Books, books and more books

I really have to get another bookshelf. I just don't really have the room, so it looks like I may have to start using up more vertical space and putting shelves up on the walls, all the way to ceiling.

So while people are buying books at Nationals and having their favs authors sign them, I'm doing what I did last year. When I heard James Patterson was going to be there, I brought my hardcover of KISS THE GIRLS and he signed it for me. Hee! That was neat. I just wish I'd gotten my picture taken with him. That part sucked. I did make him blush, so that kinda equaled out the no picture thing.

So now I'm looking at my stacks of what to bring to beg a signature. I want to bring KILL & TELL from Linda Howard, but I only have that in paperback, so that's out. I do have ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN, my 2nd fav, but I'd rather her sign a first edition. The only first edition of I have in hardcover is ....~swivels around to get the title then remembers it's in the bedroom, waiting its turn~. Anyway, I found a 1st edition of my fav, but I seriously don't think I can get it before I leave. Which totally sucks. Looks like I'm going to take Mr. Perfect, which I was up until 4:30 finishig the other day. Now I have to go through my Crusie hardcovers and see which one of those to take with me. Then I have others, like Elizabeth Bevarly, Jodi Thomas, Anne Frasier (don't know if Anne Frasier is going to Nationals or not though.) I was going to take ALONE from Lisa Gardner, but she's not going. (Grr.) So do you have any you're bringing with you, rather than purchase, to have signed??

So instead of staying up and reading Jennifer Crusie, now I'm back on a Linda Howard kick, as if you can't tell. I devoured Linda Howard's KISS ME WHILE I SLEEP. Frank Vinay was back, as was the mention of John Media, whom I adore, so lovers of KILL & TELL will definitely want to grab it up. This little cover, as sexy as it is and as SUBTLE as it is, still was raised as a concern with the RWA "graphic standard" they attempted to start. Thankfully, after tons of debate and some not-so-nice emails, RWA's board has decided to shelf the matter for another time, I guess. The book was great. I read it in one day. Then, like the slow learner I am, I read MR. PERFECT and was beyond impressed, as always. This may kick KILL & TELL from my all time fav spot for her books, but doubt it. I'd rank it #3. KILL & TELL, ALL THE QUEEN'S MEN, then Mr. PERFECT maybe. Of course, that puts KISS ME WHILE I SLEEP as #4, and since it's kind of part of the first two, that doesn't make much sense. Hmm...I think I'm putting WAY too much thought into this. Needless to say, she's my icon.

Now, you have to understand, I LOVE everyone one of her books I've read save for one: DIE NO MORE. I didn't care for the last one because it was too "chick thrill". I don't want Linda Howard trying to take on a new sub-genre. She's successful beyond belief with her voice planted perfectly straddling the line of romance and suspense, and I want it to stay that way. She, like no other I've found, has that perfect balance. And she does male POV so well, don't stick me in a chick-thrill where I only get the heroine's POV. I love those guys, so let me into their mind for awhile, dang it. And as Kristen Painter and I were discussing the other day, there's something about 1st person POV that seems ...shallower. You'd think if we are in the main character's POV the entire time, it would feel deeper, but for some reason, she and I had the same feeling on this. Give us more POVS and get us more involved. Make us understand more of the people, gives us the situation and opinions of more than one, and maybe that makes us understand the event to an even larger degree. I don't know, I'm merely speculating, but that's what comes to mind.

So what am I reading now? Back to Blaze. As you know, my Walmart was sucked dry of any Blaze books, and why? I still don't know. But half.com came forward for me, and I got a crapload in the mail. YAY! Problem with Blaze, I'm finding, is that there are tons of "series", four books written by four authors about a single group of people or whatever. Well, once I find out there are others as part of the group, I don't want to read it without having all in the series and reading them in order. I'm weird that way. So out of the 10 blazes that came, I only have about three to choose from. That sucks. So I'm reading another Jo Leigh, called Arm Candy. So far, it's great. And I'm liking the hero way more then the heroine, so that means I'll end up with a greater satisfaction with her as the book progresses. I look forward to it.

After another nap, though.