TBR For the Rest of the Year

So I've decided that instead of doing a TBR for the month December, I'm just going to try and read a few books off the TBR that I never seemed to get through.  Yes, it is a sad day when I realized just how many book on my TBR I had never gotten through.  40 to be exact.  But anyway I would like to read at least 4 of these books by the end of the year.  Small goal, I know, but it's worth a shot.  Anyway, Happy Reading everyone.

1. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
3. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
5. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin 
6. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
7. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
8. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
9. Rasputin by Brian Moynahan
10. Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
11. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
12. Jaws by Peter Benchly
13. The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon
14. Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon
15. Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
16. Matched by Ally Condie
17. Crossed by Ally Condie
18. Reached by Ally Condie
19. Petals on the River by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
20. Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon
21. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
22. Torment by Lauren Kate
23. Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon
24. Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon
25. Instinct by Sherrilyn Kenyon
26. Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
27. Silent Truth by Sherrilyn Kenyon
28. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
29. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
30. MockingJay by Suzanne Collins.
31. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
32. Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
33. A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
34. Miracles on the Water by Tom Nargorski.
35. The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr
36. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
37. Romeo Remembered by Stacey Jay
38. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
39. Married at Midnight (Anthology)
40. The Secret Conversations by Ava Gardner

Wrap Up, Catch Up

Sorry everyone of the inactivity for the past four months.  I have to admit that I haven't had as much free time since my last post.  I think that it is important to state that I still love reading and it will be always been my one and first love, but as an adult I have to prioritize my responsibilities.  But without further ado, here is my (very small) wrap up from the last four months.

1. Banging Reaper by Izzy Sweet so this was a contemporary romance book that I read on my Kindle.  This book wasn't a very memorable book, but it was a quick and fun read.  But unfortunately I don't really remember a whole lot of details about this book.  It is in a a themed series, but I don't think any of the characters overlap.
2. A Shade of Novak by Bella Forrest this is the eighth book in the Shade of Vampire series.  This is also the beginning of the Derek and Sofia's daughter, Rose's love story with a vampire named Caleb.  By the way, I just found out that this series now has 30 books in it.  I know that Rose and Caleb's story is only about 7 or 8 books long so I don't know who will be the main concentration for the more recent books.  My goal is to read all of this series by the end of the year, but it's a huge possibility that I won't make it.
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy, so originally this book was picked because I thought it was going to be a non-romance but it ended up being a romance book.  It actually wasn't a bad book though, the plot was interesting and different.  But when it came to the romance side of it, I felt that it was rushed and random.  The action part of the plot though, was unique and different.
4. After by Anna Todd wasn't a part of any of my TBR's, in fact, I bought this after I read the fan fiction that I had randomly read on WattPad.  Yes I said it, it was a fan fiction before it became a actual novel.  I have to be honest, this series can get a little repetitive between the two main characters, but it's kind of like mind crack, you can't stop reading once you get hooked.
5. After We Collide by Anna Todd is the second book in the After series, and it continues right where the first book ended. 

So there you have it, in four months I've read five books.  I have several started right now, so I'm hoping that I can finish those.

Mini Challenge

If you haven't noticed by now, I really haven't read a whole lot of physical books that I own, in fact, they have all mostly been kindle books.  While I enjoy reading kindle books, I'm actually disappointed that I haven't read the physical books like I had planned on.  So I've decided to do a little mini-challenge for the month of August. I'm hoping that it will encourage me to read more of my physical books instead of short kindle stories.

The Challenge:

1. Read one Sherrilyn Kenyon book.  Lord knows I have a crap ton of them in my TBR.  Plus I need to give my favorite author some love.
2. Read one Kathleen E. Woodiwiss book.  I've actually started one of her books so I'm hoping I will finish it soon.
3. Read a book that isn't on my TBR.  I decided to add this in to help spice things up.  Plus, I've started one a while back that I'd like to finish.
4. Read a non-fiction book and a classic.  I really would like to have at least one of those accomplished before the end of the year.
5. Finish a series.  So I have a few series in my TBR right now that need some attention.  So I'm going to marathon the Hunger Games series, I believe.
6. NO KINDLE BOOKS, except for the one that I'm currently reading.  But you heard me, I will not be reading any kindle books for the month of August.
7. Read at least 100 pages a day.  Yes while I know that I wont be finishing a book any time soon, at least this will help me keep on track.
8. Read at least a minimum of 6 books.

So if I accomplish this mini challenge. I think I will treat myself. To what?  I don't know. Probably more books I don't need.  But I would like to actually finish something for once.  Right?  Any way, wish me luck. Happy reading!

2016 August TBR

Hello everyone!  Well the month of August is upon us and you know what that means... TBR time.  And by TBR time, I mean, lets add more books to the ever growing pile of books that I have yet to read.  Which these are the books:

1. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy
4. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin 
7. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
8. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
9. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
10. Rasputin by Brian Moynahan
11. Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
12. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
13. Jaws by Peter Benchly
14. The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon
15. Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
17. Matched by Ally Condie
18. Crossed by Ally Condie
19. Reached by Ally Condie
20. Petals on the River by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
21. Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon
22. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
23. Torment by Lauren Kate
24. Inferno by Sherrilyn Kenyon
25. Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon
26. Instinct by Sherrilyn Kenyon
27. Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
28. Silent Truth by Sherrilyn Kenyon
29. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.
30. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
31. MockingJay by Suzanne Collins.
32. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
33. Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
34. A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

And because I decided to be a moron, I've decided to add a few more books to by TBR.

1. Miracles on the Water by Tom Nargorski.  I believe this books is about a ship wreck, but I can't remember if it is a cruise liner or if it was a war ship.  But I remember it sounded interesting.  Plus, this counts as a non-fiction book.
2. The Dewey Decimal System of Love by Josephine Carr.  I've had this book in my collection for ages.  Plus this is a small one so it should be a quick read.
3. Juliet Immortal and Romeo Remembered by Stacey Jay.  This is a duology, I believe.  If I remember the synopses correctly, it's kind of a modern take on the story of Romeo and Juliet.  Plus this counts as a series.
4. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige.  I picked this up a few months ago because it sounded interesting just by the title alone.
5. Married at Midnight (Anthology).  Yes while this does actually count as part of my Kathleen E. Woodiwiss book it is also an anthology!  So another one of my challenge goals to be met.
6. The Secret Conversations by Ava Gardner.  This is a biography/memoir about the actress Ava Gardner.  This also counts as a challenge.

Well so here is my TBR for the month of August.  I'm now up to 40 books that I need to read.  EEK!  Well I plan on doing something exciting for the month of August to hopefully get me in the mood to read actual physical books.  Wish me luck!  Happy reading!

2016 July TBR

Well another month has passed and even though I've read 18 books for the month of June, I've only read one book on this list, which was a kindle book by the way, that was on my TBR.  But I'm going to still post a TBR and my goal is to not read as many kindle books in the up coming months here.  But I have to be honest, it's so convenient.  I have the app right there on my phone and like everybody today, my phone seems to be always near me.  Maybe I should have a vacation from my phone?

1. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy
4. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin 
7. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
8. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
9. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
10. Rasputin by Brian Moynahan
11. Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
12. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
13. Jaws by Peter Benchly
14. The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon
15. Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
17. Matched by Ally Condie
18. Crossed by Ally Condie
19. Reached by Ally Condie
20. Petals on the River by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
21. Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon
22. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
23. Torment by Lauren Kate

And because I'm nuts, I'm going to add a few more books to my ever growing TBR.  I think I do it because I have such a thrill picking things out of a jar.  It must be the surprise that gives me an adrenaline rush.

1. Inferno, Infamous, Instinct, and Illusion by Sherrilyn Kenyon.  So for those of you who don't know I decided to add series on the same slip of paper so that I wouldn't have to read them out of order.  I either will read all (marathon them) or how ever many I wish to read.  These four books are the 2nd through the 4th books in the Chronicles of Nick series.
2. Silent Truth by Sherrilyn Kenyon.  I'm sensing a pattern here with all of the Kenyon titles that are piling up in my TBR.
3. Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.  Woo Hoo! A non-fiction book.  This has been on my shelves for about 2 years now.  So hopefully I will be getting to it soon.
4. Catching Fire and MockingJay by Suzanne Collins.  I know I'm kind of behind the times when it comes to reading this, I've read the first one and seen the movie, but I haven't gotten around to reading the last two nor watching the final three movies.
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This is another book that I'm kind of excited to read, plus it's kind of thin so it isn't as intimidating as some of the other books on the list.
6. Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.  So now this makes it five Kathleen E. Woodiwiss books on my TBR that I must read.  I accept that challenge.
7. A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.  Scratch that, it is now six Kathleen E. Woodiwiss books on my TBR that I must read.  Challenge accepted!

So that adds 11 more books to the 23 that I haven't gotten too yet.  Depending on how many that I read this month, I might not do a TBR for August.  Well wish me luck!  Happy reading!

Reading Challenge Update

Hello Everyone! Well remember at the beginning of the year I mentioned something about creating a reading challenge? Well there have been a couple of parts that I was fantastic at, but unfortunately there were others that I have barely touched. But I still think it would be great to do a update! When I decided to do a reading challenge, it was originally set up for me to read outside of my comfort zone of what I normally read, which is predominately romance, and I also wanted to read more books this year. Which I have. Way above my intended goal.

• Read 35-45 books. 

I have blown this goal out of the water. I am currently at 64 books read! Granted most are novellas or very quick brain dusters, but I'm counting them all dang it!

• Read 5 biographies/memoirs 

1. Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball (I read this book very early on in the year, and I was super excited to read and finish it. I absolutely loved reading about this fantastic woman that I have admired since I saw my first I Love Lucy episode as a child.) 

• Read 5 Non-Fiction books 

I have read ZERO 

• Read 5 Non-Romance novels 

I have read ZERO 

• Read 3-5 Classics 

I have read ZERO 

• Read or finish 3-5 Series 

1. The Fifty Shades of Grey series by E.L. James (I only had to read the last book Fifty Shades Freed to finish the series, but man was I happy to finish this train wreck. And I think the only reason I finished it was because I forced myself to do it to count as part of my reading goal challenge.) 

1. The Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison. (So I pushed myself to finish the last two books in the series: Stop in the Name of Pants and Are These My Basooma's I See Before Me? because I started to read this series when I was a young teen, I believe I was 14. The author passed away earlier this year, so I felt that in a way to honor her memory and comedy wit I'd finish the series. I had stopped reading the books because well, I had found to grow too old to have patience for the main characters childish attitude, but the last two books were very heart warming and as a reader it was refreshing to see the main character Georgia grow up and mature and be comfortable with her own quirky personality.) 

• Read 3 anthologies 

I have read ZERO 

• Read 10 Kindle books 

Oh Boy where do I go with this. I have read a lot of kindle books way more than the 10 that I had originally planned on reading. But lets give it a shot.

1. Bad Boy Daddy by Chance Carter 
2. Unwrapped by Lacey Alexander 
3. The Stocking was Hung by Tara Sivec 
4. Stepbrother UnSEALed by Nicole Snow 
5. Shift out of Luck by Ruby Dixon 
6. Get Your Shift Together by Ruby Dixon 
7. Shift Just Got Real by Ruby Dixon 
8. Does a Bear Shift in the Woods by Ruby Dixon 
9. The Duchess Wars by Courtney Milan 
10. Kissing my Killer by Helena Newbury 
11. Punching and Kissing by Helena Newbury 
12. Hardened by Ophelia Sikes 
13. The Blood & the Roses by Callie Hart 
14. The Island by Jen Minkman 
15. Gypsy Brothers: the complete series by Lili St. Germain 
16. Toughened by Ophelia Sikes 
17. At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey 
18. At Any Turn by Brenna Aubrey 
19. At Any Moment by Brenna Aubrey 
20. Play With Me by Piper Shelly 
21. Jace by Kenzie Cox 
22. Under the Cowboys Control by Lynda Chance 
23. Flirting With Felicity by Gerri Russell 
24. Southern Fried Blues by Jamie Farrell 
25. A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest 
26. A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest 
27. A Castle of Sand by Bella Forrest 
28. A Shadow of Light by Bella Forrest 
29. A Blaze of Sun by Bella Forrest 
30. A Gate of Night by Bella Forrest 
31. A Break of Day by Bella Forrest 
32. Steeled by Ophelia Sikes 
33. Forged by Ophelia Sikes 
34. Uncovered by Ophelia Sikes 
35. Atoned by Ophelia Sikes 
36. Key West Dreams by Ophelia Sikes 
37. Caribbean Deceptions by Ophelia Sikes 
38. Mayan Sacrifice by Ophelia Sikes 
39. Cancun Betrayal by Ophelia Sikes 
40. Bastian by Lauren Landish 
41. Resonating Souls by Ophelia Sikes 
42. Wine-Dark Dreams by Ophelia Sikes 
43. The Soulless Abyss by Ophelia Sikes 
44. Wanting All by Ophelia Sikes 
45. Love's Heat by Ophelia Sikes 
46. Carved into my Heart by Ophelia Sikes 
47. Lost in Darkness by Ophelia Sikes 
48. Love's Labyrinth by Ophelia Sikes 
49. Flames and Tears by Ophelia Sikes 
50. Shades of Kiev by Bella Forrest 
51. Shades of Kiev 2 by Bella Forrest 
52. Shades of Kiev 3 by Bella Forrest 
53. Dwell in Possibility by Ophelia Sikes 
54. A Soul Ajar by Ophelia Sikes 
55. A Song of Soul and Hope by Ophelia Sikes 
56. Stop One Heart from Breaking by Ophelia Sikes 
57. Half Bad by Sally Green 

So basically out of the 64 books that I have read, 57 of them have been kindle books.

• Read 15 books by authors that I haven't read before 

Refer to Kindle Books. I allowed myself to double dip when it came to the challenge, so I figured the kindle books would have counted since I have never read any of those authors before. 

• Read all unread... 

1. Sherrilyn Kenyon books that I own (I have unfortunately neglected my favorite authors books.) 

1. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss books (I own all that she has had published) 

1. Read and catch up on the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (I own 1 to 21, and I have read the first 7 in the series) 

1. Seven Up 

1. Hard Eight 

So...basically my reading challenge was dominated by kindle books. I'm hoping that the second half of the year I'll read more physical books and ones that are a part of my list. I'd like to read at least 1 in each category before the year is up. If you have followed my monthly TBR's you will see and huge accumulation of Sherrilyn Kenyon books and also Kathleen E. Woodiwiss books that are just begging for my attention.

Have any of you done a reading challenge? If so please comment below, I'd love to hear what you're doing to broaden your love of reading.

Happy Reading!

June 2016 Wrap Up

Well another month has passed and per usual I've read mostly kindle books.  And most of them were novellas.  But hell, 18 books are still 18 books!  My goal for the up and coming months is the read more physical books that I have neglected in the past months.

1. Bastian by Lauren Landish so I read this at the beginning of June and I have to be honest, it wasn't a very memorable book.  In fact I remember more details to the short story that was added to this download more than this one. RATING: 3 out of 5 stars
2. Resonating Souls by Ophelia Sikes is the first book in the Bermuda Nights novella series. This series follows Amanda and Evan and a cruise ship.  It was exciting and quick to read and of course, left at a cliff hanger so I had to power through the other books. RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
3. Wine-Dark Dreams by Ophelia Sikes is the second book in the Bermuda Nights novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars 
4. The Soulless Abyss by Ophelia Sikes is the third book in the Bermuda Nights novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
5. Wanting All by Ophelia Sikes is the fourth and final book in the Bermuda Nights Novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
6. Love's Heat by Ophelia Sikes is the first book in the Italian Nights novella series.  This story follows Hannah and Brandon who are on a Mediterranean cruise.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
7. Carved into my Heart by Ophelia Sikes is the second book in the Italian Nights novella series,  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
8. Lost in Darkness by Ophelia Sikes is the third book in the Italian Nights novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
9. Love's Labyrinth by Ophelia Sikes is the fourth book in the Italian Nights novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
10. Flames and Tears by Ophelia Sikes is the fifth and final book in the Italian Nights novella series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
11. Shades of Kiev by Bella Forrest is a mini spin off of the Shades of vampire series.  It leaves off where the 7th book in the series left off and kind of fills the space and time of where books 7 and 8 had.  This series follows Kiev as he is trying to find the good in him as he is trapped in the realm that all of the non-human creatures come from.  He makes friends but tries to figure out a way to survive as he meets Mona who is a witch with no magic.  RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
12. Shades of Kiev 2 by Bella Forrest leaves off where the first book left off.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
13. Shades of Kiev 3 by Bella Forrest follows up where the 2nd book left off.  While it is the end of the series, the ending opens up to how it will play with the rest of the Shades of Vampire series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
14. Dwell in Possibility by Ophelia Sikes is the first novella in the Worcester Nights series.  This story follows Kate and Sean.  This book stands out like the Vegas Nights series, because it doesn't involve a cruise.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
15. A Soul Ajar by Ophelia Sikes is the second novella in the Worcester Nights series.  RATING: 4 out of 5 stars 
16. A Song of Soul and Hope by Ophelia Sikes is the thrid novella in the Worcester Nights series.  RATING: 4 out of 5 stars
17. Stop One Heart from Breaking by Ophelia Sikes is the fourth and final novella in the Worcester Nights series.  The two in the middle were a little dull but the ending was really action packed.  And out of all of the books that I have read by this author (the main characters are siblings) this one actually had someone that I wish would have been hurt.  I'll go into more detail when I write a review for the series.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
18. Half Bad by Sally Green is a young adult paranormal fantasy book that involves witch craft.  Nathan was born as a half white witch and half black witch, and has had to struggle his whole life to prove to those around him that he is a good person.  This is the first in the Half Bad trilogy.  It took me a little bit to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down.  I have every intention to get the last two books.  But I am debating if I want to get the physical copy or just download the kindle versions.  RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Well this is what I read for the month of June.  Yes it is kind of sad that they were all kindle books, and ever more sad was the fact that only one was actually on my TBR.  But I'm looking forward to next month and all of the books that I could possibly read.  Happy Reading!

June 2016 TBR/On Deck

Oh yes, another month has passed.  While I didn't do a TBR for May, mainly because I wanted to catch up on the huge amounts of books that I haven't gotten to yet so I thought it would be a great time to catch up.  But instead I ended up getting sucked into WattPad stories.  So like normal here are the books from previous TBR's that I need to read.  And sadly, the list if VAST!

1. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy
4. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin
7. Half Bad by Sally Green (I've started to read this)
8. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
9. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
10. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
11. Rasputin by Brian Moynahan
12. Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
13. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
14. Jaws by Peter Benchly (I'm actually really excited about this one, I picked it up at a book sale last year because I'm so enthralled by the movies.)
15. The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon

And here are June's!

1. Everlasting by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. Matched by Ally Condie (This is in a series that I had all on one card.  I decided to put them all on the TBR so that I could marathon them.)
3. Crossed by Ally Condie
4. Reached by Ally Condie
5. Petals on the River by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
6. Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon
7. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
8. Torment by Lauren Kate

Well here is my June TBR.  It is essentially 24 books, 4 of which are kindle books.  I do hope to read more physical book this month but to be honest I don't know if I'll be as successful as I hope since I plan on working a lot of overtime.  But I will try. Wish me luck.

April/May 2016 Wrap Up

Hello everyone!  I'm sorry for not updating in April but I figured since I really hadn't read a whole lot during the month of April I had decided to combine April and May together.  Although I have to be honest, I have been reading a lot actually it's just been random stories on WattPad.  Seriously that site is like a black hole that I've found myself sinking deeper and deeper into.  I've also upped my reading goal on GoodReads from 40 to 60 books.  Mainly because I've gotten into a couple of novella series that have helped with my books read number.  So for this update I've read a total of 16 books but half of them where novellas.  But I am quite proud of myself despite that I really haven't worked towards my challenge goals.

1. A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest is the second book in the Shade of Vampire series.  This series has a total of 28 books, and I find myself getting so wrapped up into them.  I have to say the Twilight series has nothing on this.  I love how the books just flow from one to the other.  New characters get introduced and things are constantly happening.  While this series is in the young adult realm, I have to say there is way more violence and intimacy, so I would recommend this for older teens depending on their maturity level.
2. Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison is the 9th book the the Georgia Nicholson series.  This young adult, comedy novel was actually one of my favorites.  I went though a huge gap of not reading them leaving off at the seventh or eighth book, and I didn't really know if I wanted to continue with the series, but I did read on.  In this book you find that while there is still craziness going on, Georgia is starting to mature and find herself.  Which was something that I really enjoyed.
3. A Castle of Sand by Bella Forrest is the third book the the Shade of Vampire series.
4. A Shadow of Light by Bella Forrest is the fourth book in the Shade of Vampire series.
5. A Blaze of Sun by Bella Forrest is the fifth book in the Shade of Vampire series.
6. Are These My Basooma's I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison is the tenth and final book in the Georgia Nicholson series.  I have to be honest, I was a little sad the the series came to an end.  While I liked the ending I felt that it was a little abrupt though.
7. A Gate of Night by Bella Forrest is the sixth book in the Shade of Vampire series.
8. A Break of Day by Bella Forrest is the seventh book in the Shade of Vampire series.  This story is essentially where the characters Sophia and Derek's story ends, but of course the series does continues one with their children and I believe a few couple of other characters.  I do plan on reading the whole series just to find out.
9. Steeled by Ophelia Sikes is the third novella in the Vegas Nights series and leaves off where the previous one left off.  The one thing that you find with this novella series is that you'll want to read them in order because you're left with major cliff hangers at the end of the series.
10. Forged by Ophelia Sikes is the fourth novella in the Vegas Nights series and leads off where Steeled left off.  More excitement and you find out there there is a lot of more the the story and there are a lot of twists in this.
11. Uncovered by Ophelia Sikes is the fifth novella in the Vegas Nights series and starts off right after Forged left off.  Again because there is always a major plot twist and cliffhanger makes me read the next one right away.
12. Atoned by Ophelia Sikes is the final novella in the Vegas Nights series and again follows right after Uncovered had left off.  I love how this book had just as much action as the previous books and had a wonderful conclusion.  I'm a sucker for happy endings and this book gave me a much needed one.
13. Key West Dreams by Ophelia Sikes is the first novella in the Cozumel Nights series and a spin off of the Vegas Nights series.  This series follows Phoenix (her real name is Sonja) while she is on a cruise with her loving but overbearing parents.  She meets Dylan O'Connell who is on a trip with a group of friends celebrating a marriage where he runs into Phoenix and can't help but be attracted to her.
14. Caribbean Deceptions by Ophelia Sikes is the second novella in the Cozumel Nights series and it leaves off where Key West Dreams left off. Just like that Vegas Nights series, you'll want to read this in order because the novellas flow right into each other and they all end in a cliff hangers.
15. Mayan Sacrifice by Ophelia Sikes is the third novella in the Cozumel Nights series.
16. Cancun Betrayal by Ophelia Sikes is the fourth novella in the Cozumel Nights series.

So these were what I read for the months of April and May.  I hope you guys have a wonderful June and I'll be back with more updates and hopefully reviews.

2016 April TBR/On Deck

Hello everyone!  I hope you all had a fabulous March.  Per usual I have quite a few books from last month that I didn't get to.  I read quite a few e-books though while I was on vacation.  But these are the books that I need go get to from the previous months.

1. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy
4. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
6. Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison
7. Are These My Basooma's I See Before Me by Louise Rennison
8. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin
9. Half Bad by Sally Green
10. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
11. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
12. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss

So I've decided to pull out a few more books from my TBR jar.  I'm hoping to make a huge dent this month.  I've noticed that this month I pulled out a lot of Sherrilyn Kenyon books, which I'm excited so I can put a dent in that goal.

1. Rasputin by Brian Moynahan
2. Born of Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
3. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
4. Jaws by Peter Benchly (I'm actually really excited about this one, I picked it up at a book sale last year because I'm so enthralled by the movies.)
5. The Curse by Sherrilyn Kenyon
6. Dark Bites by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Well those are my books goals for this month.  Also I should mention is that I'm also reading a book called To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jennie Han, it wasn't on my TBR but I wanted to read it because it seemed interesting.  Another thing is that I'm quite close to my goal of 40 books to read so I might make my goal higher on my good reads account.  Anyway, I hope everyone has a fantastic April and wish me luck.

2016 March Wrap Up

Well March was a e-book heavy month for me, but I knew it was going to be since I was going on vacation and I didn't want to bring a bunch of physical books for me to read.  I'll usually read about 4 to 7 books when I'm on vacation, but this year because I have a kindle, so I was able to have a lot more at my fingertips.

• Play With Me by Piper Shelly is a young adult contemporary romance and is part of a series.  The book wasn't bad but nothing spectacular either, just a nice quick read. RATING: 3 out of 5 stars.
• Jace by Kenzie Cox is a paranormal romance novella and is the first in a series by this author.  It was a nice and quick read, but there were a lot of unanswered questions about the two main characters pasts, which probably won't be expanded on since the following stories are about other members of the pack.  It wasn't something that pulled me in and made me want to find out more or read the rest of the story.  I might if it is part of kindle unlimited though but other than that I have other books that I can read.  RATING: 3 out of 5 stars.
• Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn is a young adult historical book set in the last 1800's to the early 1900's and also involves the Titanic.  Yes part of the book takes place with the Titanic's maiden voyage.  I plan on doing a more in depth review, but I wasn't a big fan of this book, in fact I had actually started to read this book about 2 years ago and stopped because I couldn't seem to get into it. RATING: 2 out of 5 Stars.
• Under the Cowboys Control by Lynda Chance is a contemporary romance and follows Selena Taylor as she makes her way from Mexico (as a citizen) into the US after all of her family had been killed,  where she finds herself at the ranch of retired bull rider now ranch owner of Travis Blake. I actually liked the story and was another quick and fun read. RATING: 4 out of 5 stars.
• Flirting With Felicity by Gerri Russell is a contemporary romance novel about a hotel chef Felicity Wright and the hotel owners estranged nephew, Blake Bancroft.  After the owner dies, he wills the hotel to Felicity,  The nephew wants the hotel, which makes to two have to be around each other and as they get to know each other, sparks fly.  This was another story that I loved and that I felt read at a good pace.  The plot wasn't overly complicated but there was enough conflict that kept me interested. RATING: 4 out of five stars
• Southern Fried Blues by Jamie Farrell is a contemporary romance novel and it's the first in a series (not quite a series but more of a themed book line).  The story followed newly divorced military wife Anna Martin, as she tries to pick up the pieces of her life.  Soon she is back in school earning her degree and has found new friends.  Not wanting marriage or any kind of relationship, especially with another military man, meeting Jackson Davis was the last she wanted, but every where she turns he's always there to be her knight in shining armour.  I loved this story, it had the right level of romance and humor.  As someone who is independent I sympathized a lot with the character Anna but was also rooting for her to get with Jackson.  RATING: 5 out of 5 stars.
• A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest is a paranormal young adult romance and is part of a series (28 freaking books).  I really enjoyed this book and I ended up getting kindle unlimited just so I could download the sequels for cheap.  I'm actually almost done with the second book in the series, but I did get slightly distracted by fan fiction.  RATING: 4 out of 5 stars.

Well, that is what I read for the month of March.  I'm going to try to make April not be so e-book heavy, but no promises, especially because I've been addicted to the vampire series.  

Book Review: Winter

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer is the fourth and final book in the Lunar Chronicles series.  This story is a futuristic adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Snow White.  This book has a lot more action and is slightly more graphic with violence.  None that I thought would be inappropriate of the genre but the three previous books kind of gradually got to this point.  Because I felt that these books were aimed for older teens, the darker nature of this book wasn't to bad.

The novel becomes more of a focal point for Princess Winter, who all of the Lunar people admire her for her grace and kindness.  She refuses to use her glimmer which would hide the scars on her face.  And because of that, her mind is slowly going insane.  Because of the Lunar people's admiration of Winter, Queen Levana is jealous of Winter and tries to find ways to get rid of her (much like Snow Whites step-mother).  The crew: Cinder, Captain Throne, Cress, Wolf, and Emperor Kai come up with a plan to get Scarlet back and to destroy Queen Levana once and for all, but they must help the Lunars in a revolt so they can put the rightful Queen back in her place.

I loved this story and I was so sad to see the series end.  I fell in love with all of the characters, and they were very human despite being fictional.  The ending was quite nice but it was definitely a little open.  There is a resolution to the major conflict, including the characters minor conflicts, but you're left to come up with your own conclusion of Cinder and Emperor Kai.  I choose to believe that once all of the political things settle, they get their own happy ending between each other.  The action was intense, the personal story lines flowed well with the main story line and plot.  I had a very hard time putting this book down and I think I read this book in about a day and a half after I bought it.

The one thing that I hate about when I read books that I'm completely in love with is that I suck at reviewing them.  I seriously loved this book and this series.  And I'm definitely looking out for the next book and series that Marissa Meyer releases.  This would definitely be a series that I would recommend for my niece (who is almost 16).

RATING:
5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Love, Lucy

Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball is an autobiography set from when Lucille Ball was a little girl to the early 1960's.  The book was published in 1997 (8 years after Lucille Ball's death), and was published by Berkley (both of Ball's children decided that this needed to be released.)

The biography starts off with a forward from Lucille Ball's daughter, Lucie Desiree Arnaz.  She talks about how she found the manuscript when she was going through some things that she had of her mothers.  She also mentioned how her mother never released this was because she didn't want to hurt her ex-husband, Desi Arnaz.  She talked about the love and respect that they both had for each other.  Lucille chronicles her earlier years from when her father died when she was 4, to moving to different relatives while her mother tried to figure out how to support her family to living with her grandparents as a big family.  She also talked about how she modeled but really wanted to be an actress and how she dealt with rejection before going out to California and her rise to stardom.

One of my favorite things about the autobiography, was how Ms. Ball looked at the hardships in her life and she would find the lesson in it.  When she went though a bad situation where a well known director was enthralled by her and wanted to leave his wife but Lucy decided to not pursue a relationship because it could have hurt his children, the wife found out about it and made it so that Lucy wouldn't get any parts in A movies (which led to her title the Queen of B) during that part of her career.  But what I found so interesting was that she never named names, she accepted that was going to happen in her career and instead of giving up she put her all in every roll that she got.  For about half of the book, was on her life with her first husband Desi, whom she did I Love Lucy with and a few movies.  She talked about the passion and love, but she also talked about their dysfunction and difficulties.  One thing, which I felt was important, was that Lucy didn't lay all of the blame on Desi, It wasn't all his fault, she looked at where they both went wrong, she didn't play the victim but she didn't make him out as the villain.  The last few pages talk about their divorce, and Lucy's marriage to her second husband, Gary Morton (whom she was with till her death).  I loved how she talked about how Gary and Desi would golf with each other, how they were all apart of their children's lives.  She said something that I just thought was so powerful, and that was, "I'd rather have my children grow up in two loving house holds instead of growing up in one miserable home."

I loved this book, when I finished it, it left me with such a wonderful warm fuzzy feeling that I couldn't help but be happy.  I honestly think that that this should be required reading for high school students, especially girls.  Lucille Ball is the definition of classy, funny, smart, witty, and just all around a great woman.  She didn't sing her praises she didn't place blame on anyone else.  It just made me happy to read about one of my favorite actresses and comediennes.  I recommend this book to everyone and anyone.  Even if you don't think that you'd like it because you're not a big biography reader, you will.  It was so easy to get through and really hard to put down.

Rating:
5 out of 5 stars

2016 March TBR/On Deck

Happy March.  This month I decided to do mostly kindle/e-books since I need to catch up on the physical books that I haven't made it to yet and I'm also going on vacation and it's easier to bring my kindle instead of 4 to 6 physical books.  So I plan on reading the books from last month:

1. Come Love a Stranger  by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
2. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
3. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis
4. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy
5. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon
6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
7. Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison
8. Are These My Basooma's I See Before Me by Louise Rennison

I'll Probably start on the Louise Rennison books next, mostly because they'll finish the series, but another reason is that sadly, Louise Rennison passed away recently.  I loved the Georgia Nicholson books when I was younger.  I remember staying up all night reading them, laughing my butt off. 

Next are 8 e-books that I have decided to read, again, I picked 8 because I'll probably read 4 to 8 (depending on the length) when I'm on vacation.

1. Deception of a Highlander by Madeline Martin
2. Under the Cowboy's Control by Lynda Chance
3. Half Bad by Sally Green
4. Flirting With Felicity by Gerri Russell
5. Jace by Kenzie Cox
6. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
7. Devil of the Highlands by Lynsay Sands
8. Play With Me by Anna Katmore

Well this is my March on deck/TBR.  I hope I can make a dent this month.  Wish me luck!  Next month I plan on only taking out physical books from my TBR.

2016 February Wrap Up

Well another month has flown by and I've read a total of 8 books.  And sadly only one was a actual physical book.  Kind of sad I know.  But it is so much easier to read e-books since I have the kindle app on my phone.  I'll try harder to read more of my physical books in the coming months.

1. The Blood & the Roses by Callie Hart is a complete series that I downloaded a few months ago.  This series had well over 800 pages and had so many twists and turns.  I thought that the plot was well thought out, and I felt for the characters no matter how messed up they were.  I believe that the series has 6 or 7 books to it, but it was only around $0.99 to download the whole series.  Side note: there are spin offs that I really want to purchase and read, because I liked the authors writing and how her plots seemed to move so well.  I started to read this book at the tail end of January and finished it up in February.
2. The Island by Jen Minkman is a dystopian young adult novella that is a little more than 100 pages long and the first in the series.  It was a nice quick read, and I plan on downloading the other two in the series to see what happens with the main character.
3. Gypsy Brothers: the complete series by Lili St. Germain was another complete series that I downloaded.  While the book by Callie Hart was descriptive, this one was a lot more focused on sex and violence.  You feel for the characters, but you're also cringing as you find out was is happening to them.  This is another book that has sequels and spin offs.
4. Toughened by Ophelia Sikes is the second story in the Vegas Nights series.  I downloaded this right after I finished Hardened and again it was short, sweet and left off with a freaking cliff hanger.
5. At Any Price by Brenna Aubrey is the first book in the Gaming the System series and is a full length novel (around 350 pages).  I really enjoyed it.  I loved the characters, while there wasn't a whole lot of action in the way the a couple of the books had, there was a lot of back story and understanding.  This book did a good job of setting up for the next book since this one had a lot of unanswered questions that need to be worked out.
6. Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball is a autobiography/memoir written by the legend herself.  This is the third biography that I have ever read in my life (the first two were autobiographies by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart that  I read probably 10 years ago).  But I have to say, I loved this book.  And made me love and admire Lucille Ball even more.  When I got to the end, it left such a nice warm fuzzy feeling in me and made me realize that this should be required reading for young girls in high school, so that they know how to act like a classy woman.
7. At Any Turn by Brenna Aubrey is the second book in the Gaming the System series.  This starts off where At Any Price finished and it is loaded with drama and romance.  I really enjoyed the series and once I finished I immediately downloaded the next book in the series.
8. At Any Moment by Brenna Aubrey is the third (and essentially the last book that follows the two main characters) in the series.  When it comes to romance stories, I'm a sucker for happy endings, and for the two main characters they got one.  Since both of the characters ended up on a roller coaster of drama, it was nice that they finally had what deserved.  There is 2 other stories in the series, that follow other characters that were a part of the first three stories in the series.  And yes I plan on downloading those as well.

Well that is my February wrap up, I think I've read more full length novels instead of novellas this month, but unfortunately only one was a physical book.  I plan on catching up on those in the next couple of months.

February 2016 TBR/On Deck

Welcome to my February TBR/On Deck!  Last month I was quite proud of all of the books that I had read (15 total!), even if some were short novellas.  This month I picked out 7 books, and I plan on finishing up the books that I didn't get to last month which was a lot more than what I wanted.  I kind of concentrated on mostly Kindle books.  The books that I still have to read are Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball, Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy, Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss and One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis.  So yeah, I'm adding 5 books to my list this month, because none of these are really all that short, I don't think I'm going to hit the numbers that I hit last month, but I can still try.

1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgensern.  I have to be honest I don't really know much about this book, I bought it last year after watching a couple of booktube video's and it sounded interesting.  I think it involves magic and a circus.
2. Forever in Your Embrace by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.  This will be my second Woodiwiss book that I'll be reading so far this year.
3. Stop in the Name of Pants by Louise Rennison.  This is I believe the 9th book in the Georgia Nicholson series, which is a young adult comedy book.
4. Are These my Basooma's I see Before Me? by Louise Rennison is the 10th and final book in the Georgia Nicholson series.  So this will count towards my series goal in my challenge.
5. The Blood & The Roses by Callie Hart, this is a six book series wrapped into one.  I've already started on it and so far I've liked it.
6. The Island by Jen Minkman. Is a kindle book but I'm not sure what genre.
7. Gypsy Brothers by Lili St. Germain is a kindle book and I blelieve that it is a novella series all in one.

Well this is my TBR for February.  Not as many books as last months, but considering that I have a quite a few books from last month that I need to read I think this should be fine.  Wish me luck!

2016 January Wrap Up

Wow, I have to say, I started this year off with a bang by reading a ton of books!  15 in total!

Starting off, I actually read 3 books at the tail end of 2015, but I decided to count them towards my 2016 goal for numbers.  But if I keep going at the rate I am, That might have been unnecessary.  So the three book that I had read were Kindle books, that I had downloaded to read specifically during my holiday shut down at work.

1. Bad Boy Daddy by Chance Carter.  This was a first for me, I have never read a romantic erotica that was written by a male before.  I thought the story was good, but it was definitely vulgar.
2. Unwrapped by Lacey Alexander is a short holiday story.  It was another one that I thought was good, but also on the vulgar side of erotica.  
3. The Stocking was Hung by Tara Sivec was another short holiday romance story that I downloaded on my kindle to treat myself and by far out of the three was my favorite.  While there was yes; romance and sex (and a touch of vulgarity), it was freaking hilarious.  I laughed so hard when I read this story, that I downloaded another one of her books to whip out if I ever need a good laugh.  In any of you read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, then imagine those characters amped up by 10,000 points.  Seriously, someone gets shot in the balls at the "Christmas Story" (the movie) museum.
4. Stepbrother UnSEALed by Nicole Snow.  I can't quite remember if I read and finished this one in 2015 or if I actually finished it in 2016, All I know is that I did it all during that week I had off from work.  This was another one of those raunchy romances that were nice quick reads.
5. Shift out of Luck by Ruby Dixon, is a short romance novella that was of the paranormal kind, following bear shape shifters.  I enjoyed this book so much that I ended up buying and reading the three other novella's that were a part of this series, titled Bear Bites.
6. Get Your Shift Together by Ruby Dixon is the second book in the Bear Bites series.  Who doesn't like the thought of a hunky bear shape shifter coming to your rescue when you're out in the woods?  
7. Shift Just Got Real by Ruby Dixon is the third book in the Bear Bites series.  Out of the four books I liked this one the least.  
8. Does a Bear Shift in the Woods by Ruby Dixon is the fourth story in the Bear Bites series, which involves a wolf shape shifter with a bear shape shifter.  
9. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James.  Let me just say that I was so happy to be done and over with this train wreck of a series.
10. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich.  This is the seventh book in the Stephanie Plum Series, and I have to say it didn't disappoint.  Because it had been quite some time since I've read any of these book I forgot how funny they are and was delightfully thrilled by the hilarity and mishaps that happened in the book.
11. The Duchess Wars by Courtney Milan is a historical romance book that I had downloaded onto my kindle a while back.  I started off just reading the first 3 or 4 chapters here and there, but once I actually sat down and dedicated a lot of time to it, it got exciting.  This is essentially a part of a series, so I may end up downloading the others at some point.
12. Kissing my Killer by Helena Newbury is a contemporary romance that has a Russian mob assassin and a computer hacker.  I had to say this was a nice story to read since, I haven't read something that involved a bad boy who has done something horrible.
13. Punching and Kissing by Helena Newbury is a contemporary romance that is centered around underground illegal boxing.  This was actually attached to the download of Kissing my Killer so I decided to read this as well.
14. Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich is the eighth book in the Stephanie Plum series.  In all seriousness, this book did not disappoint, Four vehicles ended up exploding and a man in a bunny suit decided to harass our hilarious bounty hunter.
15. Hardened by Ophelia Sikes is a short novella that is part of the Vegas Nights series by this author.  This story was actually a part of my February TBR but I ended up reading it because it was short and sweet.  The only problem is that it ended on a cliff hanger so I downloaded the next one.  This series alone is the reason why I'm seriously considering signing up for kindle unlimited since it's a free with that subscription.

Well, these are all of the books that I read in the month of January.  Some were short reads others took longer.  All in all, I have to say, I'm glad to be done with the Fifty Shades of Gray series though.  Don't worry, I plan on doing some book reviews for some of these.  If there are any that you'd like me to elaborate on more, please comment below and I'll try to put it on the top of my review list.

Book Review: Fairest

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Fairest by Marissa Meyer is a bridge between the books Cress and Winter.  This book is part of the Lunar Chronicles Series, and is a futuristic, young adult novel.  While the other four stories follow a fairytale theme, this book is more like a window into the evil step-mother life.  While this book isn't a part of the series, I felt that it was a great read and set up for the final book in the series, Winter.  This story was shorter, but explained and introduced other characters that play huge roles in the final book.

Queen Levana is known as the ruthless ruler of Luna and their people the Lunars.  Known for her glamour you follow Queen Levana as a young teenager up to her adult years.  You feel for the insecure girl who was badly scared from a fire when she was a child.  Verbally abused, she becomes obsessed with a palace guard who is older than her and happily married into another woman.  She soon realizes the power she has not just with her glamour (Which is where they can change their physical appearance) but also with other people.  With the ambition of being not only the most beautiful Queen, but also the greatest ruler of Luna, she isn't afraid to hurt, kill and destroy anyone who stands in her way.  Including family.

I loved this book.  While it wasn't necessary to the Lunar Chronicles series, I was a great way to understand the madness that is Queen Levana.  One thing that I loved about this story is that even though you find out what she went through and you start to understand how she became who she was, you don't change your opinion on her.  You don't in the end hope that she gets a happy ending.  You still want to see her get what she has coming to her in the final story Winter.  While it isn't necessary to read this book as part of the Lunar Chronicles, it was still a great read.  Yes, you can read the Lunar Chronicles book without this and they explain everything that you need, I found it was interesting to go deep into the character which is Levana.  Finding out how she became the loose cannon that she was, was interesting.  I loved every second of this book.

Rating:
5 out of 5 stars

Book Review: Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Darker by EL James, is the second book in the Fifty Shades series.  This book is an erotica romance that touches on the BDSM lifestyle.  I finished this book in August of 2014, so I apologize if this review seems not that great.

Fifty Shades Darker picks up where Fifty Shades of Grey left off when Anastasia Steele leaves Christian Grey.  But the two lovers can't avoid each other and end up back with a each other.  Wanting a career, Anastasia feels daunted by Christian's need to control everything in her life.  But she feels frustrated with the secrets that he's keeping from her.

So I have to be honest, I didn't like this book, nor the first one.  I don't have an issue with the BDSM lifestyle that the author has wrote about, but I do have issue with her lack of development that she seems to have with the characters.  This book opened up a lot of issues that never seemed to get resolved or have a conclusion to.  I felt that the characters were so polar opposites that I couldn't relate them.  Ana is a weak person that doesn't have a back bone, and Christian is a manipulative dominate.  I felt that Christian's disregard of Ana's opinion on things was a huge turn off.  One thing that irritated me in the first book and it followed through to this book, and that was the constant mention of Ana's inner goddess.  I seriously wanted that inner goddess to get hit by a bus or something.   There were a lot of issues with this book, but one of the major ones for me have been was Christian's relationship with Elena (who was commonly referred as Mrs. Robinson), their relationship turned intimate and was a BDSM relationship right from the beginning when Christian was 15 and Elena was much older.  Ana is clearly uncomfortable with this but Christian disregards her voice on this matter.  This was something that could have been discussed and it just never happened.  And in the end, Ana can't live without Christian so she says yes to marriage even though they've known each other for a short amount of time and they have a ton of issues.  I have to be honest, if Christian wasn't rich or good looking, any normal girl would probably run the other way.

In the end, I didn't like this book.  If it had stayed as a fan fiction that I could have read for free, I would probably enjoy it.  But it is mediocre at best.  It really didn't deserve the hype and I think it gave a false image to the BDSM culture.  If you're interested in reading books like that, and that are done properly, I suggest reading something by Jaid Black.  She knows what she's writing about.  I personally feel that I'm being too generous with a 2 out of 5 stars rating, but I think I gave it an extra star because of it's origin.  I've read a lot of fan fiction over the years, some have been horrible, some decent, and others spectacular!  I have to honestly say that this one would have been in between decent and spectacular, but as a novel, and a series, I just don't get the hype.  I really don't.

Rating: 

2 out of 5 stars

January 2016 TBR/ON DECK

So I've decided that instead of doing an on deck at the end of each of the reviews, I'll just do a monthly on deck/to be read post.  And also take this time to let you know what I'm currently reading.

As of right now I'm reading on my Kindle The Duchess Wars by Courtney Milan.  Which is a historical book that may or may not be a romance.  So far no romantic action has happened yet so we'll see.  Another book that I'm reading is the final book in the Fifty Shades of Gray trilogy, Fifty Shades Freed.  I have to be honest, I am going to count this as one of my challenge goals, and I'll be happy when I'm done with this series.  I think the only reason I'm attempting to finish this series is because I want to see one of the main characters get hit by a bus or something.

And now on too my January TBR:

1. Seven Up by Janet Evanovich.  I have all of the books listed on one slip, so I might actually read more than one if I feel like it.
2. Love, Lucy by Lucille Ball.  This is a biography written by Lucille Ball herself, and got released after her death.  From what I've read, it was never intended to me released because she didn't want to hurt her ex-husband, Dezi Arnez while he was alive.
3. Perfect Evil by E.C. Sheedy.  I believe that this will count as a non-romance (I don't think this is a romance) and it does count as an author that I have never read before.  I've had this book in my collection for quite some time, so I don't quite remember what it was about.  All I remember is that I bought it when I was working at the book store 10 years ago.
4. Dragonbane by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
5. Come Love a Stranger by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss.
6. One Virgin Too Many by Lindsey Davis.  This is another book that I've had in my collection for a lot of years, and I've never read anything by her before, and I might count as a non-romance book.
7. Kissing my Killer by Helena Newbury.  This is a Kindle book and also an author that I have never read before.

So as you can tell I may be a little ambitious with picking 7 different books.  But I'm looking forward to the challenge.

2016 Book Goals/Challenge

For 2015 I have to say I was quite proud of myself... I had reached my book goal of 30 books (I know I haven't really posted the reviews to show that though).  So this year I've decided to not only read more books but to also challenge myself a little.  I for the most part read mostly romance, and this year I've decided to try and expand my reading horizons.

2016 Book Goals/Challenge

• First off I want to read 35-45 books.  I actually have my book challenge set at 40 on my good reads account.  But I really want to read more than that.
• Read 5 biographies/memoirs
• Read 5 Non-Fiction books
• Read 5 Non-Romance novels
• Read 3-5 Classics
• Read or finish 3-5 Series
• Read 3 anthologies
• Read 10 Kindle books
• Read 15 books by authors that I haven't read before
• Read all unread...

1. Sherrilyn Kenyon books that I own (I have unfortunately neglected my favorite authors books.)
2. Kathleen E. Woodiwiss books (I own all that she has had published)
3. Read and catch up on the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (I own 1 to 20, and I have read the first 7 in the series)

I know what you're thinking, that's a lot of books for my challenge.  And it is, which is why I'm allowing double dipping.  Like I can have a kindle book and it will also count as a unread author.  Or a series will count as a unread author book.  And so on.  When I post reviews I'll try to let you know what they count them as.  I'm also going to attempt to do quarterly checkups.  But we all know how I am at updating.  I do have to say I have my TBR jars set up for my reading challenge so I'll have that to help me out.  But unfortunately I've counted it out and I have 107 titles there, which means if I were to read everything in there I'd have to read over 2 books a week, which is quite a challenge, so I'm just going to read as many as I can and hopefully read more than 45 books.  But I'll be happy if I get at least 40 books read in the 2016 year.