WWW Wednesdays 7/31/13

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see! 


I'm currently reading:


New this week:

Doctor Who: Demon Quest: Five Exclusive Audio Adventures by Paul Magrs A library audio edownload find, read by Tom Baker and Susan Jameson.

Still working on from previous weeks: 

	Once Bitten Twice Shy (Jaz Parks #1) by Jennifer Rardin I'm finally getting into this series, I've heard great things about it, and am sorrowful that the author has already passed away, much too young. Urban Fantasy, Jaz and her vampire boss work for the CIA, so far it's fun and sarcastic, Jaz is a firecracker and vampire Vayl is a great straight man for her.
	An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon My current audiobook, I took a break from these for a couple years, but decided to catch up during the Seriously Series Challenge this year. They are so huge, and I'm having a hard time getting invested in William, but still love the rest of the regulars!
	Indexing by Seanan McGuire This is the first Kindle serial that I have tried and we're up to episode 5 of 12, so this will be on my currently reading for awhile. This is the first thing I've read by her and I am enjoying it! Dark Fairy Tales, translated into real world, where the tales become "incursions" into real life as the narrative takes hold and tries to force the story along. An interesting idea.

I have recently finished:

The Secret Christmas Ciphers by Carolynn Carey I participated in a Christmas in July read-a-thon this past week and this was my first read for it. It is a novella of 132 pages and was a quick and sweet historical romance.

When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke Another Christmas in July Read-a-thon book. It's a cute story but I'm not sure I would suggest it for kids that don't already know, though I'm guessing that at this reading level, they probably already do. It honestly didn't do a lot for me, I'm not sure why. I did like it, but not as much as her other books that I've listened to, so maybe that's the difference. Maybe I just like being read to!

Probably up next:

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom I picked this up at the library, not my usual style, but the concept sounded interesting so I'll give it a try.

I can't wait to see what the rest of you have been up to! Happy Wednesday!

Books, Brains ‘n Blood Read-a-Thon: August 2 – 6th

I can't resist a read-a-thon, especially not one with such an appetizing title! My friends over at My Shelf Confessions are hosting the Books, Brains 'n Blood Read-a-thon as part of their Vamps Vs. Zombies month long event. The read-a-thon is just the first of many activities, giveaways, guest posts, challenges and a blog hop throughout the month, you definitely want to CHECK IT OUT!

I am typically firmly Team Vampire, I just don't get the zombie craze, but I'm going to try to read a book from each time for the read-a-thon.

For my Zombie read I have chosen Rachel Caine's Working Stiff (Revivalist #1). It doesn't look too zombie-ish but I'm going to ease into the genre! ;)



For my Vampire read I will finish off the Vampire Empire Trilogy with The Kingmakers by Clay and Susan Griffith.



I doubt I will finish both of them, but we'll see how far I get!

Read-a-thon Wrap Up x3

I had 3 read-a-thons this week, and though I'm not sure I read any more than normal, I always have fun seeing what others are up to!

1. HS = High Summer Read-a-thon hosted by Michelle @ Seasons of Reading.
2. XMAS = 2nd annual Christmas in July Read-a-thon on Bookobssessed.
3. DID = Doin' It Dirty 3.0

And here are my accomplishments, meager though they are!

Finished for HS	Finished for HS and XMAS	Finished for HS and XMAS	Finished for DID, HS and XMAS
Currently Reading

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

My husband and I were fortunate to be able to take a road trip vacation this year through South Dakota and Wyoming. This is the first in a series of posts I want to do about the places we visited.

Badlands National Park was the first place that we went. Not knowing what to expect I was awed by the landscape, and couldn't help but wonder what travelers in earlier times, before the ability to share photographs, might have thought coming upon this with no warning. The area was established first as a monument in 1939 and redesignated as a national park in 1978. It is an interesting mixture of formations that came about through erosion, from buttes and pinnacles to spires.




Though desolate in appearance it actually is teeming with wildlife. There is a large praire dog colony around the edge of the northwest side of the park. We saw a few solitary buffalo in the distance, and got up close and almost personal with a bighorn sheep when it came up over the side to the top where we were standing. We just edged out of the way, and it continued on, I'm sure not as surprised as we were with the number of visitors that come to the park all the time. The area is also rich in fossils, some of the most important being those of early horses, allowing scientists to trace the evolutionary history from the 5-toed animals to the horses we are more familiar with today.




There is much human history in the area as well. The Ogalala Lakota of the Sioux Nation are co-managers of the area, and evidence of habitation stretches back into pre-historic times. In more recent times, the southern unit of the park was used as a bomb and gunnery range by the US Military.  This area has been returned to the Sioux, and while attempts were made to remove any unexploded munitions, I did see warnings in some media to be aware there may be more there and to alert rangers if they were found.  This area of the park is not as easily accessible as the main park, so we did not visit (we're not big hikers), but photos showed some very interesting formations there.

For more information on this area, see the official website for Badlands National Park and Wikipedia.  I also shared information from this Badlands book we picked up while there.  It is well worth a visit!

The Armageddon Rag by George R. R. Martin

From Goodreads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author George R. R. Martin comes the ultimate novel of revolution, rock ’n’ roll, and apocalyptic murder—a stunning work of fiction that portrays not just the end of an era, but the end of the world as we know it. Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has come a long way from his radical roots in the ’60s—until something unexpectedly draws him back: the bizarre and brutal murder of a rock promoter who made millions with a band called the Nazgûl. Now, as Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself drawn back into his own past—a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrected the Nazgûl and the mad new rhythm may be more than anyone bargained for—a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death, whose apocalyptic tune only Sandy may be able to change in time . . . before everyone follows the beat.

Like many many others of you I am a fan of George R. R. Martin through his A Song of Ice and Fire series, beginning with A Game of Thrones. I discovered it almost 10 years ago, long before there was a show, and was drawn in. I knew he had written other books, I have a few on Mount TBR, but I had never seen The Armageddon Rag before.

I discovered it when I re-discovered my local library systems and the fact that I could check out an e-book from them without ever leaving my house. Not that I don't love browsing a library, I do, but just the fact that I could do it RIGHT THAT INSTANT when I found it was awesome, plus hey, it's an e-book so no fees, they just yank it from you when time's up!

So why am I featuring The Armageddon Rag? Well, first of all, I was curious to see what else GRRM had done and it's 30 years old. It only has 1,035 ratings on Goodreads unlike A Game of Thrones which has 468,650 ratings, so I thought chances were good that a lot of people like myself didn't even know it existed. I had one friend wonder how she had never heard of this one when I posted the link for friends to see on Facebook, and I said well, probably you had not heard of it because it might be older than you are! It may also have been out of print and re-issued because GRRM was doing so well later on. My final reason?  I like Rock Fiction and the cover was neat looking. ;)

Did I like it? Sure, it kept my attention, the story was solid though I didn't really connect with any of the characters.  But then one does not simply like A Game of Thrones either (insert picture of Sean Bean here).  In fact one is usually cursing that cruel GRRM by the end of it, even as you're reaching for the next book. There were a few spots where I was cursing him again in The Armageddon Rag, really man?  Did you really have to do that to him?!  So I guess there is one parallel between the two.  Otherwise, I honestly would never have known it was the same author, which isn't bad, it just shows what a broad range GRRM has written.


The book gives a huge nod to J.R.R.Tolkien, the band being named the Nazgul, the lead singer was nicknamed Hobbit and references are made to The Lord of the Rings in the songs and artwork of the band.  I'm of mixed feelings about that aspect, but in real life the work has been inspirational to many musicians from Led Zepplin to Enya so this feature of the story is not unrealistic.  By itself it is an interesting supernatural mystery in which the main character gets in touch with himself and what he really cared about by reconnecting with the friends of his past.  He becomes involved in a movement to bring the iconic Nazgul back to the limelight, narrowly averting a summoning of epic proportion by not allowing the history of the Nazgul's last fateful concert to repeat itself.

I definitely recommend it to those who are interested in all of GRRM's work, but not if you are specifically looking for something to get you through to the next book of A Song of Ice and Fire, it's just a completely different type of story.

It is available on Amazon right now, so possibly also at other places.  See GRRM's website for more information on the author and his work.

Random Reads: The Wretched of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler

From Goodreads: Imagine a world where words are so precious they are only etched in gold, and only the privileged are allowed to learn how to read. Muirwood Abbey is one of the few places where learners are taught to read and engrave, and thirteen year-old Lia wants nothing more than to learn both of these skills - yet she is a wretched, an orphan, and doomed to remain in the Aldermaston's kitchen, forbidden to read and subject to his authority. Her future is destined for preparing recipes in a privileged household until, unexpectedly, a mysterious knight-maston abandons the wounded squire Colvin at the Aldermaston's kitchen in the middle of the night. Soon after, Sheriff Almaguer comes hunting for Colvin, and Lia is thrust into the greatest adventure of her life as she and the squire are forced into a partnership that brings her closer to her dream - and Colvin closer to his fear of dying on the battlefield. The Wretched of Muirwood is the first book of the Muirwood Trilogy.

I was fortunate to be able to pick up The entire Muirwood trilogy as Kindle Freebies, they are currently at their regular price of $2.99 each. I moved The Wretched of Muirwood up in the TBR pile because a friend had just gotten done reading the trilogy and really enjoyed them. Since I trust her judgement, I decided to give it a try!

What I found was an enjoyable medieval setting fantasy, with characters I was interested in, and a little bit of mystery to keep me wondering. I can't imagine not only not knowing how to read, but not being allowed to know how to read, because of being an orphan. It becomes clear very quickly that Lia is special, with abilities that normal Wretched do not have, and she definitely marches to her own drummer. There is plenty of action and a little magic, somewhat explained but still mysterious, and Lia's adventure matures her quickly as she takes on responsibilities that a girl her age just shouldn't have to worry about, but there is no one else and so she takes charge. Lia and Colvin don't really care for each other at first, but come to be very close, facing their fears together.

The Wretched of Muirwood is well written, good character development and description of setting and events, with a solid and interesting storyline. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy, as well as the other work I see that is available. For more information on the author visit his website jeff-wheeler.com.

WWW Wednesdays 7/24/13

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

* What are you currently reading?
* What did you recently finish reading?
* What do you think you’ll read next?

Then head on over to Should be Reading and leave a comment with a link to your post so others can see! 


I'm currently reading:

	Once Bitten Twice Shy (Jaz Parks #1) by Jennifer Rardin -- I'm finally getting into this series, I've heard great things about it, and am sorrowful that the author has already passed away, much too young. Urban Fantasy, Jaz and her vampire boss work for the CIA, so far it's fun and sarcastic, Jaz is a firecracker and vampire Vayl is a great straight man for her.
	An Echo in the Bone (Outlander #7) by Diana Gabaldon -- My current audiobook, I took a break from these for a couple years, but decided to catch up during the Seriously Series Challenge this year. They are so huge, and I'm having a hard time getting invested in William, but still love the rest of the regulars!
	Indexing by Seanan McGuire -- This is the first Kindle serial that I have tried and we're up to episode 5 of 12, so this will be on my currently reading for awhile. This is the first thing I've read by her and I am enjoying it! Dark Fairy Tales, translated into real world, where the tales become "incursions" into real life as the narrative takes hold and tries to force the story along. An interesting idea.

I have recently finished:

	Stranger (The Blades of the Rose #4) by Zoe Archer -- This is the finale of the Blades of the Rose series where everything gets wrapped up neat and tidy. Legends come to life, Catullus Graves finally gets the girl, good triumphs and fun is had by all! There were a few cheesy bits, but overall this whole series was enjoyable and I was very glad that Catullus was the feature at the last.
	Rogue Squadron (Star Wars X-Wing #1) by Michael Stackpole - I have recently discovered my local library's ability to lend e-books so I tried it out with a Star Wars novel!  I was in the mood and they had it.  It took me awhile to finish this one, it was heavy on the flying/fighting description which is kind of boring to me, but exactly what you would expect from this storyline, so I'm not complaining!  I did enjoy it and will likely read some more of them in the future.
	The Armageddon Rag by George R. R. Martin -- Another library find, and when I saw that it was an older one by this author I couldn't resist seeing how it compared to the Game of Thrones series.  When I say older, I'm talking 30 years ago that it was published!  I had a friend comment on how surprised she was that she had missed it, and I replied that was probably because it was older than she was! ;)  The Armageddon Rag is very unlike Game of Thrones.  There is a tad of the supernatural, but otherwise it is more of a clasdic rock pop culture mystery/thriller featuring a fictional band.  I enjoyed it for the music angle, but if you're looking for GoT, you probably won't be interested.

Probably up next:

	When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke -- I have a Christmas in July Read-a-thon coming up in my Bookobssessed group and this seemed perfect. I've really enjoyed Funke's other books that I've read so I'm looking forward to this one!  That reindeer face is super cute!
	The Twelve Quickies of Christmas Vol. 1 An anthology -- There's also a Naughty Read-a-thon going on this coming Friday so I'm combining interests and reading a naughty Christmas book!  This cover is much sexier than my real copy that has the scary mannequin type people on it!

Mini-Bloggiesta Wrap-Up

And so my first Bloggiesta comes to a close, and while I didn't get my whole list done, I do feel that I made progress and got some good ideas to work on.

What I finished:

Decide on and post a new giveaway done!

Set up High Summer/Doin' It Dirty and Christmas in July Read-a-thons Starting Line post done!

Change layout? I like the 2 sidebars, but maybe they're too busy, so what do I really not need, or can move a separate page? (advice welcome!) done! But thoughts still very welcome!  I switched to one wider sidebar and got rid of a lot of elements that I realized were only for me, not visitors.  We'll see how I feel without them (like follower widgets, maybe they really are good? or no?  Thoughts?)

Find a manageable weekly meme (used to do WWW Wednesdays and Teaser Tuesdays, maybe I'll pick that back up, suggestions for easy to maintain memes welcome!)  sort of done, I was given several ideas to look at, and the ones I used to do are still going, so I may pick those back up, but I haven't made any real decisions yet, and ideas are still very welcome!

Visit other Bloggiesta participants. done! Returned visits from everyone nice enough to visit me, which is probably all I will get done this time because I am slow, and visiting and commenting is definitely something I need to work on!

Still to do or new ideas:

Post a new Random Read review.

Think about a Random Read giveaway - since they may no longer be freebies, but I enjoyed them, they might be good candidates for affordable giveaways!

Review labels on past posts and make them more useful.

Decide on a Meme to do.

Read through all the chellenges for more ideas and advice.

Start on Vacation Series Posts.  I had a couple comments from people interested to come back and see this, so while I didn't get it done this weekend, I think it's worthwhile and will try to do them in the near future!

• Badlands
• The Mammoth Site
• Mount Rushmore
• Devils Tower
• Yellowstone 
• Grand Tetons

I really enjoyed my first Bloggiesta and hope to be able to join in the future.  It got me interested in blogging again and I'd kind of lost that for awhile.  Thanks everyone who hosted and dropped by to comment!

Three Read-a-thons and One Post

I am lucky enough (or crazy enough) to have 3 different read-a-thons to play in this week!

1. First up we have the High Summer Read-a-thon hosted by Michelle @ Seasons of Reading.  This one lasts from Monday July 22nd through Sunday July 28th. Our Twitter hashtag is #HSreadathon


2. During this time I'm also taking part in our 2nd annual Christmas in July Read-a-thon on Bookobssessed.  That will go from July 25th-28th.  We'll read some Christmas-y books and try to forget it's 100 degrees outside! :P

3. On Friday July 26th from noon to midnight is Doin' It Dirty 3.0, where we'll get our naughty on and read erotica for 12 hours! Well, Kelly and Amanda probably will, I might get more like 2 hours in, but just knowing that they are, and probably getting more fuel for some Great Literary Adventure Reviews is enough for me! The Twitter hashtag for this one is #DoinItDirty.

Here are the books I'm going to work on, but as we know, that can always change!

Finished!	Currently reading!	Currently reading!
Finished!

Giveaway: Two Ravens and One Crow (Iron Druid #4.5) by Kevin Hearne

From Goodreads: Atticus O’Sullivan is back in an all-new, action-packed, laugh-out-loud novella from the author of The Iron Druid Chronicles. Two-thousand-year-old Atticus may have outwitted and outfought everyone from Odin to Bacchus, but in this eBook original, he’s about to discover what comes around when you go around messing with gods. Six years into the training of his beautiful apprentice, Granuaile, a large crow swoops down and transforms into none other than the Morrigan, a goddess who insists that Atticus come with her at once. He must leave his apprentice behind, along with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon—and he must also leave his sword. The Morrigan has always taken extreme pleasure in pronouncing the Druid’s mortal danger and imminent doom, so the fact that she won’t reveal the purpose of their journey makes him very nervous. Of course, any time the Celtic Chooser of the Slain drops in unannounced, it’s never good. When she does let slip that she’ll be saving his life in the near future, Atticus is left to wonder . . . will he soon be giving his legions of enemies something to crow about?

This series is so much fun! It is packed with humor and action, mythology and magic, it is a treat! I just introduced my husband to it on our vacation since he was a captive audience and we listened to the first book all in one day. I just love the style of humor and the banter between characters, the characters themselves, especially Oberon, Atticus' Irish Wolf Hound! You just want to cringe every time the Morrigan shows up (as does Atticus) because you know chaos is about to ensue.

Two Ravens and One Crow is a novella set between books 4 and 5 in which Atticus is called to answer for some of his past deeds by Odin. We also learn the story of his youth-preserving Immortali-Tea, and of course, there is mayhem! I think it would read fine on it's own even if you haven't read the series, but it will cause a few spoilers as it is based on events that happened in previous books. However, if you'd like a taste of the series and the characters, you get a little bit of everything in this novella and it will definitely be a good test of whether the series is for you.

I would love to help you out with that "taste test" so I'm going to give away a copy of Two Ravens and One Crow, maybe more than one if I have a lot of people interested. I will offer it in Kindle or Nook versions since it's only available as an ebook. Give it a try!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mini-Bloggiesta July 20-21, 2013

I am dipping my toe into Bloggiesta waters! I always think it sounds like a lot of fun but the timing just isn't right, or I think I'm too busy. I'm still going to be busy this weekend, but I have neglected the blog for a couple months and have some things I want to do, so here goes!

Blog to do list:

Decide on and post a new giveaway done!

Set up High Summer/Doin' It Dirty and Christmas in July Read-a-thons Starting Line post done!

Post a new Random Read review

Change layout? I like the 2 sidebars, but maybe they're too busy, so what do I really not need, or can move a separate page? (advice welcome!) done! But thoughts still very welcome!

Find a manageable weekly meme (used to do WWW Wednesdays and Teaser Tuesdays, maybe I'll pick that back up, suggestions for easy to maintain memes welcome!)  sort of done, I was given several ideas to look at, and the ones I used to do are still going, so I may pick those back up, but I haven't made any real decisions yet, and ideas are still very welcome!

Visit other Bloggiesta participants. done! Returned visits from everyone nice enough to visit me, which is probably all I will get done this time because I am slow, and visiting and commenting is definitely something I need to work on!

Start on Vacation Series Posts (these are all awesome places and I want to share them!):

• Badlands
• The Mammoth Site
• Mount Rushmore
• Devils Tower
• Yellowstone 
• Grand Tetons

I may add more to the list as I see other people's wonderful ideas, or I may not get through any of this, for me it's quite a lot to do!  I look forward to see what everyone else is doing, and to learning from them!

Seriously Series 2nd Quarter Check-In

2013 is half over, time has been flying by.  Real life has been busy, with ups and downs, but that's what makes it real life.   Let's check in on my progress for the Seriously Series Challenge.

Since my last update I haven't added or subtracted any series.  Also, I've rediscovered the library, which pretty much distracted me all of June.  My local library systems now have audiobooks and e-books that can be checked out online, so like any true bibliophile, I managed to get too many going at once, even though I thought I was being good and keeping a rein on it!  Of course none of these were part of my roster for the Seriously Series Challenge. *blush*

Last time I said:
"I feel behind where I should be, but I'm going to leave it as is for now, hopefully by the next check in I will have finished up at least one series!"

The good news is I HAVE finished up one series, but I'm still woefully behind!  I could have said two, but then I got more of Iron Druid, so I'll probably add those in to my third quarter check in.

Books read:

Dead Waters by Anton Strout - finished 5/25/13 - first series finished!
Two Ravens and One Crow by Kevin Hearne - finished 4/27/13
Trapped by Kevin Hearne - finished 5/24/13 - second series finished, except that I have more of them now!
The Riftwalker (Vampire Empire #2) by Clay and Susan Griffith - finished 5/22/13
Tithe by Holly Black - finished 4/23/13

I've finished 13 of the 34 books/audios/short story/novellas on my list, and I should be around 17, we'll see if I can catch up in 3rd quarter!  How's everyone else doing? 

Bout of Books 7.0 Goals and Updates

Goals:

Read, whatever I'm in the mood for, and try to relax.  It's okay to change my mind and read something completely different. :)  For now these are my plan, but we'll see how it goes!

Audiobook - finished	Paperback	Graphic Novel - finished	Kindle Novella - finished

Added After Start:

Audiobook - finished

Updates:

Monday 5/13
Finished: Never to Sleep - 56 pages
Made Progress On: The Android's Dream - 4:55, 47% done
Comments: Wow Sophie, I didn't you know you had it in you!  Also, John Scalzi has a strangely twisted imagination, and Wil Wheaton gets him! :D

Tuesday 5/14
Finished: nothing today
Made Progress On: The Android's Dream - 9:00 85% done, started Dead Waters and The Exile.
Comments: Scalzi is also a legal babble genius, and Wheaton can actually read that entertainingly, at least I think so!

Wednesday 5/15
Finished: The Android's Dream 10:34:22
Made Progress On: Started The Faceless Ones 2:03, Dead Waters 51 pages
Comments: How can you not love a sarcastic skeleton detective? But I need to find the rest of the series!  I seem to be spending more time listening than reading, but it's still a good time!

Thursday 5/16
Finished: nothing today
Made Progress On: The Faceless Ones 3:57, Dead Waters 98 pages, The Exile 3/4 finished
Comments: Feeling really good about my progress during this Bout of Books!

Friday 5/17
Finished: The Exile - Graphic Novel 224 pages
Made Progress On: The Faceless Ones 6:22, Dead Waters156 pages
Comments: In the home stretch!

Saturday 5/18
Finished: nothing today
Made Progress On: Dead Waters179 pages
Comments: Not much reading time today.

Sunday 5/19
Finished: The Faceless Ones 7:48:08
Made Progress On: Dead Waters 190 pages
Comments: Apparently I don't read much on the weekends!


 Running Totals
Time Listened: 18:22:30
Pages Read: 470 pages

Final comments:  So I didn't get too many real pages read, but over 18 hours of listening?!  I remember when I would take a month or so to listen to 1 audiobook!  I may catch up to my Audible account yet!  Thanks again to Amanda and Kelly for being such fantastic hostesses!  Can't wait for the next Bout-of-Books!

Random Reads: Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles

From Goodreads: Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota. Fearing her daughter might be next, single mom, Violet Parker, is desperate to find the monster behind the abductions. With her savings dwindling and just three weeks left to sell her first house or lose her Realtor job, Violet is ecstatic when a handsome jeweler hires her to sell his century-old, Victorian masterpiece, until she sees the dilapidated dwelling. Now, if she could just convince her only buyer to stop rejecting vintage homes as if they're haunted. Short on time and long on worry, she refuses to give up her dream of a fresh start in Deadwood. But with a malicious coworker trying to get her fired, a secret admirer sending her creepy messages, and a sexy stranger hiding skeletons in his closet, will Violet end up as one of Deadwood's dearly departed?

Nearly Departed in Deadwood is currently $.99 for Kindle at Amazon. I picked it up because I had gotten Optical Delusions in Deadwood and Dead Case in Deadwood as freebies (they are now at $2.99 and $3.99 respectively) but wanted to start at the beginning and didn't feel like $.99 was too much of a gamble, so that's why I'm including it in my "Random Reads" category. I read it recently because I'm hoping to visit this area during the summer and thought it would be fun to read a story set there.

I thought this was great! The characters are colorful and sometimes quirky, the story is interesting and keeps you guessing because all the suspects are behaving strangely, so I just couldn't decide for awhile who the baddie really was. There's a little bit of paranormal that figures into the climax, with a couple of hints at it before then. I expect we will be getting a little more of that as the series goes on, judging from what is revealed about one of the characters, but I don't want to give anything away. The covers are fun, I love the crossed out letters that change the title just a bit. I feel like this was a fantastic find that I made through the top 100 freebies on Amazon and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series!

Check out Ann Charles Website for more information!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

From Goodreads: Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind. But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico. Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried....

Lisa McMann has become my go to author for a Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-thon read. I had saved this one for the next Dewey's just this past April, and I wasn't disappointed. The print style and large spacing makes it easy to read, but the stories are far from simple, and they are enthralling, which is what makes them perfect for a read-a-thon. This story is so much more than the basic blurb above. Kendall's life is complicated by having OCD. She needs to have things just so, or be able to complete certain tasks in a certain way or she doesn't feel right. I disagree with the last statement of the blurb above because it makes it sound like the townspeople are working together to hide something, and I didn't really get that impression at all. There is an element of paranormal, and McMann is really good at striking that just right note of creepy and suspense that keeps you turning pages until you find out what's going on. The Dream Catcher trilogy, Wake, Fade and Gone were my first reads of this author, and still my favorite, but Cryer's Cross was a good stand alone that I highly recommend.

I've just picked up the Unwanteds, which is a little heftier than the others of hers I have read, but looks to be more in the fantasy genre. I absolutely love the cover of it!




Check out Lisa McMann's website for more information. I think the Visions trilogy and Dead to You both sound great!

The Next Always by Nora Roberts

From Goodreads: The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it’s getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. Beckett is the architect of the family, and his social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there’s another project he’s got his eye on: the girl he’s been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen. After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town’s bookstore. Busy, with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett’s transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look . . . at the building and the man behind it. With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett’s happy to give Clare a private tour - one room at a time. It’s no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something new - and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next . . .

This is my first Nora Roberts book, I know, hard to believe. It's possible I'm the last person on Earth that hasn't read one, and I guess I can't really say it's truly my first since I have listened to the first In Death book written under J. D. Robb. It is my first of her contemporary romance novels though. I loved it, pure and simple. It was just what I needed when I needed it, a sweet, fairly light palette-cleansing romance, after the intensity of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, with just a smidge of paranormal. The characters are easy to love and identify with and I loved the interactions between them all, especially Beckett and Clare's three boys. Man Night cracked me up. There is also some suspense to offset the sweetness of the romance, and the paranormal touch, while not central, is important. I definitely look forward to the rest of the trilogy and seeing Beckett's gruff brother Ryder fall in love!

Being one of the most prolific writers ever it seems, I'm sure you all would be able to find Nora, but just in case, here's her website. ;)

Almost time for Bout of Books 7.0!

Need to work on that TBR pile?  Here's just the thing, Bout of Books 7.0!

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, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th 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 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Come on and join us!  You know you want to... ;)