lisabea

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2008-10-03T16:25:08Z

Total misuse of apostrophes? I think not!

Is one year today that I stopped cleaning the house. Yippee ki yay!

http://lisabea.blogspot.com/2008/10/october-third.html

Blogging

2008-08-21T14:48:41Z

Here. Three days.

Blogging

2008-07-25T19:21:31Z

At blog

That 100 Book Thingie

2008-07-02T17:10:19Z

Please note: the instructions have changed.

This list has been floatin around the intertubes for a while.

Below is a list of the The 100 Most Popular Books on The Library Thing. I’ve altered it cuz I cannot for the life of me understand why some craptastic pop books are on this list and not more hearty reads like, er, Hardy or Voltaire or even Faulkner…What the hell? And where is the Marquis de Sade?

So I’ve read over half, started another 10 or so and NOW for your viewing pleasure..I’m inserting books that are as plausible as the others on this stupid pretentious Oprah inspired list.

RED are books I'm kicking off the list.
Blue I've read.
Green are the books I'm adding. I mean this isn't a scientific study or anything.

1. Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone by J.K. Rowling (32,484)

2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6) by J.K. Rowling (29,939)
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) by J.K. Rowling (28,728)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J.K. Rowling (27,926)
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J.K. Rowling (27,643)
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J.K. Rowling (27,641)

2-4~I much prefer the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud OR the fabulousness that is Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching series. So PPPPFFFTTTT.

5&6~AA Milne’s When We Were Very Young AND Now We Are Six. These were the standards of my childhood and the reading launch for my children. CLASSICS!

7. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (23,266) BLECH

8. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (21,325)

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J.K. Rowling (20,485) NO
Let’s substitute The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants!

10. 1984 by George Orwell (19,735)

11. Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics) by Jane Austen (19,583) I really loved this movie with Colin Firth!

12. The catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger (19,082) Brilliant…but I do like Franny and Zoey.

13. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (17,586) LOVE THIS. And the movie made me fall in love with Gregory Peck.

14. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (16,210)

15. The lord of the rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (15,483)

16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (14,566) I loathe this book. And what’s up with it being here? How ‘bout The Diary of Anne Frank?

17. Jane Eyre (Penguin Classics) by Charlotte Bronte (14,449)

18. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (13,946) This is an incredible book.

19. Life of Pi by Yann Martel (13,272) OR the Tao of Pooh? No? k.

20. Animal Farm by George Orwell (13,091) Visions of 9th grade!

21. Angels & demons by Dan Brown (13,089) Not a fricken clue what this is.

22. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (13,005) Soma?

23. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (12,777) Heathecliffe! And that Ralph Fiennes…oh yum.

24. One Hundred Years of Solitude (Before it was a damned Oprah's Book Club) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (12,634) This writer is obsessed with enema’s and rabies. YAY!

25. The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, Part 1) by J.R.R. Tolkien (12,276) Lots of booring poems.

26. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (12,147)

27. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (11,976) It’s on my shelf.

28. The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, Part 2) by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,512) More boring poems…but I love this series.

29. The Odyssey by Homer (11,483) Wait, didn’t George Clooney do this movie? O Brother Where Art Thou?

30. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (11,392) Visions of 10th grade.

31. Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut (11,360) Love Vonnegut. Love. Er. Visions of 9th greade.

32. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (11,257) I always get this confused with In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Why is that?

33. The return of the king by J.R.R. Tolkien (11,082) Everyone lives happily ever after and more boring poems.

34. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (10,979) Burn baby!

35. American Gods: A Novel by Neil Gaiman (10,823) I need to read more Gaiman…I tend to go for Christopher Moore.

36. The chroni-what-cles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (10,603) Ok most of em.

37. The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams (10,537) I loved these but why are they here? I sub. Pratchett.

38. Lord of the Flies by William Golding (10,435) Piggy!

39. The lovely bones: a novel by Alice Sebold (10,125) My BigGirl loved this. Weep. Weep. Let's read The Princess Bride instead!

40. Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1) by Orson Scott Card (10,092) Great book but this dude has turned into an obnoxious homophobe so I iz pissed at him.

41. The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, Book 1) by Philip Pullman (9,827) Not. How about some other EPIC journey for kids. Like, IDK, Frank Miller’s Dark Knight!

42. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman AND TERRY PRATCHETT. Dang it. Cuz I loves me some Pratchett!!!(9,745)

43. Dune by Frank Herbert (9,671) Why? Why? Why?

44. Emma by Jane Austen (9,610)

45. Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (9,598) I really think I did read this. I can’t remember. Or maybe I saw some weird movie years ago about Mary Shelley and Byron and Percy taking hallucinogens and wandering around some castle…IDK.

46. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) by Mark Twain (9,593) Brilliant book. Just brilliant.

47. Anna Karenina (WAY before Oprah's Book Club) by Leo Tolstoy (9,433) OK so why is Oprah taking credit for Tolstoy? I read this while hitchhiking through France back when I was a hippie. I swore off classics after the last page.

48. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (9,413) Er. No clue. Looks import-ant-o.

49. Middlesex: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides (9,343) - TBR Pile Not.

50. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (9,336) Quelle Fuck? Someone tell me why The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged is not here?? WHY??? I WANT TO KNOW!

51. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (9,274) I read it. It was banned! I had to! And Anais Nin.

52. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien (9,246) Oh for crying out loud, enough with the Tolkien. What about Ray fucking Bradbury? The Martian Chronicles?

53. The Iliad by Homer (9,153) Yeah what ever.

54. The Stranger by Albert Camus (9,084) Ok I liked it. And No Exit oh and Waiting for Godot! AH the great existentialists...zzz...

55. Sense and Sensibility (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (9,080) er. YES (no)

56. Great Expectations (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (9,027) I loved it but last night I saw the South Park version and it is far superior to the original.

57. The Handmaid's Tale: A Novel by Margaret Atwood (8,960) Butter as lotion!

58. On the Road by Jack Kerouac (8,904) Hey do you remember when Fonzie and Richie were hanging out with the beatniks? And did Potsie sing in that one? I can’t remember
.
59. Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt (8,813) Yes. I'm right on this one. As soon as I finish those two Joey Hill's on my shelf.

60. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery - (8,764) Frenchy! Why is Les Miserables ( that 90000000 page book) not on here?? Why is Candide not on here? Voltaire????? C’mon.

61. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (8,421) Total Classic.

62. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (8,417) Loved it. And she used to live up the road from me!

63. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (8,368)

64. The Grapes of Wrath (Centennial Edition) by John Steinbeck (8,255) Good call.

65. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (8,214) Another good call. And Ann of Green Gables.

66. The Name of the Rose: including Postscript to the Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (8,191) sitting on my shelf since college. Doh. See this is where I'd put Peyton Place by Grace Metalious. Or even The Beans of Egypt Maine.

67. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (8,169) A is for Adultery!

68. Moby Dick by Herman Melville (8,129) Ok half. It’s booooorrrriiiinnnnggg

69. The complete works by William Shakespeare (8,096) I was a theatre major. YES. I read I think every play EXCEPT: Julius Ceasar ….

70. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (7,843) this is on my shelf next to The World is Flat. zzszzzzz...Hey. Let’s substitute this with Who Moved My Cheese?!

71. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris (7,834) ?

72. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (7,829) The snake. It’ll bite you. I love that this girl can read, write and speak backwards. Talk about your paradigm shift.

73. Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library) by William Shakespeare (7,808) loves it. But I love Lear more.

74. Of Mice and Men (Penguin Great Books of the 20th Century) by John Steinbeck (7,807) Another good call.

75. A Tale of Two Cities (Penguin Classics) by Charles Dickens (7,793) Or as my dad always said: A Sale of Two Titties!

76. The Alchemist (Plus) by Paulo Coelho (7,710) My kid read this. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

77. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (7,648) Back when I was dressed in black. Barrel. Of. Laughs.

78. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) (Barnes & Noble Classics) by Oscar Wilde (7,598) Ah. Shades of 11th grade. And the movie had a young Alec Guinness (OBI-WAN!)

79. The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition by William Strunk (7,569) Did I read it from cover to cover? No. I used it. And should use it more often.

80. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (7,557) More enemas and rabies!

81. The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials, Book 2) by Philip Pullman (7,534)

82. Atonement: A Novel by Ian McEwan (7,530) TBR Pile

83. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (7,512) I always think that this is the Cherry Orchard by Chehkov.

84. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (7,436) I liked this.

85. Dracula by Bram Stoker (7,238)

86. Heart of Darkness (Dover Thrift Editions) by Joseph Conrad (7,153)

87. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (7,055) YES

88. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (7,052)

89. The amber spyglass by Philip Pullman (7,043) No clue. The World According to Garp.

90. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (Penguin Classics) by James Joyce (6,933) Here’s the Joyce we all managed to read because who the hell could read Finnegan’s Wake?

91. The Unbearable Lightness of Being: A Novel (Perennial Classics) by Milan Kundera (6,901) Wasn’t this also a movie back in the late 80’s or early 90’s

92. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (6,899) On my shelf. Uh. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance?

93. Neuromancer by William Gibson (6,890) This is an excellent book and coined the vernacular we use regarding cyberspace. Although at one point we had this on tape with Gibson reading it and it was dreadful.

94. The Canterbury Tales (Penguin Classics) by Geoffrey Chaucer (6,868)

95. Persuasion (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen (6,862)

96. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman (6,841) Hey. I ‘d also love to see something like Grendel on this list.

97. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (6,794)

98. Angela's Ashes: A Memoir by Frank McCourt (6,715) no. A People's History of the United States: 1492- Present by Howard Zinn.

(99. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers (6,708) What a great title. It's on my shelf.

100. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli (6,697) Ok this should be on there. And I should do more than read the little notes thingie.

Good Morning Charlie!

2008-06-24T12:19:59Z

Mine is posted elsewhere cuz I canna use this bloody LJ. I'm LJTARDED.

Happy Birthday James Buchanan

2008-06-17T12:50:10Z

Another Review

2008-04-24T20:29:00Z

From my post: Size Doesn't Matter over at noseinabook

Look at this cover, would ya? So hot sexy. I noticed that Josh Lanyon's new e-book was available a week early over at Loose-id, and beepbeepzipTANG! I whipped out the old mastercard (shhhh. DO NOT tell G) and read it in one sitting. I can't help myself. I'm weak. He's my favorite m/m author and an auto buy. Yay for Josh!

But, er, he may be less than thrilled with my post title.

Dangerous Ground is a little story that packs a great, walloping punch. At 109 pages (a bargain at $4.99, IMHO), I'm tellin' ya, t'was verra, verra nice.

Josh admits that this book is his version of a m/m action adventure inspired by the old BBC series The Professionals. However, Lisabea has never seen The Professionals and is too lazy to Google it. Sue me. I get the picture though. It's that buddy/buddy/bestfriend/partners fighting the good fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of a world where openly gay cops can sink into a hot tub, slick bodies dripping, bubbles hiding what lies just beneath the surface, as they grope, wrestle, and grasp each others...

But I digress.

Will and Taylor are on (what I would only call a vacation in HELL. NOT a camper. NO.) a vacation at the tail end of Taylor's convalescence. Shot in the chest in the line of duty, during a surprising moment of hesitation, Taylor is about to go back to work. But first the partners must try to come to terms with the shooting and rebuild their damaged relationship. Taylor is angry with Will for coddling him, aware that he still needs some support, and resentful over the loss of trust in their professional relationship. To complicate things, he's in love with Will. And Will, having once turned down the drunken advances of his best friend, doesn't want to ruin their strong partnership. What a ding dong. I mean, IT'S ALREADY RUINED.

Will sprang onto the wing, reaching a hand down for Taylor, and with a grimace, Taylor accepted his help, vaulting up beside him. The wing bobbed beneath their weight, and Will steadied him, hands on Taylor’s waist for an instant.

Taylor moved away. Not that he minded Will’s hands on him -- there was nothing he’d have liked more than Will’s hands on him -- but this had nothing to do with attraction and everything to do with lack of confidence. A lack of confidence in Taylor being able to look after himself. Not that Will had said so, but it was clear to Taylor -- and maybe it was clear to Will too, which might explain what the hell they were doing up in the High Sierras one week before Taylor was officially due to start back at work.

Because if they couldn’t figure this out -- get past it -- they were through as a team. Regardless of the fact that so far no one had admitted there was even a problem.

I love Will. He's such a fucking man. You know what I mean? Strong. Firm. Decisive. Taciturn. Slow to anger. Frugal with his smiles. Obtuse. He stupidly thinks that by saying "No." Everything will go back to normal. It's obvious from the get go that he returns Taylor's feelings. He's pissed at Taylor for getting himself shot and he's burdened with guilt. Also, he's a fine looking camper.

And Taylor? Presented as rash, a bit hot headed, and physically not up to his usual standards, he's one troubled Alpha. He's that combination I cannot resist: resourceful grittiness mixed with sass and humor. He's my boy. Taylor has clarity about what's going on in a way that the more grounded, controlled Will doesn't. I love that about Taylor. He recognizes that things will never be the same. They can either be partners in every sense, or not at all.

What a great story! There's so much conflict. We have the internal conflict of these two men struggling with their physical differences, with their equality (alpha/alpha), loss of confidence, anger, desire, trust. And then the external forces come into play. When the two recover 2 million dollars and stash it, things really begin to pick up. At odds with each other, they traipse through those mountains with a united purpose, even as their already frayed relationship unravels. Yippee ki-yay!

Now ladies, I know what you want. When the boys slip into that natural spring hot tub whassit, HELLO! The dynamic between our Alpha men(s) as they grapple for control is smoking, sizzling hot. Thank goodness that fire was water resistant! We never forget for a moment during this scene what's at play, but da-yum, Will takes that Taylor fully. Oh. My. My.

Will trembled with the effort of holding motionless, but Taylor could feel his heart thundering behind his own, and any fear that he was alone in this, that he had relinquished too much for too little, faded. He winced -- wriggled, trying to accommodate that thick rigidity. Water was not enough of a lubricant. What had they been thinking?

“Are you okay?” Will sounded hoarse. He rocked against Taylor -- stopped himself -- then rocked again like he just couldn’t help it. “Say…something.”

To his astonishment, Taylor heard himself whimper. A helpless little submissive sound -- and he nudged his ass against Will’s groin in clear invitation.

Of course things take a phe-nom-e-nal turn for the worse. Will and Taylor have to work together in order to come out alive. YAY! I actually prefer the action in this story to that of The Dark Horse (although, I love that book for other reasons). 109 pages! I never thought: I want more. I couldn't put it down. This nifty m/m action adventure satisfied me. Heh.

But the writing. I mean, the story is excellent, but the writing is soooo clean. I sometimes refer to a story as "tight" but, dang, this gives new meaning to the term. He wastes nothing, giving every word and detail weight.I adore the use of the word ground through out the story. Dangerous ground. Uneven ground. Ground to cover. Firmer ground. Higher ground. Solid ground. Man oh man. He uses this with such direction. It's simple and is indicative of his ability to lead the reader to a conclusion without cramming it down our throats.

Finally ( I have a lot to say, ok?) I need to talk about unity. It's the other tool in his shed I've noticed in these novellas. Everything happens in the space of just a few days, with few characters, and in a contained environment. Intentional? I haven't a clue. But I will venture to guess someone as clever as Mr. Lanyon (heh) is using all his tricks when he delivers a story to us. And why wouldn't he? He's the m/m how to guy! I understand why his books are used in English 101 classes.

And My God, the review is almost as long as the damn book....Is that a good sign or a bad one? I believe I'm gushing. ::eek::

Thumbs Up. Fucking A.

PS: This story will be part of the Hostage Anthology from MLR Press.

ManLove. On Monday.

2008-04-21T13:20:47Z

Another exciting Monday. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, ~~will it never end~~ what has Lisabea cooked up for us today?

Hey, lisabea, wouldn’t it be cool to read a sizzling book that featured a vampire with BDSM tendencies and his side-kick buddy as they solve mysteries and fight demons?

Yes, Miss Interupting Sula, it would be.

Imagine then, that instead of teasing homoerotic undertones these two hot guys actually give in to their desires,

OOOOh that sounds like what I've been searching for! But it's a dream, isn't it? You are taunting me as so many others have done before.

Heh. Who would do that to you? Who would be so cruel? hrm. Anyways, let me go on with my dream. After a long hard day of fighting the demon horde and investigatin' the bad guys, these two dudes could tend to each other's cuts and bruises, taking the opportunity to nonchalantly strip down and um, maybe they could...i dunno, indulge in some smokin' m/m action like nature intended?

Yes! That's what I'm talkin' bout! Throw in a collar and a leash, some mad drug abuse, more bodily fluids than a....bodily fluid thing...and you have this scorchifying, unbelievably hot book Master of Obsidian by Jamie Craig. That dude's wicked good fun. Wait. That's no DUDE!

Unbelievably hot is right! Dude however, he is not. In fact "Jamie Craig" is the 007 code name of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Two gals writing some seriously good reading m/m. Hmm. Two friends....writing...together...m/m...hmmm. What an intriguing idea.

What will happen when the two become ONE. ew. But, er, Sula, I heart you, but I'm not becoming one with you (not that there's anything wrong with that...) Plus I can't reach you from Connecticut. ::probing blindly:: But writing in tandem? Like Pepper and Vivien...Oh! To be a SEAMLESS writing team like them! Girl, that book is smooth.

S'riously. Oh to be able to write so seamlessly. ...

Once upon a time, in a dark and mysterious city called Chicago, there lived (for, like, 400 years...but not only in Chicago I'm thinking. Hey. Where did he live before?) a hot sexy and cold blooded killer demon Vampire named Gideon. Gideon was not nice at all, until one day, he met a GIRL. She taught him to love/respect humans for more than their orifices and their nutritional value. Then she died. Oh. Uh. Did she die? IDK. One thing I'm throwing out here is that the back story in this book is veiled in freakin fog. Such a guy thing, though, so I'm going with it. I mean, have you ever met a guy that told you his life story? Uh. No. (gross generalization. again.)

The fun thing about this backstory which is not a backstory is that our heros Gideon and human side-kick Jesse are already best buds and have a real relationship when the book starts. Who doesn't love that ol' classic romance stand-by, the "friends to lovers" plot? It allows us to get straight to the good stuff without said good stuff feeling too rushed and frankly unbelievable. And let's face it...we all like good stuff. Hey, so about the story...Gideon and Jesse go traipsing around the city, solving crimes and whatnot. One night in the midst of one such investigation, Gideon accidentally touches this vampire love-potion-number-9 drug that removes his inhibitions and gets him in touch with his inner sexgod. He totally jumps Jesse. In an alley! Hotness ensues.

(Ed. Note: Yes I used this photo before. Look at that dynamic! It's so Gideon and Jesse. Wow! You know who is control here. Huh. Is it getting hot in here? And thanks again to Mary M.)

OK. Let's stop here. If you are even remotely faint of heart, this book will shock you. But if you have stones of steel, like SULA...heh. This isn't just hot sexin. This is: me master you boy I'm going to share you with my fiendish friends kind of sexin and, I gotta say, it was riveting. And bloody. One thing that stands out to me about this entire story is the blood, semen, spit, you gotta get some hani-dandi-man wipes, where's my purell, kind of sex through out the novel. It's BDSM and, JOY OF JOYS, there is not a single mention of someone journeying to enlightenment through pain and degredation. Nope. They get off on the scene. No one deserves rough treatment or is hoping to get over a bad relationship via flogs and whips and doodah beating...which makes this very sexy, very explicit, and very disturbing all at once. That boy Jesse is more than willing to be sexually dominated by Gideon. And he will be dominated for Gideon (by his vampire friends). But only for Gideon. It worked for me. Frankly, it rocked.

The coppery taste of his own blood shocked Jesse's system, and his head jerked back, but Gideon wouldn't let him pull away. He forced Jess to taste every inch of his hot tongue as he explored every part of Jesse's mouth. Gideon's body felt almost feverish now, full of stolen warmth, and the world darkened around the edges again as Gideon refused to let him pause for a breath. His lungs felt like they were going to explode before Gideon yanked his head away, and Jesse gasped for breath that barely made a difference.

"Do you know how tempted I am?" Gideon murmured. "I could kill you right now and you wouldn't be able to do a single thing to stop me. Or I could turn you, and again, I really don't think you'd stop me."

Ed.Note:This is the time where you immediately click on to Sula.

lisabea @ 2008-03-22T22:42:00

2008-03-23T01:43:52Z

Geuss what the old man brought home from Hong Kong. Heh.

Oops. Meant to post this.

2008-03-15T22:59:47Z

Grumble.

Last night I stayed up late. I finished 3 books that I had begun and never got through. I reread some Adrien English. I contemplated my navel. You know how it is: Another night of insomnia. G leaves for China on Friday and between my aching chest and his crazed job, we've hardly spoken except to get the taxes prepared (which I need to go drop off) and see about the dry cleaning (which I need to go drop off). But for just a few minutes, we lay down on the bed and laughed. That has got to be the single best thing about marriage. Knowing someone long enough and well enough and close enough that a single word between you recalls familiar, shared happy places. Even when you grumble. Then I went out and slept on the couch.

The couch led me to ponder what we touched on in the comments the other day (as well as T's post on erotica). While my reading is often rather "out there" by some folk's standards, my goal is simply to find characters who share a believable emotional connection. And, of course, good sex (cuz there's just nothing like it). I do require that romance offer more than rip your clothes off lust (though there is a time and a place for that, surely) and starry eyed devotion (blech), or journeys to enlightenment and trust, or angst and emotional development. That stuff can be delicious, of course, but I seek the smiles and teasing and laughter that is the product of excellent fuzznuckin and genuine affection (even when it feels so wrong. Except in the case of the tree). I think, in our own ways, through our genre choices, we all do.

Maybe I'm just menstrual. I should go eat some chocolate. And read some sick nasty were wolves....I wonder if the three of them will hold hands in the dark?

Stupid Meme thingy.

2008-03-11T16:23:09Z

Four jobs I've had:

1. Camp Counselor

2. Technical Theatre Troll (so hot in a tool belt)

3. Waitress

4. P.A. for a priest

Four movies I've watched over and over:

1. Pride and Prejudice

2. School of Rock

3. LOTR

4. Life of Brian

Four places I've Lived:

1. Washington, D.C.

2. Knoxville, TN

3. Chapel Hill, NC

4. All over the state of CT. North, South, East, West.

Four shows I watch:

1. Big Bang Theory

2. Arrested Development (reruns. Best. Show. Ever.)

3. CSI~Original one

4. Lucy Daughter of the Devil

Four Places I've Been: Favorites

1. Isle of Skye, Scotland

2. Anegada, British Virgin Isands

3. Andros, Greece

4. Block Island, Rhode Island

Four Things I Love To Eat:

1. Bread Pudding. Oh my god.

2. Fresh Pineapple

3. Thai Food xtra spicy

4. Martinis

Four Places I'd Rather Be:

1. Floating on a catamaran with the old man in the islands

2. With my college roommate in a pub anywhere in Scotland

3. Skiing with my kids

4. Disney. Yeah. So what.

Four Things I Look Forward To:

1. More Travel

2. Fixing up this goddamn house

3. Going to San Fran w/ G for our anniversary

4. My new breasts.

lisabea @ 2008-03-04T08:04:00

2008-03-04T13:16:21Z

Time to clean the house.

I finally feel like myself again. My scarring, which initially shocked the crap out of me, is fading day by day and mostly hidden. I'm looking just fantastic. I'd do it all over again in a heart beat. Went in to the stupid Gap and tried on shirts and almost blubbered on the bored dressing room drone. Size small, she says to me. Small. I no longer look like a shrunken head in my clothes. It's reported that breast reduction surgery has the highest rate of customer satisfaction among all plastic surgeries. Fucking-ay, I'll say. The pain was manageable, the rest somewhat enjoyable, the soreness sucked, and I gained 5 pounds laying here blogging. So what. My neck is better. My back is better. My shoulders are better. My spirit feels damned fine.

So now, almost 4 weeks post op, I'm going to clean the house. Finally. Vacuum. Mop. Iron. Move around. Try not to buy anymore clothes.

Money well spent

2008-03-02T18:07:01Z

Shopped. Over there at fictionwise and bought an anthology, Scared Stiff (MLR Press), Bit of Rough,and that Jules Jones book I've been meaning to read, Lord and Master (which sounds so BDSM and isn't. Frankly I've had all I can take of that kind of activity this week. *shudder*). Then I pushed up my sleeves to do that thingy I usually have to do to upload them on to my reader. Half hour spend banging my head against the desk and following Teddypig's careful instructions,only to find...they were already on my bookshelf (cyber). Fictionwise is smart.

Started reading Bit of Rough, which I like, but that scary anthology was buzzing and waving and, ok, I read Josh L's short A Ghost of a Chance. Holy hell he makes it look effortless. Funny, sexy, scary, mysterious. I can't blog about yet, cuz folks will throw stuff at me. I'll wait. And, er, I still have to read the rest of it.

So excellent couple of bucks spent on that. My favorite line:

Was that why the old reprobate had given me permission to investigate the house? So he could pimp me out to his socially retarded nephew?"

I seem to have impulse control issues.

2008-02-27T14:22:32Z

Hindsight. Right? Horrible thing. I'm re-posting this cuz I have NO clue if I was dismissive. Gulp. And if I was, omg, oopsie. The other "dude" is of course, Victor Banis, who arrived on the scene literally moments after I posted this. Jeeze. I felt like packing up my wee toys and going home. Of course, I was home... So, oh wise writer friends at LJ, do tell me: Dismissive? I already know that it is wonderfully entertaining in its giddiness and (god i'm beginning to detest this word) enthusiasm.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

NO FUCKING WAY!!!!!

~~Stolen~~ Lifted directly from Josh's new web page (where my little ole blog is mentioned ::grin:: Although, er, he said pick after nose and that's sort of not the direction we are looking for, IS it, Josh? heh. Love him.)

TEN-HUT!
Josh will be a contributor to the military themed romance anthology Esprit de Corps edited by Judith David. This will be a print (and possibly e-book) release through MLR Press. Look for stories by Samantha Kane, Victor J. Banis and JL Langley/Dick D. Josh is planning a story about World War I Fly Boys. No release date as yet.

Somebody, anybody, tell me if he's yanking my chain....Cuz I will CRY. This is like a total wet dream for the lisabea. Pant. Sam? JL? Dick D? And JOSH???? I don't know that other dude, but, hey, I'm willing, man, I am....This is like Christmas and Disney and Apple cider Martini's and SEX with my smokin hot old (younger) Man. On the same day!

Heh, know what? I'm interviewing that wicked and lovely (and funny) Samantha Kane. Will be up on, gee take a guess, Monday. AND then, it's true, JL Langley (and free stuff). I have to promise not to wax on and on about a certain admiral and his prince Albert.

Breathe, lisabea. Must gain control of self. Oh. Oh. oh. oh

Sula where the fuck are you?????

Any way. Er. Back to your regularly scheduled programming. Carry on. Or leave a note telling me how fucking awesome this is. I mean, for real. It's going to be military m/m. I can't even stand it. Ok. Right here. Right now. We are going to throw a kick off party that can't be beat. Flags and marching bands and nekkid mens. And maybe free stuff? Yes. Free stuff! And other things that I will eventually think of cuz this is so much fun. PS: Dick D you SO better email me. Plus I love you. :)

::gasps::

Review thing.

2008-02-26T13:12:52Z

Heaven: Jet Mykles

As you know, I've been reading Jet Mykles Heaven. This is a new style of romantica for me. It's m/m, yes, but it's got a different flavor. I mean, a hotel manager and a rock star? Not my bag. I figured it for a contemporary, mindless, erotic romance, which it is, technically. However, as I began to read, it occurred to me, in that way that things do, that something was different. The pacing of the story swiftly carries you from scene to scene like the carefully illustrated panels and dialog of a comic book. Hey lisabea, dumb ass, it's not just the cover! Jet puts into words what I know from looking at a single (or many in my internets researchin') illustration. Although not with the depth of characters or the epic nature of, say, a Meljean Brook (who I think is genius at capturing the visual quality of a graphic superhero novel and putting it into a wee romance. Yes!), Other than my days of Dark Knight and Watchmen, ooohhh and Evangeline and Cerebus, I'm unfamiliar with the newer stuff, most notably Yaoi. But, that won't keep me from flapping my gums about it. Pshaw!

Yaoi. Yes? While I find Yaoi itself both repulsive and intriguing in it's sexualization of youth, Jet gets away from the age thing (phew cuz it's a bit icky) and instead delivers the inherent sexual dynamic. That wonderful imbalance of one who leads the other into discovery and illicit exploration. Mmm. Succumbing. Giving over. Allowing. It's spicy spicy, I admit. I mean, I'm a sucker for the older man/younger, er, lover scenario. Or, in this case, the experienced vs. the inexperienced. Tyler (the 28 year old hotel manager~"I'm not gay" he cries. Pfft. Oh yes you sooo are.) is ensnared by the self assured, younger, knowledgeable and, of course, taller, Johnny ( "I'm not gay either. But, hey now, I sure am good at teaching you a thing or three.").

Anyway. Heaven is the first book in the Heaven Sent series. Four willowy rock dudes with long locks and a curious lack of body hair, travel the world performing in their successful band. Laying groupies of either sex and looking for connection. Ok, not really. Looking for any port in the storm? What have you, Heaven Sent arrives at Tyler's hotel to help launch what Tyler hopes will be a business saving night club.

I like that this book is told from Tyler's perspective. I really enjoyed the blond and beautiful Tyler. He's a buttoned up and clueless man who takes his responsibilities seriously. Caring, mature, he's genuinely confused by his strong attraction to Johnny and his struggle to come to terms with his sexuality is a valid character conflict. Tyler has to deal with his real business problems, his dying father, his job, his employees, and now, his realization that he desires a man. As a reader, I "got" him. And boy howdy did Johnny lead him astray. Such a horrible man, that one.

Initially, I wasn't that thrilled with Johnny. He's too much the spoiled rocker. He demands his way, he's pushy, he embarrasses Tyler, he's overbearing and he's sort of an a-hole. One of my favorite scenes in the book is before the two have sex the first time (and it's exactly that), sequestered in his office trying to cope with these new, scary and shameful feelings, Tyler stands against the door and yanks himself off while imagining the dirty things Johnny has already done to him. Poor Tyler. He's resigned to the attraction. He knows he's going to give himself to Johnny, no strings. At that point, I'm more interested in Tyler's fantasy of Johnny than what Johnny provides in the flesh. I mean, sure he really knows his way around a prostate....he's still a bit of a jerk. The initial sexual situations, while sizzling, and embracing the let me lead you into temptation set up, have no emotion on Johnny's end (that I could perceive) and he pretty much fucks Tyler (well and good, fer sher) and takes off. Maybe I'm being a chick about that? IDK. I sympathize with Tyler's confusion.

Of course, eventually all that changes and Johnny proves himself worthy. It is Tyler who has to decisions to make and truths to face and suddenly Johnny is the one offering strength, caring and a future together. For a quick little erotic download, it was a tight story and not too shabby. Not quite as good as Key to Me (which was scorching, boiling hot) from Ties That Bind, but I'll definitely read the next one.

Before I can end this tragically shortened Man Love Monday (is it Tuesday yet?), Sula and are in disagreement over the pronunciation of Jet's last name. I read Michaels...and Sula, el smarty pants-o, reads Mickles. I refuse to believe that there is an m/m erotic author who's name rhymes with Pickles....so, Jet, enquiring minds want to know. Is this some derivative of Michael? Yes? I'm right. Right?

complainer

2008-02-26T02:13:53Z

Soooo, remember that thing I said about redundancy and not posting the same thing in two places? Hm. I may take it back.

SHIT day. Just unbelievable in the sheer volume of things NOT accomplished due to vicodin. I had to keep waiting for it to wear off so I could drive my child places. Clutching my breast and groping myself while driving. I had this beautiful moment when I realized I was feeling myself up in the parent line at 3 at the school. Phone to one ear and my hand down my shirt through the neck , I was trying to see if my incisions were 'hot". Dumb nurse should have known I was in public. I certainly didn't. Well, not until that car drove past....

Manlove Monday. What was I thinking? Bagged it though. Sort of slid into the plate bottom of the 9th and all that crap. Go team.

One of those thingies.

2008-02-23T16:58:33Z

You Are Cilantro

The bad news is that there are some people who can't stand you.

The good news is that most people love you more than anything else in the world.

You are distinct, unusual, fresh, and very controversial. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

What Spice Are You?

I'd like to state, for the record, that I'm not one for this sort of thing. Or meme's. Or tag thingies. But it hit the mark with "some people can't stand you" . I had to had to had to post it. So true. I can be hyper. I can be shallow. I am sometimes a tad outrageous. But, yeah, I'm cilantro. Who knew?

I was told I could do this. Seems like cheating to me.

2008-02-22T17:50:09Z

I don't plan on having a duplicate site. There's enough redundancy in my life. But I will post this because, fuck, I want to. Really enjoyed this book and should have stated, somewhere (hind site and all) that The Dark Horse captured a category romance feel while remaining a step (or 6 ) above. Now I'm rubbing my hands together trying to think of an appropriate category title for the book.

The Officer's Moviestar Boyfriend
The Moviestar's Smoking Hawt Bodyguard Boyfriend
The Troubled Moviestar's Forceful Man

Ok. I totally suck at that, but you get the drift. Also, statement of fact, I suck at spelling and editing as well. Why do I write???????

Anywho: Here it is.

I bought The Dark Horse the other night in a festival of all that is master card. It was the only Lanyon book over at Loose-Id I hadn't yet read, and you know how it goes when you're systematically reading through someone's backlist. You start to notice patterns, hear the same voice, things get a little repetitive. Books become indistinguishable. Damn. He made it sound like a naughty download! I was under the impression that this book was smuttier, dirtier, more romantica and less plot and character driven.

I waited to buy it. I'm a dummy.

So this is the story about a recently stalked and terrified gay actor and the cop assigned to protect him. The openly gay, older (heh), experienced and wicked masculine Dan, mmm, has made the move from Sean's protector to Sean's lover . The book opens after the stalker has been killed in an auto accident and Dan and Sean are tentatively beginning their relationship. Dan has moved into Sean's place and the two of them are feeling their way into each others lives.

Sean is lovely, though fragile. Scared and scarred. He has twice recovered from depression and this underlying fear of reoccurrence haunts Sean, Dan, and Sean's manager (and former love) Steve. Sean's voice is clear, honest, fearful, angry and determined. The first person POV should be limiting, but Sean's internal conversation reveals much about those around him. Especially Dan. I'm sure I know who the bad guy is and what not...but as usual I'm captivated by Josh's ability to delve into the mind of his main character.

Sean is hell bent on landing the role of Laurie in a movie adaptation of the book The Charioteer a, and shit I know I'm saying this badly, gay classic ( and I say that wincing, but I'm not sure how else to phrase it. So feel free to smack me upside the head). The book resonates in Sean, and became an anchor for him in a deeply troubling period in his life. I have to wonder if it did to Josh as well. You can feel something bigger here. But perhaps that's simply a product of good story telling. I can't tell you enough how smart this writer is. I honestly thought Dark Horse was either a porno movie reference (ok ok. I'm a skank.) or it was a hot cowboy novel. But no. Dark Horse enchanted me from the moment Sean begins to describe The Charioteer.

"Who does he choose?"

"He chooses the dark horse. He chooses life with all its complexities and contradictions and disappointments and...delights." I half-swallowed on the last word, surprising myself by my own intensity. I tried to explain, "I read it when I was....ill."

I met Dan's eyes. In the wavering candlelight his gaze was attentive, understanding. I had to look away. Maybe it would have been easier if he had just laughed.
......
I nodded. "It...helped. the book, I mean. It helped a lot. It convinced me that there were people out there like me. Men like me. And that they were decent and honorable and courageous, not the warped diseased things that my parents believed in."

God, how much had I drunk? I couldn't believe I'd told him that. I wished he would say something. I felt naked: I had said too much. I shrugged. "I can't put it into words. It struck a chord with me. It struck a chord with a lot of people. It's considered a classic."
"I'll have to read it one of these days." He covered my hand with his.
"Or maybe you can just see the movie." Belatedly I was the one trying for lightness.
"I'll be there in the front row."

It's spare and still rich in emotion. Josh has an ability to rise above the sexual content and expose the very heart of a character. I realized 3/4 of the way into this book (duh me) that the themes within The Charioteer run parallel to the story line. Forgive me for underestimating it. Cripes, it's just a little dirty download, right???? The Dark Horse wasn't an either/or. Both of these men are the dark horse, having to reach beyond their past, their expectations, their inability to trust, their unwillingness to be vulnerable, to show their true selves...and finally, at the end of this book, they make love (man style) for the first "real" time. Inside Sean's battered mind and trembling body, with Dan in control, we glipse exquisite eroticism and haunting beauty. Real romance.

Because this book is short, the romatic suspense and the availability of multiple in depth characters is limited. I wish we'd had more suspects lounging about, because I knew instinctively what was going on. And there were moments when Sean was a tad TSTL to not see it. I thought, are you kidding? There he is!!!! HE'S RIGHT THERE!!! Goddamn it. Don't listen to that fucker! Are you stupid??? But it's tight. Josh doesn't put in anything that isn't necessary to the story. He doesn't fuck around with red herrings and fluff. He's delivering emotion. I don't know if that's his intent...I mean, what do I know? But that's how it read to me.

Garh. He makes me crazy cuz it's sooooo good, but so goddamn atypical of what's out there. His stories never end with a wedding, baby, ring, sashaying down the lane hand in hand with song birds and the blooms of spring. They end manly. With a smile in the dark. A pithy comment. They end on the sweet breath of relief and the slightest inkling of hope but no guarantee.

Thumbs Up. More. More. More. And if I don't find something to bitch about soon, I'm going to lose all credibility.

On a totally separate and personal note: My oldest was Adelaide in Guys and Dolls last night and she brought down the fucking house in a brilliant ad lib that garnered her minutes and minutes of uncontrollable laughter by parents, students, faculty, cast and crew. I keep thinking that stupid line "My heart is full." Way to end your high school drama career with a bang, sugar. You rock.

First Post for the Two of You

2008-02-21T19:07:42Z

I hate detest despise and loath live journal. It eats my words and fucks with my mind and makes me wonder if there is sinister intent here. I have yet to post something anywhere on LJ that isn't in some capacity screwed up. My name, my photo, my content, my mail, my comments...evil.

Damn you.

On a brighter note, there are nekkid cowboys on my blog. Woot!