Monday, February 26

All The News Fit To Print

It's snowing, not very hard, but enough to keep the schools closed in our area. Well, I don't think hard enough to keep the schools closed but no one consults me. I remember my parents taking the glass out of the storm door so we could climb out and go to school, the snow was so deep they couldn't swing the door out--snow days were few and far between--I guess that was the olden days :)

It's probably just as well, Junior woke with a fever and is complaining of a stomach ache, a little toast, a little Motrin and so far so good.

The hubby, good man that he is dug us out, and the neighbors on either side--Mrs. B is in her 70's and had a knee replacement about 6 months ago, on the other side is Miss B and she lives alone. Both would love to pay a neighborhood kid to dig them out but the kids don't seem all that interested in making money.

I finally finished a couple of books--one romance, okay/good--one women's fiction/chick lit, very good. I'm finding myself somewhat disenchanted with romance. I'm thinking I need a major break from romance. In the last couple of months I have more INYIM DNFs than books finished. There can't possibly be a problem with that many books and the last two books I really liked weren't romances.

The Romance: Date Me, Baby, One More Time by Stephanie Rowe. To be honest, I wasn't all that impressed. Fun story, but rather innocuous. Katie MacAlister called it "A hilarious underworld romp." I don't know how hilarious I'd consider it. Kind of cute though. I vacillated between giving it a B- and a C+.

The Women's Fiction/Chick Lit: Good Things by Mia King (click on the title for a link to B&N and a blurb). Debut novel I discovered on the "New Release" table at B&N the last time I was in. The cover caught my eye and I liked the blurb and I still have gift cards burning a hole in my pocket so I figured what the heck, not what I'd normally pick up but worth a try--I'm glad I did. This one I liked a lot. A nice story about a 40 year old woman finding herself again when life throws her a curve, and she even finds love, but the romance isn't the thrust of the story. After having a pity party she basically decides when life gives you a lemon make "Peace of Mind Tea", you thought I was going to say lemonade, but Peace of Mind Tea is one of a bunch of interesting recipes included in the back of the book.

Junior has just announced he's feeling much better and wants to go out and play in the snow--it's going to be an interesting day.

Have a good one and happy reading.

12 comments:

sybil said...

hmmmm

Do you like second chance at romance? Well really marriage in trouble stories?

IF so I might have a REALLY good rec for you.

something of a uber contemp/romance/woman fic/

I closed it thinking hmmm... why did I like that. But I did. God it will be horrid if I have to say I like woman's fic.

LOL I have your rec to be read. I wasn't sure if I was going to read it not. What do you think? Would I likey?

Jenster said...

Our schools were only delayed 2 hours this morning. Taylor was thrilled. Katie - not so much. They had to cancel their long anticipated field trip to the Franklin Museum.

I'm finding myself liking my non-romance reading better for some reason, though I'm still mostly reading romance. I've got all those books upstairs I've got to read!

Tara Marie said...

Hey Sybil, I do like second chance romances and marriage in trouble stories, so give over the title--LOL.

Would you like Good Things? Probably, but keep in mind it's not a romance though it does have a HEA, but honestly I think the book would have worked without the relationship. It's more about finding oneself when life's gone a little sideways.

Jen--Honestly I don't even think they needed the 2 hour delay and it's been snowing off and on all day, but nothings sticking to the road. Sorry to hear they canceled the field trip, maybe they'll reschedule.

I think we all go through mini romance droughts, hopefully we'll get back on track.

Jenster said...

We drove home last night about 9:00 and the roads were pretty icy so I was good with the 2 hour delay here. But just for snow? That's silly.

Katie's field trip has been rescheduled for May 9th or something like that. I wish you could hear the tone of voice she used when she told me that - like it was the most horrible thing ever. LOL

Ann Aguirre said...

I'm sick of gratuitous badly written sex in romance novels.

I want the hot boinking to move the plot forward (and not make me wonder if the woman has a yeast infection)

Anonymous said...

Humor is definitely a subjective thing. I loved the Rowe book but Jayne was less than enthused. She may be your secret soul sister :) Have you tried Shinn yet?

Tara Marie said...

Jen, we never got ice or freezing rain from this storm, so the roads cleaned up nicely.

May 9th? But Mom that's so far away ;D Don't you love them.

Annie, LOL

Jane, Humor is definitely a subjective thing, it's hard to argue with that. I can't read Katie MacAlister so the cover quote should have told me to run in the other direction.

Actually I think I fall somewhere between both of you :)

nath said...

it seems you're getting quite a lot of snow, Tara Marie... Sorry to hear... snow can be pretty, but in too much quantity, it becomes everyone's nightmare.

As for kids, i'll always be awed how they can feel sick one moment and be ready to play the next :D

Tara Marie said...

Nath, actually it's not that bad, we're not in the snow belt upstate, but we've been getting light snow for days.

I sent the child to school today, no fever and the nose was barely running, hopefully this wont come back and bite me in the butt--LOL.

Anonymous said...

Tara Marie, have you read Joshilyn Jackson? I say that because of your reading slump and that you say you want good women's fiction, with some romance, but are tired of romance itself for right now. I think you might absolutely love her, based on the other things you've said. I'd say...start with Between, Georgia, maybe.

I know, I know--given that she blurbed my book, it probably looks like we're playing author buddies. But we actually discovered each other as readers (reading each other's books) and don't really know each other at all. Well, we swap emails from time to time now.

Tara Marie said...

Hi Laura, I'm writing down the rec--thanks :)

sybil said...

I back!

The book I was thinking of is One More Time by Claire Cross. And it is one of a series but I really had no clue. The book has such an odd summary and from the get go I didn't think I would like it.

But it caught my attention enough that before I knew it I had read the thing. I liked the characters but can't see this as anything that would really happen.

LOL anyhoo it is something different *g*.