2015 Genre Decades Reading Challenge

Becky's Book Reviews is hosting the 2015 Genre Decades Reading Challenge.  I will be reading three decades, the 80's, 90's and the 2000's (00's?).  I will be choosing to read romance for the 80's (in fact, I am planning on reading Jayne Ann Krentz romances specifically), contemporary romance for the 90's and paranormals for the 2000's.







Romance from the 80's: 
1981:
1982:
1983:
1984:
1985:
1986:  
1987:
1988:
1989:

Contemporary Romance from the 90's:
1990:
1991:
1992:
1993:
1994:
1995:
1996:
1997:
1998:
1999:

Paranormals from the 2000's:
2000:
2001:
2002:
2003:
2004:
2005:
2006:
2007:
2008:
2009:

2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book is hosting the 2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge.    I will fill out my alphabet list as I read my books...once I put something in writing I tend to feel obligated to follow through with it and feel like I am "cheating" if I change my mind.  Weird maybe, but I am used to my idiosyncrasies.  Without further ado, here we go: 




A:
B:
C:
D: 
E:
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S:
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

2015 Birthday Month Reading Challenge

You, Me, and a Cup of Tea is hosting the 2015 Birthday Month Reading Challenge which is a great idea and I am excited to join in the fun. This list is/will be a work in progress but here is what I am thinking might work for now:

January: 
February: 
March: 
April: 
May: 
June:
July:
August: 
September: 
October:
November:
December: 

Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge

You, Me, and a Cup of Tea is hosting the Hard Core Re-Reading Challenge.  I plan on starting at Level 1: Re-reading itch and hopefully will work my way on up through more levels (it would be awesome to get to 50+ Re-reading coma!).  However, I tend to plan big and then get frustrated when/if I can't follow through (see two months of almost daily blogging followed by almost two year hiatus...ahem).  I plan to be more tortoise and less hare this year and therefore, hopefully more successful as a long term blogger.  But I digress...on to what I would like to re-read: 

  Re-Read Possibilities for 2015: 

I have (very embarrassingly) never gotten around to reading Heart of Obsidian (or Shield of Winter which came after) but before I can I need to reread some of the earlier titles to remind myself of the details, so I will be rereading the following Nalini Singh titles: 

1. Bonds of Justice
2. Play of Passion
3. Kiss of Snow
4. Tangle of Need 

(who knows, I might start all over at book 1 as I do LOVE this series!)

I am behind on the Guild Hunter series as well and will re-read the first few as well (I am a die-hard reader-of-a-series-in-order and when I put down a series for too long, I almost feel obligated to start all the way at book one again...anyone else do that?)

1. Angel's Blood
2. Archangel's Kiss
3. Archangel's Consort
4. Archangel's Blade

I am woefully behind on several Nora Roberts' series (never even started the Bride's Quartet or the newest Trilogy from 2014) and hope to get to them this year, which will most likely make me want to revisit some of my favorites from her back list including the Key Trilogy and The Sign of Seven Trilogy.  

I know there will be many more re-reads in my future in 2015 but I won't try to predict them now...but I do look forward to revisiting many "old friends" in 2015!

2015 TBR Pile Challenge

I am excited to participate in the 2015 TBR Pile Challenge hosted by RoofBeamReader as I, like Maud Casey, was born with a reading list I will never finish...but challenges such as this one help me tick at least a few titles as "Completed!"  There is something so satisfying about finally getting to a book that has been languishing in the TBR for ages and this challenge is just what I need to finally get to at least a few of them.  Without further ado, here is my list:  


2015 TBR Pile Challenge Books: 

1. Maybe This Time -- Jennifer Crusie (2010)
2. Afterglow -- Cherry Adair (2012)
3. Caden's Vow -- Sarah McCarty (2012)
4. Razor's Edge -- Shannon K. Butcher (2011)
5. Veil of Night -- Linda Howard (2010)
6. Running Wild -- Linda Howard and Linda Jones (2012)
7. Heart of Obsidian -- Nalini Singh (2013)
8. Heart of a Hero -- Janet Chapman (2013)
9. The Heart of a  Killer -- Jaci Burton (2011)
10. The Mane Attraction -- Shelly Laurenston (2008)
11. Vision in White -- Nora Roberts (2009)
12. The Perfect Hope -- Nora Roberts (2012)

Alternates 

1. Rough and Ready -- Sandra Hill (2006)
2. Hello on Wheels -- Julie Ann Walker (2012)

Review: Glory in Death by J. D. Robb

Glory In Death by J. D. Robb
Published by Berkley, 1995

It is 2058, New York City.  In a world where technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there's only one place to hide a crime of passion - in the heart.

Even in the mid-twenty-first century, during a time when genetic testing usually weeds  out any violent hereditary traits before they can take over, murder still happens.  The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain.  The second is murdered in her own apartment building.  Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes.  Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women.  Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city.  And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects--including her own lover, Roarke.  (Summary from Goodreads)

This book is the second in the In Death series and I enjoyed it as much as the first.  I am so glad to have a new series to glom, especially one with as many wonderful entries as this one...it will keep me busy for a good, long while!  

In this second entry, Eve is facing another high-profile case, one with ties to the police world as a prosecuting attorney has been found murdered.  Then an actress if found...Eve is able to successfully guess some of the motives for the murders including a need for attention and she sets herself up as bait.  This leads to an event that she did not see coming and which she has a hard time dealing with.

Eve is the same gutsy, determined woman who is dedicated to getting justice for the dead.  She is still dealing with her childhood demons and more of her history is revealed.  She is also finding her footing in her new relationship with Roarke, including how to deal with her new place in the spotlight which comes with being connected to someone like Roarke.  

Roarke, oh man.  He made such a romantic move in this book that gave me goosebumps!! I hesitate to say too much, but wow.  You will know it when you read about it.  And then, when he and Eve reach some really bumpy, rough times?  My heart was in my throat and I almost wanted to walk away from the book because I did not want to read about them hurting.  How I can care so much about two characters in the space of a book and a half is amazing to me. J.D. Robb does not take the easy road with her characters, she makes them feel, even when they would prefer not to.  Eve and Roarke have both dealt with issues that they would much rather shove into a closet and leave.  And yet, they don't.  They do the hard thing and that is why I love them so much. 

Watching both of these strong characters begin to bend and compromise is beautiful.  I like the mysteries, I enjoy the secondary characters, but I am reading these books for Eve and Roarke. What an amazing couple!

This book rates a 4/5.

I bought this book with my own funds from my local used book store.

Review: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Naked in Death by JD Robb
Published by Berkley, 1995

In a world of danger and deception, she walks the line--between seductive passion and scandalous murder...Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer.  In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all--and knows her survival depends on her instincts.  And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire--and a suspect in Eve's murder investigation.  But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and its up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about--except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

Okay, this part is for my mom: You were right, I should have read these books a long time ago...I am sorry for not listening to you.  I should never doubt you as time has shown that you are (almost) always right.  Now, on to the review...

As you can see, these books have been highly recommended to me by my mom for years...I finally read the first one and man.  I should have listened to my mother.  This book was fantastic (and so was the second...and the third but that is for another review).  J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts) can sure write some fantastic characters--Eve Dallas is a very strong woman who has suffered horribly in her past, much of which she refuses to really think about.  She dreams about her childhood and wakes up shaken and denying that she is broken or damaged.  Her past has only increased her determination to make something of herself and her chosen way to do that is to ensure that the dead get justice.  Eve is a homicide detective and she is among the best there is...this is why she is hand picked to take over the case of a high-profile murder that threatens to bring political heat down on the heads of all those involved.  

The murder victim is a licensed companion, a prostitute, as well as the granddaughter of a very conservative senator with whom she had a falling out years before.  Her chosen profession along with her relationship to the senator puts Eve and her colleagues in the spotlight not only of the senator who has no problems pulling strings and calling in favors but also with the news media.  Neither spotlight is comfortable for Eve.  Nor is her attraction to one of the prime suspects, Roarke.

Ah, Roarke.  What a fabulous male lead...he is mysterious, uber-rich, has a sexy accent, and has great repartee with Eve.  I really enjoyed the interactions between Eve and Roarke and seeing Eve slowly lower her shields even when she didn't always mean to.  She doesn't lose any of her strength, but she does learn to lean on Roarke's at times.  Roarke doesn't make things easy for Eve because easy isn't what she wants nor is it anything that Roarke could ever be.  Watching them both fall for each other was the best part of the book for me.

One of the many things I appreciated about the writing is the fact that every character feels real, even the most minor.  The attention to details that allows for this is amazing--each character gets fleshed out, even if they are only in a scene or two.  This made me very invested in figuring out who was the murderer and I was very satisfied with the who-done-it, although I did guess it before the book was over which I wasn't expecting.  It didn't take any of my enjoyment away, though.  After I finished reading the first book I immediately went searching for book two.  I couldn't wait to spend more time with these fabulous characters!

This book rates a 5/5.

I borrowed this book from my local public library.