myJaxonIf we don’t go crazy once in a while, we’ll all go crazy. - Hawkeye

Yeah, I’m back to doing a lot of reading if you haven’t noticed by the dozen or so reviews that have been posted. What can I say? It’s easy to read while Ian’s nursing. Ian is starting to take naps in his crib, which means I don’t have to read as much. Thank god. I’ve ran out of books that I want to read and am trying to find new authors/books/series to read. Adrian is helping me out a lot. It’s nice having someone else who’s addicted to the same type of book I am. She helps feed my addiction.

Anyway, it just seemed like I’ve been posting a lot of reviews lately and thought I should post something else. There isn’t really anything going on at the moment. We were suppose to go see some fireworks last night, but Jesse was exhausted so of course we didn’t go. I was looking forward to seeing the fireworks last night, but hey, it’s not the fourth yet. I’m going to try and find some others that may be in the area. Ian and I are making weekly trips to the library in a bid to get us out of the apartment and I may be going to see PJ and lil’ Chris next week. It depends on her schedule. PJ is already going back to work after only about 5 weeks with Chris. Granted, it’s only 3 hours a day, a couple of days a week, but it’s something that is getting her out of the house. It’s not like I could do anything like that. Jesse can’t handle staying home with Ian for more than an hour at a time, so it doesn’t leave me with many options. I can’t wait until the Ren Fest though in August. That is going to be a lot of fun. Plus there is the Jackson Balloon Rally in a couple of weeks. We’re going to go show Ian his first hot air balloons. It should be amusing. I’m not getting out as much as I used to, but I’m dealing with what I can. I know the site is boring at the moment, but hey, when the only social interaction you have is with a four month old, there really isn’t a lot you can do. Okay, I’m starting to get depressed. I am going to find out what I have to do to get a chicken pox vaccination. I’ve never had them so I need to get vaccinated before my lil’ one gives them to me (although, he is getting the vaccine as well).

It just dawned on me why I’m not motivated at the moment. I’m bored. Not the whole “I have nothing to do, so I’m bored” mentality, but the fact that my life is boring and dull. I know I need to lose the weight. Hell, I’ve gained 50lbs since going to college in 1998, and I really want to get down to where I was, but I’m not motivated. Afterall, in order to be motivated, there has to be some kind of outcome at the end, right? What do I have to look forward to? Staying home with Ian and having really no social interaction at all. That is sure going to motivate me. Let me tell ya. I don’t make friends easily. I’m sure there are those of you who say I’m nuts for saying that; but seriously think about that. The majority of my friends are my friends because they knew Jesse and that was how I met them. I mean, there is PJ and Joslyn and……..that’s it. Really. Those are the only two friends I have that didn’t rely on knowing Jesse first. And it’s not like I can really remedy that situation at the moment. Where would I go? What would I do? With Jesse being the only one working, we really can’t afford to do anything. Hell, joining an aerobic class would give me the chance to meet people, but we can’t because we need to conserve our resources. And it’s not like I’m familiar with the area to find something that is free.  Ian and I have been doing a lot with the library, but there is only so much we can do at the moment since it’s summer.  So that’s why I haven’t been motivated lately. I have no reason to be.

I came across a new author the other day and I’m not entirely sure what I think of her books yet. Jennifer Armintrout has a series called Blood Ties. The first book in the series is called the Turning and it introduces us to the main character - Dr. Carrie Ames. The story is how Dr. Ames was transformed into a vampire and her conflicting emotions between her sire and another vampire. The second novel, Possession, really has nothing to do with the first novel. It continues Dr. Ames’ story, but that is about it. So maybe having nothing to do with the first book is a bit off; it’s more that both plot lines are not connected so you have two new stories where you really are not missing anything from reading either book. What I mean is I didn’t feel that I had to have read the Turning in order to understand what was going on in Possession. I’m not sure if that is good or not, but I am going to read the third novel, Ashes to Ashes, when it comes out later this year. This is a good series to borrow from the library to see if you like it, but I would definitely read it before you buy it.

On a side note, the author is from southwest Michigan and stages the books in the Grand Rapids area. Since I’m from the area, that was kind of nice, but she really didn’t use that many landscapes that told me it was Grand Rapids.

Earlier this year, the Sci-Fi channel ran a new show called The Dresden Files. It was one of those mid season original series that only had about a dozen episodes, but Jesse & I were both impressed and I know I can’t wait for it to come back next season. The show is based on the series by Jim Butcher and the pilot came from the first novel in the series - Storm Front. I’m not one who will usually go find a book that a show is based on and then read it. There is always something lost in the translation from book to film and it’s rare that it works. However, I have to say that it did in this instance. It is obvious that the book and the pilot share a common plot line, but the circumstances surrounding the plot line were changed. Some say this isn’t a good thing, but it is here. To do everything they did in the book would have been bad for the pilot; in addition, now that I’ve read the book, I don’t feel like I have read the script to the first episode. There was enough changes that it became a whole new story.

Here’s the breakdown. In the pilot episode, there are three murders that must be shoved and they are connected by a grieving father. In the novel, the three murders are connected by a drug ring and involve the rival mafia. The novel goes into more detail and explains a lot. The relationship between Dresden and Murphy (his contact in the police) is vastly different than with the show. Even Morgan’s character is a bit more harsher and unbending.

If you’ve seen the show on Sci-Fi, and you enjoyed it, don’t be afraid to pick up this book. You’ll still know all the characters and the basic idea, but you’ll get a new story with a bunch of new plot twists. It kept me entertained and I’m going to try and get my hands on the next book - Fool Moon.

Lean Mean Thirteen is the latest adventure for Stephanie Plum. This time the adventure involves her ex-husband Dickie Orr and about 40 million dollars. As usual, Stephanie just happens to get involved in the case when Ranger asks her for a small favor.

When I first found these books, I was a little put off by the covers, but don’t let that stop you from reading this book. It’s a quick read since the story flows so smoothly and it’s over before you realize it (and not necessarily in a good way - I definitely wanted more story). The triangle between Morelli, Stephanie, and Ranger gets even hotter and you know it has to erupt eventually. There’s more interaction between Stephanie and Dickie, as well as more hijinks with bail bond enforcement. There’s a new relationship budding and Stephanie begins to realize that her relationships need work as well. If you’ve been following the series, then you’re already planning on reading this book, so anything I say here is just going to add fuel to the flames. If you are not following this series, than what are you waiting for? Go find a copy of One for the Money and start reading. Trust me on this, Evanovich doesn’t let us down with this one.

I can stop pacing the apartment now…I finally got my hands on the latest Anita Blake book - the Harlequin - and I have to say, it was well worth the wait. The succubus/incubus relationship that has been predominate in the last couple of books takes a back seat and we return to the original storytelling that drew us in the first place. We delve deeper into a lot of Anita’s relationships, some new characters show up to cause more mayhem (obviously to be seen in later books), Anita’s role with the police squad and her association with the vamps and shapeshifters is questioned, and we finally get some answers on the whole metaphysical stuff. While there isn’t as much sex in this book, there is still a lot of the soap opera that is Anita’s life. Nathaniel takes a more dominate role and Richard learns a lot of harsh truths that he has been ignoring.

I just finished this book and I am having a hard time focusing on just one aspect. There was so much going on in this book that my mind is still replaying the last few chapters. I highly recommend this novel and maybe I’ll write more after I stop thinking about it, but it can’t be a bad think if it makes me want to continue dissecting it in my head. The even stranger part, even though I just finished it, I could start at the beginning of the book and read it all over again.