GOODBYE TO SEPTEMBER…

 

September brought many hours of great reading, and although I didn’t read that many books, I loved them all.

Here are two favorites:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Genres:

     Mystery/Suspense:  3

     Contemporary Fiction:  4

     Memoir:  2

 

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Here are the books I read.  Click the titles for my reviews.

 

SEPTEMBER 2019:

1.California Girls (e-book), by Susan Mallery – (464 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 9/4/19

2.Favorite Daughter, The (e-book), by Patti Callahan Henry – (354 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 9/14/19

3.Lady in the Lake (e-book), by Laura Lippman – (352 pages) – (murder mystery, noir) – 9/12/19

4.Last Widow, The (e-book), by Karin Slaughter – (434 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 9/8/19

5My Ex-Best Friend’s Wedding (e-book),  by Wendy Wax – (367 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 9/2/19-

6.Nanaville, by Anna Quindlen – (162 pages) – (memoir) – 9/13/19

7.Seven Letters (e-book), by J. P. Monninger – (352 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 9/18/19 – (NG-10/8)

8.Stranger Inside, The (e-book), by Lisa Unger – (384 pages) – (mystery/suspense) – 9/28/19

9.Without a Doubt (e-book), by Marcia Clark – (512 pages) – (memoir) – 9/22/19

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN SEPTEMBER 2019:    9

NUMBER OF PAGES READ IN SEPTEMBER: 3,381

BOOKS READ YTD:  88

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How did your month unfold?

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MONTHLY WRAP-UP

July sped by, and while I didn’t manage a lot of reading, I did read and review ten books.  Here is how things broke down:

 

FAVORITE:

GENRES:

Mysteries/Suspense Thrillers

     3

Contemporary/Historical Fiction

7

 

Click on the titles to read my reviews:

JULY 2019:

1.Because You’re Mine (e-book), by Rea Frey – (400 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 7/14/19 – (NG-8/6/19)

2.Better Sister, The (e-book), by Alafair Burke (336 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 7/3/19

3.Bookish Life of Nina Hill, The (e-book), by Abbi Waxman – (351 pages) – (contemporary fiction), 7/21/19

4.Escape Room, The (e-book), by Megan Goldin – (352 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 7/13/19 – (NG-8/6/19)

5.Friends We Keep, The (e-book), by Jane Green – (384 pages) – (historical fiction) – 7/6/19

6.Keeping Lucy (e-book), by T. Greenwood – (304 pages) – (historical fiction) – 7/11/19 – (NG-8/6/19)

7.Missing Years, The (e-book), by Lexie Elliott – (382 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 7/30/19

8.Perfect Wife, The (e-book), by J P Delaney – (432 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 7/9/19 – (NG-8/6/19)

9.Things You Save in a Fire (e-book), by Katherine Center – (320 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 7/24/19 – (NG-8/13/19)

10.We Are All Good People Here (e-book), by Susan Rebecca White – (304 pages) – (historical fiction) – 7/17/19 – (NG-8/6/19)

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN JULY 2019:    10

NUMBER OF PAGES READ IN JULY:  3565

BOOKS READ YTD:   67

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How did your month unfold?

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MONTHLY WRAP-UP: WELCOME TO MARCH!

Another month bites the dust.  February was a good month, with lots of intriguing titles.

FAVORITE FEBRUARY READ:

Genres: 

     Mysteries/Thrillers:  3

    Contemporary Fiction:  6

    Historical Fiction:  1

 

Here are my books, linked to my reviews:

FEBRUARY 2019:

1.Best of Us, The  (e-book), by Robyn Carr – (336 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 2/9/19

2.Daisy Jones & the Six (e-book), by Taylor Jenkins Reid – (368 pages) – (historical fiction) – 2/11/19 – (NG-3/5/19)

3.Don’t Wake Up (e-book), by Liz Lawler – (368 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 2/26/19

4.Late in the Day (e-book), by Tessa Hadley – (277 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 2/18/19

5.Making of Us, The (e-book), by Lisa Jewell – (403 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 2/15/19 (Library Book)

6.Not Here (e-book), by Genevieve Nocovo – (218 pages) – (contemporary fiction/suspense) – 2/12/19 (Author Review Book)

7.On Turpentine Lane (e-book), by Elinor Lipman – (322 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 2/27/19

8.She Lies in Wait (e-book), by Gytha Lodge  – (368 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 2/23/19

9.Untouchable (e-book), by Jayne Ann Krentz – (303 pages) – (mystery) – 2/5/19

10.Woman Who Kept Everything, The (e-book), by Jane Gilley – (777 KB) – (contemporary fiction) – 2/2/19

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN  FEBRUARY 2019:    10

NUMBER OF PAGES READ IN FEBRUARY:  2,963

BOOKS READ YTD:   20

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How was February for you?

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MY BOOK BUYING DISORDER…

Now that we are nearing the end of February 2019, I decided to look back at last year’s purchases…and how many of those books I’ve read so far.

In 2018, I purchased 109 books,, and have read 78.  I DNFed two books.

So I need to get busy and read a few more.  I won’t even go into my purchases for the previous years, although I whittled those stacks down a bit during my Read the Books You Buy Challenges in 2016 and 2017:   100 books in 2016 and 121 in 2017.

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Ideally, I would purchase only as many books as I could read each month.  Wouldn’t that be great?  But my love of the new books I see every month would interfere with that plan.  So I will just keep plugging away at those TBRs…and also find new books at NetGalley and Vine.  Which reminds me:  I haven’t checked Vine in a while!

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How do you manage your reading/purchasing/reviewing stats?

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GONE NOVEMBER! WELCOME TO DECEMBER…

 

Where did November go?  It flew by so quickly, and the rainy days that have obliterated the sunny ones are a constant reminder of winter, which lies ahead.  Check in at Book Date to link up with other monthly updates.

FAVORITE BOOK: 

GENRES:

     Literary Fiction: 1

     Mysteries/Thrillers: 7

     Contemporary Fiction:  3

 

Click titles to read my reviews:

NOVEMBER 2018:

1.A Spark of Light (e-book), by Jodi Picoult – (356 pages) – (literary fiction) – 11/2/18

2.In Her Bones (e-book), by Kate Moretti – (352 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 11-8-18

3.Her Pretty Face (e-book), by Robyn Harding – (352 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 11/11/18

4.Island House, The (e-book), by Nancy Thayer – (280  pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 11/10/18

5.Liar’s Wife, The (e-book), by Samantha Hayes (372 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 11/28/18

6.Other Wife, The (e-book), by Michael Robotham – (400 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 11/22/18

7.Three Beths, The (e-book), by Jeff Abbott – (352 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 11/20/18

8.Three Days Missing (e-book), by Kimberly Belle – (352 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 11/13/18

9.Under My Skin (e-book), by Lisa Unger (416 pages) – (suspense thriller) – 11/26/18

10.We Were Mothers (e-book), by Katie Sise – (311 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 11/30/18

11.Winter in Paradise (e-book, #1), by Elin Hilderbrand – (320 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 11/16/18

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN NOVEMBER 2018:    11

NUMBER OF PAGES READ NOVEMBER 2018:   3,863

BOOKS READ YTD:   135

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How did your November unfold?

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WRAPPING UP JUNE…

Here we are again…another month has sped by, and it’s time to talk about the books we read and reviewed.  Check in at Book Date to see what others have finished.

I read and reviewed 12 books in June, and I love how diverse they were.

FAVORITE BOOK FOR JUNE

Genres:

      Thrillers & Mysteries/Cozy Mysteries – 5

      Contemporary/Historical Fiction – 5

      Nonfiction – 2

 

Book Sources:

      Author Review Requests/NetGalley Reviews – 3

     Library Books – 3

     My Own Shelves – 6

 

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My Books for the Month:  Click Titles for My Reviews:

JUNE 2018:

1.Bad Stories, by Steve Almond – (272 pages) – (nonfiction) – 6/1/18

2.Before & Again (e-book), by Barbara Delinsky – (416 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 6/17/18 – (NG – 6/26/18)

3.Bring Her Home (e-book), by David Bell – (427 pages) – (mystery) – 6/22/18

4.Bring Me Back (e-book), by B. A. Paris – (304 pages) – (psychological thriller) – 6/4/18 – (NG-6/19/18)

5.Educated (e-book), by Tara Westover – (335 pages) – (memoir) – 6/19/18

6.Family Gathering, The (e-book, Sullivan’s Crossing #3), by Robyn Carr – (352 pages) – (contemporary fiction) – 6/27/18- (Library Book)

7.House Swap, The (e-book), by Rebecca Fleet – (294 pages) – (domestic thriller) – 6/15/18

8.Manhattan Beach (e-book), by Jennifer Egan – (449 pages) – (historical fiction) -6/9/18

9.Nothing Forgotten, by Jessica Levine – (317 pages) – (historical/contemporary fiction) – 6/11/18 – (Author Review Request)

10.Raspberry Danish Murder (e-book), by Joanne Fluke – (362 pages) – (cozy mystery) – 6/29/18

11.Shadow Dancing (e-book, Country Club Murders), by Julie Mulhern – (210 pages ) – (cozy mystery) – 6/2/18 – (NG-6/19/18)

12.Surprise Me (e-book), by Sophie Kinsella – (417 pages) – (contemporary fiction – 6/24/18- (Library Book)

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What did your month look like?  Come on by and share.

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LET’S CURL UP & SAY GOODBYE TO OCTOBER….

What a great month!  It flew by too fast, and I didn’t read as many books as I did last month…but there were so many lovely ones.  Click in at Book Date to see what everyone else is doing.  Enjoy November!

My Genres:

Mystery/Psychological Thrillers:  10

Contemporary Fiction:  3

Historical Fiction: 1

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FAVORITE FICTION:  Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell

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Click on my titles to read my reviews:

OCTOBER 2017:

1.Cardinal Cabin, by Joanne DeMaio – 249 pages – (contemporary romance) – 10/10/17 -(Author Review Request)

2.Her Last Goodbye (e-book, Book 2 Morgan Dane), by Melinda Leigh – 324 pages – (mystery) – 10/15/17

3.Keep Her Safe (e-book), by Sophie Hannah – 352 pages – (psychological thriller) – 10/19/17

4.Lie to Me (e-book), by J. T. Ellison – 416 pages – (suspense thriller) – 10/18/17

5.Little Fires Everywhere (e-book), by Celeste Ng – 352 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 10/3/17

6.Odd Child Out (e-book), by Gilly Macmillan – 432 pages – (mystery/literary fiction) – 10/24/17

7.Rules of Magic, The (e-book), by Alice Hoffman – 384 pages – (historical fiction) – 10/6/17 – (NetGalley – 10/10)

8.Say You’re Sorry (e-book, Book One Morgan Dane), by Melinda Leigh – 326 pages – (mystery)-10/13/17

9.Sleep Like a Baby (e-book), by Charlaine Harris – 262 pages- (cozy mystery) – 10/21/17

10.Surrogate, The (e-book), by LouiseJensen – 345 pages – (psychological thriller) – 10/29/17

11.Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell – 424 pages – (mystery) – 10/25/17

12.When We Were Worthy (e-book), by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen – 260 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 10/9/17

13.White Bodies (e-book), by Jane Robins – 384 pages – (psychological thriller) – 10/27/17

14.Y is for Yesterday (e-book), by Sue Grafton – 483 pages – (mystery) – 10/31/17

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN OCTOBER 2017:         14

NUMBER OF PAGES READ IN OCTOBER 2017:    4,993

BOOKS READ YTD:                                                      146

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What did your October look like?

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WRAPPING UP AUGUST!

It’s time to look back at August!  I read more pages this month than the previous ones, but I read one less book than in July.  There were so many books to love…so it was hard to choose favorites. 

Check in at The Book Date, to see what others have read and enjoyed.

Here are my favorites, despite how difficult it was to choose:

Top Favorites:

 

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My Book Genres:

Literary Fiction:  2 books read

Contemporary Fiction:  2 books read

Historical/Contemporary Fiction:  2 books read

Mysteries/Thrillers:  8 books read!

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Click on my titles to see my reviews:

AUGUST 2017:

1.After She Fell (e-book), by Mary-Jane Riley – 323 pages – (psychological thriller) – 8/26/17

2.Before We Were Yours (e-book), by Lisa Wingate – 352 pages – (historical/contemporary fiction) – 8/12/17

3.Bookshop on the Corner, The (e-book), by Jenny Colgan – 331 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 8/3/17

4.Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, by Chris Bohjalian – 266 pages – (literary fiction) – 8/7/17

5.Good Daughter, The (e-book), by Karin Slaughter – 528 pages – (suspense thriller) – 8/28/17

6.Here & Gone (e-book), by Haylen Beck – 288 pages – (suspense thriller) – 8/18/17

7.Home, by Harlan Coben – 385 pages – (mystery) – 8/30/17

8.Identicals, The (e-book), by Elin Hilderbrand – 418 pages – (contemporary fiction) – 8/17/17

9.Lying Game, The (e-book), by Ruth Ware – 384 pages – (mystery) – 8/24/17

10.Other Girl, The (e-book), by Erica Spindler – 256 pages – (mystery/thriller) – 8/4/17 – (NetGalley – 8/22/17)

11.Secrets She Keeps, The (e-book), by Michael Robotham – 367 pages – (mystery) – 8/15/17

12.Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, The (e-book), by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 400 pages – (historical/contemporary fiction) – 8/21/17

13.Sunday Morning Coming Down, by Nicci French – 406 pages – (suspense thriller) – 8/1/17

14.Swimming Lessons (e-book), by Claire Fuller – 356 pages – (literary fiction) – 8/8/17

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NUMBER OF BOOKS READ IN AUGUST 2017:         14

NUMBER OF PAGES READ IN AUGUST 2017:     5060

BOOKS READ YTD:                                                      117

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Enjoy September!

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UPCOMING EVENTS, ETC.

I am eager to start working on this site for Bloggiesta, even though I have until late September.  So, of course, I had to do a couple of “cosmetic” things, like changing the theme, header, and background.

Instead of fussing over these technical issues, I should focus more on my reading, which includes some print books on my nightstand that I am reading, a bit at a time.  I’ve been working on America’s Queen and Home for a while.

I’m almost finished with Home!  I might even have a review up by the end of the day.

I could also do a little housework, but no…scratch that!  There is plenty of time…later.

So…many things to ponder, which means that I will waste some time trying to decide.  Do you find that trying to choose what to do next leads to fewer things accomplished?

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LOOKING BACK…AND MOVING FORWARD….

Good morning!  Today as I was creating a new blog header here, I decided to look back at what I was posting about a year ago.

Yes, I like peeking into the archives.

There it was, that midpoint check-in for Read the Books You Buy Challenge.  A year ago, of course, we were halfway through 2016, and I wrote:

In July 2016, halfway toward my goal, I have read and reviewed 38 in all.

I am thoroughly enjoying the process….and haven’t actually decided on my percentages.  I’m just reading as many books as I can.

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This year’s midpoint has not yet been posted….but so far in the Read the Books You Buy Challenge- 2017, I have completed 62 books.  So I’m doing better this year!

I like challenging myself, and the motivation of trying to do better than I did the previous year is a good one for me.

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As for the numbers of books I’ve purchased so far this year, I still went a bit crazy.  But so far in July, I’ve “only” bought 6 books; and in June, I purchased 11…four of which I’ve already read and reviewed.

The journey is challenging…but fun.  What do you do to find your motivation?  How do you curtail (or not) your purchases?

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