Books to Read in October

Audiobooks:
Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Library Books:
An Apple for the Creature (Anthology)
Hidden Away by Maya Banks
Straight by Hanne Blank
On Request:
The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
Quiet by Susan Cain

BOTM/Challenges:
Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase*
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones*
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory

New Series/Authors:
The Chief by Monica McCarty
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

Continuing Series: 
The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong*

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros

Stand-Alones/Non-Fiction:
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Not on Original Plan:
The Reiver by Jackie Barbosa (short story)
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
For I Have Sinned by Darynda Jones (short story)
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry
Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry
Open Season by Linda Howard

Currently Reading:
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Read: 

The Reiver by Jackie Barbosa (short story)
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Sookie Stackhouse Companion by Charlaine Harris
For I Have Sinned by Darynda Jones (short story)
The Chief by Monica McCarty
Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry
Can't Get Enough by Sarah Mayberry
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks

Open Season by Linda Howard

*ROR Fall Challenge Books

Goodreads Group, Series Banners and More!

I just decided to create my own group on Goodreads so I can track Challenges there too.  I like having this blog, but I like how everything is on one page on the Goodreads site.

I got the idea to start the Goodreads group from a Shelfari/Goodreads friend, Lauren, who has her own group.  She also has a blog called Lauren's Book Bag and she uses these cool mini series banners to show all the series she's currently reading.  I went to the blog where they were created and I plan to waste a lot of time setting them up on my blog. :)  They can be found on the I'm Loving Books blog.

I also found another Shelfari/Goodreads friend Lynsey's blog.  It's called The Demon Librarian.  She is in my 12X12 Challenge group on Shelfari and she just finished her challenge!  I always thought I read fast, but that's ridiculous!  I'm at 103 books now, but I have several categories with almost no books read.  Oops.  I think I'm going to be reading a lot of AAR Top books, Contemporary romance and Highlander books the next few months! :)

Well, that's all for now.  Got to get back to work. :)

Books to Read in September

Audiobooks:
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Library Books: 
The Great Escape by S. E. P.*
Quiet by Susan Cain
On Request:
Straight by Hanne Blank
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

BOTM/Challenges:
Ruthless by Anne Stuart*
Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory

New Series/Authors:
The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks
Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
The Use by D. L. Carter

Continuing Series: 
The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong*

No Place to Run by Maya Banks*
Rio by Allyson James
The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros

Not on Original Plan:
Wickedly Wanton by Kristabel Reed
Legacy of the Witch by Maggie Shayne
The Wicked House of Rohan by Anne Stuart
The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden
Calder by Allyson James
Braden by Allyson James

Currently Reading:

Haunted by Kelley Armstrong*
Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Read: 

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks

Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
The Use by D. L. Carter
Wickedly Wanton by Kristabel Reed 
No Place to Run by Maya Bank
Legacy of  the Witch by Maggie Shayne
The Wicked House of Rohan by Anne Stuart
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

The Theory of Attraction by Delphine Dryden
Ruthless by Anne Stuart

Rio by Allyson James
Calder by Allyson James

Braden by Allyson James

The Great Escape by S. E. P.

*ROR Fall Challenge Books

ROR Fall 2012 Challenge (11/15)

1. Read a Romantic Suspense 
No Place to Run by Maya Banks

2. Read 2 books with the same title. part 1
Don't Tempt Me by Loretta Chase

3. Read 2 books with the same title, part 2
Don't Tempt Me by Julie Ortolon

4. Read a book featuring a cover with Fall colors
Haunted by Kelley Armstrong

5. Ties that bind...read a book with strong family ties (brothers, sisters, etc) 

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks

6. Readers Choice
The Use by D. L. Carter

7. Pick a 5 star read from another challenge member's shelf
The Great Escape by SEP (Dawn's Shelf)

8. Read a book with a setting other than England or North America
Ruthless by Anne Stuart

9. Read a book by Lauren Dane or Julie James 

Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

10. Read a book that has a temperature word in the title (hot, heat, cold, sizzle, etc) 
Hot Island Nights by Sarah Mayberry

11. Read a book with a Hunky Highlander 
The Chief by Monica McCarty

12. Read a book with an "O" word in the title 
First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

13. Read a book with a pirate
The Windflower by Sharon and Tom Curtis 

14. Pull out your tissues and read a "Two Hanky Read" (http://likesbooks.com/tears.html) 
Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

15. A good laugh after your "two Hanky Read"... read a "Favorite Funny" (http://likesbooks.com/funny.html)
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The Great Book Purge of 2012

Moving sucks.   I know, it's not an earth-shattering statement, but it's fair to say that it's a pretty universal truth.  It's especially true when you've lived in a place for awhile that has a lot of storage.  This means a.) you've had time to accumulate a lot of stuff and b.) enough space to store said stuff out of sight so you don't realize how much stuff you have until it's time to pack it up.

I've always had a good number of books.  I'm sure more than the average person, but over the last two years, it's gotten completely out of control.  There were many contributing factors:

1. The Big Borders stores closed.  This meant lots of books on sale, so I could buy more than I usually did.  

2. I discovered the book section at the Goodwill.  It's really hard to pass up a book I might want to read when it only costs $1.00.  

3. The Borders Express stores closed (see #1 above).

4. I discovered the Friends of the Santa Cruz Libraries book sales.  Books by the pound!  Books by the bag!

After about a year and a half I'd added hundreds of books to my collection.  I'm not exactly sure how many I had prior to Borders closing in April, but I'd guess close to 300.  When I started the purge last week, according to Shelfari I owned 1016 books.  Over A THOUSAND books.  About 20% are e-books, but still, that's 800 books taking up space in my house.  It doesn't seem possible, but it's true.  What did I do?  Yikes.  A thousand books is a little crazy.  I mean could start my own small used book store (specializing in romance novels).  Really.

Now for the reason for the post -- the great book purge of 2012.  I've gone through most of the books that were on the shelves in my bedroom and culled the pile some but I'm still having trouble letting go.  And I haven't even tackled the books in the front closet. *sigh*  

In the days since I started this post, I did tackle the books in the front closet (which is now empty) and got rid of a bunch of books; most of which went back to the Goodwill, where I purchased them in the first place.  Someone said to think of it as a $1 rental fee.  I like that. :)  But after all that sorting and all those bags of donated books, according to Shelfari, I own 876 books.  It sure seemed like I got rid of more than 150 books.  And that doesn't include the two bags of books I'd like to sell online.  I've spent so much time sorting, moving and organizing them that I haven't had any time to read any of them!  Oh the irony!

Books to Read in August

Total Number Read: 7

Audiobooks:
Ain't She Sweet by S.E.P
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 

Library Books: 
Four Play by Maya Banks and Shayla Black (e-book)*
The Great Escape by S. E. P.
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson 
Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen (e-book)
Straight by Hanne Blank 
On Request:
Fifty Shades of Grey Bundle by E. L. James 
Quiet by Susan Cain
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Shadows of Night by Deborah Harkness
Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas (e-book)

BOTM/Challenges:
Tribute by Nora Roberts
 
New Series/Authors:
Copper Beach by J. A. K.*
The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks*

Continuing Series:
The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
The Forbidden Rose by Joanna Bourn*
The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward
Rio by Allyson James
The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt *
The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros*
The Wedding by Julie Garwood* 

Not on Original Plan:
The Use by D. L. Carter

Currently Reading:

The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks
The Use by D. L. Carter
The Wedding by Julie Garwood

Read:
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Four Play by Maya Banks and Shayla Black* 

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Copper Beach by J. A. K.

I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
*ROR Summer Challenge Books

Books to Read in July

Total Number Read: 16

Audiobooks:
Bonk by Mary Roach 
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 
For the Win by Cory Doctorow
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

Library Books:
Four Play by Maya Banks and Shayla Black (e-book)
The Great Escape by S. E. P.
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon (e-book)
Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen (e-book)
Somewhere I'll Find You by Lisa Kleypas (e-book)
Straight by Hanne Blank
On Request:
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
Quiet by Susan Cain
Shadows of Night by Deborah Harkness

AOTM/Challenges:
Seduction by Amanda Quick*
Untraceable by Laura Griffin

New Series/Authors:
Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs
Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Continuing Series:
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs
Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong
The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley
The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison
Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward
River Marked by Patricia Briggs*
The Vampire Who Loved Me by Teresa Medeiros*

Stand Alones/Non-Fiction:

Not on Original Plan:

Eland by Allyson James

Aiden and Ky by Allyson James

Collision Course b K. A. Mitchell

Rees by Allyson James

Maia and Rylan by Allyson James

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Currently Reading:

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Read:

Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

Seduction by Amanda Quick

Eland by Allyson James

Aiden and Ky by Allyson James

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs 

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley

Collision Course by K. A. Mitchell

Untraceable by Laura Griffin

Bonk by Mary Roach

Rees by Allyson James

Maia and Rylan by Allyson James 

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

*ROR Summer Challenge Books