Again the Magic....Happy Hallowe'en!

Oh the magic of Halloween! I'm rockin' the sugar skull face with the pretty flowers in my hair.

Apparently I'm the only adult in my vicinity that's gotten in the spirit.
Fuddy Duddy's everywhere. Including my husband....I got him a bacon costume.- it's freakin hilarious...and does look pretty yummy. Maybe he'll wear it when we go out tonight . If he does wear it, this'll be me:

 I love bacon! Mmm...Irish bacon (wish i could find it here....)

Right now (speaking of magic) I'm reading Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas. I've read all the Wallflowers historical romance books. This one is an angst-ridden childhood friends to lovers one. After reading some of the "way over the top" books of late. I'm really enjoying the restraint of this opposite end of the spectrum.

woo *fans face*

Meant to start another book but got stuck on Backstage Pass (Book 1) of the Sinners Series.

And so...this is a hot hot hot series. If you grew up in the 80's this series will fulfill any fantasies you've ever had about rock stars.

With that said, this author pushes close to making me want to stop reading. It's almost too much sexy times.

I have to read other stuff while reading these books (or in yesterday's case put the book down to watch football) just so i can clear my mind. Yep it's like that....:0)

I wasn't bored though....the Fifty Shades books bored me after it's first initial shocks.

The story lines, character personalities and back stories of this series could maybe be improved upon but I think they are written well and fun(ny) too.

how i met my husband

Jamie and I have differing recollections on how exactly we met. we were both a little tipsy on a ladies night at a country dancehall a long time ago.

Here's  my version (THE TRUE ONE)... i think? -

I'd told the guy I had just started dating that I'd meet up with him at the dancehall after work. 
He's there but he didn't want to dance, he said he wanted to talk to his friend instead. 

So I said "ok, see ya in a while. I'm going to look around to see if I can find a guy to dance with." Not bitch-like...but he didn't expect me to just stand around right? 
(oy...now that I think about it...did he? I'm sooo bad at the game playing thing.)

I couldn't find any older guys (they're seriously the best dancers!!! ...the gals and I always called dibs on the older 50+ guys when we wanted to dance. They're country dancing gold.) 

BUT I see a couple of guys close by and I ask one if he'd like to dance. 
He says "no". 
I say "fine" and walk away. 
I guess he liked how i walked away ? cause he changed his mind and caught up to me. 

The fact that he actually could dance was a nice - yeah he was cute but so am I *yep not very humble right now I know* 
so what else ya got right? 
Well... I found out he liked my kind of music AND he was funny. I liked him. 

Later on that night, he finds me, we dance again, then he pulls me aside and asks for my number. 

Well... I didn't realize it at the time but he had pulled me right next to the guy I was dating. I mean, he and his friend were right behind me and saw me give my number to Jamie. 
UGH... it wasn't like I was "exclusive" with the guy, we'd been on three dates...but still, that was a Bitch move on my part. I own that. 

Regardless, Jamie and I set a time to meet somewhere a couple of days later. 
I show up 20 minutes early (cause honestly... I was tipsy...I don't really remember what he looked like two days ago). 

Well... I see a guy pull up in his truck at the exact same time I do. 
I see him. He sees me ....we kinda walk towards each other with the "is it you" question mark on our faces. 

Sure enough. It was us. And we go on from there. 

Yep...that's it...

Jamie will agree with all of the above except he says he thinks I had asked his friend to dance first. 

That his friend had said no and so I had turned to him and asked him as "sloppy seconds." 
So he said no based on the insult, but then changed his mind.

oh welll... we'll never know
...but I'm pretty sure I"m right. 

So back to present day ....we tried the new-ish restaurant/concert venue - The Rustic in Dallas over the weekend, co-owned by Pat Green - I've liked his music about 15+ years now - it's gotta be good right?

Oy... bad start when the bartender tells us he doesn't like alcohol and he's "just here for the money" as he's making me a terrible drink. Not only that, Kenny Chesney and friends is playing in the background the whole time. We are in Texas yes? Where's my music? What the heck? All this place was, was yet another "Dallas" kitcsh tourist place. Jamie and I just rolled our eyes and left. I wish Hank's in McKinney was closer...

Speaking of hot and cold - read Obsidian (YA paranormal girl next door meets "not so ordinary" neighbors -  Lux series). I liked Daemon, the male lead, he definitely runs hot and cold. J. Armentrout has written him/them well though so I'll try to hang on to finish the series. Also read Still the One (what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas, childhood romance re-united story). Not bad either.

Next up is The Husband's Secret.  I know nothing about it and have no idea why I had it in my queue. We'll see!!

Why I read romance novels

Lori Foster just posted on her FB that she hates it when people call romance novels trashy or smut books. While I  have read a few that had too many sex scenes (even for me), it wasn't because of what they were doing, I didn't like them because there was no real story line. I like a story.

I've always been intrigued by human emotion - I read an article called What Books Do for the Human Soul. Every point makes sense but the point that really hits for me was

"It looks like it’s wasting time, but literature is actually the ultimate time-saver — because it gives us access to a range of emotions and events that it would take you years, decades, millennia to try to experience directly."

I think romance novels are especially great for showing range of emotion...cause really there's not a more volatile emotion than amorous love (the falling in, the making of, the loss of, etc.)  That's why I read romance novels - the emotion is fascinating.

So when a writer takes the love out - or any emotion but lust out - and it's just a sex book (it just gets boring for me personally) then I think it's apropos to refer to that as a smut book (and perhaps that's why romances get a bad rap)? But hey - sometimes people just want to read that - so why not...

My favorite Lori Foster book? I'm torn between Wild and Too Much Temptation

why you don't really need that many friends

I'm one of the few still holding out on getting a smart phone. Though convenient yes... I'm not the biggest fan of what cell phones (especially smart phones) have done to society and people's ability to have a basic conversation and/or relationships.

Hypocrite I am though,  I borrow Jamie's work phone for checking/in and posting pics on Facebook.Ha! Can't help it!!

Regardless - I read this article a while back that makes the argument that you don't really need that many friends. I agree with the logic (it's worked for me all these years). So as far as FB went, I continued that rationality and recently "unfriended" a lot of people.

I felt like a big "B" - but really... besides maybe being slightly insulted (which isn't at all my intention!) I'm 90% sure those people wouldn't care that they were unfriended by me.

So, while yes I have a general curiosity about people and their thoughts...if interest isn't mutual and reciprocated there's really no point in maintaining that sort of uncertain online relationship right?

That article also said that in 2004, 25% of Americans stated they didn't have anybody to talk to. Wow! I wonder how many of those people are actually ok with that?

Makes me think of Shiloh Walker's Locked in Silence... which reminds me, I need to check back on that series...I wonder if it was cancelled? Noooooo!

Re-reader escalation

I'm a re-reader - in fact often times (if the book is that good) when I go back I actually like the book better after I've read it the second, third time etc. So I re-read a favorite, Lothaire over the weekend (cause Kresley Cole's my favorite author of all time - and I felt like it).

Also re-read Larissa Ione's first Moonbound book to re-fresh my memory before starting the second book in this series Chained by Night . I'm about half way through. Native American legends, tests, sacrifice, a virgin heroine etc. eh.

The second book is better than the first - still this series hasn't drawn me in like the first of the Demonica books did. I loved those books so much i fashioned my halloween costume (below) last year after Gem in that series. I love halloween! Back to work - Monday ugh.

Rule Breaker(s)

11 years together and he still has an amazing ability to grate on my nerves like no one else.
I never thought I'd be married (much less be with one person for this long). You'd think that after all this time he'd steer away from setting me off but does he? No.

I'm not turning into one of "those" nagging/woe is me wives. He and I are gonna have a little chat later. Fucking fucker.  

So now that that's out of the way -
What's a good "I'm not ok with you acting this way and I'm going to do something about it" book - what comes to mind is Lora Leigh's Coyote's Mate. Super sexy yes (as most Lora Leigh Breeds books are) but also good conflict story with great chemistry between the leads. Anya (the lead) is introduced as a girl and through the story you see her evolve (with lots of obstacles) to hold her own with intense Del-Ray and everyone else.

About Lora Leigh's Breeds books - she's slightly redeemed herself in my eyes with this last one Rule Breaker  ...those last few books before that one were not good- so not good I was close to stopping her altogether (especially with her missing the mark with Jonas Wyatt's story. I still feel robbed.)

Regardless - overall, the Breeds books -  I'm a fan.

hit or miss?...we'll see.

so this morning, jamie pounces on me, slobbers all over my face and says "if you have ebola then I'll have ebola too so we can be together". 

I'm reading now on FB posts that people are already making the decision to not allow their children to trick-or-treat for Halloween.

I just shake my head. whaddya do....I've never been one for overreaction but being that we are in Dallas (and 10 minute drive from Presby)...yikes... it is a little more concerning. Only because I assume these nurses are wearing top of the line hazmat suits, going in there informed and well aware of the disease they're treating...and they're still getting it? How is that possible?... 

On a different note - finished the last Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. Not amazing but one of those that if done well (i.e. by the Pan's Labyrinth people) would be a fun movie to watch. 

Next in line is Splintered ...amazon suggested as a "customers also bought" from the DS&B page.

That's what mostly works  for me - when trying to find a book, i go to the amazon page of a book i liked, go down to the "customers also bought" and scroll.  I've found I tend to agree more with amazon reviewers than goodreads reviewers (Goodreads reviewers are kinda mean too!). Or maybe passionate...it's so hard to find someone who actually likes books as much as i do I might be getting it confused. 

Either way...as always, when trying a new book it's hit or miss (mostly miss)...we'll see.   

YA reads

I'm on the third book of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series. This YA series has tremendous use of imagination (which I love). Very Pan's Labyrinth movie-esqe. Apocalyptic, sacrifice/redemption, star-crossed love story.

One thing I'm finding I don't like (that this author uses a little too much) is starting a chapter where it's clear something has happened and then the author backs into explaining what happened. It's equivalent to a stutter for me...it stops the story from flowing. Regardless, I like this series. It's a good story. I hope it ends well.

Other decent YA series: Legend , Maze Runner , The Uglies, Trylle, Enders Game (although that last book lost my interest) of course Hunger Games and Divergent (not Allegiant). Most favorite is Kresley Cole's Arcana Chronicles though! I'm obsessed!

Smoke (Dallas) and Bone

Finished reading Manhunting - it was ok. I like stories where the leads don't really realize they're attracted to each other until well into the story. I've read better with that scenario though...what comes to mind is Enchanted. I loved that whole Medieval series really. I really wish E.Lowell would write about Erik....I'd buy to read his story on release day!

Right now I'm reading Shadowy Horses , I should've read this before reading The Firebird. They tie together - it's not bad but I am able to put it down if that says anything. 

Next up, my sister has been on me to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone....I refused until the series was finished. Waiting for Allegiant made me bonkers (and then reading it and how it ended caused an epic bitchfest on my part).  So anyway , she said it's finished -  I'll give it a go here soon. 

Speaking of Smoke (and Bone)- We ate at Smoke Dallas the first year it opened. It wasn't enough to make me crave it but we tried again on a Sunday Sangria/Bloody barhop adventure and they've changed my mind. Want a super delicious Sangria or Bloody Mary? Go to Smoke Dallas. Really tempted to try this event too https://kiosk.eztix.co/kiosk/37536

Travel love and my top 5 meals ever (so far)

5 books in queue and I can't decide which one to start, so I'm on a book hold for now. I'm gonna talk another love of mine - travel.

This year alone we blew out our travel budget with going to Jackson Hole, New Orleans, Phoenix, Ireland, Amsterdam, BCS Mexico, Destin and then going back to New Orleans next month for Thanksgiving.

Yes NOLA is our favorite city...I think Thanksgiving will be our 6th time? It's so worth it though and I know I'm truly blessed to be able to experience these places.

We tend to avoid touristy places - some of them you just have to see though (like Sagrada Familia in Barcelona) - but mostly I plan our trips around food. Local food. It's a lot of work/time/money and I'm a little obsessive - I start researching, planning and making itineraries about a year in advance.

Where have been my top 5 meals outside of Dallas (so far)?
New Orleans, LA
Basque Region, Spain
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Kenmare, Ireland 
Todos Santos/El Pescadero, BCS, Mexico

I'm in the planning stage for next year. Close to locking in St. Martin, apparently they have amazing food -so back to the Caribbean in May!? Likely Hawaii in the Summer on a family trip? Maybe Calgary, Seattle, Hope Town/Bahamas, Mystic/Connecticut as contenders. Just thinking about it is exciting.

yay for adventure but I'll pass on the audio book

So freakin' glad it's Friday! Definitely going to find me a cocktail somewhere after work.

I finished the Firebird , it's one of those perfect cuddle up and read books. No roller coaster here, but there is an adventure and the dual story lines carried well. Susanna Kearsley does a great job of painting a story and now I seriously want to go to North Eastern Scotland and maybe St. Petersburg too. I loved Ireland (especially Connemara and Co. Galway), I have a feeling Scotland might be just as amazing.

Next up is Shadow Spell, Nora Roberts (second in the Cousin's O'Dwyer trilogy). She doesn't grab my attention like other authors but I like Nora Roberts. My favorite of hers is probably the Circle trilogy. I liked it so much I tried the audio book. That was officially my first and last time to try an audio book. I hated it.  Plus it's kinda embarrassing when he gets to the sexy parts (and lets face it Nora Roberts comparatively speaking is not all that graphic). I don't know how people like it?

Lots going on in Dallas this weekend! State Fair, BBQ Festival, Cottonwood Arts Festival, Texans are in town for the Cowboy game and it's going to be gorgeous...I love this time of year.

i'm a pariah!...on to The Firebird

I just posted the below to my facebook. This ebola stuff is crazy. I think the local news has done a pretty good job of reassuring people though. 

On to more positive news - I finished In Your Dreams - again K. Higgins didn't let me down. Laugh out loud shenanigans with slight serious twist re: PTSD and a mostly believable love story. I think Connor's next? Fun. Can't wait!

Next up The Firebird (Slains #2) - I really liked Susanna Kearsley's The Winter Sea - (Slains #1) Dual time romance with Scottish history in the mix. So I'm reading more of hers.