January 2016 Wrap Up

So overall, January was a pretty great month.  I read 14 books - well, actually 8 novels and 6 graphic novels.  While that is a pretty heavy number of graphic novels for me, I feel in love with the Saga series and just couldn't stop reading.  I am also managing to keep track of and make progress on my reading challenges which makes me happy.  All of my reviews have been posted here on my blog or on my Goodreads page so check them out if you want more details.  Here is where I stand on my 2016 challenges:

GOODREADS: 13/100
WHAT AN ANIMAL IX: 2/12
CLOAK AND DAGGER CHALLENGE: 1/20
HORROR READING CHALLENGE: 5/16
NEW RELEASE CHALLENGE: 6/30
2016 WINTER COYER: 8

And all my reviews have been linked up.  Now if I can continue this pattern, I might manage to accomplish most of these.  Also, on the personal goal front, Booker T reviewed "Lustlocked" so he is still adding his thoughts at least once a month which he likes to do.

So how did you do this month?

Stacking the Shelves (50) - I Think I Just Want ALL the Books!

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews.  Clicking on the book should take you to the Goodreads page. 

Life has been a tad stressful lately.  Nothing major, just some work stuff, but I think it has caused me to accumulate a tad more than I hoped.  However, I still haven't spent much money on my hauls so all in all, everything is still good.  Oh well, I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are worse habits.

I purchased the following physical copies:




Then I one-clicked the following (but they were each under $3.00 at the time). 
I am pretty sure I have seen The Night Watch as a foreign film several years ago but maybe I am mistaken. I also believe The Devil's Wire was free when I grabbed it.




 And then there are the ARCs I received. I swear, few of these I requested some time ago and they were just approved, so I had just assumed I had been denied (I find Edelweiss is bad about that).  Curiosity Quills sent me a copy of Deadgirl as they are sending me the sequel when I come out - how nice of them to help me catch up.  However, there is one score in here which I am shocked as all get out that I actually received only a day after I sent the request.

AND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

That's me and the pups doing the happy dance! 

 So what did you guys add to your shelves this week?  Leave a comment so I can make sure to stop by your post.

Friday Reads

I want to thank everyone for all the well wishes as a whole bunch of us on the East Coast weathered Winter Storm Jonas.  We got about 11-13 inches in my neck of the woods.  I was given Friday off and it started coming down around noon...and it rarely stopped.  Hubby, pups and I spent some of Saturday and some of Sunday digging out and Monday was back to work.  It's almost all melted now and although I am not naive enough to think winter is over, it seems like we are going to have much better temps the next week or so.

Here are a few pics of the pups in the snow.  Booker T pretty much wanted to go back inside, but once we started a game of football with them, they both had a blast!

So this weekend I will be reading these if I manage to snag them from the library:

And I will continue to read this one:

What are you weekend bookish plans? 

Matt Wallace Does It Again with "Lustlocked"

TITLE: Lustlocked
AUTHOR: Matt Wallace
PUBLISHER: Tor.com
PUBLISHING DATE: January 26, 2016

FROM GOODREADS: The staff of New York's premier supernatural catering company, has their work cut out for them in this outrageous follow-up to Envy of Angels.

Love is in the air at Sin du Jour.

The Goblin King (yes, that one) and his Queen are celebrating the marriage of their son to his human bride. Naturally the celebrations will be legendary.

But when desire and magic mix, the results can be unpredictable.

Our heroes are going to need more than passion for the job to survive the catering event of the decade!

MY THOUGHTS: 
NO NO NO! What an ending...I seriously don't know what I ever did to Matt Wallace to deserve such an ending (just kidding Mr. Wallace). Once again we meet up with the crazy cast of the Sin du Jour catering services and this edition picks up the day after the first book left off. The readers get to learn more about some of the cast, and I found myself really becoming attached to some of the characters. So far, Lena, Bronko, Little Dove are my faves and even Darren is starting to grow on me some.

I won't give too much away but the crew is catering the wedding of the Goblin King's son to a human and the enormous affair quickly gets out of hand. A BIG prop to Wallace for his portrayal of The Goblin King and his beautiful model wife - I will cherish this book always for this wonderful reminder of Mr. Bowie, even if I am sure when he was writing it, Wallace had no idea that as people read it, people around the world would be remembering The Goblin King for other reasons.

This book is as twisted and demented as the first one, and that's a good thing. As you can tell, the ending is quite a cliff hanger and my mind keeps racing for possible outcomes and excuses for what I just finished reading. The next installment can't come soon enough!!!

RATING: 4 PAWS

 

Envy of Angels - Where Do Chicken Nuggies Really Come From?

TITLE: Envy of Angels (Sin du Jour #1)
AUTHOR: Matt Wallace
PUBLISHER: Tor.com
PUBLISHING DATE: October 20, 2015

FROM GOODREADS: In New York, eating out can be hell.

Everyone loves a well-catered event, and the supernatural community is no different, but where do demons go to satisfy their culinary cravings?

Welcome to Sin du Jour - where devils on horseback are the clients, not the dish.

MY THOUGHTS:  I wasn't quite sure what I was about to read when I picked this book up. I remember grabbing it for my Kindle one weekend when it was on sale for under $3.00 after seeing a few decent reviews. I also recall being on a horror kick when I grabbed it and wanting to check out some new authors. All I can say is for whatever reason I grabbed this, thank heavens I did!

This book was a total blast. Sin du Jour is a special catering company in New York whose clients consist of a certain branch of individuals the government wants to keep happy, and who they also want to keep a secret. We are talking about demons, monster, etc. here so that alone should be enough to make you curious. This book has it all - action, suspense, horror, great characters and monsters. We are talking different demon factions, a giant chicken, angels, alchemists and even humans. Come on, one of the companies mottos is "We don't serve werewolf, and we don't serve werewolves." I laughed out loud at that and since we had been snowbound for three days, I am sure my husband thought I was losing my mind.

It's really hard to describe this book without giving a lot away, but you seriously have to give it a chance. When I looked at the cover, I could never quite figure it out, but those are chicken "nuggies" making the body of the angel so that alone should make you want to grab it. It's a quick read and I already plan on starting book 2 tonight.

RATING: 4 PAWS

BOOKER T'S THOUGHTS:  First of all, you might not guess it from the cover, but there is a dog in this book.  It is described as a Shiz hu stray and  it's name is "DOG."  Original huh?  But believe me, I have heard worse.  The dog doesn't play a HUGE role in the book, but it does play a VITAL role.  You definitely have to read it to find out but for no other reason than the role it plays, DOG gets 5 paws!

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

"Waiting on" Wednesday" is weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming anticipated releases. 

 

May 10. 2016

FROM GOODREADS: From Neil Abramson, the acclaimed author of Unsaid, comes a riveting novel that explores the complex connection between humans and animals. Veterinarian Samantha Lewis and her team are dedicated to providing a sanctuary for unwanted, abused, and abandoned dogs in New York City. But every day it gets harder operate her no-kill shelter. Sam is already at her breaking point when she learns of an unidentified, dangerous virus spreading through their neighborhood. The medical community can only determine that animals are the carriers. Amid growing panic and a demand for immediate answers, suspicion abruptly falls on dogs as the source. Soon the governor is calling in the National Guard to enforce a quarantine--no dog may leave the area. Samantha knows from her own painful history that, despite the lack of real evidence against the dogs, a quarantine may only be the beginning. As questions about the source of the virus mount and clash with the pressure for a politically expedient resolution, Sam is forced to make life-altering choices. She finds allies in a motley crew of New Yorkers--a local priest, a troubled teen, a smart-mouthed former psychologist, and a cop desperate to do the right thing--all looking for sanctuary from their own personal demons. But the person Sam needs the most to unravel the mystery of the virus and save the dogs is the last one she'd ever want to call on--because contacting him will mean confronting the traumatic past she has fought so hard to escape.

WHY I'M WAITING:  Look at the dog!  He's so cute.  And the synopsis sounds really interesting and overall, like a great story.   I really am exciting to add this to my shelves! 

What are you waiting for this week? 

 

TTT- Top 10 Books I Want With Me When I Get Snowed In!

This top 10 weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and can be found HERE.  Each week they focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. This week is a freebie, meaning you can chose your own topic, and since I am doing this ahead of time, and in my neck of the woods we are anticipating Winter Storm Jonas, I thought this topic would be very appropriate.

Since I haven't started this series yet, and I think it would make a great winter read.  Could have easily substituted The Shining because I LOVE that book and it takes place in winter, but I've read it 3 times and thought I should add something new.

I really need to get this one read so I am ready for the next one, even though I have heard horrible things about where this series is headed.

I love cozy mysteries when the snow is falling and the wind is howling.

In a snowstorm, I would definitely need this so I could satisfy my "ornery" side.  I adore Harley Quinn and want to see what trouble she finds next.  I personally think she is a villain with a heart of gold...or at least part of her heart.

I love Lucy Dillon and almost always read one of her books each winter.  This is her newest.

I'd have to have a dog book and I bought this one when it was released so a snowstorm might be a good time to pick it up.

 Another cozy mystery where I loved the first one.

This is the only book by Jackie I haven't read and since I don't know when her new one is coming, I have been holding off on this one.  This would be a wonderful Kindle read if the snow knocks out the electricity - provided I have it charged!

Gotta have a dark read or two.  I think this one would do the job!

Winter, snow, howling winds, limbs cracking - all that's missing is the haunted house and I think I found it!

Hope Winter Storm Jonas didn't leave everyone looking like this.  So what made your Top Ten Tuesday this week!