2014 Recap and 2015 Goals

Looking back on 2014, I feel I’ve accomplished and grown a lot in my book travels. I started out this year blog-less and having no idea how much I would love blogging and how much I would become involved in it. Blogging, and even specifically book blogging, is this whole other world that you can become immersed in. There is such an audience out there for book bloggers, it is just astounding. And while there are many things I’d like to improve about my blog in the coming year, I think that this past year has been very successful. I held my first reading challenge on my blog, and though I was the only one who participated, it was still very fun.

With regards to my 2014 reading goals, I accomplished many of them but not all. One of my goals had been to read Pride and Prejudice, it is one of my absolute favorite movies and I started it years ago and just never finished it. Unfortunately, I did not read it again this year so I will most likely be rolling that goal over to next year. I also had a goal to read at least 2 books that were made into movies that I like. I read one (Beautiful Creatures) but did not read a second. I actually ended up reading the whole series and it was very interesting. My goal for 2014 was to read sixty books and I far surpassed that during the year. I slowed down in my reading towards the end of the year due to having to work a lot of overtime and therefore not having a lot of extra time for reading but I read over 100 books for the year so I am still quite pleased with my accomplishment.

It’s very hard to decide what my favorite book of 2014 was. Fortunately, I was able to narrow it down to 4 favorites out of the 100+ I read this year. I loved Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger because it was very interesting and different. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was a fan-favorite this year and became a fantastic movie. Glass Kitchen by Linda Lee Francis was beautiful and touching and magical. And finally, In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins was just as wonderful as I expected it to be. Higgins never lets me down, I devour her books as soon as they’re released.

My 2015 goals will not include a specific number goal for the year. I don’t think I will be able to hit the 100 book mark again between having a house now and acquiring 3 pets at the end of 2014 and also dealing with my job, I’m lucky if I can find 20 minutes to read each day. Nor do I want to read books just to get the numbers in and to get up to my number goal. This year I want to focus more on expanding my horizons and reading different types of books that maybe I’ve never read before. I’m also creating goals this year that are more blog-related than reading-related. The following will be my goals for 2015:

1. Read at least 20 different types of the books on the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2015 checklist
2. Post at least 2 non-book review related posts per month
3. Participate in one book reading challenge (on an external site) per quarter
4. Post at least two posts per month concerning various book memes
5. Read at least 5 books from Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime
6. Participate in Roof Beam Reader’s 2015 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

My books for this reading challenge are all books that I currently have on my TBR shelf and that either I own or someone has loaned to me and I few thrown in that I will get from the library. My goals will be:
1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
2. Girls of a Tender Age by Mary-Ann Throne Smith
3. Lightning by Dean Koontz
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
5. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
6. Lethal by Sandra Brown
7. Running for Women by Kara Goucher
8. I Adored a Lord by Katharine Ashe
9. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
10. The Wonder of All Things by Jason Mott
11. The Cage by Meghan Shepherd
12. Cemetery Girl by David Bell

I am looking forward to what 2015 will bring! Happy Reading everyone!

31Dec2014

2014 in review – produced by WordPress.com

Posted in For the love of books by rebeccabook17

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. I think the results are pretty good for my first year of blogging, maybe even impressive if I do say so myself. Looking forward to working more on my blog next year and developing it! Thank you to my readers and everyone who has commented on my posts this past year! Click on the picture of the fireworks to see the full report!

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,700 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 28 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

22Oct2014

Waiting on Wednesday (4): Blood Magick by Nora Roberts

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

Blood Magick by Nora Roberts

Release Date: October 28, 2014

Blurb from the cover (Amazon):

Book Three of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Blood Magick

County Mayo is rich in the traditions of Ireland, legends that Branna O’Dwyer fully embraces in her life and in her work as the proprietor of The Dark Witch shop, which carries soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists, made with Branna’s special touch.

Branna’s strength and selflessness hold together a close circle of friends and family—along with their horses and hawks and her beloved hound. But there’s a single missing link in the chain of her life: love…

She had it once—for a moment—with Finbar Burke, but a shared future is forbidden by history and blood. Which is why Fin has spent his life traveling the world to fill the abyss left in him by Branna, focusing on work rather than passion.

Branna and Fin’s relationship offers them both comfort and torment. And though they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow. A storm of shadows threatens everything that their circle holds dear. It will be Fin’s power, loyalty, and heart that will make all the difference in an age-old battle between the bonds that hold their friends together and the evil that has haunted their families for centuries.

Why Am I Waiting?

This is the third book in Roberts’ Cousin’s O’Dwyer series. I really enjoyed the first two books in the series, and honestly I’m eager to see the villain defeated and for Branna to end up with Fin. This series has been an interesting take on old Irish magic and I love the backstory to Branna, Connor, and Iona’s ancestors and the source of their magic. Overall a very interesting story.

Link to author website: http://www.noraroberts.com/

Link to Amazon (pre-order): http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Magick-Cousins-ODwyer-Roberts/dp/0425259870/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1413987477

21Oct2014

Gone Girl Movie!!

Posted in Books made into movies, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

So last week I went to see the Gone Girl movie that came out based on the book and I have to say, it was SUCH a great movie! Movies many time will miss parts of a book that readers find essential, mostly because it is just impossible to include everything from an almost 400 page book into a movie that’s approximately 2 hours. Luckily the magic movie makers for this film only left out really 2 non-essential plot items (the Desi’s mother gets involved at the end and that Tanner Bolt’s wife gets involved in prepping Nick for the interview) that I’m pretty sure they skipped only to avoid introducing more characters into an already full screenplay.

Other than that the movie followed the book almost to a T. I loved it. The whole movie I was sitting there thinking, this is exactly like the book, its just so perfect. And I have to say, I don’t think they could’ve picked a better actor for the role of Nick. Ben Affleck was just superb in the role of an arrogant and slightly creepy jerk. Really all the casting was so well done, Amy’s role was perfect and Margo’s was very good and Desi’s role was well cast too. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more well-suited cast.

Anyone who read this book and at least somewhat liked it, I would definitely recommend seeing the movie! Just a warning though a few of the scenes are pretty graphic (sex and violence). Nothing too crazy, though I have to say the scene towards the end involves a lot of blood so if you’re squeamish I would close your eyes for that one. I thought it was a great movie though and a pretty much perfect adaptation of the book.

Link to trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi78622489/imdb/embed?autoplay=false&width=480

Link to my review for the Gone Girl book: https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/2014-book-78/

Link to Gone Girl movie IMDB site: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/

1Oct2014

Spooky series reading challenge – October 2014

Posted in For the love of books, Reading Challenges, Spooky series reading challenge by rebeccabook17

Halloween is almost here! And one of my favorite series (the Betsy Taylor series by MaryJanice Davidson) has a new book being released this month! And since it is the 13th book in the series, I’ve been thinking what I could do to celebrate Halloween through my reading and incorporate the new book in my plan. So I came up with a great idea! Spooky series reading challenge!

So here’s the plan. For the month of October I plan to read through the Undead / Betsy Taylor series in its entirety. I also plan to read other spooky books here and there (witches and warlocks and werewolves and vampires and whatnot). But my main goal will be to read the Undead series. Make sure to follow my progress through the series and through the reading challenge throughout the month of October.

And I would love to invite you all to join the reading challenge for the month of October with me! You don’t need to be at the beginning of a series to join in. And I know plenty of spooky series so if you need ideas I can definitely provide suggestions! Just make sure to link up to this post so I can check in on your progress with the reading challenge!

10Sep2014

Waiting on Wednesday (3): Undead and Unwary by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

Undead and Unwary by MaryJanice Davidson

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Blurb from the cover (Amazon):

How do you out-devil the devil? For Vampire queen Betsy Taylor, the answer is relative—literally—as MaryJanice Davidson’s “sexy, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny” (Booklist) New York Times bestselling series continues…

Why Am I Waiting?

This is the thirteenth book in the Undead/Betsy Taylor series by this author. I have to say I absolutely love this series, it is funny, interesting, and fully entertaining. Since this is the 13th book in the series and October is just the perfect month for it to come out, I’m thinking about doing a marathon and re-reading this series during the month of October before reading the newest book. I read two in the series recently, you can check out those posts here.

Link to author website: http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net/

Link to Amazon (pre-order): http://www.amazon.com/Undead-Unwary-Queen-Betsy/dp/0425263444/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1410348131&sr=8-1

3Sep2014

Waiting on Wednesday (2): Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

Rules for a Proper Governess by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Blurb from the cover (Amazon):
TO KISS A THIEF…

Scottish barrister Sinclair McBride can face the most sinister criminals in London–but the widower’s two unruly children are a different matter. Little Caitlin and Andrew go through a governess a week, sending the ladies fleeing in tears. There is, however, one woman in town who can hold her own.

Roberta “Bertie” Frasier enters Sinclair’s life by stealing his watch–and then stealing a kiss. Intrigued by the handsome highlander, Bertie winds up saving his children from a dangerous situation and returning them to their father. Impressed with how they listen to her, Sinclair asks the lively beauty to be their governess, never guessing that the uncoventional lady will teach him a lesson or two in love.

Why Am I Waiting?

This is the seventh book in the MacKenzie family series by this author, which is just a great historical romance series. This author is able to put such emotion into her characters that I easily get caught up in each story. I’ve grown attached to the members of this family and am glad that she is continuing the series! You can check out some of my posts on other books in the Mackenzie family / Highland Pleasures series here.

Link to author website: http://www.jennifersromances.com/

Link to Amazon (pre-order): http://www.amazon.com/Rules-Proper-Governess-Mackenzies-Series/dp/0425266036/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409746868&sr=1-1

27Aug2014

“Waiting On” Wednesday (1): In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

Posted in "Waiting On" Wednesday, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases.

This week’s spotlight is on:

In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins.

Release date: Sept 30, 2014

Blurb from the cover (on Amazon):

Everyone loves Jack Holland, but Emmaline Neal needs him. Her ex-fiancé is getting married in Malibu and, obviously, she can’t go to the wedding alone. In Manningsport, New York, tall, blond and gorgeous Jack Holland is practically a cottage industry when it comes to rescuing desperate women. He knows the drill, Em figures, so he won’t get the wrong idea.

What Jack needs is an excuse to leave town. Ever since rescuing four teenagers from a car wreck, he’s been hailed as a hero and the attention is making him itchy, especially since his too-pretty ex-wife is back, angling for a reunion. He’s always liked Emmaline. She needs a weekend date? No problem.

So when they wind up in bed together, Em chalks it up to red wine and chocolate cake, just one impulsive night not to be repeated. But Jack’s pushing for more, and if she lets down her guard, either she’ll get her heart crushed again, or discover that Jack’s worth more than just dreaming about.

Why Am I Waiting?

I am a huge fan of Kristan Higgins. She writes romantic and sweet love stories that can reach into your chest and grab your heart and squeeze. You’ll laugh out loud and cry your eyes out and you’ll love it the whole time its happening. This is her fourth book in the Blue Heron series, and I can’t wait to read it! To see my other reviews on books in the Blue Heron series, go to https://rebeccabookreview.wordpress.com/category/book-reviews/book-series-book-reviews/blue-heron-series/.

Link to author website: http://www.kristanhiggins.com/index.html

Link to Amazon (pre-order): http://www.amazon.com/Your-Dreams-Blue-Heron-Series/dp/0373779313/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1409150107&sr=8-1

26Aug2014

Liebster Award Nomination

Posted in For the love of books by rebeccabook17

Thank you so much to Claire from the Bookfaerie blog for nominating me for the Liebster award!

This award is a chain award by bloggers to welcome newbie bloggers to the world of blogging. The only condition is that you have less than 200 followers!

To accept, all you have to do is:

1) Link and thank the person who nominated you (thanks again Claire!).
2) Answer the 11 questions your nominator gives you
3) Tag 11 bloggers who have 200 or less followers
4) Ask the 11 bloggers 11 questions, and let them know you nominated them!

So, here are my answers to the 11 questions Claire asked me:

1) What’s your favorite place to read?

I love reading in libraries, the quiet is so relaxing to me. I will read pretty much anywhere though!

2) Paper or electronic book? Or a bit of both?

Definitely paper! I am a die hard paper book fan. I have read a few e-books here and there but only when its not available in any other format.

3) Have you got any hidden talents?

I don’t think so. I’m pretty organized but I think of that more as a “condition” than a talent.

4) What’s your favorite thing to cook?

Not much of a cooker, but I love to bake. Cookies and cakes and brownies and pretty much anything sweet.

5) If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Ireland or Scotland probably. I always think the landscape and the castles would be so romantic to see. I love reading about those countries in different books.

6) Have you any siblings?

Nope. Only child.

7) Who’s your hero or role model?

I would have to say my mom. I know its cliche but she’s a pretty amazing gal and she always pushes me to be a better person, which I think is really important. And she has always believed in me and taught me to reach for my goals, even the ones that seem impossible. She has a blog too if you want to check it out! joanne94wquilts

8) What sort of music do you like to listen to?

I’m pretty varied in my music tastes but I do love listening to musicals.

9) Who’s your favorite author?

Now that is a hard one. Lately I’ve been loving Kristan Higgins’ books a lot. I also would say Linda Howard is probably my all-time favorite. I also love MaryJanice Davidson’s books, I always end up laughing out loud when I read those. Also Jayne Ann Krentz, Meg Cabot, Nora Roberts, and Vicki Lewis Thompson.

10) What film could you watch over and over again?

Hocus Pocus for my all-time pick. Lately also Austenland, Despicable Me 2, Sherlock Holmes, and Beautiful Creatures.

11) What are three things we probably don’t know about you?

I’m an accountant by day (I know, boring).
Someday I’d like to work in a library again. I miss many things about working at one.
I just absolutely love peanut butter.

My 11 blogs that I’ve nominated are:
1) Embracing Romance
2) Cover too Cover
3) Read Love
4) Kittens and Books
5) Book Love
6) Stories For Coffee
7) And Then He Kissed Her
8) Badass Romance
9) Romance Reader Girl
10) Girl meets Books
11) Rogues, Rebels, & Rakes

Sorry if you’ve already been nominated or you have more than 200 followers but I thought you all deserved a nomination!!

My 11 questions to you are:

1) What are you currently reading?
2) What movie have you enjoyed more than the book?
3) If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why?
4) What is your favorite book of all time?
5) Paper or electronic book? Or a bit of both?
6) Who’s your hero or role model?
7) What are 3 random facts about you?
8) What is the best book you’ve read this year?
9) What book series did you completely binge-read…or wish you could have binge-read but not all of them were out at the time?
10) What is your favorite genre to read and what would you say to readers who don’t like that genre?
11) If you could recommend one author to me, who would you recommend and why?

Happy blogging!

14Aug2014

Celebrating Read-a-Romance Month!!!

Posted in For the love of books by rebeccabook17

I was asked to participate in the “Blogger Day” for Read-a-Romance month (http://www.readaromancemonth.com/). My essay, interview, recommendations, and bio are listed below.

What does romance mean to me…

I like to think that I am romantic in nature. Romance really is essentially thinking about the person you love, and thinking about what you can do to make them happy. It’s not rocket science and it isn’t really a difficult thing. I believe that through the years, romance is the glue that holds a relationship together. It’s not necessarily about the grand gestures, but about finding time to care about one another in little ways every day. Through the month of August so far I have been reading the essays from different romance authors on the readaromancemonth.com website, and I have found that a number of the essays have had a common theme – that romance isn’t always the dramatic, over-the-top gestures that we see in some novels but the little things that people do every day to show their love for you. Especially when you consider your partner of 30 years, something as simple as holding their hand becomes meaningful and romantic. As you grow older things are constantly being added to your life; more responsibility at work, kids, pets, house, etc. This leaves less and less time for you to think of your spouse and of the things that you can do to make them happy. There is no longer time to plan a romantic 3 day getaway weekend, you’re lucky if you can find 5 minutes when you can be not only together but also alone. And not only that, but after dealing with all of the problems and issues you encounter during the day, there isn’t always a lot of energy left to think about the other person in your relationship. I really believe that it is important to take those 5 minutes every day to really focus on your spouse and think of something nice you can do for them, even if it’s as simple as vacuuming the house. Those little things can really mean a lot to the person that you love. I have found that romance novels really both remind and encourage me to think of my spouse. I read about these great loves and these dramatic romantic overtures and I think that the least I can do for my husband is something little, like making him his favorite dinner or picking out a movie to watch that I know he’ll like even though I won’t really.

I get asked a lot why I bother reading romance novels. Many people say that they’re just trash and that they have no real substance. Every book is different though, and while I agree you could argue some items are missing from romance novels that you might find in a book of “substance”, I believe that romance novels have a great deal of substance. They have a never-ending depth of human emotions. Great authors will draw you into the story and trap you there, make you feel what the hero and heroine are struggling through together. You get to personally experience their happiness at the end of the story when they discover love.

One of the books that I most remember losing myself in is Once Upon a Tower by Eloisa James. At the time I read that book I was going through a difficult point in my marriage and I very much related to the heroine in the story and her struggles with the hero. I can distinctly remember getting lost in that story and connecting with the heroine at such a depth that I couldn’t distinguish her emotions from my own because they were one in the same. I would stop reading to get a snack or something and my mind would still be stuck in the story.

Getting to the ending of that story and finding Edie and Gowan’s happy ending gave me hope for my happy ending. That’s what I really love about romance novels, that there is always a happy ending and the readers are always left with a deep sense of hope. Life can be really tough sometimes, and there are days that I come home from work feeling defeated and beat down. Life can be overly depressing when you think too hard about how much you work and how little time there is to actually do the things you like to do. Romance novels help me to escape that. Instead of my life, I’m suddenly dropped into London society in 1810, in the midst of a torrid affair between a rogue and a daring young miss. Having that escape is a form of relief for me. It helps me to be better prepared to deal with the rest of my day when I can have that half hour at lunch to go into a different world.

I have been an avid reader my whole life and enjoy reading a multitude of genres. Through the years though, romance novels seem call to me in a way that no other genre really has. The romance niche has it all and has a genre for everyone: suspense, paranormal, historical, contemporary, cowboys, pirates, there is absolutely something for everyone. And I think everyone needs a dose of love and of hope in their lives to get through the day.

Interview:

1 – Describe the most daring, adventurous or inspiring thing you ever did.

Probably the most daring thing I ever did was fall in love with a Marine who lived 3,000 miles away from me. We met at a graduation party of a mutual friend and exchanged phone numbers. From there we became good friends and correspondents. And from there we fell in love. Before I met my now husband I never knew I liked to travel or that I was slightly adventurous. I ended up driving cross-country to CA for a summer and that was probably one of the most adventurous experiences of my life thus far.

2 – Tell us about your journey to becoming a writer. (How did you decide to get started? Did you always know or was there a specific moment when you knew?)

I have trouble thinking of myself as a “writer” even though I end up writing a blog post almost every day some weeks. Compared to the authors I read though, I couldn’t imagine writing something as interesting as they do. My journey as a blogger began this past year. My mom and I both set goals for this year (hers was in quilting, mine was to read 60 books). I suggested that my Mom start a blog on her quilting to help her keep track of her completed projects through the year (you can see her blog at http://joanne94w.wordpress.com/). And in about February of 2014, my husband also suggested that I start a blog for my book challenge.

3 – Tell us about The (or A) Book That Changed Your Life. (Why?)

It’s hard to pick one. Romance novels have gotten me through some tough points in my life and I’ve loved a good variety of genres. I think if I had to pick a book I would have to say that I was really drawn into the world of romance novels when I started reading Linda Howard’s romantic suspense. Now You See Her and Mr. Perfect both drew me in and I think were the first books that I really got caught up in the emotions and the drama of the heroine. Both are great romantic suspense novels.

Recommendations –

I’m new to the world of blogging so I haven’t been able to explore other blogs as much as I would like yet. I do really enjoy the Rakes and Rascals blog (http://rakesandrascals.wordpress.com/) which also features mostly romance novels.

As for authors, I probably have too many favorites to name. Stephanie Laurens, Jennifer Ashley, Elizabeth Hoyt, Julie Garwood, Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz (and all her other pen names), Kristan Higgins, Meg Cabot, Nora Roberts, Vicki Lewis Thompson (the nerd series is one of my absolute favorites) are some of my all-time favorites.

I’m becoming more interested in different authors lately as well: Elizabeth Lowell, Elizabeth Boyle, Jane Graves, Eloisa James.

I could probably keep naming but you get the idea 🙂

Bio –

Rebecca Lyman began blogging in February of 2014. Since then she has posted a total of 83 blog posts, including both book reviews and articles on other book-related topics. By day she works as an accountant at a national auditing firm. She has been an avid reader since she was very young and always has at least one if not two books with her at all times. She is well known at her local library and worked there during her high school years. She hopes to someday return to working at a library as an accountant.