Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus by John Gray (and in the Bedroom, too!)

I know, I know… You make one mention of “relationship book” and women put on their glasses to do some research, while men run screaming for the hills. But seriously, Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus is a classic for a reason. Never before have I had so many AHA! moments while reading a self-help/relationship book. To put it simply, Gray points out what men do to drive women insane and what women do to annoy men to death. By relating to each other as if we are from different planets, it’s easier to change our expectations about how the opposite sex “should” react. 

Even I initially rolled my eyes thinking of reading this book. Now, I’m a strong believer that EVERYONE should read it, male and female. Because it’s oh so true. The book could’ve been written based on a case study of myself and my live-in boyfriend. Don’t get me wrong, we have a great relationship, but… he’s from Mars…

There were actually examples of conversations that we have actually had, and it perfectly described his need for alone time versus my ups and downs. It makes it much more simple to realize that the two sexes handle things

differently and men aren’t “insensitive” and women aren’t “crazy.” They are just from two different planets.

However, when I decided to read Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus in the Bedroom, that’s when Gray started to go a little awry. I couldn’t really relate to the exercises he’d prescribe couples and the whole thing read uncomfortably–like that weird squirmy feeling you get when you’re watching a movie with your parents and a sex scene comes on. Gross.

So, definitely DO NOT miss out on MAFMWAFV, but you can totally skip the creepiness that is …In the Bedroom.

5 dumb boys out of 5 for the former, 2 flannel nightgowns for the latter

My New(ish) Tattoo!

I don’t know why the hell I forgot to post this back in April when I initially got it, but I am now the proud human canvas of a book nerd tattoo! It says, “I am the heroine of my own story.” It’s just a daily reminder that I’m the main character of my own life 🙂

 

 

Quote of the Day: Jean Cocteau

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.”

-Jean Cocteau

Quote of the Day: James Harriet

This is the newest addition to our family, Cairo! We adopted him from PetSmart a few days ago and couldn’t be happier. He’s the sweetest and most beautiful cat I’ve ever met.

 

“I have felt cats rubbing their faces against mine and touching my cheek with claws carefully sheathed. These things, to me, are expressions of love.”

-James Harriet

The Mammoth Book of Erotica edt. by Maxim Jakubowski

The Mammoth Book of Erotica has been sitting on a bookshelf somewhere in my vicinity since I was a teenager. I started reading it back then, killed a hundred pages, and then walked away. I still had an old piece of ripped paper marking the spot where I left off. Maybe I was afraid of my mom busting me or something. Who knows?

But I finally came back and finished the job. 

As with all anthologies, TMBOE had it it’s ups and downs (tee hee). Rarely did I find any of these stories arousing or titillating (I love that word) but many of them were entertaining outside of the sexual spectrum.

Some of my favorites included:

• The Isle of the Dead by Thomas S. Roche- Queen of the Damned meets transgender lead singer. 
• Beauty’s Punishment by Anne Rice- An excerpt of Rice’s famous Beauty BDSM trilogy.
• Hollow Hills by Michael Hemmingson- Six youths get frisky in the back of a 1971 Mustang.
• A Carcass of Dreams by Marco Grassi- His “story” was several separate individual pieces. Some were of strange subject matter, but all were well written. (Coprophilia, anyone?)
• The Girl in Booth Nine by Adam-Troy Castro- One of my favorites of the whole anthology. A sci-fi thriller about a guy who visits viewing booths at a XXX store and how a virtual video vixen gets her revenge.
• The Safety of Unknown Cities by Lucy Taylor- Sodom and Gomorrah meets hermaphrodite meets evil sorcerer. My other favorite.
• Violent Silence by Paul Mayersberg- A poolside desperate housewife meets dangerous stranger and they get down in a cabana. (It’s much more intriguing than it sounds–don’t judge me!)
• Equinox by Samuel R. Delany- Bisexual pirate love! Need I say more?
• Baubo’s Kiss by Lucy Taylor- A vacationing lesbian stumbles upon a mythical goddess and magic ensues.
• The Age of Desire by Clive Barker- A secret lab experiment goes horribly awry and an insane man with an insatiable sexual appetite is unleashed. Loved this one.
• L’Enfer by Alice Joanou- A kept man and his mistress visit a hidden erotic club and things turn violent. Very Jack the Ripper-esque.

So, I guess seeing as how 11 out of 30 stories were very well-written or entertaining, 1/3 of this HUGE book was really good. These were all worth reading. The rest were either boring or rambling. Don’t expect arousal though, because these aren’t smut. They’re graphic, but they’re more erotically-themed short stories than out and out raunchy porn.

4 virtual video vixens of 5

(I think I’m just going to work “virtual video vixen” into as many conversations as possible from now on…)

Quote of the Day: F. Scott Fitzgerald

“I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And it’s these things I’d believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn’t all she should be. I love her and that is the beginning of everything.”

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Cracking Spines fans! ❤

Quote of the Day: Joseph Addison

“Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.”

-Joseph Addison

 

Congratulations to Mr & Mrs Gonzalez :)

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

-Dr. Suess

Paris 9-22-12

We just got back from our weekend in Paris and it was absolutely amazing! We got to see Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arch of Triumph, and even climb the Eiffel Tower. There were delicious pastry shops everywhere and everyone seemed to be carrying a baguette. (Haha… No lie.) Every morning I’d eat a fruit tart or some bread for breakfast. They had gorgeous open-air markets full of fresh meat, fish, cheese, olives, and produce. I loved it. Everyone had a great sense of style and the atmosphere was great.

Jason and I even visited the famous Love Lock Bridge, where couples hook locks to a fence to symbolize their unbreakable bond. We left something of our own behind 🙂 

If I spoke French it’d be a perfect place to live. As it was, we were kind of bumbling American tourists, but everyone seemed friendly about it.

Below is a slideshow of our trip for your viewing pleasure. 🙂

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