Quilts and Books

Looking at the list to the right, I've read a lot of books this month, but I guess none had so much of an impact that I wanted to take the time to write about them. I have some interesting reads coming up; maybe those will prompt me to post another review. I have JR Ward's Lover Unbound that I got from the library and will have to read in the next week before it's due. Given some of the lukewarm to nasty reviews it received I can't say I'm anxious to get started. But I have liked the previous books in the series, so I hope my reaction isn't the same as others'. It's a thick sucker, too--just over 500 pages! If I'm going to devote that much time it had better be worth it. Anna Campbell's sophomore effort is due Tuesday. I pre-bought it from Fictionwise, so I assume I can download it at midnight tomorrow. Untouched sounds interesting and I'll probably interrupt LU to read that as soon as I've got it loaded into my PDA.

I've had that pic…

I finished a few things recently. This first one is about 55" x 55" and was the mystery quilt project from the 2006 guild quilt retreat. I didn't do anything fancy, just stippled it with a varigated thread. A friend of mine saw it and actually wanted to buy it. I let her borrow it for a couple of weeks, but in the end the bright teal just clashed with everything in her home, so she decided not to buy it. I was flattered that she wanted it (she's a talented watercolorist), but I'm happy to keep it. I remember when I bought the focus fabric. It was way back in the early 90's and it was the first time my sister and I went to PNQE together.

Next up are a couple of purses. I do like this purse pattern. It takes a little time to put together, but you can really highlight some beautiful fabrics with it. The Christmas one has a zipper. That fact is significant in that I do believe it's the very first zipper I've sewn since 9th grade Home Ec. 9th grade was sev…

I have quite a weakness for these little books and I wish I could tell you why. They’re like candy—super sweet and if you eat too many you’ll get sick. I find myself reading several of these all at once and then not going near them again for months at a time. They have the most awful titles and their plots are often based on communication failures. The “Big Misunderstanding” is frequently used as is the ever popular/most despised secret baby plot. There’s really a lot to hate here, yet lots of intelligent, rational romance readers go back for more time and again. I’m one of them. They’re so darn cheap on Fictionwise and if they’re awful, I can delete the electrons back into the ether. No trees have been harmed.

If I understand it right, Harlequin Presents are supposed to be strong emotional books involving ruthless, rich, gorgeous heroes who are brought to their knees by the plucky heroine who generally seems to be down on her luck, but is determined to make it on her own. The good one…

I don’t really have time to review as many books here as I’d like, but I think I’d be remiss if I’d let this one go by. Once again I’m in awe of an author’s ability to not just write a novel, but to carefully craft it so that each word is important and if you read it too quickly you might miss an important point. The Scottish Companion is Karen Ranney’s latest book. I have a couple of her recent books on my TBR pile, but decided to read this one out of order as I’m not aware that it’s connected to any of her previous books.

TSC is the story of Gillian and Grant—two people who’ve known tremendous loss. They are thrown together when Gillian, the paid companion of the title, accompanies her employer on a visit to Grant’s estate. Gillian’s employer, Arabella, is a very strange young woman who is obsessed with medicine to the point that she has absolutely no interest in anything that goes on around her unless it has to do with a medical ailment. Grant needs a wife and as he has no interest…

My Phillies won the East--stole it right out of the hands of the Mets. It doesn't get any sweeter than this. I am not going to sleep all week, I know it! And there he is, the NL MVP, J-Roll.

So I bought this circle tool at guild 2 weeks ago and tried it out right away. It was so much fun I made another one. And I have fabric laid out for a 3rd, only this one will be larger--16 circles instead of 9. It sure is a fabric hog, but they are so cool looking. The smaller ones will make nice table toppers. I'll make a new runner for the top of the entertainment center in our family room, too. Someone(s) will be getting one of these for Christmas!

I think Jo Goodman must be the best writer no one ever talks about. I am in awe of the way she uses dialogue to reveal character, advance a plot, and let us see how and why the h/h come together. Her books are lengthy, yet I never feel as if a word is wasted. Indeed, if you don’t read closely you could easily miss a key detail. Her books are to be savored and are best read in lengthy chunks of time when you can relax and engage.

Her latest book, If His Kiss is Wicked, is another excellent read. I’ve had it for a couple of weeks now, but postponed picking it up. Because now that I’ve read it, I can’t look forward to another new Jo Goodman until next year. Just like Jo Beverley. It’s worth the wait for a new book by one of the Jo’s. IHKIW begins with a prologue where the heroine, Emma, is persuaded by her cousin, Marisol to keep an assignation on Marisol’s behalf. Chapter 1 opens several weeks later and when I met Emma again I was totally unprepared for what had happened in the interven…