The Christmas Tea Shop & Bakery by De-ann Black

Erith leaves behind her old life, and her ex-boyfriend, to start afresh. She moves to a lovely Scottish seaside town and opens up a vintage tea shop and bakery selling cakes, bread, scones and tea.
It's Christmas time, and although Erith wants a quiet life, baking during the day and sewing her quilts in the evenings in her house above the shop, the local shopkeepers soon involve her in their festive plans.
Stuart, who owns the shop that sells everything, flirts with her. Handsome interior designer, Muir, takes an interest in her, but is she interested in him? And what about Zack, the gorgeous bad boy?
In this Christmassy romance, Erith bakes everything from chocolate bread to traditional Victoria sponge cakes. She blends her special selection of teas. She becomes friends with the local sewing bee women, Doreen, Millie and Belle. She also realises that when it comes to love, she has to trust her instincts rather than listen to local gossip.
Set in a Scottish seaside town in a snowy December, there's baking, sewing, snogging and sexy men in this light-hearted romance novella. It's 22,000 words of Christmas cheer.
Amid the chaos of Christmas, will Erith find time for love? Will there be a festive proposal? Who will be Santa and switch on the town's Christmas tree lights? In the busy little town there's only one thing for sure - no one wants to dress up as the reindeer's bum. From Goodreads.

Another short cosy romance by De-ann Black (I think I say the same each time). As usual there is an abundance of fine men flirting with the main female character and she has to chose the right one and of course she does. And it is fine to read a Christmassy short story in the middle of summer.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Shorts Stack

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting — he’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments.
The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth.
From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd — whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself — Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, loss, and monsters both real and imagined. From Goodreads.





This might be a young adult book but it is an extremely powerful and emotional book that definitely starts a thought-process in young and old alike.
As an adult who has lost a parent to cancer I understand Conor so well, both his fears and his guilt.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery

High Summer Read-a-Thon 2015 - Finished

 

High Summer Read-a-Thon 2015 hosted by hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

The week has now finished and I managed to read and listen to 5 books which in total amounts to about 1382 pages.

Thank you Michelle for hosting the High Summer Read-a-Thon and if possible I will be back for FrightFall Read-a-Thon in October

Books:

Monday 20th of July:

The Pack in Illinois by Zoey Glasgow:  357 pages

Tuesday 21st of July:

On a Witch and a Prayer by Amanda M. Lee: 91 pages

Thursday 23rd - Friday 24th of July: 

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan: 514 pages

Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th of July:

Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott: 276 pages 

Monday 20th - Sunday 26th: (audio)

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, narrated by Stephen Fry: 144 pages

Geoducks Are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott

Food writer Maggie Marrion is just getting back on her feet after a horrible year, or two, or three. With their twentieth reunion approaching, she invites four of her closest friends from college for a weekend at her beach cabin on Whidbey Island. What she doesn't expect is her best friends, artist Quinn Dayton and part-time erotica novelist, Selah Elmore, to play matchmaker. The two plot a surprise that will make the weekend, and her life, a lot more interesting.
Gil Morrow, former grunge musician turned history professor, joins them as Selah's date for the weekend. After coming face to face with the one who got away, he decides he's waited long enough to get the girl. With the support of old friends, a few wishing rocks, the world's largest burrowing clam, and a hot lumberjack thrown into the mix, Gil reminds Maggie that forty-something isn't too old for second chances.
Can we learn to love the life we have and let go of who we expected to be? What happens when the generation from The Breakfast Club and Reality Bites meets The Big Chill? Come spend a weekend with these Generation X-ers as they share laughter, tears, life's ups and downs, old stories, and new beginnings. From Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this. I read a lot of young adult books and it was nice to read a book of adult love and second chances. It is about friends that are still friends despite their very different lifestyles. I liked their scrabble board and that is all I will say about that. I will definitely read more in this series at some point.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Paddington Bear had traveled all the way from Darkest Peru when the Brown family first met him on Paddington Station. Since then their lives have never been quite the same ... for ordinary things become quite extraordinary when a bear called Paddington is involved.
Read by Stephen Fry. From Goodreads.

This was a fun short audio. Stephen Fry did a brilliant job as narrator. All the stories follow the same pattern. Paddington doesn't mean to, but of course he gets into trouble and then his cuteness gets him back out of trouble.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Audiobook challenge

High Summer Read-a-Thon 2015 - Update

 

High Summer Read-a-Thon 2015 hosted by hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

I have been taking it easy with my reading this week as I was travelling for the first two days.

Monday 20th of July:

The Pack in Illinois by Zoey Glasgow:  357 pages

Tuesday 21st of July:

On a Witch and a Prayer by Amanda M. Lee: 91 pages

Friday 24th of July: 

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan: 514 pages

I have also been listening to  A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond, narrated by Stephen Fry.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. From Goodreads.

Yes, this was a great ending to the Heroes of Olympus series. The book is written in a lot of different POVs, and I found that interesting. I didn't mind Percy didn't have a chapter told from his POV. All the other characters are so strong and have to endure a lot all the way through. It is a bit open-ended but that was fine.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Clue#2
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt

On a Witch and a Prayer: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee

FBI Agent Landon Michaels is looking forward to a weekend of fun and ease with his witchy love, Bay Winchester. Unfortunately for him, relaxation isn’t in the cards.
When his boss hands him a cold case from Hemlock Cove before he leaves for an extended weekend, Landon is annoyed. When Thistle Winchester gets a vision from the file, bother turns to intrigue.
If Landon can solve a twenty-year-old disappearance he’ll be lauded in his office as more than the guy who is dating the woman who constantly finds trouble. Of course, it’s that woman and her feisty family who can help him.
Between ghosts, fights, deep conversations with Marcus, and constant annoyances, Landon has his hands full. And that’s on top of Aunt Tillie’s new business venture – which she’s desperately trying to keep under wraps.
Landon needs Bay to solve a mystery, and her family is along for the ride. Danger might not be prevalent this weekend, but survival is – and old ghosts need to be put to rest. From Goodreads.

I have read a lot of these books by Amanda Lee this month. Even though they are becoming a bit repetitive I will most likely keep reading them if she writes more, but for now I am pleased to have caught up.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Shorts Stack

The Pack in Illinois by Zoey Glasgow

Blue Rivers defines a typical teenager of the 21st century. Her parents are split, she suffers from severe anxiety and is known as a loner after breaking up with her obsessive ex-boyfriend. When one of the few people she trusts dies of cancer, she finds herself leaning towards an old friend who betrayed her awhile ago. As the relationship revives, she finds herself introduced to a whole new kind of world that is both intoxicating and deadly. The only thing keeping her from running is Rider Hayde, the alpha of the Illinois wolf pack. From Goodreads.

I started off thinking this was okay, apart from the fact that Blue living alone with her dad was being kind of Twilight. I also liked that some chapters were from other people's point of view. My problem with this book was the editing or the lack of it. I am normally not sensitive about this but it was bad in this book. Lots of missing words, changes of names and wrong words.
Another huge problem was that I did not anywhere see this was part of a series but it ends on a cliffhanger, or if it is just this book it has a really bad ending.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach

The Young Pitcher by Zane Grey

Zane Gray tells the tale of a freshman at a college in Arizona who discovers his greatest talent -- as a baseball pitcher. Originally published in 1911, Zane Gray's western sports tale has thrilled readers for generations. From Goodreads.

I should really watch a game of baseball at some point, I know what it means to be a pitcher but infield or outfield and all the other terminology was pure nonsense to me. But luckily that was not all this book was about. It was about sportsmanship, friendship and team spirit. Also if you are trying your best and giving it all you have, winning isn't everything.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: House Games
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire. From Goodreads

This was better than expected as I was unsure what to expect with the reviews for this book being all over the place. I enjoyed it and thought it was a good fantasy book. It is a coming of age book with a dragon, elves, dwarves and of course an evil ruler and his equally bad henchmen. I will continue this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

The Moomins and the Great Flood by Tove Jansson

“What sort of thing are you?” asked the little creature.
“I’m a moomintroll,” answered Moomintroll, who had had time to feel brave again. “And this is my mother…”
And so, for the very first time, we meet the young Moomin, Moominmamma and Sniff as they search through forest and flood for long lost Moominpappa, last seen wandering with the Hattifatteners. Along the way, in a series of delightful adventures, they encounter Hemulens, stranded kittens and the blue-haired Tulippa. From Goodreads.

The very first Moomin story from 1945. I read this story sitting in a camp, looking out over lake Saimaa in Finland. It is a short, cute, adventurous children's story with nice illustrations.
I might have been swayed by my surroundings to give this story more polar Bears than I would have given it had I read it somewhere else.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015

Fearless by Cornelia Funke

After saving his brother, Jacob Reckless faces death from the fairy's curse burning in his heart. In search of a cure he returns to the Mirrorworld, where he is reunited with Fox, a beautiful shape-shifting girl. He has one more chance: a golden crossbow, with the power to both save and destroy life, buried in a dead king's tomb beneath an invisible palace. Jacob must cross continents, face monsters and men - including a dangerous rival - and learn what it means to stay alive. From Goodreads.

Interesting to be back in mirrorworld with Jacob and Fox. This time Jacob is searching for something to save his life from the Red Fairy's curse. I am looking forward to the next book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

The Adventures of Augustus Fuller by James Rickon

The Adventures of Augustus Fuller, classic action adventure fiction from the pen of James Rickon, contains the three stories:
Casus Belli:
The arrival of a misdirected cryptic letter plunges Augustus Fuller, gentleman, into the dangerous intrigues of the anarchist underworld of Edwardian London. With Scotland Yard baffled and reliant on him for information, will Fuller be able to unmask the identity of the anarchist mastermind and discover their plans? Or will his high stakes game end in nothing less than Fuller’s demise in the cruellest of manner?
The Aldbury Devil:
Fear stalks the snow laden landscape of East Kent as the tormented mind of an old man haunts the residents of Aldbury Hall. Can Fuller uncover what lies behind a spate of disturbing killings on the estate? Or will the nightmare stepping out of the cold winter’s night claim his life too?
The Terror Weapons:
With tensions across Europe rising in the hot summer heat of 1905, the British public is held in rapture by newspaper headlines of mysterious explosions lighting up the night skies above cities across the country. Are these nothing more than natural phenomena or does the recovery of a burnt corpse at Portsmouth point to a more insidious and calculating menace at work? From Goodreads.

Three different adventures set in 1905. Augustus Fuller seems to be a gentleman who works under cover both for the police and the Foreign Office. He is nearly killed in all three adventures but of course just manages to get away and ends up kind of solving the cases. Not completely solving as the main bad guys always get away. Not for me.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time

The Cornish Affair by Laura Lockington

Fin thinks she's finished with love.
A dedicated food lover, she potters around her country kitchen with Nelson the bad tempered parrot, Baxter the dog and her delightfully vague Aunt, Nancy.
Her days are spent creating ambitious recipes and gazing out onto the Cornish coast from her cliff top home - The House of Dolphins.
But this summer something is about to change.
At the annual Port Charles beach party the glamorous TV chef Oliver Dean is making an appearance
Rich, worldly, and successful he couldn't be more different from Fin.
And yet sometimes opposites attract.
And suddenly Fin realises that romance is on the menu.
But does she still know the ingredients for a a 'Cornish Affair'?
Or is this a recipe for heartbreak? From Goodreads.



On the cover it says it is a laugh out loud foodie romance. I didn't think it was quite that funny but it was still an okay romance.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Witchy Tales: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale by Amanda M. Lee

Look out Hemlock Cove, Aunt Tillie is on a rampage. What else is new, right?
She’s determined to move her wine business to the next level, and she needs twenty-four hours of peace and quiet to do it.
There’s only one thing standing in her way. Well, make that a whole family of obstacles … and one ticked-off FBI agent.
When cousins Bay, Clove and Thistle vow to stop their great-aunt’s wine endeavor in its tracks, Aunt Tillie is forced to come up with a unique solution. In order to keep her great-nieces out of her hair, she curses them into a book of fairy tales.
Of course, because it’s Aunt Tillie, these aren’t normal fairy tales. They’re the fairy tales she created – with a little inspiration from the classics.
Now Bay, Clove and Thistle have to work their way through a labyrinth of stories they haven’t heard since they were kids – and they have to take Landon, Marcus and Sam along for the ride.
Will Bay get eaten by bears? Will Thistle kiss a frog? Will Sam climb Clove’s hair to rescue her from a tower? And, better yet, will Landon turn himself into a prince and slip a glass slipper on Bay’s foot?
Each task becomes harder as the story progresses, and as the tales darken, things start to become dangerous.
Can the Winchester witches survive Aunt Tillie’s twisted mind? Or will they be lost in a book forever? From Goodreads.

A bit of fun with Bay, Thistle, Clove and their boyfriends caught in Aunt Tillie's book of Fairy Tales. Aunt Tillie doesn't like the original versions of the Fairy Tales so all of them are slightly twisted.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt

Treasure on Moon Lake by Amy Gamet

True love is hiding where you least expect to find it...
Jewelry designer Tori Henderson’s first year in business was far more expensive than she could have imagined. Faced with closing the doors of Tori’s Treasures, she sinks her last dollar into one final promotion—a widely publicized treasure hunt for a chest of fine, handmade jewelry that could drum up enough business to get her back in the black... or kill her shop once and for all.
The last thing she needs is her mother's announcement that she's preparing to marry Edward Trainor, the father of Tori’s long ago summer crush, Gabe - a man who regularly makes his way into Tori's dreams some ten years later.
Corporate tycoon Jed Trainor has no intention of attending his estranged father’s wedding, and he certainly doesn’t need to see his half-brother Gabe after the other man put the moves on Jed's one-time fiancée. But with business problems looming, Jed needs time to think, and the small town of Moon Lake seems like the perfect place to hide away while he figures out how to save his empire.
The last thing he needs is the distraction of a beautiful woman who thinks she’s in love with his idiot half-brother.
Tori is determined to win Gabe’s heart, but Jed has other plans. When they learn Gabe is bringing a date to the wedding, Jed offers to bring Tori himself, knowing any woman on his arm is sure to be on Gabe’s radar. But his ploy for her attention just may blow up in his face. Can Jed prove to Tori he’s the Trainor brother she really belongs with? From Goodreads.

Okay Romance. All characters are likeable. Tori and Jed have some misunderstandings but everything ends happily ever after. 

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
What's in a Name 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: House Games
Crazy Challenge Connection: Scrabble, anyone?

Deep in My Heart by Patricia W. Fischer

Dr. Jocelyn Promise had no long-term plans to stay in Tuscany, Texas, but she saved the daughter of Caleb Davis, her high school crush, and became a hero. Will she allow herself to fall for him again?
Widower and Air Force Veteran, Caleb Davis, never wanted to fall in love again... until he saw Jocelyn. Now someone from his past has arrived to even a score.
Can he protect his family, Jocelyn, and his heart?
Things are about to get interesting in Tuscany, Texas. From Goodreads.

A suspense romance. I like Jocelyn who seems to have turned from an insecure teenager into a strong caring adult. Luke lost his wife and is now a single parent with four kids, 3 year old Riley is of course extremely cute.
It is a romance and therefore has a happy ending. A little too happy as even the woman who is the mean bitch of the story and has been since high school turns into a nice person in the end.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world.
This adventure brings the Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy to a dramatic and surprising climax as Sanderson's saga offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility. From Goodreads.

Another book it took me a few chapters to get back into, as it is so long since I read the second book. It was a brilliant end to the Mistborn trilogy. Vin and Eland are the main characters but so are the rest of the group as they nearly all have major parts to play.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Big Books Bonus Club
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt
Crazy Challenge Connection: Monopoly

Witch Me Luck by Amanda M. Lee

Hemlock Cove is celebrating a magical birthday, and familiar faces from different places are descending on the town to participate in the party.
Everyone is looking forward to the festivities except Bay Winchester, who would rather be hiding from her high school nemesis than chatting her up in the town square.
Lila Stevens hasn’t changed since graduation, and Bay remains her favorite target. Bay would like to ignore her, but Lila isn’t making it easy – especially when she sets her sights on FBI Agent Landon Michaels.
Unfortunately for Bay, she can’t focus on that predicament when the Hemlock Cove Savings & Loan is held up and a local teller is shot. When suspicion falls upon Sam Cornell, the Winchesters have to gather together to prove his innocence (or guilt).
Clove is despondent, Thistle is on a revenge mission and Aunt Tillie is … well … Aunt Tillie. As usual, the Winchester witches are in an uproar.
As the clues start to fit together, Bay realizes she has to wade through a pack of lies to find the truth. With Landon by her side, and Lila nipping at her heels, Bay is going to have to find a way to survive and keep her family together. From Goodreads.

This was fun. These books have a lot of cheeky sexual innuendo. Bay, Thistle and Clove fight constantly but always support each other against outsiders. But not against Aunt Tillie, who is my favourite character. Against her it is just a question about staying off her list to avoid being cursed.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Crazy Challenge Connection: Monopoly

Into the Deep End by Leesa Freeman

Before doesn't exist—not for Luke Stevenson—not anymore.
He once dreamt of winning Olympic gold and escaping his crappy little New Mexico town, but that dream shattered the night a drunk driver took his twin sister and confined him to a wheelchair. Mourning Bethany and struggling to cope with his new paraplegic life, Luke is blind with rage at everyone and everything.
Adriana Toomey, the only other survivor of the crash, can barely crawl out of bed after burying her fiancé, Luke’s best friend. But what haunts her most, she has no memory of that fatal night.
An old friend who manages a camp for special needs kids, strong-arms the broken pair to act as counselors for three weeks. Seeing each other again is painful. Luke reminds Adriana too much of the man she was going to marry. Luke, who secretly loves his best friend's girl, has no idea how to be the kind of man any woman would want. Disabled and destroyed, what could he possibly have to offer now?
Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. From Goodreads

This was a very emotional book, dealing with the loss of loved ones and the loss of possibilities. Both Luke and Adriana are having a difficult time getting through the time after the accident where they lost his sister and her boyfriend. But this book is about dealing with it and moving on, not forgetting but moving on and accepting a new kind of life.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: House Games
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder 7/11-15

The army of the dead are coming…
Avry of Kazan, the last Healer of the mystical Fifteen Realms, has a power that can’t be matched. But in the minds of her friends and foe alike, Avry no longer exists. Now, as the psychotic King Tohon builds an army mightier than any that has been seen before—a league of undead soldiers—Avry must face her toughest, most terrifying battle alone. Fighting to be reunited with her family and her lover Kerrick, Avry must infiltrate Tohon’s troops. But does she have the power, the rare magic; to do what legend says is impossible? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this and though it took me a few chapters to sort people out, as it is a long time since I read the first book in the series, it wasn't to difficult to get back into. Avry is a brilliant heroine who will give her life for others and is deeply hurt by the loss of her friends and the betrayal by others. This book finishes on a cliffhanger and I won't wait so long before I read the third book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: House Games
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Wicked Brew: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee

Thistle Winchester is at her witchy wit’s end.
Great-Aunt Tillie is selling wine at the curb of The Overlook – like it’s a lemonade stand – and her mother and aunts are about to burn someone at the stake. Unfortunately, it’s up to her and cousin Bay to put out the fire.
When the two cousins take a stand, they’re interrupted by the arrival of an injured and dazed little girl. She won’t speak, and she appears to have undergone some sort of trauma.
Thistle steps up to the plate – mostly because the child seems to have latched herself onto the grumpy witch – and the Winchesters launch an all-out investigation into who she is, and where she came from.
As things start to unfold, Thistle’s heart is at risk. This newest guest at The Overlook has a troubled past, and she’s especially vulnerable, which makes Thistle especially vulnerable.
It doesn’t help that that Aunt Tillie has taken a special interest in the child she deems “Basil,” or that Landon wants to arrest Aunt Tillie for her secondary wine business.
Can the Winchesters save the day? Thistle is determined to do just that. She just might need a little help from her family.  From Goodreads.


In this short story it is Thistle who is the main character. It was better than the last short but still not as good as the actual books.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Shorts Stack

First Year by J. P. Howards

Lauren Gillan is starting medical school. The last thing she needs in her life is a distraction. When an opportunity arises to learn the identity of her sperm donor father, Lauren gets more than she bargained for. Led by a series of puzzles, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth of her birth and the story behind the professor who is guiding her.
Written by medical school anatomy professor, J. P. Howards, First Year captures the first few weeks of medical school through Lauren’s eyes, and the eyes of her professor, in a humorous and touching way.  From Goodreads.

This was interesting, it was about Loren's first year of medical school. As it is a short book it is not detailed. At the same time it is about her search for her father, the man who was the sperm donor for her mother. It is about friends and family.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Great American Road Trip
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Careful What You Witch For: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short by Amanda M. Lee

Being the meekest Winchester witch is … tough.
For Clove Winchester, that has never more apparent than now. Sure, she’s got a new romance brewing with Sam Cornell – but her cousins Bay and Thistle are fighting her every step of the way on that front.
When her father approaches her with an opportunity to serve as an in-house psychic for the opening of his new inn, Clove jumps at the chance. It will be an opportunity for her and Sam to spend some much-needed time alone – and have some fun in the process.
Of course, since she’s a Winchester witch, nothing goes as planned.
When Thistle and Bay – and their respective boyfriends – show up for the weekend festivities, and the opening activities are interrupted by an avenging ghost, the new inn is in a precarious position.
That’s on top of Aunt Tillie’s efforts to undermine the soft launch – and she’s feeling particularly vindictive.
Can Clove and her cousins save the Dragonfly Inn? Or is Clove in for a mountain of misery?  From Goodreads.


This one has Clove as main character. I didn't like it as much as the other stories in the series but then it was just a short story.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Shorts Stack

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is preparing to leave the Dursleys and Privet Drive for the last time. But the future that awaits him is full of danger, not only for him, but for anyone close to him — and Harry has already lost so much. Only by destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes can Harry free himself and overcome the Dark Lord's forces of evil. In a final perilous journey, Harry must find the strength and the will to face a deadly confrontation that is his alone to fight.  From Goodreads.

I have always enjoyed this last book in the series, so much happens. Harry, Hermione and Ron are of course the main story but also Neville and the other students that are fighting in Hogwarts are important. Dobby and Kreacher again show that house elves have their own special magic. I will re-read this series again.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Big Books Bonus Club
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery