The 2013 Off the Shelf is hosted by Bookish Ardour, and it goes from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. I participated in this challenge last year, but didn’t quite make my goal. I’m hoping to be successful this time around as at last count, I have about 200 books on my shelves that I have not read yet. I’m joining at the Making a Dint level, which means…
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The 2013 Read-A-Latte Reading Challenge is hosted by Kimberly’s Bookshelf, and it goes from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. This is a reading challenge where we are challenged to read… -a- latte! I am going to join this challenge at the Cappuccino level, where I hope to read 100 books. ***For this challenge, I am only including physical books/e-books that I’ve read…I am not including audio. ***As…
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The 2013 Library Books Reading Challenge is hosted by Book Dragon’s Lair, and it goes from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. I love my local library and love doing this challenge. This is my fourth year participating in a library challenge! I’m joining at the Just Insert IV level, which means I need to borrow at least 50 books from the library in 2013. I’ll keep track…
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I did this last year, and it helped me set myself up for the upcoming year. I think this will be a fixed feature on January 1 of each year I blog. One of my resolutions for 2013 is to be more organized – in life and in blogging. After Bloggiesta this past September, I came up with a blogger planner – a calendar/to-do list specifically for blogging. It was…
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2012 has been a great year. I’ve been blogging for almost three years now and am always humbled when I read your comments and see that I have new followers. I have been introduced to so many great authors and books as a result of blogging. Thank you to all who visit my blog. My top reads of 2012 are (in no particular order): By the King’s Design by Christine…
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Here are my reading stats for December! Books read: 15 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.) Fated* — Carly Phillips (e-book novella) Baltimore Blues*– Laura Lippman (e-book) Hot Six*– Janet Evanovich (audio) Rococo* — Adriana Trigiani Vets in Love* –Cathy Woodman Hidden Summit* — Robyn Carr Buzz Off* –Hannah Reed The Christmas Cookie…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is the first of the new year. The past…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: For Review: Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent I am so excited to read this…Christine Trent is one of my favorite authors. I have loved all her books and this one is the first in a new historical mystery series…look for my review to be…
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Buzz Off by Hannah Reed Berkley September 2010 Format: Paperback, 336 pages First line: If I hadn’t been drinking champagne at noon on Friday, I would have been over at the honey house with Manny Chapman, my beekeeping mentor and owner of Queen Bee Honey, and possibly, just possibly, I might have saved him from what must have been a very painful death. From the back cover: When beekeeper Story…
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Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr Mira December 2011 Format: Paperback, 347 pages First line: Brie Valenzuela finished her large latte and looked into the empty cup. From the back cover: Sometimes romance is hiding in plain sight… When Connor Danson becomes an unwitting witness to a violent crime, he is forced to leave Sacramento and keep a low profile until the trial is over. He arrives in the tiny mountain…
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Rococo by Adriana Trigiani Ballantine Books April 2006 Format: Paperback, 320 pages First line: I want you to imagine my house. From the back cover: Bartolomeo di Crespi is the acclaimed interior decorator – not to mention the most eligible bachelor – in Our Lady of Fatima (OLOF), New Jersey. From the dazzling shores of the Garden State to the legendary fabric houses of New York City, from the prickly…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. It was a busy week with last minute Christmas errands and holiday baking. For the…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: For Review: The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb This just peaked my curiosity…haven’t read anything by Wendy Webb before, so I hope I like it! Purchased: The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff I’m doing a tour…
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Another challenge has come to a close. As you can see from my list, I finished reading all the books I had listed – this is the first time I was able to get to all the books on my list!!!! I was also able to read an additional 10 books during this time that were not on my original list. That puts my total number of books read from…
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Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman Harper Collins Publisher October 2009 Format: e-book, 384 pages First line: On the last night of August, Tess Monaghan went to the drugstore and bought a composition book-one with a black and-white marble cover. Synopsis from B&N: In a city where someone is murdered almost every day, attorney Michael Abramowitz’s death should be just another statistic. But the slain lawyer’s notoriety—and his taste for illicit…
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Vets in Love by Cathy Woodman Arrow December 2012 Format: Paperback, 400 pages First line: It’s just before nine on Monday morning, and the rush has already begun. From the back cover: Love is in the air in Talyton St. George, Devon’s most romantic town. Glamorous GP Nicci (aka the galloping doctor) and Matt, the very handsome equine vet, have caught each other’s eye. On paper it looks like a…
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CONGRATULATIONS to Kirsten winner of The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway and thanks for sharing your favorite historical fiction novel – I have lots of titles I will be adding to my tbr list!
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Well, it ended up being a rather productive week – due partly to the fact that…
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Fated by Carly Phillips Penguin Group December 2012 Format: Netgalley ARC e-book First line: Kate Andrews loved a man in uniform. Synopsis from Goodreads: New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips presents a never-before-published novella set in a quaint upstate New York town—where Serendipity’s finest show exactly what they’re made of… Kate Andews is the original rebound girl. But she has had enough and has vowed to never be someone’s…
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The Quilter’s Apprentice by Jennifer Chiaverini Plume April 2000 Format: Paperback, 272 pages First line: Sarah leaned against the brick wall and tried to look comfortable, hoping no one walking by would notice her or wonder why she was standing around in a suit on such a hot day. From the back cover: When Sarah McClure and her husband, Matt, move to Waterford, Pennsylvania, she hopes to make a…
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Hot Six by Janet Evanovich Read by CJ Critt Recorded Books 2001 Length: 9.5 hours From the back of the audio case: Stephanie Plum, America’s favorite bounty hunter, returns to the streets of Trenton, New Jersey for another rousing adventure. With high-spirited sidekicks like the bizarre Grandma Mazur and ex-hooker Lula, its easy to see why Stephanie’s fan base grows every day. While trying to make an honest buck apprehending…
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Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author. I’m reading Dreams of Joy by Lisa See: The wail of a police siren in the distance tears through my…
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Harvest Moon by Robyn Carr MIRA February 2011 Format: e-book, 400 pages First line: “I need to see you,” Phillip said. Synopsis from B&N: Rising sous-chef Kelly Matlock’s sudden collapse at work is a wake-up call. Disillusioned and burned out, she’s retreated to her sister Jillian’s house in Virgin River to rest and reevaluate. Puttering in Jill’s garden and cooking with her heirloom vegetables is wonderful, but Virgin River is…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I can’t believe there are only 21 days left in 2012…I have quite a bit of…
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This blog hop is hosted by Amy at Passages to the Past This is the first time I am participating in a blog hop and I’m quite excited. I love reading historical fiction and have definitely found my niche – I adore anything Tudor related, but I’ve also become quite enamored with Russian historical fiction, particularly anything to do with Catherine the Great, so my giveaway is for a paperback…
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Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts Read by Rebecca Lowman Brilliance Audio Length: 15 hours, 10 minutes Synopsis from Goodreads: There’s little else as thrilling as firefighting – at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan’s blood: her father is a legend. She’s been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home –…
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Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author. I’m reading Rococo by Adriana Trigiani: I want you to imagine my house. It’s a classic English country cottage, nestled…
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Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson Little, Brown and Company November 2012 Format: Hardcover, 400 pages First line: The rear door to St. Anthony’s Church had been left open. From the inside cover: Detective Alex Cross is ripped away from his family on Christmas Eve – but that’s nothing compared to what awaits him on Christmas Day. SILENT NIGHT It’s a snowy Christmas Eve, and Detective Alex Cross is…
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Postcards from the Dead by Laura Childs Berkley October 2012 Format: Hardcover, 336 pages First line: A dazzling night filled with gigantic floats, silver beads, dizzying lights, fire-twirling flambeaus, and a crowd that was fueled by too much Dixie Beer and Southern Comfort. From the inside cover: New Orleans is in the throes of another fantastic Mardi Gras celebration when the party gets crashed by a murderer. Now a scrapbooking…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. After a busy couple of weeks, my husband and I headed up to our cabin…
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Here are my reading stats for November! Books read: 11 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.) Sleep No More* — Iris Johansen The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again*– Nancy Thayer (audio) The Perfect Hope*– Nora Roberts The Lincoln Conspiracy* — Timothy O’Brien Stake & Eggs* — Laura Childs High Five* — Janet Evanovich…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: For Review: Vets in Love by Cathy Woodman This looks like a cute, fun story – perfect for the holidays! Purchased: The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak I’ve had my eye on this book for a while and can’t…
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High Five by Janet Evanovich Read by CJ Critt Recorded Books 1999 Length: 9.75 hours From the back of the audio case: Find out why Stephanie Plum’s racy, in-your-face New Jersey adventures are attracting a growing number of fans. Join America’s favorite bounty hunter as she scrambles to make an honest living, keep her family happy, and find true love. Desperate for money, Stephanie is trying to apprehend a surly…
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Stake & Eggs by Laura Childs Berkley November 2012 Format: ARC Paperback, 304 pages First line: Ice pellets blasted the windows of the Cackleberry Club. From the back cover: New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs presents the best way to start your day—with a hearty breakfast and a side of hard-boiled murder. Suzanne, Toni, and Petra found a second life after losing their husbands—opening their own successful business, the…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. So I ended up taking an unplanned break from blogging last week. Between getting ready for…
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The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts Berkley Trade November 2012 Format: Paperback, 336 pages First line: With a few groans and sighs, the old building settled down for the night. From the back cover: The Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother are breathing new life into the town of Boonsboro, Maryland, by restoring its historic hotel. And they’re finding their own lives revamped by love. This is Ryder’s story… Ryder…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: Won: The Ruins of Lace by Iris Anthony I won this from Library of Clean Reads and cannot wait to read it!!! Purchased: Christmas in High Heels (free e-book) by Gemma Halliday I have the first in this series and saw…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Unfortunately, I didn’t get too much done this week. I ended up with a massive headache…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: Purchased: Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson This is the latest book in James Patterson’s Alex Cross series and I am loving it! My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr I’m almost caught up on the Virgin River series and I’m hoping to…
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Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author. I’m reading Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson: The rear door to St. Anthony’s Church had been left open.…
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Sleep No More by Iris Johansen St. Martin’s Press October 2012 Format: Hardcover, 400 pages First line: The kill should be ridiculously easy. From the inside cover: One woman held captive for decades…Another one freed by the truth… Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan knows what it’s like to be haunted by the past. For years after her daughter Bonnie was stolen from her, she fought for closure. But now as she’s…
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The Lincoln Conspiracy by Timothy O’Brien Ballantine Books September 2012 Format: Hardcover, 353 pages First line: Rain kept the dust down. From the inside cover: A nation shattered by its president’s murder. Two diaries that reveal the true scope of an American conspiracy. A detective determined to bring the truth to light, no matter what it costs him. From award-winning journalist Timothy L. O’Brien comes a gripping historical thriller that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Another week has come and gone. I got a lot a walking time in this week…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: From the Library: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts This is the final book in Nora Roberts’ Inn BoonsBoro trilogy and I loved it – review should be up later this week! High Five (audio) by Janet…
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Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author. I’m reading The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts: With a few groans and sighs, the old building settled down for…
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The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again by Nancy Thayer Read by Carrington MacDuffie Random House Audio December 2004 Length: 12 hours From the back of the audio case: The fabulous women from The Hot Flash Club are back in top form, welcoming the stressed-out and pampering-deprived through their discreet spa doors–as Nancy Thayer returns with a witty, sexy, and heartwarming novel. The Hot Flash Club Strikes Again also introduces four…
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Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts Harlequin Mira October 2012 Format: e-book ARC, First line: Once in a while, if a woman is really lucky, the perfect day she envisioned turns out to be just that. Synopsis: Cass Wilkes, owner of the Gingerbread Haus bakery, was looking forward to her daughter Danielle’s wedding—until Dani announced that she wants her father, Cass’s ex, to walk her down the aisle. Seriously? Even…
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Wild Man Creek by Robyn Carr Mira Books February 2011 Format: e-book, 368 pages First line: Jillian Matlock was a natural in the business world and her ability to anticipate surprises and challenges was legendary. Synopsis from B&N: Colin Riordan came to Virgin River to recuperate from a horrific helicopter crash, the scars of which he bears inside and out. His family is wonderfully supportive, but it’s his art that…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. What a week! We were very fortunate to make it through Hurricane Sandy with no damage…
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This month there are 4 selections: Return to Rose Cottage By: Sherryl Woods Format: Paperback My review Dune Road By: Jane Green Format: Hardcover The Apprentice By: Tess Gerritsen Format: Paperback My review By Hook or By Crook By: Betty Hechtman Format: Paperback My review How to enter: This contest is open to entries from the U.S. only. The deadline for entry is midnight, November 25th. I…
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