Thursday, December 14, 2006

Nalini Singh's Simply Fantastic Book - 4 Stars!!

Last night I read Nalini Singh's SLAVE TO SENSATION.

Wow.

Wowie-wow-wow-WOW!

I couldn't put it down. It is EXACTLY what I love in a paranormal/fantasy thriller - shoot, in any book no matter the genre. The conflict in the novel was well crafted and suspenseful. The hero and heroine were interesting, stayed true to character, behaved in logical ways. I don't mean that they didn't do anything illogical, but every action seemed well-motivated and legitimate. These were intelligent people who didn't become stupid because the author needed to put them in jeopardy for some plot point. Singh does not disappoint. And let me tell you, I've been disappointed by 2 books in the last 3 weeks, so I was praying that the hype I have been reading about Singh was legitimate. It is MORE than legitimate.
Did I mention that Lucas Hunter, the hero, is hot? He's a changeling, part leopard, part human. Very sensual and emotional. The heroine, Sascha Duncan, is a Psy. Her people are like Vulcans - complete emotional control to the point of appearing robotic, run purely on logic. Except Sascha has always been very emotional and has had to hide this by building mental defenses. Now, though, she is on the verge of collapse, finding it harder to control her emotions. When she meets Lucas Hunter, a man who exudes sex as well as loyalty and love for his pack, those mental barriers are weakened. He represents all that she has never had and has always longed for.
Sacha has to get herself under control, for the penalty in her world for emotions is severe. But Lucas is on the hunt for a Psy serial killer, and to get what he needs, he has to push her to the limit.
It's a truly fun book to read - and I don't mean that in any trivial way. This book delighted me on many levels, and provided a wonderful reprieve from the essays and exams I've been grading.

If you love paranormal romance, then you really should read this book.
Saturday, December 09, 2006

Appleby's and Cosmopolitans

I have just discovered Cosmopolitans, and they are delicious!! I was having dinner with some friends at Appleby's (this time our waiter did not ask my friends to clean my plate or finish my drink), and decided to take a chance and order a drink I've never had. Yum! Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 oz vodka; 3/4 oz triple sec; 3/4 oz cranberry juice; 1 oz fresh lime juice. Pour the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice and lime juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.

This is just as good as my previous find, the Mojito.

3 fresh mint sprigs; 2 tsp sugar; 3 tbsp fresh lime juice; 1 1/2 oz light rumclub soda. In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lemon slice and the remaining mint, and serve.

Both of these drinks are tart and light. And they are both beautiful as well. The light pink of the cosmo in the martini glass, and the cool green of the mojito are aesthetically pleasing to me, which always is half the delight in drinking and eating.

On a related note, I have also discovered the Frappucino's at Starbucks. Oh lord, but those are tasty. Thankfully, I'm not a coffee freak, so I won't be tempted to buy these too often. Today, though, after a second day of Christmas shopping, I really needed a shot of caffeine. The mocha frappucino certainly did the trick.

And you wouldn't believe the buys I got at Wall's. Lotsa people gonna be verra-verra happy at Christmas time.