February In Review

Books Read: 9
Books on the Currently Reading Shelf on Goodreads: 13
Days I Wrote Productively: 22
Approximate Word Count: ~23,197

I'm proud to say that the days I didn't write were days where life was suitably in the way.  Not that life is an excuse not to write, but between work and school, I refuse to beat myself up for doing my schoolwork instead of writing or reading.

I didn't write today, however, I worked from 8 to 3, and then Vin and I hightailed it to Gulfport to see The Lego Movie, and then I finished my last book for this month.  I regret nothing.

Overall, I think I'm doing okay.

Book List:

• The Truth About Love by Stephanie Laurens, historical romance, 5 stars
•  I'm making my way through the Honorary Cynster men.  Pretty good, interesting, all that.

• The Absence of Harry, Sex Without Love, Love Without Sex by Zander Zink, romantic comedy (I guess), 3 stars
• I don't really know why I read this.  It's wacky.  Funny, thought-provoking in some ways, and IQ-lowering in others.  I got it free for Kindle like 2-3 years ago, and finally sat down to read it.  Anyway...

• About a Dragon by G. A. Aiken, high fantasy/smutty paranormal romance, 4 stars
• Remember, I loved the other G. A. Aiken I read this year.  I'm really excited about this series.  Really, really excited.

• Night Life by Rob Thurman, urban fantasy, 5 stars
•  I needed a rebound from The Dresden Files and this was a great pick-me-up.  I loved it.  It's wonderful.  I'm glad I bought the first five books that day.  Next time I'm having a down day, I know what I'm going to, until I'm done with those books at least.  Cal Leandros, baby.

• "Bombshells" by Jim Butcher, from Dangerous Women, urban fantasy, 5 stars
• While I was in Barnes and Noble one day, they had it.  So I stood in the BN fantasy section and read the entire story.  It's from Molly's POV.  I love this.

• The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale, historical romance, 3 stars
• This is the book I started Valentine's Day.  It's the second Rodale I've tried.  It's good in that it's functional.  Okay, but not my cup of tea.

• Whirlwind Wedding by Jacquie D'Alessandro, historical romance, 4 stars
• I didn't like the taste the previous book left in my mouth.  So, I read another one.  When I first started reading romance, it was always Victoria Alexander.  She does the blow-ups* really well.  Very few authors do a really, really good blow-up without the characters going beyond the pale.  D'Alessandro is another author that does them really well.  This book had both kind of blow-ups you see in romances.  It was handled very well.  Good book, good book.

• The Goblin King by Shona Husk, paranormal romance, 3 stars
• See review

• No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, by Sarah MacLean, historical romance, 4 stars
• The epilogue ushers in the new story, which really steals the fire from the story that the book is actually about.  Why do romance authors do that?  You've already sold the series.  Anyway, the story proper is pretty good.  A lot of Old Hurt, but really good.

Also, this year, I've re-read one book in January, and another in February.

In January, it was A Lady's Guide to Improper Behavior by Suzanne Enoch.  It was the third time I read it, the first time being in 2011.

In February, it was The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn.  It's her newest romance that came out late last year, which I started and finished on Halloween.  I just felt like re-reading it.


 *The blow-up in a romance novel is the part where the hero and heroine have the big fight or the truth comes out if it was a plot where lying was involved, or it's supposed to be.  This is where you have to doubt whether or not the hero and heroine are going to have their happily ever after.  In some romances, the mystery-type ones, they substitute the bad guy revealing himself and there's a dangerous situation.