This is a good one, especially if keep having debt issues.

I feel considerably better today. With luck, that will continue. (Knock on wood.) I also found a spare car key, so I might be able to go somewhere eventually.

In any case, onward.

I’m pleased to present my complete reading year in review:

5 Hearts: 10
4.5 Hearts: 38
4 Hearts: 136
3.5 Hearts: 47
3 Hearts: 52
2.5 Hearts: 4
2 Hearts: 7
1.5 Hearts: 1
1 Hearts: 0
Total: 295

I am not as surprised this year to see so many 4s and 5s; the same thing happened last year. I’m not sure why there are so many. When I look at my low scores, most of them are books I reviewed. I have a hunch that I am getting good at judging whether I will like a book or not when I read a review or blog entry. In addition, I have many auto-buy authors whose books I like most of the time.

I do have a stack of books in my room that I haven’t finished. Perhaps if I finished them, the number of books with lower ratings would be lower? I’m not sure.

Here are the books that received 5s. They are:

Day, Sylvia: Bad Boys Ahoy!
Day, Sylvia: Wish List*
Gaffney, Patricia: To Love and to Cherish
Heath, Lorraine: Always to Remember
Howard, Linda: To Die For*
LaBrecque, Jennifer: Better Than Chocolate . . .
Robb, J.D.: Origin in Death*
Shalvis, Jill: Get a Clue*
Vaughn, Evelyn: A.K.A. Goddess
Vaughn, Evelyn: Contact*

And here are the books that received 4.5:

Anthology: Hot Spell*
Blazer, Melani: Hot Rod Heaven*
Blazer, Melani: Legend of the Leopard
Blazer, Melani: When I Close My Eyes*
Clare, Pamela: Ride the Fire*
Day, Sylvia: “Catching Caroline”*
Day, Sylvia: Kiss of the Night*
Denton, Jamie: Hard to Handle
Fetzer, Amy J.: Tell It to the Marines
Fisher, Ellen: Never Love a Stranger
Handeland, Lori: Blue Moon
Kenner, Julie: Silent Confessions
Kenyon, Sherrilyn: Fantasy Lover
Lee, Deanna: Blood Moon*
Leigh, Jo: Suspect
Leigh, Jo: Truth or Dare
Liu, Marjorie M.: Tiger Eye*
MacGregor, Kinley: Born in Sin
Mayberry, Sarah: Can’t Get Enough*
McCarthy, Erin: The Pregnancy Test*
McMinn, Suzanne: The Honeymoon Man
O’Shea, Patti: Through a Crimson Veil*
Ranney, Karen: A Promise of Love
Richards, Emilie: The Trouble with Joe
Shalvis, Jill: For the Love of Nick
Shalvis, Jill: Naughty but Nice
Shalvis, Jill: Seduce Me
Shalvis, Jill: Show Me the Way
Shalvis, Jill: Ultimate Surrender
Showalter, Gena: Awaken Me Darkly*
Showalter, Gena: Heart of the Dragon*
Vaughn, Carrie: Kitty & The Midnight Hour*
Vaughn, Evelyn: Her Kind of Trouble
Vaughn, Evelyn: The Player
Ward, J.R.: Dark Lover*
Warren, Nancy: Private Relations*
White, Sasha: The Devil Inside*

I put an asterisk next to the books with a 2005 release date.

Favorite Discoveries
Melani Blazer: Blazer has had several books published, but I only discovered her in the past few months. I love her smooth writing style and memorable characters.

Sylvia Day: I’ve blogged about her books several times and probably will in the future. She’s just terrific, and it amazes me that she was first published this year. Seems like she’s been around longer.

Jo Leigh: Did I really only discover her just this year? That’s what my spreadsheet says. What I like best about her books is that they are all so different, and she is not afraid to take risks.

Jill Shalvis: I bought more books by Shalvis this year than by anyone else, something she can vouch for, since she signed a bunch of them at this year’s RWA. Her stories are emotional and compelling. She’s a buried treasure, and I hope other people discover her in the upcoming year.

Gena Showalter: Here’s an author who writes intriguing paranormal romance. I love the ones I’ve read so far and look forward to the ones to come.

Evelyn Vaughn: If you’re looking for unique romance, often with a paranormal element, you can’t go wrong with Evelyn Vaughn. I’ve always had a strong emotional reaction to her books. Contact might be my favorite book of the year.

Least Favorites
When the Lights Go Out by Barbara Daly.

Twice Burned by Jan Coffey.

Biggest Disappointments
Only for a Knight by Sue-Ellen Welfonder.
I liked the previous book I reviewed and was hoping to like this one, too. It ultimately received a 2.

Trigger Effect by Maggie Price.
I’ve enjoyed some of Price’s previous books, so I was disappointed that this one seemed bland. It received a 3.

Here’s my review. It’s hard to believe that 2006 is only two days away, but I hope you have a wonderful New Year’s Eve!

I’m well past the point of looking for positive things about being sick. Now, I’m just praying for death. I’m not sure if my aching head is an indication that I am moving through the stages of this bug or if it means I need to go to the doctor. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow morning, I suppose. I should mention that I have been incredibly blessed with family support. Several siblings have stopped by with food, flavored water (I’m so sick of regular water I could scream), and (the latest offering) a humidifier.

Now, if my keys would turn up, I could go back to being only sick instead of sick and worried.

On to other things. Last year I did a long post about the books I read in 2004. I plan to do the same this year, but while I’m compiling it, I thought I’d join many others who are posting their favorite books of the current year. So here they are, my top 20 books with a 2005 copyright date. They are in alphabetical order. I’ve provided links to my reviews or blog entries.

Melani Blazer: Hot Rod Heaven

Pamela Clare: Ride the Fire
Apparently I didn’t write a review for this book. It’s quite good–a historical romance with a tortured hero and a strong heroine.

Sylvia Day: Catching Caroline, Kiss of the Night, Wish List
Technically, she should get three spots on the list, since I’m listing three books, but I’m going to use the flimsy excuse that they are all novellas. That way, I can count them as one and make room for others on this list. That doesn’t diminish how much I liked them, though. Day is very much a comfort read for me.

Amy Garvey: Murder in the Hamptons

Lori Handeland: Hunter’s Moon

Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Meljean Brook, and Shiloh Walker: Hot Spell

Linda Howard: To Die For
Although I hadn’t picked up Linda Howard in years, I decided to try To Die For, and I’m so glad I did.

Deanna Lee: Blood Moon
I was intrigued by Still Waters, the first book in Lee’s Kyra Moray series, but I really liked the second one. Sadly, it looks like there will be a bit of a wait for the third. I’m planning to buy her next book (unrelated to the Moray series), Undressing Mercy, which has an artistically beautiful cover, even if it’s not one I would be comfortable reading in public.

Marjorie M. Liu: Tiger Eye

Sarah Mayberry: Can’t Get Enough

Erin McCarthy: “Fuzzy Logic” and The Pregnancy Test

Patti O’Shea: Through a Crimson Veil

J.D. Robb: Origin in Death

Jill Shalvis: Get a Clue

Gena Showalter: Awaken Me Darkly and Heart of the Dragon

Carrie Vaughn: Kitty & The Midnight Hour

Evelyn Vaughn: Contact

J.R. Ward: Dark Lover

Nancy Warren: Private Relations

Sasha White: The Devil Inside
I can’t find a review in my archives; I suppose I didn’t review it. Don’t let that stop you from giving it a try. It’s a fun and intense contemporary romance with a little paranormal element to give it some zing.

There you have it–my favorite 20 reads from 2005. Watch for a more detailed year-in-review in the next few days. Feel free to send healthy vibes my way.

Good Things about Being Sick on Your Birthday

• You don’t waste a lot of time deciding what to do. It’s a simple process: take medicine, blow nose, read, play electronic Yahtzee, read, sleep, get on computer, repeat.
• You’re too busy looking for your tissues to give a second thought to how old you are now.
• You spend so much time being sick that you don’t worry about painful self-analysis of where you are and where you wanted to be on your 30-something birthday.
• Your sister may feel sorry for you and bring you lunch.

These benefits may sound good, but I don’t recommend getting sick if you can avoid it.

I was tagged by Megan a while ago, and I thought I’d do this before 2006.

Seven Things To Do Before I Die:

1. Go to England. I’ve wanted to go for years; why have I managed to go all over the US for book signings and can’t make it to England?
2. Get married.
3. Lose weight (again).
4. Have one of my scrapbook pages published in a book or magazine.
5. Have my name on a project I write instead of being anonymous.
6. Learn to ice skate.
7. OK, I’ll fess up. Have one of my stories published.

Seven Things I Cannot Do:

1. Stay organized.
2. Go anywhere without a box of tissues (at least right now).
3. Stop reading.
4. Enjoy cooking.
5. Cut my hair short (I like it long).
6. Get out of debt (although I keep trying).
7. Stay ahead of my laundry.

Seven Things That Attract Me To My Best Friend (there’s no significant other at the moment):

1. Her sense of humor.
2. Her intelligence.
3. Her interest in knowing what I’m doing.
4. Her analytic mind.
5. Her kindness.
6. The way she makes me laugh.
7. Our inside jokes.

Seven Things I Say (or Write) Most Often:

1. Anyway
2. In other news
3. Hmmm
4. Your point is?
5. So
6. Hell
7. Shit

Seven Books (or Series) I love:

1. In Death series by J.D. Robb
2. Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris
3. Team Ten series by Suzanne Brockmann
4. Contact by Evelyn Vaughn
5. Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson
6. Better Than Chocolate by Jennifer LaBrecque
7. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson

Seven Movies I Would Watch Over and Over Again:

1. Lord of the Rings (the first one especially)
2. Persuasion
3. Memento
4. The End of the Affair
5. Unbreakable
6. Pride and Prejudice
7. Signs

Seven People I Want To Join In (Be Tagged)

This meme has been going around so long I’m not sure who still hasn’t done it. If you haven’t been tagged and would like to do it, consider yourself listed here.

I’m a huge baby when I’m sick. I’m just back from the store, where I bought cold/flu medicine, restocked my tissues, and indulged in some cotton nightgowns. I deserve something nice when I’m feeling sick. Ha! I just took some medicine and I hope it kicks in soon.

I moved Maria V. Snyder’s Poison Study to the top of my TBR pile because it is due back at the library tomorrow. I finished it this afternoon before taking a nap. Here’s the summary:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace–and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust–and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear . . .

I really enjoyed Poison Study: 4 out of 5. The story has an intriguing opening, and the interest continues throughout the book. The world-building of the story is excellent. I was instantly immersed in Ixian society, and it’s an interesting place to read about. There are many small details that add realism to the story, such as the uniforms that are worn by each general’s entourage.

The story is told from Yelena’s point of view, and the first-person narrative is a nice choice because you really get to know Yelena. It’s especially interesting to learn about her history as it is slowly revealed throughout the book.

However, getting the story from Yelena’s point of view also means that you don’t get to know her love interest as well as you know Yelena. Although he is in the story frequently, I did wish there had been a way to delve into his perspective. He reminded me a little of Roarke from the In Death series. No, he’s not an Irish billionaire, but he’s morally ambiguous in a way that reminds me of Roarke. I don’t mean to suggest that this hero or Roarke is immoral, just that they have different standards of morality.

Toward the end of the story, Yelena goes into the enemy camp unnecessarily. This results in a showdown and the climax of the novel, but I wish there had been a way to make this unavoidable. It seemed like it could have been avoided.

On the whole, though, the book was excellent. I’m keeping it on my book-trading wish list in hopes of getting a copy of my own. The next book in the series is out next fall.

I had a nice Christmas and hope you did, too. I spent it with my family, then came home last night and collapsed. I thought I was having allergies, but it has turned out to be a cold or flu. The sore throat set in late last night.

Now I’ve been up for two hours and I feel completely exhausted. I’m going to eat lunch, then go back to bed for a while.

I just finished listening to the audio version of Undead and Unappreciated. It’s quite good. I hope they will go back and put the first two books in the series on audio as well.

I read Tripping through the Universe this weekend and liked the stories by Ellen Fisher and Shelley Munro quite a bit. I’ll do a longer review later, when I feel up to it.

Right now I am reading Poison Study. It’s due back at the library tomorrow, and someone has it on hold so I can’t renew it. I’m hoping I can finish it today, but I’m not in great shape, so we’ll see.

P.S. Just realized I will be sick on my birthday (tomorrow). This sucks.

I was hoping to get another review posted before Christmas, but I’m feeling lazy and have several more things to do today. So watch for some reviews after Christmas.

Until then, happy holidays and Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the time with families, friends, and loved ones.

I picked up Patrice Michelle’s A Taste for Passion a few months ago when I was browsing at the bookstore. I had narrowed my purchase decision to this book or another one, and I bought this one when I saw that it was an autographed copy. That probably doesn’t surprise many of you, since my love for autographed books is no secret. In any case, that’s how I ended up buying this book, and I’m pleased to say that I ended up really liking it: 4 out of 5.

Rana Sterling finally meets the man of her dreams and BOY does he know how to push all the right buttons. Only, Mr. Tall, Dark and Too-Good-to-Be True turns out to be just that; he’s a real live, fanged vampire!

Lucian Trevane has a duty to fulfill. He’s expected to take the role of Vite, leader of the vampires in three days. But he knows he won’t take the position without his wife by his side. Now, after seventy years of searching for his reincarnated fiance, he finally finds the woman of his dreams in Rana Sterling, Rana may respond to his lovemaking, but she refuses to become his vampire wife. As if their lives aren’t complicated enough, throw in a vengeful vampire, a surprise twist, and the fact that Rana and Lucien can’t deny the strong attraction that exists between them and you’ve just stepped into A Taste for Passion.

Reincarnation stories are tricky–I think it’s easy to make the reincarnated character too much like the original character. In that case, it’s not clear whether the hero and heroine are really in love or whether they are together because one of them resembles a previous love.

In A Taste for Passion, we don’t learn a lot about Lucian’s fiance, but we do know that Rana’s personality is different. I appreciated this very much. Lucian reinforces this by making it clear at one point that they are different and that his feelings for Rana are unique. I also liked the fact that Rana doesn’t simply fall into Lucian’s arms. Well, she does when she is dreaming of him; when awake, she makes him work for their relationship and for her.

The back cover text mentions “a surprise twist,” and there certainly is one. I like the unique way this part of the story plays out. My main issue with the book is that I wish it had been longer. I wanted more of a good thing.

This book is the first in a series, and I picked up the second one, A Taste for Revenge, today. It should be interesting.

One of my ongoing TBR challenges is to finish books I started, then set aside. I put down A Singular Lady after reading about 50 pages. In this case, it wasn’t the book; I just wasn’t in the mood for a Regency. I finished it recently, and I’m glad I came back to it.

1. Title/Author
A Singular Lady by Megan Frampton.

2. Brief Synopsis

During the Season, debutantes rush to London to find a man who’ll fill their hearts with love–or their bankbooks with money. The Honorable Titania Stanhope is of the latter category. She simply has no choice–for her father has bequeathed his entire fortune to his mistress. Armed with velvet, dancing slippers, and a firm resolve, Titania heads to do battle in the ballroom in order to vanquish–and marry–a gentleman who can afford to keep her family from ruin.

Edwin Worthington, Earl of Oakley, wants nothing to do with money-grubbing young ladies. He wears scuffed boots and old jackets, allowing Society to regard him as the penniless black sheep of a wealthy family. But in reality he has a fortune–and no plan to marry–until he meets Titania, a woman whose sharp wit and keen mind are rivaled only by her lovely face. Can Edwin let go of his pride in order to follow his heart?

3. Copyright Year
2005.

4. Indicate if you liked or disliked it?
I liked it very much: 4 out of 5. One thing I enjoyed is the humor. There are a number of great moments as Titania attends different events, but I especially liked the glimpse into Titania’s and Edwin’s thoughts, such as this moment when Titania is asked if she was doing anything improper.

Well, Titania thought to herself, if by improper you mean allowing a man to kiss me passionately, stroke my breasts, and attempt to lift my skirts up, then yes, I guess you could say I was doing something improper.

I also thought the chemistry between Titania and Edwin was great, although I did want to see more scenes with them together. Edwin is terrific, although I thought he drank a bit too much toward the end of the book. Other than this, however, I liked the story.

5. Was the book designated a DIK or Five Heart book at any of the review sites?
I didn’t check.

6. Do you agree or disagree with the reviewers?
Not applicable.

7. Is this a new author for you?
Yes.

8. Would you read more by this author?
Absolutely.