My 2011 Stats

The nice thing about Goodreads.com is that it tracks your stats every year. I thought it would be fun to list them here…and I made some pretty charts :-)




2011
- Read 72 books (these numbers include novellas)
               -19 Five Star books
               -45 Four Star books
               -6 Three Star books
               -1 Two Star book
               -1 One Star book
-Read 17,451 pages







This is a big jump from previous years…

2010
 -Read 36 books
-Read 11,095 pages

2009
-Read 11 books
-Read 5,205 pages

2008
-Read 34 books
-Read 14,397 pages

2007
-Read 35 books
-Read 13,781 pages

2006
-Read 35 books
-Read 13,457 pages

Giveaway Winner

I hope everyone had a fantastic and book filled Christmas!

Have a happy and safe New Year!



And now for the winner...

LilMissMolly, Congrats! I will be emailing you shortly!

Giveaway

Part of the Christmas in July, in December Challenge (hosted by Wall-to-wall Books) is to have a giveaway for a Christmas book. I decided to giveaway the below books. They are all used copies and you can see that the top two have some creasing, but other than that they are in good condition.


A Gift to Last by Debbie Macomber
Christmas in Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber
Wolfsbane & Mistletoe  by Charlaine Harris, etc. (Anthology)


To Enter:
-Comment on this post and include your email address
-International entries accepted
-Contest closes December 29th, 12pm (EST)
-Winner will be selected via Random.org

Book Must Haves-Cover Love



Caitlyn, a telepath, lives in a world where all paranormal talents are illegal. She is on the run from government ParaTroopers. When Caitlyn falls for Alex, a Normal, and discovers dangerous renegade Paranormals, she must choose between staying in hiding to protect herself or taking a stand to save the  world

I read Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (see my review here) and loved it so I can't wait to get my hands on Hunted! Based on the cover alone you know it will be a gripping tale!

Released yesterday






Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her  life...

I am a big fan of Maria V. Snyder so I'm looking foward to this one!! I have it preordered and I'm hoping **fingers crossed** to get it soon!

Releases December 20, 2011...next week!!







Book Summary:

There's something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the  balance.

I saw this book on Buried in Books blog. I'm not usually into historical or steampunk books, but this book sounds interesting. It is also based in Philadelphia which is a bonus for me since I live in Pennsylvania! Is it July yet?!  

Releases in July 2012

2012 Challenges



My first 2012 challenge is a Rainbow Book Cover Challenge. I know a lot of people have done this one as a monthly challenge but I don’t read enough books for that so I’m going to do it over a year. Link up and grab my button if you would like to join me.



This is a ‘create your own’ challenge. You can decide which colors to include in your challenge, here are some ideas to get you started…

Red, magenta, pink, orange, peach, yellow, green, aqua, teal, blue, indigo, violet, white, and black

Some may be difficult, but I’m going to try for all of them.

 - - -


Tiffany over at Fantasy Reads is hosting a 52 book challenge for 2012. I’m participating but I’m going to tweak this challenge a little. I want 26 to 35 of those books to be ones I currently own…well ones that I own as of the end of 2011 since I’m getting some books for Christmas! This challenge could be tough with my twist!

  - - -

And last but not least, I want to do a Series Finisher Challenge. I started a lot of series in 2011 so I would like to finish 10 of those. Some of them only have two or three books released (so far) in the series so my goal is to be current with them. Here is a list of already released books that I’m thinking of reading for the challenge (I already own the bolded books), but the list may change if I decide to work on other series…

A Stroke of Magic (Magic #2) by Tracy Madison
A Breath of Magic (Magic #3) by Tracy Madison
By Magic Alone (Magic #4) by Tracy Madison
Dark and Hollow Places (Forest of Hands & Teeth #3) by Carrie Ryan
Caressed by Night (Rules of Darkness #2) by Amanda J. Greene
Werewolves Rule (Rule #2) by K.C. Blake
Outside In (Inside #2) by Maria V. Snyder
The Vampire Next Door (Strange Neighbors #3) by Ashlyn Chase
Desires of the Dead (Body Finder #2) by Kimberly Derting
The Last Echo (Body Finder #3) by Kimberly Derting
My Soul to Save (Soul Screamers #2) by Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers #3) by Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Steal (Soul Screamers #4) by Rachel Vincent
If I Die (Soul Screamers #) by Rachel Vincent
Bad Behavior (CONduct Series #2) by Jennifer Lane
Siren Song (Blood Singer #2) by Cat Adams
Demon Song (Blood Singer #3) by Cat Adams
Claimed (Blood Lust #2/Preternaturals #1) by Zoe Winters
Mated (Blood Lust #3/Preternaturals #1) by Zoe Winters
Save My Soul (Preternaturals #2) by Zoe Winters
Betrayal (Haunting Emma #2) by Lee Nichols
Surrender (Haunting Emma #3) by Lee Nichols
My Favorite Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy #2) by Annette Blair
The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Accidental Witch Trilogy #3) by Annette Blair
Chick with a Charm (Babes on Brooms #2) by Vicki Lewis Thompson

2011 Challenge Wrap up


I was very ambitious with my challenges this year. Here’s how I managed with each of them.

A-Z Title Challenge – The challenge was to read books that started with every letter of the alphabet. I did great with this in the first half of the year but dropped the ball in the second half.

Challenge = Incomplete

A – Awakened (House of Night #8) by P.C. Cast
B – By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
C – Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) by Patricia Briggs
D – The Dead Girls’ Dance (The Morganville Vampires #2) by Rachel Caine
E – Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noel
F – Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate
G – Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine
H – How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #1) by Molly Harper
I – Inside Out (Inside Out #1) by Maria V. Snyder
J –
K – The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy #1) by Annette Blair
L – Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon
M – Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook
N – Nocturne by Syrie James
O –
P – Portal (Portal Chronicles #1) by Imogen Rose
Q –
R – Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
S – Strange Neighbors (Strange Neighbors #1) by Ashlyn Chase
T – The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton
U –
V – Vampires Rule (Rule #1) by K.C. Blake
W – The Werewolf Upstairs (Strange Neighbors #2) by Ashlyn Chase
X –
Y –
Z –


New to You Series Challenge – The challenge was to start 10 new series. I ended up crushing this challenge and started 27 new series.

Challenge = Complete

1. Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) by Patricia Briggs
2. Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate
3. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine
4. Portal (Portal Chronicles #1) by Imogen Rose
5. Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noel
6. Inside Out (Inside Out #1) by Maria V. Snyder
7. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake #1) by Kerrelyn Sparks
8. The Werewolf Upstairs (Strange Neighbors #2) by Ashlyn Chase
9. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #1) by Molly Harper
10. The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy #1) by Annette Blair
11. The Body Finder (The Body Finder #1) by Kimberly Derting
12. A Taste of Magic (Magic #1) by Tracy Madison
13. Witches of Santa Anna
14. Caressed By Moonlight (Rulers of Darkness #1) by Amanda J. Greene
15. Kept (Blood Lust #1) by Zoe Winters Novella
16. Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning
17. Vampires Rule (Rule #1) by K.C. Blake
18. The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1) by Carrie Ryan
19. My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
20. Blood Song (Blood Singer #1) by Cat Adams
21. Darkness & Light (Holloway Pack #1) by J.A. Belfield
22. Blood Drive by Traci Houston
23. Deception (Haunting Emma 1) by Lee Nichols
24. Blonde With a Wand (Babes on Brooms 1) by Vicki Lewis Thompson
25. Bound By Blood (The Garner Witch #1) by PA Lupton
26. Therian (The Bloody Crescent #1) by Roxanne Kade
27. With Good Behavior (The CONduct Series #1) by Jennifer Lane

That is a lot of unfinished series, so I’m sure you can guess what one of my 2012 challenges will be!

New to You Author Challenge – The challenge was to read books by 25 authors that I’ve never read before. I hit this one out of the park by reading 50 new authors.

Challenge = Complete

1. Patricia Briggs
2. Lauren Kate
3. Rachel Caine
4. Julie Anne Peters
5. Imogen Rose
6. Alyson Noel
7. Claire Cook
8. Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
9. Syrie James
10. Rosy Thornton
11. Kerrelyn Sparks
12. Ashlyn Chase
13. Molly Harper
14. Annette Blair
15. Heather Davis
16. Kimberly Derting
17. Dave Conifer
18. Vicki Lewis Thompson
19. Toni Leland
20. Samantha Jillian Bayarr
21. Tracy Madison
22. Laura Barnholdt
23. Amanda J. Greene
24. Samantha Sotto
25. Zoe Winters
26. Karen Marie Moning
27. K.C. Blake
28. Carrie Ryan
29. T. Lynne Tolles
30. Patti Berg
31. Donna Alward
32. Traci Houston
33. Jennifer Echoles
34. Patricia McCormick
35. J.A.Belfield
36. Cat Adams
37. Ashley Lynn Willis
38. Teresa Medeiros
39. Cheryl Rainfield
40. Rachel Vincent
41. Paige Toon
42. Lee Nichols
43. Heather Helper
44. Janet Evanovich
45. Jennifer Lane
46. Roxanne Kade
47. PA Lupton
48. Linda Cunningham
49. Sabrina James
50. Robin McKinley

Overall 2011 Book Challenge – This one is a little tricky, I originally challenged myself to read 83 books in 2011. At around book #40 I realized this wasn’t going to happen so I adjusted my challenge to 50 books.

Challege = Readjusted & completed

January
1. Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega, #1) by Patricia Briggs
2. Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega #2) by Patricia Briggs
3. Fallen (Fallen #1) by Lauren Kate
4. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine
5. The Dead Girls’ Dance (The Morganville Vampires #2) by Rachel Caine
6. By the Time You Read This, I’ll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters
7. Portal (Portal Chronicles #1) by Imogen Rose

February
8. Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noel
9. Inside Out (Inside Out #1) by Maria V. Snyder
10. Must Love Dogs by Claire Cook
11. Awakened (House of Night #8) by P.C. Cast
12. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
13. Nocturne by Syrie James

March
14. The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton
15. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake #1) by Kerrelyn Sparks
16. The Werewolf Upstairs (Strange Neighbors #2) by Ashlyn Chase
17. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #1) by Molly Harper
18. The First Patient by Michael Palmer
19. The Kitchen Witch (Accidental Witch Trilogy #1) by Annette Blair
20. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
21. Never Cry Werewolf by Heather Davis

April
22. Strange Neighbors (Strange Neighbors #1) by Ashlyn Chase
23. The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #2)by Molly Harper
24. Wrecker by Dave Conifer
25. A Werewolf in Manhattan by Vicki Lewis Thompson
26. Deadly Heritage by Toni Leland
27. The Apothecary by Samantha Jillian Bayarr
28. A Taste of Magic (Magic #1) by Tracy Madison

May
29. Witches of Santa Anna Novella Series by Laura Barnholdt (there are 9 novellas but they are quite short so I'm counting them as one book towards my goal)
30. Caressed By Moonlight (Rulers of Darkness #1) by Amanda J. Greene
31. Kept (Blood Lust #1) by Zoe Winters Novella

June
32. Before Ever After by Samantha Sotto
33. Darkfever (Fever #1) by Karen Marie Moning
34. Vampires Rule (Rule #1) by K.C. Blake

July
35. The Forest of Hands and Teeth (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1) by Carrie Ryan
36. Somber Island by T. Lynne Tolles
37. Wife for a Day by Patti Berg
38. Soulless by Gail Carriger
39. Honeymoon with the Rancher by Donna Alward

August
40. Blood Drive By Traci Houston
41. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echoles

September
42. Blood Song by Cat Adams
43. Cut by Patricia McCormick
44. Darkness & Light by J.A. Belfield
45. Lucy in the Sky by Paige Toon
46. Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
47. Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros
48. The Dead Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #2) by Carrie Ryan

October
49. The Calling by Ashley Lynn Willis
50. My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
51. The Cupcake Queen by Heather Helper
52. Deception (Haunting Emma 1) by Lee Nichols
53. Blonde With a Wand (Babes on Brooms 1) by Vicki Lewis Thompson
54. Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich

November
55. Bound By Blood (The Garner Witch #1) by PA Lupton
56. Therian (The Bloody Crescent #1) by Roxanne Kade
57. With Good Behavior (the CONduct heroes #1) by Jennifer Lane

58. Sunshine by Robin McKinley

December
59. Small Town Girl by Linda Cunningham
60. Secret Santa by Sabrina James
61. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (this one is a reread)

How did you do with your 2011 Challenges?

Small Town Girl Blog Tour


This tour is hosted by A Tale of Many Reviews


THE BOOK
(Summary from Goodreads.com)

When Lauren Smith begrudgingly returns to the small Vermont town where she grew up to arrange for the sale of her late grandmother's old farmhouse, she has everything she's always worked for. Lauren drives a Mercedes. She's engaged to one of the most powerful businessmen in the country and wears a three carat diamond ring to prove it. She lives in a penthouse on Central Park West. Yes, Lauren has everything she considers important. She is smugly prepared for any eventuality in dealing with these country people so Lauren isn't surprised when the hot water isn't working at the old house. No problem. She simply looks in the phone book and calls the local plumber.

The moment Caleb Cochran steps through the old screen door to fix the hot water, the glittery facade that masquerades as Lauren's life begins to crumble around her. Though she tries hard to deny their mutual, magnetic attraction, Lauren is finally forced to reevaluate her focus and come face to face with her true self. “Small Town Girl” is a story of emotional maturation and the recognition and triumph of true love even in the face of repeated denial and awkward timing.

MY REVIEW

The book summary is a good description of the book. Lauren is very vocal about being ashamed of her hippy parents. Because of that she has always dreamed of a future in the city and full of glitz and glam. Her fiancé has given her all of this. She thinks she has the perfect life and fights for that life even when faced with her past...and the yummy Caleb. Which path will Lauren choose? And will she regret it?

Caleb is a small town boy and proud of it. Although he is instantaly attracted to Lauren he doesn't appreciate the way she puts down his lifestyle. Sparks fly between the two but will it go any further than that? There's also the not so small issue of the flashy diamond on her finger.

I was into the story and found myself wanting yell at some of the characters and shake some sense into them! This was an easyand fun read and I enjoyed it.

THE TOUR

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to view the Small Town Girl Tour Schedule... An * means an eBook giveaway at that blog. A ** means Grand Prize giveaway stop.

GRAND PRIZE

To be entered in the grand prize drawing, all you have to do is comment on every tour stop and then enter the giveaway at the last stop.


If you think this sounds like a book for you, I've included a link to Amazon

Secret Santa by Sabrina James


This book is part of my Christmas In July, In December Challenge hosted by Wendy at Wall-to-Wall Books.


Book Summary:

Noell, a hopeless romantic, just knows that her gifts have to be from her senior crush! And geeky Froggy thinks the game is the perfect way to get super-popular Celia to fall for him...except she thinks his gifts are from Jake, the school's resident bad boy, and starts to crush on him! Romantic mishaps abound, but all is revealed the night of the Winter Dance, where there's more than one surprise waiting under the  mistletoe.

My Review:

I was on the hunt for Christmas reads at my local used book store and came across Secret Santa. I was interest by the title and cover alone. I know, I know, don't judge a book by it's cover...but it really is cute, haha. The back of the book doesn't include a description, only this...

Uploaded from the Photobucket iPhone App


But that didn't stop me, I scooped the book right up without reading any description. It turns out this is a Young Adult Christmas book which is not what I was expecting. I've never read a YA christmas novel but I have to say, I did enjoy this one.  It is a light and fun read and it gave me some of the warm and fuzzies that you would expect from a holiday read.

Secret Santa is about a high school that decides to have the entire student body participate in a secret santa exchange. Well, as you can guess, that creates quite a bit of drama among the high schoolers. Many of them see it as a chance to express their feelings to those special crushes. As the back cover suggests it's a tangled web of  gift giving. So many emotions are also caught in that web.
Will feelings be hurt, or are there holiday kisses in the future?

Blogger Award



My friend Wendy at Wall-to-Wall Books gave me this award.
Thank you Wendy :-)

The rules are:
1. List seven things about yourself.
2. Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers.
 
My Seven Things:
 
1. I watch too much TV...right now my addiction is Christmas movies!
2. I'm a technology nerd, I love having the latest and greatest in cell phones, etc.
3. I own more books than I could read in 10 years...yes, I have a problem ;)
4. I spoil my dog because he's like the kid I'll never have
5. I love driving around and seeing houses lit up with Christmas lights!
6 & 7. I'm somewhat of a walking contradiction. I love traveling with hubby but I'm so much of a homebody. I'm sometimes shy and sometimes outgoing depending on the situation and who I'm around.
 
Who I'm passing the award on to:
I could come up with 15, but I think I'm just going to list a few newer blogs that deserve some blogger love.
 
 
 

The CONduct Series Blog Tour & Giveaway



The CONduct Series Blog Tour is hosted by A Tale of Many Reviews

THE WINNER

The winner is...
JABelfield

Thank you to everyone who entered!

THE BOOKS
(Summaries from Goodreads.com)

With Good Behavior (The CONduct Series #1)

In a world gripped by organized crime, family dysfunction, and dim hopes of redemption, can true love persevere? For Sophie Taylor, a beautiful psychologist who lost everything when she violated an ethical boundary, and Grant Madsen, a handsome naval officer who sacrificed everything to protect a loved one, finding that love may carry an unbearable cost.

Starting their lives over in Chicago, both are fighting influences from their family and running as fast as they can to escape the past. When their paths cross outside the parole officer's door, the attraction is instantaneous. But a hidden connection may not only shatter their fledgling love, but prove deadly to them both.


Bad Behavior (The CONduct Series #2)

Grant Madsen’s got issues. He’s still battling his Mafia family and doing everything possible to keep his loved ones safe. With the cruising season coming to an end, he has to find another job soon or he’ll rejoin his father in prison. And he’s trying to convince his rebellious teenage nephew to stay away from their criminal relatives (you can imagine how that’s going). But worst of all, Grant’s parole officer has mandated that he attend therapy.

The only saving grace is that they’re couples sessions with his girlfriend, Sophie Taylor, a fellow parolee who’s struggling with a few issues of her own. Sophie desperately hopes her past with Grant’s brother won’t destroy her future with him. There’s a sleazy professor at work who revels in sexually harassing women in the psychology department. And her father still hates Grant.

Their psychologist has his work cut out for him.

When Grant’s ruthless father hints at a plot to get out of prison, Grant must use everything he’s learned in therapy and beyond to try to stop him. It’s a race against time -- and a race to rescue Sophie from the Mafia’s clutches once again. But this time McSailor and Bonnie refuse to play victims. This time the cuffs are coming off.

MY REVIEW OF WITH GOOD BEHAVIOR

With Good Behavior is a book about fate and romance, misfortune and the mafia. It's about two good people who get into bad situations and end up in prison. Once released they have to make the best of the hand they were dealt but it won't be easy. They cross paths but will their chance meeting bring these two together? Can two ex-cons stay out of prison long enough to restart their lives?

I enjoyed reading this book. One aspect that stood out to me is the deep connections between a lot of the characters. The relationships feel deep and real. There are touching moments, fun banter, and some action.


THE GIVEAWAY

Omnific Publishing has been kind enough to offer an ebook of With Good Behavior OR Bad Behavior as a giveaway for each blog stop. To enter for this stop see the below...

-To enter you must comment with your email AND book choice of With Good Behavior OR Bad Behavior
-Following is NOT required
-Open Internationally
-Must be at least 16 years old
-Must enter by December 13, 2011, 11:59pm EST
-Winner will be chosen on December 14th

THE GRAND PRIZE

There will be a grand prize drawing at the last tour stop. The winner will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble

To be eligible...
-You must comment on every stop on the blog tour
-You must enter to win at the last stop on the tour

**Please note, you can only win once on this blog tour.

THE TOUR

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Click here to view The Conduct Series Tour Schedule...


I participated in Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) again in November. What's RAK you say? Well, RAK is Book Soulmates brain child. The idea of RAK is to pay it forward by randomly sending people books/ebooks from their wishlists.
Go to Book Soulmates Blog for more information
or to sign up.

I did not receive any RAK's in November but
I thought I would share a couple of the goodies I received outside of the RAK program.

Tiffany @ Tiffany's Book Blog was my book fairy in November. She sent me
Forbidden Magic (Magic #1) by Cheyenne McCray
and
Seduced by Magic (Magic #2) by Cheyenna McCray
Thank you Tiff! Hugs!!
- - -
I won a signed copy of Bound by Blood (The Garner Witch #1) by P.A. Lupton
from Karla at Book Addict
See my review here

Thank you's to the P.A. Lupton and Karla :-)

- - -

I received some awesome Strange Neighbors series swag from Ashlyn Chase
Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

Thank you Ashlyn :-D

- - -

I also won three signed bookmarks from @SurvivorsSeries on Twitter
Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos

Thank you @SurvivorSeries :-)

Sunshine by Robin McKinley


There hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years, and Sunshine just needed a spot where she could be alone with her thoughts. Vampires never entered her mind. Until they found her.

My Review:

I have mixed feelings about Sunshine so I’m going to try to decipher my thoughts as much as possible without spoiling anything.

I’ll start by saying that the story line is very interesting. Sunshine is a baker at Charlie’s and is known for her creative inventions. She lives in a world where Others aka supernatural half-bloods and full bloods are acknowledged but not very welcome. Dark Others (vampires) are all evil and everyone knows that if you’re caught by the Dark Others you DO NOT come back. When Sunshine needs a few peaceful minutes she decides to drive out to the lake. She thinks she is safe, but boy is she wrong.

I like Sunshine’s character and the baking aspect was a fun addition. I also like that the author painted the vampires in a bad light. They are scary, evil, and very much unnatural ‘beings’…I like it!

Now on to some of the nitpicking. The author gives us a lot of background on how things came to be with the Others which is good, but the information was given at a bad time. There are a couple places where you know something is about to happen and then all of a sudden you’re getting the background information. In my mind, I was ready for that action to happen and I ended up glossing over the background information because I was already thinking about the coming scenes.

Sunshine is a stand-alone book but it leaves some unanswered questions. It almost feels like there should be another book. It doesn’t end on a cliff hanger but I like my endings to be tied up a little more.

Don’t let my nitpicking stop you from reading this book. I did enjoy more aspects then I mentioned, I just cannot list them without spoiling the book.

Therian (The Bloody Crescent #1) by Roxanne Kade



All Amberlyn Darksky has ever wanted is to be normal. But what if normal is everything supernatural and legendary?

Amber has never been ordinary. She has a gift, the ability to see memories through simple touch, and for her it’s a curse. Especially when she has to relive her mother’s death, the night she was born, through her father’s eyes. Leading a sheltered life for years under his constant watch has her yearning for freedom and her acceptance into Cyprus Falls University gives her just that.

She is immediately plunged into a world of true love, heart ache, seduction and horror. With a deepening affection for Tayelon Cree, whose sparkling hazel eyes leave her breathless, and the undeniable allure of Lucard Colbaine, who seems to be immune to her gift, can she accept what either of them represent in her life? And what about the steely eyed vampire who invades her dreams? When the blackouts and nightmares begin, Amber fears the pain that rips into her soul and threatens to destroy her. Before long she is faced with the truth of her destiny, as well as the devastating secrets that surround the people she holds dearest; dark secrets that will truly change the course of her very existence. Amber doesn’t know if she has the strength to accept the hand fate has dealt her. She will have to fight as hard as possible to remain human while the beasts inside her rage to take over

My Review:

When I first started reading this, it seemed like it was going to be set in the past (Keep in mind I don’t usually remember what is in the book summary by the time I read a book). I think the beginning was a little slower for me because of that…and because my hubby was home and kept talking to me, lol. I was glad when the story moved to and stayed in more modern times.

I enjoyed reading Therian. It has some loveable characters and some characters that I’m still undecided on whether they’re good or bad. Only time will tell as this is the first book in the series. I’m very interested to see where the author takes the story.

Just as a side note, I love the bloody crescent moons at the beginning of each chapter!

Bound By Blood (The Garner Witch #1) by P.A. Lupton

Goodreads Summary:

FBI agent and psychic, Brianna Reece, descends from an ancient and powerful bloodline of witches, only she doesn’t know it. But now that legacy has come back to bite her—literally. In the shadows of night in Denver Colorado, a serial killer is hunting women, and FBI agent Brianna Reece is hunting the killer. Unlike any case she’s worked before, Brianna can’t ignore the prickling at the back of her neck when she glimpses the resemblance she shares with the victims. The investigation begins to touch even closer to home when it is revealed that all of the victims were also psychic. Complicating matters further, Brianna is captivated by the FBI’s prime suspect Nathan Donovan. Though she senses he is hiding something from her, the attraction she feels for him is compelling, and unlike anything she’s ever experienced. Through a chance twist of fate, Nathan learns of Brianna’s ancestry and is forced to divulge secrets to Brianna that will change her life forever. When she learns that the killer is an evil vampire, and he’s now set his sights on her, Nathan alone holds the key to awakening her dormant powers. Now he must race to teach her how to control her emergent gifts before she becomes the next victim

My Review:

I just finished this book and let me just say that I am very glad to find out that it is the first in a series!! I think Bound By Blood is a mix of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. There is a romance aspect but there is a lot more happening as well. In addition to the romance there is FBI, vampires, witches, edge of your seat action, unexpected twists, great characters, and a scene that literally had me laughing out loud! 

Before she realizes what's happening, Brianna is in a heap of trouble. She is tracking a killer but she soon becomes the target. She is strong willed and quick witted but will that be enough to keep her alive?

Nathan is used to getting his way, but will he get Brianna? And can he help protect her from a killer?

This book will be going on my favorites shelf and I will be anxiously awaiting the next in the series!

Movie Fun - The 80's

I'm an 80's baby and growing up I would watch a lot of movies with my mom. Some great movies came out in the 80's and I still watch a lot of them to this day. So I thought I would do a flashback post and list some of the ones I have seen.

 **All of the titles are linked to www.imdb.com (International Movie Database)

1982
Grease II
Porky's


1983
National Lampoons Vacation


1984
Footloose
Ghostbusters
Police Academy
Revenge of the Nerds
Romancing the Stone
Sixteen Candles
The Karate Kid


1985
The Breakfast Club
The Goonies


1986
Big Trouble in Little China
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Little Shop of Horrors
Pretty in Pink
Stand by me
The Karate Kid II


1987
Baby Boom
Dirty Dancing
Mannequin
Overboard
Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise
Spaceballs
The Princess Bride


1988
Beetlejuice
Hairspray
Twins
Who Framed Roger Rabbit


1989
Ghostbusters II
Lean on me
Road House
Troop Beverly Hills
Weekend at Bernie's
When Harry Met Sally


What are your favorite 80's movies??

Review Shorts - Post 2

Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich

Goodreads Summary:

Hank Mallone knows he's in trouble when Maggie Toone agrees to pretend to be his wife in order to improve his rogue's reputation. Will his harebrained scheme to get a bank loan for his business backfire once Maggie arrives in his small Vermont town and lets the gossips take a look?

Maggie never expected her employer to be drop-dead handsome, but she's too intrigued by his offer to say no . . . and too eager to escape a life that made her feel trapped. The deal is strictly business, both agree, until Hank turns out to be every fantasy she ever had.

My Review:

This book reminded me a little of Wife for a Day (see my review here) in that in both stories are of women who are ‘hired’ to act the part of a wife. The women in both stories are strong and snarky and the men a bit cocky. The stories are definitely different but the similarities just stuck out to me. I very much enjoyed both books but I think Wife for Hire edged out ahead of Wife for a Day because I had a very hard time putting it down to go to bed. I was up until midnight reading and that is VERY unusual for me.
Since reading this book, I have stocked up on more of Janet Evanovich’s singles.



Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros

Goodreads Summary:

Abigail Donovan has a lot of stuff she should be doing. Namely writing her next novel. A bestselling author who is still recovering from a near Pulitzer Prize win and the heady success that follows Oprah’s stamp of approval, she is stuck at Chapter Five and losing confidence daily. But when her publicist signs her up for a Twitter account, she’s intrigued. What’s all the fuss?
Taken under the wing of one of her Twitter followers, “MarkBaynard"—a quick witted, quick-typing professor on sabbatical—Abby finds it easy to put words out into the world 140 characters at a time. And once she gets a handle on tweets, retweets, direct messages, hashtags, and trends, she starts to feel unblocked in writing and in life. After all, why should she be spending hours in her apartment staring at her TweetDeck and fretting about her stalled career when Mark is out there traveling the world and living?
Or is he?

My Review:

I actually read this one over a month ago…shame on me for not reviewing it until now!

I loved the fresh and rather modern perspective that the author brings to the table. Goodnight Tweetheart takes place in the now with a blossoming twitter friendship. Its unique in that most of the book reads like a conversation on Twitter. It’s funny, and cheeky, and emotional. The main twist was a tad predictable but that didn’t take away from the book at all.

My one gripe would be the fact that a lot of movies are referenced. I caught some of the references, but a lot of them went over my head. Albeit, that’s mostly from my movie inexperience and it  really has nothing to do with the book being bad.