Book Giveaway Winner!

We have a winner for Vincent Zandri's ebook "Scream Catcher"

Congratulations to Patty R!!!

Thanks to all who entered and a big congrats to Patty! I hope you like this book as much as I did.

Reading Challenges I Host

I decided to make separate blogs for each of the challenges I host.  I know it's crazy to have more blogs, but I felt it was easier to keep track of each challenge if they were on separate blogs.  Putting the Mister Linkies for sign ups, completed reviews and wrap ups in all one post was getting confusing to everyone.  This way I'll have everything separate on each individual blog. If you joined any of my challenges - not to worry - you don't have to sign up again. I moved all the Mister Linkies over there.

The challenge buttons in my sidebar will always lead you to their individual blogs. Also, the tab at the top of this blog "Reading Challenges I Host 2012" will have the new links as well.

In fact, here are the new links for the challenges...

Click on the links to sign up!

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Rizzoli and Isles Reading Challenge

I will be creating a new blog for the What an Animal Reading Challenge as well.

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2011

This is a fun meme hosted by Christine at The happily every after...

Using only titles of books that you read this year (2011), complete the prompts below. Try not to repeat any book titles. Think creatively and have fun!


Describe yourself:
A Red Hot Mess by Kimberly Van Meter

How do you feel:
Stir Until Thoroughly Confused by Heather Wardell

Describe where you currently live:
Driftwood Cottage by Sherryl Wood

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Cruiseship Chronicles: Cozumel Cool by James Vaughn

Your favorite form of transportation:
To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn (Sorry, but I couldn't think of anything else and fetching is a form of transportation - LOL)

Your best friend is:
The Last Darling by Cloud Buchholz

You and your friends are:
Better Together by Raymond Rose

What's the weather like:
Season to Knit by Kate Jacobs

What is life to you:
How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn

Favorite time of day:
Always on Sunday by Michael Harris

Your fear:
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

What is the best advice you have to give:
You Can Be Happy by Richard Carlson

Thought for the day:
A Life That Fits by Heather Wardell

How I would like to die:
Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione

My soul's present condition:
Ecstasy by Belle Andre


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Needled to Death by Maggie Sefton

Genre:
Cozy Mystery

Publisher:
Berkley Prime Crime

Format:
EBook

Release Date:
September 2005







Kelly Flynn is settling into her new home in Colorado quite nicely, which includes learning to knit with her new friends. When Kelly agrees to escort a group of tourists to Vicki Claymore’s alpaca ranch, she makes a shocking discovery. Vicki is very much dead and the quiet Colorado town isn’t so quiet anymore.

Kelly can’t help but jump right into the investigation, especially when Vicki’s daughter begs for her assistance. Kelly vows not to let her down. Her search uncovers secrets which could lead to a killer and more tragedy for her new hometown.

This is the second book in the “A Knitting Mystery” series and this is proving to be a fun set of books. Readers get to see the characters, especially Kelly, grow from the first book. I always love to watch character growth. That’s what makes me love this series so much. The plot was a good one, but it wasn’t complicated or difficult to figure out. There’s even a touch of romance in this book, but it’s not the focus of the story.

The only problem I had was that it tended to get bogged down with the technicalities of knitting. I don’t knit, but I’ve read other books that revolve around knitting but didn’t get too caught up in the specifics as much as this book did. However, it didn’t ruin things for me. It was still fast-paced and I’m definitely going to be reading the next book.





FTC Disclosure: I read this book from my own collection for my own enjoyment.

Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun - Week 43

This is a fun meme and it's hosted by Hilary at Feeling Beachie. Check out her lovely blog, if you'd like to participate.

This week’s statements

1. Lately, I have been feeling a little overwhelmed and depressed.

2. I am usually a quiet person, but lately I've been letting my feelings be known.

3. Lying in bed with a good book, cats by my side and husband next to me is always the best feeling at the end of the day

4. Like I have a choice, feeding the cats is always the first thing I do in the morning


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Cover Art Weekend Blog Hop

<center><a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/Yvonne473/coverartweekendbloghop.jpg"/></a></center>

I'd just like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I'm going to take this meme on a bit of a hiatus for now. Things have been crazy, but maybe I can start it up again at some point. I'm going to be concentrating more on reading for now and, yes, I will still be blogging! I'm just going to end this meme for now.

Thanks to all who participated and I hope everyone has a great 2012!!!!

Theme Thursday - OLD (worn out, torn, past etc)

This is a new meme hosted by kavyen at Reading between Pages.. “Theme Thursdays” will be open from one thursday to the next and anyone can post it. The rules are simple:

* A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
* Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
* Post it and don’t forget to mention the author and the title of the book
* Since we may take a few days to finish a book, this event is open for one whole week

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is – OLD (worn out, torn, past etc)

I took Chakra to make use of the sand near my driveway before we checked out the boxes by the front door. They were stuffed with old clothes and notes from Mystick Falls neighbors, friends who didn't want me to fail and must have known I was coming home today.

Cat Thursday - December 29th

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

2012 Sports Romance Reading Challenge

Yeah, I know...I said I wasn't going to join anymore challenges, but I couldn't resist this one. I love, love, love sports romances so this is definitely my type of book.

This year Crazy Book Slut is hosting 2012 Sports Romance Reading Challenge.

::::drool:::::

The rules are simple and there are only 2


Challenge does NOT start until January 1, 2012

and please make a post about this challenge linking back to this post.


Crossover's with other challenges are okay, ebooks are okay!


Levels:


Pee Wee: 1-3 books


Jr. Varsity: 4-7 books


Varsity: 8-11 books


Pro Baby: anything over 11 books

If you'd like to join in, click here.

I'm going to start at the Pee Wee level

1.
2.
3.

Romance Reading Challenge 2012

I've been waiting for this challenge! It's hosted by Naida at The Bookworm.  I've done it for the past couple of years and loved it.  This will probably be the last challenge I join for 2012 (famous last words!), but I wasn't about to miss out on this one.


Without further ado, here are the rules:

1. The challenge runs from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012.

2. "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.

3. Choose at least 5 novels to read. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.

All kinds of books count such as eBooks, Audiobooks...etc.

If you are looking for suggested reading see Best Romance Novels Today, Romance Novels on Wiki or Best Romance Stories.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks and Georgette Heyer.

4. Read the books at your own pace in 2012 then post the link to your review(s). You don't need to have a blog, posting your reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing counts as well.

I will be listing my choices here...

1. Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke (Click here for review.)
2. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (Click here for review.)
3. Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne (Click here for review.)
4. Because of You by Jessica Scott (Click here for review.)
5. Ice Cold by Cherry Adair (Click here for review.)

Teaser Tuesdays - December 27th

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 week I'm reading...

When she skirted around the rust-colored leather sofa, however, Kelly came to an abrupt halt. Vickie lay on the floor, her dark hair spread out on the handwoven rug in stark contrast to her pale face. A pool of blood, blackish red, swirled across the intricate pattern woven into the gray and white wool.

2012 Where are you reading challenge?

I've been eying this challenge for awhile and I finally decided to take the plunge and join in.

Here are the details...

So what is the point of this challenge? It is to try to read in each of the 50 States between January 1 2012 – December 31, 2012.
So how do you decide what state a book is categorized under?

1. In a fiction read it would be the State or Country that the book spends the most time in. (Ie. If your main character is from Wisconsin but the book is all about his/her time in college in California – the books should categorize under California….)

2. Non fiction reads categorize in whatever State or Country it is about (Ie…. a book about fly fishing in Colorado is a Colorado point, and a book about women in Afghanistan is an Afghanistan point.

3. If the book goes from one state to another… go with the state that most of the time is spent.

How to get started

Set up a map under Google Maps. It is easy to do! Every time you read a book in 2012, upload a cover picture to Picasa Web Albums (there may be other sites to use, feel free to use what works best for you).

Questions?

Do you have to have a blog to participate? No. You can do everything on the map above without linking the book to a review.

Do I have to have my post up by January 1st, 2012? No, but I would think you would want to get started right away at the beginning of the year. However, you will be able to sign up throughout January as well.

How will people see my map? There are a couple of possibilities. On your original challenge post you should have a link to your map. You could also put it on your side bar to draw interest to it (see mine on my left side bar) I will be linking my map to every review I will also set up a monthly link here to post updates if you wish.

I dont get it – I cant figure out how to use Google maps but I really want to participate! No worries! You are welcome to create a challenge post that lists the 50 states (as well as bonus out of USA spots) and then fill them in as you read in the areas.

Do audio books count? ABSOLUTELY!

My map will be here.

(Of course if I did this wrong, the map won't be right but we'll see.)

If you'd like to join in, go to Book Journey who is hosting this challenge.

Books I read...

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona - Desert Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke
Arkansas - Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris
California - A Fistful of Collars by Spencer Quinn
Colorado - Woodrose Mountain by RaeAnne Thayne
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida - Murder Buys a T-shirt by Christy Fifield
Georgia - Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams
Hawaii
Idaho - Melinda and the Wild West by Linda Weaver Clarke
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine - Chocolate Covered Murder by Leslie Meier
Maryland
Massachusetts - Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon
Michigan
Minnesota - A Grand Murder by Stacy Verdick Case
Mississippi
Missouri - Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York - Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island - Dead Locked by Amy Saunders
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas - Hot Chocolate by Dawn Greenfield Ireland
Utah
Vermont
Virginia - Citizen Insane by Karen Cantwell
Washington - Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Last week I finished...

Started reading...

and

Still reading...

Sunday Salon - Merry Christmas

see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Rizzoli and Isles Reading Challenge

I think I've gone reading challenge crazy, but I'm hosting yet another reading challenge. This is for the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. I've read other books by Tess Gerritsen but none of the R&I series. I love the TV series and I've been wanting to start reading the books. I thought a reading challenge might keep me focused on doing that. I didn't see any other reading challenges for this so I decided to start my own.

These are the current books in the series...

1) THE SURGEON (2001)
2) THE APPRENTICE (2002)
3) THE SINNER (2003)
4) BODY DOUBLE (2004)
5) VANISH (2005)
6) THE MEPHISTO CLUB (2005)
7) THE KEEPSAKE (UK title: KEEPING THE DEAD) (2008)
8) ICE COLD (UK title: THE KILLING PLACE) (2010)
9) THE SILENT GIRL (July 2011)

If you'd like to join me, here are the guidelines.

1) Grab the button on top and put it on your blog and link to this challenge.

2) Sign up with the link at my new blog for this challenge - Rizzoli and Isles Reading Challenge. Please make sure the url you use goes directly to your blog post about this challenge.

3) If you don't have a blog, that's okay. Just comment below that you want to join. Then come back to let us know which books you've read. Or you can post them on other sites such as Goodreads or Shelfari. For those with a blog and posting reviews, I will have a link for completed reviews.

ADDENDUM: IF YOU WANT TO LINK UP YOUR REVIEWS OR, FOR THOSE WITHOUT A BLOG, LEAVE A COMMENT WITH YOUR REVIEW, GO TO THE RIZZOLI AND ISLES BLOG, JUST CLICK HERE.

4) Make a list of which books in the series you still have to read. Whether you are just beginning or up to #2, 3, 4, etc...that's how many books you have to read.

5) Books can be in any format (print, ebook, audio) and you can crossover to other challenges.

6) The challenge goes from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.

Please use the linky below to sign up. Please use the url that goes directly to your blog post (not to your homepage).

I need to read all of the books, so I have 9 books and will list them here...

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Blog Tour: Scream Catcher by Vincent Zandri - Review and Giveaway!

Genre:
Thriller

Publisher:
StoneGate Ink

Format:
EBook

Release Date:
August, 2011


Jude Parrish is a troubled man. Although he has a wonderful son and a beautiful wife, who is about to give birth to his second child, Parrish is eaten up by demons in his past. Those demons led to him giving up his career as a cop and becoming a best-selling author. Just when he is ready to let himself be happy with his family, he witnesses a brutal murder. A murder committed by a serial killer who had been declared dead a long time ago. Now that killer has to stop Jude from being an eyewitness for the prosecutor.

Hector “the Black Dragon” Lennox is no ordinary killer. He also happens to be the designer of a killer video game which includes screams of his actual victims. Now he’s creating a new game and prepares himself to catch new screams. This time, he wants the screams of Parrish and his precious family. It becomes a race against time for the Parrish family as they desperately try to beat a murderer at his own game.

This book is amazing. It’s a rollercoaster ride from page one to the very last page. This is a fast-paced adventure that will have readers hanging on each and every word. I could not put this one down. It’s the second book I’ve read by this author and I really really need to collect his backlist and download them to my Nook. He’s truly a master storyteller.

One small warning: There is a lot of violence in this book, so if you don't like that aspect in your books, this one isn't for you.

FTC Disclosure: Partners in Crime Blog Tours provided me with a copy of this book to review for the blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Now would you like a copy of your own? Thanks to Partners in Crime Blog Tours and Vincent Zandri, I have one ebook copy of Scream Catchers that I can offer as a giveaway.

Just fill out the form below to enter:

Cover Art Weekend Blog Hop

<center><a href="http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v31/Yvonne473/coverartweekendbloghop.jpg"/></a></center>



This is a brand new meme to display all those beautiful, funny, crazy and even those that make you think book covers you come across each week. I don't know about the rest of you, but I love looking at different book covers. You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but they are sure fun to look at. So, if you'd like to join in the fun, all you have to do is...

1. Take the button at the top of this post and post it on your blog.

2. Chose a book cover of your choice and post it. (You can post as many covers as you'd like.)

3. Sign up with Mr. Linky below. Please use the url that links directly to your cover art post.

4. Visit other blogs on the list to see what covers they are featuring this week.

Instead of just one day, I thought I'd run this through the weekends - from Fridays to Mondays. That gives people more of a chance to blog hop.

Have fun!

I haven't read this one yet, but it looked like a pretty holiday cover.

What An Animal Reading Challenge IV

This is just a reminder about the What An Animal Reading Challenge IV.

As some of you know, I host this challenge and I didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle with all the new challenges starting January 1st. This one has a different time frame from the others. It began on March 1st and will end on February 28th. So, you still have time if you haven't completed it yet. The challenge page is here.

I will be hosting this challenge again and it will start on February 29th, but I will post the sign up info when we get closer to the date.

Theme Thursday - CLOTHES

This is a new meme hosted by kavyen at Reading between Pages.. “Theme Thursdays” will be open from one thursday to the next and anyone can post it. The rules are simple:

* A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
* Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
* Post it and don’t forget to mention the author and the title of the book
* Since we may take a few days to finish a book, this event is open for one whole week

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week’s theme is – CLOTHES

In his mind she's still dressed in her white nightgown, a protruding belly four months pregnant, open hand gently pressed against it.

Cat Thursday - December 22nd

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy! This fun meme is hosted by The True Book Addict. Go over to her site to join in the fun.


see more Lolcats and funny pictures, and check out our Socially Awkward Penguin lolz!

Teaser Tuesdays - December 20th

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 week I'm reading...

A killer has gotten away with murder. Maybe his head feels like it's about to split down the center; spill his brains all over the lot.

...

He can provide the old Captain with a decent ID of the killer he let get away.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This meme is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week…. and anything in between! D This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

Last week I finished...

Still reading...

Started reading...

Not sure what's up next...

The Dog Who Knew Too Much by Spencer Quinn

Genre:
Mystery

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Format:
Audio

Release Date:
September, 2011

This is the synopsis from Fantastic Fiction...

The fourth entry in the irresistible New York Times bestselling mystery series featuring canine narrator Chet and his human companion Bernie - 'the coolest human/pooch duo this side of Wallace and Gromit' (Kirkus Reviews).

Combining suspense and intrigue with a wonderfully humorous take on the link between man and beast, Spencer Quinn's exceptional mystery series has captured widespread praise since its New York Times bestselling debut, Dog on It. The Dog Who Knew Too Much marks the duo's triumphant return in a tale that's full of surprises.

Bernie is invited to give the keynote speech at the Great Western Private Eye Convention, but it's Chet that the bigshot P.I. in charge has secret plans for. Meanwhile Chet and Bernie are hired to find a kid who has gone missing from a wilderness camp in the high country. The boy's mother thinks the boy's father - her ex - has snatched the boy, but Chet makes a find that sends the case in a new and dangerous direction. As if that weren't enough, matters get complicated at home when a stray puppy that looks suspiciously like Chet shows up. Affairs of the heart collide with a job that's never been tougher, requiring our two intrepid sleuths to depend on each other as never before. The Dog Who Knew Too Much is classic Spencer Quinn, offering page-turning entertainment that's not just for dog-lovers.

My thoughts...

Chet isn't a cat, but I love this series. Chet isn't a talking dog, but this book is told through his point of view. We know everything he's thinking and it makes me laugh when he gets distracted in his storytelling by food. He does love his food! LOL

The story itself almost takes a backseat for me. I just love hearing about Chet's devotion for his "partner" Bernie and vice versa. Chet has amazing hero worship for his human.

I have to admit, whenever Chet is separated from Bernie, I get incredibly worried (even though logically I know this will have a good ending). Spencer Quinn has really scored well with this series. It's fun and even more enjoyable as an audio book. It makes my commute much nicer.