tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-148655002012-01-25T11:00:58.528-06:00And other excuses for why I suck at math...Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.comBlogger5921100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-8811984465943854752012-01-19T12:39:00.008-06:002012-01-19T12:59:44.157-06:00

37 books. Sadly, I did not reach my goal of 50 new books for 2011. It’s very likely that I did read 50 books last year, just due to the fact that I’m a re-reading nerd. There are a handful of books that I read over again every single year (the entire Twilight saga – to my utter shame, the first few books of the In Death series, Jennifer Crusie’s Bet Me and Jude Deveraux’s Sweet Liar – just to

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-59278075529076623662012-01-05T10:03:00.001-06:002012-01-05T10:07:38.945-06:00

#32: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - This book is adorable and hilarious, much like Mindy herself. It has excellent advice for how to be a good friend and how to be a hot dude. So basically, it's the best gift book of all time.#33: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen - I have started this book a dozen times over the years and finally made it over the hump.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-82643309746323051742011-12-28T11:10:00.003-06:002011-12-28T11:15:43.579-06:00

I poked a hole in my nose. Happy birthday Sally! Now it's your turn!

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-25602761983386487482011-12-14T10:43:00.003-06:002011-12-14T10:47:09.014-06:00

Cooper's Christmas wish list as dictated to his 11 year-old aunt. God forbid Santa leave some non-shiny coins in his stocking.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-5558854489487514142011-11-17T17:30:00.010-06:002011-11-23T12:14:27.809-06:00

It was a YA-tastic October! For no reason at all, and completely by accident, all of the books I finished in October were from the Young Adult genre. Okay, it wasn’t completely by accident as two of the selections were for the Forever YA book club I joined.#28: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Is a 576 page tome about an orphan, her foster family, and the Jew hidden in their basement in Nazi

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-71581805986124000612011-11-17T08:53:00.002-06:002011-11-17T08:55:31.780-06:00

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-45166412554343846952011-10-26T10:19:00.006-05:002011-10-26T10:39:25.170-05:00

So my current obsession is vampires. And you’re like “You? No! That’s crazy talk.” But no, REALLY, YOU GUYS. The Vampire Diaries is currently in its third season, and it is so insanely good, that I can’t even stop talking about it. The energy and pacing is amazing. They throw so many huge plot twists and new developments into every single episode, that it’s like sweeps week all the time.In the

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-31047318614126012092011-10-12T11:08:00.003-05:002011-10-26T10:35:41.519-05:00

Okay, I can promise I read more than one book in the month of September. I did a bit of a re-reading and then also read a big chunk of The Book Thief for Forever Young Adult book club, but that post will be in the October round-up.#27: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead - They finally get the cover art right and it's the last damn book in the series. Succubus Georgina Kincaid finally finds what

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-539268853661046892011-10-12T10:54:00.012-05:002011-11-30T11:41:29.000-06:00

#22: Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler – I was SO excited for this fourth installment in the Jane True series. I’ve been dying for Jane to get together with the big hulking barghest that she has a thing for, but epic forces of good and evil keep getting in the way. Jane basically gets sent on a quest for the holy grail (substitute: powerful relic) and has to decide whether she really wants to

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-79982051478438441652011-09-28T15:10:00.001-05:002011-09-28T15:12:21.037-05:00

This makes everything better.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-3274816573669079392011-09-12T17:42:00.017-05:002011-09-12T20:59:37.953-05:00

I've been giving some thought to weddings and marriage since this week I celebrate my eleventh wedding anniversary (I may even let Rob celebrate too). And then this post by Andrea Grimes got me thinking (and okay, a little bit defensive) about the long-held, and somewhat outdated tradition of women taking their husband's name when marrying. I made my decision a long time ago, and have

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-16437418362242499242011-09-08T12:04:00.020-05:002011-10-26T10:35:26.297-05:00

I was an urban fantasy devouring fiend in July.#15: Tracking the Tempest by Nicole Peeler – The second book in the Jane True series takes adorable Jane out of her small coastal Maine town and into the big city to visit her vampire boyfriend and fight big bad evil. (While cracking jokes and sporting Converse of course.)#16: Tempest’s Legacy by Nicole Peeler – The third book in the Jane True series

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-19999518806274600792011-07-21T09:57:00.010-05:002011-10-26T10:36:50.111-05:00

For some reason my reading picks up in the Summer. So I managed three new books in June (and some re-reads of course) and July is looking even better. Yay! My credit card bill? Not looking so good.#12: Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan - The fug girls wrote a book! The best celebrity fashion bloggers on the internet wrote a young adult novel, and it's fantastic. Brooke and Molly, who

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-47215550905187707592011-07-21T09:48:00.005-05:002012-01-19T16:23:49.124-06:00

Vacation in HawaiiTake a photography classMeet John PrineTravel ScotlandSee castlesEat an In-N-Out burgerHave dinner in Little ItalyGo shopping at the Alight store in NYCHave a Nathan’s hot dog on Coney IslandVisit Bremerton, WashingtonGo on a cruisePay off all of our credit cardsHave my kitchen remodeledBuy a Volkswagen BeetleHave a swimming poolWrite a novelDrive across the U.S. in an RVGo to

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-71949108004756783442011-07-05T17:31:00.003-05:002011-10-26T10:29:24.972-05:00

I've never gotten around to reading any Zelda Fitzgerald, but after reading this quote from an article she wrote in Metropolitan Magazine, I think I must.The Flapper awoke from her lethargy of sub-deb-ism, bobbed her hair, put on her choicest pair of earrings and a great deal of audacity and rouge and went into the battle. She flirted because it was fun to flirt and wore a one-piece bathing suit

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-14387558027304025252011-06-15T17:27:00.004-05:002011-10-26T10:34:02.354-05:00

May was another slow month as far as my book list. I'm very irriated with myself. Luckily I'm already making a lot more progress in June.#11: Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts) - This is the 31st novel of the In Death series. Honest to God. 31 books. And the main character, Eve Dallas, who is mostly a kick-ass homicide cop in futuristic New York City, is finally learning how to deal

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-79248521254833551572011-05-05T15:47:00.004-05:002011-10-26T10:37:26.926-05:00

I only read one new book this month. And now I has a sad. I re-read some other stuff, but really need to pick up the pace. However, I did redecorate the bathroom (photos coming soon), do a massive closet clean out, and replaced my vanity last month. I was kind of busy.#10: The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book 6) by Kim Harrison - Pretty standard urban fantasy fare (not to be confused with

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-36044229890655849892011-04-29T12:53:00.005-05:002011-04-29T12:59:36.530-05:00

Sigh. What lovely day.And a new pretty, pretty Princess to admire! (I know, I know, she's a Duchess. Shht! And let me enjoy.)

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-44512572846646912012011-04-18T10:39:00.027-05:002011-04-18T11:11:11.051-05:00

A couple of weeks ago (before I came down with THE SINUS INFECTION FROM HELL), I made a solo trip to Ikea (which I have never done) to procure a new vanity. I loaded it in the car, carried it into the house, and assembled it all by myself. This may sound like a very small achievement, but that bitch was heavy. The vanity I had before was cute, but in a very dainty, girly way. And although I am

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-57470155621431173022011-04-04T15:09:00.007-05:002011-10-26T10:38:23.624-05:00

Reading was definitely too slow this month. We've been busy with visiting family members, house projects, LIFE, etc. I did re-read a book or two, but I need to pick up the pace if I want to finish 50 new books this year. I really should be averaging 4 books a month. Eek! #7 - It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita by Heather B. Armstrong -

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-49551790864201330072011-03-24T15:32:00.014-05:002011-03-24T21:22:51.802-05:00

Spring always puts me in the mood to organize. I guess it’s the need to start fresh to match everything green and blooming outside. But my mind these days is overflowing with ideas for projects, new furniture (to better organize), better storage space, cleaner spaces. Unfortunately my wallet is not overflowing with cash for all of these projects.We’re starting with the master bathroom out of

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-47208924098823440332011-03-22T09:56:00.003-05:002011-03-22T10:09:05.361-05:00

Last week CNN helpfully posted an article designed to make you feel shameful about pretty much every bite of food you put in your mouth: The moments that make us fat.Luckily, awesome blogger extraordinaire Lesley Kinzel of Two Whole Cakes has re-worked that article into something useful: Helpful Tips: How not to be a boorish body-policing jerk.Trust me, you will never lie on your deathbed

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-21359970403285348402011-03-04T15:38:00.001-06:002011-03-04T15:41:56.630-06:00

My son Cooper will be four years-old next month. He has blonde hair and dimples, with his daddy’s eyes and his mama’s eyebrows. He’s bright, funny, shy, and testing his boundaries on a daily basis. He loves cars, superheroes, Pixar movies, and macaroni & cheese. And he stammers.It’s very common for toddlers to stutter as they’re learning to speak. They often get so excited over new discoveries

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-46790647532885309232011-03-03T10:21:00.010-06:002011-04-29T14:06:11.761-05:00

Below are the books I've read so far this year. I probably won't be doing individual book reviews anymore. It seemed to just be setting myself up for failure since it requires a lot of time. Which, I don't know if you've noticed this yet, but I don't have a lot of time. #1 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by JK Rowling - Didn't really miss the lack of Quidditch matches in this one.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-65866781739371910742011-03-03T09:14:00.006-06:002011-10-26T13:30:22.882-05:00

I really haven't even come close to reading 100 books a year. So I've decided 50 new books a year is a more realistic goal. I definitely read more than 50 books a year, but I love to re-read favorites all the time, and that cuts down on time left for new books. Like right now, I'm re-reading Charlaine Harris' An Ice Cold Grave (Harper Connelly #3) while simultaneously reading Brenda Joyce's brand

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-52319237750764354662011-03-02T18:48:00.006-06:002011-03-06T16:35:01.585-06:00

Today I wrote a letter to a Republican senator. No, I didn't call him any rude names. And no, I haven't hit my head.See, Texas is on the verge of an economic crisis. Many would argue that we're already there, but really, it can get worse. The state is broke, and there are budget shortfalls in every branch of government. The state will likely have to lay off 9,000 employees. And many teachers are

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-72711703915908200232010-07-07T13:45:00.005-05:002011-10-26T13:30:04.573-05:00

I've been really into the Anita Blake series so far this year. However, I'm now on book 10 and it's growing increasingly intense: "porny-er" (as my friend Heather calls it) and also just really disturbing with its villains and crimes. But the reason I continue to stick with the series is that I really just love Anita. She's tiny and tough, and she worries a lot about whether she's becoming a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-36172028901359685082010-07-07T13:35:00.003-05:002010-07-07T14:42:23.577-05:00

Okay, here's the part where I stop pretending that I'm ever going to finish summarizing the books I read in 2009. So the final additions are:#60 - Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts (straight modern romance)#61 - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (sad and disturbing)#62 - Rainwater by Sandra Brown (lovely and unexpected departure from Sandra Brown's usual romantic suspense and scary ass killers)#63 -

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-91591237784801845872010-03-07T18:40:00.002-06:002010-03-07T18:49:53.451-06:00

Say what you will about James Cameron, and hell, I've said it too- but Avatar was a crowning achievement in filmmaking. And who says we didn't need a 3D Dances With Smurfs? And I adore Sandra Bullock. I think she's lovely and talented (in certain roles) and an incredibly good sport who seems like she'd be great to hang out with, but I just don't see the Academy taking her seriously for Best

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-21829319398224404862010-01-27T21:39:00.001-06:002010-01-27T21:40:52.047-06:00

Hi, I'm behind. I KNOW. This whole life thing has totally been keeping me from doing just about anything, but especially from summarizing the trash I've been reading. I'll get right back on that as soon as possible.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-69093732484383307222009-12-09T16:27:00.003-06:002009-12-20T22:26:05.645-06:00

Kindred in Death is Nora Roberts' (writing as J.D. Robb) 30th novel in the In Death series (also referred to as the Eve Dallas series).We return to kick-ass homicide detective Eve Dallas in 2059 New York City. Eve's rare holiday weekend with her hot husband is interrupted by murder as usual. This time a fellow cop's teenager daughter has been brutally raped and murdered in her own home, and her

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-70762696333849311672009-12-09T15:38:00.001-06:002009-12-09T16:29:58.790-06:00

An Echo in the Bone is the seventh novel in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series. I’ve been reading this series since high school and it’s one of my all time favorites. It centers around World War II combat nurse Claire Randall, and her accidental journey back in time to the 1700’s and Jamie Frasier, the Scottish warrior she falls in love with there.Outlander novels are a big commitment, with nearly

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-27454592378447250942009-12-09T14:56:00.000-06:002009-12-09T14:56:47.579-06:00

Charlaine Harris' A Touch of Dead is a collection of all of her Sookie Stackhouse novellas. They have all previously appeared in other compilation collections featuring various authors.I had previously read two of the five short stories in A Touch of Dead. Harris writes these to fit in between books in the Sookie series. So unless you've read the entire series already, the circumstances in the

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-65925517777338521462009-12-09T13:06:00.005-06:002009-12-09T14:57:51.821-06:00

Eloise James' Desperate Duchesses takes place in 18th century England among the landed gentry and London's notorious "ton".Robert St. Giles is intent on marrying the Duke of Villiers. Why? I'm not quite sure. He's rude, quite possibly gay, and has hardly noticed her. But he's the most sought after catch in England and Roberta is tired of living with her father in the country, and tired of being a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-79821902104823120362009-10-26T17:23:00.002-05:002009-12-09T14:58:33.291-06:00

Karen Chance's Touch the Dark was my second attempt at urban fantasy. This was also the first in a series, but I don't think I'll be continuing with this one.Cassandra Palmer has spent half of her life as an unwilling member of the vampire royal court, and the other half of her life on the run. She is sought for her clairvoyant abilities. Beyond that, everything is extremely muddled.The author

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-79691854337921436372009-10-12T22:16:00.002-05:002011-03-03T10:21:55.972-06:00

Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking is my first foray into urban fantasy. The Sookie Stackhouse novels would probably fit into that category if they weren't, you know, rural.Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter for the government, ends up on the run when she quits her job. She's wanted dead or alive, gets kicked out of her apartment, and has to move in with her new partners: a vampire and a pixie

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-32026799848083185032009-10-12T22:08:00.003-05:002009-12-09T14:59:16.895-06:00

Smash Cut is Sandra Brown's newest novel, using her newest formula. Two main characters meet, become intimate ridiculously fast, and then get to know eachother and solve a mystery. (See: The Switch, Exclusive, and Play Dirty)Criminal lawyer Derek Mitchel and gallery owner Julie Rutledge are drawn together by the murder of her lover and benefactor. Of course many things will throw a wrench in

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-50769884122071911992009-08-23T00:26:00.001-05:002009-08-23T00:30:07.733-05:00

Currently re-reading the entire Sookie Stackhouse series because I am crazy like that, and contemplating revamping myself into rockabilly style.Be back soon with something new.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-41491080464562279762009-08-04T16:39:00.002-05:002009-12-09T16:31:37.200-06:00

Black Hills is Nora Roberts' newest romantic suspense novel. These are typically enjoyable though after you've read all of her books, the formula can get tiresome.Lil Chance and Cooper Sullivan have been friends since their childhood summers in South Dakota. They fall in love one summer before they go off in their separate directions, he to become a New York City cop and she to become a wildlife

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-1145630039800879202009-07-25T13:27:00.002-05:002009-07-25T13:27:00.747-05:00

Jennifer Crusie's Crazy for You shares a title with my favorite Madonna song. The Madonna song is better.Quinn MacKenzie is a high school art teacher who's living with the town's favorite baseball coach and pretty much just coasting through life. When she and her coach boyfriend have a disagreement about a stray dog she wants to keep, it spurs Quinn to finally make some changes in her life. She

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-29307864907772239752009-07-25T13:10:00.004-05:002009-08-04T21:43:35.117-05:00

Poppy Done to Death is the eighth book in Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. This series is okay, though I still don't enjoy it quite as much as Harris' supernatural Sookie series.Per usual, quiet librarian widow Aurora Teagarden, has bodies practically dropping at her feet with alarming regularity. How she hasn't been considered a murder suspect yet is simply amazing. This time around

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-17969076894474720772009-07-25T13:09:00.003-05:002009-08-04T21:46:03.006-05:00

Deadly Kisses is the final published book in Brenda Joyce's Deadly Series. Apparently she's written one additional book in the series, but her publisher is holding it hostage due to a perceived lack of interest. Bastards.Debutante sleuth Francesca Cahill encounters her most personal case yet when her fiance, enigmatic billionaire Calder Hart, is suspected of murdering his former mistress.While

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-7601534865716740462009-07-12T21:59:00.000-05:002009-07-12T21:56:25.374-05:00

Deadly Illusions is the next to last installment in Brenda Joyce's unfinished Deadly Series.Turn of the century sleuth Francesca Cahill finds herself on the trail of a slasher. A madman with a knife has attacked several women on the Lower East side of Manhattan, and the victims' proximity to Francesca's close friends, the Kennedy family, has her especially worried.Francesca also has to contend

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-81958017835958386122009-07-12T21:23:00.001-05:002009-08-04T21:47:04.649-05:00

Sixth book in Brenda Joyce's Deadly Series, Deadly Promise takes place in March 1902, a mere three months after the first book in the series.In her latest adventure, Francesca Cahill is searching for several young missing girls from a poor Irish neighborhood in New York. She and police commissioner Rick Bragg begin to suspect that the girls are being kidnapped to work in a seedy bordello.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-84502989246591895002009-07-07T20:37:00.002-05:002009-08-04T21:47:56.974-05:00

Deadly Caress is the fifth book in Brenda Joyce’s Deadly Series, and I'm so freaking hooked now.Turn of the century sleuth Francesca Cahill is on the case after one of her closest friends art studio is vandalized, another artist has disappeared, and her brother's mistress has been murdered. And can I just tell you how much I dislike the word "sleuth"? It's thrown about all over this series in all

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-85279458483021040072009-06-24T21:28:00.000-05:002009-07-12T21:56:25.375-05:00

Strange BedPersons by Jennifer Crusie is dated chick-lit.Tess is a bleeding heart liberal who grew up on a commune, calls her parents by her their first names, and despises everything yuppie.Nick is a wealthy Republican lawyer, desperate to make partner at his firm. It's very Wall Street.Can these two opposites attract? Yawn.What was interesting about this story is that at the beginning of the

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-74137824117519027342009-06-22T09:16:00.002-05:002009-08-04T21:49:12.801-05:00

I thought I had read all of Lavyrle Spencer's novels years ago, but I somehow missed The Gamble.All Lavyrle Spencer novels are about families. Some are about the traditional families that are bonded together by blood, and some are about the families that come together by choice.Agatha Downing is a lonely spinster who limps through her quiet existance, making hats for a living and crusading for

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-19346169198745904302009-06-11T15:12:00.002-05:002009-08-04T17:01:42.056-05:00

"In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.... In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge."-from Nineteen Minutes by Jodi PiccoultNineteen Minutes is

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-3612549162888132292009-06-05T17:00:00.005-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.124-05:00

Getting Rid of Bradley is the third Jennifer Crusie book I've read, and I have to say, I like her. They're light and fun, and her characters are insanely likable.Lucy Savage (And by the way, Lucy is a great character name. It immediately conveys 'adorable' and 'quirky'.) gets stood up at her own divorce. She finally gets the guts to get rid of her boring and controlling husband Bradley, but not

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-85963198410151524932009-06-03T17:00:00.003-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.567-05:00

The fourth book in Brenda Joyce’s Deadly Series, Deadly Desire is a little bit more mature, faster paced, and steamier than previous installments.Francesca gets to meet the family of the man she loves, police commissioner Rick Bragg, as well as his estranged wife. Rick is now convinced he must give up his political aspirations and get a divorce so that he might marry Francesca. And Calder Hart,

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-24073557950376514722009-06-03T16:53:00.002-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.567-05:00

Deadly Affairs is the third installment in Brenda Joyce’s Deadly Series (also known as Francesca Cahill Romance Novels). This series is steadily getting more intense, though I’m still irritated by Francesca’s naiveté.Francesca has been hired (for her sleuthing skills) by her first paying client, Lydia Stuart, to find out if Lydia’s husband is cheating. In the course of following him, Francesca

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-46155533565157920632009-05-27T16:53:00.000-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.125-05:00

Charlie All Night (titles again, I know, right?) by Jennifer Crusie is my second chick lit novel in a week. I was on vacation, don't judge!Radio producer Ally has just been replaced. Her radio star ex-boyfriend has replaced her with a younger and thinner model in his bed and on his show.Charlie has been hired to helm the 2am show and since he's not really there to deejay, he's perfectly fine with

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-89475233742058260442009-05-27T16:43:00.002-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.125-05:00

Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me is chick lit. As far as I can tell, that means it's a romance novel, but an extremely modern one where the heroine has a career and doesn't always want children.Of course it started with a bet.Min (short for Minerva) has just been dumped by her boyfriend David, who she wasn't even sure she liked very much, three weeks before her sister's wedding. Min is an actuary, and on

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-48587171480633842972009-05-19T16:03:00.003-05:002011-10-26T13:30:04.571-05:00

"Town is fearfully dull, except for the frequent raids of the Servant Girl Annihilators, who make things lively in the dull hours of the night...."-O. Henry I tried to read A Twist at the End by Steven Saylor, I did try.The subject matter is fascinating. It's set in Austin in 1885, when the entire city was living in terror of it's very own serial killer (three years before Jack the Ripper stalked

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-91231547849627768282009-05-19T15:59:00.002-05:002009-12-09T16:33:25.171-06:00

Vision in White is the first in a series about a group of friends who run their own wedding planning business. And it's Nora Roberts' heralded return to pure romance. No sadistic murders to solve and no paranormal evil to conquer with magic. Kind of a bummer.So Mackensie is the photographer for Vows, the wedding business she started with her three childhood best friends. She has an insanely

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-59329207549393203692009-05-19T14:59:00.003-05:002011-10-26T13:30:04.569-05:00

That was me. There's just a little Twilight sequel movie coming out in 184 days. Not that I'm counting.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-86724333152262934152009-05-19T13:07:00.000-05:002009-06-07T22:34:31.596-05:00

Forbidden Nights with a Vampire is book seven in the Love at Stake series. And yet again, I'm thankful this was available on Kindle so no one has to see me in public reading such ridiculously titled literature.Vanda is originally from Poland, was made a vampire during World War II, still seems to be sufferring from some form of Post Traumatic Stress, and has serious anger issues. Vanda owns a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-12900607427757110602009-05-19T12:55:00.001-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.126-05:00

Paper Towns is the third John Green novel I've read, and my favorite so far. Although yet again, I spent the entire novel worrying that he'd kill someone off.Quentin Jacobsen is in his final semester of high school and has spent nearly his entire life being in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman. Q (as his friends call him) and Margo were friends as small children, but she long ago traded him in for

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-59500218800625404582009-05-19T11:54:00.001-05:002009-05-19T11:58:53.847-05:00

1. lifestyle changes2. Al Pacino3. irony4. sushivia Shapely Prose and Overrated List

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-71634345318143933112009-05-15T11:48:00.003-05:002009-06-07T22:27:45.706-05:00

"True Blood", June 14!29 days! (Not that I'm counting.)

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-16570060326567659992009-05-12T16:56:00.003-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.126-05:00

Dead and Gone is the ninth Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse book. And you would not believe how freakin' excited I was for this book to come out.Sookie Stackhouse, small town Louisiana barmaid and unwilling telepath, leads a pretty exciting life. The vampires have been out in the open for a while, and the other supernaturals (werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies etc) she's known about

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-37615141235170868262009-05-11T21:26:00.001-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.567-05:00

The second novel in the Francesca Cahill Romance Novels, (still hate that name) Deadly Pleasure, takes place only a day after the first novel ends. Which is kind of an interesting concept for a series. Most of the series I read, the subsequent novels take place weeks, and sometimes months after the previous ones. And sometimes events are referenced that took place in that time in between novels.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-72259313102615457072009-04-30T11:41:00.004-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.126-05:00

A Secret Rage by Charlaine Harris is one of her few stand-alone novels. (The new Sookie Stackhouse book comes out May 5!) I find myself having a harder time connecting with her characters that are not in a series.Nickie Callahan is a former model who’s returning to her Southern roots, and leaving New York City to move in with her best friend to go back to college in Tennessee. A lot of this book

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-46120977618884563982009-04-21T11:32:00.004-05:002009-12-09T16:43:48.918-06:00

Okay, final re-read for a while (I’ve been waiting for the second Francesca Cahill novel to arrive. Damn thing wasn’t available on Kindle). Immortal in Death is the third Nora Roberts In Death book.Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPD would rather face armed drug addicts than go shopping for a wedding dress. Lucky for her, she gets plenty of brutal killings to investigate (including having her best

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-35674616036961203452009-04-21T11:31:00.000-05:002009-12-09T16:33:25.173-06:00

In Glory in Death, the second novel in Nora Roberts’ In Death series (and one I’ve read a dozen times already), futuristic homicide detective Eve Dallas has to get used to being a billionaire’s girlfriend, while also hunting a serial killer. You know how it is.Eve is wary of how serious her relationship seems to be becoming with formerly shady Irish billionaire, Roarke. Plus she’s always believed

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-57863128593142649152009-04-13T20:56:00.003-05:002009-12-09T16:33:25.173-06:00

Naked in Death is a re-read, and a book I seem to read at least once a year. It's the first book in Nora Roberts' (writing as J.D. Robb) incredibly popular futuristic detective In Death series, and it's one of my all time favorites.Eve Dallas is a homicide detective in the mid part of the 21st century. They've outlawed guns, but they can't seem to get rid of murder. Eve is an orphan who barely

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-31391402361279151722009-04-13T20:47:00.002-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.127-05:00

Sweet and Deadly is the first book I've read by Charlaine Harris that wasn't part of a series. And now I understand why she seems to prefer to write serials. This novel seemed spare and lacking in character development compared to her usual stories.Catherine Linton is the social reporter in her tiny Mississippi town. Since she moved home after her parents' tragic accidental (or homicidal) deaths,

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-67044495236755545712009-04-06T20:07:00.004-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.127-05:00

It's Ms. Vampire Girl to you. Book number six in the Love at Stake series by Kerrelyn Sparks, is Secret Life of a Vampire. I haven't read one from this fluffy series in over a month. So it was a nice to revisit this complete departure from reality.Lara Boucher is a former Miss Louisiana who decides to become a police officer after a near fatal car crash leaves her with a head injury and the wish

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-63298166907711589242009-04-05T21:57:00.002-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.568-05:00

Deadly Love is the first book in Brenda Joyce's Francesca Cahill Romance series. I object a little bit to the "romance label", since this is obviously a suspense novel, with just a little bit of romance (which pretty much every suspense novel has).Francesca Cahill is a bluestocking in New York City in the early 1900's. She's lucky enough to come from an extremely wealthy family but is very

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-21190219782681711972009-03-31T10:48:00.003-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.127-05:00

Last Scene Alive is the seventh book in Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden Mysteries.Widow Aurora Teagarden is the only one in her tiny Georgia town that's not excited about the movie production coming to film. But that's probably since the movie is based on a bestselling book- about the serial killer that she was nearly a victim of. However, Aurora is glad to see former flame, Robin Crusoe,

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-22642842011241680392009-03-25T22:19:00.003-05:002009-06-07T22:34:31.597-05:00

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green is the second of his novels that I've read. And at the risk of spoiling something for you, in the previous novel, Looking for Alaska, someone dies. And as a result, I spent the entire time reading An Abundance of Katherines cringing, worrying that someone was going to be killed off at any moment.Luckily, when not worrying about impending doom, I was

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-6658180350120609372009-03-25T21:56:00.001-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.568-05:00

The ninth book in Brenda Joyce's de Warenne Dynasty, A Dangerous Love moves on to the now grown de Warenne children. And based on the ridiculous description (and that's saying a lot, considering...) of the final book in the de Warenne series, I think this one will be my last.Ariella de Warenne is the illegitimate, educated, and privileged daughter of a pirate (Cliff from A Lady at Last), and a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-72372660912693366212009-03-15T21:04:00.003-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.128-05:00

The sixth book in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, A Fool and His Honey continues on in a progressively depressing series. I've continued with all of the Charlaine Harris novels simply because I've loved the Southern Vampire Mysteries so much. But the other series aren't striking the same chord in me.Part time librarian, and unintentional mystery solver, Aurora "Roe", and her wealthy older husband

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-88359382517849877522009-03-15T20:41:00.005-05:002009-12-09T16:33:25.174-06:00

Promises in Death is the 29th book in Nora Roberts' In Death series. Seriously, 29th. The earliest ones in the series are my favorites, the ones I've re-read the most. The last few in the series have felt a bit lackluster, but this addition is more true to form.Eve Dallas, heroine of the In Death series, is a New York City homicide cop in the year 2059. In the future, we have off planet penal

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-70304218693480691312009-03-09T21:10:00.006-05:002009-06-07T22:35:59.128-05:00

I might be the last person on Earth to read Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. This was a thoroughly engrossing novel about one couple's love affair that spans decades, and ages.Clare is six years-old when Henry first visits her in the field near her parents' home. He is in his 40's. Henry visits her throughout her life as she ages. Sometimes Henry is in his 40's. Sometimes he's older

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-26861776704552323452009-03-09T21:08:00.001-05:002009-06-23T09:21:07.568-05:00

The Perfect Bride is the 8th book in Brenda Joyce's deWarenne Dynasty. It features Rex deWarrenne, the last of the deWarenne siblings. The other deWarennes were featured in the previous novels in the series.Rex de Warenne lost a leg in the Napoleonic wars and has been pretty much drunk in isolated Cornwall ever since. Well, he's managed to find time to have scandalous affairs with house

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-55242348056677835572009-02-27T20:31:00.004-06:002009-08-04T16:59:08.890-05:00

LaVyrle's Spencer's Forgiving is a re-read. Some books I've read at least a dozen times. I think I've only read Forgiving once before, and it was a long time ago, before the HBO show "Deadwood". Forgiving is set in 1876 Deadwood, when it was still a rough Western territory, not a U.S. state. And I was curious to see how the Deadwood of the book compared to my beloved cancelled show.Sarah Merritt

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-63640937620012648032009-02-25T13:46:00.004-06:002009-12-09T16:36:58.316-06:00

In the early '90's, back when I used to hang poems and pictures and magazine clippings on my bedroom door, two of my very favorite items were Nike ads. I know what you're thinking. And even back then, I remember being disappointed that two of the quotes that I looked at every day and memorized over time because they spoke to me so strongly, came from something as lame as a Nike ad.A women is

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-7567390619311626262009-02-22T12:11:00.003-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.129-05:00

All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire is the fifth book in the Love at Stake series. And as much as I enjoy this frothy escapist series, they're killing me with those titles. Seriously, even posting about them is a little mortifying. Oh, and the cover art? Could someone who's at least read the books choose the covers? (Hint: the heroine is actually a blonde.)Toni Davis takes a job as daytime

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-65615880139926787352009-02-22T11:36:00.002-06:002009-06-07T22:28:53.867-05:00

It's impossible to not second-guess your Oscar picks. While I feel pretty confident with the idea that the Academy will go with Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, in part because of the cinematic-like ressurection of Mickey Rourke's career, we can't discount the universal belief that dour and humorless Sean Penn is a great actor. Conventional wisdom says Danny Boyle will win Best Director for Slumdog

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-74319542482913978092009-02-15T15:16:00.005-06:002009-06-23T09:21:07.569-05:00

The seventh book in Brenda Joyce's de Warenne Dynasty, A Lady at Last takes place in the West Indies and England in the early part of the 19th century.Amanda Carre is a pirate's daughter who's spent her life running around her island home like a savage, dressed in boy's breeches. She can't read or write and has no wish to be a lady. But when her father is hanged and the richest man on the island

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-75331313744865951972009-02-12T10:26:00.004-06:002009-02-12T10:32:14.257-06:00

It's not here yet. But when it does come, there should be chocolates.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-13506308462731260952009-02-09T12:51:00.003-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.129-05:00

The fourth book in the Love at Stake series, Kerrelyn Sparks' The Undead Next Door doesn't stray far from the established format. Human and vampire meet and fall in love. Danger, suspense, humor and explicit you-know-what usually complete the package. Hello, it's a romance novel.Heather is a single mother with an adorable four year-old daughter, and a redneck jackass ex-husband. She also has a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-9348062314998400512009-01-28T20:32:00.011-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.129-05:00

I went into Things I Learned About My Dad, not really being able to relate. I didn't grow up with a father, so I don't really understand the complicated relationships people have with their fathers. I do have a good step-dad who's a good father to my little sister. But when he first started dating my mother, I was nearly 17 years-old and I'm pretty sure he wondered why her annoying roommate was

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-5812045121154686242009-01-28T17:28:00.003-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.129-05:00

My grandmother gave me Maya Angelou's Letter to My Daughter for Christmas. I've been a huge Maya Angelou fan forever. My mother took me to hear her speak at Bass Concert Hall when I was in high school. She was amazing, simply the most lyrical woman who's ever lived. I bet she can make ordering a cheeseburger sound like a poem."You may not control all of the events that happen to you, but you can

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-75885296948816232482009-01-27T10:46:00.006-06:002009-06-07T22:34:31.597-05:00

Sorry, this may seem like cheating on my list. But it's yet another book that I get to put in the "completed" pile and get off my nightstand.Okay, this isn't so much a novel as a really large beauty magazine. But hey, no ads! The 5-Minute Face: The Quick & Easy Makeup Guide for Every Woman provides some interesting tips from Carmindy of TLC's "What Not to Wear".I love beauty products. Love buying

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-23330468939494064412009-01-26T16:39:00.007-06:002009-08-04T17:01:42.057-05:00

Thank God this book was available in Kindle edition, because Be Still My Vampire Heart is not the kind of thing I'd like to be seen reading in public. If just for the corny title alone. Kerrelyn Sparks third novel in the Love at Stake series focuses on Emma Watson and Angus McKay, both introduced earlier in the series.Emma is yet another member of the CIA "Stake Out" team we've heard about before

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-29184889341509430612009-01-25T22:35:00.003-06:002011-10-26T13:30:04.568-05:00

I don't think I've ever celebrated a blogiversary before, but today is five years that I've been blogging. I'm not sure how long I've been at Blogger. I started out at LiveJournal, but it was weird, full of kids, and it kept wanting to know my "mood".I've accomplished quite a bit in my 505 posts. There was the time I talked about my boobs, the time I managed to make up 100 things all about me,

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-20415024760997639852009-01-24T19:18:00.005-06:002009-06-23T09:21:07.569-05:00

The sixth book in Brenda Joyce's de Warenne Dynasty, The Stolen Bride takes place in Ireland in the early part of the 19th century.Eleanor de Warenne had a crush on her step-brother Sean, from the time their parents married when she was a very young child. Eleanor helped Sean rebuild his ancestral home, dresses in men's breeches to ride horses, and tells whichever brother is currently doing her a

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-16198615256034735642009-01-22T11:10:00.004-06:002009-01-22T11:15:17.809-06:00

It's that very special time of year, when we celebrate with family and are thankful for the blessings in our life. Cookie blessings. This year my sister is a Brownie Scout and I think I'll be ordering by the case.

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-65438989442835713842009-01-21T08:45:00.004-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.130-05:00

Okay, to tell the truth, I started this book last year and got about halfway through. Then I put it down for months (I'm slow with non-fiction) and didn't pick it back up until this week. So it feels a little dishonest to include it on this list, but I'm just so excited that I finished it and can take it off the nightstand stack.Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-47996615765486026562009-01-20T14:56:00.001-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.130-05:00

Vamps in the City is the second novel in Kerrelyn Sparks' Love at Stake series which I gleefully began earlier this month.Darcy Newhart has only been a vampire for four years, and she's not very good at it. She can't teleport, she refuses to use mind control, and she doesn't even like the taste of blood- without chocolate in it. Anxious to get back into her previous career of journalism, Darcy

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The fifth novel in Charlaine Harris' Lily Bard Mysteries, Shakespeare's Counselor is also the last in the series. This was a somewhat difficult book to get through. Lily the heroine, joins a rape survivor's group. We've already learned about her attack previously in the series. Learning about the other members of her counseling group is equally hard. And then of course, one of the members of the

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-38657010235024551602009-01-15T11:24:00.005-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.130-05:00

Shakespeare's Trollop is the fourth book in Charlaine Harris' Lily Bard Mysteries. Her books are always a quick read, sometimes they're even over before I'm ready. Lily Bard survived a gang rape and now lifts weights and takes martial arts three times a week. She has turned herself into one ass-kicking house cleaner in the tiny town of Shakespeare Arkansas. Lily solves mysteries with the

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-74186922785659278712009-01-14T10:08:00.004-06:002009-06-23T09:21:07.569-05:00

The Masquerade is the fifth book in Brenda Joyce's de Warrenne Dynasty series. Set in Ireland, in 1814, Elizabeth Fitzgerald is impoverished gentry who falls in love with the future Earl of Adare, Tyrell, when she's very young. Eventually Elizabeth comes to Tyrell's attention as a teenager at a masquerade ball. However, due to a ridiculous series of events, Elizabeth's skanky sister Anne, winds

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-39723805645342536682009-01-07T21:53:00.007-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.131-05:00

Can you believe it? How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire? That is seriously the title of the book! Based on my previous purchases, Amazon thinks I'm Vampire Girl, so it kept recommending this one to me every time I logged in. And upon actually taking a look at it, I realized the cover model is wearing my wedding dress. So obviously, it was meant to be.This book is extremely silly, totally sappy,

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-21410675946840091252009-01-04T21:06:00.006-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.131-05:00

Just finished the fifth book in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series. Dead Over Heels is also the last book in the series available in Kindle edition. (Amazon, get on that, would you?)The story starts out with a dead man falling from an airplane and landing in heroine (and part time librarian) Aurora's front yard. The fact that the dead man was a cop, and one who was known to be openly hostile

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-14649521166603673832009-01-04T13:23:00.006-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.131-05:00

Fourth book in Charlaine Harris' Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, The Julius House is fairly engrossing.Heroine Aurora Teagarden settles into married life with her dashing older husband Martin. As a wedding gift, Martin buys Aurora the Julius House, site of a local family's mysterious disappearance. Aurora is of course unable to leave the mystery unsolved. She also spends some time wondering what

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-26783357658664152612009-01-03T13:42:00.008-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.132-05:00

Three Bedrooms, One Corpse is the third book in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries by Charlaine Harris (known for the Southern Vampire Mysteries, basis for HBO's wickedly entertaining "True Blood", the Harper Connelly Mysteries, and Lily Bard Mysteries) . This is the fourth Charlaine Harris series I've read.The heroine, Aurora Teagarden is a former librarian, who due to an unexpected inheritance, is

Queen Kandishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03909692150599777819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14865500.post-13071069266217384812009-01-03T13:33:00.004-06:002009-06-07T22:35:59.132-05:00

I've been toying with the idea for a long time of trying to read 100 books in a year. Or at the very least, posting about the books I read just to see how many I generally read in a year. However, I've always hesitated because sometimes the books I read are embarrassing. You're saying "[gasp] You? No!" But for serious. It isn't just the vampire kick I've been on lately. (And believe me, I never

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