So Many Books, So Little Time

  Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein I feel bad for saying this, but this book didn't really do anything for me.  I know a lot of people raved about it and had so many emotions about it but I just didn't get it.  It was very slow and hard to get into and I guess I just wasn't overwhelmed by the big event.  It wasn't a bad book and I really enjoyed a lot of the interrogation scenes (not because I enjoy that but because they were well-written and the dialogue was interesting).   I really wanted to love this book but I just didn't.  3 stars.   Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater I loved the Wolves of Mercy Falls books so I had to read this book.  It's all about Cole and Isabel and it was  really good.  Cole is a fascinating character; he's a total smart-ass but also a very sensitive soul.  I enjoyed getting to know him more and watching him deal with his demons.  He is a very unpredictable character so there were a lo...

I'm back and linking up with Mailbox Monday again!  Work and life have been insane lately so it's been a few weeks since I have posted.  The past week has been filled with work related stress and a sick baby so Christmas wasn't anywhere near as fun as I had hoped.   I didn't get any books for Christmas but I did get some gift cards that I will be using to buy books so I will post those in the next few weeks.  I decided to make my Mailbox Monday a kid's edition because Julia got a ton of books for Christmas and I thought it would be fun to showcase them! Frankenstein: A BabyLit Anatomy Primer - If you haven't seen these BabyLit books, you should check them out.  They take Classics and turn them into fun education board books for little ones. The Bearnstein Bear's Bear Family Treasury- I couldn't find a link to this one but it is a compilation of 8 Berenstain Bear's books.  I loved these books when I was a kid so I'm excited to read...

Publication Date: December 15, 2014 | eBook, Paperback | ISBN-10: 1502757745 Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance The one whose emotions I can't feel is the one who makes me feel the most. I was a sensitive, at least that's what I was told by the boy who saved me from the overwhelming emotions that consumed my soul, the boy who saved me from myself when my gift became stronger. Through the years, he was my redemption, my reason to take my next breath...then, he was gone. Jensen always told me I was strong, but I didn't believe him until I was forced to be strong on my own, and I kept breathing without him. I've taken 42 million breaths since the moment he sent me away. Now, four years later, he's standing in front of me, and I can barely breathe. This isn't just a story about the abilities I possess; it's a story about something much stronger...the love of the man who possesses every part of me. ***Disclaimer - Feel is intended for readers 18+ d...

Synopsis:  Whither Thou Goest is the seventh book in Anna Belfrage’s series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham. In their rural home in the Colony of Maryland, Matthew and Alex Graham are still recovering from the awful events of the previous years when Luke Graham, Matthew’s estranged brother, asks them for a favour. Alex has no problems whatsoever ignoring Luke’s sad plea for help. In her opinion Matthew’s brother is an evil excuse of a man who deserves whatever nasty stuff fate throws at him. Except, as Matthew points out, Luke is begging them to save his son – his misled Charlie, one of the Monmouth rebels – and can Charlie Graham be held responsible for his father’s ill deeds? So off they go on yet another adventure, this time to the West Indies to find a young man neither of them knows but who faces imminent death on a sugar plantation, condemned to slavery for treason. The journey is hazardous and a...

I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday again!  Check it out here ! I had a slow book week but I'm okay with that because I have a ton of books to read and not a lot of time in which to do it.  The good news is, I'm almost done Christmas shopping!! Woohoo!  I still have a ton of holiday related things to do (Christmas cards, wrapping, etc) but at least I can check that off the list.   Here is what I got this week: From the Library (ebook):   Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater   Purchased: A Rip in the Veil by Anna Belfrage   (I have already read this one but I have the rest of the series so I wanted this one too) What books did you get this week?  

A few weeks ago I posted about how I was taking a class on Laura Ingalls Wilder's early works (see the post here ).  The class has ended and I have finished my re-read of the first four 'Little House' books.  I have read each of these books countless times but this was the first time I have read them as an adult. I loved reading these stories again.  The illustrations are beautiful and each book is as wonderful as I remember it being.  I've been trying to come up with a favorite of these four and I just can't.  I do really lean toward Little House on the Prairie because I love the descriptions of the family setting up their homestead but I don't think I could choose a true favorite of these four.  Farmer Boy was a little less fun to read because the edition I read didn't have any illustrations in it; Garth Williams illustrations help make these books great so I was really bummed to realize that the copy of Farmer Boy I got from the library didn't ha...

AAAH! December is here! How did that happen?  The past two months have been a complete blur and I have a feeling December is going to fly by too.  Despite things being so crazy, the past two months have been really good reading months and as of last week, I met my reading goal for the year...again!  Compared to previous years, it's not much but I took a class this semester that is KILLING me and have had an excessive amount of work to do at my actual job so getting any reading done feels like a big deal.  I have read 75 books this year, I'm hoping to get to 80 now but we'll see.  At this moment in time, I haven't read anything in close to a week so 5 books this month feels very ambitious. Here is what I read in October and November: 1.) Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth 2.) The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely 3.) The Case for the Only Child by Susan Newman 4.) Come Dancing by Leslie Wells 5.) Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder 6.) ...

Publication Date: December 1, 2014 Carina Press eBook; ASIN: B00OHV6MFA Series: Goddess Born Genre: Historical/Paranormal/New Adult/Romance Selah Kilbrid may descend from the goddess Brigid, but her heart beats—and breaks—the same as any human. Yet enduring the scorn of London's most noble lords and ladies is a small price to pay for a chance at true happiness. Selah would endure much more for love, and her betrothed, Lord Henry Fitzalan, is prepared to challenge anyone foolish enough to stand in their way—even another goddess born. But when a captivating young gentleman draws Selah into a world shadowed by secrets, she is forced to confront her darkest fears. What if some differences are too great to overcome and a future with Henry is doomed from the start? With these doubts threatening her impending marriage and the very last of Brigid's fire draining from her soul, a violent attack on an innocent child pushes Selah to the very edge of her power. She must find a way to cross...

It's that time of the week again!  I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday, check it out here ! I hope everyone in the states had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We had a nice time on Thursday and then put up all of our Christmas decorations yesterday.  We are ready for December! I had Wednesday off and Julia was at daycare so I could run a bunch of errands and bake pies.  I stopped in at the library because I haven't had a chance to browse by myself since it re-opened.  There were parts of the library that I didn't even remember being there because I only ever get to go to the children's section!  I went a little overboard because everything looked so good. Here is what I got:   Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall All that I Am by Anna Funder Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory You'd Be So Pretty If... by Dara Chadwick The Secret Place by Tana French Did...

Today I'm really happy to welcome Elaine Cougler to the blog!  She is the author of The Loyalist's Wife and The Loyalist's Luck which was just released in October (check out the review I posted yesterday!). 7 Super Interesting Things Writing The Loyalist’s Luck Taught Me For the next half hour the house was all a-tumble with getting William ready to travel. Young Will and wee John woke with all the hubbub and even their sister slid down the steps as fast as she could to be part of the excitement. Catherine and Lucy held the youngest ones on their laps, out of the way of the men. Young Will ran back up to his room and reappeared as his father was opening the door, his hand behind his back. “Daddy.” “No, Will. Your daddy has to hurry,” said Catherine, holding the boy’s hand. They gathered together in the kitchen and he stopped to smile at each one in turn. “I’ll be back soon.”  But he wasn’t. The hours passed, night came and with it the far-off sounds of can...

Synopsis:  When the Revolutionary War turns in favor of the Americans, John and Lucy flee across the Niagara River with almost nothing. They begin again in Butlersburg, a badly supplied British outpost surrounded by endless trees and rivers, and the mighty roar of the giant falls nearby. He is off on a secret mission for Colonel Butler and she is left behind with her young son and pregnant once again. In the camp full of distrust, hunger, and poverty, word has seeped out that John has gone over to the American side and only two people will associate with Lucy—her friend, Nellie, who delights in telling her all the current gossip, and Sergeant Crawford, who refuses to set the record straight and clear John’s name. To make matters worse, the sergeant has made improper advances toward Lucy. With vivid scenes of heartbreak and betrayal, heroism and shattered hopes, Elaine Cougler takes us into the hearts and homes of Loyalists still fighting for their beliefs, and draw...

I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday again. Check it out here ! It's almost Thanksgiving! I'm so looking forward to the long weekend!  It is much needed right now.  We are just staying in town and going to my in-laws for Thanksgiving.  It will be nice to relax a bit.  I got two new books this week, both look really good.  I swore I was going to stay away from NetGalley but I couldn't help myself!   From NetGalley: The Marriage Game by Alison Weir The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah I hope all of my American followers have a happy Thanksgiving!!  What books did you get this week?  Any big plans for the holiday?

Synopsis:  Winter, 1558: Elizabeth I has ascended the throne but the first days of her reign are already fraught with turmoil, the kingdom weakened by strife and her ability to rule uncertain. Summoned from exile abroad at the new queen’s behest, Brendan Prescott arrives in London to face his shattered past. He soon finds himself pitted in deadly rivalry with his life-long foe, Robert Dudley, but when a poison attempt overshadows the queen’s coronation, Elizabeth privately dispatches Brendan on a far more dangerous assignation: to find her favored lady-in-waiting, Lady Parry, who has vanished in Yorkshire. Upon his arrival at the crumbling sea-side manor that may hold the key to Lady Parry’s disappearance, he encounters a strange, impoverished family beset by grief, as well as mounting evidence that they hide a secret from him. The mystery surrounding Lady Parry deepens as Brendan begins to realize there is far more going on at the manor than meets the eye, ...

 Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme started by Marcia at To Be Continued.  It's a great way to show off all the cool books you received during the week.  Check it out here ! I got some great books this week!  On Monday night, I went to an event at a library near Kansas City and got to see Maggie Stiefvater and the Merry Sisters of Fate.  They gave a great talk on writing and then signed books.  I picked up a copy of The Raven Boys got it signed.  It was so fun!  I also got a couple of review books that I'm so excited to read. Purchased: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater For Review (from HFVBT): Whither Thou Goest by Anna Belfrage A Grave Inheritance by Kari Edgren From the Library (ebook): The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater What books did you get this week?

Welcome to the Cowboys & Christmas Blog Tour! A kickoff of two new holiday romances by Shanna Hatfield and a fundraiser for the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund An Interview with the Men of Hardman Holidays Three characters from Shanna Hatfield’s historical holiday series, Hardman Holidays join us today . Set in the western town of Hardman, Oregon, this series of sweet romances highlights determined women and the men who fall for them. Luke Granger, Blake Stratton, and Arlan Guthry talk about life in Hardman in the 1890s. A warm welcome to you all. Tell us a little about how you met. Luke: We all grew up in Hardman. Blake moved here with his parents from England just after my family arrived from New York when we were quite small. Arlan, your parents moved here before you were born, didn’t they? I was young enough I don’t remember. Arlan: Yes, they did. My brother, Adam, was just a year old when they moved to Hardman. I was born two years ...