After six months of not writing one single solitary review, it seems a flood is coming. I would apologize for the glut but… nah, ‘sall good

Anyway, a recent author’s response to my usual courtesy email (“My review of your novel [title] has been posted here [link]“) included something along the lines of “I like your reviews because I can tell you actually read the book.”

Picture me blinking in incomprehension.

Seriously? People out there write reviews without reading the material they are reviewing?

People other than Harriet Klausner, that is *cough*

On another note–but somewhat related–I’ve been mulling a variation of “if you can’t say something nice…” This one is called “For the life of me I can’t understand why harping on the negative and not the positives”. (more…)

I find it interesting how people have such widely different reactions to the same things.

As I mentioned in my review of Parker’s Price, sometimes I understand where people are coming from, but others… well, other times, I’m just flummoxed.

This is what happened: I posted the just revealed cover for Ann Aguirre’s upcoming YA debut, the awesome Razorland (yes, it’s awesome–it sucks that I won’t be able to review it, since I beta read it, but it is absolutely awesome)… Anyway, I posted the cover to a forum I contribute to and got a “what a terrible cover!” in reply.

o_O

Seriously? (more…)

I’m finding blogging to be a chore these days. I really am.

I always swore to myself that I’d quit when blogging started feeling like hard work. It feels like hard work.

Even keeping up with other blogs feels like hard work these days. I’m reading fewer romance books than I ever have before and I have no interest in anything that’s going on in RomLand. In short, I just can’t be arsed.

This blog turned five in April, and somehow I managed to miss such a milestone. Or should that be millstone?

Of course work is crazy at the moment, but I also find that I want to spend more time actually being with TTG, rather than worrying about what to write on my blog. Also, it’s summer, which means that I should make hay while the sun shines.

I’m not going to quit blogging, but I sure feel like doing so. I wonder if I’m just having one of those days…

In the past few weeks, between one thing and another thing, I’ve done more re-reading of old favorites than reading of new books.

Among the re-reads were all the Psy/Changeling books, and a couple of Stephanie Laurens’ Bastion Club novels. Reading these two authors so close together has made me appreciate the former even more, and wonder (once again) at my attachment to the latter.

The changelings in Ms Singh’s universe often talk about their beasts and how said beasts’ reactions differ from their human side. This makes complete sense in the context of the series, because the changelings are both human and animal. On the other hand, when Laurens’ heroes start going on about handing the reins (and what’s with the horse racing thing, by the way?) to their primitive selves and the like, I can’t start wondering whether they would benefit from some quality shrink time.

What say you?

Remember this?

Well, apparently I was not the only one struck by the beauty of these spiders’ silk–look at what’s being exhibited right now at the American Museum of Natural History:

Go on, read more about this amazing, amazing textile–and if you are near New York any time soon, go see it in person!

(Thanks to Dances with Wools for the heads up)

Over on Paz Edward’s blog, she has a list of the qualities for her perfect man:

1.Is kind-hearted to animals.
2.Is caring of others.
3.Is giving.
4.Is thoughtful.
5.Is not afraid to cry.
6.Is not afraid to laugh.
7.Has a great laugh that makes me laugh along or at least smile.
8.Notices the things I like.
9.Notices the things I don’t like.
10.Knows how to paint my toe nails. (more…)

When a man makes a point of telling you, “I am the most intelligent man/person you’ll ever meet,” he may or may not be right about his intelligence; but the fact that he felt compelled to point it out rather than simply being (show,  not tell) says volumes more about his character than his self-proclaimed brilliance.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*

This observation may seem a tad sexist, but it’s based on the fact that in 44 years I’ve yet to hear a woman say this, while I’ve met my share of men who have.

Lisa Stansfield, I salute you.

So I actually looked at my Google Reader yesterday and caught up on the happenings in RomLand.

Firstly, I discovered that SuperWendy has moved, so I updated my links accordingly.

I also caught the whole AAR Vs Blogs lovefest. Man, some of those AAR peeps sure got their knickers in a twist. I did love all the frothing at the mouth though, especially from that Xina bird.

Here’s an ‘interesting’ comment from Xina herself: (more…)

Am I the only person who finds romance novels where the heroine and the hero are already married to each other mind-numbingly boring?

I’m not talking about H&Hs who get married early on in the book either, I mean the ones that when you open up the first page, they’re already married, and probably having marital problems.

(more…)

Why do the heroines and heroes always have to resolve any familial issues before they can have their HEA? Seriously.

And those stories where the heroine has Daddy Issues and can’t find happiness with her hero until they’re resolved? Very effing annoying.

I’d love it if an author just let the heroine come to terms with her familial issues without having to have a big emotional scene, whereby she’s then able to finally have sex with her hero.

Is that too much to ask for?

Really?