Jen in Bookland

Day 30 - Wrap up this experience of BookBlogWriMo.  I can't believe it is the end of November already. Which means the end of BookBlogWriMo. Even though I got a late start it was still a lot of fun. I always enjoy writing these posts as they get me writing more than just reviews. I hope you all have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Who knows, maybe I will actually write more non-review posts like I wrote about yesterday. We shall see. If anyone has anything they would like to see more of on the blog just leave me a comment and let me know. I'll see what I can do. Now on to the holiday fun!

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: I’ve been a lot of things in my life. Marine. Bodyguard. Security expert. Player. Heart-breaker. Occasionally an asshole.  Never a first-grade teacher. Until now.  It’s the most ridiculous undercover security job I’ve ever had to deal with. Corralling a bunch of six-year-olds while I try to do my job and keep anyone from knowing how clueless I really am.  I manage to fool everyone. Except her.  She’s an actual teacher, and she’s determined to find out what I’m really doing here. She doesn’t trust me, and her daughter doesn’t like me.  And the worst part is that I’m starting to like them. A lot.  So now, instead of being the tough guy, I’m stuck with rowdy children and Christmas pageants and falling in love.  It’s not the way I thought I’d spend Christmas. Review: Forever Bound was a good read. It was quick, and cute, but not very Christmasy like I had

Day 29 - Where do you see your blog in the future? What would you like to accomplish over the next year? What do I want to accomplish over the next year? Probably the same thing I said last year at this time as it didn't happen. I want to post more non-review posts. Like a post every month for books I am looking forward to, or lists of favorites from books, stuff like that. I don't know if it will happen, but it is a good goal for me. We shall see how busy I get with non-book related things. I would also like to change a few of the design things on the blog. Like a new logo and such. I have ideas, had them last year, just never got around to implementing them. Maybe next year will be the year and next Nov I can check that off my list. Those are the two big things I have as goals. Let's see how much I mange to get done in the next 12 months!

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de  * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: When Babe, the little orphaned piglet, is won at a fair by Farmer Hogget, he is adopted by Fly, the kind-hearted sheep-dog. Babe is determined to learn everything he can from Fly. He knows he can't be a sheep-dog. But maybe, just maybe, he might be a sheep-pig. Review: Oh Babe: The Gallant Pig is such a cute book! I was telling my husband I was reading this one for my challenge and he was just like you never read it before? He had when he was younger, which makes sense as it is a children's book, but I never even knew it even was a book. I saw the movie when it came out, but that was about it. It is a quick read, but so cute! Enjoyable for people of any age, not just children. Babe is a piglet that Farmer Hogget wins at the fair. At first the farmer is just going to feed him till he gets big, then eat him, but he quickly finds that Pig is no ordinary pig. Pig is smart and kin

Day 28 - Share pictures of your books. What does your book library look like? Is there any rhyme or reason to it? Here is my bookshelf. Not much change from last year, though a few more books (my fiction books are the 2nd row, just the three squares. My husbands music books are below the right most books on the third row, and next to that are my non-fiction books and photo books. Not very many books I must say, but I am slowly building my paperback collection. The fiction is alphabetized, but the non-fiction is just thrown in there however. Yeah not too exciting. Now my ebooks - well those I have a billion of, but I am not good with putting them in collections or groups so they are all just mixed up together.

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: From royal nanny to princess bride? Dedicated teacher Kayleen James was determined to safeguard the future of her orphaned students--even if it meant defying Prince As'ad of El Deharia himself But the seductive ruler stunned her by offering to adopt the three little girls. On one condition? Suddenly As'ad was a single father in desperate need of a nanny, and Kayleen was the only woman for the job. Soon the palace was in an uproar--all because of the spirited redhead. Losing his heart wasn't part of the arrangement, until Kayleen showed the honor-bound sheik what he'd been missing. Could he convince her that she belonged in his exotic desert kingdom as his princess--and his wife? Review: Oh The Sheik and the Christmas Bride was a fun read. It has a bit of Christmas magic, but it was really just a sweet story overall.  When As'ad's father is lamenting the f

Day 27 - What was reading like for you as a kid? How has that changed? Reading as a child was not much different from reading now. I read more now just because I have more free time now. No school or homework or anything like I did as a kid. Then of course there is the obvious difference of what I read. As I have said before I have always been a read. I have grown up reading books every change I get. I read children's books as a child and have grown into what I read now. It is great. I remember going to the library every two weeks and stocking up on books, returning the ones I read and getting new ones to read. I loved going to the library, loved looking through the books, loved everything about it. I still do. Or bookstores. I love just browsing through bookstores finding new books to add to my to-read list. Reading hasn't really changed much from when I was a kid except what I am reading and how much. I am also more involved online with fellow readers, but then again I

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: Pet groomer Carina Fiore wants nothing more than to confess her feelings to the man she loves. She's drawn to veterinarian Cameron McKenzie's good looks, caring nature and especially his devotion to his young daughter. But he's also her boss and a good friend. Putting her heart on the line could cost Rina both her job and their friendship forever. Since his divorce, Cameron hasn't been willing to trust his heart--or his daughter--with anyone else. For months he's pushed away all thoughts of taking Rina in his arms and kissing her, unwilling to risk their friendship for a single night of pleasure. But when a kiss under the mistletoe unlocks the simmering passion between them, Rina and Cameron may just find love for the holidays after all... An ebook exclusive Fool's Gold series novella. Review: Woohoo! It is finally time for Christmas reads! I always wait

Day 26 - What was the last book you read that left its mark? What was the last book to leave its mark on me? Well most recently would be Hearts of Fire by L.H. Cosway. Jack was just....yeah. I recently had a bit of an author break up. There was this one guy from that author who was all tattooed and pierced and just everything I like, one of my favorite book guys ever, but now I just can't read him because of other things (I cannot separate the author from the books if the author does things I really am not okay with). So when I found Jack I was so so happy. I now have filled that void in my life. Even though he doesn't have tattoos and such he has the same vibe that I love so much. He is a favorite now and so the book sticks out in my mind of recent reads. The other book that really got to me recently was The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry. This was the most recent reads that made me feel all the feels. It was such a beautiful read, but you feel so much

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: Tinker’s Cove has a long history of Thanksgiving festivities, from visits with TomTom Turkey to the annual Warriors high school football game and Lucy Stone’s impressive pumpkin pie. But this year, someone has added murder to the menu, and Lucy intends to discover who left Metinnicut Indian activist Curt Nolan deader than the proverbial Thanksgiving turkey—with an ancient war club next to his head. The list of suspects isn’t exactly a brief one. Nolan had a habit of disagreeing with just about everybody he met. Between fixing dinner for twelve and keeping her four kids from tearing each other limb from limb, Lucy has a pretty full plate already. So what’s a little investigation? But if she’s not careful, she just may find herself served up as a last-minute course, stone-cold dead with all the trimmings…  Review: Turkey Day Murder is the first book by this author I have read. I w

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: On the cut-throat streets of Tarkis, orphaned teens like Rath end up jailed … or dead. So when the shadowy Janus Group offers Rath a chance to earn riches beyond his wildest dreams, he seizes it. But the Janus Group is as ruthless as the elite assassins it controls. Rath will have to survive their grueling, off-world training, and fulfill all fifty kills in his contract before a single cent comes his way. And ending so many lives comes with a price Rath can't anticipate. It'll certainly cost him what's left of his innocence. It may well cost him his life. Review: Rath's Deception was such a fun read. I am so glad I gave it a read even though I was hesitant at first. Really I am usually hesitant to try anything space related since growing up I pretty much hated it all. If it was set in space, had to do with space travel, aliens, anything like that was a no go. However I

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Goodreads Synopsis: Ten year old Daniel has been missing for more than a week.  His family and the police have all but lost hope of finding him alive. Then a strange old man enters the precinct at the 99th Avenue and declares he knows where the boy is - and who he’s with. The lead detective on the case Aurora Fox is skeptical. Is the hemophiliac puppet master, Maxwell Caine, part of the puzzle or the solution - and why does he look so dolled up?  Dark tale of a tough-as-nails detective, a curious old man and a persistent district attorney - all trying to catch a pedophile - (scratch that) - a serial killer.  Fear is relative.  What would you do to be free?  Review: I really wanted to like Catharsis . I really did. I love thrillers, but this book...it just wasn't that good. It was really confusing, it didn't make a lot of sense, the characters were not realistic..it wasn't a great read. One of the biggest issues

Day 23 - e-Reader or Paper? – What’s your reading preference/style? e-Reader or paper? How about both? Really I will read in whatever format the books comes in, including audio books. Well audio books have to have a good narrator or I can't get into them, but still I enjoy listening to them as I clean. I normally read ebooks for a number of reasons. 1. I get a lot of books from the library back home which means ebooks. They have a great selection of books. The libraries here have some English language books, but not a big selection so ebooks from my library are perfect. 2. There are so many free and cheap ebooks to download. An easy way to check out a new author and see if you like them. The ebooks are usually cheaper than I can get the paperbacks even if they are not free/on sale. 3. It is just easier to carry my Kindle with hundreds of books on it than multiple books. I always have it in my purse so when I am waiting for the train or traveling I always have books wit

Check out that beautiful cover for Heather Lyon's new book -  Royal Marriage Market . A standalone book that releases Dec 15 and I cannot wait to read it!  Available for pre-order now on Amazon * Amazon.de * Goodreads Synopsis: Every decade, the world’s monarchs and their heirs secretly convene to discuss global politics and social issues—and arrange marriages between kingdoms. Elsa may be the Hereditary Princess of Vattenguldia, but she finds the entire situation archaic and unsavory. While she wants what's best for her country, she isn't about to jump into an unwanted relationship—let alone a marriage—with a virtual stranger. Of course, her feelings matter little to her parents, whose wheeling and dealings over trade pacts and alliances achieved at her expense begin the moment they set foot in California for the Summit. So when a blindingly handsome royal runs into her, she doesn't hesitate to tell him there's no way she's marrying him. C

Day 22 - Share all of your social media links. Do you have other blogs for other things beyond books? Share those, too! For my social media for this blog there are links over there on the right hand side of the page or you can just click here for  Facebook  &  Twitter I also have a blog where I write up post about our travels, just whatever I thought, what we did, lots of photos. It started off as a place to post when we hiked the PCT to let everyone know how we were doing, then to update family and friends on living in Berlin, now it is just about our adventures. It is not always timely updated, but I do post everything eventually :) Anyways it is The Roaming Robots or on Facebook here Day 22 - What books are on your To Be Read list? What is on my to read list? Well way too many books to name! I just looked on Goodreads and I have 2,307 books, and I know that is not even all of them. I have the huge list of books for the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge that I am s

Available for free on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: When first published in 1899, The Awakening shocked readers with its honest treatment of female marital infidelity. Audiences accustomed to the pieties of late Victorian romantic fiction were taken aback by Chopin's daring portrayal of a woman trapped in a stifling marriage, who seeks and finds passionate physical love outside the confines of her domestic situation. Aside from its unusually frank treatment of a then-controversial subject, the novel is widely admired today for its literary qualities. Edmund Wilson characterized it as a work "quite uninhibited and beautifully written, which anticipates D. H. Lawrence in its treatment of infidelity." Although the theme of marital infidelity no longer shocks, few novels have plumbed the psychology of a woman involved in an illicit relationship with the perception, artistry, and honesty that Kate Chopin brought to Th

Day 20 - What are some things that really bother you in a book? What gets on my nerve in books? The biggest one is characters who are too stupid to live. It always bugs me. You don't have to be a genius, but it drives me crazy when characters are really stupid or do really stupid things that just don't make any sense. I just end up yelling at them and it is not good. Not sure what else. Well things I just generally think are wrong like victim blaming and stuff. That is sure to piss me off. Unless it is put in there to talk about it and show that it is wrong I won't like it. That's all I can really think of right now.

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: During welcome week at Hillson University, the FROSH will hit the fan. Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.  Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect. High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks. Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emerg

Available for pre-order on Amazon * Amazon.de * Barnes & Noble * Goodreads Synopsis: 'Ninja at First Sight' is a prequel standalone novella for Knitting in the City book 5, 'Happily Ever Ninja'. 'Ninja at First Sight' is 40k words. This novella is the expanded origin story for Greg and Fiona. The first 16k words of this novella are from the short scenes included in 'Scenes from the City', which is no longer for sale. Review: *Note: I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review* Eeek!! I was so excited when I opened my email this week to see Ninja at First Sight waiting for me. Oh Greg and Fiona I cannot wait for your full length book! It will be amazing!! Those of you who have read their story from Scenes from the City know Greg and Fiona. Know how they met and how amazingly awesome Greg is. If you have read the other Knitting in the City books you know Fiona a little better, but she has always b

Day 19 - Do you have any book character crushes? Anyone you’d like to exist beyond the pages? Do I have book character crushes? All the time. My most crush worthy fictional guy, the guy who makes me swoon so much, is by far Drew from Beauty & the Mustache . Oh Drew...he...I just...he is super romantic which is not me at all, but something about him is just...I love him so much. My favorite book guy by far. Some other crushes? All the men folk from Aurora Rose Reynolds Until series. Swoon! Especially Nico. Oh that man...One of my most recent crushes is Jack from L.H. Cosway's Hearts of Fire. Oh man...he is so hot. Really I have too many fictional crushes. Now I always have book crushes, but not always for myself. For the other characters in the books. Like Dom from The Chocolate Touch . I love him and Jamie so so much. They are perfect together and I wish I knew both of them. Really I wish I knew all those famous chocolatiers from those books. That would be so much fun

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Goodreads Synopsis: Love wasn't in the contract.  There are two things Wynn Holcolm can't stand -- liars, and her father. Sexy bodyguard Foster Drake is a liar who works for her father. Unfortunately, he may also be the only man who can keep her alive.  When a wealthy Vegas gambler hires the elite VIP Vegas Securities firm to secretly protect his daughter -- who's perfectly safe and living in a small tourist town just south of Sin City -- Foster is less than thrilled to land the assignment. She picks his fake dating profile from the bait they're using to get close to her, and things go from bad to worse when she discovers the deception and refuses to see him again.  But it turns out Wynn's life actually is in danger. Now Foster must win her trust and keep her close by, because the man who killed her mother has unfinished business with her -- and her father is keeping a deadly secret that could destroy

Day 18 - What books are on your wishlist that you haven’t purchased yet? What books are on my wishlist that I don't have yet? Well that is easy - most all of my favorites. In paperback. I love paperbacks just as much as my Kindle. I want copies of my favorite books to put on my bookshelf. When we lived in the states I had a huge book collection. Bookcases upon bookcases of books. Everything I loved was in there. When we moved to Berlin a few years ago I had to give up almost all of them. We got rid of most of our possessions, but books were definitely the hardest to part with. I have picked up one or two of my favorites, a few from the author signing I went to last year, but not many so most of my favorite books I still need.

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Goodreads Synopsis: The Circus Spektakulär is proud to present Jack McCabe: Fire-breather, knife-thrower, risk-taker.  My house burned down when I was just a boy, robbing me of both my parents. Now I breathe fire, eat the poison that almost killed me. Crowds come to see me night after night. Men for the spectacle, women for the thrill. I’m an oddity to be stared at and desired. With each flame I spit, I risk my life. I wear scars on my body that will never go away, but the scars inside my head are far more difficult to overlook. My brother doesn’t know me, and if I have it my way he never will. Life was going exactly the way I’d planned until Lille came along. She wanted to run away with the circus, have an adventure, but this world was never meant for her. I try to keep her safe, because she doesn’t know the dangers that are out here on the road. She doesn’t know the monsters that lurk behind the bright lights of

Day 17 - What is your review process? Do you have a system? How do you come up with your ratings? Today is another prompt that we had last year as well. As such I already wrote about my review process here . I'll just recap and then talk a bit about how I come up with the ratings. First you have to read the book of course. Well maybe not of course since I see things sometimes about fake reviews and people not actually reading said book they are reviewing. But that is super lame and a big no no. Really not cool. Thankfully I haven't had experience with this personally. After finishing a book I usually do nothing for at least a day. I like to sleep on it before writing up anything. Unless as I said earlier in the month it is a negative review then I rant my heart out. That never makes it to be published. It just helps me to get it out so I can sleep. I need that at times. Once I have waited at least a day I sit down and write what I thought. This is not planned out o

Available on Amazon * Amazon.de * Goodreads Synopsis: Christian Romance. Seven boys were adopted from the foster care system by Alec and Maggie Donahue, a loving Irish couple living in Breeze Point, Cape Cod. Now grown men, the brothers are making their way in the world in their chosen professions, each hoping to find love that will last a lifetime.  The Caretaker  Blue Donahue, an internationally-known journalist, has come home to Breeze Point, Cape Cod to celebrate his parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary. When his father suffers a stroke, Blue, along with his six adopted brothers, is thrown into a tailspin. When he comes face to face with Sarah, the love of his life, his heart awakens to all the possibilities stretched out before them.  Sarah Dalton, an emergency room nurse, can’t believe her eyes when her ex-fiancé, Blue Donahue, comes crashing into her hospital. Four years ago their relationship crashed and burned when Blue showed up two hours late for the

Day 16 - Do you participate in blog tours or do you review on your own schedule? What makes you review a book? I do participate in blog tours for books I am excited about, authors I love, or anything that sounds really interesting. Though I don't usually sign up for tours if I don't know the author as I dislike reading a book for a review and hating. I always feel bad if I signed up for it, but hated it. But I do sometimes and I have found some new favorite authors that way. I also do a lot of independent reviews. Reviews for whatever I see that sounds good and I feel like reading. I do get review requests as well and if it sounds good and I have the time I will read the book. What makes me review a book? I know this is not what that prompt means, but if I have read a book I review it (unless it is a re-read and I already have a review up). Why do I choose the books I do? I am not sure. All I can say is they sound good. Which doesn't always mean they are good, and