Monday, Monday...

really, the only good thing about Mondays (for me anyway, and some of you have heard this before) is the Monday Meme "It's Monday, What Are You Reading?", being able to read what others are reading, and the fact that my workweek doesn't officially start until 11:10 on Monday Morning. Which means I can sleep in until 10 a.m.....I really enjoy my sleep time. This Monday Meme is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey, and is a forum for us to brag- ahem, let others know what we've been reading and what we hope to read in the coming week. (bragging, informing...it's all in good fun. *g*)

Currently Reading:

Devon Monk's Magic At the Gate - the continuing saga of Allie Beckstrom and her friends....I am especially enjoying Stone (the gargoyle). So far, a very enjoyable read with only one slow part (for me), but one small slow area out of five books is pretty damned good. Good news, another novel due in April of 2011.


I'm continuing to read Bitter Angels, although I have to say it's taken a backseat to Devon Monk's book (c'mon, it's Devon Monk!) I haven't gotten very far into it, but I can tell I'm going to like it. It's spaceships, war, futuristic, all things I enjoy in a good book. C.L. Anderson is the author, also known as Sarah Zettel. Writing Sci-Fi under C.L. Anderson and writing as Sarah Zettel...Sci-Fi also...

Recently Picked Up:

I took one of my November B-Day friends to the bookstore to buy her a b-day book. Now try going to a bookstore and NOT buying a book for yourself...it's impossible for me. Hell, I even bought a floor puzzle for my grandson...

I bought Kelley Armstrong's Frostbitten in paperback. I kind of like the new covers they have going for Armstrong's books. Frostbitten features Clay and Elena, although the blurb makes it sound like Elena has a choice of men, like she's still looking around...In the last Elena/Clay book they were married and had twins, for god's sakes. To the people who write blurbs...Some of us are okay buying books where there aren't love triangles, and the main characters are actually already married with children. It's okay, the story is sound, it's still paranormal, they still are pretty kick-ass characters... lay off the tintillating blurbs...give us readers a little credit.


On a complete unfounded impulse, I bought Trolls in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome. I read the blurb...a graphic novelist has one of her characters seem to come to life......and although there is already mentions of HAWT men, and attractions...I'm hoping that the blurb is another case of the publishers exaggerating the romance to tease us gullible readers, who of course, are really only looking for sexxing up in the books.....which we could get just walking through the romance section and NOT THE SCIENCE FICTION SECTION WHERE I WISH WE COULD COUNT ON THE BOOKS REALLY BEING SCI-FI, OR FANTASY AND NOT...YOU, KNOW...FANTASY-SEX.... sorry, went off on a mini rant there for a small minute. I am kind of afraid it's going to read like a mix of chick-lit and paranormal romance, complete with throbbing areas, and many thoughts of how hawt someone is....I'm hoping the book really is a nice urban fantasy with minimal......OMG-SO-HAWT=....

That was it, until I went to Marshall's, a discount clothing store to look for pants. For some reason I ended up in the infant section, where there were a few toys and socks, caps, blankets, infant assorted items and there were books. There was a hardback copy of Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall, and a paperback copy of What the Dickens by Gregory Maguire. Strangely, both books were selling for $3.00. Yep - $3.00 for each book, regardless of the paperback/hardback status. So, of course I had to buy them. I kept hearing about Hex Hall, and my daughter thinks Gregory Maguire is one of the best writers around....

I haven't entered very many book giveaway contests lately, because I've been mentally very lazy, and I have a lot of books that I haven't got around to reading in my TBR pile, AND I feel like I've been pretty blessed with a couple of friends giving me books, and winning a few in the last two years around my birthday. So I didn't want to be a cosmic book-winner hog, you know? But I recently read about a book that seemed very interesting - twisty, and different and I very much wanted to read it. Then I saw that there was a giveaway contest on Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog, and on a whim I went ahead and entered, not expecting really, to win. But I did win...and I'm feeling a little excited, because I'm going to get to read it! It's Greyfriar by Clay and Susan Griffith. Panama is mentioned in the book. You know how often you hear mentions of Panama in novels? very rarely. I am very happy to know that I'm getting this book.

by the way - click here for some images of Molas, an artform that started out as body art way, way back before the time of missionaries and now is expressed with materials. Very beautiful work, traditionally done all by hand - although it's possible that some of the Cuna Indians have embraced sewing machines - I don't know.