Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year!

Booking through Thursday - 2009 in Review



If you'd like to play along with Booking Through Thursday, just click the button above.

This week's question...

What were your favorite books of the year? (Books that were new to you in 2009, if not necessarily published this year.)


My answer...

This is an easy one since I kept track of this all year in my sidebar. My favorite books...

* 74 Seaside Avenue by Debbie Macomber
* A Worthy Legacy by Tomi Akinyanmi
* Compulsion by Jennifer Chase
* Confessions of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
* Confessions of A Trauma Junkie by Sherry Jones Mayo
* Die Before I Wake by Laurie Breton
* Familiar Double by Caroline Burnes
* Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
* Holly's Inbox by Holly Denham
* Jantsen's Gift by Pam Cope
* Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine
* Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts
* Once Upon a Valentine's by Holly Jacobs
* Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
* The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney
* The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis
* The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel & Nancy Garfinkel
* The Secret Between us by Barbara Delinsky
* The Tygrine Cat by Inbali Iserles
* Virgin River by Robyn Carr

If you go to my sidebar under Great Book Alert 2009, you can click any title to get to my reviews of the books above. I'm going to do this for 2010, too. It's a handy way to remember at the end of the year. I'll do an official 2009 wrap up over the weekend.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

A-Z Wednesday & Book Review Wednesday


This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "U "



My book this week is........

Untraceable by Laura Griffin



This is the synopsis on Amazon...



ALEX LOVELL MAKES PEOPLE DISAPPEAR.
TURNS OUT, SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE.

Private investigator Alexandra Lovell uses computer skills and cunning to help clients drop off the radar and begin new lives in safety. Melanie Bess, desperate to escape her abusive cop husband, was one of those clients. But when Melanie vanishes for real, Alex fears the worst, and sets out to discover what happened. Using every resource she can get her hands on -- including an elite team of forensic scientists known as the Tracers, and a jaded, sexy Austin PD detective -- Alex embarks on a mission to uncover the truth.

As far as homicide cop Nathan Deveraux is concerned, no body means no case. But as much as he wants to believe that Alex's hunch about Melanie's murder is wrong, his instincts -- and their visceral attraction -- won't let him walk away. As a grim picture of what really happened begins to emerge, Nathan realizes this investigation runs deeper than they could ever have guessed. And each step nearer the truth puts Alex in danger of being the next to disappear....

Check out Amazon.com for more info.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - December 29th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My book this week is an anthology The Magical Christmas Cat with stories by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh and Linda Winstead Jones.

This teaser is from Nalini Singh's Stroke of Enticement...

Her thoughts went from his hair to what he might look like in leopard form. A predator, all muscle and power covered with a gold-and-black coat. Would he allow a woman to stroke him? Her fingers tingled in awareness, and standing as she was in front of the vanity mirror, she saw her lips part, her eyes widen. The ache between her thighs turned into an erotic pulse.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Mailbox Monday - December 28th



Two books this week.

Killed by Clutter is part of a cozy series that I just started and looks really good.

Melinda and the Wild West is from a contest I won. I've been dying to read this one as it looks excellent.




Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Chocolate Snowman Murders by Joanna Carl




Genre: Cozy Mystery

This is one of my favorite cozy series and I always read the books as soon as they come out in paperback.

Lee McKinney Woodyard, one of the owners of TenHuis Chocolade, is back and involved in another murder. Lee and her husband, Joe, are members of a committee responsible for setting up the Winter Arts Festival in the small town of Warner Pier, Michigan. After Lee has a run in with the art show’s guest juror, he turns up dead. Lee and her husband are the prime suspects.

When another committee member is murdered, things get really sticky. Lee even has to fight off a killer snowman. Lee and Joe race against the clock to find out who the real killer is before someone else is murdered before Christmas.

This is a fun series, but it always leaves me craving for chocolate. Joanna Carl even includes chocolate trivia throughout the book. It’s not my favorite book in the series, but it’s a quick read and fun to read at this time of year.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Organizing My Challenges

So, with 27 inches of snow falling on me this past weekend, what else could I do but organize my 2010 reading challenges. Not a hardship since I love going through my TBR. I've picked out most of my books, although I'm sure I'll make changes throughout the year.

Anyway, if you'd like to see what I'm reading check out my links below. I'm only putting in the ones that are beginning January 1st, not the challenges that started before. I already had my lists posted for those.

TBR Lite Challenge
What's in a Name 3 Challenge?
Medical Mystery Challenge
Reading Through The Seasons
Read Your Own Book
Chick Lit Reading Challenge
Time Travel Reading Challenge
Romance Reading Challenge
Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge

I have some great reading in store for me in 2010!

Have a great holiday everyone!





funny pictures of cats with captions
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A-Z Wednesday & Book Review Wednesday


This is a fun meme hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "T "



My book this week is........



I've been wanting to read this series for a long time. It's part of a trilogy and I'm going to try - once again - to use this as part of a reading challenge.

This is a synopsis from Amazon.com

Product Description
Four years ago...
Skye Kellerman was attacked in her own bed. She managed to fend off her knife-wielding assailant, but the trauma changed everything about her life. As a result of that night, she joined two friends--also survivors--in starting The Last Stand, an organization to help victims of crime.
But now...
Her would-be rapist is getting out of prison. Skye knows that Dr. Oliver Burke hasn t forgotten that her testimony cost him his reputation--and his freedom.
Sacramento detective David Willis, who investigated her case, believes Burke is a clear and present danger--and guilty of at least two unsolved murders.
And now Burke is free to terrorize Skye again. Unless David can stop him. Unless Skye can fight back. Because Oliver Burke has every intention of finishing what he started. And that s a promise. Trust me.


If you'd like to read more about this one, go to Amazon

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays - December 22nd



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This is from The Chocolate Snowman Murders by Joanna Carl...

I could well be the person to admit last seeing Mendenhall alive, and my husband had been at the motel looking for him later that evening.

Joe and I were very likely in big trouble. We were certain to be at the head of the suspect list.


Monday, December 21, 2009

Mailbox Monday - December 21st



If you'd like to play along on Mailbox Monday, click the button above.

I received only one book this week, Dead Game by Jennifer Chase. This one is for a review and looks really good.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Her Christmas Wish by Cindi Myers



Harlequin American Romance #1287, December 2009-12-20

Genre: Romance

In an attempt to be a little daring, do something new and meet the man of her dreams, Alina Allinova leaves her homeland of Croatia and gets a job as a respiratory therapist in the United States. She only has a visa for a year, but she’s hoping she’ll make the best of that year. Unfortunately, she doesn’t meet anyone interesting until her time in the U.S. is almost over.

Paramedic Eric Sepulveda plans to go to medical school. Those plans do not include getting involved in a serious relationship. When he meets Alina, he wants nothing more than to be in a relationship with her but he knows it can’t go any further than a casual friendship. However, his heart isn’t following his well thought out plans.

Between Alina’s limited time in the United States, Eric’s plans for the future, Alina’s beloved grandmother’s prediction that a blond man is the key to her happiness (Eric is dark haired) and both sets of their parents not being supportive of the relationship, things are not looking good for this love struck couple.

This is a sweet Christmas story with two genuinely nice people looking for some Christmas magic. It’s a quick read and another of those “feel good” books. I seem to be reading a lot of them lately :)

Sunday Salon - Review: Hope in A Jar by Beth Harbison






Genre: Chick Lit

Allie Denty is shocked and hurt to discover her boyfriend sleeping with another woman. She wastes no time on kicking him out the door. She receives an invitation to her 20th high school reunion, which brings back all the memories of the mean girls at high school as well as the painful break up with her best friend, Olivia. The girls had a falling out and haven’t seen each other since. Today, Allie is a bit heavier and not feeling all that good about herself, but she attends the reunion anyway.

Olivia, who used to be a mousy girl but is now a successful beauty magazine editor, did not plan to attend the reunion. However, when she hears her mother is divorcing her fifth husband, Olivia decides to go anyway. Things are a bit awkward when she sees Allie.

Olivia and Allie put their differences aside when they learn a mutual high school friend is planning to marry one of the nasty girls from high school. This is one marriage they plan to stop.

I listened to the audio version of this one. It was a nice book to listen to in the car. The plot moved along well and I’m going to read more by this author. I have another book in my TBR and will eventually get to it. I enjoyed this.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber





Genre: Romance

Cassie Beaumont wants the “perfect Christmas”. To her, the only way to get that is to marry the “perfect man”, have the “perfect children” and live in the “perfect house”. Unfortunately, none of these things are on her horizon. Her best friend, Angie, convinces her to see a matchmaker. Simon Dodson’s reputation is flawless and, for a mere $30,000, he will find her the “perfect match”.

A little skeptical, but feeling desperate, Cassie decides to give herself an early Christmas gift and makes an appointment to see Simon. He is sure he knows just the man to make Cassie’s dreams come true. First, Cassie must prove herself. He gives her three tasks – to stand outside a local Target store and help the Salvation Army get donations, wear an elf costume and help a store Santa, and, the last task is to throw a Christmas dinner for her cantankerous neighbors. None of these tasks are easy but they all prove to be enlightening. Once Cassie completes her tasks, she’s in for a real surprise when she discovers who her “perfect” match is.

This is a delightful, heartwarming Christmas story. Debbie Macomber always comes up with a Christmas story that leaves you with that warm and fuzzy feeling with it’s all over. Although this isn’t my favorite of her books, it’s right up there with the best of them.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

TBR "Lite" Challenge


Okay, this is the last challenge I'm signing up for (at least for now - LOL) and it's another one I never finished last year, but hope to do better this year. To join go to TBR *Lite* Here are the rules...

CHALLENGE STARTS: January 1st, of the current year
CHALLENGE ENDS: December 31st, of the current year

For those who love the original TBR Challenge, but need a little less “pressure” on their reading, the TBR Challenge *LITE* offers you that option!

You have your choice of ONE of the 3 options:

OPTION A: read 6 books in 12 months ~ your list of books CANNOT be changed, but you are allowed to have an “Alternates” list to choose from (like in the Original TBR Challenge).

OPTION B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year

OPTION C: make up a list of however many books you think you could get read in 12 months, as long as they are from your TBR stack/list, and then read them between January 1st and December 31st. You must have at least 3 books on your list.

Some Other General Guidelines:
- You are allowed to overlap with other challenges
- Audiobooks are allowed
- e-Books are allowed, but must still be books that you’ve wanted to read for at least 3, or more, months
- You should still have a list of books posted somewhere for others to see
- You don’t have to read your books in the order you put them on your list


I'm going with Option B and my books will be here...

1. The 6th Target by James Patterson Click for review
2. Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton Click for review
3. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer Click for review
4. 7th Heaven by James Patterson Click for review
5. Step on a Crack by James Patterson Click for review
6. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris Click for review

A-Z Wednesday & Book Review Wednesday


This is the first time I'm joining in on this meme. It looks by fun and is hosted by Reading at the Beach


Welcome to A-Z Wednesday!!

To join, here's all you have to do: Go to your stack of books and find one whose title starts with the letter of the week.

Post:

1~ a photo of the book

2~ title and synopsis

3~ link(amazon, barnes and noble etc.)

4~ Come back here and leave your link in the comments.

If you've already reviewed this book you can add it also.

Be sure to visit other participants to see what book they have posted and leave them a comment.

(We all love comments, don't we?)

Who knows? You may find your next "favorite" book.

THIS WEEKS LETTER IS: "S "


My book is Shades of Grey by Clea Simon.



This synopsis is from Clea's website:

Are our pets every really gone?

That's just one of the questions plaguing Dulcie Schwartz. A grad student at Harvard, Dulcie lives for research. Her discipline — the Gothic English novel of the late 18th Century — may seem minor to some. But for Dulcie, it's reason to dive into the library, into the ordered, reasoned world of books. At least, until her roommate is murdered, her mother starts calling with some strange psychic dreams. And the ghost of her late, great cat Mr. Grey appears to help her through it all ... or over the edge.


Check is out at Amazon.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

What's in a Name? 3 Challenge


I was unsure if I wanted to do this one. I tried it last year, but didn't complete it. But...I decided to give it another try. This year it's hosted by BethF .

Here's the info...

The What's in a Name Challenge, hosted for its first two years by Annie, was the challenge that pushed me over the edge and got me into blogging. I've always had a soft spot for this one.

Annie, a young teenager, has decided to relinquish her hosting duties for this challenge. I just can't let it go. I hope people can find a place for this in their challenge schedules. There's a lot of room for flexibility and it's only six books!

Picking the categories was harder than I thought it would be. For inspiration I turned to Annie's challenge blog. Last summer, she asked participants to suggest categories, and people came up with some great ideas. I stole many of them.

So here's how it works: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
4. A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
6. A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

* Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
* Books may overlap other challenges.
* Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
* Creativity for matching the categories is allowed.
* You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
* You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.
* There will be a single prize at the end of the challenge. Readers who complete the challenge and write up a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment) are eligible. I'll figure out a way to make it international.

To sign up, go to What's in a Name? 3 Challenge

My list...

1. A book with a food in the title: The Diva Takes the Cake by Krista Davis
2. A book with a body of water in the title: Stones Skipping on Water by Richard Taylor Click for Review
3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: Stranded with the Prince by Dana Marton click for review
4. A book with a plant in the title: Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris Click for review
6. A book with a music term in the title: Save the Last Dance by Roxanne Rustand

2010 Medical Mystery Challenge


I know I said I wasn't joining anymore challenges, but half of the ones I'm in are continued from 2009 and will end in early 2010. Also, I'm expecting to have alot of reading time at the beginning of the year and alot of these challenges cross over.

Anyway, I've always loved medical mystery books so this seems like a good fit for me.

It's hosted by The Twiga Blog and here's the rules...

As this is my favorite genre to read, I have decided to continue this challenge this coming year. This time, it will be a year-long challenge and the goal is to read at least 6 Medical Mysteries. You can list them out ahead of time or list them as you go along. Books can be used for cross-challenges and you can change your list at any time. To sign up, comment on this post.
Happy Reading!

My list...

1. Life Lines by C.J. Lyons
2. The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen
3. Urgent Care by C.J. Lyons
4. Warning Signs by C.J. Lyons
5. Crisis by Robin Cook
6. Invasion by Robin Cook

2010 Reading through the Seasons


I love the idea of this challenge because I love to read books at certain times of the year. Anything with seasons or holidays gets my interest. This challenge is only for the seasons, not holidays.

It's being hosted by Gina at Book Dragon's Lair .

Rules:

1. Four books, one for each season.

2. Title must have a season, not holiday, winter, fall, autumn, spring, summer

3. Jan 1 to Dec 31

4. Leave a link to your post about the challenge & I'll add you to the participant list.

Everything else is fairly flexible. Reviews, lists, even a blog is not necessary and books may be used for other challenges. It would be nice if you posted a short summary about the books you read so we can add to our TBR piles/wish lists.

My book list...

1. Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
2. Winter Heat by Darlene Gardner
3. Spring Break by Charlotte Douglas
4.

Teaser Tuesdays - December 15th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This is from The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber:

He laughed, "I am normal, Cassie. I'm like every other man."

"No, you aren't," she insisted. "You aren't like any other man I've ever known, and now I'm seeing this whole other side of you and it's confusing."

Read Your Own Book Challenge 2010



I loved this challenge last year, so I'm up for it again. MizB is hosting this one. To sign up, go to MizB's Reading Challenges.

For 2010, I am planning to continue with the RYOB (Read Your Own Books) challenge! The rules are simple:

* Pick a number of books you’d like to read in one year
* Choose those books from your OWN collection
* Read them between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010

And, that’s it!

Some other guidelines for this challenge:

* Re-Reads are NOT allowed (the challenge is to get more of your own books read that have been sitting there waiting!)
* Audiobooks & e-books ARE allowed
* You do NOT need a blog to participate — you can leave comments on this post with your progress

Last year, I completed 20 so I think that's what I'll try for this year...

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer Click for review
2. Unbreakable Bond by Rita Herron Click for review
3. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris Click for review
4. Snowbound Seduction by Helen Brooks Click for review
5. The Tail of the Tip-Off by Rita Mae Brown Click for review
6. Dead Game by Jennifer Chase Click for review
7. Probable Claws by Clea Simon Click for review
8. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly Click for review
9. The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser Click for review
10. Trust Me by Brenda Novak Click for review
11. Double Play by Jill Shalvis Click for review
12. The 6th Target by James Patterson Click for review
13. Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust Click for review
14. Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton Click for review
15. The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock Click for review
16. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo Click for review
17. Step on a Crack by James Patterson Click for review
18. 7th Heaven by James Patterson Click for review
19. Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell Click for review
20. Red Mist by Richard Taylor Click for review

Monday, December 14, 2009

Chick Lit Challenge 2010



I loved this challenge last year and did well with it, so I'm in again...

The Chick Lit Challenge 2010 runs from January 1 - December 31st. The goal is to read at least 8 chick lit books during the year. Books can be listed ahead of time or as you go along. Books can also be used for multiple challenges.

If you'd like to sign up, go to The Twiga Blog: 2010 Chick Lit Challenge

My list...

1. Happy Hour by Michele Scott Click for review
2. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo Click for review
3. Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell Click for review
4. Drop Dead Divas by Virginia Brown Click for review
5. The Cinderella Pact by Sarah Strohmeyer
6. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
7. The Hot Flash Club Chills Out by Nancy Thayer
8. The Hot Flast Club Strikes Again by Nancy Thayer

A to Z Challenge 2010


I loved this challenge last year. I didn't complete it, but I was only off by two books. I probably would have completed it if I didn't get sidetracked by reading Christmas books. So, I'm going to give it another try in 2010.

Here are the rules, to sign up go to A to Z Challenge.

Would you like to sign up for the A to Z Challenge? Simply leave a comment on this post! It's that simple. If you have a blog, please leave your blog url in the comments. And I'll add you to this blog's blog roll. That way, you can keep up with what everyone is blogging about! If you don't have a blog, that's alright. You're still welcome to join in! You may want to join the ABC Readers Yahoo Group.

January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2010.

How does this reading challenge work? Choose the option that works best for you...

Authors -- Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.
Titles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books.
Authors & Titles -- Commit to reading 52 books

How strict is the 26 or 52? I know it isn't always easy to find those difficult letters. The thought of finding the X's (for example) might scare folks away. It shouldn't! I'm a merciful host! (Ask anyone!)

If you want to give the X's a go... For authors, try to find an X in the first name, middle name, or last name. For titles, it doesn't have to be the starting word. Try to find an X somewhere in a title, and it'd count in my book.

Still can't find a book for the letter you need? I'll take your word for it. I've been there. I know. If your library doesn't see the need to order books just because it starts with an X, then I don't blame you for not wanting to special order a book that you may or may not enjoy. You gave it your best, don't feel bad. You can still make this challenge work for you.


I'm going with A to Z titles.

A. A-Rod by Selena Roberts Click for review
B. The Baby Album by Roz Denny Fox Click for review
C.Caught by Harlan Coben Click for review
D.Dead Game by Jennifer Chase Click for review
E.Executive Lunch by Maria E. Schneider Click for review
F.
G.The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly Click for review
H.Happy Hour by Michele Scott Click for review
I.
J.
K. Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton Click for review
L. The Lumby Lines by Gail Fraser Click for Review
M. Mr. and Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels Click for review
N. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer Click for review
O.
P. Probable Claws by Clea Simon Click for review
Q.
R. Red Mist by Richard Taylor Click for review
S. Step on a Crack by James Patterson Click for review
T. The Tail of the Tip-Off by Rita Mae Brown Click for review
U. Unbreakable Bond by Rita Herron Click for review
V.
W. Worst Case by James Patterson Click for review
X. Daniel X: Watch the Skies by James Patterson and Ned Rust Click for review
Y.
Z.

Time Travel Reading Challenge


This one sounds like fun...I've always loved time travel books. This one is being hosted by Alyce at At Home with Books.

The Rules:

Decide how many time travel books you want to read and then read them before the end of 2010 - that's it!

I'm going to go with four books. Here's my list...

1. Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
3. The Best Gift by Wendy Markham
4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

To sign up, go to At Home with Books

Romance Reading Challenge 2010



This is one challenge I completed last year and, as a devoted romance reader, I can't help but sign up again. I was so happy to see that Naida at The Bookworm is hosting this one again. Yay! I'm definitely signing up for it.

Here's the rules:

1. "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
Here's a few suggestions:
*Twilight By Stephenie Meyer
*Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
*Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
*The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss
*Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen or any other novel by Miss Austen
*Frederica by Georgette Heyer
*The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
*Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti
*Beneath A Marble Sky by John Shors
*The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
*P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
*The Princess Bride by William Goldman

need more suggestions? search through amazon.com Romance Section online for ideas.

2. Choose at least 5 novels read them between Jan 1st though Dec 31st 2010. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.

3. Read them at your own pace in 2010 then come here and post the link to your review(s).

If you'd like to join the challenge, just go to The Bookworm

I haven't picked out my titles yet, but they will be listed here...

1. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo Click for review
2. Mr. & Miss Anonymous by Fern Michaels Click for review
3. The Moon Looked Down by Dorothy Garlock Click for review
4. Double Play by Jill Shalvis Click for review
5. Trust Me by Brenda Novak Click for review

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Santa, Baby by Lisa Renee Jones



Santa, Baby by Lisa Renee Jones

Harlequin Blaze #510, December 2009-12-12

Genre: Romance

Bookstore owner, Caron Avery, has always been known as a ‘good girl’, but when she gets roped into dressing up as Marilyn Monroe for charity, she discovers the ‘bad girl’ side. She puts her inhibitions aside and meets hot millionaire, Baxter Remington. Baxter is the owner of a huge coffee business and way out of Caron’s league. She decides to take a chance, but the media won’t let her forget that she’s not the typical beautiful woman Baxter usually has on his arm.

Baxter is dealing with the FBI and a company scandal, but he can’t keep his mind off the beautiful Marilyn Monroe. She’s not like anyone else he’s ever dated, she’s truly special. However, he doesn’t want to expose her to the media or to the investigation he’s under. Can he really just walk away from her?

Caron and Baxter’s is so hot, the pages practically sizzle as I turned each one. This is part of a Harlequin Blaze mini series “Dress to Thrill”, which is written by different authors. You don’t have to read them in order. This is the first one I read and it didn’t ruin anything for me. It’s a quick, sexy read.

When Day Breaks by Mary Jane Clark




Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Constance Young had been the star of the morning TV show circuit. Constance is about to leave her popular job and switch to another network and another TV show. After a huge farewell party, the world is stunned when Constance is found at the bottom of her swimming pool, apparently murdered.

Her former co-workers set out to do a bit of investigating on their own. It’s not as if Constance didn’t have any enemies. It was more difficult to find anyone who actually liked the TV star. Even her own sister had a deep hatred for Constance.

The investigation takes some crazy twists and turns. It’s discovered that Constance had been wearing a valuable unicorn amulet when she was killed. The amulet had been missing from New York’s Cloisters museum. Could that have something to do with her untimely death?

I have to admit, I nearly didn’t finish this book. I listed to the audio version and a dog was brutally murdered in the prologue. It made me sick and I had to skip a few tracks before I’d return to listening. Once I got past that (and believe me, it wasn’t easy!), this was a good suspense story. I’ll give the author another try at some point, but if there is anymore animal cruelty, I don’t think I’ll bother. It really was a disturbing scene, at least to me.

Friday, December 11, 2009

The State of My Reading Challenges

For a few weeks I've been obsessing over the number of reading challenges I joined in 2009 and the amount I wasn't going to complete. It's so easy to join up with reading challenges since they all sound like so much fun. I wasn't going to sign up for any in 2010 and just try to complete the ones I'm already part of that end in 2010.

However...upon second thought, I've decided to take a closer look at the challenges and sign up for some in 2010. The first couple of months of the year I will be recuperating from surgery, but I'm hoping I'll still be able to read...in fact, I'm planning for a lot of reading time. We'll see how that works out.

So far, for 2010 I'm hosting these challenges:

2010 Harlequin/Silhouette Reading Challenge (co-hosting with Gina at Book Dragon)
James Patterson Reading Challenges
Women's Murder Club Reading Challenges
(The last two I started in the summer of 2009, so they are still running into 2010.)

I'm going to browse around upcoming challenges this weekend and see which ones I want to do for 2010.

Here's how I've done in 2009...

Completed Challenges: 13
Not Completed: 7
Still running in 2010: 7

When you see the numbers in print, I guess completing 13 isn't too terrible. Only 7 will end in 2009 and not be completed. Who knows, maybe I'll still complete more before the year is over.

The key for me is to not obsess over not being able to complete them all. My real goal for joining these challenges is (and was last year too!) to focus on reading what I have in my TBR. I'll never make a dent in my TBR, but there are so many books I really want to read that challenges tend to keep me focused. I have to remember, this is supposed to be a fun thing, not a stressful one. We all have enough stress in our lives.

Friday Fill-In #154



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1. Good times: they are coming!

2. I love my home.

3. Sleigh bells ring, is anyone listening?

4. My kitty cat is very little.

5. Once more with laughter.

6. Is this the end?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on movies and reading, tomorrow my plans include more catching up and spending the day with my hubby and Sunday, I want to do grocery shopping and just relax!

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Booking through Thursday - Bookmarks


This week's question...

Suggested by Tammy:

What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you’ve ever used or seen used?

My answer...

I love bookmarks. I used to buy them as I love all the designs I've seen the stores - some include beads, pictures of cats, etc. I still use those, but now I also use postcards from places I've been to. It makes me feel like I'm still on vacation :) Sometimes I use the free ones authors send out or the free ones at the counters at bookstores. I, also, use cash register receipts or anything that might be around, if I don't happen to have a bookmark handy.

I've never used anything that's unusual. Anything I've used is pretty typical and others use the same type of things.


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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Author Christmas Giveaway

Author, Linda Weaver Clarke, is hosting a Christmas book giveaway contest on her blog. Check out her blog and enter the contest. Good luck to all!



The 2010 Harlequin/Silhouette Romance Reading Challenge





The 2010 Harlequin/Silhouette
Romance Reading Challenge


I wasn't sure if I'd get to host this challenge again due to medical issues, but Gina at Book Dragon was so nice to help me with this. So, we're up again for another year! Thank you Gina!

Rules:

1) Challenge is from Jan 1 to Dec 31

2) All of the books must be from the Harlequin family of imprints

3) Read one book for each requirement


Requirements:
1) Read 1 book with a weather condition in the title (i.e. storm, rain, snow)

2) Read 1 book with a person's name in the title (i.e. Mary, John)

3) Read 1 book with a title in the title (i.e. King, Prince, Princess, Sheik)

4) Read 1 book with a color in the title (i.e. red, blue, white)

5) Read 1 book by an author whose last name begins with the letter "R"

6) Read 1 book with an element in the title (earth, wind, fire, air, spirit)

Other information:
1) Please join the challenge by commenting with a link to your post (I'll start a participant blog roll)

2) A list is not necessary and may be changed at any time

3) Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebook

4) Books may be used for other challenges

5) Go to eHarlequin for book information, anything you can purchase there counts for the challenge.

Here is my list...

1. Snowbound Seduction by Helen Brooks (HP) - Weather Condition Click for review
2. The Temptation of Savannah O'Neill by Molly O'Keefe (HSR) - Person's Name click for review
3. Stranded with the Prince by Dana Marton (HI) - Title click for review
4. Blackout at Christmas anthology (Silhouette Romantic Suspense) - Color
5. Under Wraps by Joanne Rock (HB) - "R" Author Click for review
6. Fire in the Blood by Kelley St. John (HB) - Element

Teaser Tuesdays - December 8th



If you'd like to play along on Teaser Tuesdays, just click the button above.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This is from a Harlequin Blaze, "Santa, Baby" by Lisa Renee Jones.

He pursed his lips. "Snap those eyes shut and imagine the circle."

She inhaled a heavy breath and did as he said.

"Inside your circle is your safe zone. No one can hurt you, no one can laugh, and you cannot and will not fall down. You can be anything you want, do anything you want. You can be Marilyn. You can be daring, be challenged. You can live the fantasy."


Saturday, December 5, 2009

Sunday Salon - Review: Unexpected Gifts by Holly Jacobs




Harlequin Superromance #1601, November 2009

Eli Cartwright’s career is devoted to counseling her pregnant teenage students and helping them cope with finding out they are about to have a child. At 44, Eli’s career is established and she’s involved in her own relationship. She knows exactly where life is headed and it’s not in the direction of a family – or so she thought! The day Eli discovers she’s pregnant, she’s stunned to say the least.

When Eli informs her boyfriend of the unexpected pregnancy, he makes no bones about not wanting to be a father. He wants nothing to do with the baby and quickly walks out of Eli’s life. Although she didn’t plan to have a child, she discovers that she truly loves this baby and wants to be a mother. She is determined to go it alone, if that’s what it takes.

A colleague of hers, Zac Keller, is overjoyed to learn Eli has broken up with her boyfriend. He’s loved her from afar for a long time. Hearing of her pregnancy doesn’t hamper his love for the beautiful teacher, but Eli’s not sure she’s ready for another relationship. Having a child is more than she can deal with right now.

Each chapter has some advice for teenagers who are pregnant and the same advice can be applied to older women as well. It’s a very nice touch.

Holly Jacobs is a wonderful author who never disappoints. Her stories are heartwarming, realistic and special. This is a fast-paced book. Readers will fall in love with these characters. I know I did. Ms. Jacobs is an author whose books I seem to read almost as soon as they are released. She’s that good! This is one of those “feel good” stories.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Booking through Thursday - But What About Me?



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But enough about you, what about ME?

Today’s question?

What’s your favorite part of Booking Through Thursday? Why do you participate (or not)?


I love Booking Through Thursday because it gives fellow bloggers a chance to meet and share their opinions on different book topics. BTT is a meme with general book topics and it's fun to read through each week. I've met many great bloggers through BTT (as well as other weekly memes).

Other than reviews, it's not always easy to come up with other things to talk about. BTT comes up with themes for us :)

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