Always With a Book

k2reader January 15, 2016

Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Title: Me Before You Author: Jojo Moyes Series: Me Before You, #1 Published: July 2013, Penguin Books Format: Paperback, 369 pages Source: Personal copy Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always…

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k2reader January 14, 2016

Review: The Muralist by B.A. Shapiro (audio)

Title: The Muralist Author: B.A. Shapiro Narrator: Xe Sands Published: November 2015, High Bridge Company / Algonquin Books Length: 9 hours 9 minutes / ARC Paperback 352 pages Source: Audio – Library / ARC – Publisher From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Art Forger comes a thrilling new novel of art, history, love, and politics that traces the life and mysterious disappearance of a brilliant young…

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k2reader January 14, 2016

Book Spotlights: The She Reads’ Books of Winter Selections

Last week, the gals at She Reads announced the three ‘Books of Winter’ selections. I’ll be reading these, so be sure to keep an eye out here for my reviews. So without further ado…here are the Books of Winter: Title: The Gates of Evangeline Author: Hester Young Published: September 2015, G.P. Putnam’s Sons From a unique new talent comes a fast-paced debut, introducing a heroine whose dark visions bring to…

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k2reader January 11, 2016

Book Spotlight: The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain

Title: The 8th Circle Author: Sarah Cain Series: Danny Ryan Thriller, #1 Published: January 2016, Crooked Lane Books Format: Hardcover, 336 pages A year ago, Danny Ryan lost his wife and son in a car accident. He’s still reeling from the tragedy when Michael Cohen, his friend and fellow journalist, drives into the pond in front of his house with a bullet through his gut. With Michael’s death ruled a…

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k2reader January 11, 2016

Review: A Wedding on Primrose Street by Sheila Roberts

Title: A Wedding on Primrose Street Author: Sheila Roberts Series: Life in Icicle Falls, #7 Published: July 2015, MIRA Format: ARC E-copy, 384 pages Source: Netgalley There’s nothing like a wedding! The joy, the fun, the memories—the stress. As a wedding planner, Anne Richardson has seen mothers of the bride turn into Momzillas, and she’s determined not to do that when it’s her daughter’s turn to get married. But once…

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k2reader January 10, 2016

2016 #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks Reading Challenge

I typically fail at TBR reading challenges despite having so many of my own books sitting on my shelves just waiting to be read…Each year without fail, I sign up for the challenges, saying “this year will be different…I will read my own books…I will make a dent in those piles sitting own my shelves” and without fail, those are the challenges that I never seem to make any progress…

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k2reader January 10, 2016

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 8th

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About It was a pretty good week…I managed to get in my 5K – actually did 2 this week, though I did them on the treadmill at the gym, but still got them in! I am in the middle of jury duty, so I don’t know what the rest of the month will hold,…

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k2reader January 8, 2016

Review: Night Blindness by Susan Strecker

Title: Night Blindness Author: Susan Strecker Published: September 2015, A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin’s Griffin Format: Paperback, 295 pages Source: Publisher One October night, when Jensen Reilly is sixteen, she and her high school sweetheart are involved in a horrible accident. Ever since then Jensen has been running from her past. But when Jensen’s beloved father is diagnosed with a brain tumor, she returns to her childhood home…

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k2reader January 4, 2016

Review: 3 Truths & a Lie by Lisa Gardner

Title: 3 Truths & a Lie Author: Lisa Gardner Series: Detective DD Warren,#7.5 Published: January 2016, Dutton Format: ARC E-copy, 52 pages Source: Netgalley Boston Detective D.D. Warren faces her most brutal adversaries yet—a class of jaded thriller writers—in New York Times Bestselling Author Lisa Gardner’s exclusive e-Book short story In Lisa Gardner’s second short story, after the New York Times bestseller The 7th Month, Detective D.D. Warren takes on…

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k2reader January 3, 2016

2016 Goals for Reading/Blogging/Fitness

I have done this the last 3 years, and it helped me set myself up for the upcoming year. I think this will be a fixed feature on January 1 (or close to) of each year I blog. BALANCE: This is going to be my word of the year. I tend to get so focused on one thing to the exclusion of everything else and I really need to remember…

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k2reader January 3, 2016

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in January 1

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About So, at the beginning of December, I challenged myself to do 10,000 steps everyday…and I did pretty well with that goal. I ended up getting that many steps 28 out of the 31 days…not too shabby!!! Of course, I realized a few things in setting that goal – as long as I go…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

Review & Giveaway: Anything for You by Kristan Higgins (Giveaway Closed!)

Title: Anything for You Author: Kristan Higgins Series: Blue Heron, #5 Published: December 2015, HQN Books Format: ARC E-copy, 416 pages Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity Before you get down on bended knee… …you should be pretty darn sure the answer will be yes. For ten years, Connor O’Rourke has been waiting for Jessica Dunn to take their on-again, off-again relationship public, and he thinks the time has…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 New Authors Reading Challenge

The 2016 New Authors Reading Challenge is hosted by Literary Escapism, and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. The goal of this reading challenge is to read new-to-you authors. There’s no levels to join at for this challenge – which means that we get to pick how many new authors we want to read. I join this challenge primarily to keep track of how many new…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 E-Book Reading Challenge

The 2016 E-Book Challenge is hosted by Annette’s Book Spot and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. I’ve done this challenge for the past couple years and love seeing just how much I end up reading on the iPad at the end of the year. I’m joining at the Megabytes level, which means I need to read at least 25 e-books in 2016. I’ll keep track…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 Audiobook Challenge

The 2016 Audio Book Challenge is hosted by The Book Nympho & Hot Listens, and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. I love listening to audio books and have been doing this challenge for the past few years. I’m joining at the Marathoner level, which means I need to listen to 50+ audio books in 2016. I’ll keep track of them here. ***As of 8/31/16, I…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 Netgalley Reading Challenge

The 2016 Netgalley Reading Challenge is hosted by Ariel Avalon, and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. This goal of this challenge is to not only read all those books we’ve requested from Netgalley but to then review them so as to get our feedback ratio up to the recommended 80%. I’m joining at the Hard level, which means I need to read and review at…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 I Love Libraries Reading Challenge

The 2016 I Love Library Books Reading Challenge is hosted by Bea’s Book Nook, and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. I love my local library and love doing this challenge. This is my seventh year participating in the library challenge! I’m joining at the Middle Grades level, which means I need to borrow at least 18 books from the library in 2016. I’ll keep track…

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k2reader January 2, 2016

2016 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge

The 2016 You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge is hosted by The Crafty Engineer’s Bookshelf, and it goes from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016. This is a reading challenge where we are challenged to read, read, read!!! I am going to join this challenge at Level 2, where I hope to read 150 books. Me Before You — Jojo Moyes Lost & Found in Cedar Cove…

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k2reader January 1, 2016

First Book of the Year 2016

Each year, Sheila over at Book Journey makes a big deal over what the first book she’ll read will be for the new year and once again she’s asked us to join her. I joined in last year and it was a lot of fun seeing what book everyone selected. For my first book of the year, I decided to go with a book that I’m probably one of the…

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k2reader January 1, 2016

Year in Review: 2015

2015 has been another great year and it’s hard to believe that 2016 starts tomorrow! Some of the highlights of this year include: Attending BEA 2015 – for the second year in a row. Another fantastic experience with my partner-in-crime, T from Traveling with T!!! Lots of great books, meeting other bloggers in person, networking with publishers/publicists, meeting authors and attending some of the parties! So much fun! Still…

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k2reader December 31, 2015

Month in Review: December 2015

Here are my reading stats for December! Books read: 13 Books I read: Flash & Bones — Kathy Reichs (audio book) What She Knew — Gilly Macmillan Rose Harbor in Bloom — Debbie Macomber (audio book) The Distance — Helen Giltrow (audio book) A Wedding on Primrose Street — Sheila Roberts (e-book) Night Blindness — Susan Strecker Smoke — Catherine McKenzie (audio book) Love Letters — Debbie Macomber (audio book)…

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k2reader December 30, 2015

Review: Smoke by Catherine McKenzie (audio)

Title: Smoke Author: Catherine McKenzie Narrator: Amy McFadden, Cassandra Campbell, & Danny Campbell Published: October 2015, Brilliance Audio / Lake Union Publishing Length: 9 hours 51 minutes / ARC e-copy 370 pages Source: Publisher / Netgalley From the internationally bestselling author Catherine McKenzie comes an evocative tale of two women navigating the secrets and lies at the heart of a wildfire threatening their town. After a decade-long career combating wildfires,…

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k2reader December 29, 2015

Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (audio)

Title: The Nightingale Author: Kristin Hannah Narrator: Polly Stone Published: February 2015, Macmillan Audio Length: 17 hours 26 minutes Source: Library In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are. FRANCE, 1939 In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but…

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k2reader December 27, 2015

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The View from Prince Street by Mary Ellen Taylor (Giveaway Closed!)

Title: The View from Prince Street Author: Mary Ellen Taylor Series: Alexandria, #2 Published: January 2016, Berkley Format: Paperback, 352 pages The author of The Union Street Bakery and At the Corner of King Street returns to Alexandria, Virginia, with a heartfelt tale of reconnection. Rae McDonald was fifteen when a car accident took her sister’s life and threw her own into reckless turmoil. When she got pregnant a year…

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k2reader December 27, 2015

The Sunday Post #95 (12.27.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Kathryn’s It’s Monday post over at Book Date. I can’t believe this is the last…

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k2reader December 27, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 25

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About Still doing pretty well with my goal this month of hitting 10k every day – I’m 22 for 25 days…not too bad. I didn’t quite make it on the 24th – that was a travel day for me, plus I was visiting my sister and nieces and then Christmas Eve is our big family…

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k2reader December 22, 2015

Review: What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan

Title: What She Knew Author: Gilly Macmillan Published: December 2015, William Morrow Paperbacks Format: Paperback, 496 pages Source: Publisher In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One. In a heartbeat, everything changes… Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben,…

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k2reader December 20, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 18

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About So far I’ve managed to hit my target of 10k steps 17 out of 18 days this month…not too bad!!! The one day I didn’t do it, I was pretty close, but was so tired and had a really bad headache. Oh well! Here’s how my week went: Dec 12: …

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k2reader December 17, 2015

Book Spotlight, Guest Post & Excerpt: Seized by Elizabeth Heiter

Please join me in welcoming Elizabeth Heiter back to Always With a Book. Elizabeth’s new book, Seized, the 3rd book in her Profiler series, will be published at the end of the month. This is one of my favorite series and I’ll be reviewing it in the coming weeks, but for now, enjoy this great guest post and brief excerpt!!! Title: Seized Author: Elizabeth Heiter Series: The Profiler, #3 Published:…

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k2reader December 16, 2015

Review: The Distance by Helen Giltrow (audio)

Title: The Distance Author: Helen Giltrow Series: Charlotte Alton, #1 Narrator: Rachel Atkins Published: September 2014, Random House Audio / Doubleday Length: 13 hours 27 minutes / ARC e-copy 368 pages Source: Personal copy via Audible/ Netgalley A dark, ultra-contemporary, and relentlessly paced debut thriller about a London society woman trying to put her secret criminal past behind her, and the hit man who comes to her with an impossible…

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k2reader December 15, 2015

Short & Sweet Review: Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs (audio)

Title: Spider Bones Author: Kathy Reichs Series: Temperance Brennan, #13 Narrator: Linda Emond Published: August 2010, Simon & Schuster Audio Length: 9 hours 30 minutes Source: Library Kathy Reichs—#1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the FOX television hit Bones—returns with the thirteenth riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan. John Lowery was declared dead in 1968—the victim of a Huey crash in Vietnam, his body buried…

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k2reader December 14, 2015

Review: Tricky Twenty-Two by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Title: Tricky Twenty-Two Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #22 Narrator: Lorelei King Published: November 2015, Random House Audio Length: 6 hours 27 minutes Source: Library Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute. Stephanie Plum might not be the world’s greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she’s being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal…

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k2reader December 14, 2015

Review: Rose Harbor in Bloom by Debbie Macomber (audio)

Title: Rose Harbor in Bloom Author: Debbie Macomber Series: Rose Harbor, #2 Narrator: Lorelei King Published: August 2013, Random House Audio / Ballantine Books Length: 9 hours 6 minutes / ARC E-copy, 336 pages Source: Library / Netgalley Hailed as “the reigning queen of women’s fiction” (The Sacramento Bee), Debbie Macomber is renowned for her novels of love, friendship, and the promise of fresh starts. Now Macomber returns to the…

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k2reader December 13, 2015

The Sunday Post #94 (12.13.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Kathryn’s It’s Monday post over at Book Date. It’s so hard to believe that this is December…

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k2reader December 13, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 11

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About It was a good week – and I’m still hitting my goal of 10k steps every day in December!!! I’ve had a lot of running around to do this week, so that’s where I got a lot of my steps, but I also took advantage of the warm weather we’ve been having (weird for…

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k2reader December 10, 2015

Review: The Hundred Gifts by Jennifer Scott

Title: The Hundred Gifts Author: Jennifer Scott Published: October 2015, NAL Format: Paperback, 384 pages Source: Publisher The national bestselling author of The Sister Season shares a new novel about a woman who discovers the spirit of the season is truly in the giving…. With the holidays around the corner, empty-nester Bren Epperson realizes that for the first time in decades, she has no large family to cook for, no celebration…

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k2reader December 8, 2015

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima (Giveaway closed)

Title: Killing Trail Author: Margaret Mizushima Series: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, #1 Published: December 2015, Crooked Lane Books Format: Hardcover, 320 pages When a young girl is found dead in the mountains outside Timber Creek, life-long resident Officer Mattie Cobb and her partner, K-9 police dog Robo, are assigned to the case that has rocked the small Colorado town. With the help of Cole Walker, local veterinarian and a…

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k2reader December 8, 2015

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels (Giveaway closed)

Title: Once Shadows Fall Author: Robert Daniels Published: December 2015, Crooked Lane Books Format: Hardcover, 352 pages After years of paying her dues on the force, Beth Sturgis has earned her place as a detective for the Robbery-Homicide division of the Atlanta PD. Now, she’s heading up a major manhunt for a potential serial killer who’s working his way inward from the outskirts of the city. The copycat elements in…

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k2reader December 7, 2015

Review: The Word Game by Steena Holmes

Title: The Word Game Author: Steena Holmes Published: November 2015, Lake Union Publishing Format: ARC E-book, 222 pages Source: Netgalley For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the…

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k2reader December 6, 2015

The Sunday Post #93 (12.6.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Kathryn’s It’s Monday post over at Book Date. Thank goodness for audio books!!! I feel like…

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k2reader December 6, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in December 4

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About I’ve decided to challenge myself this month to do 10,000 steps each day…I want to end 2015 strong!!! So far, so good. I’ve also increased my water intake – partly because I’ve had my headache meds upped, so it’s really important for me to make sure I drink lots of water, but it’s also…

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k2reader December 4, 2015

Review: Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill (audio)

Title: Center of Gravity Author: Laura McNeill Narrator: Lisa Larsen Published: July 2015, Thomas Nelson on Brilliance Audio Length: 10 hours 11 minutes Source: Publisher The truth could cost her everything. Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come…

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k2reader December 2, 2015

Guest Post: Jenny Milchman: Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day – December 5th, 2015

I am once again proud to welcome back author Jenny Milchman to Always With A Book and to offer my support to Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day, held the first Saturday of December. Now in its 6th year, Jenny has taken the idea a step further. Read on to see how. Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day begin in 2010 when I had two young children…

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k2reader December 2, 2015

Review: The Girl Without A Name by Sandra Block (audio)

Title: The Girl Without a Name Author: Sandra Block Series: Zoe Goldman, #2 Narrator: Jennifer Nittoso Published: September 2015, Hachette Audio Length: 9 hours 43 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Another gripping pageturner featuring psychiatrist Zoe Goldman, the protagonist from Little Black Lies. In what passes for an ordinary day in a psych ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is stumped when a highly unusual case arrives. A young African American…

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k2reader December 1, 2015

Month in Review: November 2015

Here are my reading stats for November! Books read: 13 Books I read: Shopaholic to the Rescue — Sophie Kinsella (audio book) Where the Memories Lie — Sibel Hodge (audio book) Along the Infinite Sea — Beatriz Williams Center of Gravity — Laura McNeill (audio book) Pretending to Dance — Diane Chamberlain The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs — Matthew Dicks The Last Girl — Jane Casey (audio book) Dear…

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k2reader November 30, 2015

Review: Where Memories Lie by Sibel Hodge (audio)

Title: Where Memories Lie Author: Sibel Hodge Narrator: Anna Parker-Naples Published: September 2015, Brilliance Audio Length: 9 hours 17 minutes Source: Publisher Chilling family secrets, obsession and decades-old lies. How well do we really know the ones we love? A gripping psychological thriller from the #1 bestselling author of Look Behind You. Twenty-five years ago Katie ran away from home and never came back. But now she’s suddenly reappeared in…

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k2reader November 29, 2015

Review: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (audio)

Title: Real Murders Author: Charlaine Harris Series: Aurora Teagarden Mystery, #1 Narrator: Therese Plummer Published: November 2009, Recorded Books Length: 6 hours 7 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Though a small town at heart, Lawrenceton, Georgia, has its dark side-and crime buffs. One of whom is librarian Aurora “Roe” Teagarden, a member of the Real Murders Club, which meets once a month to analyze famous cases. It’s a harmless…

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k2reader November 29, 2015

The Sunday Post #92 (11.29.15)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. I’m also going to link this up with Kathryn’s It’s Monday post over at Book Date. I can’t believe December begins this week…this year is…

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k2reader November 29, 2015

#FitReaders: Weekly Check-in November 27

#FitReaders is hosted by Geeky Bloggers Book Blog and That’s What I’m Talking About So, I decided to take the week off. I still wasn’t feeling 100% and rather than push myself and end up sick for Thanksgiving, I decided maybe a week off would do me some good. I knew I had a bit of running around to do at the beginning of the week…

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k2reader November 28, 2015

Review: Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella (audio)

Title: Shopaholic to the Rescue Author: Sophie Kinsella Series: Shopaholic, #8 Narrator: Clare Corbett Published: October 2015, Random House Audio Length: 9 hours 27 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Becky Bloomwood and a hilarious cast of beloved family and friends (plus one enemy!) set off in a van to find her missing father, last heard from in Las Vegas. Becky’s father Graham and her best friend’s husband, Tarquin, have…

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