January Wrap-Up!

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THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO FOLLOWS AND/OR READS MY BLOG FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND COMMENTS.   :-)


As January comes to a close (which by the way seems to have gone by way too fast) I would like to reflect on what I have done and accomplished.  As a “newbie” on the blogging scene I was unsure how I would do and progress, but with the help of many very nice blog friends I did pretty darn well I think.

I got some of the books for my challenges knocked out and had a very productive month of reading.  I also won some giveaways through other blogs and goodreads.com.  And that is always exciting right?!
Here’s what I got for you:
I have read:
3 Children’s Books (with my son) ~All fiction

1. The Ghost of Skinny Jack by Astrid Lindgren
2. Monster Night at Grandma's House by Richard Peck
3. McBroom's Ghost by Sid Fleischman

2 Young Adult books ~both fiction/mystery

1. Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter
2. Zahrah The Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

13 Adult books ~1 non-fiction ~12 fiction (mystery, romance, paranormal, erotic, and suspense)

1. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin
2. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton
3. I Do Not Come To You By Chance by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
4. Red Mojo Mama by Kathy Lynn Hall (ebook)
5. Wicked Fairy Tales by Nandi Berry (ebook)
6. Milwaukee Autumns Can Be Lethal by Kathleen Anne Barrett
7. Road From The West by Rosanne E. Lortz  (ARC)
8. Where Demons Fear To Tread by Stephanie Chong
9. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
10. Killer On A Hot Tin Roof by Livia Washburn
11. Fated by S.G. Browne
12. Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes
13. I'm Dancing As Fast As I Can by Barbara Gordon (ARC) Non-Fiction

How are my Challenges looking?

1. 1,000,000 Pages Read Challenge:  (this is a perpetual challenge)  6,902/1,000,000
2. 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge:  14/100
3. 2012 Reading Addict Challenge: 0/15
4. 3660 Minutes Reading Challenge: Read 3660 minutes in 2012 to a child  60/3660
5. A to Z Reading Challenge:  I chose the title challenge A to Z:  10/26
6. Books Published In The First Years Of My Life Challenge:  “Pre-Teen” level (read at least one book published in first 10 years of my life)  0/10
7. Color Coded Reading Challenge:  Read 9 books in the given categories  1/9
8. Cupcake Wars Reading Challenge:  2/24
9. Erotic Reading Challenge:  “Dipping my Toe In” read 5 erotic books  1/5
10. Finishing the Series Reading Challenge:  I chose Level 2 (complete 2 series)  0/2
11. Getting Lost In a Comfy Book Reading Challenge:  Read 5 books off of the given list. 0/5
12. Immortals After Dark Reading Challenge:  Read 12 books in the series  1/12
13. Kinsey Millhone Reading Challenge:  Read the Kinsey Millhone Series (this is a perpetual challenge)  9/22
14. Mammoth Book Challenge:  Level 1 (read 2 mammoth-sized books, aka 450 + pages)  0/2
15. Mixing It Up Reading Challenge:  “Mixing Bowl” (read a  book from 9-12 of the given categories)  3/12 
16. Mount TBR Reading Challenge:  I chose to “climb” Mt Vancouver (read 25 books from my TBR pile)  4/25
17. Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge:  5/24
18. Nightwalkers Reading Challenge:  Level 3 read 5-6 books of the series  0/6
19. Off the Shelf Challenge:  7/50
20. Rainbow Reading Challenge:  Read a book title that contains certain given color words every month  JAN GOAL IS COMPLETED
21. Read Your Name Challenge:  0/5
22. Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge:  I chose Level 1 (read 4 romantic suspense novels) 1/4
23. Scavenger Hunt 2012:  Read at least 1 book/mo in given guidelines  JAN GOAL IS COMPLETE
24. Sea Haven Reading Challenge:  0/9  
25. Serial Killers Reading Challenge:  Read as many books as you can about serial killers (fiction or non-fiction)  0 COMPLETED
26. Sookie Stackhouse Series:  Read the series  1/12
27. Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge:  Complete the Series (this is a perpetual challenge) 0 COMPLETED
28. Stephen King Reading Challenge:  (perpetual challenge) 0/100
29. Time Travel Reading Challenge:  “Surprise Trip” level (read 1-3 books that have time travel in them)  0/3
30. TV Addict Challenge:  “Single Play”  Read 1 series that was basis of a TV series 0/1
31. Versatile Reading Challenge:  I am doing all four quarters of this challenge (all year) (read at least one book per month from the categories for those months)  JAN GOAL WAS COMPLETED
32. What An Animal Reading Challenge V:  0/6
33. What's In A Name 5 Reading Challenge:  Read one book in each of the 6 categories/guidelines given  0/6
34. Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge:  “Coupon Clipper” read 12 free eBooks  1/12
35. Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge:  “Initiate Level” (read 1-5 witchy books) 0/5
36. Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge:  Level 1 (read 1-3 books in the series)  0/3
37. Young Adult Mythology Reading Challenge:  Read 10 YA or Middle grade novels that incorporate any type of mythology  0/10
38. Young Adult Reading Challenge:  I chose the “Mini YA Reading Challenge” (read 12 YA novels)  2/12

I am having a wonderful time reading/reviewing/blogging!  As I enter into another month I hope to keep up the pace and complete all my monthly goals again and read more of the books toward my challenges.  

Book Review: Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes

Image from goodreads.com

Title:  Blood Law
Author:  Jeannie Holmes
Pages:  369
Publication Date:  2010
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Fiction/Mystery/Paranormal Romance

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.
 A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right."

My Review:
What are you to do if you are a vampire in a prominently human small town?  Well, become an Enforcer, that’s what!  Alexandra, aka Alex, is a vampire Enforcer.  She investigates crimes that involve the vampire community.  Since the vampires have come out and have been let live like “normal” humans, not everything is gumdrops and roses.  Turns out not every human is comfortable with vampires living among them.  Even though the vampires are not supposed to use humans as food, it doesn’t always happen that way, and this is what Alex investigates.  She also upholds the law that vampires should not be killed or hunted just for being a vampire.  Alex doesn’t come into this book without baggage of her own.  Her father was killed, beheaded, when she was a little girl and the murderer was never found.  That is why she became and Enforcer, to help solve crimes, but not every crime is easy or able to be solved.  What do you do if what you are endangers your life on an every day basis?  How do you protect your family from harm if you feel like you are right in the middle of it all the time?  When murders of vampires in Jefferson, Mississippi start occurring that look just like the one involving Alex’s father is it the same murderer coming to town to unsettle her?  Will she be able to do what others all those years ago couldn’t and find out who is committing these crimes (copy cat or not)?  How far should Alex go to get to the bottom of a case?

I was easily drawn into this vampire mystery book.  There was always something that made me want to keep reading.  Every chapter ended in a way that made me want to read “just one more before bed”.  When I first encounter Alex my first impression was that of a cocky vampire who thought she could control other vampires actions and could solve any case.  As the book goes on though, I found myself caring and feeling for Alex.  She is simply a woman who does what she does because of the effect her father’s murder had on her when she was a kid.  I could tell this was a character who loved her job as an Enforcer.  She was caring, but wasn’t afraid to tell humans or vampires how it is and what she plans to see happen to enforce the laws that let humans and vampires co-exist in Jefferson.  What she doesn’t share with anyone is that she has left some unfinished business back in her hometown many mile away.  She was engaged once and was happy in a relationship once, only to have a horrible encounter tear that happiness away and make her flee to another far away city.  The icing on the cake for me was when Alex finds out the murders that look like her father’s are way above what she, alone, can handle and more Enforcers are called in to help her investigate.  Alex expects a few “lab rats” to come and help her, but what she gets is a man from her past that she would rather forget…the very vampire that she loved once and shares an unwanted blood bond with.  Can Alex and Varik work together again to solve the murders without letting previous issues impair the investigation?  Can Alex really say that she no longer cares about Varik, and be telling the truth?  Things get even more complicated when Alex’s brother gets kidnapped and his bar is set on fire.  The question becomes, how close is too close before Alex can no longer do an accurate investigation?

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes vampire books or mystery books.  It is a mystery book with a twist of vampires and a little romance dashed into the mix too.  I couldn’t help get engrossed in the story once I started reading it.  The author also throws twists into the story that keep you guessing all throughout the book.  Really was a good read.  The ending kind of threw me for a loop though, just when I thought I had it all figured out….BOOM, something else I didn’t see coming.

4 out of 5 stars!

This book counts towards the following challenges:  100 Books Read, 1,000,000 Pages Read, A to Z Title Challenge, Mix It Up Challenge, Mystery and Suspense Challenge, and Romantic Suspense

A Winter's Respite Readathon (Jan 23 - 29) Wrap Up Post

This read-a-thon came to an end yesterday.  Well, I wanted to finish one book and then read 4 more.  Sadly, that did not happen for me.  I gave it my all, but some unexpected things happened in my family life that took me away from my reading goal.  All was not lost though!  Here is what I DID accomplish:

1. "Killer On A Hot Tin Roof"  Finished

2.  "Fated" Finished

My third book is a bit over half way done, but not completed.

Did the best I could and am very proud to have finished the two books I did complete!  :-)

Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun!! Week 47

This week’s statements:

 1. Nothing is better than spending the day watching movies with my son.

2. I cuddle my cats in bed but never in the shower.  

3. Those people that are always driving slow make me want to scream "WHY??!!".

4. My favorite time of the year is when I can open up the windows and get that smell of fresh air in my house.

Cat Thursday! Jan. 26

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!  
This is hosted by http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/ 

I got this through my facebook followers and I thought it was AMAZING!!!  I laughed so hard, I had to share with you all seeing it IS Cat Thursday.  :-)

Book Review: Fated

Image from goodreads.com

Title:  Fated

Author:  S. G. Browne

Pages:  352

Publication Date:  2010 

Version:  Paperback

Genre:  Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:  

"Over the past few thousand years, Fabio has come to hate his job. As Fate, he's in charge of assigning the fortunes and misfortunes that befall most of the human race-the 83% who keep screwing things up.

Frustrated with his endless parade of drug addicts and career politicians, Fate has to watch Destiny guide her people to Nobel Peace Prizes and Super Bowl MVPs. To make matters worse, he has a five- hundred-year-old feud with Death, and his best friends are Sloth and Gluttony. And worst of all? He's fallen in love with a human.

Getting involved with a human breaks Rule #1, and about ten others, setting off some cosmic-sized repercussions that could strip him of his immortality-or lead to a fate worse than death."

My Review:

What do you do if you are an immortal that controls Fate?  That is the question that Fate, aka Fabio in human form, faces every day.  Fate is in charge of making sure humans follow their fate path to the lives they are supposed to lead.  However, Fate is NEVER supposed to interfere with a human’s final path.  What does that mean?  Well, it means that no matter how bad of a decision a human makes (and how far off the original fate path that will put them), Fate can never help them make the correct or better decision.  He exists purely to watch over and make sure they follow some sort of fate path, be it the one originally given to them or not.  There are many immortals like Fate, such as Destiny, Death, Honesty, Lady Luck and so forth.  They all have a job to watch the human go down certain paths without ever interfering.  There are rules if you are in immortal like Fate, some are: never get involved and never get romantically involved with a human.  Fate is sick of always watching his humans screw up and he meets a woman (human woman) who he feels drawn to, but if he is to listen to Jerry (aka God) he is not to do anything about either of these feelings.

I have never read a book like this before.  The concept was just amazing to me!  I really fell in love with all the characters from the very first page and just felt connected to them by reading the book.  I also felt myself at times wondering if that really is how things could work.  I have to say that Fate was by far my favorite character and Destiny was probably my least favorite.  Fate ends up trying to feel better about his “job” by helping his humans make better choices in their lives, even if that is strictly against the rules.  He figures, what harm can it do to put them on a better path?  Well, Jerry is quite the stickler for rules and when he finds out about Fate’s new “activity” of helping his humans change their fate, he is none to happy and tells Fate he must stop interfering or he will face the consequences of his actions.  You would think that having Jerry, aka God, tell you that you need to stop would be enough right?  Does Fate think that is reason enough to not interfere any longer?  Maybe.  Not only is Fate messing with his humans fate paths, but he also can’t help but become romantically involved with a human woman whom he is drawn to like a magnet to a fridge.  Jerry never said anything to Fate about his feelings for a human, so what Jerry doesn’t know won’t matter right?  I have to say, this book never had a dull moment and with how Fate could “see” what would happen to all the humans by looking at them was very amusing to me.  I found myself wishing I could have that kind of power, like an enhanced psychic power.  I really got drawn into Fate’s life and caught up in what I was rooting for, for the guy.  This book is full of unexpected twists that make you go…hhhmmmm.  As I read I found myself laughing, getting angry with some of the characters, worrying about the characters, crying, and being surprised.  This book was wonderfully written and was beyond a joy to read!  S.G. Browne did a truly amazing job of making this book original in it’s plot and characters.  This is a definite must read for anyone who loves a mix of some good ol’ fiction along with a romantic twist.  It very possibly was my fate to read this book.  :-)

5 out of 5 stars!!!  AMAZING BOOK!!!!

This book counts toward the following challenges of mine:  100 Books Challenge, 1,000,000 Pages Read Challenge, and A to Z Title Challenge.  

Theme Thursdays! Jan 26th

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

This week's theme is very (!!!) easy ;) Find the actual word 'Very'

VERY

First I must admit that after re-looking at my whole book, I was almost convinced that my author NEVER used the word very in his whole 352 page book!!  LOL!  After much searching here is what I came up with, not the best snippet I have had so far, but hey I think using “very” in his book was just to simple for this author.  :-)

  

My snippet for VERY:  

“Like an electric fan or highway traffic or the ocean surf.  It can be very soothing.”  (page 33)  Fated by S.G. Browne

Winter's Respite Mini Mini Challenge

• Take your current read and pick one sentence from three of the following pages:  page 1, page 77, page 179, page 255, page 360, or one from the 5th page from the end (I picked a diverse number for books of varying lengths).  
• Take the three sentences and make them into a short paragraph.  If it makes sense as is, fine.  If not, you can add your own words or sentences to make it romantic, funny, scary...whatever.  
• Be sure to bold and/or italicize theoriginal text from the book or, if you leave it in the comments, put quotes around the original text.  

I am currently reading “Fated” by S. G. Browne
I used quotes from pages 1, 179, and 255.


There are rules when you are Fate.  “Rule #1:  Don’t get involved”.  It’s hard to abide by this rule when you see a human going on a bad path.  “If I don’t do anything, Cliff is going to spend the rest of his life unfulfilled by his work, earning money for the sake of earning money; and failing to discover his optimal path.”  So the question becomes, what can go wrong if Fate does get involved?   Fate learns that he has messed up many things lately, but “When you’ve recently discovered that your good intentions have caused the inadvertent deaths of more than half a dozen humans, you’re not really thinking clearly.” 

Versatile Blogger Award!

This week Jean from http://gibbee.blogspot.com/ chose me for the 

Versatile Blogger Award. 

Thank you! I am SO excited!!!  This is my very first award since starting my blog.  What a GREAT feeling it is too.  :-)

Here are the rules that go along with this award:

1. In a post on your blog, nominate 15 fellow bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award.(15 isn’t mandatory, but it’s a nice gesture. Try and pick at least 5 )

2. In the same post, add the Versatile Blogger Award.
3. In the same post, thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
4. In the same post, share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
5. In the same post, include this set of rules.
6. Inform each nominated blogger of their nomination by posting a comment on each of their blogs. 

Here we go:  SEVEN RANDOM PIECES OF INFO ABOUT ME!

1.  I have always had a great love of trucks.  My favorite being GMC and Chevy trucks.  I now own my dream GMC Sierra in Victory Red!  

2.  I have seven "furkids"!  All kitties...Gary, Jinxy, Romeo, Juliet, Sierra, Jimmy, and Yukon.  **You may see my love of the GMC trucks here in the names of the last 3 kitties.  :-)

3.  When I was little my favorite sandwich was Miracle Whip and Grape Jelly on white bread.  I know, I know.  :P

4.  When I was little (about 5 maybe until 8 years old) I was a sleepwalker.  I would get up in the middle of the night and RUN around the kitchen table screaming "a black cat is going to get me" and cry.  May I just add how ironic that after that my family adopted a black cat AND I now have a black cat.  LOL!

5.  My favorite morning snack is toast with peanut butter and bananas on.  Which happens to be the favored snack of my all time favorite singer...Elvis Presley!

6.  In the summer I always take a week of vacation with my family.  We have done this since I was 3 years old (so...27 years now).  Now it is me, my hubby and my son along with my parents AND my Grandma.  When I was a kid it was me/my parents, my grandparents (from my Dad's side), and my cousin (so I had a playmate).

7.  My son and I have a hobby of bug collecting.  We even have a shadow box.  When I was a kid I collected and caught bugs with my friend from school.  Now I do that same activity with my son. :-)

Ok...who do I pick to receive this award now?   bum bum bum bum bum (that was the drums)  :-)

1.  Darlene's Book Nook

2.  Book Chick City

3.  Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

4.  Book Dragon's Lair

5.  I'm A Reader, Not A Writer

6.  Grab A Book From Our Stack

7.  Reading With Tequila

8.  The True Book Addict

9.  Socrates' Book Reviews

10.  My 5 Monkeys

11.  McGuffy's Reader

12.  Curling Up With A Good Book

13.  A Few More Pages

14.  At Home With Books

15.  Fall Into Books

Book Review: Killer On A Hot Tin Roof

Image from goodreads.com

Title:  Killer On A Hot Tin Roof

Author:  Livia J. Washburn

Pages:  234

Publication Date:  2011 

Version:  Hardcover 

Genre:  Mystery/Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:  

"Delilah Dickinson is finally looking forward to a nice, relaxing time leading her literary travel agency's latest tour at the annual Tennessee Williams Literary Festival in New Orleans. After all, a group of intelligent, low-key English professors can't be too much trouble, right? Wrong, as it turns out. These academics don't waste any time showing their claws, especially when one of the professors claims he can prove Williams didn't even write Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. But when the supposed real author - Howard Burleson, apparently once a very close friend of Tennessee's - turns up dead, Delilah knows she's got to get to the bottom of things...even if the truth is as dirty as all them lies! But, Lord - the cast of suspects. Tamara Paige's entire academic career will be ruined if it turns out that Williams wasn't the actual playwright, and Delilah knows people have killed for much less. And it appears that someone else in the tour group is related to Burleson - someone who surely wouldn't want the world to know that the supposed "author" based the scathing play on his own proud Southern family. So between finding a murderer and all the steamy affairs, squabbling, and shouts of 'Shut up!/No, you shut up!' Delilah is beginning to feel like a certain cat stuck on a certain roof. Plus there's still a killer on the loose, and if she doesn't act quickly she just may find herself starring...in her very own death scene."

My Review:

In Killer On A Hot Tin Roof a travel agent, Delilah Dickinson, has put together a group of professors and takes them to New Orleans to the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival to do their presentations.  All Delilah wants is for this trip to be a success and go off without any major drama or incidence.  Well, Delilah doesn’t exactly get her wish for a drama-free trip.  One of the professors, Michael, has brought something with him for his presentation on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that will blow the audience away…and ruin a fellow professor’s career at the University.  Michael has found a man that says he was the original author of the famous play and that Tennessee Williams took it from him to “improve” on, but never gave it back and then never put his name on it with Tennessee’s.  All of Michael’s presentation and career future depends on this older gentleman and proof that he wrote the play and not Tennessee.  They saying of “never put all your eggs in one basket” came to mind when I figured this part out.  You are only asking for trouble if you place your career and reputation in one elderly man’s word.  Especially when that man could also ruin another professor if he is right or telling the truth.  If you ask me that is perfect ingredients for trouble, hard feelings, doubts, worries, and possibly even murder.

I LOVED the title AND the cover of this book!  How did I feel about this book?  Eh, it was ok.  It kept my attention throughout the book and had a humdinger of an ending I will give it that.  However, this was a third book in a series, which I did not realize when I picked it up to read.  I was still able to follow the plot of this book, but there were times that I could tell the author was trying to build on some relationship or event from her previous two books that made me wonder what it was that I missed.  There was a lot of reference to the other two books events too.  Like I said, I was able to make it through this book just fine and the plot wasn’t really affected, but I could tell I may have gotten a better sense of the characters had I read the first two books (at least that is how it seemed).  The characters were fun and easy to identify with in this book and fun.

I did feel though like it took a long time to get to the peek of the plotline.  I understood why, because you had to get some background and build suspense, but I think when you get to over half the book read and the murder still hasn’t happened, it makes the reader wonder about the book (seeing this is the main reason you may have picked up the book).  Then I felt a bit deceived by the book description.  When I read it, it made me think this travel guide is an amateur sleuth, which she kind of was, but she didn’t really do a lot of investigating on her own like I picture an amateur sleuth to do.  She basically just listened to what the detectives asked her and made her own decisions and seemed to just trip onto a possible solution.  I think if I had read the other two books I may have felt differently about the book as a whole.

I would have to go with 2 out of 5 stars on this one.  

Here are the challenges that this book counts toward:  100 Books Read, 1,000,000 Pages Read, A to Z Title Challenge, and Mystery and Suspense Challenge. 

A Winter's Respite Readathon (Jan 23 - 29)

It's time for another Read-a-thon!  A Winter's Respite Read-a-thon is being hosted by

 The True Book Addict and is starting TODAY, Jan 23.  It runs until Sunday, Jan 29.  

All you have to do is read an many novels as you can basically.  :)

I have to finish the book I am currently reading:

"Killer on a Hot Tin Roof"  Finished!!

Then on to the following:

The Color Purple

Fated

Blood Law

Blood Secrets

1. "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

2. "Fated" by S.G. Browne  Finished!!

3. "Blood Law (An Alexandra Sabian Novel)" by Jeannie Holmes

4. "Blood Secrets (An Alexandra Sabian Novel)" by Jeannie Holmes

Really hoping I can plug these out this week!  I have kind of a busy week this week 

with other things, so my not get all off them done, but I will sure give it a good whirl.  :-)

Well, I got two books finished and one about 1/4 of the way finished.  

Had some unexpected things happen at home this week...my son 

was sick, so didn't get as much done as I had hoped to.  

But all in all did pretty good.  :-)

Book Review: Dead Until Dark

Image from goodreads.com

Title:  Dead Until Dark
Author:  Charlaine Harris
Pages:  260
Publication Date:  2001
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Mystery/Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"For years, Charlaine Harris has delighted fans with her mystery series featuring small-town waitress-turned-paranormal sleuth Sookie Stackhouse. Now, we are pleased to offer her first novel in the series in a special hardcover edition. 

And with HBO launching an all-new show, True Blood, based on the Southern Vampire novels, the demand for Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse will be bigger than ever."


My Review:
Sookie Stackhouse is a young woman like any other…on the outside.  Inside she faces a constant struggle to keep the thoughts of others out of her head.  You see Sookie has a special “gift” that allows her to hear what others are thinking around her.  My first thought was…that would be amazing, my second thought was…what a pain in the neck.  Sookie feels more the second thought I had.  She has learned how to block out others’ thoughts by putting up a “wall” in her mind.  With all this going on with Sookie she still manages to hold down a job working at the local pub as a waitress.  Sookie has a brother, Jason, who comes to the pub to see Sookie, but mostly to pick up his next female companion for the night.

All-in-all Sookie has a pretty laid back life.  That is until she meets her first vampire, Bill.  From the night he walks into the pub and her life it is never the same and is full of murder, attacks, love, friendship, and suspicion.  Two girls get murdered in a relative short amount of  time, both having been strangled and have bite marks on their necks.  Just as Sookie is starting to fall in love with Bill, he is being looked at as a possible murderer.  Then Sookie’s Grandmother is killed and later yet another young woman.  Sookie is convinced that her Grandmother was killed by mistake (they live together and she thinks it was her that was the target, not her Grandmother).  Some disturbing things come to light and Sookie’s brother, Jason, becomes suspect number ONE.  Sookie takes on the murder investigation with Bill to try and see if they can figure out who really killed all the victims.  Could Bill be deceiving Sookie and really be the murderer?  Could Sookie’s own brother really kill women and his very own Grandmother?  Sookie wants to believe that neither of those is the case, but things don’t look very good with more evidence she finds out.  So who did murder in their small town?  Will Sookie want to have a romantic relationship with a vampire?  What draws Sookie to Bill?  Well, you will have to read to find out.

I highly suggest this book.  It has romance, suspense, adventure, and a paranormal twist.  This book was well written in the respect that it kept moving and kept my attention through the entire read.  I never once found myself not really wanting to pick it back up to continue reading.  There is so much to digest in this book.  You have Sookie with her “gift”, her sweet Grandmother (who you can’t help but love), the pub crew (Sam, Sookie’s boss (who has a secret of his own) and the waitresses she works with and is friends with), Bill (the vampire), Jason (the brother who leads a questionable life), and all the characters that find their way into the story (like the towns people, police officers, and other vampires).  I found myself changing who I thought was the murderer at least 4 times as I learned more about the murders and the characters.  There are some twists in this book that made my eyes pop wide open too.  I very much enjoyed this book and fully intend to continue reading this series to see what other adventures Sookie Stackhouse goes on.

5 out of 5 stars!

This book counts toward the following challenges of mine:  100 Books Read, 1,000,000 Pages Read, A to Z Title Challenge, Mount TBR Challenge, Mystery & Suspense Challenge, Off the Shelf Challenge, and TV Addict Challenge.

Stephen King Challenge

Since Stephen King has such a huge list of books, we decided to make this a perpetual challenge.  I know, I know...you're thinking "perpetual?  I never get motivated to complete perpetual challenges."  Well, don't worry.  We are going to have mini-challenges throughout the year with prizes and we will also have read-a-longs during the year as well.  Kate had the idea for our first read-a-long...to read Carrie during prom season.  Clever, right?! As far as the mini-challenges go, the first one will begin at the official start of this challenge, which is February 1, 2012, and the prize will be a brand new hard cover copy of Stephen King's newest novel, 11/22/63! The mini-challenge schedule will work as follows:

Feb | March | April -- mini-challenge
May | June | July -- mini-challenge
Aug | Sept | Oct -- mini-challenge
Nov | Dec -- free months


*November and December are free/non-mini-challenge months due to most of us being so busy during the holiday season.

The first mini-challenge will be to read books within certain themes.  You will choose three themes and read three books that will fit each of the themes during the three month mini-challenge period.  If you complete the three themed reads, you will be entered in the giveaway for the book, 11/22/63.  A bonus entry will be given to any person who reads a fourth book that fits within the fourth left over theme.


I know, I know....you are all thinking...WHAT another challenge.  BUT I just LOVE King and all his work, so what better way to read his books again or for the first time?!  I really have only read a select few of his books, I have more so watched the movies based on his books.  So....this is a perfect way for me to read the books of the much loved movies I have seen so many times.  :)


I will keep track below what books I have accomplished!  

Follow Friday Four Fill-In Fun!!

This is a fun meme and it's hosted by Hilary at Feeling Beachie. 

This week’s statements:

1. I used to enjoy drinking alcohol but now I don’t really anymore except for when I have a wedding or it's New Year's Eve.

2. My first job was a dietary aide in a nursing home kitchen.

3. I am a bit obsessed with reading any book that is suggested to me at the moment

4. If I don’t have my furkids (cats) on the bed at night, I don’t sleep well

Book Review: Where Demons Fear To Tread

Image from goodreads.com

Title:  Where Demons Fear To Tread

Author:  Stephanie Chong

Pages:  364 Equivalent

Publication Date:  2011 

Version:  Kindle Edition on my Kindle Fire (paid for from Amazon.com)

Genre:  Romance/Fantasy/Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:  

"Fledging guardian angel and yoga teacher Serena St. Clair dares enter Devil's Paradise nightclub on a mission—to retrieve the wayward Hollywood "It Boy" she's assigned to protect. But she's ambushed by the club's owner, arch demon Julian Ascher. The most powerful demonic entity in Los Angeles, Julian is handsome as sin, a master of temptation who loves nothing more than corrupting pleasure–seeking humans. He won't release the lost soul Serena is supposed to guard. Unless she accepts his dangerous wager…

After the disastrous way his human life ended, Julian vowed that no woman would get the better of him again. Yet this sexy–sweet angel, smelling of fresh ocean air and happiness, triggers centuries–old feelings. Now, their high–stakes game of seduction, where angels fall from grace and where demons fear to tread, will lead them either to an eternity in hell.or a deliciously hot heaven."

My Review:

Serena and Julian couldn’t be more different.  The saying that opposites attract is truly shown in this book.  Serena is a Guardian (an Angel) who’s job is to try to help humans who are headed on a path of self destruction or a path that will lead them only to hell when they die.  Serena became and Angel when she was 23 years old, when she stopped at a traffic accident to help the people in the cars to safety.  She saved a mother and two young children, but when she went to the other car to try and save the other woman the car exploded from the gas leak that was caused from the accident and Serena and the woman were both killed.  The woman she saved is also an Angel, and as luck would have it, also her roomate and now very good friend.  Serena’s “case” now is a young actor who fills his time with women, liquor, and drugs.  She imposes in his life as his yoga instructor, to help him straighten his life out.  It is because of Nick, the young actor, that she meets Julian in a nightclub.  Julian couldn’t be more oppostie of Serena.  He is a demon who preys on the weaknesses of others so they will go to hell when they die.  

So happens that in this book, both Serena and Julian want Nick.  They also find themselves very attracted to and wanting each other.  Julian starts his task of not only getting Nick, but trying to make Serena become a Fallen Angel so she too will go to the bowels of hell.  Julian manipulates Serena by way of her family and friends lives and safety to get her to do what he wants.  She ends up going with him, and Nick, to Vegas for an opening of Julian’s new nightclub.  She is to spend 7 days with him, never leaving his side, and then she will be free to go.  Julian is confident that he will get her to be a Fallen Angel well within that time.

What Serena did not count on was falling in love with Julian.  What she also did not count on was her “boss” being ok with this and actually encouraging her to do so.  What Julian did not count on was the effect Serena would have on him, body and soul.  

This book is full of wonder, romance, and anticipation.  I really could not help just wanting to read the next page, and the next and the next, just to see what would transpire.  I thought this book was well written to keep the reader engrossed in the story and wanting to read more just to see what would happen next.  It was a true page turner for me, I bought it to read, finally started it and then just couldn’t stop reading it.  I finished this book in a matter of days, most of which was read in one sitting before bed.  I just couldn’t help myself, I felt like I just had to know how this story turned out and if an Angel really could help a Demon change, if even just a little.  So…does Julian learn to feel love for Serena, this perfect, innocent Angel?…Does Serena succeed in saving Nick from the Demon’s grasp?…Do opposites really attract?…Can the ways and beliefs of people really change?   Well, to answer any of those questions for sure, you have to read the book!  

Highly recommended!  5 of 5 stars for me.  

This book counts toward the following challenges of mine:  100 Books Read, 1,000,000 Pages Read

Cat Thursday!

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!  
This is hosted by http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/

I was sent this by a friend (she found it online).  Reason this is even MORE funny to me......my cat GoGo did this years ago.  I got a package and it was packed using these packing peanuts, she jumped in and was rolling around an came out covered head to tail with the packing peanuts.  LOL!  I wish I could have gotten that pic, but that's what this pic reminds me of.  :-)

Theme Thursdays is a fun weekly event that will be open from one thursday to the next. Anyone can participate in it. The rules are simple:

• A theme will be posted each week (on Thursday’s)
• Select a conversation/snippet/sentence from the current book you are reading
• Mention the author and the title of the book along with your post
• It is important that the theme is conveyed in the sentence (you don’t necessarily need to have the word)
  Ex: If the theme is KISS; your sentence can have “They kissed so gently” or “Their lips touched each other” or “The smooch was so passionate”

This will give us a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand different writing styles and descriptive approaches adopted by authors.

Thanks all for your wishes last week. I am feeling much better and managed to do a lot of catching up with regards to my posts (ahem!!! read as back-dated posts  ). This week’s theme is

COME (came, arrive, coming etc)

Here's my snippet:  "When they'd first come into Merlotte's, I'd very rudely listened in to their thoughts--I know, pretty low-class of me."  (page 3) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris