The Sunday Post #64 (Is This Thing On? 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"

It has been a bit since my last post!  I unintentionally took a blogging break for the entirety of September.  This year has just been so unexpected in so many ways.  School started back up for my kids - all three were signed up to do the hybrid process which is a mixture of in class and remote learning.  My youngest two kiddos made it three days in person (so like a week and a half total) before the school moved to online only.  My oldest is a senior this year and has been doing doing his school's version of the hybrid school year the entire time.  I'm SO thankful that I already worked from home, that my kids are old enough that they don't need my constant help and attention because wow.....I feel for the parents where this isn't the case.  And still my time has been taken up with helping with schoolwork and assisting with technical issues when needed.  Something had to give and both blogging and reading took the hit.  I managed to read three books in total in September.  Definitely not my best month numbers wise.  There were some positives in there of course too but I think that mostly explains why I've been so absent here.  Honestly, it remains to be seen how much free time I will have but I'm really focusing on getting in more reading time this month because I NEED it!  Reading is a stress reliever for me - in October I'm hoping to prioritize reading a lot more (and scrolling on my phone a lot less).

That was a long winded explanation to why I haven't been blogging but I was reading some really great things in August before I hit my slump.  I have some really great books I want to share my thoughts on with all of you.  And prior to all of this, I was doing decent at just keeping up with reviews so that is something that I would like to work on catching back up on.  I'm currently in the midst of reading two books:

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howell Hall is my current print read.  Last year I read and loved her book They All Fall Down which if you haven't read yet - I definitely recommend!  This is her newest release and so far I'm intrigued.  Nothing seems to be what it seems and I'm HERE for it.  On my e-reader, I've just begun reading Love is a Rogue by Lenora Bell.  I haven't read a historical romance in forever it feels like, I saw an amazing review for this one on Instagram, and it releases later this month so I just knew that I needed to give this one a go.  It will be the perfect break from all of the scary, dark, thrilling reads that I'm hoping to get to in October.  My library stack is absolutely overflowing with books perfect for fall reading!  

I may still be a sporadic blogger these next few weeks but I am really looking forward to getting back into the swing of blogging on a regular basis again.  I'm hoping to get a few reviews scheduled and then I can work on additional content once I've played catch-up a bit.  Tell me in the comments what book or books that you've been loving lately!  Not that I need to add to my TBR list any more than I already have but....that's just what I do.  Read and add more books than I can possibly read to my never-ending TBR list!

Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #60 (Reading Rambles 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"

Happy Sunday readers!  I took a much needed blogging break (and even a bit of a bookstagramming break off and on) this past month.  Yesterday I started scheduling out posts for the new year though with two reviews written and scheduled.  I'm pretty impressed with myself on that one LOL!  I have lots of goals and reading plans for my 2020 reading year but I'm going to save that for another post.  I do hope to blog more consistently in the new year which means I need to get back in the habit of blogging and writing up posts on a more regular basis.  And scheduling out reviews because let's face it - they don't get done otherwise.

What else is new around here?  I signed up for Kindle Unlimited recently - honestly I'll probably only keep it for the three months where it is .99 rather than $9.99.  I mean I already have a ridiculous number of books on my e-reader so I can't see keeping this for longer than that.  I'm just excited to use this to read some books that are on my TBR list that I can't get from my library system.  I'm looking for authors to check out though so if you have any suggestions for me, definitely leave them in the comments.  I also put the call out on Twitter and Bookstagram in the hopes of getting some great suggestions.

In reading news, I'm currently reading the following books:

Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison is my current e-book read thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  I'm reading this one as part of a blog tour set up by the publisher.  I'm only about 40% in so far but I'm enjoying it.  I think that I'm going to really focus on this one and hopefully it will end up being my last read of the new year.

Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis is a review copy courtesy of the publisher and my current print read.  I've only just started this one but am already really enjoying it.  You know a book is going to be good when you find yourself grinning at it while reading and laughing out loud.  There is a very good chance that this one is going to roll over into the new year but I'm okay with that!

My plans for today are the usual for Sundays and that means laundry, laundry, laundry.  I would love to get another review written up and scheduled.  It's also the last Bears game of the season so I will be curled up watching that while also reading my book.  I am also hoping to get started on my top reads list for the new year because it's about that time!  (Side note: who else LOVES this time of year with all of the best of lists - my library holds list would be 100% full if I wasn't working my hardest at self control!)

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #58 (Fall Reading 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"

Happy Sunday everyone!  Fall weather has hit here and I'm enjoying every minute of it.  I'm actually typing this up on Saturday afternoon with the windows open, a blanket covering me to keep the chill off, and the sound of rain which is the absolute icing on the cake.  This is my absolute favorite time of the year for a reason.  I am one of those rare birds that enjoys all four seasons (yes, even the snow and cold) but fall has always been my favorite.

I haven't finished a single book this week.  I'm in the middle of four books currently which is absolutely unheard of for me.  In reality that looks like me with bookmarks in three books and actually reading the fourth one on a continual basis.  I always want to read all of the books, but lately I REALLY WANT TO READ ALL OF THE BOOKS!  It's kind of affecting my focus because it just feels like I want to read everything and right this second.  So basically that seems to have led to me starting multiple things and finishing none of them this week.  I need to do better next week!  When I get like this, I usually try to slow down reading which seems like the opposite of what one would want to do.  But I don't want to race through books....so I'm really working on just enjoying that one book that I'm focusing on and then I can do the same thing with one of the other books I have currently going.  That's the plan anyways!

I've also been very blessed this week with book mail thanks to publishers.  I've gotten out of the habit of sharing about the books I receive for review on here but I would like to change that.  I'm hoping that by sharing it will also keep me accountable to share my thoughts on these books after finishing.  I can always use the gentle push especially when it comes to writing up my thoughts.  With that being said, I'm planning on sharing my thoughts on at least two books this week (not in this pile) that I received for review but haven't yet shared my thoughts on.  Maybe three if I'm feeling extra motivated (I'm woefully behind on reviews in general).  Anyways, these books all hit my mailbox this week so hence one of the reasons why I'm feeling the need to read ALL of the books.  Let's move on though to what I'm currently reading.

I currently have bookmarks in the following books:

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller is the book I'm really actually reading.  It is absolutely delightful!  I'm just a little over halfway through this one (I'm reading it on my e-reader) and you guys I swear I'm reading it with a smile on my face half of the time.  If you enjoyed A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn, then I really think that you will enjoy this one as well.  I haven't seen this one much on bookstagram yet which is just a shame because it really is a delight so far!

Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard is a print copy of a book that is due to release in December if I'm correct.  The ONLY reason that I'm not reading this one right this second is because of the above book and it will be what I'm diving into exclusively next if I'm honest.  I'm such a sucker for women detective fiction so this is kind of already my jam.

Death Masks by Jim Butcher should really need no explanation.  I NEEDED some Harry Dresden in my life and purposefully read the first few pages so that it wouldn't end up going back to the library unread.  It has been at least a year since I read the fourth book in this series so it is definitely time to dive back into Harry's world!

After the Flood by Kassandra Montag has been all over the bookstagram world lately so of course I requested it from the library.  I probably wouldn't have started this one but another bookstagrammer was reading it and I decided to just add one more to the pile and read it with her.  It's actually due back to the library soon though so if I can't renew I will just let it go back and get to it another time.

Whew!  That's a lot.  Plans for Sunday include laundry and reading.  The Walking Dead returns this weekend which I'm pretty pumped about.  We will be watching football and just basically being as lazy as possible while also preparing for the upcoming week.  That's my plan anyways - we will see what actually happens!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 29th)

"It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are 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 your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date."

Happy Monday everyone!  It has been a very busy summer which means I've been much quieter on the blog than I would have liked.  I would like to say that's going to change but honestly some years are just like this.  We will have to see as the upcoming school year is coming at a very rapid rate.  This means we have coming up physicals, school supply shopping, and school registrations just to name a few.  It's a busy time of the year but really when isn't it?  Softball and baseball season are officially over but we are now gearing up for tryouts for next year.  My son's is over already (he made the same team again) but my daughter's is in another week.  On top of that, football season is really gearing up which is exciting.  I love this time of year though because it means fall is just around the corner!  I've had a pretty good month of reading in July - I've already finished six books.  Five or six books seems to be my average for this year when I was looking at my reading dates on Goodreads.  This meant that I was perpetually behind on my Goodreads goal of reading 80 books this year - I went ahead and dropped that number down to 60 which seems much more doable.  I've read 80 books in a year before but this year most likely wasn't going to be that year with my current reading pace.  Not much else new going on - still working lots of hours at work and still completely behind on book reviews.

My reading updates have been too irregular to be able to really share everything that I've read since my last reading update.  Instead, these are the books that I finished this past week:

Three Strikes by Kate Kessler is the third book in her Audrey Harte mystery series.  I loved the beginning two books in this series but didn't enjoy this one quite as much.  It was still a really good read but not a five star read like the previous two had been.  I'll share my full thoughts eventually but suffice it to say that you would really want to read this series in order so start with book one if at all possible.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin is a book that I read for an upcoming blog tour so I will be sharing my full thoughts then.  I will say that I really enjoyed my time with this book despite a lack of likable characters.  It was a compelling read and I'll be watching to see what this author comes up with next!

I'm currently reading the following books:

I haven't yet started The Cutting Room by Ashley Dyer is going to be my next print read.  I haven't yet started it yet as I just finished The Escape Room earlier this morning (I'm writing this on Sunday).  Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks is my current book on my e-reader that I'm reading as part of NetGalley's reviewathon.  I am always so hopelessly behind on my NetGalley review copies so I'm trying to use this #reviewathon as the extra push that I need to clear some of them out.  This book published back in January so that should show you how behind I really am (and how much I need this challenge).

I would love to finish both of these this week but we will see as we have a lot going on.  I'm going to really focus on getting some more reviews written though because I hate being this far behind.  Tell me what books you have been reading and loving lately!

Happy Monday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #56 (Catch-Up 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!  Happy Mother's Day to those who are mothers in whatever form that takes.  If you haven't noticed I've been hitting you guys with lots of reviews (for me at least) this week.  I didn't realize how far behind I was starting to get so I'm working on catching up with reviews.  I'm hoping to post at least two more this week.  May has started off as a strong reading month for me.  I've finished three books already which I feel like is better than previous months so far this year.  Hopefully I can keep up the reading pace!

Life has been pretty busy otherwise.  We are at either a baseball or softball tournament every weekend (or both more often than not).  During the week there are practices and league games as well as a multitude of other things.  Thankfully, we are getting down to the end of the school year.  My kids are more than ready to be done with school and for summer break to begin.  I'm just enjoying it all because it always goes by so fast.  Not much else new otherwise.  I'm just going to share the books I've finished in May since it has been awhile since my last reading update.  I've actually been pretty spotty on my posting this year - if you want to hear my thoughts on books more consistently check out my Instagram account (@samsbooks1020).  I am on there more often talking books then anywhere else.

In May I have finished the following books:

Only Ever Her by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen was such an enjoyable read - I actually posted my thoughts on this one earlier this week.  Check them out here if you are interested.  I'm really looking forward to checking out more by this author as I enjoyed this one so much.

The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman was another really great read.  I plan on posting my thoughts on this one later this week.  It was the perfect reminder of why I enjoy Goodman's books so much. I really need to catch up with the rest of her backlist!  She has such a way with creating these suspenseful and tense books that I can't get enough of.

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse is a book that I just finished last night between innings during my daughter's softball game.  It was really good and left me very excited to read the next book in the series which just recently released.  I hope that we will continue to learn more details about this new world as the series goes on.  I really enjoyed it and will be sharing my full thoughts on this one as well in the near future.

I'm now currently reading the following books:

Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne is my current read on my e-reader.  I'm reading it as part of a blog tour later this month.  I'm enjoying it so far and am about 29% into it so hopefully I will get some quality reading time with it this week.  In print I'm getting ready to begin reading The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair.  This is the beginning to a new historical mystery series that releases next month.  I've been in the mood for a historical mystery so I'm planning on diving into this one later this afternoon.

Plans for today are pretty much nothing besides relaxing and enjoying a quiet Sunday.  My husband is cooking an early lunch/late breakfast for me and then I may roll my lazy self out of bed.  Or not - it has been such a busy few weeks that I may just sit here all day.  LOL!  I would love to get a few of those reviews I've been talking about written.  And maybe a load of laundry or two if I'm motivated at all.  The kids do need clean clothes this week at some point.  Ha!  I hope that you all have a wonderful, relaxing day as well.  Take care of yourself in whatever form or shape that takes!!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post #49 (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"

Wow!  It has been a few weeks since I last had the chance to post or share my thoughts on any books with you all.  Life happens, it's summer time - that should really tell you all you need to know.  LOL!  We've been busy and on the go almost nonstop these  past couple of months which is the last time I did a post like this.  The spring/summer baseball and softball seasons have just recently ended which means life is starting to slow down just a bit.  It won't be lasting very long but I for one am fully appreciating a clean house.  So much falls to the wayside when you are at a softball tournament every weekend or a game/practice most nights of the week.  It makes me tired just thinking about it but we survived and a great time was had by all!

Currently my oldest is in full football swing getting ready for the upcoming season which is exciting as I always look forward to watching him play.  My youngest two both have travel tryouts coming up so they are practicing and getting ready for that.  We will have a few weeks break and then things will start to pick up again which means I need to appreciate my nights home with no plans as much as possible.  I HAVE been reading although of course my reading pace has dropped considerably these past couple of months.  I'm still four books ahead on my Goodread's reading challenge so let's count that as a win.  I'm not going to even attempt to do a reading update for all of the books I've finished since my last post like this.  I do plan on writing up reviews though on all of the books I've finished and haven't yet shared my thoughts on.  It is going to take me a bit thought to catch up as I'm probably close to ten books or so behind.  I'm going to work on trying to get ahead and get some posts scheduled so that I won't have two week blogging breaks like I have been doing.  Let's move on though to the books!

Last book I finished reading was:

I've actually got my thoughts on this one written up so watch for my review on Tuesday of this week. I really enjoyed it!

Currently reading:

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty is the book I'm mostly turning to at this point.  I started this one and was immediately sucked in.  I'm not quite at a hundred pages yet but I'm really eager to relax and curl up with this book for some quality reading time soon!  The Paris Wedding by Charlotte Nash is a review copy and one that I'm on the fence on.  I haven't quite connected with this book yet even though I'm a little over halfway through it.  Some parts I enjoy and other parts not as much.  I'm trying to decide if I'm going to stick it out and see how it all ends or just move on to something else.  Has anyone else read this one?  Have an opinion to share on it?

Plans for today include lots of yard work.  So many nights at the softball and baseball fields have meant that my yard has suffered.  My husband and I plan to really dig into working and getting our yard back into shape.  I'm hoping that we also get the chance to grill out for the first time this summer.  Sad but true.  I also need to work on catch up with my never-ending laundry piles that are beyond ridiculous at this point.  Other than that, I'm hoping for a quiet day with some reading time squeezed in.  It sure is nice to be back though and chatting with all of you!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Reading Plans 2018 (Bout of Books, 2018 Reading, and Winter's Respite)

The next Bout of Books read-a-thon is coming up and I'm super excited to join in on the fun.  I think that I've participated in this read-a-thon the last three years in a row at least.  It is always a good way to get my reading started off right in the new year!  If you haven't yet had the chance to participate in Bout of Books before now, here are the rules:

 "The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team"

I would love to finish at least two books for this challenge.  Since I'm writing this post a bit earlier than usual, I'm not really for sure what I plan on reading yet.  These two are definite possibilities though as I'm hoping to read both of them this month:

It will all depend on what I actually finish reading this first week of the new year - I'll post updates on Litsy and Twitter of what books I actually end up reading during this read-a-thon.  I'm really looking forward to it though and cannot wait to begin!

I've previously talked about my TBR challenge that I'm doing in 2018 which is a personal challenge.  I'm also planning on a 2018 releases challenge (which will also be personal).  The plan is I have a list of 30 books being published in 2018 that I want to read.  For every book that I read off of this list, I'll add a new release in it's place.  Participating in both of these personal challenges will help to give my 2018 reading a variety of backlist reads along with new releases.  The best of both worlds if I do say so myself!  I will also be creating a page to list out all of my 2018 releases that I'm wanting to read if you are interested.

The final change to my 2018 reading that I'm hoping to put into place is really stretching my reading limits.  I read a TON of mysteries and thrillers last year.  I would say that the majority of the books that I read were books that were part of a series.  I'm fine with both of those things alone but I also really want to stretch myself as a reader.  I want to expand my reading horizons and that means trying new things.  It means reading more nonfiction (in 2017 I finished 3 nonfiction reads which is a pretty low number; but also a really great number for me considering there were many years where I didn't read any nonfiction books).  It also means participating in read-alongs, focusing on reading books featuring diverse characters or written by diverse authors, and just picking up books that I normally might not.  Reading different genres is also something that I want to do more of!  In the spirit of all of this, I have signed up for a read-along of the following book on Litsy:

I know absolutely nothing about this book other than it was one of the choices for the Book of the Month club.  I went ahead and put it on hold at the library anyways because this is the year where I'm going to try something different.  And for me, this is definitely outside of what I would normally read.  I'll keep you updated with the different books that I read but I'm hoping to become a much more well-rounded reader in 2018!

Finally, I'm also signing up to participate in the Winter's Respite read-a-thon which goes through the entire month of January.  There are no rules to participating besides read, read, read.  I'm planning on using this read-a-thon to help me get some quality reading done in January while also making progress on the #COYER Winter Switch challenge that I'm participating in.  I'm really hoping that month long read-a-thon will start my 2018 reading year off on the right foot with tons of great books!

Enough rambling, I'm off to get some quality reading done but let me know what your reading plans/goals are for 2018!

March Reading Plans (2017 Edition)

Hello!  It feels like it has been awhile when maybe it really hasn't?  I've had posts scheduled so my blog hasn't been silent but I haven't actually written any posts up in a couple of weeks almost.  Responding to comments?  Nope.  What happened you might wonder?  Well, first we went out of town for the weekend with the kiddos so that was a lot of fun.  We came back though to a week of the flu- it was one kid after the other.  It wasn't fun but we seem to be all past it now for which I am very thankful.  On top of that I've been working mandatory overtime all month long and that is going to continue on through this month.  Busy, busy!  March is here though and it is already time to think about the books that I'm hoping/planning to read this month.  I've already finished my 1st book for the month and it was completely off pile.  I'm counting it as a win though since it was actually in my February pile of possibilities and off of my own shelves.  Score!  Here are the print books that I would like to read this month:

• By Book or by Crook by Eva Gates - 1st in a cozy mystery series and one that I picked up last month when I was at a local Goodwill.  I loved the sound of it and decided I didn't want to wait long to give this series a try!
• Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie - 3rd book in this mystery series and also from my own shelves.  I read the first two books in this series a year or two back and just adored them.  I've been meaning to continue on with this series every since so in March I'm hoping to do exactly that.  I've got really high hopes for this one!
• The American Girl by Kate Horsley - This is actually a recent library find that I was so intrigued by.  I picked it up on a whim and read the back....and just like that I knew it was coming home with me to be read as soon as possible.  I love when I find new to me books like this!
• Someone Must Die by Sharon Potts - Another Goodwill find that I couldn't resist bringing home with me (I've already brought a ridiculous number of books into my house in 2017 but that's another story).  I really like the sound of this one and couldn't resist adding a thriller to my pile of reads.  It sounds right up my alley!
• Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey - This is a review copy that has been sitting on my shelves for way too long.  I keep saying that I'm finally going to get through some of these older review copies- maybe this month will be the month that I actually do just that.  It sounds intriguing!
• Never Tell by Alafair Burke - Another aged review copy.  And I love Alafair Burke so I have no clue why I haven't read this one yet.  Obviously that needs to change and soon.  I'm really looking forward to this one as I haven't read a bad book by this author yet.  
• The River at Night by Erica Ferencik - This was a Goodread's win that I just recently received.  I've seen some really great reviews for this thriller so I'm super excited to have the chance to read it!  I will definitely be squeezing this one in before March ends.
• Origin in Death by J.D. Robb - Off of my own shelves and the next book (for me at least) in the In Death series.  Enough said!

I'm of course also hoping to read plenty of books on my kindle.  Here are the kindle books that I am hoping to read in March:

• Path Into Darkness by Lisa Alber - NetGalley review copy and that cover alone had me adding this book to my TBR list.  The description had me requesting this book as fast as I could (despite the fact that I really, really don't need to be requesting books from Netgalley).  I'm really looking forward to giving this author a try!
• The Lost Children by Helen Phifer - This author has been on my radar for awhile now so I jumped at the chance to read this one (also courtesy of NetGalley).  I love the sound of this book as well and cannot wait to give it a try.  This publisher is one of my favorites for a thrilling read so I can't wait!
• Hard-Hearted Highlander by Julia London - I recently read and enjoyed Sinful Scottish Laird by this author.  This is the next book in the series and one that I'm reading for another TLC book tour that is coming up in April I believe.  I enjoyed the previous book so much that I'm really looking forward to this one!  I also am hoping to read ahead so I'm adding this book to March's TBR pile.
• I See You by Claire Mackintosh - I have heard SO MANY great things about this author and her books.  I simply must finally see what the hype is all about!  I know next to nothing about this book other than it is a thriller and that readers are loving this author a lot.  I can't wait to give this book a try!
• The Secrets You Keep by Kate White - I've loved this author's books in the past so I'm super excited to have her newest book on my e-reader.  She always writes page-turners and that is exactly what I'm in the mood for.  I keep saying this but I cannot wait to read this one as well!  So many books, so little time!
• Deadly Silence by Rebecca Zanetti - This is the beginning to a new romantic suspense series.  I really don't read enough books like this so I'm really looking forward to giving this book a try.  Plus that gorgeous cover really helps!  I have high hopes as I've read a different book by this author (also a 1st in a different series) and really enjoyed it.  
• Saving Sophie by Sam Carrington - I knew as soon as I read the description of this book that I wanted to read it.  Somehow it got pushed to the side for other books though and I'm just now adding it to my reading pile.  Also a thriller but this one sounds like it focuses more of family relationships.  I can't wait to begin!
• When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day - 3rd book in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  I seriously stalked NetGalley for this book because I wanted to read it so badly.  I actually just shared my thoughts on the 2nd book not that long ago and that got me even more excited for this book.  I CANNOT WAIT!

So many books here!  So many books that I really, really want to read right this minute.  2017 has been a bit of a slower reading year so far for me.  I'm already two books behind on my Goodread's goal.  Obviously I need to stay off Facebook and Litsy more which will help me not to be so distracted and give me more reading time.  I just love Litsy so much though!!  Maybe March will be the month where my reading year starts turning around.  I sure hope so because I really want to read all of these and that isn't including all of the other books that I wanted to read in the past two months that I haven't gotten to yet.  A girl has to dream, right?

What books are you hoping to read in March?  Have you read any of the books that are in my reading pile?  If you have feel free to let me know your thoughts or tell me which ones I should read next.  Happy reading!

February Reading Plans (2017 Edition)

Here we are and I'm already planning out my reading for February.  How fast time flies by lately!  I went off pile with my reading in January but I also managed to read a few books that were included in January reading plans.  A good mix if I'm being honest with myself.  I'm a very moody reader so sometimes I just have to go with my reading moods or risk a nasty reading slump instead.  I'm having fun still with coming up with books that I want to read each month so here we are with my February reading pile.  A few things to note though (besides the given fact that I will most likely ALWAYS go off pile at some point each month): one- I feel like it is a given that any library book I have checked out currently is always a possibility for that months reads.  I include library books in my reading piles sometimes but I certainly don't include them all - because I always have a ridiculous number checked out.  LOL!  I'm also still mulling over what my nonfiction pick will be for this month.  I'm still working on January's pick- which is Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer.  In light of everything that is going on in politics lately....well, I'm still deciding on my next nonfiction read.  I will leave it at that.  Here are the print books that I'm hoping/wanting to read in February:

• From Potter's Field by Patricia Cornwell - Last year I binged out on the earlier books in this series and enjoyed every minute of it.  I am ready to continue on and see what type of case Scarpetta gets involved with next.  These books are always page turners and I'm especially looking forward to this one.  This book is from my own shelves which is an added bonus.
• Baby It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox -  I added this one to my TBR list awhile back thanks to the Smart Bitches, Trashy Books podcast which is a favorite of mine for romance recommendations.  This book just sounds like fun and the perfect read for this time of year.  I kind of have an obsession with anything related to Alaska so it is high up there on my reading list!  This is a library find.
• Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman - This is a review copy for an upcoming TLC book tour.  My tour date isn't actually until March but I'm trying to read ahead so it is on this month's pile.  Also, it basically sounds amazing so why wait?  Lippman is one of those authors that I always mean to read- but I don't know that I've actually ever read anything by her.  I have high hopes though for this book!
• Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass - In 2017 I'm really hoping to push myself in reading in different ways.  One of those ways is in actually reading the books that EVERYONE else seems to be talking about or have loved.  I add those books to my TBR list but then never read them myself (sad fact- I've never read The Hunger Games- for real).  I picked this one up from the library to push myself.  I don't read a lot of YA or fantasy but I've heard such good things about these books.  I can't wait to see for myself what the hype is all about!
• The Drifter by Christine Lennon - Another review copy for upcoming TLC book tour.  This is also for a March tour date but I don't want to wait that long to read it as it sounds too good.  Add to that an absolutely gorgeous cover and I'm ready to begin this one right now!
• Asylum by Jeannette De Beauvoir - This is a Goodread's giveaway win that I then never read.  What in the heck as I love the sound of this one??  I'm changing that this month though and finally knocking this book off of my TBR shelves.  It sounds quite creepy and I am always in the mood for a good mystery.
• The Book of You by Claire Kendal - This is the review copy that I picked out to read this month that has been on my shelves now for WAY too long.  I don't even know why I never read this one until now as it sounds like my type of book.  I'm really looking forward to finally giving this book a try!

The e-books that I'm adding to my February reading pile are:

• Stolen by Carey Baldwin - Edelweiss review copy for an upcoming PICT book tour.  My tour date is actually in February (though later in the month) so this will be my 1st e-book choice.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to read this one after loving the previous book in this series last year.  I'm anxious to get started!
• First Degree Mudder - This is the latest installment in one of my very favorite cozy mystery series.  I'm been waiting to read this one for awhile now so I'm glad to finally add it to the pile.  This is a NetGalley review copy and one that will count towards #COYER Blackout.  I'm looking forward to getting back to these characters and catching up!
• Chasing Shadows by Karen Harper - NetGalley review copy (as are really all of the e-books on my list almost) and also the 1st in a new series.  I read the description of this book and just knew that I had to read it.  This author has been on my radar for awhile now so I'm excited to give her a try with this new book.
• No One Knows by J.T. Ellison - This book is on my radar thanks to the What Should I Read Next podcast (which is also becoming one of my favorites).  She was talking about it and I was instantly intrigued.  I've enjoyed this author in the past so I have high hopes for this book!
• Her Husband's Lover by Julia Crouch - I just read a really great review for this one and knew that I needed to move this book up my reading TBR list!  I can't get enough of thrillers as of late and this book just sounds intense!  I need it in my reading life for sure!  
• Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary - This is the 1st in a mystery series that I've been meaning to try for WAY too long.  I've seen some rave reviews for it and I've no excuse on why I haven't yet read it.  February is going to be an amazing month of reading if I get the chance to read half of these books and authors!
• Shadowed by Karen E. Olson - 2nd book in a series where I just loved book one.  And yet I STILL haven't continued on with this series yet.  I'm hoping to change that especially as I think the 3rd book is due to release soon (if it hasn't already).  
• A Cast of Vultures by Judith Flanders - This book was recommended to me by the publisher and something about that cover is just calling my name.  I like the sound of it even though it means I will be starting yet another series out of order.  No worries, if I enjoy this one I will just go back to the beginning then.  LOL!  

Whew!  I'm both excited and exhausted just thinking about all of these great sounding books.  My book piles overflow!  I tried to include a mix of books in a variety of genres to keep things interesting (and maybe keep me from going off-pile so much).  Any books that I didn't read from my January reading pile are also being thrown into the mix here as obviously I want to read them as well in the near future.  I'm going to burrow under the blankets this month and just read to my heart's content!

What books are you hoping to reading in February?  Is there any book here that you think I should read first?  I hope that all of you have an amazing month of reading in February as well!