It's Great To Be Me.

Especially when, whilst perusing the aisles of my local Costco, I happen across a book. Not just any book. But BOOK FOUR of a series that I started a while ago.

You know how it is with series, don't you? You get sucked in and then -- after you finish whatever installment you've just read and they hook you with a preview of the upcoming installment -- you settle in for a long wait.

Not being one to sign up for fan lists -- I only vaguely recalled hearing that the next book was coming some time in 2012. Which brings me back to that moment in Costco when I saw it. *angels singing* Right in front of me. BOOK FOUR!!!!


I happily carried the treasured tome to the checkout, anticipating many blissed out hours immersed in a purely indulgent read, steaming cup of tea at my side. I couldn't believe my good luck to have stumbled across the newest installment, just like that... and at Costco's discount prices, no less! Thumbs up, happy camper.


Finally, I find a few hours in an evening to sit down and crack the cover. (And who doesn't love a nicely cracked cover?) Tea is steaming, lamp is lit, blankets are blanketing. Ahhhh... Starting a new installment is always a bit slow. Often the preview chapter(s) that were offered in the previous book are the first chapter or so of the new one. So, it's not strange to have a new installment seem a bit "familiar". A little bit of reader's deja vu. Which explained why I was noting that "I've read this part before" for the first little bit.

But that didn't explain why, four chapters in... I was still finding the dialogue to be very predictable and the plot twists rather familiar. The long time lapse between reading the previous book and the fact that this book was indeed, what I class to be indulgent (OK, time to fess up. It's a series firmly entrenched in the Young Adult Fantasy genre. "The Mortal Instruments" to be exact. Clearly not a read that involves great chunks of one's grey matter. Pure entertainment.) all added up to me rationalizing and sort of shrugging as I read onwards. Maybe my tastes had changed and the author was much more formulaic than I had previously acknowledged. Cause let's be honest. Most of these indulgent type books are incredibly predictable, mais non? Color me Less-Than-Enthused.

Yet, I soldier onward. It's still a decent read and my tea is yummy and the blankets are delightful.

More chapters. This predictable thing is getting super annoying.

And then it hits me. I kid you not. At least two thirds of the way into this book, it hits me. I have read this book already. Book Four was NOT the newest installment -- I just re-purchased a book I already own and read almost all of it (well, over half of it) before realizing what was going on.


Sometimes I astound me. Good grief.