In Death Series Reading Challenge: April 2013.

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 sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

I debated posting a link-up this month since once again I failed. I have Kindred In Death on my nightstand, but alas did not get to it at all. Besides.. just because I missed this month, doesn't mean you all didn't read an In Death book in April! So if you did, spill! Which one did you read and what did you think?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and link it up with Mr.Linky below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:
Alas, none. I did consider re-reading Naked in Death at one point during the month, but really.. how many times does a girl really need to read the same story over and over again? Okay, you're right! Once more is never enough! :)

SERIES DISCUSSION:

Do you have a favorite book in the series?

My favorites are Naked in Death (#1), Survivor in Death (#20), Innocent in Death (#24), Promises in Death (#28). I have to admit I have a little trouble remembering details from the earliest books, so there is that.

Don't forget to link up any In Death posts you made this month!

Library Loot LXVI {book sale}

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries! 

It's been a whole week since my last post. I'm still not finding (making?) as much time as I'd like to blog. I have been reading a lot, which is definitely good, but unfortunately I'm just not juggling my time well and so I'm not sharing my thoughts on books, food, exercise, anything really. I have a few projects going on at home that are consuming a lot of my time and mental focus. While the idea of writing up a blog post is there, when the end of the day rolls around, I'd rather just decompress with a book. I'm sure many of you can relate.

This month's book pick for my online book club is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Have you read it? I feel like I'm the only one who hasn't. Anyway, my library has seven copies of this book. Yes, seven. I've been at the top of the holds list since the beginning of the month and still don't have this book checked out. I see on the online system that two people are overdue returning their copy. Driving me nuts. I should have just bought the book by this point, but now that I've waited three weeks and I'm next, I'm determined to get it from the library. You know as soon as I buy it, the library will call me and tell me they've got it waiting for me. Especially since it looks like the other five people all need to return theirs within the next couple of days. By the way, have you read it?

Last Friday I went to a used book sale at a local library and came home with this short stack of books:

I think it's a fairly eclectic mix of books, although it does reveal my love of romance novels.

The Honey is Bitter by Violet Winspear
The Lost by J.D. Robb et. al.
Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
First Impressions by Nora Roberts
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeiser
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls

Have you read any of these? 

That little book at the top - The Honey is Bitter by Violet Winspear is a 1967 Harlequin romance! I couldn't believe it... older than me! I just had to have it. Paid 50 cents for it. I flipped through it and read a few passages. Not sure I can bring myself to read the whole thing. So archaic.. the language and the stereotypes. Ugh. But an interesting find, nonetheless.

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn. Kind of serendipitous that I spotted this one because I was actually reading the pre-cursor to this novel, The Lost Duke of Wyndham (which I adored!), at the time. Of course, I came home to discover that I already had this book on my to-be-read shelf. A signed copy, no less. Ah oh well. Another 50 cents to a good cause. (I finished reading this one, now, too. Not as good as The Lost Duke).

That's about it for my library looting. How about you?

REVIEW: Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson

Published April 2011 by Avon.

The theme for this month's TBR Challenge hosted by Wendy the Super Librarian is 'New to You Author.' At first, I had planned to read a different book for the challenge, but ended up picking up Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson off my TBR pile instead, completely on a whim. I'm glad I did--it was a quick and entertaining read. I bought Any Man of Mine at the 2011 NJ RWA book sale and literacy signing where Ms. Gibson signed my copy. I don't know why, but I always feel extra-accomplished when I read a book that I own that was signed by the author.

Any Man of Mine is the sixth and most recent book in Rachel Gibson's Chinooks Hockey Team series. I haven't read any of books 1-5 in this series, but I can assure you that Any Man of Mine can be read as a stand alone novel. On a series side note, a prominent secondary character in Any Many of Mine goes on to be the leading guy in Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson, the third book in her Lovett, Texas series.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS . . .
DOESN'T ALWAYS STAY THERE.

Several years ago, Autumn Haven treated herself to a much deserved vacation in Las Vegas to catch some shows and play the slots. What she didn't expect was to meet the sexy and charming Sam LeClaire. He relentlessly pursued her and over several days they have a great time together experiencing the thrills of Vegas and heating up the sheets. On a slightly drunken impulse, they get hitched at a chapel, only for Sam to be long gone by morning. Dazed, confused, and heartbroken, Autumn heads home and is shortly delivered divorce papers through a lawyer. Soon after, she finds out she's pregnant. Despite their tense and pretty much non-existent relationship, Sam owned up to his responsibility, pays a generous child support and visits with Conner as much as his busy hockey schedule allows, which isn't really all that much.

Conner is now five year old when Sam and Autumn bump into each other at a wedding where Sam is a guest and Autumn is the wedding planner. They try to avoid each other as a rule, but it's not so easy. By the end of the evening, Sam actually helps Autumn out by taking Conner that night when Conner's sitter has to bail. Sam starts to realize that he hasn't been the most attentive father to his son, just like his own father behaved towards him, so he becomes determined not to do the same to his own son. This change in attitude brings Sam more into Autumn and Conner's lives, which at first is a little awkward, but soon turns out to be so good for all of them. They start to function as a family and there's no denying that Sam and Autumn really do belong together. It's a rocky road getting there, but what a sweet ride it is!

This is a reunited lovers story that worked well for me because it came across so realistically. The struggles Autumn faces as a single mom rang true - both as a mom and simply as a 30 year old single woman. I have to admit Sam came across as an arrogant jerk most of the time. Charming and sexy, but definitely selfish and cocky. He comes around, though, and does get more grounded as the story progresses. As he starts to prioritize his relationship with his son, he also discovers that there's still something about Autumn that makes him want to be with her. He's still attracted to her - not just physically, but emotionally, too. It takes him a little while to figure out the emotional part, but the same goes for Autumn. Thank goodness Conner gave these two reason to come together again happily ever after once and for all.

4 out of 5 stars

GRADE: B

Have you read any of Rachel Gibson's books? 

If yes, what's your favorite? 

Library Loot LXV

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries! 

It's library loot time, again. As always, I brought home more books than I can reasonably read over a couple of weeks, but oh well. I'm happy to have them on my shelf and hope to squeeze them all into my April reading list. Here's what I have out from my local libraries right now: 

My current library loot

Top 10 Iceland
A DK Eyewitness Travel Book
This is a colorful and informative guide to the 10 Best of Everything in Iceland. Yes, yes, I know.. you're thinking "Didn't you just get back from there? Shouldn't you have borrowed this book before your trip.. not two weeks after the fact?" Absolutely. BUT I just wanted to look at more pictures and read more about this lovely island country that I fell in love with. Now I can make a mental list of the places to go and things to do on my next trip there.

French Milk by Lucy Knisley 
Inspired by Beth F's review of Knisley's most recent book, Relish, for last weekend's Weekend Cooking post. I've never heard of this author before, but she sounded interesting. The library didn't have Relish but did have French Milk, so of course I grabbed it. 

Mirror Mask by Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean 
Found myself in one of the local libraries browsing their graphic novel shelves for the first time and had to bring this one home. It's a novella graphic novel based on the film MirrorMask of which I have no idea what it's about. I'll find out, though! 

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 
Reading this one for a Group Read-Along hosted by Ti who blogs at Book Chatter. Visit her blog HERE for more information. This will also count for one of my big books for orannia's Big Book Challenge 2013. I need to get cracking! ;) 

Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
A graphic novel prequel story to her Mercy Thompson series, of which I'm a huge fan. I started reading this book as soon as I came home from the library and didn't stop until I finished it. I loved it. If you're a fan of the series, you'd probably like it, too. 

Tales From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan. 
It's Shaun Tan. That's enough of a reason, right? This, too, is a graphic novel. 

And that's about it! I've got bookmarks in four books right now.. reading bits and pieces from each one every day and not progressing nicely in any one of them. Time for me to focus and make some headway in the list of books I want to read this month! Wish me luck. :) 

What are you reading right now? 
Have you read any of my library books?

My Book Bingo Scorecard

Remember the super-duper cool Book Bingo Reading Challenge I joined in the beginning of the year? Would you believe it's time for the first quarter check-in already?! Well it is!

Below is my Book Bingo Scorecard so far. I used buttons in the spaces I've completed. Beneath the scorecard, I list the categories by column and the books I've read for those categories so far. Participants can browse my list of books that I've read for this challenge so far for ideas of what to read for the center FREE SQUARE on their board--which is technically not a free space. This space gets crossed off when you read a book that someone else has already read for this challenge. So listing our books is critical for every one's success here.

Books highlighted below in BLUE are completed squares.

Read From Your TBR Pile: [15] [see 1st column]
ONE book:
1. Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin

TWO books:
2. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb 
3. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Read Books in a Series: [15] [see 2nd column]
ONE Book in a Series:
1.

TWO Books in a Series:
    The Works Series by Marie Harte 
1. Bodywork by Marie Harte 
2. Working Out by Marie Harte

THREE Books in a Series:
   The Princes Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt 
1. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
2. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
3.

FOUR Books in a Series:
   Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep 
1. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
2. Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep [novella]
3. By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
4.

FIVE Books in a Series:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Read 2013 Releases: [12] [see 3rd column]
ONE book:
1. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

TWO books:
2. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas 
3. On Every Street by Karina Halle

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

FREE SQUARE: [middle square]
Read ONE book someone else has read for this challenge
1.

Read Books Everyone Else Has Read: [15] [see 4th column]
ONE book:
1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

TWO books:
2.
3.

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Re-Read books: [15] [see 5th column]
ONE book:
1. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

TWO books:
2.
3.

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.


If you'd like to join Book Bingo, it's not too late! Sign up with Kristilyn & Anne HERE and start filling your board. Come on... you know you want to!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: March 2013

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 sign up post HERE and join the fun!

First I have to ask.. did anyone notice that I didn't post an In Death post in February? It was the first month since starting this challenge in January 2010 that I didn't post a monthly discussion post. I remembered late in February.. but since I still hadn't read a book, so I kind of didn't feel like posting. I'm back this month, however, because guess what?!? Yep! I finally read an In Death book this month. Phew! So glad I got over that hiatus. I hope to stay on track from here on out. I really want to finish this challenge once and for all in 2013.

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and link it up with Mr.Linky below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:

Promises In Death by J.D. Robb
Book #28

Promises was a really great installment to this series. I liked the crime story and police procedural in this one .. the crime of which hits close to home for Eve's team. The victim is a fellow cop who also happens to be the lover of chief medical examiner, Li Morris. It turns out the victim has a roundabout connection to Eve & Roarke's past so that makes things pretty interesting as the story unveils. I liked the little twists and turns that popped up in the investigation but even more so, I adored the personal story going on in this one, namely the bridal shower the women are hosting for their friend Louise. Hilariously fun and endearing. Of course, it was also lovely seeing Eve comfort Morris in his time of grief. In fact, I got choked up and shed a tear or two not once, not twice but thrice! Okay so to those of you know me may think doesn't mean much because I'm often brought to tears reading a book, but three times is still a lot even for me.      GRADE: B+

SERIES DISCUSSION:
Eve and Roarke have both made a lot of progress expanding their circle of friends in the two years they've been married and things are coming a little more naturally to them regarding these relationships. I think Eve in particular, has finally come to consider some of her closest friends the closest thing to family she's ever had. I loved this realization for Eve. It reminds me of the sentiment about the best families being the ones you pick yourself. For those with broken families, I believe this is the absolute truth. Can you relate to this new sense of family that Eve and Roarke are experiencing? In other words, do you have a friend or friends who are like family to you?

Don't forget to link up any of your In Death posts below!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all my peeps! I hope you're enjoying the day whether you celebrate Easter, Passover or nothing at all this time of year. Easter Sunday has always been a reminder to me of the hope and joy that spring brings as everything in nature begins to come to life again around now. Although you wouldn't guess it this particular chilly, gray day here in the NY metro area.

My apologies to those of you who already follow me on instagram. All of the photos in this post come from there except for one.

crocuses

rhubarb

We've seen snowdrops and crocuses blooming over the last several weeks and while the daffodils have been sending up green leaves, I haven't seen any blooming yet in my neighborhood. I did spot the rhubarb crowns in my garden pushing up, so there is that! I'm hoping to have enough for a strawberry-rhubarb tart later this spring.  Do you like rhubarb? 

I don't have a lot of memories of Easter celebrations from my childhood, although I do remember dying Easter eggs with my family the day before Easter for an egg hunt in the morning. I have vivid memories, however, of one particular Easter Sunday that we spent at my Oma and Opa's house. I remember an Easter egg hunt in their backyard, where eggs were hidden among the long, long rows of white and yellow daffodils lining their vegetable garden fence. I think it was one of the only outdoor Easter egg hunts of my childhood and for that alone, it stands out in my memory. Well, that and that it was spent at my Oma and Opa's house on Eastern Long Island. It was a special place. :)

As an adult, I have colored Easter eggs the evening before Easter, too, ever since I was living on my own. In the beginning, it was just my husband and me but of course our girls have participated every year since they were born even if just as a spectator on our laps when they were babies. Now at ages 14 and [almost] 18, they still color Easter eggs and hunt for them in the morning. This year, the girls hid the eggs for my husband and me to find. What a fun change of events!

I have to say, our egg decorating gets more and more creative every year. Here is a photo of a creative egg that my oldest made last night:

A Mike Wazowski Easter egg

It's Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc.! Ha!

She also made this one that she calls her "galaxy egg." I love it!

"Galaxy Egg" by Maria Alba
photo credits: Maria Alba

I filled the girls' baskets with jelly beans, robin eggs [malted milk balls], marshmallow peeps, a peanut butter egg, a few Dove coconut creme filled chocolate eggs, a chocolate bunny and a Starbucks and iTunes gift cards. Lucky bunnies!

Yummy Easter basket

What's your favorite Easter basket treat?

What are some of your Easter food traditions? 

Not exactly a #WeekendCooking post, but I'm linking it up there anyway because it is somewhat food related and I'm anxious to break my very long Weekend Cooking hiatus! It's been way too long since I've participated..

Wishing you all a wonderful day! xo

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Weekend Cooking, a weekly blog event hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food related post to share--a food related book review (fiction or nonfiction), cookbook review, movie review, a recipe, random thoughts, gadgets, food quotations, photographs, etc. Please visit Beth's blog for more information and join the fun! 

Note: your post does not have to be posted on the weekend, but do visit Beth's blog over the weekend to link up your post. 

Once Upon A Time VII

I'm still trying to find time to go through my Iceland pictures and put a nice post together--hoping to do so over the next couple of days. Life's been pretty busy around here lately, but everyone is happy and healthy so I cannot complain! I just need a couple of extra hours in the day, but can't we all!

I have managed to pull together this post on Carl's annual Once Upon A Time reading challenge in which I so enjoy participating. Carl who blogs at Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the 7th annual Once Upon a Time reading and viewing event that encourages participants to explore fairy tales, folklore, fantasy and mythology in books and on the screen. This year marks my 4th year participating. Here are the details:

artwork by Melissa Nucera

Host: Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings

Link:  Once Upon a Time VII

http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/once-upon-a-time-vii

Time Frame: March 21 - June 21, 2013

Challenge: Various levels [see sign up post at Carl's site.]

Rules: Have fun, have fun, share and don't be freaked by the idea that this is a "reading challenge"--hence I used the word "event" above instead. You can join in by just committing to read ONE book from the themed categories.

artwork by Melissa Nucera

I'm going to do Quest the Third by reading five books from any combination of fairy tale, folklore, fantasy and mythology genres and read Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Yes, this will be my third time attempting to actually read this play. I happen to know there is a graphic novel version somewhere out there..

Once again, we are graced with the beautifully enchanting artwork of artist Melissa Nucera which were used to make the banners for the Once Upon a Time event. Please visit Melissa Nucera at her shop This Years Girl to view and purchase her artwork.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

artwork by Carl Vess

There will also be a Read-Along of Neil Gaiman's fairy-tale novel, Stardust during the Once Upon a Time event. I bought a well worn copy of Stardust many years ago at a library used book sale and I have never read it. I'm so excited to finally have the push to read it. By the way, you do not need to sign up for the reading challenge in order to participate in the read-along. Come join us! It's a relatively short book.. I'm sure you can squeeze it in your reading schedule. Sign up HERE. Read-Along takes place April 1-17, 2013.

Stardust Read-Along image art copyright Carl Vess http://www.greenmanpress.com/



I hope to see you participating in the Once Upon A Time event or Stardust Read-Along or both!

REVIEW: The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

Published 2007

The theme for March's TBR Challenge, hosted by Wendy the Super Librarian, is 'Series Catch-up.' To say I had numerous series to chose from would be a serious understatement. I would wager that most of the books on my TBR pile are part of series. However, since I read The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt for last month's challenge and it is the first book in The Princes Trilogy, I thought it would be productive of me to just keep going and read the second book--The Leopard Prince, this month, which I did. I enjoyed it even more than The Raven Prince! Needless to say, I'm enjoying this trilogy and plan to read the third and final book, The Serpent Prince, shortly. I even gave myself a sneak peek by reading the first chapter last week.

I included images of two different versions of the cover art for The Leopard Prince in this post. Usually I just use the cover art for the version I own, which is the first one shown below--the original art work, but in the case of this book, I wanted to also share the newer version of the book cover because the models on that book cover look exactly how I pictured them--a rare occurrence, that!

The original cover art of
The Leopard Prince

The Leopard Prince features Harry Pye --a close friend of Edward de Raaf, Earl of Swartingtham whom readers met in The Raven Prince [see my review HERE]. In The Leopard Prince, Harry Pye has been hired as the land steward to the wealthy Lady Georgina Maitland who inherited a vast estate in Yorkshire from her late Aunt. It is extremely unusual for a woman to own land and property like Lady Georgina does, and honestly she knows very little about managing an estate. She is conscientious nonetheless and visits the estate to investigate rumors that someone from her land has been poisoning sheep on the nearby lands owned by the vile Lord Granville. No one in Yorkshire likes this man - not even his own servants and barely his own family. Quite simply, the guy's a major asshole.

Lord Granville is Harry Pye's sworn enemy since he was a child. His father was gamekeeper for Lord Granville, who at one point had had both him and his father horsewhipped and sent to the poorhouses of London. It's no coincidence that Harry pursued the position of land steward to the Maitland properties just to be nearby to irritate Granville as much as he could. Ultimately, because of this deep seeded animosity between Pye and Granville, Pye is the most likely suspect for the sheep poisonings. Nearly everyone thinks it's Harry behind the trouble, except for Lady Maitland.

Newer cover art for
The Leopard Prince

Lady Georgina is talkative, confident and has a really fun sense of humor. It takes a few meetings for Harry to realize Georgina is not just a shallow, wealthy woman interested only in jewels, gowns and balls, but is genuinely concerned for the people and land in her estates. He starts to really see the intelligent, confident and beautiful woman she really is and in turn, Georgina discovers the knowledgeable, caring man Harry is--one with the confidence and strength to do what's right by the land and its people. It's no wonder these two fall in love as they spend time together investigating the sheep killings.

I loved this trope of the Lady and her servant falling in love. For me, it was great fun to read a sort of role reversal of the prince falling in love with the poor village girl. It worked really well, too, because while Harry may not be born into nobility, he's by all means of noble character. Except, perhaps, when he has Lady Georgina in his arms. Actually, that's not entirely true. He's still rather noble in that he never takes advantage of her and he makes sure Lady Georgina knows exactly what she's getting into when she starts an affair with him and that she truly wants it. The inner conflicts Harry and Georgina struggle with in order to do best for the other were realistic and I appreciated the pace at which the conflicts arose and were resolved--not to rushed and not drawn out, and kept interesting and exciting right to the very end. In fact, to say the story ended with a bang would be quite accurate.

I adored The Leopard Prince and look forward to reading the final book in the trilogy, The Serpent Prince, which features Lord Simon Iddesleigh, close friend of Edward de Raaf and Harry Pye.

4.5 out of 5 stars on goodreads. If one could give half stars, that is.

GRADE: B+

Next month's TBR Challenge theme is 'New-to-you Author.' In other words, a book from your TBR by an author whom you have not yet read.

I went to Iceland!

A day and a half ago, I was here .... 

Relaxing at Blue Lagoon
in Iceland
[photo credits go to my husband]

Blue Lagoon .. a geothermal hot spring in Grindavik, Iceland. It was blissful.

My husband and I just returned from a wonderful little getaway in Iceland. I'm going to share more about it very soon and when I do.. I think you're going to want to add Iceland to your bucket list by the time I'm done!