Just Turned in

To AAR this morning, I sent a DIK review of Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley.  I enjoyed it even on second and third reading.  What an uplifting romance between two people who to all intents and purposes should be immune to love.  He's been the whipping boy of an insane preacher stepfather who tries to beat the bastard out of him and who thinks the way to heaven is paved with pain and suffering.  She is the daughter of a philandering father.  She looks for love, marriage, and happily ever after; he doesn't think they exist.  Only a really skilled writer could bring them together believably, and Kelley shows she's really skilled by doing so.

To Booklist, I sent a review of But Remember Their Names and recommended it for a starred review.  I can't remember when I've read two excellent books in a row!  What a treat.  Remember is a mystery, not

Comings and Goings

My review of Heartbreak Trail can be found on today's AAR.  (See link at left for review.)  Author Shirley Kennedy must have read quite a few homesteader diaries and letters to come up with the details she uses in her gritty recreation of a trip across America in a covered wagon.  As we complain about the delays in airports, it's good to remember that there once was a much worse way to travel cross country and thousands of people did it with not nearly the number of complaints.

I sent off reviews to Booklist for Demons Prefer Blondes and Kiss of Snow last night.  Demons has probably one of the snarkiest heroines I've ever read.  It's a talky book, and I wondered at times whether the war between one of the Devil's princes and the fallen angel sent to kill him would ever begin or if it would just be talked to death.  But I know that many younger readers (younger than me, that is!) enjoy snarky, so I didn't pan it.

Kiss of Snow, on the other hand, was a wonderful read.  I thought I was burned out on shape-changing

Reading and Writing

Three new reviews went up on the All About Romance (AAR) site in the last few days: Restless Heart by Emma Lang, Rebel with a Cause, and today Texas Blue.  Since I have no more books to read for AAR, they are on my back burner until I get new fodder or I find time to review a book that I just read on my Kindle and absolutely loved.

Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley, an author I'd never read before, features one of the more tortured heroes that I've read in a while - and that's including the Rebel above.  If I'm given the go-ahead and review it, I'll be sure to link to it on the side where the reviewed books are.

So what am I reading?  Demons Prefer Blondes, a talky, talky, talky paranormal, by Sidney Ayers, and Nalini Singh's hardback debut, Kiss of Snow, another paranormal that I'm really enjoying.  In the to-be-read pile are Death Amid Gems, But Remember Their Names, and Nearly a Lady - all for Booklist.

That should be enough to keep me off the streets!

Gamblers, Covered Wagons, Free Spirits, Demons and More

Turned in five reviews last night to my AAR editor:

Texas Blue (circa 1875) by Jodi Thomas is going on my Top 100 list.  In it gambler Lewt Paterson dreams of having a real house with a real family instead the saloon life he grew up with.  To do this, he goes to Whispering Mountain with two other would-be suitors where the three McMurry sisters live.  I've read the previous Whispering Mountain books and enjoyed them, and this fifth book didn't let me down.  Great story by a great writer.

Deja vu All Over Again

My editor at Booklist emailed to ask if I'd help out by reviewing some cozy mysteries.  I had to laugh.  When I started with Publishers Weekly, I was reviewing cozies.

So many things in life seem to come back around!

I said yes, and will be back on the mystery trail for Booklist's mystery fiction issue.  Now to find out when that is.

Finishing Texas Blue and Starting Rebel with a Cause

Fortunately, Texas Blue is living up to my expectations.  In fact, I will probably end up buying it for my Kindle and making it one of my Desert Island favorites.  Author Jodi Thomas has written a nice juxtaposiion between a gambler and a woman wary of men, and has added a nice subplot with a lawyer/Texas Ranger and an abused native Mexican woman.  With about 50 pages to go, I still have high hopes for this book.

I've gotten a little over 40 pages into Rebel with a Cause and am already dismayed.  My likes for romances are so minimal: two people who are decent, likeable characters and a love story I can buy.  So far Mr. Hero isn't too likeable, so I'm getting leery about liking this one.  Really, it's difficult to wish jerks well.  But things could change.  He may be prickly and rude for a reason - but it better be a pretty good reason for me to buy his lack of manners and haughty attitude.

In the Works

I recently finished reading Restless Heart by Emma Lang (yes, the same title as the Wynonna Judd book that I reviewed for AAR!), Heartbreak Trail by Shirley Kennedy, and His, Unexpectedly by Susan Fox and started writing reviews of them for AAR.  None is a DIK (Desert Island Keeper), and the best of the lot is hands down the Fox book.  I hope to send the reviews to my editor by the weekend.

I've also started reading Jodi Thomas' Texas Blue, also for an AAR review.  I've liked Thomas' Westerns in the past, so I have high hopes for this one.  So far it hasn't disappointed me.

One of the more unusual, yet enjoyable books I've read recently was Awaken the Highland Warrior by Anita Clenney.  I sent the review into my editor at Booklist last week and recommended the book for a starred review.  We'll see what happens.

To Read My Online Reviews

While I originally had at the left an alphabetical list of my online reviews, I'm now linking the reviews in the blog itself.  Clicking on the link will bring you to the review.

Review Background: The Life History of a Reviewer

I've been a book reviewer for most of my adult life.  I started at The Houston Post newspaper where I worked as a librarian and reviewed any books that were assigned to me by the features department.  I met my husband at the Post, but since they had a nepotism policy (ironic because Ovita Culp Hobby's family ran the paper), I applied for a job at the rival Houston newspaper.

When I moved to The Houston Chronicle and worked as a features staffer, I had a multitude of jobs, including reviewing books, movies, and events.  Again, I had no real specialty, but reviewed whatever was assigned to me.