Review and Giveaway: Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

Format: Mass Market
Pub Date: October 2010
ISBN: 9780446571616
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (Hachette)

FTC:  Purchased myself; giveaway copy courtesy of Hachette Book Group (details at the bottom of the post!)

Maddie Moore's whole life needs a makeover.
In one fell swoop, Maddie loses her boyfriend (her decision) and her job (so not her decision). But rather than drowning her sorrows in bags of potato chips, Maddie leaves L.A. to claim the inheritance left by her free-spirited mother-a ramshackle inn nestled in the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington.

Starting over won't be easy. Yet Maddie sees the potential for a new home and a new career-if only she can convince her two half-sisters to join her in the adventure. But convincing Tara and Chloe will be difficult because the inn needs a big makeover too.
The contractor Maddie hires is a tall, dark-haired hottie whose eyes-and mouth-are making it hard for her to remember that she's sworn off men. Even harder will be Maddie's struggles to overcome the past, though she's about to discover that there's no better place to call home than Lucky Harbor.

There are a lot of authors who are known for their humorous romances.  And while I'll sometimes turn to one of them to lift my mood, they are often some of the more shallow romances out there. But Jill Shalvis is one of the rare authors whose writing is incredibly funny AND moving. Whose characters are flawed, complex, and—perhaps rarest of all—believable.

My Hubs "Reads" Romance

My husband has never been a big print reader, and the books he did read were nearly always in the fantasy genre. But since his job requires long hours spent on the road, he's become a huge audio fan and he finds it helps him concentrate on his driving, stay alert, and keeps his mind active.

We share an Audible.com account. And because he has far more time to listen to books than I do, he tends to finish his share of books earlier than I do. Which means he ends up listening to my books. And that's how I got him hooked on romance books. Heh.

I would say his first foray into romance started with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Her books are what I consider the equivalent of a romance gateway drug. They are light, conversationally written books with fun characters and some serious romantic tension. The early ones (1-6) are especially good with lots of will they/won't they tension between Stephanie Plum, Joe Morelli, and Ranger. He loved them, even going so far as to recommend them to his boss and coworkers.

Review: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: April 2009
ISBN: 9780451226259
Publisher: NAL (Penguin)
FTC: Purchased myself

The Blurb:

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was Merit's. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she's traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan "Lord o' the Manor" Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan's attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone's still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war and there will be blood.

I am not a fan of the trade paperback format. To me, it's an oversized mass market that costs nearly twice as much. So it takes a leap of faith for me to buy something published in that format. Word of mouth about Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires convinced me to give her a try. And I'm very glad I did.

I wasn't too thrilled with the first 20 pages. Underwhelmed would probably best describe it. Maybe the hype was too much or maybe Neill's world building just didn't click with me right away. I kept going, though, and by page 30, I was snorting with amusement. By page 50, I was laughing out loud and my kids were eying me warily.

Review: Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pub Date: August 2010
Publisher: HQN (Harlequin)
ISBN: 9780373774685
FTC: Digital galley from Netgalley

The Blurb:

When Pia O'Brian's best friend dies, Pia expects to inherit her cherished cat. Instead, the woman leaves Pia three frozen embryos. With a disastrous track record in the romance department and the parenting skills of a hamster, Pia doesn't think she's meant for motherhood. But determined to do the right thing, Pia decides to become a single mother. Only to meet a gorgeous, sexy hunk the very same day.

A former foster-care kid now rich beyond his wildest dreams, Raoul Moreno runs a camp for needy children in Fool's Gold, California. After his last relationship, Raoul thought he was done with women and commitment. Still, he can't get sweet, sexy Pia out of his mind—and proposes a crazy plan. But can such an unconventional beginning really result in the perfect ending?

Susan Mallery's fictional town of Fool's Gold continues to be a sweet setting for her contemporary romance trilogy. We learn far more about the people in the community this time and less about the physical setting. Good for readers of the rest of the trilogy, but it may weaken the sense of place for those new to the series.

I had some major suspension of disbelief issues with this book. Pia O'Brian is supposed to be hyper-organized. But her approach to her friend's legacy is anything but. She doesn't research the heck out of the procedure until after Raoul does. She is completely unprepared for the reality of being a parent, and I just found that inconsistent with the rest of her character.

Raoul last appeared in Susan Mallery's Bakery Sisters trilogy as a teenager, so it was a bit odd to see him in his 30s here. Some kind of romance land hyper-aging process, apparently. It was cute, but also distracting.  He does provide a quiet strength that Pia needs, but I found his determination to stay aloof kind of phony.  I'm not sure I ever really bought into it.

I thought it was interesting that Pia, the girl the whole town seems to love, was a reformed high school mean girl. Small towns can be resentful, so it was unusual to see that the only one who remembers what Pia was like in high school seems to be Pia.

Despite being frequently tossed from the story by some WHAT THE HELL? moments (usually prompted by Pia not thinking something through) I did enjoy reading the last Fool's Gold book. It's a sweet story about good people. Even if the premise is wildly improbable and not especially suited to courtship and romance.

My Grade: B/B-

Hump Day Classic Movie: Operation Petticoat (1959)

I was saddened to hear last week that actor Tony Curtis had died. I grew up watching so many of his films. Not only was he gorgeous in that silver screen larger than life way,  he was incredibly funny.

Curtis's comedic genius is often cited in Some Like It Hot, a gender bending comedy co-starring Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe. But for me, the quintessential Curtis movie is Operation Petticoat.

Also starring Cary Grant, Operation Petticoat is one of those films I think has held up well over time. Curtis plays a recreation officer turned supply officer who uses questionable methods to procure necessary supplies for a submarine during World War II. It's really a subtle role, where the humor is often situational and delivered in a dry, sarcastic and backhanded way.

In this movie, Curtis has that scoundrel air about him: the not quite a good guy but you love him anyway vibe. And that, I think, is what defines Curtis as an actor for me. He doesn't play the heroic good guy. He plays the reluctant one.

Watch a clip here.

Quickie Review: Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

Pub date: February 2010
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Mass Market
FTC: Purchased myself

The Blurb:

Baseball player Wade O'Riley's bad-boy image is about to be cleaned up by publicist Samantha McNead. But the sexual tension between them is about to drive Wade to his knees.

I know nothing about sports. Zip. Nada. Diddly-squat. I never played them. I never watched them on TV. I couldn't tell you anything beyond the very basics of baseball. And I'm not really all that interested  either. (Which probably contributed to the gaping pit of knowledge mentioned above). But I loved this book. Loved. It.

Corporate sponsors are getting nervous about increasing bad publicity surrounding the private lives of the Heat's players. As the latest offender in the bad press brigade, Wade O'Riley is forced to pretend to clean up his act—by pretending to be involved in a committed relationship with  the Heat's publicist, Samantha McNead. The problem is that the two have a past... and some serious chemistry.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And for the second year in a row, eBay sellers are launching a Bling My Bra campaign to raise money for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

Bling My Bra starts with a bra, designed by volunteers around a theme, and auctioned off as one of a kind art creations. 100% of the proceeds goes directly to charity. Bras are listed throughout the month and can be found by searching "Bling My Bra" on eBay.com.

Or, you can just click here for a link to current auctions.

These are funky, fun and all for a good cause. I hope you'll check the auctions out!

Some of the designs:

Cookbook Review: Beyond the Great Wall by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

FTC: From my personal library

I know it's been a long time since I posted a cookbook review. But reading Zoe Archer's Warrior and Jeannie Lin's Butterfly Swords brought this book to mind.  Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China is probably the most gorgeous cookbook I've ever seen. No exaggeration. This is the type of cookbook you read. It's far more than  recipes. But the recipes that are there are simple, surprising, and yummy.

Beyond the Great Wall reminds us that China is far more diverse than we give it credit for. And that Chinese food is far more than the Cantonese or Szechuan dishes served in American Chinese restaurants.  There are bread and pasta recipes. There are recipes for fried fish. For kebabs that look quite similar to foods from Iran. Even doughnuts.

But above and beyond the selection of recipes, the photos, and the narratives, this book does what all good books should do: it takes you on a journey through China that is so engrossing you feel, at least a little bit, that you've been there yourself.

My Grade: A

Review: Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin

Format: Mass Market
Publisher: Harlequin
Pub Date: October 2010
FTC: Digital galley from Netgalley

It's a rare thing to have a historical romance that's not set in the American West or in Regency England these days. So in that respect, Butterfly Swords is a breath of fresh air. Set in China during the Tang Dynasty, the book tells the story of  Princess Ai Li and a barbarian foreigner named Ryam. 

I've read a fair amount of Asian literature, and the beauty and simplicity of the prose always amazes me. Jeannie Lin's writing is deceptively simple but manages to effortlessly evoke an Asian atmosphere. Her knowledge of Chinese culture shines through, and everything Ai Li does feels authentic to both the period and her culture.

But... (you knew this was coming) I did not feel the same way about our hero, Ryam.

One aspect of the story constantly bothered me—often enough to throw me out of the story. The author makes it a point to say (repeatedly) how different Ryam looks. But fails to tell us where he's from. Although the story takes place smack in the middle of the Silk Road trading routes, and it wouldn't be uncommon for foreigners to be there, it strains my suspension of disbelief that people wouldn't know where he was from or what his ethnicity was. Why the coyness? Why not just pick a nationality and stick to it? It's a secret not only from everyone he meets, but from everyone who knows him, too.  I found that indicative of the weakness of his character overall. He was a tall, muscular blond guy who fought well. Without a history, personality or culture to draw from, he's about as complex as an animated cardboard cutout.

I loved the fight scenes in this book. Especially those with Ai Li and her butterfly swords. I loved that she was strong, capable, and mature for her age. But that was not enough to overcome what felt like an utter lack of chemistry between Ryam and Ai Li. Perhaps if Ryam's character were not so sketchily drawn, I would have felt more involved in the story. As it was, this felt more like a book about political intrigue and less about the relationship between our hero and heroine.

My Grade: C+/B-

Hump Day Classic Movie: Lady in White (1988)

Forget all of those gory horror flicks—this is the quintessential Halloween movie. Set in the 1960s, Lady in White is spooky, scary, and moving without expensive special effects or bloodbaths. And it remains one of my favorite movies of all time.

Yes, it's early for Halloween, but this gives you plenty of time to put this in your Netflix queue, reserve it at your local DVD rental store (if you still have one) or to buy one online and have it delivered.

This is another one of those movies that tends to fly below the radar. Those who've seen it generally have mad love for it. Those who haven't are skeptical about the appeal.

It has a plethora of character actors (Alex Rocco, Len Cariou) and stars Lukas Haas in what I personally consider his iconic role. The retro setting means this movie is kind of timeless. And although it doesn't take place entirely during Halloween, there is a strong Gothic element throughout. The few special effects are, I admit, badly done and the mystery isn't that hard to figure out. But what makes this movie scary is that it taps into what scares us as children and then shows us what we should really have been worried about.

If you haven't seen it yet, you've been missing out!

Review: Warrior by Zoe Archer (Blades of the Rose #1)

Format: Kindle ebook (also available in mass market and other e-formats)
Publisher: Zebra
FTC: Purchased myself (although I did win a print copy on a blog ;) )

The Blurb:

To most people, the realm of magic is the stuff of nursery rhymes and dusty libraries. But for Capt. Gabriel Huntley, it's become quite real and quite dangerous...

In Hot Pursuit...
The vicious attack Capt. Gabriel Huntley witnesses in a dark alley sparks a chain of events that will take him to the ends of the Earth and beyond—where what is real and what is imagined become terribly confused. And frankly, Huntley couldn't be more pleased. Intrigue, danger, and a beautiful woman in distress—just what he needs.

In Hotter Water...
Raised thousands of miles from England, Thalia Burgess is no typical Victorian lady. A good thing, because a proper lady would have no hope of recovering the priceless magical artifact Thalia is after. Huntley's assistance might come in handy, though she has to keep him in the dark. But this distractingly handsome soldier isn't easy to deceive... 

I haven't read a book like Warrior in a long, long time. In some ways, it's very old fashioned. In a good way. In other ways, this book is entirely new and fresh. There are echoes of Rider Haggard, the Amelia Peabody series, the Mummy movies, and even Indiana Jones in this book. The setting is one I haven't read a lot about: Mongolia. But it's clear that the author has done her research. The climate, customs, even the sprinkling of Mongolian words throughout the story all add to a nice sense of authenticity.

I love that this book is hard to pin down to a single subgenre. There's suspense. There's paranormal. There's history. Even some steampunkish elements. But all of it is woven with such subtle skill that no one element dominates any other. It's entirely new, yet borrows from an extensive film and literature lore—which only adds to the richness of the storytelling.

Banned Books Week September 25-October 2, 2010

Have you ever wondered just where in the US books are being challenged? Think you already know? You might be surprised by this map, which shows challenged books by location from 2007-2010. I know I was.
Google Map of Challenges


View Book Bans and Challenges, 2007-2010 in a larger map

Banned Books Week: Day 1

It's the first day of Banned Books Week! Celebrate your freedom to read by helping spread the word about intellectual freedom! Find a book from the long list of challenged books to read, write a letter to the editor of your local paper, sponsor a display at your local library or simply post a blog post highlighting this important event!

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Name of the Rose (1986)

This is the film very loosely based on Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (Il nome della rosa). It stars Sean Connery and a very young Christian Slater and was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud . The settings and locations are just gorgeous. Not surprising since they were filmed in Italy and West Germany.

Eco's novel was wildly popular in the early 1980s and many contemporary film critics panned this movie for deviating so far from the book. But I think it has weathered well over time and now can stand on its own without suffering constant comparisons to the source material.

Unlike most of my other Hump Day movies, this isn't a happy, funny movie. It's a murder mystery. So expect a body count.

Quickie Review: Much Ado About Marriage by Karen Hawkins

Publisher: Pocket Star Books (Simon and Schuster)
Format: Mass Market
FTC: Purchased myself

Apparently a rewrite of an older novel published under a pseudonym, Much Ado About Marriage ties both the MacLean curse series and the upcoming Hurst Amulet series together in an Elizabethan romance set in both England and Scotland.

For those really bad with dates, that would be the 1500s aka 16th century. ;)

It's not often I read romances set during the time of Shakespeare. But I think Hawkins pulls this one off for the most part. The ridiculous collars don't seem as out of place. The speech is a nice mix of archaic terms and modern dialogue.

My knowledge of English/Scottish history is...subpar...so I won't even begin to guess about how accurate her depiction of the whole Queen Elizabeth vs. Mary situation was. Or what she tweaked. Clearly she took quite a bit of historical license when describing political events.

I'm pretty sure I haven't read the previous incarnation of this book, but I admit to feeling some serious deja vu while reading it. Maybe it's because I've read the MacLean books, but much of this felt familiar. Not necessarily bad, but a tad distracting.

What I loved about this book was the humor. The heroine, Fia, is a handful. She gives as good as she gets. And knows just how to irritate our hero, Thomas Wentworth, into speechlessness. Much of the humor is characterization and dialogue. Which makes me very happy. There's been a dearth of light-hearted books lately in my reading and this was a welcome change.

My Grade: B

Quickie Review: Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands

I would call this one Vampire Gone Country. It has all of the Argeneau trappings we normally see, except this one is set in the farmland of southern Canada.

I keep hoping for the old Lynsay Sands. The one who wrote laugh-out-loud books for Dorchester. Not the slightly amusing romantic suspense books with vampires in them she seems to write for Avon.

Given the recent problems with Dorchester, it seems Sands made a good move to leave them...but did she have to give up her signature style as well? I don't know if it was pressure from the publisher or a different editor, but every single book since she joined Avon has been...meh. I used to love the Argeneau series. Single White Vampire is probably the funniest paranormal romance ever published. The books since Sands's move to Avon are far too serious to be funny and not gritty enough to be good Urban Fantasy.

There are too many characters in this book and too much backstory (If you haven't read the previous books, don't start with this one!) There's nothing here at all that is surprising or engaging. It was a decent read, but the romance doesn't develop so much as appear and the whodunnit aspect is very predictable. Fans of the series will probably like this one, but Sands has written far better books than this one.

My Grade: C-

Hump Day Classic Movie: The Wind and the Lion (1975)

I've been reading Zoe Archer's Warrior lately and for some reason this movie came to mind.  Something about the exotic locale and sense of adventure, I think.

Taking some serious liberties with an actual historical event that occurred at the turn of the 20th century, The Wind and the Lion is a wonderful and bittersweet adventure movie. Sean Connery does an adequate job as a desert leader, but the real stand out performance here is Brian Keith as Teddy Roosevelt. I'm a huge TR fan and this film is by far the best portrayal of the man I've seen.

Also stars Candice Bergman and John Huston.

Between the Pages

 

If there's one thing I complain about regarding modern technology, it is the demise of the snail mail letter. We still send a limited number of cards, but actual letters have been replaced by email, texting and Facebook. And that, I feel, is a shame. Because there's a certain impersonality and impermanence to electronic mail or comments. There are few (if any) painstakingly handwritten letters anymore to be filed away in someone's keepsake drawer. Or tucked away in the pages of a favorite romance novel...like the set of three letters I rediscovered today.

During my time as a used bookseller, I found all kinds of crazy things stashed in between the pages of books: grocery lists, handmade bookmarks, business cards, cash register receipts, prescriptions...but my favorite discoveries were always letters. The letters I saved. And while cleaning out my office papers today I found my favorite letters of them all: a set of letters between two obviously young people written in 1984/1985. If the handwriting didn't give away the fact that these are teenagers, the content definitely would. But they are still incredibly sweet.

Review: Mind Games by Carolyn Crane

Format: Mass Market
Pub Date: March 2010
Publisher: Spectra (Random House)
FTC: Purchased this book myself
Genre: Urban Fantasy

The Blurb:

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Mind Games was probably the most hyped book of  Spring 2010. Bloggers everywhere were raving about it. Even those who don't normally wax rhapsodic over anything.  So when I spotted this book at a bookstore, I picked it up intending to read and review it over the weekend.

Three months later, I finally finished it.

The Towering TBR

Most days, I am in the middle of a few different books. Usually one upstairs, one downstairs, one on my Ipod touch and one on my computer. And maybe one in the car... that's (lemme count...um) 5 books max. So imagine my surprise when I checked out my Goodreads status to discover that I'm currently reading 9 books at once. NINE.

I have no idea why there are so many books I'm in the middle of. One book, which I finished today (Praise the Book Gods!), I have been reading for over 3 months. I just couldn't seem to stay plugged in. With the others, I seemed to have developed some rare form of bibliophile ADD. I keep getting distracted by books and lose interest in the ones I'm currently reading.

Now, I wonder if the problem is me or if these books I'm drifting away from just aren't good enough to hold my interest. I could leave the majority of them unfinished without a twitch. Not that they are necessarily bad, but they aren't stay-up-until-the wee-hours enthralling.

Regardless of the reason, I'm hoping finishing this book will have cured me of this annoying TBR madness. And while my To Be Read pile is still gargantuan, I'm hoping I'll be able to keep my currently reading shelf on Goodreads under five. Three would be even better.

What's the maximum number of books you've ever read at one time? Has the TBR madness affected you, too?