And it comes to a close ...

59. How to Marry a Marquis, Julia Quinn
58. Ten Things I Love About You, Julia Quinn
57. An Impossible Attraction
56. On the Way to the Wedding, Julia Quinn
55. To Sir Phillip, With Love, Julia Quinn
54. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Julia Quinn
53. The Burning Lamp, Amanda Quick
52. Mystique, Amanda Quick

And so it has been 365 days since I started this little endeavor. It feels like ages, and it feels like second, which is how time is I suppose. Sometimes I can't believe I've been here a year.

Weirdly, summer to me is driving with my windows down, Taylor Swift (or any music really) blaring. It's akin to Christmas marking the passing of time.

So now as I drive around with the hot air musing my hair irreparably, singing (caterwauling, to be fair) to "You Should Have Said No" (I'm sorry, but she never goes out of style for me) I feel it. I feel the year.

But anyway, on to what's really important (certainly not my blathering about time) -- books!

I haven't posted since my vacation, but that's not because I haven't been reading. For me, for some odd reason, I put off posting ... long enough for when I started to think about doing, I decided to just wait, wait until the end and make it a good one :)

I finished my Ms. Quick obsession appropriately -- with two novels I hadn't read before. The first Mystique was wonderful. I have absolutely no idea (OK a little one, but hold on) why I hadn't read it before. The only thing I can think of is that I'm not a huge fan of historical romances set in the 1300s ish unless they're in Scotland. This may come off as odd to non-romance readers ... but here's the breakdown. The most common settings for historicals are: Scotland (anywhere from 1100-1400), Regency London (1815-1825ish) and Wild Wild West America (aka 1860s ish?) There are authors who step outside these times and locales (aka Brenda Joyce with her Deadly Series -- set in NYC turn of the century) but most do not. And I'm OK with that. I want my middle-ages stories to be set in Scotland and my Regency ones to take place among London's ton.

Anyhoo, I've gotten completely off track, but that happens ... Mystique was wonderful. And very Amanda Quick even though it wasn't set in the proper time period ;) (on a side note she actually has quite a few novels in that era but she pens them under the name Jayne Castle ... yes she has three different pseudonyms.) I followed Mystique with The Burning Lamp. Now don't get me wrong, I pretty much love everything she writes, but this was ... off for me. I know she's been into the paranomal for some time now (The Arcane Society series) but I really wish she would just go back to normal historical thrillers. I think part of the problem is the two main characters recognize how right they are for each other almost immediately because they have paranormal senses. So it takes all the tension right out of the story. They don't really have obstacles they have to overcome to be together, they just have to solve the crime aspect of the plotline. So while that is interesting, it doesn't hold the book together. I found myself struggling through it, putting it down, going days without reading ... which is never a good sign in the middle of a NEW novel, one I hadn't read before. I think it gave me Quick closure, if you will ... which was a good thing. It let me move on!

On a whim I borrowed Romancing Mr. Bridgerton from the library. Now I've mentioned Julia Quinn before (What Happens in London and The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever I believe). She's a bubbly writer. Her stories bounce along cheerfully and irreverently. But they also have a bit of an edge, a bit of a dark side. It's nothing obvious except a shadow lurking under the sparkle. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton is actually part of a series (oh you know how much I adore series!) about the Bridgertons (all 8 of them) and it is set is Regency England. The next two books on the list were also apart of the series (To Sir Phillip, With Love and On the Way to the Wedding)

Things I live about Ms. Quinn: Her books are clever, witty and funny (I can't tell you how much I laughed out loud to Ten Things I love about you ... sitting on my balcony chuckling like a crazy person) Her characters are really different from each other, which is a hard thing to accomplish in series, in writing in general. Just in general her plot lines are entertaining.
Things I don't like: The over use of the word "hiss." I'm sorry, that is not an attractive action on anyone. And she uses it all. the. time. She hissed, he hissed. Please, how many times have you really hissed in your life? Although her characters are different some of her scenes themselves are startlingly similar -- something I'm not sure I've experience before, at leas to the extent they are. Like in Ten Things I Love About You and How to Marry a Marquis (now to be fair these were written years and years apart, I just happened to read them right next to each other) there was an almost-rape scene (I know like I said, a little bit of darkness under all the frothiness that is her stories) was almost exactly the same. It was bizarre. One other gripe I have with her is that her characters are too self-aware. There's no dramatic irony, it's like they are the voice of the writer almost. Which is hard to explain how that's a bad thing ... but it is. They're too aware of everything that's happening in the story to all the other characters and themselves. It almost pulls you out of the story, not to mention you lose any tension that would have been created by the dramatic irony.

Anyhoo, I'm well and truly entrenched within a Julia Quinn streak ... I'm currently reading my 60th book (which kills me that I didn't finish in time to count it! argg 59 instead of a nice round number like 60 ... sigh, but such is life I suppose). Oh and just before you judge Ms. Quin as silly ... she graduated from Harvard. Yup, suck it everyone who wants to judge romance novels.

Oh and let's not forget An Impossible Attraction a little break I took in the middle of Julia Quinn. And it is such a delicious mark of how different books can be ... and how different Regency London is for authors. Quinn's is light and flufyy while Ms. Brenda Joyce's is dark and seemy, menacing almost. But then there is kindness in her characters as well. An Impossible Attraction was interesting in that our heroine becomes the mistress of our hero. The mistress! In regency london books this never happens (at least in the ones I read). I won't ruin it, but suffice it to say it all works out in the end. Anyway I think out of all the regency londons that exist, I would want to live in Amanda Quick's version (shock.)

Anyway so that's my year for you. I read 59 books ... a decent amount since my original goal was 40. I went through reading phases, and reading droughts, but in the end managed to rack up a respectable number :)

I'm glad I kept track, because now I'll know. But I probably won't continue this. As it was just for me anyway I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.

So I'll say it one more time: Happy readings!!

Mexico reading :)

51. Surrender, Amanda Quick
50. Dangerous, Amanda Quick
49. Wait 'til Midnight, Amanda Quick

I would have read more on our vacay had it not been raining, but through airports, traveling, lounge reading and our one nice day, I managed to get through three in about 6 days (I brought 7 books lol)

Anyway I'm obviously still in my AQ phase ... I love her books, and I'm about to check out one of hers that I've, for some reason unknown, never read before ... I'm excited. Also, she just released a new one (The Burning Lamp) as part of her Arcane Society series. I'm going to go buy it today, hopefully :D

Anyway these three are an odd mix — they are varied on the spectrem of my love for her. Dangerous is my favorite of her books. Like favorite. I mean, Mischief and Mistress come in as close (tied) seconds ... but i L.O.V.E. love love love Dangerous. Wait 'til Midnight is one of those, unless i'm completely obsessed, that I skip over when I'm reading AQ ... I like it, a lot, I really like the hero in it ... but it just is lacking a bit ... like I've probably said before any AQ book is still worlds better than some of the stuff out there, but if we're comparing them. Surrender is my least favorite AQ book. Which is saying something because she obviously has lots of books. The hero is a fortune hunter (that's a struggle in and of itself, getting us to like a character -- a male character -- who is only after our heroine's money. We're trained in historical novel reading to hate fortune hunters and then boom, our hero turns out to be one.) Once we get over that hurdle, which I'm not sure I ever do, you have him acting like ... well like they would have actually acted back then ... which, some would argue is good, but we don't want to read that! He limits what she can do with her money, he's not guilty about deceiving her, he's extremely dictatorial ... etc. etc. And she still gives in anyway ... maybe it's because i'm a (notorious) grudge holder, I wanted her to resist him a little more stongly. Still I liked her for the most part ... I don't read this one much (maybe two other times, tops) and I can see why. Still I read the whole thing, and it captured my attention through out.

I'm one book away from my second goal of 52 books between June 1, 2009 - June 1, 2010. I think i'll beat it, but i'm not going to set a new goal. We'll see how many I read in May ... it maybe two it may be 10 ... I'm not going to force it :D

til next time, happy readings :D

One of my favorites

48. Affair, Amanda Quick

For some reason I just love this book, this story, these characters. There are some lines that are corny as Iowa, but if you get past those you just fall in love with it. I don't know what i'm reading next ... I'm still in the mood for more quick but i've kind of exhausted my options. Maybe some Suz (i just went to see her play in NYC ... it was good, but not fantastic) Anyway we'll see :D

happy readings :)

Before I forget ...

47. The Paid Companion, Amanda Quick

This one actually isn't one of my favorites. I picked it up off my bookshelf and there was a bookmark halfway through still stuck in it. That's never a good sign because it means the last time i attempted to read it I put it down with out finishing it. I almost never don't finish a book. As I was reading I realized why. The thriller part of it, the mystery, the plot isn't that great. It feels ... contrived ... forced ... secondary, but a main part of the book. The relationship is cute just like all of her other ones, but the "crime" just fell short of being compelling.

getting closer :)

46. Mischief, Amanda Quick
I love love love this book for some reason ... on of my favorites from her! :)
45.Late to the wedding, Amanda Quick

sticking with quick

44. Don't Look Back, Amanda Quick
43. With This Ring, Amanda Quick

It helps that i discovered i can read hardbacks and run at the same time ... it hurts that it's the olympics and there are hours and hours of coverage to watch ;p

back to quick for a bit

42. Lie by moonlight, Amanda Quick
41. Deception, Amanda Quick

i didn't read either of these during my last quick phase ... i am reading the third circle again, but i won't count it toward my total :)

I'VE MADE IT TO MY ORIGINAL GOAL!

40. Sizzle and Burn, Jayne Ann Krentz

Yay! I've read 40 books this year so far. I've excited to have made it to my goal number, though with the way I had been going earlier this year, like in the summer, I almost expected to reach it sooner. But life kind of gets in the way, you know? Work and television and errands and sometimes just not feeling like reading. I've learned to abandon books that don't make me want to pick them up at every opportunity, but it's hard when you're as picky as I am about authors ... sometimes I have to settle for what I've got. Anyway, I'm going to continue on with my revised goal of 52, which means 12 more books by June 1. It seems at once like a lot, and like nothing. It's going to help that i'm visiting dana in March -- plane travel = lots of reading time. Also I have $50 more to b&n from birthday :) so that's always helpful. AQ isn't coming out with a new one til April!!! :( but suz has been releasing old ones that can keep me through hahah (and i've fully got mar hooked on her, that makes three people so far I've gotten addicted to suz ... who's next??)

Anyway the book that got me to 40: Well ... the reason I got this one was because it was on the $5.99 shelf at b&n ... the one with the popular hardbacks they ordered too many of ... It's the book before "running hot" which I read a couple months ago (Another in the Arcane society novels) I ... I don't know. I readily admit it's the type of book I get teased for. Not in that it has a lot of sex, but that it isn't well-written like I mostly defend of my novels. But I keep reading these contemporary ones in this series. Like it carried my attention through the story ... even though it was meh. Again she has the characters fall in love too quickly. There goes any tension to carry the plot. The plot involved two different arcs that were separate, yet both important (props to her for not tying them together in an easy "twist" though) But it was hard to concentrate on one (i guess hard isn't the correct word ... annoying?) when the other one was running along in the back of my mind ... It also gave us two climaxes which is awkard as a reader i think ...

But with all that said, I still read it. And I'll probably read the next ones in her series as well ... I guess I'm a sucker for the arcane.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

39. The Secret, Julie Garwood

I came home for a couple of days because Dana's still home and I had four days off, so why not. But I forgot the book I was going to bring (The Wedding, JG) but never fear, the Labuskes household has a plethora of good books to choose from :)

I hadn't read the Secret in a while, I've forgotten most of it, so that's always fun. It's good and has characters from other novels I've been reading, which I always enjoy.

Her characters are just so damn likable. Maybe to a fault. But still, you just can't help but adoring them!

Anyway, off to Philadelphia for NYE with the loves of my life <3

I hope 2010 brings me more wonderful books to read, and brings everyone joy and happiness.

Peace out 2009

Reading is so addictive sometimes

38. Ransom, Julie Garwood

I hadn't read this one in a very long time, and only once so it was like reading a brand new book. Which I love. As i've said before, it's not necessarily because i love the particular book so much that i read it multiple times, but that I like the style. If my fav writers wrote a new book every week, i'd be reading only those.

Anyway, another classic garwood. I think i really like the ones set in medieval scotland. out of all her locales/settings/time periods i like these the best. Oh if only they still made fierce, loyal, courageous highland lairds today. that would be nice.

One more interesting thing to note, this book was 546 pages -- which breaks my 400 page rule (in which that's usually the ideal number of pages to tell a story with out it feeling like it's dragging) This however was superb in carrying the story along! I got into the read til you finish mode, which happens when i'm really into a book -- i love it. it's delightful.

til next time, happy readings

p.s. to future self and readers: it's 2 a.m. after I've just worked and finished reading and i used no grace or style when writing this, nor did i copy edit (or use upper case consistently.) Also I used really way too many times. please ignore :D

Christmas break, reading is essential

37. Shadow Music, Julie Garwood.

I started reading Castles before break, but it just wasn't holding my attention. I love Ms. Garwood, really, but sometimes her characters get repetitive. Then I went home, and we Labuskeses, we read. So I grabbed the nearest Garwood (a much chewed on copy of Shadow Music, from back when Keelie was a neurotic mess that hid under the bed -- oh waittt) and dived in. Classic Garwood. Set in Scotland. Fast-paced and cute. My only complaint is she's a little in love with the, not back story and not quite secondary characters, just I guess what's going on with everyone else in the book. For example, the hero and heroine don't even meet until 150 pages in. What the what?! lol.

This was her newest historical fiction (she came out with a contemporary one that was HORRIBLE I couldn't even finish it it was so bad -- she should stick with what she does best) and I've only read it once before, so I didn't remember some of it which is always fun :)

No new books for Xmas, but I did grab Ransom (JG) and Three Cups of Tea (which dane dane raves about) so maybe they're up next?

MERRY CHRISTMAS and happy readings! :D

Let me introduce Ms. Julie Garwood

36.Honor's Splendor, Julie Garwood
35. Lyon's Lady, Julie Garwood

So after reading JAK's book I discussed with mutti how strange it was that her historical novels are so much better than her contemporary ones. And then she brought up Julie Garwood, one of her all-time favorite historical writers. Like AQ/JAK she writes in both historical and contemporary (though uses her name for both, a point for rationality there.) Mutti ferverently believes that there is a huge disparity between the two. And while I don't have as strong of feelings on her contemporary novels, I agree.

Most writers have a mold they use for their hero/heorine. If you read enough of the same author you'll notice a pattern. The most obvious abuse of this is Nora (I do criticize her a lot don't I?) Julie Garwood is not an exception. Her (historical) heroines are always ridiculously courageous, demure when appropriate, skilled at something unusual and enchanting just to name a few characteristics. I do however think she varies these basics well enough that I never tire of reading her books in a row. Her characters are very loveable. And you kind of wish you had their hutzpah sometimes as well.

Something unusual she does is have the characters admit they love each other about 3/4 the way through at the latest. Most romances-centric novels wait til the end. But still her plots are intriguing enough to carry it along anyway.

Another thing that sets her apart is that she doesn't write in one historical time period. Most romance writers who set their characters in the past tend to stick to one time period. The most common being the Regency Era -- replete with rakes and misses and the ton. High society. The second most common is Scotland during the middle ages -- 1400s ish. Anyway they tend not to deviate. She sets hers throughout the ages, which is disconcerting at times only because it's unique.

Julie Garwood is a lovely writer. Both books sucked me in to the point I'v spent the last two days straight reading them -- or thinking about finishing them. I love that feeling. That excitement to pick up my book, the nagging desire at work for the clock to tick by quicker so I can get back to reading. That might make me a little silly. Oh well.

I've read both these books before, but it had been a while for Lyon's Lady. Enough that I'd forgotten most of the story. I read Honor's Splendor all the time because it's one of my favorites by her.

I get a lot of flak for rereading books -- yes i know there are a ton out there -- but I was thinking about that while rereading these. It's not necessarily that I enjoy reading the same book twice. Save for a few I don't usually crave a certain story, usually I just want that type of story. That type of writing. That type of character. Unfortunately writers don't pump out books like tv shows -- a new one every week. Usually they only come out with two a year. So, since I've been reading so voraciously for so long I've not only discovered the authors I like I've caught up on all their work. Hence the rereads.

Anyway enough blathering. Happy thanksgiving!

A weird phenomenon

34. Running Hot, Jayne Ann Krentz

... well maybe phenomenon isn't the right word, but ... it is weird nevertheless. Some explanation: Jayne Ann Krentz is Amanda Quick's real name. Some writers are peculiar like that. I mean I understand the desire to have a nom de plume, but she only uses it for her historical novels. (Stranger still is Nora who has one yet her covers read NORA ROBERTS as jd robb -- I know, I know it's to sell more books, but then JUST go with nora. Anyway ...)

The actual weird thing is that I absolutely ADORE Amanda Quick's books. Can't get enough, I've read my favorites of her a million times and my less favorite of hers a hundred thousand. But Ms. Krentz, not so much. There's something about her style of writing for her contemporary novels that just ... feels stilted. It doesn't have the flow or charisma of her historical ones. I learned this a long time ago, when I had run out of Quick books to read. Imagine my joy when I stumbled upon this treasure trove of riches. Ten to 20 books I hadn't read. Well. Not so much. The only reason I tried this one was because I am a huge sucker for series. Like huge. I love nothing more than a good series. And this book was an Arcane Society novel. (See: http://365daysofbooks.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html) Not that it involved actual people from her other books, but it references them, which is almost as fun.

Don't ge me wrong. I still enjoyed it. One major promblem I had with it was the characters got together too quickly, there was no build -- you need a good build. Also I was mentally editing the sentences as I read, which I hate doing, and usually only do when there's word repetition, my major pet peeve. Anyway fun, quick read with decent writing. Only sometimes annoying. I'll probably read the other contemporary A.S. novels, but other than that I think I'll stick with Quick :)

Also delightfully funny conversation with mar today. I recently recommended she read Over the Edge (http://365daysofbooks.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html) SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU PLAN ON READING ANY OF THE TROUBLE SHOOTERS SERIES:

Mar: wtf. starett goes and marries that preggo bimbo ... the end?!

Me (paraphrasing several txts): Sam and Alyssa get their own book, their arc is introduced in the first and builds over 6 books.

Mar: Christ. i have to read 6 books for them to be happy?

HAHAHAHHA this just perfectly embodies the would you enter when you start reading suz. She kills you, but the payoff is wonderful. :D

also i think i'm obviously going to read 40 books ... i think i'll up my goal to ... 52? to average out to one a week.

Suz again

33. Bodyguard, Suzanne Brockmann

Classic Brockmann. Early days Brockmann. Still wonderful :)

Hi I'm back

32. The Secret Diaries of Miss. Miranda Cheever, Julia Quinn

So indeed it has been a while since last I posted. That happens sometimes. I fall out of reading. It rarely happened in high school, but probably it happened more frequently in college. It wasn't that I didn't have time, I just didn't want to. Which, the first time it occurred, was so weird to me. I had never not wanted to read before. I realized soon I could rely on several books to bring me back; and so when I stopped reading and realized I stopped reading I'd grab one of these and it would kick start it for me.

Anyhooo, this wasn't an instance were I sought a trusted novel, I started with one I'd never read before. And of course, liked it very much. I usually do the first one back, because I remember the love of reading.

I have never so much related to a character before as in this novel. For example, she was an observer, she watched people. She dislikes idle chatter (if you've met me for longer than 5 minutes chances are I've asked you if you believe in soul mates or who you love) but most importantly she was unrequitedly in love with our hero. And I must say Miss. Julia nailed it. She must have been at some point, because people who haven't stare at you with confusion and wonder constantly why you just don't move on, for two years now thank you very much. A particular passage that struck a cord:

Miranda kept trying to convince herself that she didn't [love him]. That it had all been a schoolgirl crush. That she was in the habit of thinking herself in love with him. That's all it was. But then he would do something utterly loathsome, like smile, and all her hard work flew out the window, and she had to start anew. One day it would stick. One day she would wake up and realize it had been two days of sensible Nigelless thought. And then three ... and then four ...

sigh. anyway as I've said about unrequitted love, even if the person (our hero Nigel Turner) some how ends up with the heroine, it's probably going to be an uneven relationship. And while I think the end of this novel dragged a bit, I like that she explores this issue. That whole, I can love you enough for the both of us is crap. Your heart will just continue to break a little each day, if you get the ole i love spending time with you. So that was interesting until the completely unrealistic ending (SPOILER ALERT) of him proclaiming his love every second of the day.

So while I liked it (it was full of Julia's bouncy cutesy writing) and certainly related more to the character than almost any other that I've read, I didn't love it.

On a sidenote though, how great is reading? Reading is the only form of entertainment that I physcially react to the emotions, I feel pangs (usually when jealousy is evoked.) I feel like with movies and TV sometimes they make you cry because of the plot. Like someone who has terminal cancer falls in love with a bad boy who marries her before she dies. But you're so in the characters' heads in books. It's very wonderful.

Anyway hope it won't be another 2 months til my next post :D

Interesting the second time around

31. Into the Storm, Suzanne Brockmann

There are some books I've read so many times that I know the words on the next page before I flip it. This isn't one of them. I read this when it came out like three, four years ago and haven't again. Which is great, and interesting when I go back and read it.

Like for example, for two or three or four books ms. suz wants you to think she's going to put a certain two characters together. Like they're sam and alyssa and all they're doing is suffering before they get their happy ending (not in a dirty way, get your mind out of the gutter! lol) but we later (in one of her most recent ones) realize this is not the case. It adds a new interesting awareness to the reading, so that I can now read it differently and know what is actually important to pay attention to. Brilliant, suzanne, brilliant.

My least favorite of the troubleshooters

30. Breaking point, Suzanne Brockmann

... but still of course amazing. This one has a weird time structure to it. With three distinct periods each getting play in the begining of the book. Evenutally it works its way into a continuous stream, but it was a little bit annoying. Mostly because I would get into one of the parts of the story and then BAM be thrown into the other, which was still good, but not what I was feeling. I love in this one too, how "the big attack" the one everyone fears hits and we're not part of it as readers. You know shit is going down with all the other major characters but all you have is what's happening with Jules, Max, Gina, Molly and Jones. It's kind of cool in a way I can't explain. Fun. Like tongue-in-cheek to herself almost.

OH, and to address miss. katie -- lol join the ranks babycakes. Quite honestly 2 books (that don't fit in to my preferred genre) out of thirty is branching out for me! haha I have been told all my life to branch out with my reading habits, and when I do it's usually good. I enjoy the book/s. But I love reading. I love reading for certain reasons and I know which books will make me just happy. Like just wonderfully happy. I smile my whole way through Suz's books. Or tear up. Yes it's beneficial to read different genres (honestly I want to check out some religion and/or WWII nonfictions once I get through my suzanne phase) but that's like ... school work. homework. I do it because I should. Not because I want to. And it's not like not trying a weird food (haha don't even get me started on that -- i am similarly stubborn there) because I've read a ton. Like a ton. Austen, Hemingway, J.D. Robb, Dan Brown (uggghghgh don't even get me started), Chinua Achebe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, J.K. Rowling, J. R. R. Tolkien, Phillip Pullman, Charlotte Bronte, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Kafka, Lois Lowry, Lurlene McDaniel, every book ever edited by Salman Rushdie ... ETC, ETC, ETC, ETC ... etc. I know what I like, not because I haven't tried other things. I know what I like because I have.

Saying that, I am looking to expand -- like i said -- into the non-fiction genre. But that's going to be in a few books because I'm well addicted to my troubleshooters. I'm mostly through Jenk/Lindsey's then I'll probs read Ric/Annie's then Vinh/Hannah's then finally Decker/Tracey's ... these are all fun because they're more recent so I've only read them I think each once. Hoo-ra

til next time :) happy readings!

the flu makes me read slower

29. Hot target, Suzanne Brockmann

Wonderful, and it's not one of my favorites so I don't read it as often; so I actually didn't remember some of the events that happened. But it took like three days of reading, and I blame it on the flipping FLU. oh well. on to max and gina's!

:)

All I really want to do is to love you

28. Gone to far, Suzanne Brockmann

Sam and Alyssa's book. What else is there to say? lovelovelove

Also, look up Tuskegee Airman if you don't all ready know about them. Very cool.

she's just sooo good

27. Over the edge, Suzanne Brockmann

Read it a million times all ready, but it still makes me tear up. She's so awesome. Ridiculously so.