A Good Reading Weekend

It was a Dewey readathon weekend,so of course it was a good weekend , right?

I finished reading A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean, just the last 100 pages.  I then read A Feast of Love by Charles Baxter.  And I finished off the day reading another Sarah MacLean romance The Rogue Not Taken. Just the first 150 or so pages before I turned in for the night.

Here are my final stats for the day:

• Read 16 1/2 hours
• 558 pages
• one book completed
• two partial books
• two paperbacks
• one eBook
• one nap (15 minutes)

And the Closing Survey

1. How would you assess your reading overall? I read slowly, but I finished a book I need for another readathon & reading challenges. So yay!
2. Did you have a strategy, and if so, did you stick to it?  No, not really. I just read books all day.
3. What was your favorite snack? Coffee and Peanut Butter Oreos.

 

O.W.L’s Magical Readathon

I killed three birds with one stone during Dewey’s. I love when I can do that with a book.

I finished my last exam for the O.W.L’s during the Dewey’s Readathon. I’m so happy about it. This book was for the Ancient Runes prompt: Heart Rune–A heart on the cover or in the title.

I’m not writing anything about it right now, I’m saving reviews for the O.W.L’s Wrap-Up the first of of May.

 

And finally, The Feast of Love fit a #PopSugarReadingChallenge prompt: A Book published the month of your birthday.

How was you reading this past weekend? Did you join in on the Dewey’s Readathon? Are you planning to in the future?

And has anyone read The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter? I have some feelings about it and would love to know what others think of it. Let me know in the comments below your thoughts.

Happy Reading!

 

 

January 2020 Wrap Up

As you can see, January was a historical romance heavy month for me. And it makes sense because 2020 became another dumpster fire of a year quickly this year, so I needed to read books that both comfort me and tell me that a happily ever after is possible. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

How was your January? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Reading!

Now, onward to February.

 

 

 

The Friday 56: #100

It’s time for  Friday 56!  It’s a book meme hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice. Be sure to visit her blog if you would like to participate.

From Freda’s Voice The Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader  (If you have to improvise, that’s okay.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post in the Linky at Friday 56. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple!

Here is my contribution:

“Nonsense. Any man with eyes can see you’re a diamond of the first water.”

‘A diamond in the rough, perhaps,” she quipped. “And apparently, only blind men live around here.”

Ah, yes. The goal of every Regency miss is to be declared a diamond of the first water.

I won this book from #GoodReadGiveaways back in April, but it will not be released until the end of July 2019. I’ll post my review when we get a bit closer to the release date.  What do you think? Will you rush out to buy it then? Let me know in the comments below.

Happy Reading.

 

 

My Top 10 Historical Romances

In honor of Valentine’s Day I decided to create a list of my Top 10 Historical Romance Novels of the last year or so. If you are looking for a romance to read I highly recommend any of these novels. Warning: I don’t read chaste or sweet romances. I like ’em spicy, so keep that in mind. With no further ado here, in no particular order, is my list.

Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran. This is a sort of throwback sweeping saga sort of romance. It sweeps across Colonial India and Victorian England. I love it.

 

 

 

Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas. Another sweeping historical with an independent heroine and gone rogue husband. It’s such a well written story, and as with all good romances, is emotionally satisfying.

 

 

 

 Like No Other Lover by Julie Anne Long. This author is really hit and miss for me. But this novel is one of my favorite tropes: Cynthia is hiding a scandal and needs to marry before it becomes common knowledge. The story hits all of the emotional points: forgiveness and acceptance. It’s a satisfying read.

 

 

One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean. I hate the trend in romance novels to have cutesy titles that are plays on common sayings that have nothing to do with the story at all. It’s annoying. And this book isn’t really historical. It’s more like a “AustenLand” type of book. In spite of all of this, it’s one of my favorite romances of all time. It’s so emotionally satisfying. And I love a heroine that wears glosses. I can’t help it.

 

Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt. Ignore this cheesy cover. This book. It’s a love letter to all those Gothic romances of the ’70’s and ’80’s with a dash of Wuthering Heights thrown in for fun. Secret societies, illegitimate children, and abbey ruins all make an appearance. I love this book and the anti-hero love interest so damn much. Read it! Read it now!

 

By Love Undone by Suzanne Enoch. I love this title. I read this because, again, a scandal plagued heroine hiding from life until he sees her. And he helps her gain redemption and loves her in spite of secrets. So it’s emotionally satisfying for me.

 

 

 

Lord Langley is Back in Town by Elizabeth Boyle. This another author that is hit and miss for me. This is a part of a longer series, but you don’t have to read the other books to enjoy this one. This book features older hero and heroine. and that’s always a treat in romance novels.

 

 

Wilde in Love by Eloisa James. This is a fun book. It deals with celebrity, but takes place in Georgian England, so, yes. It’s a bit like AustenLand. But it is a fun read. And Eloisa James is a fun romance writer.  There is only one of her novels that I really didn’t like.

 

 

 

The Conquest of Lady Cassandra by Madeline Hunter. This book. Just emotionally devastating in all the best ways. I love it so much. Again, a heroine with a scandal and a hero who helps her redeem herself. It’s a theme that I love. Also, the hero and heroine have been crushing on each other for years. So when the ending is emotionally satisfying. It is a part of a series that I’m mostly uninterested in, but to get resolution of the overarching story, then you should read all the books in the series. But, I think it stands on it’s own too. Read it now!

The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. I really shouldn’t like this novel. It’s only a historical romance due to the setting. The characters don’t really behave as Victorians should? I guess? It’s very AustenLand. But. It’s such a well written story. And I’ve read a number of her other novels and she is just so good. If you are looking for a good romance novelist, read Courtney Milan.

 

So, what do you think? Have you read any of these novels? Do you agree with my list? What are your favorite romance novels? Do you have any romances you would recommend to me? Let me know in the comments below. Happy Reading!

September 2017 Wrap-Up

September Stats:

Total Books Read: 13

Number of pages: 4,673

Written by Men: 0

Written by Women: 13

Diverse Authors: 0

Nonfiction: 0

Fiction: 13

Paperback: 0

Hardback: 0

eBooks/Kindle: 13

Library books: 10

Audio books: 0

Rereads: 0

DNF: 0

My Favorite Book this month:

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. I love this book and am so looking forward to the next book in the series!

Challenges to date:

GoodReads:  90/75

BookRiot Read Harder 2017: 1

#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks: 0

Across the Web:

In the fall I love to read, watch, and listen to creepy stories. One of my favorite creepy stories is about Robert the Doll in Key West, Florida. You can hear a version of this story at the web page for the podcast Lore.

The end of August marks the 20th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales’s death. And there are “think pieces” about her legacy. Hilary Mantel has written two interesting pieces about being royal here and here.

August 2017 Wrap-Up

August Stats:

Total Books Read: 12

Number of pages: 3,627

Written by Men: 0

Written by Women: 12

Diverse Authors: 1

Nonfiction: 0

Fiction: 12

Paperback: 0

Hardback: 1

eBooks/Kindle: 11

Library books: 11

Audio books: 0

Rereads: 0

DNF: I didn’t finish, but I plan to do so in September.

Challenges to date:

GoodReads: 78/75 (I met my goal for the year.)

BookRiot Read Harder 2017, #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks, & Favorite Book: 1

Books Purchased:

 

My Bookish Posts:

Quarterly Lit Box Unboxing

Across the Blogosphere:

An interesting blog post about other themes explored by Jane Austen in her novels. Click here to read.

A post that really has made me stop and think about my blog and time management. Click here to read.

Across the Web:

I’ve included this podcast previously in my March 2017 Wrap-Up. I’m listening to it as I work on this post. Here is the link to the most recent episodes. Right now the podcast is exploring the parallels between Jean Seberg and Jane Fonda.

This is a lovely essay about all the stuff we all accumulate, and why. Cleaning the House, Tending the Weeds.  

Overall this was a good reading month for me. I’ve read so many romance novels this summer. I’ve not read so many romances since I was a teenager. I must say romance novels have changed so much since then.

How was your August? Did you read many books? Any favorites? Let me know in the comments below. Be sure to leave a link to your wrap-up, too. Happy Reading.

January 2017 Wrap-Up

Books Read in January:

Library Books:

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini [eBook]

The Dangerous Viscount by Miranda Neville [eBook]

The Amorous Education of Celia Seaton by Miranda Neville [eBook]

The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean  [eBook]

Something About Emmeline by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

This Rake of Mine by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

Confessions of a Little Black Gown by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

Stealing the Bride by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

Tempted by the Night by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

His Mistress by Morning by Elizabeth Boyle [eBook]

#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks and Read Harder Challenge:

S by J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

Started in January:

 

 

Ready Player One by Ernst Cline

 

 

 

Across the Blogisphere:

#PostingReviews on Inside My Minds.  I hadn’t thought about doing posting my book reviews on retail sites like Amazon–the online retail site that I use most frequently. I immediately went to Amazon and posted my last three book reviews to the site.  Such a good idea. Thank you,  Ashley @ InsideMyMinds

Reflections an Open Apology to Dolly Parton is  an interesting exploration of this bloggers feelings about Dolly Parton. I think Dolly has been dismissed by many people over the years, and this is a nice examination of the writer’s reversal of opinion.

I have an Instagram account, but I really don’t know how to use it. This article, Extend Your Blog’s Reach With Instagram, really helped me see how to use my account.

Across the Web:

A fascinating essay about fruitcake. How-and- Why Did Fruitcake Become a Slur.

At the end of the Obama presidency many essay and articles came out about it. Here is my favorite: Empathy and Escapism-Obama’s Secret to Surviving the White House Years: Books.

How was your reading life in January? Tell me in the comments, and be sure to leave a link to your January Wrap-Up, too. I love to see what everyone else is reading.

December Wrap-Up

Reading in December was fine. Blogging about my reading was much more difficult. We all were sick from about the 15th of December until just before Christmas, so blogging went onto the back burner. Luckily I wasn’t too sick to read. And really, the only time I can imagine being too sick to read would be me in a coma. And even then I’ve instructed my family to set up an audio book for me to listen to while in a coma. Anyway, reading this month was good for me. So, without further ado, here is my reading month.

Reading in December: 8 Books

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey [Library eBook]

Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys [paperback]

How I Met My Countess by Elizabeth Boyle [Library eBook]

Love Letters from a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle [Library eBook]

Mad About a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle [Library eBook]

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi [paperback]

Half-Resurrection Blues by Daniel José Older [paperback]

Lord Langley is Back in Town by Elizabeth Boyle [Library eBook]

DNF/In Progress: 4 books

S. by J.J. Abrams, Doug Dorst

The Witches: Salem, 1692 by Stacy Schiff

Talking As Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls, and Everything in Between by Lauren Graham

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

Books acquired:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (BookMail Box)

Long Division by Kiese Laymon (BookMail Box)

Exit 22 by P.M Terrell (gift!)

Across the Web:

I’m a huge fan of historical dramas, and in November/December I watched The Crown on Netflix. I enjoyed it. How “real” or “true” it is isn’t as important to me as the story that it told. And I love stories. And I love thinking about and analyzing the stories that I read and watch. This is all left over from my years as English lit major in college and grad school. So when I find a new way to analyze how a story is told, I’m interested. And Tom and Lorenzo are fabulous commentators on fashion and how stories can be told through the costumes. And they did a wonderful job of making connections between the clothes worn by the characters and the story. Here is a link to their analysis of the first episode of The Crown entitled Wolverton Splash.  You will never look at pearl necklaces the same way again!

As is evidenced by the number of romance novels I read this month, it should be no surprise that I love to read about romance novels,too. For so many reasons the publishing industry looks down their noses at romance writers and readers. But the rise of the bodice ripper romance novel happened at the same time as the the 2nd wave of feminism and, you know, I don’t think that’s a coincidence. Over on the website Jezabel they published a very interesting article about the rise of the bodice ripper in the 1970’s. Here is a link to the article. I’m old enough to have read many of the romance novels mentioned in the piece not long after the original print date., so I have a lot of affection for them even if they are problematic for today’s readers.

So that is my December. In the coming week or two I’ll be blogging about my 2016 challenges and plans for 2017. And a post about my favorite books of 2016, too. I’m looking forward to my upcoming reading year.

How was your reading life in December? Tell me in the comments, and be sure to leave a link to your December Wrap-Up, too. I love to see what everyone else is doing.

Friday 56, #15

It’s time for  Friday 56!  It’s a book meme hosted by Freda at Freda’s Voice. Be sure to visit her blog if you would like to participate!

From Freda’s Voice The Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don’t spoil it)
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post in the Linky on Friday 56. Add the post url, not your blog url.
*It’s that simple!

Here’s my contribution:

“We will use this sitting room to gather,” Sarah said. ” It will belong to all of us.”

“Thank you. That will prove convenient. Otherwise I might never see you. My apartment is quite out of the way,”said Eve.

How kind of Gareth to have Mrs. Summers put Eve in a room with such lovely light.

How kind, and how convenient.

Hmmm. I wonder what, and who, it’s convenient for? I guess I’ll have to keep reading the book to find out.

What do you think of this excerpt? Would you read this romance novel? Let me know in the comments below!

April Book Wrap-Up

Yes, this is a bit late. But I’ve been suffering from a late spring cold that was so nasty I couldn’t read, much less write. I hate being so sick I can’t read. That’s the one benefit of being sick: a completely valid reason for staying in bed all day with a book. Who can argue against it?

It wasn’t a great reading month for me for many reasons. I only read six books all month. Six! Three were not so bad romance novels by Elizabeth Hoyt’s To Seduce a Sinner, To Beguile a Beast, and To Desire a Devil. All of them are good romance novels. Everyone has great illicit sex (because these are historical romances that take place in Regency England. And sex outside of marriage is frowned upon.) All are a part of a series meaning one of the main characters in each book is connected to a main character in the previous book. If you enjoy romance novels this series will scratch your itch. I borrowed all of these books from my local city library.

Books purchased in April: I bought five books, but one is a gift for my son’s birthday. So completely justified, right?

Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson

S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst I see so much in common with the TV show Lost. And so far that’s not a bad thing!

An African in Greenland by Tété-Michel Kpomassie

Alibis: Essays on Elsewhere by André Aciman Both the Kpomassie and the Aciman came in the last Quarterly Box from Book Riot. I’m sad that this box is over.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman, This one is a gift for my son. Happy Birthday if you’re reading this.

Books I abandoned: Because yes, sometimes I just stop reading it for various reasons.

Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orestein. This one has been on my TBR Wishlist for years. I just wasn’t in the mood to read this month. Since it is a library book I put back on the wishlist both on Goodreads and the library’s website.

To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt. Another library book. I just wasn’t interested in reading the it. So back to the library it went.

Book Challenges:

I’m participating in a number of book challenges this year. This is how Ive done so far this year.

GoodReads: I’m doing well with is one! As of April 30th  I’m 13 books ahead of schedule and have read 58% of my goal this year of 52 books.

Book Riot Read Harder 2016: I’m right on track for this one too. I completed task 5: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. An excellent book for middle grade readers. Task 14: Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho. This is my favorite book for the month of April. Task 15: Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters. The first novel of one of my favorite authors. I borrowed the Alexi and the Cho from my local library.

Dewey’s 24 hour Read-a-Thon: I read two books , but only completely finished one. Both count towards the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge. So that makes me feel like I accomplished something.

#ReadMyOwnDamnBooks: This one needs work. I only read one of my own damn books all month! Just one! So, due to my poor showing,  I’m participating in the  #SmashYourStack challenge.

Stats:

Read six books, checked out eight from the library.

Read approximately 2,160 pages

Reading Goals for May:

Read eight books all on my TBR reading pile, all owned by me!

Read two books for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge.

How did your reading go in April? Do you have reading goals for May? Tell me in the comments!