My Favorite Books Read 2013

These aren't in a specific order, just in which order they come to mind.  I suppose whichever ones I remember first were better than the others, but now I'm getting all psychology nerd on you;)

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I just finished this book tonight, so I won't have a review up for a little while.  I also have to do a book report on it and finish in one day because of my surgery interfering with deadlines. I'm giving you my little summary, but for the rest of the books on this list I am just linking my review where summaries can be found.

This is a nonfiction work about a woman named Henrietta, whose cells are still alive even though she is dead.  These cells have lead to amazing medical advancements like the polio vaccine and cancer treatment like Taxol, but her doctors took cell samples from her without her ever knowing.  These cells are extremely valuable for research even still today, and producing these cells called HeLa became a billion dollar industry.  But does her family get any of the money? They can't even afford health insurance.

2. Vain by Fisher Amelie

3. The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski

4. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

5. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

8. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

9. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LeRoux

10. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

11. Down London Road by Samantha Young

12. Wait for You by J. Lynn

13. Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Hope you have a great 2014!

I got a Broken iPad!

Would anyone else cheer after getting a broken iPad? Merry Christmas! Truly, the screen got injured, but she is still functional! So what's this mean? 

I can blog easier now!!!!!!

I used to use the blogger app on my iPhone because I'm often too lazy to walk to the computer, but blogging with an iPad is so much easier so far. Let's see how this holds up ;)

Christmas Presents!

Yay!!! Santa read some of my list.  However, his eyesight must have deceived him to a degree.

Here are the James Dashner books: The 13th Reality and Book 1,2,4 of Jimmy Fincher Saga.  All are signed first editions which is quite an impressive find.  Those elves work wonders, I suppose!

The Rick Riordan books: Mission Road, Southtown, and limiteds of The Serpent's Shadoe, The Son of Neptune, and The House of Hades.  Santa also brought me a signed of the trade House of Hades even though I already have it.  He's got a lot of children to tend to, so one mess-up isn't bad.

Did you get any nerdy gifts?  Hope you have a nice day today if you are celebrating or doing other things.  I wish I could go to the movies.  I am jealous of my Jewish friends.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everybody celebrating.  I hope you find some kind of joy today whether it be from something Santa brings, something delicious, or something with family!  And for everybody not celebrating, the Christmas songs will soon be over!!!

I'll be back to show you some things I got for Christmas, hopefully books!

I probably shouldn't be laughing: The Fault in Our Stars Movie

I like the tag line.  It's punny, but I definitely understand that some people don't.  Cancer is a touchy subject of course, but that's the whole point of the novel.  John Green shows that books about cancer don't have to be complete tearjerkers.  It's such a beautiful story.  I'm excited for the movie.  I love the casting!

John Green's reaction to the tagline via Tumblr:

I like the tag line. I found it dark and angry in the same way that Hazel is (at least at times) dark and angry in her humor. I mostly wanted something that said, "This is hopefully not going to be a gauzy, sentimental love story that romanticizes illness and further spreads the lie that the only reason sick people exist is so that healthy people can learn lessons." But that's not a very good tag line. I like the tag line because it says, literally, the sick can also have love stories. Love and joy and romance are not just things reserved for the well.

I have no problem with the tagline. It's cheeky.
— Ansel Elgort (@AnselElgort) December 20, 2013

Shailene Woodley's thoughts:

I had a really strong response to it. It's definitely - it's not a tagline that I probably would have chosen by any means. But I think that there's so many people who are so passionate about this book that there's nothing that will ever satisfy everyone. So I think it was just up to the discretion of the marketing mavens. For me, it was - yeah, not something I would have chosen. But it seems like half the people love it and half the people don't like it.

Book Report Break!

Not sure why I put an ! in the title of this post. That would imply the joy of having to do a book report over my holiday break.  

I'm not happy about having to do the report, but The Imortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot does sound interesting.  This will be all I'll be reading next week ( that is if I am good and don'tprocrastinate when I really can't afford it). So much for having a break over break.

So unbelievable!

And that is all for today, I suppose.

HAPPY holidays!!!! I'll be back to being better at blogging in the new year.

Blog Tour: Life A.D. by Michelle Reed

Title: Life, A.D.

Author: Michelle E. Reed

Genre: Young Adult/Speculative Fiction

Publisher: Month9Books

ISBN: 9780988340916

Publication Date: December 10, 2013

Formats: eBook and print

In Life, A.D. you have two choices: join the program or face the consequences.

Seventeen-year-old Dez Donnelly crashes headlong into fate on the side of a rural highway, her life ending in a violent collision of steel and screaming brakes. The train that delivers her newly departed soul to the crossroads of the afterlife won’t be carrying her to the sweet hereafter until she accepts her abrupt end and learns to let go of the life she’ll never finish.

Her new reality is conduct manuals, propaganda, and unrelenting staff, all part of a system to ease her transition from life to death, while helping her earn her way out of limbo. Atman City, beautiful and enticing, is an ever-present temptation that is strictly off limits to underage souls. The promise of adventure proves too strong, and beneath the city’s sheen of ethereal majesty, Dez discovers a world teeming with danger.

Welcome to Life, A.D. where being dead doesn’t mean you’re safe, and the only thing harder than getting out of limbo is getting through it.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17452630-life-a-d

Purchase Links: 

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Life-D-After-Dez-Atman-ebook/dp/B00GL9OBMC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386104661&sr=8-1&keywords=Life%2C+A.D.+Michelle+E+Reed

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/life-ad-michelle-e-reed/1117217871?ean=9780988340916

Kobo:  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/life-a-d

TBD:  http://www.bookdepository.com/Life%2C-D-Michelle-E-Reed/9780988340916

Indiebound:   http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780988340916

Giveaway:

·        -  Three (3) ebook copies of Life, A.D. by Michelle E. Reed (International)

·         - One (1) signed paperback copy of Life, A.D. by Michelle E. Reed (US only)

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ABOUT MICHELLE E. REED:

Michelle E. Reed was born in a small Midwestern town, to which she has returned to raise her own family. Her imagination and love of literature were fueled by a childhood of late nights, hidden under the covers and reading by flashlight. She is a passionate adoption advocate who lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son, and their yellow lab, Sully.

 Connect:  Website | Twitter |  Facebook | Goodreads

Book Blast: LOVERS AT HEART by Melissa Foster

“Steamy sex scenes and heartfelt confessions…a satisfying addition to the ‘Love in Bloom’ series.” — Midwest Book Review

**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+** Lovers at Heart is a steamy contemporary romance with alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They’re flawed, funny, passionate, and very relatable for readers who enjoy adult romance, contemporary romance, and women’s fiction. Enjoy Lovers at Heart as a stand-alone novel or for more enjoyment, read the entire Love and Bloom series (nine full-length novels featuring the Snow Sisters and the Bradens).

Handsome, wealthy resort owner Treat Braden is used to getting what he wants. When Max Armstrong walked into his life six months earlier, he saw right through the efficient and capable façade she wore like a shield, to the sweet, sensual woman who lay beneath. She sparked an unfamiliar desire in him for more than a one-night stand, leaving his heart reeling and his blood boiling. But one mistake caused her to turn away, and now, after six months of longing for the one woman he cannot have, he’s going home to try to forget her all together.Max Armstrong has a successful career, a comfortable lifestyle, and she’s never needed a man to help her find her way–until Treat Braden caught her attention at a wedding in Nassau, causing a surge of emotions too reminiscent of the painful past she’d spent years trying to forget. Max will do anything to avoid reliving that pain–including forgoing her toe-curling, heart-pounding desire for Treat.When a chance encounter turns into a night of intense passion, Treat realizes that the mistake he made six months earlier may cause him to lose Max completely. He will do everything within his power to win her heart forever–and Max is forced to face her hurtful past head on for the man she cannot help but love.

Watch for the full LOVE IN BLOOM series:

.

SNOW SISTERS

Sisters in Love
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White

.

THE BRADENS

Lovers at Heart
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18690048-lovers-at-heart?from_search=true

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Heart-Love-Bloom-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B00G0ZRN18/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386643632&sr=8-1&keywords=lovers+at+heart

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Melissa Foster is the New York Times Best Selling author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on  Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.

Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.

Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.

Website: http://www.MelissaFoster.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3023973.Melissa_Foster

GIVEAWAY:

Must be 13+ To Enter | US ONLY

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Spotlight: Mail Order Romance Novels by Claire Charlins

West For Love

A Mail Order Romance Novel

Shamed for not birthing a child with her wealthy husband, Anna Stewbren can no longer face her family and the disappointment that they wear on their faces daily. After her husband forces her into divorce, Anna travels to town and reads a heartbreaking letter from a wet nurse in Kansas, seeking a mail order bride for the widower she works for. She instantly knows it is the answer to her prayers...

*

Josephine has a God given gift to nurture the infants of widowers and the wealthy who would rather not feed their own children. Never before has she met a man like Thomas who so deserves a second chance at love. When she pens a letter to a newspaper in Massachusetts, she does so without permission...

*

Thomas Calhor is a hardworking man, generous to those around him, and a loving father. However, he is broken and lost without his wife, who did not survive childbirth. His reaction to Josephine's letter even surprises himself and begins a journey that will forever change many lives...

*

Arriving in Kansas brings Anna more challenges than she ever expected to find, but through love, honor, marriage, and a shocking secret that will forever keep her with Thomas proves that in romance, anything can happen...

__

Finding Love West

A Mail Order Romance Novel

Eliza Smithren never considered becoming a mail order bride, but after her scheming brother-in-law wants to enlist her in a new business proposition of his, she knows her time has come to leave home once and for all. She doesn't want to be a burden to anyone, including herself.

*

Edward Thomson sits at the train depot, waiting for his brother's soon-to-be bride to show up. When she does, he's taken back by her beauty. His feelings only start to grow stronger as he spends more time near her, thanks to his brother neglecting his new wife.

*

Clyde Thomson has secrets deeper than anyone could ever know. Claiming to be a businessman, Clyde soon faces the repercussions of his hidden cheating and gambling debts...

*

Coming to Kansas was supposed to be the journey of lifetime for Eliza... but as she finds herself falling for Edward, she discovers a secret... and she soon realizes that some debts live on...

__

A Marriage West

(A Mail Order Romance Novel)

Emma Thoms is no stranger to tragedy. She lost her mother at a young age, and consoled her best friend when she lost her brother in battle. Now after losing her father in a Vermont flood, Emma's insensitive aunt shows up and forces her to Massachusetts to become a mail order bride. Set on not waiting long for the fear of being abused by her aunt, Emma answers the first letter she reads.

*

Upon arriving in Kansas, Emma's husband-to-be doesn't show. She's then robbed of her money, her faith, and her spirit. On the brink of death herself, she is saved by a kind man with strong hands.

*

Samuel Calle offers Emma his home while he helps her locate the man she is supposed to marry. But time spent together teaches both Emma and Samuel something - love can happen anywhere, anytime. But with her hand already promised to another man, Emma and Samuel agree to only marry once they know the true fate of Emma's husband-to-be.

*

Will Emma be swept away by the man who left her to die or will she stay with the generous, caring man that the entire town relies on? This is where love and faith will be put to the test in the newest book in this bestselling western romance series.

__

Hope Found West

A Mail Order Romance Novel

When Margaret Ashaler accepts a marriage proposal from Charles, a local young, rich businessman, she knows without a doubt, that her life will change forever. No longer will she have to worry about her next meal or whether she will have a clean outfit to wear. However, standing in the most expensive wedding dress, Margaret waits, only to realize her husband-to-be won't be arriving. Being jilted was not part of her dream wedding day..

*

With no choice but to be taken in by her best friend and her best friend's mother, Margaret must find her own path, and fast. She enlists herself to become a mail order bride, and after months of waiting and exchanging letters, she boards a train west.

*

Daniel Sernla is a strong man with a nice house and a supple farm, but his heart is broken by the murder of his brother in Dodge City. He hopes the arrival of his wife-to-be will ease his aching soul, but it is tougher than it seems.

*

In a story of love, revenge, and redemption, Daniel must battle the urge to find the man who killed his brother while Margaret tries to become the perfect wife to Daniel... they must find a way to love and trust each other, especially in the face of danger...

___

ABOUT:

Claire Charlins is the pen name for Karolyn James -

Karolyn James is the author of several bestselling series. With over 100,000 ebooks sold, Karolyn has seen success in both romance and in erotic romance. Her current series include the smash hit Brothers of Rock romance series.

Don't miss the first part of the series following rock band, Chasing Cross!

Book One - All Access

Book Two - Broken Sound

Book Three - Bitter Farewell

Book Four - Buried Notes

Book Five - Last Song (coming soon!)

Recently announced - coming 2014: The Brothers of Rock series will continue with five more books following rock band, Fallen Tuesday!

Karolyn James also writes under the pen name, Claire Charlins, writing western romances. Upon releasing the first book in the Mail Order Romance series, West For Love, the book shot straight to the top of the Amazon Kindle charts! The second book in this mail order bride romance series is now available, titled Finding Love West!

Stay up to date with everything Karolyn James here:

On Twitter: @KarolynWrites

Visit online: www.KarolynJames.wordpress.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarolynJamesAuthor

Mailing list: tinyurl.com/KJSignup

Spotlight: DownCrash series by London Casey

The Stronger, Safer Kind

(The Boys of DownCrash #1)

All Scarlett wanted to do was thank the sexy stranger who helped her push away a drunk, grabby college boy at a bar. When that stranger identifies himself as Tripp and then takes the stage as the lead singer and guitarist for rock band, DownCrash, everything in Scarlett's life begins to change.

Her best friend, Andy, confesses his love for her and leaves her with what should be an easy decision to make... yet each time she looks in Andy's eyes, she can't help but face her secret, nightmarish past.

The only thing that makes Scarlett feel better is Tripp... but Tripp isn't just a bad boy rockstar, he's hurt. He's in pain. He tries to hide his pain in a bottle, but Scarlett believes that, perhaps, their secrets can help each other.

Friendship and love is suddenly put to the test, and Scarlett is torn... Will she choose an easy, comfortable, happy life or a life clouded with mixed signals, raw emotion, and intense romance?

_____

Torn to Pieces

(The Boys of DownCrash #2)

Trying to forget about the promises she was forced to make as a young, naive eighteen year old, Maggie creates a false persona that paints her as the girl who never says no...

However, once she lays eyes on the drummer of DownCrash, everything clicks. From his sexy lip ring to the way he stares at her from the stage, Tatum becomes everything Maggie has ever fantasized about.

When trouble catches up to her in a parking garage after a DownCrash show, and Tatum shows up out of nowhere to protect her. For the first time in years, she is intimidated by a man's kindness and sexiness, and not by his temper and jealousy. As real feelings begin to grow Maggie is faced with her past and wonders if she'll ever be able to escape the promises she once made to keep the promises she wants to make right now.

______

***The final book in The Boys of DownCrash trilogy!***

Some Kind of Hell (The Boys of DownCrash #3)

In the trilogy finale, shy DownCrash bassist, Logan, has his sexy eyes on Maggie's best friend, Annie. But Annie is still reeling from the way her relationship ended. She's hurt, angry, jealous, and the last thing she wants is some wannabe rockstar looking for his next hookup... although it may just be what she needs.

Logan wants more for his life. The past is living in his apartment, which forces him to spend nights in his car to avoid reliving the nightmare over and over again.

When Annie's guard comes down, tragedy strikes and their lives will be changed forever. Determined to win Annie over and help DownCrash get signed to a record deal, Logan has his work cut out for him. His gorgeous body and no-bullshit personality may just be the key to both...

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=London%20Casey&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/london-casey

http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22London+Casey%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both

London Casey is the pen name for Karolyn James -

Karolyn James is the author of several bestselling series. With over 100,000 ebooks sold, Karolyn has seen success in both romance and in erotic romance. Her current series include the smash hit Brothers of Rock romance series.

Don't miss the first part of the series following rock band, Chasing Cross!

Book One - All Access

Book Two - Broken Sound

Book Three - Bitter Farewell

Book Four - Buried Notes

Book Five - Last Song (coming soon!)

Recently announced - coming 2014: The Brothers of Rock series will continue with five more books following rock band, Fallen Tuesday!

Karolyn James also writes under the pen name, Claire Charlins, writing western romances. Upon releasing the first book in the Mail Order Romance series, West For Love, the book shot straight to the top of the Amazon Kindle charts! The second book in this mail order bride romance series is now available, titled Finding Love West!

Stay up to date with everything Karolyn James here:

On Twitter: @KarolynWrites

Visit online: www.KarolynJames.wordpress.com

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarolynJamesAuthor

Mailing list: tinyurl.com/KJSignup