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text 2016-01-01 05:50
Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- December

So that's a wrap for December.  In keeping with my anal retentive need to keep to certain patterns, even with the 2015 wrap-up post, I still felt the need to post a monthly reading wrap-up.

 

I'm planning on reformatting my monthly reading wrap up posts for future postings (maybe), but only because I know I tend to get long-winded and try to add more details than necessary.  I'll probably just simplify things into "Books Read", "Books Reading", and "Books Planning to Read", or something like that, and then maybe do a few random book haul posts every so often.

 

I just wanted to finish out the full year without completely revamping my monthly wrap up posts because: Obsessive Compulsive Illogical Reasonings.

 

Anyway, as per usual, I've found my average number of books read per month and have accepted that I probably won't surpass that number unless miracles happen.  And I'm cool with that now--no more attempts at squeezing in more books to reach the 20+ range, especially if I want to find some time to write reviews and plan other bookish blog posts as well, or slack off and make multiple lists of which I may or may not use for future posts.

 

However, for all the blog writing I've been doing and all the list making and all the new years planning... I think I've done quite well for myself in my reading life for December.

 

 

Books Read

 

 Audio Book

   

Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken (short story)

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel 

 

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Out of Her League by Kaylea Cross

Vitro by Jessica Khoury

Slow Burn by Julie Garwood

 

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

Kissing Santa Claus by Jill Shalvis (part of A Small Town Christmas anthology)

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

Risky Christmas / A Romantic Suspense anthology -- Jill Sorenson, Jennifer Morey

 

Shadow Dance by Julie Garwood

Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr

Desert Heat by Cindy Gerard

 

What the Dead Know by Kylie Brant 

 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens -- audio book narrated by Simon Vance

  

 

Books Dropped/Put On Hold

 

Currently Reading

 

 

Reviews & Notable Posts

  • Reviews

Unexpected Gifts and Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore 

Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Out of Her League by Kaylea Cross

Vitro by Jessica Khoury

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

Kissing Santa Claus by Jill Shalvis

Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis

Risky Christmas anthology -- Jill Sorenson, Jennifer Morey 

Packaged Review for Books I Read in 2015 

Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

Deep in the Valley by Robyn Carr

Desert Heat by Cindy Gerard

 

  • Other Posts

2015 Reading Assignment Challenge -- November Report

Christmas with Dickens

First Impression: Risky Christmas -- Holiday Secrets

2016 Reading Assignment Challenge

2015 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

2016 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

2016 Bookish Resolutions

2016 Reading Challenges

Merry Christmas to all!

My 2015 Year in Books!

My 2015 Year in Books @ Goodreads

Read-a-thon: Bout of Books 15

 

Reading Wrap-Up

18 books total were read in December.  I think I mostly made it because of the one audio book, two short stories, two novellas, and several short Christmas fluff pieces.  Okay, so not several, but enough that it added to my numbers this month.  And to be totally honest, with the exception of one book, the rest of the books I read in December were easy reads or reads that had me hooked enough to keep going.

 

  • Series I started reading in December:

Romancing Wisconsin by Stacey Joy Netzel

Suspense series by Kaylea Cross

 

  • Series I completed in December:

None

 

  • Series I have made progress on in December:

Corpus by Jessica Khoury

Buchanan-Renard-MacKenna by Julie Garwood

Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis

Mindhunters by Kylie Brant 

 

My favorite books read in December include The Sweetest Thing and Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis.  There was also A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as my Christmastime "read"--a book I actually listened to as an audio book, narrated by Simon Vance that I really, really enjoyed.  Then there was Spinning Starlight that I enjoyed, but still have some reserves about.  Mistletoe Mischief by Stacey Joy Netzel was a surprisingly enjoyable short holiday read.

 

I was a bit disappointed in Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson, if only because I hyped myself a little over than was necessary.  And I was surprisingly disappointed that Unexpected Gifts wasn't as fluffy and holiday romance-y as I'd wanted it to be--mainly because the book started out well, but then spiraled into "what the heck is going on here?" as the novella came to a close.  Sadly, I was also disappointed in Shadow Dance because I'd been under the impression that Julie Garwood's Buchanan-Renard books were getting better and more enjoyable with each installment--Shadow Dance was a step back.

 

Coming Up Next (tentative scheduling)

  • Tentative TBR for January

  

 

 

Book Haul / TBR Additions

  • Freebies:

 

  • Discount Deals:

 

  • Bought as New:

 

  • Audible:

 

  • Checked Out From the Library 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Aside from one or two books, December was actually filled with books I could really get into.  And when I can really get into a book, I automatically find time to read them no matter what else is going on.

 

So December was actually a very productive month for my bookish life.  On top of getting more books read than I've been able to do in a while, I've also been spending time planning my bookish activities for the new year:  choosing reading challenges, making lists, preparing more bookish spreadsheets for each reading challenge... in general, determining how I will go about blogging my bookish life in 2016.  I've even managed to format and post all of my reading challenge wrap-ups and yearly bookish wrap-up for 2015.

 

And then, in a final hurrah, I made the decision to participate in Bout of Books' January Read-a-thon; then I spent one evening formatting and planning all of my update posts.

 

I feel like I've accomplished a lot more in these last two weeks of December than I have for the past few months.  It's a good feeling.

 

 

Surprisingly, my plans for spending money on certain books and getting some bonus reward points and the like hasn't really followed through.  I haven't bought as many books as I'd been expecting to buy--not sure how I feel about that.  Though I DID do a brief freebie spree while looking for some cheap and fluffy holiday reads.

 

Here's to hoping that next month, and next year in general, will be a better one.  Although I'm already determined not to push myself too hard with books I can't get myself to enjoy.  I might work on being less stubborn and letting myself drop books if they just aren't working for me.

 

Previous Wrap-Ups

Reading Wrap Up:  2015 So Far (Jan., Feb., Mar.)

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Looking Back at April

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- What Happened in May

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- So That Was June

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Oh Sigh, July

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- And Now For August

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- September, September

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- Um... October

Monthly Reading Wrap Up -- November

 

 

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text 2015-12-31 19:35
My year in books (from goodreads)

I really enjoyed reading everyone's year in books and I waited literally until the last minute to do mine.

There you go:

(>‿◠)✌ Have a happy new year folks!!

(っ^▿^)۶  ٩(˘◡˘ )

 


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review 2015-12-31 05:30
Very Brief Thoughts: Desert Heat (novella)
Desert Heat: A Novella - Cindy Gerard

Desert Heat -- Cindy Gerard

**novella -- originally published as part of Rescue Me anthology alongside:

  • Tropical Heat by Cherry Adair
  • Atlanta Heat by Lora Leigh

 

 

I love Cindy Gerard!  A little Cindy Gerard novella to keep me over until I start reading her One-Eyed Jacks books in January (That's in two days!  Yes.  I'm on a schedule here.)

 

This was an enjoyable and fun, fast-paced read. Standard Cindy Gerard characters, bantering, sexy times, and suspense and action. A little on the formulaic Cindy Gerard Romantic Suspense-side, so it was predictable.

 

But I still loved it!  I'm not even certain that I'm able to dislike a Cindy Gerard book anymore.

 

 

 

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text 2015-12-31 01:03
Love these!

source: http://9gag.com/gag/a3B33mQ#_=_

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review 2015-12-31 00:13
Meh...
Witches Protection Program - Michael Phillip Cash

This book was so and so..There were lots of flaws with it: the story was predictable and the characters felt flat. One of the female protagonists did absolutely nothing.

The idea was kinda of okay I guess: there are witches in our world but in hiding. There are good ones and bad ones. And one of the bad ones has an evil plan to take over the world.

I wonder if there is still time to close this year with a good read. Maybe a good short story? I might have time to finish the 'The lottery' tomorrow.

 

**Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

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