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, January 30, 2017

Happy Monday - January's edition

I wasn't going to post a month at a time during the new year. Or at least not until summer. But life gets in the way and my Mom died early in the month. I just couldn't see myself getting posts up on a schedule while dealing with my grief, my children's grief and my Dad's grief. Plus, I'm helping my Dad go through Mom's stuff. Seventy-three years of marriage has a by-product of a lot of stuff, at least in Mom's case, a child of the depression. edit: MIL is in the hospital, she had quadruple bypass surgery!


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





~ here are the newest review books in my house ~




~ here are the newest books in my house ~
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
Giver Quartet, 2013, paperback

"Mother? " There was no reply. She hadn't expected one. Her mother had been dead, now, for four days, and Kira could tell that the last of the spirit was drifting away ... Now she was all alone.

Left orphaned and physically flawed in a civilization that shuns and discards the weak, Kira faces a frighteningly uncertain future. Her neighbors are hostile and no one but a small boy offers to help. When she is summoned to judgement by The Council of Guardians, Kira prepares to fight for her life. But the Council, to her surprise, has plans for her. Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, the young girl faces new responsibilities and a set of mysteries deep within the only world she has ever known. On her quest for truth, Kira discovers things that will change her life and world forever.


Messenger by Lois Lowry
Giver Quartet, 2006, paperback

He noticed Kira reaching for her pack and spoke sharply to her. “What are you doing? We have to move on a minute. It’s dangerous here.” She hadn’t seen the deadly thing that had grabbed at Matty, but he knew there would be more; he watched the bushes for them.

It had come for him first, he realized. He did not want to be the first to die, to leave her alone.

To his dismay, she was removing her embroidery tools. “Kira! There’s no time!”

“I might be able to . . . ” Deftly she threaded a needle.

To what? He wondered bitterly. To create a handsome wall-hanging depicting our last hours? He remembered that in the art books he had leafed through at Leader’s, many paintings depicted death. A severed head on a platter. A battle, and the ground strewn with bodies. Swords and spears and fire; and nails being pounded into the tender flesh of a man’s hands. Painters had preserved such pain through beauty.

Perhaps she would.

He watched her hands. They flew over the small frame, moving in and out with the needle. Her eyes were closed. She was not directing her own fingers. They simply moved.

He waited, his eyes vigilant, watching the surrounding bushes for the next attack. He feared the coming dark. He wanted to move on, out of this place, before evening came. But he waited while her hands moved.

Finally she looked up. “Someone is coming to help us,” she said. “It’s the young man with the blue eyes.”


Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
middle grade, 2014, paperback

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life . . . until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief.


Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Historical fiction, 2011, paperback

As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.

Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.


When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare
Castles Ever After, 2015, mass market paperback

On the cusp of her first London season, Miss Madeline Gracechurch was shy, pretty, and talented with a drawing pencil, but hopelessly awkward with gentlemen. She was certain to be a dismal failure on the London marriage mart. So Maddie did what generations of shy, awkward young ladies have done: she invented a sweetheart.

A Scottish sweetheart. One who was handsome and honorable and devoted to her, but conveniently never around. Maddie poured her heart into writing the imaginary Captain MacKenzie letter after letter . . . and by pretending to be devastated when he was (not really) killed in battle, she managed to avoid the pressures of London society entirely.

Until years later, when this kilted Highland lover of her imaginings shows up in the flesh. The real Captain Logan MacKenzie arrives on her doorstep—handsome as anything, but not entirely honorable. He's wounded, jaded, in possession of her letters . . . and ready to make good on every promise Maddie never expected to keep.


The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
Tail of Emily Windsnap, 2012, paperback

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep Emily away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery — about her own identity, the mysterious father she’s never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water’s surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, first-time author Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident — an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.


The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts
fantasy, 2011, paperback

Katie Welker is used to being alone. She would rather read a book than deal with other people. Other people don’t have silver eyes. Other people can’t make things happen just by thinking about them!

But these special powers make Katie unusual, and it’s hard to make friends when you’re unusual. Katie knows that she’s different but she’s never done anything to hurt anyone so why is everyone afraid of her? Maybe there are other kids out there who have the same silver eyes . . . and the same talents . . . and maybe they’ll be willing to help her.



On the Road by Jack Kerouac
fiction, 2008, paperback

The legendary 1951 scroll draft of On the Road, published as Kerouac originally composed it

IN THREE WEEKS in April of 1951, Jack Kerouac wrote his first full draft of On the Road—typed as a single-spaced paragraph on eight long sheets of tracing paper, which he later taped together to form a 120-foot scroll. A major literary event when it was published in Viking hardcover in 2007, this is the uncut version of an American classic—rougher, wilder, and more provocative than the official work that appeared, heavily edited, in 1957. This version, capturing a moment in creative history, represents the first full expression of Kerouac’s revolutionary aesthetic.


Tears of the Silenced by Misty Griffin
true crime, 2014, ebook

One freezing morning in early March I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. I was a frightened Amish girl with nowhere to go, a second-grade education and no ID or social security card. Based on the Author's tragic true life story.

When I was six years old my family started to live and dress like the Amish. A few years later we moved to a mountain ranch where my sister and I were subjected to almost complete isolation, sexual abuse, and extreme physical violence. We knew that no rescue would ever come because only a handful of people even knew we existed and they did not know us well enough to care.

In my late teens, my parents feared we would escape and took us to an Amish community where we were adopted and became baptized members.I was devastated to once again find myself in a world of fear, animal cruelty and sexual abuse. Going to the police was severely frowned upon. A few years later I was again sexually assaulted, I knew I had to get help and one freezing morning in early March I made a dash for a tiny police station in rural Minnesota. As a result, I found myself plummeted into the strange modern world with only a second-grade education and no ID or social security card.

Author's Note-Please never turn a blind eye towards child abuse or think someone else will report it. That is what happened in my case and no one ever reported. After the fact, some individuals came forward and admitted they had thought about it, but ultimately never did. You could be that child's last chance, be a hero and report ( National Child Abuse Hotline 1-800-422-4453)- Misty Griffin


American Gods by Neil Gaiman
fiction, 2016-anniversary editon, mass market paperback

It is the story of Shadow—released from prison just days after his wife and best friend are killed in an accident—who gets recruited to be bodyguard, driver, and errand boy for the enigmatic trickster, Mr. Wednesday. So begins Shadow’s dark and strange road trip, one that introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. For, beneath the placid surface of everyday life, a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and Shadow is standing squarely in its path.



The Numberlys by William Joyce
Picture book, 2014, hardcover

Once upon a time there was no alphabet, only numbers…

Life was…fine. Orderly. Dull as gray paint. Very…numberly. But our five jaunty heroes weren’t willing to accept that this was all there could be. They knew there had to be more.

So they broke out hard hats and welders, hammers and glue guns, and they started knocking some numbers together. Removing a piece here. Adding a piece there. At first, it was awful. But the five kept at it, and soon it was…artful! One letter after another emerged, until there were twenty-six. Twenty-six letters—and they were beautiful. All colorful, shiny, and new. Exactly what our heroes didn’t even know they were missing.

And when the letters entered the world, something truly wondrous began to happen…Pizza! Jelly beans! Color! Books!


Karly Sheehan by Karen Spears Zacharias
Memoir/true crime, 2014, ebook

A true recounting of the high-profile Oregon murder case that led to Karly's Law. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, this is the story Ann Rule called "A Must Read." Reminiscent of Capote's In Cold Blood, the book has been written in the tradition of new journalism. The writer's proximity to the people involved make for unrelenting storytelling. As Karly's abuse escalates, the investigations unravel at a rapid-fire pace.




~*~*~*~*~

What I Read this Week
Shelia at Book Journey, hosted a weekly meme about what you read last week and what you were hoping to read this week. I don't believe she's still doing it but I've gotten use to letting you know what I read last week. Never was very good about knowing what I was going to read next!

Finished:
Stupid Mistletoe by Joyee Flynn
Tristan by Joyee Flynn
Borrowing Blue by Lucy Lennox
The Road Home by Elsa Winters, Brad Vance
Carson by Joyee Flynn
Dare You To by Riley Hart
Edric by Joyee Flynn
Lennox by Joyee Flynn
Dewey by Joyee Flynn
Vencentio by Joyee Flynn
The Musgrave Ritual by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Wesley by Joyee Flynn
Brody by Joyee Flynn
Romance Omega Style by Joyee Flynn
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sampson by Joyee Flynn
Baptista by Joyee Flynn
A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey
Mighty Men with Weapons by Addison Avery
Shiny! by Amy Lane
Do-over by Amy Lane
The Adventure of the Yellow Face by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fish Stick Fridays by Rhys Ford
Clear Water by Amy Lane


Happy Reading!

A Winter's Respite Wrap-Up


A Winter's Respite
Read-a-Thon
Wrap-up

hosted at Seasons of Reading

for more information or to sign up, click here
There's lots of info so check it out

Social Media: #WintersRespite

I had great plan for this read-a-thon. I have a couple "must read this month" books plus Sherlock Holmes short stories that I was going to make sure I read. I also want to get one or two ARCs read and reviewed.

Except life got in the way. My Mom, after years of declining health, said good-bye at the beginning of the year. Then my MIL went into the hospital on a Sunday complaining of being tired and chest pains. They scheduled her for surgery the next morning!

I figured I'd be spending more time in the real world then I'd be able to spend reading. I'm helping my Dad go through all my Mom's stuff.We can't just donate/toss it all, my Mom likes to hide money! We've got to check every pocket, purse, envelope, book, folded fabric, box of trinkets, . . .

So. How did I do?
I read 3 Sherlock Holmes stories
I read 15 other books (one was short)
 ~ I read 2,484 pages ~
I started four other books


I posted the list of books read on my update post, here, if you're interested.



Friday, January 20, 2017

A Winter's Respite Update


A Winter's Respite
Read-a-Thon
January 16 - January 29

hosted at Seasons of Reading

for more information or to sign up, click here
There's lots of info so check it out

Social Media: #WintersRespite


Jan 20: I've had a stressful year and totally forgot about the challenge! I'm not even sure the book I finished this week wasn't started before the challenge started!

I did start Frankenstein on Tuesday.

I'm thinking I'll do good the get the Sherlock Holmes stories read. I've been comfort reading online and without an ISBN they don't count.


~ Goals ~
I'm going to use this time to make sure the books I need to read for the month get read plus one or two ARCs and maybe another for a challenge. Hopefully I don't spend all the time reading on-line serials but only because they don't count! ~ Totally changed. New goals: Sherlock Holmes!


~ Books Read ~
Edric by Joyee Flynn
Lennox by Joyee Flynn
Dewey by Joyee Flynn
Vencentio by Joyee Flynn
The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Wesley by Joyee Flynn
Brody by Joyee Flynn
Romance Omega Style by Joyee Flynn
The Adventure of the Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sampson by Joyee Flynn
Baptista by Joyee Flynn
A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey
Mighty Men with Weapons by Addison Avery
Shiny! by Amy Lane
Do-over by Amy Lane
The Adventure of the Yellow Face by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fish Stick Fridays by Rhys Ford

started: The Girl with the Silver Eyes by Willo Davis Roberts - might have finished if I hadn't had a nap!

Clear Water by Amy Lane

started: Open Seating by Mickie B. Ashling
started: Dragon Groomer by Amber Kell


~ Possibilities
Out of the Pocket
Frankenstein - started (only got to page 9, not a comfort read)
Wish - already read
Sherlock Holmes (rest of Jan's stories: The Musgrave Ritual, The Speckled Band, The Yellow Face, The Red Circle)
 
something from  . . .
a perpetual challenge
non-fiction
What an Animal
Fantasy 101
TBR
cozy
new to me
Better World Books list
Island Reader list
In a Year list
Blogger Shame
1+ list
6+ list



Sunday, January 15, 2017

Hosting Where are You Reading?

2017's Where are You Reading?

Hosted here at Book Dragon's Lair

This one is all about places. There's one about states but this one counts cities, counties, and fictional locations too. Read a book set in a location for each letter of the alphabet. West Virginia only counts for W, Bowling Green only counts for B, but the Pern series by Anne McCaffrey that is on a fictional planet counts as P ;-)



You don’t need a blog to participate. Feel free to link to a Goodreads shelf or another public profile where everyone can see your books.

There is one hard rule, one just for general courtesy, and several guidelines. There are no levels, unless you want to do a second set of letters.

Hard Rules
The book in question must have an ISBN or equivalent. If you can buy it or borrow it, it counts -

General Courtesy
When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post. That way we can find it.

Guidelines
  • You can list your books in advance or as you read them. You can also change your list.
  • Any format, any genre or length of book counts but it must be the complete book, individual books in a collection do not count separately
  • Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger, just let me know in the comments.
  • Reviews are not necessary but a list of books you read is. There will be a link up for reviews if you wish to post them. You can make a list of books you want to read and change them if you'd like.
  • Crossovers for other challenges count
  • Books started before January 1st, 2017 don’t count - unless you start over ;-)

I enjoyed a similar challenge last year but didn't see it hosted this year. I hope you enjoy it too.


Monday, January 9, 2017

Happy Monday



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






~ here are the newest review books in my house ~


~ here are the newest books in my house ~

Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan
Second Chance Cat mysteries, 2017, mass market paperback

When Sarah Grayson opened a secondhand shop in the quaint town of North Harbor, Maine, she was expecting peace and quiet. Then she was adopted by a rescue cat named Elvis and a kooky trio of senior sleuths known as Charlotte’s Angels. Now she has nine lives worth of excitement…

Sarah’s friend and employee Rose is delivering a customer’s purchase when the quick errand becomes a deadly escapade. Rose arrives just in time to see the customer murdered by his wife, but before she can call the police, she is knocked out cold. When she wakes up, no one believes her, especially after the woman claims her husband is very much alive and has left her for someone else—and has a text message and empty bank account to prove it.

Despite her convincing story, Sarah is sure something is fishy—and it’s not Elvis’s kitty treats. Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels are determined to unravel this mysterious yarn, before the feral killer pounces again...


Hope Flames by Jaci Burton A Hope Novel, 2014, ebook and audio

Emma has her hands full with her newly opened veterinary clinic, and the last thing she needs in her life is a man, especially after the mistakes she made in the past. But Luke is someone she simply can’t ignore.

After a bitter divorce, Luke’s enjoying the single life, and has no intention of ever marrying again. Until he meets Emma, a strong, beautiful woman who’s very much a relationship kind of woman, and all wrong for him. But he can’t seem to stay away from her.


 
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
horror, 1991-this edition, paperback

Depicting the gripping struggle of two opposing personalities — one essentially good, the other evil — for the soul of one man. Its tingling suspense and intelligent and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveals Stevenson as a writer of great skill and originality, whose power to terrify and move us remains, over a century later, undiminished.





The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories by Oscar Wilde
horror, 2007, paperback

The enduringly eerie story of a naïve and irresistible young man lured by decadent Lord Henry Wotton into a life of depravity. Though Dorian is steeped in sin, his face remains perfect, unlined as years pass—while only his portrait, locked away, reveals the blackness of his soul. This timeless tale of Gothic horror and fable, reveling in the unabashed hedonism and cynical wit of its characters, epitomizes Wilde’s literary revolt against the proprieties of the Victorian era.



The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
horror, 1991, paperback

The story begins when a governess arrives at an English country estate to look after Miles, aged ten, and Flora, eight. At first, everything appears normal but then events gradually begin to weave a spell of psychological terror.

One night a ghost appears before the governess. It is the dead lover of Miss Jessel, the former governess. Later, the ghost of Miss Jessel herself appears before the governess and the little girl. Moreover, both the governess and the housekeeper suspect that the two spirits have appeared to the boy in private. The children, however, adamantly refuse to acknowledge the presence of the two spirits, in spite of indications that there is some sort of evil communication going on between the children and the ghosts.


Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
horror, 2003, paperback

Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss scientist, has a great ambition: to create intelligent life. But when his creature first stirs, he realizes he has made a monster. A monster which, abandoned by his master and shunned by everyone who sees it, follows Dr Frankenstein with murder and horrors to the very ends of the earth.







Lost Cat by Roger Mader
picture book, 2013, hardcover

When Slipper is accidentally left behind, her journey begins. Luckily, everyone wants to be with her. But Slipper won't settle for just any home—she's determined to find the family that fits!







Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates (twitter)
Never Too Late, 2016, ebook

Pete is six months pregnant when he finds himself in the middle of a bank robbery gone bad. He’s sure he’s going to die, but a handsome alpha State Trooper bursts in to save him at the last possible moment. Pete is half in love with Ozzy before the week is out – but what kind of alpha wants a pregnant omega?

Ozzy Morris is a Cold Case detective. He’s also a member of the SWAT team. When SWAT is called out to intervene in a bank robbery turned hostage situation, Ozzy meets the omega of his dreams. He barely cars that his perfect omega is already six months pregnant, and finding out that the gun used in the robbery is tied to a twenty year old cold case just gives him reasons to reach out.

That twenty year old cold case, though, turns out to be the tip of an iceberg made up of organized crime, dirty cops, and families so twisted they can barely be called families at all. Ozzy and Pete love each other, but can that love survive a new baby, their families’ opposition, and criminals who will stop at nothing to keep their operation running?

Holly's Secret by Nancy Garden
teen, 2000, hardcover

Holly Lawrence-Jones loves her family and was never troubled about having two moms, until she went to camp and was cruelly teased. Now that she and her family are moving to a small Massachusetts town from New York City, she has decided to give herself a new name and a "normal" family. But as time goes on, she finds it harder and harder to sustain that lie.






The Debutante Is Mine by Vivienne Lorret
The Season's Original, 2016, ebook

Lilah Appleton’s prospects are looking dim. With one last chance to find a titled husband before she’s forced to wed her wretched cousin, she must make this Season count. Plain, forgettable Lilah must become the Season’s Original. Desperate, she seeks help from the devilishly charming, untitled, and thoroughly unsuitable Jack Marlowe. All she must do now is resist the tempting rogue…

Bastard son and self-made man, Jack Marlowe loathes the aristocracy. When he meets Lilah, he expects her to be like all the other greedy husband-hunters. But she’s far more dangerous. Her alluring smiles and sharp tongue intrigue him. Before he knows it, he agrees to help her find a husband, revealing tricks to ensnare any man. The only problem is, his plan works too well—on him.

When Lilah becomes the belle of the ball, Jack realizes he may lose her forever—unless he can take a chance on love and claim his debutante...


Dragonfriend by Marc Secchia
Dragonfriend, 2015, ebook

Stabbed. Burned by a dragon. Abandoned for the windrocs to pick over. The traitor Ra’aba tried to silence Hualiama forever. But he reckoned without the strength of a dragonet’s paw, and the courage of a girl who refused to die.

Only an extraordinary friendship will save Hualiama’s beloved kingdom of Fra’anior and restore the King to the Onyx Throne. Flicker, the valiant dragonet. Hualiama, a foundling, adopted into the royal family. The power of a friendship which paid the ultimate price.

This is the tale of Hualiama Dragonfriend, and a love which became legend.


The Road Home by Elsa Winters, Brad Vance
romance (gay), 2016, ebook

Nick Carpenter grew up in the foster system after watching his parents die in a car crash. Now, he's finally found a place for himself as an EMT. Partnered with a gruff but very competent paramedic as his first assignment in Seattle, he figures that it's best to keep this working relationship strictly professional, even if Andrew is hot as hell.

"You let the patient talk, Nick, because sooner or later they’ll probably tell you what you need to know."

Andrew Hazard loves his job, even if he gets paired with a different EMT every couple weeks. Once an EMT proves himself incompetent, Andrew makes no effort to be friends with them. That's why it's such a relief when Nick comes along. He keeps the ambulance stocked, he can drive well, and he knows how to start an IV. He's great at saving lives, and also a great person to hang out with. From hiking to movies, they find themselves spending a lot of time with each other. Nick's homosexuality definitely isn't a problem, even though Andrew's girlfriend jokes that he wants to spend more time with Nick than with her.

"You wanna go on an adventure?"

When Andrew gets the chance of a lifetime - going to the prestigious UCLA Medical School - his girlfriend doesn't share his enthusiasm. And so, freshly broken up, Andrew asks Nick to go with him on a road trip down south to check out the area. Nick wants to keep him as his best friend, even though his romantic feelings have reached a fever pitch. But he also realizes that this could be his last chance to let Andrew know how he feels. Will Andrew let Nick into his heart, or will this road trip be their last hurrah?


Dare You To by Riley Hart
Wild Side, 2017, ebook

Austin Thompson spends most of his spare time reading or logging in extra hours at the LGBTQ youth center where he works. His only standing “night out,” if you can call it that, is his weekly movie night with his best friend, Dare Nichols. Between work and Dare, it’s hard to find time for much else, so when he does try to date, it ends in disaster.

Dare thrives on living life on the wild side—surfing, mountain biking, sky diving. If it’s extreme, he’s game. Between sports and spending his evenings at his West Hollywood bar, Dare never sees a dull moment. Still, with all that excitement, most of his favorite times are when he’s tucked away in Austin’s apartment. Probably because he’s the best friend Dare’s ever had.

Then the kiss happens and the men realize they don’t want to stop there. As they explore this new adventure in their relationship, Austin realizes the excitement he’s been looking for has been right there all along, and Dare must decide if he can conquer his only fear by risking his heart.


Borrowing Blue by Lucy Lennox
Made Marian, 2016, ebook

Blue: When my ex walks into the resort bar with his new husband on his arm, I want nothing more than to prove to him that I've moved on. Thankfully, the sexy stranger sitting next to me is more than willing to share a few kisses in the name of revenge. It gets even better when those scorching kisses turn into a night of fiery passion.

The only problem? Turns out the stranger's brother is marrying my sister later this week.

Tristan: I have one rule: no messing with the guests at my vineyard resort. Of course the one exception I make turns out to be the brother of the woman my brother's about to marry. Now we're stuck together for a week of wedding activities, and there's no avoiding the heat burning between us.

So fine, we make a deal: one week. One week to enjoy each others bodies and get it out of our system. Once the bride and groom say I do and we become family, it'll all be over between us. Right?


~*~*~*~*~

What I Read this Week
Shelia at Book Journey, hosted a weekly meme about what you read last week and what you were hoping to read this week. I don't believe she's still doing it but I've gotten use to letting you know what I read last week. Never was very good about knowing what I was going to read next!

Finished:
Put a Ring on It by K. A. Mitchell
The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Lost Cat by Roger Mader
Buried Passions by Aiden Bates
Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates
Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf by Shari Tharp (reviewed too)
Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn
Hell's Bells by Joyee Flynn



Happy Reading!

Sunday, January 8, 2017

Bout of Books Update - day 6

Bout of Books
Read-a-Thon Update
Day 6

hosted at Bout of Books

for more information, click here

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th 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 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

~ Goals ~
  • read, and review, an ARC - review goes live on Saturday
  • A Sherlock Holmes story
  • something for a monthly challenge 
  • something for a challenge other than print/audio/ebook

~ Books Read ~
  1. The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  2. Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
  3. Wish by Barbara O'Connor 
  4. Lost Cat by Roger Mader
  5. Buried Passions by Aiden Bates
  6. Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates 
  7. Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf by Shari Tharp 
  8. Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn 
  9. Hell's Bells by Joyee Flynn

~ Possiblities ~
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Classic Horror)
  • Title has . . . Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep or Thousand (Monthly Keyword) - Out of the Pocket!
  • Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Monthly Keyword, Monthly Motif, and Homework Assignment)
  • 1984 by George Orwell (Sci-fi, Banned/Challenged, and What in a Name?)
  • an ARC - Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf? or see Blogger Shame
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (This Island Reader, Color Coded, Birth Year)
  • Valentine Kittens anthology (In a Year and What an Animal)
  • The Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
~ Progress Report~
Sunday (doesn't count)
finished Put a Ring on It
ordered Frankenstein 

Monday
started Out of the Pocket
started Valentine Kittens
started A Study in Scarlet (first in book, forgot it was supposed to be The Gloria Scott)
workout: 5k
joined more challenges
#insixwords: Family, Read, Run, Laugh, Read ;-), Pets

Tuesday
started/finished: The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
started/finished: Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
online serials
2017 in Pictures? Yikes! Books, running, weights, uncluttering, etc . . .  done! click here
started: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Wednesday
finished: Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Today's assignment: Book to Movie - Anne McCaffrey's Pern series could be awesome if done right.
gym? - no, went shopping
doctor appointment
started: Buried Passion by Aiden Bates

Thursday
more finished: Buried Passion
Today's assignment: Spine Poetry - I never have any luck with this one. Maybe if more of my books were accessible. Maybe if I had more of an imagination! ;-) Poetry and I just don't mesh well.
gym?
chores!
more challenges . . . need to organize the ones I've got!
find Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf or pick another ARC found
started/finished: Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates

Friday
car into shop
started: Suddenly One Summer by Julie James (tbr and new-to-me)
still need to organize challenges and hosting duties
shopping and gym with husband :-)
read and scheduled a review for Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf
startedz; Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn

Saturday
found out my house/dog sitting starts a day earlier!
over husband's mileage goal for me, short on my goal
I've got a long list of things to do today, I don't know how much reading I'll get done :-(  - except, I'm sure I'll open an ebook right now while eating ;-)
finished: Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn




Saturday, January 7, 2017

Christmas reading challenge wrap-up


Christmas Spirit
Reading Challenge
Nov 21, 2016 - Jan 6, 2017

for more information or to sign up, click here

I signed up for Christmas Spirit first (here) and read 21 books. Only 6 of them were new Christmas/Winter books.

I watched parts of maybe 14 movies but didn't watch a full one. Not even Charlie Brown :-(




Whole Latte Christmas
Reading Challenge
Nov 25 - Jan 7

hosted at Whole Latte books

for more information and to sign up, click here

#WholeLatteXmas


Not all of the 21 counted for Whole Latte Christmas (here) so I only overlapped 5 plus one that I read today. I'm also reading one so that means I got 7!










Thoughts On . . . Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf

Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf

Author: Shari Tharp
Illustrator: Jim Heath
Series: Gertrude and Toby Fairy-Tale Adventure series
Publisher: Atlas Publishing 
ISBN: 978-1945033001
Published: January 9, 2017 
genre: Children's Book
40 pages

format available: hardcover (2015), paperback

Author's website | Twitter


Blurb:
Gertrude the Goat and Toby the Tortoise are going fishing at Trout Lake today for their Friday adventure. On their way to the lake, Gertrude and Toby meet a new friend, but unfortunately he is carried off by a hungry wolf! They follow the wolf and rescue their new friend, but the wolf doesn't give up. He goes after them, determined to get his “lunch” back!

My Thoughts:
Granted I'm not the target audience not do I have a little one to read to but I still love picture books. This one is just cute. Not fabulous, just cute. I was thinking the fairy-tale was the boy who cried wolf when the boy showed up but the three little pigs showed up too.

I like Gertrude and Toby. Their friendship shows through but I'm not sure about the sneaking off part of the story. I like that Gertrude was willing to help someone he didn't know (the boy) then later was willing to give up something (the fish) to save everyone from the wolf.

I would get it if I had a little one but I would hope that it wasn't one they wanted to have read to them over and over and over again.


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.

Bout of Books Update - day 5

Bout of Books
Read-a-Thon Update
Day 5

hosted at Bout of Books

for more information, click here

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th 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 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

~ Goals ~
  • read, and review, an ARC - review goes live on Saturday
  • A Sherlock Holmes story
  • something for a monthly challenge 
  • something for a challenge other than print/audio/ebook

~ Books Read ~
  1. The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  2. Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
  3. Wish by Barbara O'Connor 
  4. Lost Cat by Roger Mader
  5. Buried Passions by Aiden Bates
  6. Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates 
  7. Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf by Shari Tharp

~ Possiblities ~
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Classic Horror)
  • Title has . . . Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep or Thousand (Monthly Keyword) - Out of the Pocket!
  • Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Monthly Keyword, Monthly Motif, and Homework Assignment)
  • 1984 by George Orwell (Sci-fi, Banned/Challenged, and What in a Name?)
  • an ARC - Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf? or see Blogger Shame
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (This Island Reader, Color Coded, Birth Year)
  • Valentine Kittens anthology (In a Year and What an Animal)
  • The Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
~ Progress Report~
Sunday (doesn't count)
finished Put a Ring on It
ordered Frankenstein 

Monday
started Out of the Pocket
started Valentine Kittens
started A Study in Scarlet (first in book, forgot it was supposed to be The Gloria Scott)
workout: 5k
joined more challenges
#insixwords: Family, Read, Run, Laugh, Read ;-), Pets

Tuesday
started/finished: The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
started/finished: Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
online serials
2017 in Pictures? Yikes! Books, running, weights, uncluttering, etc . . .  done! click here
started: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Wednesday
finished: Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Today's assignment: Book to Movie - Anne McCaffrey's Pern series could be awesome if done right.
gym? - no, went shopping
doctor appointment
started: Buried Passion by Aiden Bates

Thursday
more finished: Buried Passion
Today's assignment: Spine Poetry - I never have any luck with this one. Maybe if more of my books were accessible. Maybe if I had more of an imagination! ;-) Poetry and I just don't mesh well.
gym?
chores!
more challenges . . . need to organize the ones I've got!
find Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf or pick another ARC found
started/finished: Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates

Friday
car into shop
started: Suddenly One Summer by Julie James (tbr and new-to-me)
still need to organize challenges and hosting duties
shopping and gym with husband :-)
read and scheduled a review for Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf
started Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn







Friday, January 6, 2017

Bout of Books Update - day 4

Bout of Books
Read-a-Thon Update
Day 4

hosted at Bout of Books

for more information, click here

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th 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 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

~ Goals ~
  • read, and review, an ARC
  • A Sherlock Holmes story
  • something for a monthly challenge 
  • something for a challenge other than print/audio/ebook

~ Books Read ~
  1. The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  2. Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
  3. Wish by Barbara O'Connor 
  4. Lost Cat by Roger Mader
  5. Buried Passions by Aiden Bates
  6. Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates

~ Possiblities ~
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Classic Horror)
  • Title has . . . Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep or Thousand (Monthly Keyword) - Out of the Pocket!
  • Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Monthly Keyword, Monthly Motif, and Homework Assignment)
  • 1984 by George Orwell (Sci-fi, Banned/Challenged, and What in a Name?)
  • an ARC - Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf? or see Blogger Shame
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (This Island Reader and Color Coded)
  • Valentine Kittens anthology (In a Year and What an Animal)
  • The Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
~ Progress Report~
Sunday (doesn't count)
finished Put a Ring on It
ordered Frankenstein 

Monday
started Out of the Pocket
started Valentine Kittens
started A Study in Scarlet (first in book, forgot it was supposed to be The Gloria Scott)
workout: 5k
joined more challenges
#insixwords: Family, Read, Run, Laugh, Read ;-), Pets

Tuesday
started/finished: The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
started/finished: Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
online serials
2017 in Pictures? Yikes! Books, running, weights, uncluttering, etc . . .  done! click here
started: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Wednesday
finished: Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Today's assignment: Book to Movie - Anne McCaffrey's Pern series could be awesome if done right.
gym? - no, went shopping
doctor appointment
started: Buried Passion by Aiden Bates

Thursday
more finished: Buried Passion
Today's assignment: Spine Poetry - I never have any luck with this one. Maybe if more of my books were accessible. Maybe if I had more of an imagination! ;-) Poetry and I just don't mesh well.
gym?
chores!
more challenges . . . need to organize the ones I've got!
find Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf or pick another ARC found
started/finished: Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates




Thursday, January 5, 2017

Men in Uniform Reading Challenge


Men in Uniform
Reading Challenge
2017

previously hosted by The Book Vixen
now a GoodReads Challenge
for more information, click here
you must be a member (it's free) of GoodReads to post.

This is for Men in Uniform. ANY uniform, as long as the leading man wears some sort of uniform it counts. Books must be 100 pages (give or take) or longer. Any genre, any format. Re-reads and crossovers to other challenges count but only books started and finished in 2017 count. There are several levels. I'm going for . . . .
Lieutenant
 . . . and hope to read 11–20 men in uniform novels.

You can move up a level but not down. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself. You can join any time.


~ Books Read ~

1. Buried Passions by Aiden Bates (detective)
2. Adrenaline Rush by Aiden Bates (detective)
3. Screw Santa by Joyee Flynn (detective)
4. Hell's Bells by Joyee Flynn (construction worker)
5. The Road Home by Elsa Winters, Brad Vance (paramedic/EMT)
6. A Taste of Love by Andrew Grey (chef)
7. Utopia by Shea Balik (security)
8. Skin in the Game by Shea Balik (security)





Possibilities
Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (firefighter) - own
The Stocking was Hung by Tara Sivec (Marine)
All Hung Up by Kathleen Brooks (football)
Play-by-Play series by Jaci Burton
Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade series by J. J. Cook (firefighter) - own, darn, it's a female in uniform


Birth Year Reading Challenge


Birth Year
Reading Challenge
2017

hosted by Hotchpot Cafe
for more information or to sign up, click here

The idea is to read book published the year you were born. Check out the page for more information for rules, prize info and what to do if you've already ready the books from your birth year.

I own several of the books that popped up when I googled "best books of 1965", one is on my I should read this series this year list.

~ Goal: 4 books ~

~ Books Read ~
1.
2.
3.
4.


Possibilities
own ~ Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper - own
own ~ The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
own ~ Dune by Frank Herbert
own ~ The Star Fox by Poul Anderson
own ~ All Flesh is Grass by Clifford D. Simak
own ~ The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming
The Flag by Robert Shaw
The Ambassador by Morris West
The Book of Bond by Kingsley Amis
Wikipedia list of Harlequin novels released in 1965! click here
Space Opera by Jack Vance
The Source by James Michener
The Phantom of Pine Hill by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew Mystery)
The Doorbell Rang by Rex Stout
The Quick and the Dead by Vincent Starrett
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut 






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!

~*~*~*~*~
something to think about



Bout of Books Update - day 3

Bout of Books
Read-a-Thon Update
Day 3

hosted at Bout of Books

for more information and to sign up, click here

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th 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 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Add the direct link to your sign up post to the linky in this post. You have until Tuesday, January 3rd at 11:59pm CST to sign up. (If the linky is closed, you're too late.)

Don't have a blog? Post on Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook account and declare your intentions to join us. It's EASY. We ask you share info to help spread the word. Please link back to us so others can find us here.

~ Goals ~
  • read, and review, an ARC
  • A Sherlock Holmes story
  • something for a monthly challenge 
  • something for a challenge other than print/audio/ebook. 

~ Books Read ~
  1. The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  2. Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
  3. Wish by Barbara O'Connor


~ Possiblities ~
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Classic Horror)
  • Title has . . . Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep or Thousand (Monthly Keyword) - Out of the Pocket!
  • Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Monthly Keyword, Monthly Motif, and Homework Assignment)
  • 1984 by George Orwell (Sci-fi, Banned/Challenged, and What in a Name?)
  • an ARC - Gertrude and Toby Meet the Wolf? or see Blogger Shame
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (This Island Reader and Color Coded)
  • Valentine Kittens anthology (In a Year and What an Animal)
  • The Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)
~ Progress Report~
Sunday (doesn't count)
finished Put a Ring on It
ordered Frankenstein 

Monday
started Out of the Pocket
started Valentine Kittens
started A Study in Scarlet (first in book, forgot it was supposed to be The Gloria Scott)
workout: 5k
joined more challenges
#insixwords: Family, Read, Run, Laugh, Read ;-), Pets

Tuesday
started/finished: The Adventure of the Gloria Scott by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
started/finished: Alone for Christmas by Ashley John
online serials
2017 in Pictures? Yikes! Books, running, weights, uncluttering, etc . . .  done! click here
started: Wish by Barbara O'Connor

Wednesday
finished: Wish by Barbara O'Connor
Today's assignment: Book to Movie - Anne McCaffrey's Pern series could be awesome if done right.
gym? - no, went shopping
doctor appointment
started: Buried Passion by Aiden Bates



copyright Book Dragon's Lair
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.