Tag Archives: Christine d’Abo

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity: The post-birthday, pre-Thanksgiving edition

November 18, 2011 Chris 26 Comments

Don’t forget to enter the contest for Media Naranja (Other Half) (Petit Morts #16) by Clare London & Jordan Castillo Price! Contest closes 7 pm CST, November 28.

Go enter the contest for Boats in the Night by Josephine Myles! Contest closes 7 pm CST, November 28.

Definitely enter the contest for Private Eye (Liaisons #1) by SE Culpepper! Contest closes 7 pm CST, November 28.

Congrats to Cori and Lilli, who each won copies of Honored Vow (Change of Heart #3) by Mary Calmes! Honored Vow will be released by Dreamspinner Press on November 21.

Congrats to Kelly, who won Texas Winter (The Heart of Texas #2) by RJ Scott! Texas Winter will be released by Silver Publishing on November 19.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes yesterday! 🙂 I took yesterday and today off from work and did absolutely nothing. Tonight, Jeanne and I are going to see The Mountain Goats play at the Fitzgerald Theater – Neil Gaiman is part the event, too.

Contests

Cecile’s giving away backlist ebooks from Rachel Haimowitz, Aleksandr Voinov, LA Witt, Brita Addams, or Cat Grant. Read the contest directions carefully! Contests close November 18 at midnight, EST.

Kindle-aholic’s giving away an ebook ARC of Carolyn Crane’s Head Rush (Disillusionists #3). Comment by 11:59 pm PST, November 20, for your chance to win.

Joyfully Jay’s giving away a backlist ebook from Cat Grant. Contest closes 11:59 pm EST, November 21.

Ava March, Harper Fox, Josh Lanyon, and KA Mitchell are having a scavenger hunt to celebrate the upcoming release of their Carina Press m/m Christmas anthology, Men under the Mistletoe. Go get the details on how to win a $100 gift certificate to Amazon or the ebook retailer of your choice! Contest closes December 2.

CRAFT is giving away a Canon PowerShot S100 and a Shutterfly prize pack (cards, photo books, calendars, and more). Contest closes December 6.

Bookity

So last week’s AJ Llewellyn drama led to a larger discussion of transphobia and transgender issues. For me, this post by Aleksandr Voinov tied everything together.

Skilled readers seem to create a “visual dictionary” of words, which increases their reading speed.

Paperback Writer lists ten things women only do in novels.

Did Jane Austen die of arsenic poisoning?

Ebookity

While the Nook Tablet has 16gb of memory, 15gb of it can only be used for things you download through Barnes & Noble.

Nook Tablet review and comparison to Kindle Fire.

Round-up of Kindle Fire reviews.

Although the Nook Table may not be rootable, you can root the Kindle Fire.

You can also sideload apps on to the Kindle Fire.

Dear Author reviews the Kobo Vox.

Unsurprisingly, the Big Six opted out of the Kindle Lending Library.

Pretty sure I don’t want audio and video in my ebooks, thanks.

“The myth of the bookless library.“

Do, Think, Make, Learn

Earlier this week, Tumblr mobilized against the PROTECT-IP and Stop Internet Piracy Acts, which are far broader than their names suggest.

The Department of Justice wants to make it a felony to lie on the internet. *blink blink* Is it just me, or does that sound crazily unenforceable?!

Five prejudices that permeate today’s movies. (via The Mary Sue)

Sour candy can be nearly as destructive to your teeth as battery acid would be.

Apparently walking through a door causes us to forget things.

New research has discovered that mean people are at a disadvantage on social networks.

A scientist has captured the activity going on in the female brain during orgasm.

To improve air quality in Milan, a 10,000 square foot forest is being added – vertically.

If you have a tangle of cords that keep getting mixed up, you can make tags for them from a milk jug.

Canada’s phasing out its paper money in favor of plastic money.

All movies in theaters might be digital by 2015.

Pecan prices are going to be 22% higher this year.

Thanksgivity

5 no-bake Thanksgiving desserts

10 mini Thanksgiving desserts

10 snacks for holiday travel

20 sweet and savory Thanksgiving recipes

Bacon-blanket herb-roasted turkey. (via CRAFT)

Pumpkin chiffon pie.

Pumpkin buttermilk biscuits. (via The Kitchn)

Pumpkin butter rum.

A range of Thanksgiving recipes from the major food blogs.

You could try a diner-style Thanksgiving this year.

Make turkey meatloaf in a pumpkin.

Thanksgiving plate cakelettes. (via The Kitchn)

Links for a gluten-free Thanksgiving.

Crochet a small pumpkin pie.

William Shatner wants to teach you Thanksgiving turkey fryer safety.

Cookity

Snickerdoodle “brownies”. (via A Caffeinated Yarn)

Snickerdoodle cake. (via The Kitchn)

Bake brownies in eggshells. (via The Kitchn)

Leaf print cookies. (via CRAFT)

No-bake Nutella peanut butter cookies.

Gluten-free pecan pie muffins. (via The Kitchn)

Coffee liquer (has gift potential!). (via The Kitchn)

8 fudge recipes

15 brunch recipes

Crafty

Knit a Death Star.

Crochet a Jane Austen inspired sweater from Austentatious Crochet: 36 Contemporary Designs from the World of Jane Austen. (via CRAFT)

Crochet simple ornaments. (via CRAFT)

Use up fabric scraps by making fabric pinecones. (via CRAFT)

Cool

ThinkGeek’s response to anti-math t-shirts for girls and women.

Portraits of pets shaking off water. (Thanks, Seanna!)

Superman and Young Justice battle Brainiac… in LEGO. (via Gizmodo)

Battlestar Galactica cross stitch. (via CRAFT)

Weapon-shaped pillows to enhance your pillow fights.

Snowmen vs. gnomes.

How to use regular holiday cookie cutters to make Star Wars cookies. (via CRAFT)

Sunken pedestrian bridge.

Cool or Wha…?

What’s inside a LEGO minifig…

There’s a live-action/CGI hybrid LEGO movie in the works.

Superhero underwear and hoodies.

Carbon fiber stormtroopers.

24 hours worth of printed Flickr uploads.

Wha…?

As Bron noted, the Bieber Burger is not an acceptable use of bacon. (Thanks(???), Bron!)

A woman sat in McDonald’s eating her burger while her car burned in the parking lot… then punched a cop.

A man bought a used minivan from Thrifty and discovered that it contained a half million dollars worth of cocaine.

Gold-infused cheese…

A pepper so hot it will make you hallucinate…

Wedding dress made of hair.

Purple fashion fail. (possibly NSFW)

Boar’s head balaclava. (via CRAFT)

Power line poles shaped like demented clowns.

LOL

I share their sentiment on the shoulder pads.

Did you know Humphrey Bogart played Frodo in 1944? (Well, no, he didn’t, but the mockup is alarming…)

The office life of the Ringwraiths…

A mash-up of Cheers and Star Wars.

Autocorrected cravings……

Where citations come from… (make sure you hover your mouse cursor over the comic for additional text)

What your favorite map projection says about you. (again with the hovering)

Can you identify a cat person’s home from outside?

Excellent hiding place.

I would not put pajamas on either of my kitties, but especially not Chaos…

Teh Cute

Do you know the name of the official mouser at 10 Downing Street?

Pygmy falcon! Kitten! Baby giant otters! Kitten! Duckling! Kitten! Buns! Cat and kitten! Tiger and cub! Kitten! Leopard! Lion paw! Puma! Tiger! Tiger cub! Serval and cub!

Reading Update
Stay the Night by Scarlett Parrish. ebook. Very good m/m romance about Kit, an awkward and antisocial computer programmer who is extremely attracted to his new housemate, but manages to push him away at every turn. Kit reminded me all too much of myself…
Boats in the Night by Josephine Myles. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s not really doing so well since his boyfriend left him a month ago. He’s dealing with a hangover when he hears a bunch of noise at the base of his garden and discovers a broken-down narrowboat, with a most fascinating owner…
True Colors by Clare London. ebook. reread. (Totally reusing my original reviewette here!) This turned out to be a very good and intense m/m romance after a sort of shaky start â€“ I almost put the book away because there were so many different people introduced in the first few pages and I couldnâ€™t figure out who was important and who was peripheral. But in the end? Totally redeemed, because Clare London deftly tied in those seemingly extraneous introductory bits.
Where You Least Expect It by M. Durango. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a straight guy whose unlikely friendship with a cyclist he almost ran over has him very confused about his sexuality.
Closet (Todd Mills #1) by RD Zimmerman. ebook. Very good m/m mystery about a prominent and closeted tv reporter whose boyfriend is murdered… and he’s being set up to take the fall. As a bonus, it’s set in Minneapolis in 1995. 🙂
Reclamation (Dominion #2) by Lissa Kasey. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance in which Sei’s seeing a Dominion-ordered psychiatrist to help him work through the events of the last book, but he seems to be getting worse instead of better. I would definitely have enjoyed this book more if I hadn’t read the prologue – it made me too anxious to really settle into the story.
Consequences (Dominion #2.1) by Lissa Kasey. free ebook short. Good short m/m paranormal romance about Gabe messing with Sei a bit after Sei gets caught out while shifted.
Touching Wood by Kim Dare. ebook short. Steamy kinky short m/m scene about a dominant and submissive reconnecting with each other in their playroom.
Wight Mischief by JL Merrow. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who goes to the Isle of Wight to research ghosts with the self-absorbed journalist friend he’s fancied himself in love with for years… a fancy he reevaluates as he keeps running into a sexy and reclusive author with a creepy, domineering guardian.
Drive Safe by Sean Kennedy. free ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a guy driving home through the outback who stops to help a drag queen whose car has broken down.
Congratulations Lucky Winner by LB Gregg. free ebook short. Madcap short m/m story about a hotel manager charged with storing two very unusual awards that are to be given out at conventions in the hotel.
Speed Dating the Slow Way by Chris Owen. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about two guys who become briefly reacquainted during a charity speed dating event, then reconnect some time later.
Pulled Long (Long Shots #3) by Christine d’Abo. ebook arc. Pretty good m/m romance about Ian, a coffee shop owner who’s been fascinated by and flirting with a handsome customer for months… until he found out the customer was in the process of getting divorced. As he didn’t want to be some straight guy’s rebound, he backed off. I was annoyed by the whole martyr thing that Ian had going on – that’s a trait that drives me nuts. If that doesn’t bother you as much as it does me, you might enjoy this more than did I.
Between You and Me by Willa Okati. ebook. So-so m/m romance about two guys who’ve been best friends since college and now, in their mid-thirties, are starting to realize why neither of them have found “the one”. This just never came together for me – the language was convoluted and the whole beach in the rain scenario… *shakes head*
Stroke the Demon by Eden Cole. ebook. Meh kinky m/m paranormal menage about an orphaned 18-year old who discovers that the mysterious benefactors who’ve been paying for his school and living expenses are demons, and that he was basically bred to be their sex toy. This was one of those stories that had way too much sex for the tiny amount of plot.
Love Revisited: Nash & Paul (Nash & Paul #2) by HC Brown. ebook short. I read this out of sick fascination to see if it was as bad as the first book. It was. Maybe worse. It’s hard to quantify levels of badness at this level.
Saving Tate by Will Banks. ebook short. This m/m short was just bad, from using the phrase “gay lifestyle” to the clumsy writing to the excess of poorly executed plot crammed into too-few pages. Not recommended at all.

A classic picture of Chaos from early 2004! How would you caption it? 🙂

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity from the land of ice and snow

January 14, 2011 Chris 37 Comments

Congrats to Harper Bell, who won Tono (the sequel to Loving Edits) by Mickie B. Ashling! Tono is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Congrats to Samantha, who won Tears of Blood (Drone Vampires, Book 12) by Stephani Hecht! Tears of Blood will be released by eXtasy Books on January 15, 2011.

Congrats to Marie A, who won the Saddle Up â€˜N Ride anthology by Em Woods (and friends)! Saddle Up â€˜N Ride will be released by Total-E-Bound on January 17.

Contests

Janna’s celebrating her fifth blogiversary by giving away yarn and your choice of a $20 Amazon or iTunes gift certificate. Closes midnight CST January 14.

Patti’s giving away two paranormal romances and two non-paranormal romances. Comment by January 16 for your chance to win. US & Canada.

Blodeuedd’s giving away two copies of The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen. Comment by January 19 for your chance to win. US & Canada.

Bookity

New releases and more: Lily (m/m romance), Literary Escapism (UF/PNR news, contests, etc), All About Romance (romances), and Book Lovers Inc (assorted types of romance).

Authors of m/m romance|gay romance who use Scrivener – TeddyPig wants to feature you! Some authors who’ve already participated include Jet Mykles, A.M. Riley (includes information on how to participate), Heidi Cullinan, Ally Blue, and more.

Book news and links from Dear Author, ReadReactReview, and Book Lovers Inc.

All About Romance kicks off its Speaking of Audiobooks 2011 Challenge.

Orannia explains the 2011 Support Your Local Library Challenge.

Ten things that indicate you’re a published writer (from Paperback Writer).

Larissa Ione on the three-star review.

Paperback Writer features some unusual bookcases.

Bookshelf Porn, via CRAFT.

TeddyPig on what he considers to be the three deadly sins in gay romance.

Did you catch the special edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography over at Clare London’s blog earlier this week?

Ebookity

Go download Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that Are Nice…and Naughty free, courtesy of the 25 authors and the Goodreads M/M Romance Group.

If you feel like reading something a little heftier (but still free), how about Access to Knowledge in the Age of Intellectual Property?

Dear Author has ten tips for new ebook reader owners.

TeleRead lists five good ways to read ebooks on a device, online, or on a laptop/computer.

Libraries (including academic libraries) are actually experiencing growth, with many planning to get into ebooks this year.

Interesting article from TeleRead on how ebook pricing relates to revenue.

I can’t say that I’m surprised that a recent survey found traditional publishers don’t understand consumers/readers.

“What leads to piracy is not meeting emergent demands.“

BookBaby is the new ebook publishing/distributing venture from CDBaby. It will focus on independent authors.

Think, Make, Learn, Do

Some very profound words from International Space Station Commander Scott Kelly.

A thoughtful post called “Dear Teen Me” from Jo Knowles. (Thanks, Bronwyn!)

Know the differences between AT&T and Verizon before deciding to switch to the Verizon iPhone.

Paperback Writer explains what an ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) for your blog is and why it might be useful to get one.

MaximumPC names the 12 technologies they expect to be nearly gone by 2020.

The American Dialect Society named “app” as the Word of the Year for 2010.

Red wine can apparently enhance the conducting properties of superconductors (and yes, this discovery was made about how you’d guess it was).

You can use baking soda and charcoal to remove bad smells from your car.

Because the North Magnetic Pole is shifting 40 miles/year, Tampa International Airport has to rename its runways.

If you take public transit, you’ll be thrilled to discover Google Maps can now help cut down on how much time you spend outside waiting (and at the mercy of the weather).

Lack of sleep can make it harder for you to avoid unhealthy snacks.

How to set up your own treadmill desk.

What’s happening in your brain when you shop?

Make your own tastier hot chocolate mix.

Make your own chocolate hazelnut spread! (Mmmm… Nutella…)

OKCupid reports on the math of beauty in online dating.

Fascinating chart of cat coat colors and patterns. Chaos is a black tabby (mackeral pattern). Mayhem is a black smoke, albeit without the light-colored ruff.

Snowity

A soothing short film of winter in the Netherlands.

Florida is the only US state that doesn’t have snow right now.

Make your own removable cleats for walking on ice or hard-packed snow.

Does this shoveling technique actually keep snow plows from blocking your driveway?

Make some snowshoes from cardboard for your kids.

Craft

Have you tried dyeing fabric using snow?

Hmm. Is it really the world’s largest yarn stash?

Yarn and knitting links from the knittyBlog.

Cute paper houses you can make.

Crazy sewn scarves.

Turn socks into fingerless mitts (this has potential for handknit socks that get a hole or two).

Craft, cooking, and other linkity from Kristi.

Cool

The new Star Wars area in LEGOLAND California will contain 2000 hand-built models!

Short film 3 Minutes – it has light sabers!

Another choose-your-own-adventure zombie film.

The Fifth National Soup Swap is January 22. (Hmm. Maybe not so good to have this after that zombie link.)

Subway’s testing a new gluten-free menu in Texas.

Perfect house for cats.

Huh

Ice cubes shaped like vampire fangs?

I think it’s easier to carry a notebook in your pocket…

Snail guitar.

Beaded bacon and eggs bracelet.

Jumpin Jammerz…

Pretty sure I don’t want to eat noodles that had boll weevils, even after the boll weevils were removed…

Assemble your own life-sized human!

A guy was shot in the head and sneezed out the bullet!

Drinking more (booze, not water) makes you exercise more?!

LOL

I love ridiculous warning labels.

How to write good (computer) code…

What to do if you find something cool on the internet.

Is this how you spend your workday?

Aw, Dr. Tinycat!

Basement Cat loves tornadoes! Do you know why?

This would be Chaos…

Backyard fauna oneupmanship.

From the Oatmeal, how his handwriting has changed since kindergarten.

Most movies would be really short if they had the internet…

Teh Cute

Cats in a Christmas tree! Kittens! Bunny nose! Quokka! Kitten! Cat and kitten! Fawn! Fennec foxes! Fossa! Kittens! Kittens (or gollums?)! Bison! Baby tree kangaroo!

Reading Update
Death by Misfortune by A.M. Riley. ebook.Â Excellent m/m romantic suspense/mystery about the murder of a “psychic to the stars” and a prominent Hollywood producer, filled with lots of complex twists and turns. The story is told from two alternating points-of-view: Jeremy, a production assistant, and Bill, the closeted cop first introduced in Amor en Retrogrado.
His Client by Ava March. ebook. Very good kinky Regency m/m romance about a prostitute who’s had enough to retire for a while, but stays on at the brothel because he’s fallen in love with one of his clients – a client who’s been pining for his straight best friend since they were at university together.
Trusted Bond (Change of Heart, Book 2) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance continuing the story of Jin and Logan about six months after Change of Heart ends, complete with attackers, kidnappers, and assassins! As Logan comments more than once, life with Jin is never dull or predictable.
Taking You Home (Boys of Summer, Book 2) by Cooper Davis. ebook. This sequel to Boys of Summer was a very good m/m romance that continues the story of Hunter and Max as they deal with Max’s family and Hunter works to adjust to the idea of himself as not straight.
Pulling Apart (Pulling Away, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Good short m/m romance continuing the story of Noah and Charlie as Charlie pulls away and Noah has no idea what’s wrong or how to help.
Things I’ll Never Say by M.J. O’Shea. ebook. Very sweet m/m romance about two guys who’ve been best friends for years. One’s had a crush on the other for ages, but is so sure it isn’t returned that he plans to go to college out of state to get some distance.
Euphorbia by Glyn Soitino. ebook. Very good short m/m romance about a gardener who was burned by love and doesn’t plan to get involved beyond one-night stands ever again.
Black Gold by Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a glam rock superstar and the leader of a punk band. I would’ve rated this higher if there hadn’t been so damn much talking. These two talked and talked and TALKED. They had long, complicated, deep conversations during allegedly spectacular sex. Um. Yeah. *rolls eyes* Really, I just wanted everyone to shut up after a while. Love the cover, though! 🙂
Firm Touch by Christine d’Abo. ebook short. Steamy short m/m holiday romance about a couple whose lives have been so busy with work that they’ve been growing apart, even though it isn’t what either of them want. Will a drunken revelation that leads to a kinky surprise help bring them closer together or be the beginning of the end?
What He Wants by Eden Cole. free ebook short. Free so-so short m/m romance about two nominally straight best friends whose mutual female friend points out to each of them that they’re in love with each other.
Giving Chase (Seattle) by Jamie Hill. ebook short. Meh short m/m romance about a programmer who meets a gift store clerk and is instantly smitten. The whole thing felt forced and unrealistic.
Best Laid Plans by Cat Kane. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a disaster-prone wedding coordinator who gets involved with the groom of a wedding he’s planning. I might’ve liked this more had the whole reason behind the big misunderstanding plot made sense to me.
Rescuing the Librarian (New Horizons, Book 1) by Serena Yates. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a research librarian who agrees to help a porn star attempting to break into more mainstream acting get a better understanding of what a librarian’s job involves. Alas, I had some niggles about this one – the actor, from Scotland, must not have had any accent at all, since the librarian didn’t realize he was from Scotland. How likely is that? And what happened to the librarian’s assistant, who seemed as if he was going to be a critical player in the story, but vanished after a couple pages?
Naughty Nooners by Carol Lynne, Kaenar Langford, J.P. Bowie, Cian Fey, Jade Mason, & Dakota Rebel. ebook collection. Ok collection of m/m romance short stories about steamy lunch hour interludes and instalove.
Law and Ardor by Jack Greene. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about a cop who responds to a breaking-and-entering report and meets an adorable guy that he’d really like to get to know better. Small editing fail when counting fingers at one point…
Love Thy Neighbor by Jack Greene. ebook short. Steamy short m/m/m story about a guy who becomes fascinated by the two exhibitionist models who have an apartment across the courtyard from him.

“Why areÂ you taking my picture?!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Should auld lang linkity be forgot…

December 30, 2010 Chris 34 Comments

Yup, linkity’s on Thursday because there won’t be a post on Friday this week. Happy New Year to all of you!

Congrats to Tj, who won The Stroke of Twelve (Perfect Timing, Book 6) by Kim Dare! The Stroke of Twelve will be released by Total-E-Bound on January 3, 2011.

Congrats to Susmita, who won Offside Pass by Stephani Hecht! Offside Pass is the first book in Stephaniâ€™s new hockey series and will be released by eXtasy Books on January 1, 2011.

Contest

Tracy’s giving away a pdf copy of Karen Mercury’s m/m/f Western historical romance, Working the Lode, to someone who comments by 11:59 pm (PST), January 4.

Bookity

New releases and more: Elisa (GLBT); SciFiGuy (UF/PNR, YA); Tor.com (UF/PNR, fantasy, scifi); and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR).

Book linkity from Dear Author and ReadReactReview.

Does the Library Journal article that listed some m/m romances to get libraries started on an m/m romance collection mean that the genre is gaining mainstream acceptance?

Sign ups are now open for the 2011 M/M Romance Challenge.

An American Editor wonders if Amazon has too much power.

Aw, a lamp for your nightstand that’s shaped like a little house and your book becomes the house’s roof when you’re done reading for the night. Not quite so cute if you’re reading an ebook. 🙂

Ebookity

The state of ebooks at the end of 2010. Some ebook publishing predictions for 2011 from Smashwords. The Electronic Frontier Foundation reviews its predictions from the beginning of 2010.

Ebook readers are putting classics on best-selling (free) ebook lists.

How to use your new ebook reader or iPad.Â Helpful tips for new Kindle owners.

How to do more with your Kindle.

Make your own inexpensive iPad or ebook reader stand.

Think, Do, Learn, Make

Gluten-free cookie recipes.

Amazing bee facts! (Thanks, Jase!)

Build a magnet-free compass from Legos.

Two no-sew techniques for inserting a zipper into knitwear.

Dealing with the compulsively neat person in your life.

Turn the Christmas cards you received this year into Christmas postcards you can send next year.

Some ideas for keeping the holiday spirit alive throughout the year.

If you got a new gadget for Christmas, check out Gizmodo’s handy setup guides.

You might be able to get rid of your texting plan by using one of these eight applications.

Why one Gizmodo writer ditched iTunes for mp3s from Amazon.

Idling your car for longer than 30 seconds isn’t a good thing.

Are gift cards good gifts? Some tips on how not to waste gift cards.

An infographic on the personal economics behind holiday gift giving.

Is it better to “self insure” your pets than to buy pet insurance?

Even if you know you’re getting a placebo, it can still work.

Ack! The Nintendo 3DS can actually mess up kids’ eyes! 🙁

Best Of

Craft 2010: Knitting & Crochet

Craft 2010: Geek Crafts

Doctor Who crafting

Belated Gift Idea

Recreate your classic family photos.

Cool

Fallingwater… in gingerbread.

A rainbow making machine.

A coffee table that splits in half to reveal storage.

Amazing photo of running horses.

Twenty hours of blizzard compressed into 38 seconds.

Turn your crappy old kitchen cupboards into chalkboards.

A Clockwork Orange Chucks!

Nothing says geek quite like percentile dice hanging from your rearview mirror…

Cheryl continues to outfit her Barbies in high style. (The kitty is my favorite addition to Barbieland!)

If you’re having trouble coming up with New Year’s resolutions, this handy generator might help. (via Paperback Writer)

Huh

2010’s silliest sales taxes.

Um. If it’s cold enough that you’re using the Nose Dialer instead of taking off your gloves to dial the phone, you’re probably going to get snot all over your phone…

Male/female plug rings (not as dirty as you’re thinking)…

CDs that look like lunch meat…

Panther paw/claw boots…

Pink “shoehawk” heels…

LOL

The secret beind bad GPS directions.

Pets and the Christmas tree…

Poor Ceiling Cat!

Woe the unladen swallow!

Teh Cute

Kitties! Baby bun! Baby cougars! Kitten! Squirrels! Tiger cub! Bunny! Charlene Butterbean! Kitten! Cheetah! Kittens! Baby reindeer! Baby penguins! Kitten! Baby chinchilla!

Reading Update
Ummm… So I’ve been on vacation since last Friday and have gotten rather a lot of reading done… and I read a lot of shorts. Don’t freak. 🙂

Life Changes Everything (Life, Book 2) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance mostly about Ben from Life or Something Scary Like That as he goes on with, well, life after the events of that book. This book does a nice job tying up the loose ends, even if I was kind of cranky about one of them while it was in process.
Sno Ho by Ethan Day. ebook. Reread. Very good m/m romance about a guy staying at a ski resort whose boyfriend was supposed to join him there, but instead dumped him over the phone. Funny, yet touching.
Life in Fusion (Sno Ho, Book 2) by Ethan Day. ebook. Very good m/m romance that picks up exactly where the first book left off and continues the story of Boone and Wade during the six months Boone said needed to pass before he would move in with Wade. And like the first book, this manages to be both funny and touching.
Big Balls and Trouble by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a pro football player who’s in Boise for the summer and ready to admit that he’s always loved the childhood friend he hasn’t seen for years. I found this story frustrating because it was so short – it felt more like a fragment from a longer story than something that could stand on its own.
Tooth and Nail (His Hearth, Book 2) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a big, tough warder who takes too many chances because, according to the other warders, he doesn’t have a hearth (i.e., a mate). And then he rescues an angel…
Just One Bite (Volume 1) by Scarlett Blackwell, J.L. Merrow, Josephine Myles, Erik Orrantia, Nix Winter, & Stevie Woods. free ebook collection. Scarlett Blackwell: Very good, want more! Vampire. :: J.L. Merrow: Very good. Stone circle. :: Josephine Myles: Very good. Genie. :: Erik Orrantia: Pretty good. Mayan. :: Nix Winter: Ok. Fantasy. :: Stevie Woods: Pretty good. Vampire.
Delany’s Catch by Diana DeRicci. ebook short. Pretty good short paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shifter who walks into a bookstore to ask for directions and realizes that the proprietor is his mate.
Same Time Next Year by Eden Winters. ebook short. I’m not usually a fan of ghost stories, but this one, about a guy whose true love died when they were in college, worked pretty well, although I found it to be very sad.
Vanilla: The Dominant Ingredient by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a sub-for-hire, escaped from a bad situation, who is desperately trying to convince the man he’s staying with while he sorts out his life that he’d be the perfect sub. I want to read more about these characters!
Commanding Acquisitions (1-800-DOM-HELP, Book 2) by Christine d’Abo. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a dom, struggling not to lose his bookstore, who’s also lonely and needing something more than just casual encounters. He finds the mysterious 1-800-DOM-HELP business card in his office…
Floggers’ Holiday Sale by Stormy Glenn & H.C. Brown. ebook. Meh two-story kinky m/m holiday romance collection. The two stories were supposed to be about two different doms, each of whom purchased a sub at the Floggers’ (bdsm club) holiday auction, but things weren’t consistent between the two stories: in one, the dom’s not allowed to take possession of the sub until they both negotiate contracts; in the other, the club owner sends the virginal sub with the notoriously brutal dom and just tells the dom to bring the sub back to the club at the end of the week. Editing was consistently horrible across both stories, although perhaps a bit worse in the Stormy Glenn story – for the first part, “dominate” was substituted for “dominant” and “dominant” was substituted for “dominate”…
Hang a Shining Star by Ashlyn Kane. ebook short. Very good m/m holiday romance about a high school teacher who runs into a former student working at a Christmas tree lot and, discovering that the former student has no one to spend the holiday with, impulsively invites him over. My only complaint with this one was that the main characters were named Evan and Eric – I kept getting the names mixed up, as did the editor/proofer at least once! 🙂
Snow and Mistletoe by T.C. Blue. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a guy with a really bad self-image who hasn’t had any luck finding journalism work. He starts finding mysterious presents outside his apartment door – he’s sure they’re from his friends, trying to cheer him up, because no way could he have a secret admirer…
Christmas with Danny Fit by Amy Lane. ebook. Very good m/m holiday romance about a guy who’s still living with his mother at 30, not really living his life, until his burgeoning friendship with his sexy assistant at work inspires him to start making changes.
You Can’t Choose Your Family by Zahra Owens. ebook. Very good holiday m/m romance about a couple who’s been together for 20 years. One guy’s family is fabulously accepting; the other’s was controlled by his fire and brimstone father. Now that his father is dead, will anything change?
Christmas Bells by Andi Deacon. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about an assistant professor, staying at his parents’ house for Christmas, whose brother brings home a very attractive friend from grad school who doesn’t have anywhere to go for the holidays.
Silver Thaw by Nora Catherine Price. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about next door neighbors who get the chance to know each other a bit better because of an ice storm.
Sharing Christmas by Shae Connor. ebook short. Steamy short m/m holiday romance about a guy, recently moved to Atlanta for work, whose next door neighbor invites him over to help put together packages for the homeless shelter.
The Santa Mug by Patric Michael. ebook. Very good m/m holiday romance about a guy whose boyfriend died four years ago and who’s basically retreated from the world since then, until a friend drags him along to a family Thanksgiving celebration.
A Very D Christmas by Jane Seville. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about D and Jack from Zero at the Bone, reconnecting with family, and being a bullied teenager. (Through 1/31/2011, a portion of the purchase price will be donated to the Trevor Project.)
The Christmas Visit by Marshall Thornton. ebook short. Good short m/m holiday romance about a guy returning to the small town he grew up in to see his dad at Christmas. He keeps running into the deputy who he’d had a crush on and who is now married…
Secret Santa by Deanna Wadsworth. ebook short. Steamy short m/m holiday romance about a guy waiting naked, blindfolded, and wrapped up with a bow as a present for his boyfriend, hoping to revitalize their fading relationship.
Well-Hung by the Chimney by E.M. Lynley, Ryan Field, & Chloe Stowe. ebook. Pretty good m/m holiday romance collection. I really liked EM Lynley’s story about the difficulties involved in mixing business with pleasure. Ryan Field’s story about a couple dealing with career changes and meeting family was ok. I found Chloe Stowe’s story about an Air Force colonel and a doctor at the Air Force base to be sort of confusing. I might’ve enjoyed Field and Stowe’s stories more had I realized they were about characters from a previous collection and read it first.
A Little Something for Santa by J.M. Snyder. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday encounter about a guy waiting tables at an all-night diner who confesses to the cook that he has the hots for Santa.
A Christmas Eve Wish by Nicole Dennis. ebook short. So-so m/m holiday romance about a celebrity chef, planning to escape to his mountain cabin for a few days, who gets caught in a blizzard and discovers his cabin is trashed. This one didn’t work for me because of instalove and awkward writing.
All I Want for Christmas by Aeryn Traxx. ebook short. So-so short holiday m/m romance about a guy dreading his friends’ holiday party because his cheating ex will be there.
It’s a Calling by Mara Ismine. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance that I actually read in October, but I somehow managed to not write down the dates I read it or what I thought about it beyond “Huh.”
My Life in Your Hands by A.R. Moler. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about an ER doctor and an undercover detective who get together.
Eyes Wide Shut by Meredith Shayne. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a doctor and a miner who care deeply for each other, but that’s not enough, because the miner doesn’t want anyone to know they’re together. Part of this takes place in Perth!
Of Sound Mind by Elizabeth Brooks. ebook short. Good short futuristic m/m romance about a guy who has cancer and doesn’t want to telepathically bond with his destined mate because if he dies, his mate would die with him.