It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (6.17.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. On Saturday, I met my mom in New York City and we did a walking…

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Stacking the Shelves (48) 6.16.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   Purchased: All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue This has been all over the blog0sphere and when I saw it at the store, I couldn’t resist picking it up.   The Wishing Tree (e-book) by Marybeth Whalen This is another book that’s been around the blogosphere and was…

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Review: If You Were Mine by Bella Andre

If You Were Mine by Bella Andre Series: The Sullivans #5 Oak Press May 2012 Format: e-book, 194 pages Source: Novel Publicity Can two people who have both sworn off love find forever in each other’s arms? The last thing Zach Sullivan wants is to take care of his brother’s new puppy for two weeks. Until he meets the dog trainer, that is. Heather is bright, beautiful, and he can’t…

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Review: Taking Eve by Iris Johansen

Taking Eve by Iris Johansen Series: Eve Duncan #18 St. Martin’s Press April 2013 Format: Hardcover, 384 pages Source: Library #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen is back with the first book in a chilling new Eve Duncan trilogy that asks the question: will Eve survive what lies ahead? Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s mission is to bring closure to the families whose loved ones have vanished.  She knows their…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (6.10.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Another week has flown by and unfortunately not only did I not get a lot…

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Stacking the Shelves (47) 6.9.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: Won:     The Bookman’s Tale by Charlies Lovett   I won this from Jen at Devourer of Books and it sounds really intriguing…thanks for the giveaway!!!     Purchased: *** I purchased the following 5 books while attending Beach Reads 2013 at the Princeton Library this week. I was…

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Book Event: Beach Reads Night 2013

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend Princeton’s Library’s Beach Reads Night 2013 and what a night it was! Not even the threat of Tropical Storm Andrea was going to keep me away from attending. The night was co-sponsored by Chick Lit Central with the lovely Amy Bromberg as moderator. Six fabulous authors were there to not only chat about their latest novels, but also to talk about what…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller (GIVEAWAY CLOSED)

Big Sky Summer by Linda Lael Miller Harlequin HQN May 2013 Format: ARC e-copy, 384 pages Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, welcomes you home to Parable, Montana-where love awaits.   With his father’s rodeo legacy to continue and a prosperous spread to run, Walker Parrish has no time to dwell on wrecked relationships. But country-western…

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Author Q&A: Bella Andre (Plus Book Announcement & Giveaway!) GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Back in January, I was first introduced to Bella Andre when she did a whirlwind tour for the e-book editions of her Sullivan series. I was fortunate to receive e-copies of the first 7 books and of the ones I’ve had time to read (5 so far) I’ve loved them!!! Now, she has joined forces with Harlequin MIRA to provide the Sullivan books in print, with new content added to…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (6.3.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. What a week!!! I participated in ArmchairBEA 2013 and it kept me quite busy. There…

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ArmchairBEA 2013: Wrap-Up

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Armchair BEA 2013 has come to an end and I had a great time. This was my second year participating and it was just as informative and fun as the first time I participated. One day I would love to get to the actual BEA, but until that happens, ArmchairBEA is the place to be! Here’s a recap of all my posts related to…

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Stacking the Shelves (46) 6.2.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.      Here’s what I got: From the Library:     Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman   This will be my first Beth Hoffman book and I can’t wait to read it…so many people have been raving about it and I think I will really like it.   From Netgalley: Before I Met You (e-book) by…

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Month in Review: May 2013

Wow…another month has come and gone. I really don’t know where the time is going. This past month was quite busy with work, but I managed to get back on track with my fitness regimen – walking and doing yoga. I have a fitbit and my daily goal is to get a least 10,000 steps in each day.  Some days I get way more than that, and others fall short.…

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ArmchairBEA 2013: Keeping it Real, Fresh & Fun

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Today is day five of Armchair BEA and we are discussing how we keep our blogs real, fresh and fun. The prompt for today is: How do you keep your material fresh? How do you continue to keep blogging fun? How do you not only grow an audience, but how do you keep them coming back for more? I started this blog as a…

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ArmchairBEA 2013 Genre Discussion: Non-Fiction

Design credit: Sarah of Puss Reboots Today’s genre discussion is all about non-fiction. I have to admit that on the whole, I tend to stay away from non-fiction. When I read, I like a good story. That’s not to say that I haven’t read non-fiction or that I will not read it, it’s just not usually my go-to choice.  I recently came across a series of non-fiction books that definitely…

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Review: Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich Read by Lorelei King MacMillan Audio 2008 Length: 7 hours Source: Library Bounty Hunter Stephanie Plum goes on her most explosive adventure yet. The Crime:  Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one. The Cousin:  Joe Morelli Joe Morelli, Dom…

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ArmchairBEA 2013: Ethics in Blogging

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Today is day 4 ofArmchair BEA and we jump back into the discussions. The focus of today’s discussion is on ethics. I tend to stay away from all the drama that happens in the blogging world – a lot of the times because I only hear about it after-the-fact. What I can share is what I practice and that’s the following: * Give credit…

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Review: The Sassy Belles by Beth Albright

The Sassy Belles by Beth Albright Harlequin MIRA May 2013 Format: ARC, e-copy, 304 pages Source: Netgalley via Kaye Publicity Meet the Sassy Belles They’re strong as a mint julep, sweet as peach cobbler, and no matter what, they stick together. There are only two seasons in Tuscaloosa—football and waiting-for-football. When Lewis Heart, football announcer and voice of the Crimson Tide, vanishes after an impromptu romp with Vivi Ann McFadden…

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ArmchairBEA 2013: Giveaway Day!!!

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Today is day 3 of ArmchairBEA and it’s everyone’s favorite day – giveaway day!!! In honor of this, I am giving away 3 gently used books sent to me for review. The giveaway is open to US residents only. The Typewriter Girl by Alison Atlee My review Source: Gallery Books The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb My review Source: Hyperion Books Children…

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ArmchairBEA 2013 Genre Discussion: Genre Fiction

Design credit: Sarah of Puss Reboots Today’s genre discussion is genre fiction which is a wide category. Within that category, I tend to stick to women’s fiction, contemporary fiction, chick lit, romance, romantic suspense, mysteries/psychological thrillers, cozy mysteries and historical fiction. I just recently started reading some magical realism, but as a whole, tend to stay away from straight fantasy/paranormal fantasy, dystopian fiction and horror. Before blogging, I primarily read…

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Review & Giveaway: Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods (CLOSED)

Sea Glass Island by Sherryl Woods Harlequin MIRA May 2013 Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages Source: Netgalley Under summer skies, New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods evokes family, friendship and heartfelt emotion With her two younger sisters heading for the altar, will Samantha Castle exchange old dreams for new ones? Lately she’d rather be on the North Carolina coast with family than in New York with agents and actors.…

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ArmchairBEA 2013: Blogger Development

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Today is day two of Armchair BEA and we are discussing blogger development. Prompt for the day: How do you develop yourself as a blogger. Have you branched out into your community? Do you partner with other bloggers? Have you gone “pro” or begun supplementing your income through your blog? Are you a long-term blogger, and how has your online personality developed over the…

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ArmchairBEA 2013 Genre Discussion: The Classics

Design credit: Sarah of Puss Reboots The Classics…an area that I’ve been wanting to delve into for a while, but never seem to get to. I remember in high school reading the requisite books for English classes. There were the Shakespeare plays – Romeo & Juliet, Julius Cesar, Macbeth – and then the books – A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations both by Charles Dickens, To Kill a…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara (CLOSED)

Cascade by Maryanne O’Hara Penguin Books April 2013 Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours A novel of art and desire in the 1930s It’s 1935, and Desdemona Hart Spaulding has sacrificed her plans to work as an artist in New York to care for her bankrupt, ailing father in Cascade, Massachusetts. When he dies, Dez finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience,…

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Armchair BEA 2013: Introductions

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads Today is Day One of Armchair BEA.  This is my second time participating and I’m very excited – last year was so much fun! Day One is all about introductions and getting to know fellow book bloggers.  So here is a little bit about me:  Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (5.27.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Well, the weather didn’t pan out exactly as I had hoped for the holiday weekend,…

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Stacking the Shelves (45) 5.26.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.      Here’s what I got (be prepared…it’s a long list this week): For Review:     The 9th Girl (e-book) by Tami Hoag   I just read my first Tami Hoag book – The 1st Victim – which was actually a prequel to this one and I can’t wait to start this latest one! The Lavender…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Bare It All by Lori Foster (CLOSED)

Bare It All by Lori Foster HQN April 2013 Format: Paperback, 480 pages Source: Publisher via Meryl Moss Media Relations/BookTrib “A cop’s craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster” As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her…

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Review: Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich Read by Lorelei King MacMillan Audio 2007 Length:  Source: Library Looking to get lucky? Stephanie Plum is back between-the-numbers and she’s looking to get lucky in an Atlantic City hotel room, in a Winnebago, and with a brown-eyed stud who has stolen her heart. Stephanie Plum has a way of attracting danger, lunatics, oddballs, bad luck . . . and mystery men. And no one…

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Review: Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax

Ocean Beach by Wendy Wax Berkley Trade June 2012 Format: Paperback, 448 pages Source: Personal copy Wendy Wax, author of the “warm [and] wry” (St. Petersburg Times) Ten Beach Road, returns with a novel of three women in need of a second chance…or is it a third? Unlikely friends Madeline, Avery and Nicole have hit some speed bumps in their lives, but when they arrive in Miami’s South Beach neighborhood, they…

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Review: To Have and To Hold by Jane Green

To Have and To Hold by Jane Green Broadway March 2005 Format: Paperback, 352 pages Source: Personal copy Alice knows she should be happy. A charming twenty-eight-year-old with a successful catering business, she’s always dreamed of a rose-covered cottage in the English countryside, filled with children and animals and home-cooked meals. Her favorite attire is comfy jeans, her best manicure features garden dirt under the nails. But when her teenage…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (5.20.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I can’t believe that this coming weekend is already Memorial Day Weekend!!! Hopefully the weather…

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Stacking the Shelves (44) 5.19.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.      Here’s what I got: For Review:     Wedding Blues (e-book) by Beth Albright   This is the second in Beth Albright’s Sassy Belles series and I can’t wait to read it as I loved the first one!!!   From a family member:     That Night on Thistle Lane by Carla Neggers   I’ve read…

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Review: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich Read by Lorelei King Audio Renaissance 2007 Length: 7 hours Source: Library New secrets, old flames, and hidden agendas are about to send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most outrageous adventure yet! MISTAKE #1: Dickie Orr Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before catching him with her archnemesis, Joyce Barnhardt. Fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to…

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Review: Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown

Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown Berkley May 2013 Format: Paperback Source: Publisher via the author It’s August in Savannah, Georgia – hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat – or from a cake knife in the back… Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I by Sandra Byrd (CLOSED)

Roses Have Thorns: A Novel of Elizabeth I by Sandra Byrd Howard Books, a Division of Simon & Schuster April 2013 Format: Paperback Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage—or your life? In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading (5.13.12)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Last week was a busy week and this week is looking like it will be…

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Stacking the Shelves (43) 5.12.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.     Here’s what I got:   For Review:     The Look of Love by Bella Andre   I love Bella Andre’s Sullivan series and am excited to be participating in another blog tour for these books. This is the 1st book of the series. From This Moment On by Bella Andre This is the 2nd…

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May Monthly Giveaway (CLOSED)

The monthly giveaways are back and this month there are 5 selections! Rizzoli & Isles: Last to Die By: Tess Gerritsen Format: Hardcover My review   The King’s Damsel By: Kate Emerson Format: Paperback My review Summer Nights By: Susan Mallery Format: Paperback My review Redwood Bend By: Robyn Carr Format: Paperback My review   Buzz Off By: Hannah Reed Format: Paperback My review     How to enter:  This…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle (CLOSED)

Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle Kensington Publishing April 2013 Format: ARC Paperback, 448 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects…

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Review: The 1st Victim by Tami Hoag

The 1st Victim by Tami Hoag Dutton May 2013 Format: e-book, 60 pages Source: Publisher via Netgalley Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska return to investigate the death of a Jane Doe in New York Times bestseller Tami Hoag’s short story The 1st Victim. New Year’s Day is a time for new beginnings, but Minneapolis homicide detectives Sam Kovac and Nikki Liska are focused on endings: specifically, the tragic end of…

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Review: Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline

Orphan Train by Christine Baker Kline William Morrow Paperbacks April 2013 Format: Paperback, 288 pages Source: Publisher/She Reads Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by luck or chance. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (5.6.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Books Completed last week: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (library audio book) Taking Eve…

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Stacking the Shelves (42) 5.5.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.   Here’s what I got:   For Review:     Sea Glass Island (e-book) by Sherryl Woods This is the 3rd book in Sherryl Woods’ Ocean Breeze series – I’m really hoping it’s not the last book as I am loving this series. The Newcomer (e-book) by Robyn Carr This is the 2nd book in Robyn Carr’s…

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Review: Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Plum Lovin’ by Janet Evanovich Read by Lorelei King MacMillan Audio 2007 Length: 3.5 hrs Source: Library From #1 blockbuster bestselling author Janet Evanovich comes a Stephanie Plum novel that takes adventure, action, suspense (and maybe even true love?) to new heights. WATCH YOUR BACK . . .LOOK BOTH WAYS . . .BECAUSE LOVE IS IN THE AIR . . . AND THAT MEANS BIG TROUBLE! Mysterious men have a…

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Month in Review: April 2013

Vacation has come and gone and now we are into May – time is flying by!!! Aruba was fantastic and I got quite a bit of reading in, which is good – May is chock-full of blog tours. I just need to balance those review books with my own books. I am totally rocking the crocheting this year. I’ve already made 4 baby blankets and have 1 more currently in…

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Review & Giveaway: Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods (CLOSED)

Wind Chime Point by Sherryl Woods Harlequin MIRA May 2013 Format: ARC paperback, 400 pages Source: McAllister PR When life gets complicated, New York Times bestselling author Sherryl Woods proves family—and love—can make all the difference  Facing a personal crisis, ambitious and driven Gabriella Castle retreats to the welcoming arms of her family. Everything she’s worked for has been yanked out from under her, and she seeks the serenity of…

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Review: Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire

Barefoot in the Sand by Roxanne St. Claire Forever May 2012 Format: Paperback, 399 pages Source: Personal copy When all you hold dear is taken away . . . When a hurricane roars through Lacey Armstrong’s home on the coast of Barefoot Bay, she decides all that remains in the rubble is opportunity. A new hotel is just what Mimosa Key needs, and Lacey and her teenage daughter are due…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (4.29.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Vacation was a great – just what we needed! Aruba is one of my favorite…

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Stacking the Shelves (41) 4.28.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.  Here’s what I got:   For Review:     The 1st Victim (e-book) by Tami Hoag This is the first book by Tami Hoag that I will read…I’ve heard really good things about her books, but just haven’t had time to read her. I’m looking forward to this short story and then hopefully will be picking…

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