Mystery Series

I've been on a historical mystery kick.

I discovered Deanna Raybourn.  I know where have I been :)  The Lady Julia Grey Mysteries have been fun reads, though most of them bog down in the middle, but I've discovered that seems to be the case (at least for me) when it comes to  "historical mysteries".  I've read almost all of Ashley Gardner's Captain Lacey Mysteries and several of the Nell Sweeney Mysteries, and consistently I get bored in the middle while we're introduced to the different mystery scenarios, before the mystery is actually solved. 

But even with being a  little bogged down, I still seem to be enjoying these series.  I like the character development that goes on from story to story, so even if I'm bored or already figured out who the murderer is I like where the series seem to be going.  With the exception of the In Death series, which could be considered mysteries, we don't see many real series books in romance, spinoffs, but not series with the same main characters in each book.  I guess romance doesn't really lend itself to this sort of story and mysteries do.

That's it for now.  Have a great day and happy reading.

A little crazy

Last week was a little crazy around here.  Junior is an altar server at our church and he served at Holy Thursday's Last Supper Mass, on Friday for the Liturgy of the Passion and on Easter Sunday.  Throw in 2 soccer practices and 2 baseball practices and we were done for the week.  He's been on vacation all last week and is still on vacation this week.  This week is just as nuts.  Today we are waiting for my old minivan to be picked up.  We've donated it to a local non-profit. I work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  Junior has soccer practiceo n Tuesday.  Wednesday he goes to his best friend's birthday/sleep over party, and Thursday he has play practice, soccer practice and baseball practice--I figure he'll be crashing on Friday.

Even though it has been busy, I still got in some reading.  I found a review for Susan Sizemore's The Price of Innocence at Dear Author and decided it was worth a try, and it was very good.  I also read a review of Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow (I don't remember where I found that one) it was good too--a little drawn out, but not enough to kill it.  Jo Goodman's Kissing Comfort was a nice read, even though I wasn't completely thrilled with the heroine, but the story was pretty good, but not nearly as good as Never Love a Lawman--which I thoroughly loved.  I started Lynn Viehl's Nightborn, but I'm not really in the mood for a vampire story and I may have to go back and reread some of the other books to bring me back into the Darkyn series. 

I have a couple of mysteries I think I'll read and I'm still vacillating about the new JR Ward.  Part of me wants to finish out the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but I'm not really interested in moving on to the Band of Bastards.  In the grand scheme of life--it's not important.

Have a great day and happy reading :)

Living in a Bubble

I finished reading the three Victoria Dahl books this week.  As I was reading them I realized I now live in a rather insulated bubble, that revolves around home, school and church.  This bubble is probably why I had massive issues with all three of these books, the first one in particular.

To be perfectly honest, I did NOT like any of the Donovans.  When you dislike 3 of the 6 main characters it's not likely you're going to be overly fond of the books.  I understood their motivations, but I still couldn't warm to any of them.

I don't have enough time this morning to go into details, maybe I'll get back to it later.  In the mean time...

Have a great day and happy reading.

Rambling

Not much reading going on this week.  Junior is now in the 5th grade and is playing soccer, baseball and has a speaking part in the school's spring play.  Yes, I know he's a little over scheduled this spring, but the rest of the year isn't as bad.  In the fall it's only soccer, winter is basketball, and summer is basketball again. 

It has been incredibly warm in our area, today we are expecting temperatures in the 80's.  Junior gets to wear his "summer" uniform, which is shorts and a polo/golf shirt.  The kids love getting out of their white dress shirts and ties--though the other day he admitted to me that he thinks the dress uniforms make him look "snazzy".

I'm vacillating on whether or not to get the new JR Ward Black Brotherhood book. Hated the last one, but maybe not enough to put me off the series completely, and isn't this book Tohr's?? 

I just hopped over to Kristi's blog and she is also recommending the Victoria Dahl books that Rosario liked.  I'll be heading over to Amazon for downloads sometime soon :)

Life is good, have a great day and happy reading.

New Reading

This week I finished When Maiden's Mourn by CS Harris and Hunting Season by Liz Carlyle.  When Maiden's Mourn is part of the Sebastian St. Cyr series and once again CS Harris is wonderful.  Hunting Season is an older book/novella.  I don't remember ever reading it before, so I'm thinking it was part of a "novella" book with 2 or 3 other stories.

I finished Hunting Season this morning and expect to start the new Madeline Hunter tonight--I've no clue to the title, I've discovered since I've started reading on the kindle I seem to have become very vague to book titles, probably because I don't physically have the book in my hands.

I checked out the Cecilia Grant book that Rosario recommended, it reminded me of the Lorraine Heath book that was out last year--the title escapes me (the kindle is downstairs and my computer is up, and I'm too lazy to run down and get it :)  It sounds good, so that may be next.  After that I might try the Courtney Milan books, but the first has a courtesan heroine, not my favorite storyline, but I think I'll give it a try anyway.

I just visited Wendy's TBR Challenge post and holy cow, there are a whole bunch of blogs I've never heard of, I'm truly out of the loop, but at some point I'm going to try to visit all of them.

Book recommendations are always appreciated, have a great day :)

It's been 11 months since I visited my own blog--truly pathetic. 

I'd like to say I'm super busy, I'm reading--not a lot of new romance, rereading old favorites and I've started reading more mystery, but the reality is I've had no real interest in blogging.  I occasionally visit old favorites, like Wendy and Kristi, and I do go to Dear Author several times a week, to see what's going on in the romance reading world.  Unfortunately when I read the reviews at DA, I have no interest in the books--is it me or is mediocrity ruling romance right now? 

I miss my on-line friends and I'm sure I'm missing some great reads and would love to get back into the swing of things.

So, if any one happens by leave a book recommendation--it will be greatly appreciated.