Monday, March 24, 2014

Matched by Ally Condie

A society where everything is decided for you. From what you wear and eat to where you work, who you marry, and when you die.
Cassia is excited and nervous for her Matching Ceremony, taking place on the day she turns seventeen. When the screen stays dark, she is worried she won't be matched with anyone and will be a Single, but it is then announced that her match is her best friend, Xander, who lives just down the street from her. This hasn't happened in many years. Usually, a match is made from another province and the boy and girl don't know each other. When Cassia finally watches her microcard with all of Xander's info on it, something happens she doesn't expect - another boy's face appears. A boy she knows. Ky Markham.
This sets into motion a story full of romance, struggle, and trying to find out what path is the right path. Not just for Cassia, but for all of society.
I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the other two in the trilogy!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

A few items of business.....

First up: I have added to my 2012 book list. I have been listening to audiobooks while at work. I wanted to list them somewhere even though I'm not counting them in my official goal. They are under the 2012 tab above and will be listed below the books I have read.

Second: I finished another book two days ago. This one was Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett. I wish I had read the first book before reading this one. I might have understood some things a little better. I can say that the police lady is someone you will love to hate! Good story line. Be prepared for lots of goose poop in this one!!!

Third: I have added a widget on the right side that connects to my goodreads.com list. You will notice I have included the audiobooks on that list. I think I might up my challenge number on that website to include all the audiobooks I will end up listening to. I know I will reach the 80 before the end of the year with all those books, but I really want to READ 80 books, not listen to them.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

3 More Books!!

I finished another book last night! Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley. If you couldn't tell by now, I love mysteries! I also love goodreads.com! When I was reading the Scottish mysteries, I checked out my recommendations on goodreads.com to see what authors and books I might be interested in. I got a big list of authors I've never read and checked out a bunch of books at the library. So far, so good!

Fatal Fixer-Upper is about Avery, a textile designer living in NYC, who just inherited her aunt's home in Maine. She plans to sell it and get back to NYC and her boyfriend when she finds out it's worth a lot more than the offered price if she just puts a little work into it.

As she starts fixing things up with the help of handyman Derek, she uncovers clues that lead to a missing local professor and the fact that her aunt may have been murdered instead of dying from an accidental fall. Avery digs into the history of Marie Antoinette and the possibility of several of the queen's personal items that may be in Maine. This leads to a lot of problems and Avery gets threatened too.

Will she solve the mystery before it's too late? Read the book to find out what happens!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mysteries

I just finished the fourth book in this series. I just love a good mystery with a strong female lead in it. Plus, there's no swearing and sex in them. Always a bonus for me. I'm no prude, but I think a lot of explicit sex and language just ruins an otherwise good book.

I have Scottish blood in me and thought this would be a great series to read. I was right! They even mention the MacMillan clan tartan (part of my family!) in one of the books. In the last book, The Corpse Wore Tartan, my favorite author, Clive Cussler, was even mentioned!!!

The books in the series include: Kilt Dead, Scone Cold Dead, A Wee Christmas Homicide, and The Corpse Wore Tartan. They were written by Kaitlyn Dunnett. Really good books if you like a clean, fun mystery. I highly suggest checking them out at the library!

Friday, January 6, 2012

Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun

This was a great book by Lois Winston. It's her first in a new crafting mystery series.
Anastasia Pollack is a crafts editor for a second-rate magazine. Her husband dies at a gambling table, leaving her completely broke with two teenage boys, a Communist mother-in-law, a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and a demon dog she calls Mephisto. She also finds out there is a loan shark after her because her husband owed him $50,000.

But it doesn't end there. She goes to her office and finds the fashion editor dead and glued to her chair by her own glue gun. Anastasia soon ends up the primary suspect in the murder. She has to find out who the real killer is and also get the loan shark off her back.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Only 3 days in...

And I've already finished 2 books.

The first was The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card (one of my favorite authors). This is the first of a new series he has started. It follows Danny North, a young man who comes from a Family of mages from the world of Westil. The Family has been cut off from Westil by Loki, a gatemage, who has not only closed all the gates in the world, but has taken them away. The North Family is living in western Virginia now, where they can keep to themselves and still practice their magery. Everyone thinks Danny is a Drakka, or one born to mage parents, but with no magic of his own. He soon finds out he is really a gatemage. But he can't let anyone know. It was decided long ago that no one Family can have a gatemage who could open a gate back to Westil. Any child who shows signs of being a gatemage is to be killed instantly. Danny fears for his life and runs away from the Family compound. He soon takes up with another kid named Eric. Together, they beg, steal, and hitch their their way to Washington DC. They find Ced and Stone and live in Stone's house for a while....
Well, I won't go into anymore details. You will just have to read it for yourself!

The second book I read was Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. A very interesting first novel by Mr. Riggs. This book combines fiction and photographs into a thrilling read. Jacob experiences a terrible family tragedy and sets out on a journey to a remote island off the coast of Wales. He grew up with stories from his grandfather about a home he lived in during WWII where the children seemed to be fantastical. Jacob was shown pictures of some of the children. They were just too hard to believe. Anyone could have Photoshopped the pictures to make them look different. He soon grows tired of the stories and believes them to be just that, stories. But his grandfather always insisted they were real. While on the island of Cairnholm, Jacob finds the ruins of the once great home. Inside he finds a locked trunk. He breaks it open and finds more of the pictures like the ones his grandfather had. He starts wondering if the stories were true afterall and if the children did not die during the war, but are still living. Buy or borrow this book and find out what happens. The pictures will amaze you!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I did it!!

Yeah!!! I read 75 books this year with a few days to spare! This was a wonderful challenge for me. There were times when I thought I wasn't going to make it. Thank you to my old friend Emily Sonderegger for inspiring me to do the challenge in the first place.

For next year, I think I'm going to up my number to 80 books. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a wonderful New Year. Stay safe.

And tell everyone about my blog!!!