Gone by Mo Hayder (thoughts)

Gone begins like your average thriller with a car jacking and a kidnapping tied together in one. But this isn't your average kidnapping as the kidnapper seems to know exactly what the police are thinking before they can come up with any solid leads. Time is ticking...can Jack Caffery find the young girl before it is too late???

Gone is a gripping thriller that slowly grabs the reader and pulls them in tightly. By the end of the book I was hard pressed to put it down...I couldn't wait to see how it was all going to end. I gave a vague description of the summary because I didn't want to give too much away. The story begins with a young girl being inadvertently kidnapped when the car she is sitting in is stolen. But the carjacking is anything by random and questions instantly begin to rise as the lead detective begins to investigate. I really enjoyed how there were two different detectives working different angles of the kidnapping throughout the book. It was interesting because there was all of this back story and history between the two of them and it led me to so many questions that lent even more mystery to the story. I never knew what to expect next. I could never even guess what was going to happen. There were just so many questions while I was reading and I really enjoyed that. I actually didn't realize that this book is part of a series. It didn't detract from my enjoyment at all. I'm eager after reading this book to go back and start at the beginning to see how it all began. I'm hoping to learn more about Jack and some of the other characters in the book. Especially the mysterious, transient man that Jack looks to for answers. I was left with lots of questions in regards to him. This book ended up being more than I expected it to be, and I'm really glad that I took the time to read it!

Overall, I found this book to be quite an enjoyable read and I can't wait to continue on with this series. It started off slowly but easily swept me into its' pages. I really enjoyed the fact that it was part of a series but that I couldn't tell the difference. I would recommend this book to any fan of a good thriller or mystery. Recommended!

Bottom Line: A creepy thriller that will have you guessing the entire time!

Disclosure: I checked this book out from my local library. It is part of my attempt to read all of the 2012 Edgar Nominees. So far I have enjoyed each one that I have read!

How I'm Spending My Weekend...

I've got lots going on this weekend since I have to work on Saturday but I couldn't possibly miss the read-a-thon and cheerleading. Since I can't promise to devote a ton of time this year to cheering I'm unofficially joining in on the fun. If you are participating, please let me know so I can visit and comment :)

I'll also be reading and working on finishing the following books:



Both are good but I adore The Janus Affair already so that's been my pick so far! And I signed up for a week long read-a-thon next week so I'm going to be picking a few books that I want to finish for that. TGIF....hope you all have a great weekend!

P.S.- 2 days of exercise so far...as long as I find time to run tomorrow I will hit my goal for the week. Yay!

Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells (thoughts)

WARNING: This is the 4th book in this series so spoilers are MORE likely than not. Just saying :)

Sabina is back and better than ever. She's trying to settle down to a normal life....whatever normal is when you have a minion that is a demon named Giguhl and friends like hers. But just when things seem to be calm is when the worst trouble is brewing, and Sabina finds herself once again swept up in events out of her control. And everything seems to rest on Sabina's shoulders.

I have loved each and every book in this series so far and this book wasn't any different! I love how sassy and fierce Sabina is while still having a softer side that comes out at times. I am always rooting for her to succeed even when it seems that the odds are completely against her. The book was fast paced and darker than I expected which is always a plus for me when it comes to urban fantasy. The author had this book filled with some unexpected twists that kept me guessing....I never knew what was going to happen next. I loved it! And while there was a lot that was left open leading up to the next book, I wasn't bothered by it because it ended in a way that left me feeling satisfied.

All in all, I felt like this was another kick-ass addition to this series. I love that the author isn't afraid to take chances with these books and makes unexpected plot choices. I just plain love this series! I would highly recommend each one of these books to urban fantasy fans but you MUST start at the beginning. Each book builds on the previous one, and you wouldn't be able to see the character growth unless you read them in order. Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: Another amazing read to one of my favorite series! I will read ANYTHING that this author writes if that tells you anything :)

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to snag a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. Thanks!

The Sunday Salon- Books and Randomness

April has been a whirlwind sort of month so far, and I'm having a hard time believing that we are almost halfway thru the month already. Crazy! I started off the month with a blogging break which was much needed. Blogging is one of those amazing things that has brought so much to me reading wise but....there are times when I think I just need some down time without all of the connectedness. It was refreshing and now I'm ready to jump back in with both feet. The problem with taking a week off though is that I feel like I'm SO far behind. I have at least 4 to 5 book reviews that need to be written, I'm SUPER behind in responding to comments on my blog, and of course there are posts written by you guys that I want to comment on. It'll probably take the rest of this month but I'm sure that eventually I will be able to catch up :)

For the rest of the month though, I'm going to change focus a little bit. If you follow me on Twitter (@samsbooks1020) you've probably seen me tweet a few times about working out or the From Couch to 5K workout plan. Back in January I made some goals that didn't have anything to do with books and reading Trish's quarterly post made me evaluate where I was with those goals. I'm nowhere close to where I want to be when it comes to working out so it is time to hold myself accountable. I have 10 pounds that I want to lose (and keep off). Feeling and looking better are both side benefits to it so I start today. My goal is to work out at minimum three times a week for the rest of the month and ideally for the rest of the year. I'm warning you now that there will probably be some posts around here related to this because I NEED to hold myself to this. And I really want to.



Lastly, I finished Deadline by Mira Grant this week and LOVED IT! I loved it so much that I tweeted the author just to tell her "how much I f***ing loved her book". Seriously, that is pretty much exactly what I said. If you are into horror or zombies at all then these two books are MUST reads! Deadline was nominated for the Hugo award and I've got my fingers crossed that it wins. Expect my review of this book to be nothing but complete and utter gushing. I'm a huge fangirl of this author now!! And the best part is tweeting to another reader who is just finding the awesomeness that is Feed. One of the reasons that I love book blogging so much!

I hope you guys have a wonderful week! It looks like today is going to be another stormy, rainy day so I think I'll spend it catching on my reading and commenting. Happy Sunday!

On My Nightstand: April

I'm keeping it simple since we are already 12 days into April....my blog break has put me WAY behind but it was nice to take a little break. Here are two books that I feel like I MUST read in April. We'll see if I actually follow through with these :)

Strangers in Death by J.D. Robb (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Technology may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. But as ever, some murders receive more attention than others-especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed-and strangled- with cords of black velvet.

It doesn't surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders's scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation to the public-and of humiliation to his family. But while people in the city are talking about it, those close to Anders aren't so anxious to do the same. With some help from her billionaire husband, Roarke, Eve's soon knocking on doors-or barging through them-to find answers."

My Thoughts:

After so many books in this series, a reader might think that the books would start to get repetitive or the mysteries might become a little bit....dare I say substandard?? Thank goodness that isn't the case with this series though because with each book I get further and further drawn into this series. It is almost like visiting old friends when I read these books and I'm seriously considering going back to the beginning and rereading all of them (if I ever catch up with the series that is). What I liked about this book is that the entire time I was reading it I had a suspect in mind but I couldn't figure out how he or she had committed the crime. It kept me guessing the entire time that I was reading which always makes for a fast read. Robb has a talent for taking a classic mystery idea and spinning it on its' head while fitting it into her futuristic world. I also liked that we got to see a big change for two of the secondary characters..I was super excited about it (without being too spoilery) The growth in all of the characters is another thing that I adore about this series :)

Overall this was another great addition to one of my favorite series! Every book is fresh and filled with suspense which is exactly what I have to come to expect from this author. I'm looking forward to reading the next book and hopefully going back to reread them all! This is a series that I will keep recommending over and over again! Highly recommended!

(Edited to add) Disclosure: This book came from my shelves and was a gift from a friend!

A Day In the Sun...

So I've sorta taken an unexpected blogging break....but I'll be back by next week :) Lots going on this past week: birthdays, boat rides, baseball, and everything else in between. Plus, I find myself immersed in a rereading session of a much loved Nora Robert's trilogy. Pure escapism and much fun! It has been such a long time since I reread anything that I'm just relaxing and enjoying myself. I'm hoping to stay unplugged until the weekend...I'll see you all on Monday!

Wait For What Will Come by Barbara Michaels (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"She was the last of an ancient Cornish clan, and Carla Tregellas had inherited the pride of her family name - a huge mansion that loomed high above the jagged cliffs of Cornwall. She felt at home there right from the start, for everyone seemed so kind and welcoming. Everyone except Mrs. Pendennis, the eccentric housekeeper who advised Carla to leave at once to deter a tragic and inevitable fate. But Carla could not leave - for the invisible bonds of an ancestral curse were just beginning to take hold..."

My Thoughts:

Wait For What Will Come is my 3rd book by Michaels and has cemented my determination to read all of her books firmly in place. I adored the creepy atmosphere that the author created with this book; it reminded me of a gothic horror novel. It had all of the elements in place with an eerie, decrepit old house, an ancient legend, and of course mysterious happenings with little to no explanations. I found myself instantly caught up in the web that the author created...this book had me hooked and didn't want to let me go. And even though I found the book to be slightly predictable at times, overall I found that it didn't detract from my enjoyment whatsoever. I found myself lost in the mystery surrounding the house and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. The ending of the book did take me by surprise and I found it to be overall very satisfying.

All in all, I found this to be a very entertaining read and I'm eager to read more by this author! I love the gothic atmosphere and elements that she uses in her novels. Luckily enough for me, she has an extensive back list of books that I can choose from. I would highly recommend this author and this book!

Bottom Line: A creepy, atmospheric read...what more could you ask for???

Disclosure: Checked out from my local library. Now I'm off to check my library catalog to see what other books by her that they have available :)

The other two books that I have read by this author are Be Buried In The Rain (which I adored as well) and Into the Darkness (which I didn't care for as much but never ended up writing my thoughts on). After reading this book I do want to read the rest of the books that she has written eventually :)

The Sunday Salon - Mini Reviews (thoughts) #2

Good morning everyone! Spring has sprung and the craziness begins. Baseball begins this week for my very soon to be 9 year old. Practices twice a week add up to more reading time (hopefully) but less blogging time (I'm guessing). All of this beautiful weather also just begs for time spent outside which is what we have been doing. I'm thinking about attempting to grow a few vegetables this year. Anyone that knows me knows that I'm pretty bad when it comes to keeping plants alive but I still want to try. I think that I'm going to start off with a few tomato plants and a strawberry plant that my Mom gave us. Maybe some peppers....any suggestions on veggies that are easy to grow/keep alive??

Spring reading challenges are also beginning which has me super excited! I've already posted my list of books for the Spring Reading Thing Challenge and hopefully this week I will post my pool of books for the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Woohoo! Looks like there will be lots of good reading heading my way. I really enjoyed sharing my thoughts briefly on a few books that I hadn't reviewed in 2011 last month so I thought that I would do it again today :)


The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

This is a book that I put off sharing my thoughts on for a number of reasons. So many bloggers loved it that I expected to be blown away. Unfortunately, I was only "meh" when I finished. There were aspects of the story that I really loved like the atmosphere and the descriptions of the setting. The author went into so much detail that I could feel like I was really there. But the characters and one of the two storylines left much to be desired for me. I didn't connect to Eve or Dom at all which meant that I didn't care what happened to the two of them. I was more interested in the side story involving Benedicte and her family. Now that part of the book I found really interesting. Overall, I was left with mixed feelings for the book. I believe that this is the author's first novel....I think that I would pick up more by her eventually. Recommended but with strong reservations.


The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I adored this book for a number of reasons when I read it last year. The author does an AMAZING job of creating a spooky and tense atmosphere. I felt like she was able to capture how it must have felt to live in London during the time of Jack the Ripper and she conveyed this sense of constant fear throughout the book. I loved the main character Rory...she was witty and filled with everything that you would want a main character to be. The book was one of those books that you don't want to put down. And even though it is going to be part of a series I felt like the author did a nice job of tying up most of the loose ends when the book was finished. Overall this book was one of my favorite reads of 2011. Highly recommended!

Dead On The Delta by Stacey Jay

Plain and simple, this was one of my favorite urban fantasy reads last year! I don't know what I expected when I picked this book up but I was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. The book was gritty and dark with a main character that is on a self destructive path. Annabelle has her issues and is trying to cope the only way that she knows how. I found it refreshing to read about a main character that didn't have everything together, made mistakes, and still had a good heart despite everything. I found myself immersed in this book- not wanting to put it down and reading it wherever/whenever I could. It snapped me out of a reading slump that I was in....it was just unexpectedly SO GOOD! I cannot wait to get my hands on the 2nd book. I think that I'm going to break my book buying ban for Blood on the Bayou. Highly, highly recommended and another of my top reads from last year.

Whew! Another 3 books off of my list. I'm almost completely caught up from last year now! I'm currently reading Deadline by Mira Grant. I loved Feed when I read it awhile back and finally was ready to begin Deadline. I was worried that because I loved Feed so much that Deadline wouldn't compare. So far that hasn't been the case and I'm glad that I finally pulled this one off of my shelves. It is like visiting old friends. Zombies are involved but old friends :) Anyways, I'm off to begin the ENORMOUS task of cleaning my house and tackling laundry. The more I get done today, the less stressful this week will be. Hopefully. Happy Sunday everyone! I hope that you are all able to enjoy a good book today :)

Spring Reading Thing

Spring is here and I am beyond ready! It is such a good feeling to have all of the windows thrown open and to let the kids play outside for hours. And I love the rain so a good thunderstorm is always welcome :) Vasilly posted about the Spring Reading Thing 2012 Challenge and I just couldn't resist.

I decided to come up with a list of books for this challenge based off of categories. My goal is to read two books from the following categories:

• 2 review books off my shelves
• 2 NetGalley books
• 2 books from own shelves (not for review)
• 1 book that I have bought for my Kindle
• 1 new release
• 2 library books
• 2 random reads
• 2 award nominees

I think I can do pretty well with this challenge considering I can change my reading choices at any time :) Here are the books that I'm thinking about for this challenge (and yes, I think the fun part is coming up with a list of possibilities)











Is that too many??? Probably but I can't take any off because they all look too good. I tried to throw some fantasy choices in the mix....can you guess why??? Yep, be on the lookout for a post on the Once Upon a Time Challenge. Woohoo for springtime and fun reading challenges!