December 31, 2012

Top 12 Books of 2012



It is my literary duty to bring the top books read of this year to the forefront and highlight my favorites. Please note that my list is purely my opinion. It is not influenced by authors, other readers, other bloggers, or publishers that may have provided free or advance copies in exchange for an honest review. For your convenience, my original reviews of the Top 12 Books of 2012 are available by clicking the book title.


12. The Tanning of America by Steve Stoute

11. A Teeny Bit of Trouble: A Teeny Templeton Novel by Michael Lee West

10. Life and Struggles by Cassandra L. Hawkins-Wilson

9. Glamour Girl: How To Get The Ultimate Makeover by Megan Mottley

8. Seconds Away: A Mickey Bolitar Novel by Harlan Coben

7. Reflected in You: A Crossfire Novel by Sylvia Day

6. Any Way You Want It by Maureen Smith

5. Live Wire: A Myron Bolitar Novel by Harlan Coben

4. I, Michael Bennett by James Patterson

3. Tilt by Ellen Hopkins

2. The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn



December 30, 2012

Top Series of 2012


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 
2012 has been the year of erotic series. It started with the Fifty Shades trilogy by E.L. James. Housewives, working women and young professional ladies all over the country read what was originally dubbed as "mommy porn." Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey were talked about like a real-life couple and not just fictional characters. Parody books were published in abundance. And a magazine was even added to the Fifty Shades enterprise.

Then came along the Crossfire novels by Sylvia Day. And oh, did they come! The romance and steamy sexy lives of Eva and Gideon took over eReaders everywhere. The paperback editions sold out of bookstores. The Crossfire series was more than erotica and romance. Dare I say there was a very intriguing back-story and subplots that pulled you in. Surely I am not the only person impatiently waiting for the third installment of the Crossfire trilogy to be released next year.

Deny this genre if you want, but you cannot ignore it. If you weren't reading an installment of an erotic romance series in 2012, then what were you reading? I'll wait...

 

December 29, 2012

2012 Reading Challenges

I participated in five (5) reading challenges in 2012. 

2012 Goodreads Challenge: Read 60 books.
Challenge Met: I read 80 books this year.



2012 eBook Challenge: Read 50 eBooks.
Challenge Met: Color me a memory stick; I read 63 eBooks.



2012 Southern Lit Challenge: Read 3 books set in the South.
Challenge Met: I had a glass of sweet iced tea, honey, and read 5 books set in the South.



2012 Support Local Library Challenge: Read 24 library books.
Challenge Failed: I only read 11 books from the library.
 


Perpetual Kinsey Millhone Challenge: Read books in the Kinsey Millhone series.
Challenge Met: I read books A-F in the Kinsey Millhone series.




 

December 28, 2012

Top 12 First Lines of 2012


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.
Today I am sharing the Top 12 First Lines of 2012.


"Three loud thumps echoed through the floor beneath Hester's feet--a signal that her guests had finally arrived."  ~ Indigo by Beverly Jenkins

"This is all Susana's fault. She had to trot out her little social experiment, 'Pick 5' right when God was confronting me with my greed, excess, materialism, consumerism, envy, pride, comfort, insatiability, irresponsibility, and well, there was other stuff but I want you to like me, so I'll shelve the rest for later." ~ 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess by Jen Hatmaker
 


"Have you ever seen the before and after photos of a woman who has received a makeover? The before pictures capture a plain and original look. The after pictures capture flawless skin, gorgeous eyes, visible cheekbones, and lips kissed with flattering color. The difference is stunning and captivating. The meaning goes deeper than what the eyes can see." ~ Glamour Girl: How to Get the Ultimate Makeover by Megan Mottley

"They tell me I will die here." ~ Guilty Wives by James Patterson
 

"A photograph captures one's image but is incapable of containing their essence." ~ Patches of Grey by Roy L. Pickering, Jr.

"For a moment, the cameras hold on Peeta's downcast eyes as what he says sinks in. Then I can see my face, mouth half open in a new mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen as I realize, ME! HE MEANS ME!"  ~ The Hunger Games: Part II The Games by Suzanne Collins
 

"It's not every day that I bake a dozen red velvet cakes, learn that my boyfriend has a love child, and I witness a murder. To calm down, I invented a whole menu based on the Miranda warning. My favorite is Anything-You-Say-Can-Be-Used-Against-You Quiche." ~ A Teeny Bit of Trouble by Michael Lee West


"I loved New York with the kind of mad passion I reserved for only one other thing in my life." ~ Reflected in You: A Crossfire Novel by Sylvia Day
 

 "It is said that love is comfort, and that comfort comes from recognition of the beloved."  ~ The Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright


"The missing girl—there had been unceasing news reports, always flashing to that achingly ordinary school portrait of the vanished teen, you know the one, with the rainbow-swirl background, the girl's hair too straight, her smile too self-conscious, then a quick cut to the worried parents on the front lawn, microphones surrounding them, microphones surrounding them, Mom silently tearful, Dad reading a statement with quivering lip—that girl, that missing girl, had just walked past Edna Skylar." ~ Promise Me by Harlan Coben


"When I was twelve, a fortune-teller at the Herbert Hoover Junior High School carnival said to me: 'Gemma Craig, you listen to me. Do not get married. Ever. If you do, you'll end up cooking for a man who'd rather eat at McDonald's; doing laundry for a man who sweats like a rabid pig, then criticizes you for not turning his T-shirts right side out; and cleaning the bathroom floor after a man whose aim is so bad, he can't hit a hole the size of watermelon—" ~ When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
 

"Not every bitch is a queen. Most chicks are regular." ~ Deeper Love Inside by Sister Souljah

 

December 25, 2012

Happy Holidays, Bookhearts

May you get bookish gifts for Christmas and ring in the new year with good reads!


 

December 23, 2012

Series Sunday: Play Him Again


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name.

 
My Series Sunday pick is Play Him Again, the first book in the Matt Hudson series by Jeffrey Stone. The Roaring Twenties are my favorite era. I really wish I lived during that time to experience silent films, the social culture, the use of automobiles and telephones. Who wouldn't want to live during the Motion Picture/Jazz Age? So when the author contacted me for a possible review, I made room in my reading schedule to read Play Him Again before the new year.

Silence was golden in Hollywood during the Roaring Twenties. Sound for movies was too expensive. There were only two studios with sound equipment, Fox Film Corporation and Warner Brothers. Most industry people thought talking pictures were just a fad. Oh, how wrong they were!

Matt Hudson, a rumrunner and "the preferred bootlegger of the movie industry", wanted to produce a talking picture but neither of the two studios would lease him their facilities. Financing was not a problem; Hudson lacked the production. So Hudson's friend, Danny, conned a Chicago gangster into buying a motion picture sound device. Problem is, the sound device is bogus. When the gangster figures it out, Danny ends up dead. The police ruled it an accidental death and closed the case. But Hudson is determined to find Danny's killer and avenge his death, all while staying alive himself.

Play Him Again begins with action; the Prologue is a detailed scene where a character is in a Coupe...in the ocean! Jeffrey Stone writes with such description that I could sense the character's panic through the words. The book is a history lesson set in fiction. I learned a lot about film-making, rumrunners, bootlegging and smuggling of liquor, talking pictures, and three types of cons. Well done, Jeffrey Stone. Play Him Again is the first book in the Matt Hudson series. I wonder what other crimes Hud will solve...or commit.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the author for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: Play Him Again: A Matt Hudson Novel
Author: Jeffrey Stone
Published: March 2012
Pages: 223
Edition:  eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

December 21, 2012

First Line Friday

 
First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.

The NOOK is loaded with December eMags. Featured stories are:

"Holiday Style Now: Bold in Black and White" ~ Vogue

"7 Layers to Revising Your Novel" ~ The Writer

"Amazing Stocking Stuffers Under $15" ~ Real Simple

"2012 Women of the Year" ~ Essence

"50 Tips for iOS6" ~ MacLife

"The Hobbit" ~ Entertainment Weekly

"Raising a Royal Baby" ~ US Weekly

"50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time" ~ Rolling Stone      

December 19, 2012

Tilt

"Because once you tilt the truth, it becomes a lie." ~ pg. 12


Love has consequences. Love will also tilt your world. Add lies to the mix and lives begin to tilt.

Three teens (of the parents featured in Ellen Hopkins' Triangles) are interconnected through their parents' relationships. Mikayla is head over heels in love with Dylan. But when she gets pregnant the summer before their senior year, Dylan isn't so in love anymore. Shane has accepted that his little sister will die soon from a terminal illness, but can he also accept that his first boyfriend Alex, who is HIV positive, may live a short life too? Like any other 14-year-old, Harley is a good girl searching for love, but from an older boy.

From reading Triangles, I was already familiar with the lives of these three teens through their parents' point of view. Tilt is told from the teens' own perspective and tells a more detailed story that touched my heart. So many topics are touched on: teen pregnancy, HIV, sex, infidelity, abortion, adoption, illness and love. Even though some of the topics seem fit for just adults, this book is appropriate for young adults (yes—your teens!) too.

Don't let the number of pages (664) discourage you. The entire book in written in traditional prose—which is Hopkins' trademark writing style. It keeps you reading and flipping the pages to finish the story. I cannot recommend this book enough. Read it!

There are two sides to every story. Tilt is the perfect companion to Triangles. Check out the book trailer below:


Title: Tilt
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Published: September 2012
Pages: 664
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

December 18, 2012

Beginning Again

 
Every holiday since 2010, Sarah Pekkanen has released an eShort story. I've grown to expect them because I know they are good reads. This holiday season, Sarah Pekkanen released Beginning Again, a continuation of the eShort stories All is Bright and Love, Accidentally. It is told from the point of view of Corrine Brown, Ilsa's sister. She is separated from her husband and going alone to her sister's wedding. The long and lonely weekend has Corrine eager to return back to L.A. But there really isn't anything left there. Corrine has to start anew.

Beginning Again shows that life is not over after heartbreak. You can begin again and love.

Download this heartwarming, well told story for just $.99 and get a bonus excerpt of Sarah Pekkanen's new book, The Best of Us. Then visit www.sarahpekkanen.com to vote for who should narrate the next installment of these linked eShort stories.

Title: Beginning Again
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Published: November 2012
Pages: 56
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

December 16, 2012

Series Sunday: Notorious Nineteen


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 

My Series Sunday pick is Notorious Nineteen, the 19th book in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Cubbin is facing trial for embezzling from an assisted-living facility. Cousin Vinnie posted his bail, but Cubbin disappears from the hospital after an emergency surgery. It's up to Stephanie to find the skip. However, Cubbin has vanished without a trace. To earn money in the meantime, Stephanie accepts a job offer to guard sexy Ranger at an event. Another dull moment for what used to be my favorite bounty hunter.

I'm so over this series, I need a new word for 'over.' There is no element of surprise. It is way too predictable. Mystery? HA! What mystery? It's like Evanovich keeps a checklist for each book in the series.

  • [Insert person who skips bail here]
  • Stephanie and Lula ride around town looking for skip. ✓
  • Lula eats fried chicken and donuts. ✓
  • Stephanie's car blows up. ✓
  • Ranger dressed in all black. ✓
  • Ranger supplies Stephanie with a shiny new black car. ✓
  • Said shiny new black car gets destroyed. ✓
  • Stephanie hitches ride to get Big Blue out of parents' garage. ✓
  • Morelli works on a case. ✓
  • Morelli and Stephanie eat meatball subs. ✓
  • Dog gets leftovers from carry-out. ✓
  • Grandma Mazur visits the funeral home. ✓
  • Stephanie finds the skip and can pay her rent now. ✓
  • Stephanie STILL hasn't chose Ranger or Morelli. ✓
  • Throw Ranger and Morelli stickers in the book for "fans." ✓
  • The End
Don't be alarmed. These are not spoilers. These are known factors for every single Stephanie Plum novel. On another note, a fellow book blogger Notorious Spinks pointed out certain passages in Janet Evanovich books that imply her opinion of black people. I didn't notice until this book in a shady worded sentence describing Lula. Does anyone else notice these racial references?   

Nevertheless, check out the book trailer below and decide for yourself whether to read this installment of the Stephanie Plum series.


Title: Notorious Nineteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Published: November 2012
Pages: 320
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♡

 

December 15, 2012

Books Got the Boot

I have a 50-page Rule. Sometimes books have a lot of positive reviews, so I may stick with it a little longer than 50 pages to see what the hype is about. Welp, I just couldn't finish the following books so they got the boot:

What books did you give the boot this year?

 

December 13, 2012

Lit Tidbits


  • View the winners of Goodreads Choice Awards 2012
  • Precision Reviews Best Books of 2012 and Best First Lines of 2012 will be posted soon.
  • R. Kelly released ten new chapters of soap opera Trapped in the Closet. In the new chapters, there is a book infomercial. Yes, R. Kelly is writing a book spin-off.
  • According to deadline.com, Gone Girl is coming to the big screen! 20th Century Fox acquired Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl in a seven-figure deal. Reese Witherspoon, Bruna Papandrea and Leslie Dixon to star in the film.
 

December 12, 2012

Ebony The Beloved

"There was no excuse for the way we treated you." ~ pg. 52


How much can one girl go through? How much misfortune can a girl experience in her young lifetime? How many kicks can a girl take when she's already down? Ebony grew up in a dysfunctional household and suffered from abuse in school. As a teen, she meets a handsome entertainer, Desmond, and is charmed off her feet. It isn't long before Desmond shows his true self. It turns out, he is like all the others in her life. Ebony really was dealt the worst hand.

Ebony The Beloved is a raw depiction. Some passages made me cringe or shudder because of the brutal, dehumanized acts. In fact, the story begins with a very descriptive scene that made me question whether I could continue reading. I'm glad that I did finish.  

Ebony The Beloved is not your average urban novel. There is a lesson to learn within its pages. This book raises awareness about abuse, self confidence and survival. Spivey did a wonderful writing job with descriptive words and emotions that jump through the pages. Ebony The Beloved will cause you to react. While reading, I just kept saying aloud "Oh, Ebony. Know your worth!" 

You may know someone in an abusive relationship or may have experienced it yourself. Know your worth! Know there is hope and a way to a better life. I recommend reading Ebony The Beloved. It raises awareness and just might encourage you or a loved one to realize you too are beloved.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the author for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: Ebony The Beloved
Author: Hannah Spivey
Published: July 2011
Pages: 305
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

December 11, 2012

Asleep Without Dreaming

"She thinks it must be a dream... A dream inside a dream maybe." ~ pg. 237


Stella impulsively packs up her 14-year-old daughter, Willa, and leaves Hoosick Falls behind. A broken down car leaves them stranded in yet another small town. Unable to carry on with the original plan, Stella and Willa settle in the new town and start working for Omega Pearl Bodie. Curious Willa tries to keep one step ahead of her secretive not-to-be questioned mother, a handyman, an arsonist and escaped convict. It's a summer of lies and flames.

Every now and then, I read about a character that I feel really sorry for. Willa is that character. She was unfortunate to be stuck with a dysfunctional mother like Stella. I wanted to reach through the pages and just give Willa a warm hug. No child should feel neglected or think she's an ugly duckling. Abate did a great job developing this character and allowing the reader to feel emotion toward Willa.

A light read it is not. The story line is woven and complex. If you are looking for a light, fluffy read during the holidays, this is not the book. However, if you are interested in a layered story, then you will enjoy following this one summer in Willa's life. Abate writes with such vivid description that I could visualize the detailed setting. It's a heartwarming story with a bit of mystery that will occupy your mind while reading.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the author for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
 
Title: Asleep Without Dreaming
Author: Barbara Forte Abate
Published: September 2012
Pages: 319
Edition:  eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

December 9, 2012

Series Sunday: Merry Christmas, Alex Cross

An Alex Cross Novel (#19)
 


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 


"When do I start saying no, I thought, instead of just reacting to whatever crisis life sends my way? When do I begin to live Alex Cross's life?" ~ pg. 127

My Series Sunday pick is Merry Christmas, Alex Cross, the 19th book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Well, maybe not so merry. On Christmas Eve, Alex Cross is called to church. Not to worship, but to catch a robber who is stealing from the church's poor box. He successfully catches the robber and returns home to decorate the tree. It's not long before his phone rings again—now Alex is being called to the scene as Negotiator for a hostage situation. As if that isn't merry enough, Alex is sent to Union Station to catch a most-wanted terrorist, Hala Al Dossari.

His wife, Bree, Nana Mama and the children can't get in the Christmas spirit with Alex gone and in possible danger. Is celebrating the holiday with family too much to ask? Is getting a good Alex Cross book too much to ask? Although this is a quick read for the holidays, it fell short of being great. Is it the "Must Get, Must Give" book for Christmas? No.

But check out the video below of the Merry Christmas, Alex Cross book trailer for amazing visuals to the plot.



Title: Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
Author: James Patterson
Published: November 2012
Pages: 283
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♡

  

December 7, 2012

First Lines Friday


First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Grab your current read(s).
  • Share the first line(s).
  • Include the title and author.


"It was pitch black. The only thing that allowed direct light into the daunting room was a hole in the window."
 
~ Ebony The Beloved by Hannah Spivey

 

December 4, 2012

Gone Girl

 
"...lies, hatred, murder even, are all knit up in it." ~ pg. 6

I finished reading Gone Girl a couple weeks ago and I am STILL thinking about it. Bookhearts, let me tell you. I have not read a book that gripped and haunted me like this in so long. I downloaded the eBook when I noticed two of my social network friends were reading it. Since the first chapter, there was not one moment when I regretted dropping everything to read this book. In fact, I curled up in Cocoa Comfy (my reading chair) with a snuggie and hardly moved until the last e-page was turned—excluding the moment when I damn near threw my NOOK across the room and cursed aloud. Gone Girl was unputdownable!

By now, you're wondering what the heck is this book about?! **deep sigh** Where do I begin and how do I explain without spoiling the story or the ending? And yes, that ending has stirred up rants everywhere. In this exceptional case, the less you know about the plot, the better.

On Nick and Amy's fifth wedding anniversary day, Amy disappears. The girl is gone. The house shows signs of struggle and like most disappearances, the husband is always the prime suspect. Clues and evidence are revealed as Nick tries to prove his innocence.

Readers will find that the characters are challenging and unpredictable since the story is told from alternating points of view between Nick and Amy. Readers will feel strong feelings toward both of the main characters, as a married couple and as individuals. Their thoughts, incomplete truths and actions unfold in a twisted mystery that grows with each chapter. It is a classic case of He Said, She Said in literary form.

Watch the video below of author Gillian Flynn discussing bestseller book Gone Girl on The View.


Psychological thriller Gone Girl is not overrated. It deserves to be named as one of the best books of the year. It deserves the awards, praises, 4,000+ positive reviews and conversations. Read it. Period. Point blank. Then come back here to discuss because you WILL want to talk about this book with someone else who has read it (like me)!

Title: Gone Girl
Author: Gillian Flynn
Published: June 2012
Pages: 446
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

December 2, 2012

Series Sunday: Live Wire

A Myron Bolitar Novel (#10)
 


Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.
  • Read an installment of a series.
  • Share your review/recommendation below.
  • Include the title, author and series name. 

My Series Sunday pick is Live Wire, the tenth book in the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Former tennis star Suzze T and her rock star husband Lex are expecting a baby. An anonymous Facebook post makes Lex run off. Suzze T asks old friend Myron to find Lex and bring her husband home. Of course, Myron sets out on a mission to find the missing Lex, but he also finds his estranged sister-in-law, Kitty. But where is his brother? The couple is usually joined at the hip, so Myron knows something is wrong. Now that Myron's father is in the hospital, it is urgent that Myron finds his missing brother soon, or he'll have to tell one more lie.

Coben is a master at the hook-and-twist. But Live Wire? Oh my goodness. It was very well written and gripping. I couldn't turn the e-pages fast enough. I learned so much more about the main character Myron. We also meet his nephew, Mickey, who stars in his own YA series. Of course, best friend and business partner Esperanza and savvy Win. I must say, Live Wire, defines Myron as a character. All of qualities and personality traits are expressed best in this installment of the series.

I appreciate Harlan Coben's writing. It takes talent and discipline to keep a series interesting for 15+ years. It takes a special author to create a character that readers love and are invested in. Myron Bolitar is a friend in my head. He may be emotional, sensitive, and smart-assed, but he's also a protector with everyone's best interests in mind. He'll save those he cares about, even putting his own life at risk. Myron is a guy with a big heart that you can't help but adore. He's a character I don't want to see go away any time soon.

More Myron please, Mr. Coben!

Check out the video below of the Live Wire book trailer.


Title: Live Wire
Author: Harlan Coben
Published: March 2011
Pages: 259
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥