Category: Book Corner

TBR

May To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

The class I took really took the wind out of my sails. But now that it’s over, it’s full steam ahead on my reading pile.

Here’s a quick wrap-up from the books I read in April:

1. FIVE STARS: Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Story about mistakes and forgiveness. A little far fetched but touching. Cried like a baby at the end.

2. FIVE STARS: Blind Conviction by Michael Stagg
A good courtroom mystery, believable until the bad guy was revealed.

3. FOUR STARS: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
Cute but Knox’s hesitation over being with Naomi was stupid and dragged out way too long.

4. FOUR STARS: Unmissing: A Thriller by Minka Kent
Woman kidnapped and imprisoned for ten years comes back to get old life back – great twist.

5. FOUR STARS: Edge of Darkness: A Post-Apcoalyptic EMP Survival Thriller by Kyla Stone
Master of suspense – several story lines at once but not confusing, a lot of tension.

FAVORITE BOOK FOR APRIL:

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover.

Honestly folks, you can’t go wrong with any of Hoover’s books. She’s pretty good.

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You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 18 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my May TBR stack:

  1. Write My Name Across the Sky by Barbara O’Neal
  2. Misjudged: A Legal Thriller (Sam Johnstone Book 1) by James Chandler
  3. The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
  4. The Pawn and The Puppet (The Pawn and The Puppet series Book 1) by Brandi Elise Szeker
  5. Sea Storm: A Thriller (Underwater Investigation Unit Book 3) by Andrew Mayne

Happy Reading!

TBR

April To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

I’m behind my reading goal!

Dang this class.

But that’s okay. We’re planning on going camping the end of this month so I’ll hopefully have some time to catch up.

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You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 12 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my April TBR stack:

  1. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
  2. Blind Conviction (The Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller Series Book 3) by Michael Stagg
  3. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
  4. Unmissing: A Thriller by Minka Kent
  5. Edge of Darkness: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller by Kyla Stone

Happy Reading!

TBR

February and March To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

Yes, I’m a little behind in my posting. But to catch you up, here are the books I read in February and the TBR list for March.

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You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 5 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my February TBR stack:

  1. Bad Cruz by L. J. Shen
  2. Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton
  3. The Wrong Woman : An addictive and gripping psychological thriller by Daniel Hurst
  4. The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis
  5. Edge of Madness: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller by Kyla Stone

I don’t know how much time I’m going to have to read in March and April – I’m taking a class. 

WHAT?!? What sort of class, you ask?

Well, you’ll have to stay tuned – I’ll explain more soon.

I’ve been very …. restless lately. I’m ready for a change. I’ve been confused and angry – I’m still angry, but not as confused. I have a plan and I feel better, but the question is, can I make this work?!?

Only time will tell.

In the meantime – I have a bookclub on Goodreads if you’re interested. I have all of March’s books listed on the bookshelf and if you would like to join and read what’s on the bookshelf, PLEASE DO. I may not be able to comment on all of the books, but I created this bookclub for people who want to voice their thoughts about the story, how it was written and how it made them feel after reading it. I hope you’ll join me over there. The URL is https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/138130-dear-reader

If that link doesn’t work, then sign into your Goodreads account and type in Dear Reader under the Groups section of the site, that should bring it up.

Anyway – Spring is around the corner!

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You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 10 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my March TBR stack:

  1. Put Me in Detention by Meghan Quinn
  2. The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
  3. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
  4. Quicksilver by Dean Koontz
  5. Blind Conviction (The Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller Series Book 3) by Michael Stagg

Happy Reading!

Book Corner

Best/Least Liked Books of 2021

Karen

Did you make your reading goal for 2021? I did. I read 55 books and plan on reading another 55 books this year. (You can follow me on Goodreads here). I can handle one book per week, right? (I usually read a lot more on vacations so that’s why my goal is 55 books, not 52).

Below is a list of my five-star books for this year. Out of 55 books, I ranked 20 of them five stars. I don’t rank books five stars very often but when I do, it’s because:

  1. The story was excellent
  2. The story pulled some sort of emotion out of me
  3. It left a lasting impression

Most of the books I read were four-star books, which is good, and I still recommend them if you want to check out my list, but for whatever reasons, they weren’t “worthy”, at least in my opinion, of five stars.

Obviously, you’re free to think whatever you like.

I also included my three-star, or lower books, as well. Actually, I don’t think I ranked anything lower than three stars this year. These books were okay – I didn’t hate them but I certainly didn’t love them, either.

Here is a list of my five-star books first:

I discovered Andrew Mayne this year. And as you can see from the list, I rated quite a few of his books five stars. I enjoy his humor and his non-stop action without sacrificing character development. Could he develop his characters more deeply? Yes. But then that would take away from the made-dash around the plotline that I’ve come to appreciate from him and I I quite enjoy his writing style. I also really love how he puts his characters in seemingly impossible situations and then finds creative ways to get them out of said impossible situation. A great example of that is Orbital and Station Breaker. It almost makes you dizzy how crazy fast the plot goes in those books but they are highly entertaining and a few parts actually made me laugh out loud – recommend.

I’ve also read quite a few Loreth Anne White and I don’t recall not liking any of her books so far. Her mysteries are quite compelling and she keeps me guessing until the end, and sometimes beyond.

LOVE Colleen Hoover. Her books pull a lot of emotion out of me and I’m often squinting to read through the tears in my eyes. She has a talent for really making readers care about her characters, also recommend.

Mary Stone is also another author that consistently churns out really solid mysteries and I enjoy her work a lot, too.

Mariana Zapata – *sigh* – her work makes me swoon. She is probably one of my all-time favorite authors. Her slow burn romance, and her ability to insert real-life situations, are deeply satisfying and she spends a lot of time showing readers who her characters are so that by the end of her stories, you can’t help but be deeply invested in what happens to them. I still think of “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me” to this day. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Here is a list of my three-star books:

None of these books were bad, they just weren’t my cup of tea. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them, but reading them wouldn’t be a waste of your time, either.

I don’t know if you ever watch BookTubers on YouTube, but I really dig Chandler Ainsley’s channel. She is sharp and articulate in her book reviews and I like the quickness that she covers each story. I would really like to try something similar. So here is what I’m going to try this year:

I’ve started a reading journal. And in this reading journal, I’m jotting down thoughts about books I’m reading – impressions, character notes, story points, etc. and I am going film myself talking about these various books throughout the month, piece them together and post a video at the end of the month of my impressions of these stories. I’m going to keep it super chill, meaning, you’ll see me dressed up, dressed down, in my car, on my couch, in my office, wherever the mood strikes because it’s about the amazing stories that I read, not whether I look good or am wearing lipstick.

Anyway. I thought it would be fun to record my thoughts thinking it would make it easier for me to remember the books at the end of the month and choose my favorite book each month because my goal is to pick my favorite book for 2022.

Have a comment? Join me at my Goodreads Dear Reader Group. I would love to hear your thoughts!

TBR

January To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

Guess what?

I met my Goodreads goal! I read 55 books this year. I wanted to read more, but I also wanted time to do other things, which I didn’t do because I was brain dead most nights after work, but I met my goal and that’s all that matters, I guess.

I plan on making my goal 55 books again in 2022. I can definitely read one book a week, and those weeks I’m on vacation, I’ll read a bit more.

I really want to leave myself time to work on other projects this year and I REALLY want to figure out how to do that while working full time. I’m planning on taking more days off this year because life is too short to work it away, you know?

Anyway, I’m feeling pretty good about meeting my reading goals this year.

The big question is – did YOU meet your reading goal for 2021? What is your reading goal for 2022?

As always, thanks for hanging out with me. You’re the best.

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You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 55 books out of 55. (!!)

Moving on, here is my January TBR stack:

  1. Riley Thorn and the Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score
  2. Turbulent: A Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (Days of Want Series Book 1) by T. L. Payne
  3. In the Barren Ground by Loreth Anne White
  4. The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn
  5. True Intent (The Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller Series Book 2) by Michael Stagg

Happy Reading!

TBR

December To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

Once in a while, I get an itch. An itch to start writing book reviews again.

But here’s my problem – I’m lazy. No, no, we can say it. When it comes to actually putting my thoughts to paper, computer, Internet, whatever, I poop out and watch YouTube videos instead. Why? Because it’s easier! Because I don’t have to think. Because I’ve used up all of my brain cells at work and sleeping is the only thing that will replenish my brain cells.

But I have dreams. I have goals. I’m just not sure when I will actually achieve my goals.

So who knows? Maybe I’ll post book reviews, maybe this is just another pipe dream, but if you care to subscribe and follow along on my real, or imagined, writing journey, you just may find out.

Also – I made an account on Kindle Vella. WHO KNOWS WHAT 2022 WILL BRING!

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You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 50 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my December TBR stack:

  1. Edge of Collapse by Kyla Stone
  2. Riley Thorn and the Corpse in the Closet by Lucy Score
  3. In the Deep by Loreth Anne White
  4. King of the Court by R.S. Grey
  5. Crimson Lake Road (Desert Plains Book 2) by Victor Methos

Happy Reading!

TBR

November To-Be-Read Stack

Karen

Didn’t read as much as I wanted to this month, but I knocked some rocks loose and my brain short circuited so I had a good excuse. I should still meet my ultimate goal of 55 books by the end of December assuming I don’t have any other mishaps between now and then.

God willing.

___________________________________________________

You can tell which book I’m currently reading by the Goodreads widget in the sidebar.

I’m all about Kindle e-books. I’m a hard core e-book reader. I haven’t read an actual book in quite a long time and I find that when I hold an actual book, it feels large and clunky. I much prefer my Kindle e-reader than an actual book. With that said, I get all of my books from Kindle Unlimited – I rarely, if ever, spend money on a book – it all goes into the $10 dollars a month I pay for Kindle Unlimited.

So, if you’re interested in reading lesser known authors and want to save a ton of money in books, join me!

I rarely read anything lower than a four-star review on Goodreads – I’ve come to trust the reviews of Goodreads readers. I stopped reading for a long time simply because every book I read was stupid, or disappointing and ultimately, a waste of time. (I feel the same with movies – haven’t watched movies, or TV, in about a year). I’ve had great luck sticking to this philosophy and most of the books I read are pretty good.

You can see my book ratings on my Goodreads account.

I have currently read 46 books out of 55.

Moving on, here is my November TBR stack:

  1. One Day Fiancé by Lauren Landish
  2. Maybe Now by Colleen Hoover
  3. Dead of Night (Harry Bauer Book 1) by Blake Banner
  4. The Victory Garden by Rhys Bowen
  5. Lethal Defense (The Nate Shepherd Legal Thriller Series Book 1) by Michael Stagg

Happy Reading!