Bookaholics habits

Today I'm sorta babysitting my husband, the pain shot/ mini surgery didn't go so well yesterday so we're taking turns watching for any loss of movement, etc. Or, in other words, I really can't concentrate on anything other than doing my hourly checkups on him. Plus being a good wife, I keep him company watching old movies. But I digress...

I was musing on my bookaholic habits; I have a book or two for the odd and ends readings in both cars, one in each handbag, one in the bathroom, a few on end tables in the living room, bedroom and any other room I might just land for a minute. Thinking about these books as I straightened up for Book Club this week, I realized all were either "comfort reads" or "marginal reads."

Descriptions so we can continue on the same page. A "comfort read" is an old friend book, one I read repeatedly because the read makes me feel good, or represents a place to take me away from reality, is a good cry book, or I just really really love the voice of the author. A "marginal read" is a book that isn't bad, but it isn't compelling either. If I finish the book okay, if I don't finish reading it, no great loss. Sometimes a "marginal read" if you hang on long enough becomes a decent read, but generally it is a book I finish and more or less forget. It goes into the tea box and will be discussed in passing at a reader meeting. My other descriptions of "reads" is the normal one where I can't wait to finish, it either happens at one sitting or I carry the book around until I'm done. And the "homework read," usually a book I need to read for work (what a chore ::laughs::).

So, when I had more occasion this week than usual to spend time in my cars and in medical waiting rooms I noticed my "marginal reads" and even finished a few of them. Some had been languishing for over two weeks, the poor dears. It was a long week in some ways but with lots of 15 minutes here and there of waiting.

First to be finished was URBAN SHAMAN by C.E. Murphy. I must say, Murphy's blog is much more interesting than her book. Is that a bad thing? I personally found URBAN SHAMAN to be a sloooooow read, taking over a week to finish. That's sad because it really appealed to me, cover and back copy wise when I first picked it up. But the opening chapter lost me. Seeing a fleeing woman menaced by a knife-wielding assassin from 20,000 feet? I think not. (And we just used to worry that the airliners overhead could see us in the pool skinny dipping *grin*

Anyway, this is the first in a series of books about police mechanic turned detective Joannie Walker (her real name is Sibhoan Firewalker or something like that mixing up Irish and Cherokee names from her heritage). Jo is death on people she meets -- everyone she heals drops dead a day later. I ask you, what's the point in healing them? And her contact lenses getting stuck all the time, geez, you'd think she'd learn -- they're messing up her corneas for pete's sake! Okay, so maybe I'm just too critical, ya think? Too burned on the Celtic stuff probably. I finished the book and the only two characters I liked were Gary the taxi man and the police boss -- Morrison. He needed more pages. Hopefully she keeps them around and Jo grows up a bit more. Buy this one in mass market when it comes out is my advice. Or borrow from a friend.

The next book I polished off was one I got at last week's tea -- THE RUNAWAY DUKE by Julie Ann Long. This one was finished quickly -- it was the author's debut and it didn't take any chances. It was a historical romance and one that has been done before. The Duke was the groom, need I say more? All in all, it wasn't bad, just not a keeper, but I was intrigued enough to put Long's next book TO CATCH A THIEF on my search list.

I know I promised more details, but he's getting antsy and I spent more time than I should on Murphy's blog, so I'll sign off now. I do have a couple of books waiting in the bedroom, so I think after I make the tuna sandwich I'll go keep Tom and my books company.

What are you reading?

Time for that wonderful weekly update! LOL

In paper, I finished Vickie Taylor's Carved in Stone this weekend and it was quite good. I like that hers is a very different premise for a paranormal romance. Never before reading this would I have thought of a gargoyle as a sexy hero. LOL I'm looking forward to Book 2 in the series.

Also in paper, I started Madeline Hunter's Lord of Sin this weekend. So far so good. She always writes a good historical and I love how she's worked her career as an art instructor into this story. Not exactly the type of artwork you'd expect a professor to cover, but it is definitely obvious she's knowledgeable about her chosen subject. Which made me think, this isn't the first one of her books she managed to work art in to somehow.

In audio, I finished up book 2 in the Left Behind series: Tribulation Force by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. It's getting interesting for this series which I finally decided I had to try out after hearing so much about it over the past few years. I also picked up Book 3 from the library: Nicolae and started that one. These are my work "reads." I pop one earphone into my ear and can listen while I work and still hear the phone ring or someone at the door.

In the car, also in audio, I'm on Tape 12 out of 14 for Dawn on a Distant Shore by Sara Donati, the second book in her Wilderness series. To be honest, I'm bored with this story. It's dragging on and on and on. A good half the book at least was spent on ships from Canada to Scotland, after pages and pages of a cross-land journey to Canada from NY. I usually like books that are adventures and travels, but this one is ALL traveling and I'm getting tired of it actually. Now the part of the story that has been talked about and alluded to all the way through the book is being crammed in to the last couple tapes of the book. I'd have preferred less time spent on the journey itself and more time spent on what happens in Scotland once they get there. It WAS kinda neat though to see a brief "visit" with Robert Burns, the poet. This was cool because I'm very distantly related to him, separated by I don't know how many generations, but still related. So it is neat to see an ancestor in a fictional novel.

In electronic, I read and finished the final 2 stories in Janet Lane Walters' All Our Yesterdays serial romance/time-travel/reincarnation. The series was interesting, but the final two weren't as good as the previous ones, IMO. I didn't feel a lot of passion in the characters in the past life part of the stories. It felt somewhat stilted, though the romance in the present life incarnation was still strong and I could feel emotion from them.

In eBook format, I am presently Angela Verdenius' Soul of a Witch, the latest in her Heart and Soul series which I got for review. I haven't gotten too far in it yet, but so far so good.

Kelley

Literary Book Club reading -- COURTESAN

You know when you read a book and it doesn't make you feel good, it just feels like a chore? Or you're educating yourself or something "worthy" like that? Well, trust me, COURTESAN is such a book.

I can see it being read by the women's book club where everyone pretends literary ambitions. So an exotic locale -- Paris at the turn of the 20th century (I'd do it the French way but I haven't figured out the extra characters yet) -- with the mishmash of clashing cultures, in the land where "anything goes," COURTESAN is the story of a young girl "trained" by her grandmother and mother to carry on the grand tradition of being a courtesan.

Now, when I was younger and a college student, this would have been so romantic -- women in charge of their financial and social position. Well, not quite social since "bad girls" only last as long as their protectors are in power. And sad too, since the bad girls still wish they knew their fathers and were accepted everywhere.

So instead of a romantic read: revenge by the young wife on the murder of her Jewish husband in Persia, turning to the life of male manipulation she fled to find the murderer. It is instead an almost laugh out loud groan. Sorry, but having some French guy turned on by the glance -- just a glance mind you, of pubic hair -- made me almost lose it all in the bathtub. And this happened twice. Now, I thought French guys were more together than that! Okay, so the first one was a Shah, but even so. Is pubic (to say nothing of underarm hair) compulsively attractive and erotic?

I finished the book and I'll say this, if you are a member of a 'boring' book club and need to suggest something that won't totally bore you to tears, suggest "COURTESAN." PSSST: she includes book club questions in the back, so you won't be at a complete loss if you're asked to say something witty.