What was begun as an online journal of the books I read evolved...or maybe it devolved...to also feature behind the scenes goings-on at All About Romance from my perspective (mostly based on my personal feelings - okay, it's a personal pity party); topics I've gone over ad nauseum in commentary at AAR, including the nature of reviews and online behavior; and my non-cyber life (including family and items in pop culture that capture my interest, which is just about everything).

Please do not violate my trust. I restricted certain AAR-related and personal entries for a reason...to keep them as private as possible. Now that my blog is read-only, to access restricted entries you must already have a password; if you do, hold onto it so that you can continue to read restricted entries.

This blog is not part of All About Romance. I ask that you keep comments or questions regarding restricted blog content off of AAR.

Below you'll find the blogs I visit, broken out in my own odd little system of categories.

October 2007



The War

Tuesday, 30 October 2007 11:23 A GMT-05
I'm in the middle of my seemingly annual fall bronchitis, and over the last two days in bed have finished watching the final episodes of Ken Burns' masterful epic, <http://www.pbs.org/thewar/" target="_blank">The War I'm writing about it now, f
Category: Personal/Political
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Gambler's Woman

Friday, 26 October 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Gambler's Woman Jayne Ann Krentz writing as Stephanie James Grade: F Sensuality: Warm Jayne Ann Krentz aka Amanda Quick has long been one of my go-to comfort read authors. When I last blogged about her nearly five years ago, I wrote: "She's an excell
Category: Reading
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To Catch a Cheat

Thursday, 25 October 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
To Catch a Cheat Kelley St. John Grade: B Sensuality: Hot This is the second book by St. John that I've read, and both have earned grades of "B" from me. Last year I wrote about Real Women Don't Wear Size 2; the bottom line was that it required a go
Category: Reading

Janis Spindel, author of How To Date Men

Wednesday, 24 October 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Not long ago I received an email from Plume Books regarding How To Date Men, a new book written by match-making maven Janis Spindel. After Spindel matched fourteen couples who in one year all got married, she told her husband it was time for a change
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This Man's a Genius...Well, Duh!

Tuesday, 23 October 2007 3:55 P GMT-05
Category: Entertainment

I Am a Man

Sunday, 21 October 2007 12:49 P GMT-05
The photographer Ernest Withers died last week. He became famous for his work documenting the Civil Rights Movement. I believe this is his most powerful photograph. Whether or not you're familiar with Withers, how does this picture strike youk? TTFN
Category: Personal/Political
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Update: AAR Aid and Top 100 Romances Poll

Thursday, 18 October 2007 3:03 P GMT-05
I just tabulated the total amount in bids we've received in AAR Aid, and can I say how disappointed I am? The grand total is just over $1,500.00, and it looks doubtful to me as though we'll make our goal in the six+ days left before the bidding ends.
Category: Reading AAR
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Only You

Tuesday, 16 October 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Only YouFrancis RayGrade: C+Sensuality: WarmThe "bones" to this story are better than my grade reflects. The basic premise and grown-up lead characters work well, but the author over-emphasized the trappings of wealth, created a set of brothers for
Category: Reading

Ice Storm

Monday, 15 October 2007 12:00 A GMT-05
Ice StormAnne StuartGrade: A-Sensuality: Hot I can probably count on one hand the number of times a fourth book in a series has lived up to my expectations...this one does. I've often written about Anne Stuart's heroes, and how I think she must have
Category: Reading
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My Top 100 Romances Ballot

Wednesday, 10 October 2007 7:58 P GMT-05
Well, it took the better part of three days to compile my top 100 romances list for our poll, but I just submitted my ballot. I know I could have continued to tweak it for days, but I'm okay with it as is...unless, of course, I decide to change it ag
Category: Reading AAR
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Top Tens: Romantic Suspense and Frontier/Westerns

Friday, 5 October 2007 1:25 P GMT-05
Today we posted the results in our three most recent top ten polls; for AAR readers' top ten chick lit titles, top ten romantic suspense novels, and top ten frontier/western historicals. Because all my favorite chick lit books are chick lit for teen
Category: Reading AAR
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Fun with food

Tuesday, 2 October 2007 5:31 P GMT-05
I may not be eating much food these days, but I still enjoy watching chefs cook. And Saturday afternoon my husband and I experienced one of those moments of "pure joy" I wrote about this summer in At the Back Fence. PBS is running a show called How

Chuck...LOST?

Monday, 1 October 2007 7:24 P GMT-05
Did anyone catch the LOST reference on the second episode of NBC's new show Chuck. Chuck hasn't had a girlfriend since college, when his roommate stole his girlfriend. It's been several years, and now the good-looking-in-a-nerd-esque kind of way Chu
Category: Entertainment
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Big Day!

Monday, 1 October 2007 3:37 P GMT-05
Gosh...it's three in the afternoon, and I'm almost ready for bed! So much energy went into today at AAR, even if all of the work was accomplished days ago, or by other people. We've got so many projects going right now that it's hard for me to keep t
Category: Reading AAR Personal/Political Blogging Internet
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