If Anita Blake and Mercy Thompson got into a fight who would win?

Hmm, what to read next? I feel like I need to go back to an "old friend," so it might be back to Anita Blake, but after seeing the new Mercy Thompson book at work today I'm also considering finally getting around to finishing Moon Called.


There's something about the Mercy Thompson covers that I really like. Every time a new one comes out I think about how I need to get my shit together and read these books. I have the first four sitting on my bookshelf, so no excuses.

I think I've had a long enough sabbatical from Anita Blake and her crazy-ass life, so I might be ready to re-visit her. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the boys: Jean-Claude, Nathaniel, Asher, Micah, Richard... lol. The list goes on.

One book I cannot wait for is the new Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead Reckoning. Is it May yet????

The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am giving The Constant Princess four stars simply because I think Philippa Gregory always does such a wonderful job giving a voice to intriguing historical characters. I had always felt that Katherine of Aragon was sort of a boring character, overshadowed by the much more dramatic and scandalous stories of Anne Boleyn and the rest of Henry VIII's life. But after reading The Constant Princess I have a greater appreciation for her fascinating life. I must say that the event of reading the book itself was not always 100% engaging (especially when compared to The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance), and I had actually put the book down for a very long time before finally finishing it. But overall, Philippa Gregory can always be counted on for well-researched, richly detailed historical fiction.


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Blameless, Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate Bk. 3)

Blameless by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The delightful world of Alexia and her Parasol Protectorate is one that I absolutely adore. Gail Carriger's development of her charming and quirky characters continues endear the reader to them in this third installment of the series. We are able to strike an emotional connection with many of the characters in the book... with Alexia's eventual acceptance of her "infant inconvenience," and the love between Lord Akeldama and his young drone Biffy. The sense of getting down to the essential nature of what the books are all about comes out as well. We have the phrase "Parasol Protectorate" used for the first time by the characters, and we are a little bit closer to understanding more about the life of Mr. Tarabotti, which may play a big role in future books.

What I love most about these novels is the way that Gail is able to suffuse propriety with a sharp dose of humor and wit. Blameless was a really fun read, endlessly hilarious with a laugh-out-loud quality to it (as are all of her books). For your enjoyment, I will share with you some of my favorite chapter titles and excerpts from Blameless...


In Which Lord Maccon is Likened to a Small Cucumber
Tea and Insults
How Not to Cross an Alpine Pass
Wherein Alexia Encounters Both Pesto and a Mysterious Jar
"The site was lovely, shaded with trees of various bushy Mediterranean inclinations that took being leafy and green quite seriously." (p. 274)









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God Save The King

Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History by Robert Bucholz


So, I am really excited about my British History class this semester. After all of my casual devouring of history books over the past year or so, I'm thinking it will be pretty great to examine it in a scholarly setting. There's a part of me that feels like I might end up ready to change my major from English to History after all of this. Maybe it's my calling to marry the two. All I know is that I get this super giddy feeling in my gut whenever I think of studying British history.


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Louise Hay

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise L. Hay


Finally getting around to reading this and so far it has really been great. I'm enjoying reading from it in the morning before I start my day. Hoping to get through the entire thing and really be able to apply what I learn, especially when I find myself in a dark mood.


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Books read in 2010

1. The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown
2. Circus of the Damned (Anita Blake Book 3, started in 2009), Laurell K. Hamilton
3. Lunatic Café (Anita Blake Book 4), Laurell K. Hamilton
4. Bloody Bones (Anita Blake Book 5), Laurell K. Hamilton
5. The Killing Dance (Anita Blake Book 6), Laurell K. Hamilton
6. Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake Book 7), Laurell K. Hamilton
7. Play With Me, Leslie Kelly (Harlequin trash) *
8. Blue Moon (Anita Blake Book 8), Laurell K. Hamilton
9. Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse Book 10), Charlaine Harris
10. Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake Book 9), Laurell K. Hamilton
11. The Virgin’s Lover, Philippa Gregory 
12. The Four Agreements, Miguel Ruiz 
13. Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake 10), Laurell K. Hamilton
14. On What Grounds (Coffeehouse Mystery Book 1), Cleo Coyle
15. Cerulean Sins, Anita Blake Book 11, Laurell K. Hamilton
16. Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress Book 1), Jeaniene Frost 
17. Who Moved My Cheese?, Spencer Johnson
18. Warbreaker, Brandon Sanderson 
19. Mistborn (Mistborn Trilogy Book 1), Brandon Sanderson *
20. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & The Olympians Book 1), Rick Riordan
21. Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson & The Olympians Book 2), Rick Riordan *
22. Darkfever (Fever series Book 1), Karen Marie Moning
23. Innocent Traitor, Alison Weir 
24. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Alexander McCall Smith
25. Tightrope Walker, Dorothy Gilman 
26. Changeless (Parasol Protectorate Book 2), Gail Carriger 
27. Shakespeare’s Trollop (Lily Bard Book 4), Charlaine Harris 
28. Tears of the Giraffe (Ladies Detective Agency Book 2), Alexander McCall Smith
29. Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera Book 1), Jim Butcher
30. Kardashian Konfidential, Kardashian Sisters
31. Slave (Cat Star Chronicles Book 1), Cheryl Brooks 
32. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens *

[* = did not finish]

Anita Blake

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Aaah, Anita Blake. This series has sucked me in in the past, and then spit me back out again. At this point in time I have read up to about the ninth or tenth book in the series, but I had to take a break. Around book five and six I was really into it, but after a while all of the darkness, gore, and sadistic vampires sort of started to wear on me. But I love the fact that these books are such a staple of the urban fantasy genre, and ultimately I do think Anita Blake is one bad-ass heroine, even if she is an emotional mess.


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