Audiobook suggestions wanted

It's my new Audible credit day, which always makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.

So my simple question for today is: What audiobook(s) would you recommend?

Book Review: Private Vegas by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

Private Vegas by James Patterson
My rating: 3.0/5.0
Publisher: Little Brown and Company

Publish Date: January 26, 2015

Series: Private #9
How I obtained my copy: my local library



My Review:
I make no bones that James Patterson is my go-to guilty read, if you want to call it that. I read every book that comes out by him and his co-writers. I have since just before the Alex Cross series took off and while I was waiting for his next book to come out (once upon a time you had to do that), I read most of his back list.

The Private series has been a breath of fresh air to me. For some reason each book has really appealed to me. I love Jack Morgan but I have enjoyed the books about the satellite offices as well (London, Berlin, etc.) But my favorites involve Jack Morgan and his LA team.

So imagine me going into this book, it's call Private Vegas. I'm thinking it's about the Las Vegas office, only there is no Las Vegas office and most of the book takes place in LA. Only a very small amount page wise takes place in Las Vegas. I have no problem with it, it just seems the book was misnamed.

So on with the book. It's fast-paced just as you expect it to be. There are several things going on in the book. This book was a little disjointed for me. While I loved every page, I kind of felt like I was being pulled in several different directions. And each case/problem was being wrapped up quickly with very little input from the team. So I was disappointed. Disappointed enough to put the book down? No. Disappointed enough to quit the series? No. But I do have hopes the next book will pull things together more and I can see the LA crew at work again.

There are several loose ends that leave things open at least on the personal front that will make the next book interesting. So I will look forward to it and to seeing more of Jack and the crew soon.

If you enjoy James Patterson and are use to the "hit and miss" element of his titles, then go for it. It's an installment in the Private series and reading something is better than not reading. If you get frustrated easily then maybe it's not the book for you. But I stuck it out and enjoyed it and I think most people will.

About Private Vegas:
What happens in Vegas...stays Private.

Las Vegas is a city of contradictions: seedy and glamorous, secretive and wild, Vegas attracts people of all kinds--especially those with a secret to hide, or a life to leave behind. It's the perfect location for Lester Olsen's lucrative business. He gets to treat gorgeous, young women to five-star restaurants, splashy shows, and limo rides--and then he teaches them how to kill.

Private Jack Morgan spends most of his time in Los Angeles, where his top investigation firm has its headquarters. But a hunt for two criminals leads him to the city of sin--and to a murder ring that is more seductively threatening than anything he's witnessed before. PRIVATE VEGAS brings James Patterson's Private series to a sensational new level.

Challenges: 
Snagged @ The Library
Outdo Yourself

***I received this book from my amazing local library, go give yours a visit!  ***

Book Review: Effortless by S.C. Stephens

Effortless by S.C. Stephens
My rating: 5.0/5.0
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: January 8, 2013
Source: Scribd subscription




My Review:
I'm not sure what took me so long to read the second book in this series when I read Thoughtless in one day before it came out. I'm guessing life and my mood got in the way, because it wasn't getting into this book. Effortless, was well, effortless for me to read. Complete and total brain candy in the best way.

After reading how Kiera and Kellan got together in Thoughtless, I understand how they had trust issues in Effortless. And that was what this book mainly dealt with. Through it all I was cheering for them to make it. And at times it was painful to watch, the misunderstandings, the deceit, but I never wanted to quit reading. I just wanted them to work it out in their way. And that was what was great, watching them work to persevere through the trials they were given. Relationships aren't easy and you have to work at them.

I like Kiera and can relate to her. The lack of self-confidence, the way that all goes out the window when she drinks and the utter devotion of her partner, Kellan. However I am lucky to be in an almost 23-year-relationship. But I think even with time and maturity there are always doubts in our minds. Maybe not to the extreme that Kellan and Kiera deal with, but in truth I think the story is easy to relate to for anyone.

I love Kellan and Kiera. Both are interesting characters in their own right. Kellan, the damaged male up and coming rock star. Kiera from a normal family and raising but she makes that one mistake for true love that haunts her and her relationship. Both carry their scars and their hangups about their relationship. And I like them for this. I also like watching them grow and mature through the book. While my wonderful husband is no rock star, we did deal with long-distance relationship for 5 years while we went to colleges 8 hours apart one year and 3 hours apart for the rest. I understand them and the storyline well (okay we're both from fairly normal families, but still it's easy to relate to).

The storyline moved fast and I couldn't wait to read it each day. The last night of reading I almost finished it, but my eyes kept closing no matter how I tried to stay up reading to 1am (with work the next day).

So this book was an awesome second installment in a series. I am one who often finds the second book doesn't interest me like the first and third do, but S.C. Stephens has done an amazing job with the second book, making it just as interesting as the first book. There is definitely no lag in the series here for me and I can't wait to read Reckless and then read Thoughtful from Kellan's POV.

About Effortless:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author S.C. Stephens comes the new adult series everyone is talking about, and a love triangle you won't forget.

After being caught in the middle of a love triangle that led to a devastating betrayal, Kiera pledged to learn from the mistakes she'd made. She was determined to never again inflict that kind of pain on anyone, especially the soulful, talented man who held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera's love is put to the ultimate test, will it survive? Love is easy, trust is hard.

Challenges:

Outdo Yourself
Contemporary Romance

***I read this book through my Scribd subscription. I was not compensated in any way for this review. ***

#Shelflove: Book Budgets

Book Budgets.  Something I have never done before, I've just bought books when I had the money and wanted to.  But this year I have pledged to read from my TBR pile.  How have I been doing?  Below are the books I have read that I bought before December 31, 2014.

1. Sometimes It Lasts by Abbi Glines (on my ereader since 2013)
2. Kiro's Emily by Abbi Glines (freebie from December 2014)
3. Tidal by Emily Snow (have had the audio since early 2014)
4. Enforce by Rachel van Dyken (bought December 2014) 
5. Forever Too Far by Abbi Glines (bought December 2014)
6. Bad for You by Abbi Glines (review audiobook from mid-2014)
7. Hold on Tight by Abbi Glines (review audiobook from mid-2014)
8. Take a Chance by Abbi Glines (bought 2014)
9. One More Chance by Abbi Glines (review audiobook from 2014)
10. Rush Too Far by Abbi Glines (review audiobook from 2014)
11. Survivor in Death by J.D. Robb (audiobook from audible several years ago)

I've read 25 books so far this year so coming in close to 1/2 from my TBR feels good.

Now onto budget. Not buying books is out for me. Some of my favorite authors, series will come out through the year.  Then I'm sure there will be some new authors and books I will want and some book bargains that are too good to pass up. So I have set a budget this year at $20 a month along with my audible credit.  I also have a Scribd subscription but I had that before the new year.
 
In January I bought when I wanted, but came in under the $20.  This month I planned better and each pay period, I will put $10 on my amazon gift card (the electronic kind) and buy using that and that alone.  So far this month I haven't even spent the first $10 and get to put my next $10 on Friday.  I also expect to throw some of my birthday money to books, but that's acceptable since it's gift money :)

In January I bought:

1. Wicked by Jennifer Armentrout - $4.24
2. Inspire by Cora Cormack - $1.06
3. Beautiful Redemption by Jamie Maguire - $6.39
4. Ruin Me by Jessica Sorenson - $1.06
5. The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe - $2.68
6. Wicked by Emily Snow - $1.06

January Total:  $16.49 (less than budget!)

In February I bought so far:

1. Never, Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher - $1.06  (and it's already been read!)

So how are you doing with your challenge?  Haven't joined the challenge, then check it out here.

Book Review: Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
My rating: 5.0/5.0
Publish Date: July 16, 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Where my book came from: I read this through Scribd.com subscription service


My Review:
Dangerous Girls is a book that can inspire all kinds of reactions. First and foremost, I loved the suspense, the movement from the present to the past and back and the fact that the characters were true to teenagers. The book is disturbing and even more so that it was ripped from the headlines. But overall I absolutely loved this book, if not the subject matter (dealing with the murder of a teenage girl, but then I picked it out). :)

Ms. Haas does an amazing job developing the characters through flash-backs where you get to see when and how Elise and Anna became friends, how Anna ended up with Tate and how they all ended up on vacation together. Obviously some of the characters are not as fleshed out, but the important ones are (Anna, Elise and Tate). And besides the characters, the author really makes you feel in this book. Outrage at the murder, outrage at the fact that Anna is being tried and outrage at how certain things happen during the trial.

I spent the book truly wondering who did it. Yes I had my suspicions. But when it was all said and done, I still didn't see it coming even though I was right. I thought it was plotted well and I never found my interest level waning. Every time I put the book down I picked it up again as soon as I could (have 7 1/2 minutes while waiting for macaroni to cook for kids, great reading time!)

Ms. Haas really scores with her writing, making Dangerous Girls intriguing, horrifying and also an interesting story of friendship and justice. If you love a good suspenseful young adult novel, then this is a great one to pick up.

About Dangerous Girls:
It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

Challenges:
New Author
Outdo Yourself

***I read this book through my Scribd.com subscription service.  I was not compensated in any way for this review. ***

Book Review: Never Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher

Never Never by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
My rating:  5.0/5.0
Series: Never, Never #1
Publisher: Hoover Ink
Publish Date: January 7, 2015
From: my Kindle shelf

My Review:

Amazing. That's what I think about Never Never. I love Colleen Hoover so I knew this was a must buy for me when I first saw it. And buy it I did. Then I read it, trying to take my time, but I couldn't help rushing because I had to know what happened next. Then it ends and I already miss Silas and Charlie and cannot wait until April. You mean I have to wait until April?

Seriously a concept where two teenagers seem to lose their memories, both at the same time is just amazing as I mentioned before. Watching them navigate through life and learn what they can and fake what they can just to get by is very intriguing. I loved getting to know them as they get to know themselves or their new selves. And the mystery. Who are various people and why did this happen. The romance, turns out not only did Charlie and Silas know each other but they seemed to be destined for each other since birth. But was their love enough for both of them?

Lots of questions and a few answers are provided in this book and I cannot wait until the next installment. I am very invested in both characters and want to know more.

Is it April yet?

About Never, Never
Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.
Complete strangers since this morning.
He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. 


Challenges:
Outdo Yourself
Contemporary Romance

***I bought this book and all thoughts in this review are unsolicited.  ***

Thoughts on Genres

I've been reading since I was a kid, but it's only been in the last 10 years or so that I have noticed the trends in the book industry and it really just came to me when I thought about my reading habits in the shower the other day.  Is it just me or can you solve the world's problems when you are in the shower and not singing at the top of your lungs (Take Me To Church and Uptown Funk are my current favorite shower songs, but I have been known to belt out some Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert)?  I frequently find answers to problems I've run into at work, how to handle something with the kids and yes even a blog post :)

So here's what I have noticed:

Mystery and suspense are always around and contemporary romance as well for me.  I'm not a big non-fiction reader but I know that is always around, but I'm talking about my reading habits.

Somewhere around 2002-2003, the vampire/paranormal craze hit romance.  I read as much as I could get my hands on.  The Dark Hunters series by Sherilyn Kenyon, Anita Blake by Laurell K. Hamilton, the Carpathians by Christine Feehan and so many others, but it's been 10 years and it's hard to remember.  But somewhere along the way this fizzled out and I've looked through my Kindle library and there are so many series I haven't read yet, but I'm not feeling it at the moment.

Romantic Suspense also really came into play shortly after I went on the paranormal reading spree.  It was really big and while it very much is still around, there was a true heyday somewhere around 2005 or so.  Dee Davis, Mary Burton, Jayne Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell and Nora Roberts were some of must reads (and still are).

Also the general fiction genre took off with the likes of Jodi Picoult, Kristin Hannah, Elizabeth Berg, Emily Griffin, Elin Hilderbrand, Lisa Scottoline and many others.  I have enjoyed and still enjoy books by these authors.  I can count on a heartfelt story that feels real.  And while I love a happy ending, I don't mind an occasional unresolved or not as happy ending.  That said the ending of several Nicholas Sparks (who is a local author for me) tick me off.  But that's another blog post.

As the paranormal started to fizzle for me (too much of it for me, maybe) Young Adult seemed to be hitting it's prime. The Twilight series bridged the gap for many of us not-so-much-young adults.  We were reading paranormal so it wasn't a stretch to go read Twilight, I mean it had vampires.  Sparkly ones at that ;)  Then it was Harry Potter.  And the Hunger Games.  All YA became popular but I would say the Hunger Games trilogy ushered in the post-apocalyptic genre which is still going to some extent but I am seeing more people getting tired of it.  I admit that it hasn't piqued my interest as much after I finished the Divergent series.  There are still some great books out there, but I think I'm burnt out on it.  Somewhere in there was the paranormal ability and angel books, like The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting and the Fallen series by Lauren Kate.  There were also serious books and alternate reality seems to be popular and just plain contemporary. I honestly wish there had been this much YA when I was a young adult, but I'll enjoy it at 40.

While I feel YA is still going strong, it ushered in edgier books centered around kids finishing high school and in college.  An age group that wasn't really in many books before.  Romance seemed to pick up around 25-40 and suspense was usually older characters.  So these edgier books centered around this new age group (17-24) became New Adult.  This genre was mainly launched by independent authors like S.C. Stephens, Jamie Mcguire and Abbi Glines to name a few and now all of them are published by major publishers. Yay for them!  I have been working my way through Abbi Glines' Rosemary Beach and Seabreeze series.  They have been great.  I also love anything by Jamie McGuire.  The Beautiful Disaster series of books have been excellent and I have read the first Maddox brothers book and have purchased the second one.  Love these!  Some other of my favorites are Jennifer Armentrout, Colleen Hoover, Rachel van Dyken and too many other authors to mention.  But I'm seriously  loving this genre right now which is what led to me thinking of this post because I wonder what will come after this.

And we can't forget erotica.  Yes it's always been there, but the Fifty Shades of Grey books really ushered in women being less ashamed to be seen reading it.  I remember the year it was really popular being in Myrtle Beach for a girls' weekend and you could look around the pool, everyone was either reading a Fifty Shades book or a Hunger Games book.  LOL!  But this brought Cheyenne , Jaci Burton and many others to the forefront and while there were some books that seemed to copy the Fifty Shades of Grey model, there were many refreshing new ideas and great books. I don't see this genre going away but it's faded a little.  I'm thinking with the movie coming out next weekend that it may be revived.

And along the way I have stayed true to reading contemporary romance from Nora Roberts, Kristin Higgins, Lisa Renee Jones, Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Lori Foster.  These authors are timeless and seem to move with the times keeping their books fresh and interesting and of course full of love, conflict and of course a happy ending.  Yes it's a formula, but it's a formula that works and these authors and many others bring a freshness to it that make it fun, serious, mysterious and hot.  Romance is the biggest selling genre with a good reason.

Finally is the Mystery/Suspense/Horror genres for me.  I started reading heavy as a teenager with V.C. Andrews (I was in the height of the Dollanger family books), Stephen King and Dean Koontz.  Stephen King and Dean Koontz are still must reads for me.  I've added J.D. Robb, Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Lisa Jackson, Lisa Gardner, Janet Evanovich, Lisa Scottoline (she's both mystery and general fiction), James Patterson (yes he's my guilty pleasure, but that's another blog post as well).  There are many others in this genre as well. 

After writing this post, I think I will make a series of posts with authors I have discovered and loved over the years. 


And just to clarify, I in no way think these swings through genres are bad.  Variety is wonderful.  I love each and every genre and love to see authors do great.  I love to see new authors on the scene and enjoy my favorites.

What are your thoughts about the progression of reading fads/binges that you have participated in. 

What is your favorite genre of the moment?

What would you like me to talk about from my perspective?  I am going to get back to reviews, but I like sharing my feeling as well. I know I enjoy reading posts on what the bloggers think about reading.  I'll also share my bookshelves and my reading habits in more depth.  But I would love to hear from you as well.  If you have a blog post about any of these topics or your reads from 2014, let me know, I love to read these and may have missed them.