TBR Challenge

This month’s To Be Read Challenge on Angie's Blog was to read a romance series book or a book in a series (since some don’t read for romance series book).

I've chosen a book from The Next series by Harlequin. This book is the first of a series (of three so far) and it does have romance but the relationship developes over the three books. Even though their relationship doesn't end in marriage at the end of this book, you get to see it evolve over the three books. There is closure to each of the mysteries in each book though.


Title: Pelican Bay

Author: Charlotte Douglas

Year Published: 2005

Why did you buy this book?

The name caught my attention as well as the cover.

Do you like the cover?

Yes, I really like the cover cause it was eye catching.

Did you enjoy the book?

I enjoyed this book so much I had to pick up the other two in the series. It’s a mystery series about a woman on a small town police force. She enjoys her job and her friendship with her long time friend (and former partner before she moved and he retired from the force).

In this first book she’s in pursuit of a serial killer and scratching her way through the clues (literally because she seems to be allergic to murder). Each woman that is found dead has started getting her life on track and it makes Maggie look at her own life.

I really enjoyed watching Maggie, her new partner Dave (who seems more like a son to her) and her former partner Bill (who volunteers to help her out) work through the clues to find out who done it…and when you think you have it figured out, you don’t cause there is a real twist to keep you reading until the end.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?

I had read other books by her years ago but it was the first book in the Next series that I read and really enjoyed it. I will definitely buy more. I’m planning on writing the Ms. Douglas to see when the next book in the series will be coming out.

Are you keeping this book or passing it on?

I’m keeping it for rereads.

When did we get so busy?

You don’t have to wait in line at the video store, just order it online. You don’t have to trudge through the grocery store just order it online and drive through so them can load them in your car. You don’t have to browse through the bookstore just reserve the book online and pick it at the front desk…or just order it online for home delivery. Don’t want to shop for clothes or shoes, just order it online and have it delivered to your front door. Dinner on the run, no problem just drive through…don’t want to leave the house, just have dinner delivered instead. Even the library has gone online so you don’t have to search through the stacks looking for the book you want…just reserve the book online and pick it up at the desk.

Is this really the life we want? Or has this just become the acceptable way to rush through our lives?

A week doesn’t go by that you don’t hear about the weight problem people have because they are eating too much fast food. Well did you ever stop to think that we are teaching our kids other bad habits besides not eating healthy?

I’ll be the first one to say standing in line makes me nuts. Inevitably I will end up next to little Johnny…you’ve met a little Johnny I’m sure, he’s the kid that’s whines the whole time you are in line. He whines because he’s not getting the video he really wanted…not that little Johnny’s mommy didn’t try, they just didn’t have it…so mommy is getting 3 other videos to make little Johnny happy. Five minutes in line with little Johnny and you realize he needs a swat on the bottom and his mommy needs a swat as well.

So what did you learn from this other than patients…to appreciate your kids for not carrying on like little Johnny. Your kids saw how annoying little Johnny was and you reinforce that with…you pull a stunt like that any we would leave empty handed…or…he wasn’t acting like a big boy at all was he...

So many choices in the grocery store but how will you teach your kids about making the right choices if they never see you shop? They will grow up believing that all you have to do is drive up to the grocery store and someone will put groceries in your trunk. I know when my son was little it was a great way to talk to him. They say talking helps build their vocabulary…look at all the opportunities you have to talk about what’s around you. As they get older they learn they can’t have every thing they want either due to your budget or it’s just not healthy to have a steady diet of Captain Bob the Train Builder cereal…*G*

What about browsing through those stacks for just the right book…you never know what books you’ll find if you spend time surrounded by them. Are we really doing them a service by running in and grabbing a book at the front desk so we can hurry on to the next stop? What about the book that didn’t catch the attention of the critics or advertisers…could it have caught yours or your child’s attention and made a difference in their day, year or life? By rushing on, have you missed an opportunity to explore something that could have changed your mind?

So maybe next time you are rushing around, take a minute and ask yourself which is more important, what you are rushing too or what you are rushing by?

Well I need to put my soapbox away cause I need to finish cleaning the bathrooms then run to the store to pick up the books I have on hold at the front desk before I pick up my son…no time for supper tonight because of the PTA meeting so it will be the drive through…then I have to….

Guess I’m as guilty as everyone else…*G*…time to stop and smell the life I’m rushing through…

Let’s face it…we’ve all done it but does John Travolta do it?

It’s flash back weekend on a local radio station. They are playing music and passing along trivia from the 70’s and 80’s. Some of the music really brings back some wonderful memories of a young slender body dancing without a care in the world. I loved dancing when I was young and still do but the body isn’t anywhere near as skinny or flexible as was all those years ago. Now I dance while cleaning house or just when I’m standing at the dryer folding clothes. I picture myself dressed in one of the sexy slinky dresses and killer high heels I use to wear out on the dance floor all those years ago. Of course when I open my eyes I’m standing there in an old pair of baggy shorts, a faded t-shirt and barefooted (with my teenager rolling his eyes at his mother dancing around the house).

Which leads me to the question I’ve been pondering all afternoon (after listening to the theme from Saturday Night Fever)…

Does John Travolta dance around the house doing his famous Saturday Night Fever dance routine picturing himself in his famous white suit? If so, what’s running through his mind? Is he remembering how young he was or is he remembering the millions of poster donning walls of all his starry-eyed fans?

This leads me into my next pondering…

When John’s kids see him dancing around the house, do they look at him and roll their eyes? You know what I mean, they look at you, roll their eyes and say “Oh mooommm puleeeze, do you have to do that?” Are they just as incline to think he’s goofy when he hears an old song and can’t help but dance around with the memories? Or do they jump up and dance right along with the fantasy man from years gone by?

Just one of curious thoughts that filled my day…

I don’t know why they insist on pulling me into the next generation of electronics…it’s just going to change again in six months.

My husband has been dragging me into new technology for the past 23 years. He insisted that it was for the best that I give up my manual typewriter for the electric he bought me for Christmas the first year we were married. I loved my old manual but for him I changed (and he was right too but I still haven’t admitted it to him…*ggg*).

Then it was the bulky Tandy computer that would revolutionize my life…oh and the handy boards I could dial up and get tons of recipes from a board he found for me…just think of all the information I’ll be able to get in just a few phone calls.

A few computers later and AOL would open doors that I never dreamed possible. Lots more recipes and people I could chat with about cooking too. Message boards just for romance readers and authors I could chat with as well.

All the while my camera changed from 35mm to a bulky video camera that was a pain in the shoulder (literally) and my vinyls were tucked away so I could listen to cassettes instead but that was ok cause I could get books-on-tape.

Several computers later came the laptop with a ten foot phone cord so it was much easier to chat with all these wonderful friends that I had made online with the same interest in cooking and books.

Soon I was on loops that I checked everyday with a laptop I could sit on the toilet and chat because of the wonderful invention of wireless internet. I’ve gone from paperback books to an ebook reader to a palm pilot to an Axim. I can now check my emails or go online with my PDA instead of the laptop if I so choose.

I have fought getting a walkman CD player because the books-on-tape I have are just that…books on cassette tapes. I will once again loose a lot of my collection like I did when my vinyls became out dated (and you couldn’t by new needles for the stero).

So what are they trying to do to me now?

An MP3 player…and how are they working on me…books on how ever they get them on that little thing the size of a credit card. The man is smart, he got me hooked online by showing me all the wonderful recipes I could find and all the wonderful authors and readers I could chat with on the loops. Now he’s dangling books on an MP3 player to get me to give up my old walkman cassette player and my books on tape (cause that's all I use my walkman for anyway).

And if that wasn’t enough the kid laughs at me because when it comes to technology my smart-aleck teenager knows more than his mom…*sigh*…sad but so very true…*ggg*.

So I guess I’m getting an MP3 player for Christmas…my only question, how long until this becomes obsolete?