I’m Gettin’ There…

I finished “Twelve Sharp” last week. That’s Janet Evanovich’s twelfth book in her Stephanie Plum series.  I like these books mostly, but I have to say that this is my favorite of all of them so far.  I don’t really have a lot to say about it, but unlike the last one and a couple of the others, it was good right from the beginning.  It was suspenseful, interesting, a little funny (as they all are), and the emotions were more believable than most of the others. A lot of the time she seems to want to be so funny, that it takes away from the real reactions a person would have in the situation.  This time, she let the characters feel they way they would have.

Stephanie broke down when she got to talk to the little girl, Julie. Ranger, who always has had a great sense duty to protect and defend his loved ones was determined as any father would be.

As much as I like these books, I don’t love the slapstick humor of them.  I wish they would get on with it and make a movie or TV series based on it.  I think that would be great!  I don’t know what the hold up is. 

I’m almost caught up.  I started “Lean Mean Thirteen” on Tuesday.  This time it cost me twenty-five cents at the library because I had them reserve it for me.  Twenty-five cents!! Can you believe that? I’d have paid double.

Project Runway

Have I written about Project Runway?  I’m a little addicted to that show.  I think last season’s winner Christian is the best of all of them.  I mean overall. His final runway show was not my favorite, but he’s by far the most creative and interesting of any of the designers of any of the seasons.

As far as season 5 goes, however, I’ve liked Kenley’s designs right from the beginning.  For the last five weeks or so, it seems like everyone is against her.  She definitely has a whiney tone, is quite defensive, and a bit self-centered.  However, dontcha think a lot of them are? Think about some of the past designers in the top three.  Season two, Santino. He was a total jerk to some people. Season three, the winner Geoffrey. He was a camplete asshole most of the time. And Christian was very conceited, albeit in a cute sort of way.  I applaud the show’s judges and/or producers who looked past Kenley’s personality to be sure she was in the finals.  But, even though LeeAnn’s final collection was pretty, it was all the same.  Don’t get me wrong, I liked a lot of her work and think she definitely deserved to be in the finals, but her final collection had nothing on Kenley’s.  I thought of the three of them, hers was the least interesting.  Korto’s was very pretty, too, but not really my taste.  I think they got this one wrong.  Just my opinion.

Eleven Down. An Infinite Number to Go.

Finally done with “Eleven on Top”. It did get better, Tracy! I’ve had a busy few weeks, but the next book should go fast. I think I’ll take the next two out at the same time. I’m having surgery on Monday, so I might have a lot of down time to read.

I’m actually looking forward to finishing the next three and being caught up.  I have two John Grisham books to read, plus two classics that my sister loaned me… they’re John Steinbeck novels, but I can’t remember which ones. I also have about ten James Pattersons, five or six Nora Roberts, and a few other random novels that I’ve been wanting to read. 

Something I really like about reading books in a series is that you always know there will be more coming.  So many times when reading a good book, I get so invested in the characters that when the story is over I’m left wanting more.  A couple of the books in this series have kind of ended suspensfully.  Her writing is just good enough that I keep reading the next book.  But, if it weren’t a series, I don’t know if I would care to read all of her books.  I am glad that my sisters-in-law recommended her, though. 

At one point this summer the library didn’t have whichever Janet Evanovich book I was on and I needed something to read because I was on my way to the park with my son and wanted to read while he and his friend played.  So, I picked up Sue Grafton’s first in her series, “A is for Alibi”.  I think I could get into that series, too. I enjoyed that book and might try the next one after a few of the books I have around here.  Kinsey Millhone, Grafton’s main character, is definitely not as funny as Stephanie Plum, but she is more competant… that’s for sure.  There are at least twenty so far in that series, so that should keep me going literally (no pun intended) for years!

Peace.

VP Debate

I watched the debate last night… well, most of it last night. I fell asleep near the end and watched the rest this morning.  For the most part, I was more impressed with both of them than I thought I would be.  I, like probably many others, expected Sarah Palin to mess up a few times, based on the past two times she spoke on television.  She didn’t really mess up at all.  What was obvious, though, was that she was well rehearsed.  I don’t know if there’s anything really wrong with that.  She avoided answering several questions that she didn’t want to answer.  I don’t think that’s unusual for any candidate running for any office, though.  She had an agenda to get points across that were important to her.  She made her running mate look less stupid for choosing her.  I think people who liked her before, probably love her now.  I didn’t like her before and now I suppose I could “tolerate” her. 

A bit of a phony, though.  She came out and first thing she did was ask Senator Biden, “Hey, can I call you Joe?”  I guess if he had said, “No, I prefer you call me Senator,” she wouldn’t have been able to use her charming little quip, “Say it ain’t so, Joe.” The other thing that bugs the crap out of me about her is that she, like that bonehead currently in the White House, cannot pronounce the word, “nuclear”! There’s only one “U” in that word, Madam!

Joe Biden, on the other hand, spoke very intelligently.  I really wasn’t familiar with him at all before, but can see, in a way, why Obama would choose him.  I kinda wish that ticket was reversed now.  If it was, I think I would vote for him over John McCain.  The experience, in my opinion, should be at the top of the ticket.  I’m pretty sure that’s how it’s always been, right? But, was Biden even running for president? If not, I wonder if he supported Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama early on.

Being that they both did pretty well last night, my mind is more at ease.  They have leveled the playing field as far as Vice Presidential candidacy is concerned and now I’m not going to worry about that office again.  I can concentrate on who is running for President… finally… as it should be.

I’m looking forward to Tuesday’s debate.  I’m still not completely sure who I’ll vote for… I’ll make that decision after I hear how the two candidates pronounce the word “nuclear.”