Kat's Reading List: January

This year I've decided that I'm going to try something new. I have something like 300 books sitting on my shelves, and Lord knows I'll buy more. I get really overwhelmed when I'm trying to decide what I want to read... I can literally waste hours trying to make up my mind. (Yes, this is also a weakness when I'm editing my writing...) So in 2013, I've decided that I'm going to pick books for each month so that the pressure is off.

With that said, I proudly present my January reading list!

Tempted By Your Touch
by Jen Holling

Challenge(s): Reading Romances Challenge: "Marry Me?", GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?: 

I read the second book in the Brides of the Bloodstone trilogy years ago and always wanted to go back and read the others. When I signed up for the Reading Romances Challenge for 2013, I discovered that our first book needs to involve a marriage of convenience. I was having a heck of a time coming up with a book I'd love to read that involved this theme, and then I was rolling through some (really, really, REALLY...) old fan fiction I wrote for my friends and I when I was at Trent University and found something inspired by this series.

Remembering that the heroine in the second book (I think her name was Heather? I'd need to check and I probably will read the whole thing this year if this goes well...) mentions that her sister was married to someone she didn't want to be, and recalling that I'd looked into it, wanted to read book one and never had, my mind was made up. I went to see if this was available for Kindle and... presto! The rest is history.

I totally can't wait to get started! 

Through The Ever Night
by Veronica Rossi

Challenge(s): Sequel Challenge, Kat's Must Reads of 2013 (personal challenge), GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?:

The first book in this series, Under the Never Sky, was one of my picks for my favorite books of 2012. Since I read that in May and have no reason to hold back on reading the sequel, picking up Through the Ever Night is an easy decision for me.

I totally can't wait to see how things are between Aria and Perry, how everything that happened at the end of book #1 will effect book #2 and (hopefully) to meet Liv since I haven't read Liv and Roar yet (been way too darn busy!).

Another book I just can't wait to dive into. January 8th can't come fast enough! 

Falling For You
by Lisa Schroeder

Challenge(s): YA Contemporary Challenge 2013, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?: 

When I go to buy new books, I always download them for my kindle to check out a sample whenever possible. I read for samples today, and Falling For You stood out both for it's premise and for the relatable and easy to read voice of it's narrator, Rae.

As someone who spends a lot of her time writing edgy dangerous badass heroes, I feel an equal moral need to read books where real guys who behave this way get a good solid whistle blown. I see no wrong in the type of thing I write being in fiction, but I think books that make it clear this isn't okay in real life are equally important. Add to that the fact that my research indicates this isn't a total downer or a 'beaten over the head' book on the subject, and you'll find someone very ready to get behind this message. 

Shadow And Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

Challenge(s): TBR Pile Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?: 

In my unending quest to find gripping, accessible fantasy fiction I have been lead to Shadow and Bone for two reasons: (1) The intriguing manipulation of Russian culture to create the world's history (most fantasy is Medieval) and (2) The Darkling. I'll leave you guys to decide which was the more weighted deciding factor.

I've flipped this open and read a little and I can tell that this book and I are going to get on just fine in the writing department. What I've found is that the more I've read, written and revised, the more fussy I've become. It's really kinda frustrating!

Never fear, though: I've been itching to cuddle up with this for a while and I'm confident it will be no hardship. 

A Midsummer's Nightmare
by Kody Keplinger

Challenge(s): TBR Pile Challenge, Kat's 12 from 2012 Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?:

Oh, c'mon! It's Kody Keplinger! The real question should be why the heck I took so long getting to this. I'll confess something here--I do NOT see how this can end happily! And that scares me witless! But I think it's time I quit being such a wuss and actually found out--it's probably February's book of the month and I don't know it yet.

What I love about Kody's writing is that her characters cut past all the crap and get to the heart of whatever they are facing by the end of a book. And they don't wander around sugar coating things or trying to be perfect on their way to the end, either. Kody's writing is real and fresh and honest--exactly what I want when I sit down to read contemporary YA. I've got no doubt in my mind that, despite anything else, A Midsummer's Nightmare will deliver this in spades. 

The Mephisto Kiss
by Trinity Faegen

Challenge(s): Sequel Challenge, TBR Pile Challenge, Kat's 12 from 2012 Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?: 

This is one of those books that slipped through 2012 and didn't get read, even though I bought it and really wanted to read it. I did have some issues with the first book in this series, but they weren't enough to keep my from wanting to continue with the second.

I found The Mephisto Covenant very easy to zip through and I'm counting on the same from The Mephisto Kiss. I wonder what kind of heroine Jordan will be? I hope she's a bit more receptive then Sasha--the back and forth with her and Jaxx drove me nuts in book one.

I guess I'll soon find out! 

Enclave
by Ann Aguirre

Challenge(s): TBR Pile Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick This?:

Hello, Enclave. How nice to finally meet you! I've waited a very long time to open you and flip to page one, but that wait is almost done. Okay, I'll stop talking to the book and talk to you guys now. ;) This has been one of THOSE books, much like Die For Me and Meant To Be. You know the type--I've had it be out of stock, I've forgotten the title or author name, etc. It's been Elusive.

I wasn't sure what to think when I first read about this book. Part of me went, "Eh, Hunger Games Clone" because I'd just finished that. The other half went, "Whoa, YA meets Fallout 3. That could be fun." I'm sure you can tell which part won out.

I'll be able to make my verdict soon, because I'm pretty sure I can zip through this little book in a day or two. 

Level 2
by Lenore Appelhans

Challenge(s): Debut Author Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick It?: 

I've wanted this one from the moment I first saw it--which was actually by stumbling onto Lenore's blog last year and learning about it. I think that books about what happens after death are intriguing, and there seems to be a heck of a lot going on here, which is great.

We'll have to see how the presence of the two guys works out. Will there be a love triangle? And if so, will it be justified? Also, since this is the start of a series, I will likely be cautious of the ending. I can be pretty prickly about them so yet again, we'll see how it goes.

Anyway, this releases later in January so I'll be finding out soon.

Salvation
by Anne Osterlund

Challenge(s): YA Contemporary Challenge, GoodReads Challenge

Why Did I Pick It?: 

I love stories where opposites attract, and the idea of a guy who's class president, on the football team, etc. being interested in a shy, bookish "walking disaster area" is right up my alley. Plus, and this may not be fair--well shall see--I'm getting "Perfect Chemistry" vibes from this, and that could only be a good thing. (Though I'll need to watch out for it when I read this.)

I also think it's really cool to see characters who have different backgrounds and cultures. I know that even in my own work, most of my main characters are upper middle class white kids, or they are rich. This is what I "know", or can easily make up. It's not a great excuse, but it's honest--I wouldn't WANT to write a character like Salva because I *know* I would butcher it badly. However, I adore *reading* characters like this and it's equally great that the cover here has not been whitewashed. Truthfully I feel weird talking about this--I was raised to think that a person is a person, period. (Which is the more immediate reason it doesn't occur to me in my own fiction, really.) But with the amount of time I've spent blogging and being part of writers communities, I have come to be aware that this is an issue of great importance that should not be ignored. It's not the reason I want to read this, but it's icing on what looks to be a very nice cake. 

So, what are you hoping to read this month? Share in the comments or link to a post if you have one. I'd love to know! 

Debut Author Challenge 2013

You just had to know I'd be signing up for this! 2013 is going to be my year as an author, so it wouldn't be right for me to skip out on doing my part to promote any new and awesome debuts that are releasing in the coming months. This Challenge is being hosted by Hobbitsies and if you want to take part, just click here.

I'm hoping to read at least a dozen debut authors in 2013, but I have a list of 25 books that have caught my interest and I'm going to go ahead and list those below.

Kat's Reading List: 

Dualed by Elsie Chapman
The Collector by Victoria Scott
Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
City of 1,000 Dolls by Mariam Forster
Reaper by L.S. Murphey
Linked by Imogen Howson
Starglass by Phoebe North
Ink by Amanda Sun
Control by Lydia Kang
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein
Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller
Hooked by Liz Fichera
The Culling by Steven dos Santos
Canary by Rachele Alpine
Poison by Briget Zinn
Red by Alison Cherry
OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu
After Eden by Helen Douglas
Bruised by Sarah Skilton
Blaze by Laurie Boyle Crompton
The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar
The Summer I Became A Nerd by Leah Rae Miller 

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza 

What debut are you most excited about in 2013? 

Reading Romances Challenge 2013

My one non-YA / NA challenge for the year. I noticed last year that I do tend to read a bit of romance mixed in with my other books, and why shouldn't that get it's own spot on my challenge page, too?

This challenge, hosted by Reading Romances, looks like it should be super fun. It focuses on reading books with different themes each month, and in turn broadening reading tastes and trying new things. If you are interested in taking part, click here.

For anyone curious, here is a list of the challenge topics for 2013. I will also include the detailed descriptions from the main post (mainly for my convenience. *laughs*)

JAN: Marry me? – Marriage of convenience. An arranged or forced marriage leads to love.

FEB: Foreigners do it better! – Greek, italian, spanish, french, brazilian, russians, sheiks! No English or North American heroes.

MAR: The Avengers – Man uses woman for blackmail, revenge, kidnapped, seduced etc .OR May The Games Begin! – two people fighting for the same prize and only one can win.


APR: Beauty and the Beast – one of the main characters is physically marred in some way or a wounded hero, emotionally tortured.

MAY: Summer Lovin’ – a couple is stranded together and the enforced intimacy leads to more. OR Nursing Back to Health – hero or heroine is injured or near death and the other saves his/her life by nursing back to health.

JUN: Who do you think you are? – One of a couple isn’t who he or she appears to be on the surface or pretending to be someone else or disguised.

JUL: I’m BACK for good! – Reunited Lovers. Second chance or a first love rekindled story.

AUG : Traditional or not! – time travel romance or a book with a love triangle.

SEP: Bad Boys, whatcha gonna do? – opposites attract. This can also be reversed with a bad girl/good boy.

OCT: In Love with my Best Friend – a friendship leads to more. OR Beta Male Fest! – any romance featuring a beta or gama male.

NOV: Romeo and Juliet – a class difference sets a couple apart.

DEC: Cinderella – rags to riches or riches to rags.

My goal is going to be Romance Reader, which asks the participant to read one book each month. I think this will let me have a taste of everything without taking over the blog and keeping me from my main focuses, which tend to be YA and NA. 

Kat's Reading List: 

So, here are the books that I am going to read for this challenge. This list may change throughout the year, but it should serve as a good jumping off point. 

JAN:

FEB:

MAR:

APR:

MAY:

JUNE:

JULY:

AUG:

SEPT:

OCT:

NOV:

DEC: 

So, are you taking part in the Reading Romances Challenge? Which theme are you most excited about? 

My Goals for 2013!

And so another new year dawns upon us, packaged neatly into 52 weeks broken into 12 months. It's just waiting for us to step forward and claim every good thing we've ever wanted, so let's not disappoint it. Let the first decision we make in 2013 be this: no fear.

It is in that spirit of courage, of determination and of stepping forward that I present you with 10 things I want to do this year. I'd love to know what your hopes are, so feel free to comment!

1. Read More. 

2012 was nuts. This year, no matter what insanity gets sling at me, I want to remember that I can always turn to a book. Books are magic. Books are power. Books are doors. They can be a source of strength, power, healing, joy or hope... All we have to do is be willing to turn to the first page and read.

2. Blog More. 

I had a few periods in 2012 where I was really absent, and even if I'm going through a reading slump, that shouldn't be happening. I love this community and I've made a ton of friends in the past year and a half. While posting reviews is important, it's not the key to those friendships and should not be allowed to be something that can make me feel guilty or frustrated. If I'm not reading for joy, I'm not doing what I set out to do here and I need to reset my course.

3. Tweet, Tweet! 

A lot of the best things that have happened to me as a blogger have somehow involved Twitter. Why the heck don't I use it more? It's fun, social and lets me see what's going on with the rest of the (blogging) world.

4. Write On! 

Sealer's Promise needs another re-write and it's time I buckled down and got that done. I'm finally "hearing" the characters again, so I know they're ready for round three. It's scary to be doing this again, but I do believe it will be worth it and that this will be my (and my characters') year. Go!

5. Improve My Organizational Skills

I tend to blog by the seat of my pants and that's not necessarily the best way to do it. I have big plans for 2013, but if I want to make them happen, I'm going to have to plan them out and give them enough time. I'm very prone to having a "Eurika!" moment three weeks before I want to do something, and that does not work.

6. Plan What I'm Going To Buy

I'm a horrible impulse book buyer! I probably bought 300 books in 2012 and I think I read about 30? And the more I get the more I panic about what I should read and about what I haven't read. This year I'm going to try using some challenges to help me focus my reading. I've got some pretty great lists of books I want and books I own and it's looking a bit more manageable.

7. Rock That Kindle! 

In addition to the above, I should really try to take advantage of my kindle more then I do. I love physical books, but my room is tiny and I don't have a lot of space. Right now this place looks like a paper jungle and it's really NOT as cool as it sounds. Plus, the kindle is lighter / better for my wrists, can have its font size altered and fits in my purse.

8. Find A Blog Design I Love

I'm just never satisfied with the way this place looks. The stuff Renee made looks nice, but I've come to realize that it looks like Sarena is running the blog rather then me. Uh, no. She's so not a reader. (Now if this was a fashion blog we'd be in business...)

9. Attend More Real Life Events

This year I got to go to the Ontario Blog Squad Meet Up 2012 and to Apocalypse Tour at Chapters in Belleville. I want to do more stuff like that. It was really fun!

10. Share The (Book) Love

Because that is why I blog: To find awesome new authors to read and to talk about the books of authors whose stories I already enjoy. If I'm not enjoying a book, I shouldn't be reading it. Because odds are high I won't be talking about it--that's just not my style.

Well, there you have it: some goals for 2013. Can I do it? I'll tell you in 365 days. Can I try? Absolutely!

Review: The Game Changer by Marie Landry

*This book is NOT YA.

As always, full disclosure: Marie Landry is one of my oldest blogging friends. Regardless of anything else I might say, I feel that I owe my readers that fact right off the bat. Some of you won't feel that matters--either I'm going to like a book or not. And some of you will find that vital, and that's fine too. I feel it should be your choice, though, so there's the info to make it.

I was pretty sure that I would enjoy The Game Changer. I loved Marie's debut, Blue Sky Days, and the premise for her first adult novel sounded just as great, so I dove in ready to fall head over heels in love.

And I did.

But simply saying that isn't enough to help you base a purchasing decision, so lets see if I can put into words the many ways that The Game Change is just plain awesome.

The Plot: (Summary from GoodReads)

Melody Cartwright has never had a problem with change, but for the first time in her life the changes are beyond her control—she suddenly has a niece she never knew, but has to prove herself to; her best friend is making huge life changes of her own; and she has to deal with her ex and his crazy new girlfriend who has stalker tendencies.

When Melody meets confident, sexy Julian, she’s not interested in a relationship. He tells her it’s possible for a man and a woman to just be friends, and despite his ultra-charming ways there’s something about him that makes Melody believe he could be right.

During a time of change and turmoil, it doesn’t take long for Julian to become everything Melody never knew she needed in her life. But is it possible for them to remain ‘just friends’ or will Melody be a game changer for Julian the playboy?

What girl hasn't experienced the uniquely exquisite pain of being dumped? It always sucks, it always hurts and if you've been with the guy for a long time--as our heroine Melody has been with her now-ex, Rick, it can be very disorienting. This is the first of many big changes faced in The Game Changer. 

As with all good contemporary, the story really pulls us into the life of the main character and balances moving the story forward with letting us get a real feel for who Melody--and the people in her 'world'--are. The good, the bad and the ugly. 

Although this is not YA, one of the things that I liked about it was that it still carried the same sense of exploration, discovery and self-growth that I would want from a contemporary YA novel (and which was abundantly present in Blue Sky Days.) I feel that we started the book with Melody at a turning point in her life, which is always a great place to meet a character, and that Marie put this to good use.

The only plotline that I feel could have been used to better extent was Sydney, Rick's new crazy-stalker girlfriend. I wish we'd seen a bit more action on Melody's part about this. But then, if we had the plot may have ended very different then what it did, so this is likely a personal quirk. To be clear: this did not detract from the story. It's likely just a difference in how two writers would have handled something.

The Characters: 

From start to finish, The Game Changer immerses the reader in the life of its main character, Melody Cartwright. As with Blue Sky Days' Emma, Melody straddles being a strong and balanced character with being vulnerable and having her share of issues she needs to overcome in order to get this way. I like that. If you start with your lead already totally together, where is there for them to go? I'm noticing, as I read Marie's books, that I find her female characters refreshingly relatable. They're the kind of people I wish were real, because I would love to have them as friends. 

I really loved Melody's best friend, Olivia. The two had very different personalities and watching them interact and grow was very interesting. One of the things I think Marie did very well in this book is giving each character their own life and having those lives interconnect. One of the dangers of fiction is that every other character's life only goes so far as how it effects the main character. That was not the case here.

'Rick the dick' was aptly named. What I will say, though, is that I think Marie did a terrific job of showing us a different perspective of him as Melody's perspective shifted. I really really hated him in the beginning, but as the book went on my attitude toward him (and hers, I felt) moved more toward neutrality or indifference. That's a mark of a good writer. Once you get a reader to really dislike someone it can be very hard to shift that attitude. 

And then, of course, there is Julian. I'm normally not big on guys who are players (either past or present) but I actually really liked him, and I think the whole 'can girls and guys be friends?' was a great way to build up the tension between the two of them. There were moments I wanted to kiss this guy and, admittedly some where I wanted to kick him somewhere painful, but all in all he was a great love interest and I enjoyed seeing him and Melody together. 

The Romance: 

Melody and Julian have chemistry that absolutely sizzles. They are probably one of my favorite romantic pairings this year. There was a certain level of instant awareness, or possibly attraction, here. But there was no insta-love, which is a good thing since this is contemporary.). I liked seeing them get to know each other, and found watching their views of one another change as the novel moved forward.

The tension of the will they or won't they between this pair was borderline torturous, in the absolute best way possible. I wanted them to get together so bad, but Marie really made me work (wait) for this as a reader, and actually succeeded in making me wonder whether they would. (In part because of good writing and in part because I was under the impression that this was chick lit, and the rules for that are a little different then standard romance.)

I think the best thing about Melody and Julian was that I slowly got to see how it would be for them to have one another in their lives. By showing their friendship and attraction grow side-by-side, they had a lot more to lose then a couple who is purely focused on physical attraction. I cheered for them and feared for them and it made this book impossible to turn down.

In General: 

If you are looking for a beautifully written, extremely compelling contemporary romance, The Game Changer comes highly recommended. I can be a fussy reader and I was in a 'mood' when I got this, yet I zipped through it in two days. If it affects me like that under those circumstances, it has to have something pretty awesome going for it.