Keeping Màili Amused

From Sybil, here are a few sites from my bookmarks that Màili can keep herself amused by surfing through. And sorry, but these aren't in any order.

The Moggy Horde's Silly Sleeping Pose Olympics! Because cats are cute, dammit.

The Infinite Cat Project Once again, because cats are cute.

Bag Lunch okay, so I haven't ordered from here yet, but I love the web design. And well, who doesn't want Pancakes and Syrup lip balm?

Ninja Cupid No clue where I found this, but it's um...interesting.

Spunky Kitty I want a hat from here! So what if I'm 25 years old. Wouldn't I look smashing in this one?

Love's Endless Possibilities I want a Pocke Pouch! Haven't decided on what color though. I wish they had one with a cat, instead of just a dog.

Weight Watchers The reason my bras are not fitting. ARGH. I mean, it's a good thing, but dammit, bras are expensive!

Bergdorf Goodman Where I lust after really expensive things. Like shoes and bags. You know, those things you will never own.

Cat Photography Yeah, yeah, more cats. But hey, they're from the UK!

Levenger Ah....book stuff. I want this chair and ottoman. And this case for my Pocket PC. And well, just about everything else.

The 86th Floor Ah...I love Doc Savage books.

Blackmask Online Where I find my Doc Savage books in ebook form.

Celtic Art & Retro-Futuristic Design More art.

Sheikhs and Desert Love: A Database of Romance Novels Pretty up-to-date and the place to go when you want some desert loving.

Stephanie Pui-Mun Law - Shadowscapes I love browsing through the gallery here. Too broke to buy anything, but I'd like to, someday.

Penguin Batting Enjoy!

River IQ Game Can you get them all to the other side?

The Always Amusing Euphemism Generator Yup, amusing.

Rachael Hale Photography Love her art. I have a book cover with this print on it.

And now I'm going to stop, because Blogger already screwed up once and made me type half this over again.

The Beast Within by Suzanne McMinn

Went to Wal-Mart (it's evil, yes, but I have a $30 book budget until the middle of July) yesterday to hunt down some books that I knew were coming out. Found Sins of the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon (yes, I know the writing is melodramatic and over-the-top, but I still get sucked in), It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn (*squeeeeeeeee*), and The Beast Within by Suzanne McMinn (because it looked good, dammit). Oh...and am I the only one who thinks that the guy on the cover looks vaguely like Val Kilmer?

Even though I should have been working on reading some review ARCs that are due before July 1, I ended up reading The Beast Within last night. Wow. This is a definite page-turner.

Book blurb:

PAX superagent Kieran Holt never wanted to leave his wife, Paige, but when a lab explosion turned him from scientist to experiment, he hid himself on a secret island to effect a reversal. Believing Kieran a traitor, Paige had spent the past two years searching for him — but now she wasn't the only one who'd found him.

Pursued by a government agency, Kieran and Paige had one last chance to uncover the truth and save their marriage….

But only if they could tame the beast within.

Like I said, I really liked this book. Paige and Kieran are already married, so they've got that sexual tension from the first. It's obvious that Kieran's flight deeply hurt Paige and she's spent two years trying to get over him. Once she sees him again, though, you know that things aren't over between the two of them. They fairly spark when they're together.

There is a lot of action here, something I love, and it's almost non-stop. You never quite know who the bad guy is until the end, but since it isn't a long book, I didn't mind. I liked that Suzanne didn't give us any huge info-dumps. We pretty much just know what we need to know and though I'm sure that we'll learn more about PAX in upcoming books, I didn't feel that this was just a beginning book where all the ground rules needed to be laid out for the books to come.

If you're looking for a quick, fun, and quite sexy paranormal read, I suggest you head to the bookstore and pick up The Beast Within by Suzanne McMinn. It was definitely a great way to spend my evening. Of course, now I want the next one. NOW.

Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson

OOoooh...I liked this book. Quite a lot of fun and I really like Shanna Swendson's voice. I think this is the start of a series and if so, I can't wait for the next book to come out.

Blurb from Amazon:

DON’T MESS WITH HEXES

Katie Chandler had always heard that New York is a weird and wonderful place, but this small-town Texas gal had no idea how weird until she moved there. Everywhere she goes, she sees something worth gawking at and Katie is afraid she’s a little too normal to make a splash in the big city. Working for an ogre of a boss doesn’t help.

Then, seemingly out of the blue, Katie gets a job offer from Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., a company that tricks of the trade to the magic community. For MSI, Katie’s ordinariness is an asset. Lacking any bit of magic, she can easily spot a fake spell, catch hidden clauses in competitor’s contracts, and detect magically disguised intruders. Suddenly, average Katie is very special indeed.

She quickly learns that office politics are even more complicated when your new boss is a real ogre, and you have a crush on the sexy, shy, ultra powerful head of the R&D department, who is so busy fighting an evil competitor threatening to sell black magic on the street that he seems barely to notice Katie. Now it’s up to Katie to pull off the impossible: save the world and–hopefully–live happily ever after.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Well, except for the rather small print. You get kinda used to the larger font pubs have been putting in trade paperbacks. Other than that, though, this was a book I had trouble putting down. It's just so much fun. I really liked Katie, though one would wonder why she really didn't realize something was up with all the strange things she was seeing. But yet it worked for me and I really liked her character. She's very down-to-earth and it was nice to see a character from Texas who didn't act like a hick.

There are some very funny scenes, like where Katie is on a girls-night-out with some fairies (yes, real fairies) and mentions how you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince (basically her just referring to dating), but the fairies take it literally and they all head to Central Park to kiss some enchanted frogs.

This isn't really a romance per se, but there are some romantic elements. I especially liked Owen, the head of the R&D department. Gotta love a cute, but shy guy.

All in all, it's a very quirky, fun book and although I got my copy from the library, I think I'm going to have to pick up a copy of my own. I really do hope this is the start of a great series, or at least see more books set in this world. It was just so much fun.

Overcoming the TBR pile

I'm pretty sure I have more books unread than read in my house now. Very sad and I'm not sure I should mention that to my husband. I think he might decide I don't need to buy any more books. So as Màili mentions that she's tackling her tbr pile, I decide that I need a plan for mine. Yes, a plan. For one thing, I have so many Harlequin Blazes and Intrigues. They take up a lot of space. Each is overflowing its shelf. So...I think I want to try to read at least one of each every week. They aren't terribly long, so it might work. I think. Eh, I can at least try. Maybe one a week. Something. They need to go and I can't make myself do that until I read them.

I also have to read Marriage Most Scandalous by Johanna Lindsey since I checked it out from the library. I'm sure there are other holds after me, so gotta read it. I also have to pick up Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendson as it just came in and I think Beyond the Pale by Savannah Russe might come in later today. Gotta love the library. Need to return Sofie Metropolis by Tori Carrington, If You Just Say Yes by Reon Laudat, and Strange Attractions by Emma Holly. Didn't finish Strange Attractions, but I tried to start it. I might try again later. It just didn't grab me and honestly the beginning is rather boring. But I didn't get too far in, so I'll definitely try to read it again.

Not going to start my category tbr pile reading until next week since I still have a few review ARCs to read and review. Hopefully I can finish those up by this weekend.

Books on CD

Okay, so since my library seems to have umpteen books on CD (did a search for 2005 and it came up with over 200), I think I'd like to try some out. Now...does it matter much if I get the unabridged or the abridged version? I mean, when I read, I like the unabridged, but does it change when you have it on CD? And does anyone have any recommendations of ones they have particularly enjoyed?

So....HELP!

The Greek's Royal Mistress by Jane Porter

I wasn't feeling well last night and didn't feel like reading anything that I was currently in the middle of, so I picked up something that looked short from my tbr pile. It was The Greek's Royal Mistress by Jane Porter and I have to say I quite enjoyed this story.

The royal plane is about to crash! Princess Chantal Thibaudet is rescued from the wreckage by Demetrius Mantheakis,a renowned international security expert,with wealth and a reputation to match.He insists that Chantal go with him to his private Greek island,where he can protect her.

But even princesses can become pregnant when they allow themselves to be swept away by a commoner - especially one as arrogant and sexy as Demetrius.... And a right royal scandal is about to break loose!

For once the alpha hero really wasn't a jerk. Assertive and a bit domineering and used to getting what he wants, but not really a jerk. He takes her to her island because someone is trying to kill her and he's been hired by her brother-in-law, a sheik, to keep her safe. I also liked that the author didn't make him out to be some goody two shoes whom everyone admires. He's done some nasty things in his past, but never really apologizes for them.

Princess Chantal Thibaudet isn't quite as interesting. She's spent most of her life as a doormat, and the most important thing in her life is her daughter. Being with her daughter is a pretty important part of the book and gives a good reason as to why Chantal is so upset about becoming pregnant with Demetrius' child. She does gain a backbone as the story progresses, though. Oh...there are no secret baby plots here . Lots of morning sickness though. Poor woman.

All in all, this was one of the better Harlequin Presents I've read and makes me want to read more stuff by Jane Porter. It's nothing spectacular, but it is a short, fun, enjoyable read for an afternoon or evening. And really, sometimes that's all you want.

If You Just Say Yes by Reon Laudat

I'm not sure where I first heard about this book, though I did have my eye on it before Monica mentioned the author. Anyways, learned my library had it and decided to check it out. And I was quite happy that I did. This is a great contemporary with interesting characters who have lives and problems a person could relate to.

Book blurb lifted off Amazon:

Manhattan journalist Michelle Michaels just can't seem to get a break when she finds herself the subject of false rumors. Now she's being blindsided by her own boss. Wrongly suspecting her of trading sex for scoops, he's caved in to the shady newsroom gossip and sent Michelle quietly packing on a leave of absence to her hometown of Detroit where some family secrets still lurk. With a career on the DL and a love life at low-ebb, Michelle's hit rock bottom-until she meets dark, dimpled, and delicious Wesley Abbott...

Detroit reporter Wesley Abbott's plate is full investigating a corrupt local judge. Now he's got something else to investigate-and she's the sweetest thing to sashay into the Herald in years. But Michelle and Wesley have more in common than they ever imagined, and it's not just mellow vibes. In fact, it's a scandal! And when these two bodies bump, so does trouble-with
a capital T...

I really enjoyed both characters. Wesley might be somewhat of a player, but he also has a satisfying relationship with his parents and friends. I liked the scenes that are shown of him interacting with his parents, his brother, and especially his cute little niece. They make him seem more a three-dimensional character and you really root for him to win Michelle over. Michelle definitely makes an impact on him and he realizes that she's very different from the women he's had relationships with in the past. Michelle has her own problems to deal with, such as a secret that her mom seems to be hiding and the matter of who her father is. Michelle has misgivings about starting an office romance and from what she's heard from her co-workers, it seems Wes has made the rounds.

I'll definitely be on the look out for more by this author. This was a great story and I enjoyed how it moved along, not too fast, yet not too slow that I lost interest. So I give it a solid B.

Sofie Metropolis by Tori Carrington

I seem to be a bit behind in posting about the books I've read. Since the last book post, which I think was The Bowen Bride by Nicole Burnham, I've read The Charm School by Susan Wiggs, Laird MacKenzie's Curse by Sapphire Williams, All She Ever Wanted by Barbara Freethy, Sofie Metropolis by Tori Carrington, and You've Got Murder by Donna Andrews. I actually enjoyed all of them. So here's the first little review of one of them.

Book Description:

On her wedding day, right before the ceremony, right there in the Greek Orthodox church, Sofie Metropolis discovered her groom and her maid of honor in each other's arms. Sofie took this as a sign, and since then, she's been doing her best to confound her own, and her family's, expectations.
First, she is no longer waiting tables at either her father's or her grandfather's dueling Greek restaurants in Astoria, Queens. Second, she kept the engagement ring (the garbage disposal choked on it) and all the wedding presents, including the small apartment building that was a gift from her parents. It's not easy to collect rent from an eccentric group of tenants that includes a trio of lackadaisical business school students and a nice little old Jewish lady who plies Sofie with ethnic delicacies, but at least Sofie has a roof over her head. And her ex-fiance's recliner in the living room.
Sofie also has a new career, thanks to uncle Spyros's detective agency. Okay, so far, the cases haven't been all that exciting-mostly, Sofie's been tracking down lost pets and cheating spouses-but at least she's in control of her life. And even Sam Spade had to start somewhere.
Then Sofie's mother's best friend, Mrs. Kapoor, who seems to dose everything, even tea, with curry, reports that her dog has been stolen. Sofie must drop everything to search for the meanest mutt on the face of the earth . . . .
The agency's usually unflappable office manager comes to Sofie in terror because the neighborhood "vampire" has disappeared, replaced by his even creepier nephew . . . .
Tailing a wayward wife, Sofie is caught in a shoot-out and is rescued by Australian man-of-mystery Jake Porter, who might be a bounty hunter and who definitely gets Sofie's engine started . . . .
And what is Jake Porter doing in the middle of Sofie's adultery case anyway, and why is the cheating wife now on the run?

This was quite the fun book. I think some might compare it to the Stephanie Plum books, but since I couldn't get into the first one of those, I seem to have liked this one better. *g* I'll still be trying to finish those Evanovich books though.

I got this one at the library and even though I do like it alot, it's in hardback and I'm not sure it's quite hardback material. The blurb pretty much gets the plot, but I really liked how although things went by slowly, I still enjoyed reading it. It has some great characters in it. It is obviously the first in a series, and there isn't any hint of a HEA at the end, but I think there may be some romance in the books to come. There's some action in the beginning that sort of starts what you might think the whole book is about, but it doesn't get resolved until the end and there's lots of other stuff going on in the middle. Somehow despite that, I still liked it. No idea why. I guess this is one of those books where I have a lot of trouble figuring out why I like it, but I just do. Maybe it's the writing and the characters. It's definitely all about Sofie and luckily I rather like her.

So...I liked it, but I wouldn't buy it in hardback. Definitely either check it out from the library or get it when it comes out in paperback. Good story, just not meaty enough to spend the cash on hardback. I do look forward to the next story. And more of Jake Porter (he pops up occasionally to annoy and intrigue poor Sofie, usually after something bad has happened). Yum.

Attack of the Upcoming Killer Cartoon Covers

So here are some upcoming book covers that I really like. Some are actually mysteries, but all these covers make me want to know more about the book.

This is a July release. I have the first one, but haven't read it. This is the third book in the series.

This one doesn't come out until October. I've been meaning to read this author, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

Another October book. I haven't seen any reviews for the first one, but I love the covers on both of them.

September release. I have the first in this series, which is First Date by Karen Kendall. All of them have such cute covers.

I've got the first in the series, but again, haven't read it yet. This is an end of June release.

August release. I keep meaning to read this author, but I never get around to it.

August release again. And again, it's just cute.

Yup, I love cartoony covers.

The Bowen Bride by Nicole Burnham

So I was at the library this morning picking up the 5th Cowboy Bebop dvd since we hadn't watched the last episode last time we checked it out (we're trying to watch them all in order this time around). They've rearranged things there since I was last there. I don't go there much since it's downtown and the parking sucks weekdays. Well, they've moved all the paperback fiction to the very back of the library, but I don't mind much since they put in new shelves and it looks like they have lots of room to grow. I did my usual browse and grab while poor DH looked on. I already had a stack of books at home from the library, but really, who can leave a library without picking up more books? So The Bowen Bride by Nicole Burnham was one I grabbed. I remember thinking it looked cute when it first came out, but didn't get it. Actually, it's a really sweet romance and I'm so glad I picked it up.

Katie Schmidt runs The Bowen Bride, a wedding dress shop in rural Bowen, Nebraska. It's well-known in the area because the local rumor is that no woman who buys a gown from The Bowen Bride ever gets divorced.

Katie plays into the rumor because it's good for business. However, when sexy single father Jared Porter enters the shop, looking for a wedding gown for his engaged—but far too young to be married—daughter, Katie decides a little rumor control might be in order.

Or will she and Jared give the residents of Bowen something to talk about?

I actually really liked this book. There are so many things that could have been done wrong, but they're not. Jared Porter is a single dad with a seventeen year old daughter who actually acts seventeen. His reasons for not wanting her to get married are valid and I liked how he handled everything. I also liked Katie and how she handled Jared and his daughter. Her reasons for leaving and coming back to Bowen, Nebraska rang true. *sigh* I could go on, but I won't. There really are so many elements of this short story that I really liked.

In all, I thought this was an incredibly sweet romance where I got the impression at the end that these two would definitely make things work. So if you want something short and sweet, The Bowen Bride is perfect.

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Okay, so I hear all over blog-land that Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase is the favorite romance of many. So there's me thinking, "hmmm, I don't think I've ever read this paragon of romance novels and need to change that." So I head over to Paperback Swap and found it. And read it. And realized I'd already read it.

How could I have forgotten I read this book? No clue. Probably was one I'd checked out from the library in my early romance reading days. Now, I have to say that it IS a great romance and I think it'll stay on my keeper shelf. My favorite? Not so sure. It does have some of the best characters, though. It's just so funny how I was certain I'd never read it, yet I had. Luckily it had been awhile and though I knew what I was reading was something I'd read before, I didn't remember what happened next.

But geez, I almost always remember if I've read something or not when I see it. *shakes head* It was good, though. Really good. And I'm not going to talk about it since I think I was the last person in romance world to have read it, so you all know it's good and don't need me to convince you. And if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for????

Ebook post part 2 - a few urban fantasy ones

So...I seem to have forgotten some favorites in my last ebook post. So here you go, from Imajinn Books: (book titles link to the Imajinn book page because I don't feel like blurbing today)

All of these are urban fantasy and I greatly enjoyed them.

Dark Watcher and Storm Watcher by Lilith Saintcrow. I can't wait for the third(and the fourth) book in this series and anything else she comes out with. I know in my mind the stories have flaws, but I think I had so much fun reading them that I didn't care. You can also get them in print in trade size. I have them in ebook form, but recently a friend gave me a print copy of the first one. Might have to get the second one in print someday.

Forever Crossed by A. Leigh Jones. This one reminded me of the early Anita Blake books before she got into the sexcapades. Probably obviously a knock-off, but quite fun and recommended if you want something in that vein.

Posting for posting's sake

I'm a little slow lately, it seems. Still have reviews to write and a few to read and review until I'm completely done. Got a nice pile of books to be read from the library though! There are:

If You Just Say Yes by Reon Laudat
Frederica by Georgette Heyer (I've never read Heyer, so we'll see how this goes)
Tsubasa by CLAMP (manga)
Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak
Rurouni Kenshin Vols. 6 and 7
Sofie Metropolis by Tori Carrington
My Favorite Husband by Pam McCutcheon
The Angel and the Outlaw by Ingrid Weaver (a SIM that's the prequel to one I won this month)
Something About Ewe & The Purrfect Man by Ruth Jean Dale (another Duets)
Strange Attractions by Emma Holly (my first EM, we'll see how it goes)
Wicked Nights by Nina Bangs

Also need to finish up reading Those Who Walk in Darkness by John Ridley and All Keyed Up by Mary Stella, both from the library.

Oh! I got Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase from Paperback Swap (link on the sidebar) today. Can't wait to read it and see what all the fuss is about.

Okay, I was going to make this all nice and pretty with book covers, but eh, I don't feel like it now and I'm off to the Intrigue authors' chat. You'll all survive without pretty bookcovers and links, right?

Blind Date Disasters and Eat Your Heart Out by Jill Shalvis

Maybe I should actually count this as two books in my list, but I won't. *g* I picked up this Duets at the library last week. After finishing up Spicing It Up by Tanya Michaels (review will be done shortly), I was in the mood for more light-heartedness. I wasn't disappointed. I really enjoyed both these stories. Cami and Dimi Anderson are twins and each story deals with how they find love. Cami's story is Blind Date Disasters.

Cami Anderson has just recently become an interior decorator and thinks that her home should echo the image she's trying to portray to her clients. She hires a master carpenter to do the work. She doesn't expect Tanner McCall, who's one hot, hot guy. In between having her home ripped apart and hopefully put back together better than before, she also has a series of really bad blind dates. Cami has a problem saying no (mostly to her mother) and Tanner notices this. It drives him nuts because she seems like such a great woman who should be asserting herself more often.

There are some very funny moments and some very romantic ones like when Tanner finishes up her bedroom and lights candles all around it. Of course, the paint is still wet...which is part of a funny, but sexy moment. This was just such a cute romantic comedy. Now I want more and look...there's another story!

Eat Your Heart Out is Dimi's story. She's a TV chef with a local show that isn't competing well opposite a trashy Jerry Springer-esque show. Their company wants to boost ratings and brings in a troubleshooter/producer by the name of Mitchell Knight. He thinks she needs to add some fun and sex appeal to the show, which does NOT go down well with Dimi. But it's deal with Mitchell and his demands or she's out of a job. Mitchell changes her on-air wardrobe and also stars as her assistant. The combo of lust and good food makes the ratings sky-rocket, but Dimi just ends up frustrated since she does not want to be attracted to Mitchell, especially when he's not even there to stay.

Another fun story. I think I liked the first one better, but this one was still really fun to read. There are some seriously funny scenes and I definitely think Dimi should have thought of a lined bra to hide those headlights she got around Mitchell. Poor woman. Not to mention a wrap dress becoming undone on-air...

So...if you want something fun and light, try finding this one.

It's odd how I enjoy reading romantic comedies, but I really don't like to watch them. I'm really sad that Flipside is going since all the ones that I've read lately, I've really enjoyed (yes, I know this book was a Duets, but hey). Is romantic comedy not as popular lately? It's definitely what I've been in the mood for this last week. Does anyone have any recommendations? Old, new, I don't care. Just something light, sexy, and funny.

Books finished in May, and other things

Well, here are my May reads. It was a pretty good month. I expect June to be even better! Still have a few review books to finish up, but not too much. Then I really dig into my tbr pile. I also hope to do Keishon's TBR challenge.

Gossamyr by Michele Hauf LUNA
His Wicked Ways by Joanne Rock Harlequin Blaze
Loose Diamonds by Daria Karpova Loose Id
For Camelot's Honor by Sarah Zettel LUNA
Got Fangs? by Katie Maxwell Smooch
Keeping Up Appearances by Jennifer McKinlay Harlequin Flipside
The Destined Queen by Deborah Hale LUNA
Bite by LKH, Harris, Davidson, Knight, Taylor Jove
The Proposition by Cara Summers Harlequin Blaze
The Givenchy Code by Julie Kenner Downtown Press
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 2 by Nobuhiro Watsuki Shonen Jump
Brand of the Werewolf by Kenneth Robeson Doc Savage
Mine by Jill Noelle Loose Id
The Phantom City by Kenneth Robeson Doc Savage
Negima! by Ken Akamatsu Del Rey
Big Girls Don't Cry by Donna Hill, Brenda Jackson, Monica Jackson, and Francis Ray Signet Eclipse
Hard Candy by Angela Knight, Sheri Gilmore, Morgan Hawke Loose Id
Caught in the Act by Pam McCutcheon Zebra
Hellsing Vol. 2 by Kohta Hirano Dark Horse
On the Edge by Susan Kearney Silhouette Signature Spotlight
That's Amore! by Janelle Denison, Tori Carrington, and Leslie Kelly Silhouette Signature Collection
Under His Skin by Jeanie London Harlequin Blaze
Ready by Lucy Monroe Brava
The Dare by Cara Summers Harlequin Blaze
Before I Wake by Anne Frasier NAL
Urban Shaman by C.E. Murphy LUNA
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown eh, who cares who the pub is
Dirty Little Secrets by Julie Leto Downtown Press
Rurouni Kenshin Vol. 3 by Nobuhiro Watsuki Shonen Jump

Well, that was 29 books finished in May bringing my year total up to 121. Not too shabby.

A few of the books I hope to read in June from my tbr pile are: eh...there are lots. Too many to choose. I'd really like to get to Cindy Gerard's To the Edge, as well as Jennifer Crusie's Welcome to Temptation. and then there's the two Laura Kinsale books I acquired, as well as Stargazer by Colby Hodge, The Way He Makes Me Feel by Tamara Sneed, Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase, The Veil of Night by Lydia Joyce, Talk of the Ton anthology, Till Next We Meet by Karen Ranney, lots of Bombshell titles, as well as lots of Harlequin Intrigues. The Moon Witch by Linda Winstead Jones since I liked the Sun Witch so much... like I said, lots of choices. Damnit.

Oh, if I didn't blog about some of these titles, give a shout out and I'll let you know what I thought. All the manga ones were really good, though. Negima! is cute, and so obviously geared to adolescent boys. It's kinda funny. Hellsing is good, different than the anime, but both are really good.

No book buying until after the 14th. I promised DH. I can do it, yes I can! I mean, I DO have all these books to choose from. I also have a seriously long list of books to get from the library and have several new ones that are coming out in hardback on hold like the newest JD Robb, Tori Carrington's, the new MJD, and the new Johanna Lindsey. So whenever those come in I'll read them. Usually I'd just buy the Robb one, but really, I end up seeing the hardback for cheap later on.