Book: I chose Luck of the Draw (Chance of a Lifetime #2) by Kate Clayborn. 

Task #1

My guilty pleasure reading is what I call the diseases and disasters genre. Doesn't matter if the disaster happened long ago or more recently, I just love to read a deep dive into those situations. Ditto for diseases. I also really like it when my fiction has diseases and disasters as part of the story and the characters have to overcome some serious stuff on their way to love and HEA. 

Non-fiction: Most of Michael Lewis' books, All the Devils Are Here, Polio: An American Story, Flu

Fiction: Homefront Hero and Mission of Hope by Allie Pleiter (former has Spanish flu plotline, the latter takes place right after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake)

Task #2

I know I am going to get some shit thrown my way, but my favorite team EVER is 

My daughter's T-Ball team was the NYY and I was so happy to see her enjoy playing baseball while dressed out in my favorite team's jersey this summer. My heart hurt a little when they didn't beat the dirty socks in the playoffs, but there is always next year.

5 Books I Appreciated this Year....and yeah I kinda cheated, lol:

1. With Every Letter (Wings of the Nightingale #1) by Sarah Sundin

     Finally a book that features a military heroine! I really loved this story of Tom and Mellie falling for each other in both letters and in person. Can't wait to read the other two books in the series.

2. Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston

     Got to love female rage mixed with Norse mythology and lots of humor. This trilogy is a great read for paranormal romance fans who want actual strong female characters. I refuse to name my favorite, they are all good in their own way. A very cathartic way of dealing with real life news.

3. A Lady for Lord Randall by Sarah Mallory/A Mistress for Major Bartlett by Annie Burrows

      These were the first two books in the Waterloo Brides trilogy (the last book stank). I loved that Regency romance left the ballroom and went onto the battlefield - such a departure from the normal Regency romance.

4. The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

     The artwork was stark and evoked such feelings as Satrapi told her life story, along with giving readers a history and cultural lesson on Iran. I would recommend reading both books to understand her fresh approach to the immigrant story.

5. Allie Pleiter

    Not a book, but an author of historical romance. This was the Summer of Allie Pleiter - from contemporary bull rider returning home, to 1906 San Francisco just months after the earthquake, to World War I knitters who get the Spanish flu and finally to an post-WWI orphange. There wasn't a moment of reading Pleiter's works that I did not enjoy.

 I am burning out on COYER. I need something other than Harlequin romance. Bring on Halloween Bingo!

Challenges:

BL/GR: 128/150; 85% completed

Pop Sugar: 2; 42/52 prompts filled

Library Love Challenge: 2; 42/36 for the year

COYER: 12; 82% of list read from June-August

1. Falling for the Enemy by Naomi Rawlings (COYER) (Pop Sugar) - 5 stars

2. Homicide in High Heels (High Heels #8) by Gemma Halliday (COYER) (Library Love) - 4 stars

3. Chaucer's Major Tales by Michael Hoy and Michael Stevens (Pop Sugar) (COYER) (Library Love) - 2.5 stars

4. Her Holiday Family by Winnie Griggs (COYER) - 4 stars

5. Mission of Hope by Allie Pleiter (COYER) - 4.5 stars

6. The Baby Barter by Patty Smith Hall (COYER) - 3 stars

7. Emma and the Outlaw by Linda Lael Miller (COYER) - 1.5 stars

8. The Bootlegger's Daughter by Lauri Robinson (COYER) - 1 star

9. Love, Special Delivery by Melinda Curtis (COYER) - 2 stars

10. Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin (COYER) - .5 star

11. The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin (COYER) - 4 stars

I am cutting COYER short to make room for Halloween Bingo. Between IRL obligations and running this beehive, my reading time is shorter than it was in the beginning of summer. So here is my wrap up post.

I chose the reading list option for this challenge, which helped a lot because I didn't spend so much time choosing which book to read next - it was already done for me. I tried to pick books that were languishing on the TBR for a long time. I only read 2 books not on my list.

When it came to the quality of what I read, there are some highlights: book one and two of the Brides of Waterloo trilogy, all of Allie Pleiter's books, Falling for the Enemy, and The Complete Persepolis. Some lowlights include the Midnight Breed novella, Butterfly Swords, and a few books I received at RT that failed to impress.

I completed a trilogy in the first read-a-thon of the challenge (Brides of Waterloo). I got ahead of a few series as well. The first two read-a-thons went well, the last one I tanked hard. I also did BL-opoly for a little while and did two outside read-a-thons (#24in48 and BoB Cycle 20). I also got a few more prompts from the Pop Sugar challenge filled.

For the most part, I kept up on reviews and participated in the FB group most days. The Instagram challenge went well for the first 18 days, then I completely lost the will to keep going - this is still MUCH more than I usually do, so I am happy. I won during one of the Twitter chat parties, so I just have to pick out my prize.

Overall, I am happy with my work in this challenge and look forward to the winter edition. For the winter edition: sign ups start November 18th, challenge starts December 18th (not as long as the summer one). The title of the winter edition is Winter Switch, and there is hints at having another list option and new rules to play by. Stay tuned.

Stats:

45 books total on the list (30 original and 15 additions)

37 books read

     .5 star - 2 books

     1 star - 4 books

     1.5 stars - 2 books

     2 stars - 10 books

     2.5 stars - 1 books

     3 stars - 3 books

     3.5 stars - 3 books

     4 stars - 4 books

     4.5 stars - 3 books

     5 stars - 3 books

6 books sent back to the TBR pile

2 books DNF'd

6 books from the library, everything else was from my personal library

3 non-fiction books

Allie Pleiter wrote another wonderful, engaging historical romance that was also a page turner. Ms. Pleiter takes readers to some of the hardest times in American history and delivers inspiring, loving stories - she has such a gift.

The book begins 3 months after the April 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire that destroyed the growing port city. Nora is the daughter of the post master; her well to do family lost their home in the disaster as well as Nora's cousin Annette. Nora and her parents are living in her grieving aunt and uncle's house in a different part of the city. I had no sympathy for any of Nora's family; snobbish, weak assholes all of them. But Nora (and to a smaller extent, the memory of Annette) was already becoming a modern, independent woman. Living in the aftermath of the disaster only sped up the maturing process.

Quinn found a locket in the rubble of the city and fixed it up with the intention of finding the owner of the locket and giving it back. The locket held a picture of Nora and Annette, so Quinn identified Nora via her picture; it was Nora's gift to Annette for her cousin's birthday and the last remaining piece of Annette. The cute meet was what sucked me in the story, and I rooted for Quinn and Nora from that moment. Their love story is one of overcoming class differences and keeping the faith that in the worst of times, one needs hope and joy wherever they can find it. Quinn and Nora do so much good work for the people of the "unofficial" camp (aka the shanty town that sheltered the poor people of the city) and through their good work grew a strong bond and eventually love.

Reverend Baurs was a delight to read and his manipulations (all for the glory of God and to help the disaster's poor refugees) made him seem more like an impish angel than a stuffed shirt. Baurs had skills no ordinary pastor should have, but those skills came in handy when disaster strikes. I don't think Major Simon was a true villain, but I also wouldn't want to read about him as a hero in another book - he is too untrustworthy after reading this book.

Overall, an exciting and great romance.