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.

August 2008



This Is Why I Love The Daily Show

Sunday, 31 August 2008 8:11 P GMT-05
Category: Entertainment
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Delish Dish

Sunday, 31 August 2008 2:47 P GMT-05
Last night we had some friends over for the evening. My husband made dinner; I cleaned...and made dessert. It was this delish dish: plum clafouti, aka plum flognarde. I can only take credit, though, for the end result as my husband found the recipe.
Category: Personal/Political
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Obama's Convention Speech

Friday, 29 August 2008 2:31 P GMT-05
Category: Personal/Political

Can't Say No

Friday, 29 August 2008 11:34 A GMT-05
I'm always looking for "straight" contemporaries...ones that don't feature a mystery or suspense sub-plot, so when Blythe mentioned this one was available for review, I immediately asked for it. Can't Say No Bette FordGrade: D-Sensuality: Warm It t
Category: Reading

Deadliest Catch

Thursday, 28 August 2008 5:10 P GMT-05
I just realized that almost all the television shows I regularly watch are either on cable, reality or documentary style, or both. The show to most recently catch my eye is Discovery's long-running Deadliest Catch. Right now past seasons are running
Category: Entertainment
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What I've Read, Reviewed, and/or Am Currently Reading

Tuesday, 26 August 2008 6:55 P GMT-05
It's been a while since I've actually written about the books I'm reading here on the blog as opposed to writing full reviews at All About Romance, but I'm going to try and change that today. I will say, though, that reviews for these three books are
Category: Reading
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Tweed

Saturday, 23 August 2008 5:33 P GMT-05
I tend to head into a panic when the stores start to sell fall clothing and there's something I need but don't have...and can't find. Last year it was corduroy pants. This year it's a new tweed menswear-style jacket/blazer. The one I've worn for the
Category: Personal/Political
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Sixth Anniversary of LLB's Blog

Friday, 22 August 2008 12:00 A GMT-05
It just so happens that today is the sixth anniversary of my first blog entry. Hard to believe, I know, that I've spent six years sharing a great deal of personal minutae in addition to sharing news both big and small and views both ridiculous and se
Category: Personal/Political Blogging
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Nothing To Read? Pretty Much

Tuesday, 12 August 2008 4:34 P GMT-05
Over the weekend I received from Blythe Marjorie Liu's latest Dirk & Steele book, which I read and just reviewed (Cheryl will likely edit it tonight). Blythe sent out, probably yesterday or Saturday, several new books for me to review, but they're n
Category: Reading
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Please, Sir, I Want Some More

Tuesday, 12 August 2008 12:00 A GMT-05
The theme of my new At the Back Fence column is honor. As I wrote in the ATBF, the hero of Madeline Hunter's The Rules of Seduction is a new favorite hero, and mainly because of his incredibly strong sense of honor. The other hero I mentioned in the
Category: Reading

Today at AAR...

Monday, 11 August 2008 12:49 P GMT-05
Yahoogroups seems to be experiencing difficulties today (naturally, since it's a Monday and the new ATBF went online and it's one of my ATBFs...). As a result, the newsletter sent out to thousands of AAR's readers has not been delivered for several h
Category: AAR

I Can't Believe He Did That! (video added)

Sunday, 10 August 2008 12:09 P GMT-05
It's late here and I need to sign off for the night, but before I do, let me just say that tonight's Mad Men episode shocked the hell out of me. It wasn't Betty telling the fawning young horseman that no, she's not sad...she's Nordic. Spoiler The ma
Category: Entertainment

Please...keep it in your pants!

Friday, 8 August 2008 4:37 P GMT-05
I thought that after Gary Hart and Bill Clinton, presidential candidates would have learned to keep in their pants. Apparently not. John Edwards just came clean and admitted that he'd had an affair. According to sources, his wife knew of the affair a
Category: Personal/Political
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From Dead to Worse (and a bit on Madeline Hunter)

Friday, 8 August 2008 4:12 P GMT-05
My review for this one is now online at AAR. As is most likely the case recently, I read it on my Kindle. From Dead to Worse Charlaine Harris Grade: B+ Sensuality: Subtle Next up? Well, earlier in the week I read Madeline Hunter's Secrets to Surren
Category: Reading
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Wicked as Sin and Billionaire's Marriage Bargain

Wednesday, 6 August 2008 3:24 P GMT-05
My reviews for Jillian Hunter and Leanne Banks' latest books went online at AAR yesterday and today. I read both on my Kindle...still loving it. As for Richard Cohen recently in the Washington Post (courtesy of my husband)? Luddite!
Category: Reading AAR

The New Facebook Interface

Tuesday, 5 August 2008 6:13 P GMT-05
I braved the new facebook interface this afternoon. I wish there were more tabs visable, but did organize as best I could, and also added a Dale Chihuly photobook. TTFN, Laurie Likes Books
Category: Internet
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Lovebitten.net, a True Blood Tie-In

Tuesday, 5 August 2008 12:00 A GMT-05
Category: Entertainment

Stoked about Sookie?

Monday, 4 August 2008 5:56 P GMT-05
An article in this Sunday's New York Times (we've stopped getting our local paper altogether and get the NYT on Friday through Sunday each week to supplement our online news reading) about the upcoming serialization of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vamp
Category: Reading Entertainment
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My 2008 Reading, in Graph Form

Monday, 4 August 2008 2:02 P GMT-05
Category: Reading
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