Reader Ramblings.

Ever since my friend Betsy told me that she doesn't like my book reviews (admittedly all those J.D. Robb's in a row was oppressive) I've been a little gun shy about posting more book reviews. I got kinda burnt out too. But really, I want, as all bloggers do, to give my readers what they want to read while at the same time expressing myself. What to do, what to do....

Ever since the book challenge started we've been on a huge reading kick at my house. We can barely get American Idol watched before the next A. I. is due to come on. The time pressure is killing us. Naturally, it doesn't help that all our favorite shows (Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone) got cancelled. T.V. is in a sad state. Judy and I aren't even watching the new Survivor or Amazing Race. We just need a break, I guess. So we're reading instead.

Once J. D. Robb's latest came out, Promises in Death. I got off the Eve Dallas marathon. It was a little weird at first--like not seeing a family member for a while after seeing them everyday. I'd been reading In Deaths steadily since Christmas--but I am now largely recovered from the effects. Whew. I was imagining murderers around every corner. I was getting almost too paranoid to go to the mall.

I went immediately into Sci Fi mode. Lois McMaster Bujold's latest and last? Sharing Knife book came out and I happily settled into to see how that series finished up. Then onto the Sharon Shinn Twelve Houses series. I even managed to get Judy interested in that series. (I've tried for years to convince her to read Shinn's Archangel. You'd think that a book with singing and music and sci fi people with angel wings would appeal but Judy's musical interests are rather thin for a former music educator.)

Once through the 'serious' sci fi, I hit my stacks of paranormal romance. Yep. It's just what it sounds like---romances with "paranormal" elements. I have a particular weakness for vampire stories, anything with ESP, and frankly, I'm fond of people who can turn into animals. I have no idea why. I don't analyze myself or the books, I just enjoy 'em.

I discovered a new author, Lara Adrian who is writing a series about Vampires who are really aliens stranded on earth. Cool. Reminds me of Lyndsey Sand's series about the Vampires who have nano-technology in their bloodstream that repairs all damage to their bodies thus requiring more blood, frequently. For the person who likes paranormal romance--this is your time in the romance industry. Cowboys and Regency/Historicals are still popular but fangs and claws are takin' over. For now, anyway. The tide will turn eventually and tastes will change. It's why I buy books in bulk after all--because they might stop publishing the stuff I like to read. Gotta have a stockpile for retirement.

As far as the book challenge is concerned--I've read almost 16,000 pages. I think I'm still in third place after Karen and Judy. Overall, I've read 47 books since New Year's Day. Not counting the re-reads of Blue Eyed Devil and Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas that I just read after finishing her latest book, Smooth-Talking Stranger. I'm an honest competitor and I didn't read them all the way through--I just re-read my favorite parts, so I can't count them in the challenge. Btw, if I were to write a review of Smooth-Talking Stranger, I would so give it a TEN! It was EXCELLENT.

2009 Book Challenge Update

As of yesterday, I have completed Part I: Read 12 Miscellaneous books. I am on pace to achieve Part III; my page total is 12,243 towards the 50,000 pages. I have not yet read even one biography however. Karen and Judy have read around 13,000 pages so I'm trailing behind according to their unofficial book challenge information. I will keep plugging away anyway. I'm confident my summer vacation advantage will result in a significant lead by September. Heh heh.

Continuing the Theme

Now that I'm not reviewing a new book every other day, I've sort of lost my sense of purpose on the blog. Now that my next post isn't already planned, it's like I can't remember what I used to post about. (I know, I know, I just dangled a preposition. Tough.) The result will likely be some stream of consciousness posts.

My current reading is the latest in the Lois McMaster Bujold The Sharing Knife series. I'm enjoying it and it's buzzing along pretty quickly. I'm sure I'll finish it today. I have, as anyone who knows me can tell you, a to-be-read stack of mammoth proportions, so finding something else to read is not a problem.

I am feeling some pressure due to the 2009 Reading Challenge to start a biography. I have one on Mary Todd Lincoln which I'm about half way through--which I could finish. I carefully set up the rules of the reading challenge so that book started but not completed could be grandfathered in for credit. (Heh heh. That was devious I admit because I knew I had the Lincoln book out there and a book on Robert E. Lee which is also half finished----oh yeah, and a book on George Washington which is half finished.) I bet my discerning readers will have noticed a pattern in my reading habits. I'm not wildly fond of biographies that end up being dry and boring. Give me real life, passion, conflict, and the behind the scenes stuff.

The big plan for the weekend is to finally complete some chores that have been hanging over my head. Finish my tax returns. Mail some packages to family. Clean the house. Buy new kitchen knives with Judy's Solo Strong award money. Oh yeah--and DON'T MESS UP MY BACK again. I feel pretty strongly about that last one. One thing you can be sure of--in the narcissistic world that is my blog---I'm be telling you about it.

2009 Book Challenge Update

The latest stats on my progress in the 2009 Book Challenge are:

Part One: 5 of 12 books read. (General Fiction)
Part Two: 0 of 12 books read. (Biographies)
Part Three: 6337 of 50,000 pages read.

I'm on track for general fiction and pages read, but I'm way behind in the biographies section.

2009 Book Challenge Update

We're twelve days into the 2009 Book Challenge so I thought it was time for an update. Since January 1st, I have completed:

Part One: 3/12 complete

• The Shadowdwellers: Ecstasy by Jacqueline Frank
• Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe'
• Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood

Part Two: 0/12 complete

and
Part Three: 2078/50,000 pages complete. I am ahead of my minimum pace needed to achieve the goal by about 500 pages. Yippee! Only 48,000 pages to go.