February 2016 reads

February might be a short month, but I still managed to get a lot of reading accomplished!  I finished 32 books - mostly teen and adult.  

I started listening to books for my committee in February, but haven't completed any yet. I can't share the titles I read for the committee, so those will not be reflected in my monthly total. 

As always, titles in bold have been rated five stars on my Goodreads account.

Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton

Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson

Rusty Nailed by Alice Clayton

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson

Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

Princeless Book 1: Save Yourself by Jeremy Whitley      

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton      

Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian

Nuts by Alice Clayton   

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister

Bug in a Vacuum by Mélanie Watt

I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

Happy Birthday, Cupcake! by Terry Border

Grumbles from the Forest: Fairy-Tale Voices with a Twist by Jane Yolen  

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin

Holy Smokes by Katie MacAlister          

I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosín         

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

The Old Brown Suitcase: A Teenager's Story of War and Peace by Lillian Boraks-Nemetz 

Oedipus the King by Sophocles

The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

How Mirka Caught a Fish by Barry Deutsch        

X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Kekla Magoon

Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein        

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

December 2013 reads

December was a busy month, with Christmas and all that comes with the holidays.  I did manage to finish 41 books!  January was off to a busy start as well.  At least I am sharing this before the month has ended!

• Imprisoned: The Betrayal of Japanese Americans during World War II by Sandler, Martin W.
• Chick 'n' Pug Meet the Dude by Sattler, Jennifer Gordon
• Mr. Wuffles! by Wiesner, David
• Sophie's Squash by Miller, Pat Zietlow
• A Year with Marmalade by Reynolds, Alison
• Empty Fridge by Dorémus, Gaetan
• Little Red Hot by Kimmel, Eric A.
• The Beginner's Guide to Running Away from Home by Huget, Jennifer Larue
• Bear in Underwear: Goodnight Underwear by Ziefert, Harriet
• Peck, Peck, Peck by Cousins, Lucy
• Balloon Trees by Smith, Danna
• Baby Bear Counts One by Wolff, Ashley
• Good Night, Mouse! by Henry, Jed
• This Is Our House by Yum, Hyewon
• Zoe's Room (No Sisters Allowed) by Murguia, Bethanie Deeney
• Red Riding Hood and the Sweet Little Wolf by Mortimer, Rachael
• Sticky, Sticky, Stuck! by Gutch, Michael
• The Monstore by Lazar, Tara
• Elephant's Story by Pearson, Tracey Campbell
• Nighty Night, Little Green Monster by Emberley, Ed
• Ocean Counting by Lawler, Janet
• What Am I? Where Am I? by Lewin, Ted
• Ollie & Moon: Aloha! by Kredensor, Diane
• Monsters University Step into Reading Book by Company, Walt Disney
• I'm a Frog! by Willems, Mo
• Over The Wall by Wartman, Peter
• I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Harper, Molly
• The Everafter by Huntley, Amy
• The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Harper, Molly
• Musk Ox Counts by Cabatingan, Erin
• Penguin's Hidden Talent by Latimer, Alex
• In the Belly of the Bloodhound: Being an Account of a Particularly Peculiar Adventure in the Life of Jacky Faber by Meyer, L.A.
• Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey by Sabuda, Robert
• Deck the Walls: A Wacky Christmas Carol by Dealey, Erin
• The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jeffers, Susan
• The Twelve Days of Christmas by Cabrera, Jane
• A Very Fuddles Christmas by Vischer, Frans
• Spies of Mississippi: The True Story of the Spy Network that Tried to Destroy the Civil Rights Movement by Bowers, Rick
• Crankenstein by Berger, Samantha
• Bugs in My Hair! by Shannon, David
• Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber by Meyer, L.A.

November Reads

Um, wow.  It’s been nearly a month since I’ve posted here.  In that month, I’ve read 44 books.  Here they are!

The Case of the Missing Donut

• This Little Piggy by Harrington, Tim
• Xander's Panda Party by Park, Linda Sue
• Below Stairs: The Classic Kitchen Maid's Memoir That Inspired "Upstairs, Downstairs" and "Downton Abbey" by Powell, Margaret
• Assassination Vacation by Vowell, Sarah
• One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by Hennessy, B.G.
• This Is the Turkey by Levine, Abby
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Jr., Bill Martin
• I'm A Turkey! by Arnosky, Jim   
• The Case of the Missing Donut by McGhee, Alison
• Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Harper, Molly
• Wow! Said the Owl by Hopgood, Tim
• I'm Not Cute! by Allen, Jonathan
• Cock A Doodle Hooooooo! by Manning, Mick
• Uncles and Antlers by Wheeler, Lisa
• Jasper and Joop by Dunrea, Olivier
• The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism and Treachery by Sheinkin, Steve
• The Gypsy Bride by Knight-Catania, Jerrica
• The Stage Bride by Knight-Catania, Jerrica
• Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
• Little Santa by Agee, Jon
• Merry Christmas, Splat by Scotton, Rob
• Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Wilson, Karma
• The Night Before Christmas by Moore, Clement Clarke
• A Pirate's Night Before Christmas by Yates, Philip
• Counting Christmas by Katz, Karen
• I Must Have Bobo! by Rosenthal, Eileen
• Spoonful: A Peek-a-Boo Book by Marchon, Benoît
• Night Sky Wheel Ride by Fitch, Sheree
• Turkey Claus by Silvano, Wendi J.
• It's Christmas, David! by Shannon, David
• The Christmas Quiet Book by Underwood, Deborah
• Merely a Miss by Gayle, Catherine
• No Bath, No Cake!: Polly's Pirate Party by Weinert, Matthias
• Peep and Ducky by Martin, David
• Alphabet Everywhere by Kaufman, Elliott
• Benjamin Bear in Bright Ideas by Coudray, Philippe
• Cute & Cuter by Townsend, Michael
• Fly Guy and the Frankenfly by Arnold, Tedd
• Owly and Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights by Runton, Andy
• Truck Stop by Rockwell, Anne F.
• The Reader by Hest, Amy
• Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite by Bromley, Nick
• The Birthday Cake Mystery by Tjong-Khing, Thé
• Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: Solving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley by Walker, Sally M.

October books

I was in a bit of a reading slump in October and only finished 19 books. Hopefully November will be much different!!

• Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Harper, Molly
• Rhythm and Bluegrass by Harper, Molly
• Frank Was a Monster Who Wanted to Dance by Graves, Keith
• My Creature Teacher by Leuck, Laura
• Ten Creepy Monsters by Armstrong-Ellis, Carey
• Titanic: Voices From the Disaster by Hopkinson, Deborah
• Attachments by Rowell, Rainbow
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Daywalt, Drew
• Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady by Meyer, L.A.
• Promised by O'Brien, Caragh M.
• What Floats in a Moat? by Berry, Lynne
• Do Cows Meow? by Yoon, Salina
• A Farmer's Life for Me by Dobbins, Jan
• Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Blumenthal, Karen
• Who Loves the Fall? by Raczka, Bob
• We're Going On A Leaf Hunt by Metzger, Steve
• Robot Zombie Frankenstein! by Simon, Annette
• Miss Moore Thought Otherwise: How Anne Carroll Moore Created Libraries for Children by Pinborough, Jan
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Baum, L. Frank

Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Marriage by Mistake by Alyssa Kress

Dean is a workaholic but when he wakes up in Las Vegas and married to a dancer, he wonders what happened.  But he vows that he will not be like his father and convinces Kelly to come home with him and see if they can make the marriage work.  In the meantime, they must deal with Dean’s cousin who lives with him in his mansion as well as Dean’s half brother showing up.

Kelly cannot believe that Dean cannot remember their whirlwind romance together and wonders where the Dean she loves has gone.  She agrees to go to Boston with Dean to try and see what they can salvage of their marriage but does not have much hope.  But when she gets a gleam of the man she married, she wonders if she can get him to come back out.

Like

The determination to make things work

Rent a Husband: A romantic comedy by Sally Mason

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Rent A Husband: a Romantic Comedy by Sally Mason

Darcy was dumped for another model by her ex-husband.   When the yearly Spring Ball, which she and her ex hosted in the past, comes around she is determined to have fun for the evening, but she doesn’t have a date.  Enter her friend who decides to rent a single, hot guy he knows to make Darcy’s evening a success.  But things take a serious turn between Forrest and Darcy when they actually decide to get to know each other better.   Will Darcy end up better off for meeting Forrest or will she want to skin her friend alive for hooking them up?

Likes

Doesn’t stick to the cliché plotline, at least 100%

Some surprises to the story

Dislike

Some parts were predictable

Pirate’s Bride (Liberty’s Ladies) by Lynette Vinet

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

Pirate's Bride (Liberty's Ladies) by Lynette Vinet

Bethlyn was young when her mother died.  Her father remarried Jessica who dies several years later.  A condition of her will is that Bethlyn is to marry her son, Ian, to unite the two families and their businesses.   Ian comes to Britain to marry a 14 year old Bethlyn but has no desire to actually be a husband to her.  But Bethlyn cannot stand living with her father and begs Ian to take her with him to America.  He refuses but instead makes arrangements for her to live with his Aunt and to provide for her financially.

Fast forward seven years.  Bethlyn is still living with the Aunt and has not seen her husband since their wedding.  But she wants more in her life – she wants a loving husband and children.  She decides that she will board one of her company’s boats and head to America to confront her husband – either a real marriage or a divorce.

While her husband’s steward strongly encourages her to wait for a later ship, Bethlyn refuses to be put off.   But, the condition is that she must stay in her cabin.  Bethlyn agrees knowing that she will not and she discovers that the boat is being used to transport prostitutes to the colonies.   Before she can figure out what to do about this, their boat is captured by Black Hawk and his men who transfer the women to their own boat and set the crew adrift.

Will Bethlyn end up making it to the colonies to confront her husband?  Will her husband agree to her terms or make her continue her life as it was?

Likes

Complex characters that make you keep wondering what they will do

You think you have gotten to the end and wonder what could happen next and the author comes up with a twist you didn’t expect

Ama's Notes:
I read this one too! Um...it was Ok.  I really can't recall feeling that it was a fantastic read, but it was entertaining!

Wildfire Kiss by Claudy Conn

This review is by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.


Wildfire Kiss by Claudy Conn

As a way to help pay off the debts of the household, Lady Babs decides to publish a novel which she figures will only sell enough copies to cover the debts.  But, the novel becomes very popular, possibly due to the fact that it is an inside story of the beau monde.  Even thought it was written under a pseudonym, Lady Babs lives in fear that she will be found out which would create an even larger scandal.

While Lady Babs understands the rules of society, and that women were not allowed the same pleasures as men, she has fallen for a man known as Lord Wildfire who enjoys women but has no desire for marriage.   Meanwhile, Lord Edward has decided that Lady Babs is going to be his and no one else’s and decides to dig into the novel which he feels has some sort of connection to Lady Babs.

Likes:

Watching Lady Babs push the rules to get what she wants

Seeing Lord Wildfire struggle

Dislike:

20% of the kindle book was a preview for another book(s)

a duo of romances

These reviews are by guest reviewer/blogger Sharon.

The Wager by Metsy Hingle

The Logan’s are a family run hotel business that are still missing one hotel to make the empire complete, “The Princess” which was lost in a wager by Josh’s grandfather.  He wants to buy it back, badly, but Olivia is not willing to sell it back.  When Olivia finds out she has an illegitimate granddaughter, Laura, she focuses on her to join the family and take over the helm of “The Princess” and bring it back to its former glory instead of selling it to Josh.

But Laura knows nothing of this extended family, believing that her father died when she was little.  But when her mother is killed in a car accident, the truth comes out and Laura is stunned and does not know what to believe anymore.   When she finds out about her father, can she overcome her pain and hurt to embrace her new family and how her life could change or will she continue with what she knows?

Likes:

Characters are complex and have their own personalities

The Marriage List: full-length sweet historical romance by Dorothy McFalls 

May has grown up with her Aunt Winnie after her scientist parents left to explore the world.  As her health fails, May has become her caregiver and companion.  But, when May’s Uncle Sires declares May’s parents dead after they have not heard for them for over seven years,  May ends up in financial straits and her and Winnie are almost evicted from their home.

May petitions Radford’s business man who refuses to assist them so May pleads her case to Radford instead to allow her to stay at the cottage and she will find a way to pay the rest.  But what May does not count on is an attraction between her and Radford.  

Meanwhile, Radford has determined it is time for him to marry but does not feel very worthy of those around him due to a war injury.  He creates a list of the characteristics he feels will serve him well in finding a wife and selects Lady Lillian to court and marry.   Due to May’s assistance with Winnie, she offers Radford advice as to how to allow himself to heal, which he is not allowing himself to do as he is being stubborn and taxing his injury.

As Winnie’s health declines and May finds herself facing an arranged marriage to solve all her problems, will she find happiness and peace?  Or will she be forever tortured with thoughts of one she cannot have.

Dislikes:

I felt like some explanations were not complete or were only referenced briefly and you did not get the full impact

Note:  It took me a while to get through this book due to timing so I may not have quite done it justice with the review.

Ama's Note:  I've read this one as well.  I can't really recall much of it, even though it was just a couple of months ago.  

August Reads

August was a slower month for programs, but a busy month for reading. I read 110 books!  Granted a lot were picture books, but there were several audiobooks and chapter books as well.  Here are the books I completed during August:

1. Here Comes Santa Claus by Autry, Gene
2. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Rox, John
3. Saving Grace by Gayle, Catherine
4. Twice a Rake by Gayle, Catherine
5. Young Fredle by Voigt, Cynthia
6. Treasure Island by Stevenson, Robert Louis
7. Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Macy, Sue
8. Good Boy, Fergus! by Shannon, David
9. Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate by Shields, Carol Diggory
10. Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Cazet, Denys
11. Carver: A Life in Poems by Nelson, Marilyn
12. The Dark Game: True Spy Stories from Invisible Ink to CIA Moles by Janeczko, Paul B.
13. Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie by Adams, S.J.
14. Hurt Go Happy by Rorby, Ginny
15. Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition by Blumenthal, Karen
16. Lightship by Floca, Brian
17. The Elephant Scientist by O'Connell, Caitlin 
18. Witches: The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Schanzer, Rosalyn
19. Garmann's Summer by Hole, Stian
20. I Have a Sister--My Sister Is Deaf by Peterson, Jeanne Whitehouse 
21. Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein by Rubin, Susan G.
22. Wonderstruck by Selznick, Brian
23. We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Levinson, Cynthia           
24. Bird & Squirrel on the Run by Burks, James
25. Rose Blanche by Innocenti, Roberto
26. Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales by Hamilton, Virginia
27. Monstrous Beauty by Fama, Elizabeth
28. And Red Galoshes: A Story About a Rainy Day by Millard, Glenda
29. The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales by Hamilton, Virginia
30. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Ness, Patrick
31. 26 Fairmount Avenue by dePaola, Tomie
32. Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Nelson, Kadir
33. Neeny Coming, Neeny Going by English, Karen
34. Grandmama's Joy by Greenfield, Eloise
35. Something on My Mind by Grimes, Nikki
36. Daydreamers by Greenfield, Eloise
37. Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom by Evans, Shane W.
38. The ABC Bunny by Gág, Wanda
39. Frog and Toad Together (Frog and Toad, #2) by Lobel, Arnold
40. Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2) by Bardugo, Leigh
41. Cornrows by Yarbrough, Camille
42. Black Child by Magubane, Peter
43. Visiting Langston by Perdomo, Willie
44. Little Eight John by Wahl, Jan
45. The Origin of Life on Earth: An African Creation Myth by Anderson, David A.
46. Half a Moon and One Whole Star by Dragonwagon, Crescent
47. Mother Crocodile by Diop, Birago
48. My Mama Needs Me by Walter, Mildred Pitts
49. I Have a Dream by Jr., Martin Luther King
50. Aïda by Price, Leontyne
51. I See the Rhythm by Igus, Toyomi
52. Sukey and the Mermaid by Souci, Robert D. San
53. Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum by Bryan, Ashley
54. The Lion and the Ostrich Chicks and Other African Tales by Bryan, Ashley
55. The Hunterman and the Crocodile by Diakité, Baba Wagué
56. Meet Danitra Brown by Grimes, Nikki
57. Ashley Bryan's ABC of African American Poetry by Bryan, Ashley
58. The Invisible Hunters/Los cazadores invisibles by Sam, Joe
59. What a Morning!: The Christmas Story in a Black Spiritual by Langstaff, John
60. C.L.O.U.D.S by Cummings, Pat
61. The Bat Boy and His Violin by Curtis, Gavin
62. Running the Road to ABC by Lauture, Denize
63. Just Us Women by Caines, Jeannette Franklin
64. Ray Charles by Mathis, Sharon Bell
65. I Have Heard of a Land by Thomas, Joyce Carol
66. Ellen's Broom by Lyons, Kelly Starling
67. All the Colors of the Race by Adoff, Arnold
68. I'm Going to Sing: Black American Spirituals by Bryan, Ashley
69. The Palm of My Heart: Poetry by African American Children by Adedjouma, Davida
70. The Singing Man: Adapted from a West African Folktale by Medearis, Angela Shelf
71. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Williams, Mary
72. The Patchwork Quilt by Flournoy, Valerie
73. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Harper, Molly
74. Africa Dream by Greenfield, Eloise
75. Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Greenberg, Jan
76. Under the Sunday Tree by Greenfield, Eloise             
77. The Middle Passage: White Ships/ Black Cargo by Feelings, Tom       
78. In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall: African Americans Celebrating Fathers by Steptoe, Javaka
79. Soul Looks Back in Wonder by Feelings, Tom              
80. Uncle Jed's Barber Shop by Mitchell, Margaree King               
81. The Creation by Ransome, James
82. Nathaniel Talking by Greenfield, Eloise         
83. Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea by Thomas, Joyce Carol
84. Beautiful Blackbird by Bryan, Ashley
85. All Night, All Day: A Child's First Book of African-American Spirituals by Bryan, Ashley
86. Night on Neighborhood Street by Greenfield, Eloise
87. Count on Your Fingers African Style by Zaslavsky, Claudia
88. I, Too, Am America by Hughes, Langston
89. Eleanor & Park by Rowell, Rainbow
90. The People Could Fly: The Picture Book by Hamilton, Virginia
91. Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman by Grimes, Nikki
92. Only Passing Through The Story of Sojourner Truth by Rockwell, Anne F.      
93. Storm in the Night by Stolz, Mary
94. Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys by Howard, Elizabeth Fitzgerald
95. Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Schroeder, Alan
96. My Rows and Piles of Coins by Mollel, Tololwa M.
97. In the Time of the Drums by Siegelson, Kim L.
98. Goin' Someplace Special by McKissack, Patricia C.
99. Almost to Freedom by Nelson, Vaunda Micheaux
100. Tea Rex by Idle, Molly
101. The Secret Olivia Told Me by Joy, N.
102. My People by Hughes, Langston
103. H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Myers, Christopher
104. Some Parts Are Not for Sharing by Federico, Julie K.
105. Happy Birdday, Tacky! by Lester, Helen
106. Tiger in My Soup by Sheth, Kashmira
107. Monkey Ono by Phillipps, J.C.
108. Lazy Daisy, Cranky Frankie: Bedtime on the Farm by Jordan, Mary Ellen
109. Chasing Butterflies by Toews, Harry
110. Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball by Kelly, David A.