It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jan. 5, 2015)

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.

I had a quiet and relaxing week. I spent a lot of time reading and working on my blogs. I finished my last January review book at 11:32 PM on Dec. 31 but didn't write the review until New Year's day. For GoodReads it was my first book of 2015 as I started my new challenge with a goal of 250 books for 2015. On my spreadsheet, it was the last book of 2014.

Speaking of 2014, I read 296 books containing 99,731 pages. 203 of them were review books. I added 621 books to my LibraryThing account and 343 of them are still marked To Read. I actually added 236 review books among the 621 and have 48 that will be read this year. I've started reading the books that will be released in February. More review books are coming, too. I asked for about a dozen from Macmillan but none of them have arrived yet. These will be print ARCs.

I took some time setting up all the Teaser Tuesday, Friday Memes, WoW posts and the Review posts for February on both this blog and Ms. Martin Teaches Media. I have a couple of empty spots on this blog that I hope to fill with books from my TBR mountain (unless I'm tempted by another review book.)

It's back to school on Monday for the final three weeks of the first semester of our school year. I change all my classes at the semester and will be seeing a whole new bunch of students. Next semester I'll be seeing Kindergartners, First and Second Graders, Fourth Graders and Sixth Graders. I really should begin doing some planning for my upcoming classes - but there is so much to finish with the classes I already have.

Read Last Week

I read a recent addition to my TBR mountain this week. I chose Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells. This is an urban fantasy with an interesting magical system and engaging characters. I liked it enough to order the second book in the series. My review will be posted on January 31.

I also read Dream of Danger by Maggie Shayne. This is a novella in the Brown and DeLuca series and was an entertaining, quick read that whet my appetite for the rest of the series. My review will be posted on January 28.

I decided to set my review books aside for a bit and catch up on the Brown and DeLuca series. I read both Innocent Prey and Deadly Obsession. My review for Innocent Prey will be posted on January 29 and my review for Deadly Obsession will be posted on February 5. I really enjoyed both stories and loved watching the relationship between Mason and Rachel develop.

 

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen was a convoluted and complicated fantasy about a family curse. I didn't like it every much because most of the characters were completely unlikable. I also found the motivations for the curse to be weak. My review will be posted on Jan. 28.

On the other hand, I found Cut Me Free by J. R. Johansson to be an amazing book. This was a story about a young woman who had escaped a lifetime of abuse and was trying to start a new life for herself. It was complicated when she rescued another young girl who was in the same situation and then was being stalked by someone. My review will be posted on Jan. 29.

 

The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles was an entertaining middle grade science fiction story. It is the second book in a series and I thought it was better than the first with more adventure and intrigue. My review will be posted on January 31.

I also read Since You've Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne which tells the story of Edie who, along with her mother, is on the run from her abusive father. They get to London, England, where Edie's mother disappears and Edie decides to try to find her without police involvement. She and a new school friend try to trace her mother's path. My review will be posted on February 5.

 

I pulled Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh off my TBR mountain. This was a typical Leigh - intensely erotic. I liked the story because the main character - Gypsy Rum McQuade - was such an interesting, strong but broken, person. My review will be posted on February 7.

I'll also be posting my review of I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios on February 7. This YA contemporary was an excellent story about a girl who can't wait to leave her dead-end town and an injured young Marine who has come back to it to get his life in order. Great characters and intense emotion made this book a gripping read. 

Currently

I'm reading Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston. I love her funny paranormals and am enjoying this one which features a honey badger shifter.

Next Week

I pulled Closer to Home by Mercedes Lackey from my TBR mountain. I just finished the first series about Mags and am eager to start the second.

Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King is from my review stack. I love the Mary Russell/Sherlock Holmes series and can't wait to dig into this one.

My YA books are from my February review stack. I have Mars Evacuees by Sophia McDougall which will be released on Feb. 17 and Better Than Perfect by Melissa Kantor which will be released on Feb. 26 next up on my stack.

Reviews Posted

• Save Me by Jenny Elliott
• Hungry Like the Wolf by Paige Tyler
• Gifted: A Holiday Anthology by Kelley Armstrong
• The Unicorn Hunter by Che Golden
• Private Affair by Rebecca York

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• Inside of a Dog  No new adult books this week.
• Ms. Martin Teaches Media

I'm not listing it because I don't yet have it, but I will be reading Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz as soon as it downloads to my Kindle on Tuesday.

What are your plans for the week? Leave me a link and I'll be sure to come visit.