• 855 and counting …

    4 Comments

    Finished The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. This is a young adult book and the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

    Percy Jackson always knew he was different. He just didn’t know how different until monsters started trying to kill him, including the Minotaur. Percy soon discovers that he’s a demigod or the son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. And he goes to Camp Half-Blood, where he meets the children of the other gods, along with satyrs and other creatures straight out of a mythology textbook. Soon, Percy is given a quest to find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. Too bad every god he meets wants to kill him …

    I’ve heard lots of good things about this series, which is why I requested it for Christmas. Summer camp for the kids of the Greek gods? It’s a great concept, and it’s well executed. Percy is funny, brave, frightened, and sarcastic. He misses his mom and wishes he could change a lot of things about his life. The secondary characters are also well done and entertaining.

    But as I was reading Lightning Thief, I was thinking a lot about the Harry Potter books. Young boy discovering a magical world, a wise mentor to guide him, a distant parent, secrets and betrayals … Lightning Thief contains a lot of the same elements as the Potter books.

    Also, some of the stuff Percy does (like get on a plane and fly across country) seems a little too mature and outright implausible for a 12 year old in this day and age. Seriously, could anybody get on a plane with no ID? But it’s a fantasy. I’m willing to overlook it.

    Overall, I enjoyed Riordan’s world and the clever ways he used the various Greek myths, gods, and monsters. If you’re looking for something fun for you or your kids to read, you’ll probably enjoy Lightning Thief.

    So, thumbs up.

    Up next: I’m not sure. Maybe Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughn.

  • · ·

    I’ve been a bad, bad girl …

    11 Comments

    So, I did something I shouldn’t have this weekend. I went to Mr. K’s, a used bookstore — and brought home an armful of books.

    I shouldn’t have done this for several reasons. First of all, I already had about 10 books at home in my TBR pile. Not counting all the Buffy, Angel, and Wonder Woman comics I need to read.

    But there’s just something about used bookstores. I love wandering through the stacks looking for books. Hidden treasures! Bargains! Cool covers! Authors I’ve always wanted to read!

    It’s a sweet, sweet siren’s song. I just can’t resist. Besides, I had trade credit I needed to use up anyway. That makes it okay, right? Right?!? 🙄

    So, what did I come home with? Here are some of the titles:

    1) Eye of Heaven and Soul Song by Marjorie M. Liu (books from her Dirk & Steele paranormal romance series)

    2) Bitten by Kelley Armstrong (the first one in her Women of the Otherworld series, which I’ve heard lots of folks raving about)

    3) Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughn (the first in her paranormal romance trilogy)

    4) Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson (the first in a fantasy romance series)

    5) Quiver by Kevin Smith (a graphic novel about the comic book character Green Arrow, whom I’ve never read about before)

    6) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller (one of the most admired graphic novels out there, which I’ve always wanted to read)

    So now I have like 20 books in my TBR pile. Sigh.

    Something funny that happened was the checkout guy said something about the graphic novels belonging to my significant other. I corrected him. No, dude, those are mine. Chicks read comics, too.

    What about you? Do used bookstores make you lose control, too?

  • ·

    The stereotype is alive and well …

    4 Comments

    The Smart Bitches and Diana Peterfreund have some interesting posts up regarding a letter a journalist from the Washington Post sent to a group of romance writers asking for information for a Valentine’s Day piece. Go read it for yourself.

    As a professional journalist, I would never, ever send anyone a letter like that. I don’t even know that I’d send my friends a letter like that.

    As a journalist, you don’t try to be funny. Professional? Yes. Respectful? Yes. Funny? No. You tell people what you’re doing and then ask them for their input, even if it ends up being no comment.

    Geez. To the person who wrote that letter: you work at the Post. You should know better.

  • Break down …

    2 Comments

    So, a couple months ago, I started taking yoga classes. I’m not weirdly bendable at all, but I like it and it’s good for me. It’s exercise. It can’t hurt, right? 🙄

    A new yoga/pilates studio recently opened in my area, and last night, I decided to go beyond yoga and try a pilates class. 

    I think I broke my core. 😯

    That’s what the instructor calls the middle of your body — your core. Evidently, that’s what pilates is all about, working those muscles. You also use these band things for resistance training on your arms and legs. They remind me of cut-up balloons more than anything else. Slipper little suckers …

    Actually, I’m not as sore as I thought I’d be. But there were some twinges when I got out of bed this morning. And I was definitely feeling the burn last night. But I’m going to go back. This will be the year I lose those final ten pounds.

    What about you? Trying any new exercise routines for the New Year?

  • Holding out for a hero …

    5 Comments

    So, Nalini Singh is running a pretty cool contest over at her blog to celebrate her February release, Mine to Possess. Basically, she wants folks to talk about their favorite romance heroes.

    My favorite hero? The Beast in Beauty by Robin McKinley. Technically, it’s a young adult novel, but who cares about technicalities? At its heart, the book is a beautiful love story. Why do I like the Beast so much? Because he’s kind and gentle and recognizes Beauty’s, well, beauty long before she does. And he’s willing to die so she can go back to her family and be happy. You can’t get much more romantic than that.

    Second runner up: James Bond. Yeah, I’m a Bond girl. Go figure. 😉

    What about you? Who’s your favorite romance hero?