Saturday Smiles

On Saturdays I post about a couple of things that have made me smile over the last week.
*****

1) Sharon Shinn's new book The Shape of Desire

 

From Shinn's website: Maria Devane has loved Dante Romano since she met him. But he’s a man with a secret: He’s a shape-shifter who spends an increasing amount of time in animal form. Or so he tells her—in the fifteen years they’ve been together, she’s never actually seen him take another shape. She tries not to wonder if that’s the truth. She tries not to think about the other reasons he might disappear for weeks at a time. But she has to start asking herself extremely hard questions when there’s a series of brutal murders in town and the most likely culprit is someone who is half animal, half human.

I love Sharon Shinn's books- she creates believable sympathetic characters and I fall in love with them consistently.  Her intricate plots and fully-realized worlds are fun to jump into and I never want her stories to end. My favorites are the Twelve Houses novels, but I enjoy everything she has written.  Her Samaria books combine faith with science in a way that always makes me think deeply about who I am & what I believe, but they are still enjoyable simply as high-quality stories.

I admit that I wasn't too sure about The Shape of Desire at first.  It took me a couple of chapters to become engrossed, but then I had to finish the book in one big gulp.  I stayed up last night to finish it and I'm glad I did. 

Yes, this book could be subtitled, "My Shape-Changing Boyfriend".  However, Shinn takes the cliches & old-record-grooves, and creates something new and interesting.  Shinn's counter-point story, a co-worker caught in a seriously abusive marriage, causes Maria to question her relationship with Dante in a manner no serious 'Twilight' fan would find acceptable.  I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful paranormal romance/mystery.

 

2) Quiet Time

No Farmer's Market craziness!  I love Farmer's Market, but I'm glad to be released for a season to do other things- like read, watch some TV, enjoy my girls, and bead for pleasure.

 

3)  I am out of my boot!!!!

 

I saw the foot doctor this week, and my fractured foot is well enough for me to leave the boot behind!  No exercising, or dancing for a while yet, but I'm free to wear just plain old shoes!