End of Year Wrap-Up

2014 Wrap-Up: My Top Reads

Tara

Here we are once again at the end of another year … where does the time go anymore? I blink and another year has passed! Guess that’s what happens when you get older….

Anyway, I find it harder and harder each year to put together a list of my “top reads.” I don’t waste my time on books I hate. Some are obviously better than others, but I read so many good books every year, it’s really hard to come up with this list year after year.

As a general rule, I can tell throughout the year what books will make this list. I have to admit, that there are only a few of these that I can say I *knew* would make this list immediately after finishing them.

So without further ado … here’s my top reads of 2014:

(Alphabetically by author … clicking on image will take you to my review)

One KickKilling FloorFather of FearA Time to KillPrecious ThingLITTLE GIRL LOST_cover imageThe Weight of BloodIf I Can't Have YouThe AccidentEyes of Prey

 

3/5, A, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book, TLC Book Tours

2014.51 REVIEW – Duke City Hit by Max Austin

Tara

Duke City Hit
by Max Austin

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 150
Rating: 3/5
Read: Dec. 12 – Dec. 18, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 51
Format: E-Book
Source: TLC Book Tour
Series: N/A

Duke City Hit

Blurb: Max Austin takes readers back to Albuquerque for another action-packed thrill ride in Duke City Hit, as an elite assassin takes aim at—well, everyone.

According to Vic Walters, the secret to happiness is low overhead and few demands. Living rent-free in a modest bachelor pad behind his boss’s house, he has no debts, no entanglements, and no expensive relationships. He works just a few days a month, but his bank accounts keep growing.

Vic is a high-priced hitman with a legendary record of success. That is, until someone starts eliminating his marks before he can get to them . . . until his manager puts him in the middle of a vicious drug-cartel feud . . . and until a young man walks into his life with a big .45 and a startling revelation.

For Vic Walters, it’s time to step out of the shadows. Which means it’s killing time in Duke City.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free in conjunction with a TLC Book tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

You may remember that earlier this year I had the pleasure of reading Mr. Austin’s book Duke City Split. I enjoyed that one and was pleased to be offered the chance to read more from Mr. Austin.

I knew going into this book that it was a short read – only 150 pages. Sometimes that is exactly what you need! And I definitely needed it!

For me this book was a fun read. It was just plain fun. There wasn’t a lot of thinking involved, it was just a mindless, quick read. Perfect for around the holidays (and when you’re in the middle of moving and unpacking a gazillion boxes).

Don’t worry if you pick this one up without reading Duke City Split. It’s a whole new cast of characters. And just as fun.

Recommended!!

Max AustinAbout the Author: Max Austin is the pseudonym of writer Steve Brewer. He lives in Duke City (Albuquerque), New Mexico.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

GIVEAWAY! There is also a giveaway available in conjunction with this tour. The winner will receive a $25.00 gift card to the e-book retailer of their choice and one copy of Duke City Split. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE GIVEAWAY PAGE. 

Please be sure to check out all the other stops on the tour:

Tuesday, December 9th: Nightly Reading
Wednesday, December 10th: Patricia’s Wisdom
Thursday, December 11th: Reading Reality
Thursday, December 11th: Rhodes Review
Friday, December 12th: Mom in Love with Fiction
Monday, December 15th: Omnimystery News – author guest post
Monday, December 15th: Bell, Book & Candle
Tuesday, December 16th: CiCi’s Theories
Wednesday, December 17th: Reading to Distraction
Thursday, December 18th: Teena in Toronto
Monday, December 22nd: Book Nerd
Monday, December 22nd: The Book Diva’s Reads
Tuesday, December 23rd:  No More Grumpy Bookseller
Monday, December 29th:  From the TBR Pile
Monday, December 29th: FictionZeal
Tuesday, December 30th:  Tales of a Book Addict

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End of Year Wrap-Up

2014 Wrap Up: The Series’

Tara

Book series. If you are a faithful follower you know I am obsessed. It’s kind of ridiculous, actually.

And I am painfully behind in 98% of the series that I enjoy.

I’m just going to do a quick run-down of the series that I worked on this year. (No reviews are linked, just the cover images.)

LITTLE GIRL LOST_cover imageThe HostageSeparation of PowerThe ExecutionFade AwayWatching the Dark8484d-sound-broken-glass-deborah-crombie-coverClub DeadDuke City SplitChildren of the RevolutionStorm FrontThe Paris VendettaCritical DamageNew York DeadSomeone You KnowThe Kafka SocietyKilling FloorDirtTrunk MusicThe CompetitionOne KickFather of FearPrivate #1 SuspectExecutive PowerI Hunt KillersRyderDead to the WorldEyes of Prey

That’s only …. 28 books.

From … 23 different series.

And I only started … 12 new series.

Perfect.

End of Year Wrap-Up

2013 Wrap Up: The Challenges

Tara

Reading Challenges … the bane of my existence. Okay, not really … but I find them difficult to resist and even harder to complete! Oh well. I did horrible with my challenges this year (only completing 1 out of the 5 I signed up for……)
eclecticchallenge2014_300 This challenge always interests me. I’ve participated in 2012, 2013 and 2014. And I have yet to finish the darned thing!

I completed 5 out of 12 books for 42% done.

GENRES:

Award Winning – Fade Away by Myron Bolitar (won the Edgar Award)
True Crime (Non Fiction) – If I Can’t Have You: Susan Powell, Her Mysterious Disappearance, and the Murder of Her Children by Gregg Olsen & Rebecca Morris
Romantic Comedy
Alternate History Fiction – The Blonde by Anna Godbersen
Graphic Novel
Cosy Mystery Fiction
Gothic Fiction
War/Military Fiction – The Hostage by W.E.B. Griffin
Anthology
Medical Thriller Fiction
Travel (Non Fiction)
Published in 2014 – The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

2014tbrbutton

I have always been hesitant to sign up for this challenge because you have to make a list and stick to it. I’m very much a mood reader and I have trouble with challenges that require set reading. But for whatever reason, I wanted to try it this year. I didn’t do *too* bad, but I could have done a lot better…..

I completed 7 out of 12 books for 58%

 

  1. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (which has been on my shelf since 2007, no joke)
  2. A Time to Kill by John Grisham
  3. The Hostage by W.E.B. Griffin
  4. The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott
  5. New York Dead by Stuart Woods
  6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
  7. Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
  8. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
  9. Trunk Music by Michael Connelly
  10. Killing Floor by Lee Child
  11. The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry
  12. Bye Bye, Baby by Max Allan Collins

Alternates:

  1. Mallory’s Oracle by Carol O’Connell
  2. McNally’s Secret by Lawrence Sanders

challenge_2014whatsinaname2I have participated in this one almost every year … ever since Annie was still hosting it! And once again I failed to complete it.

I finished 3 out of 5 books for 60%.

lavinia-portraitRIP92751And finally, I once again signed up for the RIP Challenge. I technically finished this challenge, but only with the minimum 4 books that I signed up for. I would have preferred to read more than that, but it’s okay … it’s still a completed challenge!

  1. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
  2. Ryder by Nick Pengelley
  3. Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne
  4. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Life, Miscellaneous Ramblings

Merry Christmas!

Tara

Merry Christmas to all my dear friends and readers! We’ve had a really blessed Christmas season this year!

We found out on the 23rd that we are having a baby GIRL! My husband and I both felt like we were having a girl, but we weren’t as prepared for the news as I thought we would be. Ha! It will be nice to have one of each … but I probably am better suited as a boy mom. But it will still be fun to have a little girl around. She’ll be spoiled rotten, grandparents will be completely broke, and I will be surrounded in a sea of pink (ugh). But we really are excited!

Since all the names we had considered up to this point were boy names (we “felt” we were having a girl … but never really considered it seriously, oops!), I asked Garrett what we should name his baby sister. His response …. Bubble. I don’t think that will make the list, but as some of my Facebook friends said, it’s a very happy name. Ha!

We had a good Christmas Eve with my family last night. Garrett got entirely too many presents. And Santa came through big time for him, too! This year was really fun because it was the first year he really had an idea of what was going on. He started to understand the concept of Santa Claus and he LOVES the Christmas lights and trees. He will be bummed when all the Christmas decorations come down. And I won’t be able to get him to behave by promising him Santa won’t come to the house if he’s bad. 🙂

Today we are supposed to go to Nathan’s side of the family. But one of his uncles has a sick child … and we have not heard if they are dragging her along today or not. I don’t want to expose Garrett to anything unnecessary and I don’t want to expose my pregnant self to it either. So we may stay home or we may go. Haven’t decided yet.

I think I’m just not in a jolly mood anymore. I lost my brand-freaking-new $300 camera last night at my grandma’s house. I have a feeling it got swept into the trash compactor, but I don’t know for sure. We looked through it, but it had been run 3 or 4 times by that point, so it wouldn’t have mattered even if we had found it. And if it didn’t get thrown in there, when her cleaning lady comes on Tuesday she will put it someplace never to be seen or heard from again. So I’m pissed off. I got absolutely no pictures of Garrett at the first Christmas that he was really fun at because he understood it. So yeah, I’m just not in a good mood anymore.

I would prefer to just stay at home today and read my book while Garrett plays with all his new toys. Too bad I probably won’t get that…

Sorry to be a Debby Downer … hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Blogging for Books, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book, S

2014.51 REVIEW – The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver

Tara

The Execution of Noa P. Singleton
by Elizabeth L. Silver

Copyright: 2013, 2014
Pages: 308
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Dec. 12 – Dec. 21, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 51
Format: Print
Source: Blogging for Books
Series: N/A

The Execution of Noa P. SingletonBlurb: Noa P. Singleton never spoke a word in her own defense throughout a brief trial that ended with a jury finding her guilty of first-degree murder. Ten years later, she sits on death row in a maximum-security penitentiary, just six months away from her execution date.

Meanwhile, Marlene Dixon, a high-powered Philadelphia attorney who is also the mother of the woman Noa was imprisoned for killing, shows up for a visit. She claims to have changed her mind about the death penalty and will do everything in her considerable power to convince the governor to commute Noa’s sentence in return for the one thing Noa can trade: her story. Marlene wants to understand the events that led to her daughter’s death -e vents that only Noa knows of and has never shared. Inextricably linked by murder but with very different goals, Noa and Marlene wrestle with the sentences life itself can impose while they confront the best and worst of what makes us human.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books, all opinions expressed below are my own.

I requested this book months ago from Blogging for Books. For whatever reason, I never got around to it until now. And I have to say that I’m mixed on my feelings of this book.

Here’s the deal. You’ve got Noa – a 35-year-old woman on death row for killing Sarah Dixon. Then you’ve got Marlene, Sarah’s mother, an attorney who comes to Noa six months before her execution date to get the real story of what happened that New Year’s Day when Sarah was murdered. You’ve also got some supporting characters mentioned throughout, Noa’s mother, Noa’s best friend from childhood, Noa’s father whom she reconnected with after high school, and Oliver, an attorney assisting Marlene.

And through all those characters, you the reader has to figure out what really happened the night that Sarah Dixon was murdered. And let me tell you, it’s a wild and crazy web to unweave. As a reader, I didn’t know who to believe. I didn’t know who to trust. I didn’t know which way was up at certain times. This part was the interesting part.

But then there were some issues that ultimately dragged this book down for me. The writing … so over-the-top descriptive and unnecessarily so … it really didn’t work for me. When I went into this book I was expecting it to be a really fast, exciting read. Not even close. Ms. Silver definitely has a way with words … just not one that is to my taste. I’d like to think I’m relatively intelligent, and I am college educated, but there were entire sections of the book that was completely over my head just because of the way they were worded.

Overall, I liked the premise of this book. And really it had a lot of potential. But the writing really took some of my enjoyment away from this one.

So, bottom line … it was an okay book that I don’t regret reading, but it’s not one that I would necessarily recommend to everyone I know.

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, C, E-Book, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book, TLC Book Tours

2014.50 REVIEW – The Kill List by Nichole Christoff

Tara

The Kill List
by Nichole Christoff

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 270
Rating: 4/5
Read: Dec. 7 – Dec. 12, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 50
Format: E-Book
Source: TLC Book Tour
Series: Jamie Sinclair #1

The Kill ListBlurb: In this taut debut thriller, Nichole Christoff introduces a savvy private investigator with nerves of steel—and a shattered heart.

As a top private eye turned security specialist, Jamie Sinclair has worked hard to put her broken marriage behind her. But when her lying, cheating ex-husband, army colonel Tim Thorp, calls with the news that his three-year-old daughter has been kidnapped, he begs Jamie to come find her. For the sake of the child, Jamie knows she can’t refuse. Now, despite the past, she’ll do everything in her power to bring little Brooke Thorp home alive.

Soon Jamie is back at Fort Leeds—the army base in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens where she grew up, the only child of a two-star general—chasing down leads and forging an uneasy alliance with the stern military police commander and the exacting FBI agent working Brooke’s case. But because Jamie’s father is now a U.S. senator, her recent run-in with a disturbed stalker is all over the news, and when she starts receiving gruesome threats echoing the stalker’s last words, she can’t shake the feeling that her investigation may be about more than a missing girl—and that someone very powerful is hiding something very significant . . . and very sinister.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free in conjunction with a TLC Book tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

What a fun, solid book! I didn’t know what to really expect going into this one, but I sure got more out of it than I was expecting!! Let me just tell you that the book starts off with a pretty intense scene that really sets the tone for what’s to come. I was so wrapped up in everything going on in this book that I could barely stand to put it down!

I liked Jamie, but I also liked what she had going on with Barrett. It was a very gradual growing relationship and I liked that a lot. And I can’t wait to see how much more it unfolds in future books!

I have to say that I was amazed at how much I learned about military life through this book. I don’t know have any family or close friends in the military, so it was definitely a learning experience to me. And very enlightening to see it portrayed in such a respectful way. I also liked that Jamie was really able to succeed in such a male-centered world (military/government). I have read a few military-ish books in the past, and very few of them have women in any sort of leading/successful role. Definitely a fresh aspect on things!

Overall, the storyline was extremely interesting. There were a lot of twists and turns. Things were not as they appeared. And it really was a fun story! Definitely a book that I think will appeal to all mystery lovers!

Highly recommended.

About the Author: Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada. Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America. She also belongs to the Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and a member of the board. In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. Her second manuscript won a 2011 Helen McCloy Scholarship from the Mystery Writers of America. Her latest work, The Kill List, is a 2014 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense nominee.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

Please be sure to check out all the other stops on the tour:

Tuesday, November 25th: The Book Binder’s Daughter
Friday, November 28th: Nightly Reading
Monday, December 1st: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Tuesday, December 2nd: Bell, Book & Candle
Wednesday, December 3rd: Omnimystery News – guest post
Thursday, December 4th: CiCi’s Theories
Friday, December 5th: Reading to Distraction
Monday, December 8th: Read and Shelved
Tuesday, December 9th: Mom in Love with Fiction
Wednesday, December 10th: Book Nerd
Thursday, December 11th: Back Porchervations
Monday, December 15th: From the TBR Pile
Tuesday, December 16th: Booked on a Feeling
Wednesday, December 17th: A Fantastical Librarian
Friday, December 19th: Tales of a Book Addict
TBD: Queen of All She Reads
TBD: Annabel and Alice

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Announcements, Random Book Discussions

Looking Ahead to 2015

Tara

2014 hasn’t been too bad of a reading year for me. It started out pretty good and then I lost steam somewhere along the way. Actually I lost steam about the time I found out I was pregnant AND moving out of state (which was in the same month) … so can you really blame me?

But here’s something I discovered as I was living with my parents during the 3 weeks that we were between houses and technically homeless.

It had been entirely too long since I had picked up a book on a whim at a bookstore and just read it.

So this really got me thinking about 2015 and what I wanted to “accomplish” with my reading. I know it’s going to be a tough year. I still have a gazillion things to do with this house (boxes are everywhere). And let’s not forget the fact that almost mid-way through we will be welcoming another child into this world. So to say that 2015 will be insane .. yeah, that’s a pretty good description!

So …. I am taking back my reading in 2015. I am not going to accept review copies (I have three more previous commitments left, one scheduled for later this week, one at the end of December and one in January – after that, I’m done for a while). I am going to read my books. I’m going to read what I want when I want to. I’m not going to worry about how many books I read, how many pages I read, how many books fit challenges that I’ve signed up for. Nope, nope and nope.

I am reading for me and me alone.

I am not officially signing up for any challenges at this point. There have been a couple of TBR centered challenges that have seriously caught my eye. But I tend to feel bogged down when I sign up for those things. So I may or may not be participating in any challenges. And if I do, it will more than likely be unofficially and something that I keep off the blog.

2015 is going to be a year of reading for me.

And I’m sooooo excited to start!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, G, RATING, Read in 2014

2014.49 REVIEW – These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Tara

These Things Hidden
by Heather Gudenkauf

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 337
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov. 23 – Dec. 7, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 49
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy
Series: N/A


These Things HiddenBlurb: When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls’ golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult in her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It’s Brynn – shy, quiet Brynn – who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

Review: So after I finished the book that I had been reading when we moved out, I realized that I had failed to hold out any other books to read until we moved into our new house and the movers brought all our stuff back. The horror! So of course I had to go to the bookstore and buy something to read! This is what I happened to come across. I had seen this book mentioned in (I believe) a Paperbackswap newsletter. I don’t know how I missed it when it was released in 2011, but somehow I did.

I had no preconceived notions going into this book. I had seen no buzz about it online. I had not read review after review of it from various bloggers. I did something the old-fashioned way. I chose a book in a bookstore that intrigued me and I read it. I cannot tell you how long it had been since I had done that. My reading has been so structured and scheduled for so long that it was really strange to do something so out of the ordinary for me.

I was just glad that the book was a great read and not a dud! Ha!

Overall I liked it. I had no idea really what was coming when it finally happened. But really thinking back on the way things unfolded, it really should not have been as much of a surprise as it was for me. I liked that the book was told from multiple character viewpoints. I felt like it really made everything come together so much better. You got all of the innermost thoughts and feelings of so many characters. It was an interesting way of setting up the book in my opinion.

Some of the characters in this book are doozies, to say the least. You’ve got a wide variety – the one fresh out of prison, the sister who has some obvious mental issues, the parents who pretty much checked out when their kids were found to be imperfect. And that’s just all in one family. There are plenty other dysfunctional characters within the book!

The storyline was interesting. I felt like the author did a really good job with it to be honest. Because it could have been pretty dull … teenage girl gets pregnant, gets rid of baby and *thinks* life will go on as normal. It doesn’t. Girl gets out of jail 5 years later and tries to reconnect with her family and society in general. But all is not as it seems. And that’s what makes this story so much more interesting as it unfolds before your very eyes. I liked it. A lot.

So I guess I found a gem in this one. I would definitely recommend it!

Life, Miscellaneous Ramblings

When One Door Closes….

Tara

….Another one opens.

On November 25th, we said goodbye to our house in Paducah.

20141125_091309

It was a very bittersweet day for us … well, at least it was for me. That was our first house. We put a lot of our heart and soul into it to make it our own (not to mention too much of our hard-earned money…). It had been our home for nearly 6 years. It was the only house Garrett has ever known. We had just refinanced last year and was excited to be able to go to a 15-year mortgage. We had no plans to move anytime soon. But oh how those plans can change in an instant.

My husband accepted a new job in late September. His start date was officially November 3rd. We knew it would be nearly impossible to list and sell a house, buy a house and move within a short time period. Boy were we wrong! Within two weeks of listing our house we had an accepted contract. Four short weeks after that we were at the closing. Yes, you read that right. We sold our house in 6 very short weeks. Unheard of, right?! Our realtor sure thought so!

I’m not complaining about how things ended up for us. We were extremely lucky. We were not going to have to worry about two mortgages. We weren’t going to have to worry about scraping together the money for the down payment on the new house that we had picked out. Everything was falling into place perfectly.

But not everything can be entirely perfect. Our Paducah closing was November 25th. Our last night in the house was actually November 19th. That left two days for the movers to do their thing and then 3 more full days for the clean-up. I didn’t think everything was ever going to get cleaned out of that house, but somehow we made it.

So what wasn’t perfect, you might ask? Oh, you know … the slight fact that our new house closing wasn’t until December 5th. Folks that is 16 days from the date we moved out until the closing. And we knew we weren’t going to actually move into the house for a few more days after that (actually, as of this writing, we still are not officially moved in … that doesn’t happen until Dec. 10th.). For those who don’t want to do the math … that is 21 days total. Do you know how long 21 days really feels like when you have almost everything you own in storage and are staying with your parents for the first time (for more than a weekend) in nearly 10 years?? It feels like 21 YEARS! I mean, I love my parents. We have a great relationship with them. And while I knew this was going to be a rough transition, I was not at all prepared for how hard it was really going to be. Whew, I am so thankful that it is almost over.

And that on December 10th, I will be able to sleep in our new house for the first time:

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