Music: Lindsey Stirling - A Dancing Violinist? YES!

I have been gushing about my newest music find to anyone that will listen. Her name is Lindsey Stirling and she plays the violin AND dances! This is something that has become more popular in the last few years, and even though we're seeing more string players liberated from their orchestra chairs, it's still just amazing to me that this is even possible. I was in marching band in high school, I know it is not the easiest thing in the world to move and play at the same time!

I have seen the music described as dubstep (I had to look that up!) which is a genre electronic dance music, and it definitely makes you want to dance! It also makes me wish I could just pick up a violin and express my emotions, but alas my instrument is the clarinet and I am woefully out of practice lo these many years since college. Rather than struggle to describe how wonderful she is, I encourage you to check out the videos Lindsey has posted on Youtube under her Lindseystomp channel, there is a great mix of the beautiful and the fun there! Here are a couple of my favorites:





My husband and I were lucky enough to get to see Lindsey and her crew recently at a sold out concert, and also were able to attend the meet and greet before hand. That room was full of energy and joy! This girl is adorable in addition to being so talented and so sweet and fun! Gavi on keyboards and Drew on drums are great backups for her, they all three have fantastic personalities and I would love to just be able to hang out with them, and also Becky and Sandra, but you'll have to watch Lindsey's "My Girls" video on her second YouTube channel to fully appreciate that experience!

We discovered Lindsey through another recent music find, The Piano Guys, who we are so excited to get to go see in May! You should definitely check them out too, their Cello Wars video is fantastic! Here is the video that introduced us to Lindsey, also a lot of fun!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

From Goodreads: WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

I participated in a read-a-long for Under the Never Sky hosted by On a Bookbender and Books with Cass. They had some questions for us to answer about it, so I think I will let those serve as my review, and tease you a bit! I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to Through the Ever Night, and also getting a hold of the short story about Liv and Roar.

1. What do you think of Aria’s adjustment to living outside the Realms?

It seemed almost too easy for her, compared to what was happening when others were cut off from the realms, but we later found out why! Not that it was a piece of cake for her, I was impressed by her fortitude. She was so determined, and not going to be bested by the elements, her own condition, or Perry. She was a very strong character.

2. These two worlds are so different from each other, which would you want to be in?

This is a tough one because the realms have a lot of appeal, but you just can't beat Mother Nature and the peace it brings to be outside among the trees and the sky. I think the realms would eventually pale in comparison to reality, so if I can't have both, then I'll have to pick outside the domes.

3. If you had a Smart-Eye, what would you do? Where would you go?

Archaeological sites for sure! Egypt, Mexico, Greece, all those places I can't afford to go to right now. I think it would be a lot of fun to have the fantasy realms as well.

4. Who was your favorite character and why?

I have to go with Perry, I'm a softie for the tortured heroes. Though again, I was very impressed with Aria, she was a strong girl, and got through all the nasty surprises that were thrown her way. I think Perry must have had a little more admiration for her when he got to walk a bit in her shoes through the Smarteye. I'm also looking forward to getting to know Roar better!

5. Make a few predictions about what you think will happen in Through the Ever Night.

Without being spoilery... I think they will find what they're looking for, I think there will be hurt feelings over information held back, but I think they'll "win" out over the dwellers, or find a way to to "win" for everyone. I'm all optomistic like that!

Check out Veronica Rossi's Website for more info!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

From Goodreads: A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire. The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest. With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

I am continuously amazed by the depth of detail and character building in these books. There is so much packed in here, from historical events to medical knowledge and beyond, it exhausts me to think of how much research has to take place for each and every one. The Outlander novels stand apart for me on an untouchable pedestal of their own, spotlighted in my mental museum of all time favorites. You know that question of what books would you take with you if you were stranded on an island? I would take these, because it would take many many re-reads before you might remember everything and connect the dots, AND because with all the things that Jamie and Claire and their family go through, being stranded on that desert island would seem like a vacation in comparison!

I highly recommend the audiobooks read by Davina Porter. They are long, this one was 57 hours and took me just under two months (with a break for another audio in the middle) but so very worth it. The characters come alive with Davina's amazing performance. It's very difficult to come back to reality after finishing one. It seems to be a series you either love, or just can't get interested in, but I am firmly in the love category! I hope to get to the next book before the end of the year, as part of the Seriously Series Challenge, it's about 10 hours shorter, which is the length of a regular book in some cases! Just another reason to be in awe of Diana Gabaldon!

The Outlander Series on Audible.com

Diana Gabaldon's Website

Read-a-long: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

From March 1st - March 29th On a Book Bender and Books with Cass are hosting a Read-a-long of Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi. I will take part by reading the first book (pictured at left), I rarely read 2 books by the same author back to back, I have to skip around. Click on either blog link above to be taken to the sign up page for the schedule and the first round of questions. There is also a Twitter hashtag #UTENreadalong for updates, come join us! I've only read the first 10 pages and I'm already sucked in! So far it feels like this might appeal to you if you liked The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, or Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

From Goodreads: Nobody is safe in the secret hour. Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes. Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time. These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School. Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

A very interesting idea, a 25th hour where only certain people are awake and aware, and a whole different set of creatures are in existence. I liked the storyline the most, I couldn't really get in touch with the characters. I did really like Dess and her Polymath talent, and the names she would give to her weapons, that was a fun idea. I'm actually glad I read this one after having read Westerfeld's Uglies and Leviathan series. His character development has really gotten amazing, and while I enjoyed this one, I'm not sure I would have pursued more of his books if this had been my first one, and he's become one of my favorite authors. He's extremely versatile, each series I've read by him has been a completely different idea, in no way related to the others, so you never know what you're going to get, only that it will be great! I do recommend this one, the premise alone is worth it!

Scott Westerfeld seems very in touch and accessible to his fan base, and often features fan art and photos that have been sent to him on his blog and on Twitter. There are some recent Midnighter ones on there from last month. ScottWesterfeld.com

I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! In the meantime I have these older books to catch up on.

February Read-a-thon's

There are 2 read-a-thons this week that I can do! TWO OF THEM! Yay! Starting tomorrow and running until Feb 14th we have the Wicked Valentine's Read-a-thon hosted by the ladies at My Shelf Confessions during which I shall attempt to finish a large book that I am currently reading. Then Friday we have Doin' it Dirty 2.0 hosted by my favorite Divas of Dirty Amanda at On a Book Bender and Kelly at Reading the Paranormal, in which I will attempt to read multiple short but naughty freebies that I've collected for the kindle. I missed the inaugural Doin' it Dirty, so I was determined to take part the next time around!  Join us if you want to be Dirty and Wicked! ;)


Wicked Valentine's Goals:

Finish this:

maybe these:

and listening to:

Doin' It Dirty 2.0 Finished:
 
Tit for Tat by Delilah Fawkes
Taking Instruction by Cheyenne McCray
Stolen by Jinx Jamison
Catching Caroline by Sylvia Day

2 really short stories, 1 short story and a novella?  I definitely enjoyed my first Doin' It Dirty 2.0, and was beat over the head with, err, I mean had a new author STRONGLY  SUGGESTED to me, so I will have to check out some of Jodi Redford's work!  Also Moira Rogers just in case anyone else was looking for a recommendation!

Random Reads: A Killing Among the Dead by Diana Wilder

From Goodreads: Wenatef opens his eyes to darkness and intense silence. The air is heavy with myrrh: he is in a burial chamber. Pain lances through his left side as he tries to raise himself, bringing the taste of blood to his lips. His life ebbs as he remembers how the nightmare began.. One of his men came screaming of destruction and mutilation in the tomb of Egypt's greatest king. Wenatef set out to stop the sacrilege only to find that the very people he is sworn to protect were blocking him. He dreams of judgment before the gods and awakens to find new strength and even more questions. Whose blood is pooled on the floor beneath him and caked on his side when he seems, now, to be unhurt? Wenatef lets his enemies think they have killed him and sets out to uncover who is robbing and defiling the dead. Each new discovery brings him closer to the heart of a far-flung scandal of greed and betrayal that reaches a climax in a final confrontation in the great Temple of Karnak beneath the gaze of the gods. (from the author's website) A KILLING AMONG THE DEAD is a historical mystery set during ancient Egypt's declining years. It is a tale of betrayal, revenge and redemption, and one man's discovery that no matter how alone we seem in our struggle against evil, the Great Ones are never far away.

This was a freebie on Amazon when I picked it up, but it is currently at it's normal price of $2.99, along with the other 2 Egyptian stories by the same author.

I love all things Egyptian so when I saw this as a freebie I had to give it a try. I was pleased with it, and got more from it than I expected. Wenatef grew on me, I wasn't sure about him at first, but he goes through quite a personal and spiritual transformation throughout the story. His beliefs are challenged and overthrown, but instead of becoming disheartened, he is enlightened to a greater truth. While he is comforted by this new knowledge, it comes at a price, he is changed to the point where he can no longer feel comfortable among his own people, but he has a duty to uphold and he does that before moving on to the next stage of his own life. I would really like to see a story about him as he journey's away from Egypt, and how he deals with new lands, new people, and different belief systems.

There is plenty of action as Wenatef matches wits with the graverobbers, and single handedly brings to an end a pillaging that has gone on for years. I also enjoyed his encounters in the spirit realm, and the authors descriptions of the setting. While she is the first to admit that her depictions may not be historically accurate, as an amateur Egyptophile, I found them stable enough to set the scene for me, and would recommend this to any that enjoy the ancient Egyptian world as a backdrop.

I'm looking forward to checking out Diana Wilder's other work.

Diana Wilder's Website

A Winter's Respite Read-a-thon January 21-27, 2013

It's time for the Winter's Respite Read-a-thon, taking place over at Seasons of Reading! Come on and join us! Work on the TBR pile and get ahead!

Goals:

I would like to try and finish the two books I've started:






If I manage that, then I'll probably start another book for my Seriously Series Challenge:






That should be plenty to keep me busy for the week, as I'm also working on:





But I'm taking my time with those and will come nowhere close to finishing them!


Updates:

Title	Start	21-Jan	22-Jan	23-Jan	24-Jan	25-Jan	26-Jan	27-Jan	Total
Ench.	75	98	132	146	192	-	-	308 Finished!	233
AKATD	28	48	-	63	71	84	-	135	107
KC	58	73	-	-	-	-	-	-	15
ABoSaA	5:34	6:47	8:49	1:35  pt 2	3:20	3:51	-	4:09	7:24
Tithe	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Final: 355 pages = about 50 pages per day, and 7:24 hours = 1:03 listening per day.

Giveaway (International): Graveminder by Melissa Marr

From Goodreads: Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you." Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene's death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

I am already a fan of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, so I was excited to try Graveminder, something completely different. I was drawn in from the beginning, listening on audio, and found myself doing a few extra chores so I didn't have to stop! The story is dark, and enthralling, set in a small town with some very big secrets. Being the Graveminder is a huge responsibility, keeping the dead at rest. I really liked Mr. D and his underworld, and the whole idea of the Graveminder and Undertaker partnership was interesting and eerie.

I listed this as one of my favorite reads/listens in 2012, and I would love to share it with you, so I'm offering up one copy, either the US Kindle version or a physical copy from the Book Depository as long as they will ship to where you live. I'm also interested to know what your favorite reads of 2012 were. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bout of Books 6.0 January 7-13

It's time for Bout of Books 6.0!  Get a jump start on your reading this year! You can sign up HERE.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team


Goals

• Devote one additional uninterrupted hour per day to reading/listening (that's harder than it sounds, and usually I'm my own interruption!)
• Finish up the books I'm in the middle of.
• Start another Seriously Series Challenge book. 
• Added later - 700 pages total.

Books to finish up

 

Paperback Starting page: 126 Status: Finished!

Kindle Starting position: 84 Status: In Progress

Audio Starting time: 5:06 Status: Finished!

Books/Short Stories Started

Trade PB Starting page: 1/252 Status: Finished!

Nice Girls Don’t Sign a Lease Without a Wedding Ring blog post/short story Pages: 9 Status: Finished!

Short story Pages: 17 Status: Finished!

Short Story Pages: 10 Status: Finished!

Updates

1/7 - Day 1
Time Listened: 1:23 (6:29)
Pages Read: DM(18), TTB(146) = 164

1/8 - Day 2
Time Listened: :49 (7:18)
Pages Read: DM(40), TTB(106) = 146
Finished Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

1/9 - Day 3
Time Listened: 2:20 (part 2 1:49)
Pages Read: 136
Finished Dead Matter by Anton Strout

Page 48 Challenge

"What can I do?" I asked. "It's not like the Order has put me through any kind of psychology boot camp." -- pg. 48 - Dead Matter by Anton Strout

My Continuation:

     My partner stared out at the scene before us in bemusement.  "Freud would have a hey day with this. I  really hope the Order has a good mental health clause in their insurance plan, you're going to need it after you clean this up!"  He contemplated the tableau awhile longer then said, "Well, good luck mate, ring me if you need a drink, you know... after..."

1/10 - Day 4
Time Listened: 1:41 (part 2 3:30)
Pages Read: NG (9), KU (17), Reb (41) = 67
Finished 2 short stories

1/11 - Day 5
Time Listened: 2:06 (part 2 5:36)
Pages Read: ATM (10), Reb (29) = 39
Finished A Test of Mettle short story

1/12 - Day 6
Time Listened: 2:13 (part 2 7:49)
Pages Read: Reb(24) = 24
Finished the Orchid Affair on audio

1/13 - Day 7
Pages Read: Reb(98) = 98

Total Time Listened: 10:32
Total Pages Read: 674
Books Finished: 3
Short Stories Finished: 3

Closing Remarks:  I didn't quite hit my amended goal of 700 pages, but I'm still really happy with what I managed, especially the 10 hours of listening time!  As usual this was a great time and I can't wait until the next one!

2012 Wrap Up

Favorite Reads in 2012

Out of the 100 books I read this year, these are the ones that really stand out in my mind when I look back over the list. To me it is interesting that 6 of them were audiobooks, so apparently I just REALLY like being read to! Two of these were read by the same narrator, Wil Wheaton, so I must really like his style!

All of these are either stand alones, or beginnings of a series. I did continue reading in some favorite series this year but decided to focus on beginnings or singles, instead of the middle of something I've been working on for awhile.

If I've reviewed it, I've provided a link to that, otherwise, it will be to the Goodreads page.

Review	Review	Review	Review
Goodreads	Goodreads	Goodreads	Review

Challenges Basically I didn't succeed at any of the challenges I did except for Speculative Romance, which I then tried to go on to the next level and didn't make it.  So we're not going to spend a lot of time on that, except to say that this year, I've picked one challenge, and that in itself was a challenge! They all sound so fun it's hard to resist, but I'm doing the lowest level of the Seriously Series Challenge, and that is all! Check out the links below to join up! To see what I've chosen for it, I've set up a page here for tracking. Sign up at  Reading the Paranormal or On a Book Bender it's all part of the same challenge.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2013 be filled with peace and good books!

In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran: A Memoir by John Taylor

From Goodreads: John Taylor, Duran Duran’s co-founder, takes the reader on a wild ride through his life. From the eighties through today, from Rio to All You Need is Now, John writes about the music, the parties, and the MTV videos that made millions swoon. With Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest music of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single ‘Planet Earth’ right up to their latest number one album, All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet. It’s been a ride – and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling... and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story. A tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered. A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn’t an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John Formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the summer of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit. In his frank, compelling autobiography, John recounts the highs –hanging out with icons like Bowie, Warhol and even James Bond; dating Vogue models and driving fast cars – all the while playing hard with the band he loved. But there were tough battles ahead – troubles that brought him to the brink of self-destruction – before turning his life around. Told with humor, honesty and hard-won wisdom, and packed with exclusive pictures, In the Pleasure Groove is a fascinating, irresistible portrait of a man who danced into the fire... and came through the other side.

I loved it!  Towards the end I was looking for excuses to run errands so I could finish listening to it, then when I did finish, I was very sad that it was over!  Duran Duran, especially John, were a huge part of my teenage experience, and this memoir by him, read by him, is very special to me.  It made him a much more real person, very different from the perfect rockstar god that nothing could touch.  While he was inspiring us to want to be just like him, he was living the nightmare of having gotten exactly what he set out to do, and all the things that came with it.  This is a very honest look at his life, yet very classy, he calls a spade a spade, but doesn't point fingers or dish secrets that weren't his to tell.  This made me feel so connected to him as a person, and I have even benefitted from one of his favorite lines received through rehab/therapy that was very pertinent in my life right now.  There were many things familiar, and also a lot I never knew but was very interested by, and he reads it very well.  I could go on much longer, but sometimes less is more, so I'll stop at I loved it, and I think any Duranie, especially those favoring John, should definitely give this a listen/read.

Holiday Read-a-thon Dec. 7-9, 2012

It's time once again for the Holiday Read-a-thon, hosted by Liza over at WhoRuBlog. It's another opportunity to work on those challenge TBR's!

For my charity component, I will donate $5 per book I finish (added in to another donation I'm already making) to Worldbuilders which partners with Heifer International.

I'm in the midst of three books right now, so I'm going to keep working on those:

Random Reads: Fire Dance by Delle Jacobs

I've decided to start a new feature for myself, it won't have a regular schedule, but like all of us with the ability to read Kindle books, I have a TON of freebies and reduced price daily deals that I may not otherwise get to.  I hope to motivate myself to read some of them this way.  Please be aware that they may no longer be free or reduced price should you be interested in purchasing them.

Old Cover New Cover From Amazon: A mysterious castle. A deadly gift. A missing, unwilling bride. And a Norman knight determined to conquer all. Ordered by his King to carry out a cryptic command—kill a wicked sorcerer lord, seize his castle, and take his daughter as a wife—Alain de Crency expects a fierce battle. Instead he discovers a defenseless castle, the daughter missing, and the sorcerer dead, shrouded in a magnificent purple cloak. With no knowledge of the evil lurking within it, Alain takes the cloak as his own before investigating the whereabouts of his supposed betrothed. Upon Alain’s arrival, Melisande, the sorcerer’s daughter who begrudgingly learned her father’s sinister trade, hides in plain sight as a servant. But Alain suspects this beautiful blonde knows more than she claims, and he resolves to uncover the truth—if he can resist his burning desire for her. Soon Melisande realizes her father’s infernal magic reaches beyond the grave—and that only Alain can save her people from the menacing evil. But with Alain’s new cloak dyed in poison, can Melisande save her people’s savior without revealing her dark secrets to the man who’s captured her heart?

Fire Dance was a freebie on Amazon when I picked it up with the old cover above, it's since gotten a facelift and is currently priced at $2.99.

Overall this was an enjoyable historical romance taking place in the England of 1092, when Norman and Saxon hostilities were high.  The author has created characters that I genuinely liked from Alain and his men to Melisande and the knights who were loyal and protective of her, to Rufus, who reminded me of a jovial Henry VIII, without all the wife trouble.  The only part I really didn't care for, or would have liked to see a little tighter and more filled out was that of Melisande's father. We get very little of that in the beginning, only Melisande's fears that if anyone knew the truth they would kill her, and that her father was the Spawn of Satan, in his own words.  I think more of that storyline earlier on would have helped make that aspect of the story more believable.  I really never got the evil sorcerer bit until later on, and the spawn of Satan part was a little silly to me.  However, I'm willing to concede that in 1092, when there was no huge paranormal romance genre, this was probably the scariest thing those people could have heard.

My rating for this would be 3/5, I did like it, there was action and romance, likeable characters, and an interesting storyline.  I found myself wanting to read it, rather than feeling like I had to get through it, and that's always a good sign! ;)

Delle Jacobs Website

Giveaway: US Kindle Copy of SEAL of My Dreams Romance Anthology

From Amazon: Honor, duty, courage, passion . . . the men of the Navy SEALs are a special breed of hero, and in these novellas by eighteen top romance authors the SEALs are celebrated not only as symbols of devoted service to their country but as the kind of men every woman wants to love. They’ll rescue a damsel in distress and her lap dog, too. They’ll battle hometown dramas and international bad guys. When it comes to giving away their hearts, they’ll risk everything. All proceeds from sales of SEAL of My Dreams go to the Veterans Research Corporation, a non-profit fundraiser for veterans’ medical research. Between them, the authors of SEAL of My Dreams have won dozens of writing awards including multiple RITAs from Romance Writers of America. Their nearly 600 published novels have sold at least 35 million copies worldwide. The SEAL of My Dreams roster includes many of the best-known authors in modern romance fiction. In addition, many have strong family connections to the servicemen and women of our nation’s military, and many specialize in novels featuring heroes and heroines from all branches of service.

I am usually a Fantasy and Sci-fi, Paranormal, Urban, etc. girl in my reading habits, but every once in awhile I'm just in the mood for something that features our heroic military men. I picked this up when it was a Kindle Daily Deal, I admit, partially because of the cover, and because I knew that military mood would hit me again sometime and a bunch of short stories seemed perfect! I also liked the fact that the proceeds go towards veterans medical research. My husband is an Air Force veteran, so I feel strongly about it.

These were wonderful! There are a ton of stories in there, and you just want to hug every single one of the SEALS inside! I admit I got teary eyed a few times. On the whole, these were exactly what I was in the mood for.

I would love to give a copy away in honor of Veteran's Day, coming up in the next week. I will leave this open through Midnight EST on 11/22, please comment and let me know what you are thankful for. Big or small, doesn't matter, just something you're thankful for. Please remember to leave me an e-mail to contact you!

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Random Read-a-thon Oct. 19 - 23, 2012

Random Read-a-thon hosted by My Shelf Confessions

 
YES! A spur of the moment random read-a-thon! Of course I'm in, because one, it's a read-a-thon, and two, I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked for Dewey's last weekend because things came up, and three, well, it's a read-a-thon! If you'd like to join us in doing this random bout of reading goodness, head on over to My Shelf Confessions and sign up! It's super informal, so come along!

Goal:

400 pages

Books I'm working on:

Starting Page: 60 Pages Read: 333 Finished: 10/21/12

Starting Page: 226 Finished: no

Start: 29% Ended: 67%  Finished: no

Score: 

 

I made it to about 385 pages I think, because I was a loser tonight and got sucked into the Halloween events on my favorite computer game Guild Wars 2. :D But I basically did it, I could have! I was THIS close!