A Year of Books

No. 19: Dreams of Stardust

2012-01-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

Dreams of Starduest by Lynn Kurland

I read this one awhile ago and am posting it out of order because it got lost in my messy messy desk. Trying to fit bills, papers to grade, client files, 10,000 princess pictures and books on the same desk might be a mistake. At least only books are getting misplaced. I was in the process of cleaning it all up and found this book. Might as well post it before I get on with the rest of my to do list (it is all much less fun, believe me!)

This is the story of Amanda dePiaget (daughter of Rhys and Gwen) who is very beautiful, very strong willed and very uninterested in all of the suitors that have come to compete for her hand. She is looking for someone who will love her, not just her dowery. I don't think that is too much to ask for personally.

She is in the process of running away (to avoid just such an unpleasent marriage) when she disovers an unconscious man in the middle of a field. At the same time her escape is foiled by her brothers. They take the man back to Artane to figure out who he is. He ends up in the dungeon (so untrusting these medievil guardsmen) and is subsequently rescued again by Amanda.

The mystery man is none other than Jake Kilchurn who had inadvertantly traveled back in time after an unusual encounter with ghosts. He obviously falls in love with Amanda (and she with him) but they are totally unsuited for eachother. She is the daughter of an important Lord and he is a merchant (gasp! how dreadful!) and not even a knight or anything.

Luckily he finds himself trained up by the dePiaget boys, Amanda's brothers. All he needs is money to buy himself some land and maybe a title. But all of his money is in the future - what is he to do? I am not telling, sorry, but you have to read the book. It is really very good!

No. 18: The More I See You

2012-01-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

The More I See You by Lynn Kurland

This book is only tangentely related to the dePiaget, but Kurland's website includes it as a part of that series so I will try and follow directions and read it when I am supposed to.

This is about Richard De Galtres, who is a knight with a sad and tragic childhood, who is stuck with an unfortunatley crazy middle brother, a young and totally untrained younger brother, a reluctant squire and a keep that is in total need of rebuilding (since he tore the last one down with his bare hands) He also has some seriously medievil ideas about men and women. WHich of course is not unusual since it is like 1260 or something.

Jessica (our FMC) wishes on a star that she might find the perfect man for her, and is sent back in time! She is discovered by Richard's crazy brother Hugh, who thinks she is a fairy, and rescued by Richard who doesn't know what to think but isn't really interested in being bothered by a mere woman.

She steals his horse a number of times and finally convinces him that she isn't useless because she cannot mend his tunics or fix him dinner. But there is that nasty old fairy rumor floating around - that could be problematic.

Also, Kendrick dePiaget from Artane makes an appearance (and sets the stage for his book which for some reason I do not have but will be getting as soon as possible) and there is tragedy and allegations of witchcraft and a meeting with a fellow timetraveling lady (From yet another book I don't have! What is wrong with me!)

So clearly my book collection is sorely lacking. I will remedy that as soon as I am able. I have hearings this week so technically I should be researching Social Security regulations not time travel romance novels. But we will see if I can't make time for both. Moderation in all things right?

No. 17: From This Moment On

2012-01-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

From This Moment On by Lynn Kurland

How exciting that the Butcher of Berkhamshire, who featured so prominently in our last book, gets his own story in this one! Poor poor Colin, he is not handsome, also purportedly smelly (not a fan of bathing I suppose) and has quite the reputation.

He has also had a number of brides back out of their betrothal to him for any number of reasons (alledged madness, the pox, etc) but our FMC Alienore didn't even bother to come up with an excuse, she just stole her brother's knightly gear and hit the road. This was 2 years ago and now she is presumed dead. Luckily, she is not in fact dead, but rather masquarading as a knight in the service of none other than The Butcher's new betrothed bride! Ah the irony! Also, as a little added interest, Colin has sworn to kill her if he ever sees her to repay her for the insult of running rather than marrying him.

Now, my problem with this type of pretending to be a knight when you are really a girl trickery are many. Most of my issues were addressed in the story (and quite satisfactorily), but I still can't quite fully buy it. Which makes this not my favorite, but still good.

There is more Jason dePiaget of Artane (who really needs his own book) and more of the Blackmour Lord and Lady, always good to see things are going well :)

I may be nearing the end of the dePiaget related books - I need to do a little checking to make sure I am not missing anything. Then I will move on to the MacLeod books I have not yet read. I hope there are many!

No. 16: This is All I Ask

2012-01-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

This is All I Ask by Lynn Lurland

More Lynn Kurland, but no time travel this time. We have a straight up 13th century love story with very little paranormal-ish avtivity. Berengaria makes her return (perhaps last seen at Artane as a child healer? Can't remember?)

Anyway, as it turns out, back in the not so great old days, your father (expecially if he is a cruel, abusive jerk) could marry a girl off to anyone he wants - even if that person is rumored to be a warlock, son of the devil, human sacrificer, practioner of the dark arts, etc. Gillian (our FMC) is just such an unlucky girl. First her mother dies when she is young, second her dad is a bad bad guy, third, her beloved brother is killed, and finally she is sent to marry The Dragon of Blackmour Keep! Don't you love it when people have great nicknames like that!

She is picked up by Colin "The Butcher" of Berkhamshire - another great nickname and future hero of his own story - and delivered to Blackmour to wed Lord Christopher, he of such a terrible reputation for evil doing. Interestingly, Christopher's squire is none other than Jason, the son of Robin de Piaget!

I won't ruin the story by giving away the SECRET, but, I will say that this was not one of my favorites in my Lynn Kurland read-everything-she-has-ever-written-extravaganza. Not to say it wasn't still good - because it totally was - I just didn't LOVE the MMC the way I like to. I was quite fond of the FMC, and of course I love those de Piaget boys! I need to see if Jason gets his own story or not!

No. 15: One Enchanted Evening

2012-01-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

One Enchanted Evening by Lynn Kurland

The Lynn Kurland read-a-thon continues! This is the story of the youngest de Piaget (well, of Rhys and Gwen's children) Montgomery! Who you may remember as the one who thought all of his various time traveling in laws were fairys.

How exciting for him it must be now when he sees two beautiful women with wings appear right outside his keep without warning! The FMC is Pippa and she is accompanied by her semi (or completely) crazy sister Cinderella who declares herself to be the Fairy Queen.

I always find it interesting to find out what "future gear" people miss most when they are flung back in time without warning. Seems to be mostly chocolate and indoor plumbing. I would have to agree - especially with the indoor plumbing - but I think I would miss diet coke, the internet and ready access to essentially unlimited amounts of books. You know there were no romance novels in 13th century England! How would I survive? And no caffiene?!?!? Forget about it!

No. 14: When I Fall in Love

2012-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

When I Fall in Love by Lynn Kurland

This is the story of Nicholas, who is the second of Rhys and Gwen's children - one they found living in the village and being beaten by his Uncle and adopted as their own. Anyway, the first two Artane books were awesome, but lacking that certain time travel element I love so much. Well, finally, Nicholas can get a little future in his life!

Jennifer goes to visit her sister who is married and living in England (have to figure out which book that is - clearly my whole read them in order plan went out the window) and is mysteriously drawn to the ruins of the castle at Wyckham. And while she is visiting there - viola! Back in time!

This one has more of the good old heartbreak - he can't marry me, I can't marry him, we love eachother - nonsense I love so well. Also, a fantastic ending involving, you guessed it, MORE time travel!

No. 13: If I Had You

2012-01-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

This is the first book that involves the children of Rhys and Gwen. Robin is the oldest of their children, luckily Rhys was able to adopt him and the other children at the end of Another Chance to Dream. I hate to go into detail about the parantage of the children knowing that it might ruin something for someone who has not read the books yet.

So, parents aside, Robin fell in love with Anne of Fenweck when they were very young, but he thought he could never have her. (Sound like anyone we know - Rhys?) He has been gone fighting on the continent for years trying to prove himself to be a great knight. When he comes home to Artane he discovers that Anne is now grown and as beautiful as she is good and he loves her even more. Of course, he doesn't act like it and he yells at her quite a bit and they fight and he is sort of mean - but it is because he LOVES her - and she is mean back and SUFFERING!

And there are many murder attempts and percieved despoiling of virgins and allegations of bastards, and allegations of being a bastard, and large nuns AND large viking twins and it is all very exciting!

No. 12: Another Chance to Dream

2012-01-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

Another Chance to Dream by Lynn Kurland

All my plans of reading these books in some sort of order has fallen by the wayside - sort of. As it turns out I started sort of close to the end. But then, when I was picking up all the books Avery knocked on the floor, I found this one! The story of Rhys and Gwen! The first couple of Artane and perhaps the most tragic couple of all! It is so deliciously full of suffering and heartbreak! And, since I just admitted that I LOVE that sort of thing (being the bad person that I am) I couldn't wait to read it!

Oh Rhys, such a good hero! He was knighted at a young age, but since he didn't have any property he had no hope of marrying his one true love, Gwennelyn of Seagrave. Even though her father liked him WAY better than the idiot he betrothed her to. Which makes me happy I was not born in medevil England (despite the distinct and troubling lack of hunky knights available today) at least I can marry whomever I want.

Poor Gwen too, she loves Rhys, and who wouldnt, but she has to marry Alain who is gross and dumb and gross. And there is nothing they can do about it! And the heart break lasts for years! I mean years! It is amazing. But the end is all worth it, especially knowing there are quite a few books coming about theit children and other ancestors. And they are just as good, but maybe with slightly less pain and suffering. Slightly.

No. 11: With Every Breath

2012-01-10T14:52:00.000-08:00

With Every Breath by Lunn Kurland

Since I had just read Madelyn's story, I thought I had better read her sister Sunshine's next. And not just because it is SO awesome, but because I thought I should make some atttempt at reading these in order. (A plan I later sort of disregarded)

So, Sunny it is! She loves Scotland - as I am sure I would if I ever went there - and she has conveniently inherited a little crooked cottage and taken up the role of The MacLeod Witch. Previously held by her cottage's former occupant Moraig. Speaking of Moraig, what a great name for a witch! Perfect!

Anyway, one night, Sunny hears a knock at her door and as she steps through the doorway she goes back in time! Hooray! More time travel! Of course she falls madly in love with a handsome Laird. And of course they can never be together because of his duties and position. And of course there is danger and almost being drowned as a witch and terrible terrible heartbreak!

As I have been reading these books I started to wonder why I like my heroes and heroines to suffer so much? I mean, when there is heartbreak and they can't be together but they love each other and they SUFFER because of it, I really like it. Maybe I am a bad person, secretly, on the inside.

No. 10: A Garden in the Rain

2012-01-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

A Garden in the Rain by Lynn Kurland

So between a bunch of hearings coming up, starting my new teaching job, and all the other craziness I have been dealing with, I have not been able to keep up by begining of the year reading pace. BUT, thanks to a Saturday afternoon and evening of peace and quiet while Aaron and the girls helped Justin build a bar, I managed to get hooked on one of my all time favorite authors and now (even though I have no time) I am furiously trying to re-read everything she has ever written!

Up first, Madelyn and Patrick! In Scottland no less, complete with time travel! So you know I liked it! This one was particularly great because the bad guy was her jerky ex-fiancee and he was sufficiently nasty so that I was very glad he ended up how he ended up. Just desserts are always the best.

These really are the best books, I can't believe I have not read them in so long. The good news is I basically forgot everything that happens so they are all brand new to me! And conveniently located in my hallway bookshelf, just waiting until I have a spare minute or two to read!

Nos. 7 - 9: The Hunger Games Trillogy

2012-01-04T23:19:00.000-08:00

The Hunger Games Trillogy - The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mocking Jay

I went to the movies with Aaron for my anniversary and saw the preview for The Hunger Games movie (again) and it looked SO AWESOME that I had to re-read the series. I would love to get Aaron to read it too, but he will not. Because he is lame.

Aaron's lameness aside, these books are SO good. The first time I read Hunger Games I literally could not stop thinking about it for weeks. I am super excited about the movie, I hope it lives up to my very high expectations!

Also I am glad that this series continues to be good no matter how many times I read it, because I like to have some good (already purchased) books in my arsenal for times I kill my book budget in 1 day - Thanks Eloisa James and Suzanne Collins!

No. 6: Can You Keep a Secret

2012-01-04T23:15:00.001-08:00

Can You Keep a Secret by Sophie Kinsella

This is the second time I read this book and I loved it as much as I did the first time! I love it when that happens. It is a quick read and super funny, and not half as annoying as some of this author's other stuff - namely the Shopaholic series which I am totally over because the FMC is ridiculous and not in a good way. The FMC of this book has some similar characteristics - kind of flighty, impulsive, prone to embarassing situations, etc - but yet I don't hate her! Amazingly enough I really like her and the book!

No. 5: Divine Misdemeanors

2012-01-04T23:14:00.001-08:00

Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton

This is the book I was reading on my old kindle when it died a sad and tragic death. I totally blame Aaron (although he did get me both the original kindle and the replacement kindle so I should get over it)

I finally got to finish it, and I was not overly impressed - this whole stupid series was a mistake and waste of money. Stupid amazon and their dumb free books sucking idiots into reading a long and progressively terrible series.

I had to finish it though, and I am glad I did. And now I am done and I never have to read it again!

No. 4: A Kiss at Midnight

2012-01-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

A Kiss of Midnight by Eloisa James

Yet another fairytale remake - this one based on Cinderella. There were quite a few similarities (maybe moreso than the others) but enough differences that you really have no idea what is going to happen until it actually does.

The FMC is the Cinderella character, she is coerced by her wicked stepmother into impersonating her step-sister on a visit with the step-sister's finacee to meet his Uncle, a prince, to get the prince's approval of the engagement before the marriage can take place.

The Prince is (of course) gorgeous and wildly attracted to the FMC despite her purported engagement to his nephew and his own engagement to a russian princess. And there is a godmother, and rats (such as they are) and glass slippers and a royal ball and everything you could want in a Cinderella story!

I should also note that I read 3 of the 4 Eloisa James books in 1 day - they are kind of addicting. Too bad I killed my monthly book budget and it is only the 4th of the month, because she has written TONS of books I am dying to read!

No. 3: When Beauty Tamed the Beast

2012-01-04T23:07:00.000-08:00

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James

Another fairytale themed book - obviously Beauty and the Beast but interestingly the Beast has a healthy dose of Dr. House thrown in rather than an actual beast, which is pretty great!

Dr. MMC is a diagnostician living on an estate turned hospital in Wales where patients come from all over the United Kingdom for medical care. He is contacted by his estranged father who informs him that he needs to marry and he has secured the perfect bride.

The bride - FMC - is disgraced because the whole ton thinks she got knocked up by a prince. She totally is not, but that is really irrelevant to the ton.

There is a lot of sarcastic bickering, interesting medical maladies, two romances, a disgusting chicken coop, an awesome ocean pool, a terrible scarlet fever outbreak and Kibbles and Bitts.

No. 2: The Duke is Mine

2012-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James

This is the first I read in a "series" of books that are based on or inspired by fairy tales. This one features a character from the Winning the Wallflower novela so I read it first. This one is based on a combination of The Scarlett Pimpernell (which I have not read) and The Princess and the Pea (which I have, but not for many years)

The FMC has been engaged since birth to the heir to a dukedom. Which sounds pretty awesome until you learn that the fiancee is several years younger, several inches shorter and a significant number of IQ points shy of the FMC. So not great, but she seems to have nobely resigned herself to her fate.

Turns out she has a twin sister who has recieved the same "duchification" as her sister the future duchess. So clearly the only suitable husband for her would be a duke. Turns out the duke for her is (1) super hot, (2) totally attracted to her sister, (3) not stupid, (4) tall, and (5) hot. Also as it turns out, the engaged sister FMC is also totally attracted to the hot duke. Because really, who wouldn't be.

There is some secret kissing and other stuff and a war hero and a tall stack of matresses and a daring rescue mission and lots of other good stuff.

No. 1: Winning the Wallflower

2012-01-04T22:51:00.000-08:00

Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James

I got this novella because I had like $3 left on my amazon gift card and it was $2.99. It was pretty good! I have heard good things about this author even though I don't think I have ever read anything by her before.

I have to admit that the think I like best about Eloisa (I have decided that we are on a first name basis because I am sure if we ever met we would be friends) is her excellent descriptions of her MMCs - they are all super hot and she is very skilled at conveying that to her readers. A skill I appreciate. Another thing I like is that Lucy, the FMC in this story is primarily interested in her finacee because he is super hot, at least initially.

The other good thing (or bad thing if you consider my book budget) is that this book had lengthy excerpts from 3 other books by this author. Which soundsd so good that I had to buy them, and read them. Stay tuned!

2010: The Lost Hero

2012-01-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I figured I might as well keep going since I read the whole Percy Jackson series! I like the Heroes of Olympus series even better, I can't wait until the next one comes out. Amazon tells me it isn't until August 2012 which is a LONG TIME to wait. Rick Riordan needs to get moving!

2010: Percy Jackson Series 2-5

2012-01-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan

Still good!

2010: The Lightning Theif

2012-01-04T22:34:00.000-08:00

The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan

I have read this book several times - love it every time!

2010: Here Have a Husband

2012-01-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

Here Have a Husband by Heather Gean

This was the first book I got on my new kindle, with my new amazon gift card (thank you Santa/Aaron) It was highly rated on Amazon, but I was kind of disappointed. The characters were interesting, but the FMC was a little too strident and I couldn't quite figure out why she hated the guy she did (rumors of alcoholism and one night of mild jerkiness that was semi prompted by her own bad attitude) and why she loved the guy she did.

Also - and this is the worst part - the ENTIRE premise of the book is that the government is now solely responsible for arranging ALL marriages and if you don't marry who they match you with you can't get legally married. And it is supposedly in the semi near future. If it was the distant future, with robots and flying cars, etc, maybe I could buy it. But right now, I find it so very unlikely that Americans would ever give control over their marriages to the government that it pretty much ruined the entire book. Also, like the government would ever take control of something so expensive! Without any chance of revenue! Forget about it.

So not that great a start to the year, but I know it will get better!

2011 Year in Review

2012-01-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I totally failed in 2011 - I stopped blogging in July and never started up again. Lets hope I can get back in the habit in 2012! I did get a new (replacement) kindle that I have been using like crazy!

This years stats:

Total: 54
Best Month: January - 14
Worst Month: July - 2, but it is hard to say because I pretty much gave up at that point.
Most Read Author: Rick Riordan (9) and a close second Laura Ingalls Wilder (8) - so clearly 2011 was the year of YA fiction!
Fiction: 53
Non-Fiction: 1 - Finally Thin! by Kim Bensen
Unfinished Books: 1 - Divine Misdemeanors by Laurell K. Hamilton - unfinished in 2011 because of the sad death of my beloved kindle. I was about halfway through and desperate to finish because it was terrible and I wanted to finish it to end my suffering.

No. 47: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2011-07-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

A few weeks ago, when I realized that the FINAL Harry Potter movie would be released soon, I got all in a tizzy to read the whole series and watch all the movies to prepare myself. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on who you are) I could only find book 7 and my brother borrowed all my movies. So my preparation consisted entirely of reading this book. And it took place in a world record amount of time. Because of this simple equation:

5 hour energy + 52 oz diet coke + Harry Potter book 7 = book finished in 3 hours, floor washed, several loads of laundry done and an hour of sewing

You should try it some time, unless you (unlike me - obviously) do not require an unhealthily large amount of caffeine to function normally. If this is you, maybe skip the 5 hr energy.

Oh how I love this book, and this whole series while we are on the subject. I cannot wait for my girls to be old enough to love it like I do. Or, for them to be old enough for me to read it to them whether they love it or not (but also old enough so they don't have nightmares or cry too much about the orphan/unloving guardian part - that is sad)

So, in sum, Harry Potter is awesome. I loved the movie too and cried in advance of all the truly sad parts because I knew they were coming and I got sad just thinking about it. So basically it was a lot of me crying in advance, crying when actually called for, and overall happiness because I had been waiting for that movie for A LONG TIME!!!

No. 46: Smokin' Seventeen

2011-07-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
Did you know that Janet Evanovich celebrates my birthday? She totally does! Every year, right before my birthday, she releases a new Stephanie Plum book so I can get it as a birthday present! Isn't that sweet? I am thinking of sending a thank you note. I am not sure how many years this has gone on, but at least 5 or 6 if not more. It is awesome to have such a great and famous author recognize my birthday like this :)

Anyway, this is obviously number 17 in the series. And despite a slight repetition in theme, I loved it! I mean, the repetition is what I love - I need some Lula talking crap, the destruction of cars, a trip to the funeral home, a mysterious killer stalking Stephanie. I need it all, or it wouldn't be the same book. Now I will say that this book was slightly different in a few key ways.

(1) More Ranger - and more sexy Ranger which I am 100% in favor of. Seriously.

(2) Less Joe - which is sad, but I guess if you are going to have more Ranger the inevitable result is less Joe. Overall the series has been more focused on Stephanie and Joe's relationship so I can appreciate the break. Especially since said break lead to item 1 on our list.

(3) More explicit sex scenes. Now this doesn't come close to some things I have read (and I am glad) but I thought it was a little sexier than the other books. This may because it was the Ranger show and Ranger is more overtly sexy than Joe (although I can't say that is really true because Joe is pretty hot too). Or it may be because the author felt like it and I am reading too much into it because it is a book and not real people. Hard to say.

Anyway, to sum up - loved it, love Ranger, love Janet Evanovich, love my birthday.

No. 45: Always the Baker, Never the Bride

2011-06-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Always the Baker Never the Bride by Sandra Bricker

This was another free kindle book that I got some time ago and forgot about. I like it when that happens because then when I find it is a happy surprise, and I am usually desperate for something to read. Which I was in this case. I am not sure what genre I would put this in, it is sort of a hybrid inspirational/cosy/romanceish book. But good, because the inspirational aspect was not nearly as annoying as it can be, the cosy cake baking stuff was good because I like cake and baking cakes and recipes, and the romanceish part was alright too. I also enjoyed the secondary characters quite a bit - especially the parents and the MMC's sisters. Not a super ringing endorsement, but I had quite low expectations and they were surpassed. I should also note that I was grumpy when I read this book, so if/when I re-read it I am sure I will have a lot more to say.

No. 44: The Lost Hero

2011-06-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I have read this book before, and I liked it a lot then, and I liked it a lot the second time too. I can't wait until the second book in the series comes out. But that isn't until October!

Nos. 42 and 43: The Kane Chronicles

2011-06-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire

I read all of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, then I read the Lost Hero and have been not so patiently waiting for the next installment of that series (The Heroes of Olympus) which doesn't come out until OCTOBER! to come out. So clearly I needed something to read. Then I noticed that Rick Riordan had another series out! Hooray for me! This one is very much like the other two but instead of Greek and Roman gods it is about Egyptian gods, which is very interesting to me because I love to watch televisions shows about Egypt and the pyramids and mummies. I do not however want to go to Egypt, however beautiful and mysterious and amazing it might be, because it seems like it would be filled with bugs and snakes and crocodiles. And I am afraid of those things.

Anyway, this series is focused on a brother and sister who discover that they are both magicians AND direct ancestors of the great Pharaohs of Egypt AND may be hosts/possessed by gods and are responsible for saving the world from an evil god who wants to destroy it. So clearly similar to the other series, but different enough to keep it interesting. One thing I liked is a sort of reference to the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus thing by mentioning that Manhattan is off limits and that there are other things going on over there (ie: Mount Olympus!)

Nos. 38 - 41: Sophie Green Mystery Series

2011-06-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

I, Spy? by Kate Johnson
Ugley Business
A is for Apple
Still Waters

This whole series started with a free kindle book - I, Spy?

Authors, if you want to hook me and get me to buy every book you have ever written, all you need to do is offer the first book in a series (you know, if it is good) for free on kindle and I guarantee I will spend all my money to buy the rest. Just ask Aaron. I can't even tell you how many times I have done it. A lot.

Anyway, this is kind of a mystery/action/crime/spy/romance in the same vein as the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovitch but set in ENGLAND! So it is awesome and full of slang I don't know and funny names for things and you can imagine that everyone has a cool accent. I love England. I want to marry Prince Harry and move there. I totally think I can pass Avery off as his illegitimate love child - she totally looks just like him.

Anyway, back to the books, the main character is Sophie Green who kind of accidentally becomes a spy and at the same time has a relationship with her super hot spy partner and murder and mystery and shenanigans ensue. And it is funny, which I think is a very high recommendation indeed. I love funny books that still have elements of romance and action. And there are four! So it is even better. Hopefully the series continues because I am way into it and I need more!

No. 37: Just Like Heaven

2011-06-20T13:10:00.000-07:00

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Yet again I have failed in my resolution to keep up with this blog. I don't know what is up with me this year, maybe I am busier or more add or less organized or all three. Whatever it is, I am accepting it and moving on. So I am going to make an effort to blog the books I have read, but I am starting with most recent first because then I may have some chance, however slim, to remember the book.

I just read this earlier in the week, so I should remember it. Also, I LOVE Julia Quinn, and all of her books so I can tell you (even if I didn't remember it - which I do) that it is awesome and totally worth reading! This is in the same world as her Bridgerton series and involves a member of the infamous Smyth-Smith family, in particular a violinist in the quartet. If you have read any of this author's recent books you know what I am talking about. Anyway, it is very good and as always very funny and charming. I totally recommend to anyone all the books in this semi interconnected series.

No. 36: Gone With the Wind

2011-05-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I used to read this book every single year. Like for maybe 10 years in a row starting in 5th or 6th grade. Then my copy of the book disintegrated from over use and I didn't get another copy until now. But you know what? It is still great, although I am sure (much like the other books I have re-read from my youth) I feel a lot different about the characters now than I did then. for example, Scarlett is annoyingly lacking in self awareness - like to the extent that she probably has a personality disorder. And Ashley is kind of a jerk. But Rhett still seems pretty awesome to me! And I would still love to have all those dresses! Some things never change.

An amazing book, maybe I will revive the annual reading tradition.

No. 35: A Secret Affair

2011-05-09T17:18:00.000-07:00

A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh

I literally cannot remember this book. I think it is the last in a series, featuring a cousin named Constantine? There is some family in-fighting and perhaps reconciliation? An affiar? A secret affair? I really don't know, it was too long ago. I am going to have to read this over again for sure. I do love Mary Balogh.

No. 34: Breaking the Rules

2011-05-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann

This is the newest Suzanne Brockmann book. I tried to buy it the day it was released at Barnes and Noble - to add to my Suzanne Brockmann book collection obviously - but the sales person there was convinced that it wouldn't come out until 2024. So I gave up and got it for the Kindle so I could read it that night. Because when I need to read a Suzanne Brockmann book, I need to read it immediately.

Anyway, tragically I didn't love this book. It was all kind of eh for me. Which is unfortunate considering the amazing awesomeness this author is capable. Like, she writes maybe 5 of my 10 favorite books. So, it was disappointing. But worth a read. An eh book from this author is a heck of a lot better than a good book from some others.

No. 33. Hawken's Heart

2011-05-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hawken's Heart by Suzanne Brockmann

Another Navy SEAL book - and yet, all this Navy SEAL love came before the whole SEAL v. bin Laden = awesomeness thing. Maybe I am psychic? Anyway, love this book! Because they think is a MURDERER! But he is INNOCENT, and Nell is the only one who believes him. But he is so distraught after the death/murder of his only father figure that he HAS NOTHING LEFT TO LIVE FOR, except VENGANCE! It is awesome, and caps worthy for sure. Love it!

No. 32: The Admiral's Bride

2011-05-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Admiral's Bride by Suzanne Brockmann

I do remember this book, but only because I LOVE IT, and I have read it dozens of times. And I LOVE IT! Although it has the potential to be creepy, I find the older guy younger girl thing to be kind of awesome. Sometimes. Like in this book, it is awesome. And about Navy SEALs doing awesome things. And I love the Navy SEALs.

Read this book. That is all.

No. 31: Saving Grace - I am SO FAR BEHIND!!!

2011-05-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood

I am so far behind in posting, I literally do not remember this book. It is aboutKing John, and evil Barons, and hot Scottish guys, so it can't be bad!

Yikes, the next bunch of posts are going to be crappy because I have almost 2 months of books to post about. Sorry. Also not in the order I read them. I have a stack of books sitting by my computer (and it keeps getting knocked over by a baby) and a bunch more read on the kindle and some on the ipad. Bad bad blogger - hopefully I can get them all counted at least.

I bet I liked this book though, I do love Julie Garwood!

No. 30: Redwall

2011-03-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

Redwall by Brian Jacques

This is the first book in the Redwall series. It is awesome - I totally recommend this series to anyone from like 4th grade up to adult. Seriously, go to the store and buy it. I can't wait until my girls are old enough so we can read it together!

No. 29: A Christmas Promise

2011-03-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh

I know it is not Christmas anymore, but the Borders in Anchorage is closing and all holiday books were 75% off and I love Mary Balogh and I had never read this book - so clearly I could not resist it.

Although, honestly, I did not have high expectations. I really dislike Balogh's more "traditional" Regency books because they are usually unbearably depressing. And this one could have definitely gone in that direction - an Earl (who knew there were so many hot and eligible Earls in Regency Era England!) inherited his title and a crap ton of debt from his wasteral of a cousin. He refused to sell his family home and so was in a bad position. Then, a very smart and devious (and RICH) lower class coal merchant buys up all the debt and proposes to the Earl that he will cancel the debt if the Earl agrees to marry his daughter.

He agrees (of course, or else there would be no need for the rest of the book) and meets the daughter and misunderstandings ensue - and fighting, but the high class Brittish aristocracy kind where instead of yelling at each other they become very cold and bitter. Then she invites her whole low class family of like 20 something people to the Earl's estate for Christmas - to teach him a lesson about thinking he is better than them or something. Will they ever get over their misunderstandings in time to have a nice Christmas and a nicer marriage? In other words, will they live happily ever after or not?

I am not telling.

No. 28: The Lady Most Likely...

2011-03-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

The Lady Most Likely... by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway

Interestingly, this book was written jointly by three very popular historical romance novel authors, including one of my favorites - Julia London! I was surprised by how well the book flowed together despite the numerous authors, I wouldn't have known just by reading it.

This book is set at a summer house party, held by the sister of an Earl for the sole purpose of finding said Earl an appropriate wife. It generally follows 3 potential pairings, two Earls and a Captain and their prospective mates. All of the pairings have a little drama, a lot of romance, and some humor thrown in - my favorite combination!

I really enjoyed this book - it makes me think I should look into reading some books by Eloisa James and Connie Brockway. And it is good timing because I really do need some new authors to read, I am running out of books :)

No. 27: Miss Fortune

2011-03-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Miss Fortune by Julia London

I have always enjoyed London's historical novels, but I wasn't sure what to think when I started this contemporary one. Generally speaking, I dislike novels where the author makes a huge deal about the FMC being overweight but guys finding her desperately attractive anyways. It seems like the author is trying to hard to appeal to overweight readers. Or maybe that is just what it seemed like was happening in this book. The FMC's sisters are thin, her best friend is thin, and 80% of the book is the FMC talking about being fat, feeling fat, binge eating or having self esteem issues. But nevertheless, a super hot Brittish guy (whose slang is SO cliche I could hardly bear it) finds her to have an amazing body. So either this girl has some body dysmorphia or the guy likes fat chicks.

I didn't like the "secret" and that the FMC was such a doormat and so completely oblivious - which she blamed on her self esteem issues, but I thought was a direct consequence of her complete lack of common sense. I mean the entire book I wanted to smack some sense into her. Probably not the feelings the author wanted the reader to have for the main character.

So, in conclusion, I found the FMC unbearably annoying, many of the secondary characters equally if not more annoying, and the little plot devices the author used to add drama were also annoying. Or maybe I am just in a bad mood. Sometimes it is hard to tell :)

No. 26: The First Four Years

2011-03-08T15:58:00.000-08:00

The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I didn't love this one as much. Poor Laura, she has had a lot of hardship and tragedy in her life. And it just keeps coming, more bad crops, more debt, losing her baby, Alamanzo's mystery disease, the fire, hail, terrible illness, that sad sad scene with the Boasts after Rose was born it just never stops. It makes me sad so I don't like it half as much as the last book which pretty much only made me happy.

I did like the description of the pantry in Laura and Alamanzo's new house - actually all the description of her moving in and settling into married life was pretty good. You can tell how much they loved each other and Rose. But overall, this is not in the save vein as the other books - probably because it was not written at the same time as the others but rather is based on a diary of Laura's and was published after Laura and Rose's deaths.

I had to read it to finish the series, but if you are reading this series with kids - I would leave it out. Then they can end on the happy note of Laura and Alamanzo's upcoming marriage and have hopeful thoughts for their future.

No. 25: These Happy Golden Years

2011-03-08T15:49:00.000-08:00

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Okay, officially, this is my favorite book in the season. It has so many excellent components! Fashion, I cannot get enough of the dress descriptions. I am dying to make a replica dress from this book - it would be amazing. And perhaps amazingly dorky. But whatever. There is romance, it is 100% totally awesomely romantic that Alamanzo would go pick Laura up every weekend from the horrible house she stays at while teaching school. He is like a knight in shining buffalo robes. There is sadness, when Mary goes to college and they buy an organ with Laura's hard earned money and Mary doesn't come home for the summer. There are social events, and a Christmas tree and more romance and more dresses and everthing good and exciting about this series. Definitely the best of them all!

No. 24: Little Town on the Prarie

2011-03-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

Little Town on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I maybe lied. This might be my favorite one (althogh - spoiler alert, the next one is really my favorite) But this one is so good too! Laura is growing up! She starts working to help send Mary to college. She starts seeing Alamanzo socially. Ohhhh. It is all very exciting.

No. 23: Little House in the Big Woods

2011-03-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

I finally managed to get this first book in the Little House series. It is one of my favorites for sure! I love the sugaring off dance and descriptions of hair and the dresses. I love their cute little life in the woods, and Pa goes off hunting, and they butcher a pig (and play with the bladder and eat the tail - ew) and Pa almost gets attacked by a panther and thinks a tree is a bear. It is all good. Perhaps that is why I got so annoyed with Pa when he decided to move the family west. The woods seem like a nice place to live.

No. 22: Mattimeo

2011-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

Mattimeo by Brian Jacques

I must be on some kind of books of my youth nostalgia kick because I have been reading the Little House on the Prarie series and now I am working on the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. This is one of my most favorite series from when I was a kid - I don't remember when I started reading it, maybe 5th grade, but I read the books consistently through high school and perodically since then. And my brother Matt read them all and loved them too - they really are not girl books per se, more action and battles than anything. And now I found Mattimeo at the thrift store on buy one get one free day so I bought it and got another in the series for free! And I remember that I still love them and now I want to find them all - both to read myself and to collect for the girl's book collection. Which, by the way, is becoming quite extensive. I should do a post on it someday.

Anyway, Mattimeo, this is the 3rd or 4th in the series. Redwall Abbey is attacked by a band of villians lead by a masked Fox known as Slagar. Slagar and his band are slavers and kidnap Mattimeo (son of the great warrior mouse Matthias) and some of his friends with the intent to sell them into slavery to a polecat (not sure what that is) and his evil rat minions. When the kidnapping is discovered, Matthias, as the warrior of Redwall, and some other brave animals including a hare, a hedgehog, a squirrel, some shrews and a badger, go off to the rescue. And there are many battles, an earthquake, a poetry spouting owl, and delicious sounding food, funny accents, and general awesomeness. Definitely recommended!!!

After I read this book I looked up the author's website to see how many there are currently in the series (and the answer is A LOT) but I was very sad to discover that Brian Jacques has very recently passed away. He was definitely an amazing and prolific author.

No. 22: Impulse

2011-02-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

Impulse by Nora Roberts

This is an OLD Nora Roberts book - I found it in our Jeep when we cleaned it out to sell it. It had a price sticker from the half price book store in Des Moines (where I have not lived since 2005) and it had a bookmark on page 11. So apparently I started it, lost it, and forgot about it completely for 6ish years. I imagine this is not the first time it has happened to me.

Anyway this book was okay, I really loved the plot, but the characters and execution were only so-so. I mean, not that I could actually write a better book than Nora Roberts (because I am almost positive I cannot) but when I read the back cover the story that popped into my mind was WAY better than reality.

Nevertheless, the actual book was pretty okay - a very boring, safe accountant decides to start living her life and to be adventerous for the first time. She quits her job, sells everything she has and goes to tour Europe. I am telling you right now, if I was single and without kids I would immediately begin figuring out how I could do the same. It sounds awesome! She ends up in Greece where she meets a very handsome stranger who starts to romance her. All good so far right, this book seems really good at this point. But then, tragically, it starts to go down hill. The MMC is kind of jerky and sort of angry (and not in a good way) and the FMC is about to SERIOUSLY overreact and ruin everything by being too sensitive and stupid. And I hate that.

There are some books where the MMC can be kind of jerky and angry but it is somehow very compelling and sexy. And there are some books where the FMC can misunderstand situations or the MMC's feelings about her and react badly but it is good because then the MMC is forced to find her or otherwise resolve the misunderstanding and profess his love for her and live happily ever after. I LOVE those kind of books. Perhaps in the top 5 of kinds of romance novels I love. But this book didn't quite make it. It was going there, it started so good, but the characters didn't do it for me.

No. 21: The Long Winter

2011-02-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Oh, I know what happens next, The Long Winter. Yikes. So, the Ingalls family is living in their teeny tiny shack like house out on the homestead. They are happy because this is where they are going to stay - Ma has finally put her foot down and demanded that Pa find them a place to settle so the girls can get some schooling and stability in their lives. Which I think is admirable.

But then, one day, Pa is in town and a wise old Indian comes into the store and indicates (I cant remember if he talked or used hand signals or a combination) that this coming winter will be a very cold and snowy one. Pa finds this persuasive, particualrly in combination with compelling muskrat related evidence. So he (wisely) decides to move his family into town instead of attempting to survive the winter in the homestead shack.

Well, the winter is indeed long and terrible and they almost starve to death. And, although it is not mentioned, I would be willing to bet a lot of money that they all got scurvey. You cannot go an entire winter eating almost nothing but bread and a few potatoes. It is not healthy. Anyway, thanks to the daring efforts of Cap Garland (my particular favorite) and Alamazo Wilde (almost as good as Cap) the town was able to purchase some wheat from a crazy homesteader way outside of town. Cap did it out of the goodness of his heart, Alamanzo did it out of guilt because he refused to sacrifice his future potential wheat crop so that people didn't starve to death. Although risking your life and almost dying is a pretty good way to say "Sorry I care more about myself and my future wheat than I care about the people of this town."

Anyway, obviously they didn't all die, but I am sure there were long lasting effects from almost 7 months of near starvation. But it had a happpy ending and they got to eat turkey and cranberries when the train finally came through.

No. 20: On the Shores of Silver Lake

2011-02-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

On the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Oh Pa, what is with you and your complete inability to just hang out and be happy. Yes you were living at Plum Creek for like 2 years (which is like 100 years in Pa time) and yes your poor poor family has sufferd horribly during that time - let us not forget the horrifying grasshopper incident, also random fires, the evil Nellie and most tragic of all, the scarlett fever epidemic that left Mary blind. I mean, wow, that family has had a rough couple of years. But you have a house! Animals! You live near town! You are creek and plum tree adjacent!

But you know Pa, he is restless, so when Aunt Docia stops by and invites Pa to immediately sell their house and come west to work on the railroad he agrees. Despite the fact that he is now forcing his family (recently recovered from scarlett fever) to sell their crap and move again. Also let us not forget that he is leaving NOW, so Ma has to care for Mary (blind), Laura (helpful but headstrong), Carrie (peaked) and Grace (baby) all by herself on the train! But, they do it anyway and get to live in a shanty on the shores of Silver Lake.

Then some good news, they get to move into the surveyors house which is fancy and full of food. So for one happy winter they get to have food and warm and safe. Then Pa finds a homestead, builds a building in town and mows a crap ton of hay ably assisted by Laura. And she meets Alamanzo and likes his horses.

It seems like things are looking up. I wonder what happens next...

No. 19: On the Banks of Plum Creek

2011-02-05T11:56:00.000-08:00

On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder

This might be one of the more depressing books in the series (although none of them are really that happy) because after Pa rashly abandons their house in Indian Territory - he trades their wagon and ponies (not Pet and Patty! Laura's favorite! How cruel Pa!) to a Norweigan for his dugout house - basically a house dug out of the ground and covered in sod. A dirt house. Remember their previous house - now abandoned - had glass windows. Anyway, Ma is initially very slightly displeased, but Pa makes a joke and she gets over it. Plum Creek seems like a nice place at first, a creek, tons of plum trees, a place to swim, a wheat field. So Pa starts to get a little crazy and builds a big house on credit (with glass windows, and actual nails, and milled wood rather than logs) purely based on the speculation that his wheat crop will be wildly successful. And he buys Ma a big new stove and a store bought broom (every woman's dream!) although to be fair he also buys her dress fabric. So that is nice.

Anyway, tragedy strikes and a plague of grasshoppers descends on Minnesota and eats every plant for a hundred miles. This is literally one of the worst things I can imagine - maybe a plague of spiders would be worse - but I hate grasshoppers and their disgusting crunchy bodies. I can barely bring myself to read the grasshopper chapters. Anyway, the horrifying bugs eat the wheat, the Ingalls family is destitute. So Pa decides to leave his wife and three young daughters to care for the farm while he goes off to find work. I admire his initiative - especially since he had to walk like 300 miles in worn out boots, but if he hadn't moved his family out of Wisconsin none of this would have happened. Anyway, he finally comes back! And they are happy. But now it is winter and there are terrible blizzards all winter. And Pa almost freezes to death in one (in view of his house - but he couldn't see it for the snow) and he eats all the Christmas candy, but everyone is happy because he isn't dead. Isn't that a happy ending?

No. 18: Little House on the Prarie

2011-02-05T11:42:00.000-08:00

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Somehow I do not have Little House in The Big Woods which is the first in this series (although I have at least 2 copies of every other book in the series!) I decided to skip it for now and read starting with this one.

The book I read belonged to my Aunt Lisa - and I have had it forever and read it so many times the cover fell off. But I don't want a new one, I like this one that says "Lisa H" in my Grandma's handwriting on the top of the first page. So I am taping the cover back on.

Anyway, in this book Pa sells their cozy cabin in the big woods - the one where they have lived and were happy and had a cow and were near Ma's family - to move his wife and three daughters into Indian Country. Because he feels too crowded. Not that I think this is a bad idea (which I totally do) but I want you to fully understand how complient Ma is. If Aaron told me, lets sell our house and all our stuff to move way the heck out into the Bush because I think town is crowded I would wish him good luck and send him on his way alone.

Anyway, they drive forever and finally decide to settle. Pa builds a cabin (nearly killing Ma in the process) and hunts, then there is a fire, they get malaria, they are nearly attacked by Indians, and then at the end of all that, after a year of what I would consider to be extremely bad luck - Pa hears that the government is going to make the settlers leave Indian Territory (the nerve of that stupid government) but without waiting for official confirmation, he decides to leave his house (with glass windows which was a big deal), fields, cow and calf (are you sensing a theme here) and move to Minnesota.

I guess, what I am saying is - Pa is crazy and he is forever moving his family for no good reason and if I were Ma I would be headed back to the Big Woods of Wisconsin and moving back in with my family. But she is a good wife and loves Pa so she deals with it.

No. 17: Farmer Boy

2011-02-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Farmer Boy is my favorite of all the Little House on the Prarie books (except maybe tied with The Long Winter) and it always has been. I think it is an amazing description of what life was like. When I read it now though, it gives me slightly different feelings. I now feel lazy, without useful skills and that I am a terrible housekeeper. Not only do I not sew all of the clothes my family wears, I don't raise the sheep, shear them, spin the wool, and weave the cloth! I am totally useless!

Similarly, unlike Alamanzo's mother, when I have a little downtime at the end of a hard day of cleaning, baking, weaving, spinning, cooking, etc - I don't sit down to listen to my eldest daughter read the newspaper while I knit my husband socks. I don't ever knit anyone anything (because I can't) and also I would rather read myself or watch tv. Also I don't do all that work in one (or 100) days. Also if I decide to crochet (something I can do) I don't make anything as useful as socks. I am a failure.

Despite the negative feels of self worth I now have, I am going to keep reading this series even though I know that Ma (of Ma and Pa Ingalls fame) works pretty hard to and is happy with a heck of a lot less. So that will make me feel greedy, selfish and whiney. But whatever, I love this series anyways!

No. 16: Finally Thin!

2011-02-05T11:26:00.000-08:00

Finally Thin! by Kim Bensen

Yes the exclamation point is in the title. Anywa, I started Weight Watchers (and I am kicking butt btw) and my friend Jackie got this book for me. The author lost more than 200 lbs in 2 years doing WW. It is an amazing, touching and sometimes sad story. But I think really motivating, which I guess is the point. Anyway, I don't need to lose 200 lbs, or even 100 lbs, but I can still identify with the author's struggle with her weight. Hopefully I can continue to use this book to inspire me as I continue "my weight loss journey" Which, by the way, is a phrase that annoys me to no end! They say it at WW meetings and on The Biggest Loser and maybe even in the book. I think it is dumb, but I don't know why.

Anyway, the book also has quite a few recipes that look pretty good - I am going to try some out this weekend for the Super Bowl!

No. 15: Rebelious Desire

2011-02-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

Rebelious Desire by Julie Garwood

I am still set on re-reading all of Garwood's books to see if my hypothesis regarding the FMC's is true.If this book is a true representation of the rest of her books (and I hope it is not) than my hypothesis is 100% accurate. In this book, the FMC - Caroline - is summoned from the Colonies where she was sent by her father the Earl after an unfortunate shooting incident when she is 4. She grows up in America raised by her Aunt and Uncle as their own child and as a sister to her cousins. Now she is back in England. In one of the first scenes in the book, Caroline, her cousin Chastity and their black friend are riding in a carriage when they hear gunfire. Their groom flees and Caroline calmly approaches the scene of the shooting, there she finds some ruffians holding a carriage at gunpoint, a man in the carriage has been shot. Caroline, as calm as anything shoots the gun out of the hand of the bad guy - they run away - and she tends to the gunshot wound of the injured man. Nothing phases her, she is totally in control and collected.

Then, HE shows up and she turns into a nervous bubmling flighty wreck! Why Julie Garwood? Why? Some examples:

The FMC, to herself, when thinking about her dealings with the MMC, "What had happened to her control, her independence?"

And later, "Caroline continued to stare at him. A thousand thoughts flew through her mind but she wasn't able to catch a single one. She was, for the first time in her life, completely overwhelmed."

So, clearly, my hypothesis holds up thus far. But, I admit this is not one of my favorite Garwood books. First of all, it is set in the Regency Era (which I usually love) but is not one of Garwood's strong points. Secondly, I think the MMC is a bit of a jerk and a bully and I don't like him. Thirdly, it isn't in Scotland nor is there a single FBI agent or cowboy - those are Garwood's strong points. So not a winner, but it is proving my hypothesis so not a total loss!

No. 14: Bloodfever

2011-01-30T11:24:00.000-08:00

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning

This is really the second book in the series and I totally forgot to post about it. Oops. I like parts of this one - Mac is becoming less unbearable - she worries less about her nailpolish which is good. There is a changing/progressing relationship between Mac and Barrons that I like. Although I am not sure at this point if he is good or bad (or if it matters) he is my favorite male character in the series so far. And there are a lot of male characters (all the other females except Dani and Rowenna blend together for me - and maybe that is the point, who knows)

Anyway, I still liked the series when I read this second installment - I just forgot to post about it!

No. 13: Shadowfever

2011-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

I wasn't sure the series could recover after the last book which I didn't care for at all. But, to my surprise this book was an improvement. Not awesome, but in parts it approached the goodness of the first book. I thought it was really intersting the way Mac responded to the death of the beast and how she resolved to go on after it. I thought the whole White Mansion (or whatever it is called) part was totally boring, but I was glad to see Christian again, I thought the part about the Keltars bringing their families to Dublin was kind of funny. I liked the parts at Chesters. I thought the Dani parts were good. I thought the baby monster part was weird but also sad and very informative into his father's motivations and actions. It made me really like him a lot more. I liked the Rowena resolution.

It was a good end to the series - at least I hope it is the end. I am not overly intersted in reading it all again any time soon. If you like fantasy/fae books this series is a lot better than others I have read so I would recommend it there, but if you don't care for that genre it isn't maybe for you. It is different than her Highlander series (which I vastly prefer) and now I might read since I have been reminded about Adam and the Keltars again. Although I think I might need a KMM break for awhile.

No. 12: Dreamfever

2011-01-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

The fourth book in the series. This is really where I lose interest and just read to finish and read the new one to finish the series. I don't actually like weird overly fairy/fantasy weird stuff. I like the relationships Mac has - and figuring out who is good or bad or if it matters - and whether she is good or bad or if it matters. But this is really the book that makes me not like the series. Which is weird because this was my most highly anticipated book of the series, I could not wait until it came out! And then when it did I read it and compeletely forgot everything about it because it was too weird and sort of boring in the middle.

No. 11: Faefever

2011-01-30T11:04:00.000-08:00

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

This is the third book in the series, and I liked it. Maybe not as much as the first twos books but it is still pretty good. She starts to get a little crazier, the whole series starts to get a little more into the "fairy woo woo" stuff than I really like, things start to get a little more gross than I like, but things are still good at this point and I want to keep reading to find out what happens.

Confession time - yet again I read the whole series in a row without stopping to blog about each book. I know I resolved to stop doing that. But apparantly I can't stop. I have done it twice already this year. Sorry!!!

No 10. Darkfever

2011-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

I have read parts of this series a few times - but the "last" book just came out so I thought I would read the whole series over from the begining. And I am kind of glad I did because I completely forgot everything that happened in the fourth book. And I mean completely, it is like I never read it. Weird.

Anyway, this is the first in the series and it is my favorite of the whole bunch. I wouldnt have even read this series if I had known where it was heading. But nevertheless - I liked this book quite a bit. The FMC MacKayla or Mac had an interesting journey and you could really see a change from the begning to the end that felt authentic (where later in the series her change felt overexagerated and forced)

No. 9: Mercy

2011-01-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

Mercy by Julie Garwood

I needed something to read so I turned to my favorite bookshelf, the one where I keep my favorite authors. And I grabbed the first Julie Garwood book I saw. Now admittedly, her contemporary crime/FBI stuff is not my favorite. Although I do love the FBI quite a bit. This one seemed more like a John Grisham type story - a mystery involving crime, a secretive group of white collar criminals expand their criminal enterprise into murder ... and mystery and drama and gun battles ensue.

While reading this book I came up with a hypothesis regarding Garwood's FMCs. They are all very similar whether they are a doctor in present day Lousiana, the daughter of a Baron in the Middle Ages in England or a choir singer in the wild west - they are all intelligent, independent and stubborn (which are good things) but they are also very easliy overcome around hot guys, they need constantly get them selves in dangerous situations and despite their many positive qualties seem kind of flightly. So, I am going to read more Julie Garwood books to test my hypothesis out - it will be a great hardship I am sure. I will keep you posted as I go along.

No. 8: The Last Olympian

2011-01-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

This is the last book in the Percy Jackson series, so clearly it has to be the most exciting - the whole fate of Olympus and the world as we know it rest on the outcome of the climactic battle between the half-bloods (and their allies) and Luke/Kronos and their evil associates. Or something like that.

This was a great book - totally action packed but it still had the friendship/relationship/family/personal stuff that is so interesting and makes the characters who are otherwise totally unrelatable at least somewhat relatable. I mean, obviously my Dad is not a God, but I still want him to be proud of me. Although I am shooting at more proud of me for being a nice person/good Mom/lawyer rather than proud of me for kicking butt and killing a dragon. But whatever - the underlying feeling is the same. Clarisse, I totally understand you now :)

Also, there is a little resolution in the Percy/Annabeth/Rachael love triangle. Also a little resolution in the whole Nico storyline which I for one am pleased about because I find him to be very interesting. I hope he shows up in the new series. Or maybe he needs his own spinoff. What does he do hanging out in the Underworld during the school year? I am curious!

Now there is nothing for me to do but to wait until the new book in the Heros of Olympus series comes out. I think in the fall. Wait and wait.

No. 7: Battle of the Labyrinth

2011-01-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Hah! Unlike the last book, I do remember some details about this book. Detail 1: It involved a labyrinth. Detail 2: It included battles. Detail 3: Percy Jackson made Mt. St. Helens erupt and it sent him to Calypso's island (at least I think it was Calypso - as an aside, after I read The Odyssey in 10th grade I thought Calypso was the coolest name ever and vowed to name my future daughter that. So, henceforth, I will be referring to Ella as Calypso. Sorry for any confusion.). Detail 4: It involved a labyrinth...wait, I already said that one.

Anyway, this very exciting book involving battles and a labyrinth is highly recommended.

No. 6: The Titans Curse

2011-01-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

I am the worst book blogger ever - I get in a hurry and read a new book before I blog about the old book. And then the books get mixed up in my head and I can't remember what happend in which one. That is what happened here (obviously, I am not just saying all this for fun) and I don't know any details specific to this book. I apologize.

What I do know is that I loved this series and I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it. So, whoever is reading this. If you have not read this series, you should.

No. 5: The Sea of Monsters

2011-01-24T13:10:00.000-08:00

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

I have a problem. I am addicted to series. If I start a series, I am compelled to finish it. If I have a choice between a book that is in a series and a single book I will always chose the series. I think it is because a series can seem like one really long book - and that appeals to me because a single book is never long enough.

So, I liked this one for the interaction between Percy and Tyson - the good and the bad because family is never all good and I hate it when books pretend it is. I also liked the quest in this one.

I have a confession - I have actually read the entire series already. I am the worst at posting before I read a new book. Another confession - I have already read 2 other books outside the series. Bad Holly!!!

No. 4: The Lightning Theif

2011-01-20T11:43:00.000-08:00

The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan

After reading The Lost Hero and watching the Percy Jackson movie on HBO, I decided I might as well just re-read the Percy Jackson series.

I still liked it, I liked it much more than the movie - they changed so many things for the movie, it was almost an entirely different story than the book. Seriously, in the book Percy is in 6th grade - in the movie he looks at least 16 or 17. I mean it is almost unrecognizable, and they left out really good parts too. Seems like a weird way to go. But whatever, clearly I am not in charge of movies. Although I should be.

Anyway, I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series again. Too bad I have all this work stuff taking up my time!

Recommendations - Mystery

2011-01-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

I really only read two mystery series - so this is the easiest section yet!

1. Janet Evanovich: The Stephanie Plum series. It is awesomely funny, the first couple are not as good as the middle and end ones. And the best part is, there are SIXTEEN books in this series! Plus some "between the numbers" novellas. And, they are numbered so it is easy to know which one to get next. Start with One for the Money - and read it quick before the movie comes out and possibly ruins it with horrible casting decisions. Do it!

2. J.D. Robb: The In Death series. J.D. Robb is also Nora Roberts - so the 32ish books in this series plus the one million Nora Roberts books means this lady is writing non stop. This series is good, although since I have read all 32 it is getting kind of old. But I didn't start to feel that way until around 27 or so - lucky you, if you have not read any yet!!! You should read them in order - start with Naked in Death. But get them from the library if you can. Because while they are good, I never read them more than once.

Recommendations - Romance

2011-01-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Oh romance, my favorite genre of books by far. There are SO many good ones and yet, SO MANY terrible ones. I wonder why that is? Anyway, it can be dangerous to start reading romance without recommendations because of the risk of getting one of the truly awful books. Although people's tastes differ so it might always be chancy. I prefer historical (especially Regency-era, Scottish highlands, and the post-civil war American west) but I also really love Navy SEAL and spy books, also time travel. So I am not consistent I suppose, but here are my favorites - probably by author but I will list my favorite book or series:

Romance

1. Suzanne Brockmann - she writes lots of books generally contemporary action-ey, but the best by far are her Navy SEAL books in the Troubleshooter and Tall Dark and Dangerous series. They are all awesome, I have read them all many times. Particularly my FAVORITE, which might be my favorite romance novel of all time Out of Control. Read it!!! Unless you hate great books. Then don't.

2. Julia Quinn - she writes historical, Regency era books. Her best is the Bridgerton series, about all of the brothers and sisters in one family. So very good. But all her books are great - What Happens in London and Ten Things I Love About You are her most recent books (I think) and both are a good mix of funny and serious and awesome. They are generally all connected, at least set in the same world with the same characters so favorites from previous books pop up now and again and I love that!

3. Mary Balogh - she has a bunch of books that are not good, and then, she has the Slightly series - which is so good, that no matter how many times I read it I love it and read it over again. It is about a family - the oldest brother (Wulf) is a DUKE! And they all have unusual names and it is awesome. All the books have the word slightly in the name - Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked, Slightly Scandelous, Slightly Tempted, Slightly Sinful and Slightly Dangerous. Slightly Dangerous is the BEST, but it is only the best if you read the other ones first so you get the full effect. There are also two prequels that are good (but not quite as good) which are One Night for Love and A Summer to Remember. There is also a connected series, the Simply series, which is almost as good - Simply Unforgettable, Simply Love, Simply Magic and Simply Perfect. Again, if memory serves, the last one in the series is the best - but you have to read the entirety of the Slightly and Simply series first to get the full effect.

4. Lisa Kleypas - she also has books that are not good - all of her contemporary books for example - but then she has two series that are wonderful. And they are interconnected (surprise surprise) something that I completely love. The first one to read is the Wallflower series - Secrets of a Summer Night, It Happened one Autumn, The Devil in Winter, Scandal in Spring and A Wallflower Christmas. They are all good, really good. Then comes the Hathaway series - Mine Till Midnight, Seduce Me At Sunrise, Tempt Me At Twilight, Married By Morning, and Love In The Afternoon. Also all good. It is best to read them in order. But I sometimes read them in order of which is my favorite.

5. Julie Garwood - one of the first romance writers I ever read - and still one of my favorites! She has two different sub-genres: historical and contemporary mystery/action/suspense. Both are good, but I definitely favor the historical ones, especially any set in the Scottish highlands (Ransom, The Bride, The Wedding) or the westerns (For The Roses, Clayborne Brides, Come the Spring - a series) - they are the best! Frequently the books interconnect, but they can stand alone too. You can be pretty safe picking any book she has written.

6. Janet Evanovich - she writes/has written a number of stand alone (meaning not in a series - shockingly) that are excellent and uniformly hysterically funny. Seriously, laugh out loud funny. There are quite a few - Hero At Large, Thanksgiving, The Grand Finale, Foul Play, Manhunt, Love Overboard, Back to the Bedroom, Smitten, Wife For Hire, Rocky Road to Romance, The Naughty Neighbor. She has also written a couple of other series, both alone and with a partner that are pretty good - The Full series (Full House, Full Tilt, etc) and the Alex Barnaby series (Metro Girl, Motormouth, Troublemaker) that are worth a read too. Not to mention the Stephanie Plum series - which I will not mention. Until later that is.

Other Romance Favorites:

     - Lynn Kurland: She writes about time travel which is surprisngly fantastic! They generally interconnect
        by family, so good ones to start with are Another Chance to Dream and A Dance Through Time.

     - Nora Roberts: Perhaps the most prolific romance author of ALL TIME - seriously, she has written a
        million books! But her most recent stuff has been totally disappointing. The best best Nora Roberts
        books are not too old, but not too new. The middle is where it is at. The best series are: Ardmore -
        Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon and Heart of the Sea, Chesapeake Bay: Sea Swept,
        Rising Tides, Inner Harbor and Chesapeake Blue, but there are lots of other good ones.

Recommendations - Young Adult

2011-01-14T14:27:00.000-08:00

There was a request for me to list a few of my favorite books - since I have like 100 favorite books, I will do my best to narrow it down by category.

Young Adult:

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling - the best, can't beat it, I would read all 7 books in a row without stopping if I were given the opportunity to do so. I have read them all many times and they never disappoint and I never get sick of them.

2. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyers - yes I am a nerd, but these books are awesome. I have read them all several times and they are still great, but they don't quite approach the amazingness of the first time I read the series (basically in a row) while on maternity leave.

3. The Hunger Games series (Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mocking Jay) by Suzanne Collins. The first time I read the Hunger Games I could not stop thinking about it for days. It is crazy but totally compelling and when the third book in the series came out this summer I read all three as fast as I could so I could find out the ending. Totally amazing.

4. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Lost Hero series by Rick Riordan - these books are all great, especially when read in a row as fast as possible. The Percy Jackson books are pretty quick reads, but the first book in the Lost Hero series was satisfyingly longer. I can't wait until the rest in the series are released!

Other YA favorites:

     - Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson - this is a very funny book, it is a series as well, but the first is
        the best. This author has several other books that are all good.

     - All American Girl by Meg Cabot - this is also a really funny book. I think this is the author of Princess
        Diaries which I have not read but heard was good.

No. 3: The Lost Hero

2011-01-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Now, this is what I am talking about - a good book, a can't put it down had to read until midnight to finish it kind of book. It has been awhile since I have read one of those! I think since September 3, 2010! That is a long time.Also, interestingly, both books are YA series. I guess I have the book tastes of a 14 year old. Whatever.

This book is Book One in The Heroes of Olympus series - which I discovered is connected to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. So hooray! Two things I love, a new series, and discovering that a great new series is connected to a great existing series.

This book was similar to the Percy Jackson books in many ways - same world, Gods, monsters, Camp Half-Blood, a quest, young love - but also better in some ways because it is longer! and more mysterious! and there are mysteries yet to be revealed! So that is good news! The three main characters in this book - Piper, Jason and Leo were good, likable and interesting. I am not sure how many books will be in this series, but I hope several.

The bad news is that the next book in the series doesn't come out until fall. However, given my extreme book related short term memory issues I should be able to re-read this book in the fall and not remember a thing.

No. 2: The Year of Living Scandaously

2011-01-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

The Year of Living Scandalously by Julia London

Book number two this year was a big fat disappointment. I like Julia London's books usually, and when I read the back cover I thought it sounded pretty stinking good. It had an Earl, an assumed identity, missing jewels, all things that can lead to an awesome and exciting book. And yet, this book really turned out to be both annoying and depressing.

First the annoying - the FMC is overly impetuous (to the point of stupidity) and cannot see the consequences to her actions (again to the point of stupidity) which I find super annoying. If you are going to assume someone's identity, for the love of God have a plan for getting out of it. Do it intentionally. Additionally, the way she acts around the MMC is ridiculously annoying. Not that the MMC is any prize, he has a bad attitude, thinks the FMC is stupid but for some unknown reason still "loves" her. Which I don't totally buy. I also find the FMC's name to be annoying - Keira. I don't know why, it just doesn't seem to fit and it irritates me.

Now the depressing - a two of the major plot points include: the hanging of a potentially innocent man and the suspicious death of his potential lover, AND the rape and subsequent suicide of a young girl. Does that sound like a fun basis of a book to you. The answer is NO! I only like depressing things when there is a happy ending later - there is no possible happy ending that can resolve the unnecessary and tragic death of three characters. Sorry, can't happen.

So, Julia London, while I am typically an admirer of your work, I cannot get behind this overly (and some might say unnecessary) depressing stuff.

2011 is not having a good start - I'd better select books more carefully from now on.

No. 1: The Perfect Poison

2011-01-11T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Perfect Poison by Amanda Quick

So, why did I choose this book to be my first of the year? Well, basically because I needed a break from the Outlander series and I picked this up at a thrift store for .10 cents. I am cheap and I have reading ADD.

I am not even sure why I bought this book - I have read many books by this author in the somewhat distant past, but I never really LOVE any of them which is why it has been awhile since I picked one up. They are all kind of weird. With weird people and their weird "special" powers. Like in this book for example, the FMC can detect botanically based poison. That seems pretty weird and random for a power. I would pick something cooler, like another character who can temporarily make things disappear. Or the other one who can literally scare people to death. Detecting poison seems pretty lame in comparison. But let me not forget her other power - sensing auras. Mainly plant auras, but people too. Again, lame power Lucinda - you got gypped. Also, like essentially every other Amanda Quick heroine ever written, Lucinda has an olde timey name and is an educated spinster who wears glasses.

The MMC's power is somewhat better but also harder to define. He can decipher clues, and uncover evidence trails and stuff. Which is useful since he is a private detective of sorts, but really, killing people with your mind is so much cooler. His name is Caleb which I have never really liked, and I didn't get a clear picture of him in my mind which makes liking him much more difficult.

Anyway, this book was weird, the characters (aside from their lame powers) were weird and somewhat unlikable. Especially the MMC who I thought had a bad attitude. So, the first book of the year was not a wild success, but I have read many a worse book. How is that for an endorsement?

Year in Review - 2010

2011-01-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I did not meet my resolution to read more books in 2010 than I did in 2009. Unfortunately, I read only 121 books this year, 1 less than 2009 and a staggering 20 less than in 2008. I hope I can improve for 2011 - although I foresee that it will be a busier year than ever before!

This years stats:

Total: 121
Best Month: January (20), March (20) and November (21 - although some of these were read in Oct.)
Worst Month: May (3), June (3) and December (3)
Most Read Author: Janet Evanovich - 19. For a second year running my most-read author. I re-read the entire Stephanie Plum series every year apparently!
Fiction: 117
Non-Fiction:1 - Band of Brothers
Unfinished Books: 0

I clearly need to renew my resolution - this time to emphasize timely posting because when I wait too long to post I forget what the book is about and that does me no good at all. I would also like to try to post immediately after finishing the book and before starting a new one - that way each book has its own post for easier searching. So we will see if that actually happens.

No. 121: The Fiery Cross

2010-12-29T16:37:00.001-08:00

This one was good too, but I am getting a little sick of Jamie and Claire - actually it isn't Jamie and Claire so much as Brianna. I don't find her to be a very sympathetic character. I actually find her to be quite annoying. Poor Roger. I don't find him annoying at all.

I got a book for Christmas I am dying to read so hopefully I can power through the last two in this series and read it soon.

No. 120: Drums of Autumn

2010-12-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

Ditto what I said on my last post. I think the books are getting better, but I am getting increasingly sick of reading essentially one super long book with the same characters spanning 20 - 30 years. I am ready for something new, but I cannot give up after all this. And I am not sure I will have a third reading of the series in my system anytime soon. So I really just need to keep going so I can read the new book and move on with my life.

Only 3 more to go I think. I hope I can make it!

No. 119: Voyager

2010-12-29T16:32:00.001-08:00

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

It has been quite awhile since I read this book - I can really only remember the one I just finished. But clearly the series is compelling enough to make me read thousands and thousands and thousands of pages just so I can read a thousand or so pages of the new book.

No. 118: Dragonfly in Amber

2010-11-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

This one might be better than the first one, less Jack Randall being evil and more Jamie and Claire love and also the "present day" which is really the late 60's and back and forth in time. Very nice.

No time to write - but I liked it very much!

No 117: Outlander

2010-11-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I started this book in the airport on the way home from Vegas and finished it the day after we landed back in Anchorage. If you didn't know that this book is approximately 1 million pages long it wouldn't seem like that big of a deal, but it is SO long and SO complex. This series takes me a lot longer to read than most other books. Not that I am complaining, but this is the second time I have read this series. That is a lot of Outlander. The only reason I am even reading it again is because another book came out in the series but when I tried to read it I couldn't even remember what had happened in the series because it is so involved. So I have to read about 5,000 - 6,000 pages just to catch up and read the new book.

This series is great, but it is definitely not for everyone. It is a little graphic in parts, and in even more parts it is not so much graphic as shocking, or horrifying, or disturbing. I hate Jack Randall and no matter how much she attempts to reform him in later books I can never forget what happened in this one. I literally cannot ever forget it - even though I have the worst memory in the world, there are somethings you cannot un-read, or un-see in your mind.

But other than some of that stuff (and there is kind of a lot of it) my love for this series has been renewed and I am now looking forward to reading the whole shebang. Even though I have no time to read because I am in the midst of the busiest month and a half of my life! I will make time to read - even if I go without sleep. You can sleep when you are dead, right?

No. 116: Indulgence in Death

2010-11-24T13:40:00.000-08:00

Indulgence in Death by Suzanne Brockmann

I got this book to read on the airplane on the way to my glorious and much needed REAL vacation to Las Vegas. Tragically the flight down was so terribly turbulent that I couldn't read and concentrate on not barfing on everyone around me, so I put the kindle down and thought about not barfing the whole flight. I did manage to read it during the vacation though, one of the best parts about vacation is that they are full of free time!!!

There are maybe 30 something books in this series, and I have read every one. I keep reading them despite the fact that I haven't really cared for the last couple. This one was okay - but not great. I hate it when she gives away who the murderers are so early in the book, it is much better when it is a total surprise at the end. But apart from that it was okay. See how unenthused I am about it - it is okay. Take a note Nora Roberts, you have been consistenly just okay for the past year or so. Please step up your game, bring us back to the glory days of awesome books. Please. Thank you.

No. 115: Time Enough for Love

2010-11-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

Time Enough for Love by Suzanne Brockmann

I saw this book at the bookstore and bought in book form because I was excited to have another Suzanne Brockmann to add to my shelf - turns out not only have I read this book before, but I actually own an older edition of it. So that kind of stinks - you think I would be able to remember a story about Navy SEALS (however tangentially) and time travel and assassins from the future. But alas, I did not. I also didn't remember the ending so it was a surprise and not a total loss afterall.

I have said many times that I don't like Suzanne's older non-SEAL books half as much as I do her worst SEAL book. Although I would be hard pressed to name her worst SEAL book since I am pretty sure I love them all. Anyway, my point is - this is a good book with an interesting plot, but not her best. Still worth a read, there are assassins from the future in it afterall, how bad can it be!

No. 114: Willow

2010-11-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

Willow by Linda Lael Miller

This is another book that I read so long ago I cannot remember any details about it! Curse my miserable short term memory! I remember I liked it but didn't love it...does that help? I will have to re-read it so I can post an acutal review. Whenever I get a spare minute...

Nos 97 - 113 Stephanie Plum Series

2010-11-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I have posted here, and so long since I read this book that I think I will have to just list these books with a blanket statement that I LOVE them all and this is by far one of the best series I have ever read. And I read a lot of series!

Numbers 4 - 15
Visions of Sugar Plums
Plum Lovin'
Plum Lucky
Plum Spooky

If you have not read this series do it immediately!!!

Nos. 94 - 96: Stephanie Plum series 1 - 3

2010-09-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
Two for the Dough
Three to Get Deadly

I started reading this series (again) after finding out via the internet that they are making a movie based on the first book - One For the Money I think it is called. I was so extremely excited until I learned that they had cast Katherine Heigel as Stephanie Plum. I can't imagine anyone less Stephanie-like than Katherine Heigel. I mean really. She seems like such a B, and is not funny, and is not goofy or any of the characteristics that Stephanie has in the books. Bad bad casting. Everyone else seems fine - most are relatively unknown, but at least they look right for the parts. Hopefully they can act. I will be mad if they FINALLY make this series into a movie and then ruin it.

Anyway, I read the first three so far - and I like them, obviously I like them, but I really like the series more and more as it goes on. And the early books not as much. Things are not quite perfected yet - Lula is not as sassy, Ranger is not as sexy (and in one book he wore a black leather jacket with beaded fringe - no Ranger I know would ever wear such a terrible thing, even if it was the 90s) and the whole Stephanie-Ranger-Joe triangle is not as developed as I like. But all that withstanding, I still like the books alot. I think I will just keep plowing through the series until I finish or get distracted by something new. But right now I am enjoying it!

No. 93: Out of Control

2010-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

I have read this book so many times. It might be my favorite romance novel of all time. Seriously, the more I read it the more I LOVE IT!!! It has almost all of the elements required to be a perfect romance novel - an excellent hero (Kenny "Wildcard" Karmody) who I love and would marry if he were real, an excellent FMC (Savanah) who is funny and brave and imperfect and awesome, and danger and mystery and a secondary love story that is fantastic (Grady and Molly) and another love story/historical story that is the best one ever (hello double agents, a prince, WWII, and a secret basement prison!) and there is heartbreak (Sam and Alyssa) and explosions and shooting and torture and dramatic rescues and the best line ever delivered by a MMC to a FMC during their first meeting "You are so fucking pretty."

In sum, I love this book. Everyone should read it. Because it is awesome.

No. 92: Mockingjay

2010-09-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I read this book as fast as I possibly could. It was so good I couldn't wait to know what happened and, importantly, who Katniss ended up with. Because we all know she was going to end up with someone. It was obvious. And, happily it ended just the way I wanted it to. It is very satisfying when things turn out the way I want (although not fully the way I want because of TRAGEDY and war) and there is a semi happy ending even if it is only for some. But it was goooood.

No. 91: Catching Fire

2010-09-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I was a fool for not reading this book when it first came out last year. I have many excuses (lost it, got a kindle, an an idiot) but basically if I had known how good this book was back then, I would have bought another copy and read it 3 times by now. It is good. I do not want to spoil it for anyone, so let me just say:

Go to the store, buy the whole series, read it immediately. Thank you.

No. 90: The Hunger Games

2010-09-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Hunger Games by Suzane Collins

The first time I read this book I thought it was so crazy and amazing I couldn't stop thinking about it. I desperately wanted to know what happened after. What I didn't know was that is was the first in a series, I could have saved myself a lot of speculation if I would have known that back then.

Then the second book came out, and I ordered it and was super excited about it but never read it. I am not sure why but I suspect it is because shortly after I got the book (the actual book) I got my kindle and then subsequently lost the actual book. And I didn't want to buy it on the kindle because I just bought that book (wherever it was) and it would be crazy to buy it twice.

And then a week or two ago I heard that the third and final book in the series was about to be released and I got all excited again. So I decided to read the first two books in time to read the third on the day it was released. And I did.

And this book was just as crazy and amazing and awesome as it was the first time I read it. Even though I knew the ending (and couldn't forget it like I usually do because it is unforgettable) I couldn't put the book down and was forced to hand my children over to the loving care of their great-grandparents for several hours so I could finish it.

No. 89: Splendor

2010-08-29T10:52:00.000-07:00

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

This is the last book in the Luxe series. I read it a few weeks ago and now I can't remember if I loved it or just liked it. That leads me to believe I just liked it. Because while I have no ability to remember the plots of books I read for more than a week, I can almost always remember if I loved a book or not.

I think my problem with this book is that things got a little crazy - there were murders and murder plots, and running away, and Cuba and heartbreak and one too many misunderstandings. All good things in moderation, but when they are all in one book it gets to be too much. But the series as a whole was fantastic! I really really liked it and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical romancey but not romance books.

No. 88: What Happens in London

2010-08-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

What Happens in London by Julia Quinn

I read this book because for some reason it was in my purse and I needed something to read at the doctors office. Lucky for me, I love Julia Quinn and this is one of her really good books.

It is about Olivia Bevelstoke who hears a rumor that her new neighbor might have killed her fiancee. She thinks that the logical response to this rumor is to spy on the neighbor from her bedroom window which conveniently looks into his office window. She sees many unusual and suspicious things but nothing that definitively indicates the man is a murderer.

I love the unusual courtship in this story, I love that some truly bizarre things happen (tabletop theatrics, unusual headgear and suspicious bodyguards to name a few) and I really love the interactions between Harry and Olivia, particularly at the beginning of the book.Very amusing.

No. 87: The Assassins Gallery

2010-08-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Assassins Gallery by David L. Robbins

This book started out so good - about a secret multinational band of spies and saboteurs being trained in Scotland during WWII. That is awesome. If this book would have stayed there we would have really been in business. But it moved on to a suspected plot to assassinate FDR carried out by none other than a real assassin - a Persian woman trained in the ways of the assassins of yore. Which seems interesting, and I did appreciate the many ways she thought of to kill FDR, you have to admire her thinking outside the box and tenacity. But the book was too long, I got bored around the middle and just had to hurry up and finish so I could know the ending. Not a bad book at all, but definitely dragged on. And I didn't love the MMC, or his friend Dag. Or Judith or any character for that matter. It would have been nice to like any of the characters in the book. But it was definitely an interesting concept.

No. 86: The Lake House

2010-08-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Lake House by James Patterson

I am not sure whether I have ever read anything by James Patterson before, but I am fairly certain I won't be doing it again in the near future. I know you might be shocked because he is a famous bestselling author, but I am telling you this book was weird and not great. And if his other books are any thing like it, they are also weird and not great.

The only reason I read this book in the first place is because I was at a lake house, and I didn't have anything to read, and I saw this book and thought it might be a sign. That I should read a book called The Lake House at a lake house and it was destined to be good. I didn't even read the back cover, which was my second mistake (the first being ever picking the book up to read)

First of all, it is about bird children. Children who are part bird. That is weird, I could handle that maybe, if the rest of the book about the bird children was so interesting that it made up for the weirdness. Unfortunately for me it was not. It was just weird. It completely lost me with the mysterious killers and clones and shucking, and tragic lack of investigation into the GIANT RASH OF UNEXPLAINED DISAPPEARANCES in Maryland!!! And the clones, and robot wives, and of course, the whole book is about bird children. I like weird books as much as the next person, with crazy science and mystery - I read Jurassic Park and all the other Micheal Crighton books and liked them. But I guess I am no fan of bird children.

Nos. 83 - 85: The Luxe Series

2010-08-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Rumor
Envy

This is the first three books in this series, there is at least one more (and I hope even more after that) set in New York City in 1899 and 1900. It follows the stories of some of the leading families of the era, most particularly the Holland family and its two daughters Elizabeth and Diana. I have never read anything set in this time period and location, it was very interesting. And the stories are particularly engrossing, I read the first (which I got for FREE on my kindle) and then immediatly the second and third. I would have read the fourth one but I have been away from my internet connection (or a bookstore for that matter) for a few days and had to make do with whatever books I could find. More on those later.

Anyway, I absolutely don't want to spoil any of it because it is great. But I can tell you that the prologue to the first book is all about the very fancy funeral of Elizabeth Holland. And there is significant intrigue and plotting and even blackmail in the series and I cannot wait to find out what happens!!!

No. 82: Falling out of Fashion

2010-08-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Falling out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky

This was an interesting book, but I will have to admit that I might not have been its target audience. I love fashion magazines, I read Seventeen and all those stupid prom magazines religiously when I was in high school. They were awesome. I never cared much for Sassy (which is obviously the model for one of the magazines in this book) because it didn't feature enough makeup tips or ideas of how to get boys to ask you out. And those are the things I cared about in high school.

But despite this, I thought this book was great - the story of how a commune living hippie child makes her way into a rich and fancy magazine editor in NYC and how her life changes. It was really interesting, the characters were deep enough and well described enough that I had a real vision of them. I was happy with the ending (although I imagine a lot of people were not) and although I have no concept of the magazine publishing world outside of The Devil Wears Prada and Ugly Betty, it seemed very realistic and believable.

Nos. 80 - 81: Carter House Girls books 1 & 2

2010-08-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Mixed Bags by Melody Carlson
Stealing Bradford

A friend of mine had these books recommended to her as a good gift for her teenaged niece. She asked if I have ever read them and I hadn't but, in some bizarre coincidence, the first two books in the series were free for my kindle. So I said I would read them and give her some feedback.

After a promising premise - 6 girls from different backgrounds living together in one house - it went down hill pretty quickly. There was a lot of stupid misunderstandings, characters flipping from bad to good without a lot of support or reason, a super useless parental figure, waayyyy too many lesbian comments for no apparent reason, a lot of useless "be yourself messages" that if well executed could have been useful to the books target audiences (christian teenage girls) but in this book were lame and overplayed, the one real "come to Jesus" moment which again could have been great was similarly lame and overplayed. All in all, I didn't care for either of these books. The author was trying too hard to mix edgy teenage drama and Christian lit and instead of coming out with something great came out with a mess full of lesbian jokes. Seriously, what is this author trying to tell her readers with all of the lesbian jokes. I am confused.

No. 79: Girl at Sea

2010-08-19T22:55:00.000-07:00

Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson

Another book by this author, I was on a roll I guess. I liked this one better than The Keys to the Golden Firebird because it was less sad and depressing and more mysterious and interesting but not nearly as much as the Scarlett series. You don't figure out until the end what is really going on, but what is really going on was not quite as interesting as what I thought was going on - which was kind of a let down. I also thought the FMC was a little too into her roommate. I mean if you are going to go there, really go there. Know what I mean?

No. 78: The Key to the Golden Firebird

2010-08-19T22:52:00.000-07:00

The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson

I liked the Scarlett Series so much I started looking for more books by this author. I can't say I liked this one as much as the others, but then again it had a much sadder subject matter. That being said, it was still good. This book is about three sisters and their mother, the year after the unexpected death of their father. The oldest sister is a drunk, the youngest sister is having crazy panic attacks and the middle sister is trying to keep the family together and get her drivers license. I missed the humor that the other books by this author have, but it was still a good story.

No. 77: Scarlett Fever

2010-08-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

Scarlett Fever by Maureen Johnson

The second book in the Scarlett series, just as good as the first. Maybe more funny lines - the best of which I posted about here.

No. 76: Suite Scarlett

2010-08-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

I have read this book before, and I liked it a lot. It held up for the second read, still funny and interesting and sad and happy in places. I still love the idea of living in a hotel your family owns, even if it is broke and falling apart. It just seems awesome!

My posts are going to be short I think, I got WAY behind and now I have like a dozen books to post about. Hopefully I can remember them all :)

No. 75: Infamous

2010-08-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Infamous by Suzanne Brockmann

A brand new Suzanne Brockmann book, and a paperback to boot! Very exciting! I bought the book in book form (rather than kindle) to add to my collection of every book Brockmann has ever written.

Even though this was not a Navy SEAL book (boo) there were SEALS briefly involved in the book, so that was nice. This was quite a different book than usual - although there was the usual action, and romance, and there was also the historical story that she used to include in some of her older Troubleshooters books. But this book is about a history professor working on a movie about a "heroic" US Marshall and how he vanquished a gang of notorious robbers and killers. The great-grandson of one of the notorious bad guys comes to the movie set to get the story straight - ably assisted in telling the true story by the ghost of his great-grandfather.

My favorite line of the book:

"I don't want you to love me."
"Then stop being so fucking amazing."

I love swearing in books! It reminds me of my favorite part of my favorite Suzanne Brockmann book, Out of Control, when Ken Karmody tells Savannah that she is "so fucking pretty" within 5 minutes of meeting her. Hysterical and awesome.

No. 74: Charlie St Cloud

2010-08-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

I read this book solely because I am interested in seeing a movie starring Zac Efron with no shirt. Is that wrong? But I can't just go see a movie - a movie so intense looking I almost cried at the preview - without knowing a little more. So I got the book, and I read it, and I cried the entire time. And I decided that no amount of Zac Effron with no shirt could persuade me to see this movie in the theatre. I HATE crying at the movie theatre, and I am guaranteed to cry for the majority of this movie. Just as I cried for the majority of the book.

The book is the story of Charlie St. Cloud who can see the spirit of his dead little brother and who gives up his life to spend every night playing catch with a ghost. Sad. But there is romance! But the romance is sad. But there is happy parts too! But the happy parts are also sad. So there was much crying. I think I will just get the movie when it comes out on Netflix and save my ogling and crying for home, where it belongs.

No. 73: Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help

2010-07-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

Milrose Munce and the Den of Professional Help by Douglas Anthony Cooper

I got this book FREE on my kindle a couple of months ago and have not gotten around to reading it until now. But I am glad I finally did, it was great! I think it is a kids/ya book, but it was clever and funny and well written. There were so many good lines, but unfortunately I read this book on my ipod rather than my kindle (my charger is lost and the battery is dead - very tragic) and I have not figured out the note taking feature on the ipad, so I don't have any to share. But take my word for it, funny.

Anyway, the book is about a boy who can see ghosts at his school. Because he is seen talking to people that are not there, and putting his arm around thin air, the school determines that he is in need of Professional Help. So the book is all about the Professional Help he receives. And yes, Professional Help is always capitalized. Definitely worth a read!

No. 72: Dreaming of You

2010-07-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Since the other Lisa Kleypas books I have read lately were so good, I thought I would try some of her older historical novels. This one...I don't know how I feel about it yet. The beginning was kind of irritating, the middle was good, and the end, oh the end. It could have gone so well and then there was an incident. An incident that is to me, so ewww, that I can't get over it and now I don't like the book anymore. I got so worked up about this book I have a feeling this is going to be a very long post :)

But let me begin at the beginning. The FMC is Sara, an author who researches her books by going into the undesirable areas of London to interview prostitutes and gamblers. On on research trip she comes across a man being attacked in an alley. She attempts to scare off the attackers by firing her gun, but ends up shooting one of the bad guys. The other ones run away and she is left with an injured man with nice clothes and an atrocious cockney accent. This is the irritating part, obviously to convey to the reader that the character has an accent she has to kind of spell it out. I hate that - I can use my imagination. Just say he has a cockney accent. I watch tv, I know what that sounds like. You don't have to say "It's close enow to 'ere." I get distracted by the accent and I don't pay attention to the words. So anyway, irritating beginning, but it gets better.

It turns out that the guy she rescued is Derek Craven - owner of the famous gaming hall Cravens. Rival of Jenners which makes several appearances in the other books I just read so that was nice. Anyway, he grew up in the streets - stealing and cleaning chimneys (when he was little obviously) blackmailing and worst of all - prostitution! As in, his club was bought with money he got for having sex with women. Wow.

So, Sara wants to hang around the club to do research for her book - Derek says no but since he is wounded she does it anyway. Oh, I forgot, a spiteful crazy ex-lover hired thugs to cut Dereks face after he left her. Again, wow.

So she is always hanging around and Derek realizes that he is in LUST with her, but that he is no good for her because of his bad past (prostitution and crime, etc) and so he tries to get her to go back home and leave him alone. But Sara is stupid, I mean in love, and so she decides to attend a masked ball at the club to trick Derek into kissing her. So she does, and she does, and they kiss and he realizes its her and they kiss some more, and then he gets all noble and sends her off.

She eventually ends up back home in her tiny village and becomes engaged to her weakling mama's boy boyfriend. But his controlling and creepy mother causes too much tension and they break off the engagement. That very day Sara receives an invitation to a house party from a woman she met in London, a close friend of Derek's. And she goes, and he is there! And he keeps his distance but it doesn't work and they end up engaged. And then married.

And assorted other stuff happens, including the return of the psycho face slashing ex-lover of Dereks, a kidnapping and arson. And then, at the very end, the epilogue. I usually love a good epilogue, I like to see that everyone is living happily ever after. But what I do not want to see/read/think about, is what happened in this epilogue. Specifically an unpalatable incident involving a nursing mother and marital relations. I will leave the details to your imagination. But ewwww. And I say that as a woman who nursed her babies for nearly 2 years each. Ewwwwwww.

No. 71: Sizzle

2010-07-16T15:12:00.000-07:00

Sizzle by Julie Garwood

I have written about my undying love and affection for Julie Garwood many times. She is excellent, particularly her historical stuff, but she writes a pretty good crime mystery/thriller too. This is one of those, featuring an FBI agent with a Scottish accent (which I approve of) and a film student. I randomly selected this book after I finished my MARATHON Lisa Kleypas session and I was in desperate need of something to read so I could avoid doing dishes. Because I hate dishes.

Anyway, Sam, the foxy Scottish FBI agent, is recruited to be a bodyguard for Lyra (which is a dumb name because I kept thinking Laura) after her apartment is broken into by kidnappers. So they have to spend every minute together so she can be safe. And inevitably they fall in love because (did I mention) he is a foxy Scottish FBI agent which as everyone knows is an irresistible combination. And she is a young beautiful film student with great legs.

This book has some great secondary characters including a delusional, incompetent, stupid hit man, a grandmother who steals holy water, money grubbing parents and a roommate who will likely become the FMC in her own book. So it was good, but it was no historical Scottish love story.