I just realized that I haven’t posted my reading list for the month of June….and we’re now into August! Where has the time gone? Better yet, where is my mind? Oh, I know! I’ve been busy! Lol. Right on, that was obvious. Well, you know I mentioned that I started work in a new department and being conscious of the “newbie” status plus massive workload, I’ve had very little time to surf the ‘net and blog hop. That’s one reason…
Another reason was that my house has been under construction – namely, the basement and foyer. The work started earlier this year. But because I was getting free labor (construction in the family), I couldn’t complain because I saved loads of money. The good news is the basement is now finished…
…just in time for my wedding! Yes, I am getting married in a few months. You see, I’ve never had a wedding ceremony. DH and I just moved in together after we bought a house. We’ve been living together for so long that I got comfortable and lazy to plan the wedding. [translation: we were broke after the house] But now the time has come and in a few short months, we will have the much belated wedding. So between the work, house renovation, and wedding planning I’ve been kept pretty occupied while blogging is neglected. But I’m holding off shutting down the blog in hopes that my life will resume somewhat normal pace after the wedding [reminder to self: must have patience!]. As for work, I can’t really hope because we just have way too much work and not enough staff! Lol.
+Monthly Read: June 2010
So anyhow, the below is my reading list for June. In total, I read 19 books.
1) Broken by Kelley Armstrong, B
2) No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong, B
3) Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong, B-
4) The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong, B+
5) The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, A
6) Sugar Creek by Toni Blake, B
7) Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs, B+
8) Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep, B+
9) Unspeakable by Laura Griffin, B-
10) Illegal Possession by Kay Hooper, C
11) Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas, B+
12) Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas, B
13) When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas, C
14) Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery, B+
15) Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis, B
16) My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent, B
17) My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent, B+
18) My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent, B
19) My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent, A
Oh yes, I seriously adore Kelley Armstrong’s writing. The Awakening and The Summoning are the first two books of her YA Urban Fantasy books, the Darkest Power trilogy…the story starts with a group of teens battle living at Lyle House, a home for mentally ill teens, and later running from the operators of the home. Armstrong kept me riveted and engaged in finding out what the shadowy operators were up to and how the young teens would escape their hunters. Another thing is that the teen hero, Derek, very much reminds me of Clay, a favorite hero from Armstrong’s Otherworld adult UF series.
Rachel Vincent is another YA author who I’m beginning to love. Her stories are fresh and creative and I love the world she creates with teenage Kaylee, a bean sidhe who can tell when someone is about to die because she would start screaming and doesn’t stop until the person is gone. Love the uniqueness of this series!
For June, total number of books:
• purchased = 18,
• read from new purchases = 8,
• read from previous TBR pile = 11,
• addition to TBR pile = 10.
+Monthly Read: July 2010
Boo, I only read 12 books in July:
1) The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, A
2) Insatiable by Lauren Dane, B-
3) Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden, B-
4) Island Heat by Sarah Mayberry, B
Review here.
5) Amy and Rober’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, B+
6) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, B-
7) Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer, B
8) New Moon by Stephenie Meyer, B-
9) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, B+
10) The Search by Nora Roberts, B+
11) The Heat is On by Jill Shalvis, B
12) Bond’s of Justice by Nalini Singh, B
Quantity-wise July was a poor reading month but the quality makes up for the low count. The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong concluded the Darkest Power trilogy very nicely, resolving the many questions from the beginning and throughout the trilogy. I despaired of reaching the end of this series but then Armstrong announced that there will be another trilogy in this series, the Darkness Rising. The second trilogy is not due out until spring 2011 but, hey, it’s not the end of the series! Lol. Another series that I started on and finished were the Twilight books which I found to be surprisingly enjoyable. I also tried my very first YA Contemporary book thanks again to Nath! Amy and Rober’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson was a very interesting and entertaining read, and has inspired me to add a road trip in my traveling future! hehe. Check out Nath’s post for a review of the book!
For July, total number of books:
• purchased = 21,
• read from new purchases = 10,
• read from previous TBR pile = 2,
• addition to TBR pile = 14 (includes 3 given by Nath).
Hilcia
August 13, 2010
Tabz! I was about to send out the calvary to find you, lol! Congratulations on your wedding! Yay! We’ll wait for your life to get back to normal, it looks as if you have lots on your plate.
So glad you’re reading lots. Look at all the Kelly Armstrong, I’m jealous. I still haven’t gotten around to reading her books, but I’m glad you’re loving her. We agree on lots of the same books we both read, but I must comment on The Search… I’m SO glad that one was not a disappointment! I really enjoyed it. 🙂
Tabitha
August 15, 2010
Hilcia – Hi Hils, you’re so silly! Lol. Thank you for the congrats and for thinking of me. 🙂
I enjoyed The Search too! NR single titles have always been enjoyable and quite enlightening for me. Her writing rarely disappoints!
nath
August 16, 2010
Read your post, just didn’t get the time to comment. So, where to start 😀
I like your basement, it looks very nice 😀 and done on free labor, can’t complain right 😛
Books, books, books! Wow, your month of June was just awesome! No Humans Involved only got B? Seriously? Me thinks it’s because you’re spoiled and got to read all these books one after the other LOL. Kidding. For me, the book was great because I’ve been looking forward to Jaime and Jeremy relationship… and the sexual tension in that one was just yum 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed The Darkest Powers trilogy! Great wasn’t it? 🙂 Good thing you gave YA a try!!
LOL, as you’re such a tough grader, I’ll take the B+ for Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour 🙂 I really liked it, so I’m happy you enjoyed it 🙂
and I agree with you gals, The Search was a good book! 🙂
and please, don’t shut down your blog yet!
Christine
August 24, 2010
You’re getting married??!?!??! Oh my that’s so exciting!!!!! Best wishes to the both of you. Do you have the date already?
The basement looks great! You’re going to line the walls with floor to ceiling bookshelves, right?
You were considering shutting down your blog? Say what? No need. Just take breaks when you need them weather it’s a few days, weeks or whatever. People will pop back over as soon as you post something and we wouldn’t want to loose touch with you. 🙂
For someone so busy, you sure read a lot of books in June! Good for you!
Hope July and August have been good reading months for you, too. At least in quality if not quantity.
Cheers! 🙂
Tabitha
August 30, 2010
So sorry for the belated comments. We all know I’ve been a bad, bad blogger!
Nath — haha. I agree that I was spoiled by all the KA readings so that’s why my grading were so much tougher. Lol. But I lurrve The Darkest Powers trilogy. So glad I started reading YA. 🙂
Christine — thank you, Christine. Yes, we have a date. It’s the second weekend in October. 🙂
Yes! I am going to line as my shelves as I can in the basement. I can’t wait to take my books out of the boxes and give them babies a proper showing!
Christine
September 1, 2010
What a beautiful time of year to get married…
I just noticed the cover of Vincent’s My Soul to Steal on your sidebar. How lovely!!! I am impatiently waiting for my library to get the third book in… My Soul to Keep is it?
Tabitha
September 7, 2010
October is a bit chilly for me but my FI can’t do summer because it’s too hot for him and I don’t like spring because it’s rainy and winter is obviously too cold. So fall it is! Lol!
Yes, the 3rd book is My Soul to Keep. It is a wonderful reading. I hope you will get the book soon and enjoy it as much as I did!