Aarg

I just finished Amanda Quick's Mystique (I know. Historical romance. Leave me alone. I wasn't a big fan anyway).

Let me just say...when it's over 50 pages from the end and I figured out the killer AND one of the major twists, that's not a good thing.

What? Someone died by poison? Well, who knows poisons. Let's see, there's the heroine (who would never kill anyone, from the annoying monk to her husband), and the healer at the convent. I wonder who it could be.

Oh, and now that I think of it, when his parents died 30 years ago? By poison? I bet she was the dad's betrothal. Shocker how that works out.

Sorry I ruined that part of it for you. But figuring that out kind of spoiled the rest of it for me. Including the other twist. I just didn't care.

Angsty Teen Vampire Novels

Okay, for my 265 class, I have to read 50 YA novels. So, of course, I continually pick up vampire novels. That's what I do.

But they're all angsty, teen vampire novels, and the authors aren't that great.

I read the first two in the Vampire Diaries series today. Can we say...suck! So awful. I was literally within pages of the end when I put it down because I needed a break from the stupidity.

It's like they're trying to write a great novel...but failing oh-so-badly.

The Answer

I decided on reading the book I was thinking about. Then another one just like it (both short NR stories).

Then, when I still couldn't sleep, I started Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. It's a YA book for my YA class that I'm totally enjoying. It's a mystery, and a darn good one. Why does Young snap? What is Rob's dark secret? And just what is Glass out there to do?

PS- If y'all want to see my blog that is my database assignment for my YA class, it's Lindy's 265 Blog. As of right this instant (5:04 AM, Monday, August 24th, 2009), there's nothing there yet. Soon, my pretties, soon.

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?!?

Vastly Amusing

I just finished All I Want For Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks (3 snowflakes), and I was flipping through the back.

You know how sometimes they'll give you a teaser for new books coming out? This one had 3 teasers.

One of them was for All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks. I laughed.

An Explanation

Okay, so here's why you haven't heard from me in forever.

When I find an author I like, I tend to read every thing I can my hands on that they wrote. Sometimes it's no big deal, and I find myself backlogged 3 or 4 books. Sometimes, however, I find my self with 14 books checked out by the same author.

I recently (this year) found Jayne Ann Krentz. Well, that's not completely true. Last year Mom had me read some of her book in one of her (many) pen names, but I was only kind of eh about them.

Now, of course, I want to re-read them.

Anyway, so I've been reading a lot of Jayne Ann Krentz lately. And, many of her books take place in (a) the Pacific Northwest, (b) Arizona, or (c) the business world. Not too many that make the 9909 challenge (though some are about librarians...)

Not that I haven't been reading a lot. I have. I really really have been. It's just that most of it isn't post-worthy.

So there you go. My reasoning for being mysteriously absent lately.

Surprised

I'm at my mothers, reading, and she's surprised when I finish my book.

Well, it's her book, technically. And it's my second book of the day.

But still, when I close it and bust open my laptop, she looks at me and goes, "Done?"

I, of course, look sheepishly at the couch in front of me, let out a small smile, and nod.

What can I say? I'm a fast reader.

She thinks it took me less than 3 hours. It's entirely possible she's right. But it was only 320 pages. What do you expect? This is me.

End of the Year

So, it's the end of the year.

And you know what that means...

The final count for how many books I read.

Okay, even I'm a little appalled this year. I'm trying to remember what else I did, because the number is astronomical...even for me.

Wasn't I in school? Didn't I hang out with friends? I hold down a job. When did I have this much time to read?

The total? 256 books.

Holy-freaking-cow.

2009 Challenge

So, I was reading on Mom's blog...a while back, and she linked to Becky (who I don't think I know...), who talked about reading challenges. Including one where you pick xx amount of topics, and read xx amount of books in them. The "xx" is the last 2 numbers in the year.

So, in 2009, you have 9 categories and you have to read 9 books in each category. I thought this sounded like fun, so I chose my own categories.

1. 9 Award Winners-- Doesn't matter what kind of award, so long as it's won one.
2. 9 Re-Reads-- This one will, of course, fill up the fastest.
3. 9 Books by Men-- I tend to read books written by women. I should work on that.
4. 9 Classics Everyone Should Read (But I Haven't)-- AKA the books I should have read in my college classes, but read the Cliff-Notes instead (No...I only read the Cliff-Notes for one book, I promise)
5. 9 YA Novels-- YA= Young Adult.
6. 9 New Vampire Books
7. 9 Books That Take Place in the South
8. 9 Biographies
9. 9 Books Starring Librarians.

So...here we go!

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.

8 Minutes

I have (at the time of beginning this post) 8 minutes until the end of October.

That said, it's time for the monthly round up.

The grand total this month? 31.

And I just realized that means I'm averaging a book a day.

Grand total for the year (so far): 208.

Which says a few things.

The biggest and brightest being, what the heck am I doing with my life?

The second being, when do I do homework?

Oh, yeah, right now.

This Could Be A Problem

Okay, so here's the problem. I read really fast.

Wanna know how fast? I read A Lick of Frost by Laurell K. Hamilton in under 3 hours. Yeah, I've read it before, but still. 274 pages in under 3 hours. I was even a little horrified (by my reading speed, not the book).

I'm not going to recommend it, not because I didn't like it, but because it's probably not anything that anyone I know would read. If you ever want to know my opinion on LKH books, or even just on one series or the other, ask me, but not here.