Category: books

What I Read in December

I had a pretty busy reading month in December, with 14 total books read. (I think.)

Masques and Wolfsbane by Patricia Briggs. This was on my TBR shelf for FAR too long, I’m ashamed to say. I’ve loved everything by Briggs that I’ve read.

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Murky Pond, by T.L Haddix. (Read to review.)

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The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, by Chelsea Sedoti. (Read to review.)

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Two Days Gone, by Randall Silvis. (Read to review.)

You Don’t Know my Name, by Kristen Orlando. (Review forthcoming.)

Beyond Boundaries, by John Townsend. (Spiritual book of the month.)

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Enveloping Shadows, by Lauren D.M. Smith. (Read to review.)

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Lone Wolf, by Sarah Driscoll. (Read to review.)

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House of Silence, by Sarah Barthel. (Read to review.)

All Darling Children, by Katrina Monroe. (Review forthcoming.)

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Don’t Tell Anyone, by Eleanor Gray. (Read to review.)

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Clay Tongue, by Nicholas Conley. (Read to review.)

Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell. (As a classic, and also for my 2016 goal of reading it, again, finally. For probably the 25th time.)

Anyone read anything good lately?

Check out Anne’s post over on Modern Mrs. Darcy for some great book recs!

 

 

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, by Chelsea Sedoti

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Image belongs to Sourcebooks Fire.

Chelsea Sedoti lives in Las Vegas, but hates casinos. She prefers the Mohave Desert, animals, and writing about flawed teenagers who refuse to grow up. Her novel, The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, just released.

Hawthorn Creely has one friend, a brother who ignores her, a mother with an embarrassing past, and enough social anxiety to kill a cat. She and the “in” crowd don’t exactly mesh—Hawthorn got burned by one of them years ago, and is still scarred for life. When it-girl Lizzie Lovett disappears, the whole town turns out to search for her, and that’s all anyone talks about. Except Hawthorn. What’s the big deal? Most of the people obsessing about Lizzie don’t even know her.

But soon Hawthorn finds herself wondering what happened to Lizzie, and comes up with a theory so crazy even she can’t believe it. Or can she?  To find out the truth, Hawthorn gets a job at the diner Lizzy worked at and befriends Lizzie’s boyfriend, who everybody thinks killed her. But that’s just ridiculous, isn’t it? As Hawthorn’s obsession with Lizzie Lovett grows, she soon realizes nothing is as she once thought it was.

I loved this book. Hawthorn is a somewhat-unreliable narrator, but aren’t we all? She is overflowing with life, but relating to people is not her strong point. She says what she thinks—and that often results in misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and/or disaster. The family dynamics in this book are complex, and give the reader a glimpse into just why Hawthorn feels like such an outsider in her life. Obsessive, curious, and awkward, Hawthorn is all of us personified. I highly recommend this!

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley.)

Two Days Gone, by Randall Silvis

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Image belongs to Sourcebooks Landmark.)

Randall Silvis is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, a play, a screenplay, and numerous essays. His newest novel is Two Days Gone.

Thomas Huston is a best-selling author, a respected professor, and an involved family man. He’s invested in the community, and people love him. So, when everything changes in an instant, and his wife and three kids are found brutally murdered and he vanishes—making him the prime suspect—detective Ryan DeMarco wants to know why:  why would this man, who seems to have everything, suddenly snap?

DeMarco knows Huston, and doesn’t believe the man capable of the brutal murders. But if Huston is innocent, where is he? Why is he hiding? And what did he uncover while researching his newest novel? The questions far outnumber the facts as DeMarco races the clock to uncover the truth about the life of Thomas Huston.

Two Days Gone has the lyrical feel of literary fiction, yet it’s also a murder mystery. Thomas Huston is an enigma; driven and loving in his life “before,” haunted and determined in the “after.” The characters live and breathe on the page, and had me up late into the night to see where the story was headed.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Landmark.)

House of Silence, by Sarah Barthel

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Image belongs to Kensington Books.

Sarah Barthel writes historical fiction novels but appreciates cell phones and chocolate. House of Silence is her new novel.

In Illinois in 1875, Isabelle Larkin has it all:  a best friend to confide in, a mother who supports her, and a handsome fiancé on his way to the top. Isabelle has made the match of her dreams to secure the future she has only imagined. Then she witnesses her fiancé Gregory commit a horrible crime, and no one—not even her mother—believes her.

Gregory denies everything, and now Isabelle fears for her own life at the hands of the charming, popular politician. Her mother, more worried about scandal than Isabelle’s claims, forbids her to end the engagement. With nowhere left to turn, Isabelle hatches a plan:  fake a mental breakdown and muteness to land herself in Bellevue sanitarium. There, Isabelle forges an unlikely friendship with Mary Todd Lincoln and determines that she cannot remain mute forever. But Gregory will stop at nothing to keep her silent, and Isabelle needs the help of new friends if she’s ever to uncover the truth and regain her life.

House of Silence intrigued me with its setting of a sanitarium and the promise of Mary Todd Lincoln as a secondary character. But Isabelle is a fascinating character in her own right:  strong, determined, stubborn, and blessed with a creative idea to escape from danger. I loved how she grew in this novel, and how she fought for everything she believed in. The family interactions were both infuriating and believable…and made me grateful for the family I have. This is a great, fast-paced read with vibrant characters!

(Galley provided by Kensington Books.)

How I Did in 2016…and Goals for 2017

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Happy New Year!  I hope everyone had/is having a good holiday weekend.

This is, of course, the obligatory re-hash of my 2016 goals, as well as a public declaration of my goals for 2017.

In 2016, my goals were:

Writing:

1) Finish Witches HTRYN. Didn’t happen. I started work on it, and realized that I have to re-write the story from scratch (mostly).

2) Finish 1st draft of Siren Song. Done! (More or less.)

3) Finish 1st draft of The Fall.   Nope. I did write some of it, but not much.

4) Start Camelot  Done! (To the tune of 1 chapter, a sort-of prologue, and some brainstorming.

5) Revise Casting Shadows. Didn’t even look at it.

6) Finish copyediting classes and make X dollars at it per month. Also no, although I did work on the classes some.

7) Have 500 followers on this blog. Only up to 314.

8) Have 200 followers on my personal blog. Only up to 199.

Reading:

1) Read Gone with the Wind. Done!

2) Read 1 book per month from my TBR shelf. Done!

3) Read all books on the reading list for my American Women Writers class (8 total). Done!

4) Read one classic per month. Done!

5) Read one book of poetry. Done!

6) Read 2 books per month to review. Done!

7) Read one inspirational book per month. Done!

8) Read 75 books total. Done! Actually, I read 128 books—WAY over my goal—which I’m pretty happy about. You can check out my books on the 2016 Goodreads challenge here.

Goals for 2017

Writing:

1) Finish draft of The Fall.

2)  Finish draft of Camelot.

3)  Finish Witches revision.

4)  Self-pub something or find agent.

5)  Revise Chasing Shadows.

6)  Publish/sub Chasing Shadows.

7) Do/win NaNo (with the Southern Fic story).

Reading

1)  Read one book per month set in a different culture or by an author from a different culture.

2)  Read 100 books.

3)  Read one classic per month.

4) Read one spiritual book per month.

5) Review 5 books per month.

6) Read one book from TBR pile every other month.

7)  Read Battlefield Earth.

Clay Tongue, by Nicholas Conley

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This image belongs to Nicholas Conley.

Nicholas Conley is the award-winning author of Pale Highway. Fueled by coffee, he’s fascinated by science fiction novels, comic books, and horror movies. Clay Tongue is his new novelette.

Katie Mirowitz isn’t very big, but her love for her grandfather is. After suffering a stroke, he can no longer talk, but Katie’s relationship with him is still a bright spot in her life, as her family struggles to keep things together. Then Katie finds her grandfather’s old journal, full of tales of a creature from myth. She also finds a key. So Katie sets off into the woods in search of the creature, desperate to have her wish granted, a wish that will save her family.

Clay Tongue isn’t very long, but has plenty of room to draw the reader into Katie’s tale. Katie’s just a kid, but her view of the world is bigger—and far more clear—than the adults in her life. Her love for her grandfather is fierce, as is his for her. There is magic in the pages of this story; magic both large and small, as well as love, hope, and vision.

(Galley provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.)

Murky Pond, by T.L. Haddix

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Image belongs to Streetlight Graphics Publishing.

 

T.L. Haddix is the author of the I. Ronik series, the Sunset Motel series, the Shadows collection, and the Firefly Hollow series. Murky Pond is the 12th book in the Firefly Hollow series.

Lily Campbell does not want to go home. Months ago, she spent one night with Warren Sullivan, and a years-long friendship ended as Lily ran away to travel the world. Now her job is over, and it’s time to return to Dragonfly Creek Farm. And Warren.

Warren has lost more than most people can imagine, but he found home at Dragonfly Creek Farm. When his best friend ran away from him after their night together, he was wounded to the core. Now Lily is back on the farm, and Warren is determined to ignore her—and what happened between them. If only it were that easy.

I did not realize ahead of time that Murky Pond (and the Firefly Hollows series) is “romance with light, folklore-paranormal elements,” so when, about halfway through the book, there was an offhand reference to some of the family members being shapeshifters…I had to re-read the sentence and re-evaluate in my mind. I love paranormal, so I didn’t mind, but nothing else had indicated this aspect, so it caught me off-guard. Also, this is the 12th book in a series, and the first of the series I’ve read, so there’s that. This actually made me more interested in reading the series, as I love a good group of interconnected stories and characters like this. This was a very enjoyable book, and I love the cover!

(Galley provided by Streetlight Graphics Publishing via NetGalley.)

Lone Wolf, by Sara Driscoll

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Image belongs to Kensington Books.

Sara Driscoll is the pseudonym of writers Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan. They write the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries, and their new series, FBI K-9s. The first book in the series is Lone Wolf.

Meg and Hawk, a black lab, are part of the FBI’s K-9 unit, called out to disasters to search and rescue anything from a missing person, a criminal, or a body. When they’re called to bombing site at a government building on the National Mall, they find themselves searching for victims in the rubble of a mad bomber’s first target.

Their actions earn them the name “heroes,” and, as the bomber escalates, they are called to more disaster scenes in a desperate search for clues to the bomber’s identity. Because the attacks are spiraling out of control, and they’re sure the bomber has an even bigger target in mind, one that will tear the country apart with fear. It’s up to Meg and Hawk, and the rest of their team, to stop the disaster before it happens.

Lone Wolf contains some scenes that are hard to read, especially for those who can still picture the devastating scenes of 9-11. Meg is a great character, with a tenacious will that makes her fun to read, and the action in this novel never lets up. This series is sure to be a must-read.

(Galley provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.)

To Capture What We Cannot Keep, by Beatrice Colin

 

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Image belongs to Flatiron Books.

Beatrice Colin is a former journalist turned author. Her newest novel is To Capture What We Cannot Keep.

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace is a down-on-her-luck widow tasked with keeping two wealthy Scottish teenagers out of trouble in Paris. Emile Nouguier is building the Eiffel tower. The two meet in a hot air balloon, where magic seems possible. But back on the ground, their different social classes and societal expectations interfere.

Cait must either re-marry or find a permanent position if she is to survive. Emile, heir to his father’s company, is expected to take a suitable bride along with his place in the family business. As the Eiffel Tower rises above Paris, Cait and Emile must decide just how much their love is worth.

To Capture What We Cannot Keep is a vividly rendered picture of the conflicted Paris of the late 1800s. Social strata dominates everything, and the characters face the conflict of their different social stations, as well as their own conflicts over love.

(Galley provided by Flatiron Books via NetGalley.)

Enveloping Shadows, by Lauren D.M. Smith

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Image belongs to Carina Press.

Lauren D.M. Smith is the author of The Emperor’s Arrow, winner of Harlequin’s 2015 So You think You Can Write contest. Her newest novel is Enveloping Shadows.

Terrwyn is a knight and the chief bodyguard of the princess. Her sword skills are all she needs. Until a stranger cloaked in darkness snatches the princess right in front of Terrwyn before she can even move. Now Terrwyn can no longer ignore the rumors of monsters and dark monsters as she sets out to rescue the princess.

All alone and in an unfamiliar land, Terrwyn cannot afford to refuse help from the mysterious stranger who steps from the shadows. Zelek, full of secrets and after the same man who kidnapped the princess, is a shadow-whisperer intent on avenging his family. Together, he and Terrwyn must face Zelek’s old enemy and a sorceress with a demon at her side if they are to save the princess and repay a debt from Zelek’s past,

I loved the premise of this book, and Zelek’s power was intriguing—he can talk to shadows! I also loved the idea of Terrwyn being a female knight, and that being no big deal at all in this world, even if slightly unusual. Zelek on the whole was a far more interesting character than Terrwyn, whom I found to be somewhat inconsistent:  experienced with men yet super shy with Zelek (this was more on the “Ah, how cute!” level than anything.), a stellar warrior who runs into situations without thought, super focused yet oblivious to the obvious at times. I liked the world itself a lot, and would be interested in reading more set in it, but the character inconsistencies and the caricature villains were troublesome for me.

(Galley provided by Carina Press.)