Survey Uncovers the Sex Secrets of Erotic Romance Authors

recently read an article online titled Erotica Authors Lead Hotter Sex Lives Than Most Americans, Says Survey on the Digital Book World Book website. In the above mentioned article, I discovered the following information:

The Fussy Librarian discovers erotic writers really do have steamier sex lives.

According to a new survey by The Fussy Librarian, a site that recommends ebooks in 40 genres to readers, the authors who write steamy erotic novels also heat up the bedroom — and just about everywhere else: church basements, on stacks of drywall, on stage at a concert, on horseback, in canoes, in elevators, at museums, and on playground slides and Disney World rides.

The Fussy Librarian surveyed 103 erotic romance authors between May 9-19 to learn whether their sex lives were spicier than the typical American, or if they just had more active imaginations.

Click on top link to discover the five findings learned through The Fussy Librarian survey!

The Harlequin Tea Set & Other Stories by Agatha Christie

I've been in the mood this month for writing by Agatha Christie! So, for my birthday, I decided to purchase the unabridged audio version of The Harlequin Tea Set & Other Stories by Agatha Christie, which I've recently listened to on my Kindle.

There are nine stories that comprise The Harlequin Tea Set & Other Stories as follows:
1. The Edge
2. The Actress
3. While the Light Lasts
4. The House of Dreams
5. The Lonely God
6. Manx Gold
7. Within a Wall
8. The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
9. The Harlequin Tea Set

Total playing time for the audio version is approximately 6 hours and 12 minutes.

I pretty much enjoyed all of the short stories mentioned above with the exception of The Harlequin Tea Set, which was surprising as it was the one I was most looking forward to listening to out of all the short stories in this collection. The stories I most enjoyed were The Edge, The Actress, and The Lonely God.

All the stories were well read... I am giving The Harlequin Tea Set & Other Stories a rating of 7 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Italian Laundromat by A. M. Khalifa

I recently read The Italian Laundromat by A. M. Khalifa in a single afternoon. It is a short story roughly 62 pages in length.

The following is a plot summary is as follows for The Italian Laundromat from Amazon:

When Donatello finally decides to escape her husband's tyranny, engaging in panty-melting sexual encounters with a young, dark-skinned immigrant is just her appetizer. But as her plot thickens, Donatello finds she may have bitten off more than she can chew. 

Get swept away in the sensual and mysterious world of The Italian Laundromat where even the most oppressed underdog dreams of having the last laugh.

For the most part, I enjoyed reading The Italian Laundromat... It was a fun, fast read with a decent storyline and some spicy sex scenes. My only major complaint is that some scene changes happened abruptly from scene to the next. Otherwise I enjoyed reading the The Italian Laundromat.

I'm giving The Italian Laundromat a rating of 6.5 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Petectives - A Cat Mystery by Robert J. Smith

Petectives - A Cat Mystery by Robert J. Smith is a quick eBook read that I finished in roughly two and a half hours and it is  approximately 140 pages. If you love cats and dogs, mysteries and stories told through the eyes of animals, then you may enjoy reading this novella. 

The plot summary for Petectives is as follows from Amazon:

It’s almost Halloween and cat detectives Yoshi and Gatsby are up to their collars in mystery in this humorous whodunnit for pet lovers. When Gatsby and Yoshi decide to help a pretty young cat find her missing brother, what starts as a routine missing pet investigation soon pits them against both a gang of vicious criminal pit bulls as well as the neighborhood dog police, who are looking into rumors of dogfights. While Gatsby’s up to his whiskers in danger and romance, Yoshi’s putting together the pieces of a puzzle that could rock their community. Can the boys find a missing cat and shut down a dogfighting operation while staying two steps ahead of the local dog police? It’s all in a night’s work for the Petectives!

I thought the premise of Petectives was really cute as I do love mystery novels and animals featured in novels as well! But somehow the writing feel flat... Not enough, umph to it. I thought there was more telling of the storyline verses showing through action. 

I'm giving Petectives a rating of 5 stars out of 10 stars. I'm not interested in reading anymore novellas in the Petectives series.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Friday Finds #37

Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list...

Or a place to simply feature the books you've actually purchased throughout the week and have added to your to be read pile!

I've added four books to my reading stack this past week -- Two used books from the Friends of the Library Used Bookstore for 50 cents a piece and two audiobooks from Audible as follows:

1. The House of Gentle Men by Kathy Hepinstall

2. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos

3. My Man Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse

4. The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan

Which books have you added to your reading or wish list this week?

Which Literary Character are you? Quiz

So, which literary character are you? Take the following ten question quiz to find out which character you are!! I took the quiz on AbeBooks website... My result is as follows:

You are Hermione from the Harry Potter series. You are smart, witty, and love a challenge. You use rationality and reason in all things. You are measured and stable and you don't let people push you around.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling has captured the imaginations of children and adults alike. Rowling brings to life the world where magic is real and the fantastic creatures of mythology come alive. Her seventh and final book in the series published in 2007 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) became the fastest selling book in history.

The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy: A Novel by Wendy Leigh

I decided to take a break from listening to audiobooks and return to reading a book instead. I decided to veer off course and read something different, so chose The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy: A Novel by Wendy Leigh. 

I've always admired former First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, for her beauty, poise and style. She's such an icon of American style and glamour! She's the epitome of class. 

Marilyn Monroe is the legendary, sexy screen siren of her day. Monroe's untimely death and legacy still endures to this day and she is seemingly popular as ever. 

So, when I came across the eBook novel The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy by Wendy Leigh, I was intrigued by the title and plot summary. 

I do not know if Jacqueline Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe actually corresponded through a series of secret letters in real life and eventually formed a friendship as presented in the novel, The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy... But the idea of Marilyn & Jackie corresponding via secret letters does make for interesting reading nonetheless. Who wouldn't want to know what they wrote to each other, had they in fact corresponded to one another via letters!! I mean really, what would they say to each other?

I enjoyed the fact that The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy is written as a series of letters between both women as it is an interesting way to present a story. I can only recall reading two previous novels told in this same fashion and both of these novels were good ones to read.

Pros: 

* Novel is presented as a series of intriguing letters.
* Fast, fun, historical read.
* Well written and researched by the author.

Cons:

* Not sure how realistic it would have been that Jackie & Marilyn communicated to one another via secret letters over several years & became friends. 
* I also found it a bit difficult to believe that each woman would have shared such deeply personal information to one another either.

All in all, I did enjoy reading The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jacqueline Kennedy by Wendy Leigh! I'm giving it a rating of seven stars out of ten stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Maya Angelou Passed Away at Age 86.

I'm saddened to learn about the death of Dr. Maya Angelou. She is one of my favorite poets, writers and storytellers. I've seen her speak before a live audience twice in my life. Once at the University of Iowa while I was attending college there and another time in Santa Barbara, California at the Arlington Theatre. Maya Angelou was a captivating speaker... She was fascinating to listen to to... She shared wonderful stories, recited poetry, sung songs and much more to audiences. I also enjoyed listening to Maya Angelou speak on various television shows. I very much respected her wisdom, vast knowledge and many pearls of wisdom!! Dr. Angelou will be greatly missed!

My heart goes out to Dr. Angelou's family during this sad time. 

To learn more about Dr. Maya Angelou, please click on the following link: Maya Angelou, Poet, Activist And Singular Storyteller, Dies At 86 by Lynn Neary

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Books to Read After College Graduation

I came across an article on Bustle titled 11 BOOKS TO READ AFTER COLLEGE GRADUATION (WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON) by Tori Telfer. In the article, Tori Telfer writes:

Some of these books pinpoint that specific feeling of post-grad ennui; others provide fiery inspiration; and some are just really useful for navigating a post-grad life. They pair perfectly with a glass of Mom-made lemonade and a feeling of infinite possibility that’s occasionally tempered by a stabbing pain at how terrifying the world is. You’ll get through it. These books will help.

Click on the above link to read which eleven books made the list!