Saturday, October 18, 2014

Dewey's Readathon - 4PM update


Still reading the same book, but at least it is a good one!  I have 100 pages left, so hoping to have it done before my next update in 4 hours and maybe deep into my third book.

Book currently reading:
Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes

Books finished:
Killer WASPs by Amy Korman

Running total of pages read:  315

Running total of time spent reading:  6 hours



Dewey's Readathon - 12PM update



Had to take a few breaks for dogs and food prep - two crockpots going!  I am happy with my progress so far and am hoping to keep up this pace.

Book currently reading:
Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes

Books finished:
Killer WASPs by Amy Korman

Running total of pages read:  144

Running total of time spent reading:  3 hours

Dewey's Readathon - 8AM update


Here we are at the start!  I have a banana, PB2, vanilla yogurt shake in hand and my nook fully charged and my stack of books next to me in my library in my comfy chair.  I am excited to see how this day of reading will go.

I will be updating on this blog every four hours, but will be chatting it up on twitter @kdurham2 .  

Currently reading:  Killer WASPs by Amy Korman

I am reading from my chair in my home in Alexandria, VA.
I am looking forward to every book in the stack, only picked good ones!
At noon, I am putting baked potato soup in the crockpot, so going to get excited for dinner and maybe a late night bowl of it!
I will be reading along side two crazy pups today, one currently in my lap and one chasing a ball down the hallway!
I will definitely take naps this year, I crashed last year and missed out on the end.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Review: The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt

The Mason Jar
by James Russell Lingerfelt

Publisher: 
Pages: 
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised at the feet of his grandfather. He and his grandfather leave letters for each other in a Mason jar on his grandfather’s desk; letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton attends college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark, debutante, named Eden. However, when an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.

Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, while he and his grandfather continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken Mason jar.



Kritters Thoughts:  A sweet love story told through the eyes of a male who fell fast and hard for another college student and she leaves him with just a note and no communication for years.  This book is his recount of their story and a hope that maybe if she reads it she will remember their love and maybe they will find their ways back to themselves.

I loved the switch between Clayton's book The Mason Jar and then the moments from Eden's point of view, it was great to see the story from both sides and be "in the know."  I don't read many books from the male perspective, so that was a big selling point for this book for me.  I enjoy reading how a man is affected by a woman's decision and the life choices he makes because of the relationship ended abruptly.  

The one thing was the writing, at moments it was a little choppy and hard to follow.  I think the one thing I would say was a little bit of editing would have smoothed out the parts that seemed jerky.

If you are a reader who wants a love story, but needs something, this one is worth a try.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Litfuse Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Dewey's Read a Thon October 2014

It is the perfect timing for a read a thon!  I have quite the list of books that are on the TBR and I would love any excuse to curl up and read for 24 hours.  

I will start bright and early Saturday morning at 8am and will see how it all goes.  I will be on puppy duty and may have to take a break to spend time with the husband before he goes off to work, but going to try to do most of the 24 hours of reading.  


Any snack suggestions?



So here is the stack that I am going to try to accomplish this weekend:
Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes

Certainty by Victor Bevine
Last Train to Babylon by Charlee Fam
How to Bake a Man by Jessica Barksdale Inclan

Maybe a little ambitious with my schedule, but I think of it as having a few options!

I will only be updating here every four hours or so, so if you want the minute by minute details, check me out on Twitter - @kdurham2

Happy Thon Reading!

Review: Perfect Girl by Michele Gorman

Perfect Girl
by Michele Gorman

Publisher: Notting Hill Press
Pages: 
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Cinderella meets Falling Down in this wickedly funny tale about having it all

Carol is perfect… at least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality she’s sinking fast – her family treats her like their personal assistant and her boyfriend is so busy with work that he’s got her single-handedly running their relationship. Not that her job is any easier. As the only woman on the bank’s trading floor she spends twelve-hour days trying not to get sworn at or felt up by colleagues who put the "W" in banker.

How long can she go on pleasing everyone else before she snaps and loses it all?



Kritters Thoughts:  Michele Gorman is the queen of light hearted, yet thoughtful books with female main characters that are just awesome.  Carol is a daughter, sister, friend, girlfriend and co worker and in each of her roles she tries her darndest to do anything she can to make other's lives easier, even if it means giving of her own time and sanity.  From pre-selecting dates for her best friend to helping her sister plan her wedding, she does it all.  

From the beginning, I adored Carol and loved seeing how she tried every way possible to extend herself to help everyone in her life.  I don't claim to be the people pleaser that Carol is, but I did giggle at a few moments as I am the family researcher and probably tend to do things for others before I do my own list of things to do.  I appreciated that Gorman had the main character have a series of melt downs instead of a huge big blow up with everyone, it was person by person and felt more real and I loved it!

This is a great little novel to curl up with for an afternoon and chuckle at a character who is the people pleaser of people pleasers!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2014 Challenge:  57 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Notting Hill Press.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Review: Land of Dreams by Kate Kerrigan

Land of Dreams
by Kate Kerrigan

Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 336
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Set in 1940s Los Angeles, the compelling final installment in New York Times bestselling author Ellie Hogan’s sweeping immigrant trilogy begun in Ellis Island and City of Hope—a story of family, love, danger, and ambition in Hollywood during World War II.

Irish immigrant Ellie Hogan has finally achieved the American Dream. But her comfortable bohemian life on Fire Island, New York, is shattered when her eldest adopted son, Leo, runs away, lured by the promise of fortune and fame in Hollywood. Determined to keep her family intact, Ellie follows him west, uprooting her youngest son and long-time friend Bridie.

In Los Angeles, Ellie creates a fashionable new home among the city’s celebrities, artists, and movie moguls. She is also drawn into intense new friendships, including talented film composer Stan, a man far different from any she has ever met, and Suri, a beautiful Japanese woman and kindred spirit, who opens Ellie’s eyes to the injustices of her country.

While Leo is dazzled by Hollywood’s glitz, Ellie quickly sees that the golden glamour masks a world of vanity and greed. Though she tries to navigate them around the dangers of their new home, she will not be able protect them from an even more terrifying threat: war.


Kritters Thoughts:  Ellie Hogan has been living in America for quite some time and now she is a single mom of two boys and trying to raise them in the best way.  One of her boys has been thinking about a life in LA as an actor and decides to up and leave boarding school and head there on his own.  Ellie isn't happy with his decision and follows him there where they set up a home and help him follow this dream.

While the LA dream was the main storyline, I loved how the author weaved in other historical moments that were occurring at the same time and same place - the moments of Pearl Harbor and the effects from this time to the Japanese Americans.  I also loved the inclusion of the workings of early Hollywood and the invent of the actor's agent and how the studios were formed and their early workings.  

The one thing that I found super weird was the many mentions where Ellie had the money to live and not work.  I felt like as the reader I was reminded often as to where Ellie had acquired her money and why as a twice widowed woman she was able to live the way she did.  

The third in a series and unfortunately I hadn't read book one or two, but I felt like I could read this one on its own - it had enough content and thankfully the author provided a few moments of back story so I felt like I wasn't missing anything from the previous two.  My only debate is if I want to now go back and read book one or two, has anyone read book one or two?  

Rating: definitely a great read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Review: The Wonder by Colleen Oakes

The Wonder
by Colleen Oakes

Publisher: SparkPress
Pages: 238
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  An Exiled Princess.
An Ancient Tribe.
A Dangerous Stranger with Unknown Loyalties. 

Dinah, the former Princess of Wonderland Palace, has been chased into the wilds of Wonderland after the brutal murder of her brother and the ruin of her impending crown. Now, as her half-sister Vittiore sits on the throne beside her Father, the brutal King of Hearts, Dinah finds herself alone in the forbidding Twisted Wood with only Morte, a homicidal beast, for company. 

Hunted by the King and his army of Cards, Dinah struggles to evade those who long for her head, including Cheshire, the King’s clever advisor, who is slowly tightening his grasp around her. Spurred on by her rising terror, the former Princess finds herself at the center of a web of conspiracy reaching far beyond the Palace and deep into the mysterious Yurkei mountain tribes. 
Even with the balance of an entire Kingdom at stake, Dinah knows something that her allies and enemies do not: that the most dangerous conflict of all has already begun as she battles the enticing rage that beckons her ever closer as love slips further from her grasp.



Kritters Thoughts:  The second in a series that is the fairy tale for an older crowd who grew up listening to fairy tales at bedtime.  Before you read on, if you haven't read book one in this series, stop now and read the first one!

Now for the second book, Dinah is definitely in a darker place, outside of the palace and deep in the woods.  She is on the run from her father and trying to decide what she wants to do next.  I loved the dark tone and the character arch for her, if you didn't quite love her in the first book, stick with her because she definitely gained some credit from me in this book.

The darker tone, the new characters and the maturing of Dinah really made me fall more in love with this series and I can't wait for the next installment.  If you are a fan of Once Upon a Time, this series was written for you!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Ebook 2014 Challenge: 56 out of 100


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


Another crazy week at work and some evenings with plans, but a good weekend of reading finished off this week!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
The Wonder by Colleen Oakes
Land of Dreams by Kate Kerrigan
Perfect Girl by Michele Gorman
The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt

Currently Reading:
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

Next on the TBR pile:
Bird in Hand by Christina Baker Kline

Friday, October 10, 2014

Animal Welfare week

Pawlease help us celebrate Animal Welfare Week (October 5-11) and National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week (November 2-8) with DOGHOUSE and the Gin & Tonic Mystery Series by L.A. Kornetsky!

Praise for the third Gin & Tonic Mystery, Doghouse:
“Infamously nosy Ginny Mallard may be unlicensed as an investigator, but she has begun to make a name for herself as the unofficial champion of the tongue-tied.  In the third installment of L.A. Kornetsky’s Gin & Tonic Mystery series, Doghouse finds Ginny getting herself tied up in a possible underground dogfighting ring.  With help from her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, his tabby cat and Ginny’s Shar Pei puppy, they have to figure out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt.”
—Cat Fancy Magazine, November 2014 issue

“Human and animal characters are equally appealing.  A thoroughly enjoyable read.”  I Love a Mystery

Doghouse is a crafty mystery with engaging characters and countless unknowns…L.A. Kornetsky makes mysteries inventively delightful, and Doghouse entertains with wit and cleverness.”  Single Titles

“I recommend it to those that really like animals and cozy mysteries.”  Books and Things

“The third Gin & Tonic “researchtigations” is an appealing anthropomorphist amateur sleuth enhanced by life in a cheerful neighborhood bar. The lead humans and their animal owners remain fresh leads while the case proves bloody in the ring and the bar.”  The Mystery Gazette

“Sniffing out clues…L.A. Kornetsky brings back Ginny Mallard and her barLibrary Journal
tender friend Teddy Tonica, along with Ginny's pet shar-pei puppy and Teddy’s tabby cat, for their third outing in Doghouse.” 

Praise for the second Gin & Tonic Mystery, Fixed:
“[Fixed] is the second foray into the lives of a very unlikely pair of investigators; unlikely and a whole lot of fun…Collared was the first title that introduced this extremely fun ‘family and friends’ grouping, and the author has come back with a sequel that will truly make Gin & Tonic a well-known duo! Very light-hearted, this is a great book. Any reader who likes the ‘cozy’ avenue will love this mystery, with a little bit of cat and dog language thrown in for fun.”  Suspense Magazine

Praise for the first Gin & Tonic Mystery, Collared:
“The plot moves quickly, enhanced by smart dialog and good characterizations…Recommended for purchase where pet mysteries are popular.”  Library Journal

Summary of Doghouse:
Amateur sleuths Ginny Mallard and Teddy Tonica and their furry partners prove in L.A. Kornetsky’s DOGHOUSE (Pocket Books; July 22, 2014; $7.99) that twelve legs are better than four when it comes to solving a risky new case in the third novel from the “entertaining” (Library Journal) Gin & Tonic mystery series.  At her favorite Seattle bar, professional concierge Ginny Mallard can always count on a perfectly mixed gimlet and a friendly welcome for her shar-pei, Georgie, from resident cat, Penny.  On this visit, Ginny gets an unexpected bonus.  One of the regulars asks her and her sometime partner, bartender Teddy Tonica, to save an old friend who’s facing eviction.  This is no simple landlord spat.  Rumors abound of an underground dogfighting ring on the premises—a crime guaranteed to get Gin’s hackles up. Gin and Teddy want to believe the old man is innocent of all charges, thought a new piece of evidence suggests otherwise.  Penny and Georgie keep their noses to the ground as they help their humans investigate the vicious animal rights case.  But the truth is buried deep, and digging it up will unearth dangerous complications for owners and animals alike.

Author Guest Post:
I’m getting ready for a move, and part of that is decluttering.  Getting rid of things – objects, old paperwork – that I don’t need to haul with me any more.

But in a folder of otherwise no-longer-needed papers, there’s a sheet I’m keeping.  It’s from the ASPCA, and it documents my adoption of the kitten once known as Minna, who became my beloved Pandora, gone now a little over a year.

There’s no point to keeping the sheet of paper.  All it does is say that I paid x amount for a 4 month old female tiger kitten, spayed.  But throwing it out isn’t an option, either.  Because this was the first connection I had to Pandora, the first contract we made with each other: I would give her food, shelter, care, and a lap when she wanted it.  I would give her a home.  And in return, she gave me such love and companionship, letting her go at the end was no less a pain than losing a human friend.

I don’t have documentation from Indy-J, who was found on the street as a weeks-old kitten, and lived a long and adventurous life before cancer took her in 2000.  But Pandora’s adoption paper will go in the current file, along with the papers for  our current residents, Boomerang (aka Boomer you idiot), and Castiel the Kitten of Thursday (aka DamnitCas).

Because you keep the important moments, the documents that say “this is how you changed my life.”

(and some of you may note that I invite disaster in the renaming of my cats.  You would not be wrong.  But where’s the fun of living with Sir Napsalot?)

About the author:
L. A. Kornetsky is the author of two previous Gin & Tonic mysteries.  She lives in New York City with two cats and a time-share dog, and also writes fantasy under the name Laura Anne Gilman.  She welcomes visitors to www.lauraannegilman.net,@LAGilman and Facebook L-A-Kornetsky.


Thursday, October 9, 2014

Review: An Unseemly Wife by EB Moore

An Unseemly Wife
by EB Moore

Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  1867. Ruth Holtz has more blessings than she can count—a loving husband, an abundant farm, beautiful children, and the warm embrace of the Amish community. Then, the English arrive, spreading incredible stories of free land in the West and inspiring her husband to dream of a new life in Idaho.
 
Breaking the rules of their Order, Ruth’s husband packs up his pregnant wife and their four children and joins a wagon train heading west. Though Ruth is determined to keep separate from the English, as stricture demands, the harrowing journey soon compels her to accept help from two unlikely allies: Hortence, the preacher’s wife, and the tomboyish, teasing Sadie.
 
But as these new friendships lead to betrayal, what started as a quest for a brighter future ends with Ruth making unthinkable sacrifices, risking faith and family, and transforming into a woman she never imagined she’d become….



Kritters Thoughts:  Weird intro for a review - As a child who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, I learned to type in middle school and during typing class we played Oregon trail.  This book is a fictional tale - minus them headed to Idaho instead of Oregon!  

Ok, now that we have the weird intro out of the way, let me tell you what I thought about the book.  Ruth was a great character, although I couldn't imagine her devotion to her husband, but with the time and her religion, I grew to understand and appreciate her blind devotion to her husband's plan for the family.  The things she went through were beyond belief - no spoilers, but man oh man, this journey was far from easy.  

My one peeve with this book was the ending.  It was abrupt and frustrating, I wanted more!  It wasn't a cliff hanger, it just stopped and I don't want to use my imagination to come up with an ending, I wanted it to end.  

If you are a fan of very historical fiction and love a journey style book then this one is for you, but be forewarned of a very abrupt ending to the story.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Penguin Random House.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Review: The Unforgivable Fix by TE Woods

The Unforgivable Fix
by TE Woods

Publisher: Alibi
Pages: 
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  The killer won’t come for you, you fool. He’ll come for me.
 
Detective Mort Grant of the Seattle PD has finally decided to sell. The home where he and his late wife raised two kids feels too large and too full of old memories. His son is married and raising a family of his own, and despite desperate efforts to find her, Mort has lost touch with his wayward daughter. That is, until the day she walks back into her childhood home and begs for his help.
 
For the last four years, Allie Grant has been the lover—and confidante, confessor, and counselor—of one of the world’s most powerful and deadly men. But a sudden, rash move has put Allie in the crosshairs of a ruthless Russian crime lord. Mort knows of only one place where Allie will be safe: with The Fixer.
 
As a hired desperado, The Fixer has killed twenty-three people—and Mort was complicit in her escape from the law. She has built an impregnable house, stocked it with state-of-the-art gear, armed it to the teeth, and locked herself away from the world. But even The Fixer may not be able to get justice for Allie when real evil comes knocking.



Kritters Thoughts:  Book three in the series, if you haven't read book 1 or 2 you may want to stop here.  Yesterday I reviewed book 2 and although there are no spoilers, it is definitely worth it starting at the beginning.

Mort and Lydia are back and Lydia is trying to get back into the groove of her life both professionally and personally.  Mort thinks that he will have a quiet period on the job until his daughter arrives after being gone for 4 years.  She has had quite the 4 years and has ended up in the middle of something that may be hard to get out of, enough to go running home to get help.  

Again, I loved that there was a main storyline and other story lines that weaved in and out and in the end connected.  I was glad to see Mort and Lydia interact more in this book, I loved their interplay.  It was also interesting to see a different side of Mort by having his long lost daughter be a part of the main storyline - gave him some extra vulnerability that I loved reading.

Another great book in the series and I am hoping not the last time we hear from Mort and Lydia.  


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2014 Challenge: 55 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Monday, October 6, 2014

Review: The Red Hot Fix by TE Woods

The Red Hot Fix
by TE Woods

Publisher: Alibi
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What do you say, Morton Grant, Chief of Detectives? You got what it takes to find me? Show me a move. . . . Or I’ll have to show you one of mine.
 
A little more than a year after the Fixer killings, Detective Mort Grant of the Seattle P.D. once again has his hands full. In the last four months, seven men have been murdered in seedy pay-by-the-hour motels: first strangled, then tied with rope and set on a bed of crushed mothballs, with a red lipstick kiss planted on their foreheads. Speculation abounds that the killer is a prostitute who’s turning her tricks into dead men. The press has taken to calling her “Trixie.”
 
As Mort follows scant leads in the case, he can’t help but feel continued guilt over his involvement with the Fixer. Though the public holds her up as a folk hero, a vigilante who seeks justice when the system fails, Mort cannot shake the fact that serious crimes have been committed. And though legend says she has vanished, Mort knows exactly where the Fixer is—and he’s conspiring to keep her hidden.
 
As Trixie strikes again, Mort suddenly finds himself and his family in the crosshairs. Because these new murders are not random, and their perpetrator is hell-bent on luring Mort into a sick and twisted game. If he’s not careful, he’s going to need Fixing.



Kritters Thoughts:  Book two in a series or trilogy and before you read this review, you are going to want to read book one!

Now that that is out of the way, if you are a fan of the mystery genre, you should absolutely read these books.  Not only is there a main story line with a who dun it, there are fantastic underlying story lines that weave in and out.  The main story in this book is a lady of the night who is taking out clients and Mort must find out who this lady is.  Lydia is back in this book and has an investigation of her own that smartly ties into Mort's case.  

With great characters and fantastic action, TE Woods writes a great thriller that a reader of the genre will find fresh and new.  I absolutely loved the inclusion of little parts that were from the mouth of "Trixie" - it may be weird, but it is fun to hear from the mouth of the culprit.  

Again, I would start at the beginning, but this is a great sequel.


Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2014 Challenge: 54 out of 100

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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