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!)

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

RC: Amazon 100 Children's Books (birth to age 12) to read in a Lifetime


Amazon's List of 100 Children's Books
to Read in a Lifetime

Personal Challenge
Book list a amazon can be found here

So many children's books remain close to our hearts long after we first read them. But which ones are the can't-miss favorites, those that will last a lifetime? The Amazon Book editors set out to compile a list of 100 Children's Books to Read in a Lifetime that included classics from years gone by, classics in the making, the serious, the silly, the surreal--children's literature has it all. We chose the books based on the idea of selecting the 100 that cover the years from birth (those first well-worn titles) up to age 12. Of course, the age at which people read these may vary wildly, but we tried to pick books that would feel significant in the years leading up to becoming a teenager, and be warmly remembered all their lives. And, naturally, we didn't want the list to feel like homework. We talked and argued and reminisced about the books we read when we were kids, the ones we've read to our own children, and the ones we've discovered since. The result is our list of 100 favorites.
There is a GoodReads Listopia
 
List of Books

  1. Aesop's Fables
  2. Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
  3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
  4. Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
  5. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
  6. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
  7. The Bad Begining: Or, Orphans! by Lemony Snicket
  8. Beatrix Potter, the Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter
  9. Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace
  10. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
  11. The Borrowers by Mary Norton
  12. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  13. Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business by Esphyr Slobodkina
  14. * Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
  15. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
  16. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin
  17. * Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
  18. The Complete Adventures of Curious George by Margret and H. A. Rey
  19. Corduroy by Don Freeman
  20. The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden
  21. The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
  22. D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths by Edgar and Ingri D'Aulaire
  23. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 1 by Jeff Kinney
  24. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Buss by Mo Willems
  25. Dr. Seuss's Beginner Book Collection by Dr. Seuss
  26. * The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
  27. * From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
  28. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  29. Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
  30. * Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm
  31. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
  32. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
  33. * Holes by Louis Sachar
  34. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by  Brian Selznick
  35. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
  36. Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
  37. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
  38. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  39. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
  40. The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper
  41. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
  42. Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
  43. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
  44. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
  45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
  46. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
  47. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald
  48. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
  49. The New Way Things Work by David MacAulay
  50. Olivia by Ian Falconer
  51. Owen by Kevin Henkes
  52. Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling C. Holling
  53. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
  54. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
  55. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
  56. Press Here by Herve Tullet
  57. The Real Mother Goose by Blanche F. Wright
  58. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
  59. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
  60. The Story of Babar: The Little Elephant by Jean de Brunhoff
  61. The Story of Ferdinard by Munro Leaf
  62. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
  63. The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo
  64. The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon
  65. * Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
  66. Watership Down by Richard Adams
  67. The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
  68. The Westling Game by Ellen Raskin
  69. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
  70. Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
  71. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
  72. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  73. * The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham
  74. * The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
  75. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


I have no idea why there are only 75 titles on the list!
~ I've crossed off the ones I remember reading although I may re-read some of them.
* I do own a few more, this doesn't include the ones on order ;-)


List of Books Read
from September 1, 2016 to . . .





copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Thoughts On . . . The Running Dream

The Running Dream

Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
Publisher: Random House 
ISBN: 978-0-375-86628-9
Published: January 2012  
genre: teen (friendship, social skills, sports, special needs)
per School Library Journal: Grades 7+
332 pages

format available: hardcover, trade paperback, ebook, audio

author's blog | Twitter

Grade:A

Back of Book:
What would you do if you lost the one thing that mattered most?

Sixteen-year-old Jessica is a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is. So when a tragic accident causes her to lose one of her legs, she is shattered--inside and out.

Though the doctors say she'll be able to walk with a prosthetic limb, recovery is slow and full of pitfalls. Jessica wonders if the girl who died in the accident didn't get the better end of the deal. But as she struggles to reclaim her life, Jessica get to know Rosa--a girl with cerebral palsy whom she and her friends had always overlooked. Not only does Rosa come to Jessica's rescue in math, she also help her reach for a future that is full of unexpected opportunities.

And Jessica starts to wonder: Is it possible not only to walk again, but to run?


My Thoughts:
Wow. This is one of those "I laughed, I cried, I wanted to slap someone upside the head" type books.  ;-)

I didn't bother reading the back again before I read the book. Just jumped right in and we're at the hospital after surgery. Jessica is understandable depressed but I've seen Amy dance (Dancing with the Stars) so I'm thinking Jessica needs a small slap/wake up. On the other hand, I don't believe I'd be doing as well.

It's a little "High School Drama" but Jessica is on a high school track team. There is the cute popular boy she likes. The Rival's head games that she finally works around. The girl on the team only because a team sport will look good on a collage application-and the track team doesn't cut.  But this is so much more than a book about a teen who want to run again. It's not about the stares or the mean girls. It's about teamwork, family, and growing up. About friendship and never giving up. She's got family, a terrific best friend, a great coach, and Rosa.

Oh, man. Rosa becomes like a secret weapon.

This is a book about becoming a better person, even if you have help.

Vanessa's mom gets it but I don't know if Vanessa ever will.

edit: You might want to have tissues handy before starting to read. I cried all over my shirt because I didn't want to put the book down.

Disclaimer: This book was from my private library. I'm sure someone posted something to interest me by I do not remember who or where. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of amazon.com and the book itself. 
 

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Thoughts On . . . Prince Noah and the School Pirates

Prince Noah and the School Pirates

Author: Silke Schnee
Illustrator: Heike Sistig
Publisher: Plough Publishing House 
ISBN: 978-0-87486-765-7
Published: August 1, 2016 
genre: Children's Book
32 pages

format available: hardcover

I didn't find any social media for this author (must be too busy with her school!) Bio at the publisher's site: here

Grade: B-

Description:
The prince, who starred in the book The Prince Who Was Just Himself, may be a little slower than other students, but he has no less joy in learning. In his kingdom, children go to school on sailing ships. There is a ship for girls and one for boys. There is a ship for children with an eye patch, a ship for children with one leg, and a ship for children who are slower learners. No one knows why there are so many different ships, but it has always been that way.

Then a terrible storm drives the ships into the hands of pirates. The boys and girls realize that they will only escape if everyone does what he or she does best. Through their adventures, they learn that diversity makes us strong and that every person has something to teach us.


My Thoughts:
I liked that it was recognized "Someone who can do so much belongs in school!" I was disappointed that each group was separate, because it had "always been done that way".

"The girls spent their days painting, embroidering, weaving, and knitting." Too bad for the girl who wants to learn Math, because "Math has never been taught to girls".

It didn't really get any better for the boys or the other groups. At least Prince Noah was having fun.

Then along comes the pirates! One of the students said the storm was coming but the adults couldn't see any clouds so they ignored him.

I love that the kids all work together to get free of the pirates, find their teachers, and get home. I really love that the adults learned that just because it has always been done that way doesn't mean there might not be another way.

This book has the same great illustrations as the first and a worthy addition to any school or public library. Or just a home library where they're not afraid of someone who is different.


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book without any obligation to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and may differ from yours. Book information courtesy of amazon.com and the publisher. It is being reviewed as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program.

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

RC: Take Back Your Shelves Read-a-Thon


Take Back Your Shelves
Read-a-Thon
Sep 2 - Sep 5

Hosted by JMill Wanders
for more information and/or to sign up, click here

#TBYSreadathon


Read books that have been on your shelves too long or your newest to keep it from becoming dusty. No borrowed books allowed.

Oh man, I've got so many print books waiting to be read including several ARCS that have gotten "dusty"!


edit: TOTAL FAIL
Dang it, I forgot about this!





copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon sign up and goals


Bout of Books
read-a-thon
Aug 22 - Aug 28
2016

hosted at Bout of Books blog

sign up page . . . Getting Started/Welcome

Twitter: @boutofbooks

Signing up late but I did get some reading done yesterday while in the emergency room (everyone's fine now, just stitches)


The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 22nd and runs through Sunday, August 28th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 17 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team 


Goals:
Finish: Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein
re-read: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
review: Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee


It would be super nice to read/review another book (I have a huge pile to choose from) or at least read another book from my TBR pile (a bigger pile to choose from).



Wednesday:
Finished: Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein
started: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
read: Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee

There are really four parts to my goals and I've completed two of them! Now to finish Crystal Singer and review Prince Noah and the School Pirates.


Thursday:
Still reading: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey - less than a 100 pages left


Friday:
Finished: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey


Saturday:
Started: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

Sunday:
Finished: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Read: Just Guys by B. G. Thomas


Final Progress Report
Read: Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein
Read: Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee
Read: Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
Reviewed: Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee - review
Read: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
Reviewed: The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen - review
Read: Just Guys by B. G. Thomas

1,015 pages, five books read and two reviews posted!


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Purrsday












just a place to share the cute/funny/weird pictures I find while surfing....when I should be doing a whole range of things ;) Don't forget to head over to The True Book Addict because Michele has a meme going. With links and everything!
~*~*~*~*~

more photos of these friends here




copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Purrsday












just a place to share the cute/funny/weird pictures I find while surfing....when I should be doing a whole range of things ;) Don't forget to head over to The True Book Addict because Michele has a meme going. With links and everything!
~*~*~*~*~




copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

RC: Outdo Yourself, page four

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
2016

Host: Corinne Rodrigues
for more information and to sign up, click here

Read more books during 2016 than you read during 2015. Any format, any genre. Books should be 100 pages (give or take). There are several levels and you can go by page count or titles.

2013: 168
2014: 211
2015: 133 (so far) Yikes, failing challenge! - 170 totally failed

I'm going for . . .  
Breaking a Sweat  
. . . and hope to read 11-15 more books, 181-185.
Yikes, that's over 16 a month!

Need to remember "give or take", I have several books that are 97 pages.



~ Books Read Jan-Jul: 95 ~
Half of 181-185 is approx. 92. Need about 18 a month for the rest of the year 

~ August ~
  1. Coffee Cake by Michaela Grey
  2. Extreme Bull by Catt Ford 
  3. No One Should Be Alone by Tinnean
  4. The Best by Tinnean 
  5. Cuffed by Aiden Bates 
  6. Some Kind of Magic by R. Cooper 
  7. A Boy and His Dragon by R. Cooper 
  8. Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr
  9. Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein 
  10. Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey 
  11. The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen 
  12. All's Fair in Mate Bonds and Publishing by Alana Ankh 
  13. Priceless by M.A. Church 
  14. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
~ Books Read Jan-Aug: 109 ~
Need 75 more, about 19 a month for the rest of the year

~ September ~
  1. Upside-Down Magic by S. Mlynowski, L. Myracle, E. Jenkins
  2. Wide Open Spaces by Renee Stevens 
  3. Perfect by M. A. Church 
  4. Real World by BA Tortuga 
  5. The 4 Phase Man by Richard Steinberg
  6. Housekeeping by Kim Fielding 
  7. Animal Magnetism anthology
  8. Son of Money by Brandon Witt
  9. Threefold Love by Ki Brightly 
  10. To Keep and to Love by Serena Yates
  11. Cuffed by Aiden Bates 
  12. Dawn in the Orchard by Cooper West 
  13. Sticks and Stones by S. Mlynowski, L. Myracle, E. Jenkins 
  14. Rory's Last Chance by Bailey Bradford 
  15. You In My Arms by A.C. Katt
  16. Bobby's Old Man by A. C. Katt
  17. Liam's Unexpected Alpha by Alice Cain
  18.  
  19.  
~ Books Read Jan-Sep: 126 ~
Need 58 more, almost 20 a month for the rest of the year 

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Monday, August 1, 2016

List of Books Read: August


You Read How Many Books?

Pages Read
One Million Pages Read 
Main page, here
I'll list pages and title/author for my books read.



~ Books Read: August ~ 
Pages read to July 31: 23,162  
220 - Coffee Cake by Michaela Grey
69 - If I Must by Amy Lane
85 - To Find and to Keep by Serena Yates
152 - Extreme Bull by Catt Ford
78 - The Start of a Beautiful Friendship by Tinnean
~ 604 ~
100 - No One Should Be Alone by Tinnean
197 - The Best by Tinnean
29 - Love Has No Expiration by C.S. Poe
34 - Toy Run by Charley Descoteaux
73 - The Byte of Betrayal by Ashavan Doyon
~ 1,037 ~
30 - Kithric's Mountain by Jessica Payseur
72 - I Almost Let You by Ashavan Doyon
62 - The Colors of Romance by Ashavan Doyon
174 - Cuffed by Aiden Bates
192 - Some Kind of Magic by R. Cooper
~ 1,567 ~
242 - A Boy and His Dragon by R. Cooper
319 - Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr
282 - Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert A. Heinlein
32 - Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee
320 - Crystal Singer by Anne McCaffrey
~ 2,762 ~
332 - The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
49 - Just Guys by B. G. Thomas
117 - All's Fair in Mate Bonds and Publishing by Alana Ankh
99 - Priceless by M.A. Church
68 - A Present in Swaddling Clothes by Andrew Grey
~ 3,427 ~
320 - Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey

Pages read in August: 3,747

copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016

Happy Monday: July 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






~ The newest review book in my house ~

Prince Noah and the School Pirates by Silke Schnee
picture book, Aug 2016, hardcover

The prince, who starred in the book The Prince Who Was Just Himself, may be a little slower than other students, but he has no less joy in learning. In his kingdom, children go to school on sailing ships. There is a ship for girls and one for boys. There is a ship for children with an eye patch, a ship for children with one leg, and a ship for children who are slower learners. No one knows why there are so many different ships, but it has always been that way.

Then a terrible storm drives the ships into the hands of pirates. The boys and girls realize that they will only escape if everyone does what he or she does best. Through their adventures, they learn that diversity makes us strong and that every person has something to teach us.





~ The newest books in my house ~
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
young adult, 2012, trade paperback

Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom—the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.



The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen
young adult, 2012, trade paperback

Sixteen-year-old Jessica lives to run but when a tragic accident results in her leg being amputated below the knee, her running dreams are shattered. During her recovery she gets to know Rosa—-a girl with cerebral palsy whom she had previously ignored. Rosa helps Jessica believe in a future with unexpected opportunities. With the support of her coach, friends, family and community, Jessica starts to wonder if it is possible not only to walk again, but to run.




Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley (facebook)
picture book, April 2016, hardcover

As her mom reads a bedtime story, Lucy drifts off. But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?







Off the Record by K.A. Linde
romance, 2014, trade paperback

Liz Dougherty has no idea that a single question is about to change her life.

Her first big reporting assignment for her North Carolina college newspaper has her covering a state senator’s impromptu press conference. Brady Maxwell may have everything it takes to be a politician—a winning pedigree, devastating good looks, a body made to wear suits—but his politics rub Liz the wrong way. When Liz’s hard-hitting question catches the upstart senator off-guard, it impresses Hayden Lane, Liz’s editor who feels she’s headed for a promising career as a reporter.

But Liz is also headed into a secret romance with Brady that could destroy both their ambitions. Though he’s a bachelor, potential voters might frown on Brady cozying up to a reporter. And Liz isn’t sure sneaking around is enough for her—especially when things between her and Hayden might be less platonic than she thought.


Riverbed Road by RaeAnne Thayne
Haven Point, 2016, mass market paperback

Protecting the streets of Haven Point isn’t just a job for police officer Wyn Bailey, it’s a family tradition. But lately she’s found herself wanting more, especially from her boss—and overprotective brother’s best friend—sexy chief of police, Cade Emmett. The only problem is getting Cade to view her as more than just a little sister. Cade’s hands-off approach with Wyn isn’t from lack of attraction. But his complicated past has forced him to conceal his desire. When Wyn is harmed in the line of duty, Cade realizes the depth of his feelings, but can he let his guard down long enough to embrace the love he secretly craves?


Evergreen Springs by RaeAnne Thayne
Haven Point, 2015, mass market paperback

Christmas is the last thing on Cole Barrett’s mind this year. He’s barely hanging on trying to care for his two grieving children since his ex-wife died in a tragic accident. For the reclusive Cole, this is no time for gift-giving and celebration—and certainly not for a sunny-natured optimist to blow into his screwed-up life.

Physician Devin Shaw has long researched the curative powers of Lake Haven’s mineral waters. Unfortunately, the hot springs are on Barrett property, forcing Devin to strike a bargain with the ranch’s attractively gruff owner: she’ll give Cole’s children a magical Christmas, and Cole will allow her patients access to the springs. But can she work her holiday magic to heal the Barrett family’s battered hearts—and her own?

Isn't it Rich? by Sherryl Woods
Perfect Destinies, 2016-reissue, mass market paperback

Straitlaced tycoon Richard Carlton suspects that his Aunt Destiny has more than business matters on her mind when she insists he meet klutzy PR executive Melanie Hart. Melanie might be brilliant—and beautiful—but Richard won't open his wounded heart to any woman, no matter how much she might make his pulse race.

Yet when the press mistakenly reports that they're a couple, Richard convinces Melanie to pretend that they're engaged—to bolster his reputation and to teach his matchmaking aunt a lesson, once and for all. But is this relationship just a charade, or do opposites really attract—for keeps?


Upon a Midnight Clear - anthology
Holiday, 1998, mass market paperback

Heartfelt joy, enduring hope, and dazzling romance .... Share the brightest treasures of the season with this acclaimed collection of holiday tales by five shining romance stars!

The Teacher by Jude Deveraux
Christmas Magic by Margaret Allison
Jolly Holly by Stef Ann Holm
If Only in My Dreams by Mariah Stewart
White Out by Linda Howard


Otherwise Engaged by Amanda Quick - Jayne Ann Krentz
Ladies of Lantern Street, 2015, mass market paperback

Miss Amity Doncaster, world traveler, is accustomed to adventure and risk. Benedict Stanbridge, a man of science and a spy for the Crown, has faced danger in the darker corners of foreign lands.

But they are about to face a threat that is shockingly close to home . . .

One does not expect to be kidnapped on a London street in broad daylight. But Amity Doncaster barely escapes with her life after she is trapped in a carriage with the killer known as the Bridegroom. He is unwholesomely obsessed by her scandalous connection to Benedict Stanbridge—gossip about their hours alone in a ship’s stateroom seems to have crossed the Atlantic faster than any sailing vessel could. Benedict refuses to let this resourceful, daring woman suffer for her romantic link to him—as tenuous as it may be.

For a man and woman so skilled at disappearing, so at home in the exotic reaches of the globe, escape is always an option. But each intends to end the Bridegroom’s reign of terror in London, and will join forces to do so. And as they prepare to confront an unbalanced criminal in the heart of the city they love, they must also face feelings that neither of them can run away from. . . .


Welcome to Forever by Annie Rains
A Hero's Welcome, 2015, ebook

In Seaside, North Carolina, there are two kinds of people: Marines, and kids of Marines. Then there’s Kat Chandler. Recently hired as the principal of Seaside Elementary, Kat makes it her mission to turn the school into a place of peace and calm. That’s not going to be easy with hard-liner parents like Micah Peterson storming in, telling her how to do her job—and then kissing her with those gorgeous lips of his and turning her brain into mush.

As a Marine Sergeant and a single dad, Micah Peterson has just two priorities: doing his job better than anyone else, and getting the absolute best for his son, Ben. But when he meets Ben’s beautiful new principal, a different yearning shifts into focus. He wants her, sure, but he’s also moved by the connection Kat forges with her students. So after learning that she refuses to date Marines, Micah sets two more objectives: convincing Kat to give him a chance . . . and then holding on to her forever.


Welcome Home, Cowboy by Annie Rains
A Hero's Welcome, 2016, ebook

After a bad breakup leaves Julie Chandler completely devastated, she comes to Seaside seeking a fresh start. A talented, compassionate yoga teacher, she has developed a program to help alleviate the effects of PTSD, but getting a bunch of bullheaded Marines into downward facing dog might be impossible. So Julie’s shocked when one of her first students dives in headfirst—and almost tempts her to take down her walls with his easy smile and electrifying touch.

Ever since Texas cowboy turned Marine pilot Lawson Phillips lost a crew member in a helicopter accident, he hasn’t been able to fly. When a psychologist orders him to attend, of all things, a yoga class, Lawson’s outraged—until he finds out Julie is the instructor. She’s beautiful, graceful, and completely guarded when it comes to his advances, but he’s determined to find out what makes her tick. Because underneath Julie’s hard shell is a woman Lawson knows he could fall for—and he’s not ready for the ride to end.


Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz
romantic suspense, 2015, mass market paperback

It’s no coincidence when Grace Elland finds a vodka bottle next to the lifeless body of her boss, motivational speaker Sprague Witherspoon. The bottle is a terrifying—and deliberate—reminder of the horrors of her past.

Grace retreats to her hometown to regroup and tries to put everything she’s learned about positive thinking into practice—a process that is seriously challenged on the world’s worst blind date.

Awkward doesn’t begin to describe her evening with venture-capitalist Julius Arkwright. She has nothing in common with a man who lives to make money, but the intense former Marine does have some skills that Grace can use—and he’s the perfect man to help her when it becomes clear she is being stalked.


River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz
romantic suspense, 2015, mass market paperback

It’s been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she’d been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party—by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher—only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up—was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue.

Now, returning after her aunt’s fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night—and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who’d targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.


Allegiance of Honor by Nalini Singh
Psy-Changeling, 2016, hardcover

A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads. The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups. It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners.

But a century of distrust and suspicion can’t be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman’s cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy…and changeling.

To find the lost and protect the vulnerable—and to save Trinity—no one can stand alone. This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and the soul, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line. But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?






~*~*~*~*~
I haven't received any review books, won any contests or received any books as a gift. I have added a couple a day from amazon's free bestseller lists. I've pinned some here.





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!




Finished:
Five-Sided Heart by Max MacGowan
Acceptance by Grace R. Duncan
Never Let it Go by Emily Moreton
Legal Affairs by Aiden Bates
A Fortunate Blizzard by L. C. Chase
HUGEx3 by Stephanie Brother
Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley
Dumped in Oz by Andrew Grey
Stuck in Oz by Andrew Grey
Trapped in Oz by Andrew Grey
The Second Door by T.C. Blue
Eyes Only for Me by Andrew Grey
Bindings and Books by CM Corett


Happy Reading!


copyright Book Dragon's Lair 2009-2016
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.