Books Read in October 2011

1. Chasing Fire by Chasing Fire
2. Only His by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order in which to read the series can be found here.)
3. Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. You can find the order in which to read here
4. More Than Words Volume 7 by Jill Shalvis, Carly Phillips, and Donna Hill
5. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward (NOTE: This is part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
6. Ape House by Sara Gruen
7. Covet by J.R. Ward> (NOTE: This is part of the The Fallen Angels series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
8. Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This book is the second book in the Animal series. The order in which to read can be found here.)

It was a really great month for reading with most of it happening in the first week of the month. I read all electronic books and continued borrowing books from the library for my nook. Very pleased with this month’s books overall.

Books Read in May 2011

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
2. Lover Mine by J.R. Ward (NOTE: This is part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. You can find more information and order in which to read here.)
3. Nowhere Near Respectable by Mary Jo Putney (NOTE: This is the third book in the Lost Lords series. You can find more information and the order in which to read here.)
4. The Pirate Next Door by Jennifer Ashley (NOTE: This book is the first in her Pirate series. You can find more information and the order in which to read here.)
5. Bossypants by Tina Fey

Good month for reading after a slow start.  I'm really getting back into historical romances.  I read them from time to time, but it's nice and refreshing this month for some reason. 

Fat Clothes

So, I have this dress from Forever 21. I bought it while I was pregnant. Strangely, a lot of the clothes I wore while I was pregnant were from Forever 21 and not maternity clothes (the empire-style, babydoll dresses were in style). Regardless, I had this one dress (in the photo above) that I liked because it was comfortable. However, I thought it made me look huge in the above photo. I wore a different dress later that night and looked so much better so it's not because I was pregnant. Anyway, because the dress isn't maternity, I could hypothetically wear it now. I didn't wear it last year because it made me feel huge (even though I was smaller than I was pre-baby). However, today, I sucked it up and wore the dress. I still think the print isn't the most flattering, but it's still comfortable and I don't feel as icky as I did the last time I wore it. Weird how clothes carry mental baggage.

Oh, that's J.R. Ward above. She's super tall, and I'm super short. I still wish she just stood up, but it was awesome meeting her. It says something of her popularity since 2007. In Dallas that year, her line was 8-10 people long. This year, it was too long to count. Glad I got my book signed in Dallas!

Books Read in June 2009

1. Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher
2. Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
3. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
4. A Kid to the Rescue by Susan Gable
5. Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis

This month, I couldn't read enough. It's not noticed in my total of books, but Shannon K. Butcher's book took me awhile to get into, and the J.R. Ward was a pretty long book. Plus, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was a slower read. Still, all in all, I was very happy with my month of reading. I've been doing my best to read the books I already own and, so far, it's proven worth it. Who knew I had such hidden treasures? At the end of the month, I quickly read Susan Gable's books. I can't remember how I found her, but I really like her Harlequin titles. They're always a little deeper than I expect with the satisfying happy ending. Plus, I just found out that Susan Gable has a contract for two of the hero's brothers so we'll see more of the Hawkins Family. The hero is one of 12, and you really got to know the family in this book so it'll be great to see them again.

Books Read in May 2009

1. Vision in White by Nora Roberts
2. Beach Music by Pat Conroy
3. Sophie's Secret by Tara Taylor Quinn

Though this month was kind of piddly, the books were good. Nora Roberts rarely fails to deliver. Her book was sweet and romantic and the good start to her new series. I can't wait for the other three books. Pat Conroy's book was for book club. It has been over a decade since I've read his work, but I do like his storytelling even if I'm an impatient reader. I always want to follow the book and enjoy the way he weaves a story. He is a very visual writer and I bet his books are great as audio books. Last, but not least, I squeezed in Tara Taylor Quinn. She writes Harlequin novels and always is a pleasure to read because of her unique plots and characters. I wanted a little more out of this book especially at the end. It left me with questions. As this is part of The Shelter Valley series, I may get answers eventually. It's always a good book when you want more. Good month. I'd love to keep up the reading trend. I started Susan Mallery's book, have J.R. Ward's close by, and I also have Shannon K. Butcher and Geralyn Dawson so I'm not lacking of anything to pick up.

Books read in June 2008

1. Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward. (NOTE: This book is book 6. Book 1 is Dark Lover. Book 2 is Lover Eternal. Book 3 is Lover Awakened Book 4 is Lover Revealed Book 5 is Lover Unbound.)
2. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn. (NOTE: This book is book 1. Book 2 is Mr. Cavendish, I Presume which comes out on September 30, 2008.)
3. The Marriage Spell by Mary Jo Putney.

I liked all the books I read this month, but after I read these three in rapid succession, I found it hard to get into another book. This is partly because June was a busy month. It’s also just that I found it difficult to concentrate. I did switch genres up a little so I am reading a couple of books currently that, I presume, will show up in my July summary. So, here’s hoping July will be when my reading groove comes back.