Monday, July 14, 2014

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (July 14, 2014)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

nErDcampMI was an amazing experience. I was so energized to be surrounded by teachers, librarians, and others who were so enthusiastic about reading, writing and technology. However, I may also never recover from the trauma of the drive. I have made a note to myself to never travel on the 4th of July weekend again. We had bumper to bumper traffic from the Wisconsin Dells all the way through Chicago which is also a road construction zone. I swear that there has been no progress in the road construction since I last traveled through the area in June of 2013! Our 8 hour drive took almost 11 hours.

The trip back was not quite so traumatic. We still had the Chicago construction zone to deal with but the traffic after Chicago wasn't a problem. I'm glad to be home and also glad that I won't be traveling any distance until August 1.

Read Last Week
Melting the Ice by Jaci Burton was a steamy sports romance in her Play-By-Play series from my TBR mountain. I enjoyed the story. My review will be posted on August 9.

The first audiobook we listened to on our trip was Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro. I thought it was very well done. However, the cliffhanger ending means I have a couple more books I need to read. My review will be posted on August 4.
For Her Spy Only by Robyn DeHart was a novella that I got for review from Entangled Publishing. It will be released on July 21. I found the characters engaging and the story to be fast-paced. My review will be posted on July 21.

The second audiobook we listened to was Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman which retells the Odyssey from the point of view of a 15-year-old Trojan slave. It was filled with adventure and should appeal to middle graders. It was also the first book in the series which leaves me wanting to read the rest. My review will be posted on August 11.
Love's Justice by Joan Avery was a novel that I received from Entangled Publishing for review. This historical romance is also about women's rights. Our heroine is being sued by the dissolute aristocrat that her father contracted her to marry. The hero is the judge in the trial. My review will be posted on July 21.

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark was a thriller and debut novel by this lawyer. I thought it was well done. The characters were interesting people and the mystery was intriguing. I got this eARC from NetGalley. My review will be posted on August 6. 
Two more from the TBR mountain.

The Essence by Kimberly Derting is a YA fantasy that is the second book in the series. I enjoyed the story and added the third book to my wishlist. My review will be posted on August 6.

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau is the first book in a YA dystopian trilogy. This was also an exciting and entertaining story with a well-drawn world and a main character that I cared about. I put the next two books on my wishlist too. My review will be posted on August 14.

Currently
I chose Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur to read next. It has been on my TBR mountain since Sept. 27, 2011. It is an urban fantasy story that begins a new series. 

Next Week

I have chosen an assortment of books from my TBR mountain and from my review stack to read this coming week.
Steel's Edge by Ilona Andrews was added to the TBR mountain on Nov. 27, 2012. It is the fourth book in this urban fantasy series.

Mercy Burns by Keri Arthur has been on the stack since April 21, 2011. It is also urban fantasy and the second book in a series.
The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth has been on the stack since Sept. 9. 2011. 

Memory Zero by Keri Arthur is a review book that I got from NetGalley. I read this book, or a version of it, in 2004. It is apparently being re-released on August 26.
The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton has been on my YA TBR mountain since March 24, 2014. This begins a new series for her based on Norse mythology. I got finally got this one when I saw that the second book was imminent.

Hidden by Sophie Jordan has been on the YA TBR mountain since Sept. 13, 2012. It is the third book in her dragon series.
Feral by Holly Schindler is a YA review book that will be released on August 26.

Starry Night by Isabel Gillies is also a review book being released on Sept. 2. 

Reviews Posted
Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?
Summer reading progress: I have read 24 of the 52 books I brought home from my TBR mountains. I am 26 books ahead of my GoodReads goal of 250 books in 2014. Of course, I added too many books to my stack again. I added 48 books in June and still have 34 to read. I have already added 32 in July and still have 29 to read.

That was my week. What do you have planned for yours?

28 comments:

  1. That is a huge haul of reads. Enjoy them all.

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  2. You got a lot read last week Kathy, I hope you enjoyed them.

    Have a great reading week,

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

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  3. One of the book bloggers recommended Confessions of a Murder Suspect to me, so I'm looking forward to your review. :) I like to read The Testing too but I don't have a copy yet.

    Happy reading! :)

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  4. I think traveling on the 4th of July may be even worse than Thanksgiving weekend... glad your conference was worth the hassle though.

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  5. I haven't read Marcia Clark but hope to find one of her books and give it a try.
    Harvee
    Book Dilettante

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  6. I had no idea there was such a thing as a steamy sports romance, but I love the idea of it. Hope you enjoyed it!

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  7. That is such a great bunch of books! Enjoy them all. Thanks for visiting my blog as well.
    Laura

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  8. I want to try Marcia Clark, I remember considering this one.

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  9. You've had a busy week. What else has Mary Pearson written? The name is so familiar. Must go look....

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  10. Oh, I groan at the thought of traveling on a holiday weekend! Glad you made it through....It sounds like a lot of fun, though.

    I have my eye on the Marcia Clark book....thanks for sharing, and for visiting my blog.

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  11. Glad you had a great conference, but traffic, yuck! When we drove cross country to our new home, there were no holidays, but half the country seems to have road construction going on, with no workers working on the roads!
    I enjoyed all Marcia Clark's books, so enjoy it.

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  12. nErDcampMI sounds like a really fun experience, despite the drive! 'Torn from Troy' looks really good, but the cover of 'Essence' immediately drew my attention! Thanks for sharing :)
    My Monday post
    Juli @ Universe in Words

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  13. I need to read a James Patterson book. I like how he supports indies. The Testing has been popular at our store since lots of people are looking for dystopian themed books.

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  14. Oh nice! I loooove Keri Arthur's books! Haven't read too many of her older series, but did read and enjoy the Nikki and Michael books! Hope you enjoy all your reads for the week!

    Here's my Monday Wrapup

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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  15. The NerdCamp sounds wonderful, conferences like that I find certainly ramp up enthusiasm for teaching. Ugh! to the travel. Looks like a fine bundle of books. Enjoy your week. Your review of Queen of the Tearling was one of the reviews that made me enthusiastic to read the book. :)

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  16. I'm pretty burned out on YA dystopians, but I hope you enjoy The Testing. You seem to have a lot to read for next week, but you also seem like a quick reader!

    I haven't read any Ilona Andrews' books, though they seem to be pretty popular.

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  17. Glad you had fun at Nerdcamp, but yes, the traffic was icky. That Starry Night looks good. I will have to grab it.

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  18. What a great list of books you have to read! I have Guilt By Association to read too. It looks really good. Have a great week!

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  19. The President's Vampire sounds like it could be fun -- love the cover!

    Joy's Book Blog

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  20. Starry Night looks fun! I will have to look into it. :)

    Happy reading!

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  21. You've got lots of great books lined up, Kathy! Enjoy them all and thanks for visiting my blog.

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  22. Congrats on being ahead of your reading goal. I'll be driving to Chicago next month and agree, the construction never ends! I am a fan of Marcia Clark's Rachel Knight. Have a great week.

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  23. Roadworks here adds hours to a trip, so frustrating and exhausting. You had a great week of reading. I've got quite a few Keri Arthur novels waiting patiently for me lol. Have a good week and happy reading :)

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  24. Oh yes. Independence Day traffic is insane. Glad you had fun though! I've seen Sophie Jordan's dragon series in the library but haven't picked it up yet. Good to have a reminder though, haha. Enjoy your summer!

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  25. Looks like you got some great reading done! I've read The Pledge, but still need to read the rest of the series. Enjoy your books this week!

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  26. Wow, you are a speedy reader! I'm so impressed

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    1. And torn from Troy sounds like a really interesting middle grade book. A re-telling of the Odyssey from a young slave's eyes--sounds fascinating !

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  27. Torn from Troy sounds like a fascinating retelling! Thanks for sharing all your books with us!

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