The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Hello everyone.  I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. We don't go out to celebrate but I did receive a huge heart shaped box of chocolates and a dozen roses. I get a fair number of flowers. I used to receive them for it being a Wednesday, not so much anymore. However, hubby never forgets any special day and, despite my objection and insistence that there are cheaper places, always gets beautiful and long-lasting flowers from the florist, who does a great job.

I know I joke my husband a lot. It is kind of our thing. As a side note, when we were at our "pre-marital counseling" at the church where we were to be married, we argued about who was funnier leaving the preacher smiling and shaking her head (yes, a woman). At our wedding reception, the minister looked at my mom and said "they'll be fine, no doubts." The minister is retired now but I have often thought of sending her a photo of that day and telling her we are still indeed together. Anyway, hubby is a romantic. In fact, I could have you sitting here all day with examples but one of the first displays of his overall cuteness was on our first anniversary. Our wedding color was pink, meaning the flowers and bridesmaids wore pale pink. Don't shake your head, it was a spring wedding. What color did you feature, tartan plaid? So I am at the office, and in he walks with one hundred pink roses in his arms. Every woman in the whole office swooned....honestly, I think you could feel the building sway. See men, all those years later and I still remember.

Not all romantic gestures have been as elaborate or costly as a gazillion roses. Several times he has purchased a package of kiddie Valentines and written a memory on the back of each. Once they were all sealed in the envelopes to be explored and another time they were a heart speared by cupid's pixie stick and hidden all over the house. Yeah, he's a keeper.

So for some timely, holiday appropriate reading I just finished a romance novel called The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Before you go thinking this is any quick hit little story, I'll tell you it is a full on novel of over 360 pages. The premise is two higher-end employees at a publishing company (of all places) hate each other and are about to compete for a single job promotion. One will essentially become the other's boss. Well, that would certainly be annoying. The characters go to a few locations, apartments and such, but the story is basically all about the dialog, which is well done. The banter is witty, quick and sarcastic. Hey, who among us is not aroused by a little sarcasm?  Seriously, it is well done. Now while this story does not push forward at breakneck speed like my beloved thrillers, it isn't one of those read ten pages and pick in up in three months, either. The story will definitely call to you. Is this my all time favorite book? No. Is it likely to be in this year's top ten? No. Is it a nice romantic comedy that I am glad I read? Absolutely. If you are a romance lover, you will surely want to add this to your "to be read" list.

Incidentally, the way The Hating Game relies heavily on dialog reminds me of Nicola Niemc's Addicted to Love. So if you love The Hating Game, you might want to give Nicola's book a go. In either case, reading with the smell of roses wafting through the air is highly recommended.

For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt

Hello everyone.

 Long time since we've been here. I was very fortunate to get to go on a business trip with my husband. He developed a new process for the company he works for and he is actually being awarded a patent for it. Can you believe it? My hubby, an inventor!  I wish he could invent something for me like a dust-free house or something that makes all the clutter go away. Geez, ever look around and swear there is something on every single surface of your house? I don't mean something decorative but something that doesn't belong there. That is how my house is right now and it really gets on my nerves. We have almost 4,000 square feet for two people there is no excuse for so much junk...or beloved belongings without a home. Still, a home, full of stuff or maintained by a neat-nick that I strive to be, is a wonderful thing. A home is someplace you can relax, heal, reenergize, think and plan. I suppose at its most basic it is shelter and safety. What happens though when you learn that someone that you thought was your safety net may not be or when someone you love tells you something terrible has happened to them? You spend that cocooning time in your home with doubt and with constant unease, those annoying butterflies in your stomach. Beautiful to look at, not so nice for lunch.

The feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty is at the center of the book For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt. The book blurb tells you about a married couple that met in law school and discussed how to get away with murder. Now for the record, I met my darling, inventor husband in college and I can assure you we did NOT discuss murder. So from the beginning, the story grabs your attention, unless of course murder talk is your primo dating move, then you'll likely be bored. As the story moves on, something bad happens to this lawyerly couple's son. Now, I don't usually restate book info but this story, a thriller, asks a question that if I was a mom, what would I do?  I don't know how I would answer. If someone hurt your child what would you do? What if they were going to be in a position to do it again, even if you remove your child from the situation this person could hurt someone else? What would you do? Forgetting what is legal, what do you morally do? I'm telling you honestly that if it were me, I don't know. I would like to think I'd handle something terrible with a dignified grace and have forgiveness, but...but...someone you love dearly is hurt on purpose. I don't know but I really doubt I would be able to control myself. Which, let's face it, is stupid, I'd end up in jail and the situation would just get worse. In this story, these parents are faced with that decision. This could make for a heartbreaking story, well it is, but Margot Hunt also makes it into a heart racing thriller. Nothing is ever as simple as it looks, as the couple in this novel quickly find out.

This book is quick paced, stays on the plot with quite the roller coaster ride. It even has a good to the last drop ending.

We Hope For Better Things

Hello everyone. Hope you are having a good day.

Part of my life as an average, everyday housewife, is dealing with an average, everyday husband. Now, I've known my husband for gosh more than thirty years. (no age comments) Wow, I am overdue for a halo, seriously! Anyway, despite this long time together and knowing all his quirks and having heard endless (and I mean endless) "guy" stories, I still don't get men.  Let's start with the guy stories, why are they so often about air coming out of some part of the body at some inappropriate time? Why do they seem to suffer from hearing loss when certain topics are brought up?  And why, please someone tell me why, they notice and comment on the breast size of every woman they see? Men, let me give you some valuable advice, we don't care what you think about the breasts of the woman on the panel giving commentary on CNN. You know they might be talking about some apocalyptic event, but all we hear is "wow, she's got a nice set". Honestly, I shake my head.

What brings up hubby talk? I told you we received a new gaming system for Christmas. He is playing some military game, he is on the beach at D-Day and then fight against the Germans in World War II. So, I hear endless gun fire, only to have it silenced by his loud cussing. I say "if you're not enjoying this we can return it."  No, he wants to play. Now, two hours later, I hear the game talking amongst the gun fire, and hubby talking back to the characters, saying things like "I can't find the amo, is this a budget cut?" Then more cursing, by both him and the game, yes, the game curses too. I remind him he must go to the office tomorrow, doesn't he believe it would be wise to start thinking about going to bed, no, he has to play a big longer. Again, with the head shaking. Men are giving me a neck ache! As we all know, all women are perfect in every way. Now that I've insulted half the population perhaps we should talk about a book. A story that discusses differences not between men and women but in race.

I recently received a copy of We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels. This book is remarkable and beautiful and haunting and.....and.....I don't know. I can't think of an adequate way of describing it. This story follows a house outside Detroit that has three generations of the family live in it for different reasons and at different times. One thing they all have in common is that all three of the women are white and fall in love with an African-American man. One takes place during the civil war, one in the 1960's and one in present time. They each have their own story line and, of course, they intertwine. The telling of each of these characters lives is really interesting but the point is really to show how racism has changed and not changed. It shows how love can be anywhere, with anyone...an inter-racial marriage, mother and child or between aunt and niece. The chapters are short and it changes between time periods frequently. For those who don't like that kind of change, please know that is it smoothly done and not irritating. Also, know that this book touches on racism and police brutality but does not preach. I promise you will not feel like you are reading some kid's history paper or being lectured to. This is simply a perfectly told story from start to finish.

I have one problem with this book. I regret that I read it so early in the year as I fear it will be my favorite for the entire year and, if that is the case, then I have nothing to look forward to that can beat it. Okay, I am willing to look and read for something better, but this book was incredible.