Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. I tried to stay awake but just couldn’t! I finally turned the light off at 11:40pm because I just couldn’t stay awake any longer. lol
The girls went back to school today. They were actually excited to get back to all of their friends. I think that will last about a day and a half and then they’ll realize that with school comes homework! Oh well.
My hubby has been saying that he’s going to start Taekwondo with my youngest for months now. Yeah, that hasn’t happened – he’s put it off for one reason or another time after time. So for Christmas I signed him up for 4 months, got him a uniform and said he’d start January 5th. He was happy, but I think he’s a little afraid that he’ll not catch on quickly. He’s a smart guy so I know he’ll do fine. I’ll take pictures…he’ll hate that! lol As far as work is concerned I’m pretty darned glad the holidays are over.
My office is nutty around Christmas and Easter and it’s nice to have it settle down to being somewhat normal.
Oh and my mom, Judith, the woman who got me reading romance when I was 13, is now doing a guest reviews for The Book Binge! Her first review posted today – The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens. She loved the book and said it very well. The woman is a Ph.D and knows how to write! This was one I gave her because I just couldn’t get through it. Just shows you that there’s something for everyone out there. 🙂
Hey – I found the picture of my eye tattoo! I knew I had it somewhere! Lol Here it is:) If you missed it you can see the cover up here.
My first read was A Highlander’s Christmas by Dawn Halliday, Cindy Miles and Sophie Renwick. Three novellas in 3 different time periods with women who are linked by their clan pin that’s been handed down through the ages. You can read my review here.
Next up was Cheating Chance by James Buchanan. I really liked this story a lot. It was an m/m book that had an openly gay, goth agent for the Nevada Gaming Commission, Nick, and Brandon, an in the closet, biker boy cop with Riverside, CA PD meeting at a Goth convention in San Diego, CA. They hook up and then start an online relationship. The story covers the issues – long distance and of course Brandon’s closetedness (is that a word? It is now) – and pleasures of Brandon and Nick’s relationship. When Nick starts to be looked at as a person of interest in a murder, which he had nothing to do with it’s puts things on edge for both Nick and Brandon. This was just a fabulous book and I really liked both the relationship aspect of the book as well as Nick’s investigation into his former co-workers death. The attention to detail was so interesting when it could have very easily been dry. I will be reading the next book about Nick and Brandon. 4.5 out of 5
Next was my re-read for my Re-Read Challenge: Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. You can read my review/thoughts here. 5 out of 5
On New Years Day I decided that I needed to read some of the manga that had come to me from the Great Yaoi Swap. My girls couldn’t understand how every time they came into the office where I was reading I was reading a different book. I kept saying: It’s like a comic book. They just didn’t get it. lol. Anyway, I started with Love a la Carte by Haruka Minami. I really liked the graphics in this one and the story about the members of a photography club were great. There was some borderline non-con sex, but it was ok. 4 out of 5
Manga #2 : Junior Escort by Sakurako Hanafubuki. I didn’t really care for this one much at all. I didn’t really like the main story of the 2 actors getting together. Then, dear Lord, there was a story in there about a 5th grader and a kindergartener. I. Shit. You. Not. It was horrifying and I was thoroughly disgusted. Just wrong! 2 out of 5 Manga #3: Rising Storm by Yuzuha Ougi. A guy takes a part-time job taking care of the horses for a rich family. The master of the castle decides he wants to be with him but decides that the only way that can happen is if it’s in the form of punishment for say, breaking things. It was a little weird at first but then was just amusing as the master kept putting priceless items right where the boy would break them. Pretty funny. But then it went into this dreamlike thing and got kinda bizarre. 3 out of 5 
After that I delved into the latest saga with the Midnight Breed’s by reading Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian. I didn’t particularly care for the last installment in this series so I was a little anxious to read this one. I have to say I really liked it. I thought that Kade’s story was really good and if you’ve been involved in the series I think you’ll like this one. There was a bit of a small pity party going on towards the end of the book but I didn’t think that it took all that much away from the story. 4.25 out of 5
After that was my Tracy’s TBR Challenge Read which was Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas. Why, you ask, would I buy a book right when it came out just to have it sit on my shelf for months? I have no friggin clue. That question is right up there with why is the sky blue and why do zebra’s have stripes. I don’t have the first idea and will probably never know. sigh Ah well. Anyway, I really liked the 3rd installment in the Hathaway series. Although I felt that Harry was a bit rough around the edges I liked his character a lot. Poppy was good for him and I liked seeing his transformation. I could have done with the last bit that was added in there (and if you’ve read the book you’ll know which bit I’m talking about) but it wasn’t awful – just unnecessary in my opinion. 4.5 out of 5 
And last for the week was Captive Desires by Diane Whiteside – a book I read for The Book Binge. I’ll let you know when my review posts. That was it for me last week. I hope you have a great one! Happy reading!
Great list of books Tracy. Cheating Chance is on my keeper shelf.
I lost interest in the LK Hathaway books after book two – which everyone but me seemed to love :).
Am I getting the yaoi next? Not sure I'm looking forward to that second one now.
I wondered who Judith was, LOL! Yay for you and your mom!
I couldn't agree more about the ending of the Kleypas. Why?
I was bummed you couldn't make lunch last week – but it turns out I ended the day with some sort of horrid allergy thing and my face blew up like a balloon. Ugh. Didn't go away until Sunday!
Thank you also for the little giftie you sent 🙂 Happy new year to you and your whole family!
Hi Tracy, nice books and great reviews. Love the eyeball- lol.
Is the "Cheating Chance" book an ebook or in print? Sounds good, but am still a printed book only reader at the moment.
:o)
MsM
I love reading about Nicky and Brandon. I hope book 3 is going well for JB…
Oh, you've reminded me that I'd better get my butt in gear and read the yaoi I received so I can pass it along!
I LOVE the Brandon and Nicky books. James better get working on that third ones. Nicky's hair *sob*
I really liked Love a la Carte. Shit, I totally blocked out that kindergartener thing. WTF was up with that? Totally unnecessary and creeper as my daughter would say. That is actually a series I found out but I wouldn't bother following it.
Jen: If you just skip the kid section (small and seemingly out of context) it's "okay". Though not a shining example of the genre I'd say.
LOL, Tracy, when are you going to sign up for Taekwondo? 🙂 That'd be really cute, the whole family 😀
Oh and it's sooo cool your mom is now doing guest reviews for Book Binge 🙂
You had some good reads last week 😀 Can't believe you manage to read that much during the holidays 🙂
Oh and I'll be sending you the mangas we talked about next week 😀
Judith is your Mom? That's so cool!
Jenrie – I remember reading your review of CC and thinking that I already owned it, I should probably read it. lol I finally did and it was so good.
The yaoi…well, I got conflicting info from both Kris and Tam so I'll have to work out who to send it to! lol
Lori – Yep – Judith's my mom.
Why do authors do that at the end of books? (referring to the Kleypas) The Mayberry I read recently did that too and I know you didn't like that either. There just didn't seem a point to it.
I was bummed I couldn't make lunch either but I'm glad you had fun. Sorry to hear about your reaction – that sounds awful!
You're welcome!
Ms M – I'm pretty sure you can get Cheating Chance in print as well as ebook through Amazon or one of the other major booksellers.
Chris – I did really like Nick and Brandon a lot. Just really good story telling.
Yes, get reading that yaoi baby!
Tam – I KNOW! Poor Nick's hair! I felt so bad for him but was so happy he was alive.
Junior Escort was just wrong. Who the hell thought of that and thought it was ok to put in the book. Yuck!
Nath – LOL No thanks. I think my oldest and I will sit the TKD out. Exercise? *shudders* lol.
I almost forgot about the mangas you are sending. Can't wait to get them!
Wendy – I know – it is cool! I've been plying her with all of my collection of books and I'm quickly running out since she reads so damned quickly! lol
Happy New Year, Tracy love!!
It's great that your Mom is doing reviews.
Funny story: I couldn't finished Untamed Bride either and so handed it over to the Mumma, who gobbled it up and loved it. Weird, right. LOL.
Another interesting list Tracy. I'm honestly not sure when I'll pick up the Lara Adrian books. I got stuck on the second book – the BDB kept popping up. I think I'll wait until the BDB books are finished or I hit the wall with them 🙂 Oh, must try James Buchanan!
And I'm glad I'm not the only one who was a little…ummm…flumoxed about that particular yaoi story with the kindergarten-aged child… I couldn't work out why it was there…
Thank you Tracy. Hope you like Inland Empire.
MsM. Cheating Chance and the sequel Inland Empire are available as eBooks through Torquere and Print through MLR Press (with different covers: Amazon, Borders and such)
All Y'all…The third book All or Nothing will be out "sshhhh y'all are hearing it first…late spring 2010" from MLR Press in both e and print.
oh…forgot to subscribe …duh
*pathetic fangirl squee*
Kris – how funny is that? It's a mom/mumma thing? Maybe they're more forgiving than we are?
Orannia – I can see where the BDB/Midnight Breed would kind of get mixed up but I still like both. 🙂
Oh that yaoi, don't get me started. Obviously a different culture, but still!
James – I'd like to say something incredibly witty but it's just so damned cool to have you here my brain won't work. lol I did love CC so very much and I'm sure I will love Inland Empire just as much.
Ooooh – I haven't even read book 2 yet and all excited about book 3! Thanks for the great early info!
Chris – Ditto, baby, ditto
Hi Tracy! I'm glad you and your family had a nice Christmas and I wish you all a very happy, healthy New Year. xoxo
I think that's so super cool that your MOM is doing guest reviews for the Book Binge!
Happy reading in 2010, my friend.
Christine – thanks honey – I hope your fam has a great New Year as well.
I know – it's kinda cool that the woman who got me involved in reading romance is now reviewing. She's good too! 🙂