Books I've Read - A Fool's Gold Wedding

A Fool's Gold Wedding was a novella.  Maid of Honor and Best Man meet, get along like gangbusters, conflict and resolution.  Plus, you got tons of cameos from past Fool's Gold residents and subjects of previous books.  It is completely unnecessary to read the previous books, and I had definitely forgotten all of them.  This was a perfect, little summer book to ease me back into reading this summer.  Nothing like a happy romance.

Books Read in October 2015

1. Marry Me at Christmas by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. All I Want by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Animal Magnetism series. You can find more information here.)
3. Crash Into You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
4. Still Into You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
5. Melt Into You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
6. Fall Into You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
7. Not Until You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
8. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
9. Caught Up In You by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
10. Need You Tonight by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)
11. Forever Starts Tonight by Roni Loren (NOTE: This is part of Loving on the Edge series. You can find more information here.)

Just some quick reads. Most are romance and have very adult content so word to the wise. The Girl on the Train is for bookclub. It was a big debut author and a bestseller, but I wasn't totally on board with the premise. I did like that it was a fast read.

Books Read in August 2015

1. Servicing the Target by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Shadowlands series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of the Jackson Girls' Night Out series. You can find more information here.)
3. Thrill Me by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Falling Under by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is part of the Ink and Chrome series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Caged by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of the Mastered series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
7. Running With the Devil by Lorelei James

Just some trashy books and The Hundred Foot Journey. They were all entertaining. Good summer reading, I suppose.

Books Read in July 2015

1. Complications by Atul Gawande
2. Insider by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is the first book of the Exodus End. The band featured has made a cameo in her previous series - book list is here.)
3. Opening Up by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the first book in her Ink and Chrome series. You can find more information here.)
4. Unraveled by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is the third book in the Mastered series. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is the first book in the Cedar Ridge series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Kiss Me by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
7. Holding Holly and Chasing Jillian by Julie Brannagh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found here.)
8. Master of Freedom by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters and Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)

I did a lot of reading. After a spell of heavier books, I jumped back into romance. I'll admit there was a mix of down and dirty and sweet so be wary if you use this for recommendations. Complications was my rare non-fiction book. I liked it. The author made things easy to follow. It gave great insight in a clear, concise way. I'd recommend it and I'd even go so far as to say I'd read his latest book.

Books Read in May 2015

1. No Limits by Lori Foster (NOTE: This is part of the Ultimate series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
3. Hold Me by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Texting Under the Influence by Cara Lockwood
5. Holding Strong by Lori Foster (NOTE: This is part of the Ultimate series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Back to You by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is part of the Hurley Boys series. The order of which can be found here.)

I got on a Lori Foster kick after reading one of her free novellas.  I had read the original fighter series so it was fun to revisit her books after a long break.  It took me a long time to get into Fangirl, but I ended up really liking it.  It was hard to follow Eleanor & Park which I just really liked.  Texting Under the Influence is a super enjoyable short story.  I wished it was a little longer, but it was complete and a lot of fun.

Books Read in Fall 2014

November

1. Blood Magick by Nora Roberts (NOTE: This is part of The Cousins O'Dwyer series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman (NOTE: The other related book/sequel is Where She Went.)
3. Show Me, Baby by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Masters of the Shadowland series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Unbridled by Beth Williamson
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
7. Take Me to Paradise by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is part of the Sinners on Tour series. The order of which can be found here, but it has not been updated to include the latest novella.)
8. Holiday on Ice by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is part of the Play by Play series. The order of which can be found here.)

December

1. Yours for Christmas by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Lucky Harbor series - the last one! The order of which can be found here.)
3. Covering Kendall by Julie Brannaugh (NOTE: This is part of the Love and Football series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

It looks more impressive than the list should be.  Many were novellas, just quick little fun romance short stories.  I did have some quality books in there - both romance and mainstream fiction.  It was a good run, and I have no complaints.

Books Read in June 2014

1. When We Met by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
2. Trying to Score by Toni Aleo (NOTE: This is part of her Assassins series. The order of which can be found here in the Books tab.)
3. Before We Kiss bySusan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Until We Touch bySusan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)

I was looking for some romance and had all of these in my giant pile of books to read. I rarely glom onto an author, but it was nice to spend a solid chunk of time in Fools Gold with Susan Mallery's characters. Decent reading month, enjoyable.

Books Read in December 2013

1. We Are Water by Wally Lamb
2. Holiday Games by Jaci Burton  (NOTE:  This is part of the Play By Play series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth  (NOTE:  This is part of the Divergent series.  The order of which can be found here.)
4. A Christmas to Remember by a handful of authors - Jill Shalvis (a short story part of the Lucky Harbor series), Kristen Ashley (a short story part of the Chaos series), Hope Ramsey (a short story part of the Last Chance series), Molly Cannon (a short story part of the Everson Texas series and Marilyn Pappano (a short story part of the Tallgrass series.
5. Holiday Kisses by a handful of authors - Jaci Burton (a short story part of the Kent Brothers series), Shannon Stacey, Helen Kay Dimon (a short story part of the Holloway series and Alison Kent
6. Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fools Gold series. The order to read the books can be found here.)

This month looks grander than it was.  The first book was for book club and took me the majority of the month (and some of November) to read.  The others were almost all Christmas novellas plus Divergent which continues my Young Adult trend.  I can't help it.  There is a lot of good, quality Young Adult novels out there.  For once, I read all of my Christmas books during the holiday season.  I rarely do that, but I had more than usual this year so figured it would help me end up in the Christmas frame of mind.  Plus, all the happy was a nice follow-up to the book club book which was a little heavy to say the least.

Books Read in August 2013

1. Under the Mistletoe by Jill Shalvis (NOTE:  This is part of the Lucky Harbor Series. You can find the order in which to read it here.)
2. Can't Stand the Heat by Louisa Edwards  (NOTE:  This is part of the Recipe for Love series. The order of which can be found here.
3. Doms of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride. (NOTE:  This is part of the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series - the order of which can be found here, the Hawkeye series - the order of which can be found here, and the Truckee Wolves series - the order of which can be found here.)
4. Doms of Dark Haven 2: Western Night by Cherise Sinclair, Sierra Cartwright and Belinda McBride. (NOTE:  This is part of the Mountain Masters & Dark Haven series - the order of which can be found here, the Hawkeye series - the order of which can be found here, and the Truckee Wolves series - the order of which can be found here.)
5. Don't Hex with Texas by Shanna Swendson. (NOTE: This book is part of the Enchanted, Inc. series. The order of which can be found here.)
6. Double Time by Olivia Cunning. (NOTE: This book is part of the Sinners on Tour series. The order of which can be found here.)
7. Three Little Words by Susan Mallery. (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
8. Wicked Beat by Olivia Cunning. (NOTE: This book is part of the Sinners on Tour series. The order of which can be found here.)
9. Fool's Gold Cookbook by Susan Mallery. (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
10. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

It was a better month than I expected. Pretty decent books. I read the last two of the Sinners on Tour books out of order which irked me. I don't know if it made a difference in the long run though. The great part of Fool's Gold Cookbook is it is an actual cook book with a story between recipes. I would have liked more of the story, but the food looks pretty darned tasty.  The Fault in Our Stars is also not a good public read.  There was some public crying involved.

Weekend Update - Week of Friends

While Little Miss was in Florida, I was very busy!  On Monday, I had a friend in from out of town and met her for dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill.  It was a lot of fun and the food was delicious (seriously, chocolate chip bread pudding - must have it!).  On Tuesday, another friend was in town, and I met her at Chef Geoff's downtown.  We just did burgers and dessert.  I mean, who can turn down doughnuts on the dessert menu?  

Then, on Wednesday, I met a bunch of girlfriends in Atlanta.  We had such a great time.  On Wednesday, we went to the RWA literacy signing.  I met Jill Shalvis, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Julie James - along with Mary Jo Putney, Susan Mallery and Farrah Rochon - and saw hundreds of others.

Thursday, we hiked up Stone Mountain, had lunch and then had cocktails in the Botanical Gardens.  On Friday, some of us went to the aquarium and some toured CNN.  Then, we went to Buckhead to have a really amazing dinner before we all said goodbye to head home throughout the day on Saturday.

My flight was delayed hours coming home on Saturday, but Husband was there to pick me up when I did finally land.  We scooped up Little Miss from my parents and then went to a friends' house.  Husband's friend and his wife and son were in town.  At the end, we were all exhausted.  We had to make a quick stop at the store on the way home because Little Miss was hungry at almost midnight.  I went to bed as soon as we got home while Little Miss ate and Husband took a shower.  Little Miss fell asleep at the kitchen table.  We all slept half the day away the next day.

When we got our act together the next day, we caught the end of the British Open and Little Miss wanted to play golf so we took her to the driving range.  Her clubs are still a little bit, and we were all still a little sleepy, but it was a successful trip.

With a little discipline and confidence, Little Miss will improve.  She still enjoys it at least. 

Books Read in June 2013

1. Just One Kiss by Susan Mallery  (NOTE:  This is part of the Fool's Gold Series. You can find the order in which to read it here.)
2. Lush by Lauren Dane  (NOTE:  This is part of the Delicious series.  The order of which can be found here. However, this series is very close to the Brown series and many characters appear. You can find the order to that series here.)
3. It Had to Be You by Jill Shalvis (NOTE:  This is part of the Lucky Harbor series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. One Ssweet Ride by Jaci Burton. (NOTE: This book is part of the Play by Play series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
5. The Perfect Gift by Jennifer Ashley  (NOTE:  This is part of the Mackenzie Family series.  The order of which can be found here.)
6. Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery  (NOTE:  This is part of the Fool's Gold series.  The order of which can be found here.)
7. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin  (NOTE:  This is part of the A Song of Ice and Fire series.  The order of which can be found here.)

Big month and all spread out. Lots of fun little romances. Then, I finally finished A Game of Thrones. I've read the book on and off for years. Literally years. I finally finished it. I did buy the second book, and hopefully, it won't take me years to read that one.

Books Read in May 2013

1. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah  (NOTE:  You really should read Firefly Lane first.)
2. Strong Enough to Love by Victoria Dahl  (NOTE:  This is part of the Jackson Hole series.  The order of which can be found here.)
3. Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning (NOTE:  This is part of the Sinners on Tour series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
5. Too Hot to Handle by Victoria Dahl  (NOTE:  This is part of the Jackson Hole series.  The order of which can be found here.)
6. Halfway There by Susan Mallery  (NOTE:  This is part of the Fool's Gold series.  The order of which can be found here.)
7. This Is Who I Am by Cherise Sinclair  (NOTE:  This is part of the Masters of the Shadowlands series.  The order of which can be found here.)

Decent month of reading.  They were all digital. I read A Reliable Wife for book club, but I bought the book years ago. So, if anything, I was glad to finally read it. The others were good books though some aren't for the faint of heart so if you're playing the home game, read the summaries before you read. I'm enjoying being able to read on the way to work, the joy of commuting on the train. Lots of good books coming out this summer, too.

Books Read in October 2012

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
2. A Fool’s Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is the first of the Fool’s Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. My Liege of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Mountain Masters/Dark Haven series. The order of which can be found here.)
4. Coming Undone by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the second book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)
5. Inside Out by Lauren Dane (NOTE: This is the third book of the Brown siblings about the Brown siblings and their friends. The order of which can be found here.)


Gone Girl is the book that took me about 3 weeks to read.  That said, I sat down with it 3 times and each time read about 100 pages.  The last day, I just read half the book until I finish.  It will consume you and you'll want someone with whom to discuss it.  I thought Fool's Gold Christmas was very sweet and a nice conclusion to this portion of the series.  I haven't read many of the Dark Haven books because they are mostly short stories, but I may go back to catch up (which is rarely done with me).  I was more invested in this story than the previous books I had read, but I also liked that past characters made appearance.  Still, it isn't my favorite series of hers.  Lauren Dane is a recommended authors and, so far, I really enjoy her books.  I'm finding these last two were great, and I'm really liking the current book.  Her books haven't clicked with me in the past, but I'm glad I gave her another shot.

Books Read in August 2012

1. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This book is part of the Fool’s Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
   
2. Hard to Resist by Janelle Denison
3. The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
4. Convincing Quinn and Breaking Beau by Chloe Cole
5. Kissin’ Tell by Lorelei James (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find more information and order in which to read here.)
6. The Dom’s Dungeon, Master of the Abyss and Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: Master of the Lion is the sequel to Master of the Mountain which I read but do not have previously listed. The others are either stand alone or the first in a series.)
7. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn (NOTE: This book is the sequel of sorts to The Lost Duke of Wyndham though the books take place simultaneously. After reading this one, I went back and skimmed the other.)
8. Unleashed by Cherrie Lynn (NOTE: This is the first book before Rock Me which I read previously. I think the second book is much stronger, but I hate to leave a series unfinished.)
9. Baby Bonanza by Maureen Child
10. The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton (NOTE: This is the first of the Play-by-Play series. The order of which can be found here.)


Lots of books this month. It was a lot of fluff though I started some mainstream fiction books. I was on vacation so the quick reads were perfect. It’s hard to concentrate on bestsellers for me with waves and sun. You’ll probably see those titles later in the year. I’ve been reading some great books, just waiting for time to really sink my teeth into them.

Books Read in July 2012

1. Breaking Free, Lean on Me, Make Me, Sir and To Command and Collar by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Masters of the Shadowlands series. The order can be found here.)
2. Summer Days and by Susan Mallery (NOTE: These books are part of the Fool’s Gold series. The order of which can be found here.)
3. At Last and Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Lucky Harbor series. The order can be found here as well as on her website.)
4. The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. (NOTE: This is part of a greater series. You can find the convoluted order here, but you should at least read Call me Irresistible first as these two books take place during simultaneous periods of time.)
5. Try Me by Olivia Cunning (NOTE: This is the first short story in a new series.)
6. Jacked Up by Erin McCarthy (NOTE: This is the latest in the Fast Track series. The order can be found here.)
7. Outside the Lines by Amy Hatvany

Lots of books this month. The first is part of the erotica series I started last month. The others are all favorite authors – Jill Shalvis, Susan Mallery, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Erin McCarthy. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Outside the Lines was for book club and the first time I’ve read the author. I really enjoyed it and look forward to finding more of her books. I’m on vacation in August so I’ll either read a lot of books or very little. I’m already one down and it’s the second of the month so we’ll see if I can keep it up (though probably not at a one a day pace).

Books Read June 2012

1. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
2. 50 Shades of Grey by E L James
3. Paris in Love by Paris in Love
4. Rock Me by Cherrie Lynn
5. Almost Summer by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of the Fool's Gold series. The order of which can be found here.
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
7. Club Shadowlands and Dark Citadel by Cherise Sinclair (NOTE: This is part of the Masters of the Shadowlands series. The order can be found here.)

Most of my reading came at the beginning of the month. Almost all were library books. I thought The Book Thief was interesting but it made me cry. I thought 50 Shades was overrated. I thought Paris in Love was adorable although I will warn you that it is a compilation of Eloisa James's Facebook and Twitter posts so if you are a fan of hers, it may be familiar or you may not like the format in general. The last is a series recommended to me because it's supposed to be what 50 Shades should have been (though it's a specialty club and not a rich dude fantasy scenario). Either way, none are for the feint of heart. I'm back on track with sweet little romances which is like a breath of fresh air. Next up will be a mainstream fiction book and a memoir. Keeping it varied as usual.

Books Read in May 2012

1. The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts (NOTE: This is part of the Inn Boonsboro trilogy. The order of which is The Next Always, The Last Boyfriend, and the upcoming The Perfect Hope.)
2. Barefoot Season by Susan Mallery
3. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
4. Wicked Games by Jill Myles
5. Taken by Selena Kitt
6. Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This is part of the Lucky Harbor series. The order can be found here as well as on her website.)
7. Power Tools series by Jane Rylon (NOTE: This is part of the Power Tools series. The order can be found here.)

Most of the reading came at the beginning of the month, and it started strong with Nora Roberts and Susan Mallery and then a decent book club book. Then, I just skimmed a bunch of erotica until Jill Shalvis's release. This may be one of my favorite Jill Shalvis books and hero. I'm really enjoying the town of Lucky Harbor. I have a lot of books from the library that I'm hoping to make it through, but we'll see. I'll have to kick it up a notch to get all the reading done in the first part of June.

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 September 2011

1. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find the order in which to read here - also note that the books are nothing like the television series except that the names and occupations are the same.)
2. Only Yours 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. Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl (NOTE: This is part of The Donovan Brothers Brewery series. You can find the order in which to read here
4. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (NOTE: This book is the first book in the Animal series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
5. Living on the Edge by Shannon K. Butcher (NOTE: This is the first book in the The Edge series. The order in which to read can be found here.)
6. New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb (NOTE: This is #33 in the In Death series. You can find the order in which to read here.)
7. Already Home by Susan Mallery

It was a really great month for reading because I was on vacation and read more than a book a day. I mostly kept it up, too (though my pace slowed considerably). I read some electronic books, some paper books and started borrowing books from the library for my nook. I also really loved every book I read last month. October has a lot to live up to and already is failing miserably though I have liked the books I've read so far, just not as much.

Books Read in August 2011

1. The Passage by Justin Cronin (NOTE: This is the first book in a trilogy. It does end on a cliffhanger. The second book, The Twelve, is due in 2012.)
2. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley
3. Only Mine by Susan Mallery (NOTE: This is part of a series. You can find more information on the Fool’s Gold series and order in which to read here.)

Moderate month. Just wait for September though! I got sucked into The Passage after getting past the first couple of hundred pages (it’s a long one). I loved The Many Sins of Lord Cameron and it made me want to reread the series. The last was a cute intro to the next arc of Fool’s Gold books.