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Cutting Edge Gaming

Since joining, I've been trying to improve my gaming skills on the Xbox 360. I haven't posted as many movie reviews over there as I should but then I haven't gotten the reading done that I want to either! LOL

June Reading Review

My reading for the month seems to level out at 4 books a month. I miss the days of reading 10+ books a month....



Betrayal In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

My Thoughts: Loving this series! Got to see more interaction with Peabody and McNabb, which I enjoyed. The ending of this story was a little distressing but was well done.





Interlude In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 8 *'s

My Thoughts: Not as in depth or exciting as some of the others but I wasn't expecting it to be because this was a short story. I did enjoy the story taking place off planet so the change in scenery was nice and the story was good and interesting.




Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

My Rating: 7 *'s

My Thoughts: Entertaining first book in a new series. Liked Heather and Cooper and hope to see their relationship develop into something deeper. For the obvious reasons, did not like Jordan and though he doesn't have a role in this book, Jordan's father sounds like a complete jerk and I won't like him either. I love this author's voice. She is able to draw me into the story and keep me entertained. I look forward to Heather's next adventure.


The Prada Paradox by Julie Kenner

My Rating: 9 *'s

My Thoughts: I enjoyed the first two books more but this was a decent ending to an excellent trilogy. The concept of the story was very interesting and intriguing and kept me guessing all the way to the end.

New Additions to the TBR pile in June

I've finally accepted the fact that I have a serious problem with a book addiction and instead of stressing over the fact that I'm RUNNING OUT OF ROOM, will just be thankful that I'm able to take in so many books who would otherwise be homeless and living on the street....



It's About Your Husband by Lauren Lipton

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE BIG APPLE BITES BACK?

San Fernando Valley native Iris Hedge left her husband and traded coasts for the job of a lifetime --- only to lose it in a New York minute. Now unattached, unemployed, and broke, she dreads her loneliness and imminent credit card bills … until she’s offered an exciting, new gig: spying on a possibly cheating, uptown husband named Steve. Soon Iris is trading her business wardrobe for the stalker chic of sweatpants and dark eyewear, and navigating the hazards of urban surveillance --- Central Park’s fascist dog-walking rules, rejection from exclusive boutiques, and a series of unnatural hair colors. But as she steps into uncharted territory, she wonders if her life will ever go back to normal --- and whether normal is anything she’ll ever be happy with again.



Witch Way to Murder (Ophelia & Abby, Book 1) by Shirley Damsgaard

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF WITCHES

Ophelia Jensen wishes she was just your typical, thirty-something librarian. Unfortunately, she's been burdened with psychic powers -- an unwanted "gift" she considers inconvenient at best and at worst downright dangerous. Her kindly old grandmother Abby, however, has no compunctions about the paranormal, being a practicing witch with unique abilities of her own.

And sometimes the otherworldly arts do come in handy -- like when the arrival of a mysterious, good-looking stranger to their normally tranquil corner of Iowa seems to trigger an epidemic of catastrophes, from the theft of bomb-making materials to a murdered corpse dumped in Abby's backyard.

Luckily Ophelia and Abby are on the case and determined to make things right. But it'll take more than magick to get out of the boiling cauldron of lethal trouble they're about to land themselves in.




Tart by Jody Gehrman

tart adj 1. sharp or caustic in spirit 2. sweet, sour, tangy, sexy, bad

"Tart is my favorite word. I love what it stirs in the mind --- the synesthesia of flavor mixing with colors: reds, oranges and apple-greens, gleaming with cheap temptation, like Jolly Ranchers. It’s been a goal of my twenties to live a tart life; I want everything I do to have that sharpness, that edge of almost-too-out-there to be tasty, but not quite."

Meet Claudia Bloom. She's having one of those years. First she steals her ex's VW bus and drives it from Austin to Santa Cruz, where it promptly explodes. Next she lets herself be rescued by Clay, a cute DJ on a motorcycle, falls hard and meets his somehow-never-mentioned estranged wife while searching frantically for her panties. She tries to forget about Clay and focus on her tenuous new career teaching theater at UC Santa Cruz, only to discover Clay's wife is her colleague and his mother is her boss. Could it get any worse? When her neo-Deadhead cousin shows up with a horse-size mutt, Rex, and the two of them take up residence on her couch, Claudia's pretty sure things have hit rock bottom.

Set in the uber-hip beach town of Santa Cruz, this novel explores the rocky terrain of family secrets, forbidden fruit and all things Tart.



The Ghost And The Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly

The spirit is willing...to solve a murder

Don’t haunt the customers!

This was the only rule bookshop owner and widow Penelope Thornton-McClure had given her resident ghost, hard-boiled PI Jack Shepard. But when the hot young author Angel Stark arrives at the store to promote her latest, a true crime novel, Jack can hardly contain himself. After all, this is his specialty!

Angel's book is an unsolved mystery about a debutante found strangled to death. And it's filled with juicy details that point a finger at a number of people in the deb's high society circle. But when the author winds up dead too, in precisely the same way, Pen is fast on the case...which means Jack is too. After all, a ghost detective never rests in peace.



The Last Year Of Being Married by Sarah Tucker

Happily Ever After isn't supposed to have an expiration date!

The riveting sequel to The Last Year Of Being Single

Breaking up is hard to do

A tipsy confession of infidelity during their engagement hasn't been the best start to Sarah's marriage. Blurting it out on their honeymoon wasn't exactly the best timing, either. Still, how could he complain? It had taken Paul O'Brian five years to propose, and even then he'd made only occasional guest appearances in Sarah's bed! Briefly aroused by a luxury holiday, he'd since managed to father their adorable son, now three years old; otherwise the ring on Sarah's finger signified little more than a shrewd purchase.

But now Paul had decided it was time to cut their losses. With a divorce. What had happened to them? Weren't they once the perfect couple? Surely her savvy city-guy husband hadn't fallen prey to that humiliating cliché, the seven-year itch. . .

Thrown into a state of denial, then self-doubt, followed by determination not to go under without a fight, Sarah is catapulted into an unforgettable last year of being married. Outrageously sexy, bitingly witty, uncompromisingly truthful. . .Sarah pulls no punches as she explodes the myth of happily ever after once and for all.



The Reinvented Miss Bluebeard by Minda Webber

When your father is not only an infamous pirate but the husband of six vanished wives, respectability’s hard to come by. That’s why Eve invented herself a husband. How else was a nineteenth-century gal to follow her dreams and become one of those newfangled psychiatrists? Certainly she will never run The Towers, London’s preeminent asylum for potty paranormals. But now, wackier than the werewolves and loonier than the leprechaun she’s treating, something new takes shape -- and he has the name of her never-before-seen husband and the body to drive a girl absolutely batty...



Through Thick And Thin by Alison Pace

Stephanie is an overwhelmed stay-at-home mom with a six-month-old. Her sister, Meredith, on the other hand, is hitting the two-year mark without a boyfriend-or even a decent date-but has a successful career as a food critic. Sometimes it seems the only thing these sisters share is their mutual desire to lose weight, so they decide to do it together. But will the strong desire for sisterhood outweigh their equally strong desire for comfort foods?



Live From New York, It's Lena Sharpe by Courtney Litz

She's a legend in her own mind...

Coming soon to a network near you. . .

Lena Sharpe wants her life to be the fabulous kind that movies are made of. She works in television, so she's familiar with the heroine, the hook and when to break for commercial. The problem is, she's always telling other people's stories. When will it be her turn?

Potential costars are numerous. . .

Call it romantic, or call it delusional (her friends do), but Lena rewrites her life story for every guy she meets. She chats up a lowly band-boy and suddenly she's Mrs. Indie. Flirts with a banker, and presto, she's got a house in the country and a golden retriever.

A happy ending is almost definitely pretty much guaranteed. . .

When Lena meets Colin, the perfect guy, she's on cloud nine. Suddenly, she has the life she's always wanted, complete with a new circle of fabulous friends --- much to the chagrin of her old circle of fabulous friends. He even encourages her to quit her job and follow her dream. Is this love or just another fantasy? And what's up next? Diamond ring or reality check? To find out, tune in to

Live from New York, It's Lena Sharpe!



Rescuing Rose by Isabel Wolff

Who does an advice columnist ask for help?

Thirty-six-ish, well, thirty-eight . . . no, actually, thirty-nine-year-old advice columnist Rose Costelloe thought she'd solved all her problems when she got married after a whirlwind two-month courtship. But seven months and an extremely public smash-up later (embarrassing, when you dole out relationship wisdom for a living), things are looking thorny for Rose. Her job's in jeopardy, her finances are in shambles and she's being plagued by a stalker who seems to know rather a lot about the mysterious circumstances of her birth.

Sometimes rescue comes from an unexpected source . . .

Her zany friends suggest she get a roommate, and at first Theo, a geeky accountant, seems like the perfect choice for resolutely single Rose. Soon, however, she's seeing stars -- Theo has a secret passion for astronomy . . . and he might just be fond of his prickly redheaded landlady, as well. Will Rose be able to chart her own course?



Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

Four different women. One common shoe size. And a shared lust for fabulous footwear.

Helene Zaharis’s politician husband keeps her on a tight leash and cancels her credit cards as a way of controlling her. Lorna Rafferty is up to her eyeballs in debt and can’t stop her addiction to eBay. Sandra Vanderslice, battling agoraphobia, pays her shoe bills by working as a phone-sex operator. And Jocelyn Bowen is a nanny for the family from hell (who barely knows a sole from a heel but who will do anything to get out of the house.)

On Tuesday nights, these women meet to trade shoes and, in the process, form friendships that will help them each triumph over their problems---from secret pasts to blackmail, bankruptcy, and dating. Funny, emotional, and powerful, Shoe Addicts Anonymous is a perfect read for any woman who has ever struggled to find the perfect fit.



Spin Doctor by Leslie Carroll

Question: What do Amy, the new mom; Meriel, the West-Indian housekeeper; Claude and Naomi, the alternative couple; Faith, the elegant widow; and Talia, the super-skinny ballerinahave in common?

Answer:Abso-freakin'-lutely-nothing!

Except that they all live lives of not-so-quiet desperation on the Upper West Side of New York City. What gets them through? Their unusual therapy sessions with supershrink Susan Lederer, held in the depths of the laundry room. Susan knows that all of life's problems eventually come out in the wash, but while the washers keep breaking down, she helps her female friends take control.

But Susan's life has become an agitated mess. Her teenage daughter seems destined for a fast-food future; her son's adolescence hasn't quite hit yet . . . and her perfect husband is hiding something. Susan could use a really good shrink.

Instead, her dirty linen exposed, she finds that it's her friends who rally 'round her, and by the final spin, she realizes that while it might not take a whole village, it does sometimes take a laundry room to get rid of the nastier wrinkles in life.

Now if only she could find the formula for getting rid of that ring around the collar.





Stupid And Contagious by Caprice Crane

She was heaven sent.

He refused the package.

HEAVEN’S IN HELL…

There’s very little I know for sure. I know that men who wear khakis are immediately suspect, that waitressing is what karma makes you do when you’ve been unforgivably bad. That pretty much covers it.

AND BRADY JUST MOVED IN.

All you need is one good idea and you’re set for life, never mind the shameless envy of your friends. That’s what separates the big guys from the small fries. One. Good. Idea. And even though I haven’t signed a single band for my record label, I’ve got a million good ideas.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN OUTCAST

It’s bad enough to get fired from your dream job. But when you can’t make it as a waitress, there’s a whole world of self-worth you’re just never gonna see again.

AND AN ODDBALL

Cinnamon-flavored milk. Cinnamilk. I’m telling you. Next…Big…Thing…

GET TOGETHER TO TAKE ON THE WORLD?

STUPID ---> and CONTAGIOUS

There goes the neighborhood.



Girl Boy, Etc. by Michael Weinreb


And Other Tales Of Modern Love

With humor, audacity and cunning, Michael Weinreb penetrates the psyches of men as they weather the uncertainties of modern relationships. This debut collection delves into the inner lives of young single men and comes up with observations so sly, in prose so disarming and precise, that girls and boys alike will find themselves nodding, laughing and cringing all at once.

These are men floundering in love, stuck in their heads and making all the wrong choices for all the right reasons.

There is Jonathan of "All I Know About It," whose dizzying love affair crashes and burns, leaving him sobbing over the price of premium at a Texaco station; the anonymous narrator of "Bear Claws the Size of Her Head," with his pickup line so good he’ll never disclose it; and Seth Hall, the motivational speaker in "What I Would Tell Her," who spends his days rousing roomfuls of shoe-store owners, but can never summon the courage to dial that last digit when he picks up the phone to tell Rachael – "with an extra ‘a’ for emphasis" – that he is in love with her.

In "Pictures of My Family," Alex Rosen, who addresses his own mother as "Hey, you," reluctantly heads to Rochester for his grandmother’s 90th birthday and almost ends up telling his entire family off in a drunken toast that begins, "I look around this room, and I ask myself, ‘Am I adopted? Who the hell are these people?’"

In the title story, we meet up with Alex again, a little older and maybe slightly wiser, as he tries to make it to the next level – in life, love, work, whatever – yet finds himself unable to shake old habits and, while swept up in the hedonistic pleasures of Las Vegas, makes a pass at his friend's self-absorbed girl of the moment.

In Weinreb’s hands, stories of ordinary heartbreak and angst crackle with wit. A stunning debut, Girl Boy Etc. teems with perceptions as sharp as the shooting pain of a hangover headache and as familiar as the feeling of being dumped.



Interlude In Death by J.D. Robb

In early spring of 2059, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called off planet to face a grueling ordeal - giving a seminar at the largest police conference of the year, to be held in a swanky resort. A resort which just happens to be owned by her husband, Roarke, of course.

Even though Eve can't quite see it that way, it's supposed to be at least partly a vacation. But work intrudes in the form of a bloody homicide, and Eve is off and running. The case is complicated by Eve's personal history with the victim - and by the killer's history with Roarke. As danger closes in and the body count rises, Eve must find a way to stop the cycle of violence and revenge, and shove the past back where it belongs.


Lady & The Vamp by Michelle Rowen

Former vampire hunter Michael Quinn is living a nightmare: he's been turned into a vampire. His only hope is the "Eye"--a long-lost artifact that, once every millennium, will grant one wish to its possessor. Fortunately for Quinn, he has a map detailing the path to the "Eye." All he needs to do is find it, then he can wish himself back into humanity.

Janie Parker has made a lot of many mistakes in her life, not the least of which was getting tricked into working for a demon. Not only is the pay awful, but she has to successfully complete all her unsavory assignments or risk a torturous death. Her latest mission is to track a vampire who apparently knows where some stupid treasure is. No problem. Until she sees who the vampire is -- Michael Quinn, a man she's had a crush on since she was twelve years old. Too bad she'll have to kill him to get to the "Eye."

But Quinn and Janie are kindred spirits, and soon they're falling in love even though they're after what the other person is desperate for: the "Eye".



Learning To Play Gin by Ally Carter

It takes two to play this game.

How does the queen of solitaire fare when someone else is dealing?

Julia James was on a winning streak. The hot self-help author of the single-girls’ guide 101 Ways To Cheat At Solitaire had millions in the bank and a boyfriend on the Hollywood A-list. But when her books drop off the bestseller list and her famous boyfriend moves to L.A., Julia realizes all her good luck could topple faster than a house of cards. Now, she has to head to the West Coast and play the odds or risk losing her dream career and her dream man. But can a woman who became famous for being single figure out how to win at a game made for two?



Balancing In High Heels by Eileen Rendahl

It's called falling in love for a reason...and she's working without a net.

Just the fax, ma'am.

Alissa Lindley didn't mean to take it out on the fax machine. But when your not-yet-ex-husband knocks up his girlfriend and your divorce is going worse than the next World War -- well, something's got to give. Unfortunately, Alissa's employers at the L.A. Public Defender's office take a dim view of the destruction of office equipment. Funny how that anti-workplace violence policy used to seem like a good idea, before she got fired. And the networking thing just isn't happening at her Anger Management class.

He was arrestingly handsome.

San Jose is the place for a fresh start -- it's home, and family and friends are eagerly waiting to welcome her. But her first job as a lawyer there has Alissa walking a high wire of complicated emotions. Her client is from the Butterfly Brigade, a group of justice-seeking (and interestingly tattooed) ladies who right wrongs as they see fit even if that means bending the law. The arresting officer, Detective Rodriguez, is so hot he should be illegal. But can Alissa trust her instincts again when it comes to love? Or will one wrong step send her new life crashing down?



Catching Alice by Clare Naylor

She could run from love, but not in those heels...

After losing a job, boyfriend, and apartment all within one kick-me-when-I'm-down week, Alice Lewis desperately needs a break. So when an old pal sweeps into London and offers her escape, Alice jumps at the chance—and onto the next plane to Los Angeles, the city of . . . yeah, right.

L.A. turns out to be a little less "angelic" than the down-to-earth English girl anticipated. For one, there's the new nine-to-five: the unbelievably glamorous, frenzied chore of coddling (doing PR for) the stars—not to mention the bevy of gorgeous, stick-thin models who suddenly appear in Alice's orbit and the suntan/convertible lifestyle that taunts her pasty-white self (starting with her thighs). And just when she thinks her new life couldn't get any more surreal, Alice acquires that most American of accessories: her very own stalker.

While the B-list actresses grumble how unfair it is that Alice gets a stalker and they don't, Alice tries to figure out who the mystery man leaving her poems and flowers could be. Is it Charlie, the slick but twisted talent agent? Or Paddy, the hot Irish director who has eyes for any breathing woman? Or maybe it's Tommy, the unbelievably beautiful and totally wasted movie star? Because if truth be told, Alice doesn't think it's all that strange, this stalker business. In fact, she's pretty sure it's downright romantic . . .



Charmed & Ready by Candace Havens

A witch’s work is never done…

Monday, 5 P.M. --- Greenwich Mean Time
Bournemouth, England
Spells: 2
Sexy rock stars: 1
Jealous boyfriends who are not returning my calls: 1

I’m so bad at this man thing. After spending most of my life single (for witches it’s practically an occupational hazard), I finally found someone to love. Okay, so then he got killed, but he’s recuperating nicely. And I should be home, nursing him --- maybe just a little bit too naughtily --- back to health.

But no. The prime minister asked if I could look after this rock star buddy of his, Zane. Creepy Goth guys in cloaks keep showing up at his concerts and zapping his mojo. Hmm, smells like teen warlock to me. Anyway, I owe the PM, and Zane is fun, too --- I mean, what girl wouldn’t want to hang with the hottest man in music? How was I to know the press would be lying in wait when we stumbled out to his limo?

Look, everyone has vices. Right now, I’d like to indulge in one of mine and blow some people up so I can get back to my sweetie in Texas. But if these caped dudes don’t show themselves before another paparazzi shot of Zane and me hits the tabloids, I may not have a boyfriend to go home to…



Falling Out Of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky

As a teenager at a prestigious prep school, Jill White studied her roommate's magazines, filled with airbrushed-beyond-recognition photos of whisper-thin blondes who hadn't finished a meal since third grade. She dreamed of one day starting a magazine of her own that would feature women of all sizes and colors--smart, witty, real women with aspirations beyond tinier thighs and shinier hair.
Flash forward several years and a couple of giant leaps up the career ladder, and Jill has it all. Jill magazine is a huge hit, and her fabulous life comes complete with free designer clothes, an abundance of celeb friends, a shamelessly huge salary, and a framed Time magazine cover in her office featuring her beaming face over the legend, "Jill White, Media Wunderkind." Now that mega-successful Nestrom Media has taken over Jill's parent company, its future should be assured. Jill shares the fifteenth floor of the Nestrom building with illustrious Fashionista magazine, and the Nestrom suits are panting with admiration for both Jill and Jill.

But the ashes from the postcoital cigarette have barely hit the floor before Jill's new bosses start barking about getting ad revenue up and toning down articles like "His penis is not a toy...or is it?" in favor of fluff pieces with the reality star du jour. What smelled like team spirit devolves into a bitter game of manipulation and backstabbing. With Ellen Cutter, the blond, bland, Bergdorfed CEO of Nestrom Media, and Liz Alexander, Jill's publisher (and Ellen's conniving sidekick) suddenly aligned against Jill, plus a paranoid new managing editor with an addiction to spying, the situation is as grim as the magazine's decidedly unfabulous new offices. Reluctant to jump ship, and equally reluctant to watch as her baby morphs into yet another cheesy rag, Jill fights back, even as Ellen and Liz plot her next move for her. With her name, her creation, and her future all on the line, Jill realizes mean girls don't get left behind in high school--they grow up and work in publishing...



Fate And Ms. Fortune by Saralee Rosenberg

When destiny called, she pressed 1 for more options

With the name Robyn Fortune, shouldn't luck be a sure thing? Instead, black clouds love me. All I did was show up at a family bar mitzvah and cue lightning . . . this huge storm blew in.

My mom announced she was leaving my dad and moving in with me. (Perfect! More competition on JDate.) I found out my boss planned to fire me. (Help wanted: Be the exclusive makeup artist for a two-faced network news star.) My ex's gambling debts left me near bankruptcy. (Please buy our wedding gifts on craigslist.) But, good news. I was offered money to date a man who had worse luck than me. (Dear Visa, I hope you appreciate that I said yes.)

If not for my friend Rachel, I would have chickened out. Instead, I went to his apartment, spotted an old photo, and realized it was HIM! The boy I was mad for in college but never got to meet. And get this! Turns out our paths had been crossing since birth.

Coincidence or karma? Our finagling families wouldn't talk . . . until the day destiny sent me on a wild ride that became my long lost spiritual journey.

Ladies, take my advice. When fate knocks, answer the damn door!