Wow, it's really been a LONG time since I blogged! I'm pretty sure all my group friends have forgotten about it...(makes note to resend a link!)
same ol' same ol'. Law school is still kicking my butt. Still waiting for that moment of clarity, when all becomes crystal clear. In the meantime I'm still struggling down here in the mud.
In other news...Cindy's getting married! (one of the group bloggers). And so's my old roommate! Wow the fall will be wedding season :D So happy for them!
I've been reading all of JD Robb's books. Well, really rereading them, since I read them all when they come out. But over winter break til now, I've been requesting and going thru the books, almost in order. It's really cool to see how Eve grows as a person and as a character, how her relationships grow (w/ /Roarke, Peabody, Feeney, etc etc), and so on. The latest book brings out a background character, and someone who was always there died :( (I'm not spoiling too much, as "who" is in the Amazon description). I don't like Promises as much as some of the others, although I'm not sure if I have a favorite (maybe Origin? w/ the moral issues about cloning etc), but it's pretty good. JD Robb at her worst is still light years ahead of many other fiction writers. (And by no means is Promises her worst!) If you've never read one, check it out. They're all "SOMETHING In Death," and they're written by Nora Roberts, but very different from her Nora Roberts books. (And how does she maintain the quality she does while writing sooo many books a year? I swear, she's the most prolific and still good (generally speaking) writer I know of!)
All about a homicide cop, set in the near future. It's probably like CSI/ Law and Order, except I've never watched those shows so I can't be sure. Futuristic police procedurals, w/ a dash of romance and social issues. GREAT books, try them if you've never read them!
Things I've noticed about the books:
Covers:
the switches btwn the prominence of "Nora Roberts" and "J.D. Robb." In the beginning, all the books were just written by "JD Robb," with nothing to indicate that she was Nora Roberts (unless you looked at the copyright page). And the covers were of weird green dead people, with a relevant quote from the book. I still have some old books w/ those covers, and I have a strange affection for them.
Then the cover picture became cop/ crime/ NYC related, and took up the whole front cover. Still JD Robb only.
Then the covers moved to "Nora Roberts writing as JD Robb," with her picture on the back. (Looking tough in a leather coat...) The picture on the cover became a small strip on the bottom, with author's names taking up most of the cover.
Recently, they've gone back to just "J.D. Robb," w/ no author picture. The little author bio now only says that JD Robb is the pseudonym of a NYT bestselling author. I wonder what happened? Maybe they wanted to refocus on it being a separate "brand" from the rest of Nora's books?
Other things:
A cop named Carmichael keeps popping up throughout the series, as a bit player. Thing is, I'm not sure that it's the same cop every time. I think the first time it was a he, and a uniform (who resented Peabody, who'd newly been attached as Eve's aide). Later, I think it was a detective under Eve (in her squad), and a she. Carmichael's not a major character at all, but I wonder. Maybe it's the name of someone impt in Nora Roberts' life?
Baxter: When will he and Troy get their "own" book? Nadine's had one, Mira, Mavis, even McNab (Purity)...and now Morris. I want one where Baxter and Trueheart star! :D
Mira: Was she abused by her dad/ stepdad? In one book yes, in another she had a lovely childhood w/ both parents. I actually looked this up, and apparently it's a continuity error. Nora explained it away in a later book by saying that her parents had been divorced for a short period of time before getting back together, and during that time, Mira was abused by her stepfather. Anyways, this makes me somewhat happy that even a good author can make mistakes!
two final thoughts:
I love this pic, and it makes me sad at the same time:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjcase/3360853557/
(seen @ Consumerist)
It's Edith Macefield's house in Ballard, Seattle Washington. She refused $1M to sell her house, so they built around her. Sadly, she died this year. When I'm in Seattle later on this year, I'm going to try to check it out, if it's still there. Just as a symbol of sticking to your guns, and of the march of progress.
Also: I just went to an Alvin Ailey performance again (I went every year when I was at Cal but it's been a while). AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING, Definitely go if you've never been! As always, I was blown away by Revelations. Here's a clip on Youtube of one of my favorite dances, "I Wanna Be Ready":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svKnpXz5mRg
The night I was there, it was performed by Guillermo Asca, who also gave the pre-performance talk. (I liked Guillermo's version better than the youtube one). Apparently Guillermo got started dancing 2 months before graduating from high school! His girlfriend was in his school's performance of West Side Story, and they needed more guys, so Guillermo became a Shark. After that, w/ no prior dance experience, his teacher told him he should audition for Alvin Ailey. And he did, and got a scholarship spot, and he's been w/ the Company ever since (for fifteen years and counting!) I find this story amazing on many levels. He found his passion in high school, he wasn't a dancer from childhood like most, and he's been dancing professionally for fifteen years. And that Alvin Ailey reaches out to the New York community & kids in that way. I love that they have a school, and classes etc - If I ever live in NYC (unlikely), I'm definitely going to take classes!
Wow, that was much longer than I expected I'd blog. Ta!
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