The Haviland Touch

So, everyone knows I'm a big Kay Hooper fan, right? So when I was browsing a paperback shelf some where, I stumbled across The Haviland Touch and went, "Romance? Intrigue? World-traveling? A couple reuniting after 12 years apart? Sounds great!"

It wasn't too bad. Yeah, they fall back in love (unsurprising), and yeah, they eventually find the missing cross. Woohoo.

He's kind of a really big jerk at the beginning. In fact, I yelled at him (called him a bad name) the first time they see each other again. But he deserved it.

I never really got over that. Yeah, they work their issues out and fall back in love, and he takes off his bitter mask and learns what she's really like...but I still don't really like him.

Plus, he calls her "Sweet" which makes me mad because that's what Alex calls Morgana (from her Thief series), and I hate it when books overlap with stuff like that!

It seems silly, but it's true.

Anyway, 3 snowflakes.

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.

A lot Done

I took 12 "fun" books on the trip with me, and I read 8 (9 if you count the one I'm in the middle of).

Yay!

Okay, so I don't have time to update you on all of them (I will tonight...after I finish my homework), but let me just say one thing.

I was spoiled. My introduction to romance novels was Nora Roberts. She has good dialogue, interesting plots, and writes well. A lot of her older ones aren't always amazing, but they're better than some of the stuff I read this week.

Ugh.

With that lovely thought to all of you, I'm going to get some breakfast. See ya tonight!

The Book List, Part 2

Going on another trip! Sorry I haven't been around...reading has been slow going. I got distracted by "Gilmore Girls" and was then recovering from being distracted.

So, I'm going on a cruise next week. I leave Sunday and get back Friday. I'm not taking my laptop unless I absolutely have to (still undetermined), but am taking lots and lots of book.

Here's the list (also in my reading list on the side of my blog here).

Nonfiction, already read
1. On Writing Stephen King

Nonfiction, unread
1. The Majesty of the Law Sandra Day O'Connor

Fiction, already read
1. Obsidian Butterfly Laurell K. Hamilton
2. Gods in Alabama Joshilyn Jackson
3. Die in Plain Sight Elizabeth Lowell
4. When Crickets Cry Charles Martin
5. Lord of the Night Robin T. Popp
6. Sacred Sins Nora Roberts

Fiction, unread
1. Digital Fortress Dan Brown
2. Body Language Millie Criswell
3. Mumbo Gumbo Jerrilyn Farmer
4. The Big Bad Wolf Tells All Donna Kauffman
5. Making Waves Cassandra King
6. The Drowning People Richard Mason


Also, I'm taking my Sudoku book, my management book, my foundations in library sciences book, and a couple research books for my papers.

4 days on a boat, 2 plane rides, and what ever is left of Sunday. 14 books for pleasure, 2+ for homework, and a game book. I can't get too bored, right?

If I take my laptop, expect a myriad of reviews on Saturday. If not, I'll get them done when I get them done.

8 Books

I'm going on a road trip to Michigan with some friends. It's a 33 hour drive (or so...).

The books that are currently on my reading list? The 8 new books? They're all the ones I'm taking with me.

And 17 movies.

You see, I can plug my laptop into the cigarette lighter in the car, so we can watch movies on my laptop.

So if I get bored, it's my own fault.

Oh, I'm going with 3 other people. So I really shouldn't be bored.