So Many Books, So Little Time

September felt like a really slow reading month for me.   I guess I did finish 11 books so that is not bad but I feel like I didn’t read much that I was super excited about.   I have read 145 books this year so I will definitely reach my goal, I just need to be more particular about what I read so I am not picking up a bunch of stuff I don’t love.   Here is what I read in September: The Maid by Kimberly Cutter Reign of Madness by Lynne Cullen Dracula by Bram Stoker The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir Shattered Dreams by Ellie James You Are My Only by Beth Kephart Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory The Betrayal by Diane Noble City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Before Versailles by Karleen Koen What did you read this month?

The Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books .   It’s a great way to meet new bloggers and check out   some cool blogs. This week’s question is:   In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”? This is such a hard question because there are so many books I love on the banned book list.   I will definitely have to say that of the last decade, one of my favorite books on the banned book list is A Wrinkle in Time.   I loved that book as a child (and as an adult) and I can’t imagine not having been able to read it.   Other favorites include The Hunger Games, Harry Potter and The Giver. What banned book(s) are on your list? Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read . This week's question is:  What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character? I wo

Hi All!   I just wanted to let you know that I am having major issues with commenting.   It started a month or so ago and I am not really sure what the issue is.   I am only able to leave comments on some blogs but that does not mean I am not reading your comments or visiting your blogs when I leave me a comment.   I love reading your comments so please don’t think I am ignoring you. Hopefully this will be fixed soon!  

From Goodreads:  Juana of Castile, third child of the Spanish monarchs Isabel and Fernando, grows up with no hope of inheriting her parents' crowns, but as a princess knows her duty: to further her family's ambitions through marriage. Yet stories of courtly love, and of her parents' own legendary romance, surround her. When she weds the Duke of Burgundy, a young man so beautiful that he is known as Philippe the Handsome, she dares to hope that she might have both love and crowns. He is caring, charming, and attracted to her-seemingly a perfect husband. But what begins like a fairy tale ends quite differently. When Queen Isabel dies, the crowns of Spain unexpectedly pass down to Juana, leaving her husband and her father hungering for the throne. Rumors fly that the young Queen has gone mad, driven insane by possessiveness. Who is to be believed? The King, beloved by his subjects? Or the Queen, unseen and unknown by her people? My Thoughts:  This was a good book!   I d

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish . This week's top is:  Top Ten Books I Want to Reread 1.)      We the Living by Ayn Rand-I know I have said it many times before but this is one of my top two favorite books of all time.   I have read it at least 4 times but it has been several years since my last reread and I am hoping to read it again this Fall. 2.)     Memnoch the Devil by Anne Rice-This is one of the Vampire Chronicles and I really loved it and its opinions on Christianity. 3.)     The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons-I read this in January but after my online book group discussed it last month, I have been itching to pick it up again. 4.)     The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-I will probably reread this before the movie comes out in March. 5.)     The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov-I have always meant to reread this book but have never had the time. 6.)     The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova-I LOVE this bo

In Honor of Banned Books Week, I feel like I should post my thoughts on banning books.   Few things bother me more than the idea that certain books are ‘inappropriate’ because they tackle difficult issues or bring up subjects that make people uncomfortable.   I feel like if you don’t want to read a book because of its content, that’s your choice but you don’t get to make that choice for me.   The Giver came out when I was in sixth grade and lived in small town Utah.   I remember that the school library wouldn’t allow this book to be put in circulation and that just made me want to read it even more.   My mom ended up buying it for me just to spite the school.   I didn’t even know what The Giver was about but I wanted to read it because someone told me that I couldn’t and I am glad I did because it is an amazing book. I also tend to get annoyed with the people who say things like Harry Potter is Satanic and blah blah blah.   They obviously haven’t read the books and don’t know what

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren .  It's a great way to share the books you receive during the week. I didn't get anything this week!  I was swamped at work and the hubs was in a wedding on Saturday so we spent the week prepping for that.  I hope to get Dracula finished today and then jump back into reading since I didn't have much time last week.  I think life is going to be less busy (at least at home) for a while so I am pretty excited about that. Since I don't have any books to share, I thought I would share a picture of the furbaby. I hope you all have a great week!  What's in your mailbox?

It's FRIDAY!!! Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read . This week’s question is:   Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it? I have read The Vampire Chronicles several times.   I don’t know why but I have loved this series since I was in high school.   The characters are amazing and all of the books have exciting plots.   It makes Twilight look like fluff and Louis and Lestat could totally kick Edward’s butt! What series do you love and read again and again?

From Goodreads:   Sixteen-year-old Trinity Monsour wants nothing more than to live a normal life. But that isn’t as easy as it seems. Trinity is different. She is special . She sees visions, and for those she’s seen, it’s already too late. Trinity arrives on her aunt’s doorstep in New Orleans with virtually no knowledge of her mysterious heritage. She begins settling into life at a new school and even starts making friends. But all too quickly her dreams accelerate; twisted, terrifying visions of a girl locked in a dark room. And when the head cheerleader, Jessica, goes missing, Trinity knows she has no choice but to step forward with what she’s seen. But people believe that Trinity has information about Jessica’s disappearance not because of a dream, but because she is involved. She is kind-of dating Jessica’s ex-boyfriend, Chase, and Jessica did pull a nasty prank on Trinity. Revenge seems like the likeliest scenario. Nothing prepares Trinity for the dark odyssey that ensues whi

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is:  Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me 1.)     Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 2.)     Feed by Mira Grant 3.)     The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 4.)     Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran 5.)     The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett 6.)     Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 7.)    A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin The above are all books I have been meaning to read for a LONG time and I just have not yet picked up (some of them I even own!!).   I hope to get to at least   a few of these this fall. 8.)     Anything by Sarah Dessen-Please don’t hate me for this.   I have read a Sarah Dessen book but it really didn’t do anything for me.   I feel like all of the bloggers love her books and there is always someone raving about her so I kind of feel left out. 9.)     Bloodlines by Richelle Mead 10.)   The Iron King series

From Goodreads:  The early life of Lady Elizabeth, the woman destined to be Queen Elizabeth I, is the subject of Alison Weir's second historical novel. In Weir's vivid rendering, the princess by birth emerges as a youthful alert witness to Tudor court intrigues and feuds. As in Innocent Traitor, the novelist peoples her narrative with sharply etched leaders competing for power and personal gain. A singular view of the flowering of a great monarch. My Thoughts:   I love Alison Weir because I can always count on her for a good read.   The Lady Elizabeth is the story of Elizabeth I before she became queen of England.   It starts with the death of her mother, Anne Boleyn, and ends with the death of her sister, Queen Mary.   I really enjoyed seeing Elizabeth’s childhood portrayed and it really made me think about how tumultuous and traumatic her younger years must have been.   I can’t imagine growing up with so much dysfunction in one’s family.   It was also really interesting

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren .  This week I planned to not get any books.  I am pretty overwhelmed with books right now and really should be reading the tons of books I own and haven't gotten to as well as a couple of galleys I have.  My new job is keeping me busy so my reading time has diminished.  I have so much to read that I am tempted to skip our local library book sale in two weeks so as not to add to the stack (CRAZY I know but I bought 17 books at the sale in April and haven't even read half of them).  Anyway, I just wanted to let you that my mailbox may be empty for a few weeks. So here is what I picked up this week at the library: Quiver by Holly Luhning   I thought this book sounded like a really good Halloween type book.  Speaking of Halloween, I am super excited to participate in the October readalong of Dracula hosted by A Literary Odyssey .    I have been wanting to read this for a while and this will gi

From Goodreads:  Emmy Rane is married at nineteen , a mother by twenty. Trapped in a life with a husband she no longer loves, Baby is her only joy. Then one sunny day in September, Emmy takes a few fateful steps away from her baby and returns to find her missing. All that is left behind is a yellow sock. Fourteen years later, Sophie, a homeschooled, reclusive teenage girl is forced to move frequently and abruptly from place to place, perpetually running from what her mother calls the “No Good.” One afternoon, Sophie breaks the rules, ventures out, and meets Joey and his two aunts. It is this loving family that opens Sophie’s eyes, giving her the courage to look into her past. What she discovers changes her world forever… The riveting stories of Emmy and Sophie—alternating narratives of loss, imprisonment, and freedom regained—escalate with breathless suspense toward an unforgettable climax. My Thoughts:  This book had a really interesting premise but it completely fell short of my ex

Oh my goodness, I thought Friday would never get here!!  It has been such a long week! Now it's time for Friday memes! YAY! The Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books . This week's question is:  “As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?” I have to say my introduction is pretty lame.  I am still a little unsure of how much information I should put out on the web about myself and thus kept my 'about me' pretty short, sweet, and to the point.  Maybe I will have to remedy that....what do you all think??? Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read . This week's question is:  It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality? I am not sure I can answer this.  Most of my favorite books are set in places/times that I don't think I would want to live (i.e. The Hunger Games, The Bronze Hor

From Goodreads:  The narrator of Atwood's riveting novel calls himself Snowman. When the story opens, he is sleeping in a tree, wearing an old bedsheet, mourning the loss of his beloved Oryx and his best friend Crake, and slowly starving to death. He searches for supplies in a wasteland where insects proliferate and pigoons and wolvogs ravage the pleeblands, where ordinary people once lived, and the Compounds that sheltered the extraordinary. As he tries to piece together what has taken place, the narrative shifts to decades earlier. How did everything fall apart so quickly? Why is he left with nothing but his haunting memories? Alone except for the green-eyed Children of Crake, who think of him as a kind of monster, he explores the answers to these questions in the double journey he takes - into his own past, and back to Crake's high-tech bubble-dome, where the Paradice Project unfolded and the world came to grief. With breathtaking command of her shocking material, and wi

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish . This week's topic is:  Top Ten Books I read because of another Blogger -I have only been reading book blogs for about a year so my list isn’t very long.   Also, big fail for me…I can’t remember which blogs I got these recommendations from.   : ( 1.)     The Darkfever series by Karen Marie Moning 2.)     Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 3.)     Divergent by Veronica Roth 4.)     Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins Here are a couple books I am dying to read because of another blogger but haven't: 1.)     The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 2.)     Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran 3.)     Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare Have any of you read some amazing books because of a blogger’s review?

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren .  It's a way to share the books I have accumulated during the week.  Here is what I received: From the Library: Reign of Madness by Lynn Cullen Free Nook Download: Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson What's in your mailbox this week?

From Goodreads:  Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines. My Thoughts:  I received this book from NetGalley for review.   This book surprised me.   I thought that it sounded like an interesting story but I don’t always love Philippa Gregory’s books.   I loved that she took

It’s Friday!!   That means it’s time for some great memes and the opportunity to check out some cool new blogs! The Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books .     This week’s question is: “Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?” I read a lot of historical fiction with YA and contemporary fiction mixed in.   If I couldn’t read historical fiction any more, I would probably read more non-fiction.   I used to read a ton of non-fiction but have slowed down dramatically in the last few years and I kind of miss it. Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read . This week’s question is:   Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story?   If yes, which one? Hmmmm, this is a hard question.   I guess I would say yes, i

From Goodreads:  Ensnared in a religion she increasingly questions, Bronwyn faces an impossible choice. When recently widowed Bronwyn becomes the second wife to Gabriel MacKay, she promises her new sister wife and best friend, Mary Rose, that the marriage will remain platonic. But she finds herself falling in love with the man who has promised to keep her safe—even as her heart struggles with her promise to her friend. When Gabriel marries a third wife, and as the practice of polygamy increases and the age of brides decreases, Bronwyn begins to question the righteousness of this new religion. Even as the Saints journey to Salt Lake Valley, their new promised land, Bronwyn and Mary Rose plot their escape. But when they are suspected of treachery by Brigham Young's secret army—whose mission it is to punish apostates—the two sister wives face the most difficult decision of their lives, one that can mean life or death for those they love. My Thoughts:  I am really interested in pol

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish .  This week's topic is: Top Ten Sequels I am Dying to Read! 1.)      Written with My Own Heart's Blood  (Outlander book 8)   by Diana Gabaldon-Oh my goodness, it has been two years since the last book was released, hurry up already!! 2.)     Insurgent by Veronica Roth 3.)     Shadow of the Night (The All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness-I really enjoyed A Discovery of Witches and can’t wait to read the next book. 4.)     The Eve Trilogy #2 by Anna Carey- Eve ended with a lot of questions left unanswered like what happened to her and Caleb??   5.)     Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins-I love the Hex Hall books and Demonglass totally left me hanging! 6.)     Pandemonium (Delirium book 2) by Lauren Oliver-I didn’t love Delirium but I really do want to see what happens to Lena and if she ever finds her mother.   I also want to know what really happened to Alex. That’s all I have.   What sequ

From Goodreads:  When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunte

From Goodreads:  Before Versailles is the luscious, sweeping story of the young Louis XIV in his first year as king of France. Told in the alternating perspectives of the young king and his first love, the woman who would become his mistress, Karleen Koen's newest weaves a portrait of court and country in turmoil with the legends of this colorful period in history, including that of the mysterious man in the iron mask. My Thoughts:  I know I have been a downer with my reviews lately so I apologize for another negative review.  I have read several of Karleen Koen's books and really enjoyed them which I was why I picked this book up.  I thought the story sounded okay but I figured that if Koen wrote it then it would be good.  I was wrong.  The story is supposed to be about the first year of Louis XIV's reign but the story is told by multiple characters' perspectives and I feel like Louis got lost in the mix.  The story seemed to be more about the intrigue at his cour

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren .  It's a way to share what books I have purchased, received for review or borrowed from the library.  I got quite a few books this week so I am officially buried!  Between my new job and our dog's surgery and subsequent complications,  I am behind on reviews but will try to catch up this week.  From NetGalley: The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory Shattered Dreams by Ellie James You Are My Only by Beth Kephart The Maid by Kimberly Cutter From the Library: Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood What's in your mailbox this week?

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jen at Crazy for Books .  It's a great way to meet other bloggers and check out some cool new blogs. This week's question is:  “What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)” I am looking forward to cooler temperatures!  This summer was brutal!!  I am ready to be able to wear sweaters and hoodies and to be comfortable outside.  Also, this week I decided to participate in Feature and Follow Friday.  It is a meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. This week's question is :  If you could change the end of any book (or series), which book would you choose?  Why? I would complete change the end of My Sister's Keeper .   I am not going to put any spo

I can’t believe it is already September!! The month of August was super crazy busy for me but I managed to get through 15 books.   I am not at 134 for the year so I should easily hit my goal of 150. Here is what I read in August: 1.)     Pale Rose of England by Sandra Worth 2.)     Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol 3.)     The Likeness by Tana French 4.)     Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade by Diana Gabaldon 5.)     Accidents of Providence by Stacia M. Brown 6.)     Katyn:   Stalin’s Massacre and the Triumph of the Truth by Allen Paul 7.)     Christine by Stephen King 8.)     Delirium by Lauren Oliver 9.)     Next to Love by Ellen Feldman 10.)   A Love that Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar 11.)   Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross 12.)   My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster 13.) Beauty Queens by Libba Bray 14.) A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 15.)   Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey What did you read last month?