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. This past weekend was the annual Back-to-the-Beach book sale at one of the local churches. I’ve…
View Post
Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: From a Library Booksale: Lady Killer (audio) by Lisa Scottoline I saw this and couldn’t resist…I’ve heard really good things about Lisa Scottoline and am excited to listen this. From the Library Three to Get Deadly (audio) by Janet Evanovich…
View Post
I am pleased to welcome Brandy Purdy, who wrote The Queen’s Pleasure to Always With a Book. You can read my review of her book here. About the author:Brandy Purdy (Emily Purdy in the UK) is the author of the historical novels The Confession of Piers Gaveston, The Boleyn Wife (The Tudor Wife), The Tudor Throne (Mary & Elizabeth), and The Queen’s Pleasure (A Court Affair). An ardent book lover…
View Post
Here are my reading stats for May! Books read: 9 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.) Babyville* by Jane Green So Pretty It Hurts* by Kate White The Good Father* by Diane Chamberlain 11th Hour* by James Patterson The Last Boyfriend* by Nora Roberts Home Front* by Kristin Hannah The Queen’s Pleasure* by…
View Post
First line: An old geezer of a reporter I used to work with once said that I had a rotten habit of biting off my nose to spite my face. From the inside cover: Bailey Weggins, the Manhattan-based thirty-something true crime journalist, is in a good place. She’s enjoying her regular gig at Buzz, a leading celebrity magazine, getting freelance work, and hoping her first book will garner attention. In…
View Post
First line: I told Kat to fetch a chair and be my dragon, to sit outside my bedchamber door and guard my lair after I was gone. Synopsis: When young Robert Dudley, an earl’s son, meets squire’s daughter Amy Robsart, it is love at first sight. They marry despite parental misgivings, but their passion quickly fades, and the ambitious Dudley returns to court. Swept up in the turmoil of Tudor…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: The amusing little inborn device known as the biological clock tolls for three women; two of them heed its compelling tones, while the third tries to ignore them. Fixated with fertility rituals and medical advice, Julia is determined to conceive with her uninterested boyfriend; she hopes that the arrival of new life will save their relationship. Samantha, happily married and eager for the…
View Post
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 Books Completed last week: The Queen’s Pleasure by Brandy Purdy (review book) Knock Out by Catherine…
View Post
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 Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner This is for a blog tour coming up in July and I am looking forward to reading it. Summer Nights by Susan Mallery This is the latest in Susan Mallery’s Fools Gold series. I haven’t…
View Post
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 Queen’s Pleasure by Brandy Purdy: I told Kat to fetch a chair and be my dragon, to…
View Post
First line: There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever. From the back cover: Trenton native Stephanie Plum is out of work, out of money, and her car’s in repo-hell. So who does a hardly working girl turn to when the going gets tough? Meet cousin Vinnie, bail bondsman. Stephanie figures it’s nice work if you can get it – shagging bail jumpers for…
View Post
Book Blogger Confessions is a new blog meme hosted by Tiger of All Consuming Books and Karen of For What It’s Worth. The meme will run on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers. You can read the introductory post here. Here’s this week’s question: Memes. Love em or hate em? How many do you participate in? Which…
View Post
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 How is it already Monday??? I don’t know where last week went and as you can…
View Post
First line: I’m going off to war tomorrow.” From the back cover: Michelle Sanderson may appear to be a strong independent woman, but on the inside, she’s still the wounded girl who fled home years ago. A young army vet, Michelle returns to the quaint Blackberry Island Inn to claim her inheritance and recover from the perils of war. Instead, she finds the owner’s suite occupied by the last person…
View Post
Don’t forget to enter: The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain – 1 copy available; open US/Canada. Ends May 18th.
View Post
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, I had great intentions to catch up on some reading, but life just seems to…
View Post
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 Secret Keeper: A Novel of Kateryn Parr by Sandra Byrd This is for a blog tour coming up next month and I am looking forward to reading it. Purchased: 11th Hour by James Patterson This is the latest in James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. It came out…
View Post
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 11th Hour by James Patterson: A good-looking man in his forties sat in the back row of the…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: Twenty-seven-year-old Josey Cirrini is sure of three things: winter in her North Carolina hometown is her favorite season, she’s a sorry excuse for a Southern belle, and sweets are best eaten in the privacy of her hidden closet. For while Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother’s house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances…
View Post
If you’re coming from the blog tour, welcome! Below you’ll find the next piece of The Good Father excerpt and the link to tomorrow’s piece as well. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post to win a copy of the book. If this is your first stop on the tour, you’ll need to start from the beginning to get the whole excerpt. Go here, to see…
View Post
First line: “Where the hell are they?” From the inside cover: It’s the deadliest poison known to man. He’s the only one who knows its true power. She’s the only one who can stop the evil. The chase is on… Catherine Ling was abandoned on the streets of Hong Kong at age four. Schooled in the art of survival, she traded in the only commodity she had: information. As a…
View Post
Book Blogger Confession is a new blog meme hosted by Tiger of All Consuming Books and Karen of For What It’s Worth. The meme will run on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers. You can read the introductory post here. Here’s this week’s question: Comments. The holy grail of blogging success! What type of posts do you…
View Post
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 Last week was bit of a slow week for me – I had a lot of…
View Post
First line: The scalloped hem of Caterina Lazzari’s blue velvet coat grazed the fresh-fallen snow, leaving a pale pink path on the bricks as she walked across the empty piazza. From the inside cover: The majestic and haunting beauty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the twentieth century is the setting of the first meeting of Enza and Ciro, who meet as teenagers despite growing up in villages…
View Post
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 So Pretty It Hurts by Kate White: An old geezer of a reporter I used to work with…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: Ordinarily, a coming-of-age novel is about a young person on the brink of adulthood. Nancy Thayer has written a coming-of-age novel about four women on the brink of menopause – the “Hot Flash Club.” These women have skills, smarts, and secrets, but they’re all feeling over the hill and generally in a bad way. By chance, however, they meet, and not only do…
View Post
First line: A few months after I hunted a vicious killer named the Tiger halfway around the world, I began to think seriously about a book I had been wanting to write for years. From the inside cover: The irresistible story – passed down through the generations – of a courageous fight for freedom by one of Alex Cross’s ancestors. SEPARATED BY TIME From his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard…
View Post
Here are my reading stats for April! Books read: 13 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.) Raising Wild Ginger by Tara Woolpy Paradise Valley* by Robyn Carr The Sumerton Women* by DL Bogdan The Girl Who Chased the Moon* by Sarah Addison Allen The Undomestic Goddess* by Sophie Kinsella Alex Cross’s Trial* by…
View Post
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 received the nicest card in the mail this week – a thank you from an…
View Post
First line: It took a moment for Emily to realize the car had come to a stop. From the back cover: Emily Benedict has come to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother’s life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realizes that mysteries aren’t solved in Mullaby, they’re…
View Post
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 Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery: “I’m going off to war tomorrow. I might not make it back.” This…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership. Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered…
View Post
Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Loupas, author of the new book, The Flower Reader to Always With a Book! If you missed my review, you can read it here. Today Elizabeth talks about the how she was able to write like Nostradamus. WRITING LIKE NOSTRADAMUS by Elizabeth Loupas It’s hard to write about European courts in the sixteenth century without at least some reference to Michel de Nostredame—Nostradamus. His…
View Post
First line: I hated the queen, hated her down to the deepest marrow of my bones. From the back cover: With her dying breath, the queen regent of Scotland entrusts a silver casket to half-Scots, half-French seventeen-year-old Rinette Leslie of Granmuir, who possesses the ancient gift of using flowers to divine the future. Inside the casket, and meant only for young Mary, Queen of Scots, are the darkest secrets of…
View Post
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 Thanks to all who shared advice on how to get audio books from library to ipod…
View Post
The Audio Book Challenge is hosted by Teresa’s Reading Corner, and it goes from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.I participated in this challenge last year and ended up surpassing my first goal (listen to 6 audio books) and second goal (20 or more) – I ended the year having listened to 23 audio books. I’m joining at the Lover level, which means I need to listen to at…
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. From the Library: What Doesn’t Kill You by Iris Johansen This is Iris Johansen’s newest book, part of what FictFact is calling the Catherine Ling series. As soon as it was in the library system, I reserved it. It came in this past week…
View Post
First line: Walt Booth was feeling lonely. Synopsis from B&N: Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraq—his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart? As…
View Post
Jen fromDevourer of Bookshas announced the dates for 2012 Audiobook Week – June 25 – 29. This is a fun week that celebrates audiobooks. There will be discussion posts, reviews, and giveaways!!! Will you be participating?
View Post
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 Flower Reader by Elizabeth Loupas: I hated the queen, hated her down to the deepest marrow of…
View Post
First line: They tell me I will die here. From the inside cover: You’re about to experience the ultimate guilty pleasure. Four best friends on a decadent vacation – thrown in prison for murder. NO HUSBANDS ALLOWED Only minutes after Abbie Elliot and her three best friends step off of a private helicopter, they enter the most luxurious, sumptuous, sensually pampering hotel they have ever been to. Their lavish presidential…
View Post
From the back of the audio case: Ellie and Dan are living proof that opposites attract. She’s impulsive; he follows all the rules. He loves sports’ she’s allergic to any form of exercise. Ellie doesn’t have a mother. Dan does – a very involved mother. At first, Ellie is thrilled to be accepted into the loving Cooper clan and have Dan’s mom, Linda, as her “adopted” mother. But then Ellie…
View Post
First line: She hid in her mother’s wardrobe. Synopsis: Orphaned at age eight, Lady Cecily Burkhart becomes the ward of Harold Pierce, Earl of Sumerton. Lord Hal and his wife, Lady Grace, welcome sweet-natured Cecily as one of their own. With Brey, their young son, Cecily develops an easy friendship. But their daughter, Mirabella, is consumed by her religious vocation – and by her devotion to Father Alec Cahill, the…
View Post
Book Blogger Confession is a new blog meme hosted by Tiger of All Consuming Books and Karen of For What It’s Worth. The meme will run on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of every month to discuss some of the frustrations that are unique to book bloggers. You can read the introductory post here. Here’s this week’s question: Review/Guest post requests: Do you have a review request policy? Has it changed…
View Post
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 It was a quiet week this past week, and I got some good reading time in,…
View Post
CONGRATULATIONS to Renee G Margaret Lindsey Marjorie & Paula winners of Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay Random.org selected the winners. Thanks to all who entered the giveaway!
View Post
In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren. Every week I’ll post what books I’ve received either by mailbox/library/store. For Review: The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain I’m participating in a blog tour of this new release next month and I can’t wait to start reading it! From the Library: The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani I had this one reserve at the…
View Post
First line: The Mississippi riverboat cake tilted on the table in front of me, its fondant paddle wheel askew, gashes of lemony yellow cake gaping in its once-smooth white surface. From the back cover: There aren’t many things pastry chef Rita Lucero hates more than losing. But two years after her marriage to fellow baker Philippe Renier fell apart, she’s still trying to get him to sign the divorce papers.…
View Post
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 Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani: The scalloped hem of Caterina Lazzari’s blue velvet coat grazed the fresh-fallen…
View Post
First line: Darlings, love is in the air! From the back cover: She’s stealing his heart… Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. The right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O’Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has…
View Post