So, I joined the challenge for this year, and my life went crazy and I have not been back since. In January my Mom passed away, and this combined with a new job, I did very little reading for a while. Let me see if I can remember all the books I have read thus far, and see if I can be better on updating this challages.
1) Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli
I enjoyed this book. It had lots of stories, but focused in on how she felt about herself and her struggles with weight. As someone who has some similar struggles, it was good to read.
2) No Matter the Distance by Cindy Baldwin
The author is actually a friend of mine, and this is her fourth book. It is a young readers level, and written in prose. Cindy has CF and her main title is a young girl with CF. This is a big deal in the CF community. She has also won awards and recognition for her books. I really enjoyed the book, even if prose is not my favorite format to read in. If you have a young reader (5-8 grade?) or enjoy that level, I would recommend you give her a try.
3) Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson Series #11) by Patricia Briggs
4) Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson Series #12) by Patricia Briggs
5) Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson Series #13) by Patricia Briggs
These were all re-reads for me. I love Patricia Briggs and this series. If you enjoy Urban Fantasy, the I would recommend.
6) Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine (Stephanie Plum Series #29) by Janet Evanovich
I have read this whole series, and keep thinking I am going to stop. The stories are predictable and a light read. They are fun, and only one comes out each year, so who knows if I will continue or not.
7) Faithless in Death (In Death Series #52) by J.D. Robb
8) Forgotten in Death (In Death Series #53) by J.D. Robb
9) Abandoned in Death (In Death Series #54) by J.D. Robb
10) Desperation in Death (In Death Series #55) by J.D. Robb
These were all re-reads of one of my favorite series. This was all because a new one came out...
11) Encore in Death (In Death Series #56) by J.D. Robb
It was a glittering event full of A-listers, hosted by Eliza Lane and Brant Fitzhugh, a celebrity couple who’d conquered both Hollywood and Broadway. And now Eve Dallas has made her entrance—but not as a guest. After raising a toast, Fitzhugh fell to the floor and died, with physical symptoms pointing to cyanide, and the police have crashed the party.
From all accounts, he wasn’t the kind of star who made enemies. Everyone loved him—even his ex-wife. And since the champagne cocktail that killed him was originally intended for Eliza, it’s possible she was the real target, with a recently fired assistant, a bitter rival, and an obsessed fan in the picture. With so many attendees, staff, and servers, Eve has her work cut out determining who committed murder in the middle of the crowd—and what was their motivation. As one who’s not fond of the spotlight herself, she dreads the media circus surrounding a case like this. All she wants is to figure out who’s truly innocent, and who’s only acting that way…
As always, I enjoy a good Eve Dallas story. I will always recommend this series.
12) Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 1) by Ilona Andrews
13) Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
I enjoyed this continuation of the Kate Daniels series. Kate, Curran and Conlan (their son) have moved to the shore. While they plan to keep a low profile, that soon ends when Conlan befriends a boy and discovers he has a missing brother. Kate can't let a boy remain missing, and sets out to find him, while Curran prepares to protect their new home and son in what he is sure will be the backlash of Kates actions.
14) Publish and Perish (The LInnet Ellery Series book 3) by Phillipa Bornikova
I discovered we had this book and it was the third of a series I read years ago (husband buys a lot of books, and cannot keep track of which platform they should be on, so the first two were on another platform). It is a fun book, but the book leaves you hanging, and there is currently no fourth. And the book was published in 2018?
15) Backpacking through Bedlam (InCryptid Book #12) by Seanan McGuire
Fun continuation of the InCryptid books. Kind of fills in some answers from several of the previous stories.
16) Dead Spots (Scarlett Bernard Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
17) Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
18) Hunter's Trail (Scarlett Bernard Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson
19) Midnight Curse (Disrupted Magic Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
20) Blood Gamble (Disrupted Magic Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
21) Shadow Hunt (Disrupted Magic Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson
22) Boundary Crossed (Boundary Magic Book 1) by Melissa F. Olson
23) Boundary Lines (Boundary Magic Book 2) by Melissa F. Olson
23) Boundary Born (Boundary Magic Book 3) by Melissa F. Olson
24) Boundary Broken (Boundary Magic Book 4) by Melissa F. Olson
25) Boundary Haunted (Boundary Magic Book 5) by Melissa F. Olson
26) Companion Pieces: Stories from the Old World and Beyond by Melissa F. Olson
So I came across a few of these books by Olson, and enjoyed the world, so continued to purchase the rest and read them. The Scarlett Bernard books and Disrupted Magic all follow Scarlett, who is a Null) in the L.A. area, which is the only town where the Vampires, Ware Wolfs and Witches work together for peace. As a Null, Scarlett turns all these species into Human when they are around her, and she works as their clean up person. She is also hired for odd jobs here and there. In the first book (starts in Disrupted Magic) she meets a cop, and starts working with him, as he the head Vampire makes him a deal he cannot ignore.
The Boundary Magic Books revolve around Mac, who is a Boundary Witch who just discovers her powers. She is a war vet who is has a niece who is a null. This is discovered when when she is kidnapped, changing Mac's life.
If you decide to give these books a try, look up the order for reading. They bounce back and forth, and refer to things in previous books (including the short stories in the Companion Pieces).
This is all I can remember for now. I think I have read a few more, but not sure if they were this year or last. I will try to be better moving forward.
Happy reading friends!