2010 Year of the Historical Reading Challenge

I've joined the 2010 Year of the Historical Reading Challenge hosted by KMont from Lurv a La Mode. I love history and romance, so where's the challenge? Well, for many years I gave up on reading historical romances, instead I opted to read other genres. There's a period of time between the 1980s and 1990s that's a blank for me when it comes to certain authors and books. The challenge for me is to catch up with authors and books from that period of time that appeal to me. I've accumulated quite a few and have them on my TBR pile, I just need to read them.

The other part of this Challenge I love is that it's historical not just historical romance. I've been meaning to return to reading one of my favorite genres, historical fiction. This is a genre I have a passion for and one I have neglected for far too long. I hope this Challenge will help me get back on the historical fiction reading horse again.

KMont's rules are pretty basic:

a) 1 book per month for a total of 12 books. Review posted last week of the month.
b) Books can be new releases, old releases or re-reads.
c) Historical romance and historical fiction (any historical period).
d) Adult fiction or young adult.

I'm ready. Let's see how well this goes for me. Below, I'll be posting a list of books read with links to reviews as I go along. This should help keep it all organized and easy to manage. :)

January:  Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (WW II) Review here
February: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read) - Review here
March: Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh - Review here
April: Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi - Review here
          Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John - Review here
May: The Endearment by Lavyrle Spencer - Review here
June: Lavyrle Spencer: Morning Glory and Years - Review here
July: Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways, Book 5) by Lisa Kleypas - Review here
August: Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley - Review here
September: Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read) 
                    A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Re-read) - Minis for both here
October: The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John - Review here
November: Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt - Review here
December: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeane Gist - Review here

'In Death' Reading Challenge

The 'In Death' Reading Challenge is hosted by our own Christine from The happily ever after...

I was a bit reluctant to join this Challenge. I've avoided reading J.D. Robb for years! You see I've been a Nora Roberts fan for years, but I've always been a bit intimidated by the extensive backlist, and frankly there are other concerns. I'm afraid that because I love Roberts' writing I'll become obsessed with this series and won't be able to stop reading it -- and there are ALL those books to read! When would I stop?! Could I stop myself?! Or would I spend the rest of the year hunting used book stores, libraries and/or book stores trying to find the whole series? We'll see... we'll just have to see... I can become obsessive when it comes to reading the next book, and the next, and the next...

The bottom line is that it is high time I read this much acclaimed series. I have to start somewhere. I already have the first 5 books in my TBR pile and I'm ready to begin. I'll be starting at the beginning, so I have a long way to go.

Christine's rules are pretty simple. Read one book per month, post a review or commentary and link it to her blog post.

I'll be keeping track of all my reads and reviews below:

2010

January:  Naked in Death - Review here

February: Glory in Death - Review here

March: Immortal in Death - Mini-Review here

April: Rapture in Death - Review here

May:
June:

July:

August:

September: Ceremony in Death & Vengeance in Death - Reviews here

October: Holiday in Death - Review here

November: Midnight in Death Novella

December:

2011

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

Thank you Christine for getting me to finally give J.D. Robb and this series a chance! :)

2010 Re-Read Challenge

The Books, Books and more Books: Re-Read Challenge 2010 is hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Nath.

I didn't join the Challenge last year, I came to blogging too late to do so. But, I followed this Challenge from beginning to end. It became a favorite and every month I looked forward to reading reviews by those who participated. I loved reading reviews of books that I'd already read and I found new-to-me books and authors through this challenge. Visiting every single one of those bloggers who participated, weather I commented or just lurked, was fun and became routine.

I tend to re-read books that I love, my keepers and comfort reads. I think most people do the same -- and that love and comfort usually comes through in the reviews. I'm really looking forward to participating in this wonderful Challenge.

Nath's rules are very easy. Re-read and post a review by the last day of the month and post a link to the review at her blog. That's it! To make things easy for myself, I'll be using this post to keep track of my reads and reviews for the year.

January:  Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard - Review here

February: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - Review here

March: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson - Review here

April: Three Sisters Island Trilogy by Nora Roberts - Reviews here

May: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt - Review here

June: Mine to Possess (Psy/Changeling, #4) by Nalinin Singh - Review here

July: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - Review here

August: Rising Tides (Quinn Brothers, Book #2) by Nora Roberts - Review here

September: Minis: Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger, Cullen's Bride by Fiona Brand, Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard - Minis here

October: Rising Moon by Lori Handerland - Review here

November: If You Desire by Kresley Cole - Mini here

December: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist - Review here

I'm looking forward to participating in this Challenge. Most of all I'm looking forward to reading all future entries. Thank you Nath for hosting it again!

The 2010 Big Book Challenge

The 2010 Big Book Challenge is one of the most creative Challenges I've seen out there, and isn't that the coolest looking banner/button? I love it! Our creative host is the lovely Orannia from Walkabout.

This is a great Challenge, especially if you have a door stopper of a book laying around the house and don't know when or how to tackle it. This Challenge might be the one to help you do it. :) I have just such a book in my TBR pile and couldn't resist joining in.

Orannia's rules are quite easy. All you have to do is read ONE book -- a really BIG book with more than 500 pages, before the end of 2010. A review is not required and the book can be from any fiction genre. The book can be changed at any time, and anyone can join this Challenge at any time.

My choice for this Challenge is:

Title: Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: June 24, 2009
# of Pages: 656
Reading Start Date: August 26, 2010
Reading Finish Date: DNF

Title: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Re-read)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 2007
# of Pages: 759
Reading Start Date: July 1, 2010
Reading Finish Date: July 3, 2010
Review: July 25, 2010 - Link to review here.

Title: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: May 4, 2010

# of Pages: 516 

Reading Start Date: August 17, 2010

Reading Finish Date: August 21, 2010

Orannia made this a relaxed and fun Challenge -- no pressure. I love it!

2010 M/M Romance Challenge

Anezthezea from I Heart Paperbacks is again hosting the M/M Romance Challenge this year. This is the only Challenge I joined last year and I enjoyed it so much, I signed up for it again for 2010.

I used the Challenge last year to read books written by new-to-me authors whenever possible and it turned out to be a great experience. I plan to do the same this year. Plus, I have many books in my TBR pile still lingering from last year's Challenge -- time to read them.

2010's Challenge is easier. It doesn't have a 5 month deadline, instead the timeline is set from January 1st through December 31st 2010. There are different reading levels to choose from. You can choose 5 books or 20+ books. I've signed up for 20+ books this year again. Books chosen can be any length, sub-genre, or format. eBooks, paperbacks, young adult books, audio books, and re-reads are all okay. Lots of choices that makes this an easy and exciting Challenge.

I've decided not to choose my books ahead of time this year. Instead I'll be posting my books as I read them and my reviews as I post them below.

1. Fool for Love Anthology edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane
2. Best Gay Erotica 2010 edited by Richard Labonte selected by Blair Mastbaum
3. The Boy Can't Help It: Sensual Stories of Young Bottoms by Gavin Atlas
4. Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon
5. A Dangerous Thing (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 2) by Josh Lanyon
6. The Hell You Say (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 3) by Josh Lanyon
7. Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 4) by Josh Lanyon
8. The Dark Tide (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 5) by Josh Lanyon
9. Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield
10. Cheating Chance by James Buchanan
11. Carbon and Ash by Chris Owen (Read-read)
12. Henry and Jim by J.M. Snyder
13. Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman
14. Bound by Blood (Soul Mates Book 1) by Jourdan Lane
15. Deceptions (Soul Mates Book 2) by Jourdan Lane
16. Sacrifice (Soul Mates Book 3) by Jourdan Lane
17. Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories by Sandra McDonald
18. Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville
19. A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day
20. A Hidden Magic by Angela Benedetti
21. Unfinished Business by Angela Benedetti
22. Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux
+

Wish me luck!

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?

2010: To Beginnings!

HAPPY 2010 EVERYONE!

Wishing you all the best

for the new year and

the new decade!

A toast...

To Beginnings. Cheers!

2009 Top Reads

Going back through my 2009 list of books read, I realized that I've read some excellent books this year. The tough part? Although I've certainly read plenty of new releases, I've also read my share of books released in previous years. My list of top reads doesn't necessarily reflect favorite books released in 2009, instead it's a list of my favorite books read in 2009. I decided to post my Top 10 Reads regardless of release date, as I think this will truly reflect my preferences. There are only a few books on my list released this year and I'll highlight them.

Also, while reviewing my list, I noticed that I read a lot of excellent books during the first half of the year before I began blogging, and realize I did not review quite a few of them. I've linked the titles of the books I've reviewed, but for some you'll not find links. Maybe at some point I'll re-read some of them and post my thoughts. :)

Top 10 reads:

1) Perdido Street Station by China Mieville (Fantasy)
2) Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale (M/M Fantasy) - 2009 Release
3) Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (Science Fiction/Romance)
4) Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy)
5) Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance) - 2009 Release

6) Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (Historical Romance)
7) This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (Contemporary Romance)
8) Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews (Sci-Fi/Romance Short Story) - 2009 Release
9) Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger (M/M Contemporary Romance)
10) The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal (Historical Romance)

Honorable Mention: These are books that I loved and truly enjoyed this year as well. As a matter of fact I had a tough time choosing in some cases between my top 10 and these. So, I just had to mention them. They are not in any particular order, I've basically grouped them by genre. I really loved them all. :)

Hope's Folly by Linnea Sinclair (Sci/Fi Romance) - 2009 Release
The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold (Sci-Fi/Short Story)

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Deathwish by Rob Thurman (Urban Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Demon Night by Meljean Brook (Paranormal/Romance)

Virgin River by Robyn Carr (Contemporary Romance)

McKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard (Contemporary Romance)

Simple Jess by Pamela Morsi (Historical Romance)

All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear (Fantasy) - 2009 Release

Percy and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan -5 books (YA)*-2009 Release

Rough Cut: Vincent Diamond Collected by editor Richard Labonte and Vincent Diamond (M/M)

ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield (M/M) - 2009 Release

Top Re-Read: Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (Historical/Romance) - A book I read such a long time ago it was like reading it for the first time. One of the best historical romances I read this year (again) and for me an A+ read anytime, anywhere.

I noticed this year for the first time I didn't read enough romance/suspense, historical fiction or mysteries to choose at least two top reads -- something I mean to remedy in 2010. I must admit that previous to 2009, I read so much in those categories (specially romance/suspense and mysteries) that I needed to catch up on other genres.

*YA = Only books read in this category this year. But an A recommended 5 book series.