Just because he's fictional doesn't mean he doesn't love me.

There's a line in a television show that I like (Sports Night) where one of the characters describes what she does when she's at a hotel, out of town, and feeling a little lost/homesick.  She orders a Shrimp Cocktail off the room service menu.  The reason being, shrimp cocktail always tastes the same, it's always good, it's a constant. 
Well, I'm not in a hotel, but I did just move half way around the world.  In addition to some epic packing, I had 24 hours of travel to prepare for.  Luckily, my sweet of a husband gave me an E-reader for our anniversary (a Nook- and yes, I love it).  So, I wasn't faced with deciding what books to carry with me, just what to read.  I knew I didn't want non-fiction (my brain automatically dulls on a plane), I needed some good chick lit.  So I turned to a favorite series:  Stephanie Plum. 
 I first started the series by Janet Evanovich several years ago, but stopped after the first couple of books.  Then I picked them up again about a year ago.  I seriously could not stop reading.  I flew through all 16 (#17 comes out this summer!) in a matter of weeks.  The series follows Stephanie Plum, a regular girl from New Jersey, who takes an irregular job.  She becomes a bounty hunter.  Ms. Plum does not have any particular skills to make this a logical career move, but she's hard up for money and has dirt on the owner of the Bond business, who happens to be her cousin.  Hi-jinks ensue.
  You might think that 16 books about a bounty hunter in Jersey might get old, but it really doesn't. 
So here then, my book loving friends, is a brief list of reasons why I love Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series:
1.  She's Plucky.  That's not a word you hear much in this modern world, but I think its an apt description.  Stephanie Plum (by her own word) has more luck than skill when it comes down to hunting fugitives.  But she doesn't give up.  Each book/story-line/adventure feels new and fresh mostly because Plum has a new way to solve the mystery/get the bad guy. She's assisted by a rather absurd cast or supporting characters.  There's Lula the former ho turned file clerk with a fondness for spandex, Grandma Mazur who always carries a gun with her and things visitations at the funeral home are social events, Stephanie's long-suffering Mother who just wishes she had a normal daughter...and then there are the men... 

2.  The Men.  Oh my goodness.  Stephanie has two men in her life: her on-again-off-again police officer boyfriend Morelli, and her Mentor/co-worker/friend/friend with benefits  Ranger.  In  my personal opinion, Morelli is the guy Stephanie is supposed to end up with... eventually.   They've known each other for ever, and admit that they love each other, but aren't quite ready to settle down.  But I think in 30 years you'll find the two of them married and living in the Burg (the part of Trenton both are from).  Which is fine, because that leaves Ranger for me.  Ranger is a mystery.  He wears all black, might be a superhero, is seriously scary, and has a seemingly endless supply of fancy black cars.  Ranger is hot stuff.  When my sister and I play the 'would you rather' game, Ranger always wins.  Except for sometimes when it comes down to Ranger vs. Carl Kasell.  Then my sis is torn.  But not me.  Give me a t-shirt that proclaims I heart Ranger and I'll gladly wear it. 

3.  The philosophy.  Freud Schmeud.  Janet Evanovich/Stephanie Plum have some of the best pieces of wisdom I have ever come across.  Gems such as The more insecure you feel, the more mascara you should wear.  So true.  And my personal favorite and sometimes Mantra:  Have a Mental doughnut.  Go ahead and take a second to digest the wisdom I'm dropping here.   Have. A. Mental. Doughnut.   Tell me that doesn't rock your world.