Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper
I got this book FREE on my kindle a couple of months ago and have not gotten around to reading it until now. But I am glad I finally did, it was great! I think it is a kids/ya book, but it was clever and funny and well written. There were so many good lines, but unfortunately I read this book on my ipod rather than my kindle (my charger is lost and the battery is dead - very tragic) and I have not figured out the note taking feature on the ipad, so I don't have any to share. But take my word for it, funny.
Anyway, the book is about a boy who can see ghosts at his school. Because he is seen talking to people that are not there, and putting his arm around thin air, the school determines that he is in need of Professional Help. So the book is all about the Professional Help he receives. And yes, Professional Help is always capitalized. Definitely worth a read!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
No. 72: Dreaming of You
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
Since the other Lisa Kleypas books I have read lately were so good, I thought I would try some of her older historical novels. This one...I don't know how I feel about it yet. The beginning was kind of irritating, the middle was good, and the end, oh the end. It could have gone so well and then there was an incident. An incident that is to me, so ewww, that I can't get over it and now I don't like the book anymore. I got so worked up about this book I have a feeling this is going to be a very long post :)
But let me begin at the beginning. The FMC is Sara, an author who researches her books by going into the undesirable areas of London to interview prostitutes and gamblers. On on research trip she comes across a man being attacked in an alley. She attempts to scare off the attackers by firing her gun, but ends up shooting one of the bad guys. The other ones run away and she is left with an injured man with nice clothes and an atrocious cockney accent. This is the irritating part, obviously to convey to the reader that the character has an accent she has to kind of spell it out. I hate that - I can use my imagination. Just say he has a cockney accent. I watch tv, I know what that sounds like. You don't have to say "It's close enow to 'ere." I get distracted by the accent and I don't pay attention to the words. So anyway, irritating beginning, but it gets better.
It turns out that the guy she rescued is Derek Craven - owner of the famous gaming hall Cravens. Rival of Jenners which makes several appearances in the other books I just read so that was nice. Anyway, he grew up in the streets - stealing and cleaning chimneys (when he was little obviously) blackmailing and worst of all - prostitution! As in, his club was bought with money he got for having sex with women. Wow.
So, Sara wants to hang around the club to do research for her book - Derek says no but since he is wounded she does it anyway. Oh, I forgot, a spiteful crazy ex-lover hired thugs to cut Dereks face after he left her. Again, wow.
So she is always hanging around and Derek realizes that he is in LUST with her, but that he is no good for her because of his bad past (prostitution and crime, etc) and so he tries to get her to go back home and leave him alone. But Sara is stupid, I mean in love, and so she decides to attend a masked ball at the club to trick Derek into kissing her. So she does, and she does, and they kiss and he realizes its her and they kiss some more, and then he gets all noble and sends her off.
She eventually ends up back home in her tiny village and becomes engaged to her weakling mama's boy boyfriend. But his controlling and creepy mother causes too much tension and they break off the engagement. That very day Sara receives an invitation to a house party from a woman she met in London, a close friend of Derek's. And she goes, and he is there! And he keeps his distance but it doesn't work and they end up engaged. And then married.
And assorted other stuff happens, including the return of the psycho face slashing ex-lover of Dereks, a kidnapping and arson. And then, at the very end, the epilogue. I usually love a good epilogue, I like to see that everyone is living happily ever after. But what I do not want to see/read/think about, is what happened in this epilogue. Specifically an unpalatable incident involving a nursing mother and marital relations. I will leave the details to your imagination. But ewwww. And I say that as a woman who nursed her babies for nearly 2 years each. Ewwwwwww.
Since the other Lisa Kleypas books I have read lately were so good, I thought I would try some of her older historical novels. This one...I don't know how I feel about it yet. The beginning was kind of irritating, the middle was good, and the end, oh the end. It could have gone so well and then there was an incident. An incident that is to me, so ewww, that I can't get over it and now I don't like the book anymore. I got so worked up about this book I have a feeling this is going to be a very long post :)
But let me begin at the beginning. The FMC is Sara, an author who researches her books by going into the undesirable areas of London to interview prostitutes and gamblers. On on research trip she comes across a man being attacked in an alley. She attempts to scare off the attackers by firing her gun, but ends up shooting one of the bad guys. The other ones run away and she is left with an injured man with nice clothes and an atrocious cockney accent. This is the irritating part, obviously to convey to the reader that the character has an accent she has to kind of spell it out. I hate that - I can use my imagination. Just say he has a cockney accent. I watch tv, I know what that sounds like. You don't have to say "It's close enow to 'ere." I get distracted by the accent and I don't pay attention to the words. So anyway, irritating beginning, but it gets better.
It turns out that the guy she rescued is Derek Craven - owner of the famous gaming hall Cravens. Rival of Jenners which makes several appearances in the other books I just read so that was nice. Anyway, he grew up in the streets - stealing and cleaning chimneys (when he was little obviously) blackmailing and worst of all - prostitution! As in, his club was bought with money he got for having sex with women. Wow.
So, Sara wants to hang around the club to do research for her book - Derek says no but since he is wounded she does it anyway. Oh, I forgot, a spiteful crazy ex-lover hired thugs to cut Dereks face after he left her. Again, wow.
So she is always hanging around and Derek realizes that he is in LUST with her, but that he is no good for her because of his bad past (prostitution and crime, etc) and so he tries to get her to go back home and leave him alone. But Sara is stupid, I mean in love, and so she decides to attend a masked ball at the club to trick Derek into kissing her. So she does, and she does, and they kiss and he realizes its her and they kiss some more, and then he gets all noble and sends her off.
She eventually ends up back home in her tiny village and becomes engaged to her weakling mama's boy boyfriend. But his controlling and creepy mother causes too much tension and they break off the engagement. That very day Sara receives an invitation to a house party from a woman she met in London, a close friend of Derek's. And she goes, and he is there! And he keeps his distance but it doesn't work and they end up engaged. And then married.
And assorted other stuff happens, including the return of the psycho face slashing ex-lover of Dereks, a kidnapping and arson. And then, at the very end, the epilogue. I usually love a good epilogue, I like to see that everyone is living happily ever after. But what I do not want to see/read/think about, is what happened in this epilogue. Specifically an unpalatable incident involving a nursing mother and marital relations. I will leave the details to your imagination. But ewwww. And I say that as a woman who nursed her babies for nearly 2 years each. Ewwwwwww.
Friday, July 16, 2010
No. 71: Sizzle
Sizzle by Julie Garwood
I have written about my undying love and affection for Julie Garwood many times. She is excellent, particularly her historical stuff, but she writes a pretty good crime mystery/thriller too. This is one of those, featuring an FBI agent with a Scottish accent (which I approve of) and a film student. I randomly selected this book after I finished my MARATHON Lisa Kleypas session and I was in desperate need of something to read so I could avoid doing dishes. Because I hate dishes.
Anyway, Sam, the foxy Scottish FBI agent, is recruited to be a bodyguard for Lyra (which is a dumb name because I kept thinking Laura) after her apartment is broken into by kidnappers. So they have to spend every minute together so she can be safe. And inevitably they fall in love because (did I mention) he is a foxy Scottish FBI agent which as everyone knows is an irresistible combination. And she is a young beautiful film student with great legs.
This book has some great secondary characters including a delusional, incompetent, stupid hit man, a grandmother who steals holy water, money grubbing parents and a roommate who will likely become the FMC in her own book. So it was good, but it was no historical Scottish love story.
I have written about my undying love and affection for Julie Garwood many times. She is excellent, particularly her historical stuff, but she writes a pretty good crime mystery/thriller too. This is one of those, featuring an FBI agent with a Scottish accent (which I approve of) and a film student. I randomly selected this book after I finished my MARATHON Lisa Kleypas session and I was in desperate need of something to read so I could avoid doing dishes. Because I hate dishes.
Anyway, Sam, the foxy Scottish FBI agent, is recruited to be a bodyguard for Lyra (which is a dumb name because I kept thinking Laura) after her apartment is broken into by kidnappers. So they have to spend every minute together so she can be safe. And inevitably they fall in love because (did I mention) he is a foxy Scottish FBI agent which as everyone knows is an irresistible combination. And she is a young beautiful film student with great legs.
This book has some great secondary characters including a delusional, incompetent, stupid hit man, a grandmother who steals holy water, money grubbing parents and a roommate who will likely become the FMC in her own book. So it was good, but it was no historical Scottish love story.
Nos. 66 - 70: The Hathway Series
The Hathaway Series by Lisa Kleypas
Mine Till Midnight
Seduce Me at Sunrise
Tempt Me at Twilight
Married by Morning
Love in the Afternoon (recently blogged here)
Oh I love love love this series. It really is very excellent. So excellent that I read it and the Wallflower series in about 4 days - yes, that is 10 books in 4 days. I am crazy, and very very tired. But the books are so goooood!
In order of love:
1. Seduce Me at Sunrise - Win and Merripen (which is a dumb name, I much prefer his secret name which is Kev. And since this is my blog and he is not a real person, I am going to refer to him as Kev from now on) Anyway, Win and KEV have known each other for ever, since KEV was rescued by the Hathaway family after he was injured and left for dead by his tribe. That is right, he is a Gypsy! Anyway, KEV has loved Win forever but she became very ill with scarlet fever and almost died, but he saved her with a gypsy remedy/medicine that is also a deadly poison. And (this is the best part) he loved her so much that if the medicine didn't work and she died, he was going to take the poison and die too!!! How very emo/Twilight/Romeo and Juliet of him. I love it! Anyway, she didn't die and eventually went off to France to a clinic to recover. And came back healthy but Kev thought because of his past (as a child barenuckle gypsy fighter - I like to think of him as Brad Pitt in Snatch, but a child) he wasn't worthy of her. But she loves him too and it ends up not mattering about his past or her scarlett fever residual potential weakness because of LOVE!
2. Mine Till Midnight - Amelia and Cam Rohan (which is a good name, MUCH better than Merripen) Anyway, she is the eldest Hawthorn sister and has decided never to marry because she previously had her heart broken by a faithless architect. Cam is the manager of a gambling club (owned by Evie and St. Vincent - see how it all comes together!) Cam is also a Gypsy - which makes him mysterious and slightly disreputable. He wears an earring! Anyway, Cam is awesome so Amelia falls in love with him after he saves her from a million bees and a ghost, and the faithless architect.
3. Tempt Me at Twilight - Poppy and Harry Rutledge. Poppy is the second Hathaway sister and Harry is the owner of the Rutledge Hotel, where the Hathaway family lives while in London. So Poppy is minding her own business, chasing a ferret who stole her love letter, when she stumbles into a secret passageway and meets the mysterious Harry Rutledge. Harry instantly decides he MUST have Poppy as his wife and sets out to systematically ensure that she is required to marry him or face ruin. He is very diabolical. So she reluctantly marries him and they eventually fall in love. I think the first chapter alone is what makes me like this book more than the MMC - although there is something kind of compelling about his passionate pursuit of Poppy.
4. Love in the Afternoon - I just blogged about this out of order. But it is gooooood!
5. Married by Morning - Leo Hathaway and Catherine Marks. Marks is the Hathaway sisters' companion/governess and has always had a hate/hate relationship with the brother Leo. They are generally quite nasty to each other and fight nonstop. But then, Leo (which is not a great name) sees Marks with her hair its regular color - blonde - and realizes that she is beautiful and finds himself unwillingly attracted to her. Now I recognize that blonde hair is fantastic, but I can't imagine a change in hair color is enough to make a person you despise suddenly attractive. That is why this is at the bottom of the list. I still quite like it though because Marks has an excellent tragic and mysterious past, and a familial connection to another character in this series. And Leo ends up being a good hero. But his name is Leo...so...
Anyway, I guess since there are only five Hathaway siblings that is the end of the series. Which is really too bad. But I suppose I can always re-read them!
Mine Till Midnight
Seduce Me at Sunrise
Tempt Me at Twilight
Married by Morning
Love in the Afternoon (recently blogged here)
Oh I love love love this series. It really is very excellent. So excellent that I read it and the Wallflower series in about 4 days - yes, that is 10 books in 4 days. I am crazy, and very very tired. But the books are so goooood!
In order of love:
1. Seduce Me at Sunrise - Win and Merripen (which is a dumb name, I much prefer his secret name which is Kev. And since this is my blog and he is not a real person, I am going to refer to him as Kev from now on) Anyway, Win and KEV have known each other for ever, since KEV was rescued by the Hathaway family after he was injured and left for dead by his tribe. That is right, he is a Gypsy! Anyway, KEV has loved Win forever but she became very ill with scarlet fever and almost died, but he saved her with a gypsy remedy/medicine that is also a deadly poison. And (this is the best part) he loved her so much that if the medicine didn't work and she died, he was going to take the poison and die too!!! How very emo/Twilight/Romeo and Juliet of him. I love it! Anyway, she didn't die and eventually went off to France to a clinic to recover. And came back healthy but Kev thought because of his past (as a child barenuckle gypsy fighter - I like to think of him as Brad Pitt in Snatch, but a child) he wasn't worthy of her. But she loves him too and it ends up not mattering about his past or her scarlett fever residual potential weakness because of LOVE!
2. Mine Till Midnight - Amelia and Cam Rohan (which is a good name, MUCH better than Merripen) Anyway, she is the eldest Hawthorn sister and has decided never to marry because she previously had her heart broken by a faithless architect. Cam is the manager of a gambling club (owned by Evie and St. Vincent - see how it all comes together!) Cam is also a Gypsy - which makes him mysterious and slightly disreputable. He wears an earring! Anyway, Cam is awesome so Amelia falls in love with him after he saves her from a million bees and a ghost, and the faithless architect.
3. Tempt Me at Twilight - Poppy and Harry Rutledge. Poppy is the second Hathaway sister and Harry is the owner of the Rutledge Hotel, where the Hathaway family lives while in London. So Poppy is minding her own business, chasing a ferret who stole her love letter, when she stumbles into a secret passageway and meets the mysterious Harry Rutledge. Harry instantly decides he MUST have Poppy as his wife and sets out to systematically ensure that she is required to marry him or face ruin. He is very diabolical. So she reluctantly marries him and they eventually fall in love. I think the first chapter alone is what makes me like this book more than the MMC - although there is something kind of compelling about his passionate pursuit of Poppy.
4. Love in the Afternoon - I just blogged about this out of order. But it is gooooood!
5. Married by Morning - Leo Hathaway and Catherine Marks. Marks is the Hathaway sisters' companion/governess and has always had a hate/hate relationship with the brother Leo. They are generally quite nasty to each other and fight nonstop. But then, Leo (which is not a great name) sees Marks with her hair its regular color - blonde - and realizes that she is beautiful and finds himself unwillingly attracted to her. Now I recognize that blonde hair is fantastic, but I can't imagine a change in hair color is enough to make a person you despise suddenly attractive. That is why this is at the bottom of the list. I still quite like it though because Marks has an excellent tragic and mysterious past, and a familial connection to another character in this series. And Leo ends up being a good hero. But his name is Leo...so...
Anyway, I guess since there are only five Hathaway siblings that is the end of the series. Which is really too bad. But I suppose I can always re-read them!
Nos. 61 - 65: Wallflower Series
The Wallflower Series by Lisa Kleypas
Secrets of a Summer Night
It Happened One Autumn
Devil in Winter
Scandal in Spring
A Wallflower Christmas
I read this series in a row, and in the correct order (for the first time) because I discovered that there were two new books in another series by this same author. You might be wondering, why would that make you need to read this series Holly? Well, it is because the series are interconnected. And I love this series. A lot. So I don't need much of an excuse to read them over again. I love them all, with varying degrees of intensity. In order of love - from most loved to least:
1. Secrets of a Summer Night - Annabelle and Simon. She is a beautiful but poor lady whose mother has entered into a distasteful relationship with a fat disgusting peer to pay the bills. Simon Hunt (which I think is an excellent name by the way) is a rich industrialist and not a member of British aristocracy. And there is an explosion at a railroad factory (or something, a foundry perhaps?) and they fall in love - unrelated I think to the explosion.
2. Devil in Winter - Evie and Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent (another excellent name). She is the daughter of a gaming hall operator with consumption and is being held captive by her evil family that wants her money. He is a very very bad man who kidnapped Evies friend and tried to force her into marriage because he needs money. She proposes a marriage of convenience because she wants to take care of her father before he dies and Sebastian wants money. So they run off and get married. I liked this book because of the myriad olde timey illnesses including the pox (the kind that makes you crazy and die) and consumption (which also makes you die but does not make you crazy), and our introduction to Cam Rohan - who happens to be one of my favorite characters EVER! There are also several attempted kidnapping and murder attempts. Very exciting
3.It Happened one Autumn - Lillian and Marcus, Lord Westcliff. She is the daughter of upstart super rich American jerks. He is a fancy Earl with a crazy mother who hates Americans and loves being crazy. I like this one because of insight in to St. Vincents character (featured in the next book in the series) and the love potion, and the crazy surprise making out. And that they hate each other and then love each other. It is all very satisfying when it ends up that way.
4. Scandal in Spring - Daisy and Matthew Swift. She is the younger sister of Lillian, he is an employee of Daisy's father. Daisy's father, Mr. Bowman, has decreed that if Daisy does not find a husband in 2 months she has to marry Matthew. Daisy remembers Matthew as being skinny and annoying. Turns out he is awesome and super hot. And he has a mysterious secret past. So obviously they fall in love. And his past is revealed!
5. A Wallflower Christmas - Hannah and Rafe Bowman. She is the poor relation/companion to the woman that Mr. Bowman has decided will make a perfect wife for his son Rafe. Rafe is brother to Daisy and Lillian and (obviously) son of Mr. Bowman. He wants to become more involved in the family business and so is willing to marry some random girl his father picks out UNTIL he meets Hannah and they fall in love. She reads to children and has messy, yet very shiny hair. And other excellent qualities I am sure.
This series is good, but the next one is EVEN BETTER!!! Hooray!!!
Secrets of a Summer Night
It Happened One Autumn
Devil in Winter
Scandal in Spring
A Wallflower Christmas
I read this series in a row, and in the correct order (for the first time) because I discovered that there were two new books in another series by this same author. You might be wondering, why would that make you need to read this series Holly? Well, it is because the series are interconnected. And I love this series. A lot. So I don't need much of an excuse to read them over again. I love them all, with varying degrees of intensity. In order of love - from most loved to least:
1. Secrets of a Summer Night - Annabelle and Simon. She is a beautiful but poor lady whose mother has entered into a distasteful relationship with a fat disgusting peer to pay the bills. Simon Hunt (which I think is an excellent name by the way) is a rich industrialist and not a member of British aristocracy. And there is an explosion at a railroad factory (or something, a foundry perhaps?) and they fall in love - unrelated I think to the explosion.
2. Devil in Winter - Evie and Sebastian, Viscount St. Vincent (another excellent name). She is the daughter of a gaming hall operator with consumption and is being held captive by her evil family that wants her money. He is a very very bad man who kidnapped Evies friend and tried to force her into marriage because he needs money. She proposes a marriage of convenience because she wants to take care of her father before he dies and Sebastian wants money. So they run off and get married. I liked this book because of the myriad olde timey illnesses including the pox (the kind that makes you crazy and die) and consumption (which also makes you die but does not make you crazy), and our introduction to Cam Rohan - who happens to be one of my favorite characters EVER! There are also several attempted kidnapping and murder attempts. Very exciting
3.It Happened one Autumn - Lillian and Marcus, Lord Westcliff. She is the daughter of upstart super rich American jerks. He is a fancy Earl with a crazy mother who hates Americans and loves being crazy. I like this one because of insight in to St. Vincents character (featured in the next book in the series) and the love potion, and the crazy surprise making out. And that they hate each other and then love each other. It is all very satisfying when it ends up that way.
4. Scandal in Spring - Daisy and Matthew Swift. She is the younger sister of Lillian, he is an employee of Daisy's father. Daisy's father, Mr. Bowman, has decreed that if Daisy does not find a husband in 2 months she has to marry Matthew. Daisy remembers Matthew as being skinny and annoying. Turns out he is awesome and super hot. And he has a mysterious secret past. So obviously they fall in love. And his past is revealed!
5. A Wallflower Christmas - Hannah and Rafe Bowman. She is the poor relation/companion to the woman that Mr. Bowman has decided will make a perfect wife for his son Rafe. Rafe is brother to Daisy and Lillian and (obviously) son of Mr. Bowman. He wants to become more involved in the family business and so is willing to marry some random girl his father picks out UNTIL he meets Hannah and they fall in love. She reads to children and has messy, yet very shiny hair. And other excellent qualities I am sure.
This series is good, but the next one is EVEN BETTER!!! Hooray!!!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
No. 60: Love in the Afternoon
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
This book was also due to a birthday present. Maybe getting old isn't such a bad thing. I tried out the ibook readeer this time on my iPad. It worked fine, it was kind of fun - for awhile - to do the page flipping rather than just pushing a button to change pages. It is not as easy to read as the kindle, the screen is lit and makes me kind of squinty after awhile. So It won't replace the kindle, but you can never have too many ways to read books!
Anyway, this book was excellent. The hero was tragically damaged by the time he spent as a soldier and suffers from PTSD, although of course they did not have that diagnosis back then. Anyway, it was good, in the series I have been reading which is always nice. And there was a pet hedgehog.
This book was also due to a birthday present. Maybe getting old isn't such a bad thing. I tried out the ibook readeer this time on my iPad. It worked fine, it was kind of fun - for awhile - to do the page flipping rather than just pushing a button to change pages. It is not as easy to read as the kindle, the screen is lit and makes me kind of squinty after awhile. So It won't replace the kindle, but you can never have too many ways to read books!
Anyway, this book was excellent. The hero was tragically damaged by the time he spent as a soldier and suffers from PTSD, although of course they did not have that diagnosis back then. Anyway, it was good, in the series I have been reading which is always nice. And there was a pet hedgehog.
No. 59: Sizzling Sixteen
Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Every year around my birthday Janet Evanovich releases the new Stephanie Plum book. It is like she wants to give me a birthday present. And thanks to a veery thoughtful birthday present from my brother and his fiancée I got to buy it!
And of course I liked it, I always love these books. It was funny and there was some suspense and a little romance...although it might have used a bit more. I need more Ranger in my life. And more Morelli too. Of course.
Every year around my birthday Janet Evanovich releases the new Stephanie Plum book. It is like she wants to give me a birthday present. And thanks to a veery thoughtful birthday present from my brother and his fiancée I got to buy it!
And of course I liked it, I always love these books. It was funny and there was some suspense and a little romance...although it might have used a bit more. I need more Ranger in my life. And more Morelli too. Of course.
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