In the Interest of Full Disclosure...

I had agreed to participate in the VC Andrews reading challenge, which meant reading 11 VC Andrews books and reviewing them, one a month on the last day of every month.

But here's the thing...I started Flowers in the Attic, and well, it was CRAP. Over 100 pages in, and it's bad -- I mean, really, really bad, overwrought, ridiculous writing.

So, I'm out. I know, I'm a wuss, but I'll be damned if I'm subjecting myself to this for the next year.

Sorry VC Andrews, turns out, I hate your writing now that I'm a grown up.

The good news is, altogether I only spent $15 for all of the VC Andrews books that I got on eBay. The bad news is, I'll probably never successfully unload them. SIGH.

Oh well. Maybe next year I'll do the re-read challenge.

Argh!

How is it that I'm just now noticing that the new Patricia Briggs, Bone Crossed is only out in Hard Cover??

Ugh. Now I have to wait to read it. Damn it!

Seriously, do publishers even care how this screws up reader bookshelves when they change to hard cover in between? I'm so aggravated. And I was *SO* looking forward to reading it. I wonder if it will be a year until it's out in MM?

Does anyone know?

More Cowbell!!

Dear Romance Land Authors:

It's me, Kati. I love your work. No really, I do. I love it so much that I write reviews online and here on my blog. And I spend hundreds of dollars a year buying your books. I talk about romance with friends, acquaintances and the occasional person on the Metro. No seriously, I love your work.

But I have a request. Actually, I have several requests. I feel like there are a dearth of new stories being written that adhere to several of my favorite plot points.

1- Virgin Heroes. Now, everyone knows that I love me a virgin hero. I especially love when we get an alpha male all wrapped up with some inexperience. Zsadist, Jamie Fraser, Branden Kel-Paten, all of these guys did it for me. But it seems like the virgin hero is going the way of the dodo bird. Fewer and fewer of them are being written. And really, what's not to love about an inexperienced guy who finally learns the wonder of love from his perfect mate?

2- May-December romances. Seriously, I LOVED Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy. And it immediately reminded me how touching and fun a M-D romance can be. There's a real tension there. A real problem, one that can be overcome by the couple intereacting and finding a way to be together. And really, what's not hot about Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, I ask you??

3- Plus Sized Heroines. Now look, I get that it's perhaps a little less sexy to write about a plus sized girl. But let's be honest, there are WAY more of us who have curves than angles. The average size of an American woman is a size 14. So it just makes sense that we'd love to read wonderfully written romances about normal sized (instead of Keira Knightley sized) women and the men who can't keep their hands off of them.

Could you all see about maybe writing some of these kinds of stories? I'd really appreciate it, and I can guarantee that if you write a story with one of these story lines, I'll not only buy it, but if I love it, I'll pimp it all over creation.

Your kind consideration of these requests are deeply appreciated.

Best,
Kati

PS - Add to the MORE COWBELL list. What aren't we seeing enough of in romance?

Too Hawt for Prime Time

Hmm. Apparently NBC thinks this ad is too spicy for the Super Bowl. Mostly to me, the idea of licking a pumpkin, is just icky. But I actually get what PETA was going for here. Even if I don't agree with all of their methods, it's an ad that would have gotten some attention.

What do you think? Too hawt for Prime Time?

Come On Over to the Dark Side

Most people know this about me, but I am a sucker for most anything Star Wars related (at least live action, I don't do the Clone Wars). How did this come to be, you ask? I'll tell you.

I was six when Star Wars came out. At the time, my mom deemed me too young to see it at the movie theater -- which was a crushing blow for me. Although, she was probably right. I couldn't see the movie, but my dad immediately bought the soundtrack, which remains one of my favorite collections of music ever. I listened over and over to the music and looked at the photos included in the LP cover and tried to imagine what the movie must be like. I particularly loved the music from the Cantina scene.

We were among the first to get a VCR in our neighborhood. And one of the first movies my dad rented was Star Wars: A New Hope. By then I was 11 and old enough to see the movie. I remember being utterly mesmerized. It captured my imagination fully. An abandoned boy, desperate for adventure; the wizened old teacher who exposes the boy to a new adventure; the dashing space pirate, desperate for money; the courageous princess (with bizarre bagel-hair); and of course, the truly despicable, evil bad guy with a melodious voice. Plus, space battles, witty droids and funny secondary characters who enhanced the story. We had the movie for 24 hours and I remember I watched it about five times in a row. And was so upset when we had to return it.

Soon The Empire Strikes Back came out, and Han and Leia fell in love. By then, my love of romance had started and I loved the sparks that flew between them, and I cried when Han was frozen. I loved the darkness of the time Luke spent with Yoda, and Yoda's magelike knowledge. And the shock that Darth Vadar was Luke's father? I still remember the cold chill that came over me when the revelation came about. All of it was wonderful. Then Return of the Jedi came out and we were within walking distance of the movie theater, so I saw it 13 times. Hey, at the time, movies were $1.50 to see and it was summertime and I was about 13. There was nothing else to do, and it got me out of my mom's hair.

These are movies that I've owned in every incarnation: VHS, Special Edition VHS, and now DVD. When Cinemax released them in HD, I watched them over and over On Demand. And when the Special Editions were released in the movie theaters again, I finally got to see Star Wars the way it was meant to be seen. And I think I was more excited than most of the kids in the theater.

The prequels came out in the 90's and early 2000's. I liked them, but didn't adore them with the same passion as I loved the first three.

Does my adoration make sense? Probably not. But I love these movies and have seen them probably hundreds of times. Does it make me a dork? Oh you bet. Probably the most embarassing part is that I know a ton about the worlds. My BF, Amy's husband, Trip, is probably the only person I know who adores the movies more than me. We both have a truly geek like knowledge about the universe.

I can't put my finger on exactly what it is about the stories that captivates me, but I can tell you that anytime someone wants to watch Star Wars, I'm immediately in.

How 'bout you? Have you seen the Star Wars movies? Are you a fan? Which is your favorite? If you hate them, why?

Star Wars according to a 3 year old.

OK, it's a well known fact that I'm a HUGE Star Wars dork. If I've learned one thing from Star Wars, it's Don't Talk Back to Darth Vadar. He'll getcha.

Confessions of a Mean Girl

Yes. It's true. I was one of "those" girls in high school. I ran with a very popular group of kids and honestly, my little clique of girlfriends could be quite nasty. There was one particular girl in school who wore gold flats, and for whatever reason, we really gave her a hard time about it. And not in a nice way, in the way that made her take a different route across the cafeteria to get to the exit.

I'm horrified by the way I acted in high school. I certainly was no better than anyone, and had no business making fun of anyone. I hung with a group of kids who were very affluent (my family was too, but not to the extent that my friends were), and we had a strong sense of entitlement. Not that it justifies it at all. Like I said, I'm horrified to think how ugly I was. And I really regret it.

The interesting thing is I changed when I went to college. I went to a school where almost everyone was on some kind of financial aid. And my closest friend in college worked three jobs all summer just to pay for college. It made me really appreciate the gift my folks gave me and helped me to understand just how awful I'd been in high school.

Anyway, until recently I'd lost touch with everyone who I went to high school with. But when I joined Facebook, I found many of my old high school friends, and have found it to be a really interesting way to get back in touch. It's much easier than sending a bazillion emails, and you get to see pictures and other little aspects of their lives.

The reason I'm confessing this is my 20th high school reunion is in May and I'm going. I haven't been to a single one since I graduated, but I decided that I need to go to this one. I'm actually looking forward to reconnecting with folks I haven't seen in years and to catching up and hearing how everyone is doing. I'm kind of dreading/looking forward to it. I went to a small high school and my graduating class is only 51. So it won't be one of those humongous reunions. But it will be fun, I think (hope?!) to see everyone.

I know I've certainly mellowed since high school, and all I have are fond memories of those kids I went to school with. I'm hopeful that they'll feel the same. But if not, I'll be the first to offer a heartfelt apology to those who I hurt while we were in school.

Have you gone to any high school reunions? Were they weird? Or fun?

Using Your Ears

I've said before that I've been listening to books on audio as I commute back and forth from work. It's a great way to "read" and you don't have to try to stand on a train, hang on, and hold a book all at the same time. Although, I'd imagine that there are days when other passengers on the train look at my slack jawed expression while on the train and think I'm having some sort of a seizure or something. This morning, I'm sure the guy sitting next to me thought I was crazy because I was chuckling at Born in Death by JD Robb (I love Eve and Roarke's collective horror at the birthing classes).

Anyway, it's been really fun for me to listen to books, I find that everything goes faster when you've got someone reading to you. It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one though that I'm becoming a bit of a pickwad over the books I'll listen to. I've made my way through probably 20 of the In Death books, but as I get closer to the end of the series, I find the stories are too fresh in my brain, so I'm listening to fewer of them. I listened to most of Outlander, but frankly it's DAMN LONG and I got kind of tired of listening to it. So, it's on my iPod, if I ever want to go back. But so far, I made it through three of the four sections, and haven't finished it.

But then there's the horror of the Lisa Kleypas contemps. Oh My God. Lisa's two contemporaries are set in Texas, and were my favorite books of the last two years. I've re-read them multiple times and adore both stories. So I decided to go ahead and download Blue Eyed Devil. I listened to about 40 minutes of it, and just couldn't get over the narrators HORRIFYING faux-Texas accent. I mean, HORRIBLE. I turned it off.

Anyway, I'm looking for other suggestions from people of good stuff to listen to. Have you listened to any audio books? If so, which ones do you recommend?

Tuesday Night Weekend Round Up

OK, it's Tuesday, but for me, it's the close of a lovely four day weekend. So, what did I do this weekend? Let me tell you!

Oogled Tim Riggins! Yes, it's true, my favorite show on TV is back! Friday Night Lights is back in fine form and featuring ALL the deliciousness of Taylor Kitsch. The show is as intriguing, and well written, and well acted as ever, and I feel that all is right in my world now that it's back on.


Saw a Movie! Saturday morning, I went to see Milk, which is the story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to state office. The movie is extraordinarily well acted, and tells a fascinating tale about a time that I really knew nothing about. The story takes place in 1977-78, when I was 6 and 7. So of course, I knew nothing about this passionate, compelling and dynamic man, who stood up for himself and the homosexual community. Sean Penn is, as always, superb -- utterly inhabiting the role and making it uniquely his. While I think that Mickey Roarke will probably win the Oscar for his role in The Wrestler, there is little doubt that Sean Penn's acting in Milk is equally worthy of the prize.


Shopped! I was headed to a party at Donna's house honoring Megan, who is in town visiting, but I had to drive right by Ann Taylor Loft. And they were clearing out their sweaters "to make room for shorts," the sales lady told me. No surprise, I proceeded to buy four sweaters for $70! If you've ever shopped at ATL, you know that ONE sweater can usually cost in the area of $70. So I did well. I also managed to pick up a super cute pair of red patent leather flats and a pair of brown clogs at DSW. So, it was a good, if expensive weekend.


Read! I read Surrender by Pamela Clare, which JenB generously sent me. It was a fun read about a Scots lady who ends up in indentured servitude and the Scottish Ranger who rescues her from being raped by the Abenaki Indians. I enjoyed the book, but didn't love it. Ms. Clare has a lovely light hand with romance, and I quite liked both characters, but I happen to know a couple of Abenaki Indians from programs I worked on at NWF, and I had a really hard time with their characterization in the book. But I'd definitely pick up another Clare historical to read. I also just finished Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella, which I picked up at the Used Book Store for $.50. It was an enjoyable, frothy read. Silly and simple, but I think that Kinsella writes dandy chick-lit.

Wept! I'll admit it, I teared up multiple times today watching Barack Obama's inauguration. I've never felt such a sense of hope and confidence in a political leader before. I was moved to tears when he took the oath, and again when he gave his address to the nation. I was moved by the throngs of people who came to see him be sworn in. It's been a truly incredible day. I've never been more hopeful about the state of our country. I hope the good feelings last.

What did you do this weekend? Anything good? Did you see any movies? Read any books?

What a DAY!
Look at the crowds!
The estimate is about 2 million on the Mall today to bear witness to history being made.

Be the Change

Random Thoughts and Other Randomness

Hey everyone! I hope you're all having a good week. I'm beyond excited to have a four day weekend and to revel in the majesty of this country again peacefully transferring power. It is truly a great nation we live in. For those who wonder, most of downtown DC will be closed on Tuesday. My office is 5 blocks from the White House, and it is located within the perimeter of roads that will only allow pedestrian traffic. We were already closed Monday for MLK Day, so it means a four day weekend. Woohoo!

Yesterday I blogged about dismissing books on sight alone based on the cover or cover blurb. Today, my review of the new Susan Elizabeth Phillips book, What I Did for Love, is up at RNTV. Marisa commented on it that sometimes when she doesn't much like a book in the first reading, she'll go back and re-read and find that she likes a book much better the second time. I got to thinking about my reading habits. I almost never give a book a second chance if I've read the whole thing. If I don't like a book on first reading, it's doubtful that I'll like it better the second time. It does happen occassionally, Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels is a perfect example. The first time I read it, I thought, "I don't get what all the fuss is about." The second time I read it, about two years later, I was vastly amused by Jess and Dain's love affair. So it does happen. But for the most part, if you don't wow me on the first go through, I'm not giving you a second chance. In fact, I always have two bags going at my house. One is the "Give to Annie" bag, which are books I've read and enjoyed that I give to my friend Annie to read. The second is the "Donate" bag. And that's where almost any book I've read that I didn't much like goes. What about you? Do you give books a second chance?

I'm thinking of seeing a couple more movies this weekend. I'd like to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, although I see that Tysons no longer has it playing in the early AM, so I'll have to pay actual matinee prices to see it. And I'd really like to see Milk. I wasn't going to see it, but after seeing Josh Brolin on Inside the Actors Studio, I was so intrigued that I thought I'd give it a try. Katiebabs also loved it, so that's a good sign for me, I think.

JenB just sent me a couple of books, and yesterday while I was at the hairdresser getting my hair colored, I started Pamela Clare's Surrender. I'm actually enjoying it quite a bit. I'm not very far into it, but I foresee a lovely weekend reading it. I'm currently listening to A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray on audiobook. I quite like the story, although the man character, Gemma, can be pretty darn petulant sometimes. But hey, she's 16, and I think that's what they're supposed to do. But the narrator is fabulous and has a wonderful knack with accents. I'm definitely intrigued enough to get Rebel Angels, the second in the trilogy. I was going to recommend the book to a friend of mine who has a 12 year old daughter, but something's just happened in the story that makes me think it's not for girls quite that young. Of course, I was reading Nora Roberts at 12, but I don't think I can recommend it quite yet.

Of course, on Sunday I'll be watching football. I can't quite get over my bitterness that two teams who the Redskins beat (Philly we beat twice!) are in the NFC championship. But of course, this fact proves the "Any Given Sunday" theory. I'm actually far more interested in the AFC Championship between Pittsburgh and Baltimore. It's a fierce rivalry, and I'm rooting for Baltimore to win. I'm not one of those Skins fans who hates Baltimore because they're just up the street. They play in a different conference from the Redskins and I have no strong feelings one way or the other about the Ravens. In fact, I'm thinking of trying to find a Ravens sweatshirt this weekend. I figure why not? I like their colors well enough, and have watched enough of them that I can name a bunch of the players. Anyway, go Ravens!

I'm really looking forward to watching the Inauguration on Tuesday. I voted for Barak Obama, and am more hopeful than I've been in ages about the country. Sure, he won't be able to fix a lot of the issues the country has. But I love the unity that I think he's bringing to the country, and the profound sense of hope. I have absolutely NO intention of being anywhere near DC during the festivities, I'll be watching it in living color from the warmth of my living room, but I'm looking forward to the day. Even if you didn't vote for Obama, it's a marvel that our country peacefully transfers power every four or eight years. It makes me so proud to be an American.

Anyway, I wish each of you a wonderful weekend. Tell me what your plans are, anything big? What are you reading? Any movies you're looking forward to seeing?

Judging a Book by Its Cover

Yesterday I was talking with the fabulous Marisa O'Neill from RNTV. She's one of my favorite people to talk romance with because we have remarkably similar taste in romance. If Marisa likes a book, it's almost a sure thing that I will too.

Anyway, we got to talking about what will make us dismiss a romance automatically. Of course, that means I can make a list (YAY!) so, without further ado, my list of things that will make me dismiss a romance on sight alone.


1- A Pun in the Title. I will never, ever buy or read a book if there is a pun in the title. Any title that makes a pun out of a song title, or movie title, or anything else. 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover? No thanks, I'll pass.


2- Cartoons on the covers. Anything with a zany girl carrying a briefcase, etc. That's a big no from me. The exception is Rachel Gibson. I like her books, and they always seem to have a cartoon on the cover.


3- Settings in India, Egypt or China. I know, I know. I'm missing out, but I can't stand settings like that. It's why when the whole world LOVED As You Desire by Connie Brockway or Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase, I hated both books. Don't like those settings.



What are some reasons that you'll pass on a romance, based on sight alone?

Kresley Cole Has A New Book Coming Out

The Immortals After Dark series is one of my favorites.
I can't wait for this one. Rydstrom's story is going to be amazing!

**Want an eBook reader?**
Kresley is giving one away if you'll put this widget on your blog,
or elsewhere on the web.
Check it out here!

Falling Like a Ton of Bricks

Anna Campbell is blogging over at RNTV, and she's asking readers to talk about their three favorite romance heroes. I named: Rhage from JR Ward's Lover Eternal, Lucas Hunter from Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh, and Jack Sheridan from Virgin River by Robyn Carr.

Once I started thinking about it, I realized that one of the things these heroes have in common is that they all meet their women and immediately or within a very short period of time know that that woman is their person. I don't know why, but that's a heady thing for me. I love the idea that a man meets a woman and just...knows. I especially love when it's a big, strong, independent guy who just falls like a ton of bricks for a woman. I know many, many romance readers despise the "soulmates" trope. And I'm not particularly talking about that (although, I'll be honest and say I like the soulmates storyline), but more particularly, I love when the hero imprints on the heroine very early on and begins his pursuit. I guess I mean rather than the whole "I'm pissed off to be having these feelings" storyline.

In fact, I've gotten to the point where I get pretty aggravated if a couple is dancing around the issue for too long. I don't mind if they're separated, but I prefer for them to already know how they feel about each other.

Among the first romances that I read regularly were Johanna Lindsey's. In her older books, it was very often in the last five or six pages that the hero finally said "I love you" to the heroine. But now-a-days, we get to the "I love you" much sooner. And I prefer it that way. The stories no longer seem to be about the journey to "I love you" but the journey to build a life together.

What do you think? Do you like the idea of the hero falling quickly? Or do you prefer the I love you to be drawn out and take us farther into the story?

Red Carpet Wrap Up - Golden Globes Mix

Hi everyone! OK, better late than never, I had a hard time finding photos I could use for my Red Carpet Wrap Up from the 2009 Golden Globes ceremony.

I had a three way tie for Best Dressed:

Kate Winslet - Best Dressed Award #1. The dress is perfectly fitted, her hair and make-up is lovely, and let's be honest, her shock at winning the awards was lovely to see. I thought she looked perfect.

Eva Langoria - Best Dressed Award #2. You can tell that there's a ton of structure underneath this dress, but if anyone knows how to work a big dress, it's Eva. I thought she looked lovely. I wish her earrings had maybe been a touch bigger. But overall, she looked great!

Drew Barrymore - Best Dressed Award #3. OK, I know this is going to be one of those looks that either totally works for you, or you hate it with a firey passion. But I love the look. It's definitely just that a "Look" but I love the dress and the big froufy hair. It worked for me.

Isla Fischer - I Like the Dress But Wish It Were a Different Color Award. Wouldn't this dress have been amazing in a deep green or teal?

January Jones - Best Use of Color of the Red Carpet Award. She looks amazing. The dress is fitted to perfection, and the color does all kinds of good for her coloring.

Eva Mendes - Most Egregoius Misuse of Extra Fabric Award. Why does she have a peplem on her right hip? Extra fabric? Also, why isn't her bodice better fitted. I hate this dress, but LOVE her jewelry.

Megan Fox - Feel Free to Dress Your Age Award. Ok, she's a little trashy, but she's also like 22 years old. Why is she dressed like a future first lady? She's one of the most gorgeous women on the planet. It wouldn't have killed her to be daring on the Red Carpet.

Jennifer Lopez - Most Egregious Use of Gold Lamee Award. NO, NO J. Lo! Bad girl! Horrible, horrible dress. And didn't she already do this dress when she was dating Puffy?? Ick.

Renee Zellwegger - Clearly Carolina Herrera Hates Me Award. This entire ensemble is a train wreck. bad hair, bad foundation garments, too tight, and sheer. Wow. The horror of it all. Worst Dressed of the Evening.

Um, this picture is just because - Look! Gerard Butler in a tux. At the Globes. Isn't Gerry yummy?

OK, your turn. Who did I miss? Did you watch the Globes? Who was best dressed? Who was worst dressed?

*Grateful curtsy to Just Jared and EW who had actual photos of the Red Carpet I could borrow.

Confessions of the Uncouth

I'm about to commit what amounts to blasphemy in Romance land. I like the Keira Knightley version (heretofor known as the "KK version") of Pride & Prejudice better than the BBC version.

I know, I know, I'm an uncivilized wretch.

I realized this today, as my friend Tracy and I watched the BBC version. It's lovely to look at, and costumed beautifully, and remarkably faithful to the story. But well, honestly? I didn't think that Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle (the stars of the BBC version) had anywhere near the chemistry that Matthew MacFadyen and Keira Knightley had. And, I like Judy Dench MUCH better as Lady Catherine. And, well, I thought the KK one had a better, more "English" setting.

Now, I'll grant you that there are a ton of things in the KK one that are unrealistic, from Elizabeth showing up a Netherfield Park to tend to Jane who is sick with her hair down, to Mr. Bingley seeing Jane while she's in bed, to Jane and Mr. Bingley being in a room alone without chaperone. But, I just, I dunno. I like it better.

Tracy maintains that the reason she prefers the BBC version is that the KK version doesn't have "the line." Which line you ask? It's when Darcy proposes for the first time and they quarrel so painfully. In the book (and the BBC version), Elizabeth says to Mr. Darcy, "If you had behaved in a more gentleman-like manner..." It is, of course, that line in the book that tortures Mr. Darcy and goes around and around in his head, and finally forces him to write the letter. Me? I would never even have noticed the line missing if Tracy hadn't immediately mentioned it when we walked out of the movie.

Plus, I vastly prefer Matthew MacFadyen to Colin Firth (MORE BLASPHEMY!). I just think that MacFadyen seethes more. He emotes more. And you feel sorry for him, so stymied is he by what he's feeling. Don't get me wrong, I like Colin Firth as Darcy, but I prefer Matthew MacFadyen. And, seriously, was there ever a more "swoony sigh" moment than him striding across the field towards her at the end of the movie? And the way he delivers the line: "You have bewitched me body and soul, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day forward"?

Well. It totally does it for me.

Anyway, I realize that you guys are probably all judging me. I know, I'm a peasant. What can I say?

So, here's your chance to tell me I'm a peasant, BBC or KK version? Which do you prefer?

Inside the Actors Studio

I have lots of friends who watch Bravo. Mostly they watch for Project Runway or Top Chef. Me? I watch for Inside the Actors Studio, which is one of those shows that's been on for years and years. It's hosted by the supremely supercilious James Lipton, who is the Dean of the New School of Acting at Pace University. He's a tremendous researcher who if famous for the humongous stack of blue note cards on which he takes note of almost every moment of the specific actor's life.

I adore actors, I think they're fascinating people who have a kind of creative beast inside them. They are intense and driven and willing to literally starve for their art. On top of that, they have some really fascinating personal "ticks" that make them a ton of fun to watch when they're not in character.

The show has interviewed almost any acting giant you can think of from Paul Newman to the cast of the Simpsons to Cate Blanchett. And the show takes you through their entire lives, from birth through to whatever movie or play they've most recently been in. They talk quite a bit about working with directors, about how they approach roles, about the idiosyncrasies they've given their characters. Insider tidbits like: Russell Crowe took the catch phrase from the movie Gladiator, "Strength and Honor" from the latin enscription that hung over the Catholic elementary school that he went to and he feels strongly that his reputation for being a "difficult and tempermental" actor came from the Gladiator set, where only about 20 pages of the script were written when he started filming the movie (which obviously led to a lot of wasting time, which pissed him off).

The show has the ability to completely change my opinion of an actor. Crowe is a perfect example. I found him fascinating. He almost never actually made eye contact with Lipton as he was interviewed, almost always staring at the floor or his shoes. But the insights that he gave to the class where elemental. He's such an instinctive actor, and he really came off like a regular guy with an extraordinary gift. I found myself completly reversing my opinion on him.

A couple of days ago, I watched a show that had Josh Brolin in it. I've always, ALWAYS had a pretty negative opinion of Josh Brolin. He's been in fist fights before, he was arrested for smacking Diane Lane around at one point. I just always thought of him as a punk. But to watch him talk about his craft on this show was fascinating. He had this incredibly bohemian upbringing and it really shaped him as a person. Plus, I didn't really realize it but damn, he's been in some tremendous movies! He's an interesting guy who I think has a ton of internal anger.

It's a show that is a ton of fun to watch if you're someone who is interested in acting or maybe just getting a closer glimpse of actors whose work you enjoy. I have the show set to TiVO, I actually have no earthly idea when it actually airs on Bravo. But it's like Christmas morning for me when I find an episode on my DVR. If you haven't seen it before, it's worth catching at least once.

Are you a fan of Inside the Actors Studio? Who were some of your favorite guests?

Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow

I just read on CNN that the Porn industry is seeking a federal bailout in the amount of $5 billion.

Really.

I'd think in these...ehem...hard times, porn would be doing just fine.

2009 Reading Challenge

All over Romanceland, bloggers have been setting goals for themselves. Deciding that they are going to Re-read books, or whittle away their TBR stack, or read more series romance. Today, while reading Pop Candy over at USA Today, I found JUST the reading challenge for me.

It's The V.C. Andrews "Read the Good-Trash Movement." Sweet! I grew up obsessively reading VC Andrews and absolutely marvelling at the smutty ridiculousness (and loving every moment of it).

So here's the deal:

How will it work?
It is generally understood that there are 12 months in a year, yes? Well, this is a year-long thing, but only 11 books have to be read, one a month, at the end. You get a freebie month somewhere, whenever you so choose. Because Taren feels the newer books suck ass, we’ll be limiting the eligible titles to VCA’s earliest series—Dollanganger, Casteel, Cutler, Landry and Logan—and her sole standalone, My Sweet Audrina.

Here’s the list:

Dollanganger series
Flowers in the Attic
Petals on the Wind
If There Be Thorns
Seeds of Yesterday
Garden of Shadows

Casteel series
Heaven
Dark Angel
Fallen Hearts
Gates of Paradise
Web of Dreams

Cutler series
Dawn
Secrets of the Morning
Twilight’s Child
Midnight Whispers
Darkest Hour

Landry series
Ruby
Pearl in the Mist
All That Glitters
Hidden Jewel
Tarnished Gold

Logan series
Melody
Heart Song
Unfinished Symphony
Music in the Night
Olivia

This gives you a pool of 26 books, and you only have to choose 11 of them. You can read two complete series and My Sweet Audrina, or you can jump around, divide and conquer, whatever. It’s your choice.

How do I participate?
You make a challenge post on your blog like you would with anything else, enumerating your progress. Make sure to link to THIS post on either Steph’s blog or Taren’s blog, whichever you found it in. Also, feel free to use the banner if you need some sort of illustration. And if you feel like being extra awesome, you can even mention it on your sidebar… Here are some images you can use. Please host them on your own. If you use the smaller ones without our links, make sure to include those in there so people can be directed here! More will come later!

Why should I participate?
Well, firstly because both Taren and Steph are, and they’re awesome, and this is random, and with awesome + random, you can’t go wrong. Secondly, because there are two types of trashy in this world: the good and the bad. (A third, lesser known, type is Breaking Dawn, but let’s not go there.) V.C. Andrews—if only in these aforementioned series—is decidedly the good kind. You’d be exploring these books with a group of people, and by pacing yourself slowly, they wouldn’t fall to the wayside to be read “someday.” Thirdly, they’re cheap. Print that list out and go to any used bookstore and we guarantee you can walk out with at least three of those books. Bonus points if you get a keyhole cover—Melissa Walker would be very jealous of you.

Yeah baby! I haven't really been looking for an excuse to re-read VC Andrews, but hey, this sounds like fun. And we all know how much I love the pure and good trash! So here 'tis. I'm in. Look for my first post, which will OF COURSE be about Flowers in the Attic on January 31.

Holiday Season Wrap Up

Hi Everyone! I hope everyone had a really lovely holiday season. Mine was very nice, some parts better than others. But I managed to read quite a bit these last couple of weeks.

I read Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian in one sitting. It's yet another stellar entry into the Midnight Breed series, and a bit of a game changer. I liked Nico as a hero, but loved Renata, the heroine. It's a fun and very hot paranormal book. Lara will be visiting RNTV in the upcoming weeks, and my review of the book will be posted then.

I read a couple of contemporaries, and Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Talk Me Down, both of which I did a Review (-ish) on. You can read those below. I will say this though, I think Julie James is going to be a star in romance. She writes a very readable book, and I liked both characters a lot. I'd like to see her crank up the heat some for her next book, but I'd imagine she'll do that.

Last, and I fully realize that this is bragging, I read Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh. And I was completely blown out of the water. This book is dark, dark, dark. And the hero is completely ruthless. I *LOVED* it. It's completely different from the Psy/Changeling series, but just as compulsively readable. I barely put the book down once I started it. I also reviewed this one for RNTV, and Nalini will visit there when the book releases in early March.

I also saw a couple of great movies, Slumdog Millionaire and Frost/Nixon.

Slumdog Millionaire was gorgeous and incredibly moving. It's a very, very smart movie about a guy who is from the slums in Mumbai and ends up being a contestant on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The story is told in a series of flashbacks to his youth. And it is the juxtaposition of the horror of the slums of Mumbai and the slick newer city that makes the movie so affecting. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good love story and this one brought tears to my eyes.

I also saw Frost/Nixon, which features two tour de force performances. Frank Langella as Richard Nixon is just brilliant. He sounds like Nixon, and though he doesn't look much like him, it takes very little time to come to believe he is the man. And Michael Sheen, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite British actors, is fantastic as David Frost, the slick, smarmy talk show host. The story is set, of course, just after Nixon has left office due to the Watergate scandal. The movie also features three terrific performances from Sam Rockwell, Oliver Platt and Matthew MacFadyen (in a role so starkly different from Fitzwilliam Darcy). Plus, Ron Howard just really excels at making an intimate movie. It is brilliantly done, and fully worth the money to see. I'd still like to see The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which I think I'll see next weekend.

Anyway, I've discovered that I really like going to the movies alone. I can go when I want, and I don't have to consult anyone else about what time, or where, or what they want to see. Plus, Tysons Corner shows first run movies before noon for $6. That makes it a cheap and easy way to go to the movies.

How about you? Did you see any good movies over the holidays? What are you reading?

Talk Me Down - A Review(-ish)

When the Smart Bitches and Jane from Dear Author kicked off their campaign "Buy a Contemporary - Save the World" I was in. I bought and simply adored Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy, their first choice. So of course, when they chose the second book, Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl and announced a Borders discount to buy it, I jumped.

I'm sorry to say that Talk Me Down will be my first "meh" read of the year.

Molly Jennings has moved back to Tumble Creek, CO, where she grew up. And she has a secret. She's a bestselling erotic fiction author. She moves back to find Ben Lawson, her older brother's closest friend growing up is the sheriff in Tumble Creek. The town is a typical small town, full of busy bodies and small town intrigue. Molly has had a crush on Ben since she was a teenager. And once she interrupted him while he was having a romantic liaison with a girl. In fact, this encounter was fodder for her first erotic novel. Of course, no one knows this, since Molly is adamant that no one but her editor will ever know who she is. Practically from the get-go, sparks fly between Molly and Ben, and they have several extremely steamy encounters before enjoying some mind blowing sex. But Ben is a pretty normal guy, and it's making him absolutely nuts that Molly has a secret that she won't tell him. He concocts all kinds of possibilities for what she does for a living. And it becomes quite a bone of contention between them. Add to that the fact that Molly's ex-boyfriend just won't let things go between them, and Molly has been having strange things happening around her house, and she and Ben have some issues.

What I Liked: Ben - Great hero. He's a care-giver, and a sweet man. He's not complicated, and angsty, he's just a good man, who is falling for a woman who is keeping secrets. Also, Dahl has a very deft hand with writing steamy sex. The book's love scenes are pretty much where it stands out. Never once going into a slightly controversial love scene, but always cranking up the steam level. The love scenes are well written and very steamy for a straight contemporary.

What I Didn't Like: Molly. Well. Not really. I liked Molly, I guess I just couldn't understand why it was sucha deep dark secret that she wrote erotica. Now, maybe it's because (1) I'm a romance reader and proud of it and (2) I read erotica, but I just don't get what the big deal was. Sure, some people have preconceived notions about erotica, but any intelligent person can counteract that with a cogent arguement. In fact, once the hero does find out, he basically says, "You write smut." And the heroine's arguement is...wait for it..."It's not smut." SIGH. Seriously? I'm just saying, he's this really wonderful man, and she spends most of her time being all, "We're not dating, we're just 'hooking up'" Maybe it's because I'm single, but I wanted to smack her in the head to wake her up. Here's the awesome man, and she's acting like a ditz and not even representing her profession well once the deep dark secret comes out. It was seriously enough to make me want to toss the book.

Over all, the book gets graded way up for excellent love scenes and a well written hero, and gets graded well down for a self-absorbed silly heroine and even more, for passing on an opportunity to make a cogent arguement FOR reading erotic romance.

Final grade: C-