Currently reading:
The Aurora Teagarden series by Charlaine Harris
The Southern Fried series by Cathy Pickens
What the Dickens by Gregory Macguire
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everyone has an obsession… mine just happens to be words!
“Words are alive; cut them and they bleed.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
Call me a hopeless romantic but…. i think you should always live without regrets in love. It is hard because we are all afraid of getting hurt, but that is no way to live! You have to take a chance and go for it or else you will always wonder what might have been. Yes, you may get hurt…. yes, it may even be dangerous… but you cannot live in a bubble afraid of letting someone in. You have to try.
I hate the phone. I hate to talk on it, I hate to hear it ring, I hate having to answer it, and I hate listening to other people talk on theirs. I loathe ringtones. I find them to be disruptive, annoying, and embarassing. My phone is always on vibrate and just hearing someone's phone ring in public puts my teeth on edge. Anyone who knows me should be well aware that there is little chance of me answering the phone. Just leave a freakin' message and I'll get back to you, preferably by text or email or in person. I'm not sure why the phone makes me so crazy. I guess it makes me feel tied down, like I'm on someone else's schedule. Maybe it comes from years and years of retail where the phone is always ringing and someone always wants something. That said, I do love my family and friends and I want to stay in contact with them. I could talk to my mother or sister for hours. But I hate not being able to see their expressions and really feel like I'm interacting with them.
Help me pay for grad school! Whenever you make purchases online, click through to the website using this link. You do not have to join Upromise (though you really really should because you get money back just for doing the things you would be doing anyway), and I get a percentage to pay for school. Thank you!Upromise Guest Shopping for Lea
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I wanted something fun for the scoring system, so I decided to use genre icons in the classic 1 to 5 star scale with 1 icon being the least impressive and five being the most impressive.
Here is an introduction to the genre icons. I wanted each to be graphically appealing while clearly representing the genre. In addition, books that cross genres will include multiple icons. I am still working out the mechanics and this might change as this site grows and matures.
Chick Lit– Books written for women usually concerning relationships and friendship. May focus a great deal on a contemporary, urban locations and single, fabulous women finding their way and Mr. Right. Think Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella, and Jane Green.
Generational Lit– Books that follow a single family through multiple generations. Otherwise known as Family Saga or Epic. Think Anita Stansfield and Mary S. Lovell.
Journey fiction– These stories tend to involve a long physical trip that happens alongside an emotional or psychological change. Think coming of age on the road. Examples include Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Radish and The Last Girls by Lee Smith.
Medical Thriller– This genre was made famous by Robin Cook. Plots involve medical conspiracy or intrigue or may be solved with intricate exploration. Important examples of this rather extensive genre include the Bones series by Kathy Reich, the Body Farm series by Jefferson Bass, anything by Patricia Cornwell, and the entire body of work of the aforementioned Robin Cook.
Romantic Paranormal or Mystery Novel– These darkly seductive and often humorous books focus on haunting women, a seamy underbelly of society, and a sexy cast of often immortal characters. Examples include Charlaine Harris, Laurel K. Hamiliton, Kim Harrison, and J.R. Ward.
Southern Fiction– I realize this might seem like a strange icon for this genre, but I think it captures my own Southern childhood pretty well. This genre focuses on a cast of usually quirky characters in a gritty but charming Southern setting. Common themes include sexual abuse, alcoholism, and poverty. Masters of the genre include Fannie Flagg, Michael Lee West, Dorothy Allison, and Billie Letts.
I will add more genre icons and explanations as they become necessary.
