Summer reading

Okay, so I finished that light-and-breezy novel I mentioned. It was Enchanted, Inc. by Shanna Swendon, the first book in a whole series (which is a plus in my book) (pun intended).

I found that title by searching for, literally, "light and breezy reading." I'm reacting badly to stress right now, enough so that I find myself resisting anything heavy, meaningful or thought provoking. (Including The Bible, which a friend suggested. Nope. Comforting, yeah, but besides the fact that I've already read it — har! — it also makes me think too much.) In fact, I'm even resisting my usual first-choice fiction, cozies.

Normally I love cozies. They're what I reach for first when I want to read for pleasure (and some day I'll tell you all the series [they're usually series] I've enjoyed). But I realized a few months ago that I was avoiding even them because when the protagonist suddenly finds him- or herself in danger (which is what happens in cozies to get you emotionally invested in the outcome), I actually feel stressed enough to make it unpleasant.

How's that for nutty?






Well, anyway, nutty or not, I was having to force myself to read for pleasure, which wasn't working very well, when I realized that I needed something really light and breezy. Hence, the search.

Swendon's reputation is for romance and chicklit, and I always considered myself as opposed to chicklit as I am to chick flicks.* But the Enchanted series — so far, at least — doesn't have a lot of girly details, like what she's wearing (yes, Stephanie Plum, I'm talking to you**) or how she feels about him as she's hoping he'll kiss her….There's a romantic interest, and she talks some about her dating life, but it's nothing intrusive.

I've started the second in the series, Once Upon Stilettos, and so far, so good.

Incidentally, I downloaded both of them for the Nook app for iPad. I didn't think I would care much for it, and only got the first one in that format because it wasn't available at my local Barnes & Noble and I wanted to read it right now! I've found, though, that I really like it!

• I always know where my iPad is.
• The second book is in the same place as the first one.
• I don't have to make room on a bookshelf for it after I'm done reading.
• If I somehow lose it, I believe it remains available for download again.

And the page-turning graphics are mind boggling! Seriously, the graphics are so cool, I get distracted sometimes. (On the back side of the page as you're turning it, you can see the text from the front of the page in reverse, as if you were actually looking at the back of a printed page. That has to be some complicated coding, doesn't it?)

Technology meets summer reading. What a world!



*Can't stand chick flicks. I like movies where things blow up; no romantic comedies for me! I can't say I've seen many movies starring Meg Ryan or Katherine Heigl.

**The description of every freakin' outfit Stephanie Plum puts on is one of the reasons I couldn't get through the Evanovich number series. Snooze barf.***

***No, I really don't care for chicklit.