All Books Considered

Monday Musts is a weekly event, started and hosted by Jessica @ Lovin' Los Libros , which asks you to highlight your must read, must listen and must see! MUST READ! Kill and Tell (CIA Spies #1)  by Linda Howard From Goodreads : Still reeling from her mother's recent death, Karen Whitlaw is stunned when she receives a package containing a mysterious notebook from the father she has barely seen since his return from the Viet Nam War over twenty years ago. Unwilling to deal with her overwhelming emotions, Karen packs the notebook away, putting it - and her father - out of her mind, until she receives a shocking phone call. Her father has been murdered on the gritty streets of New Orleans. Homicide detective Marc Chastain considers the murder nothing more than street violence against a homeless man, and Karen accepts his judgment - at first. But she changes her mind when her home is burglarized and "accidents" begin to happen. All at once, s...

The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain  Translated by Jane Aitken and Emily Boyce Blurb from Goodreads : Heroic bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian street. There's nothing in the bag to indicate who it belongs to, although there's all sorts of other things in it. Laurent feels a strong impulse to find the owner and tries to puzzle together who she might be from the contents of the bag. Especially a red notebook with her jottings, which really makes him want to meet her. Without even a name to go on, and only a few of her possessions to help him, how is he to find one woman in a city of millions? My Review:   This is a short one and was a very quick read.   I was never not interested in the story but I felt like there was probably a little something (magic) lost in the translation.  Laurent discovers an abandoned purse in the street; he becomes fascinated with i...

Extreme Exposure (I-Team #1) by Pamela Clare Blurb from Goodreads : It's been years since her child's father dumped her, and since then Kara McMillan has kept men at bay - although every day she aches more for a lover's touch. But to get that, the hard-boiled journalist must become vulnerable - a feeling she vowed never to have again. With his dangerous good looks, charm, and power, Senator Reece Sheridan could have just about any woman he sets his piercing eyes on. But he's intrigued by only one. This Kara, this gutsy investigative reporter, has a sensuality that arouses him to no end. If she's a firebrand in print, he guesses, she must be just as fiery in bed... But this is no fling. A sudden political scandal - and attempts on Kara's life - could very well drive them apart. Or maybe, just maybe, adversity could draw them into a bond even more intense than their steamy sexual embraces.  My Review: ...

  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating. Today, I am waiting on:   Relief Map by Rosalie Knecht From Goodreads : In the heat of a stifling summer in her sixteenth year, Livy Marko spends her days in the rust-belt town of Lomath, Pennsylvania, babysitting, hanging out with her best friend, Nelson, and waiting for a bigger life to begin. These simple routines are disrupted when the electricity is cut off and the bridges are closed by a horde of police and FBI agents. A fugitive from the Republic of Georgia, on the run from an extradition order, has taken refuge in nearby hills and no one is able to leave or enter Lomath until he is found. As the police fail to find the wanted man and hours stretch into days, the town of Lomath begins to buckle under the strain. Like Russian dolls, each hostage seems to be harboring a captive of their own. Even Livy’s par...

The Smell of Other People's Houses  by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock Blurb from Goodreads : In Alaska, 1970, being a teenager here isn’t like being a teenager anywhere else. Ruth has a secret that she can’t hide forever. Dora wonders if she can ever truly escape where she comes from, even when good luck strikes. Alyce is trying to reconcile her desire to dance, with the life she’s always known on her family’s fishing boat. Hank and his brothers decide it’s safer to run away than to stay home—until one of them ends up in terrible danger. Four very different lives are about to become entangled.  My Review: This was such a quick and captivating read!  I loved the story of four different teenagers in Alaska, just post-statehood and their struggles that are probably just as fresh today.  Not only was the setting interesting (and so different from a typical suburban setting) but the characters were each unique, with the...

Monday Musts is a weekly event, started and hosted by Jessica @ Lovin' Los Libros , which asks you to highlight your must read, must listen and must see! MUST READ! On an Edge of Glass  by Autumn Doughton From Goodreads : A boy. A girl. A missed opportunity.  No matter how much she studies, Ellie Glass can't prepare for every aspect of life. She realizes this after a chance encounter with a young musician. Scruffy, long-haired, and undeniably sexy, he is the exact opposite of her type. So why is it that Ellie can’t stop thinking about him? When fate intervenes and the two are thrown together for a second time, Ellie gets more than she bargained for. With the help of her friends and a newfound romance, she begins to redefine herself.  This is the captivating story of an undeniable attraction, the choices that we make, and ultimately, the unexpected power of love.  This is my favorite NA of all time, I cannot recommend it enough...

I Love This Trope, Sub-Genre, Setting is a new feature on my blog in which I discuss a trope, sub-genre or setting that I love and tell you about books that are shining examples of said trope, sub-genre or setting.  Feel free to play along and please let me know about your favorite books in this realm and whether you like this trope, sub-genre and/or setting as much as I do! Today I am spotlighting the sub-genre of:  Political Romance , which I would define as romance in which one (or both!) of the love interests is a politician, works for a politician or is involved in politics in some manner! Maybe it's just me but I LOVE politics!  This sub-genre of political romance is a fun twist on the typical billionaire/movie star/sports star/rock star sub-genre. I have read and loved all of the books above and there is some variety in them -- some are also military romance or romantic suspense, some are NA, some are YA.  O...

  "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating. Today, I am waiting on:   Us (Him #2) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy From Goodreads : Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated? Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He's living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves–Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend. There's just one problem: the most important relationship of his life is one he needs to keep hidden, or else face a media storm that will eclipse his success on the ice. Jamie loves Wes. He really, truly does. But hiding sucks. It's not the life Jamie envisioned for himself, and the strain of keeping their secret is taking its toll. It doesn't help that his new job isn't going as smoothly as he...

Top Ten Tuesday  is hosted by the fab ladies at  The Broke and the Bookish ! 1.   Flashing Lights by Kanye West She don't believe in shooting stars But she believe in shoes and cars Wood floors in the new apartment Couture from the store's departments You more like "love to start shit" I'm more of the trips to Florida Ordered the hors d'oeuvres, views of the water Straight from a page of your favorite author 2. Ambulance Blues by Neil Young Back in the old folky days The air was magic when we played. The riverboat was rockin' in the rain Midnight was the time for the raid. Oh, Isabella, proud Isabella, They tore you down and plowed you under. You're only real with your make-up on How could I see you and stay too long? 3.   Houston Don't Dream About Me by The Black Crowes Loose change days and motel nights Day old coffee, dollar postcards State trooper's flashing lights As we listen to ...