Read-a-thon 2009, here I come!

I'm so excited! My very first readathon. I've nagged my friend Janicu into doing it with me. I went to the library and got books. I went to Borders and got books. My husband is out of town. It's the perfect time to curl up and read read read!

• Hana Yori Dango books that I got from the library. It's a Japanese anime series that I'm completely addicted to.
  
• A trilogy from Nicole Jordan: To Seduce a Bride, To Bed a Beauty, and To Pleasure a Lady.
• Lisa Kleypas' Tempt Me at Midnight
  
• J.R. Ward's Covet
• Julia Quinn's To Catch an Heiress
• Elizabeth Hoyt's To Beguile a Beast
• Julie Powell's Julie & Julia, which I started but haven't finished.
• Scott Westerfeld's series: The Pretties (oops, I read this already. How did it get in the pile?) and The Extras.
• MaryJanice Davidson's Queen Betsy series: Undead and Unwelcome
  
• Rachel Mead's YA vampire series: Vampire Academy, Frostbite, and Shadow Kiss. I think there is another book I didn't get yet.
  
• LHK's Skin Trade. I have about 100 pages left. It's been a slow read.
  

And if I don't feel like reading any of these in the pile, I can always do my Sookie Stackhouse or Harry Potter challenges.

So on the west coast, I'm supposed to start at 5 a.m. Ummmmm. Not sure that's going to happen. But I will be up as early as possible and stay up as late as possible. I'm not planning on leaving the house for food though!

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FYI - I'm posting my updates on Vox since I like the formatting for Vox better. I'll update Blogger after I'm done with the Read-a-thon. :) Thanks for all the cheerleaders' messages!!!

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (also on Vox)

In Dead and Gone, Charlaine Harris reminded me again why I loved this series to begin with - ERIC!!! To me, it felt like the series has been taking a bit of a detour with Sookie's involvement in the were community and the other men that have come into Sookie's life. In this book, more Eric! And I loved it!

In this book, the weres have decided to follow the vampires out of the paranormal closet. At first, it seems like the big reveal for the weres are going pretty well. But then, Sookie finds the body of a werepanther in the Merlotte's parking lot. "But what she doesn't realize is that there is a much greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings - older, more powerful, and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves - are preparing for war."

The part in quotes are from the book blurb. I have to say though, this part is a bit misleading. It was a bit of a let down about these "unhuman beings" and the war they are waging. But, I still enjoyed the book a lot. Mostly because of Eric! Ok, I can't stop gushing about Eric. So by now, Eric has remembered what he previously has forgotten. And now he's seriously woo-ing Sookie.

Because I love Eric so much (can you tell?), I was pretty happy with this book. We do get some visits from Sookie's ex-boyfriends, Quinn and Bill. And of course, Sam is always involved. But overall, I'm satisfied with the way Sookie/Eric is progressing and look forward to the next book. Oh, Sookie gets more involved in the paranormal world as she looks for the murderer, blah blah Eric blah blah.

Overall: B+.

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James

Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James (also on Vox)

First, much thanks to my friend Janicu who introduced me to Julie James and sent me this book! I stayed up until 4 am reading it the very day I got it.

Payton Kendall and J.D. Jameson started as associates at a big law firm together and are now both up for partnership. Payton concentrates on employment discrimination law, while J.D. focuses on class action lawsuits. Payton came from a hippie family, while J.D. is your typical privileged white male whose dad is a judge. Payton and J.D. can't stand each other, but must come together to win a client for the firm, their last hoop to jump through before reaching the partnership brass ring. They grudgingly begin to get to know each other, What they didn't realize is that only one will be made partner.

I enjoyed the book overall. But I confess, I wasn't the biggest J.D. Jameson fan. I mean, a white male attorney, whose dad is a judge, whining about reverse discrimination? Oh please! While I firmly believe people should be judged on their merits, the reality is, men and women, whites and minorities, straights and gays are not on an even playing field. We're not entirely color-blind, gender-blind, or sexual orientation-blind. We're trying (I think), but we're certainly not there yet. And yes, while it is possible that a white male will be passed over for a white female in a partnershp decision if the firm is trying to increase diversity, I think the reality is, female partners have to overcome a lot more obstacle along the way to get there. So J.D. annoyed me with his, oh-it's-so-unfair-you-just-have-to-wear-a-skirt-to-make-partner-even-though-I'm-more-qualified-than-you attitude.

But, in the spirit of reading a fun, entertaining romance novel, I moved past it and tried to get into the spirit of the oil and water with the simmering sexual tension underneath storyline. It was a bit predictable that Payton and J.D. couldn't stand each other, but are secretly attracted, and eventually came to realize both are dedicated and incredibly talented as lawyers. Ok, here's another minor rant - seriously, in the 8 years of practicing, neither of them has ever lost a case?! Not reality. I liked Payton a lot. She's smart, driven, and professional. I just wish J.D. suffered a bit more or groveled harder before the happily ever after, especially something we found out he did toward the end of the book.

Overall, it was a light, enjoyable read. I think I enjoyed Just the Sexiest Man Alive a bit more, but I'm looking forward to Julie James's next novel. It looks like it'll depart a bit from these two books, involving a female U.S. Attorney and an FBI agent.

Overall: B.