Sex and the Single Fireman by Jennifer Bernard

Title:  Sex and the Single Fireman
Author:  Jennifer Bernard
Grade:  B
Description from back cover:  The toughest captain on the East Coast, single father Rick Roman has come thousands of miles to San Gabriel to put an end to the "Bachelor Firemen" media hype.  But when a stunning woman he nearly hooked up with in Reno turns out to be a firefighter from his new station, Roman realizes it's going to be tough keeping the tabloids at bay. 

Review:  This is the second "Bachelor Firemen" novel that I have read.  I liked it better than the first.  Although there were a few parts that I would trim out I really liked the main characters.  Both Roman and Sabina seemed like real people.  They had real life problems that were easy to identify with and the conflicts seemed like they were possible and probable.  I'll probably read another in this series. 


I got this book for review because I am an Avon Addict!

January Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the following ladies who won the January giveaway of a copy of How to Deceive a Duke by Lecia Cornwall:  1.  Robin McMillan  2.  Jessica Hartman  3.  Gail Blair.  Thanks Ladies!!!!

Multiple copies for the giveaway courtesy of Avon Publishing!  Thanks!  I love being an Avon Addict!
 

Reading Ruminations - Feb Edition

My husband is absolutely adamant that I am a book addict.  He's probably right.  Even as young as 16 I was reading 300 - 500 page books weekly.  The Ransomville Free Library was 2.8 miles away, an easy bike ride.  I could go on my own  (no car)  and the librarians would let me take out anything I wanted.  I still remember my four-digit library card number (2812) and wonder if it would still work.  I used to go anywhere there were books then and anywhere there are books now.  I caught up today on my google spreadsheet for 2013.  I've got over 120 books on the list.  Since I was so terribly upset with myself for setting a 100 book per month goal for last year (that I didn't reach) I'm not trying this year.  But wow.  I read alot.  Is it to my detriment?  I've been getting all these really great books from Avon Publishing that I'm having to MAKE myself read.  It's disconcerting.  Even when they send me books that I've had on my TBR spreadsheet for a while, I can't bring myself to read them.  I keep falling into rereading oldies but goodies.  I've reread Nora of course.  Elizabeth Vaughan, Patricia Briggs, my new crack Kristen Ashley even some of my eBooks of new authors on my kindle and nook.  Weird.  Book addict that doesn't want new material. 

Three Cookbooks

I've been getting great cookbooks from the Parachute Branch Library for some time now.  When I saw these three were available via interlibrary loan I jumped on them.  They'd come to my attention via the Leite's Culinaria blog I read.  They were giveaways and though I didn't win, I did get to see them, yeah libraries!

1. 
Title:  Hot & Cheesy
Author:  Clifford A. Wright
Grade:  B
Description from back:  A comforting collection of cheese dishes from the James Beard Award-Wining Author. 

Review:  I love cheese.  I grew up in Western New York where if something isn't deep fried it comes with cheese.  Sometimes it is deep fried cheese.  There are two reasons this cookbook did not receive an A rating from me.  One, there were no pictures.  No cookbook, no matter how good should be without pictures.  Not hand-drawn hokey, homey ones either.  We're talking full color photographs.  Two, a lot of the recipes were for things WITH cheese and not OF cheese.  If you look at the sections below you can see just how many of them mention "with cheese."  Disappointing, that.  Some of the tips about cheese in general that peppered the recipes were awesome and useful.  I'll be making or trying over 50 of the recipes in this book and it is well worth it to get it if you like cheese. 

Sections: 
Soups. Sauces & Dips
Fritters with Cheese
Savory Crepes & Pancakes with Cheese
Pies, Tarts, and Quiches with Cheese
Pizzas, Calzones, and Breads with Cheese
Sandwiches with Cheese
Quesadillas, Enchiladas, and Burritos with Cheese
Eggs and Cheese
Cheese and more cheese
Pasta with Cheese
Rice and Polenta with Cheese
Vegetables with Cheese
Meat and Seafood with Cheese
Sweets with Cheese

2. 
Title:  Bean by Bean: A Cookbook
Author:  Crescent Dragonwagon
Grade:  C
Description from back matter:  The bountiful bean - humble yet haute, soulfully satisfying - knows no borders, belongs in all seasons, and revels in a world's worth of flavors, seasonings, and combinations.  In more than 175 recipes, from down-home to elegant, beans become soups, tews, chilies and curries, slathers and salads, burgers - even dessert.  Amazingly versatile, deeply delectable, those supermarket staples, exotic heirlooms, tofus, and tempehs make a bite-by-bite, bean-by-bean celebration. 

Review:  Again, what's with NO PICTURES.  Admittedly, pictures of beans aren't exactly amazing fodder but it's a COOKBOOK!  Preparing for the zombie apocalypse my family has been changing our eating habits to include more beans and less meat.  I was expecting a bit more.  I guess even James Beard award winners have a hard time finding exciting things (description above notwithstanding) to do with beans. I liked the "Beginners Beanery" as before I married Mark I'd only had canned green beans, Bush's baked beans and kidney beans.  Now that I've tried others there were a few recipes that I'll probably try.  Think three.

Sections: 
Bean Basics
Hummus, Where the Heart Is
Soulful Simmer
Cool Beans
Chili Weather
Superior Stews, Companionable Curries
Bountiful Bean Bakes, Comforting Caseroles
Home on the Range
Beans and Grains
Sweet Beans

3.
Title:  Crazy Sexy Kitchen: 150 plant-empowered recipes to ignite a mouthwatering revolution
Author:  Kris Carr with Chef Chad Sarno
Grade:  DNF
Description from flap:  In Crazy Sexy Kitchen , the woman who made prevention hot is now making it delicious!

Review:  Loved the pictures.  This is the only cookbook of the three that included them and they were beautiful.  But...my food and eating philosophy is simple.  I eat what I want that tastes good.  When the zombie apocalypse comes I may have to eat roots and dirt and tree bark or insects but I don't have to right now and I'm not going to.  If I'd seen the subtitle I probably wouldn't have picked the book.  I'm not a revolutionary especially when it comes to food.  The pictures drew me but the philosophy kind of ticked me off.  So, no recipes from this book. 

Sections: 
Wecome to the Wellness Revolution
Crazy Sexy Diet & Lifestyle Philosophy
Preparation
Kitchen Know-How
Crazy Sexy Recipes
Magnificent Menus

The Red Diary by Toni Blake

Title:  The Red Diary
Author:  Toni Blake
Grade: C-
Description from back cover:  Prim and proper Lauren Ash has a secret side no one else sees: she records her sexual fantasties, in intimate detail, in a very personal book meant for her eyes only.  When hired hand Nick Armstrong finds the red diary he's shocked...and aroused.  Never before has he come across anything so private - or so sensual.  And, given the way the Ash family has hurt his, he soon begins to see this as a potent weapon for righting an old wrong.  Wouldn't it serve the haughty Lauren right if he used her own fantasies to seduce her, make her fall in love, and then break her heart?  But there's much more to Lauren than Nick expects, and before he quite realizes it, he's opening himself- and his heart - to her.  Can Nick let go of the past and surrender to Lauren, body and soul? 

Review:  The book opened with a fantasy.  It was relatively tame and satisfyingly short.  Lauren Ash has only had three lovers but everyone in her life believes her to have many.  Her best friend is very sexual and has many sexual experiences and because Lauren spends time with her people think she is similar in her sexual past.  The fantasies were similar all throughout the book. 

Lauren Ash was too insipid in the beginning of the book.  It seemed as if every person in her life completely overrode her constantly.  Her father was a philanderer, the company partner was slimy, her best friend was obnoxious.  She changes throughout the book, for the better, but the change seemed insincere.  I really didn't like her all that much. She was so clueless when it came to Nick it wasn't funny. 

Nick Armstrong was not a hired hand.  He was the owner of a successful painting business and creepy as all get out.  He was by turns petulant and pissy and I wouldn't have had a thing to do with him.  The fact that he kept breaking into Lauren's house to read her private diary freaked me out.  He never explained it or let his admittedly small conscience make him stop.  I understand that he felt Lauren's father had contributed to his family's misfortunes but he didn't let a little thing like having an intimate relationship with someone stop him from going through with a revenge that wasn't all that complete. 

I read the whole thing and finished it.  It felt a lot like a first time writer although I know Toni Blake has been writing and been published since at least 2000.  Lori Foster is quoted as saying "Heart-stopping sensuality."  I'll admit that the fantasies were but the rest of the book was awkward and not particularly well-written. 

Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice

Title:  Midnight Man
Series:  Midnight
Author:  Lisa Marie Rice
Grade:  B
Description from Amazon:  Interior decorator Suzanne Barron's new tenant is the most dangerously sexy man she's ever met.  Navy Commander John Huntington, a former SEAL (aka Midnight Man) works best under cover of darkness.  When killers come for her, Suzanne knows she can turn to only one man.  John will guard and protect her body.  But who will guard her body against John?

Review:  I really liked the Protectors series by Lisa Marie Rice.  With one SEAL, one Delta Force operator, and one Marine Force Recon Sniper these were really hot with really alpha heroes and great intrigue or suspense.  This book was very much like one of the Protectors.  I felt that the conflict was totally appropriate and that how John handled it was very much like how Linda Howard heroes handle conflict.  The book was pretty steamy.  Also, it was free at Amazon!  Bonus!  Recommended. 

And Then She Fell by Stephanie Laurens

Title:  And Then She Fell **
Author:  Stephanie Laurens
Grade:  B
Description from book jacket:  The only thing more troublesome than a Cynster man...is a Cynster lady who believes love is not her destiny.  Famously known in London society as "The Matchbreaker," Henrietta Cynster's uncanny skill lies in preventing ill-fated nuptials - not falling victim to Cupid's spell.  But then she disrupts one match too many and feels honor-bound to assist dashing James Glossup in finding a suitable bride for a marriage of-convenience.  A task infernally complicated by the undeniable, unquenchable attraction that flares between James and Henrietta, who continues to believe she will never fall...

Review:  Now this is Stephanie Laurens like I remember her.  When I read the first few Cynster Bar novels, I loved them.  Eventually as each member of the Bar were matched up the cast of characters became so big that they were a distraction instead of moving the stories forward.  The books became a kind of litany of all the Cynster relatives.  In fact, that's why I graded this book a "B" instead of an "A."  There was too much family in it.

And Then She Fell was really reminiscent of what I loved about the first few books by S.L.  I'm so glad I read it.  It was a total comfort read.  I recommend it.


**  I received this book as an advance uncorrected proof from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare

Title:  Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright
Author:  Tessa Dare
Grade:  B
Description from Amazon:  Miss Eliza Cade is a lady in waiting. And waiting. Because of a foolish mistake in her youth, she's not allowed "out" in Society until her three older sisters are wed. But while she's trying to be good, she keeps bumping elbows—and, more distressingly, lips— with notorious rake Harry Wright. Every moment she spends with him, she risks complete ruin.The sensual passions he stirs in her are so wrong . . . but Eliza just can't resist Mr. Wright.

Review:  The hero was in his 30s.  The heroine was seventeen when she met him.  Old school!  She was plucky.  Her description and identification of him as the devil was CUTE!  I loved how she ended up fixing his cravat.  Although this was a novella I thought of it as a complete story.  I really liked it and recommend it for historical fans.  Especially for those who have not yet had the chance to read Tessa Dare.  Good job!

January Giveaway 2013

Courtesy of Avon Publishing I have three copies of How to Deceive a Duke by Lecia Cornwall to give away to three lucky readers.  Just send me an email with your name and contact information OR comment on this blog entry if you are comfortable.  Good Luck!!!

The Siren by Tiffany Reisz

Title:  The Siren
Author:  Tiffany Reisz
Grade: D
Description from Amazon:  Notorious Nora Sutherlin is famous for her delicious works of erotica, each one more popular with readers than the last. But her latest manuscript is different—more serious, more personal—and she's sure it'll be her breakout book…if it ever sees the light of day.  Zachary Easton holds Nora's fate in his well-manicured hands. The demanding British editor agrees to handle the book on one condition: he wants complete control. Nora must rewrite the entire novel to his exacting standards—in six weeks—or it's no deal.  Nora's grueling writing sessions with Zach are draining…and shockingly arousing. And a dangerous former lover has her wondering which is more torturous—staying away from him…or returning to his bed?  Nora thought she knew everything about being pushed to your limits. But in a world where passion is pain, nothing is ever that simple.

Review:  I'm not sure why I put this book on order at the library.  I know I didn't recognize it when it came in.  I read it though.   

Pros:  writing was quite good
Pros:  the book within the book was facinating
Con:  the characters in the book were too damaged to me.  There was so much more than just one flaw per character that by mid-book I felt like I was wading through the story rather than flowing with it. 
Con:   The Catholic images in the book made me uncomfortable.  Especially the description of submission to pain as J.C. as the ultimate submissive. 

Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

Title:  Fireman Who Loved Me
Author:  Jennifer Bernard
Grade:  C-
Description from Amazon:  Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel. These firemen might be heroes, but it's their bad luck in love that makes them legendary. 
News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn't be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they're both convinced they're perfectly wrong for each other. But when Melissa's matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a Bachelor auction . . . Sparks fly. Passion flares. Heat rises. (You get the picture.) Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody's love may not be the only thing that burns.

Review:  I read a review of this book on a library blog.  The reviewer indicated that they had received exactly what they were looking for with this book, " ... interesting characters, contemporary setting, resolved conflicts.  Like I said, an enjoyable afternoon of reading."  Unfortunately, I stupidly wasn't looking for those same things when I read it.  I found the characters kind of trite.  The hero was a buff, intelligent hero-like fire captain who had a heart of gold.  The heroine was feisty, wounded and too intelligent and perky for words.  I got the contemporary setting.  I agree it was contemporary.  But the conflicts were either too easily or too quickly fixed as if the beginning of the book was a marathon and the end was a sprint.  I just got to page 211...I need to finish RIGHT now...bam, bam, bam!  It was only $.99.  But I won't be reading any of the other stories in the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel series.  Sorry. 

F in Exams: The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers by Richard Benson

Title:  F in Exams:  The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers
Author:  Richard Benson
Grade:  D
Description from Amazon:  "F" stands for "funny" in this perfect gift for students or anyone who has ever had to struggle through a test and needs a good laugh. Celebrating the creative side of failure in a way we can all relate to, F in Exams gathers the most hilarious and inventive test answers provided by students who, faced with a question they have no hope of getting right, decide to have a little fun instead. Whether in science (Q: What is the highest frequency noise that a human can register? A: Mariah Carey), the humanities (Q: What did Mahatma Gandhi and Genghis Khan have in common? A: Unusual names), math, or other subjects, these 250 entries prove that while everyone enjoys the spectacle of failure, it's even sweeter to see a FAIL turn into a WIN.

Review:  I laughed out loud once.  It was kind of forced.  The idea was seriously cute and as a former classroom teacher I could see that getting these answers would be a great break from having to read miserably wrong ones or perfectly correct ones.  However, I was disappointed in how similar the answers were.  It seemed more as if R. Benson had written the answers himself while trying to be flippant than letting us in on some funny answers provided by actual students.

Gone Missing by Linda Castillo

Title:  Gone Missing
Author:  Linda Castillo
Grade:  B
Description from Fantasticfiction:  Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without rules, but everything changes when a child goes missing.  In the newest chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Linda Castillo, Chief of police Kate Burkholder is called upon the assist when an Amish teenager disapears without a trace.  A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties are strong.  So when a body turns up and another young girl goes missing, fear spreads through the community like a contagion.  Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teens and discover links to cold cases that may go back years.  But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle before it's too late?  Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer.    
Review:  This was supposedly the fourth book in the Kate Burkholder series and I"m sorry I missed the previous three.  Something that I loved happened when I read this book...I didn't know who the killer was!  It was awesome.  Also, I loved Linda's writing.  It just seemed accessible and easy to read.  I cared about the characters and look forward to reading more by this author.  

Seduced by a Gladiator by Lauren Hawkeye

Title:  Seduced by the Gladiator
Author:  Lauren Hawkeye
Grade:  C
Description from Amazon:  Lilia is the rarest of commodities—a champion female gladiator. But success has come with a price: shunned by her peers and desired by hateful men like Gaius, the brother of the emperor, Lilia is at the mercy of those around her. Only her heart is impenetrable.  After Christus, a warrior with the body of a god, is sold to the ludus that owns Lilia, she finds herself forced to defend her position and to guard her body and heart against the erotic sensations only he can bring. Beneath the tantalizing flesh of the gladiator, Lilia finds a man determined to protect her, to love her.  But when Gaius reveals a challenge for the gladiators of Rome—an epic battle to the death—Christus and Lilia must fight to win their freedom, their lives . . . and each other.

Review:  This book was average.  Other than the first chapter which I thought was BRILLIANT, I was not impressed with the remainder of the book.  The book is written in first person which is usually annoying for me.  I have been reading a lot of Kristen Ashley recently and all of them (to my recollection) are in first person.  I guess SbtG just didn't compare to how well Kristen Ashley does it.  The main female character was a gladiator.  I was astonished and then I went on a research trip to the public library's research databases to get some more information on female gladiators or gladiatrices.  That was fun.  The sex was mediocre.  The relationship did not develop very well.  Bad things were alluded to but never fully fleshed out.  So I had an incomplete picture of life in Rome. 

**  I received this book as an advance proof from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz

Title:  Dream Eyes
Author:  Jayne Ann Krentz
Grade:  C
Description from Amazon: The death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings psychic counselor Gwen Frazier back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget. Two years earlier, a killer stalked the members of one of Ballinger's research studies including Gwen. And though she survived while two others didn't, Gwen knows that Ballinger's death is related.  Sent by a friend to help Gwen, psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely, even as their investigation draws them into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the paranormal fires of a desire too strong to resist. . . .

Review:  This book was a rehash of so many of JAK's previous books it wasn't even funny.  From all three of her current nom de plumes she brought details of previous DECENT books.  From Jayne Castle:  an amber ring and crystals that needed to be tuned, having to sleep off pushing power through the ring/amber.  From JAK:  the underwater cave & diving thing from Coral Kiss, the waterfall from the Dream books, Eclipse Bay being where Judson recuperated.  The entire reading experience was disappointing because I remember so much of her earlier BETTER books that this rehash made me kind of angry. 

If I had come to this book with no knowledge of JAK's writing other than her previous book in this series "Copper Beach" I don't think I would have been so disappointed.  It wasn't badly written. 

Sins of a Ruthless Rogue by Anna Randol

Title:  Sins of a Ruthless Rogue
Author:  Anna Randol
Grade:  DNF
Description from Amazon:  Sins of a Ruthless Rougue, the second of Anna Randol’s Sinner’s Trio books, takes readers on a journey of betrayal and passion, set against Russia’s most opulent mansions and London’s royal residences.  When Olivia Swift betrayed Clayton Campbell a decade ago, she never thought she’d see him again. Now working together to translate a cypher and uncover the mysterious exploits of a long-forgotten Russian spy ring, Clayton finds himself in grave danger. While his attraction to Olivia is undeniable, can he truly trust her with his life?

Review:

Pro:  non-noble hero and heroine.  He was a clerk and then a spy.  She was the daughter of a mill owner. 
Pro:  Exotic (for a historical) setting.  Russia.  This was NICE!

Con:  Heroine seemed confused about who she was from chapter to chapter.  She was by turns naive and knowledgeable. 
Con:  Hero was a jerk!  Such a jerk that I didn't want to see him redeemed by the heroine...I wanted him to go away.

p. 183 "I've never had such trouble focusing on a code in my life. Do you know how these tight nubs taunted me?"  I hate nubs...so this is as far as I got.

Sorry.

**  I received this book as  from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

Kiss of Temptation by Sandra Hill

Title:  Kiss of Temptation
Author:  Sandra Hill
Grade:  DNF
Description from Amazon:  n/a

Review:   I am Norwegian and hugely proud of my heritage.  My grandfather came to the U.S. from Norway in the 1920's and settled in Niagara Falls, NY.  My name is Norwegian, my Christmas Eve is Norwegian, I've made a pilgrimage to Norway.  Ergo, I LOVE vikings.

The only problem is that I don't like Sandra Hill's vikings.  I know she's trying to be funny but her books are anything but.  Especially in this latest Deadly Angels book.  I made it 34 pages in before I had to give up.  Not funny, not charming, hated the main Viking character.  I disliked the use of the archangel Michael and the flippant way everyone in the book seemed to feel about God.

Sorry.

**  I received this book as  from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

January TBR 2013

I thought I'd do a feature on the blog on what I intend to read each month.  I'll probably update frequently but it would help me get and keep a handle on what I am doing.  So here's my January, 2013 list.  (Not in any particular order!)

1. The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James
2.  White Tiger by Kylie Chan
3.  Sacrifice the Wicked by Karina Cooper
4.  Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd
5.  An Unlikely Governess by Karen Ranney
6.  How to Decieve a Duke by Lecia Cornwall
7.  A Season of Angels by Debbie Macomber
8.  Wild About You by Karrelyn Sparks
9.  Gilded by Karina Cooper
10.  Beautiful Sacrifice
11.  Tarnished by Karina Cooper
12.  Seduced by the Gladiator by Lauren Hawkeye
13.  The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
14.  Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
15.  Killbox by Ann Aguirre
16.  A Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn
17.  The Siren by Tiffany Reisz
18.  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
19.  Hoot by Carl Hiassen
20.  Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
21.  Gone Missing by Linda Castillo
22.  Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
23.  Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz
24.  Split by Swati Avasti
25.  Aftermath by Ann Aguirre
26.  Dead to You by Lisa McMann
27.  F in Exams by Richard Benson
28.  Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Earl in My Bed by Sophie Jordan

Title:  The Early in My Bed
Author:  Sophie Jordan
Grade:  A-
Description from Amazon:     Intended for one man ...
All her life, everyone assumed Paget Ellsworth, the vicar’s daughter, would marry the Earl of Winningham’s youngest son. And when he left for war with his older brother, Jamie, words and promises were not necessary. She would wait.  But destined for another …
Four years pass, and the death of his father forces Jamie home to take up the reins as the new earl, leaving his brother fighting on the front lines a world away. Maddening, infuriating, sexy Jamie makes Paget question her feelings. One glimpse, one word from him awakens desire in her heart. When a simple kiss spirals out of control at the annual Valentine’s Day ball, she realizes the man she never wanted is the man she needs ... but will Paget cast aside all she’s ever thought to be true to win the man of her dreams?

Review:
So, I just finished surreptitiously reading "The Earl in My Bed" by Sophie Jordan at work during my planning period.  It was borderline EXCELLENT!  The story had a lot of tropes that I really, really like.  1.  H/h were  friends of a sort in childhood.  2.  Hero is a spare Earl.  He was the younger brother of the Earl.  3.  Hero is cold to heroine because he felt jealous of her relationship with his siblings but it's mostly to hide his feelings for her even if he doesn't actually acknowledge them.  4.  Everyone believes she is promised/in love with/awaiting the return of the hero's brother.  My only niggling problems were that it was supposed to be a Valentine's novella and yet Valentine's Day was hardly mentioned and that it was a novella.  It was too short although the story completely fit the size it was.  I did not feel the slightest bit cheated, I just wanted more!  I immediately put the other two books in the series on hold at the library.

**  I received this book as  from Avon Publishing because I am an Avon Addict!

Kristen Ashley Crack

So, I'm finally coming up for air from the Kristen Ashley crack I've been completely immersed in since Christmas.  Wow.  Previous bloggers who talked about this were NOT KIDDING!  There are still six books I haven't read of hers but I'm out of money for the month.  I've reread Motorcycle Man and a few of the "Rock Chick" books too.  Man, these books are completely intense, I can't get enough!  Yeah, Kristen Ashley!

2012 Disappointment

Last December, 2011 I sat down and decided to try to read 100 books a month.  1200 is not such a huge amount of books, right?  After all, I'm a librarian.  I read books to kids every day, I read for pleasure and I read to keep updated on teaching and librarianship.  So, why was it SO hard to read that much? 

1.  I didn't count any of the books I read to the children. 
2.  I didn't count multiples unless separated by at least one week.
     (For example, I have 15 classes that come see me weekly, sometimes I read the same book 15 times by Friday...I didn't count that.  Sometimes, I'd love a book I was reading so much, I'd turn around and reread it immediately.  I didn't count that.)
3.   I only counted nonfiction if I actually read 95% of the book.

Boy, once 1000 came I was ready to STOP!!!  How annoying. 

So, I'm a disappointment to myself.  But I learned.  I love reading, but I'm not going to force myself to read for the sake of it ever again.