Synopsis: In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her. – via GoodReads

What I Liked: Tris was a great heroine! I think what I enjoyed most about her is that Roth molds her as we get to know her. She starts out not knowing herself. Beatrice would like to be everything she has been raised to be but Tris wishes for more. I feel like this really opens Tris up for the reader. Four was a sweetheart. As a reader you could tell that he had true morals and values that, while hidden at first glance, pegged him as a great lead male protagonist.

The factions were also amazing to me. It had never occurred to me that we as a nation would align ourselves not by political parties but by the moral we most value. It seemed so….narrow-minded and yet is something I’ve not personally come across in fiction.

What I Could Have Lived Without: I really, really wanted to love this book like everyone else has obsessed about this book. It just wasn’t that awesome for me. Don’t get me wrong! It was a good read but not fantastically over the moon. I think that some of my problem is that the things meant to be big reveals were actually things I had already deduced. While I wasn’t swept away by Divergent I will be reading the sequel Insurgent.

Recommended For: Readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games and seeking a similar read.

Avoid If: I honestly can’t think of a reason to avoid it. This is one of those books where it’s best to from your own opinion.

So not all that long ago I found the amazingness that is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. I read the first book Outlander and I LOVED it….like squeeing at 3 in the morning even though it’s going to wake my husband up because Jamie just did something truly romantic and yes I’m still reading at 3 AM even though I have to be at work at 8 AM LOVED IT! Did ya catch all that.

I never read past the first book though because the sheer size of the books are intimidating. When I saw that Jess at Gone with the Words and a few other lovely bloggers were going to host a read-a-long of Outlander I decided this would be the perfect time to get it fresh in my memory and then continue on with the series.

The schedule (taken from Jess’s blog) is:

June 11th – Questions for chapters 1-7 announced at Gone with the Words

June 18th – Questions for chapters 1-7 answered & questions announced for chapters 8-14 at Stalking the Bookshelves

June 25th – Questions for chapters 8-14 answered & questions announced for chapters 15-21 on Tangled up in Blue

July 2nd – Questions for chapters 15-21 answered & questions announced for chapters 22-28 on Into the Hall of Books

July 9th – Questions for chapters 22-28 answered & questions announced for chapters 29-35 on Logan E. Turner

July 16th – Questions for chapters 29-35 answered & questions announced for chapters 36-41 on The Reading Housewives

July 23rd – Questions for chapters 36-41 answered on Gone with the Words. The end.

With the help of another blogger, Alexa (from Pages of Forbidden Love) has been book bullyed into reading Outlander. We’ll be answering the questions each week together! I can’t tell you how excited I am about this!

What are you waiting for?! Go sign up!

Read-a-Thon Goals
*My main goal in this read-a-thon is to not stress but still get a good amount of reading in.
*Participate in at least one of the Twitter chats.

Books to Knock Out
*The Corspe and the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend
*The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
*Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison
*Simply Perfect by Mary Baloh

How Much Time I Intend to Read: I’d like to get in 3 hours a day total. It’d be ideal to get in more than that but I’m trying to be realistic.

Updates
5/14:
Today #insixwords: Not the start I’d hoped for
Number of pages I’ve read today: 56
Total number of pages I’ve read: 56
Total number of books read: 0

5/15:
Today #insixwords: Did better today hopefully continues tomorrow
Number of pages I’ve read today: 106
Total number of pages I’ve read: 162
Total number of books read: 0

5/16:
Today #insixwords: Finally finished a book woot woot!
Number of pages I’ve read today: 98
Total number of pages I’ve read: 260
Total number of books read: 1

5/17:
Today #insixwords:
Number of pages I’ve read today:
Total number of pages I’ve read:
Total number of books read:

5/18:
Today #insixwords:
Number of pages I’ve read today:
Total number of pages I’ve read:
Total number of books read:

5/19:
Today #insixwords:
Number of pages I’ve read today:
Total number of pages I’ve read:
Total number of books read:

5/20: Look for my “wrap-up” post on 5/21

I hope to get quite a few books read but realistically we’ll see how it goes! I’m going to go settle into my reading stance and get a decent chunk through my first book tonight!

Today I am lucky enough to sit down with Sound of the Heart’s very own Dougal & Glenna! I adored Dougal and his determination to live. Glenna has an amazing inner strength and a survival instinct I’ve never come across in a heroine. Without further ado, I’ll start the interview! Let’s start with some questions for Dougal.

Stephanie: How did you feel when you drew that slip of paper?

Dougal: That wee white paper back at the fort? I havena thought on that in a while. There are a great many things I try no’ to think of, an’ that’s one of them. Now that ye ask, I can feel it again in my fingers. How did I feel? *snort* I felt sick. LIke bad mutton was findin’ its way back up. John had come to feel like a brother to me, aye? An’ when I kent it had come down to the two of us, well, I couldna feel anything’ but bad. Aye, I’ll admit I was glad no’ to have to face the trial myself. But … well, I picked a white paper, an’ it felt black to me.

Stephanie: How bittersweet was it when you were given back your plaids?

Dougal: Bittersweet, aye, but I must tell ye I felt angry as well. I shouldna have to feel grateful to wear my own birthright. ‘Twas like they were giftin’ us, like givin’ a wee doggie a bone, when it’s the English themselves who are dogs. I was glad to feel the plaid around me, to shed those cursed breeks, but I ne’er should have had to give it up in the first place.

Stephanie: Will you go to find Andrew?

Dougal: If Andrew is alive, we’ll find each other. In my heart, I canna believe he’s dead, so I imagine I’ll be listenin’ for his voice until that day arrives.

Stephanie: Glenna, how terrifying was it for you during the Battle of Culloden and the events thereafter?

Glenna: Ye’re kind to ask such things. Dougal an’ I, we talk of them, but I canna really share that all too often. Thank ye for speakin’ wi’ the both of us today, havin’ us here on yer blog an’ all.

Culloden was … bigger than anythin’ I’d e’er seen before. Aye, there were other battles, like Prestonpans, but this one was massive. An’ oh, we were ill. All of us starvin’ an’ sick an’ worn wi’ lack o’ sleep. We were doomed from the start, an’ I think we all kent that before the first cannon boomed. In my memory I still hear it. I smell the smoke an’ the muck o’ the moor an’ the blood, but more than that, I hear the screams. God, I hope the world ne’er again sees a battle like that. After that, those months in the ship an’ the fort, well, ’twas just dark. Everythin’ was black in my heart. Wi’out Joseph I ne’er would have lived. I dinna want to speak more on that, if ye dinna mind.

Stephanie: If you could offer victims of rape any advice, what would it be?

Glenna: To keep in mind that a man can break yer body, but ye mustn’t let him kill yer spirit. At the time I wanted to die, an’ I thought a part of me had died, but I was wrong. When I got past it, moved on so I was strong in myself again, I was still whole. An’ never never blame yourself.

Stephanie: What do you think of America?

Glenna: I love America. I love the warmth in the air an’ the openness o’ the people, though I ken well enough not all of them are well-meanin’. People have come here from all o’er the world, an’ we’re all tryin’ to find our place here. But it’ll be fine by an’ by.

Stephanie: Now these questions are for both of you. Where do you go from here?

Dougal: Do ye want to answer that?

Glenna: I suppose so, but I’m no’ sure o’ the answer, am I? Ye’ve told me we’ve a home waitin’ for us, an’ ye’re all mysterious o’er that -

Dougal: I told ye. It’s a surprise. But ye’ll love it.

Glenna: So ye say. Truth is I’d no’ care what we did, so long as we’re together. I’ll no’ live apart from ye again, Dougal MacDonnell. Now quit yer grinnin’. Ye look a right loon.

Dougal: ‘Tis only I like to hear ye say such things.

Glenna: Aye, well. I’d like to live as we did in Aberfeldy, wouldn’t ye?

Dougal: That’d be grand. Trust me, Glenna. Ye’ll be happy where we’re goin’.

Glenna: No more ships?

Dougal: No more ships.

Stephanie: Do you see children in your future?

Glenna: No. In all that time in the Highlands I didna once get wi’ child. I suppose my body’s no’ built for bairns. Maybe because I grew up rough an’ hungry.

Dougal: That’s all right. I dinna need anythin’ but ye.

Glenna: Oh you sweet talker.

Dougal: ‘Tis the truth. I’d love to see a child wi’ yer eyes an’ smile, but I’m happy just to be wi’ ye.

Stephanie: Do you think you’ll ever go back to Scotland?

Dougal: I dinna think so.

Glenna: I’ll ne’er board another ship as long as I live.

Dougal: Nor I. An’ we’re happy here. Scotland’s no’ the same as when we went to battle ten years past, an’ I’ve no desire to see what’s left of her.

Stephanie: I just want to thank you both so much for stopping to talk with me today! I greatly enjoyed reading your stories and hope that after spending a bit of time with you others will want to read them as well! If the interview didn’t intrigue you perhaps this great book trailer will!

Genevieve Graham is also doing a giveaway for her blog tour. She is giving away a signed copy of Sound of the Heart and a set of 4 relaxation CDs. You can find more information on the grand prize at Genevieve’s blog. If you win Genevieve will contact you. Contest open until 5/31/12. Open to US and Canada residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Genevieve Graham graduated from the University of Toronto in 1986 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance (playing the oboe). While on a ski vacation in Alberta, she met her future husband in a chairlift lineup and subsequently moved to Calgary to be with him. They have
recently settled in a small, peaceful town in Nova Scotia with their two beautiful daughters. Writing became an essential part of Genevieve’s life a few years ago, when she began to write her debut novel, Under the Same Sky. The companion novel, Sound of the Heart, will be in stores May 1, 2012.

Once Upon a Chapter Recap:
*Monday – Simply Love by Mary Balogh – If you’re looking for a tortured hero, look no further!
*Thursday – Simply Magic by Mary Balogh – A wonderful historical romance with a hint of mystery!
*Friday – Sound of the Heart – Loved this historical romance, even if it was filled with angst and sadness.
*Friday (Part II) – Saturday Swap – I have finally decided to go fully digital with my library and so that means I have some awesome books to swap!
*Satruday – On My Wishlist {5}

In Stephanie’s World:
*My job has finally settled down a bit and I’m finding a new grove while still being able to maintain my work ethic.

*Things have been hectic on the blog lately and I haven’t been around the blogosphere as much. I don’t generally like to post about this kind of stuff because I hate to appear as if I’m seeking attention. I’ve kept it quiet but realized the my blogging friends needed an explanation. A few weeks ago the woman who was my second mother growing up died suddenly and unexpectedly. I can easily say that the day of her visitation and funeral has been the hardest day of my life so far. I was numb for a week or so and couldn’t concentrate on reading or blogging or much of anything really. It’s getting better even if a sudden vivid memory takes my breath away. I know these things get better with time and I can say that I am finding my way back to a schedule of sorts. I’ll be making my rounds and commenting again. I promise I haven’t been ignoring anyone but I’m coming back and probably annoying everyone with my comments.

*On that note, I have come to realize that my book blogging friends are some of my best friends. Each and every one of you mean more to me than you are probably aware.

Around the Blogosphere:

*Bout of Books Read-a-thon starts this week! Yeah baby!

*Really other than that I really don’t know due to my pseudo leave of absence. If I missed anything that you think I must read let me know!

Search Terms:
-temporary tattoos for divergent – I can easily say that this is Alexa’s (Pages of Forbidden Love) fault! I got them from her.

-divergent temporary tattoos – Someone is determined to get their hands on these!

-allison brennan – is awesome. Any other questions?

-so sad girl – I was actually sad earlier this month, but things are looking brighter.

-sipopsis when beauty tamed the beast eloisa james – I think you meant synopsis.

-it’s on my TBR list – Bwahahahahahaha! If you could only see my TBR list! But seriously, if you need help with that check out Operation: TBR Reduction!

-pregnant horror expansion – I have no clue why this search term led to my blog. I’ve never been pregnant but I do believe “expansion” is part of the process. Horrific or not is up to you!

-forbidden by tabitha suzuma sex scenes – Yeah, I’m going to say that yes there is one but if you don’t read the whole book you are completely losing the whole point of the book. Also searching out just that scene is kinda gross. Just sayin’.

Books I Received This Week:
I’ve actually decided to go digital for my library and that doesn’t lead to a lot of pretty covers to show you. What I’ve decided to do is showcase what I plan on reading for the coming week but I’ve already done that with my Bout of Books goals (coming later today!) post so there won’t be a video this week.

Operation: TBR Reduction Check In:
At first I was only going to do these updates once a month because I don’t read a lot compared to other readers. In a good month I can read six or seven books, on average more like five. I’ve seen more and more of the weekly check ins so I’ve decided to do both weekly check ins and monthly updates. All of these figures are from 5/1/12 through today. I’m using a “Keeping It Honest” system that Felicia uses on her blog Geeky Bloggers Book Blog. As a preface I have terrible willpower and Amazon has not been kind. All sorts of my wishlist books have been redonkulously cheap!

*As a side note I’ve decided not to include free Kindle downloads and I’m not counting books that I’m buying to convert to digital. Those after all were already TBR. The format just changed.

Books Read:
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

Books Bought:
Fever by Joan Swan
Touch of a Thief by Mia Marlowe
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
Blackberry Island by Susan Mallery
Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal

TBR Reduction: +7 Not good. But I have the rest of May to get that number negative!

Now the financial breakdown:
$0.00: 6
$1.69: 1
$1.99: 3
$2.99: 6
$3.49: 1
$3.82: 2
$3.99: 4
$4.74: 1
$4.99: 4
$7.72: 1
$7.99: 1
$8.99: 1
$9.34: 1
$9.99: 1
Total: $124.21

Felicia – I’m scared. That is a terrifying total. You were not kidding. Eye opener!

Did I miss anything awesome? Should I check something else out? Did you get anything fantastic this week? Let me know in the comments!

My name is Amelia Gray. I’m a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I’ve always held fast to the rules passed down from my father. But now a haunted police detective has entered my world and everything is changing, including the rules that have always kept me safe.

It started with the discovery of a young woman’s brutalized body in an old Charleston graveyard I’ve been hired to restore. The clues to the killer—and to his other victims— lie in the headstone symbolism that only I can interpret. Devlin needs my help, but his ghosts shadow his every move, feeding off his warmth, sustaining their presence with his energy. To warn him would be to invite them into my life. I’ve vowed to keep my distance, but the pull of his magnetism grows ever stronger even as the symbols lead me closer to the killer and to the gossamer veil that separates this world from the next! – via GoodReads

One hour to rewrite the past . . .
 
For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut. – via GoodReads

Reading Order:
1. Under the Same Sky

Synopsis: Dougal MacDonnell, a fierce warrior from the Highlands of Scotland, is able to hear the thoughts of other men and dream how the future will unfold. Devastated by the loss of his family during the Battle of Culloden in 1746, he fosters a deep hatred for the English. But when Glenna, the love of his life and a Scottish outlaw, is captured and shipped overseas, Dougal is forced to join an English army made of vanquished Scots. Now fighting on the side of his sworn enemies, he embarks on a journey that will take him across the seas to the colonies. There he will risk everything for the chance to find his true love. – via GoodReads

What I Loved: Genevieve Graham does an amazing job writing an enriching and beautiful story without hampering it down with pages and pages of historical facts. Sound of the Heart is a heart-wrenching story of war and love. Graham pens her novel with great care. I truly enjoyed each page even as she gripped my heart and twisted.

Dougal and Glenna are amazing together. Truthfully I can’t see either of them with anyone else. I think what I enjoyed the most about Sound of the Heart are the surprises that Graham has peppered throughout it! Some of them made my jaw drop while others brought tears to my eyes.

What I Could Have Lived Without: While I am a huge fan of historical romance, there are things I wish hadn’t happened or didn’t occur on a regular basis. Graham doesn’t sugar coat it. As a reader it doesn’t sit well with me but it doesn’t ruin a book for me either. I know that women were held in inferior status and so that led some men to believe they could do as they pleased. So while I could have lived without it, the story wasn’t ruined for me.

Recommended For: Readers looking for historical fiction with a healthy dose of romance.

Avoid If: You prefer your historical romance to be fluffy and gloss over the yucky bits of history we’d rather forget.

Susanna Osbourne has had a hard life. She lost her father at a young age and lived on the streets of London after that. Thankfully it was only for a brief time and she was then placed in Miss Martin’s School for Girls. She did so well at the school that she was allowed to stay on as a junior teacher. Her whole life is dedicated to teaching but even teachers need a vacation and so she leaps at the opportunity to take a few weeks and visit Frances and her husband at Barclay Court. It promises to be a lovely and refreshing two weeks.

That is until she meets Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf. There is nothing in his appearance or behavior that alarms Susanna. It is his very title that fills her with dread. Peter has never met someone like Susanna and very much wants to make her acquaintance. Susanna speaks her mind and isn’t a wilting flower after his title like so many of the girls his mother throws at him. As Peter and Susanna spend more time together they both realize that they are well suited; however, Susanna does not wish to continue the relationship. There can never be anything respectable between them.

Peter can’t get Susanna out of his mind and will pursue her as long as it takes. The only problem is that Susanna knows more about him than he knows about her. Peter is willing to look into the past to claim a future but is Susanna?

Mary Balogh has spun a wonderful historical romance in Simply Magic. Not only does the hero have to fight to win his heroine but he must right a wrong from the past to do so. Balogh does a fantastic job keeping the reader in the dark until she’s ready for you to understand. We learn about everything in the same time as the characters and I relished every moment of it. Peter and Susanna had a time getting to their happily ever after and it was thrilling to watch it all unfold.

Characters from Balogh’s previous books make an appearance in Simply Magic. Also this book’s timeline coincides with that of Simply Love. If you don’t want Simply Love to be spoiled for you, I suggest you read the books in order. Overall, I enjoyed the romance between Peter and Susanna and the mystery of the past. When I finished this book I was sitting on my porch. After reading the last sentence I stood up and performed a fist pump. I’m sure the people driving down my street appreciated the crazy lady.

Recommended For: Readers who enjoy the past unraveling itself to make a stronger future

Avoid If: Too much mystery in your historical romance spoils it for you.

Synopsis: Anne first spied him in the deepening dusk of a Wales evening — a lone figure of breathtaking strength, his handsome face branded by a secret pain. For teacher and single mother Anne Jewell, Sydnam Butler is a man whose sorrows — and passions — run deeper than she could have ever imagined.

As steward of a remote seaside manor, Sydnam lives a reclusive existence. Yet he senses in Anne a kindred soul, and between these two wary hearts, desire stirs. Unable to resist the passion that has rescued them both, Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking. As scandal looms, suddenly the unwed mother and the war-scarred veteran must make a decision that could forever alter their lives … – via GoodReads

What I Loved: If you love yourself a tortured hero look no further than Syndam Butler! Anne and Syndam have had bad luck handed to them several times over. Syndam is a war survivor. He was tortured for secrets pertaining to his brother. Secrets he refused to give up and now carries the scars for. Anne is an unwed mother in a society that goes beyond looking down on women and scandal. (Of course a man can never be blamed!) Both characters have quite a lot to get through emotionally. Watching them get through it and come out the other side is something like magic.

What I Could Have Lived Without: Really? Everything in this book was great! I didn’t have much to complain about. Simply Love flowed smoothly, the characters were great, and the romance was fiery and sweet.

Recommended For: Lovers of historical romance or tortured heroes.

Avoid If: Don’t!

Glittering court socialites and underworld cutpurses agree: Adrian Ferrers, Earl of Rivenham, is the most dangerous man in London. Rivenham will let nothing—not the deepening shadow of war; not the growing darkness within him—interfere with his ambition to restore his family to its former glory. But when tasked by the king to uncover a traitor, he discovers a conspiracy—and a woman whose courage awakens terrible temptations. To save her is to risk everything. To love her might cost his life.

Lady Sarah Percy knows that Rivenham is the devil in beautiful disguise—and that the dark attraction between them is as dangerous as the nightmare in which her family is trapped. But when war breaks out, she has no choice but to place her trust in her dearest enemy—and hope that love does not become the weapon that destroys them both…– via GoodReads

While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairyÑand it’s invisible to everyone but her! If Emma has any chance of stopping this evil fairy, she’s going to need help. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is Curtis. And now, not only has he stolen her dragon-slayer spot, but maybe her heart as well! Why does she think it’s going to be a fairy bad day? – via GoodReads

Jack Reacher is bequeathed a mission to discover what happened to a soldier in America’s most disorganized and longest war. Jack must dig through years of government red tape to find out what happened to the elderly Hobbes’ son. He was never declared dead and his name is not on the memorial wall. All the Hobbes want is to know what happened to their boy. No one seems to know and those who should know aren’t talking. The further Jack digs, the more danger he encounters. What secret could be wroth so much that someone would kill to keep it that way?

Lee Child does it again! Jack Reacher is a character that you can stand behind. He is ethical and logical in everything that he does when he does decide to get involved. He genuinely seems to want to help in this particular case. I’ve truly enjoyed each of the books in the Reacher series. I was pretty disappointed that I figured out who the bad guy was before it was revealed to me. Either this book wasn’t that hard to get or I’m learning Child’s writing style.

Child doesn’t add characters where they aren’t needed. It’s nice to not have to remember a bunch of names that aren’t relative to the story. The bad guy was truly awful. The things that were done in that book weren’t graphic and really that was almost worse. Child left the violence up to your imagination. I didn’t feel that this was the strongest book in the series so far but I can’t wait to read the next one!

Recommended For: Readers looking for a suspenseful read that will keep you up for hours.

Avoid If: You are squeamish when it comes to bad guys who mean business.

Synopsis: An exclusive eBook original novella with bonus excerpts from A Kiss At Midnight and the forthcoming When Beauty Tamed the Beast from New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James. Featuring the handsome and mysterious Wick from A Kiss At Midnight.

What Miss Phillipa Damson needs is a good, old fashioned knight in shining armor. What she has is a fiancé she never wanted and a compelling urge to run away. But if she manages to escape, will she find her happily ever after? – via GoodReads

What I Loved: Wick! Ever since reading A Kiss at Midnight I’ve been worried about him. I’ve needed to know that he had a happily ever after. Storming the Castle gave me some more time with Wick. His lady is exactly what he needs too. Phillipa makes him a better man. She motivates him to want more in life than he feels he’s entitled to as a bastard son. The romance is sweet and I got to spend more time with charactersI love.

What I Could Have Lived Without: Storming the Castle is a short story so there’s not really any time to screw anything up. There wasn’t much that didn’t agree with me and I’m glad I read it.

Recommended For: People reading the series and are curious about Wick, a secondary character in A Kiss at Midnight.

Avoid If: You’re not reading the series. A lot of the enjoyment I got from the book is because of the character history.

Library Hold – Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter
Library Hold – Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
ARC – Corpse in the Crystal Ball by Kari Lee Townsend
Series – The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
Series – Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison
Ebook – Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh
GoodReads TBR – Haunted by Heather Graham
Young Adult – Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Can’t Wait to Read – Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Category Romance – The Bride and the Bargain by Allison Leigh

Basically this is the exact order of books that I’ll be reading for however long it takes. The only variation will be if I have received my ARC or not by the time I get to it. If not, I’ll move on to the next book and keep going until it comes in. More than likely I won’t be getting through this entire list in a month. Once I get to the last book in the list, I’ll start another List of Ten.

What do you think of the List of Ten? More specifically, any opinions on my List of Ten?

Top Ten Books I’d Like Seen Made Into a Movie

10. The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson – I just finished this book not too long ago and who wouldn’t want to see a movie involving a Jack the Ripper murder spree?

9. Under the Same Sky by Genevieve Graham – The Battle of Culloden, the American frontier, and a couple who communicate telepathically would make an amazing movie in my opinion

8 . Killing Floor by Lee Child – Jack Reacher is a 6′+ ex-military police stud. It seems he is always in the wrong place at the right time. In this book there is a counterfeiting conspiracy with so many twists and turns it’s hard to keep your head straight!

7. Wither by Lauren DeStefano – I was quite intrigued by the thought that there was a perfect generation but that the following generations had to suffer. There were so many different concepts in this book that I think it would make a fascinating movie!

6. The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal – Nailia discovers that she is not the girl that she has been raised to believe she is. There is intrigue, sabotage and castle conspiracy. I loved this book from beginning to end and would really like to see more from O’Neal.

5. Dark Lover by J.R. Ward – Oh Lord! Could you imagine it if someone signed these book for movie release. Just the thought of seeing Dark Lover in a theater gives me goosebumps. I’d be seeing Wrath and Beth and everything she learns all on the big screen. Yes please!

4. Don of the Dead by Casey Daniels – Pepper sees ghosts AND she’s a cemetery guide! It would be great to see Pepper in action as she tries to help restless souls find peace.

3. The Prey by Allison Brennan – As much as I love me some Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, I honestly don’t think they have anything on a Brennan novel. She can bring you to the edge of your seat and scare the bejesus out of you as soon as you’re there. I have loved all of her novels and I think they’d make AMAZING movies. Somebody should get on that.

2. 1st to Die by James Patterson – This one may be cheating a bit because it is or was a TV show. I think that these books could easily be translated into movies. Patterson writes a pretty damn good thriller.

1. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder – In fact why don’t we just make it the whole damn series? Snyder creates a fascinating world in the Study series. If the imagery wouldn’t be enough eye candy for you there is always Valek. If you haven’t read this series you are missing out. It’s a great fantasy/romance/young adult that I have suggested to many people. It would do well as a movie trilogy me thinks.

Reviews:
Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison
Winning the Wallflower by Eloisa James
Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Books I Received:
4/8/12
4/15/12
4/22/12

On My Wishlist:
4/14/12
4/21/12
4/28/12

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Have you joined Operation: TBR Reduction yet? If not, you so should!

After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled — …even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.

Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC…. – via GoodReads

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went… a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.

I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos… – via GoodReads

Synopsis: The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn’t be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.
With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless and supposedly cursed copy of Goethe’s Faust for safekeeping.
Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless, but attractive, British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice. – via GoodReads

What I Loved: Homicide in Hardcover is a great cozy mystery surrounding my favorite subject: books! Brooklyn is a great narrator and she takes her sleuthing seriously. Abraham was very important to Brooklyn and he helped to shape the life she leads now. Homicide in Hardcover is filled with some pretty good humor. This is the first book in a series and introduces us to some pretty interesting characters. I’m certainly anxious to read more about them.

What I Could Have Lived Without: Remember how I said it had some good humor? There were also times when that humor seemed inappropriate. For example, when the baddie is being handcuffed Brooklyn and another character are having a nonchalant conversation about pizza topping choices.It just didn’t seem to fit.

Recommended For: Any reader who enjoys a light and funny mystery.

Avoid If: Slightly ditzy characters put you on edge.

Other Reviews:
Oh My Books!

Synopsis: Lady Lucy Towerton:
Plain and tall. (According to the lady herself.)
Titled and irreproachably proper. (According to her fiancé.)

Until, overnight, she becomes

Lady Lucy Towerton:
Heiress. (Thanks to an aged aunt’s bequest.)
Belle of the ball. (So say the fortune hunters of the ton.)

In charge of her own destiny (finally!), Lucy breaks her engagement and makes up her mind never to be proper again… – via GoodReads

My Thoughts: I wasn’t particularly impressed by this. I haven’t read The Duke is Mine yet and maybe this didn’t help. I didn’t connect to the characters in this short story. I didn’t break this down into What I Loved and What I Could Have Lived Without because I didn’t really have strong feelings one way or the other. The characters were ok, the worked well together but I didn’t click with them. This novella was too short but I think that problem lays with my reading tastes.

Recommended For: People who are reading the series.

Avoid If: Honestly, if you’re not reading the Fairy Tales series, I would save my money.

What could possibly have me so worked up? My TBR pile. People it is out of control. I do it to myself and there is no one else that I can blame. I knew it was something to think about a year or so ago but was completely okay with ignoring it as long as possible. NO MORE! Here are some examples of why I MUST do something and do it soon. Here is evidence of my shame:

For real, guys, if I don’t do something now, you’re all gonna see me on Hoarders. I can legitimately see this as my future if I don’t nip it in the bud now. It’s going to be painful and I’m going to have moments of weakness and then buyer’s remorse will probably kick in. Regardless, here’s my plan:

The Operation:
Pretty easy actually: I am going to reduce my TBR pile by shaming myself with progress reports once a month for the next year. Hopefully most of them won’t be shameful and I’ll actually have good news for you all to read. You, as the reader, will be my form of control. Ya know, sorta keeping me in check. If I have to be accountable to the public at large (or at least the public at Once Upon a Chapter) I’m hoping that will curb my impulses. I can tell you my husband is going to LOVE this. He wasn’t very pleased with me when he had to lug those boxes upstairs.

<a title="Operation TBR Reduction Button by StephanieLovesBooks, on Flickr" href="http://onceuponachapter.com/2012/04/operation-tbr-reduction.html"/><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/6957590786_9465e1bde2_n.jpg" alt="Operation TBR Reduction Button" width="240" height="320" />

The Details:
*Everyone is invited to participate. Bloggers can grab my button and make a post declaring yourself part of the project. Non-bloggers can leave comments on update posts or even have a shelf on GoodReads or another book networking site for books read for the Operation:TBR Reduction.
*I will start May 1st. If you decide to participate it is not required that you do so every month. While I am deadly serious about this, it doesn’t have to be for you!
*Sign up using the linky below and I’ll come and cheer you on.
*To be clear this is not a book buying ban.

My Personal Rules:
*Read more books than I bring in per month. No excuses, no justifications, no wheedling. Just reading.
*ALL books (with the exception of library books, they’ll just cancel themselves out) count towards my numbers. This includes review requests, trades, purchases, etc., etc.
*In an effort to help myself I’m only going to use my Paperbackswap credits for my Wishlist books and when I go to a used bookstore I cannot leave with more books than I brought in. (If I take in nothing, 3 is the limit.)

How I’m Going to Track:
I’ll list books received that month, books read that month and how much my TBR has been reduced by. Example:

Books received: 2
Book A
Book B

Books read: 5
Book C
Book D
Book E
Book F
Book G

TBR Reduced by 3

Want to join Operation: TBR Reduction? There’s strength in numbers!