#SixtyBooks in 2018

#Sixtybooks is now in its third year and we have had over 300 people sign up for this challenge. We are hoping to beat that number this year by spreading the word and getting even more people to make reading a part of their daily lives. 

For those who are new to our fantastic group of readers, the goal is simply to make reading a regular part of our daily lives and encourage other people to do the same. It's not a competition and it's not just about the number.

For this year’s challenge, we will mostly be sharing our #SixtyBooks updates on Twitter and our goal is to share our progress, bookish thoughts/questions, and the fabulous books we are reading. 

What do you have to do to participate?  Almost nothing except read! What CAN you do if you choose?

• Sign up for the challenge here
• Check #sixtybooks to see what other participants are posting
• Tweet about your reading life and use #sixtybooks in your post
• Keep track of your books using Goodreads or whatever method you choose.
• Enjoy reading and make time for reading every day.

We are looking forward to another great year of reading!

Laura and Melissa
@Lagnella and @mmorriswrite

Fall Reviews: Part 2

I've resigned myself to the fact that I am probably not going to make it to my goal of sixty books.  This makes me feel kind of guilty since I am the co-host of #sixtybooks but I've decided to instead be proud that by the time the year ends, I will still have read over fifty books and that is still a lot of quality reading that I really enjoyed.

This last month or so has been a tough one but I still managed to get in a few good reads.  Here are the last books I read.  All good ones!

The Magician's Diary is the 4th book in the Glass and Steele series by C.J. Archer. This series follows India Steele and Matthew Glass and they solve mysteries while on the path to discover a way to fix the magical watch that keeps Matthew alive. Fun plot, quirky characters, and mysteries to solve.

In The Trouble with Twelfth Grave, Charley Davidson does not disappoint. This latest book in the series has a great plot, the snark and sass we have grown to love, and of course the complete inappropriateness that makes us laugh out loud. Another winner in my opinion.

The Stalking Jack the Ripper series was recommended to me after I finished the published Stoker and Holmes books. I adore 1800's London mystery/horror and the supernatural so I picked these up right away to try them out. I'm so glad I did because they were a lot of fun. Audrey Rose is a strong female character going against traditional English beliefs to become something more than just a pretty face as she helps to solve one of the most famous cases in history. There is some violence and gore in both books but it isn't too extreme and there is also the beginnings of a romance but it doesn't overtake the story. Thomas is as irritating as he is charming and becomes Audrey Rose's partner and confidant. The stories is engaging from beginning to end as these two embark upon adventure after adventure.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? October 23rd

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at the Book Date and is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit, comment on other blog posts, and add to that ever growing TBR pile!

What I read last week:

I actually just finished Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas.  It was fantastic! I have not been disappointed with any book in this series and am only sorry that I have to wait until 2018 for the next installment to see what happens next.  Loved it!

What I am reading this week:
This week, I am starting two books and hope to finish them both.  The Magician's Diary is the next book in the Glass and Steele steampunk mystery series that I have been enjoying and Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is one I got from Netgalley a while back and just didn't get to right away.

What's coming up next?  
Not really sure.  Long Isle Iced Tea is coming out and I love this series.  Novella November is also coming up so I want to grab a few short novels to participate with.  I also have the final Jackaby novel, The Dire King waiting in the wings.  I guess it will depend on my mood once I finish the books above.  :)

What are you reading?

Review: Tower of Dawn

I have to say that when I originally found out that Tower of Dawn was going to focus on Chaol, I was not thrilled. I came to not like him much over the last couple of books and although he redeemed himself a bit, I still didn't think I would enjoy this book as much.

Wow, was I wrong.

Not only has my opinion of Chaol changed completely, but the story of his healing and the attempt to rally the Khogan's army for the war against the Vog was so engaging that I often didn't even get out of the car when I arrived home from work, instead, just listening until the end of the chapter or section.

This installment does not have as much action in it but what it does have, Chaol's journey to heal his spine, the royal family and the Torre and its history, the developing relationships between Chaol and Irene and Nesryn and Sartaq, are all so well written that they kept the pages turning as well as any fast-paced action scene. The drama that did unfold with the mystery of the Vog hiding within the palace and the spiders kept me on the edge of my seat wondering who was going to make it out alive to continue the journey to war. I also loved the ending where we were given a brief glimpse into what was happening to our other beloved characters who were not the focus of this story. It gave me just enough of a peek to make multiple theories about the path of the next book. I certainly hope I am wrong in what I think might be about to occur.

I am only sorry that this amazing story is over and that I now have to wait for the next installment which is at least six months away. What an incredible ride. :)

Review: The Dark Days Club/The Dark Days Pact

I just love starting a new book knowing it will be good, finding out that it is actually fantastic and immediately grabbing the next book in the series, forgetting completely about the very large TBR list of books waiting to be read. This doesn't happen often but it feels so good when it does. The Dark Days Club is definitely going into my top ten for the year along with its sequel, The Dark Days Pact. My only regret is that I now have to wait for the third book since it is not yet published. So sad...

Synopsis from Goodreads:

London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall’s presentation to the queen, one of her family’s housemaids disappears-and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

I couldn't ask for more in this story. It has the 1800s British setting that I adore plus magic, mayhem, romance (just a bit), and of course, the battle of good against evil. The plot is original and creative and the characters are so well written and intriguing that I really care what happens to them in the story. The historical aspect of the story has me looking up little tidbits of information online to find out more. I never knew there was a such thing as horse drawn bathing carts for the ocean!

This was a wonderful read and I can't wait for the next book to come out to find out what happens next!

Can't-Wait Wednesday, September 27th

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here, at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released.  

This is my first time participating in this book meme.  I used to post to WOW almost every week until it stopped updating so I'm excited to start again!

I love cozy mysteries.  Especially those with just a touch of the supernatural and a little bit of romance.  I picked up the first book of the Magic and Mixology series last year and flew through the first three books.  They are just light and funny with quirky, likable characters.  The fourth book comes out November 2nd and I'm really looking forward to it.  :)

This is the synopsis of the first book in the series, Hex on the Beach:

Lily Locke has never believed in witches and wizards, ghosts and magic, shifters and vampires— A rising star at a hotshot marketing agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota, all Lily knows is that she’s a PowerPoint guru, an Excel ninja, and a coffee-maker extraordinaire. Not to mention she’s next in line for a huge promotion.

All that changes when Lily’s assistant delivers a strange quiz to her, one titled A Magical Assessment for Normal Folks. With it comes the promise of a land she's never known existed. A land where Lily not only discovers her biological family for the first time, but a place where she can make a difference, change lives, and step into the role she’s destined to fulfill.

But first, Lily must admit she’s a witch. Then, she has to acknowledge that the tall, dark, and mysterious man who offers his help is strictly focused on business...at least, for now. When a body turns up dead and the next target is Lily, she must trust her powers and accept the help of her newfound friends. Otherwise, she'll never survive the trials of the magical island tucked far, far away in the frigid waters of Lake Superior. 

Welcome to The Isle. 

What are you waiting for?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at the Book Date and is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and are about to be reading over the week. It's also a great opportunity to visit, comment on other blog posts, and add to that ever growing TBR pile! 

I hate to admit it, but since school started I have been so busy working with teachers to plan and integrate technology, that I am now officially behind in my reading. Today, I plan to get back on track.  This is the perfect way to start!

What I recently finished:

The Dark Days Club was an audiobook, which was my only reading format for the past month.  Loved it! It has my favorite setting in 1800's London, engaging characters, mystery, and a bit of the supernatural without going overboard.  A lot of fun and I'm only sorry that I waited so long to grab it!






What I'm reading now:

The Dark Days Pact was also an audiobook.  I find that when I love an audio narrator, I want to keep the story in that voice.  I'm enjoying this second book in the series just as much as the first and can't wait to see how it ends.  Of course, then I have to wait months for the third book... :(

Neverwhere is where I left off in print in August.  I may have to go back a chapter or two to refresh my memory but do look forward to getting back into this story.  Gaiman is such a great writer.  I hear this is now a BBC radio show so I have something to look forward to when I finish the book.  







What I'm reading next:
I have a ton of books on my TBR list but only 3 that are in my "top priority to read next" list...

What are you reading?