Happy New Year! 🙂

I started things off right today by finishing a book, Flirting with Danger by Suzanne Enoch. 52 more to go for the year …

It’s about Samantha Jellicoe, a professional thief who gets more than she bargained for when she breaks into the mansion of sexy millionaire Richard Addison. Sam is suspected of murder, and she and Addison strike a deal — he’ll help clear her name, and she won’t steal anything from him — except maybe his heart …

If you like heist movies with a lot of romance like To Catch A Thief, you’ll like this book. Sam and Richard are equally matched in everything — brains, beauty, razor-sharp wits. And the heist scenes were interesting without dwelling too much on gadgetry, which is always a plus. (I hate authors like Tom Clancy who focus on every single detail of a weapon, etc.)

The only thing I wished were a tiny bit different was Richard. He really bullied Sam at times throughout the book and almost thought of her as another piece of his art collection. A little too alpha male for me, but he redeemed himself in the end by … well, I won’t spoil it for you.

Overall, thumbs-up.

And when I read the author bio, I had another reason to smile. It turns out that Suzanne once submitted a script for The A-Team, one of my favorite shows ever. So nice to read about another fan. I pity the fools who don’t watch that show … 😉

Today, I’m going to blog about the last book I read in 2007 – Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky.

It’s about Jane Madison, a rather insecure librarian who discovers a treasure trove of witchcraft books in the rundown cottage she’s forced to move into. Lots of chick-lit hijinks ensue, like Jane accidentally casting a love spell that goes awry.

I really liked how Klasky created her magic world/rules, and she’s got lots of great descriptions in the book. I could really relate to Jane’s love of books, if not Shakespeare. I only wished she’d included the recipes for all the yummy treats that Jane’s friend, Melissa, bakes.

I would have liked it a little more if Klasky had stretched beyond the usual chick-lit conventions. The book features Melissa, the best friend who’s overly anxious to find Mr. Right, and Neko, a gay familiar who knows everything there is to know about makeup and mixing mojitos. Pretty standard stuff for a chick-lit tale.

And there was one plot twist and Jane’s reaction to it that had me scratching my head. Let’s just say that someone from Jane’s past suddenly appears. I didn’t quite buy how Jane let this person back into her life. But maybe she’s just more forgiving than I am.

But overall, a solid read. Thumbs-up.

To recap, I read 53 books in 2006. Not too shabby, considering the fact that I have a day job and write at night. But it was 3 short of my goal of 800. Next year, I want to be up to at least 850 books read — hopefully more.

What about you? Are you going to read more in the New Year? Inquiring minds want to know …