Stacked (36): Post Christmas Edition

I hope that everyone had a nice Christmas holiday if you celebrate. Everyone else I hope had a nice week. Sorry this is coming a bit late in the day. I've just had a busy day. This week's Stacked will have the books I received for Christmas and those I have bought over break.

Borrowed

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl

Again The Magic (Wallflowers #0.5) by Lisa Kleypas - I <3 Lisa Kleypas!

Bought

A Kiss For Midwinter (Brothers Sinister #1.5) by Courtney Milan - New Courtney Milan novella. I need to get the full length first novel of the series still but the short was great.

Classic Artisan Baking by Julian Day - I love when Anthropologie has their super big sale because I can often get cookbooks for cheap. Picked up this one and Pure Vanilla for great prices. 

Pure Vanilla by Shauna Sever

Received

Scarlet, Vol. 1 by Brian Michael Bendis (author) and Alex Maleev (illustrator) - I need to catch up on my comics/graphic novels. Excited about this series from Brian Michael Bendis. Thanks, K!

Ten by Gretchen McNeil (signed!) - Another awesome book gift from my friend K. She must have been holding on to this one for awhile since Gretchen hasn't signed in our area for a few months at least. Sooooo excited to read this one!

That's my haul for this week. Did Santa bring you any books this year? Happy almost New Year's Eve, everyone. Hope you have a safe and fun holiday!

 

---

Birdsong: A Novel Of Love And War - Review

Birdsong: A Novel Of Love And War 
by Sebastian Faulks

Publication date: 02 June 1997 by Vintage

ISBN 10/13: 0679776818 | 9780679776819
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indieboud

Category: Adult Historical Fiction
Keywords: Historical, love, war, WWI
Format: Paperback, eBook
Source: Library

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Published to international critical and popular acclaim, this intensely romantic yet stunningly realistic novel spans three generations and the unimaginable gulf between the First World War and the present. As the young Englishman Stephen Wraysford passes through a tempestuous love affair with Isabelle Azaire in France and enters the dark, surreal world beneath the trenches of No Man's Land, Sebastian Faulks creates a world of fiction that is as tragic as A Farewell to Arms and as sensuous as The English Patient. Crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love, Birdsong is a novel that will be read and marveled at for years to come.

Review:

Birdsong is the story of two people, Stephen and Isabelle, who fall in love against the backdrop of a lush French landscape. Their affair is brief but intense, with deep repercussions for both. The book is divided into several parts, with the main sections being set 6 years before WWI, during WWI, and much later in 1978.

Birdsong was a somewhat difficult read for me. It was very, very slow and the writing, while beautiful, was overly descriptive and repetitive at times.  Surprisingly, the first part of the book was my least favorite. I am normally a huge fan of romance but Stephen and Isabelle's left me cold. Here are two people who are supposed to be passionately in love with each other but I just didn't feel it. There was attraction and certainly lust, but I wasn't sure about love.

I also had a hard time relating to and caring about any of the characters in the book. I found Isabelle to be especially annoying and I could not figure out how such a cold character could elicit passion in anyone. I liked Stephen marginally better. We stay with him through large parts of the book and he grew on my by the end of the book.  My two favorite characters were Jack Firebrace and Jeanne. To me, those two were the real heart and soul of the novel and I cared more about them than the two main characters.

Surprisingly, my favorite part of the book was the section during the way.  Faulks's writing made me feel like I was right there in the trenches with Stephen and the other soldiers.  I felt their fear, joy, and pain. The descriptions of the tunnels and digging were especially harrowing and I got nervous each time they went underground. I liked the way that Faulks showed the different effects the fighting had on soldiers. Some, like Stephen, became detached and weary while others, like Weir, fell into drink and madness.  It really brought to life the horrors of war.

I didn't love this book, but it did have some redeeming qualities.  While I did not enjoy the plodding narrative or most of the characters, I did find the descriptions of life in the trenches to be utterly compelling and gripping. I would actually get slightly annoyed when it switched from the war to more contemporary part of the novel. I am not usually a big fan of war novels, and this just wasn't my cup of tea. If you're a fan of the genre, you might want to give this one a try.  Hopefully you will find it more enjoyable than I did.

---

You can visit the author at his website www.sebastianfaulks.com.

Goal!

As 2012 winds down, I want to reflect on the year and talk about some of my goals for 2013. I posted last Jan about what I wanted to accomplish in 2012. Let's see how I fared. 

2012 Goals

• Read 100 books - As of the writing of this post, I have read approximately 115 books. I say approximately because even though I have a 2012 shelf, it never seems to match up with the book list that I make for the year. You can see all of the books I read on my Goodreads shelf here. While I read quite a few books, I did not review all of them (but more on that below).

• Read from the giant stack of books that I own (or have borrowed from friends) - Hmmm, yeah didn't do so well on this one. I did return a few books to friends but I also went to ALA for the first time and received quite a few ARCs. 

• Read my Netgalley books - Yeah another one I didn't do great on. I am slowly catching up but new, awesome books keep becoming available and it's hard not to request them.

• Read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Game of Thrones - Total fail.

• Reading Challenges - Did pretty well on the Krazy Kleypas Challenge. You can see my wrap-up post here.

• Write reviews in a more timely manner - I am still pretty slow at writing up reviews. I totally admire those of you that can bust out multiple reviews a week. So far I've been pretty consistent with one review a week but I would like to increase that number next year.

Not too shabby though I definitely have room for improvement. That said, here are my goals for 2013.

2013 Goals

• Read 100 books - This is a good number for me. It's a challenge but is also achievable for me.
• Read from the giant stack of books that I own (or have borrowed from friends) - I really want to make space and read some of those ARCs from ALA. There's some good stuff in there and I am going to make an effort to read those books instead of buying new ones.
• Read my Netgalley books - Yup, still a goal.
• Start the Series Challenge - My friend Crystal from Elegantly Bound Books and I decided that we are going to challenge ourselves  to start series that we both have been meaning to read.  Most of these will be YA series thought I might throw in a couple of other series that I want to start as well. First up is the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. Oh, and I still want to read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Game of Thrones.
• Finish/Catch Up the Series Challenge - Not only do I need to start a bunch of series, but I also need to finish/ catch up on a few. I have a tendency to put off finishing a series if I really like it. I just don't want it to end. But really, that's silly. The short list of what I want to catch up on is Paranormalcy, Hush Hush, Mercy Thompson, Soulless, and The Agency. 
• Write reviews in a more timely manner - I shall try.

Did you make it this far? If you did, please give yourself a pat on the back. We'll see how I do with all of these. I try not to put too much pressure on myself but having these goals is a nice way to focus my efforts a bit. Do any of you have any bookish goals for 2013?

---

Uncovered (45): Alien In The House

Hello again! This week on Uncovered, I have the newly revealed cover to the seventh installment in Gini Koch's Alien series, Alien In The House. Like all the covers in the series, this one is by the talented Dan Dos Santos. He also does the covers to the popular Mercy Thompson series and is definitely one of my favorite cover artists.

I love this cover because, well, it looks like an awesomely fun book. I really like the unique layout with the images set in the rifle sights. It's dynamic but not confusing. The main female figure looks pretty badass as well. I am also really curious about what those two little creatures in the right bottom corner are. They look like demonic hedgehogs. 

I actually have not started this series yet (perhaps another one to add to my Start The Series Challenge) but I really want to. Has anyone read this series yet? Are the aliens awesome and what exactly are those alien hedgehogs? :)

 

---

You can find out more about cover artist Don Dos Santos at www.dandossantos.com.

Best of 2012 Giveaway Hop (US ends 12/31)

It's time for another giveaway! This week I am offering up a gently read ARC of Jocelynn Drake's Angel's Ink, one of my favorite reads of 2012 (see my review here). Special thanks to our giveaway hop host,

I Am A Reader Not A Writer. This giveaway is for US residents only. Sorry, international friends. Promise we'll have another international giveaway soon.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only.
2. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. 
3. One set of entries per household please. 
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

---

'Twas The Night Before Christmas

Happy Christmas Eve and Christmas, everyone. Where I am there are still a few hours left before it's actually Christmas. My family does Christmas Day so tonight we're just hanging out and watching Resident Evil: Retribution. Not very Christmas-y, I know. :)

I am still a bit behind on the blog but hope to be back on schedule with a review later this week. Hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season, no matter what holiday you celebrate. Thanks for making this year so much fun. Happy holidays!

 

---

Krazy Kleypas Challenge Finish Line

Update on the Krazy Kleypas Reading Challenge 2012. This was the only big challenge I signed up for this year and I think I did really well. It does help that Lisa Kleypas has a large backlist and I love her writing. Earlier in the year I signed up with a goal of 4-8 books but soon changed it to the next level up with a goal of 8-12 books. Let's see how I did.

Original Goal
Category Two
Komfy with Kleypas
4-8 Books

NEW Goal
Category Three
Kaptured by Kleypas

8-12 Books

List of books I plan to read:
Seduce Me At Sunrise (The Hathaways #2)
Tempt Me At Twilight (The Hathaways #3)
Married By Morning (The Hathaways #4)
Love In The Afternoon (The Hathaways #5)
Sugar Daddy (Travises #1)
Blue-Eyed Devil (Travises #2)
Smooth Talking Stranger (Travises #3)

New books added to the list:
Lady Sophia's Lover (Bow Street Runners #2)
Worth Any Price (Bow Street Runners #3)
Secrets of a Summer Night (Wallflowers #1)
It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers #2)
Devil In Winter (Wallflowers #3)
Scandal In Spring (Wallflowers #4)
Love, Come To Me

That comes out to 10 books. While I didn't read all of the books I had planned, I did reach the challenge goal. Of course, I have only reviewed a small handful of these. Bad, blogger! Hopefully I can review them all next year because seriously, I loved a lot of them. Writing this post has given me an urge to read another Kleypas book so I may just try to squeeze in one more before the year ends.

Thanks to UTC for hosting such a fun challenge. If you haven't read a Lisa Kleypas book yet, you must! I love The Wallflowers and Hathaways series. Historical romance at its best!

 

---

Stacked (35)

Happy holidays! Sorry I've been a bit MIA this week. Work was crazy and I am wholly unprepared for the holidays. I am officially on vacation now though and am hoping to catch up a bit in the next couple of weeks. I'll be visiting with family and friends over the holidays so I might not be around as much though I will try to schedule some things. I am trying to figure out what books to pack for vacation. I am sure you guys understand. I don't want to take too many books but I also don't want to be unprepared. Haha - the dilemma of a book lover.  I am still on a no-buy for the holidays (Santa, please bring me books) but did get a few things from the library and NetGalley. 

 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (ebook) - I finally got this from Overdrive! Woohoo! I feel like the only person I know who hasn't read it yet. Very excited to get started on this one.

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt (NG) - I just finished the first book in Hoyt's Maiden Lane series (I've also read the fourth) and was happy to find book 5 on NetGalley this week. 

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones (audiobook) - I have a bit of a drive coming up this week and thought it would be good to get some audiobooks ready. I enjoyed the first book in this series and have heard good things about the audiobooks. Hopefully this will keep me entertained for 5 hours on the road.

Forbidden by Jacquelyn Frank - I am part of a small book club and last Wednesday was our Holiday Jamboree (that's what I call it). We did a little secret Santa exchange and I got the new Jacquelyn Frank book. Very happy about this one. I really liked her Nightwalker series and am looking forward to seeing what her new series is like. Plus, look at those abs. Thanks, secret Santa!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Happy holidays!

 

---

Uncovered (44): The Madman's Daughter

Good morning! Today on Stacked, we are featuring the cover to The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd. This is a historical YA novel coming out in Jan 2013. Even though this one does feature a girl in a dress, it's not your typical YA cover. It definitely has a Gothic feel to it. The girl's dress looks fairly plain but broken up with the bright splash of color on her sash. The water looks still but it's dark and the clouds look ominous. I want to know what she's doing by the water. Is she going to jump in? Is something coming out? Plus, the title is kind of great and makes me want to read it right now. 

 
Is anyone else as intrigued by this cover as I am? The Madman's Daughter will be released by Balzer + Bray on Jan 29, 2013.

---

Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop (US ends 12/27)

Hello and welcome to the Third Annual - Mid-Winter's Eve Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Oasis for YA. Today you can win a hardcover copy of Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor. You all know how much I love Lisa Kleypas. Now is your chance to win a copy of the first book in her Friday Harbor series. US only please. 

Friday Night At Christmas Harbor (HC)

If you want to win it, just fill out the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US only. We will send the prize directly to the winner.
2. We are not responsible for items lost in the mail.
3. One set of entries per household, please.
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policyhere. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---

A Few Of My Favorite Things Giveaway (INTL ends 12/31)

l to r: about last night, a discover of witches, moonglow, shadow & bone,
cinder, i hunt killers, angel's ink, the prince,
obsidian, captive in the dark, grave mercy, unclaimed

Hello again! I cannot believe that 2012 is almost over. Where has the time gone? To commemorate the end of 2012, I thought I'd give away one of my favorite books that I read this year. This giveaway is International. Please just make sure that Book Depository will ship to your country. Since I am going to be out of town for the holidays, I am going to let this giveaway run a little longer than usual. Entries will close on Dec 31. You don't have to follow the blog to enter but, if you like what you see, please visit us again. Giveaway rules are down below. Thanks and good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open Internationally (please make sure Book Depository will ship to your country).
2. We are not responsible for lost or stolen items. 
3. One set of entries per household please. 
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

say "twee!"

---

Stacked (34): It's Good To Have Friends

Hi, everyone. Welcome to another week of Stacked, my weekly haul post where I share what books I've received over the week. 

I can't believe that it's almost Christmas. Seriously, where did this year go? I am looking forward to some time off after next Friday. I'll be heading out to see my parents and my cute baby niece. I am currently trying to figure out what books I am going to bring home to read during the break. No doubt I will bring too many. I am also super excited that The Hobbit came out this week. I am really going to try to see it this weekend. Well that/s what's going on with me this week. Let's move on to the books.

My friend Bookyurt did a major purge last week. I was lucky enough to get the pick of her books before she got rid of them. Everything in this pile is from her except for the ice cream book which I picked up at the used bookstore. As always, click on the titles to view their Goodreads pages.

(From the top)

Live Wire by Lora Leigh - Looks like a fun romantic suspense type book.

How To Woo a Reluctant Lady by Sabrina Jeffries - This one has a rogue in it. Fun!

Grave Witch and Grave Dance by Katalya Price - First two books in the Alex Craft series. Been meaning to start this one.

A Wild Light by Marjorie M Liu - I <3 Marjorie Liu.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan - Super excited about this one. After seeing David Levithan earlier this year, it made me want to read all his book, this one in particular. 

The Dark Enquiry  by Deanna Raybourn - Byurt recommended this one.

Firelight by Sophiai Jordan

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs - I liked Childs's Sweet Venom and have been wanting to read this one.

Defiance by C.J. Redwine - Really excited about this since I missed it at ALA.

The Mozart Conspiracy by Scott Mariani - Figured I would throw in some adult fiction in here. It looks like a mystery. I am not sure. I liked the cover. :)

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones - The lone book I bought last week. This is an ice cream book from the Bi-Rite Creamery up in San Francisco. I am a fan of their shop and was super happy to find a used but in great shape copy of this at the used bookstore. Their coffee toffee and salted caramel ice creams are to die for. I hope the recipes are in this book.

Looks like I have a lot to choose from this holiday break. What books did you get this week? Leave me a link to your haul post and I'll stop by. Hope you're all having a fantastic week!

---

Uncovered (43): Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Happy Friday! Hope you have all had a good week. Today on Uncovered I have Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple. I think this book came out maybe over the summer. The first time I saw it was at Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach and I was immediately drawn to it.  It looks like a mystery, and a fun one at that. I always like it when the text is incorporated into the design. I like that part of the title is front and center in the sunglasses. It's really simple but it makes a statement. It kind of looks like a really cool, old film poster. Below is a synopsis of the book.

Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. 

Then Bernadette disappears. It began when Bee aced her report card and claimed her promised reward: a family trip to Antarctica. But Bernadette's intensifying allergy to Seattle--and people in general--has made her so agoraphobic that a virtual assistant in India now runs her most basic errands. A trip to the end of the earth is problematic. 

To find her mother, Bee compiles email messages, official documents, secret correspondence--creating a compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world.

I am definitely interested in reading this one. Great cover aside, it sounds like a really interesting story. Let me know what you think of this cover in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by and happy weekend!

---

Moonglow - Review

Moonglow (Darkest London #2) by Kristen Callihan

Publication date: 31 July 2012 by Forever

ISBN 10/13: 1455508586 | 9781455508587
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Category: Adult Historical Romance/Paranormal Supsense
Keywords: Paranormal, romance, suspense, gothic, London, weres
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook Source: e-ARC received from Netgalley

Synopsis:

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . .

Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . .

Their growing passion knows no bounds . . .

Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.

*This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.*

Review:

I am a huge fan of Kristen Callihan's Firelight and was a little worried that the second book in the series would not live up to my expectations. Happily, Moonlight is just as good as Firelight, if not slightly better. Moonglow has the same dark, moody atmosphere and the same great mix of historical and paranormal that I fell in love with in Firelight. While I love the world of Darkest London, it was Daisy and Ian who stole my heart in this story.

The last time we saw Ian Ranulf, he was doing his best to keep Archer and Miranda apart. His path crosses with Daisy’s when he saves her from a vicious Lycan attack. And wow – the chemistry between the two of them is immediate and intense. There’s nothing I love more than a relationship that starts off with antagonism and it’s fun to watch Daisy and Ian trade verbal barbs while fighting their attraction to each other.

Daisy is a very strong and vivacious character. I liked that she was very different than Miranda, more outspoken and earthy, but was also vulnerable. Daisy had a deep core of loneliness that I think Ian understood. And Ian. Oh Ian. If you like tortured heroes then you will love Ian. My heart broke for him and the tragic past that still haunts him. He, too, knows what it is like to feel alone in the world. Both of them are damaged and imperfect but they open their hearts to each other and learn to love and trust again.

With Moonglow, Callihan continues to expand upon the Darkest London world, taking us deeper into the mysteries and secrets it holds. I enjoyed learning more about the Lycan clans and the appearances of the GIMs is a new and exciting twist. Callihan continues to impress with her world building and knack for writing passionate, compelling relationships. The only thing I am sad about now is that book 3, Winterblaze, doesn’t come out until next year. I have a feeling that Poppy and Win’s story is going to be fantastic and I can’t wait!

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

 

---

Visit the author online at kristencallihan.com, follow her on Twitter @Kris10Callihan, or on Facebook

My Favorite Holiday Movies

We are right in the midst of the holiday season right now as you can probably tell the state of the mall and the abundance of Christmas lights out. I thought it would be fun to show you a list of my favorite holiday movies that help me get into the holiday spirit. It's not the most traditional list. For some reason, I have managed to not see a lot of the films that people consider Christmas classics (Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation). But I have my own special list of films that are my go-to for the holidays. Hope you enjoy!

Harry Potter (all) - I am starting off this list by cheating a bit. All of the Harry Potter films remind me of Christmas. I think it's because there's usually a Christmas scene with a magic feast. And they're often wearing winter woolens, which definitely makes me think of the holidays.

Elf - I have had this on repeat for the last week or so. I love this movie so much. Smiling's my favorite!

How The Grinch Stole Christmas - This is a classic. I used to watch this a lot as a kid and I always love watching it during the holidays. 

The Holiday - Yes, cheesy romantic comedy! This is just a fun, sweet movie. Kate Winslet is fantastic in it. Cameron Diaz annoys me a bit but she does sort of match the character well. Another one I put on repeat during the holidays. 

Nightmare Before Christmas - This is great because it can work as both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie. I don't actually own this one, sadly, but I shall rectify that immediately. 

While You Were Sleeping - Another romantic comedy. This one stars Sandra Bullock as a toll booth thinks she is in love with a man who falls into a coma and then proceeds to fall in love with his brother. This is just cute and funny and it takes place in Chicago during the holidays, which looks very cold.

Trading Places - I haven't seen this movie in awhile but I always watch it when it's on. Man, Eddie Murphy used to make such good movies. He and Dan Akroyd are fantastic in this.

Die Hard 1 & 2 - Anyone who knows me in real life knew that Die Hard was going to make the list. I love the first two films and will watch either of them if they are on (I also own all the films). But these are Christmas movies because they take place during Christmas. They also have awesome action and Alan Rickman. What more could you ask for, for the holidays?

That's all I can think of right now. Thanks for humoring me. Does anyone else have a holiday movie that they love that I need to check out? Let me know in the comments below. :)

---

images in this post are not mine and belong to their respective companies. no harm or infringement is intended. 

Stacked (33)

Hi! I hope everyone is having a lovely evening. We've been having awesome weather here in SoCal. If I can't have real winter I will take this sunny but cool weather any day. I did a lot of Christmas shopping yesterday. It actually wasn't too bad though I have more shopping to do. I am going to try to see if I can do the rest of it online. One can hope. And I finally saw Breaking Dawn Pt 2 last night. It was pretty much what I expected. It was entertaining enough and I had a good time. Man some of those lovey dovey moments though were so cheesy! I could not ever look at the screen at certain points I was so embarrassed for them. My favorite part was probably the end credits where they listed cast members new and old. That was nice. 

Book haul wasn't too large this week. Trying not to spend any money on myself this month since it's Christmas time. So it's off the library for me and I got a couple of fun NG titles.

Library (e-book)

Spark (Elemental #2) by Brigid Kemmerer - I actually still need to read the first book in this series, but I've heard good things.

Iron Crowned #3 by Richelle Mead - I will read anything by Richelle Mead. This is her urban fantasy series.

Soul Screamers Vol. 2 by Rachel Vincent - I love this cover! Another series I need to start (there are so many of them).

For Review (NetGalley)

I really enjoyed the last romance I read by Ruthie Knox, About Last Night, and was excited when she offered to send reviews NG galleys of her upcoming novella and book. I've already read the novella and am looking forward to starting the novel over the holiday. 

How To Misbehave (short story) by Ruthie Knox 

Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Those are my books this week. Anyone else stressed out about Christmas shopping?

---