Rereading: Do you love meeting your favorite characters again?

Like so many of us Bookofiles (not sure if that is a word) we love to read.  Some of us will read anything we can get our hands on, others stick with one genre, but who of us do rereads? I was thinking about this partially because in 2012 and a much loved friend introduced me to audio-books  and it has fast become my favorite venue of rereading.

 I was never a big reread fan.  I was always on to the next book, unless I was going through books like crazy and didn't have the money or time to get new ones.  When I was 10 I had to wait til my Grandmother was done her Harlequin Romances before I could grab them to read so I created a small cache of favorites that I would read over and over.  I also would go back and just reread the last couple chapters so I could experience the happily ever after endings again.


 I then grew up and at 13 I discovered Piers Anthony and he opened a whole new world of Xanth for me and I fell into reading fantasy after Xanth, it was The Dragons of Pern and Anne McCaffrey which to this day remains a favorite.  I read fantasy for years then in my early 20s I discovered the wonderful world of mystery/suspense and pyscho thrillers and I would get lost in solving crimes, try to spot the traitor, Russian submarines and handsome policemen.  This is when I started what I call author reading.  I would find an author that I loved and buy up every book they wrote but I confess I missed my romance.

 Several years ago I found myself suddenly housebound and bored outta my mind when a good friend dropped off some movies to watch.  One of these movies was Twilight.  Now Twilight in my opinion was not a great movie...in fact in some places it was "bad", however I was intrigued and decided to see if it was based on a book.  Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the rest of the world had found these books and there was a Twi horde taking over the world.  I traveled to my local Costco and purchased all 4 books and read them, then read them again, Re-watched the movie..ok maybe it wasn't so bad. Then read them again.  I had heard Facebook someone talking about True Blood and I was off to buy the entire Southern Vampire series and read it...then reread it ..and read it again.

 I loved these books not just cause the stories for some reason spoke to me but also because they ignited in me the need to read more paranormal romance.  It was like going back to childhood and combining my love of romance and my love of fantasy.  It was shortly after this that I found Goodreads and a whole new world of books opened up ...oh yes and I bought an e reader .books at the click of a mouse. Suddenly I had hundreds of books at my finger tips not only with the online book stores but the local library had a fairly decent selection of eBooks  I figured I would never reread a book again.  I was wrong.  Certain series just call for a reread and when I hit a reading slump I still go back to my favorite series and  reread them find that I still adore them. Now that I have discovered audio-books I find I like to listen to books I have enjoyed as a read.  It is like reading them again for the first time.  I have listened to my darling Anita Blake and pined for Bones with my beloved Cat and loved them even more.

 I am currently listening to Love at Stake and once again am enjoying it actually even more than I did the read, the visuals my mind creates while listening is wonderful and I am finding more humor in the books than I did as a read.  So I have to confess I am a re-reader   Perhaps not to the extent as some of my GR friends but I know when I find a favorite I start looking for the Audio-book ..Are you a re-reader or are you on to the next book in a world of books at your finger tips?

Biting Cold

Read from September 23 to 27, 2012


He's BACK!!! And they are together ..or are they? Then again??? Read and find out!!!

Description:

Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye—and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined.And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing—among humans or inhuman  Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed.

No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

My Thoughts:

An author who takes chances, changes characters, kills characters, makes good guys bad guys and bad guys good guys, leaves the reader *needing* to read the next novel and counting down the days.   The answer?  Chloe Neill.  In this installment of Chicagoland Vampires everything changes, life from ashes, evil from tears, characters who were secondary become main characters or did they? The talented Miss Neill just keeps her readers twisting and turning.  It is almost a love hate relationship LOL.. Her hero is so flawed you wanna smack him and heroine occasionally needs a shake but the fact that you feel so strongly about them shows you how wonderful Chloe is at crafting her characters. Her secondary characters grow with each book at times overshadowing the main characters but that is what makes this series so interesting.  Her plots are fast paced and you have to pay attention to what you are reading or you would be lost. The famous cliffhangers are maddening however you are first in line to preorder the next book and just wish she would write faster.  What I do like is that she resolves the cliffhanger in the book fairly quickly so we can go on to have the plot grow and twist in another direction. Hands down Chloe Neill is one of the best writers in Urban Fantasy today and I for one can't wait until the next book is out! I need me my Ethan fix:)


Sparkly 5 star rating,and a warning to readers...if you have to miss a Chicagoland Vampire book..don't miss this one...it is wonderful. If you haven't yet met Merit and Ethan don't deprive yourself any longer...this is a series worth the read.

I was asked for it...and so Here it is Favorite Books&Series

Several of my Goodreads friends have been bugging me to post my favorite books of 2012  and all time favorite series.  So I decided on sharing my Favorite 10 books and my favorite 16 Series.  These change all the time since I am "always" reading and discovering new talent.

You will find I have pretty eclectic tastes in my stand a lone books but they all have hit me in the heart at some point.

t'irla's top 10 favorite books of all time  for now!

These books are in no particular order because they are all great books.  Some of them I have reviews posted other I haven't had a chance yet to get them up but reviews are available for all book on Goodreads
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Only book to ever make me actually sob and the best book Tymber Dalton has written.  Although BDSM had a minor role in the book it was more about relationships and different kinds of love.  A MUST read !



                                            My next one is Ink by Isabelle Rowan a wonderful PNR-M/M novel that is more about the relationship than the sex. If you are a new reader of M/M this is a great book for you to give a read.  Michael is one of the sexest...anyway read it.. Isabelle Rowan is known for her romance based M/M and this Aussie author needs a much higher profile for her wonderful writing.

One of the nicest authors I know brought this series to my attention during a Q&A on kick and then chatted away with us.  She is funny, sociable and writes wonderful books. This book is from her series called "Dream Man" but this is the book that I loved and would read as a stand a lone and actually have ..the main male character starts out as a real dickhead but keep reading I know you will love him as much as I do! Although PS Kristen..I don't like the covers LOL not that it matters:)

I have reviewed the next book here at t'irla's talk recently so all I'm going to say is I can't wait for the next book to be out.  I'm excited for your success Jamie McGuire

Don't let the title of the next one put you off. It is a little known book that once again is PNR with odd flavors of M/M and everything else but is also a New Adult book in  most ways.. The novel is quirky and different and mind altering, and crazy and just a great read.  The writing is good but the character crafting is was makes this book a winner for me.

The next few I won't say much about you can read what I think in my reviews but they all speak to me in different ways.  Again some of them are fairly undiscovered and I'm doing my best to bring these great books to light.  Want to hear more..read my reviews of Modern Love Story, On Dublin Street, and Butterfly Tattoo.

Hair of the Dog (yes the title is unfortunate and I wish they would consider changing it) is another off center PNR-M/M but with Suspense  again two fairly new authors and one great book.  A very different tale of turning Wolf that kept me reading all night.  It was cute, funny with steam and a great story.  Now there were some inconstancies  in the book and it could have used a better editor but crafting characters and plot like Kane&James do makes you know that future books are going to be amazing.  Give this a try it is worth it.




I loved Blushing Violet for what it could have been if it had been a longer book, at 160 pages there wasn't enough pages to really build this story the way it deserved and yet I loved it.  It was sweet and sexy and romantic.  Turn off your reality switch and just enjoy this wonderful love story.


For my favorite Series I'm just going to list them because I'm sure I will be reviewing or discussing most of these series as t'irla talks goes along.  So in no particular order join me in

My Favorite 16 Series of all time um..er  For now!

1.Night Huntress/Night Prince by Jeaniene Frost

2. Gabriel's Inferno/Rapture by Sylvain Reynard

3. Rock Chicks by Kristen Ashley

4. Elemental Mysteries by Elizabeth Hunter

5. Anita Blake Vampire Hunter by Laurell K Hamilton

6. Love at Stake by Kerrelyn Sparks

7. Immortals After Dark by Kelsey Cole

8. Rough Riders by Lorelei James

9. Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill

10. Vampires in America by DB Reynolds

11. New Species by Laurann Dohnr

12. Breeds by Lora Leigh

13. Masters of Shadowland/ Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair

14. Pride by Shelly Laurenston

15. Scanguard Vampmires by Tina Folsom

16. Demonica by Larissa Ione

I hope some of you join me in enjoying my favorite reads and that you share with me the books you read over and over again and have to be first in line to buy when a new book comes out. 

Have a great 2013 full of good books and new authors! Cheers!

Butterfly Tattoo

Read from May 05 to 07, 2012

What an incredibly sweet story! Loved it.

Description:

Just when the darkness seems permanent, fate flips a switch. Michael Warner has been drifting in a numb haze since his lover was killed by a drunk driver. As the anniversary of the wreck approaches, Michael's grief grows more suffocating. Yet he must find a way through the maze of pain and secrets to live for their troubled young daughter who struggles with guilt that she survived the crash. Out of the darkness comes a voice, a lifeline he never expected to find-Rebecca O'Neill, a development executive in the studio where Michael works as an electrician. Rebecca, a former sitcom celebrity left scarred from a crazed fan's attack, has retreated from the limelight and from life in general, certain no man can ever get past her disfigurement. The instant sparks between her and Michael, who arrives to help her during a power outage, come as a complete surprise-and so does her uncanny bond with his daughter. For the first time, all three feel compelled to examine their inner and outer scars in the light of love. But trust is hard to come by, especially when you're not sure what to believe when you look in the mirror. The scars? Or the truth? Warning: This title contains a three-hankie redemptive romance, a man with a complicated past, a heroine who's stronger than she knows, and tender, explicit sex scenes that may just break your heart-and make you believe in love once again.

My Thoughts:

Wow, what a beautifully written book. An emotional wringer, at times uncomfortable but always good. Ms Knight tells her story through both of the MCs view point using alternating chapters to switch POV. This refreshingly different book takes us through the impossible love story of two broken people and a broken little girl. The characters are well rounded and easy to connect with and empathize. The supporting characters were not as rounded but some like Casey brought out strong feelings. Now you maybe looking for steamy sex scenes but you are not going to get it in this but you will get an unconventional, realistic love story. When the book started I thought it was going to be a m/m story but no..it is a story about love having no boundaries, your heart finds what it needs. I finished the book last night but it is so clear in my mind and I am still thinking about aspects of it. The book is not so much a romance as it is a slow building love story that overcomes convention, pigeon holing, expectation and explores different kinds of love and how it  "fixes"  all those involved. I will be putting this on my favorite shelf...a deeply moving story.

5 golden stars for this excellent book and I encourage anyone who loves a emotional love story, a HEA with unusual pitfalls along the way. I'm filing this book beside A Modern Love story and Beautiful Disaster on my favorites shelf.

A Resolution and a Coke????

2013 will be a year of pain and gain for me.  After waiting 4 years I will finally be getting my knee replacements. So with 2 surgeries ahead I know I will have to go through the pain to gain my life back.  I intend to work hard to get back my full mobility.  I certainly don't need to make a New Years resolution with regard to this..or do I??? Lets see I started a diet in October to help me lose weight in hopes of making my recovery better.  In November I hired a physiotherapist/personal trainer to work with me twice a week to get my muscles back in shape to prepare for my surgery.  By December 1st I was cheating, it started with a little here and a little there, lunch out, fast food was easier and ohhhh chocolate then as a self confessed cokaholic it was well just one coke...and I was off the diet.  I did however keep up with my personal trainer twice a week and my hydrotherapy/water exercise twice a week.  So do I start with the weight loss New Year's resolution??

I look back over the last paragraph and I talk about me me me and although I joke and tell friends "it is all about me" I don't really live that way.  So, I started thinking maybe I need to make a resolution that would effect other people.  I could stay off Goodreads and actually do some house cleaning that would make my husband happy.  I could go visit my parents more often, that would make them happy.  I could volunteer my time somewhere that would be truly altruistic.  I grab a coke, and ponder more wiping the crumbs from a banana nut muffin from my mouth.  I'm thinking I won't last a week with all these resolutions.  Ok, Ok the volunteer one I could prolly last until February when I have my first surgery. So maybe not great resolutions.

Grabbing another coke, (remember addict) I thought harder (caffeine and sugar does that to me) and I started to wonder if I could make a personal resolution but have it effect other people.  Ok, I might be on to something here...I could have more charitable thoughts for others, I could wear makeup once in a while, I could smile more, I could present a happier face better attitude to the world.



 Yes,  maybe this would be better and have a resolution I could keep.  I am going to be a better person in 2013.  This is a win, win for everyone and  if I am a better person I will feel better about myself and there fore I will lose weight, I mean after all it is "all about me". *grin*

My 2013 New Years Resolution:  I am going to try to be a better person.