March Reading Wrap Up

 

March passed way too quickly. I read ten books this month with Mark Helprin's In Sunlight and In Shadow the longest at 705 pages and Charles De Lint's The Mystery of Grace the shortest at 269 pages.  I made progress reading my physical shelves with only one being an ebook. 

Our 52 books author of the month was Rebecca Yarros and I dove into what I consider a five star read of the Empryean series.    I really enjoyed the first two book and now have to wait until the beginning of next year for the third book. Which is fine since I get to read it all over again.  Fourth Wing (498 pages) is a fantasy romance with dragons and gut wrenching bad good guys and bad guys. The cadets have to master a parapet to join or fall to their deaths.  Each challenge becomes a matter of life or death, no inbetween.  In Iron Flame, (640 pages) the cadets to go war and have to deal with deception and challenges and the story is full of twists and turns.  

I got an early start on our April 52 books author of the month Bonnie Garmus  in Lessons in Chemistry.  A woman scientist and single mother in the 50's has to battle and deal with male  colleagues who treat her badly and lie and deceive her. The work culture was very misogynistic at that time. In the process she finds love and passion as well as loss.  ****

I finished the fifth book in Ben Aaronvitch's Rivers of London series with Foxglove Summer in which two girls from Heresfordshire go missing and one of them gets replaced with a changelings.  There is also a nasty unicorn involved.  ****

Faith Hunter's 6th book in the Soulwood series, Rift in the Soul came out in which Nell has to deal with more vampires, the vampire tree, gifts from nature, while preparing to marry Occam.  ****

Finally read Curse of Salem (304 pages), the 20th book in Kay Hooper's Bishop/Special paranormal crimes series,  about the five people in the leading families of Salem dying under mysterious circumstances, while lead character tried to figure out if her gift was a talent or a curse.  ****  

Reread Charles De Lint's The Mystery of Grace for one of my M reads in which a dead woman was caught by a witch in limbo and she had to figure out how to get back to the land of the living or move on to Heaven. ****

I looked forward to reading Mark Helprin's In Sunlight and In Shadow since I thoroughly enjoyed The Winter's Tale and Soldier of the Great War, but was disappointed by the story line. A historical romance novel set just after WWII in New York city in which the lead character decides vigilante justice against the mob was the best way go and it ends up all wrong.  **

Helprin's novel set a theme for the next two books which went down the same path. 

Jessica Strawser's The Last Caretaker  started out with good intentions then went down the wrong path in dealing with domestic violence, vigilante justice and solving problems without  the authorities. ** meh

And Leslie Wolfe's The Surgeon when a cardiac patient died under mysterious circumstances and the lead characters were involved in abuse, adultery, blackmail, and decided vigilante justice without the police was the best solution. ** meh

Going into April reading two chunky books David Brin's Earth and Christopher Paolini's Murtagh.

Book Review: Final Heir by Faith Hunter

 

Final Heir by Faith Hunter is the 15th and final installment of the Jane Yellowrock series.  It was so, so, so good. 

I did my usual read it once, fast, fast, fast on the ipad, then turned around and read it again, slow, slow, slow on paperback. It's not a story that's meant to be read fast because you'll miss a lot and it is so complex and action packed. It's the last book of the series, yet it was a great finale and answered so much. There are so many moments. Moments that made me sad, moments that were so powerful. Moments that were amusing or scary. I don't want to give too much away for those who haven't read yet, so... Jane and Beast, the I/We. Jane taking charge and also learning to let go and let others handle things. Leo and how he found a way to let Jane know what needed to be known. Angie, such a little girl but so powerful. Jane's relationship with the witches. The big bad who is trying to take over and how everyone teams up to fight him. I'm sad to see it end, but happy I can read the series over and over.  

"The stakes couldn’t be higher in the newest novel in the New York Times bestselling, pulse-pounding Jane Yellowrock series.

Jane Yellowrock is the queen of the vampires, and that makes her a target as she fights to maintain control and keep peace in the city of New Orleans. She has enemies at every turn, because vampires live forever, and they keep their grudges alive with them. That includes the Heir, the vampire sire of the Pellissier bloodline, which gave rise to Leo Pellissier himself—Jane’s old boss and the former master of the city.

With the Heir and all the forces of darkness he can muster arrayed against her, Jane will need all the help she can get. She’ll find it in her city, her friends, her found family, and, of course, the Beast inside of her."

Recommend starting with book 1 - Skinwalker. You'll be glad you did. 

BW37: Pick a book by the cover!

It's book week 37 in our 52 Books Quest.  Did you know September is Self Improvement month, National Piano Month, Classical Music Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Sewing Month, Fall Hat Month, and Happy Cat Month. Lots to read and learn about. Today we remember 9/11 and all those who died, and everyone who came together to help. And take a moment to think about or pray for peace and strength for the family of Queen Elizabeth as they mourn the death of their mother. 

It's been a while since we've had a Judge a Book by the Cover or Pick a Random Book mini challenge and I'm in the mood for a book store adventure.  

Judge a book based on its cover:  The hardest part will be not reading the synopsis on the back or the inside flap. Yeah, I know. It’s really hard.  When you see the cover, keep in mind what captured your attention and tell us about it. What you thought the book was going to be about? When you read it, let us know if you were you close or no cigar? 

Or

Pick a Random Book: Choose a random book based on its position on the shelf.  To choose a book: decide in advance which genre you are going to choose. Or leave it up to chance - pick a direction, pick an aisle.  Choose a number between 1 and 7 as there are about seven sections in each aisle. Decide which shelf you are going to choose from - top, 2nd, 3rd, fourth, or bottom shelf. Pick one number between 1 and 30 as I'm assuming there are about 30 books to a shelf. Use these numbers and count over a certain number of sections in the aisle, pick a shelf, and count to the chosen number and that's the book you'll get.

That's how I discovered Anne Bishop's Written in Red a few years back. I chose the science fiction/fantasy aisle, counted over 3 sections, then down 2 shelves and looked for the 15th book on the shelf.

I'll let you know how my next trip to Barnes and Nobles goes.

I finished my first read of Faith Hunter's Final Heir and now need to read it again, much slower.  Oh my goodness, don't know where to start. So much happens and Jane is really tested, as are all her friends.  Leaves the door open a little bit I think for more possibly. Who knows,

Read Ilona Andrews Blood Heir in which Julie has taken on a new name and new look and kicks butt in Atlanta. Don't know how she got away with Kate or Curran not finding out she was there since everyone else seemed to know. 

Currently reading J.D. Robb's #55 book in her In Death series - Desperation in Death.

"New York, 2061: The place called the Pleasure Academy is a living nightmare where abducted girls are trapped, trained for a life of abject service while their souls are slowly but surely destroyed. Dorian, a thirteen-year-old runaway who’d been imprisoned there, might never have made it out if not for her fellow inmate Mina, who’d hatched the escape plan. Mina was the more daring of the two—but they’d been equally desperate.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get away fast enough. Now Dorian is injured, terrified, and wandering the streets of New York, and Mina lies dead near the waterfront while Lt. Eve Dallas looks over the scene.

Mina’s expensive, elegant clothes and beauty products convince Dallas that she was being groomed, literally and figuratively, for sex trafficking—and that whoever is investing in this high-overhead operation expects windfall profits. Her billionaire husband, Roarke, may be able to help, considering his ties to the city’s ultra-rich. But Roarke is also worried about the effect this case is having on Dallas, as it brings a rage to the surface she can barely control. No matter what, she must keep her head clear--because above all, she is desperate for justice and to take down those who prey on and torment the innocent."

 

BW39: Sunday's Book Babble - Banned Books Week

 

It's week 39 in our 52 Books Quest and this week is Banned Books Week. The theme for Banned Books Week this year is "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." Banned Books Week was created in 1982 by the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom, in response to challenges and requests to ban books from libraries and bookstores due to their content.

Poems and poetry collections, and poets have also been censored throughout history including Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. I have the book on my shelves, so will have to dive in to see what the fuss is all about.

I finished True Dead by Faith Hunter this week. So good with many surprises, a lot of vampire history and politics while Jane figures out her role as Dark Queen. 

Currently reading a contemporary g rated romance series The Hudson Sisters by Mariah Stewart and on the 3rd book The Goodbye Cafe.

Good story about two estranged sisters and a half sister they didn't know about who are forced to work together to renovate an old theatre in order to earn their inheritance from mutual father.  

Have also read Stewart's Chesapeake Diaries series as well as all her romance suspense FBI Books which are quite good. 

BW38: Sunday's Book Babble - September Equinox

It's week 38 in our 52 Books Quest and Autumn is upon us. The sights and sounds of autumn are my favorite time of year with the wind rustling through the branches, and the crunch and crackle of fallen leaves. All the shades of yellow and orange and purple and red form a colorful palette on which to play.  

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love — that makes life and nature harmonize.  The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot, letter to Miss Lewis, 1st October 1841"

Finished J.R. Robb's Forgotten in Death, another great entry in the In Death series. I kept thinking I know who did it, but nope that person wasn't it, then the one, but nope.  I was right there with Eve as she followed the clues and finally figured it out. 

Started Faith Hunter's True Dead and also dove into the middle of a new to me author and O'Halleran Security International series by T.J. Logan with # 3 Deadly Deception. (One of the freebies from a week or so ago)  Enjoyed it enough to get the kindle unlimited #1 Deadly Secret. 

We watched Ford vs Ferrari tonight which was quite good and recommend if you  want to know more about the beginnings of Carroll Shelby, his relationship with Ford, and racing. 

BW4: Sunday's Book Babble - Count of Monte Cristo

 

It's book week 4 in our 52 Books quest and this week begins our 52 Books readalong of The Count of Monte Cristo.   I didn’t know what to expect about the Count of Monte Cristo. All I knew was that it was about a man in prison and it was a classic.  While putting together the 52 Books post, enjoyed learning about the story and now I’m even more eager to begin reading it. Plus watching and comparing the two different movies.

I finished Dragons of Dorcastle, the 1st book in the Pillars of Realty series by Jack Campbell.  There was a lot of talk about dragons but nary a one to be seen until the next to last chapter and its presence was short lived.  The focus was on the two young main characters:  A young man raised as a Mage and taught to ignore all emotion and think of the rest of the world as an illusion, and people are shadows, nonexistent to his reality.  And a young woman, the youngest Master Mechanic, also taught the Mechanics were better than everyone else, including the Mages, and the commons beneath their notice.   Both their lives are on the line and they must work together, in secret, behind their Guilds backs.  Great premise but I unfortunately don’t like the characters enough to continue the series.     (Dragons, steampunk,  A to Z read by Title)

Happy Happy Joy Joy.  Dirty Deeds: an Urban Fantasy Collection, written by Faith Hunter, Devon Monk, Diana Pharaoh Francis, and R.J. Blain was just released.  Hunter and Monk are two of my favorite authors and I enjoyed the continuation of two storylines.  Hunter’s Yellowrock series with Bound into Darkness showcasing Eli and Liz, and their budding romance while in the midst of a dangerous job, and The Ties that Bind, featuring Bedilia (Molly’s mother) and the Vampire Master of the City of Asheville, Lincoln Shaddock. Plus Monk’s Ordinary series with Sealed with a Tryst in which the every day chaos of policing the town is preventing Delaney from leaving for a vacation with Ryder.  Followed by At Death’s Door highlighting Than, the God of Death which is amusing.  The collection was also a lovely introduction to Francis and Blain whom I’ve never read before.  At 643 pages, the stories kept me entertained.  (Fantasy)

Taking another Nora Robert’s break with the Gallaghers of Ardmore trilogy set in Ireland: Jewels of the Sun, Tears of the Moon, and Heart of the Sea.   (Fantasy Romance)

Still sipping from Harry Potter, and When Christ and his Saints Slept, and craft books and continuing to listen to Christopher Paolini’s To Sleep in a Sea of Stars on audio book while going to and fro in the car.

January and February Reading Wrap Up!

A bookworm leads a thousand lives 

I totally forgot to do a wrap up for January so combining with February.   I've done really well with my buying ban and reading from my shelves, considering that our shop is only five minutes away from Barnes and Noble.  The temptation to go buy a latte and spend my lunch time in the bookstore has been great, but I've been good so far.  

I did buy one book but that was because the grocery store check out line was hecka long  so I went to look at the books and ended up getting Karen Robard's Fifth Doctrine.   It's all their fault *grin* 

Stats wise, I read more female authors (16) versus male authors (5) and managed to clear a few dusty books from my shelves.  I read 11 physical books versus 14 e books so my ratio of e books is still way too high.  

Audiobooks
Cat O Nine Tales - Faith Hunter (Jane Yellowrock)
Junkyard Cats - Faith Hunter (futuristic)

Dragons and other fantastical creatures
The Burning Page - Genevieve Cogman (#3 Invisible Library, 368, Dusty)
Dragon Bound - Thea Harrison (#1 Elder Races, 338, e)(Gift, Ntma)
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (288, dusty)

Fantasy
Iron and Magic - Ilona Andrews (#1 Iron Covenant, 394, e, dusty)
Knife of Dreams - Robert Jordan (#11 WOT, 880, dusty)
The Unkindest Tide - Seanan McGuire (#13 October Daye, 366e, ms)

Feed My Muse
Reading Like a Writer - Francine Prose (Dusty, 273)

Ladies of Fiction
Kitchen/Midnight Shadow - Banana Yoshimito (Japan, 177e)(Ntma)
The Crystal Cave - Mary Stewart (# 1 Arthurian Saga, Historical Fantasy, dusty, 288)

Love and Mystery
Brewed Awakening - Cleo Coyle (#18 Coffee House, e, ms)
The Bookshop of Yesterday - Amy Meyerson (384, Dusty, Ntma)
Golden in Death - J.D.Robb (#50 In Death, 400, new release preorder)

Mood
The Fifth Doctrine - Karen Robards (#3 Guardians, thriller, 406)(New/Ntma)
Long Road to Mercy - David Baldacci (#1 Atlee Pine, Thriller, 417 e, dusty)
Silent Blade - Illona Andrews (World of Kinsman, Fantasy, 64e, dusty)

Non Fiction
Girl with Seven Names - Hyeonseo Lee (N/S Korea, 322e) (Dusty, Ntma)
When Books Went to War - Molly Manning (history, 288) (Dusty, Ntma)
It's All Relative - A.J. Jacobs (352, dusty)

Science Fiction
Dark Horse - Michelle Diener (2) (#1 Class 5, 380e) (KU - Ntma)
Dark Deeds - Michelle Diener (#2 Class 5, 360, e)
Dark Minds - Michelle Diener (#3 Class 5, 286, e)
Dark Matters - Michelle Diener (#4 Class 5, 321, e)
Son of Heaven - David Wingrove (#1 Chung Kuo, England/China, 449 e)(Dusty, Ntma)

Steampunk 

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare (#1 Infernal Devices, Steampunk, 497,e, dusty)



MS - My shelves purchased prior to 2020
Dusty - on both virtual and physical shelves for a while
KU - Kindle unlimited freebie book
Ntma = new to me author

Book Talk Tuesday: Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter

Goodreads: After the Final War, after the appearance of the Bug aliens and their enforced peace, Shining Smith is still alive, still doing business from the old scrapyard bequeathed to her by her father. But Shining is now something more than human. And the scrapyard is no longer just a scrapyard, but a place full of secrets that she has guarded for years.

This life she has built, while empty, is predictable and safe. Until the only friend left from her previous life shows up, dead, in the back of a scrapped Tesla warplane, a note to her clutched in his fingers - a note warning her of a coming attack.

Someone knows who she is. Someone knows what she is guarding. Will she be able to protect the scrapyard? Will she even survive? Or will she have to destroy everything she loves to keep her secrets out of the wrong hands? 

******

Where do I begin! I usually only listen to audiobooks in the car, but I was so enthralled with Faith Hunter's Junkyard Cats, her lead character Shining Smith and the story, I plopped down on the couch and listened while coloring and while doing the laundry. I love strong female characters and unique science fiction stories. Feisty and talkative computer personalities, alien bugs, sentient cats, secrets, and more set in a futuristic united states junkyard. Now that I've listened once, the urge to race through is satisfied, and I'm listening a bit more slowly in the car now. Just like all Faith Hunter's story, I read them once really fast to find out what's going to happen and a second time to absorb and enjoy. I love Hunter's imagination and writing style.  I'm looking forward to more stories about Shining Smith and the Junkyard Cats. 

2019 Reading Wrap Up

I finally put together my reading list. I lost track along the way and had to do a bit of hunting to put together my final list. 

Tell us about your reading year? What was your goal this year and did you have a plan, and/or follow rabbit trails or wing it?

I started out the year with a book buying ban in place, except for new releases preordered, and a  plan to read from my shelves.  I read 25 physical fiction books and 10 physical nonfiction books so managed to make a small dent.  I didn’t buy any new books until mid May I think and those were mainly ebooks. Stress about the completion of the house project got the better of me and I turned to revisiting old friends for three months or so and reread several series and afterwards, just sort of winged it.  I managed to complete 7 out of 10 of my original 10 x 10, failing completely with 1001 books, book chain and hubby picks because I forgot which books he gave me. Bad me.  However, based on the books I did read, I replaced those with three new categories -  steampunk, romance and thrillers and there is a little overlap.  Not including the rereads, I read a total of 88 books.

Which book had the most original, most unique story?   Black God’s Drums by P. Djeli Clark. It may have been the shortest book I read, but it was the most unique with a mixture of dystopian, steampunk, and Haitian culture.   

Which book made you laugh? Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb Smith.  I enjoyed the by play between the two main characters.

Which new to you authors did you discover and would you read another book by this author?  I really liked S.K. Dunstall, and Rebecca Roanhorse and will definitely read more of their books. 
  
Which authors and/or detectives would you like to continue exploring from Whodunit Bookology.  I definitely want to read more of Ellis Peter, Kwei Quartery, and Fred Vargas.  Plus read the first book in the series of the authors I somehow never quite finished for some odd reason: Donna DeLeon, Harry Kemelman, and Stuart Kaminsky. 

Which one made you cry?  The Lost Art of Letter Writing by Menna Van Praag touched my heart.

Non Fiction – From my shelves 
1. Benedict Option - Rod Dreher (304 p)
2. The Cat Who Came for Christmas - Cleveland Armory  (256 p)
3. View from the Cheap Seats - Neil Gaiman  (544 p)
4. Thanks a Thousand - A.J. Jacobs  (160 p)
5. King Alfred's English - Laurie White  (170 p)
6. Writers and their Notebooks - Diana Raab (208)
7. Writer's Guide to Persistence - Jordan Rosenfeld  (234 p)
8. Writing from the Inside Out - Dennis Palumbo (256 p)
9. Story Trumps Structure - Stephen James (304 p)
10. A Secret Sisterhood: Literary Friendships  of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf - Emily Midorikawa  and  Emma Claire Sweeney (352 p)

Steampunk
11. Lady of Devices - Shelley Adina (#1 Magnificent Devices)
12. Her Own Devices #2
13. Magnificent Devices #3
14. Brilliant Devices #4
15. A Lady of Resources #5
16. A Lady of Spirit #6
17. A Lady of Integrity #7
18. A Gentleman of Means #8
19. Devices Brightly Shining #9
20. Fields of Air #10 
21. Fields of Iron #11  
22. Fields of Gold - Shelley Adina #12
23. The Black God's Drums -  P. Djeli Clark  

Romance

24. Act Like It - Lucy Parker (#1 London Celebrities )
25. Archer's Voice - Mia Sheridan  
26. Black Hawk - Joanne Bourne (#4 spymaster, historical romance)
27. Forbidden Rose - Joanna Bourne (historical romance)
28. Changing Habits - Debbie Macomber ( 400 p)
29. Dangerous to Trust - Teresa Hill (#1 Spies, Lies and Lovers)
30. Must Love Weiners - Casey Griffin. (359 p)
31. Summer on Mirror Lake - Joanna Ross  (#3 Honeymoon Harbor,  432 p)
32. Barefoot in the Sun – Roxanne St Claire (#3 Barefoot bay)
33. Barefoot by the Sea (#4 Barefoot Bay)
34. Barefoot Bound (#7 Barefoot Bay)
35. Old Dog, New Tricks - Roxanne St Claire (#8 The Dogfather)
36. Hot under the Collar - Roxanne St Claire (#1 Dogmothers, 376 p) 
37. Three Dog Night – Roxanne St. Claire (#2 Dogmothers)
38. Under Currents - Nora Roberts   (Romantic suspense, 448 p)
39. Weaver Takes a Wife - Sheri Cobb Smith (Historical London)


Detective 

40. A Better Man - Louise Penny (#15 Armand Gamache, 448 p)
41. Kingdom of the Blind - Louise Penny  (#14 Armand Gamache,  400 p)
42. Connections in Death - J.D. Robb (#48 In Death, 384 p)
43. Vendetta in Death - #49 (368 p)
44. Golden in Death #50 (400 p)
45. Amnesia - G.H. Ephron (#1 Peter Zak Medical )
46. Chalk Circle Man - Fred Vargas   (#1 Adamsberg)
47. Killing Floor - Lee Child (#1 Jack Reacher, Thriller)
48. Morbid Taste for Bones - Ellis Peters (#1 Brother Cadfael, 12th Century mystery)
49. Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie (Mystery)
50. Wife of the Gods - Kwei Quartey  (#1 Darko Dawson)
51. Cocaine Blues – Kerry Greenwood (#1 Phyrne Fisher) 

Thriller

52. Deep Fathom  - James Rollins  (608 p)
53. Crucible - James Rollins #13 Sigma Force, 637 p) 
54. Origin - Dan Brown (656 p)
55. Promise Not to Tell - Jayne Ann Krentz (Suspense thriller, 464 p)
56. Rise of Magicks - Nora Roberts (Supernatural thriller, 480 p)
57. The First Prophet - Kay Hooper  (#1 Bishop files, Paranormal thriller, 400 p)

Fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction

58. Circle of the Moon - Faith Hunter (#4 Soulwood, 368 p)
59. Shattered Bonds - Faith Hunter  (# 13 Jane Yellowrock,  400 p)

60. Archangel's War - Nalini Singh (Guild hunter series)
61. Silver Silence - Nalini Singh (#1 psychangeling/trinity series)
62. Ocean Light - Nalini Singh (#2 psychangeling/trinity series)

63. Black Kiss – J.R. Ward (#1 Black dagger legacy)
64. Blood Vow (#2)
65. Blood Fury (#3)
66. Blood Truth (#4)
67. The Beast (#14 Black Dagger Brotherhood)
68. Chosen (#15 BDB) 
69. Thief  (#16 BDB)
70. The Savior (#17 BDB)
71. Where Christmas Finds You (#18 BDB)

72. Hunter Hunted - Keri Arthur (#3 Lizzie Grace)
73. Demon's Dance - Keri Arthur (#4 Lizzie Grace)
74. Unlit - Keri Author (#1 Kingdoms of Earth and Air)

75. Diamond Fire - Illona Andrews (Hidden Legacy)
76. Heat Stroke - Rachel Caine (#2 Weather Warden)
77. Justice Calling - Annie Bellett 
78. Linesman - S.K. Dunstall (#1 Linesman, Science Fiction)
79. Night and Silence - Seanan McGuire (#12 October Daye)
80. The Shape of Water - Guillermo Del Toro
81. Storm Cursed - Patricia Briggs  (Fantasy, 368 p)
82. Trail of Lightning - Rebecca Roanhorse (#1 Sixth World, dystopian sci fi, 304 p)
83. Wild Country - Anne Bishop (#2 Others, Fantasy , 496 p)

Literary and Miscellaneous

84. Lost Art of Letter Writing - Menna Van Praag (Literary - Cambridge England, 320 p) 
85. Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami (Japan, magical realism, 467 p) 
86. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore - Matthew Sullivan (Literary, 337 p)
87. Nick of Time - Ted Bell (#1 Nick McIver Adventures, time travel 464 p)
88. The Source - James Michener (Historical Fiction, Israel, 1104 p)

Rereads

1. Death and Relaxation - Devon Monk (Ordinary Series)
2. Psy Changeling series # 1 -18 -  Nalini Singh,
3. Dirk and Steele series 1 -3  Marjorie M Lui
4. Black Dagger Brotherhood - J.R. Ward
5. Barefoot Bay series - Roxanne St Claire
6. Night Stalker series - M.L Buchman 
7. Soulwood Series - Faith Hunter
8. Guild hunter series - Nalini Singh
9. Northern Lights  - Nora Roberts 
10. Born of Darkness - Lara Adrian (#1 Midnight Breed Hunter Legacy,)
11. Death of the Red Heroine - Qui Xiaolong (China, 90's detective)

How'd your reading year turn out? 

Book Review: Circle of the Moon by Faith Hunter

Circle of the Moon

By

Faith Hunter 

Witches, vampires, bloodlust, Soulwood, love, pain, life, reading the land, vampire trees, and Occam...sigh! 

Faith Hunter hits it out of the park again with her fourth installment in the Soulwood series. I read it once, way too quickly because I just had to know what happened. Then read it again, savoring, absorbing, melting into the story and experiencing the action along with Nell, Occam and the PsyLed team. Man against man as well as man against nature. Soulwood and the vampire tree are characters in their own right, with major roles just as complex as Nell or Occam or Rick. Circle of the Moon takes you on a whirlwind adventure with unexpected twist and turns which will keeping you reading long into the night.  Totally enjoyed it and going back on the shelf for a series reread. 

If you haven't read anything by Faith Hunter yet, check out her website and the first book in her Jane Yellowrock, Soulwood, or Rogue Mage series. I've read and reread them all.  She creates engaging, strong characters and action packed story lines that capture you from the moment you start reading and make you want to stay in their worlds for as long as possible. 

Sunday Salon: Productive and Creative

Happy Sunday!  I am quite proud of myself although it's only been four days.  I've automatically, without help of the alarm, woken up an hour early every day.   Except for today of course.  I have spent at least 10 minutes daily working on the first scene in Chapter one. I'm ready to type it up and move on to the next scene.  Yesterday I had been thinking that since it had only been four days and the month started midweek, I should give myself extra time and continue to work on that one scene for this week.  However, I'm ready to move on.  Hubby's been quite useful as a sounding board, bouncing ideas off of him.  He's being quite encouraging.  

So the goal for this week is to review and rewrite Scene 2 from Greg's point of view, plus write and schedule posts for this week.  I'm almost caught up with my book reviews, have three more to write and then I'll schedule them for the coming weeks.  

James and I are going out this afternoon for our annual Super Bowl Shopping trip.  It became a tradition when our wonderful neighbor starting putting off an air horn every time his favorite team made a touchdown.  Drives both of us up the wall.  We have fun going to the comic book store, Barnes and Noble, and picking up something for dinner.  My book buying ban is still in force (which a friend quickly reminded me of when she heard about our shopping trip) so I'm going to try and resist temptation.  Maybe I'll pick up a book for Hubby.  *grin*

My 52 Books group is traveling through England for the month of February and this month's flower is Rose.  I shouldn't have too much trouble spelling that one out.  

I'm still reading Helprin's A Soldier of the Great War (dusty and chunky) which is quite interesting and Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase (ebook) and as always, his books are off the wall.   I just finished listening to Faith Hunter's Blood of the Earth from her Soulwood series and will begin Curse on the Land tomorrow during my drive to work.   

It's the beginning of the end of our homeschooling journey.  We are down to the wire as we begin James 2nd Semester of 12th grade. Never imagined we'd end up working through all 12 years.  Hubby, who always swore he wasn't a teacher, now happily embraces his position and is learning just as much as James this year with Geometry and Chemistry.  I'm in charge of the two e's this semester -- English and Economics.   We still have half our budget given to us by Visions to spend, so going to have some fun shopping for biographies, memoirs, poetry, as well as more chemistry materials.  

Off to shop, then plan lessons for the week.  

~Cheers~

2018 Challenges, Goals and Intentions

Balancing Rocks by Stuant63

Happy New Year!   Yes,  it's that time of the year when we start over with good intentions to balance out our lives and spend less time on the internet.   I’m still trying to figure out my Word for the year – debating between persist, steadfast, or intention. 

To persist is to continue steadfastly or firmly in some state, purpose, course of action, or the like, especially in spite of opposition, remonstrance.  Also means to last or endure tenaciously.  

To be steadfast is to be fixed in direction; steadily directed

Intention - purpose or attitude toward the effect of one's actions or conduct. To have purpose or design. 

Now that I’ve looked at the definitions, persist and steadfast seem to be pretty much the same. Continue to stay the course, being stubborn, have purpose, despite opposition. The only opposition is myself and neither word at this point seems too terribly optimistic  or will help me move forward.  Intention is more positive, more purposeful. More action oriented.  I feel like I’d make more progress with life and  writing and other projects if I went with intent.  Instead of saying I think I will or maybe I will or perhaps we should, it will be I intend to.  Or as Yoda says "Do or do not, there is no try."  

Blog wise, the official posting schedule will be Monday, Wednesday and Friday which means the posts need to be written the day before. I started to dabble with poetry and created my own A to Z poetry challenge. I made it through K this past year since I started midway.   So I'm going to start all over again.  I want to keep the schedule flexible as I'll be working on not only poetry, but flash fiction and nonfiction, book reviews.

Back in June after reading Sage Cohen's Fierce on the Page,  I tried my own My Promise to Write Month (MyPRoWriMo) in which I posted every single day of the month and I did well for a couple months. This year I'm going to take it month by month, play it by ear and maybe do it every one month. We'll see.  I need to spend time coming up with an outline, work on editing my current WIP as well as coming up with new story ideas so will probably start MyProWriMo in February.

Writing wise, I've been having a  failure to commit to anything. My last WIP is festering. I haven't any new ideas except perhaps one that is percolating at the moment.  This is where my word of the year comes in.  My intent is to finish rewriting my current WIP by the end of the year or decide once and for all to shelve the story.  Now that I'm starting to feel more creative having freed myself from the 'silence' debacle, I'm ready to dive in.  I'm going to feel my way through the schedule for January, determining when the best time to write and the best time to edit works for me, plus figure out a weekly word goal. 

Reading Wise: For the next few months, I’ll be reading from my TBR shelves since every year I start off with the goal of a  4 month buying ban.  I usually make it until February before I’m enticed by a new release by a favorite author.  *grin*  

I’m starting my year with something historical but couldn’t wait to start and dove into Sharon Kay Penman’s 15th century history fiction novel -  The Sunne in Splendor – a couple day ago.  A dusty and chunky book which has been calling my name for some time.  I’ll be dipping into Murakami’s Trilogy of the Rat starting with Hear the Wind Sing in between Penman's book since it is quite chunky.

My 52 Books armchair travel adventures are starting the year in Japan and China so besides  Murakami’s Trilogy of the Rat and Miyabe’s The Gates of Sorrow, the other books on my nightstand is  Keigo Higashino's Devotion of Suspect X, Qui Xiaolong's Mao Case, and Cixin Lui's Three Body Problem.

Inspiration  wise – I’m reading Thomas Merton’s Thoughts in Solitude.

Writing wise – Katherine Grubb’s Write a Novel in Ten Minutes a Day as well as Ralph Keyes The Courage to Write.  

Audiobook wise – I’m listening to Faith Hunter’s Blood of the Earth.  James and I are also listening to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 

“Live with intention.

Walk to the edge.

Listen Hard.

Practice wellness.

Play with abandon.

Laugh.

Choose with no regret.

Appreciate your friends.

Continue to learn.

Do what you love.

Live as if this is all there is.” 

― Mary Anne Radmacher

~Cheers to a wonderful, productive, intentional writing and reading new year! 

2017 Completed Reads

2017 Completed Reads 

Fiction

1.       Aimee & David Turlo -  Turquoise Girl - (Ella Clah series, mystery, e)

2.       Alexandra Ivy - Kill Without Mercy - (#1 Ares Security, TX, Romantic suspense, e)

3.       Alister McGrath - Aedyn Chronicles: Chosen One - (YA fantasy, 208)

4.       Anne Bishop - Etched in Bone - (#5 Others, Urban fantasy, 416)

5.       B N Toler -  Where One Goes - (paranormal, e)

6.       Ben Kane - Spartacus: The Gladiator -  (74bc Italy, historical, 480)

7.       Benedict Jacka-  Fated - (#1 Alex Verus, paranormal, e)

8.       Charlaine Harris -  Midnight Crossroad - (#1 Midnight series, Texas, paranormal, 384 pg)

9.       Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - The Mistress of Spices - (India, magical realism, e)

10.   Daniel O'Malley - The Rook - (#1 Rook, paranormal, 504) 

11.   Daphne Kalotay -  Russian Winter - (historical U.S./Russia, 484 pg)

12.   Dean Koontz -  Ashley Bell - (Psychological thriller, 768)

13.   Dean Koontz -  From the Corner of His Eye - (thriller, 729)

14.   Della Jacobs -  Fire Dance - (historical romance,  e) 

15.   Devon Monk -   Dead Iron - (#1 Age of Steam, steampunk,  e)

16.   Devon Monk -  Gods and Ends - (#3 Ordinary Magic, paranormal, e)

17.   Dorothy Dunnett -   Niccolo Rising - (#1 House of Niccolo, historical fiction, 496)

18.   Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child -  Relics  (#1 Pendergast, thriller e)

19.   Emily Gee - Thief with No Shadow - (Paranormal, e)

20.   Emily Larkin -  Unmasking Miss Appleby - (#1 Baleful Godmother,  historical romance, e)

21.   Emily Larkin -  Resisting Miss Merryweather - (#2 Baleful Godmother, e)

22.   Faith Hunter -  Cold Reign - (#11 Jane Yellowrock, paranormal, 371)

23.   Faith Hunter – Jane Yellowrock reread  #1 – 10)

24.   Faith Hunter -  Blood of the Earth (#1 Soulwood,  Paranormal, 384)

25.   Faith Hunter - Curse on the Land - (#2 Soulwood, 341)

26.   Genevieve Cogman-  The Invisible Library - (#1 Invisible library, fantasy, 352)

27.   Halldor Laxness - Great Weaver of Kashmir - (1920's, Iceland, translated literary, 450)

28.   Hannah and Barb Taub - One Way Fare - (#1 Null, fantasy, 279)

29.   Ilona Andrews -  Clean Sweep (# 1 Innkeeper Chronicles, e)

30.   Ilona Andrews -  Sweep in Peace - (#2 Innkeeper Chronicles, e)

31.   Ilona Andrews - One Fell Sweep (#3 Innkeeper Chronicles, e)

32.   Ilona Andrews - Burn for Me - (#1 Hidden Legacy, urban fantasy, e)

33.   Ilona Andrews - White Hot - (#2 Hidden Legacy,  e)

34.   Ilona Andrews - Wild Fire - (#3 Hidden Legacy, e)

35.   Iris Johansen - Body of Lies - (#4 Eve Duncan, mystery,  400)

36.   J.D. Robb-   Reunion in Death - (#14 In Death, futuristic police procedural, 371)

37.   J.D. Robb -  Purity in Death (# 15 In Death, 355)

38.   J.D. Robb -  Portrait in Death - (#16 In Death, 347)

39.   J.D. Robb -  Imitation in Death - (#17 In Death, 342)

40.   J.D. Robb -  Origin in Death - (#21 In Death 384

41.   J.D. Robb -  Echoes in Death - (#44 In Death  341 pg)

42.   J.D. Robb -  Secrets in Death  - (#45 In Death, 384)

43.   J.R. Rain - Winter Wind - (paranormal, e)

44.   James Rollins  -  6th Extinction - (#10 Sigma Force, Suspense, Antarctica/Brazil, e)

45.   James Rollins -  Seventh Plague - (Sigma Force, Middle East and Arctic, 444)

46.   Jamie Beck - Worth the Wait - (#1 St James, NY, Romance, e)

47.   Jayne Ann Krentz - Light in Shadow (psychological mystery, e)

48.   Jeff VanderMeer -  Area X: Southern Reach Trilogy -  (dystopian/horror, 593)

49.   Jim Butcher  - Summer Knight - (#4 Dresden files, paranormal, 371)

50.   Jodi Taylor-Just One Damned Thing After Another (#1 Chronicles of St. Mary, time travel, 348)

51.   John Crowley -  The Translator - - (U.S. 60's, 295)

52.   John DeChancie - Starrigger - (Sci fi,  e)

53.   Karen Marie Moning -  Feversong- (#9 Fever Series, Paranormal, e)

54.   Kathrine Kurtz/Deborah Harris -  The Adept - (#1 Adept, Scotland, 323)

55.   Katie Meyer -   Do You Take This Daddy - (#3 Paradise Animal Clinic, Romance, e)

56.   Keri Arthur - Blood Kissed - (#1 Lizzie Grace, Paranormal, e)

57.   Keri Arthur - The Black Tide - (#3 Outcast, paranormal   e)

58.   Keri Arthur – Circle of Fire – (#1 Damask Circle, paranormal romance)

59.   Kij Johnson -  Dream Quest of Vellit Boe - (Paranormal, e)

60.   Kristin Hannah -  The Nightingale - (historical France, 1940's, e)

61.   Lilith Saintcrow -  Dark Watcher (#1 Watchers, Urban Fantasy, e)

62.   Lilith St. Crow - Storm Watcher (#2 Watchers, Urban Fantasy,  e)

63.   Louise Penny -  A Fatal Grace - (#2 Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, e)

64.   Louise Penny -  Bury Your Dead - (#6, e)

65.   Louise Penny -  A Trick of the Light (#7, e)

66.   Louise Penny - The Beautiful Mystery - (#8 e)

67.   Louise Penny - How the Light Gets In (#9 e)

68.   Louise Penny - The Long Way Home (#10)

69.   Louise Penny -  The Nature of the Beast - (#11  e)

70.   Louise Penny -  A Great Reckoning - (#12 e)

71.   Maria Alexander - Snowed - (Ya paranormal, e)

72.   Marie Brennan -  Natural History of Dragons - (#1 Lady Trent, fantasy, 359)

73.   Michael Ridpath -  Where the Shadows Lie - (#1 Fire and Ice, Iceland,  police procedural, e)

74.   Michael Scott -  The Necromancer - (#4 Nicholas Flamel, YA fantasy, 418)

75.   Michelle Gagnon -  Don't Turn Around - (#1 Don't Turn Around, YA thriller,  e)

76.   Nalini Singh -  Archangels Viper - (#10 Guild Hunter, paranormal, e)

77.   Nalini Singh - Silver Silence - (#1 Psy Changling Trinity, e)

78.   Nevada Barr - Ill Wind - (#3 Anna Pidgeon, mystery, 309)

79.   Nora Roberts -  Year One - (# 1 Chronicles of the One, apocalyptic,  419)

80.   Nora Roberts - Come Sundown - (Suspense, Montana, 474)

81.   Octavia Butler - Dawn - (#1 Xenogenesis, paranormal,  e)

82.   Patricia Briggs -  Silence Fallen - (#10 Mercedes Thompson, Europe, Paranormal, 379)

83.   Rachel Grant -  Tinderbox - (#1 Flashpoint, Africa, Military suspense, e)

84.   Rick Yancey - The 5th Wave - (#1 5th wave series YA dystopian, 480)

85.   Robert Charles Wilson   -  Axis  - (Space, e)

86.   Robert Jordan -  Spring - (Prequel to WOT, fantasy,  e)

87.   Robert Jordan- Lord of Chaos - (#6 WOT, e)

88.   Robert Jordan-  A Crown of Swords - (#7 WOT, e)

89.   Robert Jordan -  The Path of Daggers - (#8 WOT  e)

90.   Robert Jordan -  Winter's Heart - (#9 WOT e)

91.   Roberta Rich - Midwife of Venice - (16th Century Italy, historical, 335)

92.   Robyn Carr - What We Find - (#1 Sullivan's Crossing, contemporary romance, 347)

93.   Ronlyn Dominguez -  Mapmakers War - (Utopian, 226)

94.   Roxanne St. Claire-  New Leash on Life - (#2 Dogfather, romance,  e)

95.   Roxanne St. Claire - Sit, Stay, Beg - (#1 Dogfather, romance, e)

96.   Scarlett Braden  -  Harvesting the Hummingbird (Ecuador, mystery, e)

97.   Seanan Mcquire – Rosemary and Rue (#1 October Daye, urban fantasy, e)

98.   Seanan Mcguire -  A Local Habitation- (#2 e)

99.   Seanan McGuire -  An Artificial Night - (#3 e)

100.  Seanan McGuire -  Late Eclipses - (#4  e) 

101. Seanan McGuire -   One Salt Sea - (#5 e)

102. Seanan McGuire - Ashes of Honor - (#6 e)

103. Seanan McGuire - Chimes at Midnight - (#7 e)

104. Seanan McGuire -  The Winter Long - (#8 e)

105. Seanan McGuire -  A Red Rose Chained - (#9 e)

106. Seanan McGuire -  Once Broken Faith - (#10 e)

107.  Seanan Mcguire - Discount Armageddon - (#1 Incryptid, urban fantasy,  e)

108.  Steve Berry -  Alexandria Link - (present Copenhagen/Middle East, 494)

109.  Stieg Larson  -  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - (#1 Millennium, Scotland, Mystery,590)

110. Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Played with Fire - (#2 Millenium, Sweden, 724)

111.  Stieg Larsson - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - (#3 Millenium, Sweden, 672)

112. Susan Wiggs -  Apple Orchard - (contemporary,  e)

113. Tracie Peterson -  Ice Cutters Daughter - (1900,  #1 Land of shining water, historical,  e)

114.Vicki Pettersson -  Signs of the Zodiac: The Scent of Shadows - (#1 zodiac, UF, e) 

115.  Vicki Pettersson -  The Taste of Night - (#2 Zodiac, UF,  e )

116.  Will Hill - Department 19 - (#1 Dept 19, YA Paranormal, e)

117.  Zoe Fishman -  Inheriting Edith - (NY, literary, 290)

Non Fiction

1.                   Benjamin Hoff -  The Tao of Pooh - (nf, 158)

2.                   Joe Bunting - Let's Write a Short Story - (nonfiction,  e)

3.                   Molly Totoro -  Journaling Towards Wholeness - (nonfiction, e)

4.                   Sage Cohen - Fierce on the Page - (nf writing, 229)

5.                   Shonda Rimes -  The Year of Yes - (nonfiction, 336)

6.                   Susan Reynolds -  Fire Up Your Writing Brain - (nf writing, 266)

7.                   Temple Grandin -   Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum  - (NF e) 

8.                   Tyler Henry - Between Two Worlds - (nf, e)