Review - Royal Target

Yesterday I finished Royal Target, by Traci Hunter Abramson. Great book!

Janessa Rogers is a CIA agent assigned to be the pretend fiance of Price Garrett of Meridia for security reasons. Do you think she is going to fall in love with him...gee, predict this! Of course, he falls for her. But along the way she decides she cannot marry a non-LDS person. Surprise, he is already planning on joining the church. Of course she tries to come up with other reasons not to marry him but all fall short in the end.

The book was good, even though it was completely predictable. It was a nice, clean story and an intriguing concept. I have always loved a glimpse into royalty and thought this was a good example.

Now it's on to First Family by David Baldacci.

I am now a twit. Even though I have been told that all my life, I have opened a Twitter account. I believe you have to create an account with them, but once you do, please follow me at alcdad.

I have also joined Good Reads. Again, you have to create an account, but you can look for me by name, ask to add me as a friend.

Review - Bitten

I was reading Bitten by Robert Smith when I realized that this was simply a complication of his previous Trust William’s series. There is really nothing new in this book, so I quit after about 100 pages. I’m disappointed the author would do this and even more disappointed in the publisher (Deseret Book) would not make it clear this is a reprint and compilation of his previous work. What’s next, a one volume reprint of the Work and the Glory? Shame, shame Deseret Book!

So now it's on to Royal Target by Tracy Hunter Abramson. It's a great book, so far.

What Happens in Vegas...

We recently returned from a very nice vacation in Las Vegas with the in-laws. Our trip down was nice and safe, uneventful, except for the stop at the cheese factory in Beaver for fresh cheese and curd (squeaky cheese).

Drive down the Virgin River George canyon

We got to the hotel (Mirage), check in, had the luggage in the room and waited for Del and Jeanette to arrive. They followed by 10 minutes or so.

Arrival and enjoying the buffet

Friday evening's meal was at the buffet in the hotel. Like other buffets, there were lots of choices of things to eat, from fresh salads and fruits, to prime rib, seafood, enchiladas, pastas, etc. Of course, we had to try nearly everything, though I don't remember anyone trying the sushi. Friday evening was capped off with t visit to the Lance Burton show to watch his magic show. Very good. Still wondering how he gets his car to fly!

Saturday found us starting off at the buffet where they offered a brunch, many of the same offerings from the night before, but adding fresh omlets, crepes (not that good), cereals, and other traditional breakfast foods. Waiting for the Secret Gardens to open, we walked through the Forum Shops and Caesars Palace casino.

Forum Shops

Then we made our way back to the Mirage to see the dolphins and white tigers. It was very entertaining to watch the tigers interact with each other and with their trainer.

Dolphin Pool and Alpacas at the Secret Gardens of Sigfried and Roy

Alpacas and Tiger

Lions of the Secret Gardens

More tigers

Enjoying ourselves in the Secret Gardens

We enjoyed a walk over to the Bellagio and a nice lunch in their food court.

Bellagio Resort art and canals

That evening we enjoyed the Terry Fator show. Fator is a ventriliquest and impressionist. Incredible and very talented, something we certainly recommend (maybe not for younger children though).

Fator and friend

For breakfast on Sunday morning we decided to explore the city and to see if we could find something else other than the buffet at the hotel. We finally ended up at the Cannery Eastside Casino where we all enjoyed a pretty nice breakfast (the wait for a tble was a little long, and the server kind of ignored us after the food was served--but the food was good). We took the old(er) folks back to the hotel and bid our goodbyes. It was a great weekend and nice to get away from the cold weather for a few days!

Views from Vegas

Review - Boy Minus Girl

I finished Boy Minus Girl this morning. The jacket description is a little misleading, but it was an...interesting book. It was advertised as a boy-likes-girl-but-can't-have-her story. In actuality, boy, Les, likes girl, Charity, but soon discovers that while Charity likes Les, she is a lesbian, so Les has no chance with her. But he and his friend Howard are able to get a lot of advise about girls from her. He also has to deal with a bully at school and prepare for the school's talent show where he is debuting as a magician, the Great Linguini. On top of all this, his Uncle Ray comes to visit. While Les looks up to and admires his uncle, he soon discovers what a creep he is after he sleeps with a married woman in town and is actually hiding out from his stripper-girlfriend who is now pregnant and looking for him. And Les only has one thing on his mind...(use your imagination about a 14-year old boy). The conclusion to the story is a little weak, but ties up most, but not all, loose ends.

This story is certainly not for the light-hearted. I'm waiting for the first objection to the content. It's too bad too, because the hidden moral of the story is that one should do the right thing, be oneself and be true to core values. I'm only recommending this 246 page novel (which reads very fast) by Richard Uhlig to those with a very open mind.

For me, it's on to Bitten by Robert F. Smith.