This past weekend was the long-awaited, always exhausting Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Every year I look forward to this event. It's exhausting as hell, but so worth it.
This year I went with more of a game plan. I didn't want to bring too many books from home and I wanted to stick to a budget. I did pretty darn good job sticking to my game plan. I only had 9 books to bring from home (1 on Saturday and 8 on Sunday - all small books so they weren't heavy) and I stuck to my $40 budget. Had romance been represented more, that budget would have probably gotten blown out of the water, but that's a rant for a different day.
By the end of the weekend, I added 15 new books to my library. All of which I completely adore and can't wait to put away. Plus I got to spend 2 days hanging out with my friend Ezrah from Eye Heart Romance. I always have a blast chilling and chatting about books with her.
Hello friends! Well, we did it again. Ezrah and I got together over the weekend for lunch and to hit up a library book sale. We were kind of disappointed, though. The last time we were at this particular library book sale they had a huge selection of romance. This time, however, their selection was already picked through during the pre-sale and there wasn't much left on Saturday. Have no fear! We did end up finding some books and this time Ezrah brought home more books then me. Huzzah!
Have you ever done something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but when all was said and done, you realize that you might have gone a wee bit overboard?
A couple weeks ago, my friend Ezrah @ Eye Heart Romance & YA and I had planned a fun-filled day of lunch and used book shopping. A local library was having their semi-monthly book sale and the plan was to go there plus visiting 2 other used book stores.
A good idea in theory...
It wasn't until we divided up our haul and planned to make buddy posts that I finally saw the damage.
The good news? We actually didn't spend a lot and we both brought home lots of books.
The not-so good news? We brought home a lot of books and now have to find shelf space for said books. Most of mine are going directly into the "read and release" pile.
Be sure to check out Ezrah's haul over at her blog Eye Heart Romance & YA. She got a great mix of genres!
Hello! Welcome to the first "New to My Shelves" post. I'm not sure if this will be a reoccurring theme on my blog, but it is something that I am testing out. Last weekend I trekked up to the University of Southern California campus for the annual LA Times Festival of Books and I thought I would share the books I brought home. Some were free and some I bought.
Without further ado, here are the books that I added to my shelves...
Considering that January is my birthday month, I think I did quite good limiting myself to only 8 books. Okay, 9 books if you count one re-purchase. Trust me, it could have (and probably should have) been worse...
Okay, honestly, I picked these up mostly because I love the covers. I have never read historical fiction like this, but I'm willing to give it a shot. And they were buy two, get one free. So, I picked them up with another book in the next picture.
Since I picked up The Friday Night Knitting Club last month, I've been on the look out for the rest of the series so I can read the books. And really, who hasn't heard of Gayle Forman's books. Finally going to give her books a shot.
So, I've already read Fatal Tide, but I'm pretty sure I only own it in hardcover. In a collection made up entirely of paperbacks, it sticks out like a sore thumb. For that reason, I went ahead and picked up a paperback edition. And it is in decent condition. I think I'm starting a Kerrelyn Sparks collection. This is the third book from her Love at Stake series that I picked up.
Somebody to Love by Lori Wilde and Silencing Eve by Iris Johansen
Hooray for continuing a series! Yes, I am well aware that I already read and reviewed Somebody to Love, but I have a book OCD. If I have any previous books in paperback, I must continue to pick up new books so the entire series will be pretty on my bookcase. This only happens for books I already own. Of course I had to pick up Silencing Eve to add to my giant Iris Johansen collection.
That's my haul for January! I also picked up a 2nd copy of Nora Robert's Happily Ever After simply because this copy was in excellent condition and I couldn't remember how my other copy looked. Which ever copy looks better will stay and I'll donate the other.
I've been a very good girl for the past couple of months. Only purchased a couple of books on Amazon! Now reading the books I have? That's an entirely different story... One that I would rather not get into. Let's just ignore that part altogether. I mean, c'mon... We all have TBR piles that could rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Moving on...
After getting coupons from my favorite used bookstore, I decided to get into temptation and scare the crap out of my wallet. Lucky wallet, they were actually having a buy 2, get 1 free sale. $10 later and my TBR pile grew by 15 books. And I thought I would share the books that I bought.
Since the sale was buy 2, get 1 free, I shopped in trios. I've never heard of Saving Max, but it looked amazing. The story reminds me of a Lifetime Movie from MANY years ago that I loved. I seriously keep seeing The Friday Night Knitting Club everywhere. I've seen it at the same store during every trip. I even usually see the entire series. This time, however, I only found the first book in the series. Still looking forward to finally reading it. I've never heard of Silver Scream, but it also looks like a fun mystery. Kerrelyn Sparks... I keep seeing her books everywhere and I thought I should finally start reading her books. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to hold off until I find books at the beginning of the series or if I'd be okay starting in the middle (or towards the end). To be completely honest, the Elizabeth Lowell book was a filler, but I have been wanting to read a couple of her books. Its been years since I've read her books. I love the cover for Brilliant and that's what made me pick it up. Same with Christie Ridgway's Must Love Mistletoe. Julia Quinn is another author I've been wanting to try since I'm seeing her books everywhere and since I'm an Avon Addict. I met Jane Graves at RWA 2012 and I've been wanting to pick up her books. Yay!! I love Cindy Gerard's covers...so I grabbed all that I found. And lastly, I keep hearing great things about Karin Slaughter so I'm going to start collecting her books. Love her name! So, those are the books I picked up at the used book store. I'm excited to read them, but for now, they have to be boxed up until I can finally put together my new bookcase(s). Hopefully soon!
Continuing my Iris Johansen collection with Blue Velvet and White Satin. Love the new covers! One day, I shall have them all... Not anytime soon, but one day.
Not the first book in the series, but it looked interesting.
Amazon Purchase:
I have an ARC edition of Run to You, but I needed the pretty finished copy for my collection.
FINALLY! Sometimes being a paperback reader sucks. Yippee!
Amazon eBook:
Hurray! I was so excited when I saw this *finally* on Amazon, I one-clicked it in 2.5 seconds.
Won on Goodreads:
Wow! I actually won a book on Goodreads. Another Yippee!
At first, the idea of posting one collective haul for August seemed like a good idea. When I sat down to write this post... Yeah, not so much. I went a little crazy this month. A local used bookstore called Book-Off had a fantastic sale on some of their books. How crazy did I get? Well...
My mission lately has been searching for copies of Lisa Jackson's older books. I've been lucky enough to find a handful in great condition. Yay! Here are the titles I picked up this month.
You may have noticed two Rachel Gibson titles in the first picture. If you read Monday's T.G.P. post, then you'll know all about those books. *grin*
I love Nora Roberts and I had a pretty big collection of her books before "The Purge from Hell." I decided that I couldn't keep all of them and just kept the books of my 3 favorite series - Chesapeake Saga, Dream Trilogy, and Key Trilogy. The rest went to my local library for their bookstore. I was happy a clam...
Then last year, I saw something at Costco that almost made me cry. New covers for the Dream Trilogy. Not only were they new, but they were gorgeous. *cue drooling* Since I already had the mass market paperbacks, I couldn't justify spending $30.00 on the set. Now, I was a sad clam...
Went to a local mall today that happens to have a used bookstore called Book-Off. Since I had time to kill, I decided to look at the huge $1 book section. Nothing was catching my fancy in the mass market paperbacks so I went into the larger paperbacks/hardbacks. And that's when I freaked out.
I was able to pick up 2 books from the Dream Trilogy (Daring to Dream and Holding the Dream), all 4 books from the Bride Quartet (paid $5 on 1 book just to get the complete series), and 1 book from the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy (The Next Always) for $12.00! I didn't plan on collecting the Bride Quartet or the Inn Boonsboro trilogy, but those damn covers are gorgeous. They are going to look so pretty on my new bookcase.
Whoever the new Book Off in a local mall that happens to be close to my house . . . thanks a lot!
Book Off is a Japanese company that buys and sells used books, video games, CDs, DVDs and other electronic devices. They have 8 stores overseas, including the new location that opened near me. Totally forgot that today was their Grand Opening and we just happened to be at the mall. Duh! I had to stop. So many people . . . Anyhoo, I thought I would share the 6 books I picked up for $6.00 . . . *squeel*
I'm not really into YA books, but I've been wanting to try a couple of Sarah Dessen's books. So when I saw these in the YA $1.00 section, I nabbed them.
When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?
Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything" — at least that's the part she played in the television commercial for Kopf's Department Store.
This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend because mean-but-exciting Sophie dropped her, no peace at home since her older sister became anorexic, and no one to sit with at lunch. Until she meets Owen Armstrong.
Tall, dark, and music-obsessed, Owen is a reformed bad boy with a commitment to truth-telling. With Owen's help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.
Lock and Key Published: 2008 "Ruby, where is your mother?" Ruby knows that the game is up. For the past few months, she's been on her own in the yellow house, managing somehow, knowing that her mother will probably never return.That's how she comes to live with Cora, the sister she hasn't seen in ten years, and Cora's husband Jamie, whose down-to-earth demeanor makes it hard for Ruby to believe he founded the most popular networking Web site around. A luxurious house, fancy private school, a new wardrobe, the promise of college and a future—it's a dream come true. So why is Ruby such a reluctant Cinderella, wary and defensive? And why is Nate, the genial boy next door with some secrets of his own, unable to accept the help that Ruby is just learning to give?
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.
Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
Richly atmospheric, stunning in its complexity, and utterly convincing and surprising to the end, In the Woods is sure to enthrall fans of Mystic River and The Lovely Bones. And look for French’s new mystery, Broken Harbor, for more of the Dublin Murder Squad.
Talk about rapid turnover! In a matter of days Bailey Weggins has been axed from one New York magazine and hired by another. Her new job at Buzz, a weekly filled with sizzling gossip, has Bailey covering celebrity crime. Bailey doesn't have to look far for her first big story when she finds her boss, Mona Hodges, gasping her last breath after being bludgeoned with a blunt object. A raging tyrant, Mona made Buzz a top magazine but racked up an impressive list of enemies. Now it's up to Bailey to get the scoop on whodunit--even though one of her closest friends is at the top of the suspects list.
Twenty-three-year-old Jo Green knows that if she has to spend one more night in ultra-provincial Niblet-Upon-Avon she'll go completely bonkers! So she answers an ad in the paper, bids her devoted boyfriend Shaun adieu, and heads off to the big city. With a new job that offers excitement; a cool car; and her own suite with a TV, DVD player, and a cell phone, how can she go wrong?
Then she meets . . . the Fitzgeralds -- Dick and Vanessa and their unruly brood of rugrats who have suddenly been entrusted into Jo's care. There's eight-year-old "psycho-babe" Cassandra; bloodthirsty Zak, the six-year-old Terminator; and timid little Tallulah.
So what else could go wrong? How about the arrival of Dick's children from his first marriage: teenage Toby and (gulp!) all-grown-up-and-very-nicely-at-that Josh the accountant? And now that she has to temporarily share her room with Josh, Jo's head is really in a spin -- because with her hometown beau still in the picture and a sexy possibility sleeping just a foot away, life has suddenly gotten very complicated indeed!
Today was a fun day filled with used books and Barnes & Noble. Odd combination, no?
For the past week, I've been a little obsessive about working on my small library (aka book collection). Since my book purge from hell (more on that at a later date), I've tried to keep my physical library down to my favorite "must purchase in paperback" authors. Right now, it consists of Lisa Jackson, Rachel Gibson, Tess Gerritsen, Iris Johansen, and Alex Kava. So I decided that it would be smart to put a book list together and mark off which books I own. That way I'll avoid buying duplicates. Lets just say that it happens WAY too often. Anyhoo, I make my lists, print them out, and I'm ready to go. I picked up 9 books in total today: 7 Lisa Jackson books and 2 Iris Johansen books.
In Iris Johansen's Deadlock, Emily Hudson is a renowned archaeologist
who travels the world to save priceless artifacts from theft or destruction. Her
best friend and partner, Joel Levy, is always at her side—until one day, when
her entire crew comes under attack. Joel and Emily are held hostage by a
sadistic captor who is determined to find the missing link to a legendary
treasure. For weeks they struggle to survive against terrifying odds, pushed to
their limits—and beyond…
John Garrett has worked for the CIA, British intelligence, and whoever else
was willing to pay for his services. This time, a Washington operative hands him
what at first appears to be just another assignment: to track down, and save,
Emily and Joel. But it quickly becomes much more, especially when Garrett finds
himself drawn to someone as dauntless and bent on revenge as Emily. Soon,
they’re catapulted into an astonishing adventure in which nothing—and no one—is
what it seems. And lives hang in the balance as one man and one woman unravel
the explosive truth behind a conspiracy hidden for generations.
If you close your eyes, he’ll get you. Sophie Dunston knows all too well how
dreams can kill. As one of the nation’s top sleep therapists, she specializes in
the life-threatening night terrors that her ten-year-old son, Michael, suffers
from. But she is also an expert in another kind of terror–the kind that can turn
a dream life into a living nightmare in the blink of an eye.
Someone is
watching. He’s a shadowy figure from out of her darkest fears and he hasn’t
forgotten her. In one shocking moment of violence, he’d shattered Sophie’s world
forever and left her with only one thing to live for: her son. But the nightmare
isn’t over for Sophie Dunston. It’s just begun. He’s been waiting. Sophie was
supposed to die the first time around, but fate intervened. This time he’ll make
sure that not even a miracle will save her.
It wasn’t a miracle that
saved Jock Gavin, but it was pretty close. A semiretired hit man, commando, and
jack-of-all-deadly-trades, he knows what Sophie is up against–and that she’ll
need help. But the man he’s chosen for the job is as unpredictable as he is
dangerous. Matt Royd is a wild card–hard, cool, merciless–and putting him into
play changes the game completely. But to whose advantage?
Sophie will
soon find out. She will have to trust Royd because she has no choices left.
Because the bogeyman haunting her dreams is all too real and he’s on the hunt
again. Because the nightmare he’s got planned for Sophie won’t end when she
wakes up screaming. It won’t end. Ever.
In Ava’s dreams, her son, Noah, looks just the way she remembers him: a
sweet two-year-old in rolled-up jeans and a red sweatshirt. When Ava wakes, the
agonizing truth hits her all over again. Noah went missing two years ago, and
his body has never been found. Almost everyone, including Ava’s semi-estranged
husband, Wyatt, assumes the boy drowned after falling off the dock near their
Church Island home. Ava has spent most of the past two years in and out of
Seattle mental institutions, shattered by grief and unable to recall the details
of Noah’s disappearance. Now she’s back at Neptune’s Gate, the family estate she
once intended to restore to its former grandeur. Slowly, her strength is
returning. But as Ava’s mind comes back into focus, her suspicions grow. Despite
their apparent concern, Ava can’t shake the feeling that her family, and her
psychologist, know more than they’re saying. But are they really worried for her
well-being — or anxious about what she might discover? Unwilling to trust those
around her, Ava secretly visits a hypnotist to try and restore her memories. But
the strange visions and night terrors keep getting worse. Ava is sure she’s
heard Noah crying in the nursery, and glimpsed him walking near the dock. Is she
losing her mind, or is Noah still alive? Ava won’t stop until she gets answers,
but the truth is more dangerous than she can imagine. And the price may be more
than she ever thought to pay…
Running Scared Published: 2010 (previously published as Wishes)
Fifteen years ago in Boston, Kate Summers made a bargain: she became the
mother of a perfect, beautiful newborn baby, and she promised she would never
breathe a word about the adoption to anyone. Now Kate has built a good life for
herself and her son, Jon, in a small town in Oregon. She has almost forgotten
her fear that he will somehow be taken away. Then Daegan O'Rourke arrives in
town and strikes up a friendship with her and Jon. Daegan has his own past to
hide - one with shocking ties to hers. Someone is searching for Kate and her son
and is willing to go to any lengths to claim him. And the one man Kate is
tempted to trust has dangerous secrets that could change her world forever.
Soon, the past Kate thought she could outrun will explode, unearthing a legacy
of lies and treachery and a fury powerful enough to kill.
THE WATCHER: He smells her. Feels her. Knows she is coming. Chosen by the Fates,
she is the one. Only she can lift the curse of darkness. But he will stop
her-and he will sacrifice her.
THE WOMAN: Flame-haired and green-eyed,
Bryanna looks enchanted but has always felt cursed, plagued by mysterious
visions and voices. Bound by destiny to save an innocent life, Bryanna follows
her path alone-until she meets a stranger deep in the woods.
THE WARRIOR:
Gavyn is a wanted man, as dark and dangerous as the wolf that shadows his
footsteps. But his touch is electric, and he has much to teach-if Bryanna is
willing to learn...
For two years, Justice Turnbull has paced his room at Halo Valley Security Hospital, planning to escape. Justice has a mission - one that began with a vicious murder two decades ago. Laura Adderley didn't plan to get pregnant by her soon-to-be ex-husband, though she'll do anything to protect her baby. But now reporter Harrison Frost is asking questions about the mysterious group of women who live at Siren Song lodge. Harrison hasn't figured out Laura's connection to the story yet. But Justice knows. And he is coming...All her life, Laura has been able to sense approaching evil. But that won't stop a psychopath bent on destroying her. Justice has been unleashed, and this time, there will be no place safe to hide.
Shelby Cole thought she'd put Bad Luck behind her. Bad Luck, Texas, that is.
She'd left her hometown ten years ago, her world shattered and her illegitimate
baby dead. Now she's receiving anonymous letters claiming that her daughter is
alive. But going home means demanding answers that her father, Judge Jerome
Cole, won't be happy to give -- and facing Nevada Smith, the man who broke her
heart.
Final Scream Published: 2005 (previously published as Intimacies)
As white-hot flames sear the dark night, a killer waits in the trees, watching the mill burn, listening for the screams - the only proof that justice has finally begun for the sins of long-ago. For journalist Cassidy Buchanan, this inferno is a living nightmare - a reminder of the horrible, mysterious fire that destroyed her wealthy family seventeen years ago - and of Brig McKenzie, the handsome hell raiser accused of setting the blaze. That tragic crime has never been solved, and already the whispers have begun in Prosperity, Oregon - another fire, more deaths, and one common denominator - Cassidy herself. Cassidy came home to Prosperity to put the past behind her, but it seems the past isn't finished with Cassidy. Someone doesn't want her to uncover the chilling truth...someone who has killed before and will kill again...a cold-blooded psychopath who is only waiting to hear her...
It's been twenty years since the night Jake Marcott was brutally murdered at St. Elizabeth High School. It's a night that shattered the lives of Lindsay Farrell, Kirsten Daniels, and Rachel Alsace. It's a night they'll never forget. A killer will make sure of that...A 20-year reunion has been scheduled for St. Elizabeth's. For some alumni, very special invitations have been sent: their smiling senior pictures slashed by an angry red line...Three women have been marked for death. Tonight, as the music plays, and the doors of St. Elizabeth are sealed, a killer will finish what was started long ago, and the sins of the past will be paid for in blood...
Hello friends!
