Monday, May 16, 2011

Whatcha Readin'?

Once upon a time, when I was a kid, I had two or three books in progress, and my mom said, "I don't know how  you can do that.  I can only read one book at a time."

For whatever reason, the committee in my head decided that reading more than one book at a time was a BAD thing. It probably fits in with the fact that I am really good at starting things and not finishing them, but with books, this isn't the case, unless the book suck.  Even if the book sucks, I feel guilty if I don't finish it.  Kind of like how I feel guilty if I divide my day lilies and don't replant the ones that I am casting out of the spot next to the front door. I feel like I am committing flower murder.  But I'm Catholic, I can live with guilt.

ANYWAY, as most of us do, I have spent many hours of my adult life overcoming the lessons I learned as a child (and instilling different, but no less damaging values in my children).  I now have three or four books in progress (kind of like writing...how many WIPs do I have?  Ummmm....)

I have a little book I keep in my purse with a list of books I want to read...back list stuff of authors I like, books that other people have recommended, that sort of thing.  I decided that I would also keep a list of books I've read in this little notebook.  I'm not keeping a list of the ones I'm working on, though...so I think I'll share the past week's reading list with you:

On audio disc, in the car:  The Heart of a Soldier, by Capt. Kate Blaise.
The Heart of a Soldier: A True Story of Love, War, and Sacrifice
This is a true story of a couple who fell in love in high school and both became soldiers fighting in Iraq.  It's an awesome memoir.  The true-life love story, the details of life as a female soldier in the first days of the invasion of Iraq...I have been in tears at least four times so far, and I've only listened to half the discs. 

On my Kindle: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)
This is the first book in the Hollows series. According to the Suzanne Johnson system of identifying a genra by it's cover, this is Urban Fantasy (badass woman with tattoos.  If it was a guy with rock hard abs, it would be a Paranormal Romance, FYI).  We are reading this as a book club thing on Suzanne's Preternatura Blog, 2 chapters a week.  Come join us!


Paperback #1:  When You Dare, by Lori Foster.
 When You Dare
 I'm a Lori Foster fan from back in her Harlequin Blaze days.  I loved most of the MMA fighter guy books, so have hopes for this new series.  Not sure I am buying how this Hard Core Alpha Guy falls so instanly in love with the woman he accidentally rescued, but the story doesn't suck, either.  Definitely going to finish it!

Paperback #2: Premeditated Murder, by Ed Gaffney
Premeditated Murder
This one is a legal thriller, and I should put in the disclaimer that Ed Gaffney is the husband of my hero (have I mentioned this before?) Suzanne Brockmann, which kind of prejudices me to like it before I open the cover.  I met Ed last October (which gives me the right to call him "Ed" and not "Mr Gaffney") and he was a really nice guy.  I'm only a couple of chapters into the story, and there are a LOT of POV's going on, which is a little hard to track, but the plot has got several threads...there is a regular kind of guy who killed a bunch of terrorists, the president, a lady reporter, a couple of lawyers, some other seemingly unrelated deaths.  I kind of run hot and cold on legal thrillers in general, but I like the characters I am supposed to like (at least I think they are the ones I'm supposed to like!) so I'm definitely hooked. 

On my Crackberry Kindle app:
Tied Up, Tied Down by Lorelei James
Tied Up, Tied Down: Rough Riders, Book 4
Yeah, kids, this is this week's Smut Selection.  I've actually read this whole series already, and it's worth a re-read.  Definitely Ero Rom, and some of it's a little cheesey; but there are great secondary character story arcs all the way through this series. 

I am also sloooowly but surely critting a great "suspense with romantic elements" for the lovely Dawn Alexander.  I am pushing her to ramp up the romance, maybe we can start a twitter campaign for some nekkid parts (although I'm only halfway through.  Maybe there will be nekkid stuff and I just haven't gotten to it...). 

That's what I've been reading.  Any surprise I haven't been getting my writing done? What have you been reading? 

9 comments:

  1. I read multiple books at a time too! Sometimes because I'm too lazy to go to the other room, so I'll pick up the one beside me...

    I was just balancing 4 books last week, but I finished them. Today I checked out 3 books from the library (2 Jennifer Crusie, 1 Stephen King). I'll probably finish the Crusie books in the next couple of days, but I'll take longer on the King because I'm sure it's scary... :D

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  2. I always have multiple books going. I've got about 3 I'm currently reading that have to do with the craft of writing. And for pleasure, I'm reading The Help. I am one of those people who will drop a book like a hot potato if it's not that good. And I don't feel at all guilty about doing it. Life's too short to spend time on a book you don't like.

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  3. I do the multibooks at once too :) I'm rereading the second book in the Game of Thrones series (paperback) and an ARC of Starcrossed (kindle). So... not QUITE as many as you have going, lol

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  4. New follower here! I was scrolling thru some of your old posts and kinda giggling to myself, but then stumbled upon your pic of that man, with the back like a god and I'm sold.

    I used to only read one book at a time, but a friend gifted me her old Reader and now I find myself going back and forth between that and whatever paperback is on hand. I just finished JR Wards Lover Mine (yes, I'm so behind) and Nancy's Theory of Style by Grace Coopersmith.

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  5. Summer: I'm a J. Crusie fan, too...would definitely finish those before King...I am not a big fan of being scared!

    Kate: How is The Help? It's on my list, I just don't seem to get going on it.

    Sara: The Big Guy is totally involved in the Game of Thrones series on HBO...nothing like a good swords and sandals series...maybe I'll get him the books for Father's Day.

    Jenn: Welcome! Glad you are here. Yeah, that SEAL photo keeps showing up everywhere...my desktop, my cell phone, the insides of my eyelids...sigh.

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  6. Right now I'm reading two different novels, plus one I'm critiquing. Sigh. Don't feel guilty not finishing a book that you don't like. Life's too short for bad books!

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  7. I devour books(my husband's words) so usually having two going at one time isn't a problem because I finish them in a day or two. Nothing else in my world gets done, but I finish the book!

    While I greatly appreciate you mentioning my manuscript and I am thrilled you like it. For the love all that is holy, please don't start at twitter campaign!

    This one isn't big on nekkidness. I have another that has PLENTY in it. :)

    PS. Teri is the awesomest crit partner ever!

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  8. Angie: Life IS short...and time is short...and your short stories ROCK. I can't even write a short sentence...

    Dawn: I'll back off on the nekkid campaign. For now. I'll just start bugging my home girl KATE to get her historical peep horizontal...

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  9. Sheesh, girl. That takes a crazy amount of brain cells to manage that reading list! Not me. I'm a one-book-at-a-time girl, for sure. But I so admire people who can read more!

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