My top 14 books of 2014

I went through my Goodreads account and went through all the books at had read. I read 86 books in 2014. I went through and pulled the books that I had given 5 stars. It worked out wonderfully because I gave 14 books 5 stars. I just wrote them down in the order I read them.

1. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop: This is the second book in her new series.

2. Written in Red by Anne Bishop: This is the first book in her new series.Her new series is one of my all time favorites. 

3. Delusion in Death by J.B. Robb: This is book #35 in the "in death" series. I love this series  and if you are interested in it the first book is Naked in Death.

4. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean. This book was the first in her The Rules of Scoundrels Series.

5. Skin Game by Jim Butcher. This is the 15th book in the Dresden Files series. This was one of his best books!

6. Slave of Sensation by Nalini Singh. This is the first book in her Psy-Changeling series.

7. The Martian by Andy Weir. Great survival story.

8. Landline by Rainbow Rowell. It was a sweet story and really makes you think about the choices we make.

9.  What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund. This was so fantastic.

10.  The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. I had not read this classic before and can't believe I waited this long to read it.

11. Worlds Afire by Paul Janeczko. Great book done in poems.

12. Doll Bones by Holly Black. This is a middle grades book.

13. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes. If you are a fan of The Princess Bride you are going to love this book.

14. Christmas Brides by Suzanne Enoch. This is actually a collection of short stories by a couple of authors. This is a wonderful Christmas read.

I also realized when I was typing up this list that apparently I have an addiction to series....but i love them so much. 

Review for Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

                I loved the movie and when I first saw the movie I didn't know it was a book. Well I finally got around to reading the book. I had been looking forward to reading it for awhile.  Typically I love the book just as much or more than the movie. In this case I love the movie a lot  more than the book. I was very disappointed in the book. The plot felt a bit slow and the characters where not very likable. I was very surprised how unlikable the characters where.   I did not actually care what happened to them. I thought magic would also play a bigger part in the story, and it doesn't.  My biggest problem with the book was the character development. I would have liked more three dimensional characters and for them to be more likable. I gave the book 2 out of 5 stars. 

Classics Challenge: January

Classics Challenge: January
Classic read: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

WHEN I Discovered This Classic: I actually found this book in the bookstore in Logan Airport in Boston.

WHAT Makes It A Classic: Agatha Christie is a staple in the mystery genre. I think her books are classics because they stand the test of time and are still widely read. 

WHY I Chose to Read It : I had decided to pic up one of her books because I loved the new editions that have been released. 

WILL It Stay A Classic: I think it will stay a classic. 

WHO I’d Recommend It To: I would recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries or historical fiction. 

Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Review of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

                When I started this book I actually didn’t know much about it. All I had really heard about it was that people really enjoyed it. The story starts in 1987, which was actually delightful. The author successful weaves an engaging and relevant story. I loved his characters and was very interested in what would happen to them. This book really makes you think and contemplate who you are and why you are who you are. What can you control and what things can’t you control. I loved his writing style as well. I actually went online and ordered another one of his books once I had finished this one because I need to read another one of his books. The topics Saenz deals with some very relevant topics that readers today can relate with. I think this is a very important book for  young adults to read. I think male and female readers would get a lot of out this book. If you are have a student in middle school I would recommend reading it first and see if your student is mature enough for this book, but every high school student should read this book.

2014 Reading Stats

2014 Stats

So as I had said in a recent post, this year was a really good reading year for me. I sat down and looked at the stats of my reading. The last two years I have kept a reading journal, but this year I also completed a spread sheet. I got the spread sheet from Book Riot and just modified it to my needs. So here is the break down for my reading.

Yearly Totals:

·         I read 86 books.

·         That is 25,301 pages.

Gender

·         Male Authors: 33 (38%)

·         Female Authors: 53 (62%)

Format

·         Paperback: 35 (41%)

·         Hardcover: 25 (29%)

·         E-books: 16 (19%)

·         Audio: 10 (12%)

Genre

·         Fantasy: 16 (17%)

·         Young Adult: 13 (15%)

·         Literary Fiction: 8 (9%)

·         Mystery: 6 (7%)

·         Graphic Novel: 13 (15%)

·         Nonfiction: 7 (8%)

·         Poetry: 7 (8%)

·         Romance: 14 (16%)

·         Classics: 1 (1%)

Length

·         Longest book: Cold Days by Jim Butcher (614 pages)

·         Shortest book: God Went to Beauty School by Cynthia Rylant (56 Pages)

New Years Reading Resolutions...goals

This year was a great reading year for me. My goal for the year was to read 52 books, which is about a book a week. I ended up reading 86 books. I was very surprised by how much I had read. Looking at the last couple of years I find that I read a lot more when I have a goal. I have made reading more of a priority since it calms me and I enjoy it. I have also tried to stretch myself as a reader. I did a couple of reading challenges to help me select books that I would not typically pick up. So for 2015 there are some things I want to focus on as a reader. 1. Podcasts: I started listening to book podcasts this year and it really helped me get book recommendations and stay on top of any book news. So I want to continue listening to those. 2.Reading Goal: I want to read 52 books this year. While this is the same goal as 2014, I feel like one book a week is a realistic goal for me. I don't want to get to ambitious and stress myself out. This is a goal that makes it fun for me. 3. Book Tube: I would like to make more book tube videos. I think I need to wait till I get a better camera or at least figure out how to make better videos with the technology I have. So that is going to be something I will be working on this year. 4. Blog: I want to make sure I update my blog and website every week. So making the effort to write entries and become more consistent in my posting. 5. New books: I want to continue to stretch myself as a reader. I would like to read more books that I would not typically pick up. So I am thinking about what I am picking up and what I want to read. 6. I am also going to try not to buy as many books this year. I am going to use the library and set specific times to put in a book order to curb the book buying. I also have a subscription to Oyster so I can use that to read a large variety of books. So that is a goal I will be documenting as the year progresses. So those are my goals for 2015 and I will be documenting my progress through the whole thing. Have a great New Year!!!

Nellie by Cynthia Woolf

Hello! I am very glad to be apart of Black Lion's blog tour! Below is all the information on the book including a synopsis. I really enjoyed this book. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I have not read many books set in the this time period so I was excited to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. I loved the characters and you could really feel for their struggles and see them grow through the story. I actually wished the book was a bit longer so I could read more about these charming characters. She creates a fantastic world for her characters. I am hoping to get more of a feel for the setting of San Francisco and the atmosphere these characters reside in in the next installments of this series. This is the first in a series of books, which I love when I can look forward to more books in a series. I enjoyed this author's way of story telling and writing. It was very easy to picture the events and feel for the characters. I thought this was a wonderfully romantic story and had a good plot. The plot moved quickly and was interesting from the very beginning. I can't wait for the next book in this series to see if we get glimpses of Nellie and her family and had to the rich world she is creating.

Book information:

Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco I)

by Cynthia Woolf

Quick Facts                                        

Release Date:  November, 2014                

Genre: Historical Romance. Western                                              

Formats to buy: Paperbacks and all ebook formats

Book Synopsis

 

Nellie Wallace is a young widow with two children. In post civil-war New York, the men are scarce and none want the burden of a wife with children. Her dead husband's family is wealthy, and cruel. Desperate to escape their influence, and eager for a home, a husband, and a stable life for her children, Nellie decides to make a new life in San Francisco as a mail order bride.

Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. He worked hard for everything he has, but the San Francisco City Council won’t approve his plans to build a family emporium unless he is a family man himself. The solution? A mail order bride from New York who will bring him a ready-made family, stability, and the council's approval.

Blake expects his future wife to care for his home and, other than helping him impress the city council, to stay out of his business. He expects life as usual. What he gets is an unexpected desire to win Nellie's heart, a dangerous threat to his new bride, and a rich benefactor determined to steal his new family out from under him.  Blake believed his battle for success a hard one. But he will discover that the battle to win Nellie's heart and keep his family safe is going to take everything he's got.

KOBO

Excerpt:

PROLOGUE

April 28, 1865
RAP! RAP! RAP!If only she could fix her problems with a needle and thread she’d be set. Nellie looked up from the socks she was darning toward the knocking on the front door.Who could that be? She set aside the socks, straightened her dress, checked her reflection in the mirror on the wall in the hall, patted her blond hair back into place and then answered the door.“Mrs. Robert Wallace?” asked the soldier in dress uniform who stood at attention on her front porch.Oh, God. No. Please. No. “Yes,” she said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. “I…I’m Mrs. Wallace.”The young soldier handed her an envelope. “I regret to have to inform you that Lieutenant Robert Wallace was killed at the Battle of Appomattox on April 8, 1865. I’m sorry for your loss, Mrs. Wallace.”Nellie didn’t know what to say over the lump in her throat. She always knew this could happen—from the first moment Robert joined, to his last farewell eight months before Violet was born.“I, uh, thank you, Officer…”“Black, ma’am. Sergeant Black.”“Thank you for letting me know, Sergeant.” Her grip tightened on the door knob. “I…I have to sit down now.”“Of course, ma’am. Do you need help?”Nellie shook her head. “No. Thank you. I’ll be alright.”The man saluted her, turned and walked down the sidewalk to the waiting carriage.How many of these calls did he have to make today? Was I the only one? I doubt it. Not in a city the size of New York.She closed the door and leaned against the wall next to it, her legs no longer able to support her, she slid to the floor. Tears left salty trails on her face, but for the life of her she couldn’t remember crying. Screaming, cursing God, yes, but crying, no. Even though our marriage wasn’t what I’d dreamed it could have been when I was a child, I shall miss him. He had his good side, he was funny and could make her laugh. He was gentle every where except…no I will not think about that now. I endured and have two beautiful children.How am I to tell Henry his father is dead? Violet was just a baby and didn’t know her daddy but Henry… Her son missed his father something fierce. Robert had doted on Henry. They spent so much time together that Henry cried for days when his father left the last time. And now I have to tell him his father is never coming home. How do I do that?She wiped her cheeks with the backs of her hands, took the hanky from her apron pocket and blew her nose.  No need to put it off. The task would be difficult enough, without waiting and making it harder. Perhaps she and Henry could grieve together. In any case, she needed to be strong for her son and daughter. She was all they had now.Taking a deep breath, she mounted the stairs to the play room and her children.

Get to know the author:

Cynthia Woolf is the award winning and best-selling author of ten historical western romance books, one short story, and one novella in the anthology Lost in a Kiss, with more books on the way. She was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend. That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia loves writing and reading romance. Her first western romance Tame A Wild Heart, was inspired by the story her mother told her of meeting Cynthia’s father on a ranch in Creede, Colorado. Although Tame A Wild Heart takes place in Creede that is the only similarity between the stories. Her father was a cowboy not a bounty hunter and her mother was a nursemaid (called a nanny now) not the ranch owner.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

WEBSITE – www.cynthiawoolf.com

NEWSLETTER - http://bit.ly/1qBWhFQ

Other Titles by Cynthia Woolf:

REDEEMED BY A REBEL (Book 1, Destiny in Deadwood series)
HEALED BY A HEART (Book 2, Destiny in Deadwood series)
SEDUCED BY A SINNER (Book 3, Destinyin Deadwood series) 

CAPITAL BRIDE (Book 1, Matchmaker & Co. series)

HEIRESS BRIDE (Book 2, Matchmaker & Co. series)

FIERY BRIDE (Book 3, Matchmaker & Co. series)

TAME A WILD HEART (Book 1, Tame series)

TAME A WILD WIND (Book 2, Tame series)

TAME A WILD BRIDE (Book 3, Tame series)

TAME A SUMMER HEART (short story, Tame series)

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November wrap up

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Book review As You Wish