Novelas Romanticas Gratis

Well, I failed getting all of my books read in September. I just couldn't dig in and pay attention long enough to read Their Eyes Were Watching God, so back on the shelf it goes. I will read it. It's become a personal goal for me. I started What We Talk About When We Talk About Books and became stuck pretty fast. I may return to it when it's in paperback. I did read Nora Robert's Blood Brothers , and liked it enough to want to read the two other books in the trilogy. I've read a few of her trilogies, and unfortunately they all seem very much alike, so unless she pulls something out of her hat, I may not read anymore. I'll finish this one, and review all three together soon.  October was always the gateway to the fun part of the year for me as a child. Halloween, quickly followed by my birthday, then Thanksgiving and Christmas. So much candy, treats, and yes, birthday cake! I still love the last few months of the year, even if they are a bit frantic sometimes. Oc

Fall has been reluctant to arrive in Iowa. Today, finally, it feels like it. Chili in the crockpot, slight chill in the air, but not enough to not wear a t-shirt outside-just remember to bring a jacket for later. Ah. While I enjoy the ease of summer, I do get tired of it, so I'm ready for cooler nights, comfort food, and  not doing any yard work! This trio of romances is pure fun. I caution that you'll probably want to eat your weight in cookies and scones while you read it. But if you're looking for a fun read full of feel good romances and happy endings, this is your ticket.  Moonbright, Maine is a delightful small town that goes all out for Halloween. As in having a huge parade, everyone in town dresses up, shops are open late at night, and it's one big party. Bellaluna's Bakeshop is a family business run by Sofia and her granddaughter, Abriana. The bakeshop is known for out of this world sweets, and if you're someone special, you might just get the special I

This month has been a tough one for getting through books. I've struggled, when I usually zip through a few a week. I started reading The Whisper Man a few weeks ago, and kept putting it down, picking it up. I just couldn't get my head into a novel about a serial killer of little boys. But this weekend was rainy and gloomy, and I decided to buckle down and finish it. There was much more to it, and the deeper I got into the story, the more gripping it became.  Tom Kennedy and his little boy Jake are moving to the small town of Featherbank to start over after Tom's wife and Jake's mother dies unexpectedly, leaving both in the depths of grief. Jake is a quiet boy; he loves to draw, and is always having conversations with his imaginary friend, a little girl who keeps him company. A new house, a new school; Tom hopes Jake will come out of his solitude and make friends. Tom, a published author, is stuck trying to begin a new novel, but he's suffering from writer's bl

Oh, it took me a while to get through this novel. I made the mistake of reading some of the reviews about it, and that influenced me (I admit this reluctantly!). There were a few times when I was ready to just throw in the towel, but I persisted and finished the book, and I'm glad I did, even if I do have mixed feelings.  So. Ivy is a private investigator in San Francisco. She's your stereotypical PI: just barely hanging on, investigating cheating spouses and small time criminal activity, and likes the bottle. She's called on to investigate a murder at an unusual place: The Osthorne Academy, a secret school for witchcraft and wizardry. This is no run of the mill murder, either; it's rather gruesome. Sylvia, a teacher at the academy, is found in the library, literally split in two, head to toe. The school wants to know what exactly happened--this is big, big magic--the kind of magic that isn't actually possible. So did Sylvia try something, and it went horribly wrong

My book group meets tonight, and our theme for September is to read a book that was either challenged or banned in the United States. Challenged means someone tried to have a book removed from a library or a school curriculum  because they objected to subject matter or felt the book was inappropriate for children or young adults. It doesn't mean the book was removed. Banned, of course, means the book was successfully removed from a library (or libraries) or a school curriculum. Unfortunately, this continues to happen regularly. Spending my adult life working in a bookstore, and now a library, I am a HUGE advocate for no censorship regarding reading material.  I don't have children; however, if I did, I would certainly not limit their reading. If I was even slightly worried that they wanted to read something that they might not be emotionally ready for, or have trouble understanding, I would want to read it with them, or read it before they did--and have a conversation! I can te

Sometimes a book that you think is going to check off of all your boxes ends up being one that leaves you with a lingering feeling of disappointment and dissatisfaction.  The Ingredients of Us was one of those books. Maybe I went into the book thinking it was going to be a fun-filled novel about a baker, and recipes, and a bit lighthearted, with just enough drama to keep it from being sappy.  Instead, I struggled to finish it, and it took me a few weeks. It's the story of Elle and Tom, married for 8 years, and Elle has recently discovered Tom has had an affair. A busy woman with a popular bakery, she's consumed by her love of baking--so much so that it usually takes priority in her life, even over Tom. Feeling neglected, he cheats. And this is the main plot of the novel--how they cope with his infidelity while deciding if saving their marriage is something they want to do.  We see their relationship from the earliest stages up to the days and weeks following Elle's discover

This is just the kind of story I love to dive into, and even though it was my first Preston & Child novel, it won't be my last.  First of all, bless Grand Central Publishing for taking the time to list all of Preston & Child's novels by series! Makes reading their previous works much easier. I wish every publisher did this for prolific authors. Old Bones is another new series, with characters from previous novels, but this is the first in the Nora Kelly series. I can't wait to read more.  This novel involves the mystery of the Donner Party, and the Lost Camp. After the Donner party became lost and stuck in the Sierra Nevada area in the winter of 1847, they became part of western legend and lore. Very few people survived the months long ordeal as they starved, survived blizzard after blizzard, and some resorting to cannibalism to survive. The party was broken up into three camps, each a distance away from each other. One camp, known as the Lost Camp, remained  undisc

First read for September is done! I do like to read about true crime; usually I prefer to read forensic books about how crimes are solved through analysis, forensics, and good old fashioned smarts. However, this one is a bit different, in that Billy Jensen doesn't use forensics, but Facebook and Twitter to help solve crimes.  Billy is a journalist, and for years he wrote about murders that remained unsolved. He partnered with Michelle McNamara, the author of I'll be Gone in the Dark,  who sadly died suddenly before her book was finished. Michelle was obsessed with finding the serial killer she dubbed The Golden State Killer. Billy worked with her on a few crime podcasts and shows, and formed a firm friendship. Crushed by her sudden death, he turned his grief into action. He decided that he would pursue the killers of unsolved crimes after the police had given up.  In this non-fiction crime tale, Billy talks about a few of the cases that began his new career as a crime solver. E

It's unseasonably cool for August in Iowa. Freakishly cool. I wasn't in a frame of mind for the conveniences of summer to be over just yet-no coats, slip on sandals, and lots of fresh basil for the picking just outside my kitchen door. But this past week has really kicked in the Fall feels for me and I think everyone else  in Cedar Rapids. It doesn't hurt that college football started yesterday, too.  As per my usual reading habits, I always love to dive into my creepy, spooky, thriller-ghosty stories as the nights get longer and Halloween approaches. I'm going to be good this season and not eat bags of Brach's pumpkins. It's going to be tough! I know Halloween is still 8 weeks away, but the thrill of it is the build up to it, so I'm starting now.  My picks for September are a mix of library books (I've got to read them STAT!), new buys, and a few that I've had on my shelves at home: It's been sitting on my bookcase for 4 years. Shame on me. Read

I read as fast as I could, but I didn't quite get all my August reads done before midnight last night. However, I did finish this novel last night at 11:30! Wahoo! I managed to finish 7 out of 11 books, with one extra tossed in, and I'm part way through The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis. I've spent the last few days staying home and reading, and reluctantly folding laundry.  This is Katherine Howe's follow up to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane . A few things made this read a little more of a struggle than it should have been, and they were absolutely my fault. It's been a number of years since I read Deliverance Dane, and I forgot a lot of the book. I know I enjoyed it, and it was really good, but I couldn't remember much of the plot. When I started this sequel, it was taking me a lot of time to remember what had happened, and where the characters were now. As a rule, I don't go back and re-read books, but it probably would have been smart to do in this