Another sequel

As I just said, my reading has become a bunch of sequels. Kate Jacobs wrote another. "Knit the Season" is the fourth in her series. I think the first was still the best but she's keeping it going. It all started with a dream of a woman named Georgia Walker who wanted her own knit shop. She had always loved knitting and she learned from her grandmother in Scotland. She was extremely good and designed beautiful patterns for knit gowns. She had a daughter who she raised alone and it wasn't until years later that the father came back into her life. The knit shop had many regular customers and they created a knitting club which meets on Friday nights. It's more than just a learn how to knit group. They became close friends and shared life changing events. The first novel saw the demise of Georgia Walker to cancer and from there we've watched all the others, including her daughter change and grow, always thinking and remembering their friend Georgia. New changes were brought about in this novel. I'm not sure how much longer Kate Jacobs can continue this format and keep it interesting. Might be time to bring the knitting group to a close.

More sequels

It's beginning to look like all I read are sequels. Clive Cussler has written another in his series from the Oregon Files. This one is "The Silent Sea." These are a little different from his NUMA series. This is about a ship that has been overhauled to look rusted and ruined on the outside but inside it is a modern wonder of technology. The corporation that runs the ship does "jobs" for countries around the world, including the US. These are jobs that need to be done without the world in general knowing about them. This job was many fold. Started as a rush to Argentina to find a satelite that was possibly shot down and needed to be recovered for the US. That leads to the discovery of a blimp that was flown and came down in Argentina in the 1940's. In the process of notifying the next of kin, the background for a treasure hunt came about which lead the corporation on a mission to the Anartica to save it from a combined Argentina/China takeover there. I love the adventures!

Three days off from work and I'm ecstatic! That hasn't happened in ages and especially since I became full time. Don't try to pry me off the couch! Another big decision was made this week and I put my real estate license in escrow. 19 years ago I became one and it was time to give it up. No regrets!

Another success

James Patterson's latest book in the Maximum Ride series is "Fang." I know it's for teenagers but I enjoy them and that's that. This one was back on par and I'm looking forward to next March and the next release. Hope I can remember what happened in this one by then. The bird kids are growing older and things are changing!

Replenishing my stash

I got a shipment of books from Amazon and I'm feeling good about it. Finished Harlan Coben's "Just One Look." Very good read! He's definitely up there with my favorites. This one was about a woman who 15 years ago had suffered a terrible accident at a rock concert that left her with a limp and no memory of that time other than what she read and was told. She married a wonderful man and had two children since then but suddenly her world is turned upside down with a photo of her husband and 4 other people from many years ago. When she confronts him, he disappears from the house and does not return. Kidnapping, murder and intrigue are all included in this great novel.

Went to the doctor yesterday. I got an EKG while there; I'm scheduled for a stress test, a visit with an Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor, an endoscope, a colonoscopy and blood work. Gee! The works! Guess you shouldn't mention to your doctor that you're having shortness of breath and chest pains. The other things are just follow ups from the stomach polyps from years ago.

Having dinner with my old friend from Michigan tonight. I had all day today to spend with her but somehow we're just doing dinner. Left me time to fight with AT&T over my internet connection. I had difficulty recently with a credit card and the possibility of fraud so they cancelled it and replaced it. Unfortunately my internet was automatically paid for with that card so I got an email telling me that I needed to contact them with a new credit card number by the end of the week (today). I started with the number they sent and that was the mid-west who transferred me to New England, then to Texas, then the south. I then was given what I was assured was the correct number which put me on hold automatically for at least 60 minutes and ended up being 2 hours of Kenny G music. This happened many times over the last few days with no one answering. Last night I lost internet connection so I called tech support. "Hello India!" Four more calls and I was given another number to try for my billing and never did get reconnected to the internet. After three more attempts this morning and another hour and a half of Kenny G, I got a real live person who informed me that he wasn't the person I needed to talk to. He transferred me once again and this person actually (all India, all the time) was able to get the bill straightened out. Back to tech support and I need to thank "Glenn" for his knowledge in getting me back on line. I will never listen to Kenny G again and as for AT&T, you definitely are not the company you used to be and I'm sorry to have to deal with you. If I weren't fond of my email address and the fact that I have had it for 14 years I would have dumped them through this whole fiasco.

More sequels

This is the sixth book by Lauren Willig in her sequels. "The Betrayal of the Blood Lily" was interesting but she has to be running out of spies from the late 1700's to 1800's. This one was set in India where one of her characters from a previous novel (that's what she always does) is involved in a plot to uncover a French spy. Being English, that is the most important thing to do. Each of these spies is named after a flower and this time they caught "the Marigold." I have know idea why the title is Blood Lily! Oh well! It's a cute book with a cute story, set in a time that I enjoy reading about. Since I've invested time in reading all the others then I will continue to read the rest.

Looking forward to a visit this week from my friend from Michigan. We only get to see each other once a year and this is the week. This is the first time I've had to work most of her visit and that won't be good but unfortunately she didn't give me ample notice so that I could request time off. She's the one friend that I can be almost certain that I'll have an email from at least several times a week if not several times a day.

Spring is coming

The snow is pretty much melted and the flowers are starting to peek through. Temps have been pretty mild and it looks like spring is coming. Kind of feel like there should be more.

I haven't had much time to read. As I've said before, the job is cutting into my reading time. I've got tons of books on pre-order. Lots of releases coming soon. Sure would like to have some time off to catch up. I need to catch up on cleaning, too.

My friend from Michigan is coming to visit next week. Unfortunately I won't have a lot of time off to spend with her. A day off at the end of the week might get us a lunch or dinner. We only see each other once a year when her husband comes back to PA for a newspaper convention.

Haven't seen much of my family either. Hoping that changes soon, too!

Disappointed

Next to Elizabeth Berg, I'm so into Jodi Picoult's novels. I wait every March for her latest and drop everything to read it. "House Rules" didn't jump right out at me. It took till page 96 to get me hooked and then I carried it everywhere to snatch those precious reading moments. On the last page I was left lacking. The novel is about a boy with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. He's obsessed with forensic science and that obsession leads to him ending up on trial for a murder. I won't go into more detail since it's still a good book, just not the ending that I would have preferred.