October - leaves are changing

A very crazy month, it started with my work retreat and ended with a baby shower and Halloween festivities.  I thought my reading was going to take a hit, but it ended up being a great month of reading.

Books I completed:

1. Live Out Loud by Heather Wardell

2. Cancelled by Elizabeth Ann West

3. Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

4. My Ruby Slippers by Tracey Seeley

5. Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane

6. Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith

7. Cherished by Kim Cash Tate
8. Impaled on the Horns of the Devil by Barbara Boatright

9. Malled by Caitlin Kelly

10. The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans

11. Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster

12. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

13. Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans

14. Unforeseen Fears by H William Gruchow

Total pages flipped or clicked:  4,028

Where Was I Reading?

Toronto, Canada

Washington, D.C.

Long Beach, NJ

Goodland, KS

San Francisco, CA
London, U.K.

St. Louis, MO

Gary, IN
New York City, NY
Bethesda, MD
Chattanooga, TN (2)

Reno, NV

Greensboro, NC

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (44)

A quiet week, which was a happy change.  Work is busy, but the rest of my world is nice and quiet.  

I had a baby shower this weekend for a friend and got my Halloween outfit ready for work.  And we are still enjoying the chili from last weekend, this cold weather makes a girl hibernate. 



Finished this past week:
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans
Unforseen Fears by H William Gruchow

Currently Reading:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner

Next off the TBR pile:
Hospice Tails by Debra Strang

In My Mailbox (48)

Another two weeks worth of books.  Last week was crazy with the read a thon and the craft show, so I figured I would wait until today to share what arrived in my mailbox.

Purchased:
No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
Life After Forty by Dora Heldt


Swapping:
The Art of French Kissing by Kristin Harmel
Model, Incorporated by Carol Alt

For Review:
Hospice Tails by Debra Stang
The Man Who Couldn't Eat by Jon Reiner
The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr

The Ramble: Adult Halloweening?

As the boy and I may be nerds or just un cool, we just don't do Halloween.  Living up North, we feel like Halloween is even crazier up here.  

Last year, I dressed up twice, once at the office - as seen below the chick from Flashdance if you can't tell.  Then we went to a friend's party, I stuck a hat on with a sweater dress and was a Bitchy Witch, what can I say?  Creativity with costumes, can't do it. 

This year, I will again dress up for work, but this will only be a won hit wonder, so I will share what comes on Wednesday, with much fewer words!  And maybe a picture of a cute little 3 year old airplane!

How about Halloween at your house?

Review: Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 

Pages: 336
Format: eARC

 

Goodreads: Jade has moved from her past toward a bright future.  But then the man she loves most destroys her trust.

Jade Fitzgerald's hope for a perfect marriage shatters when her husband confesses he has an illegitimate son.  What's more, he wants to raise the boy in their home. 

Hurting and confused, Jade embarks on a road trip to Iowa to take her sick mother to her childhood home.  In the comfort of the old homeplace, Jade struggles with her fears and the tug of her first love.  With the help of her family and her faith, she comes to understand her future doesn't rest on the power of her past, but in the goodness of God's mercy.


Kritters Thoughts: A wonderful sequel that lives up to the first book and even more!  After reading the first book, I was hestitant because I loved it in so many ways - can the second live up to how much I loved the first.  It did and even more, it made me excited that there are rumored to be two more books in this series.

As the first book centers solely around Jade, the main character, I think the strong suit for this book was to share the central focus on Jade, her mother and her mother-in-law.  Each of these three women had a journey in this book and there were similarities in each of their struggles.  The reader was able to get to go both mother figures in a deeper way - some of the story was even told from their perspective.

A wonderfully heartfelt book that made me cry as I journeyed through the days with all three women.  I am calling this the perfect series to curl up with this winter.  The third book will be arriving early after the new year, I will definitely be looking for it.  

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: What Once Was

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans

Goodreads:  Jade Fitzgerald left the pain of her past in the dust when she headed out for college a decade ago.  Now she's thriving in her career and glowing in the light of Max Brenson's love.

But then Jade's hippie mother, Beryl Hill, arrives in Whisper Hollow, Tennessee, for Jade's wedding along with Willow, her wild younger sister.  Their arrival forces Jade to throw open the dark closets of her past - the insecurity of living with a restless, wandering mother, the silence of her absent father, and the heart-ripping pain of first-love's rejection.

Turns out Beryl has a secret of her own.  She needs reconciliation with her oldest daughter before illness takes her life.  In the final days leading to the wedding, Jade meets the One who shows her that the past has no hold on her future.  With a little grace, they'll meet in the middle, maybe even before that sweet by and by.


Kritters Thoughts:  A wonderful story that kept me reading until the very end and made me even more excited to know that there is book two already on my nook ready to start!  You find yourself wrapped into a story where there are quite a few mysteries that you are trying to figure out throughout the book.  I loved how the reader was kept just as much out of the loop as the characters and we learn about the history that makes these characters who they are as they share them with others in the story.

The mother/daughter strained relationship was wonderful to read because you were able to find out piece by piece why they were not in communication currently and what kept them at odds with each other.  I couldn't believe all the history that this family had and all the drama their shaky foundation tried to withstand.

A wonderful piece of women's fiction that I am recommeding to all readers; no matter your age, this book is worth the read.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages:  307

Gr Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Stars in My Eyes

Wordless Wednesday

A little baseball action in support of the World Series happenings.

Review: Malled by Caitlin Kelly

Goodreads:  One woman's midcareer misadventures in the absurd world of American retail.

After losing her job as a journalist and the security of a good salary, Caitlin Kelly was hard up for cash.  When she saw that The North Face - an upscale outdoor clothing company - was hiring at her local mall, she went for an interview almost on a whim.

Suddenly she found herself, middle-aged and mid-career, thrown headfirst into the bizarre alternate reality of the American mall: a world of low-wage workers selling overpriced goods to well to-do customers.  At first, Kelly found her part-time job fun and reaffirming, a way to maintain her sanity and sense of self-worth.  But she describes how the unexpected physical pressures, the unreasonable dictates of a remote corporate bureaucracy, and the dead-end career path eventually took their toll.  As she struggled through more than two years at the mall, despite surgeries, customer abuse, and corporate insanity, Kelly gained a deeper understanding of the plight of the retail worker.


Kritters Thoughts:  An interesting memoir of sorts.  A bit repetitive and a little on the whiny side, I enjoyed reading someone else's take on the retail industry, but this is not on my top of list of favorite non fiction reads.  


Throughout the book she repeated many details over and over again - from describing her co-workers to the fact that corporate made all the decisions, except they were miles away from her store.  With each repetition of her points, it made her book sound like a list of complaints and she wasn't providing any new points to convey her arguments.

I respect her efforts to try out a different industry that is completely out of her comfort zone, but being a retail alum - I am appalled at how much she complained and only snuck into her book once that she only worked two days a week, which quickly changed to one day a week.  You don't know retail until you work nights, weekends, and everything in between.  Two days or even one day a week would not a retailer make.


Definitely an interesting read which I think I could enjoy more than others because I spent many a days behind a cash register during my college days.



Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages:  256


GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Madonna

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from NetGalley.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (43)

Another Monday has come and another week at work will begin, this one should be on the crazy side as the retreat is being packed up and becoming history, while my real full time job - the assistant is in full swing with lots of travel and events going on!

A meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.




Finished this past week: a good pile thanks to the read a thon!
Cherished by Kim Cash Tate
Impaled on the Horns of the Devil by Barbara Boatright
Malled by Caitlin Kelly
The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster 

Currently Reading:
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Next on the TBR pile:
It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: The End!

Well, I stayed up another hourish after my last update and then crashed.  So here are my final totals from my first Dewey's Read a thon!

Books finished: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans

Come  Back to Me by Melissa Foster

Running total of pages read: 508

Running total of time spent reading: 9 hours and 55 min

Mini-challenges completed: 3

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Sixteen

This may be my last update for a bit, I am not sure how far beyond this hour my eyes will remain open and my mind will continue reading.  Some may call it going to sleep, I say it is taking a quick nap for rejuvenation!  I am hoping to wake up later to still try to reach my goal of 14 hours, so 4 am here I come!

Currently Reading: Come Back to Me by Melissa FosterBooks Finished: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Pages Read: 124Running total of pages read: 433
Running total of time spent reading: 9 hours and 5 min
Mini-challenges completed: 3

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Fourteen

Nothing much has changed in 2 hours, finished the first book and have moved on to my next, this one I had started before the challenge too, so starting on page 43.  Charlotte and I took a quick walk outside to wake up and use the restroom - me to wake up, her to use the restroom.

Currently Reading: Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster
Books Finished: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Pages Read: 14 to finish The Sweet By and By AND 63 pages in Come Back to Me
Running total of pages read:  309, pretty sad
Running total of time spent reading:  7 hours and 5 min
Mini-challenges completed: 3

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Twelve

So after a little break, I am back home and reading.  The craft show was a wild success, check out my sister's shop on Etsy - DayDreaming Gifts.  Back to the reading!


Currently Reading: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Pages Read:  28
Running total of pages read: 232
Running total of time spent reading: 5 hours and 15 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2

How is your progress going?  I am still working on my first book.

Mid-Event Survey:
What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster
Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope, I couldn't because I had a craft show to attend to support the sis
Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? Other than the craft show, we are interruptionless
What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? Not surprised by anything yet, took me a bit to finish my first book
Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No suggestions yet
What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? I would really have liked to set up camp somewhere for the day and ignore the outside world, maybe next time!
Are you getting tired yet? Not yet, but I know I may need a nap in a few hours

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Six

So took these two hours off to go to lunch with the boy and do some grocery shopping, then showered and headed over to the craft show for my sister, so the next two hours may be unproductive as well.  I promise to hop on the bandwagon when I return!  Just may get some reading done while crafting!


Currently Reading: The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Pages Read: 0 took a break for lunch and grocery shopping
Running total of pages read: 178
Running total of time spent reading: 3 hours and 30 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Four

Well the second update for the day and on the same book, hope to finish it by the next update!  Charlotte is still curled up and enjoying the lap that hasn't moved in four hours!  Going to take a stretching and lunch break!


Currently Reading: The Sweet By and By 
Pages Read: 100
Running total of pages read: 178
Running total of time spent reading: 3 hours 30 min
Mini-challenges completed: 2

Dewey's Read a thon: Mini Challenge Book Puzzle

Another fun mini challenge to take a break before entering hour 3!


A book puzzle:

Answer - The Sweet By and By






Did you get it??

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: Hour Two

Wow, my first two hours are already done!!  They flew by curled up with the pup and a good book, except for 20 minutes of tweeting and blogging, I have been reading away with a great girlie read.


Currently Reading: The Sweet By and By
Pages Read: 78
Running total of pages read: 78
Running total of time spent reading: 1 hour 40 min
Mini-challenges completed: 1

Character Photo Mini Challenge:

The main character, Jade in the book The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans owns a antique/consignment store.  So below I have a picture of an antique I inherited from my Great Aunt Betty - it is a Martha Washington sewing cabinet.  We had it refinished and it is looking gorgeous in our living room.

Dewey's Read a thon 2011: In the Beginning

In the beginning, a new blogger heard about a read a thon and immediately thought about her days at Elon University and the dance marathons she participated in and planned to benefit the Children's Miracle Network.  So with a semi open weekend, she decided to try it out this year!

Yep, that's me Kristin from Kritters Ramblings - talking in third person and sharing pics from the past! 


Charlotte and I are here, books and snacks in place with a glass of sweet tea to start us off on this morning.  I am ready to roll for a few hours, or at least until we (including the pup here) need to change to a new location for more reading fun.

Here is the format for the updates, I will be doing today.  Thanks to Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves for the inspiration!

Currently Reading:
Pages Read:
Running total of pages read:
Running total of time spent reading:
Mini-challenges completed:

I will be starting this morning with The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans, I am starting on page 59.  


So here we go!


1)Where are you reading from today? right now, my couch but that may change in Alexandria, VA
2)Three random facts about me…  I have a dog named Charlotte; I date a cop; a crafting show will interrupt my reading!
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours? only 5, may need to add more
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)? I would like to read at least 13 hours
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time? a rookie here!

Dewey's Read a Thon 2011: Getting the stack ready!

As a first time read a thon participant, I am going to just read this one through!  I thought this weekend would be nice and quiet and low key, but it seems to becoming a little more packed than I thought it would be, so the reading may be a little light. 

I will start bright and early Saturday morning at 8am, but will have to take a break to help out the lil sis at her craft show - if you are in the Alexandria, VA area, we will be at Grounded Coffee having some good ole fun!  I may just try some reading while being a helper, we shall see.

So here is the stack that I am going to try to accomplish this weekend:

Come Back to Me by Melissa Foster (on the nookster)
The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

Maybe a little ambitious with my schedule, but I think of it as having a few options!

I will only be updating here every two hours or so, so if you want the minute by minute details, check me out on Twitter - @kdurham2

Happy Thon Reading!

Review: Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

Goodreads:  How can she believe God cherishes her when she can't forgive herself?

Kelli London once dreamed of being a songwriter.  As crazy as it seemed, she hoped that God would use the lyrics that came to her while she slept.  She dreamed about Brian too, that the love they shared would be a forever kind of love.  But choices she'll forever regret upended her hope . . . and turned her dreams to dust.  When those dreams come knocking once more, she's forced to deal with the pain of the past.

Heather Anderson's life has spun out of control-first, an affair with a married man, then a one-night stand with the drummer of a popular Christian band that left her devastated.  Broken and alone, she cried out to the only One who can save her.  And He did.  But that's just the beginning, because now she must leave behind the only life she's ever known.

Two women with shame-filled pasts form an unlikely friendship.  What does God's forgiveness look like for them?  Will they ever believe that He loves them . . . and can still offer them a life where they are cherished?

Kritters Thoughts: A book that from the start had a story that made you want to keep reading, but was very "churchy" with its delivery.  I enjoy Christian fiction, but I do not enjoy when it takes a little while to get to the depth of the story.  I was pulled in with intrigue, but didn't feel like the reader hit the meat of the story until you were over half way through the book.  

I liked this book, but I sit on the fence because the tone of the story was not subtle.  In the same token, the characters were captivating and some real issues were tackled, which is surprising at times for Christian fiction.  Although the reader may have been left with a perfect happy ending, at least the characters development through the book was somewhat realistic and they had to overcome some large issues in their lives.

It all felt too Brady Bunch to me, where things work out way too perfectly in the end.  Maybe,I would have preferred if one of the characters didn't end up exactly where they were expected to end up.  I think many Christians can agree that it doesn't always work out with a perfect bow at the end, sometimes you are left in a situation that isn't great, but with the help of your faith you can find the light at the end of the situation.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages:  336

GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Madonna book set

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from BookSneeze.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Impaled on the Horns of the Devil by Barbara Boatright

Goodreads:  With courageous confession, the author describes her high school romance, laced with parental opposition, the pull of premarital sex, and an awareness of guilt before God.  After less than a year of marriage to her high school sweetheart, when she begins to recognize her parents concerns as valid, she meets a man who becomes a destructive force in her life.  He encourages her to divorce her husband and instead, become dependent on him for emotional support.  With painful honesty she relates how he gains manipulative control over her emotions and moral standards.  She joins him in defying biblical commandments and societal conventions.   

Kritters Thoughts:  First, I want to start by saying, I am so thankful that I agreed to review this book, but man I wish I could retitle this one.  As a wonderfully written, heartfelt memoir about a woman who was emotionally abused by an ex-husband, I have a hard time passing on this book because the title doesn't match the story.  


I was completely swept up in her story because it was different from what you normally read, first it was true and second it was emotional abuse instead of physical abuse.  I think because of the different type of abuse, I enjoyed it more because you don't read books with very little physical abuse in them.  They way he pushed her away from anyone that she had a connection with was sly and deceiving, but as a woman I maybe couldn't have recognized if I was in her shoes the things that were happening and how horrible it all looked when all the pieces were matched together.


A memoir that broke my heart because with each page I knew that it was true and that she had to live through these experiences to become the woman she is today.  I applaud her honesty and ability to share such a personal story in the hopes that woman can find strength knowing that they are not the only one in their particular situation.  So bypass the awkward title and get this memoir, so it can tug at your heart strings and maybe even help someone along the way.  

Rating:  definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages:  247

GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: I

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author and Bohlsen PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wordless Wednesday

A little shot from our vacation.

Review: Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith

Goodreads: After her husband leaves her for another woman, twenty something Londoner Alison Temple impulsively applies for a job at the very P.I. firm she hired to trap her philandering ex.  She hopes it will be the change of scene she so desperately needs to move on with her shattered life.  At the all-female Fitzgerald's Bureau of Investigation, she spends her days tracking lost objects and her nights shadowing unfaithful husbands.  But not matter what the case, none of her clients can compare to the fascinating characters in her personal life.  There's her boss, the estimable Mrs. Fitzgerald; Taron, Alison's eccentric best friend, who claims her mother is a witch; Jeff, her love-struck, poetry-writing neighbor; and - last but not least - her psychic postman.  Her relationships with them all become entangled when she joins Taron for a road trip to the seaside and stumbles into a misadventure of epic proportions! 

Kritters Thoughts: A short and simple review for a smaller book that was definitely out of my normal reading genre.  I thought it would be a good one to stretch me out of my comfort zone, but I just couldn't get into it.  By the end of the book, I was confused, lost and kind of ready for it to end.

If you like a little story, with some quirkiness and some magic, this one would be one you could pick up. 

Rating: not such a good read

Pages: 220

GR Oct-Dec Challenge: A

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (42)

After a hectic week that had me in Nashville for most of it, I am planted firmly back at home and glad to be catching up with my blog and reading.  I have a long list of reads and blog posts that I can't wait for October and November!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney.

Finished this past week:
Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane
My Ruby Slippers by Tracey Seeley
                                   Alison Wonderland by Helen Smith

Currently Reading:
Cherished by Kim Cash Tate

Next on the TBR pile:
It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

In My Mailbox (48)

After a week away, it is good to be back to my normal blogging.


A meme hosted by The Story Siren.


Swapping:
32AA by Michelle Cunnah
Roommates by Whitney Lyles
From Notting Hill with Love . . . Actually by Ali McNamara


For Review:
Impaled on the Horns of the Devil by Barbara Boatright
My Corner of the Sky by Kerri Dyer-Keen
A New Prospect by Wayne Zurl


Winnings:
Not Ready for Mom Jeans by Maureen Lipinski

The Ramble: A Vacation in NashVegas!

A great mini-vacation to Nashville was in the cards after the craziness of my corporate retreat.  The boy flew up and we had three days of pure tourism in Music City USA.  We are both thankful to my cousin for letting us crash at her house after our days of running around the city.

 

From the Ryman Auditorium to Jacks BBQ to the Country Music Hall of Fame,  we had a full day downtown enjoying all of the sights.  I loved how we were able to leisurely enjoy everything that downtown had to offer.  We went into Hatch Show Printers and bought a great poster that I can't wait to frame and find a spot for it in our place.

The next day we went to the Jack Daniels Distillery which after a bit of a drive was definitely worth the trip.  After a great free tour, we bought some commemorative bottles - one we were able to etch something personal for the boy.

We ended our trip at the Grand Ole Opry and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.  A fun backstage tour that really made us feel like we were walking through the steps of the stars who get to perform on that famous stage.  After the tour, we stopped into the Gaylord Opryland Hotel for lunch and a cool little boat cruise that takes you through a part of the hotel.  We loved it. 

A great end to a little vacation. 

Review: My Ruby Slippers by Tracey Seeley

Goodreads:  Sure, there's no place like home - but what if you can't really pinpoint where home is?  By the time she was nine, Tracey Seeley had lived in seven towns and thirteen different houses.  Her father's dreams of movie stardom, stoked by a series of affairs, kept the family on edge, and on the move, until he up and left.  Thirty years later, settled in what seems like a charmed life in San Francisco, a diagnosis of cancer and the betrayal of a lover shake Seeley to her roots - roots she is suddenly determined to search out. 

Seeley finds herself in a Kansas that defies memory, a place far more complex and elusive than the sum of its cultural myths.  On back roads and in her many back years, Seeley also finds unexpected forgiveness for her errant father, and, in the face of mortality, a sense of what it means to be rooted in place, to dwell deeply in the only life we have.


Kritters Thoughts:  Seeley writes this love story to Kansas.  A cross between a heartfelt memoir and the language of an artistic novel, this book confused me and didn't leave me intrigued for the next page.  A fan of the memoir genre, I wasn't captured by this book.

Bouncing between the present and her past memories, I couldn't follow her through her journey to find her center.  I wanted to be swept away by the stories of the prairie and fall in love with the Kansas she was rediscovering, but I couldn't find myself beside her, instead I was lost along the way.

If you enjoy a novel full of intense language and have a heart for Kansas, this book would be perfect for a day sitting by the fireplace. 

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages:  208

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Cancelled by Elizabeth Ann West

Goodreads:  Robotics engineer Johnathan Michaels is in love with his business partner, Alexis Rodriguez.  After three years of missed opportunity, the two are finally making a life together when a previous one-night stand from Johnathan's past reappears.  Pregnant.  With his child.

Can Johnathan juggle a fiancee, impending fatherhood, and save the biggest contract his company has ever seen?

Kritters Thoughts:  Almost a novelette, this little book packs quite a punch in less than 150 pages.  With a rough start and a stellar ending, I loved reading a book with both males and a female as the central characters.  It was also interesting to read a book with three characters that weren't exactly the typical love triangle.  And although this book may not have all the pages that most books may have, the reader is still able to find a deep and twisting story.  


I said that it was a rough start because I felt as though from the beginning you were assaulted with all the characters and you were given little time to get to know them each in their own rights.  I reread the first few pages twice to make sure that I had each character straight, but once I knew who we were talking about - I was ready to read on.


The twists and turns were fun to take with the characters.  Although the three main characters work together, it was nice to see them both on the job and after hours.  I felt that they were each complete because the reader saw them through both their work lives and their personal lives.


A little soap opera drama mixed with a great chick lit story made for a perfect novelette for a weekend read.  If you like a little drama and some twists and turns, I would advise picking this one up.  

Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages:  128


GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Boxed Set- Madonna or one word titles

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review: Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

Goodreads:  All Wars have rules


Rule Number One: No killing innocent bystanders.


Rule Number Two: No killing anyone under the age of eighteen.


Break the rules, Become the target.


Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn't fully understand.  The War is ageless, hideen in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides - one good, one evil. 




Kritters Thoughts:  Wow!  What a book that took me out of my comfort zone and I loved it!!  A semi dystopian book with a love story twist, what more could a girl ask for?  Written in the form of journal entries and a letter to a child, I connected with Joseph our main character from the beginning and was just waiting for him to find the love that would change his life.


Before you get to the love story, you must read quite a bit of guts and gore.  If you have a weak stomach for death, then this may not be the book for you.  But if you can handle it, there is more to this story than a man who is killing people.  The bigger story of trying to find where one fits into a bigger picture is something that everyone tackles at one point in their life.  Was he on the side of good or evil?  Did we find out or do I still wonder?  This made the book deep and it made me fall in love with the story even more.


Head to your closest store and grab this one.  I noticed in Goodreads it said #1 - so is it the first in a series, I sure hope so!




Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel


Pages:  384


Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Football (Carolina Panthers)


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author in conjunection with Crazy Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.


Check out this video from the author - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppaqOBkX4EA


Tour Schedule:
10/11/2011 - Kristin    Kritters Ramblings - http://www.krittersramblings.com                      
10/12/2011 - Lauren    Ravishing Reads - http://ravishingreads.blogspot.com                       
10/13/2011 - Maggie    My Utopia - http://myutopia36.blogspot.com/                          
10/14/2011 - Laurie    Reader Girls - http://readergirls.blogspot.com                         
10/16/2011 - Christa    Mental Foodie - http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com                            
10/17/2011 - Gwenyth Love    Rants~N~Scribbles - http://rantsnscribbles.blogspot.com      
10/18/2011 - Sinn    Sinnful Books - http://sinnfulbooks.blogspot.com                        
10/19/2011 - Meg    A Bookish Affair - http://abookishaffair.blogspot.com/                          
10/20/2011 - Louise    Between the Covers - http://www.betweenthecoversblog.net/              
10/21/2011 - Christie    The Fiction Enthusiast - http://thefictionenthusiast.blogspot.com/     
10/22/2011 - Heather    Proud Book Nerd - http://proudbooknerd.com/                          
10/23/2011 - Julie    Book Hooked - http://www.bookhookedblog.com                          
10/24/2011 - Stacy    Girls in the Stacks - http://www.girlsinthestacks.com                         
10/25/2011 - Nicole    All I Ever Read - http://books.nicoleabouttown.com