True to my word last Saturday, I buzzed over to the library and checked out Rebel Angels, the second in Libba Bray’s Gemma Doyle Trilogy, and I confess, I’ve been shamelessly neglecting housework to work my way through it. Trouble is, once I finish it, I don’t know how long the wait will be for book three: A Sweet, Far Thing. It was published relatively recently, and the library hold times look quite daunting. I could buy it–I saw it at Target earlier this week…and I have a Borders coupon, but then I have Book 3 in hardback, but not Books 1 or 2. To me that’s just weird. If I was going to buy Books 1 and 2, I’d likely buy them in trade paperback, and then I’d have two trade paperbacks and one hardback. Odd. These are the things that fill my mind…

After this I have a little stack of books to get through, including the upcoming release of a fellow RWA’er, Sophie Jordan, for whom I will post a review. Rumors: A Luxe Novel is on hold at the library for me, and I’m trying to work my way through Sense and Sensibility for the very first time. Jane Austen is not an author I can real casually in little snatches. Some of the sentences and paragraphs are so long and intricately involved that I need to secret myself away and read with my full concentration. For me, it’s high maintenance reading, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it any less.

My lowest maintenance reading–my comfort reading–comes in the form of Anne George’s Southern Sisters mysteries. There’s just something about these six or seven books that calm me down. I’ve read them all–many times–but when I just want a quick, funny gulp of a book, I pick these. The amateur sleuths are two spry sisters just a little past their prime, and they’re always tumbling into things (trying to elbow their way out) while having Cokes and stopping for dinner fixin’s at the Piggly Wiggly. Maybe I’m just envious, and I want to be sitting at my own kitchen table eating pretzels and drinking Cokes and logically thinking through a mystery

Rather coincidentally, I was standing at my kitchen island yesterday, drinking RC and downing pretzels… Now I just need a mystery. Like what my next book should be about… I also need a Piggly Wiggly.

Anyone else have a comfort read?

Ever since I bought my boys a magnetic license plate travel game from Target, they have been obsessed. I gave it to them to use on our trip to San Antonio, figuring it would give them something to do in the car, and they jumped right on the challenge, spotting states right and left, encouraging my husband and I to speed up to see that license plate just ahead. They’d only found maybe ten or so when we got to Sea World and hit the mother lode. There we found a little bit of everything, including Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii!!! First of all, who is driving down to Texas from Alaska, and secondly, who is having their car shipped over from Hawaii??? We were all giddy with success. But the game, it seems, is not just for roadtrips, even though the actual board and magnets have become superfluous. My sons still call out their finds with glee and ask to make another loop around the parking lot to ‘just check that one over there’. A few recents finds? Missouri, Michigan, Nevada, and Virginia. We’re low on East Coast states, but yesterday I found a Mexico… Whoo-hoo!

Why not see what you can find–I challenge you! It is such a rush. (Not really, but it is sort of addictive.)

With the first season of Gilmore Girls on hold for me at the library again, I can’t help but wonder when there’ll be a series that can step up and fill the void left by that snappy, sassy show. A few months ago I did a search on Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show’s writer and producer, and found she had another series in the works. But, always one step behind, I discovered the pilot The Return of Jezebel James had already aired and not been well-received. It was cancelled after three shows.

So now, with the 2008 Fall Season fast approaching, I’m wondering if anything will come close. There’s evidently a new mother-daughter show starring Molly Shannon of Saturday Night Live fame called Kath and Kim. This has potential, but after seeing Ms. Shannon as Catherine Mary Gallagher, Catholic school girl, with her hands in her armpits, I’m not sure I can see her any other way. There is also a show termed The Office Spinoff (I’m hoping that’s a place-holder for a yet-to-be-determined jazzy name) that is, well, a spinoff of The Office.

Honestly, I think the show that most closely resembles the quick-draw back-and-forth, perfectly choreographed beauty of the Gilmore Girls is How I Met Your Mother. But no matter how much I love that show, it’s just not the same.