The Question

Okay, so the question is, what do I want to read next? I was chatting with SWMBO, and we were talking about Roarke, and I thought, "Hey, maybe I'll read a J.D. Robb novel."

But then, classes start tomorrow, and I want to get a jump on my YA reading (50 books...sigh). My first book is going to be New Moon, because I know I can get through it pretty quickly.

But then again, I just finished the 2nd in a series, and I know I have the 3rd one just waiting for me. They don't completely draw me in, but I'm fascinated anyway. It's not that they're slow reads, they're just not as fast-paced as I've gotten used to. So, yeah. Probably a good thing.

Oh, and not to mention I'm thinking about a book I read 2 months ago, and am trying to remember what the heck happened in it.

Anyway, the question is, what to read next?!?

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.

Random Epiphanies and Why I've Been So Quiet

So, I had a really random epiphany today.

I'm re-reading Tribute by Nora Roberts, and I realize why I'm not such a big fan. I don't want to be Cilla, and I don't want a guy like Ford. I don't want their jobs, their cars, their lives.

Not that I want to be every character I read, but Nora Roberts has a way of making everything seem so cool.

One of the big reasons I always wanted to try playing the cello again was because Callie plays it in Birthright. A crazy awkward guy like Bo from Blue Smoke? That'd be cool.

But Cilla is a house rehabber, and Ford is...well, not my favorite NR man ever.

So that was my epiphany.

And why have I been so mysteriously absent lately? Well, I was working on homework, and then I re-read Divine Evil, then tried to read Broken by Kelley Armstrong, but decided that I'm really not that into her books. They take too long to get into, and I'm not sure how much I like the characters. Too much emotional drama, and I have enough of that in my own life, thanks.

And re-reading Tribute has taken me days, though who knows why. Nothing like today where my lunch break ended and I had something like 8 pages left. Makes me crazy.

For A Few Demons More

You know, one day, I'm going to look back at this time in my life and laugh at all the things I read.

Anyway. I just finished For A Few Demons More by Kim Harrison. It's a supernatural mystery novel where vampires, werewolves (and all other weres), witches, humans, demons, and elves all coexist.

Of course, it takes place in Cincinnati, which is always fun.

Anyway, in this one Rachel (our main character and a witch) is trying to save everyone around her from going postal, maintain some sort of balance with her roommate (Ivy, a living vampire who's in love with her), her boyfriend (Kisten, another living vampire), keep herself from getting killed or turned into a demon's familiar (it's a complicated story), and solve the case of who's killing the weres.

I did mention this is part of a series, right?

Anyway, it's fun. Rachel is a little crude, a lot crazy, and a total adrenaline junkie. It's kind of awesome watching her work.

This one is intense, both emotionally and physically. Everything will, eventually, be okay, but right now it's all a little crazy. And then, Kist...oh, Kist. I love him. Have I mentioned how glad I am that they killed Piscary? Because he was a real jerk (that happens to really old vampires...)

Lean Mean Thirteen

Lean Mean Thirteen is the thirteenth novel in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Man...I bet guessing where it was was tough.

Anyway, have mentioned lately how much I like these books, right? Because I do. They're fun and funny and just a trip.

In this one, Stephanie's ex-husband (Dickie) goes missing. Since Steph attacked him the day before he went missing, she's at the top of the suspect list.

Of course, then all the other people associated with Dickie's law firm start showing up dead, and she's suddenly not nearly as worried about being framed for murder as actually into the investigation.

And she has to move in with Ranger while Joe is working. I love it when she has to live with Ranger.

And Tank gets shot. I swear, the more Steph hangs out at RangeMan, the more dangerous it gets.

And I did mention how much I love Ranger and Joe, right? Because they're freaking awesome.

Hunting Fear

Hunting Fear is another Kay Hooper Bishop/SCU novel.

I like this one. Like the others, it takes place in a small town, stars a psychic (or two...), and revolves around a serial killer. Bonus--about a couple who had been together before and are getting back together. And you wonder why I love these books.

Anyway, in this one, Lucas Jordan is our FBI agent (though Quentin has a secondary role...I love Quentin. He stars in Chill of Fear), and he can sense fear. Samantha Burke tells fortunes in a carnival. But when they find themselves in the same city again (Golden...what kind of city name is that? Probably a real one...), and a kidnapper/murderer on their hands, they have to work together to hunt him down.

Lucas is a little distant...until you find out why (at the almost-very end). Sam is really out there with her feelings, no matter how much she pretends not to be. Jaylene has a terrible name, but they usually call her Jay (Oh...she's Lucas's partner).

Bishop also makes his special appearance, both at the beginning (recruiting Lucas, trying to find Miranda), and at the end (see, our fearless leader really does have everything under control!). Miranda's there at the very very end too.

Anyway, as they're trying to find the victims (the 3 that get kidnapped in this part of the story...apparently the kidnapper has been doing this for 18 months before we come into the picture), Sam and Lucas are also coming to terms with each other...again.

Oh, I did mention that they met 3 years previously on another case, right? Right.

I'm a fan.

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.

Re-Reading

You know one of my favorite things about re-reading books? When I find really random things shoved in the book.

Nothing like finding an old bookmark (I use index cards most of the time) at some really random point, or an old grocery list.

Today, I found a poem in Chapter 7 of Divided in Death, called "Thoughts Pressed Between Pages"

Now how freaking appropriate is that?

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.

Homeport

Homeport is an older Nora Roberts book.

It stars Dr. Miranda Jones, a...well, she does something with verifying dates on old pieces of art, and Ryan Boldari (great names, both of them), an art gallery owner and gentleman burglar.

Miranda is an uptight, cautious woman who only believes in science. When she's called to Italy by her mother to authenticate a bronze statue, she believes she's found an undocumented Michelangelo.

Somehow, the press finds out, and the piece is transferred to another facility. She's sent home to Maine in shame, only to be robbed (you'll never guess by who...).

When the small bronze statue that was taken from the museum Miranda works at is found to be a fraud, Miranda and Ryan have to work together to find out who hates Miranda so much that they would kill 3 people and steal priceless works.

It's a fun romp, seeing Miranda and Ryan get together. She's so...anti-everything unorganized, and he...well, he's a second story man. Going with the flow is essential.

Also, I really like Andrew, Miranda's brother. Yeah, he's an alcoholic, but he's trying so hard to get over it! That doesn't mean that I support him looking to Annie as his savior, but he's trying. Which is important too.

Good story line. I remember not being able to figure out who it was the first time, and even forgetting the second.

This is way past the second time I've read it, so I'm sitting here reading it going, "I know who did it! I know who did it!"

But can I mention that it drives me crazy that the killer has to be crazy? It makes me sad.

Oh, and the kind of ick factor when you finally find out who it is? Big time shudder.

The Spellman Files

Ok, so I heard about this one from my mother. The Spellman Files is the first of the series by Lisa Lutz. Curse of the Spellmans is second, and the third is coming out next March (Revenge of the Spellmans).

Let me just tell you...hilarious. So funny.

It's about a family (the Spellmans) who are PI's. Well, all of them except David.

Let me explain. There's Olivia, the mother who hates dentists (for good reason). Al is the ex-policeman-turned-PI. David is their oldest son, and he's "perfect" who's a lawyer. Isabel (out heroine and the one who tells the story) is the "problem child" who didn't attend college but stayed with the family business. Rae is the youngest, and the product of having two much older siblings. There's also Uncle Ray, who's an unabashed nut and addictive...well, everything.

Anyway, it's so funny. Izzy starts dating a dentist (and, I know he's Guatemalan, but when he says he's a dentist, I always think of the elf from Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer), but she tells him she's a schoolteacher. Not a PI.

And such follows the madness of the wars between Ray and Rae, between Izzy and her parents, between Izzy and Rae, and watching David pay off his little sister.

Until, that is, Izzy gets caught up in a 12 year old missing persons case, and Rae goes missing.

Then they meet Inspector Henry Stone.

Did I mention some of Izzy's odd character flaws? She's addicted to old episodes of "Get Smart" (I'm wondering how she felt about the movie...), keeps track of her ex-boyfriends by listing their names, their professions, and what their last words are. Oh, and she prefers to enter by a window instead of by the door.

Numbers 6 and 9 need explained, but it's funny.

Oh, and privacy? Completely overrated in other people, but utterly necessary in your private life. Without it, madness occurs.

Out of the Shadows

Out of the Shadows is a paranormal romance/thriller by Kay Hooper. It's part of the FBI/Bishop Special Agent group.

Actually, this is the one starring Bishop, making it one of my favorites.

Anyway, Sheriff Miranda Knight lives in a small town where teens are being murdered. After the third teen has gone missing, she calls in the FBI's new department, one that's a little...unorthodox.

Noah Bishop, Tony Harte, and Dr. Sharon Edwards all come.

The trick? The new department is all psychics, and Bishop is the one in charge.

Of course, Bishop and Miranda have a past...one that makes Miranda the only person left for her little sister Bonnie.

And while a madman is trying to clean-up after his mistakes in this town, Bishop and Miranda are not only trying to find him, but trying to protect Bonnie from him, dealing with a creepy and angry spirit that's haunting all the local Ouija boards, and trying to figure out their relationship (I still think it's creepy when Bishop calls her "love." He's not that kind of guy.)

You can pick up any of these novels and not be too lost (I started with the latest one published at the time, Sleeping With Fear, which continues to be my favorite), though apparently the newest trilogy actually have an overarching story line. So there you go.

Dance of the Gods

In the continuing series that is utterly unbelievable in the Circle trilogy, I just finished Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts.

In this one, our six continue to train in modern day Ireland, including numerous trips to the cave to irritate Lilith (our big bad vampire). After rescuing some of the humans, almost killing Larkin more times than I can count, and trying to kill Blair off just a couple times for kicks, they head to Geall, the land of Moira and Larkin.

Oh, did I mention that Larkin is a shape-shifter? Not just one animal, he can turn into anything from a unicorn to a rat to a dragon. A big, gold dragon. It's pretty fun.

Oh, and he and Blair get together in this one.

Anyway, in Geall Moira is waiting for her time to try to pull the sword from the stone (a la "The Sword in the Stone") to see if she is going to be the next ruler. Her mother was queen, until she was killed by vampires and Moira went to Ireland to learn to fight.

Every one else is trying to help the Geallians train to become an army worthy of a vampire army. Well, everyone but Cian. He's busy just being a vampire and trying not to scare too many of the locals. He does, however, now have a cloak (that either makes him look like Zorro or like a bad B movie vampire impersonator, depending on who you ask) that lets him go out in the sun. How fun!

Again, more visits from the goddess, more fighting, more coming to terms with the fact that you really can have someone who loves you, no matter what your profession is (Blair is a demon hunter. Her last fiancee didn't take to well to that...he died this book).

Anyway, I'm a big fan.

Oh! And, Nora Roberts has started doing this thing where in her trilogies, in the second book, the two remaining characters (you know, the two who haven't fallen in love yet, but will in the third book, you just know it) kiss.

So, after Moira has killed one of the vamps who killed her mother, she tries to kill the second, but Cian kills him for her, and she gets mad to yell at Cian, and to shut her up, he kisses her.

And then you know...

Morrigan's Cross

Okay, so sometimes, you just have to re-read a book.

The thing about Nora Roberts is that she really likes books that take place in Ireland. They're second only to New York, but that's because she has an entire series that takes place there (running over 25 books at this point, I believe).

Anyway, I was trying to figure out what to read this morning (because I was so disappointed by Temperatures Rising yesterday, I wanted something I could count on), and I grabbed this one just out of fun.

So, I re-read it. Now, it's a little odd, I'll give you that. It's about 6 people who have to make it work to keep an evil vampire from taking over the worlds. They're charged by Morrigan, an Irish warrior goddess.

The charge starts with Hoyt, a sorcerer from (are you ready for it?) Ireland in the 1100s. He goes to modern day New York to find (here we go) his twin brother who was turned into a vampire about a week before he left.

Confused yet? In New York, he meets Glenna, a witch. The three of them, along with King, who's a friend of Cian (the brother...I love his name), head to Ireland to set up camp in Hoyt and Cian's old house.

It's keeps going. There they rescue Moira (another great name) and Larkin. Moira is a scholar and soon to be queen of a different world (probably more like Ireland mid-1500 or so, without the potato famine, and if they had never been thrown over by the English) called Geall. Larkin is her (ready?) shape-shifting cousin.

After a time, Blair comes to find them as well. Blair is a modern day Buffy, but she's not the only one. It's (come on now) the family business.

Now, all that unbelievableness aside, it's a great story. A little overdone in some parts, but oh-so-much fun.

Plus, when Glenna and Hoyt (not so great names, either one) get together (you know, have sex, fall in love, get hand-fasted, which is like marriage), flames have a bad tendency to burn hotter and brighter.

Not to mention, in the first book, we almost kill Hoyt twice, Glenna at least twice, Moira and Larkin at least once, Blaire is good at holding her own, and Cian at least twice.

Plus, there's the infighting, emotional family crap, reluctance, fighting of emotion, and all sorts of joys things they need to get through.

So much fun.

Breaking Dawn, Part 2

I re-read Breaking Dawn today.

Yes, I started at lunch and finished just now. Yes, I worked for a while in there, and did some homework. I even took a break to eat and count change and a couple other things. But I still read the whole thing today.

Anyway!

I re-read Breaking Dawn today. It's much better the second time around. The first time, you're too busy going, "What do you mean Bella's pregnant? Jacob imprinted on Nessie? And why wasn't the battle scene...well, a battle?"

After letting it marinate for 2 months (hey, I waited to required amount of time. Even 2 extra days. Give me a break), and reading Stephenie Meyer's answers to reader's questions, it was much better.

You just have to suspend belief for a few hours. What's great about some books (the Anita Blake series, for instance), is that you can almost see it actually happening. It's realistic. Even the vampires and were-wolves, you can see how it just might happen (the Sookie Stackhouse books do this really well too).

The problem with kids/young adult books? They ask you to suspend reality more often. So after giving myself to the book, letting my world fall away and replace it with Bella and Edward's world...it was better.

Easier to see happening, easier to believe.

Of course, knowing what happens doesn't hurt.

The week before Breaking Dawn came out, I literally called Mom and said, "I'm worried that Bella and Edward won't end up together. Stephenie wouldn't do that to us, would she?"

Mom laughed. I was serious.

I'm really glad they end up together.

And I laughed out loud when Bella found out about Jacob calling Renemsee "Nessie." It's just too funny that that is what sets her off.