Lounging in the hammock -- in January
Jan. 7th, 2007 06:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jmc_bksLike the rest of the northeast, I enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather on Saturday -- 70F! in January! The plants are confused. Mom has daffodils sprouting already. And the crab-apple tree out front (which just finished shedding all of its crabapples!) looks like it is ready to bud again.
I didn't accomplish much this weekend. Worked late on Friday and went in to the office again today. Skipped a family get together on Saturday because I didn't feel up to a two hour drive each way. Next time. After cleaning and running errands, I enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather by lounging in the hammock in my backyard. I felt like a cat, lying in the sunshine. Just before sunset, I strolled up to Cross Street Market, where I checked for tiger lilies at the flower stalls (too late, all the best blooms go early), considered a special (like a reuben, except with coleslaw rather than sauerkraut) at Big Jim's Deli before discarding the idea, and picked up a necklace that was being repaired at Morstein's. I managed not to buy anything else while in there, but only because the dangly amber earrings I admired when I was in buying The Biochemist's christmas gift were gone. On the bright side, the earrings I ordered to match the necklace arrived, so it all evened out.
These match the necklace almost perfectly, even though they were made by a different jeweler entirely. :)
While lounging in the hammock, I finished Meljean Brook's Demon Angel, which I enjoyed very much. I'm probably not going to do a full review, but...
In the end, my grade: B+. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm not sure it's going to be a re-read or a keeper, in part because of the pacing and in part because I'm OD'd on paranormals.
It's a compulsion, the way I keep adding books to the TBR pile, even though already I have so many waiting. Today's additions:
Brenda Jackson's Kimani Romance, Beyond Temptation. I read the first book in this series, Solid Soul a few months ago. The back blurb of the second book didn't appeal, but this one did. We'll see.
Venus Envy by Shannon McKelden. A chick lit book with some paranormal -- Venus steps in. I probably wouldn't have picked this up, except I remembered seeing a blurb somewhere in blog-world. Maybe at Sybil's?
Veil of Roses by Laura Fitgerald. Immigrant chick lit. The backblurb intrigued me.
Food details for Beth. Saturday's breakfast: a small, perfectly ripe avocado. It scooped out easily, no brown spots, and I just sprinkled some salt on. :sigh: I envy The Biochemist her produce section. Amazing citrus year round, good tomatoes, too, instead of the anemic stuff found in my local market.
For dinner, I cooked the chicken rigatoni ragu and peach cobbler that I prepared at Let's Dish.
I didn't accomplish much this weekend. Worked late on Friday and went in to the office again today. Skipped a family get together on Saturday because I didn't feel up to a two hour drive each way. Next time. After cleaning and running errands, I enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather by lounging in the hammock in my backyard. I felt like a cat, lying in the sunshine. Just before sunset, I strolled up to Cross Street Market, where I checked for tiger lilies at the flower stalls (too late, all the best blooms go early), considered a special (like a reuben, except with coleslaw rather than sauerkraut) at Big Jim's Deli before discarding the idea, and picked up a necklace that was being repaired at Morstein's. I managed not to buy anything else while in there, but only because the dangly amber earrings I admired when I was in buying The Biochemist's christmas gift were gone. On the bright side, the earrings I ordered to match the necklace arrived, so it all evened out.
These match the necklace almost perfectly, even though they were made by a different jeweler entirely. :)
While lounging in the hammock, I finished Meljean Brook's Demon Angel, which I enjoyed very much. I'm probably not going to do a full review, but...
Highlights
1. The idea -- angels, devils, etc. -- was original. When Meljean wrote the original piece set in this world, a short story called "Falling for Anthony" in the Hot Spell anthology, no one else was writing about demons, devils or angels.
2. The characters were extremely well-drawn.
3. The world-building was carefully done and quite absorbing.
4. The first 150-200 pages were tightly paced, but the next 100 pages or so dragged a bit. The pacing picked up at the end.
In the end, my grade: B+. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm not sure it's going to be a re-read or a keeper, in part because of the pacing and in part because I'm OD'd on paranormals.
It's a compulsion, the way I keep adding books to the TBR pile, even though already I have so many waiting. Today's additions:
Brenda Jackson's Kimani Romance, Beyond Temptation. I read the first book in this series, Solid Soul a few months ago. The back blurb of the second book didn't appeal, but this one did. We'll see.
Venus Envy by Shannon McKelden. A chick lit book with some paranormal -- Venus steps in. I probably wouldn't have picked this up, except I remembered seeing a blurb somewhere in blog-world. Maybe at Sybil's?
Veil of Roses by Laura Fitgerald. Immigrant chick lit. The backblurb intrigued me.
Food details for Beth. Saturday's breakfast: a small, perfectly ripe avocado. It scooped out easily, no brown spots, and I just sprinkled some salt on. :sigh: I envy The Biochemist her produce section. Amazing citrus year round, good tomatoes, too, instead of the anemic stuff found in my local market.
For dinner, I cooked the chicken rigatoni ragu and peach cobbler that I prepared at Let's Dish.
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OT
Date: 2007-01-08 04:06 am (UTC)Bookwormom
Re: OT
Date: 2007-01-08 01:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 08:32 am (UTC)I have not heard of your new authors but I might be behind the times.
As to lying in a hammock? I'm in my house pretending it's minus 100 and even opening a door could kill me. Yep, I'm in pure laze mode. What a surprise.
CindyS
no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 02:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 01:52 pm (UTC)http://miladyinsanity.wordpress.com/2007/01/08/7-questions-with-shannon-mckelden/
no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 02:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-08 10:01 pm (UTC)