Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 

Q - How do you handle negative comments left on your blog? 
(Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

A -  I used to engage and debate with all my commenters, bad comments mostly were in  Goodreads but now, I learned to just laugh them off and move on.  

Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 

Q - Can you read and watch TV or listen to the radio at the same time? (Silver's Review)

A -  Read and watch tv, yes. I do that a lot though if the book is that good, no watching. As for reading and listening to the radio - nope. Music makes me sleepy.

Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 

Q - Where's your favorite place to read? (Rabbit Ears Book Blog)

A -  No favorite place. Anywhere. Though I have favorite reading time. When the kids are in school! I can't read if they're in the house. And definitely no readings during weekends! How about you? Happy weekend!

Follow Friday : What are you most thankful for (in the blogging world)?

Prompt of the week
What are you most thankful for (in the blogging world)?

Of course, thankful for bloggers and authors/publishers!

About what Alison said regarding the struggle of a long time blogger... I feel it ALL THE TIME! It's becoming a real struggle for me to keep posting (reviews). YES, losing your old blogger buddies whom you used to visit and exchange ideas with...aww it can be depressing.

Been blogging since 2008 (Multiply to Blogger) and I've picked up some other hobbies like gardening, scrap booking, and lately, sewing (yikes still a beginner). Aside from that,  kids are now both in school and they make me crazy busy with their assignment and projects. Before, I was up around 4 in the morning reading and blog hopping but now it's because of school stuff. Sooo... how about you? 

For newbies, to join the hop, 

visit Alison Can Read  or Parajunkee's View 

* * * * *

Freebies? Click HERE.

Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 

Q - Are the giveaways on your blog publisher-sponsored giveaways or giveaways of your own books? (Silver's Reviews)

A -  From the authors and publishers. Except for one time the publisher sent me two copies by mistake so I hosted a giveaway for that book, shipping expenses on me.

As for my own books, I give my books to friends. Oh well, they are actually 'borrowing' but mostly, I never get them back lol.

Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 

Q - When you settle in for the night with a good book, do you read until you can't stay awake or simply have a nightly page goal? (Silver's Reviews)

A -  If it's a really good book, I could never put it down even if I need to be up early. Happened a few times, slept only an hour then went to work with overtime. This is actually  the very one thing my husband hates the most. He rarely gets angry but if  he caught me doing this, I'd get a tongue-lashing for a whole week.  

Follow Friday: Is there a book/series that everybody seems to love, but you can’t stand? Why?

Prompt of the week
Is there a book/series that everybody seems to love, but you can’t stand? Why? 
via Heather Fowler @ Blood Thirsty Muses

Oh yes, that's me! Hating books that everyone loved! I can think of two series now. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer and Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. 

I was drawn to Nightshade's cover, loved it. Saw lots of five-star reviews from the bloggers I was following then. As for Fifty Shades, my friends made me read this book. I didn't want to but when a guy-lawyer-friend asked me to, I thought I had to. I was intrigued that this book was recommended by a guy lawyer.  

Oh well, I hated the main characters in those series. Calla - for being insensitive and indecisive.  My heart hurt for Ren, I was constantly wishing Shay to die. Anastasia for being a weakling and the fact that this is a BDSM version of Twilight, total meeeh!  

How about you? Happy Friday!

For newbies, to join the hop, 

visit Alison Can Read  or Parajunkee's View 

* * * * *

Freebies? Click HERE.

Goodreads book tag!

Been a long time since I participated in the q&a like this... nice to be able to make time for the tag (from Sabrina of reviewingroom.blogspot.com). 

What was/were the last book/s you marked as read?

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

Chasing the Wild Sparks by Ren Alexander

What are you currently reading?

I'm listering to The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead. I still haven't decided if I liked the main character and the story. I'm so close in DNF'ing this... 

What was the last book you marked as TBR?

Daring the Wild Sparks (Wild Sparks, #2)

What book do you plan to read next?

The Ghost of Christmas Past by Michael Hebler - an ARC, no book cover yet.

Do you use the star rating system?

Yes! 

Are you doing a 2016 reading challenge?

Failed twice so no, I'm not doing it EVER again.

Do you have a wishlist?

Right now, nothing. I just want to relax... often, I find new books 'exhausting'. The VA series and its spin off (re-reading) is making me busy...

Do you have any favorite quotes? Would you like to share a few?

Used to have but no longer remember any of them. 

Who are your favorite authors?

Tolkien, Richelle Mead, Kristen Ashley and Keri Arthur.

Have you joined any groups?

Yes, lots of groups everywhere! I remember even stalking members for their reviews! Uhmm no longer active for years .... blogger is crazy lazy now.

Tag yourself too, happy reading!

Book Blogger Hop

This week's hop: 
Q - Do you reply to every comment on your posts? (Silver's Review)


A - Yikes! No. Used to reply to every comment when I was a newbie but as blogging is now limited to 1-2x per week, I only reply when I'm online. That's always my plan to go back to my old blogging habit ... it just never happens. =(

It's Monday! What Are Your Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.

Book Reviewed

Clutch 
by Lisa Becker

Book Review

clutch: a novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to discover the “Clutch” or someone she wants to hold onto.

Movie watched the previous week

In their new overseas home, an American family soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup, and they frantically look for a safe escape from an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed.

Book for Review

Dead Wolf Walking

Shapes of Autumn Book #3

by Veronica Blade

When a tragic death triggers Autumn and Zack’s worst fear—pursuit by dangerous werewolves—they escape to a safe house. But within the walls of the refuge, an even greater menace looms. Now under the reluctant protection of a vampire king, Autumn and Zack are targeted by a palace full of vamps out for revenge against vampire-killing werewolves. 

After the vampire king discovers a rebel plot to overthrow him, Zack and Autumn are forced to remain in the palace as bait to draw out the enemy. But can the king shield them from so many who want them dead? They have only days to root out the traitors before Autumn’s parents arrive to claim her—not to mention it’s illegal to mix species—which gives them little hope of a future together. But with werewolves hunting them and vampire rebels out for their blood, Zack and Autumn need each other more than ever. Each secretly dreams of finding a way to be together—if they can stay alive. 

Currently Reading

Never A Bridesmaid

by Janice Thompson

Meet the people who make it all happen – the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.

Can one bridesmaid undo the disasters caused by a poorly chosen maid of honor and save her sister’s wedding from disaster? 

Mari’s older sister Crystal is getting married, and Mari is one of her bridesmaids – actually, the last in a lineup of five bridesmaids, but that doesn’t really bother her. Much. But Sienna Jameson as the maid of honor? Really? She might be Crystal’s best friend, but she’s ditzy and undependable on her best days. When the best man turns out to be hunky Derrick Richardson, the right fielder for the Houston Astros and one of Houston’s most eligible bachelors, Sienna abandons her duties as maid of honor to chase Derrick, and it’s up to Mari to make sure Crystal’s wedding day goes off without a hitch.

While Mari is wrapped up in dress fittings, bridal showers, and bachelorette nights, Derrick has taken notice of her devotion to her sister and her determination to make the wedding perfect. But between dodging Sienna’s advances and watching Mari running around like a madwoman, Derrick is left to steal moments whenever he can to get to know this beautiful bridesmaid.

When the maid of honor shows up to the ceremony late and more done up than the bride herself, Mari fears her attempts to make her sister’s wedding perfect have all been for naught. Will the bride be up-staged by the maid of honor? Will the fifth-in-line bridesmaid ever be recognized for all the work she’s done? And will Mari finally have a moment to revel in the magic of a wedding and dance in the strong arms of a man? 

How about you? What are your reading plans this week? Happy Monday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.

Book Reviewed

The Hook Up (Game On #1)

by Kristen Callihan 

BOOK REVIEW

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love.

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on.

Currently Reading

Garden Spells (Waverley Family #1)

by Sarah Addison Allen

The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them. 

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways. 

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future. 

* * *

clutch
by Lisa Becker

clutch: a novel is the laugh-out-loud, chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags – the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. With her best friend, bar owner Mike by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of Chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors and finds the courage to discover the “Clutch” or someone she wants to hold onto.

How about you? What book/s do you plan to read this week? Happy Monday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.

Book Reviewed

Siren's Fury (The Storm Siren Trilogy #2)
by Mary Weber

Book Review

"I thrust my hand toward the sky as my voice begs the Elemental inside me to waken and rise. But it's no use. The curse I've spent my entire life abhorring—the thing I trained so hard to control—no longer exists."

Nym has saved Faelen only to discover that Draewulf stole everything she valued. Now he’s destroyed her Elemental storm-summoning ability as well.

When Nym sneaks off with a host of delegates to Bron, Lord Myles offers her the chance for a new kind of power and the whispered hope that it may do more than simply defeat the monster she loathes. But the secrets the Bron people have kept concealed, along with the horrors Draewulf has developed, may require more than simply harnessing a darker ability.

They may require who she is. Set against the stark metallic backdrop of the Bron kingdom, Nym is faced with the chance to change the future.

Or was that Draewulf’s plan for her all along? 

Currently Reading

The Hook Up (Game On #1)

by Kristen Callihan 

The rules: no kissing on the mouth, no staying the night, no telling anyone, and above all… No falling in love.

Anna Jones just wants to finish college and figure out her life. Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy right?

Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…

Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.

That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.

All’s fair in love and football…Game on.

Garden Spells (Waverley Family #1)

by Sarah Addison Allen

The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them. 

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories. Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways. 

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future. 

How about you? What book/s do you plan to read this week? Happy Monday!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

"It's Monday! What are you reading?" is a fun meme hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date. This is where we share the books we have read the last week and our reading plans for this week.

Books Reviewed

THE CARETAKER OF IMAGINATION
by Z.R. Southcombe

Book Review
Bored with his real life, John Carroll runs away with his faithful cat in tow seeking adventures vast and amazing. But when he meets a real-life pirate he realizes that there is more to life than he’d ever believed possible – magic is real, and in need of a hero.

John must convince the (once fearsome) Captain Simon Peabody to help him find the only person who can save magic from being lost forever: the Caretaker of Imagination.

This wondrous tale harks back to the style of classic children’s literature. Perfect as a read-aloud, it is sure to delight readers of all ages.

MISSING ERA: THE EMERGENCE
by A.O. Khalil

Book Review
They were just sinkholes, harmless sinkholes that were spreading like wildfire across the country. Then the disappearances started. A few people here and there then the entire army, gone in one night. Jay and Jule quickly find themselves thrown in the middle of a dangerous situation that only gets worse when something else comes that takes everyone by bloody surprise.

As they make ready to leave to gather with the rest of the family, something comes out of the sinkholes and begins attacking and killing everyone in sight. Before they know it they are in the middle of a war with an unknown enemy and an unknown agenda.

Will Jay and Jule survive their encounter or will they find themselves twenty-six feet under at the bottom of a sinkhole?
 a read-aloud, it is sure to delight readers of all ages.

Book For Review

Siren's Fury (The Storm Siren Trilogy #2)
by Mary Weber

"I thrust my hand toward the sky as my voice begs the Elemental inside me to waken and rise. But it's no use. The curse I've spent my entire life abhorring—the thing I trained so hard to control—no longer exists."

Nym has saved Faelen only to discover that Draewulf stole everything she valued. Now he’s destroyed her Elemental storm-summoning ability as well.

When Nym sneaks off with a host of delegates to Bron, Lord Myles offers her the chance for a new kind of power and the whispered hope that it may do more than simply defeat the monster she loathes. But the secrets the Bron people have kept concealed, along with the horrors Draewulf has developed, may require more than simply harnessing a darker ability.

They may require who she is. Set against the stark metallic backdrop of the Bron kingdom, Nym is faced with the chance to change the future.

Or was that Draewulf’s plan for her all along? 

Currently RE-Reading

GEORGINA KINCAID SERIES

by Richelle Mead

SUCCUBUS BLUES

When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?

But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to bestselling, sexy writer, Seth Mortensen, aka He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't.

But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny. . . 

SUCCUBUS ON TOP

Love hurts, and no one knows it better than Georgina Kincaid. If she so much as kisses Seth Mortensen, the shy, sexy writer she's been dating, she'll drain his life force. Admittedly, the shape shifting and immortality perks of a succubus are terrific, but it's completely unfair that a she-demon whose purpose is seduction can't get down with the one mortal who accepts her for who she is. . .

It's not just her personal life that's in chaos. Doug, Georgina's co-worker at a local bookstore, has been exhibiting bizarre behavior, and Georgina suspects something far more demonic than double espressos. She could use an assist from Bastien, an irresistibly charming incubus and her best immortal friend, but he's giving Georgina some highly distracting come-hither vibes. Georgina is going to have to work solo on this one--and fast, because soon, Doug's life won't be the only one on the line. . .

SUCCUBUS DREAMS

First, Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men, can't have sex with her gorgeous bestselling author boyfriend Seth Mortensen--in case she inadvertently kills him. Second, Georgina's under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block. Third, someone's manipulating her dreams, draining her energy and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused--especially as the situation with Seth reaches a crisis point. Georgina needs to rein in her out-of-control love life and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again...

SUCCUBUS HEAT

Georgina Kincaid has been a bad, bad succubus. . .. . .which should be a good thing. But lately, thanks to her foul mood over breaking up with bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, she's been so wicked that Seattle's über-demon Jerome, decides to "outsource " Georgina to a rival—and have her spy for him in the process.

Being exiled to the frozen north—okay, Vancouver—and leaving Seth in the cozy clutches of his new girlfriend is unpleasant enough. Then Jerome is kidnapped, and all immortals under his control mysteriously lose their powers. One bright spot: with her life-sucking ability gone, there's nothing to keep Georgina from getting down and dirty with Seth—nothing apart from his girlfriend that is. Now, as the supernatural population starts turning on itself, a newly mortal Georgina must rescue her boss and figure out who's been playing them—or all hell will break loose. . .

SUCCUBUS SHADOWS

Georgina Kincaid has formidable powers. Immortality, seduction, shape-shifting into any human form she desires, walking in heels that would cripple mere mortals -- all child's play to a succubus like her.

Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse -- that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.

But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't -- and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity... 

SUCCUBUS REVEALED

In Georgina Kincaid, succubus and she-demon, #1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead has created one of her most enticing characters. But with a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is. . .

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.

The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it, no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .

How about you? What book/s do you plan to read this week? Happy Monday!