Filling My Kindle (E-Book Addict)

I always tell you about all of the amazing books that I add to my kindle thanks to NetGalley and Edelweiss but I usually neglect to share about all of the other books that I add.  Let's be real here, you have probably guessed that if I have no control on those sites then I probably have no self control when it comes to books in general.  WRONG!  (Ha ha....just kidding!)  You would actually be right and it is so very true that I add new books to my kindle at an alarming rate.  It isn't my fault that I can't resist when a book is priced at such a great rate and has been on my TBR list just calling to me.  Don't ask my husband though if he agrees with me on this either.  LOL!  Here are some of the freebies and books that I have bought for myself recently thanks to my inability to say no:

Sigh!  How could I possibly resist any of these?  Just having them on my kindle makes me happy so obviously I made some good decisions.  But which of these to read first?  That is the real question.  Tell me:  do you add books to your e-reader with as much ease as I seem to?  What books have you gotten recently?  Do share!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (March 16th)

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week.  It's a great post to organise yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog   and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!"

It has been way too long since I have participated in this meme!  Work has been extremely busy (currently we are in mandatory overtime until the end of the month) and I've been using up all of pre-scheduled posts because of it.  I am so thankful that I work from home now though as it makes the long hours that much more manageable.  We have had spring weather this week as well (sunshine and rain - two of my favorite things) which makes everything better!  Not much else to report though as life is just busy, busy.  I was thinking about doing a reading update that would catch me up since my last update but that is too overwhelming to think about.  Here, instead, is what I finished last week:

Such a great week of reading!  This is basically what happens when I am stressed with life- I throw myself into the books that I am reading.  This is what relaxes me like nothing else so a busy work week meant lots of reading time in the evenings (or whenever I could fit it in).  My thoughts will be posted on Cinco de Mayhem later this week and reviews for other two will be coming in the near future.  All three were great in their own ways and I can easily recommend!

I am currently reading the following books:

I don't usually read two books but I've decided to try it.  One nonfiction to meet my goal of actually reading some of the nonfiction on my TBR list.  This is off of my own shelves thanks to my sister.  Rage Against the Dying is a library book that I've been meaning to try for some time now.  Last year Fear the Darkness (the second book in this series) was on my top reads of the year list so it is time to finally read book one.  I have very high hopes and am excited to begin reading it.  I actually haven't started either of these books quite yet.

New Arrivals:

   
Let's just ignore my lack of self control (yet again) and enjoy those beautiful covers, shall we?  I won't apologize for wanting to read all of these because they all sound SO good!  I have lots of great reading ahead of me and that is all that matters!

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!  

The Sunday Salon #21 (Read-a-thon Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"
 
This week has been a busy one but that was to be expected.  Life has gotten back into the normal routine.  Kids are back to school, work is work, and daily homework help each night has begun again.  I'm not complaining though as I enjoy the fact that everything is settling back down.  The weather has gotten colder and there is nothing better than curling up with a good book whenever I can find the time.

This week was the Bout-of-Books read-a-thon which is always a fun experience.  I did really great with it and managed to read two books for the read-a-thon.  This means I've read three books already in 2016.  Who is this girl?  LOL!  I attribute all of this reading to really great books and the need not to move from under a warm blanket.  I've also jumped back into the fitness/exercise thing with two feet.  I was mostly successful so I'm happy but I'm hoping to work even harder this week at it.  My biggest struggle is finding the time to workout before dinner because I'm useless afterwards (and it just won't happen).  I'm going to work this week on working out directly after getting off of work- no excuses!  Enough rambles out of me though, here are the books that I have finished so far in 2016:

Snow Angels by James Thompson - A thrilling read that was just meant to be read on a cold winter evening.  This book was darker than I expected but really it was a book that I just couldn't set down.  A really great start to my reading year! 

City of Light by Keri Arthur - Gah!  This book was so, so good and left me pining for the second book (which doesn't release until late this year).  A really great start to this new series and one that I will be immediately continuing on with...as soon as I get my hands on book two that is.  Loved it!

Beside Myself by Ann Morgan - This book- I don't even know what to say about it.  It was dark, haunting, and one of those books that just took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions.  I read this book for a TLC book tour (my stop is early next month) and I cannot wait to see other readers' thoughts on it.  It is one of those books that I really want to discuss.

Whew!  My reading year really has started off with a bang thanks to these three books.  I'm now currently reading the following book:

I haven't gotten very far into this one but I have high hopes for it.  It sounds really great and I just love a good romantic suspense!  I'm doing really great so far with reading the books that I picked out for January.  It has also helped narrow down my options a bit making it easier to decide on my next book.  I'm not going to lie- I still struggle a bit but that is because I can just be so indecisive.  LOL!

#Fit Readers Update- I'm on day eight of the 30 Day Shred video.  I've skipped two days which I wasn't happy about but obviously I was lacking the motivation.  I will be moving on to workout two this week which is going to make me work even harder.  I've also managed to get two runs in - both a little over a mile long.  Not great but if you understood how much I hate running on the treadmill then it would make more sense why I view this as an accomplishment.  I need to start working on two mile runs though if I want to hit my goal of 30 miles in January.  I've got lots of plans for this upcoming week apparently :)

New Books:

I've failed.  I couldn't stay off of NetGalley and have downloaded some new books this week.  In my defense I had ALREADY requested them before my ban (but then I may or may not have requested a few more).  It is a sickness I tell you.  LOL!  Here are the books that I added to my e-reader this week:

There were actually a couple of more but I will save them for next week's post.  Plans for today include a workout and laundry.  A little bit of cleaning and prepping for the upcoming week.  My normal Sunday plans.  We will be watching football and I will be working on getting some reviews written up.  I'm also hoping on visiting and catching up on all of the comments that have been left here lately.  I've been awful when it comes to responding- this is something that I would like to work on in 2016.  And a little bit of reading of course.  The read-a-thon might be officially over but I can still read like it isn't!  I'm off to get this day started.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #17 (Bookish Podcasts Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Good morning everyone!  It continues to be quieter than usual on the blogging front but I am hoping to change that this week.  Also, I sometimes feel like I'm a broken record here.  How many times can I tell you how busy I've been without starting to annoy myself?  Apparently I have hit the limit so time to start carving out some extra blogging time no matter what.  Good intentions and all!

In other news, how many of you listen to bookish podcasts?  I've been dipping my toes into them for awhile now but I've only found a couple so far.  My current favorite is the Dear Bitches, Smart Authors podcast which I have started listening to while I clean and do laundry.  This is a podcast that focuses on all of romance in all of its' genres and I am loving it!  I've found that I need to keep a pen and paper handy so that I can jot down titles and authors to check out.  I've started at the beginning (I think I'm only on episode 17 or something) and there hasn't been one yet where I didn't add something to my TBR list.  While I am absolutely loving finding all of these new to me authors, I must admit that I wish there was something out there just like this that focused on mysteries and thrillers.  So that is where you guys come in: has anyone found a great podcast that focuses on crime authors or the mystery/suspense genre?  I'm also open to any other suggestions you have for great bookish podcasts so share those as well if you like!

In bookish news, my reading has slowed down a bit as of late.  I only finished one book last week but it was a good one so that always makes it better.  I'm in the midst of some good reads though which makes me hopeful that this week will be better.  I've finished at least four books since my last reading update but as I'm feeling lazy this morning I think I will just share this past week's reading update.

Last week I finished the following:

I'm posting my thoughts on this one tomorrow as part of a blog tour.  You'll have to stop by then to hear my thoughts on it.  I am now currently reading the following:

I'm actually reading both of these on my kindle which is unusual as I try to have one print book and one kindle book going at all times.  I've just begun both of them so I will have to let you know more of my thoughts on them next week.  Both will also count towards the #COYER Summer challenge that I am participating in so that is good!

New Arrivals:

Plenty of good reading ahead of me if I do say so myself!!  Plans for today include a workout (or run), loads of laundry, and general household cleaning.  Quality time listening to another episode of the podcast!  I will also be around later to blog/comment/read.  If you have any bookish podcast suggestions for me, I would love if you leave them in the comments.  Have a great week everyone!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post (Time....I Have None Edition)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Well.....that was another unintended week long blogging break.  When I said that sports season was going to be crazy I thought I was prepared.  How wrong I was!  It turns out that baseball (and even coach pitch softball) is much more intense when it comes to number of practices and length of time practicing.  Basically what it comes down to is I have three kids in five separate activities which equals one day of the week with nothing going on.  Sundays.  How I love Sundays at this point!  I cannot complain too much though as it is an absolute blast watching them all play.  My kids are loving every minute of it and to be honest so am I.  Even on the days when I get absolutely the bare minimum done around the house and fall into bed completely exhausted feel well worth it.  Blogging has taken a pretty big hit though especially when it comes to commenting/visiting all of your own blogs.  For that I am sorry and I will work on making more of an effort in the near future.  Everything else will come with time and if my blog goes quiet here and there....well, then that is just what will have to happen.  No worries, I have plenty of books to talk about for the times when I can sit down in front of a computer and blog.

April has been another solid month of reading for me so far as I've already finished four books.  Not as good as last month but a good start so I am happy.  I've got lots of books that I'm hoping to read in the upcoming weeks so just maybe April will see me finishing a lot of great books as well.  Especially since next week is the 24 hour read-a-thon.  I'm signed up to participate as a cheerleader as usual but I will try to fit some extra reading time in if I can.  Lots of fun times ahead!  Anyways, here are the books that I have finished so far in April:

The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths was just as good as the first book and I loved every page of it!  There are so many great things about this series (and I'm only on book two) but really the main character Ruth Galloway is why I love these books so much.  She is so completely different from your normal female lead character and I can't help but love her because of it.  I already have the next book waiting on my kindle!

Black Wings by Christina Henry was an intense beginning to this new to me urban fantasy series.  I'm so happy that I finally pulled this one off of my own shelves and read it.  As I am very eager to see what happens next I will be continuing on with book two soon.  Double yay for reading one of my own books!

A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton was deliciously unputdownable (which is a word in my book) and just as thrilling as I had hoped.  Hands down this is a series that is not to be missed and I cannot even begin to express how much I love these books!  This one will easily make my top reads list this year and I'm pretty sure that I have yet to rate one of her books less than five stars on Goodreads.

Running Fire by Lindsay McKenna is for an upcoming blog tour and I will actually be posting my thoughts on it on the 27th.  This was a good read but not great for me as I just didn't quite connect like I had hoped.  I'm still planning on reading more by this author in the future so not a bad read whatsoever but just good overall.

I'm now currently reading the following:

This is a rarity but I currently only have this book on the go and I am reading it on my kindle.  I am participating in a blog tour for the final book in this series in a couple weeks so I decided to start at the beginning with this series.  I'm definitely intrigued so far and eager to get back to reading!  I don't have a print book on the go as I can't seem to decide which one to read next.  So many choices and I can't seem to make a decision.  Don't you hate when that happens???  LOL!

New Additions:

Sorry for the low quality pictures but I bet you can already tell that I am beyond thrilled with all of these.  The top picture features review books that I received thanks to two wonderful publishers.  I am 99% certain that my next print read will be one of these.  And the second picture shows my contest win thanks to the lovely Lisa at Lisa Loves Literature.  She also sent some other bookish swag that I couldn't help but adore.  This is a bit late but I wanted to make sure and share my thanks!  I've also received my own fair share of e-books but that is for another post as this one is getting long enough.

Plans for today include tackling my enormous piles of laundry.  Also, hopefully lots of blog commenting and review writing in my future.  These are my plans at least.  As we will be having family over for part of the day and are planning on grilling out I'm not sure how much of this will actually happen.  I will be by at some point this week though as I am really going to focus on blog visiting this week.  Now I'm off to clean house and drink more coffee!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!!!

The Sunday Post #3 (A Reading Update)

"The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme"

Oops!  Yet another week long blog break for absolutely no other reason than lack of time/motivation.  I really hate when you are feeling motivated to blog but then are too overwhelmed by all that you want to do....it usually means a week of no posts like last week :)  Oh well, it is what it is....right?  I'm actually working on this post relatively early for me (Saturday afternoon) with the hopes that I can get posts scheduled for this entire week.  Maybe getting ahead will allow for me to lessen the blogging silence I keep going into.

This week was another busy one but with a light at the end of the tunnel.  Soccer and football season for the kiddos ends after this coming week.  And while I'm going to miss the games and cheering my kids on, I'm looking forward to more relaxed evenings during the week.  Maybe more sleep?  A girl can hope!  I've been reading up a storm since I last shared a reading update with you so I better quit rambling and talk books.

I have recently finished the following books:

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson- Creepy little book that begs to be reread at some point.  I am so glad that I finally knocked this one off of my R.I.P. reading list as it has been there for years.  I've got more questions than answers and am looking forward to seeing what everyone else thought who participated in the read-a-long.  (Yes, I know that I'm a bit late :) As usual.)

Bound by Night by Larissa Ione- Loved this one and am now kicking myself for waiting so long to try this author!  I really wasn't sure how the relationship between hero/heroine was going to work out due to their past but the author did a great job of making it work.  I was rooting for these two!  And am so ready to get started on the second book in this series!

All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie- Second in a long standing mystery series that I just started this year.  Oh my goodness, but I am such a huge fan already!  I really need to share my thoughts on book one so I might just do a double review to catch up.  I flew through the pages and was sad to see it end.  Crombie has created two detectives that I just cannot get enough of...I have lots to look forward to with this series!

Witness in Death by J.D. Robb (reread)- I started rereading this huge series by listening to them in audio format.  And then I became so hooked that I've been grabbing the print copies from the library every time I finished one.  I love these earlier books just because I am getting the chance to re-experience all of their connections/relationships all over again.  Such fun and a great reminder why I love this series so much!

I'm currently reading the following books:

I've just barely dipped into both of these books but I have high hopes for them both.  Fingersmith is for a read-a-long so I need to get my butt in gear with it.  Better Homes and Hauntings just looks like a fun read and perfect for this time of year.  Like I said, I'm excited!  I'm also still working on Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss which I read in spurts here or there.  I'm doubtful that I will finish before it is due back at the library but you never know!  I will just check it out again otherwise.  Also still working on A Penny For the Hangman by Tom Savage which I missed yet another tour date for.  Ugh!  I actually might put this one aside for now and come back to it at a later date.  I haven't quite decided.  I'm just now really feeling it at this point so we will see.

New Arrivals:

 

Thanks to the publishers I have some amazing books to look forward to!  I swear I was just commenting on a review (but whose I can't remember) for The Paris Winter saying that I was wanting to read it.  Color me thrilled when a few days later it showed up on my door!  Die I Will Not is a historical mystery (I believe) that sounds right up my alley!  And Asylum City is for a blog tour coming up in the next couple of months.  Yay for lots of great reading to look forward to!

Plans for this Sunday include the usual:  laundry and football.  I'm hoping to stay focused and write up lots of posts for next week.  Maybe fit in some commenting here and there?  You never know what I can accomplish when I put my mind to it :)  I will definitely be around visiting some of you! 

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!