TBR Challenge Review: Locked and Loaded by HelenKay Dimon

Format: ebook, mass market
Pub Date: August 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
FTC: Purchased myself

Yes, I'm nearly 2 full weeks late posting again. January was the month that turned my home into La Casa de Plague. Everyone was sick. Strep, ear infections, chest colds... I'm determined to get my groove back, though. 

January's theme was category romances.  I'm not much of a category reader anymore. I think I just got out the habit. Or had a few too many stinkers in a row. But having read and loved HelenKay Dimon's story in Holiday Kisses, I decided to try her category romantic suspense book, Locked and Loaded , that has been languishing, unread, on my digital TBR.

Recipe: Caramel Pecan Brownies

Caramel Pecan Brownies
These were originally from a Pillsbury pamphlet cookbook. I have no idea what issue. I've been making these for years, usually when I run out of baking chocolate and only have cocoa on hand.






1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
12 caramels
1 tablespoon milk

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of 8 x 8 inch square pan. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Spread in the pan as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with pecans.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Heat caramels and milk in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted.* drizzle over warm brownies. Cool completely, about 1 hr. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. 16 brownies.

*You can also pop the caramels and milk in the microwave and cook on high for 30 seconds. Stir and heat in 15 second intervals until drizzling consistency.

When is a Bookstore Not a Bookstore?

On a whim, I decided to pop on in to my old Barnes and Noble in Reno, NV. A place where I worked for 3 years right out of college. Where I did just about every job imaginable. And where I discovered the wonders of genre fiction.

This is the place that had over 200,000 books on the shelves during inventory. Two glorious stories of bay after bay of books.

That store is gone. Wiped away to make room for a Nook ereader showroom and a toy store. No, it's still Barnes and Noble. But the space devoted to books is easily half of what it was back in 2003. Or even 2007. Genre fiction is now squished in with fiction and literature. The space that used to house mystery, romance and sci fi is now filled with other topics.

And the history section. Oh the history section made me weep. It really did make me tear up. And it was after snapping this picture that my husband made me leave the store. Because that sadness was quickly changing to anger, and I was going to say something unkind to a store employee soon.

Here is where the history section was. Archaeology, World War II, biographies...all were housed in this part of the upper story. Now, it's nothing but toys from the escalator to the elevator. Fully 1/4 of the upstairs is nothing but toys.

I get having to diversify. I do understand the declining sales problem and narrow profit margins. But this feels like a violation. When books are no longer granted shelf space, why go into a bookstore? The serendipity of discovering a new book to try isn't going to happen if there's a toy section where those books used to be.

One more reason not to go into a brick and mortar store. Stick a fork in me. I'm done.
***
UPDATE:

Seems as if this is part of B&N's CEO William Lynch's master plan to "save" the chain. There was a lovely, adoring article from the New York Times over the weekend all about how "visionary" he is. Blergh. My favorite part of the article is this: BEFORE Mr. Lynch joined Barnes & Noble in 2009, he had never sold a book in his life. Color me unsurprised. B&N has a long tradition of hiring executives with zero bookselling experience. This move to turn the store into ToysRUS seems to be evidence of that. I don't think it's going to work when you're alienating the book buying public.

New Website Spiffiness

In case you missed my celebration on Twitter, here's the big news:

Suzanne Enoch finally updated her website! Yea!

http://suzanneenoch.com/index.html

No more autoplay music. Up-to-date book info! Book lists. Coming soon section with titles and release dates. I'm in a happy place after seeing how much more useful this site is.

So far, eagle-eyed people (not me) have only spotted a few minor errors (a few mislabeled foreign editions and the wrong publisher credited for her latest book.) Not bad for such a hefty revamp.

Don't get me wrong. I adore Suzanne Enoch's books. Really. But I get frustrated when authors I adore fail to maintain their websites because I can't direct others there for information.

Now, if we could only get Linda Howard to actually *have* a website, we'd be all set.

Way to go, Suzanne! Here's hoping the new look pays off with hefty sales and some good buzz.

Hump Day Movie: Joy Ride

It's been a long time since I've done a Hump Day movie post. This time, I thought I'd stick close to home.

Here it is: the one and only movie Hubs is in. It's just a few seconds. You don't see his face and he is uncredited. But he is there in the background, driving a truck in BFE Nevada. For which he made an obscene amount of money per hour. No wonder budgets are so high on movies.

His favorite part was the fact that a coworker was also on set driving a truck. But Hubs was the only one to make the finished film. There may have been some immature ribbing about that, too. 

Random fact: the working title of this movie was Squelch. What is a squelch? In this context, it has to do with a CB radio. After asking Hubs to explain it to me 3 different times, I still don't understand exactly what it is. Nothing new there. Which is probably why they changed the name, come to think of it.

Review: In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming

Format: ebook, mass market paperback
Pub Date: 2003
Publisher: Minotaur
Length: 370 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

In an effort to read more mysteries this year, I picked up Julia Spencer-Fleming's much lauded first Clare Ferguson novel, In the Bleak Midwinter. Featuring a female Episcopal priest and a police chief, the novel is a mixture of genres that pushes a few buttons, surprises, and ultimately satisfies. With a few eye rolling episodes excepted (more on that later).

Clare Ferguson is the new priest for Millers Kill, a smaller town in upstate New York. Used to warmer climes, Clare is woefully unprepared for northern winters, and thus is constantly without warm boots, warm jackets, or a suitable car for the snow. Her day to day challenges are placed on the back burner when she finds an abandoned baby on the steps of her church. An event which causes her to cross paths with Russ Van Alstyne, the chief of police.

Quickie Review: In Pursuit of Eliza Cynster by Stephanie Laurens

Format: mass market, ebook
Pub Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Avon (Harper Collins)
FTC: Purchased myself

In preparation for the last in the Cynster sisters trilogy due out the end of this month, I picked up the 2nd book in the series to make sure I didn't miss anything important. I wish I hadn't bothered. If you've read Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue , I can honestly say that there is no reason to read this book. It is a complete rehash of the first book, with a more delicate heroine, a scholarly hero, and villains who are worse than the original group in menace.

After finishing this book, I did what I usually do, and offered it to my mom who is another Stephanie Laurens fan. That same night, I got a text message from her: "Haven't I already read this?" Her confusion was understandable since it is the Exact. Same. Plot. There are some minor characters who are interesting and some Scottish elements I found intriguing. And the ending has some information that ties in with the last book, too.  But otherwise? This book was phoned in.

It's not horribly written, and if you haven't read the first in the series, the repetition will probably not make you grind your teeth as badly, but this is a watered down version of what Stephanie Laurens is capable of, and extremely disappointing. Buy it used, borrow it from a friend, or try to get it from the library. This one is not worth your money.

My Grade: D

The Blurb:

Three heros, three rescues, three weddings.

The pleasure of your company is requested
at the wedding of Miss Eliza Cynster

...but not until she's rescued from a daring abduction by the most unexpected of heros!

Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather's engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north to Edinburgh. Desperate and determined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along - gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling.

Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy's expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to escape the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold - if both are bold enough to seize and own the unexpected love they now share.

The Case of the Creeping Crud

Apologies for the radio silence and missing of the very first TBR Challenge post of the year! The kids got me sick. Again. But it seems as if the fever has subsided and my mom has stopped giving me pitying looks as she helps with the kids. So here's hoping there will be a lot more posts coming soon!

Review: Holiday Kisses by Jaci Burton, Shannon Stacey, HelenKay Dimon, and Alison Kent

Format: ebook
Pub Date: December 5, 2011
Publisher: Carina Press
Length: 103,000 words
FTC: review copy courtesy of the publisher

I read this around Christmas time, but with all of the craziness going on, I didn't get the review up in a timely manner. But for those who read holiday books year round (like me) here's what I thought of the second Carina Press holiday anthology: overall, very good, although as is typical with anthos, there were some I liked more than others.

2011 Reading Challenge Overview

I didn't meet my reading challenge goal of 115 books, but I don't think I did too badly this year. I read 103 books, including novellas and audio books and not including rereads. I also managed to read quite a few authors who were on my List of Shame.  Which resulted in a couple of backlist gloms.

For a reading goal this year, I think I'm going to stay at 115. And I'm going to try to whittle away some more at my LOS. Another goal is to read more mystery. I only read 7 books that are true mysteries.  12 if I count the Sci-Fi caper-ish books of Gail Carriger and the one steampunk mystery by George Mann. That's right around 10% of my reading, which is a little low. I'd like to be more balanced. And maybe sneak a non-fiction title in there, too.

I was able to take a few authors off of the List of Shame this year: Patricia Briggs, Larissa Ione, Gail Carriger, Nalini Singh and Ilona Andrews being the most noticeable ones. Of course, I have a few more authors to ADD to the list, too, including Julia Spencer Fleming.

How did your reading challenges go? Any goals for this year?

Happy New Year!

Wishing health and happiness to everyone in 2012!

Recipe: Cashew Brittle

I'd never made brittle before, so this was an experiment for me. It turned out, especially with the helpful high altitude directions. I'm not a huge cashew fan, but had received some as a gift. They're pretty good in this! If cashews aren't your thing either, you can substitute unsalted, raw Spanish peanuts.

This is from Betty Crocker Cookies and Bars November 2005.




Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups (12 oz) cashew halves

Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Grease two 15x 12 inch cookie sheets with butter; keep warm in oven. (Keeping sheets warm allows the candy to be spread 1/4 inch thick without it setting up.) Grease long metal spatula with butter; set aside (I didn't bother with this and had no problems with sticking.)

TBR Challenge Review: Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

Format: Mass market paperback
Pub Date: July 2008
Publisher: Grand Central (Hachette)
Length: 389 pages
FTC: Traded for it through Paperback Swap over a year ago

So December's optional theme was holiday stories. Any holiday. And, being the holiday junkie I am, I didn't have any in the TBR. I read those as soon as they get into my hot little hands. So, I picked a demon book instead. Yeah, that just screams Ho Ho Ho doesn't it?

The main reason I picked this particular book is because Larissa Ione is on my List of Shame. The list of authors I haven't read yet, and anytime I mention that fact, I get exclamations of incredulity directed at me. Enough already! I've read her. And...

Review: His Mistress By Christmas by Victoria Alexander

Format: Hardcover (also available as an ebook)
Pub Date: Oct 1, 2011
Publisher: Kensington
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

If you're looking for an angsty, deep book about the holidays, this isn't it. If you're looking for a clever book about two people who stumble into love around Christmas, this is the book for you.

Set in the late 1800s in England, His Mistress by Christmas is a dialogue-heavy book where most of the plot is carried by the characters' interactions. And not just between the heroine and hero. As is typical with Ms. Alexander's style, there are friends and family littered throughout the novel. Each unique, interfering, and with their own opinion about the main romance. 

Pearl Harbor Rememberance Day

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.  With all of the attention given to September 11 every year, it's easy to forget that it wasn't the first time we had been attacked. And we aren't the only ones to have to deal with the horror of the war that followed.

Over 1,000 men lost their lives on the USS Arizona, alone. Many of them are still entombed there. I hope we continue to mark the anniversary of the attack as a way to honor those who were killed as well as the entire generation (my grandparent's generation) who served or grew up during WWII.

FDR's Pearl Harbor Address:




Life has put together a collection of rare photos of the aftermath of the attack, which you can see here:

Recipe: Caramel Pecan Shortbread Cookies

This is the most-requested cookie on my holiday cookie tray. The recipe is from Land o Lakes.


Cookie
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt



Topping
30 unwrapped caramels
1 tablespoon half and half
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 325°F. Combine butter, powdered sugar and brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Press dough evenly into 8-inch square baking pan lined with aluminum foil; prick with tines of fork every 1/2 inch. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Lift cookies from pan using aluminum foil. Immediately cut into 20 (approximately 4x1/2 inch) sticks. Cool completely.

Place caramels and half & half in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH, stirring twice, until caramels are melted (1 to 2 minutes). Dip ends of shortbread sticks into melted caramel mixture; roll in pecans. Place onto waxed paper; let stand until set.

Review: Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

Format: mass market paperback
Pub Date: November 2011
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Length: 370 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

I haven't read an Elizabeth Hoyt book in a long, long time. I'd forgotten how awesome she is. Her heroes, especially, are always a bit edgy, which I love.

This book is for all of those who are suffering under Regency England overload. Not only is this not set in a shiny ballroom, stuffed full of eligible aristocrats, the hero is a river pirate. That's right, a RIVER PIRATE. How awesome is that? And although there is a baron as a secondary character, most of the characters are of common stock.

Happy Holiday Season!

November was a really bad month for my blogging and reading. Here's hoping December is much, much better!

I'm super excited today because it is our tree lighting here in town. We call it Sparkle, and for us it means that the merchants stay open late (instead of closing up shop at 6pm), there are free nibbles everywhere (including the best pumpkin fudge at the Drug Store), and everyone who has moved away that can manage comes back for a holiday visit. It's like a giant, town-sized reunion.

And let's not forget the Truckers' Light Parade. Yes. It is exactly what it sounds like. Big rigs, tow trucks, fire trucks, log trucks, snow plows etc are decorated in Christmas lights and driven around Main St. It's as silly as it sounds, but the kids are always wowed by it.

So, anyway, today is the official kick-off-the-holiday-season day in my neck of the woods. What do you do in your area?

December 1 is World AIDS Day

It seems as though AIDS has faded into the background of our consciousness these days. Or it's mentioned in passing as an epidemic in Africa. But AIDS is a global epidemic. Having grown up during the height of the epidemic, when diagnosis meant a quick and painful death and there was no drug cocktail to prevent HIV from becoming AIDS, I haven't forgotten. People are still being infected. People are still dying from this disease. And there is still NO cure.

Please take a moment today to think about this disease and those who suffer with it.
http://aids.gov/world-aids-day/
http://www.worldaidsday.org/

TBR Challenge Review: Zero Dog War by Keith Melton

Format: ebook
Pub date: Feb 2011
Publisher: Samhain
FTC: Purchased myself
Why it was in the TBR: Bought it based on tons of positive buzz on release day, then never read it. Yeah, I suck.

These last few months have been crazy busy with RL obligations and events, so my reading tally isn't very good. It's pretty dismal, actually. The TBR Challenge is a good way to force my procrastinating self to finish a dang book, though. This month's theme, something other than romance, was also a good excuse to dig through my Kindle backlog and find a book I'd forgotten I had.