On My Wishlist (Radar) #10

On My Wishlist is my way of sharing all of the books that I cannot wait to get my hands upon and read. These are a mixture of books that are about to be released along with some older titles that I really want to read as well. (All summaries are from Goodreads).



Mirror Maze by Michaele Jordan

"Jacob, Liva, and Cecily are all victims of a single curse, which entrapped and destroyed their parents before them. Fate has drawn their descendants together again, and the curse is playing out in an erotic, chilling ghost story in a Victorian setting."

The summary said ghost story and I instantly added it to my wishlist. I'm such a sucker for a good ghost story :)










Property of a Lady by Sarah Rayne

"A house with a sinister past – and a grisly power - When Michael Flint is asked by American friends to look over an old Shropshire house they have unexpectedly inherited, he is reluctant to leave the quiet of his Oxford study. But when he sees Charect House, its uncanny echoes from the past fascinate him – even though it has such a sinister reputation that no one has lived there for almost a century. But it’s not until Michael meets the young widow, Nell West, that the menace within the house wakes . . ."

Doesn't this sound super creepy??? I already snatched this one off of my library's shelves and I cannot wait to read it!!!



The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow

"Emma Bannon, Prime sorceress in the service of the Empire, has a mission: to protect Archibald Clare, a failed, unregistered mentath. His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn’t much help that they dislike each other, or that Bannon’s Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen. In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the problem of reliably finding hansom cabs."

I WANT this one so badly! Look at the cover...this is my kind of book!!!



Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

"The dead have tales to tell.
Sometimes they just won't shut up."

Short and sweet summary but I can't complain as I was still instantly intrigued. 2012 is shaping up to be an AMAZING year of books!













Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron

"It all started with the yard sale. Ivy was eight months and one week pregnant when she insisted that she and her husband, David, clean out the junk they'd inherited with the old Victorian house they'd bought three years before. Call it nesting, call it nerves—she just wanted it all gone: the old electrical fixtures, the boxes of National Geographics from the 1960s, the four black wool greatcoats.

Neither she nor David recognized the woman at first. But it turned out that the customer asking about the lime-green glass swan dish—the woman who looks just about as pregnant as Ivy—was none other than Melinda White, a former high school classmate of David and Ivy's. When Melinda was a child she used to play in their new house, she explained. It looked like they'd been doing some work. Would it be all right if she took a look around? David took Melinda inside. And she never came out."

I found this book courtesy of Goodreads new recommendations and I couldn't help but add it to the wishlist. It sounds quite creepy and I've been reading thrillers like crazy lately.

So that's a few of the books that I've added to my wishlist lately. What have you added to yours??? (Seriously, tell me so I can add more to my out of control TBR list!)

Flawless by Carrie Lofty (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Lady Vivienne Bancroft fled England for New York, hoping to shed the confines of her arranged marriage to unrepentant rogue Miles Durham, Viscount Bancroft—though she never forgot the fiery desire he unleashed with his slightest touch. And when the gambling man arrives on her doorstep for a little sensual revenge for her desertion, he is met with Vivienne’s dilemma: She must earn her father’s inheritance by profitably running a diamond business worth millions in colonial South Africa. Swept together in an exotic undertaking filled with heated passion and hungry temptation, will Vivienne and Miles discover that the marriage vows they once made are the greatest snare—or the most treasured reward?"

My Thoughts:

I feel like I've read my fair share of romances this year and this is one of my favorites ones yet! What made Flawless stand out for me was the instant chemistry and attraction between the two main characters. I found myself wondering about their past relationship and wanting to see if they could find their happy ending. I loved that neither of them were who they thought they were, which left them to really discover each other throughout the novel. This enjoyment of the characters was enhanced by the setting of the story. It isn't every day that you read a romance novel set in Africa's diamond mines but this one was. I loved the unique setting and found that it really added to the story. The details that the author included helped to make me feel like I was really there while I was reading. There was a slight aspect of mystery and suspense to this book that helped keep my interest as well. But the main focus was the romance between Miles and Vivienne, and I couldn't get enough of it!

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I read another review of this book that said that the author uses lots of different settings in her stories and now I cannot wait to read more by her! This is a romance that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend!

Bottom Line: A lovely romance and one that made me an instant fan of this author!

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book as part of Gallery and Pocket Books Romance Blog Tour Group. I'm a bit late with my post though so sorry!

August and September Reads

(From the 1st day of school...and yes, I'm just now getting around to sharing)

So August and September have both come and gone and we are already a week deep into October. I've been meaning to write this post for ages but life (and a serious case of laziness) has intervened. Mainly, I've been just trying to keep my head afloat as we finish up flag football, deal with school and homework, and I work my crazy job. So I've fallen behind in all areas of my life which has been a bit frustrating. I spent ALL day Friday cleaning and now my house is at least presentable (kind of). In the spirit of fall cleaning or something, I've been digging through the oldest child's room which is NO fun! Seriously, it is kind of disgusting and he is no where near to being a teenager yet. But rooms are getting cleaned out, clothes are being packed/given away, and hopefully a little more organization will help keep my sanity in check. Maybe. But enough of all that, let's get down to what I read in August.

August was my best month of reading yet this year....I think. I don't feel like going back to double check that statement but I'm pretty sure that it is true. I read 9 books in August which is almost unheard of for me. I was a little reading machine :) In August I read the following lovely books:

Wow! Just looking at all those books leaves me feeling impressed and a bit tired. LOL! My favorite read of the month by far was Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep but there wasn't a bad book in the bunch. Unfortunately, the majority of these books are still waiting for review and adding to my 11+ backlog. I'm working on catching up but it is slow going at the moment. September on the other hand, was one of my weaker months of reading where I only finished four books. Four. Here is what I managed to finish in September:






Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson was definitely my favorite read in September. I handed my copy off to my Mom and she loved it just as much as I did. I have a feeling that I will be recommending this one for awhile now :)

There you have it. Two months worth of reads in a nutshell. The goal for October will be reading more than September and actually posting my October summary before Thanksgiving :) Ha! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday and have a great week!

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson (thoughts)

Christine wakes every morning with no memory of the previous day, the week before, and without even a solid memory of her family and friends. She wakes up to realize that she doesn't recognize her husband or the woman that she has obviously become, and that waking up with no memory is a daily occurrence for her. And then she finds a journal that she has secretly been writing in which leads her to realize that her life isn't what it seems....

Wow! This was a thriller that didn't let me go until the very last page. From the very beginning of the book, I was drawn into it because the main character, Christine, realizes that the life she doesn't know or remember isn't exactly as it should be. And as she begins to read the journal she has written, the reader is left with questions about the reliability of what she has written. Of the reliability of the memory of a woman that forgets each night what happened the previous day as well as the previous years. It makes for quite the suspenseful read as I was constantly questioning everything that was happening. And the end...just blew me away because even though I might have suspected something in the beginning, I had believed it to be impossible by the middle of the book. Which meant that the ending came to be a complete surprise for me which made the book even better in my opinion. This was a thriller that kept me on my toes and I cannot wait to read more by this author! Highly recommended.

Bottom Line: One of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time. Simple as that :)

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of this book from the publisher.

Readathons, Reviews, and Readalongs

Look what I found!!! A new read-a-thon to join in on which of course makes me ridiculously excited. The only requirement to participate in this read-a-thon is that we read one scary book. As I'm just beginning The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson I can honestly say that I'm good to go as this book is supposed to be a creepy, gothic read. The read-a-thon goes on all week long so let's see if I can make up for a crappy month of reading in September and make October that much better :)

I'm also reading The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson because I am participating in Carl's readalong. I'm super excited to participate in this readalong because so many others are and I think that it will be fun to discuss this book with everyone. Plus, there has been a TON of hype surrounding this book so naturally I'm curious to see what it is all about.


And then look what else I found while I was perusing my reader. Another read-a-thon although this one doesn't start for a few weeks. That's okay as it means that maybe I will get lots of reading done in October and have my best month yet. I can hope even though my busy life says otherwise :)

And finally, I just signed up to be a cheerleader for Dewey's read-a-thon! I participated last time it came around and had lots of fun. I haven't even checked my schedule yet to see if that is my weekend to work or not (9 times out of 10 it is though) but I'm still going to clear a few hours of my schedule and cheer the readers on. Probably later at night when the kiddos are asleep :)

I'm super excited about all of these different events and I'm thinking that October is going to be filled with bookish goodness. I almost forgot to share that I will also be "attempting" to focus on catching up on my reviews now that I'm 11 reviews behind and counting. I read a post about the No Old Review Club started by the Literate Housewife (hashtag #NORC). Catching up on reviews has been something I've been trying to do for months now so of course I wanted to participate. Maybe talking to others will help motivate me to catch up. Because I really want to review every book that I read in 2011. It has kinda become a goal for me :) Now let the reading commence!

Phoenix Rising (Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences) by Pip Ballantine & Tee Morris (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Evil is most assuredly afoot—and Britain’s fate rests in the hands of an alluring renegade . . . and a librarian.

These are dark days indeed in Victoria’s England. Londoners are vanishing, then reappearing, washing up as corpses on the banks of the Thames, drained of blood and bone. Yet the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences—the Crown’s clandestine organization whose bailiwick is the strange and unsettling—will not allow its agents to investigate. Fearless and exceedingly lovely Eliza D. Braun, however, with her bulletproof corset and a disturbing fondness for dynamite, refuses to let the matter rest . . . and she’s prepared to drag her timorous new partner, Wellington Books, along with her into the perilous fray."

My Thoughts:

This is one of those books that I just HAD to read. I saw the cover while browsing on the internet and then I read the above summary...I just knew that this was my type of book and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I'm happy to say that Phoenix Rising was as good as I hoped it would be and far exceeded my expectations! It was such a fun read and the action started on page one and didn't let up until the end of the book. One of the best things about this book was the two main characters Eliza and Books. They were completely opposite of each other in every way but it still allowed for a certain type of chemistry to develop between them. The adventures and mystery that they found themselves involved in moved the story along at a fast pace. And there were some funny moments inserted within the story as well. This all added up to a really solid read for me that I enjoyed immensely. I'm sure that this book will draw comparisons to Gail Carriger's Soulless series but I found that I liked this book for different reasons (and I'm an uber-fan of Gail's series). I'm eager to see what kind of trouble Eliza and Books can stir up next. Highly recommended especially to fans of steampunk!

Bottom Line: A fun, fast-paced read that I couldn't get enough of! I just became an instant fan of this series :)

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library.

Storm Front - Week 2 Questions

Week two's question are here and I'm moving right along with finishing the book up. I couldn't wait any longer and continued reading. It is getting GOOD! Anyways, here are my thoughts on the middle portion of the book :)

1. What are your thoughts on the pop culture references Butcher includes in his work, largely coming from Harry himself?

Hmm...this question has me pondering and wondering what I missed. Because I'm drawing a blank other than the council reference that Carl made in the previous questions. I honestly don't know how to answer this question other than to say that I'm sure I'll find it interesting to read other participant's answers to this question :)

2. As I finished part two of Storm Front I realized that each section of the book thus far feels like a distinct act in a three act story arc. How do you compare the events in this second section of the book with what happened it part one? Is there a mood or theme or such that you feel is embodied by part two of Harry's adventures?

There is a definite different feel to the second part of the story. Harry is getting caught deeper and deeper into events and mysterious happenings that he cannot control. I'm definitely getting a different experience by rereading it this time around. I feel like all of the different directions that Harry is being pulled in make more sense this time and are really making the book that much more enjoyable for me. I'm still surprised by how much of the book that I've forgotten but by rereading it, I'm slowly starting to remember more and more. It has been an interesting reading experience so far!

3. One of many things Jim Butcher demonstrates in Storm Front is a healthy sense of humor. Share with us your thoughts on one (or more) of the humorous moments in the story thus far.

I loved the scene with the Harry, Susan, and the demon. It was over the top but not in a bad way and I couldn't help but chuckle while seeing Harry try to get out of all the trouble that he was in. Bob continues to be a favorite character of mine and I'm curious to see if we get to hear about what he did with his "free time". I'm guessing that he got into some kind of trouble that we will hopefully hear about :)

4. Our hero Harry had disastrous interactions with the women in his life in section two of the book (Four by my count). For first time readers, were you surprised by any of these and what are your thoughts? For those who've read the books before, had you forgotten about any of these? If so, or even if not, share your thoughts on Harry's luck with women.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it), I had forgotten about all of these so I found it to be just like I was reading it for the first time with an "idea" of where the ending was going. I was surprised at how fun I found Harry's interactions with Susan to be. This could be because of everything that happens to them in that scene but I really enjoyed it. And I had forgotten how sad it was to see Murphy and Harry at odds with each other. I didn't like it and had to remind myself that she continues to play a role in future books. Harry just seems to have rotten luck when it comes to women and doesn't seem to be entirely comfortable with them either.

5. A few other popular characters have been brought up in the first round of discussion about Storm Front. What books, films, tv shows, etc. does this story/these characters call to mind and why?

I heard references to Harry Potter in the previous discussion which didn't really surprise me that much considering they are both wizards using magic (and the name of course). Honestly though, I'm having a hard time coming up with another book that has a main character like Harry Dresden. I think that his character makes the book unique which makes this book even more pleasurable to read. The loner aspect to Harry along with the unique abilities that he has reminds me a tiny bit of Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz but I really find Harry to be the more satisfying of the two characters. And saying that makes me realize how long it has been since I've read that series. Hmm...

6. For new readers, what is your overall assessment of the story thus far? For re-readers, what have you picked up on this time that you either forgot about or don't remember seeing from your first trip through the book?

Since this is my 2nd time reading this book, I feel like even though I don't remember a lot from reading the book the first time, I am able to see all of the threads that the author has created more clearly. It has allowed me to see how they relate to each other and to appreciate this book even more. I'm having a hard time putting this book down and can't wait to see what everyone thinks when they finish!

Until next week...

Sunday Randomness

Whew! It has been a busy, busy week here and I've been running around nonstop. I haven't been reading all that much, haven't been blogging, and haven't been commenting. Life. It get's in the way sometimes ;) As the rest of September and October don't look much better, I thought I would take the time to share some of the randomness that is floating around in my head. Does anyone else find that when they don't have time to blog they come up with tons of ideas for posts?? Seriously, all week long I've been toying with ideas of things I want to post about but haven't found the time to do any of them. Go figure, right???

For one, I'm WAY overdue on sharing my August reads post with all of you. And at the rate it is going I'm thinking that maybe a combined August/September post will be the way to go. Which caused me to realize that I've only finished 3 books so far this month. Three. So August may have been my best reading month of the year and September may be my worst. Nice. I've also been toying with starting to share a monthly post on the books that come in and out of my house. I don't usually do mailbox posts but I would like to keep track of how many books I bring home in a month and how many I end up getting rid of (and that wouldn't count library books...or maybe it would). I haven't decided yet. Would that be boring for all of you??? I still have at least 10 reviews that I need to write. Catching up on those isn't going well at all. And I always have a library loot post that I could share. Plus, I have SO many new books that I've added to my TBR list lately that I would like to do a wishlist post sometime soon. And I still haven't posted pictures of the 1st day of school for the oldest (even though that was a month ago). I'm just happy that they have been uploaded to my laptop :) Other posts that I've considering are related to my son and the books he reads. I have been considering sharing more about the books he reads, that we read together, and just posts that could help me come up with more ideas for books that he would enjoy reading. Because I can only get him excited about reading sometimes and would like to see that grow more. These aren't the only ideas that I've got rolling around in my head but you get the gist.

In other reading news while I may be having a crappy month of reading in September, I am reading. I just recently finished Long Gone by Alafair Burke. It was a solid thriller and (hopefully) I will share my thoughts about it soon. I'm still in the midst of rereading Storm Front by Jim Butcher which is most excellent. I think that I'm going to go ahead and keep rereading the series until I catch up to where I left off. And finally I've just begun Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent. I really have enjoyed her werecat series so I have high hopes for this book. Now if I could just carve out some solid reading time this week then I would be happy.



But instead of reading I plan on spending my Sunday catching up with all of you. And watching the Bears game of course!! There is a pot of chili in the crockpot and fresh chocolate chip cookies to munch on. Life is good! Happy Sunday to all of you :)

Storm Front - Week 1 Questions

I'm in the midst of rereading Storm Front by Jim Butcher as part of a readalong for the R.I.P. VI Challenge hosted by Carl. I've read the first 3 or 4 books in this series (and enjoyed them all) but kind of stalled out on the series after that. I thought it would be fun to reread this one and then continue on with the series. Here are my thoughts on the questions for week one.

1. What are your first impressions of our main character, Harry Dresden?

Harry is one of those characters that you can't help but like. He is old school, gallant, and completely eccentric which makes me like him even more. One of the things that I noticed was that he wasn't completely sure of himself and even though he is a wizard, he has a healthy dose of fear for some of the individuals and things that go bump in the night. Harry isn't perfect, and I like him all the more for it.

2. In the first section of the book we are introduced to a large cast of characters. Some in support of our main character and others who are involved in the multiple investigations with agendas unknown to us. Are there any of the these characters who stood out to you?

Murphy stood out to me but of course that could be because I've read this book and a couple others before so I know what an important role she plays in the series. I was surprised at how much I had forgotten about this book but it was interesting to be "reintroduced" to some of the characters that play important parts in this series or are featured in other books. Bob, the talking skull, is my favorite character for sure though :)

3. Did you ever watch the Syfy channel's Dresden Files TV adaption? If so did it effect how you approached the novel? Were there positive and/or negative differences that stood out to you?

Nope, I didn't even realize that there was a TV adaption. I'll admit that I'm curious as to how it played out and wouldn't mind seeing an episode or two if they are still playing.

4. Any thoughts on Jim Butcher's magic system, Harry's Watcher, and/or the White Council?

You can already tell that Harry's relationship and role in regards to the White Council is both complicated and dangerous. I'm curious to see what the White Council is going to think about the different dealings that Harry is getting caught up in (and I honestly wish that I could remember exactly what happens.) As it is, I guess we will all find out as we read further into the book :)

5. Lastly, Any guess on were Dresden's multiple plot threads will lead and/or any favorite scenes the first section of the book?

I've got a vague idea as I have read this book before but because my memory is faulty and it has been a few years, I'm not exactly sure. I don't have any favorite scenes yet although the scene with Toot was fun to read about. I'm looking forward to continuing on with Harry's adventures!

Library Loot- RIP Challenge Edition

Library Loot is hosted by Claire and Marg and asks us to share what we've recently picked up from the library.

I've been in the mood for creepy and dark, thrillers, and horror for months now. As soon as Carl posted about his challenge I went to my library website and started requesting books to fit with this challenge. This is my favorite challenge of the year and you can see why :) Look at all of those books! I'm super excited to read them all so let's share what I picked up recently. (And for the full extent of my library craziness check out my Library Thing widget in my sidebar)










Every single one of these is a perfect fit for the challenge. Now the question is how many of these can I read before RIP VI finishes up?? I haven't had a chance to check out the review blog yet and see what everyone else has been reading but you know I will. And more books will be added to my wishlist/holds list :) Books are addicting and this is my favorite time of the year!

Happy spooky reading!