Plum Lovin' (Stephanie Plum Novels) (original 2007; edition 2008)

The last Between-the-numbers book from this series I hated but luckily I found this one to be much better. In this one the whole supernatural thing with Diesel was more interesting than the last time. I loved seeing Stephanie try her best at being Cupid. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. ( )

This one is second in the Stephanie Plum In-Between-The-Numbers Series. I don’t really get the In-Between-The-Number series, but it seems that they are relatively short stories just to whet the fan’s appetite. I audio this one and it was only 3 CDs.

In this one Stephanie plays part detective and part relationship expert along with the mysterious and handsome Diesel in order to solve the case. Some of the old gang make appearances, like Lula and Stephanie’s crazy family, but Morelli and Ranger were seriously lacking. Overall, I thought the story was okay. There were some pretty funny parts, but the story lacked a little something for me. I give this one 2.5 stars.
( )

Well, she sure can churn them out! Curious to know why this book came passed me so many times working at the library I finally decided to see what all the fuss is about. Ridiculous story and faux-hip dialogue seemingly drawn from daytime television. Even the story didn't engage me at all, which is what I understand to be the real drawn of such books. I've been called a snob for refusing to appreciate these books because they are so popular and wide-selling, which I can live with sure enough as I can live with myself for not loving McDonald's. ( )

I had no idea that this place is still in the 1920s.
I mean, I was just in Burger King, and I could have sworn that Jersey had at least made it up to 2002 or something.
I mean, this is even more hardboiled than Jersey is in real life, and that's saying something.
I don't think that even Ed Harris talks like this.
*eats into the chicken piece that he took home with him* *finds some Coke Zero in the frig* Sweet, we never have this. I'm so glad we planned on watching the game with my brother and then cancelled-- that's really ideal, if you think about it. I mean, technically it's on, but I muted it because there's no one here. Let's see, what have we got, the angry birds, and the.... angry, angry birds.... I think that that was what I liked about baseball as a kid-- all those birds, and so angry.... I should have been an Orioles fan-- such special birds. I no, wait, I'm a Mets fan, right.... My mom's dad is so much better than my dad.... I thought that we were going to move to California, and I would have been, like a Mets fan, for like, my last year of opportunity to be so.... but, no, my cousin-person really did think that my crazy uncle was crazy.... I thought that it sounded like he didn't believe him... But mom and everyone (well, her and Uncle Steve, yeah), were like no, no, Bakery! Bakery! *biblical voice* There shall be a, bakery!.... But, yeah, I guess that Cousin Jim was actually being serious when he wrote that witty little put-down in that email. I can't believe that I was right, and then I just forgot about it. It's like when you take the test, and you're right, and then you change the answer, because you're stupid about yourself, even though you remember everything about Frederick the War-nut and Silesia and everything.
*looks down at his paper version of the review* Yeah, this is like the important part of it.
See-- here's the thing. With Sophie Kinsella, right-- at least she's sorta *clever*, even though some of her characters spend some of their time lawyering and shit. I mean, in a way, it's easier like that-- in a way, Jane Austen or Sarah Addiston Allen is more difficult, since the cup is filled with drink that's more pure. But Kinsella isn't bad-- she's actually rather good. And Sophie-- I mean, everyone is "smart", I think that we've all been to the University of Britain, or UOB, for short-- but, no, Sophie really does have some wisdom, which is what some of this is about....
("There's more to life than happiness"-- as Aristotle.... NEVER.... said....)
I mean....
(~) I just realized how dumb this book is.
I mean, the two words-- 'Indiana Jones'-- didn't make sense at first, so I just thought that they were making it up. (Isn't that what I thought....?)
I though that this was romantic and girlie, not vapid and.... out of place, somehow. (!) New Jersey is not like Russia, believe me, it's not the same as Russia.... (I bet that even Poland isn't, and sometimes I do wonder what Katowice is like....)
Anyway.
I mean, Keira Knightly-- "Do you know who I just saw in the club in Knightsbridge?"-- was just in "Anna Karenina"-- based on the 19th century {would that dog stop barking-- oh no, wait, that's my dog, nevermind.... I just took out the poop bag! I swear to God, it was *lying* on the fucking table...} Russian monk who was exactly like Jane Austen, I guess. (Although I guess that they finally stopped talking about that guy in Russia-- people underestimate what a clever man Joseph was-- but not here, I guess.) I mean, it's funny. It's the new hit in Bradley Beach. (Flight, Skyfall, Lincoln, Anna Karenina-- what an interesting little social history project that would be: past screenings of provincial films in the little town of B--.... I swear to God, "Flight" is the only one requiring cultural input from after 1942, or something....) I mean.... I bet that Keira Knightly would love it in Bradley Beach. (Gwynedd-- God, the Germans would have loved that name.... although of course the *Germans* would have changed it to something more like, *Unterslavenstadt*....) {As opposed to *Over*slavenstadt-- what a privilege. *rolls eyes*....}. Yeah, Keira Knightly would love Bradley Beach. It's New Jersey's family resort. [Which is why it wins the awards-- that one film, I mean, it's almost like one movie over and over again-- the little film of L-- in the little town of B--.... --if the ignorant folk that Keira Knightly spit on like it: like your uncle who won't shut up about the Daniel Day-Lewis flick, then it wins, awards, and then Keira Knightly loves it. So she loves.... what she hates.... ponder this puzzle....] (I walk there alot-- it's not pleasant to walk to Asbury, unless you like noise-- and then sometimes I eat at Burger King on my way back to the Time Capsule-- the toy village....)
{Actually, I bet that they wouldn't show any of Keira's in Asbury-- she's a known actress, and so, that's a no-no. Asbury is for Independent Films Only, Thank You Very Much.... It is funny, though-- it really is the same film, one after another, I mean.... Flight, was there.... *checks other catalog*, like, six weeks ago-- it was in BB when I saw it somewhere else-- and then.... Skyfall is the same movie, only worse.... Lincoln is the same movie... only more obnoxious.... Anna is the same movie.... only.... What was it that Bingely said about the town people and the country people? Sometimes they are pretty much the same.... I mean, Asbury's films would probably be even worse, since the main character would probably be an iceburg, that's melting, or something, like I'm in kindergarten, you know.... ("There is no bathroom!").... yeah.... and then there's, you know-- well, the only person that I like in the world so far is Chopin, and he's dead, but at least he doesn't trouble me.... and then there's Mozart, but, if you think about it, Chopin is the better as dead, since he's serene-- the tranquil dead.... But, yeah, in Burger King there was this funny old black lady wearing this very con.... con.... I can't spell, this very, you-see-it, purple robe, you'd never seen anything like it-- the Mexicans, the bald black guy who's a manager, the fat white girl who's the server, (servant), the white guy with his kid, the old white lady, the random lady with her kid-- you've seen all this before-- and then there's the random crazy black lady with the bright purple robe. You would have stared at her if it had been a movie. Hey, freeze the frame. But, yeah, that was different. But, anyway, she wasn't like, some white kid from Asbury Park. Somehow, I think that she would have made up her own damn mind about whether to spend her afternoon with the glaciers. Yeah. She certainly wasn't some white person from Asbury Park, or some random black person, who has a job, somewhere, you know.... you know, one of those important jobs.... being a *lawyer*....}
{But anyway, it's basically the same movie, over and over again, in a way. I think you know what I mean. That *really really average* Best Movie Ever movie-- that's your own {ONLY lol} choice. But, don't worry. It's the best choice. And, you're a provincial, what does it matter to you, you poor, poor, dirty, ugly peasant-- a-hahaha. *The Russian monk is laughing in your face*. A-hahahaha....}
*refers back to original review* *oh, how much shorter this was....*
Anyway.
{And, you know, Bradley Beach has a Chinese place, they have a Thai restaurant, there are about four or twelve Italian/pizza/I-am-from-Italy, hahaha places, they have Mexicans, they can send their money to Mexico, they have Greek food, they have Japanese food, they have a train station, it's vaguely near the music store in Neptune that I go to, they have a library from 1880, they have a giant Catholic church from about 1170, a public school from 1930 and another couple of churches-- many churches, it's like that perfect cosmopolitan village thing.... and there was some other kind of ethnic food, too-- let's see, Chinese, Thai, Italian, Mexican, Greek, Japanese... oh, and, Caribbean, or something. They play Caribbean music, too. And, you know, it's actually a very white little town, from about 1965, {when towns were stupid, and music was win, (remember love? remember happiness? Remember that?) and, now, towns are stupid-- god, Edison, NJ, the Indians love it there, compared to being murdered or something, those fucking roads that *don't go anywhere*.... and, music....}, you know, or 1925, or whatever.... but, yeah, it's pretty white, not like Asbury Park, which is technically not that far away.... but, yeah, it's the little white town (with a zillion other people, or whatever), of B--, which is currently showing the little provincial film of L--.... 'get a pizza, watch a movie'-- you see, that's why film is so different from television.... important, and yet so fucking irritating, because it's-- {Eh,}, attention, please!, Important!.... I don't know.... {1927 attention whore....}....}
{I'm telling you this because hardboiled Emily here didn't bother, in case you didn't pick up on that....}
*refers to written version* Now, where was I....
Burger King-- wipe the slate clean, this is not the Italian place, we're American, please--, and then, Time Capsule-- we are Ancient Hebrews if you please, we are Ancient Hebrews, if you don't please.... It's funny though, I remember seeing that sign, and thinking-- like, not looking down on it-- yeah, this is important.... it's almost like a public thing.... ('rzeczpospolita', lol... 'public thing'-- Slavs borrow from Latin too, you know, they just do it always for a reason, they aren't neurotic about it like we Westerners are-- 'We are Ancient Hebrews if you please', you know.... I don't know.... but, basically, it's irritating as fuck, you know.... Fucking *hardboiled*, you know.... 'I am Father Abraham, little town of B--, will you not hear my story....'
But, obviously, if you do one of those cool modern 1920s Goon Squad things, then you're totally free of the whole 20s hardboiled issue.
But anyway, yeah.
*looks over the notes* Right.
I walk to Burger King on my way back to the Time Capsule, the toy village. Right.
I mean, all I can tell you is, {how much better it must be in Warsaw where the old buildings are the ones from 1945 or 1956, lol.... although I hear that in Germany all their new buildings are collapsing *as if* they were old-- serves the bastards right}, all that I can tell you is, if you're one of these people that has a problem with Jane Austen, {or a Shakespeare addiction, lol-- 'this crazy island, this Ancient Rome, these Ancient Hebrews, these pillars Greek'-- why don't we just stick with, 'this crazy island'.... holy, shit!}, then read this, {the 20s Goon Squad novel that was published in 2007-- same year that "Juno" came out, now, *that*, was actually about something}, and then come back to me and tell me if it ACTUALLY reminds you of New Jersey, right.
Actually, I just added that-- 'comma, right', it felt right.
But, no, let's backtrack-- I know what I'm like, let's think about this-- Jane Austen: the Shire, England, Sophie Kinsella: Knightsbridge, Britain, Sarah Addiston Allen: North Carolina, USA, Danielle Steel: NYC, *waves hands vaguely*, Somewhere. It's from somewhere, probably not New York.
And then..... we have this.....
*okay, here's my text*
I mean, Indiana Jones is KINDA like Flinders Petrie, right?
I mean, I'm actually kinda disappointed. Goddamn British beat us again-- first they have Jane Austen, and then they have Sophie Kinsella, and then, we have *this*.
And Sarah Addiston Allen-- but I was really rooting for Jersey for a minute there. {Before losing hope in the entire Anglotalk entire, I mean....} Although there's Danielle Steel, a New Yorker.... sorta easy to overlook though.... sorta like how Poland is easy to overlook, since it's "small"-- bigger than Germany, more population than Ukraine.... But they don't have fucking Jersey, right!
I mean, freakin' Boston, is that what New Jersey is?
(And Clancey's Tavern and Irish Culture-- another Anglospeak success....)
I mean, here's the thing. (I had to come back to this, even the first time.)
See-- the thing with Sophie Kinsella, at least she's clever, even though she's got some office space, at least she's got some wisdom, which is what some of this is about.
But this girl seems to think that spending all of her time in her office-- and wearing her Steve Carelli suit, imported from Italy, I'm sure-- is actually 'fun'.... and that's not what I call intelligent.
{And the fucking speech from My Cousin Vinnie, which I guess that she copied verbatim about 900 times, about twenty times or something....}
And being Indiana Jones-- the fake of a fake-- but that's *only an apparent contradiction*. ("An assistant to an assistant-- you can't go lower.") Or, since Angelina Jolie-- undoubtedly French, don't you think, (every snob is)-- did that first, more like: the assistant to an assistant to an assistant-- the fake of a fake of a fake.
{Now, think about that.}
I mean, the director of "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" was (a girl who was) from Monmouth County-- she used to do theater stuff in Red Bank, which actually is a town.... apparently they even have a dance studio in Marlboro, which is south of East Brunswick.... and then there's Asbury, but they seem too Soviet to match up to Russian ballet, {or even Metuchen, a-HAHAHAHA!}, I think....-- and Tina Fey was from Jersey in "Date Night". So, there's your local girl-- *overheard conversation* "(Cousin Jim) doesn't want to leave the island, to think that there's a world outside-- you know how New Yorkers are....", {I had a dream where Macy's-- you know how they do furniture-- where they did opera, that was trippy....}, God, that's perfect.... "....this completely useless thing with a picture of the place"-- from the internet-- you see, I'm fucking Anthony Bourdain, the best fucking French novelist that there is.... (better than Zimmern, who's like a Mexican novelist, lol...).... and, yeah, there's a house somewhere in Bradley, with this thing painted over the door-- 'New Yorker', as though they were declaring a foreign allegiance-- to the bloody Eastern Bloc, right.... hahaha, I don't know. {They say that Varsovians can be difficult, and, somehow.... I'm proud of them.... you show them, man.... "....you, showed me how to say, exactly what you say, in that very special way....you, taught it to me too, exactly what you do, and now you love me too....".... every long post needs one more go through, not just for editing, and prepositions, lol.... but for.... Turtles-referencing, lol.... ease, and, difficulty, lol....}
([original addition, lol] Oh, and there are also houses in Ocean Grove-- but they are all *very* old, and they tend to be inhabited by Christians. Although about half the town flies these Swedish-esque Equal Sign, Equality flags, to prove that they, too, are Not Ancient Hebrews.... that's generally the point.... especially if you get the one next to the church-- the *Methodist* church, the only one in the village, and not faux-cosmpolitan, like Bradley.... God, they must have at least three, they have the Catholic one which is bigger than the school, the, Protestant, Anglican one by the library, and then there's the other Protestant church which is like the one in Ocean Grove.... too bad they don't have a Lutheran Church, Hitler was just a good Lutheran, it was great... *laughing* I hate Christians so much....)
Anyway.
Right.
Tina Fey, as Lorene Scafaria....
{At the 1930s public school, where I walk past it to ditch my books with the library-- actually now they've closed their doors to that until they have the Big Sale, the bastards, what else are they good for, if not for taking that portion of my refuse which has some use, for somebody?-- there's this thing engraved into the stone above one of the doors, GIRLS ENTRANCE, which is kinda cool, although kinda evil, lol.... what do mean, this is for the girls.... It took me awhile to figure out where the boys are/were? supposed to go-- on the door on the side of the bastard-big Irish church, the bastards.... fucking drunkard's church, I hate it.... *laughing* *imagines Adam Sandler* "Just tell me whyyy!" *crazy old lady* No. *Adam* "Then screw you!!!!!"*.... yeah.... }
So, there's your "local girl", to follow one of the themes of the Sandler films....
.... 'different 'dziewczyny', as the Katowice girl might say....
{Actually, girls here tend to be more *German*, than Polish.... ponder this.... ponder....}
Print can be so cheap-- this really is my p.s. to the whole project.
{*Billy Joel* *sings it all funny* 'It's always hard to say goodbye.... but that's the story of my life....'}
{1992 must have been the nadir of humanity-- it certainly was in Russia, I know that much.... but Billy Joel, it's like he's stranded down in this deep ditch, the nadir of humanity, and he's trying to climb out with his voice.... and that's why, he sings so funny.... Paul McCartney had departed to the Isle of the Fey....}
{.... that's why it took so long to write....}
We read books to consider things, but somehow it is something more to be considerate.
{And somehow, it's never really more fun, not to be....
justice-- eh, *eh*....}

.... There will be other words, some other day....

[I know it's *ironic*-- unexpected, I guess-- to say goodbye more than once, but.... the past does pass, the time goes, and now-- it's gone. It is not as it was before. It's changed.]

And the other age will choose between you and I, and it will be clear enough, I think, who wasn't quite worth the bother....

[~ I should have told them about the lakes, though. The lakes are kinda nice. (And the divers waterfowl....)

(*angry voice* How dare you cancel the football party!....)

Ops, but now, it's too late. The time has gone.]

(7/10) ( )

Janet Evanovich novels are my favorite travelling entertainment. I rent the cds from the library, and they give me at least four hours of entertainment. This was great to listen to, but reading it was an entirely different kettle of fish. I wasn't thrilled reading this book.

The audio version gives a more satisfying experience. Just my opinion. ( )