Posts filed under ‘Weekly Update’
Wheee!
It’s been a whirlwind of a week, and things look like they won’t slow down until the kid is back in school.
Things are in a state of flux, here at the homestead, but in a good way. After 4 months of phone calls, cleaning marathons, prospective renter walk thrus, and close calls, we’ve finally rented our house. Now for the hard part. 
We’re taking over my guy’s childhood home, 10 minutes from where we currently live. It’s larger, has a pool, and is in our son’s school district. Packing has already begun, and this week we did a walk thru of our in-laws place, deciding which pieces of furniture we’ll keep. (They’ve already moved to a smaller home in their “active seniors” community, and have left behind some of their furniture.)
Of course, at the same time we’re moving, we need to get our townhouse ready for the renters to move in to. All those little repairs that were easy to ignore, now must be fixed, carpets need to be shampooed, and walls need to be painted. Yee hah!
Even though I get exhausted just thinking about all of this, I’m also pretty excited. I’ve been drawing out possible floor plans for the new place, trying to think of creative ways to merge our furniture with some of my in-laws more, ahem, dated pieces. I’m planning a reading nook, with a love seat and ottoman in our much roomier office. And, I’m trying to make peace with the fact that we probably won’t have time before moving in to get rid of the silver foil wall paper in the living room. Next year. Really.
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The kid, doing his best imitation of a crab. |
In the mean time, summer’s been rolling along. A couple of weeks ago we went to Redondo Beach pier and bought live crabs, that the market then steamed for us. We ate them on newspaper covered tables while strolling mariachis played for tips.
One of the totally cool things about Redondo is the arcade, where I played much skee ball and Sea Wolf as a kid. I didn’t see Sea Wolf this time, but we did play skee ball and air hockey. And, we also saw these “antiques”.
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If you played any of these when they were new,
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This weekend, more beach time. My guy is helping throw a beach party for one of the student programs at his university. We are in charge of the fire ring. That’s sort of a bad news/good news thing for me. Bad news: heading out there early to baby sit —I mean reserve the damned fire ring. Good news: SMORES! We shall see if smore consumption is adequate consolation.
I will be taking Blaze of Memory with me. Some PsyChangeling action seems like perfect beach reading. I’m tempted to take Long Hard Ride, since that also seems like a great beach read, but I don’t think I can sit next to my guy’s co-workers and students while reading a cowboy ménage. (Where is Miss Doreen when you need her?)
Last week, I was so excited to see Lori’s post with the cover to Suzanne Brockmann’s next Troubleshooters book, Breaking the Rules. This is Izzy’s book, and I am SO looking forward to it. I might be in the minority, but I like Eden. OK, well, I guess I wouldn’t go so far as to say like. How about, I see so much great potential for her growth as a character. One of my favorite things about this series is how SB gives her characters time over many books to fuck up, grow, change, and become heroes/heroines. Robin, Sam, Ken, and, of course, Izzy are all great examples of the Suze Brockmann school for heroes. I’m really looking forward to seeing what will happen with Izzy. And Eden. Or, maybe not Eden?
I’m also currently reading Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley. I’ve been seeing this book around for a while, and finally got to it! So far, it’s really good. M/M romantic suspense. FBI agent is protecting a drug runner who is going to give evidence against his drug lord boss. Great tension and chemistry between the heroes, so far.
Last week, I went on a mini Lauren Dane binge. It all started with Revelation, book 2 in the de La Vega Cats series. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I needed to finish the Cascadia Wolves series. I blew thru TriMates and Wolf Unbound. I really like the shifter world in this series. The men are very alpha (of course), but the women too, be they witch, shifter, or human, are also very strong. And, their alpha men respect them and love them, not despite their strength, but because of it. Good stuff! I’m hoping I’ll get to the last 2 in the series in the next week or so. I’m really looking forward to Cade’s story! Then, on to the Chase Brothers.
Phew! So that’s what’s been going on with me. How about you? Read any good books lately?
Almost at the halfway mark
Next week, summer will be halfway over, and it’s just been speeding by. (The kid starts school ridiculously early, on Aug. 23rd.) So far he’s done chess camp and church camp. The next few weeks will be quieter, with only science academy 1ce a week. It’s been interesting working at home with him here. He’s at an age (7) where his independence is really growing, so in some ways it’s not as challenging as it used to be. However, I do find that for six hours of (billable) work, I’m working closer to 8 or 9 hours. Momentum is hard to come by, and interruptions are plentiful. But, all in all, it’s been a nice summer. 
A lot of books have found their way onto my shelves this week. Barnes and Noble had their tent sale, and I picked up a couple off books for my keeper shelf. Dru Pagliasotti’s Clockwork Heart was only $1.78! I have the ebook, but at that price I couldn’t resist picking up a print copy. Anne Bishop’s Queen of the Darkness (Black Jewels trilogy, #3) was also ridiculously cheap at $1.98. I originally read the trilogy from a library book. I don’t have books 1 and 2 yet, but figure I can pick them up when I see them.
Nicole Peeler’s Tracking the Tempest was the 3rd book I got (with a 20% off coupon.) So, between the sales and coupons and the free shipping, my bargain shopping heart sang when the UPS guy showed up yesterday!
I’ve already started Tracking the Tempest, and am enjoying it a lot. I just love Nicole Peelers’ breezy, earthy, and funny writing.
This past week, I came across these 3 really interesting articles.
First, was Jessica’s review of Lisa Valdez’ Passion over at her blog, Read, React Review. I haven’t read the book myself (and am not likely to), but the hype of it and it’s sequel, Patience have made the author’s purple prose well known. Phrases like “genital transport systems” get bandied about in this smart and funny review. And, Jessica describes a love scene that sounds so horrifyingly painful, I may be scarred for life, and I haven’t even read it! Jessica’s post is priceless!
Then, there was this thought-provoking io9 article, Why Team Jacob Always Has to Lose in Twilight. Like the article’s author, I am Team Jacob. However, while I don’t agree with everything in the article, it was one of the most cogent pieces I’ve seen on the Twilight saga in a long time. Pay attention to the section titles. My particular favorites were, “Team You Must Be Controlled By An Older Man Who Hates Sex” and “Team Don’t Date The Guy Who Wants Sex As Much As You Do”.
Then, my guy sent me this “guys” perspective on going to see Eclipse from Ain’t it Cool News that totally cracked me up. Basically, it’s about the potential to getting laid if you take a date to this movie. Reading this article right after the io9 one makes for an interesting juxtaposition.
We actually did see Eclipse last week, and while it (like the other movies) was not as good as the book, it was the best of the 3 movies. My favorite part of the entire (book) series is the last part of Eclipse, tent scene-battle-thru ending, and I did enjoy seeing how it played out on film. Now, the wait begins for Breaking Dawn, part 1. I’m already warning my guy he’ll probably hate it. (Breaking Dawn is going to be made into 2 movies, pts 1 and 2, to be released 2011 and 2012.
Lastly, the weekend saw the demise of my beloved iPod nano. I left it in my jeans pocket, and then proceeded to do laundry. When my guy handed it to me, it was much heavier than it used to be. Waterlogged, much? sigh. Luckily, my guy had his classic iPod sitting in a desk drawer, unused, since he now has an iPhone. It’s twice the size of my little nano (see photo on right), and not (yet) personalized with a Gelaskin, but it’s so nice to be able to load all my books AND music, since it’s got heaps more memory.
So, that’s what’s been going on with me. How has your summer been going?
The Dog Days of Summer
. . . and I’m feeling sort of like this:
This is the Big Guy’s imitation of a small dog. A really small dog. Pretty impressive given his actual size.
Or, maybe, he’s imitating Chaos. >^,,^<
I always say my kid is routine oriented, but honestly, I think I am even more than he is. Adjusting to the new summer schedule has been challenging. His schedule changes every few days, and I’m left squeezing in work around it.
This week, he’s at Chess Camp every morning. And, boy do I love seeing him all amped up about gaining a new level. He won his first game today, and was over the moon. For a kid who struggles with adhd, his ability to stick with something for 3 hours a day is wonderful to see. Of course, as long as his brain is fully engaged, he can really focus, and chess seems to capture his attention. I love it! 
(*Happy mom dance*)
Next week, he has church camp every afternoon. Last year’s ecology theme has given way to peace and justice. I’m really curious to see how they carry it out. He should have a blast!
What all this upheaval means is that I’m pretty lacking on the post-writing. I’m way backed up, but hoping that something will shake loose this weekend, and I’ll regain some momentum. I’m hopeful, because this weekend I’ll be heading here, in Napa, with my guy. While it’s a business trip for him, I’m picturing a spa pedicure and time to read and write. Maybe while sipping an alcoholic beverage. Sounds like heaven to me!
Luckily for me, that even though I haven’t been writing much, I have read some really good books lately. Over the last week, I was on a mini KA Mitchell binge. I’ve had Collision Course on my ereader for a while, but I hadn’t realized it was book 2 of a series until I saw that Tracy was reading Diving in Deep (book 1) over at Goodreads. The upshot is that that discovery resulted in my buying books 1 and 3, and they were all really good. My favorite characters in the series were Joey (from Collision Course) and (yay! Asian-American male protagonist) Jae Sun (from No Souvenirs).
One thing I really liked about KA Mitchell’s writing was how much growth the characters go through. While these books are really erotic, character development is never sacrificed for pages of sex. There is plenty of both (character development and sex), and often, the reader learns something about the main characters, and they learn things about themselves and each other via the love scenes.
I’m now on the look out for more of her books. I have Chasing Smoke, and hope to get to it in the next week, but does anybody have any suggestions on other good KA Mitchell books?
Another really great read was Jill Shalvis’ Double Play. This contemporary sports romance hit the right spot. It was fun, light, but didn’t skimp on (again) character growth. I LOVED Pace, and while Holly sometimes was a little quick to judge, I loved the consistency wrt her moral center. She didn’t always handle things in a way I agreed with, but it was right for her character. Even better, I was able to pick up book 2 in the Pacific Heat series, Slow Heat at Saturday’s So Cal Blogger book swap. (Thanks, Lori!)
Currently, I’m reading Sarah Rees Brennan’s YA paranormal, The Demon’s Covenant. Book 1, The Demon’s Lexicon was one of my favorite YA reads in the last year, and I love catching up with Nick and Alan. I’m also appreciating Mae more since this book is told from her pov.
I’m also listening to Richelle Mead’s Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy, book 3). Rose is getting on my nerves a bit. I know she’s supposed to be strong and passionate, and possibly feeling the effects of either PTSD or some kind of supernatural influence, but for the most part she’s coming across as obnoxious, bullying, and self-centered. Seriously, the girl needs either a valium or some meditation lessons. I really like Richelle Mead’s writing in general, and am hoping that by the end of this audiobook, I’ll want to continue with the series. As for now, the jury’s still out.
While I’m in Napa, I’m looking forward to reading an arc of a book that I’ve really been looking forward to. A little bird gave it to me on Saturday. I’ll also hopefully get to JB McDonald’s In the Rough.
I think I’m going to try to only bring my nook and 1 emergency print book—likely, Slow Heat— (in case I run out of batteries or something.) I tend to be paranoid about the possibility of being somewhere without anything to read, so this is a leap of faith for me with my nook. I am excited, though, about not carrying around a pile of books like I usually do.
So, that’s what’s been going on with me. How about you? Read any good books lately?
A little bit of this, a little bit of that
Things are humming along here at the old homestead. My dad continues to improve. He event attended his Photoshop class this week! 2 more weeks left of little league and school, and I’m working more hours than I have in the last couple of years.
I’m taking on a major maintenance project on one of the sites I work on, and it means lots and LOTS of formatting, clean up, and link checking. All I can say is that I’m so glad I now have a dedicated laptop for the website work and a new modem/router. My old router had to constantly be reset, and let me tell you, it’s the little things that make work much more enjoyable. Also, I figure I’ll get lots of audiobook listening done, since this project is more labor/time intensive than brain intensive.
Speaking of audiobooks, I had my fingers crossed that Lynn Flewelling’s The White Road would be available in audiobook format on its release day (5/25), and it was! (Sometimes there’s a lag between release date and audiobook availability.) So, I’ve dropped everything, and am listening to Seregil and Alec’s most recent adventures.
The last audiobook I finished was Suzanne Collins’ excellent Catching Fire (The Hunger Games trilogy, book 2). It had me on the edge of my seat, and I can’t wait for the conclusion, Mockingjay, which will be released August 2010. I’ve actually gotten my guy hooked on the trilogy, and I may have to fight him for who gets to read/listen first!
Another awesome YA I read over the weekend was Kelley Armstrong’s The Reckoning. 
It’s the conclusion to the Darkest Powers trilogy, and left me curious about something:
According to Kelley Armstrong’s newsletter, Chloe, Derek and Simon will be making an appearance in the new YA trilogy, Darkness Rising. But, will they be crossing over to the adult Otherworld series, as well? Though they are a little bit younger than Savannah, I’d love to see them interacting with her. And, she needs some supes in her age group.
This week is such an incredibly rich week for book releases. Top of my list? Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews. Why? 3 words: Kate. And. Curran. There’s the little matter of the wager they made in the previous book, Magic Strikes. It’s time for them to settle up, and I can’t wait!
The last couple of weeks I’ve been pretty lucky, and won a few books! First off, I won Nancy’s Theory of Style by Grace Coopersmith (aka Marta Acosta) over at Marta’s Vampire Wire. I also won a very generous fantasy package over at Lurve a la Mode. It included and Falling, Fly by Skyler White and The Spirit Lens by Carol Berg, 2 books I’ve been really curious about. I also won Feed by Mira Grant (aka Seanan McGuire) from Orbit Books. So, it’s an embarrassment of riches here at RBA. I can’t wait to delve into these very cool books! (I think I feel a “paying it forward” giveaway coming on. Stay tuned!)
Oh! And, I wanted to thank the lovely Janna over at E-Romance Reader for the lovely Bodacious Blogging Book Reviewers Award she gave me! I sort of stink at follow-through on awards, but am really going to try to post something in the next few days on it!
Here’s something to wrap up on a high note. I saw this on Twitter a couple of days ago. I don’t remember who RT’d it, but it’s Made. Of. Win.
After that, how can you not have a great day?
Spring Break!
Easter weekend was a crazy one! It started with my son’s belated birthday party. (His February party had been postponed due to illness.) I forgot how much fun bowling could be! When I was a kid, my parents were in a bowling league. (They actually continued to play until my dad was in his early 80s, and my mom in her late 70s.) I spent most Friday nights at the bowling alley with all the other kids, running thru the bowling alley and playing in the arcade. (Sea Wolf and Space Invaders ftw!)
The red background is a board the "pin" and "ball" cakes were on. Cool, isn't it?
So, the kid’s bowling party was a success. There was bowling, pizza, arcade games, and this wonderful cake made by my nephew’s wife. The kids were rowdy, all the adults’ ears hurt from the noise makers, and the kids had a great time.
We had 5 birthdays to celebrate on Sunday, as well as Easter, so much of Saturday afternoon was taken up with gift shopping. My basket was FULL at Barnes and Noble! And, only 2 of the books were mine. Really. I picked up Karin Lowachee’s The Gaslight Dogs and Gail Carriger’s Changeless. I’m really excited about both of these books.
After buying the Warriors Anthology, edited by GRR Martin for my brother-in-law, I went ahead and picked it up today. There are stories by Diana Gabaldon (Lord John!), Naomi Novik, and Carrie Vaughn in it. This is a book both my husband and I will definitely enjoy.
Easter day was a blur of church (my team of acolytes worked the 9am service), family get-togethers (we had 2), making ham (the cider-glazed ham recipe was a hit!), and birthday celebrations. Much fun, but totally exhausting.
This week, the kid and my guy are off on spring break and furlough (thanks to state budget cuts), respectively. We’re staying home, mostly just catching up on errands, playing video games, and reading. Though, the kid has already visited Disneyland with my nephew’s wife, and today he’s going swimming at my sister’s (so we can have our tax appt). Life is good for the kid!
I finished Mind Games by Carolyn Crane yesterday afternoon. Review, giveaway, and a special character appearance to come next week.
I’m currently reading Roadkill by Rob Thurman. I’ve been dying to get back into Cal and Niko’s story. I’m just 40 pages in, and all the things I enjoy about this dark world are there. Rob Thurman’s warped sense of humor rocks, too.
A few other books have found their way onto my shelves this past week. First off is a review copy of Ginn Hale’s Lord of the White Hell, book 1. It’s not going to be released till August, but I might not be able to hold off reading this one early. 
I really loved Wicked Gentlemen (reviewed here), and am already hearing great things about this new novel, which is book 1 in a new series.
I also received Ann Aguirre’s Hell Fire, book 2 in her Corinne Solomon series, which I had won in one of her Twitter giveaways. Book 1, Blue Diablo (reviewed here), rocked.
I’m hoping to get my April’s Book Releases and March’s Read Books posts up over the next couple of days. There are some really great books coming out this month!
So, that’s what’s happening with me. How about you? Reading any good books?
People are going to talk…