Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook A Touchstone Book June 2012 Format: Hardcover, 272 pages First line: My brother was dazzling, as usual. From the inside cover: From the acclaimed bestselling author of Must Love Dogs comes a winning and witty new novel about a woman who emerges from the shadow of her overbearing family and finds herself “dancing with the stars.” Deirdre Griffin has a great life; it’s just…
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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: Better than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts Oh yeah…this is definitely my type of read, although I’m not sure there are too many things that are really better than chocolate! Be sure to stay on the lookout for this review due out this fall –…
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The Last Queen by C.W. Gortner Ballantine Books May 2009 Format: Paperback, 400 pages First line: I was thirteen years old when my parents conquered Granada. From the back cover: In this stunning novel, C. W. Gortner brings to life Juana of Castile, the third child of Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand of Spain, who would become the last queen of Spanish blood to inherit her country’s throne. Along the…
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Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs Narrated by Bonnie Hurren Chivers Audio Books 1999 Length: 13 hrs, 30 min From the back of the audio case: March in Montreal: it is a bitterly cold night and in the eerie silence of an old church, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance Brennan digs carefully. She is there to exhume the remains of a nun who died in 1888 and is now proposed for…
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I am pleased to welcome C.W. Gortner, who wrote The Queen’s Vow to Always With a Book. You can read my review of her book here and be sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of The Queen’s Vow along with a painted Spanish fan – see below for details! About the author: C.W. Gortner is the author of The Last Queen, The Confessions…
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The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner Ballantine Books June 2012 Format: Hardcover, 400 pages First line: No one believed I was destined for greatness. From the inside cover: No one believed I was destined for greatness. So begins Isabella’s story, in this evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens—the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise…
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After a short break, I am happy to announce that my monthly giveaways are back. This month there are 5 selections: Private #1 Suspect By: James Patterson Format: Hardcover My review Big Sky Country By: Linda Lael Miller Format: ARC Paperback My review A Sheetcake Named Desire By: Jacklyn Brady Format: Paperback My review Knock Out By: Catherine Coulter Format: Paperback My review Inseparable By: Dora Heldt Format: Paperback…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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, for all my good intentions of getting a lot of reading done last week, it…
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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: Gold (audio) by Chris Cleave This is the latest by Chris Cleave and it deals with the Olympics. Big Sky Mountain (e-book) by Linda Lael Miller This is the next in Linda Lael Miller’s…
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By Hook or By Crook by Betty Hechtman Berkley Prime Crime June 2009 Format: Paperback, 272 pages First line: Nobody noticed the bag at first. From the back cover: Yarnaholic Molly Pink has become known in Tarzana, California, for her sleuthing skills, thanks to the help of her crochet group. But the latest mystery may be too much for these stitchers to unravel… There’s nothing the Tarzana Hookers love more…
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The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig New American Library October 2006 Format: Paperback, 464 pages First line: I bit my lip on an “Are we there yet?” From the back cover: Modern-day graduate student Eloise achieved the academic coup of the century when she unmasked one of history’s greatest spies, the Pink Carnation, who saved England from Napoleon. But now she has a million questions about the…
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I am pleased to welcome author Sherryl Woods to Always With a Book. Her latest book, Midnight Promises, is now available. You can read my review of her book here. Today Sherryl is talking about her Sweet Magnolia series. Be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of this post! Whether you’re a longtime reader of my Sweet Magnolias series or just discovering it with the latest trilogy…
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Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods Mira Books July 2012 Format: Paperback, 384 pages First line: The bride wore a cocktail-length, off-the-shoulder gown in shimmering off-white satin and an antique lace mantilla – a family heirloom – reluctantly provided by her soon-to-be mother-in-law. From the back of the book: When Elliot Cruz first courted struggling single mom Karen Ames, it was a romance worthy of any Sweet Magnolia fantasy. The sexy…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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 with Audio Book Week and Jenn over at Devourer of…
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Here are my reading stats for June! Books read: 16 Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.) Two for the Dough* by Janet Evanovich Big Cherry Holler* by Adriana Trigiani The Weird Sisters* by Eleanor Brown The Secret Keeper* by Sandra Byrd Karma* by Karly Phillips Three to Get Deadly* by Janet Evanovich Whiplash*…
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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: Midnight Promises by Sherryl Woods Sherryl Woods is releasing three new books in her Sweet Magnolia’s series and I was lucky enough to get ARCs of all three. I can’t wait to catch up the Sweet Magnolia gang! This is book 8 in the series. Catching Fireflies by…
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Whiplash by Catherine Coulter Jove Books, New York July 2011 Trade Paperback, 433 pages First line: Erin used her third-generation lock picks. From the inside cover: When Yale professor Dr. Edward Kender’s father undergoes chemotherapy for colon cancer and the supply of the critical drug Culovort suddenly runs short, Kender hires P.I. Erin Pulaski to prove that something more sinister is going on at Schiffer Hartwin Pharmaceutical. On the same…
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From the back of the audio case: Bang, bang, she’s back! Stephanie Plum, the tough-talking, mace-packing female bounty hunter from New Jersey, has returned to thrill and amuse listeners in the third book of this acclaimed series. Best-selling author Janet Evanovich creates an outrageously high-spirited romp through the gritty Trenton landscape. Cursed with a disastrous new hair color and unable to shake Lula – a 230-pound former prostitute and bounty…
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Today is the final discussion post for Audiobook Week 2012. I want to thank Jen at Devourer of Books for hosting a great week of discussions centered around audiobooks this week. Here’s today’s discussion topic: Where do you learn about great audiobook titles? Find reviews? Buy your audiobooks? Share your secrets with the rest of us! I get the majority of my audiobooks from the library – both in…
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First line: Shane Stryker was determined enough to never walk away from a fight and smart enough to know when he’d been beat. From the back cover: Horse whisperer Shane Stryker is done with passion. This time around, he’s determined to meet someone who will be content with the quiet life of a rancher’s wife. And the fiery pint-size redhead who dazzles him at the local bar definitely does not…
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June is Audiobook Month and Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting a special week dedicated to audiobooks this week. Today’s discussion topic is about narrators: Who are your favorite narrators and why? What do you look for in a narrator? Have a preference between male or female narrators? Alternate suggestion: Narration preferences: single narrator, multiple narrators, full cast, etc? I have to say that I don’t usually pick…
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Welcome to day three of Audio Book Week! I’ve been having a great time visiting the audiobook blogging community and have gotten lots of tips for what to include in audio reviews to make them stand out and be helpful for others when it comes to picking audio books. Today is the mid-week meme. Current/most recent audiobook: I’m currently listening to 2 audio books: * in the car: Spring…
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Summary from Goodreads: There is no problem that a library card can’t solve. The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father, a renowned Shakespeare professor who speaks almost entirely in verse, has named his three daughters after famous Shakespearean women. When the sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother, but really to lick their wounds and bury their secrets, they are horrified to…
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June is Audiobook Month and Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting a special week dedicated to audiobooks this week. Today’s discussion topic is about reviewing audiobooks: Discuss the essentials of audiobook reviewing. What do you make sure to include? What do you want to see when you read other people’s reviews? This is an area that I tend to struggle with as I haven’t really made much distinction in…
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From the back of the audio case: Stephanie Plum, the sassiest, spunkiest female bounty hunter in America (or at least New Jersey) is back to take on her second case. She’s armed with attitude and outrageous fashion sense – not to mention stun guns, defense sprays, killer flashlights, and her trusty .38 – and all the determination a neophyte bounty hunter can muster. In Two for the Dough, she’s after…
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June is Audiobook Month and Jen at Devourer of Books is hosting a special week dedicated to audiobooks this week. This is my second year participating and I can’t wait to see what’s in store all week! The first discussion topic for this week is “2011-2012, Your Audiobook Year.” And the description for this discussion topic is: Are you new to audiobooks in the last year? Have you been listening…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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 marked the end of the Spring Reading Thing hosted by Caterina at Callapidder Days…
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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: Raising Wild Ginger by Tara Woolpy I had received an arc e-copy of this book a while ago, which I read and provided Tara a review blurb for the book. I was thrilled to see that my blurb is on the back cover of the book – how cool!!!…
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Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author. I’m reading Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook: My brother was dazzling, as usual. “Do. You. Have. Passion?” he roared.…
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First line: Dare Barron heard the commotion in the police station center earlier as his least favorite offender was brought in on a drunk and disorderly charge. From the back cover: Office Dare Barron has had a crush on Liza McKnight ever since he was a teenager. But despite his lifelong attraction, the closest he’s ever come to interacting with Liza is watching her regularly bail out her brother down…
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If you’re coming from the blog tour, welcome! Below you’ll find the next excerpt of Big Sky Country and the link to tomorrow’s piece as well. If this is your first stop on the tour, you’ll need to start from the beginning to get the whole excerpt. Go here, to see the full list of blog tour stops. First line: “You weren’t at the funeral,” Slade Barlow’s half brother, Hutch…
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Another reading challenged has come to a close. As you can see from my list, I finished reading 19 out of the 20 books I had listed. I was also able to read an additional 19 books during this time that were not on my original list. That puts my total number of books read from March 20 to June 20 to 38 books!!! Here’s my original list (all books…
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First line: The rain is coming down on this old stone house so hard, it seems there are a hundred tap dancers on the roof. From the back cover: It’s been eight years since Ave Maria Mulligan married Jack MacChesney, moved up into the hills, and dug her roots in even deeper. In this enthralling second installment in the Big Stone Gap series, their honeymoon haze has evolved into a…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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. This is the last week of the Spring Reading Thing reading challenge hosted by Catrina over…
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First line: Tori Sinclair had always prided herself on being a relatively calm person – the kind of woman who kept a cool head and a professional demeanor at all times. From the back cover: Tori Sinclair is basking in the warmth of her new circle of friends. That is until local author Colby Calhoun reveals an unflattering secret about the town’s historic past. He soon finds that when you…
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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: Spring Fever (audio) by Mary Kaye Andrews This is the newest from Mary Kaye Andrews. I’ve a few of her other books and find them to be quite fun! Purchased: The Diary of Darcy J. Rhone (free e-book) by Emily Giffin…
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First line: “Everyone, shut up!” From the inside cover: The first time she speaks to him is at midnight. Seven-year-old Autumn Backman needs a hero. When she sees Special Agent Dillon Savich on TV after he’s brought down bank robbers in a Georgetown bank, she knows she’s found him. She called Savich, but she didn’t use the phone. They were burying dead people in my daddy’s grave … they’re coming…
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From the back of the audio case: In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war. All marriages have a breaking point. All families…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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. This past week I participated in Armchair BEA for the first time. It was great to…
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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: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook This is Claire Cook’s newest book and I cannot wait to read it! Purchased: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel I’ve heard a lot about this book lately (maybe because the sequel…
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First line: A fat winter moon poured light over the old stone and brick of the inn on The Square. Summary from Goodreads: Owen is the organizer of the Montgomery clan, running the family’s construction business with an iron fist – and an even less flexible spreadsheet. And though his brothers bust on his compulsive list-making, the Inn BoonsBoro is about to open right on schedule. The only thing Owen…
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Today is day 5 at Armchair BEA and here’s the prompt for the day: Today’s topic is Ask The Experts. In your post, ask the visitors to your blog for blogging advice. What did you always want to know about blogging but were afraid to ask? Now is the time! So, I ask you…what, if anything, would you like me to change on my blog? Is there anything you’d like…
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Today is day 4 at Armchair BEA and here’s the prompt for the day: Today we’d love you to share your top tips for getting beyond your blog! Have you done any freelance writing? Are you monetizing your blog and how so? How do you make connections outside the book blog community on the internet? If none of these apply we’d love for you to share a fun aspect about…
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First line: Her voice sounded by turns pleased and then pleading, her laughter scaled from bass enjoyment to treble fear. From the back cover: What she sees in secret, she may not tell. Mistress Juliana St. John is the lovely, forthright daughter of a prosperous knight’s family. Though all expect her to marry the son of her late father’s business partner, time and chance interrupt, sending her to the sumptuous…
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Today is day 3 at Armchair BEA and we have been asked to share a positive “real life” experience with books and/or bloggers. I have one experience that I can share. There is an independent bookstore near me, called Books and Greetings, in Montvale, NJ that has author visits. I’ve had the opportunity to go to a few. The first one was for Jane O’Connor, the author of the…
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First line: A good-looking man in his forties sat in the back row of the auditorium at the exclusive Morton Academy of Music. From the inside cover: Detective Lindsay Boxer is pregnant – and investigating the discovery of severed heads in a movie stars garden. YOUR BEST FRIEND Lindsay Boxer is pregnant at last! But her work doesn’t slow for a second. When millionaire Chaz Smith is mercilessly gunned down,…
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Today is day two of Armchair BEA and we’re talking about the best books we’ve read in 2012. I want to share a few of my favorite reads this year. I don’t always read brand new books, so to me, I am taking this to mean books that I’ve read in 2012 that I’ve loved but may or may not have been published in 2012. Here are some of my…
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Today is Day One of Armchair BEA. This is my first time participating and I’m very excited. 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 you get into blogging? My name is Kristin and I am an avid…
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It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, isthe 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. This past weekend was the annual Back-to-the-Beach book sale at one of the local churches. I’ve…
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Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Here’s what I got: From a Library Booksale: Lady Killer (audio) by Lisa Scottoline I saw this and couldn’t resist…I’ve heard really good things about Lisa Scottoline and am excited to listen this. From the Library Three to Get Deadly (audio) by Janet Evanovich…
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