There went my Wednesday

Confession time: I really love the read and return books at Albany County Public Library. This rack of books calls my name, I'm telling you. On Wednesdays, I volunteer in the Wyoming Room, and it never fails that I end up taking a read and return book on my way out the door. I think it has something to do with product placement. And the fact that this rack tends to have more guilty pleasure type romances . . . and that I don't have to feel like the circulation staff are judging me. Anyway, last night I picked up this little gem:

Carrie Montgomery grew up in a wealthy family with seven older brothers who give her whatever she wants. Now, Carrie is used to getting what she wants, and when she sees a photo of Joshua Greene, she's instantly smitten (she says in love, but smitten seems slightly more realistic), and determined to land this guy. Joshua is looking for a mail-order wife who can help him with this two children and the farm. After some tricky finagling, Carrie arrives out west to meet her husband. Sparks fly! Tempers flare! Sexual tension ensues!

This book demands that the reader totally suspend any ideas of reality. But it's a romance, so what the heck, right? What I liked about Carrie is that she's rich and doesn't have any problem using her money. Rather than learning to wash dishes or cook, she just pays people to do it for her. It's kind of refreshing that the heroine doesn't have to change into a paragon of womanhood to snag her man.

This was a super quick read, but I did miss out on my Wednesday night because I got sucked in. I think I've read other Jude Deveraux books, and she's okay. This book is predictable, and falls back on some typical tropes, but it's entertaining.

Have you lost an evening to any fluffy books lately?

Check Out My Digs

One of the perks of my new job is that I have an office. I share the space, but it's still a semi-private office, and I am psyched about it. I got to pick out some new office furniture, and I've felt too fancy for words this week. Behold:

Not too shabby, right?

Different Kinds of Reading

Today marks the start of my second month here at the University of Wyoming, and so far so good. As I mentioned two months ago when I last posted something, I'm working as a program advisor for student government. The position is new, and still a little undefined. I've been told to enjoy the summer and laid-back pace because come September, it's a whole different story. So far, I've been doing a lot of planning, and a lot of reading up on what the heck a Student Affairs professional should be doing. Here's a sampling of my current "professional development" reading list:

- Helping College Students
- Elements of Mentoring
- Advice for Advisors
- The Tipping Point
- Multicultural Competence for Student Affairs Professionals

Basically, I've gotten to know a whole new section of my library. At this point, I've been better about picking them out than actually reading them, but I have time to reform. I like to think that all this research is the information scientist in me (it's semi-official, I got an alumni license plate holder in the mail last week!!).

When not reading about how best to advise and appear competent, I've been reading my new favorite author, Laura Willig. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose and The Temptation of the Night Jasmine are books four and five, respectively, of the Pink Carnation series. Even though I haven't read the early books, I wasn't confused about what was happening. From writing this post, I see that there are eight books so far, and I can tell that I'm in trouble. I was a total waste of space once I started reading these. They're the kind of books where I promised myself I'd go to bed after I finished the chapter, and then it was suddenly 1:00 a.m. on a Wednesday and I had to get up in five hours but couldn't sleep because I was still thinking about the story. You know, one of those kinds of books.

The series has parallel stories in the present day and 19th-century England. The present day part is about a woman doing dissertation research on 19th-century English spies. The 19th-century part is about the English spies. Tidy, right? The major pros of the novels, in my humble opinion, are as follows:

1. Romance without hot-and-heavy romance (wink, wink)
2. Great dialog
3. Smart heroines
4. Fast-paced action/intrigue

I realize I'm not the best reviewer, especially since I failed to include any kind of plot summary, but do yourself a favor and check out these books.