January Recap

I cannotfreaking believe that the end of January is already here.  At this rate 2012 is going to pass evenfaster than the previous year.  Januarywas a very crazy month filled with upheaval so I apologize now for not updatingmore often.  I have scoliosis andstarting around the beginning of December the pain got to be constant.  Then a had a few days in the 2ndweek of January where I couldn't even walk, sitting up for the next week waseven painful.  Now after several weeks ofchiro appointments I'm pain free unless I'm on the bus.  After 90 minutes of bouncing and jostling,even with wearing a brace, I'm usually achy. I hope that will ease off soon too. It usually comes and goes in stages and only gets really bad every twoyears or so.Then a littleover a week ago I had to call an ambulance for my husband.  He'd been sick awhile, recovering frombronchitis and his bounce-back was slower than we'd both wished.  He'd had an appointment with his doctor thenext week for a follow up when he came to me with swelling in his legs.  Terrible swelling.  One of them looked like a Lincoln Log.  There was absolutely no definition to hisknee or ankle.  Given his past hearthistory I wasn't taking any chances.  Hisblood pressure was ridiculously high, the oxygen level in his blood low and hehad congestive heart failure.They believenow that it was sleep apnea related.  Thenight he came home from the hospital I didn't sleep one bit because every timehis breathing changed I woke up.  He'sdoing a sleep study this week, they're going to fit him with a machine and setit up at our house.  I could really livemy entire life without another scare like that.All in all,this month hasn't been very conducive to writing or editing, though I've beenworking on a few projects when I could. Between the days I couldn't sit up and the hours waiting at the hospitalI managed to catch up on quite a bit of reading though.  Here are the books that really stood out tome.  If I keep picking a book up evenafter I just set it down, it's a winner. Warning, I read all kinds of things, not just m/m.The Percy Jackson & the Olympians seriesby Rick Riordan.  My son got all fivebooks for Christmas and they were still on the coffee table when I was stuck onthe couch.  I picked up the first one outof boredom and because I was a comparative folklore and mythology major.  I had even taken my son to the movie lastsummer and thought it was okay.  Knowingthat the book is always better than the movie I figured why not give it ashot.  I freaking loved it.  I like how Riordan took myth into today's ageand made it relevant.  And the wordsflowed so smoothly.  I like it enoughthat when I finished the first, I picked up the second, then the third and soon until I was done with the entire series. Then I took the first book to the hospital so my husband could readit.  He rarely reads and now he'shooked.  Now if I could just get my sonto pick them up.  He's more intoscientific books.The next bookthat totally blew me away was The Game ofLove by Jeanette Murray.  I'veenjoyed her shorter stories, but after this novel, she's an absolute must readfor me.  I started reading it while inthe waiting room at the doctor's office to get blood drawn.  Normally needles cause me some anxiety but Iwas so wrapped up in the story that I took it in the labroom with me andcontinued to read while I let the vampires at me.  Probably the best thing because the techactually managed to get the vein on the first try.  I can see how some people would have issueswith the heroine Chris St. James, especially at the start with herattitude.  But it's warranted.  The characters were so real to me.  Like people I've actually met and becomefriends with.  And Brett Wallace wasdownright yummy.  Chris and Brett areboth retired pro athletes with a history that makes them distrustful of futurerelationships.  Chris had been involvedwith an abusive hockey player and Brett's wife left him for another pro athleteafter he was forced to retire.  I reallyloved watching them working through their issues and learning to trustagain.  The book can be found at CarinaPress: http://tinyurl.com/6nad8rlI read anumber of m/m books in January but two really stuck out with me.  The first was Burnt Offerings by Pearl Love. It's been already said, but I'll say it again.  I love myths and old tales and this had thefeeling of an old tale.  I loved thedescriptive writing even though it was a little repetitious at times.  It was a short read, only 65 pages, but it'sone that I would pick up again and again when I want to get lost in anotherworld.  Plus I'm a fan of unconventionalendings.  Alen is a boy who's beentormented by his unusual beauty, both coveted and hated by his village, heprefers a solitary existence except for his mother and the being that hecommunes with in his hearth fire.  Whenhe is forced to defend himself and accidentally kills a man, his life isforfeit and he is condemned to die on the altar of a volcano.  If you like myth and fantasy, I recommendit.  It's available through DreamspinnerPress: http://tinyurl.com/7pn7usk. The second m/m book that I really enjoyed wasHer Two Dads by Ariel Tachna.  I really liked watching Sri and Jaime growand learn when baby Sophie burst into their lives.  Sri was never expecting to be a father butwhen his friend Jill died, leaving him as the only parent he tried to do whatwas best for Sophie.  Jaime is hislongtime roommate and close friend.  Therelationship that develops between them is based on friendship and slowdiscovery.  It was such a sweetread.  And I admire Jaime for knowing hislimits too and Sri's insistence on working through his issues to keep them as afamily.  And his fears were groundedtoo.  The emotions that the book evokedwere very tangible.  I felt the samehelpless fear that Sri did when Child Protective Services showed up to see ifSophie was being abused.  It was a good,sweet story.  It can also be foundthrough Dreamspinner Press: http://tinyurl.com/7hxlzfu.More updates to come in a few days.  I hope February is a much calmer month.  I'm eyeballing it with a steely glare.