2009 Numbers & Goals Reached

This is my last 2009 summary and it was actually the toughest. Don't laugh (or go ahead and laugh) the following are just numbers, but I keep track of my reads on a simple list of books read throughout the year, in order of books read, by month. Trying to break that out into categories, etc... and weeding out re-reads and non-romance/pertinent books gave me a headache! I'll be better prepared next year.

Well, after taking out the re-reads and other books, these are the numbers.

Total books read for the year: 159

Contemporary Romance: 41

Historical Romance: 27

Paranormal Romance: 17

Urban Fantasy: 11

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: 9

Young Adult: 5

Mystery: 1

Romance Suspense: 1

Historical Fiction: 1

Erotica: 4

LGBT Fiction/Romance/Erotica: 43

My personal reading goals for 2009 were quite easy.

1) Read more Contemporary Romances and Sci-Fi / Fantasy.

I did well with this goal. I read 41 contemporary romances in 2009 vs. approximately 10 in 2008.

When it comes to Sci-Fi Fantasy I met my goal, but barely. I read 9 in 2009 vs. 8 in 2008. I bought lots of books and my TBR pile is bursting at the seams, but I never got to them. So this is a genre that I want to continue exploring in 2010.

2) Give Urban Fantasy a chance. Begin 3 UF series.

I thought this was going to be a tough goal to reach for me. It turned out to be an easy one. I not only met my goal, I exceeded it by starting and catching up on 5 UF series in 2009. I'm not planning on starting too many new series in 2010, but I'll definitely continue reading this new-to-me genre. I'm loving it!

3) Finally get to some authors that have been lingering on my list of authors to try. Read one book, and if I like it, go for the backlist.

Now this goal I reached and exceeded also. I read 52 new-to-me authors. Many of them in the LGBT genre during the M/M Reading Challenge, but most of them were authors I'd had on my list of authors to try for a while. It was a great year for new discoveries. 2010 promises to be another great one as I have more new-to-me authors on my ever growing list to enjoy.

That's it! The end of 2009... now I'll just look forward.

December 2009 Reads & Minis

Here are my last reads of 2009 for the month of December. As you can see I didn't have much time to review or even give my impressions on most of them, but one. December was a busy, busy month and I found myself writing other posts and not reviewing my books! Now I'm behind, but I'll be catching up with these in January. So, here's my list such as it is.

1) Aftershock by Jill Shalvis - B

Another category romance in Jill Shalvis' firefighter series -- this is a Harlequin Temptation Heat -- I'm really enjoying these! This one is about Dax, the arson investigator that makes an appearance in some of the installments I already read, Flashpoint and Flashback. Again, Shalvis does a good job with this book. The relationship between the couple doesn't just happen, these two have to work for it. They meet under extraordinary circumstances, have a passionate encounter and then meet again a year later. Dax made for a likable and sexy hero, however the heroine wasn't easy to like, I thought. Some of her actions throughout the story were questionable and she let her fear and insecurities affect her decision-making one too many times. That took away from some of my enjoyment of the story. However, the book itself was well done and the HEA was a good one.

2) The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold - A

3) Demon Night by Meljean Brook
Upcoming Mini

4) Deliverance by Aleksndr Voinov (Forbidden Love Anthology) M/M
Upcoming Mini

5) Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi
Upcoming Review

6) La Playita by Gavin Atlas M/M

Upcoming Mini

7) England's Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch - B

I enjoyed England's Perfect Hero. Lucinda and Robert were a very nice couple and once they got together, they had some wonderful scenes together. The one in the garden was an unexpected treat. I specially loved the hero in this book and how the relationship developed -- it wasn't rushed, instead I found it to be sweet and beautiful. I enjoyed the sexual tension and the attraction between them. Although I more than enjoyed the romance and loved the interaction between Lucinda and Robert, I thought the villain of the piece was quite predictable and was disappointed with that aspect of the book. I haven't read the previous installments in the Lessons of Love series, but I will be looking for them.

8) Wanting by M.L. Rhodes M/M - B+

This story was about a pair of college room mates who have been best friends for four years. A familiar theme but one that I enjoyed more than others. One room mate is gay and one thinks of himself of as straight, but this book is not necessarily a "gay for you" story. It's more of a coming to terms with the truth and coming out romance. Rhodes set it up very well. It's a short story but the characters, Jeremy & Ben (specially Jeremy), go through quite a few changes in this story and not all the changes are related to his coming out. I've always liked the way Rhodes makes her characters three dimensional even when she's writing a seemingly "over-familiar" plot in a short story format.

9) Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - B

This was an interesting read. The story of Bobby Tom, ex-football player, and Gracie Snow. These two made me laugh quite a bit in the story. I really don't know where I would place this book in my SEP list, but definitely not at the top of my favorites so far, although I did enjoy it. Bobby Tom is a likable, not so likable, likable/egotistical, likable, should get kicked, likable type of hero. Gracie had his number and still had the hots for him... which turned out to be a good thing all around -- a frustrating, enjoyable read. I laughed and wanted to smack Bobby Tom at the same time. But then Phillips tends to do that, she comes up with these thoroughly flawed characters and through character development sooner or later makes them sympathetic. In this case Gracie, the heroine, was the key. Still, it was not my favorite book from Phillip's backlist.

10) A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine (M/M)

Upcoming Mini

11) Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Upcoming Review

12) A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

Upcoming Review

13) Her Secret Fling by Sarah Mayberry

Upcoming Review

14) Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry - B+

My last read of the year was Home for the Holidays by Sarah Mayberry, a Blaze category romance. This book, as in many of Mayberry's categories, offers great characters. This is not your regular holiday plot either. The hero and heroine are a bit different, she's a mechanic who rides a Harley and he's a single father who has been a widower for two years. The plot is hot and amusing for most of the book and it felt as if I'd read a much longer book, so the development was excellent. I was a bit disappointed towards the end when I felt the author threw in an emotionally manipulative storyline that I didn't feel was necessary. It jerked me out of the story just as the book was about to end (last two chapters), but it didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. All in all a pretty enjoyable read.

December was actually an excellent reading month for me -- it exceeded my expectations. I read some beautiful books and unlike November, I didn't have any deep disappointments. How about you? How did your last month of the year go? Any good/great reads?

November 2009 Reads & Minis

November is done! I can't believe it... I read almost half the books I read last month, and didn't like some of them as much as I did my last month's reads, but those months/weeks/days don't come around too often. I did, however, find a few wonderful surprises along the way.

I got hooked on the paranormal Guardian series by Meljean Brook and that's great for me. I've had some disappointments this year and my PNR list of authors has dwindled down to three must-read authors -- this is an excellent addition to my list. I also have a new-to-me author whose backlist I'm going to explore, Cheryl St. John writes historical romances set in the west. I love the genre and can't wait to read more books by her. And, I was very happy to read Lisa Dale's latest book and hope to read more. I'm thinking maybe I found a new contemporary romance writer I'll be following in the future. So, a productive reading month, if not in quantity, for the most part in quality. :)

1) Demon Angel by Meljean Brook

2) Joe's Wife by Cheryl St. John

3) Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

4) Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts - Upcoming Review

5) It Happened One Night by Lisa Dale

6) The Cowboy (Bitter Creek Series #1) by Joan Johnston

The Cowboy by Joan Johnston was a DNF for me. I read as far as the end of the 3rd Chapter and closed the book. There's a feud going on between the H/h's families and while at college, these two young people meet and fall in love. In the opening scene, while the two are in bed together, she receives a phone call telling her that her brother was tragically paralyzed in a football game accident. The person who made the unlucky play and hurt her brother is the hero's brother. She decides right there and then that she has to end their relationship. He begs her to go with him and marry him, to confront their families and end this feud. She won't do it even though she secretly knows she's pregnant. Yes, pregnant. *sigh

Eleven years pass and the hero finally returns home. When they meet again, (by Chapter 3) she accuses him of LEAVING HER! All of the sudden it's HIS FAULT! All of this while she is still trying to hide the fact that the child belongs to him. See, she married another man 1 month after he left and is now a widow. I have no patience for this type of storyline and that was the end for me. I actually thought of reading the trilogy by Ms. Johnston... the other two are The Texan and The Loner, but decided against it. Frustrating, just frustrating.

7) One Good Man by Alison Kent

A Blaze category romance. I was actually enjoying this book. It was a pretty fast read and it had really hot moments between the H/h, a Texas Ranger and the victim of a crime. The romance was one of those fast, "I think I have feelings for him/her" within the first 24 hours (insta-love), but okay... it was HOT. But, but BUT, their whole story was entrenched with the crime. You couldn't really separate the two. After the climax to the story where the villain is caught at the end? The how, who and why were NOT answered... Can you believe that? I read this WHOLE book and it felt incomplete. I cannot describe my frustration...to read all the way to the end only to get no answers. Frustrating! However, this is a Blaze, the H/h had their hot HEA and if you don't find not finding out these details frustrating, then you might enjoy this book. I have one more book by Ms. Kent on my TBR pile that I'll be reading.

8) He's No Prince Charming by LuAnne McClaine

Okay... this book is hmm... I don't even know how to describe it! I started it, put it away and started to read it again. The heroine is an ex-teen star singer and the hero is a has-been bull rider. The hero is bitter, lonesome and he comes off as okay, but the heroine in this book just killed me! This girl/woman.. I'm not sure how old she is in the book (I might have missed that), acts like a bubble head, air-head, child/girl/woman... and I just did not KNOW what this man saw in her. She might have been just a wee bit too superficial for my taste. The woman in the secondary romance was more appealing than the heroine, at least to me she was. Maybe I just didn't quite appreciate the "Three Stooges" style of romantic comedy in this book. The book does have a very nice Southern atmosphere to it that I enjoyed and I'll try one of her other books with this same theme to see if it works for me.

9) Almost Like Being In Love by Steve Kluger (M/M)- Upcoming Mini

10) Slow Burn by Tori Temple (M/M)

This is a very short Sip by Torquere that covers one very hot encounter. I love Tori Temple, so it was worth the read for me. :)

11) Cowgirl Up and Ride by Lorelei James - Upcoming Mini

12) Long Hard Ride by Lorelei James (Re-read)

I re-read A Long Hard Ride in preparation for Rough Raw and Ready since two of the main characters in that book are introduced in this installment. (Not that I minded too much re-reading this book *g*) Lorelei James style, this is the story of Colby McKay & Channing Kincaid. -- how they meet on the rodeo circuit and their sexual adventures before they fall in love and reach their happily ever after. This is a hot installment with lots of M/F/M, M/F, & M/M & one M/M/F/M scene included. A Long Hard Ride is the perfect title for this book. It's not really my favorite in the series, but that's mainly due to the short time it takes for Colby and Channing to realize they're in love and I had other issues. As for the erotic part of the book, there's no question that it was hot and I enjoyed that part of it plenty!

13) Rough Raw and Ready by Lorelei James - Upcoming Mini

How was your reading month? Any good ones?

October 2009 Reads

I had an excellent reading month. A few new releases made it to my list, but this month I was able to hit the old TBR pile and made a small dent. I read some excellent books, plenty of good ones, and had only one real disappointment. I also had the chance to re-read four of my old M/M favorites -- that was fun. As you can see by this month's list, I'm way behind on my reviews, but I'll try to bring you up to date with a couple of Mini-Impression posts next week.

My favorite reads this month were: McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard, one of her old category romances -- this book is a keeper for me. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, a historical romance I've had on my TBR for a long time and could never find the right time to read, and Tabula Rasa by Tori Temple a wonderful contemporary M/M cowboy romance.

1) My Unfair Lady by Kathryne Kennedy
Upcoming Review at Musings of a Bibliophile

2) Flashpoint by Jill Shalvis

3) At The Hunt Ball by Olivia Parker

4) Flashback by Jill Shalvis

5) Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre

6) Gobsmacked by L.B. Gregg (M/M)

7) McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard

8) The Lone Texan by Jodi Thomas

9) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

10) Happy Ending by L.B. Gregg (M/M)

11) The Englor Affair by J.L. Langley (M/M)

12) Reckless Behavior by Amanda Young (M/M)

13) How the West Was Done - Anthology (finished it) (M/M)

14) Tabula Rasa by Tori Temple (M/M)

15) Damn Gorgeous Jaye Valentine (M/M)

16) The Tin Star by J.L. Langley (Re-read) (M/M)

17) The Broken H by J.L. Langley (Re-read) (M/M)

18) The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson (Re-read) (M/M)

19) Out of My Mind by M.L. Rhodes (Re-read) (M/M)

20) Untouchable by Kresley Cole - Deep Kiss of Winter Anthology

21) It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

22) This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

23) A Little Light Magic by Joy Nash

24) Unwrapped by Jaci Burton

September 2009 Reads

My September reads weren't too bad. I'm happy with the results, although I didn't get to some books I absolutely wanted to read this month. They are still at the top of my TBR pile and I'm hoping to get to them in October. With work gearing up and lots of personal commitments, I rearranged my pile to accommodate my momentary needs. Soooo, short reads came into play peppered with a few longer ones in between.

I'm still behind with my reviews, so this month I did review some of my August reads. Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen, A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James is posted at Musings of a Bibliophile, and of course those fun buddy reviews I did with Nath of Moonshine and Madhouse by Rob Thurman are posted at Breezing Through. I didn't do as well with my reading, but much better with my reviews this month. :)

Let's see what happens in October!

September

1) A Cold Creek Homecoming by Raeanne Thayne

2) His Second Chance Family by Raeanne Thayne

3) Must Love Hellhouds by Charlaine Harris, Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook

4) Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman

5) Deathwish by Rob Thurman

6) Dona Nobis Pacem (M/M) by Willa Okati

7) Hex in High Heels by Linda Wisdom

Upcoming Review at Musings of a Bibliophile

8) Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

9) His Convenient Husband (M/M) by J.L. Langley

10) Love in the Library (M/M) by J.M. Snyder

11) Don't Look Back (M/M) by Josh Lanyon

12) Unrequited (M/M) by Abigail Roux

13) Love Means No Shame (M/M) by Andrew Grey

14) The Tudor Rose: A Novel of Elizabeth of York by Margaret Campbell Barnes

Review at Musings of a Bibliophile

15) On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Upcoming Review

Summer 2009 Reads: July and August

My summer reading was not quite what I expected this year... I basically concentrated on finishing my reading for the M/M Reading Challenge in the month of July. As you'll see by my lists, I was also able to fit in some new releases, but not much else -- there were too many outside interruptions this summer for me. I'm hoping that September will bring a return to my usual reading and writing schedule.

July

1) Hidden Currents by Christine Feehan - D

2) What Happened in London by Julia Quinn - B+

3) Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase - B+

4) A Hint of Wicked by Jennifer Haymore - B-

5) The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan - A

6) Black Hills by Nora Roberts - B

7) Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh - A

8) Boarding Action by Angela Benedetti (Walk the Plank Anthology M/M) - B

9) Islands by Samantha Kane (M/M) - A

10) ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield (M/M) - A

11) Out of Bounds by T.A. Chase (M/M) - B+

12) Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale (M/M)- A+

13) The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal - A-

14) No Limits by Alison Kent - C

August

1) The Rancher's Rules by Lucy Monroe - B

2) Head Over Heels by Susan Andersen - Upcoming Review

3) Nightlife by Rob Thurman - B+

4) A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James - Upcoming Review

5) Moonshine by Rob Thurman- Upcoming Review

6) Dancing in the Moonlight by Raeanne Thayne - A-

7) Madhouse by Rob Thurman - Upcoming Review

8) Natural Disaster by Chris Owen (M/M) - B+

9) Shelter from the Storm by Raeanne Thayne - B

10) Slave to Shadow by Gavin Atlas (M/M) - B

11) Shy Hunger by Ginn Hale (M/M) - B

12) The Cowboy's Christmas Miracle by Raeanne Thayne - B-

2009 Midyear Reads

For 2009, I set a few personal reading goals:

1) Read some Urban Fantasy.

2) Finally get to some authors that have been lingering on my list of authors to try. Read one book, and if I like them, go for the backlist.

3) Read more Contemporary Romance and Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance.

I haven't done too badly in all three categories. My third goal is lacking, but there's still time. Here's my list so far, although I know there are books I've re-read and didn't write down:

January

Wicked Games by Jeri-Smith Ready A-

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole B+

What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips B+

Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian B

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh B

The Donovan Trilogy by Nora Roberts (Re-read) B

Reflections by Nora Roberts (Re-read) B-

The Sins of Lord Eastbrook by Madeline Hunter C+

February

Angel's Pawn by Nalini Singh A

Rough Cut by Vincent Diamond (M/M) A

Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh (ARC) A-

Hot by Julia Harper B+

First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh B

Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione B

Moving On by Addison Albright (M/M) C+

March

Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione A

Virgin River by Robyn Carr A

Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair A

Hopes Folly by Linnea Sinclair A

Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare A

Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr A-

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas B+

Shades of Dark by Linnea Sinclair B+

Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr B+

Feathers by Vincent Diamond (M/M) B

Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare B-

Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh B-

Code of Honor by Marquesate (M/M) B-

Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr C

I Do Anthology (M/M) C

Dark Victory by Brenda Joyce C-

Tempt the Devil by Anna Campbell C-

April

Anything for You by Sara Mayberry A

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews A

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews A

Three Day Passes by Sean Michael (M/M) A

Bound by Love by T.A. Chase (M/M) A

To Beguile A Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt A-

Beautiful C*cksucker by Barbara Sheridan (M/M) A-

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews B+

Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare B+

Starcrossed 1: Demon Tailz by MacLeod and Valentine (M/M)B+

Animal Attraction 2 Anthology by Vincent Diamond (M/M) B+

The Wild's Call by Jery Smith-Ready B

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear B

Wet Pass by Gavin Atlas (M/M) B

At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh C+

My Only Home by Pepper Espinoza (M/M) C-

The Secret Wedding by Jo Beverly DNF

May

Country Boys: Wild Gay Erotica by Richard Labonte (M/M) A

The Irish Trilogy by Nora Roberts (Re-read) B+

In the Driver's Seat by Angela Benedetti (M/M) B+

Visions in White by Nora Roberts B

Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra B

For the Love of Pete by Julia Harper B

Guardian (Time Hunters) by Angela Knight B-

Candy Courage by Angela Benedetti (M/M)B-

Submission by Jody Payne and Chris Owen (M/M) DNF

June

Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (Re-read) A

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews A

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan A

Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson A-

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan B+

Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James (Re-read) B+

The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley B+

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan B

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan B

The Bride in the Bargain by Deeane Gist B-

This Duchess of Mine by Eloisa James B-

Dancing in the Dark by Jenna Byrnes (M/M) B-

Str8gt Boys by Evangeline Anderson (M/M) B-

What Dominance by Gavin Atlas (M/M) B-

Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian C

Just One of the Guys by Kristen Higgins C

Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler C-

Recovery by CB Potts (M/M) B

Recovery Ranch by CB Potts (M/M) C-