Cold enough for ya? Oh, that's not the new greeting replacing, "Hello, how are you?" I thought it was - it's all I've been hearing the past few days... And, just in case  you haven't guessed my answer yet, it's "It's 'way too cold for me, thanks - and you?"

Honestly, in the summer I always think, "I hate this hot weather! At least in winter, you can put on a sweater if you're cold... " but this is more than put-on-another-sweater cold. Brrrr.

The only good thing about it is that I have plenty of excuses for cuddling up with a good book, a blanket, and a cuppa. Currently still savoring the fourth book (658 pages) in the Imager Portfolio series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. - "Scholar" - sort of a sword-and-sorcery epic fantasy, if you allow the sorcery to be called "imaging" and let the hero carry a half-staff rather than a sword. And I'm reading the series totally out of order, too; I thought the first three books were a finished trilogy, then someone kindly sent me an Advance Reading copy of another book in the series - #6! So I read it; and then found book 5 and read that, and finally located a copy of book 4. But it's actually an interesting way to do a series. I got to see the hero in his full powers, and then find out how he got there.  If I think of "Scholar" as a prequel to the prequel, if sort of makes sense. Doesn't it?

I would have submitted a new post much sooner (honest!), but I picked up a sort-of part-time, probably one-time, job. I can now say that I have actually acted as a proofreader for an author! You know of people who are math whizzes, or those who have a "directional bump" and never get lost - well, I have the (mis)fortune to be a spelling person. For some weird reason, a misspelled word just leaps off the printed page at me - and drives me slightly nuts. A friend of my sister's is writing a mystery, and asked me to act as not only beta reader, but as proofreader. It was such fun! I must say, it's the first time I have ever read a book (red pen in hand), then flipped back to the beginning and read it all again. In ten days. It was a most interesting experience, and I hope when the book is published we can invite the author to the store for a signing. His book was very good, with a nice, twisty plot; and he remembered to tie up each and every loose end. It also shows that one can't go through a traumatic experience like solving a murder without collecting some character changes in the detective. I've always wondered about mysteries where the hero/ine solves the mystery and everything in his/her life just settles right back to normal. There ought to be a change in outlook, at the very least, don't you think?

Have you ever read a book that was so good that it "spoiled" you for the next one? A read so delicious, exciting, thrilling, or moving that it took you several tries to find another book to read next? What was it? Do you ever re-read? Do you have a book or two that you re-read, say, once a year or so? How about "comfort reads" - the one you reach for when you're feeling in need of an old friend? Next post, I'll tell you about a couple of my favorites - the ones I turn to when nothing else appeals. The books that I own in multiple copies, because I keep wearing them out and need to have a spare, just in case.

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