A new series - with magic, even

During my vacation reading, I stumbled along a fun new book. I was even happier to discover that it was part of a series. (A discovery that takes away that "I don't want to finish the book because then it will just be OVER" feeling).

Enchanted, Inc. is written by Shanna Swendson and is about Katie Chandler, a woman living in New York. In this book, magic is going on all around us (as I have long suspected) but most of us are completely fooled by it. Katie, however, has absolutely no magic and so can see what is really happening (frog princes, talking gargoyles, etc.)

She ends up teaming up with a magic business. Highjinks ensue, plus a crush.

Okay, it's not War and Peace, but it's a lot of fun.

Is it a cliche to like Project Runway?

In the cycle of returning cable shows, I have been once again delighted by the return of Project Runway.

I know, who's surprised? Doesn't everyone already love this show? But it is so good, in a way that so many other competition reality shows are not.

In general, I am not of the "do something and then be judged for it" genre of shows, and completely avoid American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, etc.

And yet, Project Runway manages to totally rock.

I am so not a fashion person. If it were possible, I would wear pajamas all the time. And I am invariable wrong when I try to predict what the judges will like. But it's so fun to see what they create and the judges aren't mean and creepy and it's just a good time for everyone.

I can't recommend this show enough. It's super addictive.

Didn't I used to love Marian Keyes?

Okay, so I would swear that there was a time I was a huge Marian Keyes fan, and that I had really liked a bunch of her books. So I was excited to get her newest one, This Charming Man, out of the library.

And yet, it was really not good.

I was quite disappointed. Did I only imagine I liked her books before?

She tries so hard to make the language sound authentic that it ends up reading like it was written from someone really unfamiliar with the English language. The speakers seem to lack any understanding of articles or transition words and say things like "Food delicious" which is very distracting.

Plus the book is about a horrible, horrible man who does awful things and then pretty much just gets away with it.

I don't know how to explain. Perhaps my standards were too high?

Leisure Girl in paradise?

Sometimes vacation is not all it's cracked up to be.

Okay, I generally speaking had a very nice time in the Dominican Republic. The resort was lovely and the beach was everything you could ask for - turquoise water, soft which sand, and gentle ocean breezes.

Plus I had plenty of downtime to read and luxuriate.

So where did the Dominican Republic and I go wrong? That would be the morning of my return trip.

I woke up feeling not so good. Three hours later I was collapsing in the airport. The next twelve or so hours were filled with wheel chairs, vomiting, and more vomiting. You've never had food poisoning until you've thrown up wedged between a Southern Living saleswoman and a flight attendant continuing to shill snacks.

One of my worst days ever, and, like all bad break ups, it has soured my vacation memories.