Month: December 2013

2014 Challenges, Random, Updates

2014 Challenge Announcement! (Or Not…)

Geoff W

2014 Books

(Don’t you love the image?!?! I found the book image via Google and then I made the overlap—I am art!)

If you haven’t noticed I have been missing again for a while. I’m slowly working my way through Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace as my final 2013 Challenge Read and am (surprisingly) thoroughly enjoying it.

I’ve known for a while I wouldn’t do any challenges next year, but I hadn’t officially decided until recently. I feel bad abandoning the three challenges I’ve done for two years now, but I think I need the distance and freedom to read what I want when I want without restrictions other than those I put on myself. So far the only thing I’ve decided to read next year are more library books, re-read a few books that I haven’t made time for in years and just to have fun. In addition to the no challenges I am currently debating on the format my blog will take in 2014 but won’t make any major decisions until I do my 2013 recap.

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ARC, Books

Book 247: Marionette – T. B. Markinson

Geoff W

How do I approach this book? I want to be honest, but I don’t want to be too over the top in either direction. I received a copy of Marionette via the author, who is a great blogging buddy, and this is my honest response and I received no compensation for my response.

I guess I’ll just rip the band-aid off. I HATED the first half of the book. (Sorry TBM!)

I can’t put a finger on it, but I’ll call it sophomore slump. I’ll talk more later in the response, but I just could not identify with Paige even though there was a great line which convinced me I was going to! TBM’s first book, A Woman Lost, was a phenomenal debut novel, but this one fell short (at least for the first half of the book). However, with that said, the last half of the book was AMAZING (mostly :-D).

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ARC, Books

Book 246: Unleashing Mr. Darcy – Teri Wilson

Geoff W

What can I say about a book like this? Not only was it giggle inducing and full of fun and even some drama, it was an easy read and left me wanting so much more on the last page! I’m honestly not sure the last time I blazed through an Austen fan-fiction novel as fast as I did with this one. I’m so happy I requested a copy from the publisher and I received no compensation for my response. Unleashing Mr. Darcy will be published on December 31 by Harlequin and EVERYONE should check it out.

So I’ll start out with my biggest concern: I was TERRIFIED this book was going to be yet another S&M/50 Shades effort, but thankfully it was not! I mean seriously, what could I think with the cover art and the title!? Looking back now the title and cover art make perfect sense and would’ve made even more sense if I would’ve re-read the back cover blurb, but oh well the dread only added to the buildup.

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Updates

November 2013 Recap

Geoff W

And just like that November is gone. I’m still trying to figure out where September and October went, let alone November! I will say having a major event at work this month really helped to keep me distracted, but then all of a sudden I had so much free time I honestly got lost not knowing what to do with myself. As Heather pointed out I disappeared for a while. I skipped Culture Corner, Workout Wednesday and The Classics Club Monthly Meme and even let five reviews/responses back up. I clearly needed a break and it was great, but I’m slowly catching up, so sorry for the plethora of posts this past week!

Part of my relaxation and not knowing what to do with myself resulted in my learning how to crochet! I can only do one stitch but I’ve made a midget scarf, a real scarf (it’s a little short still, but I made it really wide…whoops) and have started a third scarf for a friend.

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