Best of 2012 In Books

I love this time of year when book bloggers post their favorite reads of the year. I get reminded of the books I wanted to read and may have missed and I always manage to add more to my must read list. Before I get to my most memorable books of 2012, I gathered some stats from my reading patterns last year. Just for fun.

By the numbers: 
I read ...
101 books total plus 8 online short stories

11 of the books I read were re-reads

37 library books
64 from my shelves
 8 online short fiction

33 were ebooks or online fiction
76 were paper books

71 novels/books
16 novellas
14 graphic novels
  8 online short fiction

I read books or stories by 66 distinct authors...

12 male authors     18.2%
54 female authors  81.8%

GENRE: 
Non fiction................... 3
Fiction .....................106

Romance...................... 55      52% 
    paranormal ..... 23
    contemporary.. 15
    historical ........ 14
    steampunk ....... 3
Graphic novels.............14       13.2%
Urban Fantasy ............ 13       12.3% 
Young adult ................. 7         6.6% 
Crime fiction ...............  7         6.6%
General fiction ............  6         5.6%
Fantasy ........................  3        2.8% 
Children's Literature...... 1        0.9%

Number of books per month:
   Jan    3
   Feb 14
   Mar 13
   Apr 12
   May  8
   Jun    5
   Jul     6
   Aug   9
   Sep    8
   Oct    7
   Nov 12
   Dec 12

My most memorable reads of 2012: 

The Book That Broke My Heart :
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones [2012]

Favorite Romance:
The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Best Recommendation from a Friend:
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell [2011]
   and Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke [1998; re-issued ebook in 2012]

Fantastic Fantasy: 
Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman
and Cold Magic and Cold Fire by Kate Elliot

The Roller Coaster Book:
Gold by Chris Cleave [2012]
It was sad, happy, exciting, bittersweet and anger inducing all at the same time.

Best Debut:
Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady [2012]

The Longest Linger :
This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz [2012]
This book got under my skin and I thought about it for a long time after I finished it.

Short but Oh So Sweet:
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan [2012]
Deck The Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath [2012]
The Scandalous, Dissolute, No Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare [2012]

Most guilty pleasure:
Catching up on the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole [2008-2011]

Best Blast From the Past:
Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke [1998; re-issued ebook 2012]

Kicking Myself For Waiting So Long To Read This One:

 The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook [2010]  ...phenomenal world building!
    and The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley [2009] ...fascinating main character!

The Book That Challenged Me :
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
I only read the first 275 pages or so back in November, but I'm going to pick this book back up soon and finish it. The volume of it still intimidates me, but it's 19th century chick lit which is fun, even if Tolstoy can be quite long winded at times.

The Ones That Got Away: 
  and are now on my list to read in 2013... 

As always, I could go on and on about the books I missed in 2012, but these are at the top of the list.

The Fault in Our Stars by John
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Easy by Tamara Webber
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Iced by Karen Marie Moning
Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

What was your most memorable 2012 book? 

A Group Read of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Inspired by Leslie and Hilcia's wonderful reviews of Mariana by Susanna Kearsley and because several many commented and said they have always wanted to read a book by this author--or more books by this author, I've decided to host a very simple group read of Kearsley's The Winter Sea.

The Winter Sea is an historical time travel romance set on the shores of Scotland.

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...



Hilcia's review of Mariana by Susanna Kearsley 
Leslie's review of Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

Leslie's review of The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Brie's review of The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsely

I'm sure I could provide you with link after link of rave reviews of Ms. Kearsley's books, but why not find out for yourself and join us as we read The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley in the next few weeks. The book is about 527 pages and since I know so many of you fly through entire novels in just a couple of days, we'll keep this group read very simple. We'll start reading around the same time and have one day to discuss the book about two weeks after that to give some of us slow pokes some time to finish it. Of course, we can discuss the story during the reading period as we see fit.

In order to allow some time to spread the word and for everyone to get a hold of the book, let's start reading The Winter Sea together on or around January 21, chat about it as we go along and finish for a group discussion on February 4, 2013. For those of us on twitter, we can use the hash tag #WinterSea to discuss the book there.

If you'd like to join this group read of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley--which I hope you do, link up your blog to the Mr.Linky below. You don't have to have a blog to join the group read. If you don't, just leave your name in the comments below.

I hope you join us!

My 2012 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

For all of you who laughed at me in good nature, of course, for joining so many Reading Challenges, Read-Alongs and Book Clubs, here's a review of what I set out to do last year and how I actually did.

[X] Book Pilgrimage 2012 
This was a little travel challenge hosted by Libby at Libby's Book Blog. The idea is to read a book and then take a pilgrimage to the setting of the book or a specific place associated with the author. I read Gold by Chris Cleave which is a novel about two female Olympic track cyclists and their professional and personal relationships. The book takes place over the course of several years, leading up to the London 2012 Olympics, which I attended with my family over the summer. Great book.. even better vacation. ;)

[X] R.I.P. VII 
Hosted by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings in the fall [Northern Hemisphere], this reading event focuses on mysteries, thrillers, dark fantasy, horror, etc.. I joined a few of the challenges and met all of the requirements--including a Group Read-Along of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. It was a great way to get into the spooky mood for Halloween with this one. I plan to join again this year. You can read more about what I read and watched for this event HERE.

[ ] Once Upon A Time VI 
Hosted by Carl V. at Stainless Steel Droppings in the spring [Northern Hemisphere], this reading event focuses on reading fantasy, folklore, mythology and fairy tales. I didn't quite meet two the three challenges I set out to do with this one. I read Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for the Group Read-Along, which counted as my fantasy read and I read a folklore and mythology based book, but didn't read a fairy-tale nor did I get around to Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Maybe I'll finally follow through with this one in 2013.

[ ] In Death Series by J.D. Robb Reading Challenge [ongoing]
This is an ongoing reading challenge that I have been hosting since January 2010 as I read the entire 34 book and counting crime fiction series by the very prolific J.D. Robb [Nora Roberts]. I fell off schedule with this one, having read only 5 full length novels and 2 novellas. I'm hoping to be completely caught up to the author in 2013.

[ ] A-Z Mystery Challenge [ongoing]
Michelle at Red-Headed Book Child came up with this mystery reading challenge a few years ago for anyone who wanted to try to read their way through the alphabet of author last names. I haven't gotten far, but added one to my list in 2012. I need to work on this one some more.

[ ] Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2012
I didn't complete this one. I borrowed Sputnik Sweetheart in late December, but I didn't get around to picking it up. Maybe I'll pay penance and read TWO Murakami books in 2013.

[X] TBR Challenge
This romance-focused challenge is hosted by Wendy The Super Librarian and is aimed at helping reduce that TBR pile by reading one book per month from your shelf. I read all 12 books for this one, although I didn't get around to reviewing two of them. I'm still saying I finished this challenge because I did comment on them on twitter which is an allowed form of reporting in your book read. Here's a list of what I read for this challenge and links to my reviews, if you're interested.

January:       The Longest Night by Kathleen O'Reilly
February:     Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt
March:         Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione
                    Sin Undone by Larissa Ione
April:           A Dangerous Beauty by Sophia Nash
May:           Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
June:           Caine's Reckoning by Sarah McCarty
July:            Danger's Kiss by Sarah McKerrigan
August:       Deeper by Megan Hart
September:  Riftwalker by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
October:      Demon From the Dark by Kresley Cole
November:  The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
December:  Holiday Kisses by Shannon Stacey et al.

[X] The Big Book Challenge 2012
Hosted by orannia from Walkabout, this challenge encourages readers to read that BIG book [over 500 pages] that you have been intimidated to read because it is so long. I chose to read Eon and Eona by Alison Goodman as my Big Book Challenge and completed it in March 7, 2012. Great YA fantasy books, by the way. I ended up reading a handful of other books over 500 pages, too.

[X] Year of the Fantasy Classic 
Hosted my KMont at Lurv a la Mode, this challenge was designed to encourage readers to read more classic fantasy novels. I made a list of fantasy novels I'd read in 2012, and only read TWO books from my original list. I ended up reading other fantasy novels, though, and surpassed my goal of reading six fantasy novels. Here's a list of the fantasy novels I read in 2012:

     1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien [graphic novel]

     2. Eon by Alison Goodman

     3. Eona by Alison Goodman

     4. The Amulet Series, Books 1-4 by Kazu Kibuishi

     5. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

     6. Cold Magic by Kate Elliot

     7. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

     8. The Riftwalker by Clay & Susan Griffith

     9. Cold Fire by Kate Elliot

   10. Fever Moon by Karen Marie Moning [graphic novel]

[X] What's In a Name 5 
This fun challenge is hosted by Beth F at Beth Fish Reads and is an annual favorite of mine. The goal is to read six books--titles of which match each of the preset categories. I usually just read what I want and end up filling in the requirements, but this year I actually had to hunt down a book that would work for one of them--the type of house. But I did it! Here's what I read for this one:

1. A book with a topographical feature in the title.
                 The Riftwalker by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title.
                 Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title.
                 Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep
4. A book with a type of house in the title.
                The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse or backpack in the title.
                Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh
6. A book with something you'd find on a calendar in the title.
                The Arrival by Shaun Tan

[X] E-Book Challenge 2012 
Hosted by Sarah from Workday Reads, this challenge encourages readers to read a set number of ebooks during the year. I chose the 25 ebook level and barely managed to finish this one on time! Finished it on December 30, 2012. Phew!

[X] OutDo Yourself Reading Challenge 2012
This challenge was hosted by The Book Vixen and challenged readers to read more books in 2012 than you read in 2011. I needed to read 101 books and managed to finish with 102! Not all were full length novels--some were novellas and graphic novels, but I still count those. I did count books that I re-read in 2012, but I did not count the online short fiction stories I read for the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep, although they are in my 100+ Books List.

[X] 100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012
Hosted by Book Chick City. I made it! I listed all the books [except cookbooks] in my original post HERE. I included short online fiction that I read in the list, but I'm not counting them towards my actual total. My list also doesn't match up to my 2012 goodreads challenge because not all of the books I re-read in 2012 were included on goodreads since they were already documented in a prior year. This is how I read a total of 101 books:

109 books/stories read - 8 online super short stories = 101 TOTAL Books Read in 2012

How did you do with your 2012 Reading Challenges?

Are you joining any Reading Challenges in 2013? 

I'll be joining a few. But you're not surprised about that, are you? ; )

New Year's Day 5K

Happy New Year!

For the last four years, I've started my New Year with a local 5K Race called The Hangover Run, aptly named following a night of perhaps one too many glasses of champagne the night before as people welcome the New Year. For me, I just like starting my year with a push.

Running 5K isn't particularly challenging for me--that's the distance I typically run two days a week among my other workouts. But running a race is always a push because I can't just go out there and do it to have fun. Oh I do have fun doing it, but I guess I'm a bit competitive [with myself] and I feel compelled to try to beat my time from my last race and set a personal best. Well, sadly, I didn't do that. I ran 5K in 30:59 [9:58 min mile pace] which is faster than my every day pace, but not faster than I ran it last January [30:31] or faster than my personal best [30:02]. I know I should be pleased with my effort and results, but truthfully, I'm kinda disappointed. But don't worry.. I'll get over it.

Hangover Run 5K
January 1, 2012

Because you know what I'm going to do about my disappointment? Turn it into motivation! I'm going to train more seriously to improve my running time in 2013. Which, I think includes losing some weight and finally reaching my target weight in 2013. I mean.. who wants to run 3+ miles with a 20lb. backpack on? I didn't think so.  So here I am repeating my goal for the last two years to run a 5K in under 30 minutes by the end of the year.

Looking back for a moment...

In 2012: 
I RAN        244.87 miles
I BIKED  1672.43 miles

I SPENT 292.71 hours EXERCISING

THAT'S 12 days 4 hours 48 minutes OF EXERCISE.

Which actually doesn't sound like a whole heck of a lot to me right now. . But if you want to see what I did in all those hours of exercise, feel free to scroll through my monthly workout logs on my fitness journal blog See How She Runs...

So what do I want to accomplish in 2013?
I'm still exploring specific events, but I'd like to do the following: 

• Run a 5K Race in under 30 minutes. 
• Bike another Gran Fondo [100 miles] or other long distance bike event. 
• Do another Sprint Triathlon.  

My first choice is to do the Danskin Tri again, but once again.. it is on the SAME DAY as the NJ Gran Fondo, so I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe the SheRox Tri in August if it doesn't coincide with our summer vacation. I'll have to see.. 

What are your fitness goals for 2013?

Wishing you all a year of good health and happiness in 2013!

Best of 2012 In the Kitchen

I stole the idea for this post from Beth F, the creator and host of the popular Weekend Cooking feature that can be found every Saturday morning on her blog Beth Fish Reads. Yesterday, Beth F posted a wonderful recap of her year in Weekend Cooking posts with a Best of 2012 Cookbooks, Drinks and Favorite Posts list. Check out her post and links to other Weekend Cooking posts HERE. I'm doing something similar here tonight.

NEW COOKING EXPERIENCES IN 2012: 
Unfortunately, I didn't keep a detailed journal of my new cooking and dining experiences in 2012, so I'm working this list from memory and my blog posts, the former of which isn't 100% reliable, I'm afraid. At least I have a new journal idea for 2013 now.. ;) Here's a list of the foods I made for the first time this year:

Lime curd 
Lime Curd {from homegrown limes!}, June 2. 2012
I made homemade lime curd using tiny limes that my husband brought home from his uncle's backyard in Texas while visiting there in April. It was really pretty easy to make and so delicious--refreshing with a sweet tart zing! I'll definitely make lemon, lime or other citrus curd in the future.

Meringues 
Chocolate-Peanut Meringues from Everyday Food Magazine, April 1. 2012
I made meringues from a recipe in a cooking magazine. They came out great. Again, so easy to make at home, even if the shape wasn't as nice as store bought meringues.

Home Canning Tomatoes, August 28. 2012
I got invited to partake in a day of canning vats of fresh tomatoes one day last August. What a neat experience! I came home with 2 1/2 cases of tomatoes in quart jars. I am down to one case already, which means I'm going to definitely run out before the winter is over. Lesson learned.. I need about 5 cases of tomatoes to last my family a whole year.

Pear butter 
Homemade Pear Butter The Lazy Girl's Way, October 28. 2012
I found an easy and delicious way to use up a plethora of over ripe pears, thanks to a recipe for making homemade pear butter in the oven from Farmgirl Fare blog.

Spätzle! 
German Cookery by Elizabeth Schuler [Cookbook], December 1, 2012
I made homemade spätzle for the first time--it was fun and everyone liked it. I might make it again sometime, but it won't take a spot on my regular menu, though. I thought the spätzle needed a lot of butter to give it a good flavor and that's just not how we eat on a regular basis.

Green Juicing! 
Drink Your Greens, March 17, 2012
Woot woot! Good Excellent health in a glass. I started green juicing in 2012 thanks to the Whole Living Action Plan in which I participated back in January. It's basically a food based detox to jump start your body back to a healthy digestive state. Anyway, green juicing is one of the habits that I took away from the cleanse and continued to do all year long. I'm officially hooked. The other awesome thing I took away from that cleanse was to break my addiction to caffeine. Very liberating and I don't get nearly as many migraines as I used to. I think I might have had 2-3 migraines all year whereas I used to have that many in one month. If you suffer migraines, you may want to consider giving up caffeine, too, to see if it helps you.

FAVORITE RECIPE POSTS: 
Best Homemade Pizza Dough, March 3, 2012 gets tons of hits. Over 1500 so far--which is a lot for my little ol' blog. I hope that means people are making my recipe. I just made it the other night!

My recipes for Vegan Basil Pesto, Vegan Arugula-Garlic Scape Pesto and Vegan Potato Leek Soup also get a lot of hits. I'd say there's a niche for vegan recipes out there.

FAVORITE COOKBOOKS: 
2012 Cookbooks.

Did you vote in the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads this year? Most of the readers of my blog are fellow book bloggers, so chances are you did. Did you read a lot of the books from the fiction categories? I read a few and was otherwise familiar with many of the others across many genres. Surprisingly, it was the cookbook genre that I was most familiar with, having read SIX of the nominees, including the winning book, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier by Ree Drummond. It was not my favorite book of those that I read. The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) is a wonderful, fun, down to earth voice in home cooking and her cookbook is nice, but not nearly as original or inspiring as the cookbooks below which I've also read this year. Three 2012 cookbooks that I read and adored this year are:

   

Food in Jars by Marisa McClellan (My vote in the readers choice awards)
The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila 
Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach

I highly recommend all three of these lovely, original and inspiring cookbooks. I hope you check them out. I'm still on the waiting list for The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman, also published in 2012. Any day now...

The Results of the 2012 Readers Choice Awards on Goodreads for Cookbooks

I must mention the following three 2011 publications that caught my attention in 2012, all of which I highly recommend.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer 
I LOVE ice cream in a scary big way and was intrigued by all the positive buzz this cookbook was getting, so I bought Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook earlier this year. I finally got around to making Roasted Pistachio Ice Cream in September and the results were amazing! Wow.. just wow. If you have an ice cream maker, you should really get this book.

The Newlywed Cookbook by Sarah Copeland
Gorgeous presentation, fantastic recipes--some classics, some twists on old favorites and many original creations that hopefully inspire couples to cook together. The narration is charming in a cozy sweet blissful newlywed way, although at times a little too sugar coated for me. Still.. I read every page and wanted to devour every recipe. Highly recommended.

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr 
Although not really a cookbook, Crazy Sexy Diet does have recipes in it and it is all about healthy living and eating to be your healthiest and happiest, so I'm mentioning it in this post anyway. Kris Carr is SO positive and inspiring!

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: 
Everyday Food Magazine will no longer in publication after the December 2012 issue. I've been subscribing to this magazine since June 2005 and still have every issue. I've loved it over the years and will miss it greatly. :(

Do you have anything on your Best of 2012 List from your kitchen? 

Did you try any new-to-you foods in 2012? 

A new favorite restaurant or cookbook?

Last Call to Join The 'In Death' Series by J.D. Robb Reading Challenge

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the post below and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?
I still have Promises In Death on my nightstand bookmarked somewhere in the first several chapters. I fell off track with this challenge in 2012, but I'm determined to fix that in 2013.

I first announced this 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge in November 2009 and here I am, hopefully at the cusp of meeting that challenge in 2013. There are currently 35 full length novels and 9 novellas published in this series, with the thirty-sixth book due out sometime next year. Despite the fact that I fell off schedule in 2012 having read only 5 novels and 2 novellas, I plan to get back on track in January and read at least one book per month, starting with Promises In Death, the 28th book. If I manage to stay on track this time, I'll finally be caught up in this series by the end of 2013, at which point, I'm going to end the Reading Challenge. So... if you've been wanting to catch up in the In Death Series, too, now is your chance to do it with some friendly camaraderie. Recommit yourself to catching up and join or re-join my 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge for 2013. 

If you'd like to join or re-join (continue) with the challenge, please add your name and a link to your blog or goodreads page in the Mr.Linky below. You can also join if you don't have a blog or goodreads page. Just leave your name in the comment section below.

By linking up below, maybe it will help you be accountable to yourself to read an In Death book every month in 2013. I sure am counting on it helping me!

I post an In Death Series Reading Challenge post in the last several days of the month so participants can link up any reviews, commentary or general progress they've made that month. I also post a spoiler free series discussion post since most readers are at different stages of the series at this point.

I hope you decide to join [or re-join]!  

To help you find your way, here's a list of the currently published books in the In Death series by J.D. Robb:

1. Naked In Death
2. Glory In Death
3. Immortal In Death
4. Rapture In Death
5. Ceremony In Death
6. Vengeance In Death
7. Holiday In Death
7.5. "Midnight in Death" (in the Silent Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
8. Conspiracy In Death
9. Loyalty in Death
10. Witness In Death
11. Judgment in Death
12. Betrayal in Death
12.5. "Interlude in Death" (in the Out of this World anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
13. Seduction in Death
14. Reunion in Death
15. Purity in Death
16. Portrait in Death
17. Imitation in Death
17.5. "Big Jack" (in Remember When novel)
18. Divided in Death
19. Visions in Death
20. Survivor in Death
21. Origin in Death
22. Memory In Death
22.5. "Haunted in Death" (in the Bump in the Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
23. Born In Death
24. Innocent in Death
24.5. "Eternity in Death" (in the Dead of Night anthology)
25. Creation in Death
26. Strangers In Death.
27. Salvation In Death
27.5. "Ritual in Death" (in the Suite 606 anthology)
28. Promises in Death
29. Kindred in Death
29.5. "Missing in Death" (in The Lost anthology)
30. Fantasy in Death
31. Indulgence in Death
31.5. "Possession in Death" (in The Other Side anthology)
32. Treachery in Death
33. New York to Dallas
33.5. "Chaos in Death" (in The Unquiet anthology)
34. Celebrity in Death
35. Delusion in Death
36. Calculated in Death [2013]
.
.
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JOIN HERE!

My Life According to the Book I Read in 2012

It's that time of year again! I first spotted this meme on Angie's blog several years ago and have made it an annual end of the year tradition on my blog ever since. I love this book meme--it's a fun, creative way to reminisce all the books you read throughout the year.

What's even more fun?

Having your friends do the meme, too!

To play along, use only titles of books that you read this year (2012) and complete the prompts below.

Try not to repeat any book titles. Think creatively and have fun!

Once you've posted your Life According to the Books You Read in 2012, grab the link to your blog post and come back here to add you name and link to the Mr. Linky box below. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2012:

Describe yourself:
The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

How do you feel: 
A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Describe where you currently live: 
Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Paris in Love by Eloisa James

Your favorite form of transportation: 
Ride With Me by Ruthie Knox

Your best friend is:
Forever Mine by Delilah Marvelle

You and your friends are:
Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

What's the weather like: 
Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole & Gena Showalter

What is life to you:
 Gold by Chris Cleave

Favorite time of day:
Dark Desires After Dark by Kresley Cole

Your fear:
If I Die by Rachel Vincent

What is the best advice you have to give:
The Good Neighbors by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh

Thought for the day:
Deck the Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath

How I would like to die:
Eternity Embraced by Larissa Ione

My soul's present condition: 
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Can't get enough of reading these lists? Check out mine from past years:
My Life According to the Books I Read in 2011
My Life According to the Books I Read in 2010
My Life According to the Books I Read in 2009

 Don't forget to come back and link up YOUR Life According to the Books You Read in 2012!

Where In the World Are You Reading? Holiday Escape

Where In the World Are You Reading? is a monthly book meme created and hosted by Trish [Love, Laughter and a Touch of Insanity], Lisa [Books, Lists, Life] and Kelly [The Written Word] earlier this year to encourage readers to share their reading habits through different monthly prompts. The December theme for this month's Where In the World Are You Reading? book meme is Holiday Escape.

Where or what do you read for a little holiday escape?

I had visions of the ultimate cozy reading photo for this month's theme.. a big comfy chair, a hand knit afghan, a nice thick book, a mug of cocoa and a plate of home baked Christmas cookies, an inviting fire in a fireplace decorated for Christmas... Wait, what??! Yeah.. none of that happened for me either. In fact, I don't even have a fireplace! Ha! So erase that picture in your head, as lovely as it is. Instead, I'll just share some holiday escape books I've read as Christmas approached.

A few years ago, I picked up some holiday-themed books to read in the week or two leading to Christmas. I found reading these stories were not only nice reads, but they really did help boost my Christmas spirit. Now it's a little tradition of mine every year. This year, I read:

Holiday Kisses by Shannon Stacey, Jaci Burton, HelenKay Dimon and Alison Kent.

This is a fun contemporary romance Christmas anthology published by Carina Press in 2011. The stories are light and sweet, but still emotional and a bit sexy, too. A great holiday escape that I really enjoyed reading. You can read my review HERE.

We'll Be Home For Christmas by HelenKay Dimon 

This contemporary romance novella was published this year in the Romancing the Holidays anthology published by Carina Press this year, in December 2012. Two of the stories are sequels to the stories in the Holiday Kisses anthology, but can be purchased individually as well. Since I was mostly interested in the story by HelenKay Dimon, I went ahead and bought that one. I'm so glad I did, because I really liked Spence and Lila's story in We'll Be Home For Christmas. The conflict resolved kind of quickly in the end, but everything that should have been said and done was, so I was happy.

Deck the Halls with Love by Lorraine Heath

This is an historical romance novella that is part of Ms. Heath's The Lost Lords of Pembrook series [Book #2.5], but you definitely don't have to read the series to enjoy this one. I say this with first hand experience as this is the first story I've read by this author. I gave the story four stars on goodreads. I enjoyed the plot and I just loved the last chapter. It was clever and romantic and the perfect ending for this little love story.



What is YOUR holiday reading escape?

Since it is still the holiday season and the rush to get Christmas preparations finished in time is past, I'm going to make a point to sit by the Christmas tree, snuggle under a warm blanket and read a book. Even without a fireplace. ;)  Extra motivation to make sure this happens? I'm get read something on my new ipad mini! (Thank you, Husband! xo)

Thanks to Trish, Lisa and Kelly for hosting this monthly book meme this year. It was a lot of fun!

A Merry Little Christmas...

... from the heart of my home to the heart of yours.

The girls and I were down for the count with a nasty stomach virus last week. I then fell behind in a lot of Christmas preparations and spent the last couple of days trying to catch up. I tried to let things go and not get stressed over it, but that's easier said than done when you have traditions you want to maintain and you don't want to disappoint anyone--including yourself! Regardless of what did and didn't get done, we are all happy, healthy and together, which is the truly the most important thing, so in the end... we are having a lovely Christmas. :)




I hope you all had a beautiful day spent with the ones you love.  xo

REVIEW: Holiday Kisses by Shannon Stacey, Jaci Burton, HelenKay Dimon & Alison Kent

"Published by Carina Press [2011]

The suggested theme for the December TBR Challenge hosted by Wendy The Super Librarian is holiday romance and I chose to read the anthology Holiday Kisses. Holiday Kisses is collection of contemporary romance novellas that came out at Christmastime last year. I bought this one for myself last year but never got around to reading it, then waited a whole year to go by so that I could read it this December. Yes, I am a stickler about reading Christmas romances only near Christmas. Well, I finally read this one last week and really enjoyed it! So much so that I'm reading a sequel to one of these stories now.

"This Time Next Year" by Alison Kent

Brenna Keating is on her annual trek to her beloved Grandmother's house in the mountains for Christmas before she leaves for her new job abroad in Africa when her car swerves into a snow bank right in the middle of storm. The local physician, Dillon Craig, who is also the most eligible bachelor of the mountain, finds her and brings her to his cabin to wait out the storm. As you might guess, these two get really close over several days, talking and getting busy, if you know what I mean. They talk a lot and learn about each other and themselves. Both characters have some obstacles in their lives--Brenna's hesitancy about leaving her grandmother and Dillon's struggle to accept the military tragedies from his past that haunt him. Together, and in the spirit of Christmas, they learn from each other and get a realistic happily ever after. A very sweet love story that captures the essence of the holiday season and is sure to melt your heart.
   GRADE: B+

"A Rare Gift" by Jaci Burton

Wyatt Kent gets a job building an addition onto the local child care center-- the one owned and run by his ex-wife's little sister, Calliope Andrews. This arrangement makes Wyatt super uncomfortable for several reasons. One, he and his ex, Cassandra, ended their marriage on bad terms, so he would prefer to avoid her and anyone associated with her. Two, Calliope is pretty, sweet, upbeat and stirs something in Wyatt he tries to stifle -- desire. Fortunately, Calliope is nothing like Wyatt's ex and she's got enough confidence, sass and good humor to handle Wyatt's cranky nature and eventually these two hit it off. It also helps that she's had a crush on Wyatt for a long time. They've got a few things to overcome, but that's part of the fun. I loved Calliope's positive spirit and it was great to see Wyatt come to terms with his failed marriage and recognize that he deserves true love even if it is a little awkward that he's found it with his ex's little sister.
   GRADE: C+

"It's Not Christmas Without You" by HelenKay Dimon

Carrie Anders is finally chasing her dream of working in a prominent Washington, D.C. museum and has settled into her new city life. Unfortunately, she had to break it off once and for all with her on and off again boyfriend, Austin Thomas, who just couldn't accept her dream to seek a career in a big city. Austin insists Carrie just needs to get her grand ideas of a city career out of her system before she realizes she belongs back in their small rural West Virginia hometown with him. When he finds out Carrie doesn't plan on coming home for the holidays, he puts a plan in motion to make sure she gives up her crazy ideas and is home before Christmas. How does he do that? He sets up a tree lot right across the street from her apartment! Sounds romantic, right? Well, Austin needs a few lessons in respecting and accepting Carrie's dreams and ambitions before he learns the meaning of true love.

I loved the set up of this story. I found Austin's determination to win back Carrie heartwarming and his methods very charming, but boy did it take him long enough to realize her life dreams are just as important as his. I think Carrie could have been more upfront with why she was so exasperated with Austin's treatment of her ambitions and at the same time, I think Austin should have figured how important Carrie's career is to her after she got up and moved to D.C. Even then, it took him a couple of weeks in D.C. before he finally figured it out? It was a bit exasperating how they just danced around the issue and didn't just talk about it right from the start. Thankfully, their love for each other made them stick it out and finally figure out how to make their relationship work.

Interestingly, the conflict between these two drove me a little by their simple lack of communication, but at the same time, Carrie and Austin were two of my favorite characters in this anthology. Austin's brother Spence was also a great addition to this story--so much so that I'm reading his story right now. His story is "We'll Be Home For Christmas" in the Romancing the Holidays anthology published by Carina Press (2012), which can also be bought alone.
    GRADE: C+

"Mistletoe and Margaritas" by Shannon Stacey

This story is a beautiful, sexy friends to lovers romance. Claire Rutledge was widowed two years ago when Brendan--her husband of only two years, died. Since Brendan's been gone, Claire become closer friends with her deceased husband's best friend, Justin McCormack. Justin has loved Claire for a while now, having been interested in her before Brendan ever made a move for Claire. He's been reluctant to ever make a move on her, though, out of respect for Brendan. Claire is finally ready to put herself out there in the dating world, but can't seem to think of anyone else but Justin. With the help of some mistletoe and margaritas, Claire makes the first move and sparks finally fly between these two. Their love and affection for each other--and their passion--was totally believable and very sweet. This story is a very heart warming, feel good Christmas romance. What's not to love?
    GRADE: B+

I think it's pretty tough to pull off a convincing contemporary love story in just 100 pages, but these stories come pretty close. Of course it helps that they're Christmas love stories. Who can resist a good ole sappy Christmas story! These stories are all about delivering a believable love story doused with Christmas spirit. Holiday Kisses will certainly warm your heart this Christmas season. :)

For the anthology as a whole ... GRADE: B


Have you read any good Christmas romances lately?