Thursday, January 28, 2016

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

Summary:

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

My Thoughts:

                Not going to lie, when I first started this one I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it…but it was a free Kindle e-book so I thought I would plug along.  Once I settled in and got to know Janie a little bit I LOVED her and realized I kind of AM HER!?!?
                Janie is very intelligent but completely socially awkward with everyone except her knitting club which is odd because she doesn’t even knit!  But I think there is a little bit of all of us in her in our insecurities and fears of relationships and being hurt.  I am rather socially awkward but Janie makes me look normal!
                This is a very fun, PG-13 love story that I am glad that I read because there were a few lines that I actually highlighted that made me realize a few things about me.  You know those moments when you go “huh, yep I do that!” I had one of those when I read the line: “I know that life, in general, terrifies you; I know that you are frequently oblivious to the obvious, and I know that you are completely irrational at times.”  I am not the Brainiac that Janie is but other than that we are the same.
                I think this is why I ended up really enjoying this romance and why I was so utterly happy for Janie when she let go of her fears and trusted and loved.  This is the first book in the Knitting in the City series and I will definitely check out the next installment, Neanderthal Marries Human.
Check out the Amazon Kindle version of NSH today-it's free as of today!



 

Monday, January 25, 2016

In a Rut…

     When contemplating my New Year Reading Challenge I knew that I wanted to do something different this year and just my usual number challenge.  I wanted to slow down, enjoy my reading more and also to expand my horizons a bit.
     My main problem is that I go through reading phases i.e. I read one genre of books almost exclusively until I burn out or run out of good authors to read.  First, it was mysteries and thrillers. Then it was cozy mysteries and lately it has been romantic sexiness but now…I’m all “blah, nothing sounds good to read”.  So what’s a girl to do?
     Usually when I find myself in a rut I will read a biography or another type of non-fiction book and it helps knock me out of that book bunk and I can move on.  Problem is this time that I did that and here I am…still rutted. 
     Another thing I resolved to do regarding my book reading this year was to quit reading a book if I didn’t love it.  I might not be in the right mood for it and can come back later but I refuse to waste my precious reading time if I am not enthralled. I tried to start reading a book Friday (sexiness) but couldn’t get into so I gave up.  Then yesterday I tried a different one (YA) and STILL couldn’t get interested.  I've been itching to reread Outlander from the beginning.....maybe that will help, who knows!   
 

I guess at this point that I am going to keep trying different genres until something clicks for me and we’ll see what happens!


P.S. Sorry for the slightly depressing post but I think the Winter Blahs have affected my reading….

Friday, January 22, 2016

Landline by Rainbow Rowell


I’m a little late to this show but I don’t buy hardbacks or new e-books when first released based solely on other peoples’ recommendations-I’m cheap, sorry.  So I wait for the paperback to come out or buy it used just in case it one of those Everyone-Loves-It-But-I-Sorta-Hate-It books. This book is definitely different but I love when an author comes up with a new concept and twist for a storyline.  Landline definitely does that!

Summary from Amazon:

“IF YOU GOT A SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE,
WOULD YOU MAKE THE SAME CALL?

As far as time machines go, a magic telephone is pretty useless.

TV writer Georgie McCool can't actually visit the past -- all she can do is call it, and hope it picks up.

And hope he picks up.

Because once Georgie realizes she has a magic phone that calls into the past, all she wants to do is make things right with her husband, Neal.

Maybe she can fix the things in their past that seem unfixable in the present. Maybe this stupid phone is giving her a chance to start over ...

Does Georgie want to start over?

Landline asks if two people are ever truly on the same path, or whether love just means finding someone who will keep meeting you halfway, no matter where you end up.”



Georgie and Neal love each other but if one is absent from the relationship most of the time and the other is miserable, can it last? Georgie gets a taste of what it feel like to possibly lose that relationship and her “magical” phone helps her to realize her mistakes. 

I can definitely say that this book was unusual but I actually really enjoyed the concept.  The thought that you can get a second chance and that even though you love someone you still have to work at it every day to make it last is one that most people don’t seem to realize anymore. 
Landline was one of those books that I finished and then had to contemplate it for a few days afterwards to decide how I really felt about it.  My only was that the ending just sort of happened-just *BAM* it’s over-so I didn’t really get a feeling of closure (which I sort of hate in a book).  There was never any real explanation of the phone so I feel that most of it was all in Georgie’s head and was a way for her to deal with what was going on. 

All in all this was a very good read and I enjoyed the characters and how they dealt with their feelings and relationships.  I just wish that there had been….well, more.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Authors I One-Click

     
     
     I am a rabid Amazon customer so the invention of the One-Click button is both a blessing and a curse.  Amazing because I can just order a book easily without entering all my info again and again but it’s bad because it makes my instant gratification bookworm waaaaaay too happy!
            To avoid the overzealous clicking of that lovely button and putting myself into massive debt via Amazon I just put everything I’m interested in reading onto my WishList so that I can think about it for a while and come back to it later if I decide the book is worth it.  My husband seemed shocked to learn that I have around 300 books on my WishList on Amazon and that I also have over 60 books currently sitting in my To Be Read piles that I’ve already purchased-it’s like he doesn’t even know me! 
            Anyway, all of that was to get to this point-there are some authors that I don’t even WishList because to me they are an automatic One-Click must have. 
Here are the authors that over the last few years or so have become the purchases I don’t even have to think twice about-ALWAYS worth it:

HarlanCoben:  I discovered his book several years ago through an online book club and have read almost all of his books now.  These are mystery/thriller type books but always good for a few giggles as well.  Mr. Coben is hilarious and always keeps me guessing!  He has a new stand-alone coming out in March (Fool Me Once) that I’m pre-ordering with my gift cards from Christmas but I will always have a special place in my bookworm heart for his Myron Bolitar series.


ChristinaLauren:  Two female friends writing funny, sexy books together-had to try it and I did and instantly fell in love.  Their Beautiful Series is my fave (MaxStella = swoon) but I also really enjoyed their Wild Seasons series which I believe, is concluding next month with Wicked Sexy Liar.



DianaGalbaldon:  I am late to the Outlander fandom as the first book came out in 1993 and I only ever heard about and read it in 2014 when I started seeing advertisements for the show (when it says “based on the bestselling novel” I have to read the book first).  I haven’t read #8 in the series yet (Written in My Heart’s Own Blood) because who knows when #9 is coming out and I’m trying to make the wait not quite as painfully long. Plus, Jamie Fraser...
                                          


New-to-me authors that have just recently become One-Clickers:


HelenaHunting: See my review of Pucked Over-Holy Moses, these books are great! Quirky, funny, sexy characters that you cannot miss out on! Even if you are not a sports or hockey fan you will love these books because they characters are relatable and so great!



MelanieHarlow: You must read the Frenched series! Again funny and sexy characters from a storyteller that makes you feel like you are right there in the story yourself.  You don’t have to read the books in order but I highly suggest it so that you have the back stories to all the characters and then you can move on to her Some Sort Of series which is also really well written.
                                     


Any readers out there with “One-Click Authors”? I am always looking for suggestions for new authors!

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Pucked Over (Pucked series #3) by Helena Hunting



Pucked Over Summary:

Lily LeBlanc isn’t versed in the art of casual sex, but after seven years in an on-again, off-again relationship, she’s definitely willing to give it a shot. And who better to try it with than her best friend’s boyfriend’s best friend? What could possibly go wrong?
     NHL player, Randy Ballistic, lives up to his last name on the ice and in the bedroom. His best friend and teammate has recently given up the puck bunnies and traded them in for a real girlfriend. And she just happens to have a seriously feisty, extra-hot best friend on the rebound. Randy’s more than happy to be Lily’s spring board back into the dating scene.
     But casual sex is only casual until those pesky things called emotions get involved. Once that happens, someone’s bound to get pucked over.


Review:         

      Of course, there are issues when you’re dating a hot hockey player but if it’s just for rebound fun it doesn’t matter, right?  Lily and Randy’s story is full of fun, sexiness and angst-y times that will have you devouring their story!  The only complaint that I have about this book is that I’m done reading and it is all over!
     First, I want to say this is technically a stand alone BUT if you haven’t read books 1 & 2 (Pucked & PuckedUp-) DO IT NOW!  This is a hilarious, fun, and sexy series you will love!
     Second, I thought that no one could be better than Alex Waters (Pucked), as far as hockey book boyfriends go, but just the cover of this new installment had me doubting that thought! Now that I’ve read Pucked Over, I am having a tough time deciding who is better Alex or Randy? I enjoy a sarcastic, funny bossy male character and Randy “Balls” (*hump*hump* from Violet) Ballistic fits that bill to a “T”.
     Third, it was so nice to have all of the gang from books one and two back because they’re hilarious!  Violet amuses me so much with her big mouth and lack of filter.  All of the female characters in Helena’s stories are funny and relatable which is very important to me.  Who wants wishy-washy females that you cannot be happy for?  Not me!
     If you haven’t started this series, what are you waiting for?  5 stars! And if you love Helena's books and characters as much as I do check her out online:

Social media links:

Twitter: @helenahunting http://bit.ly/1vOjANY



Preorder links for Pucked Over:






Monday, January 11, 2016

Newest Additions to The Pile





     I may have gone a bit loco buying more books lately (*blushing*) but when your husband offers to take you to two different bookstores and buy you books you don’t say no!  Also, he refused to let me use my Christmas gift cards (yeah, he’s pretty awesome) and he bought me both the Outlander wall and desk calendars that he couldn’t find for me for Christmas!



     Here’s my haul from Barnes & Noble, Half Price Books and a small one-click binge on Amazon:


 
The Woods by Harlan Coben:  one of the few of his books that I haven’t read yet!
 
An Uncollected Death by Meg Wolfe: a new (to me) mystery series
 
Friction by Sawyer Bennett: gotta have some smexy romance



 
Seduction of Molly O’Flaherty by Sierra Simone: heard great things about this writer
 
The Moonlit Garden by Corina Bomann: January’s Amazon Firsts selection
 
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley: this was a recommendation for lovers of Outlander
 
Jellicoe Road by Marlina Marchetta: That’s Normal raves about this book and author
 
The Passenger by Lisa Lutz: galley received for review (SQUEE)

Pucked Over by Helena Hunting: galley received for review (DOUBLE SQUEE)-I mean LOOK at this cover!?!?!

There was more but I’m slightly embarrassed by the size of this list so I’ll stop there….stay tuned for the review of Pucked Over later this week!






Thursday, January 7, 2016

The Struggle is Real...



     This is a very serious problem of mine....I have at least 70 books in my TBR pile but about 200 on my Amazon Wish List. It's a disease!
     Just stopping by to check in and let you know I just go two new books to start reading for reviews by two of my favorite authors. Can't wait to dive in and then share! Have a great weekend!

Monday, January 4, 2016

My 2016 Reading Challenges





     I usually don’t get involved in anything fancy regarding yearly reading challenges but decided I needed to try something different this year to get me out of what I feel is a reading rut. 
     In the past, I have always just set a number goal of about 100 or 125 depending on how sassy I’m feeling but I feel that this has been causing me to not enjoy the reading as much.  I think I was reading faster and not savoring my books as much because I was trying to reach and surpass that goal…can you say “competitive”?
     So this year I have been looking around (Pinterest) and some other blogs trying to find a challenge that will get my outside my box (a little-let’s not get too crazy here!) but won’t pressure me to Hurry-Up-and-Get-Done.   I was looking for a small list of books that were different genres than I usually read but not stuff so deep and depressing that I knew I would never accomplish it because why set yourself up for failure?
     This year I am joining in on Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2016 challenge because it is not only a smaller challenge but it is also a more open challenge that I can choose how to fulfill each item myself.  This is ideal for me because I’m kind of picky about what I read and this gives me a goal but not a specific book which I think will work better for me.  Usually vague doesn’t work for me but in this case it is perfect! 
    I will probably go down the list in order because I am just that anal but we shall see!  Every time I complete one of the goals I will be sure to mark the review as part of the challenge.  What reading goals have you set for yourself for 2016? Any other interesting challenges out there that you found? Let me know!