I Am Not Myself These Days...

Now, it's common knowledge that I pick up completely random books, right? Well, I'm pretty sure that I Am Not Myself These Days... by Josh Kilmer-Purcell takes the cake.

I promise, you'll never believe the premise. And, mind you, this is NONFICTION!! It's the guy's memoirs. Josh is a gay, alcoholic, drag queen (his drag persona is Aqua) who meets and falls in love with Jack, a gay S&M hooker.

I kid you not.

It is by far the most random series of events I have ever read. They fall in love because Jack takes care of Josh, something Josh despairingly needs. But eventually, Jack begins to fall apart (he gets addicted to crack). It all comes crashing down in just 7 months, and Josh finally realizes that the complete party life may not be for him. Not that he's going to stop, but the last thing he needs is a lover who can't get his crap together.

It was absolutely stellar. Not for the feint of heart by any means, but if you want a laugh, a rip-roaring good time, and a look at a life that most of us will never live, read this.

I mean...Josh kept goldfish in his fake breasts. It was so great!!

Full Moon Rising

A while back, I was shopping, and I picked up a book called Destiny Kills. I thought the author was Kay Hooper. And I never even looked twice, just assumed it was a re-release I hadn't read.

Then I got the book home. It was really by Keri Arthur. Don't ask me why my brain didn't register. I have no idea.

So, I've got this book. It looks like it's in the middle of a series, and so it's been sitting on my shelf ever since, waiting for me to read (notice that is not the title of the blog? That's because I still haven't read it).

When I was at the library (not mine) the other day, I saw a third Keri Arthur book. I picked it up. Turns out it's about 7 books into a series. Whoops. So I back tracked through my library, and just finished the first in this series.

Meet Riley Jensen. She's a little special. First of all, she has a twin, Rhoan. He's a pretty great guy. He's a Guardian. Oh, no idea what that is? Well, let me explain a few things then. You see, Riley and Rhoan aren't your average twins. They're half werewolf, half vampire.

In a world that's a lot like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series, or Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series, it's a pretty well known fact that there are werewolves and vampires. But here, weres are born that way. Vampires are still made.

Anyway, Riley works for Dictorate (not like the Dictorate in "Alias") in Melborne, Australia. Dictorate is basically a seperate police force for nonhumans (supernaturals). Even among nonhumans, Riley and Rhoan are special. Of course, special isn't a good when it comes to genetics.

So, we meet them, and Riley is not a Guardian. She's just a liason. But that's all about to change. One of her two regular boyfriends wants to get her pregnant. And the other boyfriend is just barely on the good side of things.

She's got to fight down clones, half-breeds, and her love life. Which goes especially hairy when she meets Quinn, a vampire that's somewhere around 1200 years old. He's bitter, and lying to himself.

Be warned! This is really violent, and really sexual. Doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, but not everyone will.

But I really liked it. I really like Riley. She's a spitfire.

Angry Conversations With God

I just finished Angry Conversations With God: A Snarky by Authentic Spiritual Memoir by Susan Isaacs. I've decided that it does fit in the biography section of the 9909 challenge, even if it is shelved in the 200's (religion).

Okay, so this is the third time I've blogged about it tonight (this morning? Whatever). Anyway, I probably wouldn't have blogged about it if it wasn't amazing, but it was.

Susan is your typical artsy Southern California native. She wants to be an actor, or a writer. She grew up in SoCal, then at one point moved to New York. She was also raised in the church.

For those of you who don't know what that can do to you, let me tell you. Being raised in the church tends to mean 1 of 3 things. (1) You forever have this cookie cutter image of God where you never mature, (2) you at some point decide God isn't real, and jump off the religion train, or (3) you decide that life is tough, but God is tougher. And you deal with life, and keep God. It's hard, but people do it.

Anyway, Susan had a nice mix of all 3 (so I guess there are 4 choices?), and she turned out okay. Of course, she took God (in her mind) to couple's therapy (for real). Which is weird, but pretty freaking amazing, when you think about it.

And the memoir? Well written, snarky (and you know how I love snarky things), and potent. I was on an emotional rollercoaster all night. I loved it.

If you're curious about religion, have religion, or have ever had religion, you should read this. It's great. 4 snowflakes. Now, excuse me while I go contemplate the state of my soul (sad truth...)

The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love

I found this book at work, and it was intriguing. Especially because the Sweet Potato Queens have a whole bunch of books out, and this is the very first. It's written by Jill Conner Browne, the creator of the Sweet Potato Queens.

Did I mention this is nonfiction?

Okay, here's where it get fun. The Sweet Potato Queens are a group of women who live in Mississippi. They are true Southern Women. One day, Jill decided she wanted to be a queen. It didn't matter of what, she just wanted to be one. She knew a guy who owned a sweet potato farm, so she offered to be the Queen every year. He never got back to her, but she (and some friends) decided to declare themselves Sweet Potato Queens. They also decided to throw their town's very first Saint Patrick's Day Parade. The entire parade consisted of the Queens riding around in the back of a truck, wear green ball gowns and waving. Well, it somehow caught on.

And now, in Jackson, Mississippi, they do this every year. It's actually turned into a pretty big thing, I guess (maybe I'll do that next year...).

But in the book, Jill talks about all the things you need to know to be a Sweet Potato Queen (though you can't actually become one...you have to be a Wannabe first, and then a Queen has to die or move away).

Things like The Promise (which I can't talk about, because this is a family-friendly blog, but if you want to know, let me know and I'll totally tell you... lindy [at] anovelbeat [dot] com), the Best Advice Ever Given ("Be particular"), the 5 kinds of men you need in your life (and 4 of them can be gay), recipes for the most fattening food on the planet, and why trashy lingere is actually a good thing.

No kidding, I laughed out loud reading this. And now I pine to be a Sweet Potato Queen (though, I'm probably too young, and have no desire to move to Jackson, Mississippi anytime soon, even if I can spell Mississippi without have to look it up).

4 snowflakes for rocking my world.

Frostbite

Okay, so I just finished Frostbite by Richelle Mead. It's the second in the Vampire Academy series. Yeah, yeah, me and teen vampire novels. Give me a break!

Anyway, I just want to say...amazing. Rose is still protecting Lissa, and they're in school, but this time Rose isn't just protecting Lissa. She's trying to protect all of Moroi kind. But it's not going so well with the bad vamps attacking people.

Oh, and I did mention that she's totally in love with Dimitri, right? Who, by the way, I love too. What can I say...sometimes, I'm a sucker for the good guy.

In this one, her mom comes to her school (the guy she's protecting is visiting for the holidays), so Rose has a bunch of lovely (read: awkward and bad) family moments, including when she was battling her mother and winds up with a killer black eye. Nice.

Oh, and there are more vampires with the spirit magic, and Rose ends up making her first two kills.

Violence, drama, intrigue, and forbidden romance? How can I refuse!

Conspiracy in Death

Okay, so this is filling in an unblogged re-read in my 9909 Challenge.

Conspiracy in Death is part of J.D. Robb's In Death series, starring Lieutenant Eve Dallas, her (totally sexy) husband Roarke (no last name needed or wanted), and their band of merry police officers.

In this one, Eve is investigating the murder of a homeless man. He had his heart taken out, and it looks too perfect to be anyone but a doctor. While she's trying to chase down leads within the biggest medical center in New York, she's also having trouble with another officer who just wants to make trouble for Eve.

Roarke, in true Roarke fashion, has his hand in many of the pies that Eve is investigating (I did mention that along with being incredibly sexy, Roarke owns about 1/3 of the known universe and is incredibly loaded too, right?), but can drop everything when Eve needs his help.

This time, it's worse because when the officer Eve was having trouble with ends up murdered, Eve is suspended from her duty, which sends her into an emotional tailspin that could never be repeated. Roarke, of course, drops everything to help her get back on her feet and solve the case outside of official bounds (he's a good husband like that...not to mention stellar with hacking electronics).

Of course, Peabody is there, helping out. Feeney is doing his backup thing. McNab and Peabody aren't dating yet, but it's not far off. In this one, we meet Louise Dimatto (MD), Officer Trueheart (as cute and amazing as the day is long), and every one's favorite rat-squad detective/ex-lover, Don Webster (he works with Internal Affairs, hence the rat-squad reference).

Anyway, due to the excellent police work and the equally great personal drama, this is one of my favorite In Death books. Sometimes the weight in on one side or the other, making the neglected side...well, neglected. But this one balances both equally well.

4 Snowflakes for rocking my world.

The Apple That Astonished Paris

I don't often sit down and read a book of poetry. I really like to peruse them as I have time.

The trouble is, I hate carrying them around, and therefore never peruse them.

So when I heard that my favorite poet, Billy Collins, had a new book out, I decided to request it. Then I saw another book out that I hadn't read, so I requested that as well. The Apple That Astonished Paris is short, and I'd read some of the poems before. Heck, I memorized one of them for my poetry class.

Anyway, it made me want to read Anna Karenina, just for a moment. I really liked the poems "Cancer", "The Frankenstein Poet", and "The Morning After My Death"

This book is more serious than funny, but I still really enjoyed his poetry. As always.

Plus...he's a man, so this counts as a book written by a man. Score!

Salvation in Death

I promise you, I've been reading a lot lately, I just haven't been blogging about it.

That said, I just finished the latest J.D. Robb novel, Salvation in Death. I have no idea what I thought it was going to be about, but whatever I was expecting, it was so much better.

It starts out with a priest. He dies after drinking the sacrificial wine during a Mass for a dead man (I have no idea what that would be called...).

Just pitches over, mid-Mass.

And here I start thinking, oh, some guy who hates the church. Expect a bunch of priest killings.

Nope! Turns out...he's not really a priest.

So the whole book focuses on this one murder, though it branches out into old murders, and then there's the one mid-book. It was a little weird, another preacher (evangelical, this time) who is poisoned during his big preaching time. So then you think it's about killing religious leaders who are making bad choices.

Still not.

It was really good. I enjoyed it...even though I found some of it hard to follow. I know where the girlfriend comes in, and I know all the stuff she did, but it's still a bit confusing for me.

There was something else too.

Oh! Right! Ariel, from Creation in Death came by with a giant cake, and later Eve said something about Roarke going around the law to bring down the killer, and I couldn't for the life of me remember what he did! And I can't just go back and read Creation right now, because I've got (a) homework! and (b) tons of other new books in series that I'm supposed to be reading right now.

So confused!

Anyway, I really liked this one.

Blue Bloods

Okay, one of the girls at work recommended this to me. A post-Twilight teen vampire novel.

Blue Bloods is the first the series (so far, there are 3 out). Schuyler is an outcast teen at an overpriced, rich-kids school.

Oh, and in case you're wondering...she's a vampire. She just doesn't know it yet.

Yeah, all those rich, perfectly-pretty plastic type people? All vampires. Makes you hate them.

Anyway, a whole group of kids are inducted into their new lives (again, a lot of the usual vampire propaganda is not true...used to throw off humans).

But there is something hunting the vampires (they call themselves Blue Bloods, while humans are just Red Bloods). And it's the only thing that can cause true death in them.

And what choice does Schuyler have but to hunt down the thing hunting them? None, none at all. Especially after it...well, I can't say that. Revels a major plot point.

Anyway, well written (if a little confusing). Vampires, by the way, are angels that got kicked out of heaven. So there's an interesting tidbit.

It's odd, and doesn't end on the best of notes. I respect it for that.

But I'm certain she'll find her grandfather.

And I really, really hate Mimi. She's a moron. And Jack needs to wise up.

Divided in Death

Okay, so Divided in Death is a J.D. Robb novel. It stars Lieutenant Eve Dallas, and her oh-so-sexy husband, Roarke.

This one is kinda late in the series, and they've been together something like 2 years at this point.

One morning (around 2 am, when no good calls come in), Roarke gets a call. One of his employees (one with a high security clearance) has just found her husband and her best friend in bed together, dead. This is not good.

So Eve and Roarke go over there and Eve does her job (I did mention she's a murder cop, right?)

Murder, mystery, and mayhem ensue.

Also--lots of things come out about Eve's past.

Now, the problem with some of the J.D. Robb novels is they tend to focus on either the emotional stuff, or on the murder. She usually has trouble blending the two.

Oh my gosh--not this time. This time, it is so well done that the story would absolutely suck without the other stuff. They feed off each other. It's amazing.

One of my favorites in this series because of the way the two work together.

Chesapeake Blue

There are all kinds of classics. There are the classics that they say are the ones that everyone should read, and there are the kind that you just fall in love with.

Chesapeake Blue in the last of 4 by Nora Roberts, and is my kind of classic.

You have to read the first 3 before you can read this last one, because otherwise a lot of this doesn't make sense. You can read it, and get a lot of the back story, but it's more fun if you know the background.

Seth was adopted by his brothers when he was 10. He spent the rest of his life fighting with his mother, a junkie who wanted everything she could get. Hoping to throw her off his back, he runs away to Europe to paint.

There, his work flourishes, and he becomes a widely known painter. But when Gloria (his mother) shows up at his door, he decides to go back home to Eastern Maryland.

Once there, he meets Dru, a woman who owns a flower shop. He talks her into posing for him, and they end up falling in love.

But Gloria isn't content to let Seth be happy. She threatens to tell a false story to the tabloids, but Seth, his brothers, their wives, and Dru all set her straight.

It's a really fun story. I've always been a big fan of Seth...he's a sweetheart. And Dru, because she's so prim and proper. It makes me laugh. Oh, and Aubrey. She's a spitfire.

Anyway, in case you missed it...I'm a huge fan.

Embrace Me

So, Carter, who is Lola's fiancee, lent Lola the book Embrace Me by Lisa Samson. Lola read it, and then told me that I had to read it, so she left it on my bed yesterday. I'm done with it now, and let me tell you---amazing.

Okay, so the story goes back and forth between a man and a woman. The man (Drew) happens in 2002/2003, and the woman (Valentine) happens in 2008/2009.

Here's your warning--this is a blatantly Christian novel. Big talk about Jesus and praying and redemption and the Church.

That said...

Drew is an ex-pastor who did everything wrong. He was kind of in it for the right reasons, but mostly for the wrong ones. When we meet him, he's left his mega-church and is living at the beach. He's detailing his sins for Father Brian, even though Drew isn't Catholic. It's a sad story of a man who wants power and approval, and will do anything to get it.

Valentine works in a Sideshow. Her face has been burned, and she dresses up in a green costume to become the Lizard Woman. Her best friend is Lella, the legless-armless woman. Val is bitter about her past, and churches in general.

It's the off-season in Val's time, so they're hanging around Mount Oak at the owner's house. A bunch of them who work in the sideshow stay together in the off-season.

Anyway, while Drew is working through his issues, so is Val.

It's amazing. Well written, well twined together, the story line is amazing. While the end gets a little cheesy, it is still poignant and beautiful.

I was a little sad that Gus stuck to his vows, but that's the (usually pushed aside and beaten up) romantic in me.

Oh, and let me just say that, for the record, the sins they deal with are things we all deal with. Wanting more. Greed. Unforgiveness. A likelihood of putting ourselves and our wants before anyone or anything else.

I loved it.

The Crush

So, in my hurry to get to work today, I forgot to bring the book that I'm nearing the end of. Good thing there was a book sale nearby and I picked up 20 (20!) books today.

I started reading The Crush by Sandra Brown when I had 15 minutes before my shift started.

When it starts out, you know exactly who the killer is, who the woman is, and who the man is. It's kind of nice, knowing all that right off.

With all that in mind, all you have to look out for in this book is the emotional twist.

Here's what's different about this book. They (Rennie and Wick) don't get together until really, really close to the end. It's refreshing, and a little disconcerting. The killer is a sane sort of crazy. The twists in his case (I really thought he was still with them by the beach when they get called away!) are very well done as well.

What's not so stellar: killing the other doctor right off. A little sad. The 4 page into on the security guard's issues...we only see him in the second chapter and never again. Waste of time, in my book.

Oh my gosh! Where Wick shoots Oren? Amazing! I couldn't believe it!

Yeah, in case you missed it, I'm a fan.

Identical

Why I expect any Ellen Hopkins novel to be rather straight forward is absolutely beyond me, at this point.

I know, after reading all of her books, that there's going to be a major twist. And I mean major.

I just finished her latest, Identical, about twin girls who are living in the wake of a brutal crash. We know that someone didn't make it, but we don't know who.

Kaeleigh is "the good girl." She dresses well, doesn't smoke, doesn't sleep around, but is also quiet and keeps to herself. Her only friend is Ian.

Raeanne is "the bad girl." She sleeps around, does drugs, causes trouble, and has no real friends either.

It's what's below the surface of their Normal Rockwell lives that is disturbing.

The truth behind the accident, behind their grandparents, about what goes on behind closed doors with their father.

Ellen Hopkins is not your average writer. Stylistically, she doesn't write like anyone else. Instead of paragraphs, chapters, and the usual, she writes in the form of poetry.

It's something I found appealing from the very beginning.

Obsidian Butterfly

We all know that I love vampire books, right? At least, vampire books that aren't full of stupid, overly friendly, too nice vampires (don't get me started...it's a soapbox I wrote a paper on once).

Anyway, Laurell K. Hamilton writes the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. It started out Anita hunting vampires, at some point turned into that and her crazy love life, and went on and on like that. Just when it's getting too much about her love live, there's a great one like this.

In this, Anita goes to help Edward (not Cullen) in Santa Fe. Edward is a sociopath (but an oddly lovable one) that is a friend of Anita's (we've met him before). He needs help finding something (some preternatural creepy-crawly), and that's Anita's speciality.

There is almost no annoying emotional crap, but lots and lots of violence. Lots and lots and lots. Shooting and killing and bloody crime scenes.

Let me warn you-- don't read these books if you don't like the following: vampires, werewolves, sex, blood, violence, guns, magic...okay, you really have to be an odd duck to read these. But given the fact they're being bought (and read), means that there are a lot of odd ducks out there.

But what can I say. Of all the Anita Blake books, this is one of my favorites.

Moon Over Tokyo

When I worked at the bookstore last year (oh my gosh. It's been almost a year now...), we were allowed to read, so long as we read something that was available for purchase in store. Even better, we could get books then return them, so long as they were still in the same condition (and we kept out reciept).

So I started reading a lot of Christian fiction. Hence where I found Charles Martin, Laura Jensen Walker, and Siri Mitchell.

Siri Mitchell wrote Moon Over Tokyo, a story about Allie, a reporter in Tokyo, and her friend Eric from high school. Well, they weren't friends in high school, but learned to be in Tokyo.

It's cute, and fluffy. It conveys a christian message without being overpowering (something I always appreciate in CF). There is really nothing more to it than Allie gaining confidence and falling in love.

But the language! It's great! And the haikus at the beginning of each chapter are great.

I know it seems odd, and sometime I just can't believe that I read Siri's books. But then again, I remember why I love them everytime I read them.

They're just so...wholesome. Which is nice, sometimes.

Anyway.

Heart Sick

So, I'm in Utah, just about to finish To Kill a Mockingbird and realizing that the last book I have with me (Janet Evanovich's Ten Big Ones) isn't one I'm anxious to read. Re-read. Whatever.

So I have an hour between flights, and I wander out, looking for a magazine shop or whatever to pick up some random bestseller that I'll think is okay, and will forever remind me of the day of too many airports.

Instead, I find a (mini) bookstore. So much better.

And there, I pick up Heart Sick by Chelsea Cain. With a tag line of "Love hurts. Sometimes it's torture." and a positive comparison to Hannibal Lecter on the cover, I just can't help myself.

Archie Sheridan is a cop in Portland, OR who has been on medical leave for the last two years. When 4 girls go missing, and are found dead, he gets called in back to work. He also calls Susan, a reporter at the Portland Herald (guess where Cain works?). Archie wants Susan to follow him around this investigation, and she's all too happy to follow along.

The story goes back and forth between the investigation, bits and pieces of Susan's life, and what happened to Archie as he was held in a basement and tortured by Gretchen Lowell, the serial killer that put him on medical leave. She fed him pills, removed his spleen, and carved up his chest, to just mention a few things.

The story is amazingly well written. Though you're constantly being pulled into different story lines and view points, it really works. You can feel Archie's desperation to keep seeing Gretchen, to keep getting bodies out of her. But you can also see how it's tearing him apart, and how it makes him want to kill himself (quiet literally).

My favorite lines? Anne (the profiler who missed Gretchen, but came back for the kidnapper/murder) : "She's a psychopath." Archie: "Yeah, but she's my psychopath."

I'm a huge fan...but then again, I love serial killer novels. They're so much fun.

Wrapped in Rain

Okay, we all know that I love Charles Martin. I think he's amazing. Wrapped in Rain is the book that started it for me.

It's a story about a man who hates his father (for good reason), but has a maid/keeper who keeps him from being insane.

The love of his life (who he didn't realize was her) shows up on the side of the road, and suddenly he has to deal with a lot more than an insanely jealous ex-husband.

He has to deal with his issue, keep his woman safe, protect and love the five year old that comes with his love, take care of his brother who has serious mental issues, and come to terms with his past.

It's amazing. Let me just tell you. Ah-maze-ing.

Be aware, though, blatent Christianity. So if you're not into God, don't be upset that I didn't warn you.

Breaking Dawn

I just (as in just...) finished Breaking Dawn, the final book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga.

Can I just say how incredibly happy I am about who died?

I really don't want to give it away (too big of a hype. Like giving away the final Harry Potter or the end of "The Sixth Sense"), but I loved it (here's your warning...spoilers involved. All throughout. So be careful).

Okay, I loved Bella's parts. The middle section, with Jacob as the narrator? Weird.

Anyway, Stephenie (okay, so I refer to people by their first names. It makes me feel better. By last names makes me feel...distant) did leave it open for another...but not for a long time down the road. By then, I'm sure Bella will have time to have sharpened her gift (I knew she was going to have something! I thought it was going to be like Alice's gift, but I'm not perfect. Or Alice, for that matter).

Can I say...that was the most unexpected thing I have ever encountered in a book? Within the first two hundred pages, I thought it was going to live up to my worst expectations. Killing Bella. When she came up pregnant, I couldn't have been more shocked.

And I knew! As soon as she woke up, I knew Jacob had imprinted on someone! Only took him forever! That's where I called Miranda, to see where she was. I was on page 450, way ahead of her. But I knew it!

Aarg...

The whole ending? A small disappointment, only because I was expecting something so much bigger. A bigger fight scene. A bigger loss.

I guess I got that from the last Harry Potter. They lost a lot. And while those books became darker as the series went on, these only get lighter. More love, more tenderness, more acceptance.

Except Leah. But I'm pretty sure she'll come around eventually.

And Alice! Why did you leave?!? I mean, I get why, but I missed her. And I still am not such a huge fan of Rosalie. Geez.

Sorry. Talk to me if/when you read it. Otherwise, I'll totally give away all the details.

Oh! Right.

Where The River Ends

There are certain books that I know I'm going to need to clear a couple hours out of my day, sit down, and just read. I can't pick it up and put it down, I can't read for an hour, then have to go to work. It'll drive me crazy, wanting to know what happened.

I have to admit, I've worked that into my schedule for Breaking Dawn. But on Friday, when the copy of Where the River Ends by Charles Martin came in, I knew I couldn't start it right then. After all, I was in the middle of The Killing Dance and had just picked up Faithful. And I had a lot to do and a party to attend. So I couldn't start reading it, not until at least today.

So I did. When I woke up this morning, it's what I read.

It takes place in Georgia and Florida, right along the border, on a river mostly. Doss is an artist, and Abbie is a debutante. Not a couple that you'd ever expect to get together, but they fall in love after he saves her. They spend the first ten years of the marriage happy. She's decorating, he's painting.

Then they find that Abbie has breast cancer, and it all spirals out of control from there. As time goes on, and they fight an unwinnable battle, the despair becomes apparent.

But as a last wish, Abbie wants Doss to take her back down the river, back to where they had their honeymoon. It's a harrowing tale, with stalkers, national news coverage, and they go through 3 boats, finally finishing the journey on a log. But they make it.

It's told with a back-and-forth style, one chapter in the present (the trip down the river), and the next chronicling their lives up to that point.

Martin writes with his usual depth, making me wish that I not only could go to this part of Georgia, but that men like Doss actually existed somewhere.

While I saw some of the same threads working through this novel that I've seen in others (the nickname Band-Aid, for instance, or the dying wife), it was still amazing.

It touches you in a place that is impossible to see, and just as impossible not to feel. It takes a lot to read, going through pages on the history of the river, or some ambiguous church, but the real story, the human story, makes it worthwhile.

Somethings are worth waiting for, and Martin's stories are ones I've always found worthwhile.

It takes about a year to get it out in paperback, so I'm going to have to keep requesting it. Sigh...

Oh. Right.