10. Top Ten is back. Happy belated New Year to everyone. We will be keeping it as classy as always in 2013.
9. Samantha Young has announced that On Dublin Street #2 will be titled, Down London Road and set to come out May 7th. The blurb from Goodreads:
It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may—or may not—fly.
But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable. The sexy new bartender at work gives her butterflies every time she looks at him. And for once, Jo is tempted to put her needs first. Cam is just as obsessed with getting to know Jo, but her walls are too solid to let him get close enough to even try.
Then Cam moves into the flat below Jo’s, and their blistering connection becomes impossible to ignore. Especially since Cam is determined to uncover all of Jo’s secrets …even if it means taking apart her defenses piece by piece
Are you scratching your head as to who Cameron and Jo are? From Samantha Young’s website:
Jo is Joss’ friend and colleague at Club 39, the bar she works in. In ODS Jo is described as a nice girl, devoted to her brother, but a bit of a gold digger. Jo definitely has a story to tell. A rich story about family, friendship, self-confidence, self-respect and most of all about falling in love when we least expect it. The hero of Down London Road is Cameron MacCabe, a tattooed bartender/graphic designer who completely derails Jo’s plans and determination. Although very different characters from Joss and Braden, in very different situations, Jo and Cam’s relationship is a particularly tense, fiery and passionate one and I hope you fall in love with the two of them just as much as you have with Joss and Braden.
8. A few days ago, Angieville posted this video of Richard Armitage reading an excerpt from North and South. My god that voice. He needs to get in my pants start narrating romance books immediately.
Also, have we had a chance to talk about how hot he is as Thorin in The Hobbit?
We saw The Hobbit because my boys wanted to see it, but mommy ended up liking it quite a bit. Yes, oh yes.
Fili and Kili are pretty fine too. I’m a ho for Hobbit dwarves. I can’t help myself!
7. The 17th Annual Readers Poll is open at All About Romance. In this poll you get to write in all of your votes from favorite funny romance, favorite tear jerker, favorite hero, favorite heroine etc… Also, most disappointing book you read in 2012, which I think is a very interesting category. It takes me awhile to go over the books I’ve read in 2012 and write in the answers, but I really like this poll.
6. Here is a half nakey man icing a cake. Everyone can send their thanks to Brie for this. (I wonder if a stray chest hair made it on to that frosting….)
5. Starting to get our first look at some Catching Fire photos. Sharing the cover with Jennifer Lawrence is Sam Claflin. I think he looks like a good Finnick but we shall see. I really liked this book – I wasn’t excited they were going back for a second game, but I like how the author sets up the arena.
4. My new obsession over the holiday break was the TV show, Parenthood. The first three seasons are streaming free on Amazon Prime (I think NetFlix too). I watched it because I love Lauren Graham (from Gilmore Girls) and Peter Krause (from Six Feet Under), but I’ve ended up loving the entire cast. Craig T Nelson plays the best dad/grandfather. And I love Dax Sheppard. I’m almost caught up in season four (which has been totally devastating with the Kristina storyline!). If you haven’t tried it, I highly rec it.
Also February 10th. I’m so ready:
Oh! And I can’t leave tv news without mentioning this tweet from my beloved Jesse Pinkman.
I just finished reading the first episode of the final season of Breaking Bad and words can not express what I just experienced. Holy shit.
— Aaron Paul (@aaronpaul_8) November 27, 2012
And poor Hank has been left sitting on the toilet for months! *wink*
3. You guys. The Samoa Girl Scout cookie is my absolute favorite. And LOOK. There is a Samoa bundt cake. This will be prepared by me soon. And devoured by me. Not sure if I will even share it.
My favorite part of the recipe, before you even begin to prepare you must “stick the whole, unopened can of condensed milk in your crock pot and submerge it by at least 3 inches and cook it on medium for 10 hours or on high for 7”
Whaaaaa? Epic tastes takes hours to create apparently!
Also for those more adventurous in their baking, there are now Kama Sutra cookie cutters. A little NSFW. And a little giggle snort.
2. Jimmy Kimmel makes celebrities read mean things that people have tweeted to them. And of course You+Mean-Me=Funny, right? *wink* There are also two previous videos in this series that are funny.
1. Wait, wait, wait. You can’t proceed with your weekend until you see Matt Bomer doing this:
‘
and this
You can see about 20 more over at Square Hippies.
And NOW go on and have a good Friday night. Read something smexy this weekend!
January 11, 2013 at 2:23 pm
Love me some Bomer, always. I can’t believe I’ve never even HAD a Samoa…Thin Mints were always thrust upon me as a kid. The submersion method for making dulce de leche out of condensed milk is pretty risky, though, especially for that length of time. (Explosions are not uncommon, and if a caramelized condensed milk burn is a fraction as painful as a caramel burn is, it won’t be fun.) I’ve seen some versions where you open the lid and just set it in a pan of simmering water (almost to the top) until it gets tan and thick, or pour the whole thing in a roasting pan and watch for the right consistency. Mexican cookbooks often have a method, or you can Google “dulce de leche recipe” until you find a safe one. There are usually canned ones in the grocery store, too…you could probably just substitute the same amount of that and save yourself the trouble.
January 11, 2013 at 3:16 pm
Those Jimmy Kimmel tweet videos ALWAYS kill me. Thanks for that!
I make dulce de leche out of condensed milk all the time for bannoffee pie. Just boil unopened cans in a pot of water for three hours. The key is to make sure the pot doesn’t boil dry, which it won’t if you have a big pot that’s full of water. And you can do a few cans at once and leave the extras in the pantry for ages as long as they’re not opened.
LOVE the top ten!
January 11, 2013 at 3:48 pm
Yay Matt Bomer ;)
January 11, 2013 at 3:56 pm
Richard Armitage and a pure win find of Samoa bundt cake! This could be my favorite Top Ten post ever! TY!
January 11, 2013 at 5:14 pm
Well, that guy can ice my cake any time!
January 11, 2013 at 5:41 pm
The unopened can of condensed milk in the crock pot is to make “dulce de leche” also known as “Arequipe” you can find it in some supermarkets, so you can skip that step.
The recipe looks awesome, I’m planing to make it soon too. We can share notes :)
January 11, 2013 at 8:31 pm
You had two cakes and smexy men in your top ten. I’m having a sleep over with your top ten. *snerk*
January 11, 2013 at 8:33 pm
I died laughing about Anderson Cooper and dinosaurs.
As for Matt.. OMG TAKE ME!!!
January 11, 2013 at 9:20 pm
I had no wish to see The Hobbit until about one point five minutes ago. There is no way I can sweet talk the fab Mr. Flynn into going. I think I must play hooky from work one afternoon soon.
January 11, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Richard Armitage is totally swoonworthy. Sexiest dwarf EVAH! LOL
January 12, 2013 at 2:17 am
Oh, my… Oh, yeah, now I remember why I always read Top Ten alone….
Have you seen that clip where Richard Armitage sings Misty Mountains song? I died. That voice….::sigh::
January 12, 2013 at 9:53 am
My Fridays are once again complete :)
January 12, 2013 at 10:21 am
OMG that cake! I can’t bake to save my life so I think it’s time to see what favors need to be done in order for someone else to make that for me :-D
January 12, 2013 at 2:35 pm
Just an FYI – Richard Armitage did narrate 3 Georgette Heyer novels. They are all abridged, but you can get Sylvester, The Convenient Marriage and Venetia. Each book is about 5 hours.
Happy listening!
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B0036GTKMO&qid=1358019276&sr=1-1
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_2?asin=B004CZ7TBC&qid=1358019276&sr=1-2
http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_3?asin=B003MAZ5W8&qid=1358019276&sr=1-3
January 13, 2013 at 6:10 am
I did miss your Top 10! Thanks for making a new one, I loved it very much!
January 13, 2013 at 6:36 am
LOVE Richard Armitage! He motivated me to actually read North and South, which I loved.
January 14, 2013 at 1:17 pm
*headdesk* Is it Feb. 10th yet? The wait may kill me.
That cake recipe is just wow. I have a feeling my daughter will forever be in your debt for that one. :)
April 8, 2013 at 1:33 am
fuck your Asshol