I woke up this morning to the season’s first snowfall. It was beautiful! Though the fall is my favorite time of year, winter has its moments. I love being inside, curled up on my couch with a good book. I like snow, too, when it’s not on the roads. I always feel nervous about driving when there’s snow on the road. Luckily it has melted, so it just looks nice on my lawn and the roads are clear.

After writing a full-length review of The Bane Affair, I decided to write about a few more books today. I’ve read a lot in the past few weeks and I won’t cover them all, but here are my thoughts on some of them:

Wicked and Willing by Leslie Kelly: 4 out of 5

Wickedly Hot was my first book by Leslie Kelly, and I’ve read several of her books since then. Her plots aren’t terribly realistic, but her characterization is so strong that I enjoy the stories. This was particularly apparent with Wicked and Willing. The hero, Troy Langtree, makes an appearance in Two to Tangle, and I didn’t particularly like him in the latter story. This book helps me understand him better and I ended up liking him very much. He meets Venus Messina, the apparent long-lost granddaughter to Troy’s boss (it’s a bit complicated), and they are instantly attracted. Venus and Troy have had many lovers in the past (a unique aspect I liked), but they experience something amazing when they decide to get together.

With this book, Kelly’s going on my auto-buy list. Her next book will be out in December, and I’m looking forward to it. In the meantime, there are several books on her backlist for me to enjoy. Here’s how I rank Kelly’s books I’ve read so far:

Wickedly Hot: 5 out of 5
Wicked and Willing: 4 out of 5
Into the Fire: 4 out of 5
Suite Seduction: 3 out of 5

The Real Deal by Lucy Monroe: 4 out of 5

Amanda Zachary discovers that her husband has been unfaithful. She divorces her husband and decides that romance is overrated. The experience with her husband wounded her deeply; during the marriage, he undermined her confidence in large and small ways, claiming that she was fat and couldn’t satisfy him. Since the divorce, Amanda has devoted herself to her work.

Enter Simon Brant, a man Amanda must persuade to accept a merger. Although they meet because of business, their interest quickly turns personal. However, Amanda can’t believe that he would be attracted to her, and Simon has insecurities of his own—namely a belief that the solitary focus that makes him so good at his job also makes him unable to have a meaningful relationship.

I loved the first half of this book. I was incredibly moved by both Simon and Amanda. Amanda in particular makes an incorrect assumption that I found heartbreaking. I’d say that only 1 out of 50 books makes me cry, but this one did. Somewhere in the second half, though, I felt let down. Amanda trusted Simon very quickly; I expected her trust to come more gradually. I was frustrated by another aspect that comes late in the book (and therefore I won’t reveal it here) as well. Still, The Real Deal was a strong story that was well worth reading.

Happy Halloween! I haven’t been scrapbooking much lately, but I thought I’d post some Halloween pages I’ve done in the past. Enjoy!

I’m woefully behind on talking about the books I’ve read lately, but here are two:

Miss Match by Leslie Carroll: 2 out of 5

Everyone has plots they enjoy, and for some reason, I’m drawn to stories about matchmakers and advice columnists. In Miss Match, Walker runs his mother’s matchmaking service in her absence. After seeing his mother’s multiple marriages fail, he has an understandably pessimistic view of marriage. Then Kate walks in, determined to try the matchmaking service and find someone she can settle down with.

I liked the fact that Walker and Kate are 30+ years old—I wish that more books out there focused on older couples. Miss Match is also humorous and witty. So why the 2? For a few reasons: (1) Although the dialogue is witty, it didn’t quite sound real to me. Walker has a friend he talks with, Kate chats with her sister, and they are all witty. There is so much talk, though, that I felt almost distanced from the characters. At times their conversations seem too intellectual. (2) I was quite frustrated with Walker halfway through the novel. The man spends too much time vacillating. He knows that Kate wants a relationship that could lead to marriage, so he needs to decide either that he’s willing to try or that he’s not. The halfway stuff was frustrating. (3) I was easily able to put this book down. Two weeks passed from the time I started to the time I finished it. Since I read quickly, it says something when it takes me this long to finish a book.

I had better luck with Houston, We Have a Problem by Erin McCarthy: 4 out of 5. Houston and Josie are both doctors who work at the same hospital. When Houston is around, Josie becomes uncharacteristically clumsy, dropping files and folders. This behavior drives Houston crazy in more ways than one. At first, he worries about her competence. Then he realizes there’s a connection between her clumsiness and his presence. So he comes up with a proposition: they’ll spend a night having sex and getting the other out of their systems.

If you think this sounds cold, you’d be right. Houston starts out as a love-’em-and-leave-’em type, who thinks one night will be enough for him. After some thought, Josie agrees to the plan and they have a passionate evening until Houston is called back to the hospital and their night comes to an abrupt end.

Of course, Josie and Houston discover that the attraction is still there, and they have to decide what to do about it. I won’t say much more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but circumstances ensure that Houston and Josie get to know each other in nonsexual ways, and I enjoyed learning more about both characters and seeing their relationship evolve.

Out of the three books I’ve read by Erin McCarthy, Houston, We Have a Problem is my least favorite. That’s not saying much, though, since I still give it a 4. Her other two books, Bad Boys Online and Smart Mouth are also 4 out of 5. If you haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend them. Keep in mind that they are on the steamy side.

Back to my TBR shelf . . .

Book reviewing isn’t always fun. Yes, I love getting packages of books in the mail, I love discovering great authors I haven’t read before, I love reading those rare books that rate 5 out of 5.

Writing reviews for books I don’t love is challenging. Today I wrote a review for an author’s first book, which ended up being 2 out of 5. I don’t enjoy criticizing someone’s work, especially that of a first-time author. It isn’t fun, but all I can do is what any reviewer can do: offer my opinion and give as much information as I can so that people who read the review can make their own decision. If I’m not as honest as I can be about books that receive a 1 or 2, then that invalidates the power of a book that receives a 4 or 5.

Here’s hoping the next one will be one of the latter.

On Saturday I had my annual Halloween party for my nieces and nephew. It was a hit, mainly because I had a lot of structured activities. Last year’s party was very informal and not as fun. I learned my lesson.

The bad news is that I’m having problems with my camera. A certain light was blinking, which indicates either “low battery” or “take it in for repairs.” I tried the repair route several weeks ago, but they said that their tests indicated that nothing was wrong. So I tried again and got that stupid blinking light. It blinks even when I use new batteries. Clearly there is a problem, but they can’t figure out what it is. GRRR. I do have another camera, but I can’t find it. This entire thing is frustrating.

Saturday night I went to see The Village. I typically wait until movies are available on DVD before I see them, but I saw this movie in the theatre because (1) I’ve never seen an M. Night Shyamalan movie in the theatre and thought it was time to do so; and (2) Joaquin Phoenix. It was definitely interesting–better than I expected after hearing reviews but still problematic.

I’m going to talk about different plot elements from the movie. I’ll try to be cryptic, but if you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading NOW.

Joaquin (who plays Lucius) was beautiful. I’m prejudiced because I’ve loved his work in other movies, such as Inventing the Abbotts, and he’s just lovely to look at. Still, I think he does a great job with this role, as does Bryce Dallas Howard (as Ivy).

The movie is also well directed. I particularly enjoyed the way hands are a central image in the story. The way Lucius takes Ivy’s hand to help and guide her is sweet. I suspect I will remember these images, as I remember the moment in Persuasion when Anne sees Captain Wentworth for the first time in years, and her hand grips a chair.

As for the plot: I like how you start watching the movie thinking it’s about one thing and it ends up being about something else. I had a feeling that the woods were used to keep people in the village, but I didn’t guess the extent or the reasons behind it. I was also surprised by the two pivotal moments with Adrien Brody (Noah). The second one (in the woods) shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did.

Still, this is my least favorite of Shyamalan’s movies (Unbreakable is my favorite). I felt a bit like I’d been put through the wringer when I left the theatre. First, there’s the shocking moment between Lucius and Noah–it’s nicely filmed and acted, but wow. I woke up in the middle of the night with that image in my head, and it wasn’t fun. Powerful, maybe, but not fun.

My biggest issues, though, are ones that deal with unanswered questions. The movie implies that only a few key people know the secret of the village, but I don’t understand how that can be the case. Many of the outdoor scenes show the large number of people in the village. If it was started by the smaller core group, how did the group get to be so large in such a small amount of time? Or do all of the “adults” know? If so, how do they manage to keep it a secret for so long?

Then, there’s the medicine issue. Perhaps the villagers prefer the simpler way of life that the 1900s represents, but why, why, why wouldn’t they take advantage of modern medicine? OK, I guess you don’t want to have a modern hospital, but why not a cabinet with medicine? Why wouldn’t they have it on hand? Yes, the village was created as a crime-free haven, but accidents happen. I simply couldn’t get past this, and in fact, felt kind of angry about it.

Ah, well. The Village was interesting, but I doubt that I will see it again. I have four movie passes I need to use by the end of the year, though, so I’ll have to see what’s coming out soon. I want to see Ladder 49 at some point, but I’m not ready yet for another Joaquin-in-danger movie. (If you’ve seen it, please DON’T tell me how it ends.)

As for a reading update, I’ve just submitted a review to The Romance Reader and I’m starting another one. I’ve read a few books this weekend, and I’ll provide a report in the next few days.

I picked up Karin Slaughter’s Indelible at the library after reading a blog entry about it. It was fascinating—I read it in two sittings—but challenging to rate. If you like mystery, I’d give Indelible 4 out of 5. If you prefer romance, it’s a 3.

This book is one of a series about coroner Sara Linton and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver. Though this isn’t the first one in the series, I chose it because it delves into Sara and Jeffrey’s early relationship. The mystery was exceptional: gripping, well plotted, and surprising. I ended up being more intrigued by the flashbacks to the early mystery than I was by the present-time plot, though they are skillfully interwoven.

Readers who want a strong romance may be disappointed. Romance is certainly part of Indelible, but I was left wanting more. Such is often the case when it comes to a book series, however, especially when you don’t start at the beginning.

After Indelible, I was ready for something lighter, so I read Charmed by Nora Roberts. This book is also from a series, although it stands alone quite well. I’ve read the two previous books, Captivated and Entranced, both of which I liked better than Charmed. I give it 3 out of 5.

It’s hard to say why I didn’t enjoy Charmed as much as I’d hoped. As a book reviewer, I’ve learned that I can sometimes give lots of reasons why a book doesn’t succeed; in this case, however, I can’t point to anything and say, “I didn’t like this.” It’s more accurate to say that I wasn’t drawn into the story. Charmed ended up being an interesting read, if not a particularly memorable one.

Yesterday’s trip to the gym didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. My new crosstrainers are just fine—no more squashed toes for me—but I pulled a leg muscle early in my walk around the track. I ended up walking for about 30 minutes, but it hurt so much that I had to walk slowly, and my heart rate didn’t really increase. My leg is feeling fine today, and I brought my gym clothes with me to work, but I’m debating whether I should try again tonight or tomorrow. Getting back in the habit of exercising has so far been an exercise in frustration.

In some good news, yesterday I got a book order I’ve been waiting for, and now I’m reading Charmed by Nora Roberts. I’m looking forward to reading Erin McCarthy’s Houston, We Have a Problem (another book from the order), though I won’t get to that until later this week.

In the meantime, wish me luck at the gym.

On Friday, I helped fill orders at my company’s warehouse instead of doing my regular job. I was on my feet for 8 hours, and I have new respect for what the warehouse employees do as well as renewed respect for those whose jobs requires them to be on their feet all day. Yikes! My Media Play trip after work felt very much like a reward. Three of the books I special ordered had arrived, so I bought them. I also couldn’t resist buying The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes DVD set, featuring Jeremy Brett. His portrayal of Holmes is simply brilliant.

Here’s what I really want to know: why is it that it feels like I just left work 10 minutes ago? It’s Sunday PM, and I can’t figure out where the weekend went. I didn’t do many of the things I was hoping to do: scrapbook, straighten up my living room, set up my stereo system, writing another review. I did get some reading done: Suzanne Brockmann’s Embraced by Love and Alison Kent’s The Bane Affair being the most notable. Both books were 4 out of 5. (How long can my good luck last? I hope I’m not in for a run of books rated 1 or 2 out of 5.)

Embraced by Love is one of Brockmann’s recently reissued non-SEAL books from 1995. It’s a romance (as opposed to romantic suspense she often writes these days) about a married couple who experience several challenges. Cooper and Josie have been married for 5 years. Josie owns a computer company, and she’s a workaholic. This has created tension in their marriage more than once, and the couple is in for a rough patch when Josie accepts a job that is likely to keep her working overtime at the office for more than a year. Compounding the problem is the fact that Josie’s brother and sister-in-law are killed in a car accident, leaving her and Cooper to care for their two small children. This forces Josie and Cooper to analyze their priorities and to decide what is most important to them.

I initially wondered whether I would like the book; a discussion on one of my e-mail lists made me worry a little. I shouldn’t have. Though I could tell that this is one of Brockmann’s earlier books, the character development is still there. Josie and Cooper are very real people, and even when I didn’t agree with their choices, I could see where they were coming from. I enjoyed seeing them interact and grow.

Alison Kent is a fairly new author for me. I read her story from the Jingle Bell Rock anthology, but that’s about it. I was intrigued by the plot of The Bane Affair, which features Christian Bane, an agent with the Smithson Group. His mission is to go undercover to discover what happened to a scientist who has disappeared. The mission brings him into contact with Natasha Gaudet, goddaughter of the man who happens to be Christian’s main suspect.

I’m a sucker for a well-portrayed wounded hero, and Christian is that and more. Although he’s attracted to Natasha, he struggles to keep his emotions uninvolved. The last time he fell in love with a woman, he was on assignment and the woman betrayed him. Christian is determined not to make the same mistake twice. In spite of this resolve, he can’t help but feel something more than physical for Natasha. It’s easy to see why. Natasha is equally compelling. Though she has confused lust and love in the past, she’s willing to go after what—or who—she wants. Thank heavens, this is no standard woman-in-danger story; Natasha is smart, courageous, and compassionate.

My only quibble with The Bane Affair was that it ended a little too abruptly. I wanted to see a few of the potential loose ends tied up, and I wanted a little more with Christian and Natasha. But that didn’t keep the book from being very enjoyable, nor will it keep me from buying the next one in the series, The Shaughnessey Accord. It looks like I’ll be making another special order.

Whenever I read several good books in a row, I always wonder when my good luck will end. Thankfully, it hasn’t happened so far. Here are last week’s reads:

Cabin Fever by Marilyn Pappano: 4 out of 5
Hers for the Weekend by Tanya Michaels: 3 out of 5
Scandal by Pamela Britton: 4 out of 5
Magnolia Sky by Susan Crandall: 4 out of 5
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn: 4 out of 5

All were quite enjoyable, though Cabin Fever and Scandal were my favorite of the five. Cabin Fever brings together a single mother and an ex-con. The result is a sweet, emotional love story that succeeds for several reasons: the main reason being the characters. Nolie and Chase are complex individuals with well-developed strengths, insecurities, and histories. Their story is the third book I’ve read in Pappano’s Bethlehem series, and it’s easily my favorite.

Scandal is different from Cabin Fever in style, setting, and tone, but it’s still excellent. At the beginning of the story, Rein inherits money and a title, if he can live for four weeks without using his money or telling anyone who he is. This challenge brings him into Anna’s world, one in which a well-bred young woman lives in impoverished circumstances. Unfortunately, Rein brings danger with him . . .

Rein is one of the most best things about the book–I enjoyed his devotion to Anna, even though it takes time for him to acknowledge his feelings and to decide what he really wants. Even as he believes that he only desires her, his actions reveal how much he cares. The mystery was also interesting.

Tomorrow I’m off to Media Play to pick up some of my special orders. That will be a nice treat after the week I’ve had. Some work weeks seem longer than others, and this has been one of them. I’m ready for the weekend.

I’ve been to the gym twice this week, although the second time I did more hobbling around the track than walking. Turns out that the shoes I bought back in grad school are half a size too small—my poor little toes still feel squashed up. Is this how Cinderella’s stepsisters felt, I wonder? In any case, I stopped at the store on the way home and bought some new crosstrainers. Now I’m praying there’s no problem when I go to the gym tomorrow night.

I finally finished one review for The Romance Reader and I’m working on another one. I’ll post links once they are available, and I’ll also post a reading update. Watch for it in the next few days. First, though, I’m going to soak my feet . . .

A few weeks ago, I went to the dentist for the first time in years (bad, I know). I made an appointment to have a crown done and two cleaning appointments. My crown was scheduled for today, but the office called me last week and said they wanted to reschedule. Unfortunately, we got our wires crossed. They called me at work today asking where I was, and I said I thought we had rescheduled. Well, they meant that the first cleaning was rescheduled, not the crown. Oops. So I’ve made another appointment, this time for October 27.

However, I did keep another appointment I made with myself: to go to the gym. I’ve had a membership for years, but have been avoiding that just as I’ve been avoiding the dentist. But I am determined to lose weight again (I lost 50 pounds several years ago, but gained it back) not because I care so much about the actual numbers, but because I want my fun clothes to fit me again. More energy would be nice, too. Today was my first day back to the gym in much, much too long. I did my usual routine of machines for 10-15 minutes and fast walking for 40 minutes, and I can tell it’s been a while. It was good to be back. Now I’ve dug out my exercise clothes and plan to hit the gym again tomorrow.

I went out to my garage during the weekend and brought in a few more boxes of books. I suspect that once I realize what I have, my top 100 list will be obsolete. There are more boxes, too. I have no idea where I’ll put all of my books! I found some bookcases online that are designed specifically for paperbacks, but I haven’t made up my mind about whether I’ll try one and see what I think.

Speaking of books, I’ve read a number of books recently, but I won’t allow myself to write about them here until I’m done with my book review. I need to get it finished.