Book recommendations

when I'm feeling stressed, I turn to two things: yard work and reading fiction. It's too cold to go outside, so I've been a reading fiend lately. I also read at the gym -- it's the only reason I can last 45 minutes on a treadmill, bike or elliptical trainer.

Some say it's cheating to read while you work out; I say I won't work out if I can't read.

I thought I'd share a bit of my library with you in case you need a literary diversion from whatever ails your psyche.

I've left Stephenie Myers behind only because she hasn't published another Twilight book and I can't re-read them again for a while. I refuse to buy into the crazy movie hype and buy the silly Twilight-related things out on the market now. I like the books, but I don't need Twilight perfume, the director's handbook or the book about the making of the movie. Argh! Please. Just finish Midnight Sun already!!!

To occupy my thirst for silly fiction while Ms. Myers neglects my needs, I upgraded the sex quotient and stayed in the vampire genre for Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series. I'm waiting on the next book in it, too.

Also deep into sexually viable creatures of the night is Mary Janice Davidson. She's got a fun set of characters that includes some seriously horny vampires and werewolves who spend their time solving crime and sliding in and out of each other's, um, beds. Tracy Wiseman turned me on to this author, and I figure if a super smart financial whiz/legal eagle like Tracy can indulge in this, then I can, too.

I found another series from Ms. Harris recently, though, and I think I like it even better than the Sookie saga. No vampires, but the main character is a woman who was struck by lightning and as a result can tell how people died. It's got some great plot twists. And yes, I'm waiting on the next one in that series, too.

Out of vampire options and thinking that I need to get out of that genre, I gave in and finally tried Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I'm hoping to finish her series in time for something new from the others, although I'm getting a little annoyed that Stephanie Plum doesn't seem to be getting any better at bounty hunting. You'd think by Book 11, she'd have some skills...

I read Water for Elephants (and a bunch of the aforementioned books) on vacation. It's a great read. It almost cured my malaria.

Oh, and Jeff surprised me with an early anniversary gift for the trip: the latest book from Carole O'Connell, who I found through a friend years ago. I'm still haunted by her Kathy Mallory character and this new one, Bone by Bone, introduces another, equally compelling story.

Thanks to a great husband with a prolific online shopping life, I have all of her books, signed by the author on the inside title page. I LOVE them, but they'll really stay with you and make you worried what will happen to your little girl should you die too soon.

It's cold here, today, so I might have to slip back into reading. But it's also Valentine's Day, which means it's my anniversary and I'll be focusing at least a little bit on that tall guy who lives here. We mostly celebrated in the D.R. (before the malaria struck) but I see champagne in my future.

Maybe I'll do a little research and find some vampire tricks for later on.... Happy Valentine's Day!