}

Friday, December 31, 2010

December 31 2010 Follow Friday



Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.

Her question this week is: WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEARS BOOK BLOGGING RESOLUTIONS? This question is also being asked by Melissa at My World...in books and pages Check out other bloggers New Years Resolutions there.

Mine are pretty simple.

1. Comment more on blogs I follow. I am always reading them, but only occasionally manage to make it over to say hi.
2. Post more reviews.
3. Continue to have fun!





Recent

I posted some more free ebooks
And more yet...
Last list of free ebooks for the year

I reviewed The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I reviewed Quinn's Hart by Cassandra Gold
I reviewed Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire

I added Ilona Andrews reading order and updated all my other reading order lists (at the top in the sidebar if you're looking for quick links to them)
I posted where I finished in challenges I participated in in 2010

I'm hosting the A to Z Reading Challenge for 2011!

Stop by and join in! I had so much fun with it last year.

BEST OF 2010 LIST



Lastly I hope everyone has a safe, and happy New Years Eve! And I send best wishes with you in to the coming year.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Review: Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire



Title: Edge of Sight
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Series: The Guardian Angelinos 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: November 1, 2010

When Samantha Fairchild witnessed a murder as a young girl it changed her life. Now bound for law school at Harvard history repeats itself and Samantha can’t believe it when she sees yet another person killed – with her as the only witness. To make matters worse apparently the killer knows she saw him, and she’s just become his next target.

Desperate for help that the police won’t provide Sam turns to her old friend Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter, hoping she can get some information and stop cowering in her apartment. But when Vivi recruits her brother, Zach, for protection duty, Samantha isn’t sure what’s worse. The danger to her life, or the danger to her heart because she and Zach share an intense history full of heat and ending in heartbreak.

Zach is a Special Forces vet, scarred and struggling to find his footing out of the military. After disappearing from Sam’s life when he left for war, he never thought to be back in it. But now that circumstances have pushed them together again, Zach’s realized that the one thing he can’t stand is losing her again. Now Sam and Zach have to face the painful past, and the dangerous present in order to have a chance of a future together…

It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a new romantic suspense novel, and I thought I was burned out on them. I’m glad to say that Roxanne St. Claire proved me wrong. Edge of Sight delivers an action-packed, emotion-filled, hot, reunion romance.

Zach is a truly tortured hero, with scars not only on the inside, but that are visible to the world too. Then there’s the PTSD and survivor’s guilt that he’s living with day in and day out. Floundering, he’s not sure what to do, not sure where to go from here. The one thing he is sure of is that he doesn’t deserve happiness. Or love. Especially not the kind of love Sam offered to him before he left her three years prior.

Sam’s life took a hard left turn, and then a few more, after Zach left. She’s grown and is determined to help those that are left without recourse. But due to one significant mistake she has trouble trusting her instincts. So when things start to heat up again between her and Zach, she’s doesn’t know what to think. Is it just the close proximity that him protecting her is engendering this renewal of emotions? Or is it something more? And how can she ever be sure?

I really loved watching Zach and Sam work towards each other. They both have issues, they both aren’t sure all the time. They question. And then they talk. Which is one of the things I love most about this book. The hero and heroine don’t let themselves, or each other, stew in what could potentially turn into a Big Misunderstanding. No, they take a moment to actually discuss what’s going on with each of them, keeping the lines of communication not only open, but flowing.

The suspense part of Edge of Sight has a lot to do with Vivi wanting to start up her own private investigative and protection agency. She’s trying to talk a lot of her, rather large, family into joining her in this venture. And Samantha’s their first client. The plot moves at a quick pace, never dragging, instead it’s pulling you along down the paths the characters travel as they try to unravel the truth.

This is obviously the first of, probably, a long series. There are already a lot of extra characters that will need their own stories, and I’m sure that they will only continue to come. But the nice thing here is that even though I knew this, it never felt like sequel-bait. The family is an important part to the series and they’re all really well fleshed out so that I simply want to see more of them.

Edge of Sight is a smart, exciting, edge-of-your-seat, sincere love story that will have you rooting for Zach and Sam. And eager to see what Vivi will find for the Guardian Angelinos next.

Grade: B

Book Link | Amazon | Kindle | nook | kobo | Borders eBook | Sony | Book Depository | Forever

Free eBooks 20

Kobo Books free ebooks.

Borders free ebooks

And Barnes and Noble Free ebooks

All Romance Free eBooks.


Amazon

Romance
A Taste of Magic by Tracy Madison
Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy
Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye


Fantasy
The Blood That Bonds by Christopher Buecheler
Phenomenal Girl 5 by A. J. Menden


YA/Children's
The Middle Passage by Julia Golding


Historical Fiction
The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham


Chick-Lit
Milie's Fling by Jill Mansell
Sweetie by Kathryn Magendie
Mossy Creek by Deborah Smith, Sandra Chastain, Debra Dixon, Virginia Ellis, Nancy Knight and Donna Ball


Cookbooks
Circle of Friends: Meatloaf Recipes
Circle of Friends: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
Circle of Friends: Macaroni and Cheese Recipes


Biographies/Memoirs
A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill

A to Z Challenge 2011

I had so much fun doing this last year, and ended up reading some books that I might otherwise have not gotten around to, I thought I'd share this year and see if others are interested.



The Rules:


1. Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are taking part in it. That post is what you should use below to in the McLinkyLink

2. Grab the button and display it in your post, and/or on your sidebar, so others can join in.

3. Challenge begins on January 1st 2011 and runs through December 31st 2011.

4. Read 26 books which titles begin with each letter of the alphabet.
  • You may ignore articles like A, An and The at the beginning of the title.
  • For the letter X, any book title with the letter X in it is acceptable if you can't find on that begins with X.
  • A book only counts one, so you can include a re-read the first time you read it this year.

5. There will be an additional post that goes up on January 1st where you can link to your reviews of these books, or just discuss them in the comments.

6. HAVE FUN!!!





A -
B -
C -
D -
E -
F -
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L -
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q -
R -
S -
T -
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -


Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Year in Challenges - 2010

So, this year I took on two challenges. Mostly that I set up by myself. I think I'll do them again next year because they were so much fun, but here are my results. Not too darn bad, if I do say so myself.

Overall it's been a really good year for me and books. There are very few that I've read that I didn't thoroughly enjoy. I don't know if that means that I'm getting better at picking them out, that there are more and more good books out there, or that I'm listening to friends recommendations more!

A to Z Reading Challenge

(click the title to see the rules)
This one I managed to finish on December 23rd! Cutting it close I know, but I had issues with 'N' if you can believe it. I was shocked that was my last letter left.

My List

A - Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunters 4) by Nalini Singh
B - Breaking Free (Masters of the Shadowlands 3) by Cherise Sinclair
C - Candy Coated Passion by Kat Alexis
D - Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark 6) by Kresley Cole
E - Edge of Sight (Guardian Angelinos 1) by Roxanne St. Claire
F - From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse 8) by Charlaine Harris
G - Graceful Submission by Melinda Barron
H - He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
I - Ice Cream, You Scream by Kat Alexis
J - Judgement in Death (In Death 12) by JD Robb
K - A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
L - Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood 2) by JR Ward
M - Mistral's Kiss (Merry Gentry 5) by Laurell K. Hamilton
N - Never Seduce a Scoundrel by Sabrina Jeffries
O - An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons 3) by Julia Quinn
P - The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Q - Quinn's Hart by Cassandra Gold
R - Roping the Wind (Turner Brothers 1) by Kate Pearce
S - A Spanking for Valentine by Evangeline Anderson
T - The Turning (Blood Ties 1) by Jennifer Armintrout
U - Undercover Submission by Melinda Barron
V - Veil of Midnight (Midnight Breeds 5) by Lara Adrian
W - Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? (Turner Brothers 2) by Kate Pearce
X - A Little Harmless Sex (Harmless 1) by Melissa Schroeder
Y - Yes, Captain by Rebecca Royce
Z - Zane's Way by Maggie Casper


New Author Challenge

(click the link to see the rules and list)
This challenge I still haven't been able to tackle. But I made it a heck of a lot closer than I did last year (I only managed a maximum of ten, even though I had a list a mile long.

I finished up with 36 New to Me Authors that I read this year. And by and large they were good reads and I've found new authors to enjoy. Check out my finish here.


A Year in Books

(click for full list)
This was something I did just for myself. I wanted to track what I was reading, and how much I ended up reading this year. I was actually surprised at how much I read. I mean, I knew I read a lot, but this was more than I was expecting.

I've finished the year at 144 books. And there will probably be one more that I'll finish tomorrow, but even still. Working full time, writing, two-two month reading slumps, and all the other things life has thrown at me this year - I'm pleased with that number. Oh, and that's not counting some of the series that I read a couple of times....


I plan to have up a post detailing all the challenges I'm going to do in the coming year, 2011.

Have you guys surprised yourself with some of your reading habits, numbers, finds this year? How have the books you've read this year stacked up to previous years?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ilona Andrews Book Order

Kate Daniels Series

* "A Questionable Client" in Dark and Stormy Nights anthology

1. Magic Bites

2. Magic Burns

3. Magic Strikes

3.5 "Magic Mourns" in Must Love Hellhounds anthology

4. Magic Bleeds

4.5 "Magic Dreams" in Hexed anthology

5. Magic Slays

5.5 Magic Gifts

5.6 "Magic Tests" in An Apple for Creature - Julie short story

**Read Andrea Book 1 here**

* "Retribution Clause" in Hex Appeal

6. Magic Rises

7. Magic Breaks (29 July 2014)


Andrea Nash Series

1. Gunmetal Magic


Edge Series

1. On the Edge
Declan and Rose

2. Bayou Moon
William and Cerise

3. Fate's Edge
Kaldar Mar and Audrey Callahan

4. Steel's Edge
Richard Mar and Charlotte de Ney



Alphas

1. "Alphas - Origins" in Angels of Darkness


Kinsmen

1. Silent Blade (Samhain Publishing)
2. Silver Shark


Stand Alones

"Grace of Small Magics" in Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance or available in the ebook Under Her Skin (along with short stories from Jeaniene Frost and Meljean Brook)



Please note: This page was written by me, so as always, please visit the author’s website for up-to-date, author-verified information as well as for information on books that have not yet been included to this list.

http://www.ilona-andrews.com/

Best of 2010 - Books

Overall this year I've read a lot of fantastic books, some of them from authors I follow, but most of them I found through fantastic recommendations. Because there were so many books and authors I discovered this year through older releases I'm going to break this list into two parts, the first part will have my 'best of' for books released in 2010, the second part will be the books that I discovered late – for whatever reason. Also, because it will, most likely, be rare that I read anything released in December actually in December, I'm going to include through the previous year's last month.

Also, these are in alphabetical order by author, as it would be impossible for me to rank them.

Part I – Published in 2010
Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels 4) by Ilona Andrews (review to come)
The Kate Daniels series is one that was recommended to me by a very good friend around a year ago. I, of course, went and bought the first book right away. And then it sat on my bookshelf until about a week ago. I don't know what it was about starting that series that scared me. Now I want to kick myself in the a$$ for not starting it sooner. I devoured all four books, as well as all the short stories I could find, in a week. And I want to go read them again right away. I'm bouncing already with the wait for the fifth book in the series - Magic Slays. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend you start (books one through three are in the second part of my list). Because I've got a review to come, I don't want to say too much...just read it.

Scoundrel (Blades of the Rose 2) by Zoë Archer (review)













Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson 5) by Patricia Briggs
Patricia Briggs is one of those authors whose books I look forward to, and jump on at release day, every time. Mercy Thompson is one of my favorite series and it's always a pure pleasure to read.








The Iron Duke (Iron Seas 1) by Meljean Brook (review)













"Here There Be Monsters" in Burning Up anthology by Meljean Brook
The short story that made me fall in love with steampunk. Rarely before have I ever read a short story that made me go out and buy the next book, as well as most of her backlist. Definitely impressive. (P.S. Nalini Singh's short story is well worth it in this book too.







Demon from the Dark (Immortals After Dark 8) by Kresley Cole (review)













Mockinjay (Hunger Games 3) by Suzanne Collins (review to come)
The Hunger Games trilogy is another one that I devoured in a short weekend. I couldn't get enough of Katniss and everyone else in Panem. This, for me, was an eminently satisfying end to a extremely well written trilogy.







Quinn's Hart by Cassandra Gold (review)













The Taste of Magick by Riley Shane (review)













Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter 2) by Nalini Singh (review)













Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling 8) by Nalini Singh (review)













Play of Passion (Psy/Changeling 9) by Nalini Singh (review)



















Part II – Published Prior to 2010
On the Edge (Edge 1) by Ilona Andrews (review)
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels 1) by Ilona Andrews
Magic Burns (Kate Daniels 2) by Ilona Andrews
Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels 3) by Ilona Andrews
The Turning (Blood Ties 1) by Jennifer Armintrout
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie (Highland Pleasures 1) by Jennifer Ashley
The Hunger Games (Hunger Games 1) by Suzanne Collins (review)
Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2) by Suzanne Collins (review to come)
Breaking Free (Club Shadowlands 3) by Cherise Sinclair
Master of the Mountain (Mountain Masters 1) by Cherise Sinclair

So, there you have it.  My best of 2010 list.  It's far more than a Top Ten, but I couldn't stop until I'd gotten everything that really captured me this year.

What are some of your favorites?

Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Holidays!!

Hanukkah has already passed us by (and I just barely got my friend her present on time!), the Winter Solstice was just a few days ago (anyone manage to catch the lunar eclipse? Wish I could have seen it), we're in the Yule season and Christmas morning is tomorrow. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing Day, Yule, Satarnalia, Hogmanay, Chahar-Shanbeh Soori, Diwali, a mixture, or nothing at all - I'm wishing you the very best in these last days of 2010.

I'll have a Best of 2010 List coming up in the next couple of days, as well as the closure of the few challenges I took part in this year.

For all those travelling, I hope you have safe, uneventful travels and arrive on time without hassle.

I hope your holidays have been, and will continue to be, filled with joy, family, friends, love and laughter.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Review: Quinn's Hart by Cassandra Gold


Title: Quinn's Hart
Author: Cassandra Gold
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 22 February 2010



Unbearably-shy Quinn Delaney has never had much luck with men. Uncomfortable, partly due to his imposing frame, he’s never been comfortable in large groups and spent his time trying to fade into the background. But when his former foster sister calls and begs him to fill a vacant spot on a singles trip to Walt Disney World, Quinn can’t say no. Dreading it, he’s certain he’ll be miserable. Until he meets Josh.

Three weeks ago Josh’s boyfriend dumped him. On his answering machine. Instead of getting down about it Josh decides to take the vacation they were planning to The Magic Kingdom anyway. With a few minor changes to his plans he’s rebooked on a single’s trip and excited to enjoy his time and possibly meet someone to share it with.

He’s not expecting shy, sexy Quinn – who’s clueless about his own appeal – and the more he gets to know him, the more he wants. Josh is Quinn’s dream man, but if he’s going to win him he’ll have to open up and take risks. He’ll have to risk the one thing he never has before – his heart.

Cassandra Gold writes a pure, sweet love story in Quinn’s Hart. Josh is a nice, out-going, caring man that doesn’t let anything get in the way of what he wants. I loved that he was not only willing, but eager, to embrace life and Quinn. Quinn I fell in love with from the first page. He’s sweet, shy, a bit beat down about love, and has a huge heart.

As we get to know them, and they each other, you can’t help but root for them to get their happily-ever-after. There are some minor obstacles for them to overcome, but each one helps them grow. Not only individually, but in their relationship.

Quite simply, Quinn’s Hart just made me happy. I think I was smiling all the way through it and upon finishing it I wanted to start all over again. And did. I definitely recommend Quinn’s Hart to anyone looking for a happy, sweet romance with two great protagonists that you will absolutely love.

Grade: A



Book Link | Kindle | Amber Quill Press

Friday, December 17, 2010

Free eBooks 19

Kobo Books free ebooks.

Borders free ebooks

And Barnes and Noble Free ebooks

All Romance Free eBooks - All Romance is featuring a free ebook a day from now until December 24th, I won't be listing them, but it's worth checking out...

Today is Jane Austen's birthday, and in celebration of that, Sourcebooks is giving away digital copies of a bunch of Jane Austen related books (links below for Kindle)

Amazon

Jane Austen
Darcys and the Bingleys by Marsha Altman
Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview
What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy by Abigail Reynolds
Lydia Bennet's Story by Jane Odiwe
Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife by Linda Berdoll
Eliza's Daughter by Joan Aiken
Mr. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange
Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy: Two Shall Become One by Sharon Lathan
Pemberley Chronicles by Rebecca Ann Collins

Illustrated Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Northanger Abbey
Persuasion
Mansfield Park
Emma

Romance
What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
Going All In by Jess Dee (Samhain - free until 1/14/2011)
The Bite of Silence (Biting Love 3) by Mary Hughes (Samhain - free until 1/14/2011)
Make Mine Midnight by Annmarie McKenna (Samhain - free until 1/14/2011)
With This Ring: A Tabloid Star Story by T.A. Chase (Samhain - free until 1/14/2011)

Fantasy
Travellers' Rest by James Enge

Young Adult
Wish by Alexandra Bullen
House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings 1) by Robert Liparulo

Humor
Stupid American History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions by Leland Gregory

Sample
The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook Presents: A Magical Christmas Menu Sample by Dinah Bucholz

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins



Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: Hunger Games Trilogy 1
Genre: Young Adult Dystopia
Release Date: October 1, 2008


So after months of seeing nothing but blog post after blog post for the release of Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games Trilogy, after hearing a very close friend rave about the series, I caved. I went out and bought the first book, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

You may be wondering why I had to cave at all. Well, I’ll tell you. I’m a person that can become almost violently opposed to something that’s become so popular. I’m honestly not even sure why. I would imagine some psychologist could come up with a reason, like I’m a non-conformist who likes to walk her own path and that I have a compelling need to rebel against…something. Or perhaps it’s something else entirely – maybe a subject for a different post. But it’s really beside the point. The point is that I was two years late in starting this series. And I just finished the first one. What follows may be my somewhat rambling, meandering thoughts, so bear with me.

In the post-apocalyptic world, where North America once lay, is the country of Panem. With it’s shining Capitol at the center of twelve districts. The Capitol rules all. The very lives of the people are not even under their own control, they live and die by the Capitol’s generosity and greed.

Seventy-five years ago there were thirteen districts, and there was a rebellion. The districts rose up against the rule of the Capitol. And were squashed. District 13 was destroyed utterly and the other twelve live an even more bleak existence. Since then, the Capitol, to remind the people of their absolute power and the futility of dissent, has required that each district provide two tributes. One girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen are taken to compete in the Hunger Games. A nationally televised event that pits these children against each other, and only one can come out alive.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her place in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games she regards it as a death sentence. Having to feed and provide for her mother and younger sister for the last several years has made Katniss persevere. She already knows how to fight to live, how to endure difficulties, and it will take every inch of her abilities in order to gain success. But if she’s going to win, Katniss is going to face hard decisions. Life against love. Survival against humanity. And at the end of it all, if she actually manages to succeed, will she be someone she can live with?

Because I know there are people out there that haven’t read these yet, I’m going to try to remain spoiler free. I really believe that this series is one that’s best enjoyed as it unfolds. Suzanne Collins did a wonderful job of pulling me along and wringing emotions out of me, from smiles, to tears, to outright shock.

Katniss has had a hard life. She lost her father quite a while before the story begins and because her mother was so stricken with grief, it fell to Katniss to make sure that her family lived. She became the main provider, going outside the electrified fences that surround the district in order to hunt. Learning to trade and bargain. Selling and buying in order to keep her sister from ever knowing the depth of despair she had. She’s a strong heroine, but she’s not perfect.

She makes mistakes, misreads people and their objectives – even when it seems so clear to everyone else – and she can be exceptionally hard-headed. I admit that there were times when I wanted to shake her to make her see the truth of something, but in the end all it did was endear her more to me. Katniss is a heroine you can root for. Flaws and all.

The relationships between Katniss and everyone around her was something I truly enjoyed. For all her rough edges, Katniss has a very big, soft heart and you could easily see that in her thoughts and conversations. From her family, to her mentor for the Games, to her fellow tribute, even other competitors in the arena, each interaction brought more…just more of everything. There were several times I was moved to tears and sometimes I was smiling through them.

Beyond the characters, which I absolutely fell in love with, the world surrounded me in its embrace, holding me tight and showing me everything. I felt involved there, connected to the people and the place. More than anything I wanted to fight alongside them, with them, for them. Ms. Collins paints a vivid picture of a dark and gritty world, brushed with realism that, quite honestly, hit me like a punch to the gut.

With my emotions, frequently, running high I raced through The Hunger Games anxious to see what would happen next. It kept me on the edge of my seat, staying up late into the night. In fact, I finished it around midnight on a Friday, fell asleep and woke up to immediately go to the store to buy the next two. Which I promptly read.

The Hunger Games is a dark, gritty, emotional story filled with pain, joy, loss and love. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking to get lost in a vivid world filled with characters that make you feel and a plot that doesn’t let you go.

Grade: A


Book Link | Amazon | Kindle | nook | kobo | Borders eBook | Sony | Book Depository | Scholastic Press

Friday, December 10, 2010

Free eBooks 18

Kobo Books free ebooks.

Borders free ebooks

And Barnes and Noble Free ebooks

All Romance Free eBooks

Amazon

Romance
Outta the Bag (Me, Myself and Why? Prequel by MaryJanice Davidson
Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear
Fire Lord's Lover by Kathryne Kennedy

Young Adult
Reaper by Rachel Vincent
Merlin's Harp by Anne Eliot Crompton

Thrillers
Watchlist by Jeffery Deaver

Cookbooks
Cooking from China's Fujian Province: One of China's Eight Great Cuisines by Jacqueline M. Newman
Old Havana Cookbook: Cuban Recipes in Spanish and English by Rafael Marcos
Fine Filipino Food by Karen Hulene Bartell
Nile Style: Egyptian Cuisine and Culture: Ancient Festivals, Significant Ceremonies, and Modern Celebrations by Amy Riolo

Humor
Stupid Christmas by Leland Gregory

Other
Understanding the Americans: A Handbook for Visitors to the United States by Yale Richmond

Games
Blackjack

December 10 2010 Blog Hop Follow Friday Tag Along

Book Blogger Hop
 
 
Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.
 
About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!
 
This weeks question is: What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?

My favorite thing is just the enthusiasm that other book bloggers have. I just love having other people that are as passionate about books to talk to about them. Finding new recommendations to add to my to-be-bought list is never a bad thing either.




 
Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.
 
Her question this week is: Do you have an under-noticed author that you think we should all know about?
 
My favorite author, that I can hardly ever get anyone to read, is Lynn Kurland. She writes romance that is sweet, funny, and tugs at my heart. I found her purely by accident one day, and immediately upon finishing the first book I read, Dreams of Stardust I went out and glommed up her entire backlist. Her books are everything from historical to contemporary, time travel to ghosts.

Beyond her straight romance she writes fantasy romance trilogies which are some of my favorites every year. Check out her book order here. Her romance books, while connected, definitely do not need to be read in order as they're all self-contained. The fantasy trilogy should definitely be read in order to avoid confusion.
 
 
 
Photobucket

Calling all 18 and over book bloggers, are you looking for more bloggers like yourself? Well please join in so we can tag along with each other. This is for a specific group and your blog needs to primarily have book reviews and post adult book content. In other words, if you read books like erotic and adult romance and have adult pic, then you can play tag along. Sorry YA readers, but if you read both (I know some of you do) you can tag along also. Just make sure you have both YA and adult romance on your blog.

It doesn't matter what you read if it’s paranormal, suspense, historical, contemporary or mystery, along with erotic with any genre. As long as it is adult then you’re in.


To join in the fun and get details click here. This tag along is hosted by Laurie at Bitten by Paranormal Romance.

If you have an adult book blog, please sign up for this tag along. There are others including myself that are looking for you so please join us.

This week's question: Whats your hot book pick this month so far?

Hot book pick for this month. It's absolutely got to be Quinn's Hart by Cassandra Gold (review to come soon). I absolutely loved this book and can not get enough of it! It wasn't released this month, but I just read it and I highly recommend it to everyone. You can buy it here.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Hellllooooooo!!

I've been neglecting everyone here!! I'm so sorry! Life got a bit ... hectic for me. I'm hoping they're finally on the upswing though. *firmly crossing fingers*


Anyways! How is everyone doing? Did y'all have a good Thanksgiving? I got together with my family (parents and brother/sister-in-law) and had a wonderful dinner. It was great to get time to play with my nephew too, who is growing up entirely too fast.

Other than that, I've been reading (or trying to - more about that in a bit) and watching TV/movies from Netflix (I just did a post about my favorite new show, Leverage, about a week ago).

I did manage to get my butt to the theater to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Sunday. And I really enjoyed it! It's not exactly like the book, though I never expected it to be. It's been awhile since my last re-read so I probably wasn't noticing what was missing/added as much. But I thought it was really well done, and immediately upon finishing it I wanted to watch it again!

What've I been reading? Well, not as much as I'd like. I've been in a bit of a reading rut. I keep picking things up, and putting them down (feel free to friend me on Goodreads), and picking up other things and then never reading them. It's been a bit depressing actually because reading has always been my escape, my favorite thing to do.

I finally decided to go back to some favorites. I picked up Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning, the first book in the Fever series (I've been talking about this series almost since I started my blog, here's one of my earliest posts I've got a fever). I can not properly express my love for this series. I actually just finished the first book today and loved it just as much this time as I did the first. I, briefly, considered doing a review on here for it but I really don't know if I can. I might still try. You'll be the first to know if I come up with something LOL

Back to the reading rut though - what do you guys do when you're in a rut? Is there anything new (to me) that you can recommend that might pull me out of it? What has been able to pull you out ruts?

I miss you all!


Angela
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