So I'm at the local WallyWorld this afternoon and I see this:
















I realize the back copy is a bit small so let me quote the very first bit:

An immortal warrior, given the power to make right what once went wrong...in a time not his own.


Does anyone else hear those bells ringing?? Anyone? Anyone?? Bueller?

That's right, gentle readers! Whoever wrote the back copy must have been a fan of Quantum Leap. Now, I love me some Quantum Leap so I immediated recognized that bit from the prologue spoken over the opening credits of EVERY FREAKING EPISODE!!

"Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and Vanished...He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."

Good grief! I don't even know where to go with this...so I'll move on after I tell you that I picked it up and it's going to the top of the TBR (Lisa K will have to forgive me). I'm curious about this - especially since Ms. Mackenzie has two more connected books coming in October and December.

To complete my first thought - do your impulse book buys usually turn out well? Or do you mostly end up wishing with every fiber of your being that you had just said no?

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, entertainment

Guess what I have in my hot little hands, gentle readers??? Did you guess?? Did you??



AND   

I'm giddy! And I don't know which to start first...*ponders*...perhaps, since it has been longer since I've read one of Jo's books, I'll start with hers.

In a vaguely related topic, has anyone spotted Robin D. Owens' newest Heart book yet?? Just wondering...


















I stole borrowed the *squee* button from Sybil, by the way. :o)

Labels: book stuff, squee

...well, it seems that I missed another round of unpleasantness in Blog-land while I was away. I won't be linking to any of it because, really, does that kind of thing need encouragement?? I say no. :o)

Instead, to spread a bit of good karma around the blog-o-sphere, I give you ten of my favorite books (maybe not my ten very favorites because that's too hard for late at night after travelling all day...just ten that I am always glad to re-read):

1. Hate the cover but LOVE

2. My fave of the "Heart" books

3. Gotta love Bobby Tom (and how cute is this new cover?)!

4. My favorite Rachel G

5. My favorite DH

6. My fave of Suz's

7. Even with all the recent wackiness, I love

8. Always a classic!!

9. Gadgets and gizmos and fun (oh my)!

10. Rothgar!!

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, meme

...yup, off into the wilds for a family thing this weekend so I won't be around much. :o)

And for those who might be interested, the final scrapbook page count - 19 pages so double it and you've got 38 pages!! All I can say is I'm glad to be finished. :o)

A topic to ponder while I'm away - are there authors that you love and autobuy even though you recognize that he or she isn't really the best writer ever or perhaps just isn't to most peoples' tastes?

For example, I just finished Jennifer Greene's latest Silhouette Desire. Now, I love her and have for ages and ages. But I realize that her writing style might not for everyone. What I find light and fun others could find fluffy and silly. On the other hand, there is an author (I won't name names this time) that other people love that I tried to read once and couldn't get past the 25 page test. Her writing made my hair hurt. :o)

Any thoughts??

Labels: book stuff, entertainment, roaming, vacay

No, I haven't finished the scrapbooking shut up but I'm still posting about bad boys. :o)

Some background - a good friend of mine is in a relationship that she knows is unhealthy but, so far, has not removed herself from the situation. A few weeks ago we were discussing the boyfriend and his latest weasel-like behavior (no insult intended to our real weasel friends) which includes lying (lots!), cheating (LOTS!), sponging money and further damaging her self-image.

Anyway, during the conversation (my part - to listen and make sympathetic sounds), she said something along the lines of "you know how it is with women and bad boys...they can't help themselves..." to which I replied I didn't really see the appeal, at least not for the type of guy she is referring to. But it started me thinking - always dangerous, of course. After much pondering, I decided that my friend has bad boys confused with bad men. I believe we know which one she has. Of course, I can't tell her what to do or how to feel. I can only hope she wises up...soon.

So, I decided to explore the Bad Boy (mind out of gutter, you!) - I'm talking books here! Surprisingly, a good definition is hard (again with the gutter??) to find. Everyone knows one when they read one but specifics seem to be very subjective. I found an interesting article Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock wrote on how to write a Bad Boy hero. Also, according to AAR, the Bad Boy is "the rebel, or the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He’s bitter and volatile, a crushed idealist, but he's also charismatic and street smart. He hates authority and doesn't buckle under to anyone." When I searched BYRON (hey, do you have BYRON?? I love me some BYRON!) for books with "Bad Boy" as a plot point, the only books I recognized were Ain't She Sweet? by SEP, Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson and Falling for Gracie by Susan Mallery. I read all three of those books and enjoyed them all but are those the books that exemplify the Bad Boy? I don't think so...

Let's explore the characteristics of a Bad Boy a bit more. I tend to agree with the ladies whose articles I found, to some degree at least. In my opinion, the Bad Boy has, for whatever reasons, issues with authority. He often grew up in less than ideal circumstances. As often as not, he has been screwed over one time too many as an adult. He is often anti-social. He often has difficult relationships with women. He does not trust easily. The Bad Boy frequently hides behind his public persona. I know I'm missing some so feel free to add on with comments. :o)

What the articles didn't go into as much is why they appeal so much to the reader. Some people would say it is because we like seeing the Bad Boy fall and become like everyone else...helpless in his love for the heroine (gag). Others might say it is the appeal of taming the (supposedly) untamable beast (ohhhhh...swoon...blah). I think it is because the reader enjoys the Bad Boy thumbing his nose at authority and society. Who doesn't want to do that on occasion? :o) It's fun to see a character less restricted by rules than those around him. Another thing that I like about the Bad Boy is this - no matter how angry, anti-social, bitter, and distrustful he might be with the rest of the world, he can never seem to really pull it off with his heroine. She can see through all the layers to the goodness hidden within and he knows it and, although sometimes uncomfortable at first, wouldn't have it any other way. Finally, I think a big part of loving the Bad Boys is the knowledge that, regardless of how hostile and sometimes violent he is to the rest of the world, he will treat his lady like a princess (as he should LOL) and defend her at all costs. And really, gentle readers, isn't that the most important thing?

So, there you go...my thoughts on Bad Boys. What do you think - am I completely offbase? What makes a Bad Boy? Who are the best (c'mon Kristie, now's your chance) Bad Boys?

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff

...and I have allergies that hate me, I still haven't written my Bad Boy post. I will this weekend, I swear!

In the meantime, here is something to amuse yourselves with:

The Red Button

I have to say, I have never laughed so hard while completely alone...but maybe that's just me. :o) I'm easily amused, after all.

Labels: entertainment, linkage, silliness

...a pirate's life for me!!



So I finally saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest - and, yeah, I know it just opened last week but I feel like everybody has already seen it. :o) My two cents - the effects were amazing (another triumph for ILM) and there was TONS of action...maybe the plot was a little thin (or maybe just pushed aside in deference to the effects) but that's okay, really. It was entertaining and that's the most important thing.

And, sure, I know what a lot of you have been focusing on - Johnny Depp - and, yes I agree he is amazing as Captain Jack. But you know what my favorite thing in these movies is??



Yup - I love me some Orlando! All this and he has the best voice ever!

That's all...I'm still going to blog about bad boys, eventually. In the meantime...just look at Orlando for a little while. :-D

Labels: cuties, entertainment, pirates