2014 – The Year of Books #FF

 Welcome to #FF, Feature and Follow, with Parajunkee and Allison Can Read! If you love to read, blog about books, or want to start…come join the fun!

Again people I failed to meet my challenge! Oiy!!! I didn’t realize how many novellas I read this year, ones that I didn’t really think qualified so I didn’t add them on my Goodreads. Boo Hoo people! But some good things happened, with me and books – I read some movie books before I saw the movies (and then realized how much I hate Nicholas Sparks – read the post here) , I read some really amazing books that I really loved, and I started a book club with some local military spouses. So, although I didn’t meet my challenge, I read a lot of books and I continued my love affair with books.  More books were read then last year, and we did a lot of kid book reading this year too.

Murder in the CIA by Margaret Truman 
I continued reading the Capitol Crimes series by Margaret Truman. Loving this series, and its particularly amazing because we live here, and I’ve been to a ton of the places mentioned in the books. That is pretty darn cool. This is a great series and I would recommend it to any mystery book lover.
Split Second by Alex Kava 
This is the second book in a new series that I started reading, at the suggestion of my mother. The subject of the book is a female FBI agent, and most of the books take place in the Virginia area. 
Steel Will by Shilo Harris 
Absolutely amazing book to read! A must read.
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I delved into my YA book reading side. Yes, I read twilight, yes I liked them. Don’t judge me! I knew that they had made a movie out of this book and I had always wanted to see it. So I read the book and then watched the movie with one of my girlfriends. They didn’t do a bad job. If they had really tried to do it justice the movie would have had to have been a million hours long. It is an extremely long book, but really good. I was going to read the second book, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Its on my list of to-dos for 2015!
Seasons of Tomorrow (Amish Vines and Orchards #4) 
The last in one my favorite Amish Series! I almost don’t want it to be over, and I’m not actually sure if it is. There would be some good spinoffs in there. Cindy was my first foray into Amish books, as I’d been hesitant because it didn’t really seem all that interesting. However, Cindy sucked me in and I became an addict.
So those were some of my favorite books of 2014! You can check out all the books on my challenge list by friending me on Goodreads. I’d love to check out all the books you are reading.
Did you have a favorite book of 2014? 

 

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It’s Saturday, so time for a Book Challenge Check-In!

This is my third year of the Goodreads Book Challenge and I uped my numbers this year. Two years ago I was a miserable failure..I guess having a baby and moving across country messed with my book-reading mojo. As a result, last year I set the bar a little lower then normal and exceeded it. If you participate in a book challenge please leave a comment or link me to your Goodreads or blog. I love finding out what other people are reading. I get my best suggestions from there, friends and Pinterest of all places. I’m a succor for the 100 Books To Read Before You Die list. I just came across this, Gilmore Girls inspired list and I am dying to jump into it. Make sure to check out my “Rhe’s Bookshelf” tab for reviews, and visit my goodreads account by clicking on the challenge link below. And don’t forget, share your book posts, blogs or accounts in the comments.

Books 1-25 of my 65 2014 book challenge
 A Story Unfinished by Matt  Mooney   A SEAL's Seduction by Tawny Weber Lonesome Cowboy by Debbie Macomber Texas Two-Step by Debbie Macomber Back in Service by Isabel Sharpe
Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis A Hero to Come Home To by Marilyn Pappano Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia A Perfect Evil by Alex KavaBreaking Point by Lindsay McKenna
Navy Rescue by Geri Krotow His Woman in Command by Lindsay McKenna A Mother's Secret by Amy Clipston The Global War on Christians by John L. Allen Jr. Murder at the FBI by Margaret Truman
 The Returning Hero by Soraya LaneSplit Second by Alex Kava  The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks Murder in Georgetown by Margaret Truman Murder in the CIA by Margaret Truman
Seasons of Tomorrow by Cindy Woodsmall Jane Austen Girl by Inglath Cooper The Healing Quilt by Wanda E. Brunstetter Steel Will by Shilo Harris Falling for Her Soldier by Ophelia London

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The Book Chat, with Sweet Green Tangerine

Welcome to my first week of participating in The Book Chat.  If you have never visiting Sweet Green Tangerine you are missing out.  She has a fun little link up that takes on a book-related topic every week.  Chat is taking a hiatus (although I’m kind of sad about it and think I might incorporate some more book chatty type things in the blog) for some other fun stuff.  So, stop by Sweet Green Tangerine and check out what else is going on. This week’s topic is ‘Non-Fiction’.

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Non-fiction, is probably a staple in my reading, but recently I’ve noticed they haven’t been on my too read list quite as much.  There was about a three or four year period where you would have only seen me with books of this variety….

Zodiac Unmasked: The Identity of America's Most Elusive Serial Killers Revealed 
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 I’m a succor for a good True-Crime and/or historical book.  Maybe more like obsessed.  After really getting this blog going I started adding book reviews to it on a fairly regular basis, and before I knew it I was getting books to review left and right.  Most of these books Christian Fiction.  Then someone gave me my first military-themed romance novel, and I was hooked!  There is something about a good fiction book.  If it sweeps you away in the story, connects you to the characters and leaves you wanting more then you have a recipe for an amazing fiction.  But last week I began missing the non-fiction.  Like, really started missing.  My Goodreads account in no way reflects the full magnitude of my previous non-fiction obsession.  I wouldn’t even know where to start to try to remember all of the true crime books I’ve read.  My mom took a picture of me when I was pregnant with my oldest son.  She said she wanted to mark the true depth of my addiction.  The fact that i would reading this…
Hush Little Babies: The True Story of a Mother Who Murdered Her Own Children 
was a little weird I guess.  But hey, I can’t help it.   At that time I was still in school, getting my degree in a related field…so you know, it wasn’t that weird.  So maybe I’m wondering if I’ve run out of good non-fiction to read.  That’s not the case because I don’t have books to read.  I just was checking out my bookshelf (my real one, not my virtual one) and I have some awesome books to choose from.  I think you go through different phases of reading, different things appeal to you; but clearly my true love has been calling me.
If you read non-fiction, what type of non-fiction is your favorite?
Find me on Goodreads and follow me!

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Goodreads Book Challenge, Books 20-38

It was only maybe two years ago that my reading really started picking up.  I have always been a huge reader, from childhood and on.  There have definitely been seasons of reading in my life, where I have read more or less then other times.  College was a time of less for fun reading.  Who has time for that when you’re studying and attending classes.  I will say that I loved college, and I loved most of my classes, so a lot of that reading was semi-for fun.  Probably close to three years ago I started using Goodreads to keep track of my books, what I’ve read and what I wanted to read.  Goodreads also does a book challenge and every year I’ve totally failed.  Getting really sick with Phillip, having him, surgery, moving, adjusting, deployment….yeah, the last two years were just terrible in the reading department.  This year I’m well ahead of schedule and I shouldn’t have low-balled my challenge number but I did.  So right now I just finished book number 38 of 50, and I don’t see myself slowing down anytime soon.  Make sure you check out my previous post for the first 19 books on my list.

Navy Baby (Navy #5)  Truth Be Told  Navy Woman (Navy #4)  The Winnowing Season (Amish Vines and Orchards, #2)  Grace's Pictures  Jimmy (Red, Hot & Blue, #3)
16 Lighthouse Road (Cedar Cove, #1)  Mr. Lincoln's T-Mails: How Abraham Lincoln Used the Telegraph to Win the Civil War  Murder in the Smithsonian (Capital Crimes, #4)  Navy Husband (Navy #6) (Silhouette Special Edition #1693)  The Christian Mama's Guide to the Grade School Years: Everything You Need to Know to Survive (and Love) Sending Your Kid Off Into the Big, Wide World  Take a Chance on Me (Christiansen Family, #1)

The Soldier's Newfound Family (Texas Twins, #5)  Jimmy (Red, Hot & Blue, #3) Jack (Red, Hot & Blue, #2)  A Man For The Summer  Mission: Motherhood Hidden Under Her Heart (Chance For Love #2)

A Season for Tending (Amish Vines and Orchids #1)Hugo The Happy Starfish: The Last Bully

There have been some good books in this group here and most of them I have reviewed here on the blog.  You can find the review for one of my top five of this grouping, The Soldier’s Newfound Family, on group blog and online community, Fancy Little Things.  You can also find some of the books from this year’s challenge on my summer reading list picks over at The Homefront United.  Make sure to check those out if you’re looking  for some good books to read or add to your ever growing list.  If you don’t use Goodreads I’m telling you that you are missing out.  It changed my life…well, as far as my reading life goes.  But seriously, it changed my life.  And, as always, you can check out my bookshelf  tab up top or find me on facebook and ask me anything!!

What are you reading right now?  Do you have a reading challenge you participate in?  Do you have a favorite summer reading book, or books?

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Goodreads Book Challenge Books 1-19

If you’ve been poking around the blog for any length of time you might have noticed book reviews from time to time.  Having always been a reader, discovering Goodreads a couple of years ago was like discovering the Holy Grail.  Do you know how many lists I’ve made, pictures of books I’ve taken on cell-phones, mental notes that I’ve filed away in my brain?  Finally I discovered a place where I can keep track of all the books I want to read.  In short, if you haven’t made a Goodreads account and you love to read, then you need to get on Goodreads. 

A fun thing Goodreads does is creates groups and forums on their site for an annual reading challenge.  This is my third year doing it, and the first year I’ll succeed.  The first year I definitely came up short – the whole being deathly ill with a Dutchess Catherine sort of morning sickness, the second year included more illness,  having a baby, having surgery and moving across the country.  Not exactly prime conditions for a reading challenge.  This year, according to Goodreads, I’m 18% ahead of schedule!  Frankly, having a blast doing it.

So here’s the books so far, most of which I’ve reviewed on here.

Secrets (Glenbrooke, #1) A Path Toward Love Into the Crossfire (Protectors, #1) The SEAL's Valentine The Risk-Taker Six Hours One Friday: Living in the Power of the Cross Manipulating the List (Immortal Companion, #1) A Special Ops Christmas Claiming Mariah Camo Christmas Echoes (Glenbrooke, #3) Safe Haven Hired by the Cowboy (Windover Ranch #1) A Just Man Murder on Capitol Hill (Capital Crimes, #2) Murder In The Supreme Court (Capital Crimes, #3) Clouds (Glenbrooke, #5) Waking Up Married Prophecy of the Female Warrior

1. Secrets, by Robin Jones Gunn
2. A Path Toward Love – Cara Lynn James
3. Into the Crossfire – Lisa Marie Rice
4. The Seal’s Valentine – Laura Marie Altom
5. The Risk Taker – Kira Sinclair
6. Six Hours One Friday – Max Lucado
7. Manipulating the List – KB Lever
8. A Special Ops Christmas – Kristen James
9. Claiming Mariah – Pam Hillman
10. Camo Christmas – Jennifer Traveler
11. Echos – Robin Jones Gunn
12. Safe Haven – Nicholas Sparks
13. Hired By The Cowboy – Donna Alward
14. A Just Man – Helen Daniel
15. Murder on Capitol Hill – Margaret Truman
16. Murder at the Supreme Court – Margaret Truman
17. Clouds – Robin Jones Gunn
18. Waking Up Married – Mira Lyn Kelly
19. Prophecy of the Female Warrior – KA Young

You can find my reviews here on the blog  and some on Amazon as well.

Anyone else have a Goodread’s account or are participating in a reading challenge?  What’s on your bookshelf right now?

You can find me on Goodreads here

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