For Love of the Secret Baby

Anyone who reads this blog knows of my unabashed love of all things Nora Roberts. Love her! And will buy anything she chooses to slap her name on. And even though I own almost all of her books, I've been slowly making my way through her romance backlist on audiobook.

Currently I'm listening to Honest Illusions, which I've always rated as one of my favorite of her books. I hadn't picked it up to read in probably three or four years. Anyway, the reason that I love Honest Illusions so much, other than the fact that it's about magicians who are also jewel thieves (what's not fun about that?!) is the fact that it features one of my all time favorite romance tropes -- *whispers* the secret baby.

Yes, gentle readers, I'll admit it proudly. I freaking LOVE a secret baby plot. LOVE it. I love the slight knot I get in my stomach when the point in the story when the Baby Daddy is going to find out about his baby. I love the machinations and overwrought drama the Baby Mama goes through angsting about whether or not to tell said Baby Daddy.

Now, I totally get why most romance readers abhor the secret baby plot. First, IRL, it would never, ever be appropriate not to tell the Baby Daddy that he's got a little one out there in the world. It's despicable behavior. I totally agree.

But in romance? It's pure heaven for me. Love the DRAMA! Love the ANGST! And beyond anything else, I freaking love the scene where the truth finally comes out.

Anyhoo, Honest Illusions has a secret baby. And interestingly enough, after listening to his book for the first time in three or four years, I'm kind of pissed with the heroine. The hero has been back for weeks now, and frankly, she's just gotten finished having extremely hot sex with him, and she still hasn't told him about his baby. I'm in the midst of listening to the chapter where I think he's going to find out. And frankly, I don't remember the scene, but OMG, I hope he kicks her freaking ass. Which is interesting, because all the way through the story, I've liked both characters, but now? I'm totally on his side. I should find out tonight on my commute home how he handles the news. But I'm not sure Nora can pull this heroine, who I used to really love, out of my romance penalty box.

What about you? Do you love the secret baby plot? Or hate it?

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn - A Review(-ish)

I'll be honest and say that I bought What Happens in London by Julia Quinn with some trepidation. My hesitation was mostly based on the idea that her last three books haven't worked all that well for me. I absolutely hated The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever and her last experiment, The Lost Duke of Wyndham/Mr. Cavendish, I Presume didn't really work well for me (I found the "hook" tedious). But Kate really loved WHiL, and she and I have very similar reading tastes when it comes to historical romance.

Here's the blurb:

Rumors and Gossip . . . The lifeblood of London

When Olivia Bevelstoke is told that her new neighbor may have killed his fiancÉe, she doesn't believe it for a second, but, still, how can she help spying on him, just to be sure? So she stakes out a spot near her bedroom window, cleverly concealed by curtains, watches, and waits . . . and discovers a most intriguing man, who is definitely up to something.

Sir Harry Valentine works for the boring branch of the War Office, translating documents vital to national security. He's not a spy, but he's had all the training, and when a gorgeous blonde begins to watch him from her window, he is instantly suspicious. But just when he decides that she's nothing more than an annoyingly nosy debutante, he discovers that she might be engaged to a foreign prince, who might be plotting against England. And when Harry is roped into spying on Olivia, he discovers that he might be falling for her himself . . .

So, cute, setup, yes? She's a somewhat nosy, pampered debutante, he's a retired military officer who had a difficult childhood, and now works for the War Office. He first notices her when he finds that she's spying on him from her house. She's heard that he killed his fiancee and all sorts of other salacious gossip, and she's curious. He realizes immediately that she's spying on him, and begins acting strangely just to egg her on. He dons a silly hat while he's working, he burns sheafs of paper, he fantasizes about jumping on the desk and doing a little dance. Olivia is fascinated. She's quite sure he's up to something, but she's never sure what.

They finally meet at the infamous Smythe-Smith musicale (one of my favorite aspects of the Bridgerton novels) and they take an almost immediate dislike of each other. But as Harry is given an assignment from the War Office to watch one of Olivia's suitors, an arrogant Russian prince, he begins to see how smart she is, what a wonderful sense of humor she has, and more than that, how overwhelmingly attracted he is to her.

I really, really wanted to love this book. Quinn's older books work for me on almost every level. The Viscount Who Loved Me is one of my favorite historicals. This book seems a departure from the Lost Duke/Cavendish experiment: full of witty repartees, frenetic internal monologues, and funny set ups. But for me it seemed almost that Quinn was trying too hard. She absolutely has made a name for herself with her sparkling dialogue and the difficult and hilarious situations she forces her characters into. But this book just felt forced to me. The internal monologues were frenetic, almost frantic in their endeavor to be "funny." I'm trying to put my finger on why Quinn's wit didn't work for me in this book. I found reading the book to be exhausting. Like a tennis match viewed in fast forward. The dialogue pings back and forth rapidly, so fast that it seemed choppy to me. Which meant that rather than sparkling, it was frenetic.

The main couple has decent chemistry and the heat level is Quinn's usual. I just had a hard time connecting with the book because I felt the effort behind the writing. It was as if Quinn was trying really hard to get back to the breezy style she utilized so deftly in The Bridgerton series. So, while I enjoyed the characters and thought the book had an interesting set up, overall I found it to be a less than satisfying read.

Final grade: C- (ETA: Grade changed, I felt the D+ was too harsh.)

Blogging Award!

The delightful and seriously adorable Charlotte AKA Lusty Reader has given me a Kreativ Blogger award. How fun! Thank you for the honor, Charlotte!

The Kreativ rules state that:

Once you receive this award you are to list seven of your favorite things and then nominate seven other blogs.

Some of my favorite things [these are NOT in any order of preference, just as they occur to me]:

1- Reading and reviewing romance novels. (duh!)

2- The Washington Redskins. Get ready, trusty blog readers, I'll try to limit it, but football season starts on Thursday, when the Redskins report to camp, and frankly, the psychosis sets in. I'll try to keep my football rants to a minimum though.

3- My dachshund, Roxie. She's one of the great loves of my life. As is Stella, my kitty.

4- Italian food. In particular, anything that has a cream sauce. And possibly some seafood. Or you know, maybe a good caprese salad. Followed by gelato. I'm just saying, Italian food FTW!

5- Friday Night Lights (the TV show). Simply put, the best show on TV. Best written, best acted, most compelling. Plus, it has Tim Riggins. And there really isn't enough that can be said about Taylor Kitsch's deliciousness.

6- Chocolate Eclairs. Mmm, my favorite food on the planet. It is the only food in the world that I will absolutely never consider sharing even a bite of. If you ask, I'm all, "Um, no."

7-Going to the movies. I love seeing movies. I see a ton of them, and love the entire experience, from choosing the flick, to the getting the snacks (Diet coke & Peanut M&M's, please), to choosing the right seat (halfway up on the left, on the end --I'll have to pee), to the previews, followed by the movie. It's one of my favorite ways to spend a few hours.

Yay! That's seven. So here are my seven blogs:

Stacy's Place on Earth

LeeAnn 101

The Thrillionth Page

Nose In A Book

Babbling About Books

Walkabout

The Happily Ever After

In Which Kati Feels a Little Dirty...

Hey everyone! Hope you had a terrific weekend. My best friend from college came to visit this weekend which was a ton of fun. She got to my house about 10:30 on Saturday morning. I'd thought we'd go to see a movie around noon that day, then have lunch. Since when we hang out, we usually see a romantic comedy, I assumed we'd see The Ugly Truth. But she told me she'd gotten free tickets to see it on Friday night, so we had to punt. She was all, "I'll see anything else."

I kind of tentatively said, "Um, I feel kind of dirty about this, but I'd kind of maybe like to see The Hangover." She whispered back, "Me too!!"

You've probably heard about The Hangover by now, but here's the synopsis:

Two days before his wedding, Doug and three friends drive to Las Vegas for a wild and memorable stag party. In fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can't remember a thing; nor can they find Doug. With little time to spare , the three hazy pals try to re-trace their steps and find Doug so they can get him back to Los Angeles in time to walk down the aisle.

I have to say that this is probably the funniest movie I've seen in 10 years. I laughed so hard I about hacked up a lung. The humor is decidedly raunchy, inappropriate and hilarious and VERY guy oriented. But still just priceless. The guy who makes the movie so funny though is Zach Galifianakis. I'd never heard of this guy before, although he's got a couple movies out this summer. I think the reason I'd never heard of him is that he's done mostly projects that I classify as "boy movies" and I turn my snotty nose up at. He's incredibly funny, but has this wonderful sweetness that just slays you.

Also, it has to be said that Bradley Cooper could give Patrick Dempsey a run for the money in awesome hair. He's hilariously funny and twisted as a guy who is a seventh grade teacher, but an absolute wildchild too. And then there's Ed Helms, who I'd only known as a correspondent on The Daily Show. He's hysterical as a downtrodden dentist, who is completely p*ssywhipped and a total dork.

Anyway, the movie starts off with the two guys, Cooper and Helms, planning to take their best buddy Doug (Justin Bartha, adorable, and TINY!) to Vegas for his bachelor party. Doug insists that they take Alan, his brother-in-law to be, with them. They get to Caesar's Palace and check into a high rollers suite. They sneak up on the roof of Caesar's to get a view of Vegas from high up and to do some Jaegermeister shots....and then they wake up the next morning. Their suite is trashed. There's a tiger in the bathroom, a baby in the linen closet, one of them is missing a tooth, and Doug (the groom), is missing. The rest of the movie is them finding out what the hell happened the night before.

OK, I started off feeling a little embarrased that I wanted to see this movie, and walked out in SUCH a good mood. This movie is raunchy, but truly priceless. I can't recommend it enough. I can honestly say that I'll be buying this movie the moment it comes out.

The second movie I saw was The Ugly Truth. I'm going to summarize the movie in one sentence. Bad. Romantic. Comedy. Neither character is particularly likable, although Gerard Butler does make some really funny and dead on observations about the way men think. He and Katie Heigl have very nice chemistry, but overall, I never connected with either character. Gerard Butler remains a deadly good looking man, although why they would do away with his delicious accent is beyond me. Heigl pretty much plays every movie character she's ever played: the neurotic, control freak professional woman. Overall, this is definitely a movie you can wait to see on HBO. I found it to be mediocre at best.

That's it. I also read What Happens in London by Julia Quinn and will have a review(-ish) of it up tomorrow some time.

How was your weekend? Did you see any good movies? What's your favorite movie of the summer?

New Author Spotlight - Joss Ware

Today I'm pimping Joss Ware, who might look familiar to some of you :wink:. Joss has a three book deal from Avon and is writing about a post-apocalyptic world. I can tell you with authority that Joss is a stupendous author. She's got an incredibly fertile imagination and writes a hell of a romance. This book is going to be no exception.

Her first book, Beyond the Night, is out in January 2010.

Here's the blurb:

A man with no future...
When Dr. Elliott Drake wakes from a mysterious fifty-year sleep, the world as he knew it is gone. Cities are now desolate, and civilization is controlled by deadly immortals. Stranger still is Elliott's extraordinary new "gift" – he has the power to heal, but it comes with fatal consequences.

A woman with a past
Jade barely escaped the immortals and is now hell-bent on revenge. She trusts no one... until Elliott. His piercing gaze and tempting touch shatter her defenses, but the handsome doctor seems to have dangerous secrets of his own. Is it safe to trust him with her heart?

If they are to survive in this dark new world, Jade and Elliott must work together to fight the forces that takes them beyond danger.

Beyond desire.
Beyond the night.

Joss is running a contest on her blog right now. Go forth, read about the book, and leave a message. Perhaps you'll win an ARC.

Experiencing "The Connection"

Yesterday I started One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake. I read it for about three hours, learning about the heroine, a 7th grade science teacher and amateur astronomer who has just finalized a nasty divorce, and the town's bad boy, who has a secret to hide. When the couple meets again after so many years, she is trespassing on his land so that she can stargaze. They have an encounter that ends up with some very steamy sex up against a tree. I'd imagine that the function of the scene was to begin the threads of connection between the hero and the heroine. But here's the thing. I didn't buy it.

Mostly I didn't buy it because what we know of the heroine up until this point is that her husband left her for a much younger woman, who he felt like he could have "dirty" sex with. She's a good girl, who plays by the rules, adheres to societal standards and isn't a boundary-pusher. She had one personal encounter with the hero of the book when she as a teenager, nothing happened, but she never forgot how she felt when she met him.

I just couldn't understand how a woman like that ends up having hot, angry sex up against a tree with a man she hadn't seen for years and years. At the end of the scene, the hero makes her swear up one side and down the other that she won't tell another living soul that she's seen him. And then he pretty much ditches her.

Toni Blake writes a terrific love scene. Hot and spicy with a smattering of emotion thrown in. But in this case, I'd have bought it alot more if the heroine had gone pretty far with the guy but not all the way. I just didn't buy that someone as buttoned down as her, as mired in societal rules would ever, ever have unprotected sex with a virtual stranger in the woods. Even if her husband had accused her of not being daring enough. The scene just didn't work for me.

So it got me to thinking, why didn't it work for me? I think it's because in this case, Blake had laid the foundation that this heroine was buttoned up, she was a rule follower. And it was too soon in the book for me to buy that she was letting everything go. I'd have rather seen a slow, measured seduction by the hero. I'd have rather seen the heroine loosening up slowly, almost imperceptibly. I kept reading after that first sex scene, but in the end, after about 10 chapters, I still didn't believe the connection between the hero and the heroine (and in fact, I thought she was behaving a bit like a ninny), so I DNF'd the book.

When I think of the romances that I love best, whether historical or contemporary, the single thing that makes them a keeper for me, is a smoldering connection between the hero and the heroine. I want to be *yearning* for them to jump into bed together. I want to experience the total discombobulation both feel by being near each other, by kissing each other, or even the merest touch. I'm not an author, but I'd imagine writing that sexual tension is incredibly challenging, and as a reader, I can't tell you precisely how to do it. But man do I know it when I see it.

So help me out, what is it that makes "The Connection"? What romances can you think of where "The Connection" is tangible? Who does sexual tension best and what makes it so good?

This is Awesome

I wish I'd had the guts to do something like this when I got married.

10 Things I Think...

Hey everyone! I haven't done one of these in a while. So here are 10 things I'm thinking about this week:

1- I think RWA Nationals is well worth the money for readers as well as authors. Most of the readers I know who attended racked up in the neighborhood of 100 free books. Plus the opportunity to meet not just the big names in the industry (who totally are just around the hotel), but also up and coming authors is amazing! This makes the $500 registration fee worth the money. IMO.

2- I think that I'm pleased to have given Sherry Thomas a second chance. For those wondering, the book I referred to in my previous post was Not Quite A Husband. Honestly, it's incredibly rare for me to give an author a second chance when they've written a book I have such a strong negative reaction to (in this case, Private Arrangements). But Not Quite A Husband is unusual, nuanced, gorgeously crafted, and illustrated in every way why Thomas is a rising star in romance. She's not even slightly afraid to take big chances and that will take her far in an industry where imitation is a form of flattery, but not always a good thing. Big bouquets of thanks go to Kenda at Lurv a la Mode, whose review is the direct reason I elected to give Thomas another look. I couldn't be happier I did, as the book easily enters my Top 10 favorite romances of the year.

3- I think that summer TV sucks. I haven't watched anything on TV recently that has caught my interest, or held it. Well. Except the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards Tribute to Michael Douglas. Douglas is not one of my favorite actors, but he's starred in movies with some amazing actresses, and frankly is married to one of the most beautiful women in the world. The show was entertaining and fun to watch.

4- I think if you are a diehard Harry Potter fan, the new movie is likely to aggravate you. I stopped reading with book 5, so I honestly had very little idea about what was going to happen in this movie. I knew that there were Horcruxes, and I knew there was something about a Half Blood Prince (hence the title). The word horcrux doesn't even show up until about 2/3 of the way through the movie, and the HBP is revealed in one throw away line. That being said, I loved the movie. I found it to be entertaining, refreshingly funny and while not as action packed, fully satisfying. Although, I don't think Dan Radcliffe and the chick who plays Ginny have an ounce of chemistry. But whatever...

5- I think that I'm going to see The Ugly Truth this weekend. Even though I read a movie review of it yesterday that stated, "It's a pretty sad thing when the cat is the best thing about a movie." Uh-oh. I still want to see it. But that encourages me even more to pay the $6 early matinee price for it.

6- I think that the Redskins report to training camp on July 29th. I can't wait for football season to start, but honestly, am under no illusions that my team is going to be all that good. We've improved an already stellar defense, but we still don't have anyone to, you know, actually SCORE touchdowns. It's going to make winning games a bit of a challenge. I think we'll be 6-2 at the split, but it'll go downhill from there. SIGH. Usually I'm so optimistic at the beginning of football season, but right now, I'm just not that confident that we're going to be good enough. We might be better than Dallas, which will make me happy.

7- I think I love that so many of my friends are reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga. It makes me laugh though, because as most of us who have read the series know, the books get progressively worse as the series goes on. I told my BF, Amy last night as she took Breaking Dawn, "Don't say I didn't tell you that this book is craptastic. It sucks. And it'll be hours and hours of your life you're never getting back." Don't say I didn't warn you, Ame.

8- I think that summer is more than half over, and the weather in DC hasn't been all that awful. Now granted, August in Washington is just terrible, but we got through a good chunk of July without the usual meltingly hot humidity and a bunch of Code Orange days, where you can barely breathe it's so freaking humid out there.

9- I think that I don't care at all about most of the celebrity news these days. Don't care that Jon Gosselin has a new girlfriend, and that she's apparently a coke head. Don't care the Marc Anthony bought a minority interest in the Miami Dolphins. Don't care that Mischa Barton is in rehab (or the psych ward). I am interested though in the fact that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson broke up. Tony and I will soon be able to go public with our secret love.

10- I think that I might be the least photogenic person on the planet. As photos come out from RWA, every one is worse than the next. SIGH. It doesn't help that in almost all photos I'm either acting like a dork, talking, or smiling like an idiot. Ah well, thank God for the "untag" function in Facebook.

What are you thinking about right now? Reading any good books? Looking forward to any movies? Looking forward to football season?

Bold Choices by Authors

Don't you love it when you're reading a romance, and it's going along, and you love it, and then, the author takes the story in a completely unexpected and delightful direction? I do.

I think probably because nearly 100% of my reading is romance, I so enjoy it when an author make a choice that makes me go, "Whoa." That being said, nothing is more jarring than an author who makes a bold choice, but doesn't have the writing chops to pull it off.

I was reading a very recently published historical romance last week. The book is gorgeously crafted with descriptions of landscapes that sing, and a heroine who is fascinatingly nuanced, and a hero who appears to be one thing, but turns out to be something completely different. They are separated for reasons that don't seem clear well into the book. All you know is that they have a simmering chemistry that sparks between them, and you like them both, and you can't really understand why it is that they aren't together. But there's this chasm between them. And it's one that the heroine is completely unwilling to cross.

And then we find out why.

The hero slept with another woman. Less than a week before he was to marry the heroine.

See? Bold choice. One that literally made me go, "Whoa."

The thing is, no one feels worse about it than the hero. Once he finds out that the heroine knows about it, he's devastated. He can't imagine how on earth she would ever forgive him. And despite the fact that he's a good man, one who loves her unimaginably, he accepts that she could never ever forgive him. And yet she does. Slowly, tremulously, she forgives him.

And I bought it completely.

Now, I know that a lot of readers believe in the "magic hoo-hoo"maxim. You know the one. It states that "When hero meets heroine, he is mesmerized by her magic hoo-hoo, and shall have no other hoo-hoo EVAR." Me? Not so much. I bought this hero's actions. Mostly because of the artistry of the author, who was smart enough to get me well invested in both the hero and heroine before she disclosed the hero's mistake. Even more, the author made me buy the hero's redemption in the heroine's eyes. Because honestly, he was always the better person, even the heroine thinks so.

It was a bold, bold choice for a romance author. One I respect tremendously.

What do you think? Are you a believer in the magic hoo-hoo? What romances can you think of where the author made really bold choices?

RWA Days 2&3 Combo

Sorry for the lack of RWA post day before yesterday.

Thursday

I took no pictures on Day 2, so I'll just tell you what I was up to. I got to the hotel about 3:30 and met up with Monica Burns on my way up to the Smart Bitches signing. Mon and I chatted for a few minutes, and then we scooted over to the Smart Bitches signing. I really wanted to meet Sarah and Candy, whose work I really admire. I bought a copy of Beyond Heaving Bosoms (all money going to literacy again) and had a chance to tell them how much I love their site and to chat with Sarah about an issue we both had recently. I also caught Kate's eye. She and I were due to meet Julie James and Colleen Gleason for drinks at 4:00. Monica and I ran down to the lobby where she was due to meet Deirdre Knight, who is Monica's agent. I had an opportunity to meet Deirdre and tell her how much I'd loved Butterfly Tattoo which is one of my favorite reads of this year. It's an unusual and deeply emotional book.

Shortly afterwards, Kate came down and we found Julie and Colleen (who we introduced). We all sat down for a drink. PJ and Gannon came by and I had a chance to totally ogle the shear magnitude of numbers of books PJ was carrying from the Avon sigining. We chatted for a while (I love Colleen and Julie) and Monica came and got me and we headed off to the Passionate Ink party at Ireland's Four Fields, and Irish bar. Passionate Ink is the online chapter for erotic and erotic romance authors. They were giving out awards and had a lovely spread of yummy bar food. Monica and I sat with Angela Knight, who is one of Monica's idols. It was interesting to hear them talk craft. After the party, Monica and I headed back to the hotel, and I texted Kate to find out where she was. She and Julie and Colleen had (awesomely) crashed the Jenny Cruisie dinner party at a restaurant called Pesto. Well, if they can crash, so can I!! I scooted over and sat with the group for a little while, but at about 9:00, I headed home for the night.

Friday

Yesterday was a busy day for me at home, so I didn't get downtown until about 5:00, just in time to meet up with a group of bloggers and a few authors who were going to join Kate and I for dinner. We had a group of 22, which was so fun. We went to Lebanese Taverna, right near the hotel. Great food, but very garlic laden. I tried to warn folks, but there was much enjoying of the chicken schwarma with it's crack-like garlic paste. Anyway, we had an amazing dinner with a lot of really fun conversations and authors like Meredith Duran, Sherry Thomas, Samantha Kane (who I have a girl crush on) and Mari Freeman, plus, of course, our very own LB Gregg. I was absolutely thrilled to meet Wendy, the Super Librarian, who is just as awesome as you'd imagine. She's got this amazing very dry sense of humor. And no, this is not a euphemism, she let me fondle her Sony reader. After dinner we went back to the hotel to go to the bar.

Confession: I now have a total girl-crush on Rosie from Nobody Asked Me, who told me multiple stories that had me seriously laughing my ass off (especially the one about her sister's calves). We bonded over our mutual love of the infinity sign and had so many terrific conversations. Rosie, I know you're on the fence, but please, please, please consider going to Nashville!! I was also beyond excited to meet KristieJ, who is just the sweetest thing. She's like a blogging legend, so I was so excited to get to meet her. I also got to meet Anime June, who seriously impressed me with her Buffy the Vampire Slayer Knowledge. And bloggers Barbara and Lusty Reader (who is my new local romance connection) came too! Soon Julie James and Shiloh Walker joined us. Shiloh is from Kentucky and has the most charming southern accent. I finally left the hotel about 10:30.

Here are a few photos from last night: Some of these shots are very unflattering of me, but really cute of other people. So, I'll just say, I know.

The *other* Katie and me. How cute is she? We look like Mutt and Jeff though, she's like 10 inches taller than me.

Me and the marvelous LB Gregg. Isn't she gorgeous? Every conversation I had with her made me laugh hysterically. She's smart, gorgeous and writes some damn hot manlove.

Rosie and I. You know how sometimes you meet someone and you just want them to live closer so you can hang out more with them? Yeah, that's me with Rosie, who lives on the other coast. I just adore this woman!

I'm not going back today, I've got a variety of things to do. But I so loved my RWA experience. I didn't actually pay for the conference because I wasn't sure it would be worth the money for a romance reader, but you know, I think it is. Readers get a ton of books and there are smaller signings by each publishing house. Plus food and the RITA awards, which are going on tonight. I think it ends up being a good value for the money. I'm already looking forward to next year!

RWA - Day 1

Yesterday about 2pm, I headed downtown for the opening day of the Romance Writers of America conference. I got to the hotel about 3:00 or so, and immediately called Katiebabs. She and her roommate, the super sweet Aymless were in Harry's Pub having a drink with author Jill Myles. The wait staff at Harry's was pretty clear that they wanted us to move on, so we ended up moving out to the Lobby Bar, where we hung out waiting for Kate & Amy's room to become available. Once it did, they took off to check in. Just a few minutes later, Julie James came down and we headed to the goody room to check out all the stuff. Amazing stuff in the goody room! I also had my first Nora sighting. She is way tinier than you would think, and had a fantastic black suit on. She had a small entourage with her, and was headed down to the Literacy Signing. We also bumped into Gannon, another reviewer from RNTV.

After the goody room, Julie and I headed down to the exhibit hall for the Literacy signing. Wow. Just wow. There were literally hundreds of people lined up for the signing. Julie scooted off to get to her table, where she'd be sigining, and I found Gannon and PJ and hopped into line with them (it pays to know someone!). A couple of smart authors had created bags with their names on it that were being handed out to readers who were waiting in line. And someone else was handing out maps of the rooms. There were a handful of authors who were "endcap" authors, who had tables literally off to the side because their lines end up being so big. As soon as the doors opened, I hustled off to Nora Roberts' table. I was about 15 back (there were over 100 in line). And when I got up to the front to meet her, well. I made a big dork of myself (For God's sake, look at the picture, I look like a fool!). It's possible I was bouncing a bit. Wow. It was a serious thrill. She was very nice, but very business-like. I'd guess you have to when you have dorks like me a bit overexcited to meet you. She had several photographers and a film crew filming her.

The remainder of the room is set up in alphabetical order. It was very tight quarters, but it was pretty easy to find authors. I was nowhere near as organized as I could have been and did a bunch of laps around the room. I hustled back to find Nalini Singh. Who ISN'T AT THE CONFERENCE! And then I headed over to see Colleen Gleason, who looked amazing and there was a lot of squealing and hugging and loud chatter. She had pretty good traffic though, so I took off pretty quickly. I also had a chance to meet Meredith Duran, who was already sold out of her books, but I got a chance to tell her how much I loved Bound By Your Touch and asked her if she'd sign my book when we get together on Friday. I'm also in the midst of reading (and really enjoying) Sherry' Thomas's Not Quite a Husband, which of course, I had in my bag. She graciously agreed to sign it for me. I was thrilled to see Melissa Marr there, and had a chance to tell her how much I am enjoying her Faery Court books and tell her that Abby, my niece, was really enjoying them too. She also signed a copy of Fragile Eternity to Abby, and gave me a small gift to give Abby. She was so cool and very nice. I also got to meet Kristan Higgins and tell her how much I love her work.

Here's a picture of JR Ward, who was not wearing her trademark sunglasses, and looked very tiny and attractive. Her line was also incredibly long, I'm guessing probably sixty or so people when I took the shot. Many of the women had on t-shirts that said things like "Vishous' Shellan" and "Rhage Brigade" etc. Hard core fans. I'm betting she's very flattered by that. I didn't get into line for her, but it looked like her fans were each anxiously awaiting their turns.

But the most fun part (other than meeting Nora) was meeting Lisabea. I don't have a badge (I'm not acutally registered for the conference), but Lisa did. I totally walked up to her and was all, "LB Gregg, I LOVE your work!" then I told her who I was and there was much hugging and laughing.

After buying my books, (all the money goes to Literacy), I headed upstairs to wait for Kate. Once she was done, we met up with Lisa and Amy and the wonderful Rosie and headed out to dinner. We found a place that had $3 margaritas and delicious food. We had a hysterical and wide-ranging conversation about a variety of topics. Dinner ended shortly after 10:00. The girls headed to Ann Aguirre's pajama party, but I still had an hour and a half ride ahead of me back home, so I decided to head out.

What a fun day! I've got another fun one coming up, with a bunch of parties, and getting to spend time with one of my favorite people, Monica Burns. I will report back tomorrow.

In Which Kati Falls in Love Again and Other Minutiae

I'm reading Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran, which would be unremarkable except that I have attempted to read her first book, Duke of Shadows, probably six or seven times and still haven't been able to get into it. But this book is...utterly absorbing.

It's been a while since I've fallen for a hero as hard as I've fallen for James Durham, Viscount Sanbourne. No seriously. When we meet James, he is dispassionately watching yet another in a long line of inappropriate parties being given by him. He's high as a kite on some sort of "concoction" that has Lord knows what in it (opiates of some sort), and he's watching a woman who society thinks is his fiancee have a falling out with her lover. And all the while, he has a running monologue that alternates between hilariously droll and completely aware of how ridiculous his life seems. James is everything that I love in a hero. He's dissipated, self aware, wickedly smart, but hiding it and finds humor in most everything. That is, until he thinks something isn't funny. He's got the looks of a fallen angel, is remarkably loyal to those he loves, and lives for making a scandal to embarrass his father, whom he hates with a fiery passion. I'm in the midst of Chapter 8 right now, and I'm finding myself reveling in the deliberation that Duran uses in her writing. It's as if every word is specifically chosen. I can almost see her deliberating on which word to use in a sentence. Yet at the same time, she has the deftest touch with humor, making us understand that James will go to most any length to humiliate his father. But all the while, we understand that he has a reason for every action.

An example:

James has just crashed a dinner party that his parents are giving. He's come because he's discovered that our heroine, Lydia Boyce's father has sold him a phony artifact, and after his first encounter with her, is determined to make her pay. Plus, it's an opportunity for him to needle his father, something he revels in.

The interruption cast a pall over the gathering. As dining resumed, the only sound was the clink of silverware and crystal. Lydia peeked at the earl. His color was very high and he had not retrieved his fork. His glower was fixed firmly on his son.

The son took no note of it. With overstated enthusiasm, he'd begun to consume a quail. "Very tasty," he said. And then, after the next bite: "My, my. As delicious as irony."

These comments did not reinvigorate the conversation.

For me, the picture is just so clearly drawn. I can feel the tension in the room, although truly Duran hasn't gone to great lengths to describe the scene.

Anyway, I'm in love with James Durham. I just thought I should mention it.

On to other topics:

I saw The Proposal tonight. It was a cute movie, and I will admit to finally understanding what some of the hoopla over Ryan Reynolds is. I've seen him in plenty of other movies and never really got the appeal, but he was truly adorable in this movie. And he and Sandra Bullock have nice chemistry, even if the article I read in People magazine which said that they vacation together (with their spouses) made that whole naked scene a little weird. But it's a cute movie, not sure it's really worth the $8.50 (that was matinee pricing!) but cute nonetheless.

You may have heard that this week is RWA, here in DC. I'm quite excited to head downtown to see many of my author and blogger friends. I've been lucky enough to get invited to several parties, and will definitely be attending the literacy signing on Wednesday. Over 500 authors, signing books? I'm so there. Plus, I should finally be able to meet Nora Roberts. Hopefully I won't act like a total squealy fangirl. I'm also quite looking forward to finally meeting Nalini Singh, whose work I adore. And I'll finally get to meet many of my blogger friends who I've "known" online for years, including: Katiebabs, Lisabea, Wendy, KristieJ and many others. It's going to be a really fun week!

What are you up to this week? Reading anything good? Seen any good movies?

I'm Just Sayin'

Look at how pretty Halle Berry's Baby Daddy, Gabriel Aubry is. There's a reason this guy is a model.

I'm just sayin'.

Unsolicited Advice for Contemporary Romance Authors...From a Concerned Reader

I've been on a mini-contemporary romance kick lately. That is to say, two in a row. Both books were cute in their own way. And had deliciously hot, caring, wonderful heroes. And steamy love scenes. And heroines who pissed me off.

So, I'm going to offer some unsolicited advice to authors of contemporary romance. Heroines who push Mr. Wonderful away because 1) they're not looking for anything serious, when clearly they are since every time they're around the hero their pants are on fire or 2) they have a big time career, and a serious relationship just isn't in their plans aggravate the snot out of me.

Why? I can't identify with the feeling. On top of that, in both of these cases, I didn't find the heroines' reasoning to be credible. OK, sure, I can buy that your career is important. That you've worked your tail off to get where you are. That you're too smart to fall into whatever pretend trap you think there is in having BOTH a wonderful job AND a man to love you. Except here's the thing, women these days CAN have it all. No really. I know a bunch of women who have both very successful careers and loving relationships with their partners. Does it take work? Sure. But presumably, if you are smart enough to have a successful career, you're smart enough to balance both. Will it be easy? Probably not, but hey, this is a romance novel for God's sake. Figure it out.

And yes, I'm a single girl who is still waiting for her Mr. Right. But I gotta tell you, if he came knocking on my door, and made my panties burst into flame, I'd move freaking Heaven and Earth to make the relationship work. So please, please, please STOP writing these heroines who are otherwise smart, but shit all over Mr. Wonderful because they can't fathom having it all and making it work. It's insulting and it pisses me off.

That is all.

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr - A Review (-ish)

As I said before, I finally listened to Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr last month and loved its darkness, teen angst and incredible world building. But when I found that book two, Ink Exchange, was not going to continue the story of the characters in Wicked Lovely, I was hesitant. I emailed the brilliant Ana from Book Smugglers and asked her whether I needed to read Ink Exchange to understand the action in Fragile Eternity, book three in the series. Her answer was "Need to read it? Not necessarily. Should you read it? Absolutely."

So, not being a stupid girl, I took Ana's advice and did as she advised. Again, I listened to the story. Marr has a new narrator for the audio version of Ink Exchange, a guy whose voice I quite loved and who I thought did a wonderful job of laying out the dark tableau of Ink Exchange.

At its heart, Ink Exchange is a story of triumph over addiction. It is the story of Leslie, who is a friend of Aislinn, the newly crowned Queen of the Summer Court. Leslie has no inkling of Ash's new life or the existence of fairies. She knows that Ash seems to be living in a very strange triumverate with her boyfriend, Seth, and with Keenan, a new and very hot guy in town. Little does she know that Keenan is the Summer King and Ash's counterpart. One of the first things Aislinn does when she takes over rule of the court is insist that her close friends be protected and watched at all times. You see, Ash is very aware of the horror of fairy and that very bad things can happen to mortals. Ash asks Niall, one of Keenan's closest advisors to help with watching over Leslie. Sometimes Niall is visible to Leslie and others he's invisible to her. But at the times he's visible, she's very attracted. Niall is a handsome guy, but he also has this sad yet strong vibe that Leslie totally relates to. He has scars on his face, so she knows he's survived something awful, just as she has. Leslie's brother is a drug dealer, and one night, while high on crack, he drugged her and gave her to a group of other dealers to rape. Leslie survived it, but is emotionally wrecked by it. And she never, ever discusses it. Leslie's mother is long gone, and her father, in mourning for that broken relationship is now a drunk, who can't even pay the bills on time. So Leslie and her brother both work to split the bills (although he can never really be relied upon to do his part).

Leslie has resolved quite some time ago to get a tattoo. But she's been long undecided about what tattoo to get. She spends a lot of time at Pins & Needles, the local tattoo parlor talking to Rabbit, the owner and trying to decide what to get. Leslie is unaware that Rabbit is part fey as well. One day, Rabbit shows Leslie a book of custom designs. Finally she finds one that speaks to her. She immediately connects to it, and insists that Rabbit do the design for her. What she doesn't realize is that she's chosen the sign of Irial, King of the Dark Court. When Rabbit tattoos her with Irial's symbol, he will use special ink, a combination of Irial's blood and ink which will inextribly join Irial and Leslie. The Dark Court survives by feeding on the "lesser" human emotions: lust, greed, anger, terror. Once Irial and Leslie are joined, Leslie will become the conduit by which Irial can feed not just himself, but his entire court.

When Leslie finally meets Irial, she is immediately drawn to him. She doesn't understand why, but he's dark and handsome and compelling. She can't stop looking at him, and after she gets the first part of her tattoo, she does not ever want to be away from him. At the same time, she begins to manifest a dark side of her personality. She's quicker to anger, and has a ruthlessness that she's never possessed before. Soon afterwards, Niall and Leslie's relationship takes a big step forward. You see, she's also very drawn to Niall, who is a member of the Summer Court by choice, but is actually from the Dark Court. He and Irial have a long and complicated history, one that included his abuse at Irial's hands. Despite that, he can't hate Irial. Theirs is a very difficult relationship. Once Niall realizes that Leslie is slipping into Irial's grasp, he tries to mobilize to save her. It is at that time that he understands that his relationship with Leslie and Irial is one that others would hope to leverage for their own purposes. All of this comes as Leslie is slipping farther and farther into the addiction that Irial's tender care provides.

Simply put, this is an absolutely gorgeous book. Marr's world is not necessarily a complicated one, but it is very dark. And although the books are marketed as Young Adult fiction, they work as adult fiction on every level. The are gripping and emotional and layered with nuance. The story itself really is a triumph over addiction and survival of awful things. But what makes it so fascinating is simply put: Irial. He is one of the most interesting characters I've ever read. He's the King of the Dark Court, and as such, is ruthless and seemingly without morals or ethics. And yet, he has his own code. He understands completely his responsibilities, and the hope that Leslie's tie to him provides. At the same time, he is torn between those duties, and the unwanted emotion that his ties to Leslie and to Niall provide.

I find it fascinating that both with this book and Wicked Lovely, it is the dark characters that I find most compelling. Donia in the first book and Irial in this one. Marr has a deft touch with inner monologue, telegraphing without ever being overt, that nothing is at it seems in this world, and that even those who are "bad" aren't necessarily wholly one or the other. It is that juxtapostion and grey area that makes this series one of the best fantasy series I've read.

Final grade: A

Serialitis

Confession: I own about 15 of the Cynster novels. When really, the only two that I consider keepers are Devil's Bride and A Secret Love. Why you ask? Because I have a disease - it's called "Serialitis". It's an inexplicable drive to own an entire series of books, even when you don't love the series any more.

Serialitis is also accountable for my Carpthian issues. I bought every book in the Dark series through Dark Secret, when I realized that I was throwing money away on a series that hadn't held my attention or piqued my interest in about five books.

Serialitis isn't limited to my book buying habit. It speaks directly to my television series on DVD habit as well. Even though I hated Season 3 of Grey's Anatomy, I own it (so dark and angsty, no ha-ha in it at all). Because, really, what's the point of owning Seasons 1,2, & 4? I bought all of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, even though season 4 sucked (Riley - really?!). I own all of Angel, even though seasons 3 & 4 were wretched (will he and Cordy do it? Cordy gets knocked up by Angel's son - WHAT?!).

It's a real issue for me. I continue buying books in a series even after it's gone to crap.

Am I the only one suffering from Serialitis? Is there a cure?

Him...or Him?

I just finished reading the first three books in SJ Day's Marked series. I can't recommend them enough: dark and imaginative and fast paced. And they feature two ridiculously delicious heroes. The thing is, the guy I want the heroine to be with has SERIOUS issues. I mean, virtually insurmountable issues. And the other guy, yummy, but a bit of a vigilante. Both are really beautifully written, nuanced characters, but I've definitely chosen a team. And the more I read, the more I wonder how my guy will be "the" guy.

Which got me to thinking about love triangles.

My sweet friend, LeeAnn, *HATES* love triangles. I mean, has a serious aversion to them. Me? I find that I love them. I love the shifting tides, the wondering where the story will go next. The Gardella Chronicles also features a dandy love triangle -- one that ended the way I wanted it to. But it made me wonder, why do they work for me? I was less invested in the Twilight series love triangle, and in the end felt like I was fine with who the heroine chose to be with (even if the other guy ended up having an extremely creepy alternative to the heroine).

I think it's because the tension between two men and the indecision by the heroine who can see good and bad in both men, but ultimately must follow her heart is a compelling trope for me. It invariably raises my interest and investment in the story. Probably because I'm one of those people who sees things in shades of gray. I can almost always argue both sides of the coin. But in the end, I almost always choose one guy. And then I stick with him. This was true in the Gardellas, and it's definitely true in the Marked series - even though I dig the hell out of the other guy - and want him to find his HEA, just not w/the heroine.

What about you? Do love triangles work for you? If not, why? If so, what are some of your favorite series or books that feature love triangles.

My Favorite Paranormal, Alternate Reality and Urban Fantasy Books

OK, this is it, the final installment of the "My Favorites" series. Today I tackle Paranormal Romance, Alternate Reality and Urban Fantasy books. I don't always have the easiest time differentiating between the three, so I'm not going to try. Again, I'll do what I can to limit my choices to choose only one book by each author and not repeat within a series. Please see Renee's excellent list and definition of PNR vs. UF (which is much better than mine!). Thanks again to Renee for the great idea of making this list!

On to my choices!

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh - This is far and away my favorite ongoing paranormal series out there. The world building is completely evolved and you never get the feeling that Nalini is writing herself into a corner. The heroes tend to be very alpha, but the heroines are strong in their own way too. Each book raises the stakes in the series, and I've found that her craft is becoming more refined as she goes. A truly outstanding series. I've re-read StS probably 20 times. Lucas is my favorite hero thus far in the series. Dominant and aggressive, he knows just exactly how to wring the emotion out of his "emotionless" Psy, Sascha. Their chemistry is terrific, and the introduction to the world is wonderfully done.

Lover Eternal by JR Ward - I'm one of those readers who has grown very disenchanted with the series, but can't seem to stop reading. But the first three books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series were everything I want in PNR: tautly written, fully imagined world building, and very strong romances. Sure, the heroes names are silly, and the heroines can be pretty door-matty, but Ward knows how to write an emotional romance. Rhage is my favorite of the brothers (until I finally get Tohr's book). He's a caregiver, and a pussycat, all dressed up in that badass warrior disguise. I think this series either works for you, or doesn't. But for the first three books, I was as rabid as any fangirl.


Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan - The Warlords of the Plains series is one of my all time favorites. The series has a medieval, sort of Clan of the Cave Bear feel to it. With the heroine Xylara, a princess and accomplished headler, being sold into servitude to Keir of the Cat, who conquers her land. Nothing is exactly as it seems in this series, and Vaughan uses the luxury of the three books to make the story unfold slowly. Evoking both tears and laughter from me, Warprize is another book that I've read over and over again.


Witness in Death by JD Robb - The In Death series is one of the longest running, featuring more than 30 books. The story of Eve and Roarke has definitely had its ups and downs, and I was hard pressed to choose which of the books is my favorite. But Witness in Death has one of my favorite scenes between Eve and Roarke, when Eve attempts to put together a surprise dinner for Roarke - and he fumbles it badly. I love the scene because Roarke rarely missteps. The series features wonderful secondary characters and one of the strongest protagonists out there.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs - I read this series at the urging of author Vivi Anna. What appeals to me about this series? The heroine. Mercy is a shapeshifting coyote. A walker, and she is also the chosen mate of Adam Hauptman, the local werewolf alpha. Adam is one of my favorite romance heroes. He's honorable and sweet and utterly dominant. What I love about Mercy is that she is smart enough to be terrified, a lot of the time. But she's also completely honorable, and smart and resourceful. Iron Kissed is my favorite of the books so far because Mercy makes some big decisions about her life, especially the decision about whether she'll be a victim or not. If you like strongly written heroines and fantastic world building, this is a great series to start with.

As Shadows Fade by Colleen Gleason - A brilliantly written historical paranormal series, the Gardella Chronicles are some of my favorite re-reads. The heroine, Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy straddles the line between ton debutante and vampire slayer so adeptly the mind boggles. Featuring two wonderfully drawn hero choices, the series is five books long. Fair warning, if you're not a fan of the love triangle, this series isn't for you. Almost all of Gleason's fans had chosen a team (Team Max or Team Sebastian) by the second book in the series. What I love about this series is that Gleason pulls no punches in torturing her heroine. Victoria suffers great losses throughout the series, which makes the emotional punch bigger and raises the reader's investment in the series.

Lord of the Fading Lands by CL Wilson - The Tairen Soul series was my first foray into fantasy romance. While I understand from regular readers of fantasy, part of it edges toward fantasy cliche, but for me, the series absolutely captured my imagination. I love a tortured hero, and Rainier certainly applies. The worldbuilding is complicated, but well described, and Wilson has successfully raises the stakes with each book in the series. I'm quite looking forward to the final book. Fair warning for those who don't care for the trope, this series features soulmates.


Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop - Brilliant. Truly, when I first heard about this series, I wasn't sure. This series is complicated, emotionally gripping and oh so very, very dark. In Bishop's world, Satan is a good guy and a worried and frustrated father. The heroine of the piece, Jaenelle is the strongest person in the world, and when we meet her, she is an abused and damaged child. What makes this series so compelling is the incredible world building, the juxtaposition of dark and light, and mostly, the hero of the piece, Daemon Sadi, who goes through every possible horror for love of Jaenelle. He is a wonderfully dark and nuanced hero, one who doesn't have a lot to care about beyond his own personal agenda. Watching Bishop redeem him is a revelation.

Eve of Darkness by SJ Day - I just inhaled the first three installments of the Marked series. It's a fantastically imagined wonderful world, based on the battle between Heavenly good and Hell's evil. There are angels, demons, mal'akhs, seraphim, cherubim, and one kick ass heroine torn between two delicious men: Alec Cain and Reed Abel. What makes the series so fun is Evangeline Hollis, the heroine who is smart and kick ass, and totally torn between the two brothers, who are fighting their own private battle. I love this series, and was thrilled to hear it wouldn't end with just three books. In fact, the last one ends in a bit of a cliff hanger, so I'm glad there will be more to come.

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione - Deliciously steamy paranormal romance set in a demon hospital full of varying types of demons, fallen angels, vampires, and humans. This book features Eidolon, a surgeon, and a demon and Tayla, a demon hunter sworn to kill every demon out there, while hiding a critical aspect of her character. The sexual tension between the two is palpable, and the book kicks off a terrific series from the fertile mind of Ione.

Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian - I adore the Midnight Breed series, although I think that it is veering towards a jump the shark moment. But Adrian's vampire mythology is different from others, and I love the idea of Breedmates (which are NOT soul mates). This particular book features a hero who is one step away from the abyss and a heroine who has, by necessity, gone vigilante.

Now it's your turn, have you read any of these? Agree? Disagree? What are your favorite paranormal/alternate reality/UF books?

She's Back...

Hey everyone! I'm back from vacation.

The week before I left, I found out that I have an ulcer on my cornea, which made my vacation at the beach a bit of a challenge. I got virtually no reading done and was pretty sensitive to the sun for most of the week.

I did read two books, In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming, which was brilliant, and Start Me Up by Victoria Dahl, which cemented my theory that there are things that aggravate me about Dahl's writing style. I also tried to read Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase, and it ended up being a DNF for me. I just never invested in the characters. The book was almost universally well reviewed and is already considered a classic, but it just didn't work for me.

I also saw a couple of movies: Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and Christian Bale and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

I mostly enjoyed Public Enemies. It's slow moving, but an interesting character study of John Dillenger. Johnny Depp is pretty good in it, and he has terrific chemistry with Marion Cottillard who is his love interest in it. She's adorable and her English is coming along beautifully. The thing about the movie is that it's not as meaty as it could have been. We never really understand the motivations of Dillinger, or why he's driven to do the things he does. Christian Bale actually has the meatier role, that of Melvin Purvis, the officer deployed by J. Edgar Hoover to raise the profile of the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation. But really, neither role was particularly meaty. The movie features wonderful costumes (why can't men still dress like that?!) and the settings are lovely. But in the end, I think it was a missed opportunity to pit two of the finest actors out there against each other. Final grade: C+

I also saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. What a really cute movie! I'm newly in love with Young Adult fiction, and this is a book that was very warmly reviewed by Candy at Smart Bitches. I kept meaning to read it, but never got around to it. So when I found that my niece Abby brought it to the beach, I borrowed it one night. I have to say that I saw Juno and never watched Arrested Development, but never really got the Michael Cera thing. But now I do. He's deeply cute in that really smart nerd kind of way. I love slightly awkward guy thing, which he's got in spades. It just makes you want to hug him. I also really liked Kat Dennings, who is also adorable. The movie itself kind of reminds me of old John Hughes movies, portraying much more accurately the way I think teens think and act. It's a sweet story and one that allows that characters a lot of development. Final grade: B+

Anyway, sorry I don't have a slew of book reviews for you guys from my week at the beach. I honestly brought about 15 books with me, but it was just too uncomfortable to read. But I'm feeling much better, so hopefully I'll get my reading mojo back.

This week, I'll be posting my favorite UF/PNR books list. Probably on Tuesday. And then I'm thinking about starting a new series on my blog, but I'm still in the planning phase, but some of you guys might end up with an email from me soon about it.

What about you guys? Seen any good movies? What are you reading? How was your week?