The Dark Glamour by Gabriella Pierce

Title: The Dark Glamour (666 Park Avenue #2)

Author: Gabriella Pierce

Publisher: Alloy Entertainment 2011

Genre: Paranormal — Witches

Pages: 294

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies; 52 Books - W25

Gossip Girl meets Charmed in Gabriella Pierce’s fabulous follow-up to her debut supernatural romp,666 Park Avenue. Continuing her phenomenal gothic chronicle of witches, covens, and curses, and the darkness lurking behind the glitter of New York high society, Pierce enchants us once again with The Dark Glamour. Fans of Meg Cabot’s Insatiable and LJ Smith’s Vampire Diaries will love this edgy paranormal tale, as the unfortunate bride whose Prince Charming turned out to be the son of an elite Upper East Side witch must now reenter the Park Avenue mansion of horrors she only barely escaped with her life. But this time she has a whole new look…and some powerful new magic tricks up her sleeve.

Still reading this series. Mostly I want to find out what happens to Jane in the end. Plus, it's light and fluffy compared to most of my reads. I guess it's taking the place of my historical romances at the moment. But it's not the best series in the world. I think the characters got a little more interesting in this volume, but not by much. Most of the time I want to smack Jane for her ridiculousness. I'll still be reading the last book in the series.

666 Park Avenue

• #1 666 Park Avenue
• #2 The Dark Glamour
• #3 The Lost Soul

Sally Heathcote: Suffragette by Mary M Talbot, Kate Charlesworth

Title: Sally Heathcote: Suffragette

Author: Mary M Talbot, Kate Charlesworth

Publisher: Dark Horse 2014

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 183

Rating:  3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies; New Authors

A tale of loyalty, love, and courage, Sally Heathcote, Suffragette follows the fortunes of a common housemaid swept up in the feminist militancy of early 20th century Edwardian Britain. As the growing hunger for change grows within a culture of rigid social mores and class barriers, Sally and thousands like her rise up to break the bonds of oppression at the risk of ostracization and violence.

One of my thematic focuses in college was the Progressive Era and Women's Suffrage Movement. That being said, I was really wanting to love this volume. Unfortunately it failed to live up to the excitement. My main issue is with the writing style. I love the use of a graphic novel format, but the dialogue didn't fit. The storyline jumps around so much that even I had trouble figuring out who or what they were talking about. And that fact made the volume almost unreadable. Just couldn't get behind this one at all...

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Title: The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

Author: Jonas Jonasson

Publisher: Piratforlaget 2009

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating:  3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies; 52 Books -- W24; New Authors

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).

The first chapter was great fun. The second chapter was good fun. The next hundred pages or so were great. But then things started going off the rails for me. Allan's life story was just too fantastic. I couldn't get into his story. I kept thinking "this is just ridiculous."  The book could have been even better if the story were a little less fantastical. Overall, not the book for me.

Minimalist Parenting by Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest

Title: Minimalist Parenting: Enjoy Modern Family Life More by Doing Less

Author: Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest

Publisher: Bibliomotion 2013

Genre: Nonfiction - Parenting

Pages: 243

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; OLW 2015 Home

We’re in the midst of a parenting climate that feeds on “more”: more expert advice, more gear, more fear about competition and safety, and more choices to make about education, nutrition, even entertainment. The result? Overwhelmed, confused parents and overscheduled, over-parented kids. In Minimalist Parenting, Christine Koh and Asha Dornfest offer a fresh approach to navigating all of this conflicting background “noise.” They show how to tune into your family’s unique values and priorities and confidently identify the activities, stuff, information, and people that truly merit space in your life. The book begins by showing the value of a minimalist approach, backed by the authors’ personal experience practicing it. It then leads parents through practical strategies for managing time, de-cluttering the home space, simplifying mealtimes, and streamlining recreation. Filled with parents’ personal stories, readers will come away with a unique plan for a simpler life!

So it turns out that I'm already following most of the points from this book. But it was an interesting book laying out the minimalist parenting philosophy and giving specific tips. Mostly I liked reading about the tips. They gave me some good ideas of how to implement my own parenting philosophy. I also liked the guiding questions for each chapter. Answering the questions definitely helped to execute my more vague ideas and thoughts. I am not usually a fan of parenting books, but this one held my interest throughout.

The American Plate by Libby O'Connell

Title: The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites

Author: Libby H. O'Connell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2014

Genre: Nonfiction - History; Food

Pages: 330

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; Dewey Decimal - 600s

Dr. Libby H. O'Connell takes readers on a mouth-watering journey through America's culinary evolution into the vibrant array of foods we savor today. In 100 tantalizing bites, ranging from blueberries and bagels to peanut butter, hard cider, and Cracker Jack, O'Connell reveals the astonishing ways that cultures and individuals have shaped our national diet and continue to influence how we cook and eat.

Peppered throughout with recipes, photos, and tidbits on dozens of foods, from the surprising origins of Hershey Bars to the strange delicacies our ancestors enjoyed, such as roast turtle and grilled beaver tail. Inspiring and intensely satisfying, The American Plate shows how we can use the tastes of our shared past to transform our future.

An interesting, if a bit shallow, look at 100 different foods that came to be important to American life. I enjoyed the earlier chapters more than the later chapters. I felt like O'Connell spent more time on the food in the earlier chapters and then shifted the focus to social movements in the later chapters. Still I learned a bit about the history of some well-known foods. My favorite chapter was the one covering the Progressive Era. Great bites in that chapter!

Dead Wake by Erik Larson

Title: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania

Author: Erik Larson

Publisher: Crown 2015

Genre: Nonfiction History

Pages: 430

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies: 52 Books  W22

On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.

Ohhh. I saw this on the "Lucky Day" shelf (very new; no renewals books) and had to snap it up. I really enjoyed Larson's The Devil in the White City, so I figured this would also be good. And it was fascinating. Larson is a master storyteller weaving together all the narratives from participants in the event. It doesn't feel like a history tome. It feels like a suspenseful novel that just happens to be about a real event. My knowledge of the Lusitania, while probably more extensive than more people on the street, was fairly limited. I loved really diving into the passengers aboard the ship, the history of the u-boats, Room 40, and especially the inner workings of U-20. I sped through the book in just a few days. A definite recommendation for any history buffs out there.

Geek Mom by Natania Barron, Corrina Lawson, Kathy Ceceri, and Jenny Williams

Title: Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st Families

Author: Natania Barron, Corrina Lawson, Kathy Ceceri, and Jenny Williams

Publisher: Potter Craft 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 224

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; 52 Books - W20; OLW Home

It’s fast becoming a geek world out there, and all moms need to show off their tech smarts and superhero-like skills in order to keep their savvy kids entertained and engaged. Geek Mom: Projects, Tips, and Adventures for Moms and Their 21st-Century Families explores the many fun and interesting ways that digital-age parents and kids can get their geek on together. Imaginative ideas for all ages and budgets include thrifty Halloween costumes, homemade lava lamps, hobbit feasts, and magical role-playing games.

A random pick from the library and such a great find. I am a huge fan of the blog, but it was nice to spend some time in the physical pages. The book covers a wide range of interest areas and fun projects. My favorite section was the one about superheroes and comics. I bookmarked a few of the activities to try out this summer with the boys.

American Vampire Vol. 3

Title: American Vampire Vol. 3

Author: Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Sean Murphy

Publisher: Vertigo 2012

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies

This volume of the critically-acclaimed AMERICAN VAMPIRE follows the star of AV Volumes 1 and 2, Pearl, and her husband Henry, as he is recruited by a mysterious group of vampire hunters, off to World War II Japan to find a new breed of blood sucker. But what does the notorious vampire Skinner Sweet have to do with it?

Ohhh... such a good volume! I loved seeing the conclusion of the Pearl vs Skinner storyline. And we get a potential new storyline. Plus a great chapter involving Felicia and Cash. I am so excited to continue reading this series.

American Vampire Vol. 2

Title: American Vampire Vol. 2

Author: Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque, and Mateus Santolouco

Publisher: Vertigo 2011

Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror

Pages: 160

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies

It’s Las Vegas circa 1935, and Skinner Sweet and our gal Pearl are about to learn the hard way that the bloodsuckers in Hollywood were nothing compared to what awaits them in Sin City.

In just a few short years, young police Chief Cash McCogan has watched his native city of Las Vegas go from cow-town to wild, glittering boomtown. And when the bodies of prominent businessmen start showing up drained of blood, Chief McCogan finds himself facing a threat much darker and deadlier than anything he could have imagined . . . and the only sure bet in town is that Skinner and Pearl are right in the thick of it.

I read the first volume and enjoyed it, but somehow just never picked up the next couple of volumes. I have really enjoyed the story so far. It's very graphic, but I'm very hooked into the continuing adventures of Skinner and Pearl. I can't wait to see how this evolves and the ongoing feud between the groups of vampires eventually ends.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

Title: The Dovekeepers

Author: Alice Hoffman

Publisher: Scribner 2011

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 504

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 21st Century Women Authors; Read Your Freebies; A to Z - D; New Author

Nearly 2,000 years ago, nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman’s novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path.

The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love. The Dovekeepers is Alice Hoffman’s masterpiece.

So I really wanted the like this book. I really did! I had heard such great things and the summary intrigued me. Unfortunately I just had a hard time connected with any character and getting past my annoyance with the preaching nature. None of the main characters spoke to me at all. I wanted to find someone real, but they felt like just characters. I also became very annoyed with Yael's narration. She repeated herself way too many times. As to the preaching tone of the novel, I must say that I was fairly turned off. It was weird. Some times it seemed like the characters were pointing out why following the religion was bad and other times they seemed to support it. I couldn't settle on the tone, but the preaching at the reader got to me. Oh well. Another hyped book that I just didn't get into.

Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz

Title: Odd Thomas

Author: Dean Koontz

Publisher: Bantam 2003

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 399

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Read Your Freebies; Book to Movies; 52 Books - W18; New Author

Meet Odd Thomas, the unassuming young hero of Dean Koontz’s dazzling New York Times bestseller, a gallant sentinel at the crossroads of life and death who offers up his heart in these pages and will forever capture yours.

Sometimes the silent souls who seek out Odd want justice. Occasionally their otherworldly tips help him prevent a crime. But this time it’s different. A stranger comes to Pico Mundo, accompanied by a horde of hyena-like shades who herald an imminent catastrophe. Aided by his soul mate, Stormy Llewellyn, and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Odd will race against time to thwart the gathering evil. His account of these shattering hours, in which past and present, fate and destiny, converge, is a testament by which to live—an unforgettable fable for our time destined to rank among Dean Koontz’s most enduring works.

Our book club selection for May. I dove so hard into this book that I finished it in two days! I just got so engrossed into the story of Odd that I didn't want to leave until the last page. I love the tone of this book. It's a detective novel with supernatural forces. I loved each and every encounter he had with a ghost, especially Elvis. I hope that Elvis makes appearances in the rest of the series. Really all of the side characters were very interesting. I can't wait to see more from Rosalia and Chief Potter and Terri.  I have to admits that I didn't realize what was going on until the reveal. But that made the book better. I don't want to be able to predict the ending on page 30. This left in the suspense. I'm thinking that I will have to get the rest of this series soon...

Movie:

The movie is very true to the book. They definitely cut down on some of the side plots (mostly about his parents and Little Ozzie), but the cuts stream line the movie.I wish they had explored more of his relationship wit the Chief. Instead, we focus on Odd, Stormy, and the oncoming danger to Pico Mundo. I was a little put off by the narration, but I guess it's the best way to let the audience know all the quirks about Odd. Anton Yelchin is perfect as Odd Thomas. He's likable and fun, but can turn on a dime to be a bit spooky. Whoever the actress was that played Stormy was good. I believed that her and Odd were the perfect match. I almost got a bit teary-eyed at the end. Very fun movie adaptation of a good book.

Odd Thomas:

• #1 Odd Thomas
• #2 Forever Odd
• #3 Brother Odd
• #4 Odd Hours
• #4.1 Odd Interlude
• #4.2 Odd Interlude
• #4.3 Odd Interlude
• #5 Odd Apocalypse
• #6 Deeply Odd
• #6.5 You are Destined to Be Together Forever
• #7 Saint Odd

2015 Library, Ebook, and Read Your Freebies Reading Challenges

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From Book Dragon's Lair:

There are a number of levels, for those who don't have a library card yet to those that live there. Enjoy!Requirements:

• choose a level - you may move up as needed, just not down.
• read books you checked out of the library
• books may overlap with other challenges
• any format allowed (print, ebook, audio)
• reviews are not necessary but a list of books read is. (post with review linky is coming in January)
• a blog is not necessary, just comment that you want to join in or link up another way

Levels:

• • board book - 3
  • picture book - 6
  • early reader - 9
  • chapter book - 12
  • middle grades - 18
  • Young adult - 24
  • adult - 36

This year I'm going for the Chapter Book level of 12 books.  Even though I'm trying to focus on reading my own books, I know there will be come I want from the library.

From Annette's Book Spot:

Challenge Guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015.

Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).

Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.

You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.

Sign-ups will be open throughout 2015, so feel free to join at any time during the year.

Levels:

1. Bits – 5 ebooks 2. Bytes – 10 ebooks 3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks 4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks 5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks 6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.

I'm going for the Megabytes level of 25 books this year.

From The Book Vixen:

This challenge was originally created and hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, then co-hosted with Kelly at Reading the Paranormal and Amanda at On a Book Bender, and is now hosted by The Book Vixen. Even though the name of the challenge has changed, the goal remains the same: read those freebies!

Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 (ebooks read prior to 1/1/2015 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime before 9/30/2015. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to read at least twelve (12) free ebooks. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself.
• This reading challenge is for LEGALLY obtained FREE ebooks. We do not condone ebook piracy. These can be ebooks offered through bigger sites, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or smaller sites, such as Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks. Ebooks offered through author or publisher websites are acceptable as well, provided they are available free to everyone at the time of download.
• Only ebooks and audiobooks that were available free, in a legal manner, to the public will count towards this challenge. eARCs, library books, ebooks free through Amazon Prime/Kindle Unlimited, and/or books won or gifted are not eligible for this challenge.
• Any ebook format will work for this challenge (azw, EPUB, iBooks, mobi, PDF, etc.). You DO NOT need to have an ereader to participate in this challenge. You can read ebooks using Amazon’sFree Kindle Reading Apps, which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more. Free audiobooks also count towards this challenge provided they are free to the public. They can't be free as a condition of signing up for a service and they can't be provided by the publisher for review.
• Ebooks can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
• Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, however, re-reads are not eligible for this challenge. The goal is to read the freebies you’ve legally acquired so that they are off your TBR pile.
• To join this challenge, grab the 2015 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge button below and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, etc., so as long as you have a dedicated shelf for the 2015 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge and your profile is not private. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.

Levels:

• Coupon Clipper: read 12 ebooks
• Penny Pincher: read 24 ebooks
• Buying in Bulk: read 36 ebooks
• Super Saver: read 50 ebooks
• Extreme Couponer: read 100+ ebooks

I'm doing this one again.  Going for the coupon clipper level of 12 ebooks.

Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer

Title: Acceptance (Southern Reach #3)

Author: Jeff Vandermeer

Publisher: FSG 2014

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 340

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; Read Your Freebies; Seriously Series; 52 Books - W46

It is winter in Area X, the mysterious wilderness that has defied explanation for thirty years, rebuffing expedition after expedition, refusing to reveal its secrets. As Area X expands, the agency tasked with investigating and overseeing it--the Southern Reach--has collapsed on itself in confusion. Now one last, desperate team crosses the border, determined to reach a remote island that may hold the answers they've been seeking. If they fail, the outer world is in peril.

Meanwhile, Acceptance tunnels ever deeper into the circumstances surrounding the creation of Area X--what initiated this unnatural upheaval? Among the many who have tried, who has gotten close to understanding Area X--and who may have been corrupted by it?

A fitting and satisfactory end to a very strange science fiction trilogy.  I'm still working through all the information presented in this last volume.  We get answers, but those answers aren't always so clear.  I like the ambiguity in the hows and whys of Area X.  I liked getting into the brain of Ghost Bird and the Director a bit more.  But my favorite part was learning more about Saul.  I found the sections about the lighthouse keeper to be my favorites.  Very well written character and great back story.  I wanted to know more and more about him.  Sadly I knew it was all going to end.  I'll just have to fill in the gaps with my own imagination. Overall, a great unconventional trilogy.

Southern Reach:

• 1. Annihilation
• 2. Authority
• 3. Acceptance

Authority by Jeff Vandermeer

Title: Authority (Southern Reach #2)

Author: Jeff Vandermeer

Publisher: FSG 2014

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 340

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; 52 Books - W45; Read Your Freebies; Seriously Series

After thirty years, the only human engagement with Area X—a seemingly malevolent landscape surrounded by an invisible border and mysteriously wiped clean of all signs of civilization—has been a series of expeditions overseen by a government agency so secret it has almost been forgotten: the Southern Reach. Following the tumultuous twelfth expedition chronicled in Annihilation, the agency is in complete disarray.

John Rodrigues (aka "Control") is the Southern Reach's newly appointed head. Working with a distrustful but desperate team, a series of frustrating interrogations, a cache of hidden notes, and hours of profoundly troubling video footage, Control begins to penetrate the secrets of Area X. But with each discovery he must confront disturbing truths about himself and the agency he's pledged to serve.

I felt like this volume started off slow.  Maybe it's the curse of second books in trilogies. but it took me awhile to really get into this book.  I did not like Control and was left with a confusing sense of why. That is until little tidbits about Area X started revealing themselves.  Then, I dove into the book and didn't come back up until I was done. The twists and turns in this one are even more sinister than the first book.  You think that everyone is okay because you're not in Area X. Wrong! Nothing is safe, even on this side of the border. I was thankful for some answered questions, but those answers were very disturbing.  I'm interested to see how Vandermeer ends this trilogy.

Southern Reach:

• 1. Annihilation
• 2. Authority
• 3. Acceptance

Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer

Title: Annihilation (Southern Reach #1)

Author: Jeff Vandermeer

Publisher: FSG 2014

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 209

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; New Author; Read Your Freebies; Seriously Series

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition. The group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one anotioner, and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another that change everything.

This one was downright scary!  And I have to say that it takes a lot to unnerve me while reading a book.  This one did it.  The summary sounded liked a fun little science fiction book to help pull me out of the reading slump.  In reality, I got an intense psychological thriller and loved every page of it.  The narrator is deliciously unreliable.  I kept changing my mind about her: good intentions? manipulative? making it all up? I loved the first person narrative as a structure. We get to see the events through the biologist's eyes for better or worse.  While the whole book was very scary and suspenseful, I almost had to put it down during the biologist's final descent into the tower. Holy crap that was scary! But also amazingly good! I ended up knocking off a star because I was left with more questions than answers by the end. I will be reading the rest of the series, but felt like we could have had a bit more reveals in the first book.

Southern Reach:

• 1. Annihilation
• 2. Authority
• 3. Acceptance

Expecting Adam by Martha Beck

Title: Expecting Adam

Author: Martha Beck

Publisher: Harmony 2011

Genre: Nonfiction - Inspirational

Pages: 368

Rating: 1/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fall Reading Challenge; Nonfiction Adventure; Read Your Freebies; Well Read Reader - Memoir

John and Martha Beck had two Harvard degrees apiece when they conceived their second child. Further graduate studies, budding careers, and a growing family meant major stress--not that they'd have admitted it to anyone (or themselves). As the pregnancy progressed, Martha battled constant nausea and dehydration. And when she learned her unborn son had Down syndrome, she battled nearly everyone over her decision to continue the pregnancy. She still cannot explain many of the things that happened to her while she was expecting Adam, but by the time he was born, Martha, as she puts it, "had to unlearn virtually everything Harvard taught [her] about what is precious and what is garbage."

Thoroughly disappointed in this one. I was expecting a feel good, yet harrowing struggle through a difficult pregnancy and subsequent birth of her son.  And yet, I could not find any sympathy for Martha and her struggle.  She whined.  The world revolved around her.  Her life ended with the pregnancy.  Ugh!  Get over yourself lady!  I wanted to read of an honest and brutal account of a difficult time, but there were no good lessons within the book.  And the book wasn't at all about her son Adam.  I can't summon any understanding for a woman who has everything, complains about how life changes, and places blame on others. And don't get me started about the supernatural aspects of the book. No thank you!

Entwined by Kristen Callihan

Title: Entwined (Darkest London #3.5)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publisher: Hachette Book Group 2012

Genre: Paranormal

Pages: 120

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Read Your Freebies; 52 Books - W41; Seriously Series

Eamon Evernight has always lived in his older brother's shadow. While his brother is fair of hair and lithe in body, Eamon sparks fear with his fiery locks and massive frame-and rumors of a mysterious power. But when his brother has the good fortune to be betrothed to a beautiful stranger, it's Eamon's help-and quick wit and romantic heart--that he needs. Eamon agrees to write the noble lady...a generous offer that will forever leave him a changed man. 

Lady Luella Jane Moran has no interest in an arranged marriage and tries valiantly to dissuade her betrothed from afar. Though her own letters plainly state her case, the words her husband-to-be writes her leave her aching for his touch. Will Lu give in to the desire the missives have kindled within her? Or will desire turn cold when she discovers their true author?

Such a fun little novella to expand the Darkest London universe.  I didn't realize how this story fit into the larger one until the last page, but the story itself was worth it.  I loved following Luella and Eamon as they discover one another and their own destiny.  It was a real treat.  Can't wait to read the next volume.

Darkest London

• #0.5 Ember
• #1 Firelight
• #2 Moonglow
• #3 Winterblaze
• #3.5 Entwined
• #4 Shadowdance
• #5 Evernight
• #6 Spellbound
• #7 Forevermore

Fairest: The Return of the Maharaja

Title: Fairest 3: The Return of the Maharaja

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2014

Genre: Fantasy Comics

Pages: 144

Rating:  5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Mount TBR; 52 Books - W38; Read Your Freebies; Seriously Series

When Nalayani seeks the help of the Maharaja to save her village from the Dhole, she uncovers a secret that could change the Fables Universe forever: the still alive and long-thought dead Prince Charming!

Oh yes!  I love this series almost as much as I love the original series: Fables.  We get some of the characters from the original series (hello Prince Charming!), but expanded storylines.  We also get to explore some of the other worlds alluded to in Fables.  In this volume, we get to travel to Indu where Mowgli was from.  I loved Nalayani's character.  She's a strong, nonsense woman.  The perfect foil to Prince Charming.  And the ending was fantastic.  I hope we get to see these two again in the series.

Fairest:

• #1 Wide Awake
• #2 Hidden Kingdom
• In All the Land
• #3 The Return of the Maharaja
• #4 Cinderella - Of Mice and Men

Ember by Kristen Callihan

Title: Ember (Darkest London #0.5)

Author: Kristen Callihan

Publisher: Forever Yours 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 88

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; New Author; 52 Books - W19; Read Your Freebies; Monthly Key Word - April (Light)

After a fire consumes the Ellis family fortune, the beautiful and resourceful Miranda finds herself faced with an impossible dilemma: enter a life of petty crime or watch her family succumb to poverty. But once her fiancée learns of her descent into danger--and of the strange, new powers she's discovered --saving her family may come at the high price of her heart. 

When Lord Benjamin Archer's one chance for redemption is destroyed by corrupt London antiquarian Hector Ellis, he vows to take what Ellis values most-his daughter Miranda. Forced to hide his face behind masks, Archer travels the world hoping to escape the curse that plagues him so that he can finally claim his prize.

But once Archer returns home to London, will it be revenge he seeks? Or will the flame-haired beauty ignite new, undeniable desires? 

I picked up this little prequel around the same time that I picked up the first book in the series.  I was immediately drawn in by the story and characters.  We get some background into Miranda and Archer and (I'm imagining) a set-up to the actual series.  I can't wait to dive into Firelight.  Now I just need to go find the physical book somewhere in my library...

Darkest London

• #0.5 Ember
• #1 Firelight
• #2 Moonglow
• #3 Winterblaze
• #3.5 Entwined
• #4 Shadowdance
• #5 Evernight
• #6 Soulbound
• #7 Forevermore

Gentleman of Her Dreams by Jen Turano

Title: Gentleman of Her Dreams (Ladies of Distinction #2)

Author: Jen Turano

Publisher: Bethany House 2012

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 80

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Women Authors; Read Your Freebies; Lucky No. 14 - Freebies

When Miss Charlotte Wilson asks God for a husband, she decides He must want her to pursue Mr. Hamilton Beckett, the catch of the season. The only problem? She's never actually met Hamilton. Fortunately, one of her oldest and dearest friends, Mr. Henry St. James--who has returned to New York after a two-year absence--does know Hamilton. Much to Henry's chagrin, Charlotte immediately ropes him into helping her meet Hamilton. However, none of her plans to catch Hamilton's eye go as she expected, and she is even more confused when her old feelings for Henry begin to resurrect themselves. In the midst of the mayhem Charlotte always seems to cause, she wonders if the gentleman of her dreams might be an entirely different man than she thought.This novella is a companion to A Change of Fortune.

Silly little romance novella, but I love them occasionally.  This one was telegraphed from the first page.  And yet, I'm fairly okay with that.  I liked the main characters.  I liked the cute little story.  It was an enjoyable small novella.  I might need to pick up the third book in the series.

Ladies of Distinction

• #0.5 Gentleman of Her Dreams
• #1 A Change of Fortune
• #2 A Most Peculiar Circumstance
• #3 A Talent for Trouble
• #4 A Match of Wits