Library Loot, The Sequel

Yes, yes, bad me. I haven't even finished reading some of the books I took out on my last Library Loot (I just keep renewing, LOL), but on Monday, as I took the train to the concert hall where my mixed chorus was having a rehearsal for our big Christmas Concert, I couldn't help but notice that the concert hall is just kitty-corner to my city's central downtown library.

And, naturally, as I'd arrived 45 minutes early, I didn't see the harm in giving the romance shelves a little peek, seeing as how the downtown library is so much better stocked then my neighbourhood one.

My bad! It's so easy to make impulse grabs when books are free, eh?

First loot was A Rake's Guide to Pleasure by Victoria Dahl. I have her contemporary, Start Me Up, on my TBR (snatched a copy at RWA!), but I've heard such good things about her historicals - particularly her beautiful language, which is always a draw for me.

I have also heard that Dahl tends to get really graphic with her sex scenes. I don't intend this to mean anything against her as a writer - it's just that, speaking of my personal tastes, graphic sex scenes tend to make me very uncomfortable, and/or bored (which is why I avoid erotica and erotic romance). However, as writers like Courtney Milan have demonstrated, beautiful, original writing makes up for many sins.


Next up is Laura Lee Guhrke's With Seduction in Mind, the latest in her Girl-Bachelors series. The first book (And Then He Kissed Her) impressed, the second (The Wicked Ways of a Duke) - eh, not so much. I have The Secret Desires of a Gentleman on my TBR, so maybe I'll see if I can squeeze that in before reading this one - just because I tend to be kind of OCD about reading series in perfect order.

That being said, the idea behind this story sounds interesting - the characters are both writers. It's fun to read stories about writers, because you can totally see how the author goes about her own process. Gurhke's a particular inspiration of mine because, I discovered at RWA 2009, she is a "pantser" (i.e. one who writes and plots by the seat of her pants, rather than a "plotter" who plans everything to the last letter) whose books are fabulous, which makes me very hopeful, because I am a pantser who desperately hopes my novels aren't rambling, disorganized messes.

Another new author lucky dip here - Connie Brockway's So Enchanting. Never read Connie Brockway (although I've heard good things), but this one has the hint of the paranormal along with the historical: A woman with peculiar powers against a man determined to expose her as a fraud. Sounds delightful.







Last, but certainly not least, I picked up Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep. I love superhero movies and comics. I've kept all my issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, I love Spider-Man 2 and Unbreakable, I continue to give Heroes the benefit of a doubt (Zachary Quinto's eyebrows alone compensate for many of the narrative flaws).

I've seen other books in this series drifting around my local library (Hot Mama and Jinx, in particular), but I really wanted to start with the first book but couldn't find it. Well, now I did! The plot sounds hilarious - our heroine discovers her fiance's a superhero ... when she catches him banging his supervillainess nemesis. On her wedding day. Classy.

That's all for now!