30 Days of Books - Day 3

Your Favourite Series

Without a doubt my favourite series is the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.  I started reading these books back in the summer of 1998.  I had been thinking about starting this series for awhile but was waiting to find the books in a used book store.  I finally found Voyageur in a used book store and snatched it up.  For some reason I thought that I would start to read it slowly until I got the first and second book.  I kept on reading it, thinking that the next time I was at a bookstore I would get Outlander.  I think I held out for two days then had to go and buy the first two books.  I was somewhat lucky in that the first four books had been published by the time I started reading them.  But I am so jealous of newcomers starting right now who have seven books to go through before having to wait for the next one.  It is likely that book 8 will not be published until sometime in 2013 with the possibility of more books to follow.

      

Kate's Dress

 

Oohh so close in my prediction!  Kate looked gorgeous and both Princes William and Harry were very handsome.  I love the v-neck lace overlay.  Something tells me we'll be seeing a lot more of this style in future weddings!  Or even Pippa's dress, it was very bridal looking as well. The wedding was very sweet.  Apparently while Kate was walking down the aisle, Harry turned to William and said "Wait till you see her!".  Then William told Kate she was beautiful when he first saw her.  So glad that the weather held out for the bride and groom.  I'm going back to bed now!!

30 Days of Books - Day 2

A book that you've read more than 3 times.
This was hard, and having looked over the list, I think it is only going to get harder to narrow down my choices each day.  Over my lifetime I have read hundreds, if not thousands of books.  Many I have read once and forgotten, but a lot I have read over and over again.  I think it all started with Cinderella. I have always loved to read and believe that a good book is like a good friend.  Some I have read for the first time to only finish it and immediately start again.  I did this the first time I read Nora Robert's Heaven and Earth.  

Ripley Todd just wants to live a quiet, peaceful kind of life. Her job as a sheriff's deputy keeps her busy and happy, and she has no trouble finding men when she wants them - which, lately, isn't all that often. She's perfectly content, except for one thing: she has special powers that both frighten and confuse her - and though she tries hard to hide them, she can't get them under control... Distraction soon arrives in the handsome form of MacAllister Booke - a researcher who's come to investigate the rumours of witchcraft that haunt Three Sisters Island. Right from the start, he knows there's something extraordinary about Ripley Todd. It's not just her blazing green eyes and her sultry smile. There's something else. Something he can detect, but she'll never admit. Fascinated by her struggle with her amazing abilities, he becomes determined to help her accept who she is - and find the courage to open her heart. But before Ripley and Mac can dream of what lies in the future, they must confront the pain of the past. For Three Sisters shelters centuries of secrets - and a legacy of danger that plagues them still...

This is one of my favourite Nora Roberts' series.  All three books are stellar, but the second one, Heaven and Earth, has just a little bit more oomph.  Ripley, although tough, shows some vulnerability.  But Mac just does something for me.  I think it is because he is smart, rich (shallow, I know) yet clumsy and awkward at times.  Throw in a picturesque island town, the supernatural, and I am hooked.  I return to this book at least once a year.

Friday Book Trailer

In honour of Kate and William's impending nuptials, today's "book trailer" is a tribute to the couple.



Only 5 more hours until the wedding where I will be sitting on my couch with a cup of tea and some scones.  I am predicting that Kate will wear a tiara and her dress will be slim and form fitting with a lace overlay and sleeves.  Maybe something like this:

30 Days of Books- Day 1

I stumbled across this challenge at Mary Ellen Quigley's website and decided to give it a try.

Day 1 - The Best Book You Read Last Year

It did not take me long to think about what book to choose.  It had to be The Ranger by Monica McCarty.  I love historical romances set in Scotland.  I especially love romances that deal with enemies falling in love with each other.  The story of Anna and Arthur aka Ranger was a sweet (yet hot) one.  Arthur is the quintessential alpha male without being a jackass and Anna came across as being smart and independent without being TSTL.  I think this is the first novel in a long time where the characters take their time in getting to know each other without jumping into bed.  The reader was able to see why they fell in love rather than being told that they couldn't resist each other.



Chosen to help Robert the Bruce in his quest to free Scotland from English rule and claim his crown, the legendary team of warriors known as the Highland Guard battles on.
 Embedded deep behind enemy lines, Arthur “Ranger” Campbell is prized for his razor-sharp senses and his ability to blend into the shadows. But when Arthur infiltrates the clan of the chieftain who murdered his father, his heart is locked on revenge. Inside he faces unexpected resistance from the sweetest of obstacles—a honey-haired siren who is his enemy’s daughter.

Intrigued by this ruggedly handsome newcomer to her father’s forces, the vivacious, enchanting Anna MacDougall is a woman whose skill at uncovering deception rivals Arthur’s own. Though yearning for a quiet life with a good man to love, Anna is drawn to this mysterious knight whose eyes devour her but whose words push her away. As danger, treachery, and the threat of looming war draw them closer into each other’s arms, a warrior made of steel must make a choice from the heart: love or revenge.

If you would like to participate in the challenge, here is the list:

Day 01 – The best book you read last year
Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favorite series
Day 04 – Favorite book of your favorite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favorite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favorite writer
Day 14 – Favorite book of your favorite writer
Day 15 – Favorite male character
Day 16 – Favorite female character
Day 17 – Favorite quote from your Favorite book
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favorite romance book
Day 21 – Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favorite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favorite title
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your Favorite book of all time

Royal Wedding Mania

I have a confession, I haven't touched a book since last Thursday.  The reason?  William and Kate's wedding.  I had no idea I would get this immersed into it.  I knew that I would watch the wedding and most of the commentary this coming Friday, but I had no interest in any of the shows leading up to the main event.  That was until Sunday.  I think there were at least three different channels that had almost all day programming related to the Royals.  I watched a show on the different Royal weddings over the past 60 years which I enjoyed.  Another that focused on Kate's ancestry and talked to distant relatives - somewhat interesting, but really, what would a second cousin twice removed be able to tell us about Kate?  One show, I think it was "30 Moments in 30 years", was a little sad.  It brought back the grief many people felt at the death of princess Diana.  At times when I see these retrospective shows I start to think "what if"?  What if Charles and Diana had truly loved each other, what if she hadn't died etc. etc.  then there was the movie about kate and William.  Holy crapfest Batman, was that movie ever bad!  The acting, the dialogue, the scenery (California can really double as England and Scotland???) it was all horrific.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure this new found obsession will abate by Saturday.  I am just caught up in the rush of the Royal wedding (did you know they even have Kate and William paper dolls?).  Now I just need to decide what time I am getting up Friday morning.  I have the day off, so you will find me on the couch for most of the day watching the ceremony.  Coverage starts at 3am here, but I don't think I am getting up that early.  One program I watched said that the either the bridesmaids or Prince William (I can't remember) will leave first and make their way to Westminster Abbey around 10:15am which will be 5:15am my time.  Kate will leave for the Abbey around 10:45am.  So I think I will definitely be up for 5:00 am. 

Friday Book Trailer

Not really a book trailer, it's chapter one of Nora Roberts' Chasing Fire audiobook.





There's little as thrilling as firefighting-at least to Rowan Tripp. The Missoula smoke jumpers are in Rowan's blood: her father is a legend. She's been fighting fires since her eighteenth birthday. At this point, returning to the wilds of Montana for the season feels like coming home-even with reminders of the partner she lost last season still lingering.

Fortunately, this year's rookie crop is one of the strongest ever-and Gulliver Curry's one of the best. He's also a walking contradiction, a hotshot firefighter with a big vocabulary and a winter job at a kids' arcade.

Everything is thrown off balance when a dark presence lashes out against Rowan, looking to blame someone for last year's tragedy. Rowan knows she can't complicate things with Gull-any distractions in the air or on the ground could mean the end-but if she doesn't find someone she can lean on, she may not make it through the summer. . . .


I picked this book up a couple of days ago (review to come soon) and am on Chapter 10.  So far so good.

Review - The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

The Sweetest Thing is the second book in the Lucky Harbor trilogy.  This book is oldest sister Tara's story.  Six months after her mother has died and left the sisters an inn, Tara finds herself still in Lucky Harbor.  Helping her sisters renovate and open the inn up, Tara longs to find control and a plan for her life.  Things are far from under control though, when her ex-husband, Logan and her ex-lover, Ford decide to win her love.  Thrown in are town folk with Facebook commentary and polls on the love triangle and a secret from Tara's past making an appearance.

Overall I found this book to be a good read.  Tara, although a Type A personality, had enough vulnerability and humour to balance it out.  While Ford is determined to win Tara back for good this time.  The two together have hot, sizzling chemistry together.  The story was a little slow to begin with but picks up speed by chapter 10.  Although it was refreshing to see that Logan wasn't given the bad guy rap, I'm not totally convinced that he was needed in the story.  At times it just felt like filler.  Jill Shalvis is definitely working her way to being an auto-buy for me.  Her characters have depth and the story lines are filled with romance hot sexual chemistry, and humour.

While the second in a trilogy, I think The Sweetest Thing can stand on it's own, but why would you want to read just this one?  If you haven't read the first book, Simply Irresistible, do it.  I am looking forward to Chloe and Sawyer's story in Head Over Heels, I am sure Chloe will keep him on his toes.

Lethal - Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown has a new book coming out this September 20, 2011.  Her newest release is called Lethal, from the synopsis it sounds like Brown might be returning to a more traditional romantic suspense:


When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society.

New York to Dallas Synopsis - J.D. Robb

I decided this morning to see if I could find a synopsis for the next in Death book coming out this September.  And I did, the title is New York to Dallas, apparently a one time name change.   This mystery leads Eve back to Dallas:


Twelve years ago, Eve Dallas was just a rookie NY cop when her instincts led her to the apartment of Isaac McQueen, a man she discovered to be a sick murderer and paedophile, who was keeping young girls in cages. Now a homicide Lieutenant, Eve is one of the most distinguished officers in the city - and then she learns that McQueen has escaped from jail. Bent on revenge against Eve and with a need to punish more 'bad girls' McQueen heads to Dallas, Texas - the place where Eve was found as a child, the place where she killed her own abusive monster when she was only eight years old. With Eve and Roarke in pursuit of McQueen, everything is on the line and secrets from Eve's past are about to be shockingly revealed.

Friday Book Trailer

Today's book trailer is for Lisa Kleypas' Sugar Daddy.



I loved this book and have read it about three times now.  The first time I read it, I cried at some parts and I stayed up until 3am to finish reading it.  Sugar Daddy was Kleypas' first contemporary, I was worried that another historical author had switched over to contemporary.  I find that while I love an author's voice in one genre, it loses something in another.  Julie Garwood is one example.  Her historicals are timeless, quaint, and sweet.  Her contemporaries on the other hand leave something to be desired.  I can't remember what exactly I don't like about them because it has been so long since I have read one. I stopped reading them after the second or third one.  Lisa Kleypas on the other hand has proved to me that she has a compelling voice in the historical and contemporary genres.

Prey by Linda Howard

New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard takes us into the world of outdoor guides for her next novel:
Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons and push her to the edge?

Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop.

Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods—changing the dark game completely.

Luckily, Dare is camping nearby and hears the shots. Forced together for their very survival, Angie and Dare must confront hard feelings, a blinding storm, and a growing attraction—while being stalked by a desperate killer and a ferocious five-hundred-pound beast. And neither will stop until they reach their prey.

Hhhmmm, not quite sure what I think about this.  I'm somewhat disappointed, but don't know why.  Maybe it's the hunting aspect?  Oh well, with the blinding storm there is a possibly of being stranded in a cabin, which I adore.  Something about being in a remote location, watching the snow fall outside while (hopefully) snuggling by a roaring fire screams the perfect romance location to me. 

Review - Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb

Treachery in Death is J.D. Robb's 33rd full-length novel featuring Eve Dallas and her husband Roarke.  After working out in the old gym, Detective Peabody overhears two cops arguing about their illegal activities and a subsequent murder for cover up.  What follows  is an internal investigation with the usual team lead by Dallas.

 Since the reader is aware early on who the bad guy is, there is little mystery.  Instead, the book focuses more on the suspense of leading the dirty cops to their demise.  I enjoyed this book, although I might need a cheat sheet with a list of who's who soon.  It took me a little while to remember who Webster is.  He also gets a love interest in this novel, I'm assuming she is a character introduced in one of the novellas (which I haven't read) because I do not remember her at all.  There were some sweet scenes between Eve and Roarke, which I prefer.  I get a little tired of each book having the two struggle with their relationship and how they interact with each other. 

All in all this was a good addition to the series, the storyline was tight and suspenseful, and 33 books later I am still interested in the characters and their lives.

Friday Book Trailer

Today's book trailer is actually for an upcoming movie, Jane Eyre.



I first read Jane Eyre when I was 10 years old.  I started to read it again this past week, and am finding it a bit boring and dry.  But seeing this trailer makes me want to push through.  There had to be some reason I have kept this book for over twenty years.  But what drew me first to Jane Eyre was The Curse of the Concullens by Florence Stevenson:  

Lucy Ayers loved to fancy herself the heroine of a great romantic novel.  But the moment she moved into ancient O'Hagan Castle, all her fanciful dreams fast took on a nightmare reality.

Beneath her window a wailing banshee foretold doom and destruction.  Chained within the bowels of the castle, a young child bared his teeth at the moon and lusted for blood.  In the rotting woods an unknown creature lurked, eager to rip out the throats of those who ventured too near.

It was no wonder, then, that two governesses had already vanished.  Yet Lucy was determined to stay on.  As an outsider, perhaps only she could escape the dreadful Curse of the Concullens...and free the attractive man who lived under it...



I found this Gothic romance with vampires, werewolves, and governesses in my mom's bookshelf and kept it ever since. How did this book make me want to read Jane Eyre you ask?  Well it was Lucy's favourite book and the reason she became a governess.  So I just had to read it.  The book is out of print, but used copies are still available at Amazon. 

The Viper by Monica McCarty

The fourth book in Monica McCarty's Highland Guard series won't be released until October, but she has posted a synopsis for it at her website:

The war for Scotland’s sovereignty rages on—as Robert the Bruce is crowned king and the Highland Guard, his elite fighting force of legendary warriors, battle for land . . . and love.
Prized for his snake-like stealth and deadly strikes, Lachlan “Viper” MacRuairi is a warrior to enlist but not to trust. His only loyalty is to his purse, his indifference sealed by bitter betrayal. All that changes when Lachlan is tasked to protect and deliver Bella MacDuff to the king’s coronation—and the proud, lushly sensual countess unwittingly challenges him to his greatest battle yet: to love again.

Passionate and devoted, Bella has defied Britain’s king and her own husband to place the crown on Bruce’s head—and pays a terrible price. She loses her daughter and her freedom to her husband’s vengeance. Imprisoned with barbaric cruelty, she vows to reclaim her child, even if it means selling her soul—and her body—to a dark, lethal warrior whose eyes glint like steel, but who makes her skin tingle and her breath race. Together they embark on a rogue mission with sinister twists and turns that threatens not only Bella’s gamble to save her daughter—but also her heart.

I can't wait for this book, Monica McCarty is one of my new go-to authors; especially for Scottish historicals.  The history is enthralling and seems to be accurate/believable (I will be honest and admit that I do not have enough knowledge about history to know if that is true).  The sex is hot without being gratuitous or there just because a sex scene is needed.  With her characters, I feel like I am watching people actually fall in love rather than in lust.  I am anxiously awaiting for the release of this book in October.

Friday Book Trailer

For all those Sweet Valley High lovers here is the book trailer for the newest book Sweet Valley Confidential.




It's ten years later. Are Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield still fighting?  Is Todd still around? What about Cara and Steve? I have no idea. I started reading this series when I was nine and stopped when I was 13. I think I stopped reading around book number 45. Something tells me I am going to spend the next hour looking for a synopsis for the whole series. Not sure I am going to buy the book, but I might get it from the library if it is available.