FINALLY!!! Takedown Twenty

Well here it is well into the 3rd week in February 2014 and I've only finished my first book for the new year! This wasn't how I wanted to start me year in Reading. . . . I have a bunch of books lined up but you know with tax season starting. . . I just haven't been able to keep up. So I officially apologize to those on the waiting list at the library for the books that I have borrowed and didn't even get to read. OH - and as if I didn't know this already - I have to say please don't follow my example of ready three books at once - gosh! Talk about getting mixed up with the characters. . . . I NEED to focus and just read one at a time. So for my first blog of the year I read Janet Evanovich: "Takedown Twenty"

As the title indicated - this is the 20th book in the series of Stephanie Plum, Bounty Hunter. This is my usual fallback book in between heavier reads when I need a little comedy or lightness to my selections. Stephanie is from the "Burg", a suburb of New Jersey - she took a job from her cousin Vinnie (ha ha, just got that!) when times were hard and she needed some money to pay the bills. She basically is a "good-looking goofball" with the craziest cast of characters to support the hilarious antics she encounters. The two men in her life are Joe Morelli (her high school crush and still great looking Italian cop-boyfriend); Ranger, an ex-military, runs a security business, HOT looking (and even HOTTER KISSER) associate that always comes to Stephanie's rescue just in the time of need. Lula; an ex-hooker (uh hem - I mean ex "Ho", that is Big, Beautiful, Boisterous and ALWAYS Packing! Then you have Stephanie's Grandma Mozer - a "Big Personalities come in Small Packages", energetic, and always willing to help out a Bounty Hunter in Need elder of the neighborhood. She knows everyone and everyone knows her. With all these character's helping you out what could go wrong? Right?

I promise this is a funny, light read and I'm sure the characters will get you to chuckle at least once.

Hopefully soon I'll be back on track with great reads I have lined up!!! And don't be surprised if you find an IRS Publication listed on this blog as I'm reading enough of those - UGH!!!

Newfangled Fairy Tales - Classic Stories with a Funny Twist Book #2

Because I read the book #1 as my last book of 2013, I had placed my request at the library for book #2 to complete the tales "retold" in a most creative way. Stories in this book are:

Rumpelstiltskin, Private Eye

The Girl Who Wanted to Be a Princess

The Little Tailor

A Thoroughly Modern Rapunzel

The Fairy Godfather

The Clever Princess Who Slept on a Pea

The Gold Ring

Red Riding Hood and the Scrawny Little Wolf

Hansel and Gretel

Katie and the Dragon

 As expected this book continues with our favorite classic fairy tales "updated" with the funny little twists that I sooo love! My favorite stories in this book are The Fairy Godfather - cause I LOVE that a man gets a chance to be the minority and trys to help out the woman. And I absolutely LOVE The Clever Princess Who Slept on a Pea - let's just say she's sooo clever she fools her Mother-In-Law to be (The Queen) that The Queen can't help but to respect her. LOL!!!! All the stories are creative and witty and OH WAIT, I have a Shout-Out for Rumpelstiltskin ~ In the story the Captain of the Guard can never remember Rumpelstiltskin's name. . . he always addresses him incorrectly like "Bumplestiltskin" or "Bumpletallskin" but my all time favorite name is . . . . wait for it. . . . .  ."WRINKLESOFTSKIN" - as I'm sure you know by now (especially if you've read my previous blogs) I BURSTED out laughing once again (I'm sure by now I'll have a permanent mark by my name for making too much noise) I also LOVE that Rumpelstiltskin's friend "Happy" (Yes, the dwarf from Snow White - he got promoted) calls him "Rump" for short.

So you see what I mean right? These stories are funny, different, creative and very imaginative. This would be a great activity to do with kids and have them re-tell the stories in their own ways. So makes me wonder how would I re-tell such stories? . . . . (maybe I'll start another blog for that - hahahaha!)