Monday, December 31, 2012

A Fist Full of Charms Written by: Kim Harrison


This is it! 100 Books this year! Ok, so I know I've always said re-reads do not count, but this wasn't a re-read I had never before listened to A fist Full of Charms and since this book listening to was just a tad difficult it is so counting! So my husband hasn't read the Kim Harrison books so we've added it to the audio book list when we go on trips. My gosh I am so glad I read this book years ago and the later books because honestly after having listened to this 4th book in the Hollows series I don't know if I could have gone on reading the books about Rachel Mariana Morgan. Life is peachy now for Rachel she's got a balance going on with her live in vamp roomie, she's dating a hunky living vamp who is her live in roomies ex... oh Jenks is gone as is his family... wait is life peachy? In this latest book an old flame returns to haunt Rachel and being who she is and due to the fact Jenks eldest is also involved Rachel runs off to the rescue with or without asking for Jenks permission. (or she is running away from her current problems who knows with this witch) Perhaps Rachel is doing the right thing by helping Jenks and perhaps twisting some dark curses and taking on a bit more smut onto her soul is for the right reasons is right, right? This trip takes Jenks and Rachel in Kistin's very nice car to the suburban area outside of mainstream Cincinnati where a Witch and Pixie are something to gawk at. You are in for a treat when it comes to Jenks in this book readers if you've never read the Hollows series I suggest you go back and do so. But, make sure you read fast. The only thing I never noticed before was how damn wishy washy  this book was it is all over the place emotionally and if I had to hear Rachel say "Oh God" one more time I think I might have broken a blood vessel or developed a permanent eye tick. This book just kept going over details that have been covered in previous books and covered again in this one more than several times in fact. Sadly, all of the emotional re-hashing distracted quite a bit from the kick ass side of the story involving a whole lot of wares and alphas packing together and now gunning for Rachel. I do not remember this being a long book when I read it, but I think I remember reading those very emo parts fast. For what seemed like such a long book nothing really happens even after having just re-listened I am a little fuzzy on how the book finally concludes which it does just a tad poorly, but  there were some very hilarious and amusing parts to this book too. It seems like more of a jumping point for something bigger to happen in the future. So just an OK read thankfully I have some major insight now as to where Harrison is taking her series and characters. So Happy New Year world!

Sunday, December 30, 2012

The Do-Over Written by Kathy Dunnehoff


Well almost the new Year huzzah to another year lived. So, this book The Do over was just tip top kick butt fun! I mean there are a lot of serious moments, but the book starts with a suburban mom Jane Mulligan she's been middle of the road do not rock the boat lady her whole life. Her college years were spent giving campus tours in her schools sweatshirt and she met her husband at a Dorm Ice cream party... well she has a half hour one night just one half of an hour to take a bubble bath then she has so much to do and has to go back to her hectic schedule. Well, turns out she is out of her Abundance bubble bath! And of course the sane thing to do is run to the store, but the store doesn't carry it so now what is she to do? Jane then gets the idea from the store clerk to go to where the Bubble bath is made Vancouver Canada, she lives in Seattle Washington.  Well a few bags of junk food and many miles later Jane arrives outside of the store/factory that sells/makes her bubble bath. She is taken in by a welcome of people both ladies and men and her life begins to change big time. This book was very much about being able to be many things and still be you and that maybe erotica reading was a form of self help in itself, and that maybe sitting just to sit is a good thing and hell having cleavage while reading could be down right giddy inducing. Jane also becomes her first name Mara and let's Mara out in full swing and admits that Mara would never buy in two's or bulk that life was more than just warehouse shopping and keeping the facial tissues stocked.  The book also gives us pearls of wisdom that you will just have to discover for yourselves as I simply cannot give away what took me days to read and digest. It is important to live life to do what you want and not become pigeon holed is what I learned from this book, and to perhaps have some great friends, chocolate, and martini's on stand by oh and lots of music and dancing!  Truth be told this past summer I was beginning to feel this way and I am not an approaching mid life suburban mom! Just sometimes life can trap you, and you have to realize you can always change things right? Well Mara has 30 days her son is away with her in-laws and she has the summer off now if only she can survive the choices and changes she is trying to make and will her marriage survive such drastic changes? Her husband Dan is an interesting character too and someone I was not sure I could root for but again felt compelled to because well 15 years of marriage is a lot to just toss aside for a soap maker albeit a gorgeous soap maker but still... again this book empowers women and shows a very silly and serious approach at life, and will make you think do I need a do over? The cast of characters in this book too are just so amazing and you will fall in love with them all from the young 19 year old to the great grandmother aged ones. Loved this book and Kathy Dunnehoff's writing was just easy to read and get completely absorbed into her story. Seriously so much I want to share about this book as it was just fun and so enticing of a read... I'm tempted to go out and buy a bottle of bubble bath now too...

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Home for the Holidays Written by Christine Lynxwiler


Oh my Stars, well first... only two more days until the Winter Holiday and the world didn't end so hurray. It was after all only the sixth? Apocalypses seem to be the norm the past few years huh? So, yes another Christmas story and in all honesty I hated this book. I really tried to enjoy this story it is the classic two kids grow up together being best friends and then one falls in love with the other and the other is looking for their perfect partner not realizing their true love has been there all along. So basically I was reading a Taylor Swift song. The story wouldn't have been too terrible if it wasn't for the the fact free will was ripped out of this tale. Mentioning and thanking God more than once is ok, thanking and mentioning the Christian God over sixty times in what seems like a 70 page book seems just a tad excessive...perhaps I am over exaggerating but the Christian God was mentioned so much I was just becoming annoyed. The cute love story just kept having to take a back burner especially since there is a side story involving a pregnant woman, her son, unborn child, and druggie of a husband who are all saved now because they discovered Jesus. Lauren Forrester is a good Christian woman I know because the book tells me so several times and then there is her best friend Jeff Warren who is also a good Christian man, but is so blind to Lauren's love and how she suffers. The story goes Lauren leaves her happy comfortable dream of a home town in order to put some distance between her and Jeff so maybe she can prevent damaging their friendship. Once in the big city it is descriptions the author gives like this "A bearded man with multiple face piercings bumped into her and kept walking without a word. On his bare right arm, a tattoo of a spider in a bikini belly-danced with the movement of his muscle." The fact that a tattooed and pierced person was perhaps less friendly towards her in the big city just grated on me as it was a stereotype in fact this whole book was one big stereotype and not in a welcoming or overtly friendly way. The book hints heavily at the fact these two main characters are happy only because of God and that the family can only be saved if they become Christians it would've been an ok story but Jesus and God just kept being shoved into each and every page, and then the writing was just predictable and so was the story. Over all not my cup of tea, but a Taylor Swift song non the less.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Someone To Believe In Written by: Kathryn Shay


It is a tough time in the world right now, there is so much happiness at this time of year and yet there is also a lot of misery. Sometimes I find myself wondering why and how so many people find themselves as enemies with no compromises to be made instead blood is shed and lives are ended. In the era of civilized society still we the human race find reasons to kill and they aren't new in fact so many are old I will just never understand the glory and reasoning behind people making enemies. We are all people, even in my country even politicians in my country speak of a war on their own people if it furthers their causes. This book brings that lack of people willing to compromise into the forefront and even brings politicians to the table. Kathryn Shay is a very good writer from what I can tell reading this book it was very detailed and written with much conviction. It is also clear that Shay's own characters that she created got away from her. This book begins 10 years ago Bailey O'Neil went to prison because she wouldn't give up a street gang kid to the police, the man who helped put her away is Clayton Wainwright. Now, ten years later Clayton is a senator and Bailey is still helping troubled gang children. Clayton is a staunch conservative who comes from money and a cold calculating family. Where Bailey is quite liberal and comes from a big warm house hold. These two are both butting heads even now, but now they are thrown together for similar causes and both are unwilling to compromise Clay believes in the system and working within it where Bailey believes working outside of the system to gain these children's trust. In order for them to get anywhere they are going to have to work together but can they? This was a very good novel and really shows just how different people can be even if they are working towards the same goal, and it teaches that people must give a little and take a little in order to get anything done in life. Compromise, say it with me readers... C-O-M-P-R-O-M-I-S-E! But, this book is also quite romantic and are Bailey and Clay willing to put their differences aside and give themselves a chance? Will their worlds they created survive? Will their families support and survive their relationships? A great novel that also brings up some very heavy topics that we are trying to deal with today. This book packs a lot in it but the reading goes quickly.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

One Torrid Beginning Written by: Leia Mann


Few more days until Christmas and with all that is going on including me catching the annual cold I decided to take a break from knitting and holiday tales to read more with my libido. A friend sent me a book saying I would appreciate this short but steamy novel, not sure what my friend thinks of me after having read this book, but yowza. The writing is a tad predictable but the there is humor here and it makes for a fun and steamy story. Liz is broke just outright penniless living a life of maxed out credit cards, student loans, and just more bills. She is 31 years old and thirty thousand dollars in debt with a degree in anthropology that just isn't working out for her. Her current jobs pays very little and she goes bar hopping for the free food at happy hour. Well it seems Liz's luck just may change at least as far as her hormones are concerned. Liz is one of those bombshells of a woman and with brains she just doesn't have any real direction, and it seems that Max a male prostitute is willing to give Liz a very special discount for his services and not just his but his and his equally sexy friend Joe. This story is just hot and I will never look at peanut butter and jelly quite the same way again not bad if you're in the mood for a quickie.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Silver Bells Written By Sadie Hart



A friend of mine thought this kind of story would be right up my ally, and it sticks to the whole Christmas theme this book reading month. Have any of you watched the Polar Express starring Tom Hanks? Well, if you haven't then there are these bells that fall from Santa's Reindeer's harnesses that it seems only those few special people who truly believe in Santa can hear so mostly children, but overtime the bell with its crisp tinkling sound of happiness vanishes. That is what happens in this story the main character Dash who has a harness of bells that for some reason no longer ring for him. He tends the Merry Go round in a not so nice part of town and this year for some reason he is quite sad the bells will no longer chime for him. It is actually quite sad to read about when Dash obviously find great joy and is somewhat depressed without the joyful sounds the bells made. So he tends to the animals of the Merry Go Round, and then a stranger enters his life and slowly things change just a little at a time. Then when Christmas Eve comes around,  Dash has to leave his new friend for perhaps his last chance to even hold those special bells. This is a story of a different color it is very short, but packs quite a bit of story in these few short pages, and it even made me want to peak behind what was going on to hear more about Dash his world and of course the magic that surrounds him still. So will the bells ring again for him? It is quite a magical twist Sadie Hart has given us.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Gift of Snow Written by Missy Maxim


Hello fellow readers, so...books right throwing myself into them. (that and Knitting both great hobbies for the eyes by the way) This one book came to me and I thought ok A gift of Snow must be Christmas well it was, the beginning is interesting with a person begging their car not to break down in a snowstorm and obviously begging doesn't work. Then we shift gears and this story changes and it hit somewhat close to home. The main character Jennifer Donovan lives in the mountains above L.A. she's widowed 10 months her husband it seems lost touch with life and self destructed, which I really wish people could find a way not to just give up hope, but... yeah. So Jennifer knew something was wrong, but just didn't know how wrong or just what would happen, and so she has been alone widowed for 10 months. It is Christmas eve and her sister and mother cannot come out to visit so now she is all alone and snowed in with no one to celebrate with...or is she? Jennifer finds herself hosting a complete stranger Will who has bleached hair with the roots showing, a guitar case, and a slight British accent is stranded with no winter gear whatsoever.  With both of them being alone on Christmas Eve and only themselves for company it quickly becomes apparent these two strangers just may have a spark of something the story is short, but very cute and happy. There were a few print errors here and there, but I mainly blame that on the editor. The dialogue was so cute too I just kept thinking to myself mmmm... yes that can be a word especially when hot chocolate, Christmas lights, and romance are involved. A Gift of Snow was also pretty clever as you will find out there are two meanings behind that title. The book also had some um well let's just say the snow was not chilling these two as much as it might have had they not met. So a good short read I know I've been saying that a lot lately, but these books are good and short just nice little moments the authors are kind enough to let us share with them before going back to our own busy lives.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Bah, Humbug! (A Romantic Comedy) Written by: Heather Horrocks


Hello faithful book review readers... so I said I would be happy right? Well, so far I'm failing, I kept reading this book, not because I wished to, but because I needed to. Sometimes people turn to drink, friends, loved ones etc... I turned to this book because I cannot possibly begin to express my feelings to anyone in the world not even my loving husband. On December 2nd a very dear person to me passed away, he was one in a billion and someone who I knew since we played in the sandbox together, and had many memorable moments that sadly barely anyone around me in my current life knows just how much he meant to me. It is tough this time of year yes, it is a time to celebrate to be joyful and surround yourself with family, but this is the third Christmas I've had someone pass away, so a part of me wishes to say screw it, but I cannot. My friend who passed taught me to be a fighter and a kick butt gal so I'll turn on the old music, look at the old pictures, and lose myself in a book. Please though readers I ask if you have a friend or love one just remember to tell them once in a while just how much they mean to you.

 This book Bah, Humbug! Really was tough for me, but the book itself was also about healing and moving on when death occurs around the Holiday time. I admit this book was very cookie cutter, but it is just something we all need around this time of year. The main character Lexi Anderson is a young mother who is the next upcoming Martha Stewart and has created a very nice life for her and her two children. Only problem is sometimes you need to realize created perfect is no substitution for actual life. Then we have Kyle Miller a famous young adult author who has thrown himself into work 100%. Problem with him is he's a workaholic who cannot be truly bothered to see his family or have anything to do with Christmas not because he's a Grinch, but because he has his own past to deal with. These two meet and it is not romantic at all, in fact it is likely they will murder one another unless Kyle does something fast. The story is generic, the writing too, but the story and how the characters live is just well uplifting and refreshing it was just what I needed to remind myself life goes on, and it was a very nice short Christmas story that would put anyone in the Christmas loving mood so if you're looking for something to curl up with a cup of tea and maybe some gingerbread cookies next to your Christmas tree this would be the book to do it with.

So go out and find your happiness readers it is the time of year to do it, and remember to tell your loved ones that they mean something to you.  Thank you.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Life, Love and A polar Bear Tattoo Written by: Heather Wardell


I had to sleep on this book, I was so conflicted by the main characters plight she is Candice or as some from her past know her as Candy. I know I just said only happy book, but it was in with the Christmas books! This book takes place in Canada in August, and after visiting Canada recently I have to say very nice place indeed. Any who Candice is at a point in her life where according to her Friend Larissa there are some big change coming, and great foreshadowing because yes a great amount of change is going to occur in Candice's life. Last Christmas what was to be a wonderful present from her in-laws turned into a disastrous event that has left a rift between her and her husband Ian. They appear to be in a rut and so she has let her husband go off on a one month project in India. She is home with her cat Ninja crocheting away and reading tons of novels, but then something happens she decides to change her life little by little and they're all pretty good changes and really who isn't the tattoo type?  The only thing is during all of these changes an old flame from her past comes into the picture and this is where I became very conflicted. Ian her husband has been cold, distant, and all together not very kind since Christmas when a very big event that left both him and Candice fragmented. Then there is Kegan  the man who broke Candice's heart but, he's sexy, successful, and above all else wants Candice back. She feels like she's stuck inside of one of her cheap romance novels minus the heaving bosom of course. It was really difficult to root for either guy Ian or Kegan since both have their pluses, and both have their minuses, however Candice is MARRIED to Ian. But, at 31 and married for two years was she really meant to be with Ian, or was he just the first nice man to come along after her heart break from Kegan? So soap opera, but really everyone at some point it seems questions did I make the right choice? But, Marriage is supposed to be worked at and needs both parties to do so, and in this case it doesn't seem like either party is really trying to fix their marriage. But, the book itself was written so fresh and honest I really liked Candice and her work and overall life. The sub characters in this book were a hoot too, but mostly it was all about Candice and what would be her choice? I will admit I was very happy with how this book ended and felt all warm and fuzzy at the end. It was a fun book that brings a lot of life questions into the mix, but in a way that is refresing and all together fun. Cannot give spoilers, it would just ruin the book for you, but must say read this book for a fun time that will take you just draw  you in.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Cupid's Christmas Written by: Bette le Crosby


"Watching humans fall in love is the best part of this job. What begins as a wild and passionate tango evolves into a waltz, with two bodies bending and moving together, whirling across the potholed landscape of life. After years of trial and error the waltz becomes a slow fox trot with smaller evenly matches steps and when one partner grows weary, they learn on their mate knowing they will be carried. The last dance may not be as exciting as thee first, but I can assure you there's true beauty in every step." That would be cupid talking... Love, and Christmas, can you think of a more magical time? Well, yes I'm sure we all have our special moments, but I love the winter holiday that predates Christianity and manages to still bring people together. Then throw in love and well I'm a happy girl... of course it could also be the smells of food, pine, and the twinkling of lights and shiny presents... ok sorry folks, but I'm trying to stay happy this month a lot has happened in my life this year, and I've decided December is the month to try and be happier... so happy books should be an ok investment I think. This Cupid's Christmas was just so cheeky! I absolutely adored it. Cupid is the narrator of this tale and let me tell you the Angel of love needs some serious props for what us people put him through. In this particular tale we meet Lindsay Gray, she is young but out of college and living in NYC, and looks for love in all the wrong places. Cupid has been trying for years to find her love match, but the girl just won't cooperate. This is where Cupid takes up an old case Lindsay's father John and his old flame Eleanor they were really into one another back in High school, but fate had other plans, and now here they are and love does conquer all doesn't it? Well, not if Lindsay has anything to say about it, due to a few life changing events Lindsay it seems has to move home and she believes she needs to take care of her poor, elderly, lonely father... the girl is just delusional in the beginning and I honestly cannot stand her in the beginning of the book, but Cupid sets me straight as time goes on. This story was so much fun and even had a few tears fall from my eyes a few times. Cupid has some wonderful statements and describes love so well lovely...he's also got Sass when it comes to us humans. "The problem with humans is they're in love with love. Even worse, they're determined to find it themselves." But, Cupid also loves love, even if the life management departments sometimes ruins even his best of plans. This was a really great read for Christmas time the book just brought a little sparkle to my day and had just so much Sass I loved it!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

All I want for Christmas is You Written by: Lisa Mondello


Happy December everyone. Tis the season, and like last year I thought let's get this season started right. So, I found a book named after one of my favorite Christmas songs (forgive me) This is a very Hallmark kind of book. This was a very sweet, very cute, very happy book. Kristen Alexander is six years old and cute as a button, but she's never known a big family and loves her mommy so much. When most little kids at age six are asking for puppies, teddy bears, and bicycles Kristen just wants one thing and it's for her mother. Kristen wants a daddy for Christmas for her mom. Well, Santa of course cannot grant such a wish, or can he? Lauren Alexander and her daughter Kristen have been a duo for seven years and she hasn't had a big family since her daughter was born, and honestly it seems Lauren just might be ready to change that after she learns about her daughters wish. This book introduces us to Kyle Preston who of course since this is a happy go lucky Christmas story... perfect even in a tall viking way. He is a great guy and maybe just the thing Lauren needs this Christmas. There's cookie dough, doll houses, sleigh rides, singing, and family so yeah a very sweet tooth kind of book. It is just a nice happy story that makes you feel all good about Christmas time.