The Best and Worst of 2014

GOODBYE 2014, HELLO 2015

Another year of life and reading has gone by! Some goals were met and some were not. I'm one semester away from finishing grad school, and I've already accomplished a goal I set when I first started school. What was it? Have a job in book publishing before graduation! Done, I'm currently working full-time for a children's book publisher. It started as a part-time internship, and eventually turned into a full-time job. Sweet! Everything else that happens, including graduation, is just extra icing on the cake! My thesis topic was approved, but the actual execution of my idea feels a bit daunting. I just keep saying to myself, "It will all be over in May! It will all be over in May!"

Now, how have I done with my reading goals? Not so good. I set a goal of reading 50 books, but I came up short. Thirty-seven books isn't too bad. I started and stopped a lot of books. I went through several reading slumps. I gave some books more than the usual 50-60 pages. It was more like 90-100 pages before I gave up. Working and going to school also took up a lot of my time, it will again for the first half of the year. For 2015, I have to lower my reading goals (sniff). I'm going to shoot for 40 books, but still hope that I pass that!

There were so many books I wanted to get to in 2014, but so many books and so little time. Of the books I read, some I read were great and some were not so great......

(Note not every book on this list was released in 2014, but I just happened to read them in 2014)

 

TOP 10 BOOKS OF 2014 

1. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin -- Love, love books about books. It's the tale of a quirky bookseller who raises a girl left in his shop. Every chapter is a new clue to the mystery of A.J. Fikry.

2. That Night by Chevy Stevens -- After 16 years in prison, a young woman returns to her hometown and the scene of her alleged crime. She's trying to move on. She knows she didn't kill   her sister, but who will believe her? Definitely a thrilling read!

3. The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon -- Seedy nightclubs, corruption, and three women tied to one man? Sign me up!

4. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen -- A contemporary story with hints of magical realism. Lost Lake is the place where everyone goes to find themselves.

5. In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins -- A sassy heroine who loves Ben & Jerry's will always be on my list of favorite characters!

6. The House We Grew Up in by Lisa Jewell -- A family tries to overcome the emotional and physical horrors of living with a hoarder.

7. Sweet Nothings by Janis Thomas -- Funny and whimsical story about a woman overcoming the end of her marriage, with a little chocolate mixed in!

8. The Stories We Tell by Patti Callahan Henry -- This author has become an automatic buy for me. While this was not my favorite book by her, but I love a good family drama!

9. Love Water Memory by Jennie Shortridge -- One day Lucie Walker knew who she was, but slowly she lost herself. Then one day, she completely forgot who she was!

10. S.E.C.R.E.T. by L. Marie Adeline -- An erotica novel about one woman's sexual and emotional awakening!

Honorable mention: The Art of Adapting by Cassandra Dunn, We'll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn, and The In-Between Hour by Barbara Claypole White

 

 

 

The not-so good books of 2014

 

Fortunately, this list is much smaller! There were books that I stopped and started. But of the books I finished, here are the ones that disappointed me!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn -- Yes, has been out for two years but I finally read it before the movie came out. I detested Amy Elliot Dunne in the book. However, I loved the movie and Rosamund Pike's performance of this wackadoodle character.

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren -- Again another book that didn't come out this year. I didn't review this on my blog, but I read it for an assignment in school. It's borderline erotica. There was no depth to the main characters. All they shared was a lust for sex, which is a big no-no for me. There has to be more than that to a relationship, which is probably why I prefer Tiffany Reisz's books. There is a lot of sex in her books, but in my opinion it serves as a secondary not a primary storyline.

What books were on your list?

My take on: Owning Violet

Monica Murphy my hats off to you! She certainly knows how to write a hot love scene. I recently finished Owning Violet, book 1 in the Fowler sisters series. There were definitely some moments where I thought, "Should I be reading this? What if someone catches me? Am I old enough to be reading this?" I'm over 30, so of course I can read it. Reading this book took me back to the days of junior high school, when I was reading Jackie Collins and knew that I shouldn't!

I say all of this because I was definitely captivated by Monica Murphy's writing.

Ryder McKay is about to change Violet Fowler's life forever. But .... she doesn't know it yet.

Violet has the "perfect" life. The family business, Fleur Cosmetics, is a force to be reckoned with. Violet has worked hard to climb the corporate ladder at Fleur Cosmetics, and is getting ready to launch a new product. She's certain her boyfriend Zachary, also a Fleur employee, is getting ready to propose. Everything is going "great" for Violet. However .... Zachary is not going to propose, he's about to leave for a new job assignment in London. Also, Zachary is not exactly marriage material. He's been cheating on Violet throughout their relationship. In Violet's mind, marriage would have put a stop to all the cheating. Their relationship is actually at it's breaking point. No time like the present for the handsome and manipulative Ryder McKay to swoop in.

Ryder wants Violet, and what Ryder wants he gets. Pilar, Ryder's part-time lover and mentor, wants Violet's power. Someday, Pilar wants to run Fleur, but that might not happen with Violet next in line. A dangerous plan is hatched. Pilar will work her sexual "magic" on Zachary, driving a wedge between him and Violet. Meanwhile, Ryder will seduce, dominate, and eventually break Violet. He will break her down so badly that she will leave the company. If all goes well, somewhere in the distant future Pilar and Ryder will rule Fleur together. What can go wrong? ....... EVERYTHING!

Ryder has never had a meaningful relationship. Pilar rescued him from a life of drugs and poverty. She cleaned him up. She helped him rise the corporate ladder. Ryder owes her everything, but there has to come a point when his debt has been paid.

Once the plan is in motion, Ryder gets more than he bargained for. He starts to see Violet as more than just a conquest. More than just another notch on his bedpost. He begins to crave Violet, and she feels the same way. They need each other every minute of the day. They think about each other every minute of the day. They are addicted to each other.

The first half of the book is dedicated to the mounting sexual tension between Violet and Ryder. I like that it wasn't an instant relationship. They don't hop into bed within the first five chapters (the deed doesn't occur until Ch. 19 if you want to be exact). Of course they do everything short of sex in between, use your imagination!

Ok, I did enjoy the first half of the book .... but the second half was a little bit of a letdown. I liked the buildup to the relationship, but soon their relationship is nothing but sex and domination. I wanted something more. I wanted more depth to the relationship. More conversation that wasn't about how much they craved each other. Ryder's past is glossed over. Clearly he had a tough childhood, but there isn't a lot of detail to it. I wanted him to show more vulnerability, instead of always portraying himself as the alpha male. The ending also felt a little rushed to me. Ryder's redemption felt a little quick.

Overall, I think this is a series worth picking up. Although Ryder and Violet won't be the central focus in the next two books, I'm curious to see how their relationship plays out. Also, I hope Pilar will finally get what's coming to her!

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received an e-galley from Sullivan and Partners in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: In Your Dreams

Tis the season to be jolly. Tis the season to be in love. Tis the season to swoon over a book by Kristan Higgins! I have now read four of her books, and I love them all. But I think her latest book, In Your Dreams, is my favorite.

Why?

I love sassy and sarcastic characters. I love characters who are not afraid to call others out on their B.S.! And.....I love a character who can found joy in a pint of Ben & Jerry's (although I prefer Haagen Dazs)!

Emmaline Neal's ex-fiance is getting married. U-OH! Emmaline is invited, but she doesn't have a date. What's a girl to do? Well the busybodies in the small town of Manningsport, New York, have an idea. Get the handsome, but complicated, Jack Holland to take her. No attachments. No chance at romance. Just a local guy helping out a local gal. Riiiiiiiight! Of course some shenanigans are going to occur. Otherwise what would be the point of the book?!

Emmaline has carved out a nice life for herself in this small town. She loves her career as a cop. At the end of a long day, she loves coming home to her small cottage, her dog, and .... some ice cream. She's grown comfortable in her own space and in her own skin. But the thought of seeing her ex-fiance, Kevin, brings up so many emotions. Kevin used to be overweight, but as soon as he latched onto a super-hyper, super-angry personal trainer named Naomi, he ditched Emmaline. Without the weight Kevin was a totally different person on the inside and outside. Emmaline wants to show that she's over Kevin, but deep down she is still hurting.

Seeing Kevin at the wedding also means seeing her annoying parents and her perfect sister Angela. Emmaline's parents are divorced, but still live in the same house. As psychologists, her parents make it their mission to constantly analyze Emmaline's life and career choices. They're also convinced she's gay, despite her denials. Maybe Jack Holland is just the distraction she needs?

Of course Jack has his own problems. His three sisters, Prudence, Honor, and Faith, his father, and grandparents, all have opinions about how Jack should live his life. He also has an overly dramatic ex-wife, Hadley (a.k.a. Blanche DuBois according to Emmaline), who refuses to believe their marriage is over. On top of all that, Jack is quietly suffering. He saved four teenage boys from drowning in a freezing lake. Three of them have lived to tell the story, but the fourth, Josh Deiner, is languishing in a coma. Everyday since, Jack has been besieged by nightmares and an overwhelming sense of guilt.

It seems nature is forcing Jack and Emmaline together at just the right time. He can help Emmaline let her guard down. She can finally realize that she is a person worthy of love and to be loved. And maybe Jack can realize that he doesn't have to save everyone he meets. Emmaline is not Hadley. She is not the damsel in distress. She is not a woman who constantly needs to be saved.  Maybe Emmaline can save Jack from himself?

In the end, this unlikely and unconventional romantic pair made me smile. As an author if you've made me smile, job well done!

Rating: Superb

Note: I received a copy from Little Bird Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: Keep Me Safe

I have to start off by Maya Banks put a unique spin on romantic suspense in her last book Keep Me Safe.

Ramie St. Claire is consumed by pain -- her own and the pain of others. Why? She has worked for years with the police to locate crime victims. What's the catch? Is she a psychic? Ramie is more than that. She can literally feel the pain of these victims. Everything they experience Ramie can feel as it's happening. Every single act of torture Ramie can feel. Every time she helps families find their relatives, it takes a little piece of Ramie's soul. She is physically and emotionally drained. Now, a brutal killer is after Ramie. She can no longer help locate people without risking her safety. But that doesn't matter to Caleb Devereaux, a wealthy man searching for his kidnapped sister Tori. Caleb won't take no for an answer. He has to find his sister no matter the risks. After Tori is found, Caleb dedicates himself to helping others by forming a security firm. Ramie runs far away and refuses Caleb's help ... until she is desperate and has no where else to turn.

I like to think I'm somewhat well-read when it comes to romance books. That's why I think this was an interesting way to form a romantic relationship. Not many heroines find their dream man this way. Having said all that .... this book wasn't quite for me. As a character, Ramie was too weak for my tastes. Everyone treats her like a fragile piece of glass. She'll break if you press her too hard. I like my heroines to have some toughness within them. Caleb was a true alpha male. Caleb is definitely sorry for causing Ramie more pain. However, he makes sure everyone knows he has power, and knows just what to do with it. The sexual connection between them felt a bit quick, and I'm not a fan of insta-love.

The ending was happy and haunting at the same time. Without giving too much away, Caleb is forced to betray Ramie in the worst way. She's more damaged by the end than she was in the beginning. The resolution to everything comes rather quickly. It seems like some therapy would be needed. There's no stop-your-heart cliffhanger to the ending, so I'm curious to see how the next two books shape up. Although this one wasn't quite for me, I'm willing to give Maya Banks another try.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from Sullivan and Partners in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: The House We Grew Up In

Update: Sorry I've been missing in action, but sometimes school and work commitments take up a lot of my time. Plus, I'm not the fastest reader. One more semester to go and grad school will be over! I will still be reading and posting reviews, just not as frequent. I promise my posts will pick up in the spring.

Dysfunctional family drama with a mix of hoarding? Sign me up! The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell is a sad, but realistic portrayal of a family in crisis.

The Bird family, Lorelei, her husband Colin, and four children Megan, Bethan, Rory, and Rhys, are in dire need of help. Lorelei, literally and figuratively, likes to hold onto things from the past. A picture, a piece of tinfoil, books, and even little scraps of paper hold some special memory for Lorelei. Any attempts to break away from the family are met with resistance. Any attempts to break away from the family, Lorelei sees as acts of defiance. Meg is often the voice of reason. Beth refuses to think for herself, she'll do what everyone else does. Twins Rory and Rhys would rather stay holed up in their rooms than confront their mother. Colin's attempts to change their lives is met with resistance, leading him to realize the woman he married is slowly disappearing. A death shatters the family, but in Lorelei's mind it's a moment to bury and ignore -- just like everything else in their messy house. I could easily sense the tension between the characters, especially Meg. She's the only one who challenges Lorelei, and is often the bad guy for doing so. If she doesn't break away, Meg's sanity is at risk. She's the only one who can see that Lorelei is mentally ill.

The story alternates between the past and the present. Sometimes that worked for me and sometimes it didn't. I felt like the narrative from the past is where the action/conflict was. To the outside world, Lorelei projected an image of happiness. She just couldn't handle any attempt to shatter that image. Hindsight is 20/20 and I felt like that was the theme of the present-day narrative. I was more interested in the Bird family's past. I was engrossed in the changes in the family as they were happening. The childhood's of the Bird children, shaped who they became. While hoarding is on the extreme end of family dysfunction, I'm sure everyone can find a little bit of the Bird family in their own. What would you do differently? What would stay the same? Do you grow up wishing you were born into a different family?

Random tidbit: After reading this, I will never look at a chocolate Easter egg the same again! Want to know what I'm talking about? READ THE BOOK!

Rating: Superb

Note: I received an e-galley from the publisher (Atria). The House We Grew Up In was one of the Fall books for She Reads.

Little Black Lies free preview!!

"Zoe Goldman, a resident psychiatrist who struggles with ADHD, is haunted by a reoccurring nightmare of a mysterious fire that claimed her mother’s life. The arrival of a new patient, a skillful sociopath who killed her own mother as a teenager, reignites Zoe’s desire to dig deeper into her own family history. But with Zoe's adoptive mother suffering from dementia and no other source of information, Zoe struggles to solve the mysteries of her past while trying to keep it together in the present.  Little does Zoe know that uncovering the lies will soon reveal everything she needs to know and change her life forever."

An extended preview of the LITTLE BLACK LIES by Sandra Block, featuring the first five chapters of the book, will be available beginning Tuesday, November 11^th for FREE!  The preview will be available as a free ebook at all major online book retailers including Amazon.com, B&N.com, IndieBound.com, and more.  

Intrigued? I know I was. All I saw was the title in the e-mail pitch, and I was hooked. The cover looks pretty good too!!! Almost looks like she's giving us the evil eye!! Little Black Lies will be out in February from Grand Central Publishing.

My take on: Until You're Mine

According to Goodreads I began Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes on July 7th, and I only finished it just last week. This book suffered from my frenetic reading style. One week I was really into this book, then something else caught my attention the next. I picked it up for 20-30 pages, then put it aside for days and, clearly, sometimes weeks. In the last two weeks I finally committed to this book because I wanted to know how it ended. If I had to characterize this book I would call it: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle ON steroids! If you haven't seen the movie look it up,  read the book, and then you'll get what I'm talking about.

After years of heartache, Claudia Morgan-Brown has it all. A handsome husband, James, twins boys, Oscar and Noah, and a successful career as a social worker. What more could Claudia want? A baby to call her own. She loves the boys like her own and she has raised them since they were infants, but they are James' children from his first marriage. Multiple miscarriages before and after marrying James, have left a hole in Claudia's heart. But now that hole is finally going to be filled, Claudia is due to give birth to a baby girl in just another month or two. She finally has it all, or so it seems! James is a naval officer on a submarine, and is about to ship off for a long mission. Claudia will soon be alone with two toddlers and a newborn. That can't happen. Claudia hires the mysterious Zoe as her nanny. Zoe comes along at just the right time, but there is something off about her. What is it? Claudia isn't quite sure, but it might cost her everything, including her life, to find out!

Intrigued? You know there is more to the story! Keep reading!

A recent crime spree has left the women in the area frightened. Several violent attacks on pregnant women, including one murder, has left everyone on edge. The detectives assigned to the case, Lorraine and Adam, are baffled. Are these isolated incidents? Or are they connected?

Reading the book, I thought it's way too obvious for the killer to be Zoe. Although she is clearly hiding something about her past, I never believed the killer was Zoe. My mindset from the beginning was that she was a red herring. All of the hints at Zoe being the killer were heavy-handed. In one chapter, the author led me to believe that Zoe wanted a baby of her own. But then the next chapter, Zoe's motives for being in Claudia's life were totally different. Who the real killer was I just didn't get until the final 80 pages. I'm not saying Zoe is the culprit and I'm not saying she isn't, but looking back I realize the clues were there the whole time.

This was a good book, but it wasn't without flaws. The secondary storyline of Lorraine and Adam's crumbling marriage and home life, in my opinion, was just unnecessary. Adam cheated on Lorraine, their eldest daughter wants to drop out of high school, and both of them seem to ignore their youngest daughter. Adam's cheating ties back to the overall storyline, but the book could have still worked without it. Their lives outside the police station served more as a distraction than adding depth to the story. The pacing and flow of the story was a little uneven for me because of this secondary story. I wanted to get back to reading about Claudia and Zoe, but I had to weed through the family drama. Overall, I really liked the book and would read another one by Samantha Hayes!

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy from Penguin Random House's Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: An Unseemly Wife

Curiosity got the best of me. Quite often I see rows of Amish fiction in the bookstore. I haven't been tempted to read them before, but the pitch for An Unseemly Wife by E.B. Moore got my attention.

The book starts with this dedication:

"For my mother, who told me the Plain stories; 

and when she lost her memory, I retold them to her."

I was intrigued. This was also pitched as historical fiction, which I love. I definitely felt transported back to 1867.

Ruth Holtz lives her life by the Order. Amish men and women follow a certain way of life. They are supposed to stay away from the "English." The English don't live their lives according to God. Ruth, her husband, Aaron, and their children live and work hard on a Pennsylvania farm. They live amongst people just like them. But some English men come to the farm and fill Aaron's head full of stories of free land and opportunities for wealth in Idaho. Now, Ruth's life is flipped upside down.

Everything in Pennsylvania is familiar and comfortable. Everything in Idaho is against the Order. Everything in Idaho is frightening. The "English" are also in Idaho. Ruth doesn't want to leave, but fighting her husband's wishes also goes against the Order. She's supposed to be a good wife, but internally Ruth is finding it hard to be a good wife. She's supposed to be obedient and submissive. Ruth's internal struggle is well-played by author E.B. Moore. She's not allowed to truly think for herself. Aaron's wishes trump hers. My modern-day brain didn't like that, but for the times it was very realistic.

The move to Idaho is coming at the wrong time. The family is expanding, four children is soon to become five as the family heads west. The passages of Ruth giving birth were very realistic. She doesn't want her children to see her in that state, it's unbecoming of a woman. Her boys shouldn't see her with a dressing gown lifted up and neither should her young daughter. It frightens Ruth to think that the children could see her in pain and bleeding. Giving birth without help wasn't the plan, but Ruth gives birth to a boy. The rest of the trip is not without strife. The family has to fight through bad weather, rough terrain, disease, and religious prejudice. She has to learn to rely on a new way of life and new friends, including a preacher's wife. I don't want to give too much away, but despite all the problems on the trip Ruth does get an opportunity at a new life. She does find her voice.

E.B. Moore does a good job of being faithful to the past. There are A LOT of flashbacks. I don't mind books that have flashbacks, but in this case it was hard to follow. One sentence Ruth is in the present day, and the next she is months, sometimes years in the past. I had to re-read passages several times before I understood what was going on. Overall, I liked the plot but I wasn't a big fan of the flow of the story.


Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from the publisher (Penguin) as part of a blog tour.

Cover reveal for Leaving Amarillo ... & Gift card Giveaway!!

About the book: 

Some promises are made to be broken...

Music is my everything.

After my parents died when I was a kid, moving into my grandparents’ ramshackle house on a dirt road in Amarillo seemed like a nightmare. Until I stumbled upon my grandfather’s shed full of instruments. My soul lives between the strings of Oz, my secondhand fiddle, and it soars when I play.

In Houston, I'm a typical college student on my way to becoming a classically trained violinist headed straight for the orchestra pit. But on the road with my band, Leaving Amarillo, I'm free.

 We have one shot to make it, and I have one shot to live the life I was meant to. Leaving Amarillo got into Austin Music Fest and everything is riding on this next week. This is our moment.

There’s only one problem. I have a secret...One that could destroy everyone I care about.

His name is Gavin Garrison and he's our drummer. He's also my brother's best friend, the one who promised he'd never lay a hand on me. He’s the one person I can’t have, and yet he’s the only one I want.

One week.

One hotel room.

I don't know if I can do this.

I just know that I have to.

Intrigued by Leaving Amarillo by Caisey Quinn? 
It's not out until March 2015. 
If you can't wait, read on for an excerpt!! 
Plus...there's a giveaway opportunity if you keep reading on!

For a long time I knew he only saw me as Dallas’s little sister. I used to have frizzy hair and knobby knees and a chest as flat as both boys. But somewhere along the way, I changed. I’m having a hard time convincing myself that he really sees me for who I am now. Maybe he still sees knobby knees, frizzy hair, and freckles on my shoulders.

His eyes narrow and he shakes his head. No. “Don’t. Don’t do that to me. I just told you. You know why.”

I frown involuntarily while swallowing the knot of emotion that’s rising steadily in my throat. “How could I possibly know? You treat me like we’re related most of the time. You put your hands on random waitresses right in front of me. You sleep with anything that moves. Except me. I tell you how I feel and you can’t get rid of me fast enough.”

Suddenly Gavin is a burning man, coming toward me with angry gleaming eyes. He steps into the room, forcing me back against the wall. The door slams heavily behind him, and he braces his arms on either side of my head. I’ve only seen him this worked up when playing his drums. My heart morphs into a hummingbird inside my ribcage. It’s trapped and wants to escape. Desperately.

His words come out with force that would shove me backward if there were anywhere for me to go. “As flattering as your honest opinion of me is, how about you just tell me what the hell you want from me so we can both get on with our lives. You want to hold hands and go steady, Bluebird? Because I gotta say, you’re not as smart as I thought you were if you’re looking for that from me.”

I jerk my chin upward, faking a confidence I don’t have but refusing to let him intimidate me. “Did you sleep with that waitress? I want to know.”

He snorts out a harsh humorless laugh. “No you don’t.”

“I do. Tell me the truth.” I look up into his eyes, praying the answer is no. Something about that specific waitress is really bothering me. Maybe because I saw their initial flirtation or maybe because of what she said to me in the ladies room. I don’t know. I’m well aware of the fact that he’s been with countless women, but somehow this one feels different. More personal. Because this time, he knew how I felt and if he slept with her anyways, then he actively chose her over me. “Please,” I add to my already pathetic plea.

He releases me from my forearm prison and throws both of his hands into his hair. I inhale a much-needed breath and relax just a little. Until he slams a palm against the wall. I flinch, only because it startled me, but I can see in his wounded expression that he believes he scared me. As if I could ever be afraid of him.

“No, okay? No I didn’t sleep with her. There, you happy now?”

“Well you’re obviously not. If you were going to be so upset about it, why didn’t you just go ahead and do her?”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” he says, raising his voice a few decibels shy of shouting. “Which is it? You want me to have screwed her or not?”

I’m all wound up, like the toys from my childhood. The ones with the knobs you turn and turn, winding so tight the spinny thing breaks and falls off. I’m confused and hurt and angry and turned the hell on in a way I can’t even process. The combination is more than I can handle rationally. I take a page from his broody book and let my palm smack the wall behind me. It stings so I clench it shut. The pain distracts me and I blurt out the truth.

“No, I don’t want you to have screwed her. I don’t want you to screw anyone!”

His reaction is wide-eyed shock and disbelief. “Anyone? Christ, you want me to be celibate? Do you hate me or something?”

Licking my lips, I take several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. It almost works. “I want you,” I begin slowly before taking another deep breath. “To not engage in foreplay in front of my face.”

He opens his mouth to respond—most likely to deny that he did that tonight—but I place my trembling fingers against his lips, firmly breaking our ten-year unspoken no-touching rule. I’d like to take a moment to enjoy the soft, full, sensuously masculine mouth of his, but there isn’t time. I need to focus all cylinders of my brain on what I’m trying to say.

“I told you how I feel, what I want. And I get it. You don’t feel the same way. Or you won’t act on your feelings. But that doesn’t mean I can switch mine right off for your convenience. And it doesn’t mean that I’m not jealous, not hurt, and that I don’t hate, hate, being in the presence of any woman who is going to have you in a way that I never will.”

I’m breathing hard, tasting his anxiety and frustration in the air between us. Removing my fingers from his mouth and placing them on mine, I watch him go to war with himself.

He neck loosens, allowing his head to fall forward. Remaining completely still while he inhales the length of my neck, I swallow hard.

“Tell me I’ll never have you that way. Tell me to move on and let this go,” I whisper, needing to hear him say it and terrified that he actually will in equal measure.

            “You’re my best friend. Growing up, you were my safe place,” he tells me on a ragged breath that seems to pull the life completely out of both of us. “I don’t want to ruin you, Bluebird.”


Thank you to HarperCollins for the opportunity to take part in this cover reveal!! Happy reading everyone!

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My take on: The 100

It all starts with a promising first sentence.....

"The door slid open, and Clarke knew it was time to die." Pg. 1 of The 100 by Kass Morgan. How can I not keeping reading? There is clearly the promise of more!

Nuclear war has left Earth a radioactive wasteland. Mankind has had to fend for itself, splitting into various factions, Walden, Arcadia, and Phoenix, living on a large space station. But now life on the space station is in peril. Oxygen is waning. There has to be a way to survive. The council has decided to send 100 of its death row/condemned inmates to Earth. Send the scraps to Earth to see if its habitable. Send the scraps to Earth to give the ruling class on Phoenix a chance to survive longer on the ship. Send the scraps to Earth to do all the hard work.

Clarke, reeling from the death of her parents, is one of the 100 rogue teenagers sent to recolonize Earth after the planet has been left desolate for centuries. Wells, son of the Chancellor, commits a crime and forces his way into the 100, to save the girl he loves. To save his sister, Octavia, Bellamy commits an act of violence just as the dropship is about to leave for Earth. Glass has managed to escape the dropship and remain on Phoenix, but life in space isn't much better.

I'm so used to books based in reality, that sometimes it's very hard to read a book like this. I keep forgetting to just let go. To just enjoy the story. To just let my imagination run wild.  There are some things I loved about this book, and there are some things I didn't.

With each chapter, there was an increasing element of suspense. I had to keep reading to find out what Clarke did to dread her 18th birthday -- the age that all condemned youth will die. Why would Wells want to go on such a deadly mission? He did it all to save Clarke. But was she worth it? Once reunited, why does Clarke have so much hatred for Wells? Once on Earth, why didn't the 100 die? What happened to the people who were left on Earth?

Sometimes this just felt like a teenage soap opera, mixed with some elements of science fiction and Lord of the Flies. There's a lot of teenage angst and hormonal activity going on here, and I'm not a big fan of that. I felt like the juicier part of the story was life on the space station after the 100 leave. Glass' story offers a glimpse into that life, just not enough for me. Equally frustrating is the ending! It just stops, right when the action is starting to pick up! But there is a flip side to that, the author succeeded in making me want to read the next book in the series. Fortunately, I don't have to be frustrated for too long because I've already started reading the sequel, Day 21.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy of the book from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review.

My take on: Finding Zoe

Five days a week I wake up at 6:00 a.m. to the sound of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" blaring from my iPhone. Most days when I hear that sound I say to myself, "Is it really time to get up?"

Why am I starting with this little anecdote? Because I think I take for granted that I can hear the sound of my alarm. I don't think I'm alone in that feeling. What if one day I couldn't hear at all? I'm not sure I would know how to deal with that. Would I still be the same person? That's just one of the many questions I was asking myself after reading Finding Zoe: A Deaf Woman's Story of Identity, Love, and Adoption by Brandi Rarus. 

Spinal meningitis took away Brandi's hearing at the age of 6. Already verbal prior to losing her hearing, Brandi easily fit into the societal mainstream. But was that the best place for her? It wasn't until college that she fully embraced being deaf and deaf culture. Learning to let go of the hearing world and learning to embrace the deaf world took years. Think about it? No matter your age, how many of you could let go of who you once were? It's more than a lifestyle change. In some cases you have to let go of people you were once close to. Embracing deaf culture opened up a world of possibilities for Brandi, including being Miss Deaf America and meeting the love of her life. She went on to marry Tim Rarus and gave birth to three sons. But there was something missing for Brandi.

What was missing? A little girl. She always wanted a daughter. Adopting a deaf child seemed to be the best way to fulfill that desire. At first her husband did not want a fourth child, but after writing him a heartfelt letter Brandi got Tim to reconsider. Call it fate or call it divine intervention, soon after Tim's change of heart the Rarus family learned of an infant who needed a home. I guess it had to happen that way. Reading the book, it's clear Zoe was meant to be part of this family.

I definitely felt like I was in Brandi's head the entire time. Although, I did feel that some sections of the book were a bit rushed. Some passages felt like play-by-play, rather than a narrative of someone's life story. The first half of the book is everything that lead up to the Rarus' decision to adopt a child. The second half is devoted to the adoption process, and the multiple homes that Zoe was in before being adopted by Brandi and Tim. As a whole, I was captivated by Brandi's story, I just wished some parts were fleshed out a bit more. I don't always advocate this, but I wish this book was about 100 pages longer. Deaf or hearing, there are parts of this book that everyone can relate, especially the power of love and family.

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received a copy from the publisher (BenBella Books) as part of a blog tour with Pump up Your Book.

In the mood for a play?

Want to take a break from books? 

Want to get out for the night? Well, how about you take in a play.
 

The Brightness of Heaven
A New Play by Acclaimed Author Laura Pedersen
Directed by Ludovica Villar-Hauser

At the Cherry Lane Studio Theatre (38 Commerce Street, Manhattan)

October 16 - December 14, 2014

The Kilgannons are a typical Irish family in 1974 Buffalo.  However, the world is changing fast, the generation gap is widening, and the future is up for grabs. Will the Kilgannons find the serenity to accept the things they cannot change and the wisdom to know that what needs changing most is sitting around the dinner table? THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAVEN is a witty drama about Family, Faith, and the ties that bind — sometimes too tightly.

Recommended Ages: This is a witty drama that may be inappropriate for anyone under the age of 10.

Ticket information and more about the cast and crew can be found online at http://thebrightnessofheaven.com.

Read Pink! in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

Read Pink® in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Support the Next Chapter in Innovative Research

Penguin Random House Marks Five-Year Partnership Milestone and $125,000

in Donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®

What’s black and white and pink all over?  The initiative by Penguin Random House called Read Pink® in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)!

Today the scientific community has left behind the “one-size-fits-all” breast cancer treatment to emerge with targeted, more effective therapies. As a result, after remaining stagnant for more than 50 years, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 30 percent. The Read Pink^® initiative by Penguin Random House is proud to be part of this exciting new chapter in the fight against breast cancer, supporting the bold research of The Breast Cancer Foundation^® (BCRF), while leveraging its passionate readers to help increase awareness and education about the disease. This literary embrace of a life-saving cause has resulted in nearly 1.5 million best-selling novels shipped with Read Pink seals and information about BCRF across all five years of the promotion.

Penguin Random House is thrilled to partner once again this year with BCRF, as 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs.

The $25,000 donation that Penguin Random House contributes, regardless of sales, provides vital funds to support the mission of BCRF.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Penguin Random House’s Read Pink® editions, we are featuring a few participating authors and what Read Pink® means to them…

Beatriz Williams (2014 Read Pink® Spokesperson), A Hundred Summers

“Every life lost to breast cancer leaves behind a hole that can never be filled again: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a grandmother. I’m so grateful for organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for their efforts to find a cure for this devastating disease, and honored to support breast cancer awareness, detection, and research through Penguin’s READ PINK program in 2014. With your help, we can move closer to the day when breast cancer leaves behind only survivors.”

Karen White, The Time Between

“Since 1989, death rates from breast cancer have been decreasing due to earlier detection and improved treatment because of the efforts of organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Books have always been an important part of my life, and I am honored that my book will be part of Penguin’s Read Pink program that supports breast cancer awareness and research through reading. It is my greatest hope that through efforts like this we might find a cure within my lifetime.”

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness

“To all the moms and daughters, wives and sisters, lovers and friends, Read Pink is here for you and yours. Help support breast cancer awareness and the strong, brave women who fight or will fight this disease and Read Pink in October.”

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing

“I am so delighted to be included in the Read Pink campaign again this year with Perfect Timing being featured, along with so many other great books, to raise funds for breast cancer research. I can remember when a diagnosis of breast cancer was often equivalent to a death sentence. Nowadays, the survival rates have increased greatly, and I personally know women who have prevailed over this terrible disease. Sadly, I’ve also known a few women who lost the battle. So I call upon all of you to join ranks with me and countless other women in a war to defeat breast cancer. ‘Read Pink! Buy books bearing the Read Pink logo as gifts for the women you love.’ By standing together as sisters, we have it within our power to make a huge difference!”

Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

“This is the time of year when we celebrate the progress that has been made in the battle against breast cancer and acknowledge the work that lies ahead. No, we aren't there yet. There's a long way to go. The greatest weapon we have to fight this disease is research and research costs money. That is why this breast cancer awareness campaign is so important and why I am proud to participate.”

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand

“I’m so thrilled to be part of the Read Pink effort to help raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research. I hear frequently from romance readers who tell me my books and those of other romance authors have helped them get through breast cancer treatment. I want to hear from fewer of them in the future. I want to hear they took our books on fabulous vacations rather than treatments. Please Read Pink in October to support all the courageous women fighting this disease and to fund critical research. Thank you for Reading Pink!”

Full List of 2014 Participating Authors:

Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover

Karen White, The Time Between

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness

Jennifer Chiaverini, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

Beatriz Williams, A Hundred Summers

Wendy Wax, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand

Janet Chapman, The Heart of a Hero

Lisa Gardner, MacNamara’s Woman

Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

Mark your calendars and remember to join in the conversation with @BerkleyRomance and @PenguinGroupUSA on Twitter in October.  Make sure to use the hashtag #ReadPink!

For more information about the Read Pink initiative and to view a complete list of the participating retail outlets, please visit penguin.com/readpink.

Read Pink® Blog Tour Schedule

Please support the blogs taking part in this special, Read Pink® Spotlight Tour!

October 1 – Exclusive guest post with spokesperson Beatriz Williams on LizandLisa.com

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September 22                                   Cheryl's Book Nook; The Readers Den; Gone with the Words;

                                                                Pretty Sassy Cool

September 23                                   Reading Reality; You Gotta Read; Adria's Romance Reviews

September 24                                   Kimberly Faye Reads; Nicely Phrased; I Smell Sheep

September 25                                   Romance Junkies; To Read or Not To Read;

A Southern Girl’s Bookshelf

September 26                                   Cindy's Love of Books; Chick Lit Plus; The Book Reading Gals

*

September 29                                   LitChat; Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf; Chris Book Blog Emporium

September 30                                   Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!; Grave Tells; Britt's Book and Life Blog;

                                                                Sincerely Stacie

October 1                                            Cocktails and Books; The Reading Nook Reviews; 2Bookaholics;

                                                                Wit & Sin; Raw Books

October 2                                            SOS Aloha; Bookish Things & More; Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads

October 3                                            Dew on the Kudzu; Peace Love Books;

Grown Up Book Reviews

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October 6                                            My Book Addiction and More; Book-alicious Mama;

Chick Lit Central

October 7                                            A Dream Within A Dream; Thoughts in Progress; Mundie Moms

October 8                                            Flirty and Dirty Book Blog; Readers Live A Thousand Lives;

                                                                That's What I'm Talking About

October 9                                            Book Lovin' Mamas; Lori's Reading Corner; The Book Reading Gals

October 10                                          Supernatural Snark; Once Upon a Twilight;

Expressions of a Hopeful Romantic

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October 13                                          Fallen Angel Reviews; Parajunkee's View; As I Turn the Pages

October 14                                          Reading in Black & White; Keepin It Real Book Blog

October 15                                          ABCD Diaries; Fictional Candy; Paranormal Book Club

October 16                                          Sexy Bibliophiles; Book Sniffers Anonymous;

Sexy Book Reviews By Shelly & April

October 17                                          Wicked Lil Pixie; The Book Swarm; Addicted 2 Novels;

                                                                Stephanie’s Book Reports

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October 20                                          News & Sentinel, “Book Nook”; The Reading Café

October 21                                          The Book Bellas; The Book Cellar

October 22                                          The Novel Life; My Book Muse;

Confessions of a Y.A. & N.A. Book Addict

October 23                                          Rock Stars of Romance; Silver's Reviews; Journey of a Bookseller

October 24                                          Sunshine & Mountains

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October 27                                          Bewitched Bookworms; Ramblings From This Chick

October 28                                          Reading in Pajamas; Turn the Page

October 29                                          Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks; Stuck In YA Books;

Reviews by Tammy & Kim

October 30                                          Fang-tastic Books; No BS Book Reviews; Marie’s Cozy Corner

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews

October 31                                          In Shadows; Love Romances & More