My Life According to the Books I Read in 2011

LOL, instead of typing my Monthly Reads posts away, I've been procrastinating and decided to have a little bit of fun. For the past couple of years, Christine has posted this meme at the end of the year on her blog. I always have a lot of fun reading the answers and since I have a little bit of time on my hand... Why not? :)


Describe yourself:
Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

How do you feel:
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Describe where you currently live:
Perfect Harmony by Nora Roberts

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

Your favorite form of transportation:
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Your best friend is:
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton

You and your friends are:
A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber

What's the weather like:
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox

What is life to you:
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Favorite time of day:
Veil of Night by Linda Howard

Your fear:
Forgotten by Cat Patrick

What is the best advice you have to give:
Never Resist to Temptation by Miranda Neville

Thought for the day:
Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

How I would like to die:
Knock Me Off My Feet by Susan Donovan

My soul's present condition:
Blackout by Rob Thurman


What do you think of my answers? Initially, I thought the form of transportation was going to be the hardest ^_^; Turns out the two I got stuck on were Thought of the day and My soul's present condition...The easiest was the weather... LOL, I had a couple of option: Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen and Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep... but in the end, the answer I went with was the most accurate LOL. One title that I wanted to use was Flawless by Carrie Lofty, but it sounded a bit presumptuous LOL. I also tried not using the same author twice, but I couldn't resist LOL.

It was definitively lots of fun!! Nice way to start wrapping up the year :)

Review: Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy

Hey everyone!! How's the holidays? Are you off the whole week? I've been back to work since yesterday... but I'll be off again on Friday :)

Sorry the blog has been a bit quiet. I've been shopping a lot LOL. We don't have Black Friday in Canada, so some of the biggest sales happen to be on the day after Christmas - Boxing Day! Actually, did you know that Boxing Day is a stat holiday? LOL. Anyway, aside from shopping, I've also been reading. I'm only 2 books away from achieving my reading goal this year! With 4 days to go, I'm crossing my fingers I'll make it :) Finally, I'm trying to complete my Monthly Reads posts... I have October, November and December to do ^_^; Sigh, how did that happen? I've started October... but I still have a long road to go. I think the trick is really to keep it short which you know, it's hard for me ^_^;

Anyway, I didn't want my blog to be too empty, so here is my review for Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy which initially was supposed to be part of the October Monthly Reads post... but I realized it was detailed enough to be a full review on its own. See what I mean by having difficulty keeping it short? ^_^; Okay, it is shorter than my usual reviews... but still, for a Monthly Post that can contain 10 reviews? Yeah, not short enough...


Slow Ride by Erin McCarthy

published by Berkley in October 2011

As a tribute to her late journalist father, Tuesday Jones is planning a career benefit, auctioning off racing memorabilia and meet-and-greets with drivers. Ex-racing star Diesel Lange has had his own brush with death, and is determined not to waste another minute of his life- especially when he meets Tuesday. He wants nothing more than to shift their romance into high gear, but he knows she's still grieving. Can Diesel do the one thing he could never do on the track and take it slow?

Genre: Contemporary romance, sport romance
Series: Fast-Track series, Book #5

The Story: Tuesday Jones is a reporter and has a very popular blog about NASCAR - what happens on and off the tracks. She has recently lost her father who was also a sport reporter and is dealing with her grief. During her best friend's wedding, she runs into Daniel "Diesel" Lange whom she previously met at her father's funerals. Diesel used to be a NASCAR driver till he got in an accident and almost lost his life. Now, with a busted knee, he stays connected to the racing world by restoring vintage race cars.

Tuesday and Diesel are attracted to each other and it doesn't take long for them to act on this attraction. However, they both brings a lot of baggage to the relationship. Can they deal with their issues and turn this fling into something more?

My Opinion: The last book of this series that I read prior to Slow Ride was Hot Finish and I was a bit disappointed because I was expecting more from the story between Ryder and Suzanne. Then I skipped over The Chase, because I didn't like the premise of a female driver. However, I was really looking forward to Slow Ride because of the blurb... but once again, I was disappointed.

The biggest problem I had with Slow Ride was that nothing much happened ^_^; Basically, Tuesday and Diesel meet, start dating and have sex. Sure, the sex was hot, but it was not enough to carry the storyline. In fact, given the amount of sex and the thickness of the book (304 pages), Slow Ride actually read more like an erotica romance than a contemporary romance. Another issue was the lack of development of the characters and the relationship. I thought that Diesel and Tuesday didn't really get to know each other throughout the book and as a result, it gave rise to a weak conflict and prematured HEA ending. For example, Tuesday reproached Diesel for not opening himself, not discussing his accident with her. I thought that was ridiculous. They have only known each other a month, barely spoke about themselves and she wants him to talk about the biggest life-changing event in his life? Also, based on Tuesday's behavior, I have to say, she hadn't really earned Diesel's trust at that point.

Finally, my last issue with this book was Tuesday. I really didn't like her character. She got on my nerve and rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I thought her behavior towards Diesel was very disrespectful - the time he came to pick up for the date and she was drunk and the whole article fiasco. While I didn't like Tuesday's problems with alcohol, I thought it was very realistic and could have made the book really interesting. Unfortunately, Ms McCarthy missed that opportunity :(

What saved this book for was the hero, Diesel. I thought he was a great guy and really liked his personality. I liked that he was the one who wanted a relationship. I liked that he wasn't bitter about how his career ended and was content with life. Also, he did try to help out Tuesday with her problems... and I don't think him not wanting to speak about his accident was a real conflict. All in all, Tuesday was really lucky in my opinion.

In my opinion, Slow Ride had potential, but it wasn't developed enough to fulfill it. In the end, I felt the relationship was rushed and as a result, the HEA ending was not believable. I think it'd have been much better if the book had ended on the H/H giving each other another chance for a relationship than with Diesel proposing.

My Grade: C-. Diesel is the reason why the grade is in the C-range, otherwise, I'd probably have given Slow Ride a D. At this point, I'm not sure if I'm going to continue with this series...

Hauling Sunday LXV

Hey everyone!! :)

First, let me start by wishing:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I hope you're having a great time with your family and friends! My sister and I are having a Big Bang Theory TV marathon and later, we'll be going out for dinner with my parents at our favorite Chinese restaurant! Yay! Oh and I've finally bought a new computer!! Can't wait to have it delivered :) Then tomorrow, we might venture out for the sales... or go see The Adventures of Tintin. I'm rooting for the movie :) While everyone is at the sales LOL.

Anyway, surprisingly, I did buy books this week! Lucky me, the December 27 releases came into store early and I got my hands on some!! :)

Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke - I'm so happy this book is finally out! I've been looking forward to it ever since I finished reading Scandal of the Year! Although I have to say, I can't remember the hero appearing in the previous books! Ah well, it's okay :) I'm getting my LLG fix :)

By the way, funny story about Trouble at the Wedding. When I went to the bookstore, it wasn't on the shelf yet. However, the new Eloisa James and Gaelen Foley were. So I asked a clerk to go to the bookstore to look for it. He comes back a minute later telling me that his co-worker pointed out that Trouble at the Wedding had a release date of December 27 and so was not on sale yet. I told him that it was okay because Trouble at the Wedding didn't have a strict release date. I mean, if the Eloisa James was on the shelf, then I don't see why I can't get Trouble at the Wedding... and then I told him about the computer system, as in in-store, when you look up for books, if a book has a strict release date, even if they have copies in-stock, it will only say: Available for pre-order. As to books with no strict release date, if they are in-stock, even before the release date, it will indicate the number of copies available. So yeah, I told him all that and that it was okay to go get my copy. He said he was going to check with his manager to be sure... and a couple of minutes later, he came back with a copy and told me I was absolutely right :) Yay!! All in all, I got the book and it made my night :)

Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr - New Virgin River trilogy :) The reviews have been quite positive, so I'm giving it a go :)

And I got this from Netgalley:

Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr - Redwood Bend  is the second book in the trilogy and has also been getting good reviews. I'm also more interested in it based on the blurb :)

And there it is :) My haul for this week along with my latest bookstore adventure LOL.

Once again, hope you're enjoying the holidays!!

Review: Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Disclaimer: I've received Touch of Power as an eARC from Netgalley


Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
published by Mira (Harlequin) in December 2011

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life….

Genre: Fantasy romance
Series: Healer series, Book #1

The Story: Avry of Kazan is the last healer in the Fifteen Realms. However, this status isn't as prestigious as it sounds... Not when it is believed that the healers were the source of the plague that killed two thirds of the population. Now, healers are hated and a bounty has been placed for every healer caught and executed. As a result, Avry has spent the last three years in hiding, but she's growing tired of it and when she is captured after healing a child, Avry is ready to give up. But when she is rescued by a band of rogues and given a choice between life and death; to her surprise, her will to live is still very strong...

Unfortunately for Avry, being rescued came with a price. The leader of the band, Kerrick of Alga, wants her to heal someone from the plague: Prince Ryne of Ivdel... The same prince who held contempt for healers, the one who started the accusations against them! Avry is determined not to heal the prince no matter what. However, what Avry doesn't know because she spent the last three years in hiding is that the world is changing. With the Fifteen Realms decimated, three forces have emerged to unite the realms and rule over them... but only one has the well-being of the people in mind: Prince Ryne. As they make their way to where Prince Ryne's body is kept in stasis, Avry witnesses first hand the forces of  King Tohon of Sogra and High Priestess Estrid of Ozero and in the end, she has to agree with Kerrick... But unbeknownst to Kerrick, healing Prince Ryne will come with a price: Avry's life.

My Opinion: I was really looking forward to Touch of Power as it is Ms Snyder's newest release :) I fell in love with Ms Snyder's writing with Poison Study and Magic Study. Those two books were amazing and are on the all-time favorite bookshelf :) Unfortunately, her subsequent books have not measured up in my opinion. For Fire Study, I think it was a case of the expectations being too high combined with the extremely long wait for the readers. As for the Glass trilogy, the heroine just wasn't likable enough and then, there was the whole romance/relationship aspect that didn't really work out for me. With this series, set in a new world, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for Ms Snyder to start afresh :)

Overall, I liked Touch of Power and I think it was a good effort on Ms Snyder's part. The writing was solid and I definitively liked the world building. It was well developed and a very good backdrop for the fantasy aspect of the storyline. When it comes to fantasy, I always like a little political intrigue and with 15 realms and leaders or leading family, the possibilities for alliances, betrayals and intrigues are endless :) Add in the fact that most of them have been to school together and yeah, it's going to be extremely interesting. So far, I liked the players that Ms Snyder has introduced and I'm looking forward to more :) I also found the magical aspect of this world interesting. I liked that magic didn't make someone absolute, above everyone else. Sure, it is an asset, but in the end, intelligence, honesty and heart are the elements that are going to break or make someone :) Also, it seems to me that Ms Snyder has a clear idea of the magical powers in this world, she knows where she's going with it and that is promising.

Another strong element of this book was the characters. I really liked Avry. She was strong for having survived, but she was not a kick-ass heroine. The reason she survived was because she was smart and was careful. She also had principles and a lot of integrity and that made her character very interesting. I liked that she could be reasoned with, that she could see right and wrong and make her own decisions. If she was stubborn, it was because there was a reason, but she didn't clung to her beliefs when she was shown otherwise. Out of the other characters, the one I liked the most was Belen - Kerrick's bodyguard and childhood friend, because he was just so likable and friendly. Prince Ryne seemed to be a good guy and I can't wait to see him in action :) As for Kerrick, I'm still not sure about him. He's not totally hero material, swoon-worthy and I applauded  Ms Snyder for developing him this way. I think it really took guts as he is the love interest and readers usually prefer guys that oozed goodness or those who redeemed themselves. However, Kerrick is neither - he is himself. The best way I could describe him is cold on the surface as he seems to only care about achieving his goals and he can be ruthless sometimes, but deep inside, he does really care. I think all in all, it made him more interesting and gave him more depth... but at the same time, it was hard to like him. Especially some of his action in the beginning of the book, they were hard to forgive.

The romance was not the focus of the book, but there was some between Avry and Kerrick. At this point, I do feel like it was a bit forced. I can understand Kerrick having feelings for Avry, but that his mission took precedence... However, I'm not absolutely certain why Avry would develop feelings for Kerrick ^_^; I mean, why not Belen who was much nicer? I do like the fact that Avry came to trust Kerrick through their hardships at the end, that part was believable... I wished Ms Snyder would have developed Avry's feelings towards Kerrick a bit more. I do hope that we'll have more interactions between them in the future books to really cement the romance.

Aside from the romance, I had two other issues with Touch of Power. The first is the pacing of the book. Touch of Power was well-written and the storyline was interesting. There was a lot of action and a lot of twists and surprises in the storyline. Unfortunately, most of these surprises and twists fell a bit flat, because of the pacing, the tone. It was a bit monotonous and lacking in ompf. You simply couldn't feel the excitement, the thrill. Touch of Power was quite a thick book and as I said, a lot happened, but I'd say the overall tone of the book was passive and that just doesn't work when a book is full of action. My other issue with Touch of Power is that it felt like an echo of Poison Study ^_^; It seemed to me Ms Snyder based herself on Poison Study when writing the book and therefore, there was a lot of similarities: the heroine, the hero, the romance, the camaraderie and so on. Obviously, it made for a good book, but for a fan like me, well I can't help making comparison... and if I have to compare Touch of Power and Poison Study, then Poison Study definitively has the upper hand. In my opinion, it would have been preferable if Ms Snyder distanced herself of Poison Study instead and write something really original... Also, familiarity also led to predictability at times :(

In the end though, Touch of Power was still a very enjoyable book and a good start to the series. And I hope that Ms Snyder will surprise me in future books :)

My Grade: B-.

Hauling Sunday LXIV

All right! My parents are back, work should be more quiet and the stress of my annual gift exchange is over :) I love organizing the gift exchange every year, but it's always a bit hectic - finding the gift, making sure everything runs smoothly, the menu for food, etc. It's always a ton of fun :) but also a bit of work :) Anyway, now that it's over, I'm pretty  much free and should have more time for my blog now! Yay!!!

First thing is to keep up with the Hauling Sunday feature :) Have to admit though that lately, I have not been buying that many books as there aren't many releases... Ah well. Still, I have two for this week :)

As You Wish by Gabi Stevens - Truth be told, I got this week a couple of weeks ago, but forgot to include it in the last Hauling Sunday. I read the first book in this series, The Wish List and it was cute and so I got As You Wish. Also, I admit I have a fondness for the Tor line which brought us the Warland Chronicles series by Elizabeth Vaughan.

A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton - This was a free download, part of Harlequin's 12 days of Christmas campaign :) I was actually planning to buy it, because I've been in the mood for contemporary romance... but I've been dragging my feet... and I'm glad since because of it, I got this free :) I only realized afterwards that A Rare Gift is part of this year's Carina Press' anthology. Surprise surprise :)

And there you have it, my haul for this week :) This week is most probably going to be quiet as well... unless the bookstore receives the Avon releases early. That'd be a great Christmas gift LOL. What about you? Too busy to read? Or expecting books as Christmas gifts? :)

Now I'm off to read and watch curling... but I'll definitively be working on some reviews tonight. I must! :)

Lost mojo...

Hello everyone! How are you doing?

So sorry that I haven't really blogged or blog-hopped recently ^_^; The conference has really put a kink in my blogging routine and even though I've been back for two weeks already (gosh, how did that happen?!?), I still haven't settled back into a routine yet. I have lots of excuses for it... Want to hear them? LOL.

Well, work has definitively been quite busy as my boss has decided to rush an experiment, sigh. My parents have been away ever since I came back and so my sister and I have been fending off for ourselves. I don't mind, but it is time consuming LOL. Good thing they are coming back tomorrow :) It's the holidays season and I've been trying to squeeze in some shopping... and finally, my room. I'm still not done with it ^_^; It's mostly a matter of re-shelving the books in an order that I like. Hopefully, I'll be done with it tonight especially since my parents are coming home tomorrow ^_^;

And oh, I've finally given up on my computer and therefore has been using my dad's laptop. It's not bad, but I prefer a desktop which I'm hoping to buy on Boxing Day, hoping there'll be a good deal. In the meantime, well my desk is a mess and I feel cramped when using the laptop and so I've taken refuge into reading... Although I'm really having a hard time deciding what to read. Ugh, December is just too slow release-wise :(

And that's what I've been up to. What about you guys? Blogland has really been quiet lately so I'm assuming everyone's busy with the holidays :) Still, read any good books lately?

Anyway, since it's been so quiet, here are some pictures of my room. I didn't really want to post them at first, because seriously, it's a bit embarrassing ^_^; But hey, maybe it'll liven up my blog LOL. Also, Tabitha was wondering how much a mess could one person do... The answer is: a lot ^_^;

So this was at the start, when I came back from the conference...

This was during the week-end...

It looks like there's been very little changes, but actually it's mostly books. So if I could just shelve them... However, I've been feeling quite cramped in... Wonder why ^_^; and so instead of continuing shelving, I've decided to just ignore it and read... Don't think it was the best idea...

And this was as of this morning:

 See there is some progress!!! I'm also weeding out books as well. Stay tuned for a list and perhaps some books... and hopefully, I'll be able to shelve everything and at the end, it'll look like this:

Isn't that pretty?!? Okay, need to get to work now!


EDIT:

This is as of this morning (Dec. 15). Ames says she can't see a difference, but hey, you see a lot more floor! The books are all on shelves or in boxes. All I have to do tonight is put them away either in the basement or corner of the room. Quick vacuuming and straightening the desk and chairs and voila. Might not be as organized as I wished, but much better than when I came back from the conference :)

Happy Birthday Ames!!

Happy Birthday Ames! :) We're getting older!! LOL. Hope you have a great day and a great time. May your future be filled with tons of good books :)

When reading leads you into trouble...

So initially, I was planning to post a review... However, I didn't have time to write it. Why? Funny you should ask...

I went shopping with a friend and my sister this evening. I parked my car in a free spot. Free parking in downtown is rather rare. The few places that remain usually have time restrictions, for example you cannot park from 9am to 6pm because it's reserved for delivery. So I got to my parking space at approximate 5.50pm and waited 10 minutes in the car. While I was waiting, I of course pulled out a book to read. Since it was dark, I turned the inside light on... and yes, you can guess what happened. I forgot to turn it off while I was shopping and when I came back, about 4 hours later... my car wouldn't start ^_^;

At first, I wasn't sure if it was the battery or my remote starter. I sometime have problems with my remote starter as in I'll use it once and the next time I want to start my car, I cannot do it manually, I'll have to use the remote starter again. I tried several time starting the car manually and with the remote starter and it wouldn't work. My headlights were a bit dimmed, but nothing drastic. Finally, I had to ask a taxi driver to take a look. He confirmed it was the battery... yay! Unfortunately, he didn't have any booster cables. I asked another taxi and he didn't have any either. In the end, I had to call a friend and she was nice enough to come and give me a hand.

Little problem is that we've each had boosted a car only once before... and with help. LOL, the funniest is that we told my friend to park her car so both the cars would be hood-to-hood. She then popped the hood and I tried looking for her battery to connect the cables... After a moment, I had to ask her where her battery was... She took a look as well and a minute later, she remembered that she had a Mitsubishi Evo and therefore: "Oh, my battery is in the trunk!!" LOL, it was sooo funny, especially the look on her face :) Finally, I was able to connect the cables... but it still wouldn't work.

At that point, I was really starting to panic :( If it wasn't the battery, than it was the remote starter and the battery, I can jump start... but what do I do with the remote starter?!? Finally, I was ready to give up and I called roadside assistance. I was on the phone with them when a security guy was passing by and gave us a hand. Turns out the pliers were not well connected to the battery!!! My friend's battery was a bit dirty and therefore, the pliers weren't in contact with metal, but with grease... After a few tries, my car finally started!!! Alleluia!!

A few things I learned from tonight's experience? Check the horn and headlights as indicators for battery - although they can still work and battery be weak. If there's no sparks when the pliers make contact with metal, then it means the pliers are not well connected ^_^; And finally, I should put the booster cables and a flashlight in the trunk of my car. Well next time that it happens, I'll be more prepared and know better what to do. But I hope there's not a next time ^_^;

Review: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

***Warning: This review contains spoilers***

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

published by Putnam in September 2011

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Genre: Romantic Suspense, mystery, futuristic
Series: In Death series, Book #33

The Story: In New York to Dallas, Eve faces an old foe, Isaac McQueen. McQueen is a pedophile who kidnapped young girls, marked them with a number within a heart on their torso and kept them in a proof-sounded room for his sick pleasure. He was also Eve's first collar when she was still in uniform.

Now that McQueen has escaped from Rikers, he intends to pick up where he left off and seek revenge on the cop that arrested him. Meanwhile, Eve is determined to put him back in a cage where he belongs. When McQueen moves his hunting ground to Dallas, Eve and Roarke are hot in pursuit - even though Dallas is the last place Eve wants to be...

My Opinion: I kind of had high hopes for New York to Dallas, partly because of the blurb, but also because of the title change. In a series like the In Death series, after 30-something books with the same pattern in titles, when there's a change, there must be a reason and it must have a big impact, hit hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case and instead of being a wowzer, New York to Dallas fell flat for me :(

I think the biggest problem about New York to Dallas was the lack of excitement. There wasn't anything in the book that made me sit at the edge of my seat or make me turn the pages faster to know what would happen next. There was also a lack of intensity in my opinion. New York to Dallas was just another book in the series instead of being one with a lot of impact. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to read an In Death book, because I know it's going to be a solid read... but the couple last installments have been solid, but not great and I think it's time to have a great In Death book just to shake things up. I thought New York to Dallas was a great opportunity for Ms Robb to deliver something different, considering that Eve and Roarke were alone in Dallas, away from the gang - no Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Summerset and the tons of supporting characters. It would have been a great opportunity to explore Eve and Roarke's relationship for example, have something happens... but instead, it was just the usual, i.e. Eve trying to stop the bad guy. Even worse, I missed the gang because Ms Robb didn't really have anything in the storyline to fill the void ^_^;

All right, so instead of thinking what was missing, let's focus on what was actually in the book. The writing as usual was solid, fluid. Ms Robb definitively has a distinct style of writing when it comes to the In Death books and I like it :) The actual case wasn't bad... but it didn't really stand out for me. One of the reasons is if I remember correctly, there was a similar case in a previous book, i.e. the villain fixating on Eve for revenge. Another reason is Eve's ability to "read" the villain - know his thinking process, what he's going to do, etc. It bothered me in New York to Dallas because it seems that Eve was very familiar with McQueen, the kind of familiarity that comes from a cop chasing after a killer for a long period of time, through many cases. However, it is not the case between Eve and McQueen. McQueen's arrest by Eve was "coincidental." She basically stumbled over him while going door to door for another investigation. I can understand Eve familiarizing with his M.O. afterwards, because that's just who she is, especially given this was her first arrest. But even then, what they would have discovered from McQueen would be hear-say as opposed to living it and therefore, I can't really believe that the bond between Eve and McQueen would be so strong... and the fact that Eve was so effectively in McQueen's head, knowing him, predicting his next move - it just took away from the suspense for me.

Another issue I had with New York to Dallas was Eve's mother's appearance. Obviously, going back to Dallas, there would be a part of the book dedicated to Eve's past. I knew that, even expected it. However, I thought it was a huge coincidence that McQueen's accomplice would be Eve's mother. If at least, it had been intentional, as in McQueen actually chose her because she was Eve's mother... but no. Also, the one time that Eve goes to Dallas, she runs into her mother? I think it'd have been more powerful if it's been somewhere else, like in New York or another city. The only good news is that we're finally done with Eve and Roarke's parents and can move on ^_^;

All in all, New York to Dallas wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations either. I just feel that Ms Robb had an opportunity to deliver something really different and she missed it. Instead, New York to Dallas felt redundant, nothing original or new :( Still, I'm not giving up on the series yet and I'll be picking up Celebrity in Death in February :)

My Grade: C.

Hauling Sunday LXIII

Ugh. I had a few days off and I was so happy to have them and health issues just came and ruined all the fun :( Really sorry to sound/be whiny, but I just need to get it off my chest. Sigh, I just want to be healthy again and not worry about things :( In part, I think I'm having a BPPV relapse :( I've been nauseous in the past few weeks and had a few dizzy spells. Nothing as bad as last March though. I actually felt better while I was in Toronto... but this week-end? Bleh. And now, I don't know, but I think I feel a bit of tingling/numbness in my hands and feet. Not sure if I'm just over-worrying and imagining it or paying too much attention to it. Seriously, I regretted taking my health for granted and I'd do anything just to feel normal and not worry at every little health hiccups ^_^; Anyway, I'll pay attention to it. I just hope it's perhaps BPPV combined with stress and dehydration. Oh yeah, gotta love the internet for self-diagnosis ^_^; If it's not better in a few days, then I'll go to the doctor.

Okay, whining part over. Now, onto a much more fun topic: books :) Wow, hard to believe it's been almost a month since I last did a Hauling Sunday post!! So are you ready to see my haul? :)

Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook - I got this book a couple of weeks ago, but didn't want to do a Hauling Sunday post with only one book. LOL, I never thought though it'd be so much time after! I still haven't read The Iron Duke. I think I'm having a mental block when it comes to that book ^_^; I'm hoping I'll have more success with this one :) Ms Brook is a brilliant author and I so want to love this series.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally - So I've never really been into contemporary YA, but lately, that's what I've been craving to read. Weird, I know. In any case, as soon as I read Catching Jordan's blurb, I knew I wanted to read that book. I thought the premise was really interesting - Jordan being a girl and playing quarterback for her high school team. I thought it'd be a good mix of contemporary and sport and I was right :)

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews - I'm a big fan of Ms Andrews' Kate Daniels series. I love that series - the action, the characters dynamics and the humor. However, the world building has always been a problem with me, just because I have difficulty "seeing" it. Well I have the same issue with The Edge series and the characters have not won me over yet.... but I have hopes, especially considering the hero is Kaldar :)

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep - I've reviewed Touch of Frost not too long ago and if you've read my review, you know why I got Kiss of Frost :) I just love Ms Estep's writing and I'm glad she has two series going on :)

Treasured Vows by Cathy Maxwell - This book was released in 1996 (wow!) and the reason it caught my attention is because Alex has reviewed it not long ago. I wanted to give it a go because while it's set in England, it's different as in the hero is not titled. Small detail, but it can be a lot of fun!! :)

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries - This is the 4th book in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series. I've been enjoying this series so far and wanted to know more about Gabe... especially after the challenge the heroine threw him in the last book!


So all these books have been ordered online a couple of weeks ago. I've just been waiting for them to arrive. The only book I've actually bought is the following:

The Lady's Secret by Joanna Chambers - I read Hilcia's review yesterday and it was such a great review that I immediately bought it LOL.

And speaking of Hils, well she sent me a couple of books...

 

LOL, you can say I'm ready for the holiday season :)

And voila, a month-worth of haul! Definitively a great haul, but not too crazy right? :) Yes, I'm fishing for compliments for my restraint LOL.

I'm home!!!

Hi everyone!!

How are you doing? I'm back home!! Yay! Actually, I've been home since Wednesday night ^_^; Sorry I haven't blogged earlier! I wanted it to, but recovering from the trip - most specifically the bus right - took precedence LOL.

So can you believe that I made it for 4 days without internet?!? Yep I did :) LOL, great detox. There was wifi actually, but I had no gadget to connect to ^_^; No laptop, no iPhone or iPad... I do have a cell phone that could... but I don't know how ^_^; Plus, checking emails on the phone is not the greatest. I was hoping to borrow my labmate's laptop, but after days of hanging out together, we just went our separate ways in the evening... Booo.

Overall though, it was a great experience. It was the first time I went to a scientific conference and I think it was good. Not as fun as RT or RWA, but good LOL. Basically, this was the first Canadian Cancer Research conference on such a scale. There are many agencies in Canada funding cancer research and they usually each have their own conference... but this year, they forgo theirs and unite their efforts to make 1 big conference. There was about a thousand persons registered... This is much smaller compared to the American equivalent, but a good effort still considering this is the first conference. The conference was all about building bridges - making connections, seeing what is done here and elsewhere and what is the trend. And the caliber of the speakers was quite impressive as there was two Nobel Prize winners!!! I mean, seriously, it's hard not to be impressed LOL. But those two aside, I mean, there were some impressive names... Of course, my favorite talks were the ones with humor. Some of them are really well articulated and fast on their feet.

While some of it was really interesting, some of it was also really boring. I mean, sitting in hotel chairs from 9am to 5pm and listened to a myriad of talks... it's really long!! Also, some of it was a bit scary. Let just say that once I came back, I did google the symptoms of breast cancer, colorectal cancer and so on ^_^; Also, this conference was all about precision/personalized medicine. It's kind of funny when you think about it, but there is trends in research as well and that was it. The idea is with genome sequencing now more affordable, researchers are sequencing different tumors of a same cancer - the ones that respond to treatment and the ones that don't and compare them. They're trying to look for the mutations that will allow to predict whether a patient will respond to a treatment and which one in order to avoid over-treatment and toxicity of chemotherapy. Of course, in theory, this is awesome... but whether it'll really be feasible - not just from the science POV, but ethically and so on... That'll be interesting to see.

So that was pretty much it for the conference. Oh, the poster session went well. However, it was just too crowded... and I'm really glad I didn't have to present any poster. Basically, there were 477 posters for 2 sessions of two hours!!! Everyone registered to the conference was given a booklet the size of half a phone book with the abstracts (summary of what the poster was about). So people could know beforehand what was there and go see the posters that they were actually interested in. Posters were put up on panels in the morning and people had the whole day to peruse... and from 4 to 6pm, people presenting would stand next to their poster and people could ask them questions. I saw a lot of people just standing there and looking bored. I'm just glad I wasn't one of them ^_^; My labmate had about 8 persons coming up to him and my boss, about the same numbers. Although in the case of my boss, it was all the big names in our field, so that's encouraging.

The best moment of my trip? When Cindy and Bob drove up to Toronto to have dinner with me!! It was awesome to catch up with Cindy and Bob and it was really nice of them to do so! :) For those who worries, she's doing fine!! And she should be back to blogging soon :) There, I've said it Cindy. You can't back out anymore! :)

Since I had Thursday and Friday off, I decided to just relax... and tackle my room. My room has been in such a messy state, I really couldn't stand it anymore. You think I'm exaggerating? Just ask Ames! I have some pictures of my room, but really it's just too embarrassing to share... But just to give you an idea of how messy my room was... I received a really big package from Chapters/Indigo while I was away... and I didn't even notice the box in my room... cos it blended in so well with the boxes of books that I've gotten from RWA! Yeah ^_^; Hopefully, I'll be done by Monday LOL. However, in my defense, I have to say I'm making progress :)

I'll also be taking a lot of breaks to blog and blog-hop! It's good to be back home :)

Oh and for those who are wondering... Yes, I had time to read while I was away! LOL, it's kind of funny cos everyone's been asking me that question LOL. But with no internet, let just say books were the only way to keep me from going insane with boredom LOL. I read To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries,  Tis the Season to be Sinful by Adrienne Basso and re-read Count to Ten by Karen Rose and River's End by Nora Roberts :) 4 books in 4 days. Not bad, right? :)