretty useless when it comes to maintenance (and I say that with love, truly), so their help is out.
Really, truly, the issue is that she needs to keep making changes every couple years because she still hasn't come to terms with my dad's death 5 years ago. She's still making comments like "This isn't how it was supposed to be," or "I can't believe your dad left me to deal with this on my own." And I truly understand her feelings. Even moreso after the last couple weeks. I know that my folks were supposed to grow old together. Nobody anticipated my dad passing away at 70. But buying a home isn't something that she can just change her mind on 2 years from now when she decides she doesn't like it. She's moved apartments twice in the 5 years since my dad passed, trying to find a place that works for her. And each time, she buys a ton of new stuff. That a month earlier she says she can't afford. At some point, I really hope that she will realize that she needs to move on. Spend time with friends. DO something every day. Find joy in life. Because, I imagine that she has a lot of years ahead of her, and I really don't want her to be unhappy all those years.
So, we've been struggling with the big question that's been sitting on the back burner for the past few years. How to handle it when the parent is becoming the child, but isn't ready to acknowledge any diminished capacity? She thinks we're all just treating her like a baby.
Honestly, this is so stressful - I want to treat my mom with the respect that she needs and deserves, but I don't know how far to take my disapproval and concerns. My siblings and I have pretty much sucked it up at this point and are letting her make her own decisions, including this one. But we're asking ourselves more and more often, given her lack of physical care for herself (which isn't yet to the point where we feel she can't live alone) and her lack of stable emotional decision-making, how do we manage a woman whom my dad let have everything in life she wanted? Who almost never heard the word no? And who hasn't a clue, or refuses to see, that she isn't in the best position to be purchasing a home at 71 and in poor physical, financial, and emotional health?
Been a little stressed out lately. Hopefully will get back to bloghopping and writing reviews soon. Thanks for letting me vent.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
SAHM Envy....realized.
Over the past year, I'm pretty sure I limited my public working Mom angst to Yahoo group and Facebook friends. Didn't get into it so much here or at Let's Gab. The long and long of it...(seriously it's long and rambling and entirely self-serving)...almost 7 years ago, I was a career-minded, working Mom when I gave birth to my son. And despite an immediate and very sharp desire to give it all up to stay home with him, I went back to work. Financially, it made more sense for me to work and my husband to stay home. A couple of paycuts later, he returned to work and G went off to daycare. And we all adjusted.
Three years later, I was laid off with no viable employment in sight. And finally, home with G. We all adjusted. And despite the economic hardships, I'll admit, it was heaven to be with him. I'll also say that I knew it. At the time, I knew it was heaven. I didn't waste it.
Two and a half years later, G started kindergarten and I found a job. Started part-time, while he was in school, and experienced no great bump in our little piece of heaven. By Christmas, another job found me and, in January, I returned to the 8 to 5 grind. Big bump. G went from school to his old daycare to friend Barb's. Long day for him, but we all adjusted.
Then summer came and we all adjusted again. G to day camp, various playdates and a bit of daycare each week. I worked very hard to keep it varied for him. I worked equally hard to fend off the guilt when, driving by the lake on our way home each day, G asked when we could go to "our beach." We both missed our summer days together. At the beach, on the bike trails, in the yard. The guilt ate at me. The resentment did too. I wanted our time together as much as he did.
The start of first grade brought more adjustments--these more rocky than any before. He went from school to latchkey--spending his entire, long day with strangers. New teacher, none of his buddies in his class, more of the same at latchkey, and so on. It was a very rough start for him and my guilt and concern skyrocketed. After three weeks, I met with principal and teacher and saw positive changes in his school day. Then I swapped one of his latchkey days with a weekly playdate, and you get the drift. Things turned around for him and I breathed easier, worried less.
Sounds like I was doing everything I could possibly do to successfully parent him, be his advocate and keep him priority one. Right? Wrong. The 8 to 5 grind robbed me of energy--some days just a little, other days pretty much all of it. My homelife went from exactly that, life at home, to not a lot more than chores. Leave work, get G, get home and cook dinner, clean up, review schoolwork, practice spelling words, bath, storytime, bed. The 5 to 7:20 AM time slot wasn't much different and frequently involved me rushing G out the door to school and work. In my heart, I know--being ruthlessly honest with myself--that I treated most evenings and pretty much every morning as a To Do list. Worse yet, I methodically moved through that To Do list with the one selfish goal of being able to sit down, alone, at the end of the night. For some me-time. Me-time that I needed, now that I found none elsewhere in my day.
The ache of it was awful. And friends like Lori will tell you I struggled with it.
And note the past tense. Couple weeks back I lost my job. Total stunner. Thankfully--for all the relatable financial reasons--I found another job a day or two after that. I start next Monday. So right now, I'm in the in-between. With two and a half weeks of SAHM-ness. Two and half weeks of daily, right-before-my-eyes proof that working full-time short-changes my family. My rational self knows that the short-changing would be far worse if we were to be struggling to keep our house, fill the pantry, send G to college and some day retire. The Mom in me knows--firsthand--that we would all be better served if I were home more waking hours than I was at work. In this, there is no in-between.
I've seen it in just these few days. First, G got sick and was home two days from school. Had I been working, there would have been discussion about who would take off work to stay with him. And what that would mean--using vacation days, missing meetings, etc. With the time already off, there was no discussion that might alert him to Mom and Dad's burdens. Just quiet assurances that Momma would be here with him and all he had to do was rest and get better.
Back to school, he finds me there to pick him up when the bell rings. Every day. On the crappy weather days, we come home to board games and Spongebob. On the nice days, we stop off at the community center for some tennis. Regardless of what we do or where we go, he is "home" minutes after the school bell rings. And he is a different kid. Swear. I can SEE how relaxed he is. Particularly when we get to the chore part of our days. Some things--like leaves--we tackle together. Other things I get done while he is content to play whatever. Amazing how we slid easily back into our routine of old. It has been as good as I remembered it.
And it will end in a few days.
There is a lot on this out there--whole and sound arguments for making whatever sacrifice necessary to stay home with your kids. There is also a great deal on the needs of women--beyond those of simply motherhood. Tons and tons on balance and expectations; and convenience and short-cuts. All of it worthwhile. But little of it that changes this individual's reality.
Bottomline, I will go back to the 8 to 5 next Monday. G and I will part ways in front of his school before 8 AM and meet up again just as darkness falls here in Northern Michigan.
Some things will be easier than before. For one, latchkey has introduced a new teacher/leader for G's group--a woman from our church that 'knows' G (this knowing is important to him this year). So that should be better. And friend Barb has decided it best for G if she can get him from latchkey earlier than I'm able to. Another stop in his long day but one that is as close to his own home as it gets. Another thing, my new job promises to come without the bizarro factor underlying my last one. That alone should alleviate a good deal of the energy-drain.
And hopefully...hopefully it will be easier simply because we had this brief respite. Not only a gift of what I'd been missing so much, but a reminder not to let my own burdens ruin what time we do get together.
Three years later, I was laid off with no viable employment in sight. And finally, home with G. We all adjusted. And despite the economic hardships, I'll admit, it was heaven to be with him. I'll also say that I knew it. At the time, I knew it was heaven. I didn't waste it.
Two and a half years later, G started kindergarten and I found a job. Started part-time, while he was in school, and experienced no great bump in our little piece of heaven. By Christmas, another job found me and, in January, I returned to the 8 to 5 grind. Big bump. G went from school to his old daycare to friend Barb's. Long day for him, but we all adjusted.
Then summer came and we all adjusted again. G to day camp, various playdates and a bit of daycare each week. I worked very hard to keep it varied for him. I worked equally hard to fend off the guilt when, driving by the lake on our way home each day, G asked when we could go to "our beach." We both missed our summer days together. At the beach, on the bike trails, in the yard. The guilt ate at me. The resentment did too. I wanted our time together as much as he did.
The start of first grade brought more adjustments--these more rocky than any before. He went from school to latchkey--spending his entire, long day with strangers. New teacher, none of his buddies in his class, more of the same at latchkey, and so on. It was a very rough start for him and my guilt and concern skyrocketed. After three weeks, I met with principal and teacher and saw positive changes in his school day. Then I swapped one of his latchkey days with a weekly playdate, and you get the drift. Things turned around for him and I breathed easier, worried less.
Sounds like I was doing everything I could possibly do to successfully parent him, be his advocate and keep him priority one. Right? Wrong. The 8 to 5 grind robbed me of energy--some days just a little, other days pretty much all of it. My homelife went from exactly that, life at home, to not a lot more than chores. Leave work, get G, get home and cook dinner, clean up, review schoolwork, practice spelling words, bath, storytime, bed. The 5 to 7:20 AM time slot wasn't much different and frequently involved me rushing G out the door to school and work. In my heart, I know--being ruthlessly honest with myself--that I treated most evenings and pretty much every morning as a To Do list. Worse yet, I methodically moved through that To Do list with the one selfish goal of being able to sit down, alone, at the end of the night. For some me-time. Me-time that I needed, now that I found none elsewhere in my day.
The ache of it was awful. And friends like Lori will tell you I struggled with it.
And note the past tense. Couple weeks back I lost my job. Total stunner. Thankfully--for all the relatable financial reasons--I found another job a day or two after that. I start next Monday. So right now, I'm in the in-between. With two and a half weeks of SAHM-ness. Two and half weeks of daily, right-before-my-eyes proof that working full-time short-changes my family. My rational self knows that the short-changing would be far worse if we were to be struggling to keep our house, fill the pantry, send G to college and some day retire. The Mom in me knows--firsthand--that we would all be better served if I were home more waking hours than I was at work. In this, there is no in-between.
I've seen it in just these few days. First, G got sick and was home two days from school. Had I been working, there would have been discussion about who would take off work to stay with him. And what that would mean--using vacation days, missing meetings, etc. With the time already off, there was no discussion that might alert him to Mom and Dad's burdens. Just quiet assurances that Momma would be here with him and all he had to do was rest and get better.
Back to school, he finds me there to pick him up when the bell rings. Every day. On the crappy weather days, we come home to board games and Spongebob. On the nice days, we stop off at the community center for some tennis. Regardless of what we do or where we go, he is "home" minutes after the school bell rings. And he is a different kid. Swear. I can SEE how relaxed he is. Particularly when we get to the chore part of our days. Some things--like leaves--we tackle together. Other things I get done while he is content to play whatever. Amazing how we slid easily back into our routine of old. It has been as good as I remembered it.
And it will end in a few days.
There is a lot on this out there--whole and sound arguments for making whatever sacrifice necessary to stay home with your kids. There is also a great deal on the needs of women--beyond those of simply motherhood. Tons and tons on balance and expectations; and convenience and short-cuts. All of it worthwhile. But little of it that changes this individual's reality.
Bottomline, I will go back to the 8 to 5 next Monday. G and I will part ways in front of his school before 8 AM and meet up again just as darkness falls here in Northern Michigan.
Some things will be easier than before. For one, latchkey has introduced a new teacher/leader for G's group--a woman from our church that 'knows' G (this knowing is important to him this year). So that should be better. And friend Barb has decided it best for G if she can get him from latchkey earlier than I'm able to. Another stop in his long day but one that is as close to his own home as it gets. Another thing, my new job promises to come without the bizarro factor underlying my last one. That alone should alleviate a good deal of the energy-drain.
And hopefully...hopefully it will be easier simply because we had this brief respite. Not only a gift of what I'd been missing so much, but a reminder not to let my own burdens ruin what time we do get together.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
No perfect words to describe it.
It's so hard to put into words. I'm there, waiting, watching him on the line. Physical and emotional knots of worry twisting me inside out.
Then the gate drops.
And I'm awestruck. Then all business. And ultimately, separate.
Completely separate from him.
In this one thing, he leaves his father and I behind, aside, apart.
Can't find the words... At 6 years old, this is the one instance in which he steps wholly away from me, severs the connection that feels constant otherwise.
I can't feel him, can't anticipate his responses, can't see his train of thought.
It's like he's his own man out there, no matter his size.
To my astonishment, it is not a loss. Not at all.
Instead, there is unspeakable joy in those moments, watching him fly.
Then the gate drops.
And I'm awestruck. Then all business. And ultimately, separate.
Completely separate from him.
In this one thing, he leaves his father and I behind, aside, apart.
Can't find the words... At 6 years old, this is the one instance in which he steps wholly away from me, severs the connection that feels constant otherwise.
I can't feel him, can't anticipate his responses, can't see his train of thought.
It's like he's his own man out there, no matter his size.
To my astonishment, it is not a loss. Not at all.
Instead, there is unspeakable joy in those moments, watching him fly.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
One final plea for ACS donations
This is the last week before my ACS Relay for Life Walk this weekend. I'm only 80% of the way to my goal of $1000. I need $200 more!!
If you are so inclined, and haven't already done so, I'd really appreciate a donation to the cause. October is, after all, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For those who already donated - big huge sloppy hugs and kisses - thank you!!Donate here. And thanks :)
Reflections... and my top 10
In another 2 weeks, our little blog will be 4 years old. Jen wrote about her top 10 reviews a couple weeks ago. It got me thinking about my favorite reviews. And in looking back at some of my reviews, I realized once again just how much I love to read. Isn't it wonderful how much joy reading can bring into our world?
An even greater joy for me was discovering other like-minded readers online. Readers like Nikki, who is practically my doppleganger when it comes to books. We are almost always reading the same books at the same time. And from a series? We're almost guaranteed to have the same favorite. It's almost freaky-scary. But we laugh about it every time we see each other. Which isn't often enough, given that we only live 20 minutes apart. But life intervenes.
And readers like the rest of the So Cal Bloggers - Wendy, Rosie, Tracy, Holly, Renee, Rowena, Alice, Blanche, Daphne (and Lisabea - our honorary So Cal Blogger) - I feel so fortunate to have met them. You never know who you're gonna meet when you go off to meet your internet friends. There are some nasty freakies out there. But we all lucked out. Big-time. Not a nasty freaky in the bunch :) Just a lot of women who love to talk and read books.
But I especially feel fortunate to have gotten a recommendation on Amazon one day that read: If you liked Lori Foster's book, you may also like Sarah McCarty's books. Why? Because I read Promises Prevail (awesome book, BTW) which led me to her online Yahoo group, where I met JenniferB and Anne. Without a doubt, two of my best friends. And even though I've never met Jen in person (dammit - this year fo sho), we talk on IM almost every day, and I feel like I've known her forever. The day she invited me to join her little start-up blog for book reviews was one of the luckiest days of my life. It started a great friendship. And a blog that's been a blast, too! And we had a blast doing the Let's Gab blog as well.
So... mushy mushy stuff out of the way, here are my favorite reviews, in no particular order.
An even greater joy for me was discovering other like-minded readers online. Readers like Nikki, who is practically my doppleganger when it comes to books. We are almost always reading the same books at the same time. And from a series? We're almost guaranteed to have the same favorite. It's almost freaky-scary. But we laugh about it every time we see each other. Which isn't often enough, given that we only live 20 minutes apart. But life intervenes.
And readers like the rest of the So Cal Bloggers - Wendy, Rosie, Tracy, Holly, Renee, Rowena, Alice, Blanche, Daphne (and Lisabea - our honorary So Cal Blogger) - I feel so fortunate to have met them. You never know who you're gonna meet when you go off to meet your internet friends. There are some nasty freakies out there. But we all lucked out. Big-time. Not a nasty freaky in the bunch :) Just a lot of women who love to talk and read books.
But I especially feel fortunate to have gotten a recommendation on Amazon one day that read: If you liked Lori Foster's book, you may also like Sarah McCarty's books. Why? Because I read Promises Prevail (awesome book, BTW) which led me to her online Yahoo group, where I met JenniferB and Anne. Without a doubt, two of my best friends. And even though I've never met Jen in person (dammit - this year fo sho), we talk on IM almost every day, and I feel like I've known her forever. The day she invited me to join her little start-up blog for book reviews was one of the luckiest days of my life. It started a great friendship. And a blog that's been a blast, too! And we had a blast doing the Let's Gab blog as well.
So... mushy mushy stuff out of the way, here are my favorite reviews, in no particular order.
- Trust in Me by Kathryn Shay
- Our Endangered Values by Jimmy Carter
- England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch
- Giving Chase by Lauren Dane
- Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase
- Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (which I loved so much, it took up two posts)
- Into the Fire by Anne Stuart
- Chasing Stanley by Deirdre Martin (which I hated so much, I ranted)
- Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig
- He Said... The Gentleman's Club Series by Patricia Waddell
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Missing deadlines...
I'm not going to make either of my challenges this month. I'm bummed. And in fact, looking back, I realize I only did one review all month, and it was the buddy review of Hot Pursuit on Sept 2. Holy cow!
I read several categories this month, just no oomph or time to review them. Sorry, KMont!
And Nath - I didn't reread anything this month. My bad!
Excuse time? Well, we had a really big web build that I was testing for 2 weeks of this month. I was working 11 hours a day, 2 weeks straight. Then... the Jewish holidays. Then a rocking get-together with the SoCal Bloggers (w00t!). Then... my oldest tweaked his back during football and we spent last night in the ER when (wait for it) I could have been home writing reviews. (Yeah, that's it. Blame it on the gimpinator!). The ER doc thinks he might have herniated a disc or have sciatica. Geez! We'll go to his own doctor tomorrow to find out, and then likely on to a sports med guy after that.
Sigh. Why didn't he listen when I told him that nice Jewish boys don't play football?
Anyway, bottom line is that I haven't been reviewing, or even reading much. I have been buying, though. (Bad, bad Lori). I buy when I feel stressed - what can I say? Here's what I've gotten in the last week or so...
Now I just need to read them!! What have you all been reading? Help me out!
I read several categories this month, just no oomph or time to review them. Sorry, KMont!
And Nath - I didn't reread anything this month. My bad!
Excuse time? Well, we had a really big web build that I was testing for 2 weeks of this month. I was working 11 hours a day, 2 weeks straight. Then... the Jewish holidays. Then a rocking get-together with the SoCal Bloggers (w00t!). Then... my oldest tweaked his back during football and we spent last night in the ER when (wait for it) I could have been home writing reviews. (Yeah, that's it. Blame it on the gimpinator!). The ER doc thinks he might have herniated a disc or have sciatica. Geez! We'll go to his own doctor tomorrow to find out, and then likely on to a sports med guy after that.
Sigh. Why didn't he listen when I told him that nice Jewish boys don't play football?
Anyway, bottom line is that I haven't been reviewing, or even reading much. I have been buying, though. (Bad, bad Lori). I buy when I feel stressed - what can I say? Here's what I've gotten in the last week or so...
Now I just need to read them!! What have you all been reading? Help me out!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
2007 Reads In Review
I feel compelled to do this now that I saw Jennifer did hers, but mine won't be nearly as organized LOL
Like Jennifer, included in my top reads were:
One's JB didn't mention that I thought were great:
I'm so sure I'm leaving something out, but
All in all it was a good year for me reading wise. I read 143 books total and out of that I only had 3 DNFs. Not bad.
Like Jennifer, included in my top reads were:
- 1) Nalini Singh as well, but mostly Slave to Sensation and Visions of Heat. Caressed by Ice was good, but not up to the caliber of the first two.
- 2) I also Megan Hart's Broken and Dirty. Great reads.
One's JB didn't mention that I thought were great:
- 1) Second Time Around by Marie Ferrarella. Wonderful story.
- 2) The Me I Used To Be by Jennifer Archer. Bawled my eyes out. Loved it.
- 3) Then there's Mallery's Her Last First Date, witty and fun.
- 4) McCarty's Caine's Reckoning. Hot, sexy, Alpha... another great McCarty.
- 5) High Noon by NR.
- 6) Innocent In Death by JD Robb... all of them really. Thoroughly enjoy them, every single time.
- 7) Up Close & Dangerous by Linda Howard
- 8) Seven-Year Seduction by Heidi Betts
I'm so sure I'm leaving something out, but
All in all it was a good year for me reading wise. I read 143 books total and out of that I only had 3 DNFs. Not bad.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Your help needed!...update
Update: With your help, I'm 1/3 of the way to my goal. But there is still work to do. You still have time to donate before the walk next weekend. $1500 was a really lofty goal for a 3 week donation cycle, but I know I can do it! Let's help to rid the world of this awful disease. Every little bit helps, even $5 or $10. Thanks again for all the help and good wishes that you all have given to me already. It is truly appreciated!
Here's the link again: http://www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/simivalley/lsherden
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I'm walking in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life on October 7th. It's on my 41st birthday. Last year, Mary Carves the Chicken was part of the entertainment for the walkers, but this year they aren't. Page's mom just lost her long battle with leukemia last week, so understandably they won't be playing this year.
I, on the other hand, felt even more strongly about participating, so I'm walking. They hold it every year on my birthday weekend. I'm getting back from a week long business trip to Boston (where I'll get to hang with Katie - yay!) on Saturday, and then Sunday I'll walk.
My goal is to raise $1,500. Please, please help me in this important cause! I'm walking in memory of my grandfather, Bob's grandmother, and Page's mom.
Although my fervent wish is that nobody ever has to walk in memory of somebody they love, I'm sure that cancer has touched all of our lives in some way. Here's how you can sign up to contribute: http://www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/simivalley/lsherden
Every little bit helps. Thanks!
Monday, June 18, 2007
Sharing a trip down Memory Lane
I've just taken an interesting trip down memory lane. My mother sent all my school yearbooks to me a few weeks ago and I just got around to opening the box. To my surprise she also included my high school diploma which was in a fancy folder. Inside that folder was my valedictorian speech. Considering graduation year was 1968, I didn't remember what I'd said, so I re-read it. My overall point was we can't deal with each other successfully if we don't hold each other in mutual respect. I was referring to racial tensions on the societal level as well as the tensions between parents and children on the personal level.
Keep in mind I grew up seeing separate water fountains and toilets "for colored only" and there had been a race riot in Washington DC that year (I remember watching smoke from the fires from a friend's apartment which was on the river near the George Washington Bridge). Civil rights was a new concept and not universally accepted. Also, many of my friends came from broken homes or had parents that just didn't pay any attention to their kids. When Bill read it he said I sounded very mature for a 17 year old. I was just amazed (and saddened) to realize I'm still banging that same drum. *sigh*
Jen suggested I could post it here, so without further ado, I present my very first speech:
An ancient Greek philosopher once said, “The state is the man writ large.” We could paraphrase that and say that society is the family written large. We have heard repeatedly that our modern society is sick. When we see all the violence and revolution, both political and social, that dominates the news media today, we can indeed know that society is not in robust health. I will not make judgment as to whether this turmoil is a necessary part of evolution towards something better or whether we are convulsing with the pangs of decadence that have set upon us, but obviously something is not right. If society is indeed sick, then I submit that the family is also sick. What virus has infected our families to cause this illness? Doubtless its name is Legion. We could name several, and affluence ranks high among them. However, it is my diagnosis as a relatively inexperienced but very much involved young person that the most deadly virus that has infected our family lives and is mirrored in our society is a lack of understanding based on mutual respect.
We see the expression of this problem in the nations of the world. The United States and France are two historically national friends who have shared common destinies and have built the superstructure of their respective states on common philosophical foundations. Now they find their relationship in a state of rupture and we must point our finger at a gross lack of understanding and a loss of mutual respect. The so-called “Cold War” is a universal expression of the same problem.
Within the individual nations we have the races at each other’s throats. We do not need to be reminded of Selma, Watts, Detroit and our own front door, Washington, DC, where we have seen the horrible evidence of a lack of understanding between the races of men.
And what shall we say of the most recent phenomenon in our community, where one socio-economic class is making threatening demands of another class? What traumatic proportion will this lack of understanding reach before we face each other in common respect and see that the problem of poverty belongs to us all.
It seems that the “in” word today is gap. We have the “missile gap” and the “credibility gap”, and now we dismiss the historical lack of communication between the young and not young enough, as a “generation gap”. Oh well, it looks like the “generation gap” is going to take care of itself pretty soon. The kids can’t wait to get all the privileges and license of the adult world, while the aging population is making the cosmetic industry one of the biggest businesses is the country by trying to stay young.
We have painted a gloomy picture of nations, races, classes and generations, but it seems to me that the lowest common denominator in this whole matter is the problem of the individual. We can pass minimum wage laws, guarantee a certain income, give higher social security and set up firearms control; but let us not live with the unrealistic ideas that we can legislate an individual’s morality. This does not mean that we are relieved of the obligation of good legislation, however.
You people who complain about these situations, do you do something about them or do you just complain about them? “All the world loves a lover” and tolerates the complainer. But to those of you who want to help, I have a solution that is almost impossible in it’s simplicity. Each man must be changed by an act of his own will. If we are going to destroy this virus that infects our society and families it must be destroyed in me and in you. The poor man must stand in the affluent man’s shoes just as much as the affluent man must stand in the poor man’ shoes in order to understand each other. I cannot help to ease the tension between the races until I, by an act of my own will, determine to understand why a man of another race looks upon me with suspicion and I likewise upon him. This is the beginning of understanding. If a gap indeed does exist between generations, it exists as an individual problem and must be solved as such. If you and your parents do not communicate, if you are sick over the gap that exists between you and your child, let me assure you that you search in vain if you are looking for a psychiatrist or legislator to close that gap for you. When you really want to communicate and are willing to indulge yourself in a moment of tolerance, mutual respect and unselfishness, in that moment the bridge over that gap has gone under construction.
I warned you that this solution was almost impossible in its simplicity but there it is. Let us be realistic now and stop looking for a human messiah to elect to a political office or some miracle of modern science to lead us painlessly into a utopia. We have one set of alternatives - understanding between men and nations based on tolerance and mutual respect, or utter chaos. The choice is ours.
I imagine this was a real snooze-fest for my fellow students but I was supposed to give a socially relevant and inspirational speech. The Salutorian got to give the funny speech which spoofed his classmates. Lucky guy.
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