Happy New Year!!! Teaser Tuesday

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
*Grab your current read
*Open to a random page
*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Almost three hours ago, Jane left her house with a nervous stomach but a determined heart to seek out and find the one person she never knews existed.

And the winner is……..

………of BEST OF 2012 GIVEAWAY HOP

184 Emily Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winner and she has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered!!

And the winner is……

………..of Double Danger by Dee Davis

25 Kyaw Sein Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winner and a response is needed within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to all that entered.

Have a very safe and Happy New Year all!!!!!!!!

Monday Memes

Hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading

From Miz B:
Here it is… the new version of Musing Mondays! Each week, you’ll see the same set of questions… and you’ll pick which one you want to answer that week. I know this is slightly less exciting than what Musing Mondays has been to this point, but I am burning out on doing daily memes, and need to simplify things a bit. So, I am making MM a little more self-sustaining (where I don’t have to really think about it too much), and will keep my other weekly memes the same, for now. I hope you’ll still play along!

This week’s muse:
Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.

My thoughts:
Today I will describe just one of my reading habits.  I have different reading habits depending on the season.  I am not a fan of winter.  I dislike every aspect, but one,  and tend to slightly hibernate during this time.   Since I was a child, and still to this day, love to read when it is snowing.  I will get comfy, curled up in my reading recliner with a fleece throw, and a  cup of hot coffee or hot choloate.  Since the recliner faces the windows, I will look up every now and then to watch the snow.  For me, it is such a tranquil and warm feeling.

What about you?  Do you have different reading habits depending on the seasons?  What is your’s for the winter?

December is being hosted by Suko’s Notebook

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.
According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”
Click on title for synopsis via IndieBound (I am an IndieBound Affliate)

          

Monday  12/24  Targets Of Deception by Jeffrey S. Stephens from Simon & Schuster
Monday  12/24  Targets of Opportunity by Jeffrey S. Stephens ffrom Simon & Schuster

Celebrated Guest Author (visit to see who it is)

When Caitlin, from The Hachette Book Group, contacted me about today’s guest, I thought what better way to usher 2012 out and celebrate 2013!!  Raise your glass and help me count down…5….4….3….2…..1

Welcome James Patterson!!!!!!

JAMES PATTERSON

In January, 2010, The New York Times Magazinefeatured James Patterson on its cover and hailed him as having “transformed book publishing.” Timemagazine named him “The Man Who Can’t Miss,” and he is a two-time Children’s Choice Book Award “Author of the Year” nominee, a designation decided on by more than 15,000 children and teen readers.

In the past three years, James Patterson has sold more books than any other author (according to Bookscan), and in total, James’s books have sold an estimated 260 million copies worldwide. Since 2006, one out of every seventeen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. He is the first author to have #1 new titles simultaneously on The New York Times adult and children’s bestsellers lists and is the only author to have five new hardcover novels debut at #1 on the list in one year—a record-breaking feat he’s accomplished every year since 2005. To date, James Patterson has had nineteen consecutive #1 New York Times bestselling novels, and holds the New York Times record for most Hardcover Fiction bestselling titles by a single author (76 total), which is also a Guinness World Record.

From his James Patterson Pageturner Awards (which rewarded groups and individuals for creative and effective ways of spreading the joy of reading) to his websiteReadKiddoRead.com (which helps adults find books that kids are sure to love) to his regular donations of thousands of books to troops overseas, Patterson is a lifelong champion of books and reading. His critically acclaimed Maximum Ride series debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list at #1 and remained there for twelve straight weeks. The series has so far made ninety-four cumulative appearances on The New York Timesbestsellers lists, proving that kids of all ages love page turners. He captured the attention of boy readers with Daniel X series, and his third series for readers of all ages debuted in December 2009 with Witch & Wizard, which spent five consecutive weeks atop the New York Times bestsellers list.

Patterson is the creator of the top-selling new detective series of the past dozen years, featuring Alex Cross and including the Hollywood-adapted “Along Came a Spider” and “Kiss the Girls,” starring Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. He is also the creator of the #1 new detective series of the past five years, featuring Lindsay Boxer and theWomen’s Murder Club, from which the ABC television drama series was adapted. He has authored books behind six films on the Hollywood fast-track, including the upcomingMaximum Ride movie forthcoming from Avi Arad, the producer of X-Men and Spiderman.

He is the author of novels — from The Thomas Berryman Number (1976) to Honeymoon(2005) — that have won awards including the Edgar, the BCA Mystery Guild’s Thriller of the Year, the International Thriller of the Year award, and the Reader’s Digest Reader’s Choice Award. And, he has won a Children’s Choice Book Council’s Children’s Choice Awards “Author of the Year” award (2010).

One of Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100, James made a guest appearance on the popular FOX TV show “The Simpsons” in March, 2007.
Visit James Patterson at his website here.

ABOUT THE BOOK

The next explosive book in James Patterson’s #1 bestselling Private series!

For Hannah Shapiro, a beautiful young American student, this particular nightmare began eight years ago in Los Angeles, when Jack Morgan, owner of Private–the world’s most exclusive detective agency–saved her from a horrific death. She has fled her country, but can’t flee her past. The terror has followed her to London, and now it is down to former Royal Military Police Sergeant Dan Carter, head of Private London, to save her all over again.

In central London, young women are being abducted off the street. When the bodies are found some days later, they have been mutilated in a particularly mysterious way. Dan Carter’s ex-wife, DI Kirsty Webb, is involved in the investigation and it looks likely that the two cases are gruesomely linked.

Dan Carter drawn on the whole resources of Private International in a desperate race against the odds. But the clock is ticking… Private may be the largest and most technologically advanced detection agency in the world, but the one thing they don’t have is the one thing they need–time.
Watch for my review in the near future.

Purchase links:    Amazon     B&N     IndieBound

THANKS TO CAITLIN, FROM THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE
ONE (1) COPY TO GIVE AWAY.       U.S RESIDENTS ONLY

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTRY PAGE

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

GIVEAWAY ENTRY “PRIVATE LONDON” by James Patterson ENDED

DECEMBER 31st to JANUARY 14th, 2013

PRIVATE LONDON
by JAMES PATTERSON

SYNOPSIS:

The next explosive book in James Patterson’s #1 bestselling Private series!

For Hannah Shapiro, a beautiful young American student, this particular nightmare began eight years ago in Los Angeles, when Jack Morgan, owner of Private–the world’s most exclusive detective agency–saved her from a horrific death. She has fled her country, but can’t flee her past. The terror has followed her to London, and now it is down to former Royal Military Police Sergeant Dan Carter, head of Private London, to save her all over again.

In central London, young women are being abducted off the street. When the bodies are found some days later, they have been mutilated in a particularly mysterious way. Dan Carter’s ex-wife, DI Kirsty Webb, is involved in the investigation and it looks likely that the two cases are gruesomely linked.

Dan Carter drawn on the whole resources of Private International in a desperate race against the odds. But the clock is ticking… Private may be the largest and most technologically advanced detection agency in the world, but the one thing they don’t have is the one thing they need–time.

THANKS TO CAITLIN  AND THE AWESOME FOLKS
 AT THE HACHETTE BOOK GROUP
I HAVE ONE ( 1 ) COPY OF THIS
BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.
*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY
*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL
ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK
THAT YOU READ BY JAMES PATTERSON?*
*U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY*
*NO P.O. BOXES*
 **PER PUBLISHER**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JANUARY 14th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES
Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to
winners via publisher, the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2013 Challenges

I surrender!!!!   Go ahead….you can laugh at me.  But I’m sure, that if you know me, you already knew that I wasn’t going to be able to control myself.  And with only 1 day left in 2012, how could I not add at least one, two, ok, a few more challenges!!  Want to join me?  Details below:

Justification:  This challenge is so needed because I am now up to 3 shelves, not including my EReaders, of TBR requested review books that have been sitting in my bookcase crying out, “Please read me…did you forget about me?” lol

Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge 2013
Hosted by Patricia at PlanetPooks 
RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

So, are you in? And have I left anything out? I’ve never done this before, so let me know if I need to adjust anything or add anything! Use Mister Linky to link to your blog or wherever you might announce your participation in this challenge, and leave a comment below to say which will be your goal for 2013. You will get the appropriate badge/prize for whatever you read, whether you come in under or over your goal.
For more information and to sign-up, please  see this post.

Justification:  Due to the rapid growth of PICT and PBP, my reading has been affected big time!!  So…I need to get back into the groove and figured this challenge would be my initiative to read at least 1 book a week.

52 Books in 52 Weeks
Hosted by Robin at My Two Blessings

Are you ready for another round of Reading 52 books in 52 Weeks? Whether you are just joining in or continuing on for another round, the rules are very simple. The goal is to read one book (at least) a week for 52 weeks. Make the year easy and casual or kick it up by exploring new to you authors and genres. Challenge yourself to read at least some classics or delve into that chunkster (more than 500 pages) you always wanted to tackle. The goal is to read 52 books. How you get there is up to you.

  1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013.
  2. Our book weeks begin on Sunday.
  3. Participants may join at any time.
  4. All books are acceptable except children books.
  5. All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.
  6. Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2013.
  7. Books may overlap other challenges.
  8. Create an entry post linking to this blog.
  9. Sign up with Mr. Linky in the “I’m participating post” below this post.
  10. You don’t need a blog to participate. Post your weekly book in the comments section of each weekly post.
  11. Mr. Linky will be added to the bottom of the weekly post to link to reviews of your most current reads.
  12. More details on her blog.  Click on link above to join in the fun!!

And the last one, unless more get posted that I can’t resist, is  one that I have yet to complete.  But will keep trying until I do.  Plus I just love the button!!!

Hosted by Kimberly’s Bookshelf

 January 1st, 2013 to December 31, 2013

Are you a book addict?  Well, are you?  Are you that person who is always seen with your nose buried between the pages and never without a book or two nearby?  Perhaps, your looking for the ultimate reading challenge? 
Well then, the 2013 Read-A-Latte Challenge is just for you!   
This is the place where I challenge you to read… -a- latte! 
Here are the challenge details:  
1. This challenge will begin on January 1st, 2013 and end December 31, 2013.
2. Books for this challenge can be from any genre and may include print books as well as e-books (please, no audio books).  Sign-ups will close on September 1, 2013. 
Choose a Level: 
Latte                        75        books 
Cappuccino              100      books 
Double-Espresso     150+    books 
3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.
4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.
5. I will create a new post each month with a linky for your reviews.  Also, I’ll be offering quarterly reader gifts to the top three participants. I’ll announce the winners on the last day of every three months. And at the end of the challenge I’ll have a special bonus for the top three overall participants.
6. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.

For more information and to sign-up, please see this post.      

lol  You can stop laughing now!  lol

                   

Review “The Forever Year” by Lou Aronica

The Forever Year by Lou Aronica
Published by Fiction Studio Books
Publication Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN-10: 193655836X
ISBN-13: 978-1936558360
Pages: 366
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: TPB
My Rating: 4

Synopsis (from Amazon):

Jesse Sienna doesn’t believe that love can last. His parents’ marriage was caring but passionless, and his own romantic history tells him that love can burn bright, but that it cannot burn for long. So when his elderly father, Mickey, moves in with him and seems unable to understand Jesse’s no-strings-attached relationship with Marina, his current girlfriend, Jesse barely pays attention. It’s just another example of how different they are – and more evidence that he and his father will never connect on any meaningful level.But the truth is, Mickey Sienna knows more about love than most people learn in a lifetime. More than half a century ago, he discovered the endless rewards of investing your heart and soul in someone…and he knows the devastating costs of letting the perfect someone slip by.

When Mickey sees Jesse taking an extraordinary woman for granted, he decides it’s time to tell Jesse his story – a story he’s never shared with any of his children before. It is a story that will change both of them profoundly.

At once a stirring family drama and a touching romance, The Forever Year is filled with richly drawn characters and powerful situations. You will respond personally to the people you meet in this novel, and you will find yourself deeply enmeshed in their stories. And you might find yourself looking at love in a new way.

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED UNDER THE NAME RONALD ANTHONY


My Thoughts and Opinion:

A caveat..When I frist started reading and reviewing 3+ years ago, Mr. Aronica had contacted me to read an author under his imprint, The Story Plant.  Since that day, I have been a big fan, and am now a member of The Story Plant’s Spread The Word Initiative.  Also, over the past 3+ years, every book from other authors that I have read at the request of The Story Plant has gone on my “authors to read” list.  So I was surprised to receive The Forever Year by Lou Aronica, the author.  It was previously published under a pseudo pen name and is being republished on January 8, 2013 from Fiction Studio Books.

The Forever Year is a contemporary novel, but a timeless story of a father and son relationship.  A poignant and thought provoking read.  Mr. Aronica created life like characters using the written word and personal and family dynamics that we can all relate to.  How do we see our parents?  Do we see them as a person who has a passionate side?  Can we even imagine that they are anything but our “parents”?  As they get older, do we heed their wisdom?  These and more questions will have you looking deep within yourself.
I fell in love with Jesse and his Dad, Mickey.  Jesse, the youngest of the Sienna children, has always felt out of place in the family so when the now adult children feel that it is time for Mickey not to live alone, Jesse opens his home, and eventually his heart.  Seeing his father in a different light as Mickey starts to share snippets of a very personal story of love, which the woman is not  his mother, Jesse doesn’t see the wisdom Mickey is trying to impart with his own life and choices until it’s too late.  Or is it?
An enduring story that should be read by all.  This is a story that will have you seeing your parents differently, wondering how your own children see you, and falling in love again.  An emotional read!!!  Heart warming!!  A love story on many levels.  Strongly recommend!!!
 

 

REVIEW DISCLAIMER
This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the
best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book
was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM
I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or
Barnes & Noble. I am an IndieBound affliate.
I am providing link(s) solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.