TRAGIC NEWS

Btw (which means "by the way" for those not in the know), K is on vacation...but don't worry, she's coming back on Monday! Hilariousness promises to ensue. She left us (aka, The Runners) very detailed instructions on how to handle Her Lists (and yes, they do deserve to be capitalized), and let us just say...we haven't followed the instructions at all.

What can I say? I do love it when she gives me the silent treatment.

And while dear K has been away and The Runners have been at play (sorry I had to), she has made sure to check up on us. The following was received via mass text last Friday:

Hey run nerss what is up i love you

It looked exactly like that too. The male runners were a little alarmed by the emotions being expressed. I was a little alarmed by the incorrect use of the space key. Of course, none of us replied...but that hasn't stopped her yet!

And as a little teaser to keep you all diligently checking back:

The story behind this picture will be told in the next post!

I ALWAYS judge a book by its cover...

One of the many, many things I love about summer (besides from working a job that provides me with tons of comic fodder) is having time to read. O yes. I love to read. And not only do I love to read, I love to read...a lot. And what, might you ask, do I like to read? Why, that's easy: trashy novels and vampire books. O yes. Summer is not a time to read educational novels. Summer is not a time to expand your mind. Summer is a time to pick out books based on how lickable the abs of the guy on the cover are compared to how many times the words "forbidden" and "love" and "vampire" are mentioned on the back. You know what I'm talking about. Forget the old book cover adage; I prefer to live by a different book-choosing motto: if I start drooling over the guy/coveting the dress/wondering how exactly one gets that many muscles in their back, I'm reading it. Because there are several key literary themes that covers with said images are sure to include:

- Romance (obvi...I mean, come on.)

- Historical romance (I do love reading about chaperoned walks in Hyde Park...

- Sex (I have to have something to read aloud to Healy!)

- Drama (something dramatic is usually the pivotal point in these books)

- Bad boys (Hellooooo, everyone loves a dark hero who oozes sex appeal)

And just to prove that I am right (though I don't know why I bother, everyone knows I'm ALWAYS right), I am including some of my faves as recommendations...complete with covers:


Eternal Hunter

Cynthia Eden


Assistant DA Erin meets bounty hunter Jude when her new case starts to look personal (a creepy stalker is leaving her "gifts" in the form of dead people). But wait- Jude is a Shifter (he can turn in to a tiger...not really fair for the other bounty hunters, huh?)...and Erin is too! She just doesn't want anyone to know. Sparks fly, lust and love blossom, abs get licked...everything the cover promises and more occurs...all in under 250 pages!


*Warning: this book is actually pretty steamy. Avoid reading around people you have to face on a daily basis.


The Lost Duke of Wyndham

Julia Quinn



Jack Audley is a highway...and a damn fine one to boot. Grace Eversleigh works as the companion to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham. Jack just so happens to hold their carriage up one night as they are traveling home from a ball. The dowager Duchess immediately recognizes him and claims he is her long-lost grandson...and sets out to prove it by kidnapping him, dragging him back to the estate, and pulling out an old portrait of his father. Too bad her OTHER grandson, who is currently the Duke, would be younger than Jack...meaning Jack should be the Duke. On the journey to prove that he is legitimate (these things matter in old timey England), Jack and Grace can't seem to keep away from each other. Despite issues and all that (Grace doesn't think she's good enough for Jack if he is the Duke, Jack blames himself for the death of his cousin, yada yada yada), everything works out quite nicely for the pair. It really is a very well written, original book...and the cover did not disappoint (I'll be robbed by him any day).


Perfect Chemistry

Simone Elkeles

Now, this cover doesn't quite fit my norm, but it still sort of grabs you, ya know? In this book (which is one of my faves), Brittany is a white, rich girl struggling to live up to her parent's expectations while keeping them from sending her sister, who has down syndrome, away (perfection is a big issue with them, and the sister just doesn't fit that mold). Alex is a poor, Mexican boy who joined a gang in order to protect his family; they've been struggling since their father was murdered in front of Alex when he was young. The two attend the same high school, where they don't hang out in the same circles at all..until they end up being chemistry lab partners. After a chain of events and series of issues (all that fun stuff), the two finally come to realize that some things are worth the hell you go through to get them. It's such a good book: perfect characters, original story, perfect ending...and I got to read it cause I thought the cover looked good.

More books and covers to come! I do enjoy sharing...