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 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!

2 comments:

Carol said...

Enjoy your books. The Picture of Dorian Gray is on my list to read this year.

Martha Eskuchen said...

That is quite a list with wider variety including some classics. Telling Tails really looks like a fun mystery.
Enjoy your reading!

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.