"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan - 2006

Two YA authors teamed up to write a he said/she said love story that happens over the course of one crazy NYC night.  Hollywood made it into a somewhat/kinda/not really entertaining movie. 

I saw the movie first, and had a heck of a time getting it out of my head while reading.  I now think casting of Michael Cera was pretty freaking terrible, yes, I'm just plain sick of him and his recent teen offerings - but, here's some proof,

p. 9 "...He's working the ironic punk boy-Johnny Cash angle too hard to be a 'mo."  

Sorry, George Michael, but I don't think so.  So, that threw me off a bit.  On the other hand the casting of Norah was spot-on.  Anyway this is about the book, not the film. 

A few nagging details that got under my skin:

p. 29 "...on another Green Day cover, "Time of Your Life."

That song is actually called, "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).  Now I once saw that mistake in a SEP romance - annoying, but kinda forgivable - she shouldn't be giving song shout outs anyways.  However, in a book about punk rock or a least people who love punk rock?  Unacceptable.

p. 40 Nick is talking to Norah's ex -  "Dude, nobody puts baby in a corner..."

Then later on p. 61 - "I have no idea who Johnny Castle is, but I definitely approve of the name."

Please don't reference/use a line from a movie you've never seen. Thanks.

and then the unforgivable line that killed the book for me and the line that sort-of saved it...

p. 176  - Norah to Nick - "I hate The Beatles," I state. "Except for that song 'Something....But The Beatles as a whole? Completely overrated." then later: 

"Did you really write a song for me?"

Nick to Norah: "Yeah.  But it's not finished.  And don't ever speak of The Beatles with such condescension again or I may never finish it."

This book sort-of grew on me, once they got out of the clubs and the sun started to come up, I started to like Nick and Norah.  Then Norah opened her big mouth and made that Beatles comment - and while I liked that Nick spoke up, it made me not like Norah anymore.  I would say I prefer the book to the movie, and I'm a tiny bit curious about this pair of YA authors' other offerings.  

"The Blue Castle" - L.M. Montgomery - 1926

Don't you just love how book covers change over the decades?  The bottom one is classic, still as elegant today as it was when published.  It would make a great screen print, wouldn't it?  Our library had that unfortunate copy which makes Valancy and Barney look like they're reenacting a scene from Dirty Dancing!  

First things first, I read "AoGG" as a kid, and I loved the movie adaptations, especially 'Anne of Avonlea" - I vividly remember renting double VHS sets, in fact, I think the library still has those copies...  

"The Blue Castle" is regarded as her most mature work, as in not specifically for young adults, but my copy says YA and I found it right in with the "Anne" books in our library.   

When we meet Valancy, she's a tragic spinster, age 29, brow-beaten into submission by her overbearing family.  The first section of the novel is painful to read.  Every member of her family ranks higher than her, widowed aunts, bombastic uncles, and especially her younger, prettier cousin.  Every day is the same, the same jokes, the same insults, and always directed at Valancy.  They don't even recognize her as an adult, insisting on calling her by her childhood nickname, "Doss." They consider themselves better than most citizens of their small town, while living in fear of their opinions.  She rebels in her heart and head - her rank may be lower, but her intelligence is higher than that whole family put together.  

Valancy decides to visit a non-family doctor to check on the heart palpitations she's been having, and this one act of rebellion sparks a chain of events in motion that leads her to the life she deserves.   

"Empress of the World" - Sara Ryan - 2001

Another summer book, this time at an institute for high school honor students.  The protagonist Nicola makes real friends for the time and falls in love for the first time.  She falls for a beautiful dancer named Battle and navigates the ups and downs of teenage relationships.  First love is always awkward and tough.  Nic and Battle are not only dealing with homophobic jerks, but the feelings and opinions of  their friends and each other.  Two such friends are the accepting teenage boy from San Francisco who has a crush on the flamboyant dresser/computer geek, Katrina.

A blog called "Bookshelves of Doom" posted this 2007 review saying, 

" I do think that this book is a good example of why to avoid detailed descriptions of clothing in anything other than genre fiction: 

Katrina has a white dress with pictures of buildings and people silk-screened onto it in black--it's like she's wearing a silent movie--neon green tights, and purple combat boots.  She has her hair up, clipped into several clothespins that she has spray-painted silver Heck, give her a crimping iron and some squiggly earrings and you'd have a Claudia Kishi original. " Yeah, that's probably true.  I hate when romance novelists describe clothing, and Claudia's outfits seem ridiculous now, but I loved them back in the day.  Which might explain why I also owned neon green tights, purple combat boots and did random things with my hair.  I guess that's why I don't mind the descriptions, I get a little nostalgic - and I would have loved tights with a pattern of the word fuck on them! Still would, in fact!

I enjoyed "Empress of the World" very much, so I was excited to find out Ryan published a sequel in 2007 focusing on Battle's life the summer before college called, The Rules for Hearts.  The description sounds fantastic, I can't wait to read about a co-op theater!

"Queen of Babble Gets Hitched" - Meg Cabot - 2008

This might be a trend -  remembering and reading the last books in trilogies well after their release date...

I admit I was a bit shocked to see 2008 for this one.  It didn't feel that long to me,  I remembered most of the previous books "Queen of Babble", and "Queen of Babble in the Big City, so I just dove in."  

Basically, "Queen of Babble" could have been an open/shut stand alone novel.  The heroine, Lizzie travels to a wedding at a French chateau, where she saves the gown and meets Luke, a real-life "prince." Happily Ever After, The End.  But this is a trilogy, so there's some shifting in Book Two.  

The couple returns to the United States, NYC in fact, and end up living together.  She works as a receptionist, and restores vintage wedding gowns for free.  She rescues another dress, expects Luke to pop the question, and leaves him when she receives not a diamond ring, but a sewing machine for Christmas.  She attends a society wedding with her best friend's ex-boyfriend, they have a great evening and end up making out in a taxi and waking up in her apartment.  The reader knows nothing happened, "the Spanx stayed on.." However "QoB in the Big City" ends with a big-time cliffhanger - the last line of the book is Luke's proposal.  

It's hard not to talk about "Queen of Babble Gets Hitched" without including spoilers.  The hero isn't always obvious, but that's okay, because Lizzie is really the focus.  She takes great steps on the road to maturity by learning to keep her mouth shut most of the time, and learning how to run a successful business.  

Plus, fate really does Lizzie some favors, and by fate, I mean plot devices.  Each novel has a character who Lizzie befriends or saves who in turn pushes her career to a new level.  I honestly don't remember the bride in the first novel, but I do remember Jill from "...Big City." I thought she and Lizzie would remain friends after the wedding, but she doesn't even make an appearance.  Instead we meet a Paris Hilton-esque heiress desperately in need of some etiquette lessons, which Lizzie firmly delivers, of course.  

Meg Cabot keeps a breezy style throughout, including more humorous wedding information and advice from Lizzie.  A paragraph, advice, and a quote start each chapter, but you can choose not to read them.  Lizzie's tunnel vision regarding marriage grated on my nerves, and some of her choices bothered me, but they didn't stop me from flying through the novel in one sitting.  

Readers rooting for a happy ending will not be disappointed - whether you read the whole trilogy or just the first installment.  I would suggest that if you did read Book Two, keep reading, but I wouldn't recommend waiting 2 years to do it.

"The Playboy's Plain Jane" - Cara Colter - Feb 2008 #4005

First I should say I was hungover when I read this book.  You could make a very strong case that I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't have a fair amount of Sweet Tea Vodka sitting in my stomach.  Maybe you're right, or maybe this was a cheesy story regardless of alcohol content.

"The Playboy's Plain Jane" has that slightly out-of-touch, slightly lame aura about it, which deterred me more than anything.  The outfit descriptions, the meaning of flowers (20+ secret bouquet messages) and worst of all insane excitement over a local reading of a cat cartoonist?  I can handle quaint small towns, and inexperienced heroines and I don't really have anything against Victorian flower meanings.   But a  cat cartoonist whose name was Tac Revol (Cat Lover backwards)!  I draw the line at that level of cheese.  

I couldn't remember which book I was looking for - that's how I ended up with this one and a few others by Cara Colter.  The book I would like to find is:

1999's "A Bride Worth Waiting For" Silhouette #1388

"The Reckoning" - Kelley Armstrong - 2010

Book 3 of the "Darkest Powers" Trilogy

Armstrong or her publishers took a full year between "The Awakening" and "The Reckoning, but that final book has been out quite a while (since April '10)."  I, of course blanked on Book 3 until about 2 weeks ago...

However, I got that hell yeah! feeling you get when you've forgotten something cool exists and but is now available to you.  I didn't remember some details from the first two books, but it didn't really matter, I was swept up anyway by the romance.  

I've never read or seen a werewolf love story this freaking sweet.  On Buffy, Willow had to lock up Oz in the library cage 3 nights a month, except that time he broke out to have a werewolf affair... Not so with Derek - he's still himself in wolf form.  The result of his Change? Inter-species flirting that's not at all creepy, it's fucking adorable.  

It sure seems like there could be more books and adventures for Chloe.  I would certainly read more about these Darkest Powers kids, but even if there aren't anymore novels, I'm perfectly happy with the 'ending' of the trilogy.   

"Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor" - Lisa Kleypas - 2010

Last year I complained about Kleypas' "A Wallflower Christmas" which was short, forgettable and way overpriced.  Since I didn't buy it the library did, I can't bitch too much.  This holiday season, when I found a copy of this year's holiday hardcover  at the library, I knew what to expect and have no complaints.  

I knew this was a quick read, a novella that could easily fit in a holiday anthology with other authors.  I didn't mind, I really wanted to just burn through it in one sitting.  I also knew "Christmas Eve..." is just an introduction to the Friday Harbor Series, as much about the place and future characters as the love story inside.  I had reasonable expectations and enjoyed the simple story for what it was, and I look forward to reading the rest as they are published.  

"Jellicoe Road" - Melina Marchetta - 2006

I fucking loved this book.  In fact, I had that “just finished an awesome book buzz” for at least an hour afterwards.  To me that buzz feels rather like the “Wheee!” Liesel makes after kissing Rolf the future Nazi in the gazebo, only I don’t really squeal - I just want to tell everyone I see about this really good book I just finished.  Sorry about that, still on a “Sound of Music” kick apparently. Done now, no more references.  But hey, thank goodness for Forever Young Adult’s Swoonworthy Couples list, for introducing me to classic YA novels I might have missed.   

Marchetta has crafted haunting, beautiful story that reads like a mystery but is in fact only a mystery to the protagonist.  You’re on the journey with Taylor Markham as she slowly puts the missing pieces of many shattered lives back together.  “Jellicoe Road” has the best elements of YA, the fine art of teenage group dynamics and language, personal growth and first love.  I enjoyed the romantic elements, of course.  Who doesn’t love a really solid hero winning over a gun-shy girl?   Jonah and Taylor forge a mature relationship that is simultaneously intense and surprisingly age-appropriate.  However, ‘Jellicoe Road” is more than a love story between two people; it’s a story of friendship – encompassing two interwoven generations and the power of bonds formed through tragedy.  

"A Song For Summer" - Eva Ibbotson -

I read a copy featuring the cover above, but I really like the one below.

Well, I did it.  I carried our current WWII movie phase over into my reading.  Eva Ibbotson's name appears on my list of recommended authors I've never read before; and this book takes place throughout Europe but primarily in Austria just before it falls to Hitler - fits in perfectly, doesn’t it?  Yes, I admit that while reading the dust jacket I did picture nuns who steal from Nazi vehicles and a family crossing the Alps on foot…  No, it’s not “The Sound of Music” but I’m going to keep the comparisons coming.  Instead of “A Captain with seven children” there are many more, the students of wealthy parents abandoned at a bohemian (in the modern sense of the word) school for the arts.  Instead of Maria we have Ellen, the daughter and niece of militant suffragists who grew up with a desire to emulate and learn from their traditional Austrian cook and never chained herself to anything or got arrested.  Her family does support her even though her ideals of womanhood conform to everything they’ve fought against.  Ellen travels to the school Hallendorf in Austria and quickly becomes its’ heart and soul.  Students and staff both depend on her as she cooks and comforts while bridging the distance between the school and the nearby village.  She also loses her heart in the process to a man who makes music and saves tortoises.

I thought maybe this would turn out to be one of those books I start but never finish, (books that never make it to this blog) I fell asleep every 3 pages or so, and even re-read highlights of Lisa Kleypas’s “Dreaming of You” instead of just finishing this book.   Luckily I was so impressed with myself when I finished Cara Colter’s “Chasing Dreams” in one day, I plugged through to the end of “A Song For Summer.”  But I almost gave up when I turned to “Part Two” at well past the halfway mark.  I couldn’t believe it; I thought there were only loose ends and a wrap up, and then bam, tragedy and war and England and marriage and rations and Canada.  It was a lot, and the whole time I’m like,

“Shit, who’s gonna die?  Because someone’s going to, right? I’m reading a wartime novel, will it be his plane that goes down or will she be crushed under a fallen building during the blitz?”

I truly believe the major difference between romance as a genre and literature with romantic elements boils down to a tragic ending or a happy ending.  “Cold Mountain” for example, very romantic and in the end very tragic.  Every piece of crap Nicholas Sparks novel with the hero dying at sea, or in a South American mudslide after repairing his troubled relationship with James Franco gets more cred than your typical paperback romance – all because someone dies and the lover is left alone and devastated! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying all romances should focus on all things light and fluffy.  Tragedy has a place in romance – in the beginning and hopefully years before the story begins.  A tragic prologue, sure, I can certainly handle that – “Sunflower” by Jill Marie Landis features a heroine who was raped and impregnated while her family was murdered.  I can even handle the beloved first wife who died in childbirth scenario.  What I don’t want is tragedy at the end when I should be guaranteed a happy ending (I’m pretty sure it’s one of the RWA rules). “A Song For Summer” was a hardcover novel that doesn’t say “Romance” anywhere on the spine so I really did expect that ‘literature’ tragedy, and couldn’t quite believe that the H/H not only survive, but they get a happy ending.

There’s a double standard there somewhere, but  I’m not sure if I’m arguing for or against it.

"Chasing Dreams" - Cara Colter - 2006 Silhouette #1818

My local library does not catalog paperbacks.  I know I’ve bitched before, and I’m assuming they have their reasons.  Maybe it’s too much hassle with such a high turnover or perhaps they just don’t hold up to heavy usage?  Valid?  Sure – but annoying as hell when you are a) looking for a specific author or b) looking for the next book in a series. I’m 2 for 2 for Ms. Colter here.  I am currently looking for one of her titles, and just happened to catch a copy of “Chasing Dreams” before its return to the paperback abyss. 

I haven’t read any series romance in a while and forgot how freaking short they are. Not that I’m complaining, sometimes I look for that.  It’s the reason I’ll read a Christmas anthology in July, my attention span cannot be trusted. Mostly I can’t be trusted not to fall asleep regardless of how good the story or the time of day.  I finished “Chasing Dreams” in two sittings and without a nap!  It’s a perfectly nice rich girl/poor boy tale of sorts, except neither the H/H fit the stereotypes a romance reader would expect.

While it was an acceptable series romance and an entertaining read, I did have a few issues.  Due to the unfortunate library situation, I checked out Book Two in a trilogy, and some characters from the first story were not fully introduced or explained to new readers.  To make matters worse  “Chasing Dreams” ends with the first chapter of Book Three, the youngest sister’s story, masquerading as an epilogue.  Publishers do this to suck you in, and it usually works with me.  Colter wrote a nice story, but wouldn’t go online looking for the final installment of this series.  I would probably check it out of the library – but I have no way of knowing if it’s there. 

"Sweethearts" - Sara Zarr - 2008

While cleaning up my zillion bookmarks I came across a list geared right to me - "The Most Swoonworthy YA couples of all time" on a site called Forever Young Adult "for YA readers who are a little less Y and a bit more A" - which also applies to me.  There were a few couples (and books) I didn't know including Cameron and Jenna from Sara Zarr's "Sweethearts."  I love that cover by the way - not only is it cute and clean it actually fits the story - (which includes the most dead-on descriptions of food for comfort I've ever read).

This book was not at all what I expected, I thought it would be a light, quick read - it's more than that, and it's more than a romance in many ways.  Zarr's style and prose is sparse and wonderful, capturing both the trauma and innocence of childhood effortlessly.  

Hell yeah, Cameron Quick and Sara Zarr. I see some glomming in my future. 

p.s. 

I just read a little more about "Sweethearts" on FYA and it seems that Tim Riggins (well, the actor who plays him) is universally chosen for the role of Cameron Quick if a movie were made, and I laughed and laughed and then thought, well yeah, a 6'2" emancipated minor who doesn't say much?  

Of course, Tim Riggins. Haha!

"Some Brief Folly" - Patricia Veryan - 1981

When the latest AAR Top 100 came out, many long-time romance readers on the message boards complained about the relative newness of the books and authors.  It seems newer readers did most of the voting or just out-voted some older favorites.  One reader posted about the dearth of iconic romance authors on the list and also mentioned a few names I'd never read - Julia Ross, Patricia Veryan, and Eva Ibbotson.  The library had no titles by Ross, but quite a few by Veryan and Ibbotson - I grabbed at random.

Though it took me weeks to finish "Some Brief Folly" by Patricia Veryan was pleasantly surprising.  It's one of those stories  that isn't so much a mystery as a snowglobe.  The answers are shaken up and trapped, and seem really obvious when they settle down.  Veryan was known for her Regencies, especially the "Golden Chronicles" a series of five novels which was given a DIK review.  While I wouldn't just grab any Veryan again, (she has two "F" grades as well as that "A") As for "SBF" I found the hero pompous in a bad way, but I did enjoy the intelligent heroine and cast of kooky characters, even if the story did tie itself up too neatly in the end.

"Just One of the Guys" - Kristan Higgins - 2008

Re-reads are a funny thing, I commonly re-read the same sections of my favorite books, but rarely re-read an entire book.  Usually another book by the same author will lead me back for better of worse.  I read "Just One of the Guys" in late 2008 (just before I started keeping this blog) and really enjoyed it.  Now it's two years and at least 4 Higgins novels later and I wasn't quite as impressed.  I wanted to revisit this particular novel because the ending of "All I Ever Wanted" really felt familiar to the finale of "Just One of the Guys." As I said in the "AIEW" review a few days ago, Higgins always has the same elements, and they are all starting to run together.  Also I skimmed my earlier reviews and found I had the exact same issues - no hero's POV and desperate heroines.  While Chastity is a type of heroine you don't often see, tall and very athletic, inside she's the same as any other 'adorable' but hopeless Higgins heroine.  Also she's a nerd and the Lord of the Rings references are a bit much - and this is coming from a girl who just watched the entire appendices of special features last week!  There isn't enough quality page time with the hero, and there's an equal amount with the wrong man.  I bought the ending (no tears the second time around though) but would have loved better circumstances for these two.  I guess it boils down to enjoying this story more before I'd seen it done several times - by the same author.    

Books to Look for - A Reminder to me

Because I'll just lose the scrap of paper I wrote them on.

"Knight of a Trillion Stars" and "Mine to Take" - Dara Joy (Paranormals 1997-8, A and A+ on AAR)

"The Famous Heroine" - Mary Balogh (one I've never heard of)

"The Vicar's Daughter" - Deborah Simmons (highly recommended and a plot I love)

"Jackson Rule" Dinah McCall (DIK - 1996)

"Bewitching" - Jill Barnett (1993 - paranormal)

"By Arrangement" - Madeline Hunter

"Daughter of the Game" - Tracy Grant (2003 at library)

"Scoundrel" - Elizabeth Elliot

"Broken Wing" - Judith James

"The Duke" - Gaelen Foley
"A Bride Worth Waiting For" - Cara Colter
The Seduction - Julia Ross

"All I Ever Wanted" - Kristan Higgins - 2010

All I ever wanted was a lime green house, rocking chair, cute shoes, cute dog and a lap to sit on.  

Well, I'm down for all of those things, especially the lime green house!  Kristan Higgins has great covers with dogs and bright colors, but this one is my favorite - it really fits the book right down to the rocking chair. On the flip side the back cover blurb was so off-putting I had this book in my hand to purchase it and put it back. However, the next book store visit I took a gamble on Higgins and ignored the blurb.  

When Kristan Higgins is on her game she writes some of the best contemporary romances around.  She’s a funny comfort read, and you can always count on a crazy family, a charming small town
and a neurotic heroine desperate to meet Mr. Right.  While I always love the towns and the families, the heroines’ first-person POV can be a bit much.  It always comes down to spending too much time in the heroine's brain and never enough page time with the hero.  With every new Higgins novel I read I find myself longing for the hero’s perspective - an insight to the hero’s thoughts and feelings could take her novels to a Jennifer Crusie-esque level for me.  I have no issues with first-person perspective in other genres, but the only time I feel a standard romance needs a first-person POV is when the heroine has two options for who the HEA will be with.

"All I Ever Wanted" has two love interests, but not really.  One is a d-bag straight out the gate - and the heroine's fixation through the first half almost kills the book for me.  Thankfully instead of getting crazier she gets practical - instead of madcap nonsense to get her man she gets to know a complicated and unexpected hero.  And thank god she did.  The hero of 'All I Ever Wanted' made me laugh out loud - AND - tear up a little, not an easy feat on either account!  He's a 'Darcy'ish cold fish - how can you resist that? Put him a room with a Brownie Troop and it's pure magic.

I love when the timing is right and not only do you have an entire evening to read, you want to finish the book, because it's so damn good.  I spent most of an evening being anti-social and completely wrapped up in Callie and Ian's story, way too late for how early I have to wake up - I ended up falling asleep with 4 pages to go! Ridiculous. Unfortunately, I lost a bit of emotional momentum by finishing the next day. The dramatic ending struck me as a bit rushed and, something that's been done before - by Higgins herself.  For all it's good points, Higgins used that awful plot device - the big misunderstanding to pull apart and reunite her lovers. I could have done without it.  Other than that I'd say Higgins is back on top of light contemporary single title romance (for me anyway) and if I ever got to hear the hero she would write a keeper every time, I just know it!  

The results are in...

...and I was pretty far off.  The 2010 Top 100 on AAR results are in.  I called P&P for #1, but "Lord of Scoundrels" held on.  So did Lisa Kleypas "Dreaming of You" at #2 - and I was very wrong about "Devil in Winter" - not only did it stay in the Top 10 it moved up to #3!  Lizzie and Darcy dropped to #4, and "Outlander," "Flowers from the Storm" and "Slightly Dangerous" each bumped back one in the standings. However, "The Viscount Who Loved Me" jumped from #10 to #8 - and two "upstarts" made their way in to the current Top 10.  Elizabeth Hoyt made quite a splash a few years ago with her "Prince Trilogy" - seems the first, "The Raven Prince" (2006) stayed with lots of readers (the other two novels also made the list).  Congratulations to Jennifer Ashley for her complicated hero everyone loved in "The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie" (2009).  "Bet Me" is still my fave, but it fell to #16 - and my girl Jennifer Crusie fell out of the Top 10 altogether!  "Welcome to Temptation" landed at #35 - I blame those partner books with Bob Mayer!

I broke down where I fall in this year's survey.

I have read 67 of the 100. 

I will not read 13 of the remaining 33. 

I will look for 14 of the remaining 20.

The remaining 6 are either books I may have read but can't 

remember - or books I'll get around to reading maybe.

As for the 2007 survey...

I have read 56 of the 100.

I will not read 21 of the remaining 44.

I will look for 14 of the remaining 23.

The remaining 7 are up in the air - maybe I did, maybe I won't.  

In 2004 I was pretty new to Romance a year or two in...
I have read 56 of the 100 (not the same 56).
I will not read 16 of the remaining 44.
I will look for 20 of the remaining 28 .
I am not sure about the other 8.

In the year 2000, In the year 2000 (higher)
I have read 51 of the 100.
I will not read 16 of the remaining 49.
I will look for 15 of the remaining 33.
I am unsure about a whopping 18 this time.
The older list includes a few authors I'm unfamiliar with or never found.
And I'm starting to get worn down by seeing the same keepers from
Linda Howard, Suzanne Brockmann and Nora Roberts!
I'm wondering whether they are worth another chance, then I look at Navy SEAL plots,
murder and policemen and think, no.  I'm good.

"The Wives of Bowie Stone" - Maggie Osborne- 1994

The heroine of "The Wives of Bowie Stone" wife #2, Rose Mary Mulvehey is the most interesting female character I can remember in any romance.   She only bathes after spending a night in jail - she goes to jail for getting drunk and shooting up the saloon, she smokes, rides fast and lives rough as any cowboy in the west.  She was also abused by her step-father, and depends on alcohol to cope.  She is complex and difficult - she would never have 'caught' a husband without a post-war town loophole.  The town of Passion's Crossing (sounds like a soap opera name doesn't it?) needs men, and they are in such limited supply a woman can save a man from a hanging if she marries him.  Rosie chooses Bowie Stone - who escaped the noose and fails to mention wife #1.  

Rosie sees a profitable harvest as the ultimate revenge on the step-father who died before she could kill him.  She needs Bowie to be her 'roustabout' or man of all work and over the course of a year he pulls the plow because her horse is the only good thing she owns, they work until they bleed and do it despite the town's mockery.  Bowie and Rosie fall in love slowly.  Which makes sense as she looks like 'Calamity Jane' from HBO's "Deadwood" for most of the book.  I must admit that's kind of how she talked in my head too, it was pretty distracting. 

Bowie discovers the beautiful woman underneath the liquor, dirt and men's clothing - but most importantly he helps Rosie dry out and see the beautiful woman she is.  

There's a nice subplot with Susan Stone - wife #1 - learning to take care of herself without the support of a man.  Bowie never loved Susan, his brother died while she was pregnant, Bowie marries her to give his nephew a name.  She's never had to do more than plan menus and act as hostess.  In the west she meets a man who expects more and finds more courage than she knew she had.     

My only issues with "The Wives of Bowie Stone" are plot issues.  There were a few loose ends that tied up too neatly and unnecessarily in my opinion.  But overall this book is wonderful at showing a completely new heroine and a real hero to love her.  

"Kisses To Go" - Irene Peterson - 2007

 Why do people keep sneaking magic and new age shit into perfectly harmless (i.e. ho-hum) contemporary romances without mentioning it ANYWHERE on the outside covers? New Age readings, dancing at Stonehenge, and a sworn secret about King Arthur's grave??? I didn't sign up for that!  I picked this book up while on a restaurant romance kick - yes, the heroine is a chef, kind of, maybe - diner food vs. gourmet? I don't know.  The hero was a jerk and the plot sucked all on it's own, too,  separate from the 'magic.' 

I can handle reading a less than average novel when I haven't read any reviews first, that's a risk I take when I don't have internet access, but I hate being mislead by back cover blurbs and the lack of "paranormal/fantasy" listings on the spine.  Zebra is trying to sell more books to a wider audience, I get it - but it's also bull shit.  

All About Romance's Top 100

Every few years the good people at my go-to site for romance ask their readers to submit their Top 100 romances and then compile a definitive list.  The last list was in 2007 and the Top 10 of the Top 100 was:

1) "Lord of Scoundrels" - Loretta Chase - 1995

This is a book people love so much, but I barely remember it, and honestly wasn't at all impressed at the time.  It's number one ranking has made me wonder if it was the setting where I read it, (Rock House) or if I just don't care for the novels of Loretta Chase.  I doubt it will hold the number one spot again.  

2) "Dreaming of You" - Lisa Kleypas - 1994 

I also love this book,  my favorite of all the Lisa Kleypas keepers on my shelf, and I have quite a few!

3) "Pride and Prejudice" - Jane Austen - 1813

I predict P&P will top the 100 this time around.  Everyone loves Darcy and Lizzie, and I think confusion came from whether it was acceptable to vote for a classic novel, placing it at Number 3.  

4) "Outlander" - Diana Gabaldon - 1991

This is a crazy cult favorite, number one a few lists back.  I read it once and liked it, but never read any sequels or developed a devotion to it.  It is the only romance a librarian has hugged while checking it out for me though!

5) "Flowers From the Storm" - Laura Kinsale - 1992

Another one I've read only once, but really liked.  It's biggest downfall is Fabio offering a flower to the reader on the cover, but thankfully it's been reissued...

6) "Slightly Dangerous" - Mary Balogh - 2004

My favorite (and everyone else's) of the "Slightly" series.
A twist on P&P and the best cold hero in ages.

7) "Devil in Winter" - Lisa Kleypas - 2006

A keeper for sure, but I believe it's high ranking came from being a recent release and fresh in everyone's minds.  I'm curious to see where it will fall, but my money's still in the Top 20.

8)"Bet Me" - Jennifer Crusie - 2004

My favorite contemporary romance of all time.

9) "Welcome to Temptation" - Jennifer Crusie - 2000

Another good one, but not quite a comfort read.  I've only read it twice.

10) "The Viscount Who Loved Me" - Julia Quinn - 2000

My favorite Quinn, first read when I was new to romance and she was my favorite author. However,  she's been putting out some real crap for about 5+ years, so, we'll see how she's fallen in the ranks!

The Top 100 was a great way to discover keepers and older releases I might not have discovered on my own.  For a while I was attempting to read all books on the lists - the reason why I read one (and only one) Nora Roberts and "Dream Man" by Linda Howard.  "Dream Man" made me realize I left a love of romantic suspense (a la "Mary Higgins Clark) behind me in the 7th grade, along with khaki pants and my natural hair color.  I don't have time to read authors I know I don't care for - I'll try one, and that's it.  Once again I ran out of time before submitting my personal Top 100 - it's an overwhelming task for me, plus some books I had from 2007 I don't even remember!  I'm excited to see the 2010 results, and hope to get my list counted next time around.  

A Letter to Rory Gilmore

Dear Alexis, 

If you ever want me to stop seeing you as Rory 

please make more films like "Sin City" 

and stop taking roles in movies that could be 

called, "The Good Guy" OR

"Rory Gilmore Lives in New York, Works as an Urban Conservationist, and finds Love."

Thank You,

Laci Hess

Alexis Bledel, a TV veteran herself, has now made two movies with quarterbacks from the TV show "Friday Night Lights."  "Post Grad" with Zach Gilford (Matt Saracen, the mumbling and sincere underdog) and "The Good Guy" with Scott Porter (the football star who lost the use of his legs in the pilot, Jason Street). This isn't terribly unusual, TV actors work on movies together all the time, such as "Can't Hardly Wait" during which I play the "Who Guest Starred on Buffy?/Do you remember their character's name?" game in my head.  Also any number of horror movies made in the mid to late 90's - (I Know What You Did Last...Season on the WB...) 

Anyway back to Ms. Gilmore - "Post Grad" was terrible (plus I saw it before FNL and didn't realize that's just how Zach Gilford speaks...) but I liked "The Good Guy" mainly because of the good guy in the film - who may or may not be Jason Street, I won't spoil it.