July Wrap Up!!

July is ending already!  How time flies, just like the fireworks we set on July 4th.  It has been a busy family month this month, so my reading time went down some, but it was oh so fun.  We did more family day trips and we had our annual family vacation in there too, which I took a little over a week off for.  It's hard to believe another month of summer has come and gone, but it is true.  :-)

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS AND THOSE THAT STOP IN TO READ MY BLOG!!!  YOU ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY ME EVERY DAY!  


Here's what I have read in July: 9 Grand Total of  Books!!
You can click on the title of the book to get to my review of that book.  :-)

~ 1 Children's Book:
~Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

~ 8 Adult Fiction ( Paranormal Romance/ Mystery/  Fiction):
~Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
~Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates
~Bewitched, Bothered, and Biscotti by Bailey Cates
~Deadly Night by Heather Graham
~Deadly Harvest by Heather Graham
~In The Dark by Judith Arnold
~Sprinkle With Murder by Jenn McKinlay
~Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay

How are my Challenges looking?
You can click on each challenge and you will go to my post for that challenge to see which books counted for each challenge or what each challenge entails.  As I complete challenges I will highlight them!  :-)

Over The Year 2013:

1.  Paranormal Reading Challenge 2013  Read 12 paranormal books.  I am choosing to read one a month and to follow their list of which paranormal being is featured that month and read a book containing the featured paranormal.

7/12

2.  Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2013  I am hoping to climb Mount Blanc this year by setting a goal of reading 24 books off my TBR Shelf/List.

24/24  Wrap Up Post

3.  Color Coded Reading Challenge 2013  Read 9 color specific books per list provided.

6/9

4.  What An Animal VI Reading Challenge 2013  Read 6 books containing an animal somewhere in them (cover, title, main character)

6/6  Wrap Up Post

5.  Colorful Reading Challenge 2013  Read 9 books containing a color in the title.  Any color from the Crayola Crayon Color Box is game!

9/9  Wrap Up Post

6.  Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge 2013  Read one book a month, so total of 12 books, that contain the "key word" of the month in the title.  "Key words" are given to pick from every month. 

7/12

7.  EBook Challenge 2013  Read E-Books!  I chose the CD level of reading 10 eBooks in the year.

4/10

8.  Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2013  Just like the name implies, simply read more books than I did in 2012.  I hope to read 1-5 more than I read in 2012!

0/5

9.  Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge 2013  Read books from Sookie Stackhouse Series.  I chose to read 5 books from the series this year, as that is the number I have left in the series to read.

4/5

10.  Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge 2013  Read books from this series.  I chose to read 1-3 books from the series to continue to make my way through the set.

3/3

11.  Let Me Count The Ways Reading Challenge 2013  Count pages read.  I chose the Mansion level of reading 10,001 + pages.

23,231/10,001

12.  Witch and Witchcraft Reading Challenge 2013  Read Witchy books.  I chose to read 1-5 witchy books for the Initiate level.

5/5  Witch and Witchcraft Challenge Wrap Up

13.  Reading Challenge Addict Challenge 2013  A challenge to give you the goal of completing you challenges!  I chose the In Flight level of completing 11-15 challenges.

8/15

14.  Pre-1960 Classic Children Book Challenge 2013  Read classic kids books that date before 1960.  I am trying for 12 books, one a month.

7/12

15.  Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge 2013  Read Mystery and Crime books.  I picked the Sherlock Holmes level of reading 30+ books in 2013.

35/35  Wrap Up Post

16.  Off The Shelf Reading Challenge 2013  Read books off your own shelf to lessen your pile.  I picked "Trying", which is to read 15 books off my shelf.

16/16  Wrap Up Post

17.  Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge 2013  Read eBooks that you find legally free.  I picked the "coupon clipper" level of reading 12 free eBooks.

2/12

18.  YA Mythology Reading Challenge 2013  Read 10 YA Mythology Books.

10/10  Wrap Up Post

19.  A to Z Reading Challenge 2013  Read a book for each letter of the alphabet (title starts with).

19/26

20.  100 Books in A Year Reading Challenge 2013  Read 100 Books in the year.
80/100

21.  150+ Reading Challenge 2013  Read 150+ books in the year.
80/150

Perpetual:

1.  Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge  Read all the books in this series.

3/22

2.  Kinsey Millhone Reading Challenge  Read all the books in this series.

9/22

3.  Stephen King Reading Challenge  Read all of Stephen King's Books.

0/100

4.  Read 1 Million Pages Challenge  Read 1 Million Pages.

54,414/1,000,000

Book Review: Buttercream Bump Off

Title:  Buttercream Bump Off
Author:  Jenn McKinlay
Pages:  212
Publication Date:  2011
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Mystery 

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura's Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery is gearing up for Valentine's Day. Unfortunately someone has iced Baxter Malloy on his first date with Mel's mother. Now Mom's a suspect, and Mel and Angie need to find time around frosting to dig into the man's shady past and discover who served him his just desserts."

My Review:
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and love is in the air at Fairy Tale Cupcakes Bakery....well, mostly.  Mel's Mother, after over ten years of being a widow, finally has a date!  After a full day of shopping with her Mother for the perfect outfit for her date, Mel couldn't be happier to send her Mom off on her date.  All does not end well on the date, however, and soon Mel's Mother is a prime suspect of the murder of her rich date.  Solving a murder is not what Mel wants to add to her plate right now.  She is trying to take her relationship with Joe to another level, Angie has decided to make a really poor dating choice that she is trying to be supportive of if it makes her happy, and Tate has finally figured out that he loves Angie, but it may be too late now, AND Mel is trying to run her Bakery.  Can she figure out who the real murderer is before he Mother ends up in jail?  With a list a mile long of people who would have reason for revenge on the rich Baxter Malloy, who will Mel ever sift through it in time?  Who should she trust?  What will happen if she can't figure it out?

This was a great continuation to the Cupcake Bakery Mystery Series.  The plot was great and the flow of the entire book was just amazing.  I simply could not put it down once I started reading it.  I read it from cover to cover in just one day.  Mel, Angie, and Tate are such realistic characters that are so easy to relate to in many ways.  Their friendship is also something that you just want to soak up through the book because it is so rare to see now days.  Watching them develop even more as characters in this book was great, as was watching the other characters grow.  I again left this book feeling like the characters were friends of mine.  This is a second in the series, but I think if you picked it up to read without having read the first book, you would be just fine.  It really is a whole separate story and plot, but with the same great characters.  If you did read the first book, it sure does add to the read, but it isn't a mandatory kind of thing to be able to get into this book.  I highly recommend this book and this series!  I simply ate it up!!!

5/5 Stars!!

Book Review: Sprinkle With Murder

Title:  Sprinkle With Murder
Author:  Jenn McKinlay
Pages:  231
Publication Date:  2010
Version:  Paperback 
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Mystery 

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else."

My Review:
Mel, Angie, and Tate are best friends and as close as three people can be.  They have been for over twenty years.  They opened a nice little cupcake shop called Fairy Tale Cupcakes and are doing okay so far.  The first HUGE client, a bridezilla looking for her way or no way for her wedding cupcakes, is an utter disaster though.  Mel doesn't like the bride-to-be, never has and probably never will, but when she is a main suspect in her murder because of bad cupcakes found at the scene, Mel is about to lose it.  Mel decides she has to find out who the true murderer is or she will be in huge trouble and so will her new bakery.  Who would kill a bride-to-be...even if she is a heartless and wicked woman?  Mel soon discovers that many people could be on the suspect list if police went only on who disliked her.  Can she find the real murderer before she is arrested?  Can her close friendship with the bride-to-be's fiance, Tate, cause even more issues for her?  Why won't anyone believe Mel when she says she is innocent, including her own Mother?  How can she keep her business alive through all of this?

I absolutely loved this book.  It was a shorter read for me, an easy read, and a quick read, but very intense and full of action and mystery.  The plot was great and so twisty and full of turns too.  It kept me guessing right up to the very end, in which case I went, "aaahhhhh, that makes sense".  I fell in love with the characters too, they were so well written and developed throughout the book.  I came to feel like I was part of their little best friends group while I was reading.  Angie was an amazing character, quite the fireball, who isn't afraid to stand up for what she thinks is right and for her friends.  She's a great person for Mel to have on her side when she is accused of murder.  Mel is great too though, she may not be as "forward" and outgoing as Angie, but she isn't going to let people railroad her either and will stand up for herself when she needs to.  Tate brings up the rear of this trio of a friends and is perhaps the "odd duck" of the three, being he has and came from money and has a whole different lifestyle than his two girl best friends.  He isn't one to rub it in their faces though and will do anything to keep their friendship strong.  This book is full of action, adventure, mystery, friendships, and yummy cupcakes!  The recipes at the end of the book are a fantastic touch too!  I hope to read on in this series in the near future.  I can't wait to see where this group of fantastic friends encounters next.

5/5 Stars!!

Book Review: In The Dark

Title:  In The Dark
Author:  Judith Arnold
Pages:  243
Publication Date:  2006
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Mystery/Romance

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"The most beautiful hotel in New Orleans, and someone's out to destroy it.

The party at the Hotel Marchand is in full swing when all the lights suddenly go out. What does head of security Mac Jensen do first? He's torn between two jobs -- protecting the guests at Hotel Marchand and keeping Julie Sullivan safe.

Mac knows Julie has no idea that he took the job at the hotel in order to act as her bodyguard. But now he feels a loyalty to both the hotel and the Marchand women who run it. As for Julie, she's being harassed by someone from her past . . . and what Mac feels for her is anything but professional.

A woman to protect. A hotel to secure. And no idea who's determined to harm them."

My Review:
Mac has taken on a job as head of security of the Hotel Marchand, but not because he wants the job per say, but because it puts him in a better position to do his main job he was hired to do as a Private Investigator.  He was hired to protect and watch over Julie because the man she helped send to jail so many years ago is now out and may be carrying a grudge for her.  Protecting her may be easier if he could tell her he was hired to do so and if she wasn't so darn beautiful and working her way into his heart.  When Julie starts getting scary emails Mac is all about trying to find out who is sending them to her.  When, at a party at the hotel, the lights go out and Julie turns up missing Mac is torn between two jobs.  His job as security at the hotel requires him to help with the blackout and make sure things continue to run smoothly at the hotel.  On the other hand his main job that he does of P.I. is to find Julie before any harm may come to her.  Can he do both?  Will he find Julie before whoever took her carries out a fatal plan for her?  Is it a coincidence that the power went out at the hotel when it did?  If he saves Julie, will she ever speak to him again if he tells her the truth of who he is?  Could his heart take it if she cut him out of her life?

This was a quick and easy read for me.  It had a good plot, that seemed to flow fairly well.  I know there are more books to be read after this one, but I found it a bit disappointing when I finished the book and was left with some side plots unfinished.  The main plot came to an end, but the side plots that came up throughout the book were unfinished.  I understand this is to encourage the reader to read on, but personally I was a bit disappointed in that tactic.  The writing was done wonderfully and the descriptions in this book were great and made me feel like I was watching the story pan out.  The characters were very easy to come to love too.  I did like the book all in all.  The romantic suspense of it all was a bit like others, but I don't think there is much of a way to write a romantic suspense that isn't the same base theory.  I did enjoy the books pace very much, there was not much in the way of lulls, the action pretty much kept moving along.  If you are looking for a good romantic suspense then this may be a book you wish to check out.

4/5 Stars!

Colorful Reading Challenge Wrap Up!!!

Color me happy!!  I have read a rainbow of books and have found the pot of gold at the end of it too.  I have succeeded in completing my Colorful Reading Challenge!!  I couldn't be more excited!

Below is my original post along with links to the reviews of the books I painted my reading with.

I have not hosted this challenge in a few years since I took a break from blogging, but I wanted to bring it back!  

The Colorful Reading Challenge is simple:
1. Just choose 9 books with colors in the titles.  
2. The books can overlap with other reading challenges (because let's face it, we need them to.)  
3. Post your links to your reviews each month to share with other participants.
4. The challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 1, 2013.
5. Read to your heart's content!

When most people think of colors they think of the basics- red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, white, black, and brown.  But don't forget, as Crayola taught us, colors have a wide array of tints and shades so don't forget you can include colors such as silver, gold, plum, pink, crimson, scarlet, turquoise, blonde, gray, pumpkin, the list goes on. 

I am writing up a new post of ideas for books to read to get your blood pumping for this challenge! I hope you will join!  Sign up!  

My Progress Below:
1.  Shades of Gray by Susanne Jacoby Hale
2.  Heart of Gold by J.R. Ward
3.  Blue Moon Cafe by Ioana Visan
4.  The Emerald Tablet by Joshua Silverman
5.  Black Wings by Christina Henry
6.  White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz
7.  Silver is for Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz
8.  Red is for Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz
9.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

Book Review: Anne of Green Gables

Title:  Anne of Green Gables
Author:  L.M. Montgomery
Pages:  373
Publication Date:  1908
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Children Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Everyone's favorite redhead, the spunky Anne Shirley, begins her adventures at Green Gables, a farm outside Avonlea, Prince Edward Island. When the freckled girl realizes that the elderly Cuthberts wanted to adopt a boy instead, she begins to try to win them and, consequently, the reader, over."

My Review:
Anne is the happiest orphan girl on the planet when she is finally on her way to her new home and to meet her new family the Cuthberts.  She is a spunky and quizzical little girl who wants nothing more than to learn, imagine, and just enjoy life and her surroundings.  When Anne learns that she wasn't wanted and may have to go back to the orphanage she is crushed.  She may be a bit dramatic, but the man of the house can't help but fall in love with her very quickly.  Before Anne knows what's really happening she is allowed to stay and works her way into the Cuthberts' hearts in her own quirky way.  How can an elderly couple really care for such a spunky and lively girl?  It's not easy, but their journey is an amazing one.

This wonderful classic has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid.  I love the movie, but have never read the book up until now.  I was wonderfully surprised to read that it very much parallels the movies and makes me see exactly where they formed from.  I love Anne and all her personality and how she may be a girl, but she won't let that stop her from being dirty, troublesome, hard working, and mischievous.  She is so strong willed, even when things get her down.  She also is very dramatic about everything, but that is all part of her charm.  No matter how many times I have seen the movie, I was very excited to read the book after all these years and was not disappointed at all.  I found the book to be just as enjoyable to read as the movie was to watch.  The concept of the plot is such a touching story and the characters are just classic and truly amazing.  I felt like I was walking through the good and bad times with Anne all over again.  This is a wonderful classic that you must read if you have not or even if you have, it is a great re-read.  Also, personally, if you have seen the movie you, must read the book and if you read this book, you really must see the movie.  They are great compliments to each other I think and add even more compliments to each other.

5/5 Stars!!

Going on Vacation!!!!!

I am tickled pink!  It is that time of the year once again, the time when my family and I pack up our car and head on out for our annual family vacation!!!  It's always so nice to get away from it all, even if it is only for a little over a week.  It is our time together as a family that makes these vacations the best.  Of course the quiet cabin, beautiful sunsets over the lake, and no work enhance the experience.  :-)

I will NOT be answering any emails, making any posts, or writing any reviews during that time.  So, I am still here, just taking a much needed and awaited vacation with my loving family.  I will be taking off from July 13th through July 22nd.  After which I will be back with a more relaxed and fresh attitude.  Probably also with a sunburn and some fishing stories.  ;-)

Thank you all for following me and understanding.  I will be back to my normal posting schedule when we return.  

Book Review: Deadly Harvest

Title:  Deadly Harvest
Author:  Heather Graham
Pages:  385
Publication Date:  2008
Version:  Paperback
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Mystery 

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"When a young woman is found dead in a field, dressed up as a scarecrow with a slashed grin and a broken neck, the residents of Salem, Massachusetts, begin to fear that the infamous Harvest Man is more than just a rumor. But out-of-town cop Jeremy Flynn doesn't have time for ghost stories. He's in town on another investigation, looking for a friend's wife, who mysteriously vanished in a cemetery. Complicating his efforts is local occult expert Rowenna Cavanaugh, who launches her own investigation, convinced that a horror from the past has crept into the present and is seducing women to their deaths. Jeremy uses logic and solid police work. Rowenna depends on intuition. But they both have the same goal: to stop the abductions and locate the missing women before Rowenna herself falls prey to the Harvest Man's dark seduction."

My Review:
When Jeremy takes on the "job" of helping his old partner and buddy find his missing wife, he never knew it would change his life so much.  Mary, his buddy's wife, disappeared in Salem, on Halloween, on a vacation that they were taking to try and rebuild their broken marriage.  When you add all that up it equals Brad, Jeremy's buddy, looking like the angry husband who came on this trip to rid himself of his wife in a completely explainable way.  Jeremy had to finish up some things for his charity before he could go, and that included saying goodbye to the beautiful woman he had been working with but seemed not to notice until the last day.  Soon Jeremy finds out that Rowenna, said woman, lives in Salem where he is going.  He looks to her for help with the "lay of the land" once he learns she not only lives there, but is flying out around the time he is.  Rowenna is not conventional in her help to her local police though, which Jeremy soon finds out, and isn't sure what to make of her now.  She goes on intuition and feeling to help solve crimes, Jeremy is a hard evidence kind of guy.  When a woman is found in a corn field strung up like a scarecrow however, Jeremy is willing to listen to any help Rowenna can give him to help solve this case and help find his buddy's wife before she ends up as a scarecrow too.  Do Rowenna's dark nightmares mean more than just her imagination going wild in her sleep?  Will Jeremy find Mary before she is turned into some nightmare field decoration?  Can Jeremy trust Rowenna's unconventional ways to let her help him?  Who really could be responsible for such horrid, nightmarish, crimes?  And do they have Mary?  

This book is the second in the Flynn Brothers Trilogy.  I hadn't really realized that it would go the way of telling the story of another of the brothers instead of just continuing on the way the last book was written.  I found it rather interesting for it to be written this way and I think it helps keep the series more interesting, seeing things now from another of the Flynn brother's perspectives.  The story does continue and you do see what is happening somewhat to all the characters from the previous book, just that the focus is now more on Jeremy than Aidan.  I really liked this concept.  I got the satisfaction of knowing where Aidan is from the last book, but at the same time am now getting to see where Jeremy is going on to in life.  The mystery was definitely there, yet again, in this book and it made me eager to read on in the book.  I was drawn in to the book by the strong plot and, yet again, wonderful characters.  Watching the characters develop was great and the new characters made this book even better.  It shocked me to find that while I read this book I had to have a light on instead of just my book-light   It was written so well, I felt like I was in the book and would get carried away with the story.  I found myself jumping at noises in my home while reading this book at night.  It was an absolutely amazing read and experience.  I would definitely recommend this book!  Also, I find it important to note that, although the first book made this book better for me, it is not necessary to read the one before it to understand what is going on.  Graham does great with enough recap that this could very well be a stand alone read.  Plus with the way it is written about another of the brothers it could easily be a stand alone if you wished it to be and you would not be lost.  I very much recommend reading both, but they could be read separately.

5/5 Stars!