The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

Skip Ralstat is a man so steeped in grief and despair that life seems no longer possible. After the death of his wife and child, Skip blames himself. He has given up his friends, his job, and even his home. Now, homeless, he survives on the mean streets of Albany. He knows it can't go on, that life must end. But will it?
Come join him on his most unusual road to redemption. The salvation of one life...lies along this road.
Let the healing from "The Santa Shop" begin. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this more than I expected. Yes it is sad but it is full of the Christmas Spirit of helping each other.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 8th of October 2013)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James

When her estranged brother passes, Missy is suddenly an unwanted co-owner to Ocean View Stables by Florence, Oregon. Missy wants to start over somewhere new after her old boss burned her. She's jobless and has a wrongly ruined reputation, so this works out perfectly . . . until she meets the cowboy running the place. Brent built his dream with determination and his two hands; he's responsible for everything that happens there. Secretly, he feels responsible that his former partner died. He also doesn't hide his belief that Missy won't stick around. Women tend to take off on him so why would she be any different? They both have a past that can ruin their future. Can he trust her to stay? Can she trust him with her heart? From Goodreads.

This was an okay romance. Apart from taking part around Christmas there is no Christmas theme in it.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 27th of December 2011)
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven. From Goodreads

This was better than the last two Nicholas Sparks books I read, but still not as good as The Notebook. It touches the scary life in an abusive relationship and how difficult it can be to get out. I didn't find any surprises in the book, it all turned out as I expected.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello

Santa Claus is going to have a rough season... Lauren Alexander is raising her daughter alone. Abandoned by her family for her decision to keep her daughter Kristen, she has done a pretty good job for the last six years. Or she thought she had. That's why she is crushed when little Kristen gives up her wish for a toy or goodie and instead asks Santa for a present for her mother. But delivering Daddies isn't Santa's bag.
But this Santa has a plan...
Kyle Preston knows what it is like to be abandoned too. Luckily he found the support of loving adoptive parents and has turned himself into one of the most successful Real Estate developers in town.
Building a house is easy. Building someone's trust is a whole other story. But a little Christmas magic can make all the difference in the world. From Goodreads.




An okay read but nothing special.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 27th of December 2011)
CCC-Read your age

Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson

James Riggs lives a normal life with a mind-numbing job, an overbearing boss, and a demanding fiancée. Then he witnesses the murder of his best friend. Saved from the murderer by a strange man in a white suit, James is cast down a hole and into a world he always believed was a kid’s story. Wonderland.
But things have changed since Alice’s visit. The Knave of Hearts has seized the Heart throne, conquered all of Wonderland with his steam-powered technological marvels, and rules the land with an iron fist.
Aided by the Mad Hatter's daughter, James journeys to discover why he has been brought to Wonderland and how the tattoo on his arm could be the key to Wonderland’s salvation—or its destruction. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book more than expected. The main character is not very likeable but he does improve through the book. Interesting take on Wonderland.
I might read more books by Jason Anderson at a later time.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Get Steampunk’d 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
CCC-Read your age

Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan

Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green's favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.
Jackson O'Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family's resort—it's in his blood, and he can't let it fail. Now that he's got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.
Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she's out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it's terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn't believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book. It is a nice Christmas romance with a happy ending. I am sure I will read more by Sarah Morgan in the future.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Tethers by Jack Croxall

In the wake of a cold Victorian winter, Karl Scheffer and Esther Emerson discover an anonymous journal filled with strange passages and bizarre scribblings.
The journal soon draws them into a covert and sinister conspiracy, a conspiracy centred around an otherworldly artefact with the power to change everything …
Karl and Esther have spent almost every day of their thirteen years in the quiet market town of Shraye. Stifled by their rural surroundings and frustrated by their unfulfilled ambitions, they find the allure of the journal’s mysterious pages impossible to ignore. The book seems to be beckoning them away from Shraye, away from their homes and towards the coast where an unsolved disappearance has set in motion a dark chain of events.
The voyage the teenagers soon find themselves undertaking is one of desperate importance and true peril; it will change the way they see the world, and each other, forever. From Goodreads.

This was unfortunately not as interesting as the blurb made me believe. I struggled reading it and found a lot of other things to do that was much more interesting. A few has marked this as a steampunk book but there is only one machine in this story which does not make it steampunk. I will not be reading any more in this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge

Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley

A wonderful warm festive treat from Sunday Times bestseller Trisha Ashley.
The perfect gift isn’t always under the tree…
Single mum Cally’s life is all about her little girl Stella. She’s resigned to the fact that the only romance she’s going to get is from the rom-coms she watches, and with her busy job and her daughter, she doesn’t have time to even think about love.
But life gets very tough when Stella gets sick. Balancing her job as a recipe writer and looking after Stella is all consuming, so when Cally meets handsome baker Jago the last thing she wants to do is fall in love, especially when she’s been badly burned by a Prince Charming from her past.
Can laid-back, charming Jago unlock Cally’s frozen heart and help her find true love and magic under the mistletoe? From Goodreads



Trisha Ashley is one of my favourite chick-lit authors. This book didn't disappoint. It felt good and cosy being back in Sticklepond where  several of her previous books take place. I like this book a lot more than Good Husband Material.
One of the things I have liked since the first Trisha Ashley book I read is the interesting side characters. This time it is Miss Honey, the 102 year old that owns the place Jago wants to buy.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Red Shift by Alan Garner

The much-loved classic, finally in ebook.
A disturbing exploration of the inevitability of life.
Under Orion’s stars, bluesilver visions torment Tom, Macey and Thomas as they struggle with age-old forces. Distanced from each other in time, and isolated from those they live among, they are yet inextricably bound together by the sacred power of the moon’s axe and each seek their own refuge at Mow Cop.
Can those they love so intensely keep them clinging to reality? Or is the future evermore destined to reflect the past? From Goodreads.

I didn't like this book and I have to admit that one of the two Polar Bears given is just because it is Alan Garner. I like his other fantasy books but this book just makes no sense to me. I am usually good at keeping tab on a lot of different characters but here they kind of just blend and sometimes I had to go back as I hadn't discovered the shift between characters. If this was the only book I had ever read by Alan Garner I would read no more. I am glad I have read The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen which I really enjoyed.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge

While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre

Snowbound with the famous rocker might be her best friend’s fantasy, but it isn’t Ella’s. Nor is she impressed with the fact Brady Gates was voted sexiest man of the year – twice. Ella was looking forward to the isolation of her mountain cabin and the peace and quiet she needs to finish writing her book. Rescuing the careless celebrity in the midst of a blizzard and taking him to the safety of her remote cabin was not how she intended to spend her time on the mountain.
Weary of lovestruck fans climbing into his bed uninvited and the ever present paparazzi, Brady Gates had planned to take an incognito break from his hectic life and spend several weeks alone at a remote mountain cabin.
Finding himself stranded in a blizzard doesn’t bother him half as much as the fact the one woman he wants is the one woman who is the least interested in him. From Goodreads.



This was an okay romance and I like the idea of being snowbound in a cabin.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 4th of November 2013)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews

Three short stories from the wonderfully warm Carole Matthews: Winter Warmers - a gift for you.
All I Want for Christmas is You
Christmas is around the corner but Maria just can't get into the spirit - will she ever find Mr Right? But when a secret admirer starts leaving her poems and notes, it looks as though her luck is about to change . . .
Cold Turkey
Tara is in love with a man she can't have. She expected to spend Christmas with him but when the big day arrives, she finds herself alone. Sad and upset, Tara just wants to ignore the festive season - and then a chance encounter changes everything.
About Gardening
I love my husband Sam but our relationship isn't what it used to be. Can I find a way to bring us back together?
Treat yourself to this heart-warming collection - it's perfect for warming up those winter nights. From Goodreads.


I like the first story All I want for Christmas is You. It just went downhill from there and I really don't get the last one. It started and it stopped, there was no story. It didn't help that I thought it was going to be 192 pages and it turned out to be a measly 48! The best thing I can say about Winter Warmers is that it was free - still can't recommend it though.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 9th of November 2012)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

When U.S. Marine Logan Thibault finds a photograph of a smiling young woman half-buried in the dirt during his third tour of duty in Iraq, his first instinct is to toss it aside. Instead, he brings it back to the base for someone to claim, but when no one does, he finds himself always carrying the photo in his pocket. Soon Thibault experiences a sudden streak of luck—winning poker games and even surviving deadly combat that kills two of his closest buddies. Only his best friend, Victor, seems to have an explanation for his good fortune: the photograph—his lucky charm.
Back home in Colorado, Thibault can’t seem to get the photo—and the woman in it—out of his mind. Believing that she somehow holds the key to his destiny, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her, never expecting the strong but vulnerable woman he encounters in Hampton, North Carolina—Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son—to be the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet. Caught off guard by the attraction he feels, Thibault keeps the story of the photo, and his luck, a secret. As he and Elizabeth embark upon a passionate and all-consuming love affair, the secret he is keeping will soon threaten to tear them apart—destroying not only their love, but also their lives.
Filled with tender romance and terrific suspense, The Lucky One is Nicholas Sparks at his best—an unforgettable story about the surprising paths our lives often take and the power of fate to guide us to true and everlasting love. From Goodreads.

Another okay romance from Nicholas Sparks. As usual it ends on a happy note but with a lot of serious grief to get there.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge

Buried Child by Sam Shepard

A newly revised edition of an American classic, Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer Prize—winning Buried Child is as fierce and unforgettable as it was when it was first produced more than twenty-five years ago.
A scene of madness greets Vince and his girlfriend as they arrive at the squalid farmhouse of Vince’s hard-drinking grandparents, who seem to have no idea who he is. Nor does his father, Tilden, a hulking former All-American footballer, or his uncle, who has lost one of his legs to a chain saw. Only the memory of an unwanted child, buried in an undisclosed location, can hope to deliver this family. From Goodreads.

This is one weird and absurd play. I am not sure how much I liked it but I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next and that is what got it 3 Polar Bears instead of just 2. This play has not made me want to read more by Sam Shepard.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge

2013 Ebook Challenge Finished

2013 Ebook Challenge hosted by workadayreads.

 Challenge Guidelines: 

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3. Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4. You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:

1. Floppy disk – 5 ebooks - reached January 6th
2. CD – 10 ebooks - reached January 20th
3. DVD – 25 ebooks - reached February 17th
4. Memory stick – 50 ebooks - reached April 9th
5. Hard drive – 75 ebooks - reached May 19th
   
6. Server – 100 ebooks
7. Human brain – 150 ebooks

My goal when I signed up was to read 100 ebooks this year, end of June I upgraded this to 150  as I had reached my goal.

I completed 150 ebooks the 18th of October when I finished reading Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks. Since then I have read another 11 ebooks and even though I have now finished this challenge I will keep adding books the rest of the year to see how far I get.
I have read a total of 174 ebooks in 2013

workadayreads has already announced the 2014 Ebook Challenge which I will definitely take part in.

HERE are all the posts for this challenge.

My list of books:

1. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
2. Moon dance by J.R. Rain
3. Sterling by Dannika Dark
4. A Nomadic Witch by Debora Geary
5. The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi
6. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 
7. To Have and To Code by Debora Geary
8. De Novo Syndrome by Jim Buckner, David Mark Brown 
9. The Scourge by A.G. Henley
10. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 
11. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon 
12. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles 
13. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
14. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
15. My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann
16. Shadowmagic by John Lenahan 
17. Deadly Legacy by Alison Bruce
18. Vampire Moon by J.R. Rain 
19. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stace
20. A Different Witch by Debora Geary
21. Twist by Dannika Dark 
22. Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom
23. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder 
24. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
25. Become by Ali Cross
26. Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker 
27. Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria by Hayley Okines, Kerry Okines, Alison Stokes  
28. Winging It! by Shel Delisle
29. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 
30. Skellig by David Almond
31. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
32. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa  
33. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
34. Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
35. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
36. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
37. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
38. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary
39. Witches under Way by Debora Geary
40. Witches in Flight by Debora Geary
41. American Vampire by J.R. Rain 
42. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder  
43. Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
44. Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden 
45. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
46. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks 
47. Stained by Ella James 
48. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
49. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs 
50. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper 
51. A Celtic Witch by Debora Geary 
52. Wise Follies by Grace Wynne-Jones 
53. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton 
54. Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse 
55. Amy's Story by D'Elen McClain
56. Manhattan Grimoire by Sandy DeLuca
57. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
58. Marked by Kim Richardson
59. For a Good Time, Call... by Trish Jensen
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. Swordfights & Lullabies by Debora Geary 
62. Endlessly by Kiersten White
63. Every Witch Way But Wicked
64. The Hunt by Joseph Williams 
65. Virtual Evil by Jana Oliver
66. WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor 
67. Queen Of Sorcery by David Eddings 
68. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings 
69. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings 
70. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 
71. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings 
72. Just Doll by Janice Daugharty
73. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
74. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
75. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
76. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
77. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
78. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
79. Guards! Guards!: by Terry Pratchett
80. The Light Within Me by Carly Fall
81. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
82. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub 
83. Zombacter: Center City Contagion by Sean Bingham 
84. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch  
85. Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly  
86. Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub 
87. Alone by Robert J. Crane
88. Chocolate Shoes And Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley
89. Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook
90. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
91. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen by Norah Wilson
92. Origins by Kristen Middleton
93. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
94. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
95. Her Own Devices by Shelley Adina 
96. The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay
97. Amethyst by Heather Bowhay
98. A Lost Witch by Debora Geary
99. To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
100. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
101. Moon Child by J.R. Rain
102. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
103. Daughter of Dragons by Kathleen H. Nelson 
104. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
105. Witch Way Bends by Olivia Hardin 
106. Cursed by Casey Odell
107. Frey by Melissa Wright 
108. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
109. Magnificent Devices by Shelley Adina
110. Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva 
111. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles 
112. Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson 
113. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa 
114. Fins by Ashley L. Knight 
115. I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel
116. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 
117. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
118. Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford
119. Watership Down by Richard Adams 
120. Fathom by Ashley L. Knight
121. Everblue by Brenda Pandos
122. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
123. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
124. One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
125. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
126. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
127. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
128. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin
129. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
130. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
131. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
132. Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn 
133. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey  
134. The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson 
135. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn
136. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
137. DRT by Eric Thomas
138. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory 
139. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
140. To Love a Witch by Debora Geary 
141. An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary 
142. WitchLove by Emma Mills
143. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
144. How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves
145. XBestia by Melissa Conway
146. Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley
147. Matchmakers 2.0 by Debora Geary 
148. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett 
149. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi 
150. Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks
151. How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves
152. How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves
153. How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
154. UnStrung by Neal Shusterman 
155. How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves
156. Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista
157. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
158. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 
159. Burning Chrome by William Gibson 
160. Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton
161. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia
162. Buried Child by Sam Shepard 
163. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
164. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews
165. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
166. Red Shift by Alan Garner
167. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley
168. Tethers by Jack Croxall 
169. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
170. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson
171. All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
172. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
173. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
174. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia

Bah, humbug! Jordan Christian has had it with holiday hoopla. The usual three-ring family circus and the unwanted sympathy for her single status lead to even more unwanted would-be suitors as her relatives can't seem to stop fixing her up with Mr. Never In A Million Years. This year, the wily bachelorette will outwit her overly interested family. With the aid of a singles' ad, Jordan plans to snare a stand-in man. In return, she'll stand by her man to fend off his relatives. For once, the holiday season will be a time of peace on earth and good will towards man. Especially the man who will save her sanity! Jordan knows he's got to be out there, and he needs her help as badly as she needs his. Luke Foster is dreading another Christmas in Vermont. The annual clan gathering overflows with bothersome questions. Like, "When are you going to settle down?" When he sees Jordan's ad, he thinks it's a lifeline. She'll fend off his family, and he'll shield her from hers. It's the perfect solution. Until Jordan and Luke meet and find more than they were bargaining for.  From Goodreads.

Usually I just like romance books but this became enjoyable because of all the humour in it. I was giggling away several times in this book. A quick, fun read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton

Falling in love was easy
But staying alive is a whole other story . . .
Ryder is an undercover operative for PAX, a worldwide antiterrorist agency that flies beneath the radar
Joanna is a Hollywood makeup artist whose magic turns fantasy into reality on a daily basis
He's a spy looking to come in from the cold
She's a woman who's never had a real home
Sizzling passion . . . heart-stopping danger . . . the ultimate choice . . .  From Goodreads.

This was an okay romance. A quick and lightly entertaining read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 7th of June 2013)

Burning Chrome by William Gibson

Ten brilliant, streetwise, high-resolution stories from the man who coined the word cyberspace. Gibson's vision has become a touchstone in the emerging order of the 21st Century, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome. With their vividly human characters and their remorseless, hot-wired futures, these stories are simultaneously science fiction at its sharpest and instantly recognizable Polaroids of the postmodern condition. From Goodreads.
 

This collection of short stories was okay. Cyberpunk will never become one of my favourite genres but that doesn't mean I won't read it again.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative Titus Groan, a darkly humorous, stunningly complex tale of the first two years in the life of the heir to an ancient, rambling castle. The Gormenghast royal family, the castle's decidedly eccentric staff, and the peasant artisans living around the dreary, crumbling structure make up the cast of characters in this engrossing story. Peake's command of language and unique style set the tone and shape of an intricate, slow-moving world of ritual and stasis:  
The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling. Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but Titus Groan is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded.  From Goodreads.

It might be a gothic masterpiece but I thought it was long and boring with only one slightly interesting character in it. I will not be continuing this trilogy.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic…
One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.
In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy… From Goodreads.





I have been looking at this series for quite a while without actually getting to it. Now I finally started and I really enjoyed it. A paranormal book with all kinds of paranormal beings, just my kind of book.
Kate is a strong heroine and I will continue this series right away.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (shapeshifters)
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge

Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?
A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.
When the moon rises, the hunt is on…. From Goodreads.






This was okay and I liked Kess and Cormac. It wasn't so good that I am rushing out to buy the next books in the series but I might get back to them at a later date.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (shapeshifter)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 28th of January 2013)