Contents of blog copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2023
I've been gone a while. I started reading fanfiction to escape and I got sucked in an abyss.

I have no idea if someone else is hosting similar challenges. I just grabbed some of what I have hosted before.

Here's to a happy year of great reading
Jan2023: Not much has changed. Writing a fanfiction now O_o as well as reading but I bought 7 new books in December and hope to get those read soon. Crossing fingers about adding challenges (late!)

Monday, September 1, 2014

Happy Monday - August edition

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Don't forget to link up your list

There was one review book received, 11 books listed as purchased and 29 books read during the month. Yikes, that's more titles read than July!

Lists, covers and book info after the jump
(click the title, I haven't figured out why the read more link isn't showing up yet)


~ here are the new non-review books in my house ~
Walk Your Butt Off! Go from Sedentary to Slim in 12 Weeks with This Breakthrough Walking Plan - from the editors of Prevention (here)
fitness, 2013, trade paperback,

This simple plan teaches readers how to incrementally build their walking speed so that they lose weight faster. Developed by former Prevention fitness director and walking expert Michele Stanten, Walk Your Butt Off! will not only get complete beginners started with a walking program but will also help the more than 100 million Americans who already walk for exercise to break through plateaus and boost their results. Readers will also come to view walking as an athletic endeavor and see their workouts as an inviolable part of their day. And, at no more than 30 minutes each, these daily walks can fit into even the busiest schedule. Paired with simple nutrition secrets from renowned sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, this easy step-by-step guide to permanent weight loss is suitable for everyone.


A Seal Called Andre by Harry Goodridge and Lew Dietz
nonfiction, 1975, paperback

This is the true story of the unique friendship between Harry Goodridge and Andre, the harbor seal who was as comfortable in Goodridge’s home as he was in Penobscot Bay. Andre became Rockport, Maine’s honorary harbormaster and was ranked “second only to Andrew Wyeth as the state’s most acclaimed summer resident.” Year after year, Andre swam south in the winter, only to return again to Harry the next spring.





How the Scoundrel Seduces by Sabrina Jeffries
The Duke's Men, 2014, mass market paperback (audio, ebook, large print)

Lady Zoe Keane’s father is pressing her to marry a cousin she’s never met. As Lord and Lady Olivier’s only child, spirited Zoe will one day inherit the title of countess and their Yorkshire estate, the land she adores—but she wants to marry for love. Then an unsolved family mystery shatters her world: is it possible Zoe’s birth mother was actually a Romany named Drina? Desperate to know her true lineage, Zoe hires the Duke’s Men to search for the woman who will determine her destiny.

Tristan Bonnaud is the man for the job, and not because the roguish investigator cares about a spoiled aristocrat and her inheritance “problem.” To protect himself from his villainous half-brother, Tristan needs to track down his Romany horse trader friend who has information about a decade-old scandal—and this young beauty’s far-fetched case is just the excuse he needs.

But if untangling the past isn’t risky enough, the sizzling attraction drawing the scoundrel to the lady is the most dangerously seductive surprise of all. . . .


The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson
 holiday fiction, 2014, hardcover

After years abroad, Garrison Brown returns home to Vancouver to build a new life. When his beloved grandmother passes away a few weeks before Christmas, Garrison goes to her house to sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While Garrison hopes to dispense with the task quickly, his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left Garrison with some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends--plus a sizeable monetary gift for the new owners. Garrison's job is to match the cats with the right owners without disclosing the surprise gift. Along the way, he may just meet someone who can make him stay.






Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick
fantasy, 2014, gift-sized hardcover

This is a novelization of the movie (which I thought was fabulous!). The edges are black and there are special pages as chapter headings. The cover pictured does not do the actually book justice.

The movie itself stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. It is a live action film exploring the origins of one of the most iconic Disney villains: Maleficent, the infamous fairy who curses Princess Aurora in Disney's animated classic Sleeping Beauty. This "origin" story is told from Maleficent's perspective, intersecting with the classic in both familiar and unexpected ways. 

Iris Brave by Ali B (facebook)
Soul Jumpers, 2013, Trade paperback

Iris Brave isn’t as courageous as her name suggests. That’s about to change. Iris doesn’t take risks. Heights make her dizzy and she prefers to swim in the shallow end… with nose plugs. On a summer visit to her grandpa’s farm, a mysterious stranger shadows Iris, leaving her cryptic messages. When this outsider turns out be a phantom from her family’s past, Iris sheds her timid ways to uncover the truth and protect the family she loves. Along the way Iris discovers family secrets and enigmatic figures that lead her to question everything she’s ever thought was real.



Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney
Lost Lords, 2014, mass market paperback . . . arrived a day early :-)

James, Lord Kirkland, owns a shipping fleet, half a London gaming house, and is a ruthlessly effective spymaster. He is seldom self-indulgent...except when it comes to the gentle, indomitable beauty who was once his wife. Laurel Herbert gave James her heart as an innocent young girl - until she saw him perform an act of shocking violence before her very eyes. That night she left her husband, and he let her go without a word of protest. Now, ten years later, a chance encounter turns passionate, with consequences that cannot be ignored. But as they try to rebuild what was broken, they must face common enemies and a very uncommon love.


The Highlander Next Door by Janet Chapman
Spellbound Falls, 2014, mass market paperback . . . arrived a day early :-)

Birch Callahan has seen the trouble men can cause. After witnessing her mother’s four marriages, Birch now runs a women’s shelter and doesn’t want a man in her life. But there’s something about her neighbor, Niall MacKeage. Birch can’t figure out how the cop can be so big and gruff and yet so insightful and compassionate—and sexy. Or how she’s falling for a man who acts like someone from the twelfth century.

Niall knows that Birch is attracted to him, even if she seems to distrust all men. Yet he also knows she has a secret—something that drives her to place herself in harm’s way for the women of her shelter. Niall would gladly rush to Birch’s side to protect her from harm, but with their secrets standing between them, he’ll have to reveal his own truth if he wants to keep her…


One Realm Beyond by Donita K. Paul
Realm Walkers, 2014, trade paperback

Cantor D’Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms.

But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment—finding a dragon to assist him on his quest—has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won’t leave him alone.

With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren’t progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild’s layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies.

Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh
Holiday fiction, 2011, hardcover

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.

Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

 Some Enchanted Éclair by Bailey Cates
A Magical Bakery Mystery, 2014, Mass Market Paperback

When Hollywood invades Savannah’s historic district to film a Revolutionary War movie, magical baker Katie Lightfoot, and her witches’ coven, the Spellbook Club, take a break from casting spells for casting calls. One of the witches snags a part as an extra, while Katie’s firefighter boyfriend, Declan, acts as on-set security. Katie and her aunt Lucy decide to stay out of the action, but after the movie’s “fixer” fires the caterer, the Honeybee Bakery comes to the rescue, working their magic to keep the hungry crew happy.

But when someone fixes the fixer—permanently—and a spooky psychic predicts Katie will find the killer, the charming baker and her fellow conjurers step in to sift through the suspects…before someone else winds up on the cutting room floor….

~ review book ~
The Sixteen by Ali B (facebook)
Soul Jumpers, 2014, trade paperback

Nothing in Iris Brave's world makes sense anymore. Her father, Micah, is still alive-his soul survives in the body of a teenage boy. It is up to Iris and a group of soul jumpers call the Sixteen to save Micah. To do so, Iris must take on the unscrupulous leaders of the Council. Can she save her father? Will she survive?



~*~*~*~*~ 
I haven't received any review books, won any contests or received any books as a gift. I have added several others to my ereader, most were even free.

added to my ereader: (kindle app, html, etc.) ~ I find out about free/discounted ebooks at amazon mostly from Pixel of Ink. I do go through the Top 100 at amazon once in a while. I'm getting better at pinning my new ebooks, 2014's books




What are you Reading?

A weekly Monday meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey. Post what you read last week and what you're planning to read this week then link to Shelia's post. Then visit others and be prepared to add to your TBR pile!




Books Read in August:
  1. On Fire by Drew Zachary
  2. The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
  3. Bodyguard to a Sex God by RJ Scott
  4. Three's Company by N. R. Walker
  5. The Ex Factor by RJ Scott
  6. Dragon's Lair by Pelaam
  7. Forbidden Waters by L. M. Brown
  8. Family Connections by N.J. Nielsen
  9. Dark Nights and Headlights by Bailey Bradford
  10. Bitter Creek's Redemption by T. A. Chase
  11. Broncs and Bullies by Bailey Bradford
  12. The Cat Who Spied on Me by Jane Oldaker
  13. Blinding Light by Renae Kaye
  14. Catching Eagle's Eye by Samantha Cayto
  15. A Bid for Love by T. D. McKinney & Terry Wylis
  16. On the Green by Nicole Dennis
  17. Liam's Unexpected Alpha by Alice Cain
  18. Aiden's Accidental Beta by Alice Cain
  19. Cody's Eternal Sheriff by Alice Cain
  20. Losing Sight Of The Target by T. A. Chase
  21. Working to Win by Sean Michael
  22. A Flight in Ice by Vivien Dean
  23. Wanting it Raw by Hunter Raines
  24. Project Snowflake by Heidi Champa
  25. Silver Edges by Sean Michael
  26. The Groom Wore Nothing by Hunter Raines
  27. Royal Line by Sean Michael
  28. Making Your Own Luck by Sean Michael
  29. Dream Boy by Shawn Bailey
  30. Nanny Dearest by Shawn Bailey
  31. Don't Touch by Lisa Oliver
  32. The Reluctant Wolf by Lisa Oliver
  33. The Runaway Cat by Lisa Oliver
  34. When No Doesn't Cut It by Lisa Oliver
  35. Handcuffs and Leather by Kim Dare
  36. Handcuffs and Glory Holes and Kim Dare
  37. Breaking Cover by Sean Michael
  38. Handcuffs and Headlocks by Kim Dare
  39. Handcuffs and Trouble by Kim Dare
  40. Called to Mate by Lynn  Tyler
  41. Micah’s Refuge by Lynn Tyler
  42. The Wolf's Tiger by Lynn Tyler
  43. Michael's Heart by Lynn Tyler
  44. Ryland's Sacrifice by Kim Dare 
  45. Recipe for Love by Sean Michael 
  46. Santa Wishes by Amber Kell
  47. Velvet Song by Sean Michael
  48. The Dragon and the Wolf by Mandy Rosko
  49. The Legend of the Werewolf by Mandy Rosko
  50. Ryland's Sacrifice by Kim Dare


Books stacked by my reading chair:
Marrick's Promise by Kim Dare
Maleficent by Elizabeth Rudnick
The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson (in my purse)




Started in 2013 but still not finished:
What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries (on page 34/384) . . . just start over!
Pegasus by Kate O'Hearn (on page 44/384) . . . just start over!
Dragonwriter edited by Todd McCaffrey (on page 42/271)
Mischief and Mistletoe, anthology (on page 312/402)
Jockeys and Jewels by Bev Pettersen (ebook - 21% read in 2013)
Montana Standoff by Sharon Dunn (18/280) . . . just start over!
Home for the Homicide by Jennie Bentley (on page 18/284 + Home-Renovation and Design Tips)

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2014

3 comments:

Mary (Bookfan) said...

I want to read that Jeffries series - I think I have the previous ones on my stack. Have a good week!

Unknown said...
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Shoshanah said...

I totally remember the Andre movie, but had no idea there was a book. Although I guess it does make sense, since that's normally what comes first. I hope you enjoy it, as well as all of the rest of your books!

Disclaimer

In accordance to the FTC guidelines, I must state that I make no monetary gains from my reviews or endorsements here on Book Dragon's Lair. All books I review are either borrowed, purchased by me, given as a gift, won in some kind of contest, or received in exchange for an honest review.