It was a very good year

2009 was a busy, eventful and life-changing year over here at chez sula. For starters, the location of "chez" (which literally means at the home of). It was one year ago today that DH and I finished moving all our stuff from the house I was sharing with messy college students into a cozy, historic apartment smack in the old town. We rang in the new year by spending our first night here. And how lovely it has been. Not just to have one's own place, but the location, the architecture, the windows and sunlight, everything. A great way to start 2009.


In April, I led a group of students, faculty and staff from our university on a one-week trip to Mali. Not only was it a great experience to be able to share the country I love with others, but I also got to re-connect with friends back there and visit DH's family. AND get back to speed on my language skillz (which apparently may go dormant but are not lost...happily).


The first half of the year also saw both DH and I busily working on our respective degree programs. It's important to note that in DH's country, there is only one university. When he attended classes there back in the early part of the 2000s, a series of strikes resulted in the entire academic year being canceled. So he ended up working and doing other things and wasn't able to go back and finish his degree. When we got the chance to come to the States and study, it was an unforeseen opportunity. He slogged through three years of classes in not his second, but his THIRD language, was often the oldest student in his courses, and worked a part-time on-campus job to boot. So when he walked across the stage at commencement in May and received his bachelor's degree (the first person in his family to do so) I was bursting-at-the-seams-proud. :)

Right after graduation, there was another trip out of the country for me...I was in Taiwan for about 10 days for my work. It was special in that I got to spend time with a colleague and friend who is from there and being with her gave me lots of insider scoops that I wouldn't have had otherwise. (Did I mention the all-u-can-eat sushi bar for under $10????) heh. But I missed my fiance and it was nice to come home again.

After two long years of part-time evening classes with no breaks for summer, I too got a chance to walk across the stage in August and receive my MBA. (Come to think of it, I guess I'm the first person in my family to get a graduate degree.) It was nice to finish the program, and I barely had time to catch my breath before my 30th birthday. Yet another mile-stone of sorts. heh.

Then it was full speed ahead to the biggest milestone of our lives...our wedding! Thankfully, I had a couple of very talented and giving friends who basically planned, coordinated, decorated and shepherded me through the whole process. The ceremony was held in the backyard of our good friends. The mountains and fields served as a cathedral unmatched in beauty. With a classic English garden at on end, guests were seated in four sections creating a circle which surrounded the ceremony site. Our families began the processional and walked in pairs to their seats in front of the garden. To the strains of a single violin, the wedding party processed through the garden paths and met one another in the center of the ceremony circle. During a moving interfaith ceremony led by our two ministers (husband and wife), we took our vows and exchanged rings. A djembe drum ensemble led the celebration as we left the circle as husband and wife.

Our reception was held under the trees in an open buffet style. Among the dishes served were roast lamb, plantains and a special African rice dish. After toasts by the best man and matron of honor, we enjoyed musical selections by a small gamelan orchestra, an instrument native to Indonesia (my childhood home). We cut the cake and then had our first dance to a song by a musician from DH's home country. Guests joined in the dance and much fun and laughter was had. Before the sun set, we changed into our best traditional African clothing and finished the evening by spending time talking with our friends and family.

As if that weren't enough for an eventful 2009, DH found a great job (in this economy no less) and started work shortly after our wedding. I began taking Spanish classes and applied to another graduate program for spring (hey, gotta keep busy). Then last week, we traveled down to Louisiana to spend Christmas with my parents and meet my mom's side of the family. I hadn't seen my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. since 2000...so it was quite fun to catch up with everyone and to introduce DH.

whew! Now that I look back on all that, I can sort of see why my blog has fallen by the wayside. Hopefully next year I can get back to reading more books and writing more entries. So that was 2009. This is a year I don't think I'll ever forget. Now onward to 2010!

Happy New Year to everyone who takes the time to stop by this little corner of the interwebs. :)

all snowed up

Didja hear about that blizzard that blanketed the east coast/mid atlantic this weekend? Well, we managed to get smack in the middle of it. Snow began to fall around 9pm Friday night. By Saturday morning, we were under almost a foot and it continued to come down steadily until nightfall. All told, I think we ended up buried under almost two feet of the stuff. Very pretty. But a total mess to clean up. ack!



In other news, I made a batch of lisabea's famous buckeyes to be part of a party spread, and they were a big hit. nom nom nom. And now I'm going to go eat one of the leftover ones because it feels lonely. heh.

And then I'm off to knit whilst curled up in the armchair. It's that kind of day. I hope you are all safe and warm!

hobbies

I've always liked to cook. Ever since my first lesson at age 6 when my dad taught me how to make scrambled eggs, I've been invigorated by the mystery of cuisine. When we lived in the jungle village of my childhood, there were no stores. No roads or cars (or even bikes). Everything we ate either came from the earth or was flown in on a supply run once every few months. So my coming of age included making everything from scratch. Including bread. Yummy delicious, warm fresh bread. mmmm. I fell out of the habit when I lived in my shared housing situation of the past few years, but now that DH and I have our own place, I find that I'm curious about picking back up and perfecting my craft. Besides, it gives me something productive to do now that my MBA classes are over.

Here is a French country loaf I made on Sunday to bring to a luncheon. It turned out pretty, but I need to work on the dough because it was fine-grained and more suited to sandwiches. Needs more of those big air holes and crusty goodness. Still...



The other day I decided to be more creative with my left-over pumpkin puree from T-day, so I found this recipe for a Ginger Pumpkin Braid and gave it a whirl. Let me just say, it was a huge hit when I brought a loaf to work yesterday. And I think I have an idea of what to make as Christmas gifts for people this year. heh.


So that's what I've been doing with my spare time. That and reading an AWESOME book which I hope to post about later this week. Cheers and greetings to all and happy hump day!

what i'm reading

I received this book in the mail after sitting on the paperbackswap waitlist for several months. And then I had a houseguest all last week, so it basically sat on my bedside table waiting to be opened. But now I've started it, and I'm happy to say, it's been worth the wait. So far I am loving the writing style of Ms. Duran. I feel like I'm getting to know these two rather dysfunctional people but i'm being shown, not told. I don't like being hit over the head with two much exposition; give me dialogue and character's interacting and I'll figure it out. So this is really working for me. yay books!

ahoy!

The other night I was feeling very nautical, what with a week full of grey and rainy days. So I rummaged around and pulled out our copy of Master and Commander. I'd forgotten how thoroughly enjoyable a good sea yarn can be, not to mention how curiously attractive Mr. Russell Crowe can be in the right role. It made me long for a good shipboard romance, so I pulled out a Marsha Canham novel. Why isn't she still writing? *sniff*

Anyways, here's to those rousing adventures of derringdo on the high seas. I like to imagine myself participating in a leading role...and then I remember that I get seasick in a bathtub and my likelihood of being Keira Knightly to Johnny Depp's Cap'n Jack is low indeed. ah well.

lazy

I don't have any good excuses for my pitiful lack of blog material this past month. Settling in to married life, I suppose. More likely just plain lazy. After all the craziness of this past year, finishing the MBA, planning the wedding, etc. I think I'm just burnt out. I'm too scared to even look at my Google Reader list of unread posts. sob! I want to catch up but don't know where to start. Hopefully, all my virtual internet frendz will still want to play with me. I promise to get back into my mojo/groove...sometime...soon...

I have been reading though! I picked up three Jeanine Frost books from my library and devoured them all in a weekend. nom nom nom! I officially heart Bones (although s'rsly what kind of a name for a hero is that?) Apparently there is a fourth book out already. I wonder if my library has ordered it yet? hmm.

In other book news, I just received my copy of Meredith Duran's Bound by Your Touch. It may have taken me months of sitting in line on PBS, but to those who are patient, good things come. :) I am looking forward to curling up in our new rocker-recliner (one of those newlywed purchases) and savoring this book. Preferably with a glass of hot cocoa. Or wine. heh.

So what's new in bloglandia? Catch me up to speed and save me from my google reader! :)

t minus 30

some random thoughts on this friday morning. We're down to less than 30 days before W-day. I feel like I should be either more stressed or more organized than I actually am. But so far, everything seems to be going alright. We have a location, tables and chairs, food, ministers (husband and wife team), rental tuxes ordered, my dress in the closet, shoes (woot!) and the flowers are going to be a last minute thing. Still gotta do something about the cake (I'm thinking Costco). And I have a friend who is totally artistic and has done about 10 weddings serving as my de facto wedding planner. So is it ok not to panic? yet.

One thing that I have turned my attention to is the hair situation. I have rather curly hair and it's natural. I'm not interested in straightening it and doing anything uber-elaborate. But I also don't want it to just look blah and normal. So I have a hairstylist that I've met with once to play around with it and we're going to have another consultation soon (reminds me, I need to call her). I have spent some time combing teh interwebs for photos of inspiration. Lemme tell you, finding good styles of naturally curly hair is not as easy as I thought.

So this is a bit like what my hair looks like on a normal day (except that I don't pile it on the top of my head like that.

I kind of like this (except for the fluffy veil) but the flowers are a little big. Also, it's more wavy and not curly.


Really like the front of this one but I don't plan on a full up-do. Probably I will see if the stylist can take the part I like and marry it with the following.

Everything from the flowers back looks good. Not so much the bangs.

Thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions?

I'm not really a fussy girly-girl kind of person. My idea of fixing my hair is wash, scrunch with mousse to keep the curls defined, airdry and go. So I'm trying to get hip with the bobbypin. But it is still a foreign language to me.

oh yeah, and I graduate tomorrow at 10am! Then we are going camping for the night with some friends. DFs first camping trip. Wish us luck. lol.

ten dollars

When I got home last night from work, I grabbed the mail that had arrived and found two envelopes. Both were cards from my grandparents (father's side). One to DF and I for our wedding and one to me for my birthday.

My grandparents are simple, salt of the earth folks. Grandma is the daughter of Italian immigrants, raised in a series of foster homes and married young to get away from it all. Grandpa signed up for the Army at 18 and caught the very tail-end of World War 2 before coming back to settle down with Grammy. He worked in a factory job for his adult life before being laid off right before his retirement would kick in. Grandma raised 5 kids including a youngest son that was born with birth defects that meant he spent most of his childhood in and out of hospitals having surgery. If it weren't for the Shriners, my uncle probably would not be able to walk.

My memories of my grandparents come mainly from letters and pictures and from my dad's stories. My family lived across the planet and didn't get to visit more than for a week or so every four or five years. I remember Grandma's homemade spaghetti and meatballs (took all day to cook and made the house smell divine) and grandpa's proclivity to take out his dentures and make funny faces at us. Grandma had a job at Sears to bring in extra income and in his later years (post lay-off) Grandpa worked as a janitor to make ends meet. Now they are both in an assisted living apartment, working days finished due to the onset of old age and illness. I keep telling myself that I will drive the 10 or 12 hours up to see them, but life always gets in the way.

Ever since I can remember, right around my birthday I have received a card with a ten-dollar bill carefully taped inside. Each and every year. In Indonesia, in Mali. Even now as an adult, long after the time when I would anticipate getting anything birthday related, the cards arrive like clockwork. I know that ten dollars for each of their ten grandchildren is a sacrifice and I almost wish I could send it back and say, no please...you need this money more than I. But I am their granddaughter and this is their gift to me.


Today I have ten dollars to spend on myself. And I'm infinitely richer because of the love of my family.

你好!

Yes, I am writing this entry from Taipei, Taiwan. Pretty exhausted from a 30+ hour journey and missing a day somehow (damn you, international date line!) but happy to be here.

I left my little hamlet in Virginia on Friday afternoon, driving a spiffy rental car to the airport. As luck would have it, I've never driven a Prius and it took me over 15 minutes to figure out how to turn it on. Major panic...omg, I am going to miss my flight because I can't even get out of town! Thankfully, I called the dealer and they explained that one has to hold the power button down for a few more seconds than I was doing....ohhhh. Now I feel dumb. Anyways, made it to the airport, checked in and made it through security and to my gate on time. Five and a half hours later, we touched down in LA. I joined the disorganized mass of people waiting for the EVA Airlines check-in counter to open. Quite a mix of people, many Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodians taking the flight to Taipei to connect to another to points beyond. After a successful check-in, another three hours were spent sitting and killing time at the gate. By 1:30 am (LA time...my body was saying 4:30am) we were ready to take off. Thankfully, EVA Air has more legroom and individual entertainment consoles even in economy class, so the 13 and a half hours spent in the plane weren't too unbearable. That said, spending 13 hours in one place is never a barrel of laughs. We arrived here at 6 am Sunday and after clearing customs (interminably long lines) and grabbing my bags, I found a bus to take me into the city and then a taxi driver to take me to my hotel. When I walked into the tiny lobby, the clerk assured me that I had a reservation...but that the hotel was full and I wouldn't be able to check in until 2pm. UGH! So here I am operating on very little sleep, in an opposite day/night time zone shift, don't know the area and not really great at speaking Chinese (although I am starting to remember some from my one year of language study). The joy of international solo travel.

Lucky for me, my Taiwanese friend whom I'm meeting later on this evening called the hotel to check and make sure I made it, and when she heard that I couldn't check in, she called her brother who lives in the area and I'm hanging out at his place in the meantime. We just ate egg sandwiches at a street vendor's stall and are now watching CSI subtitled in Mandarin.

Hope everyone is well and reading lots of great books. :)

moar buks!

I'm on a roll! On my way home I remembered that I had a 30% coupon at Borders and haven't bought a single thing since...oh prolly last year. No really. I moved into my new apartment on new years eve and I can't recall any new books since the move.

So what the heck, I decided to swing by and see what struck my fancy. I should have planned ahead and brought a list because I always blank out when I reach the store. However, after some browsing I settled on a Jo Goodman that I have not yet read. I have really enjoyed her work...very textured and character driven. So hopefully this one's good. At 439 pages, at least I know I am getting plenty of book for my buck. heh.






As usual, I just haaaad to meander through the bargain rack to see if any cheap finds were to be had. And for $4.99 I was able to purchase the Good Sex Bible!!! omg. LOL. Finally, a bible that I can look forward to reading. With pictures! Gosh, it was fun to go up to the checkout with my mantitty romance novel and my porny sex manual. I'll, um, have to decide which book to start first. After I finish my fluffy bunny and rainbow Julia Quinn book that is. hmm. sex bible, fluffy pink novel...decisions, decisions....

you've already seen this but...

I can't help myself. I just keep watching this video of Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent (like American Idol), and it gets me all teared up. NOT because I buy into the stupid idea that good looks make for good voices, but because she's just so plucky and comfortable with herself and just hits it out of the park! Fascinating to see the audience members so clearly dismissive of her based on her frumpy looks and then, BAM, get their prejudices knocked in the teeth.

Oh and I love Les Mis. *le sigh*

Time for bed.

wednesday

I'm going to a Seder tonight! Nope, I'm not Jewish, but I do have an interest in other faiths particularly since the Exodus story is so common to my own faith (and even plays a part in DF's). Our uni is hosting the event and a local rabbi is presiding. I thought it would be interesting, so I'm off to eat matzo. And hopefully some of that yummy charoset.

In other news, I have a summer session class that (wait for it) starts this Saturday! ugh. I'm not done with spring classes yet!!! So I've gotta try to hustle through all my final projects and homework as well as buy a new book and get started on yet more homework. blech. Do masters students get senioritis? Cuz I'm feeling it. Just gotta get through these two summer courses and I graduate in August. woot! And I'm already considering what other courses I may take in the fall in another discipline. Because, hey, if you get free tuition for working there, you ought to take advantage.

I guess today is tax day, but I'm still not done. I don't know if I have ever turned in my taxes on time in my life. And I always get a refund, so it's silly to procrastinate in getting money back. But there you have it. This year I am going to file online with one of those free services. And instead of the 1040EZ, I'm gonna itemize! I feel like such a grownup. heh.

Lastly, I found this photo and it made me think of the recent Amazon censorship kerfuffle. Kinda funny...think of the children!!!

movie night

Did everyone have a fun holiday? DF and I were out housesitting for our friends, the ones with the great big old house in the country but no internet. Which meant lots of time to read books, watch TV and cook. We came back to our place yesterday afternoon and I was commenting to DF how nice it is to have an apartment that we actually enjoy coming home to. In times past, we would have stayed at the other place until the last possible minute, dreading returning to the dreaded roommate-filled house where I used to live. Not anymore!

After catching up with emails and stuff, I rolled up my sleeves to make some pizza dough. I've got a recipe that works pretty well now, and I decided to make a small test pizza on the stone. As luck would have it, the one I baked on the pizza stone turned out better than the larger one I made on the pan. If only I had one of those wooden paddles to slide the pizza on and off the stone, I think I would retire the pan entirely. Something to put on my shopping list.

The previous night we had started watching a cheesy made-for-TV movie on the SciFi channel. During a commercial break, I surfed around and saw that Lifetime was showing some new Nora Roberts movies. However, since we had already started the other flick, DF was not amenable to changing channels. hrmph. So last night at home, I saw that the NR films were scheduled to be on again and I let him know that we would be watching MY movies. heh.

The first one had already started. Northern Lights. I had not read the book, but the movie was entertaining. He wandered in and started watching it with me. We tried to figure out whodunnit and he cracked me up by commenting about the hero during the first sex scene: "He's hot!" lmao. I could tell he was trying to get a reaction out of me. Overall, it was a pretty decent flick. Good production values, nice scenery. Leann Rimes is no actress though and should stick to singing. The guy playing the lead was (as DF observed) pretty hot and worked for me as a romantic lead.

Then came the movie I had been waiting for...Tribute. I just read (or listened to the audiobook as the case may be) this one a few months back and was very curious to see how the movie would stack up. Not to mention, it is supposedly set in Virginia in a location just down the road from us. To start, Brittany Murphy is a horrible choice for casting. For any movie. Anytime. Just...no. She's supposed to convince me that she knows what she is doing with that hammer. In the book, Cill is completely competent in construction gear and houseflipping. You wouldn't have known from watching this movie. That said, I can watch Jason Lewis any time of the day. I wasn't sure going in how the smooth guy I remembered from Sex and the City would get the geeky Ford Sawyer vibe down, but I think he did a credible job. Main complaints would be that the extra characters were trimmed way way down (I know, it's a time constraint but it really took away from the feel of how Cilla became part of a larger family), and how the villain's identity was obvious pretty quickly. Too bad.

But like I said, there is Jason Lewis to gaze upon, so all is not lost.



Me to DF halfway through the movie: "So, do you recognize the actor playing the hero?"
Him (with a slight eyeroll): "Of course! Sex and the City. Why do you think I watch TV?"

Sometimes I could just kiss him. ;-)

some things

This is gonna be fast and random because I am about to run out the door to work. So a bulleted list of items in no special order.

• I heart internet frends! One of my blogging buddies (she knows who she is) offered to send me a new book that I was envying and that she had already read...and then she tossed in like 7 more books in the envelope! zomg, I am salivating over all the house of reading fun ahead. mwah to friends!
• As I mentioned elsewhere, I am off to Africa in less than 2 weeks for a 10 day trip with a group. I'm the leader of said group, so that's a little scary in terms of being organized and responsible for so many. But I can't wait to go back and see my old haunts, speak the language and show off the fabulous culture.
• One of my personal hopes for said trip is to see if I can snag some good ethnic printed cloth for use in the wedding. We shall see.
• I have a 12 page midterm to write for one of my classes. Glurg.
• My other MBA class is interesting and I'm enjoying it but we have to produce and present a case study every single week with a group. Needless to say, it is taking a LOT of my time (witness the blog...or lack thereof)
• Work is busy busy and not only do I have to catch up on things but try to get ahead so that the week I'm in Africa is not total chaos. Not exactly sure how this is going to happen, so it is stressing me out.
• Last night I was trying to throw together some sort of Mexican dish and during the onion saute, I sprinkled what I thought was chili powder only to find out it was ground cloves. This led to a rethink of the dish and I added coriander and curry powder in an attempt to rescue it. The result was edible but weird. Note to self, pay attention with the spices!
• I still love my apartment.
• I have been made aware that my blog is suffering from a shortage of Richard Armitage pictures. The sitution shall be rectified upon my return from my trip. Robin Hood Season 2 is available on netflix and waiting in my queue. woot!
• President Obama's speech last night was totally full of win. DF and I were watching and cheering and discussing the whole way through. Worth every long moment I spent working on the campaign last fall.
• Oh and I hope I get to see this man and his band play while I'm in Africa. Sooooo gooooood! (and um, he's a nice singer too)

Happy Wednesday!

final verdict. win!

So after receiving my dress in the mail on Monday, I was dying to try it on and see how much altering it would need. As luck would have it, my cousin called me at work yesterday to say she was in town and would I like to do lunch? I told her about how the dress had just got here and she was all like, zomg, let's go to your house and try it on! So we did. *g*

And.....



It. Fits. Like. A. Glove.



All I need is the train/pick-up thingie.



zomg, it fits! hahahahaha. Ok, I just had to share because that's almost creepy.

In other news, I am blogging over at the DIK blog today. Come and check out a hot Sean Bean as Napoleanic War hero Sharpe!

The dress arrives!

K, so you may recall my post about trying on a 100 or so wedding dresses. After much review of the photos and advice-getting from friends (including some of you!), my mom, my fiance, co-workers, etc. I decided that I was quite partial to one of them.

My cousin who went on the dress expedition with me and who is going to be my best woman (maid of honor, whatever) is also getting married this year and was ALL OVER tracking down my dress for me. She found the exact same style and designer...THE dress...being sold on ebay for like half of what it would cost at a boutique. So after hemming and hawing and soul-searching, I finally took the plunge and bought it. And it arrived today! Here it is nestling in the box.


And as much as I want to try it on, I think I'm gonna wait until either DF or my cousin are here and can help me with it. I'm too scared to screw it up or to get it dirty or rip something while trying to get it over my head or something. heh. So for now it is hanging in the spare room closet.



yay! Now I just have to take it in to the local bridal place and they will do any alterations I need. I'm quite amused by the way our engagement and wedding plans have been done on the cheap and online. Ring, dress...all those pricey things. I am so NOT embarrassed to admit it either. It's a new world and why should I pay more than I have to?

what happened during my holiday...

Yep. It's official. Been together for almost five years in two countries and three languages. We've talked about taking the next step for a while now. Today, we stopped by my house to drop some stuff off (after being out of town for the last few days) and there was a FedEx box for DBF. As we were driving to our friend's place, he opened the box and removed a ring. Of course, I was DRIVING and had to pull over so that he could put it on my finger. lol. Silly man. :)

Anyways, it is shiny and small and simple. I keep looking at it and playing with it. And wondering how i'm going to break the news to my disapproving parentals. *sigh*

Happy Thanksgiving!

wednesday

huh, it's the middle of the week already? Time does fly. I didn't get a blessed thing done on that silly school project until tonite at which point I buckled down and knocked it out in an hour and a half. pfft. Seems that I need to quit putting things off in the fear that they will be hard. Easy to say, not always easy to do.

I read more Adrien tonight. *sniff* Actually, I did get choked up and almost cried. I'm up to the bit where Jake comes over to Adrien's apartment and they talk. And stuff. And it's so bittersweet and heartrending. arg. I had to put it down. Small doses at a time.

In other news, People magazine reveals that Hugh Jackman is the sexiest man alive. My reaction: o'rly, like we didn't already know? heh.

trying to pick back up

so, i have no clue how to get back into my blogging groove. I've been gone for such a long time that I don't even know what the new releases are or who is flaming whom or any of the gossip. le sigh.

i skimmed through an old Susan Johnson book last night. "Wicked". Yes, the sex is hot (which is why i read it) but what's up with the virgin who is deflowered and then proceeds to talk like a sailor and engage in a weeklong orgy? F'real? And how bout the hero who is 22 and has slept his way through the entire ton? What a sexy dude. lol. um, anyways. I'm making fun but really, I do need some recommendations.

Help me out!

What are the hottest new reads that I have to get?

library loot

Avast! So after a list posted by ciara about pirate novels, I was inspired to try to nab a few piratical romance novels from my local library. unfortunately, my online search queries yielded only one of the books on her pirate list was stocked in my library. fortunately, it was quickly available and reserved for me. Over my lunch break I wandered the paperback shelves and grabbed a couple of other titles that I've not yet read. Actually, it's been eons since I've visited my local library. So there were some books there that I don't recall seeing before. My little haul...

I'm 2/3 through this already. It's kind of goofy fun. Lots of anachronistic language but cheerful and kind of slapstick. And you gotta love the old skool cover. CHEST! heh. But I am a little annoyed by the distinct lack of shivering of timbers. if you know what i mean. hey, i know. i'm shallow, but at least i'm honest.






I always cruise by the F and G section of authors with my head turned sideways to read the spines. Lots of F and G authors that I like. Feather, Foley, Garwood, Goodman, etcetera. Hey, lookee a Gaelen Foley book that I haven't read! Blurb talks of an "irresistible Major Derek Knight...newly returned from India." k, I do like those Knight boys. I'll bite. Of course, as all visitors to the foreign eastern lands, this guy is supposed to have mad skilz in bedz. kama sutra and all that. I'm doubtful cuz back blurbs rarely live up to their hype, but we shall see...



Have I mentioned how bereaved I am that Ms. Hunter continues to let her obvious talents of writing medievals languish in favor of more mainstream european historical aka regency boredom? *sigh* That said, I do like her writing style. So against my better judgement, I picked up this one too. I haven't read anything about it yet. No reviews that I can recall. An overused plot device is indicated in the summary (the ol' hero purchases heroine in bidding game from wastrel male family member thang) but who knows how it may turn out.

And to top it all off, I am STILL working my way through Loretta Chase's The Lion's Daughter. I had started it and gotten about 1/3 through before losing interest and putting it down for a month or so. Then in the past week, I've started back where I left off, reading a chapter or two at a time before bed. It's interesting because although I would think that a book that took me this long to get through would be one that I disliked, it's not the case. I'm enjoying it. But for some reason I'm enjoying it better by taking my time rather than racing through. hmm.

ahhhh, books. and the amazingest part is that they're FREE!