Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge – 2012 » Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

Dec 302012

The Sunday Salon used to be a meme but was getting so huge it became unmanageable, so it is now a Facebook group that has become an informal week in review
gathering place for bloggers.
It is also a place to share our thoughts about things of a bookish nature.

So Happy Sunday Everyone!

I can’t believe how quickly 2012 flew by. The biggest events for me happened in April and December when my new grandchildren were born. I known their parents won’t agree but the months went pretty fast. I am looking forward to spending as much time with them and 5 year old Kaden and the rest of my family as I can in 2013. I am also excited about 2013 in my blog world. I think it is going to be an awesome year for books and sharing my thoughts with all of you. What are you looking forward to in 2013??

Weekly Recap December 24 – 29

Monday – It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Tuesday – Just For Fun 2012 Challenge Wrap Up
Wednesday – Cozy Wednesday Special Cozy Giveaway
Thursday – Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Spotlight With Giveaway Me Before You: A Novel hits stores tomorrow and I highly recommend it. It is a powerful story that hit me on a personal level but I feel everyone will be touched by this story and it would be an excellent book club selection for the discussions it will start.
Friday – My Best Reads of 2012 This was a hard list to put together because I read so many wonderful books this year.
Saturday – Saturday Surfin’ – Recipes – Romance Challenge and Favorite Reads.

December Wrap Up

Reading Challenge 2012

I finished 2012 reading 222 books. So I completed this challenge and the Outdo Yourself Challenge with some to spare even with going 48 hours this week without reading a word.

I have not seen anyone running a Total Number of Books Reading Challenge for 2013. Please let me know if you know of one.

December Totals
16 Books – 4808 Pages – 2460 KB
2012 Totals – 222 Books – 65744 Pages – 28682 KB

More 2012 Challenges Completed

17 / 19 Challenges. 89% done!

197 / 197 books. 100% done!

20 / 20 books. 100% done!

8 / 12 free e-books. 67% done!

Fell Short on this one

25 / 25 e-books. 100% done!

51 / 51 States. 100% done!

18 / 18 Outside the U.S.A. 100% done!

12 / 12 cozies. 100% done!

13 / 13 cozies. 100% done!

6 / 6 cozies. 100% done!

6 / 6 books. 100% done!

2 / 2 series. 100% done!

26 / 26 books. 100% done!

5 / 5 books. 100% done!

12 / 12 books. 100% done!

6 / 6 books. 100% done!

8 / 8 books. 100% done!

24 / 24 books. 100% done!

12 / 10 books. 120% done!

0 / 3 books. 0% done!
This was a personal challenge to read 3 books from the year I was born.
I failed miserably. I am not going to try in 2013.

So I was successful at all but 2 challenges. Not a bad year.

mail call314

Due to the New Years Holiday January Cozies have a release date of 12/31/2012.
I was getting worried because the review copies had not arrived yet last week.
They finally arrived Thursday.

These books also arrived for review:

and

Mary Daheim will be here January 30 for Cozy Wednesday!

This was a huge post!

Looking forward to an awesome 2013 full of great reads!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Review: Emilie’s Christmas Love by Jim and Joyce Lavene

Reviews 2012, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 5 Responses »

Dec 182012

Emilie’s Christmas Love
Contemporary Romance
E-Book Self Published
File Size: 399 KB
ASIN: B00A6VHADI

Emilie and her aunt live in a huge house and have plenty of money. She is a teacher that works with at-risk youth. The one thing Emilie wants more than anything is to adopt a child. But it is so hard for a single woman to adopt. She thought her dreams were about to come true but yet again she is denied because the person giving the child up will only allow a two parent household to adopt the child.

Nick is a mechanic and he has taken in his niece and nephew after his sister’s tragic death. He promised her he would give her children the one thing she and Nick didn’t have: two parents.

Nick and Emilie meet when he tows her car. She soon learns that he is the man offering the little girl for adoption. He doesn’t know she is the rich woman wanting to adopt his niece. When she finds out they need a place to stay over the holidays she invites them to stay with her. She hopes to convince him she is the perfect person to adopt his niece and his nephew as well.

Neither of them expected what happened next.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Cozy mystery authors Jim and Joyce Lavene bring us a wonderful Christmas love story.

Emilie’s heart had been broken before by a man who couldn’t deal with her disability. She just was so afraid to open herself up to that kind of pain again. She knew she could make a good home for a child on her own and that was what she planned to do. Then Nick entered her life and as she tried to prove to him she didn’t need a man in her life they just kept getting closer and closer. It was so easy to connect with these characters.

The Lavene’s have written a captivating love story that will pull at your heartstrings. It unfolds at a perfect pace with the expected misunderstandings and drama but there is humor and more depth than usually found in romance novel today. Emilie’s work just with Adam – striving to get to the bottom of his behavior. She is a very special teacher.

If you are looking for a book to curl up with this holiday season this is one I highly recommend!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Amazon.com Widgets

This book was from my personal collection.

Review: You’ve Got Murder by Karin Tabke and Edie Ramer

Read Your Name Challenge, Reviews 2012, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012, Wisconsin Author 2 Responses »

Nov 032012

You’ve Got Murder
E-Book
Cozy Mystery
File Size: 409 KB
Print Length: 398 pages
ASIN: B006O5IIXQ

Meet the Shady Ladies. Wherever they go murder follows.

Six mystery writers who exchange emails, instant messages and texts discussing plot lines, sex and murder for their books, get a dose of non-fiction when one of their own is suspected of doing in a wife-beating killer.

Aristair is tough and strong, won’t date men but having sex with them is just fine. Hope is the caring mother of the group. She looks out for all of them and always tries to do the right thing. Megan is the fiery one, you don’t want to get on her bad side. Veronica is busy with her kids but does her best to keep up with all the happenings and drama. Kate is the most published of the bunch and that brings its own problems. Shelby is from the South recently transplanted to the Midwest. She won a contest to become a member of the Shady Ladies.

The heat cranks up when another member’s crooked literary agent is killed, and their newest member’s husband is looking more and more like a serial killer.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was such a fun read. I could so picture a group of authors doing this, without the actual murder of course. Cozies authors seem to be a tight bunch whether it be The Cozy Chicks, The Stiletto Gang, Jungle Red Writers, Mysteries and Margaritas, or Mystery Lovers Kitchen, cozy authors love to congregate together and we all love to see what they are up to, the stories behind the stories.

It did take a bit to get used to the different format of texts and emails but soon the pages were flying by making this a very quick read. I was afraid that we would lose the background or the depth needed to follow the mystery but this was not the case at all. We get to know the characters and the plot was very easy to follow. Each character is very unique. I cannot pick a favorite.

Social media is taking over the world. I read Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park back in August of 2011 and loved it. It was filled with Facebook statuses. People today Facebook, E-mail, and text so why not a mystery written the way we now communicate. I wouldn’t be a fan of many books in this format but it was a nice change of pace.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About Karin Tabke
National bestselling, award-winning author Karin Tabke isn’t just another author with steamy stories to tell, but a cop’s wife who has “seen it all and heard it all.” Some of the hottest stories come from behind the blue wall of law enforcement rather than from in front. Married to a street cop, now retired, Karin is intimate with both and proves it with her sizzling tales of hot cops. Not only are her cops hot, but so are her sexy knights and bad boy werewolves. Karin’s Blood Sword Legacy series is a must read for anyone who loves tales of yore when men were men and women were women, and love did conqueror all. Her dark, erotic Blood Moon paranormal trilogy is best described as “Sons of Anarchy meets Rise of Lycans.” Her L.O.S.T. series (w/a Karin Harlow) is paranormal romantic suspense at its “chilling and sizzling”* best. You don’t want to miss any of Karin’s deliciously edgy tales of danger and passion!
Check out her website http://karintabke.com/
About Edie Ramer
Edie is funnier on the page than in real life. A multiple award-winning writer, she writes stories with heart, attitude and magic. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, two dogs, and one important cat.

You can visit Edie at edieramer.com, and she blogs every other Monday at Magical Musings (magicalmusings.com), which has frequent giveaways.

This book was free on Amazon*

Review: Betting On Hope by Kay Keppler

Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012, Wisconsin Author 3 Responses »

Oct 052012

Betting on Hope
Contemporary Romance
Self Published E-book
Print Length: 299 pages – 506 KB
ASIN: B005ISCTW6

Hope McNaughton hasn’t seen her father in years but he can still create havoc in her life. He has lost the family ranch in a poker game.

Hope thinks that just can’t be true but she finds out her father got the house in the divorce and they have been renting from him all these years. Hope learns he lost it to New Jersey Mafia boss Big Julie Saladino. He happens to be in Vegas hosting some private poker games so while she hasn’t played cards in quite a while she thinks with the right help she can win the ranch back.

Hope calls on her honorary uncles–who are totally legit, honestly–to sharpen her game. Poker champion Tanner Wingate doesn’t know what’s at stake but tries to convince Hope gambling when you can’t afford to lose is the wrong thing to do. Hope doesn’t want to get mixed up with a card shark like Tanner, who’s too much like her father–an irresponsible gambler who cheats and takes too many risks. But she’ll do what she has to do to get the ranch back.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

This was a fast and fun read that I didn’t want to end.

Hope is a complex character dealing with abandonment issues because her father left their family and never looked back. She has a hard time dating and trusting men which was written beautifully. The romance is true to real life making her character so easy to identify with.

The Russians are hilarious and the shopping trips Hope took with Baby are hysterical. Her honorary uncles are loving and so funny. They are really there for Hope and her mom and her sister. Her niece Amber even lines up a couple honorary uncles for herself.

This story has it all romance, suspense, and humor. Gambling, mobsters, dysfunctional family, organic farming, Vegas, I loved it!!! I am so glad that what happened in Vegas this time didn’t stay in Vegas. I am “all in” on this one. JACKPOT!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About This Author

Kay Keppler was born and raised in Wisconsin. It’s a beautiful state, and she’s always liked it, but it’s awfully cold in the winter and way too hot and humid in the summer, plus the mosquitoes could carry you away.

After a few side experiments going here and there, she settled in northern California, where she’s lived comfortably ever since in that old house with the wonky plumbing.

She enjoys reading and writing, but not arithmetic, housework, or spiders. She has a messy garden she shares with neighbors, and she likes to watch movies and TV. Her favorite thing to do is lie on the sofa in the afternoon with a good novel, a cup of tea, and music to fit the mood.

*This book was from my personal collection.

Review: Zoned For Murder by Evelyn David

A - Z Reading Challenge, Reviews 2012, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 2 Responses »

Sep 142012

Zoned for Murder:
Sound Shore Times Mystery (Volume 1)
Cozy Mystery
Trace Evidence Press (May 17, 2012)
Paperback: 232 pages
E-Book File Size: 335 KB
ISBN-13: 978-0615643854

Maggie Brooks is a former reporter for Newsweek whose life has been turned inside out. Her husband was killed by a hit and run driver a few months ago and she is still trying to come to grips with a life without him by her side. Two kids, a mortgage to pay, and unemployment at an all time high just as she tries to renter the workforce. Landing a job at the local paper does help with the bills but the work is almost mind numbing. Not much happens in this little town.

Things start to get interesting when a major developer wants to build an outlet mall in the neighboring town close to where the two burgs connect. People are in an uproar as the words eminent domain are tossed around and people are being pushed out of their homes to make way for the mall.

Dirty money and dirty politics drives someone to the brink. The construction has to be stopped no matter the price. Maggie journalist instincts kick in. This could be a scoop to rejuvenate her career. “When murder is added to the mix, she realizes that meeting her deadline might be the last thing she ever does.”

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I picked up this book because I needed a “Z” book for my A-Z Reading Challenge. It was icing on the cake that is a really great cozy mystery.

Maggie is a protagonist that is very easy to identify with and we get to know her very well in this first installment. I have to admit that when I read that her husband was dead the mystery reader in me thought it would be his murder that she would be solving. Maybe in a future edition we may find there was more to that story Maggie’s reporter instincts ring true as does her life as a mom juggling various schedules.

The story is timely and very well written. It amazes me when 2 authors team up to write one story that the flow is so natural. A true credit to wonderful writers. The addition of emails and chats sent between friends was woven in nicely. The new technology of the day is working into novels more and more.

I now have another cozy author (duo) to be following. I will be loading up my Kindle!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

About Evelyn David

Evelyn David is the pseudonym for Marian Edelman Borden and Rhonda Dossett.

Marian lives in New York and is the author of eleven nonfiction books on a wide variety of topics ranging from veterans benefits to playgroups for toddlers! For more information on these books, please visit her web site at http://www.marianedelmanborden.com .

Rhonda lives in Muskogee, Oklahoma, is the director of the coal program for the state, and in her spare time enjoys imagining and writing funny, scary mysteries.

Marian and Rhonda write their mystery series via the internet. While many fans who attend mystery conventions have now chatted with both halves of Evelyn David, Marian and Rhonda have yet to meet in person. Please check out Evelyn’s website at http://www.evelyndavid.com

This book was from my personal library.

Review: The Naked Gardener by L.B. Gschwandtner

A - Z Reading Challenge, Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 3 Responses »

May 122012

The Naked Gardener

Published by CreateSpace

“What you feel is your own to tend. No one can share it. No one can endure it for you. No one can inhabit your world but you.”

Katelyn loves Maze, he loves her, there is no denying that. Maze wants to get married but Katelyn has had her heart broken before and likes things just the way they are. They have recently brought a farm in Vermont and spend time there each summer.

Katelyn has made a friend and a few acquaintances. They meet up one day and decide to take a trip. A canoe trip down the local river. Six women, three canoes and they are going to take a break from their lives for three days and camp out, catch fish and get to know each other better. Maze is not behind this plan at all but there is not stopping Katelyn.

The river and the trip takes a wild turn and some great friendships bloom including one very unlikely one.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This was one of the first free books I had on my Kindle and I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. The story was like a breathe of fresh air as I sit watching my own flowers bloom.

I had heard nothing about this story and didn’t read any reviews or even much of the synopsis before ordering it. With a title The Naked Gardener I wasn’t sure what I was getting into but I can honestly say I will never look at a garden the same way again.

Katelyn’s journey in the story as well as all six women’s journey down the river was a delight to read and offered much insight to my own journey through this world. “We have only a small corner where we can make a difference and a short time to try. But if we start in one small place, no one can predict how much difference that little corner might make.”

This is the author’s first novel and it is so beautifully written. Her descriptions of the garden and the river almost transport you right there. This book is about friendship, love, being a strong woman and making our own choices, so much more than gardening naked.

This is a very fast read and I give it my highest recommendation. Make it a book group choice or read it with a group of your friends, it would make a great read for a girl’s weekend. Enjoy!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

*The Kindle edition is free is your are a Prime member or just $1 if you are not. NOOK is $1 as well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

A - Z Reading Challenge, Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 2 Responses »

Mar 232012

Yellow Crocus: A Novel
Flaming Chalice Press

It’s 1837, Mattie is summoned to the “big house” where newborn Elizabeth (Lisbeth) Wainwright is thrust into her arms to nurse, care for and nurture. It is supposed to be a great honor to get to work in the owner’s home but Mattie had to leave her own baby and her family behind in the slaves quarters. But slaves do what they are told or face cruel punishment so she tries to make the best of it, visiting her family for a few hours on Sundays and glimpses she can catch out the nursery window. Maddie and Lisbeth become as close as a mother and daughter and their journey has just begun.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a beautifully written chronicle of one of the worst times in American history. The story takes place on the Wainwright plantation and while they work their slaves very hard the punishments did not seem to be a severe as at other plantations during this time. Lisbeth took time to learn what life was truly like for the slaves and her innocent awakening to life beyond the “big house” was very engaging. She really led a sheltered life with Maddie. Maddie was a strong woman that never complained and lived with the life she was dealt, even though it was filled with much hardship. Lisbeth grows in strength too by the end of the story.

The reader gets to travel through both women’s journey that at times brought tears to my eyes and others that made me smile. This is a perfect springtime read as the yellow crocus just starts to bloom and the earth is renewed after winter. I really loved this story and think you will too.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

This book is available in both paperback and e-book. Right now you can get the e-book for Free if you are an Amazon Prime Member or just 99 cents if you are not. B&N.COM has the paperback but does not offer the e-book at this time.

*This book was from my private collection.

Dodge the Bullet by Christy Hayes

A - Z Reading Challenge, Reviews 2012, Where Are You Reading Challenge, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 1 Response »

Feb 112012

Dodge the Bullet
This is an e-book
that was offered FREE from Amazon.

As I type this the book is still free.

A.J. Dodge is a man with a past. He recently returned home to Hailey, Colorado, to become a rancher like his dad. He has six sisters so “he knows women”.

Sarah Woodward is trying to put her life back together. Her husband passed away over two years ago and she has decided to leave Atlanta and relocate to Hailey where she and her husband bought a ranch they hoped to move to someday. Her sons are not very happy about moving but she feels the small town is a better place to bring up her sons than the fast paced city of Atlanta.

What Sarah doesn’t understand is why a U.S. Senator is trying so hard to buy her land in Colorado away from her. She doesn’t understand that the Senator has made some promises he can’t fulfill without her land.

Sarah really knows nothing about running a ranch and realizes the place needs a lot of work but she is not going to let anything deter her dream. She is very surprised when a handsome man shows up at her door offering help, telling her the Senator sent him through a local friend, Tommy Thorton, to help get her off to the right start. The handsome man is A.J. Dodge and when the Senator finds out that Tommy sent Dodge to help Sarah, he is livid.

The Senator wanted someone he can control, someone that would ensure that Sarah would see that there was no way she could run a ranch. Dodge was the exact opposite of what the Senator had in mind. Now he will have to take drastic measures to get that land and Dodge is the man standing in his way.

Plus Dodge may understand women, but Sarah is unlike any woman he has every known. He finds himself risking everything to keep her and the kids safe.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I love a story with a strong woman and Sarah has been through the wringer but she is still tough as nails. She is stubborn and opinionated and sparks fly immediately between her and Dodge as he tries to treat her as a helpless woman.

Dodge is a strong man that doesn’t care what anyone think about him. He is in Hailey to put down roots no matter how many people are talking behind his back.

The mystery of Dodge’s past and the suspense of the Senator trying to steal the land added nicely to make this a very enjoyable read. It is very well written and I can see why is was a finalist in the 2007 Virginia Romance Writers Fool for Love Contest. This is my first Christy Hayes novel but it definitely will not be my last.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

This book was from my personal collection.

Iced by Tim Myers & D.B. Morgan

Reviews 2012, Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 1 Response »

Feb 042012

Iced (suspense)
This is an e-book.

Patrick Wolf is an ex-cop who is trying to live life off the grid, cabin in the woods, no phones, a sanctuary, 20 acres in rural North Carolina. His grandfather left him the land but he never thought he would return to it. Funny how certain events turn your life upside down. He does have a girlfriend Jenna who has a daughter Kayla. The people of the nearby town know him and give him his space. He has no problem spending time alone just walking around his land. He is happy with his life.

Then he learns of a prison break across the state and quickly realizes his past will be coming back to hunt him down. He helped put his partner, a dirty cop, behind bars and at the trial told Wolf he would be coming after him. Kevin Cusp is on a mission to kill Patrick Wolf and nothing is going to stop him, not even a freak blizzard.

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is a whole new side to Tim Myers and I LIKE IT!!

This is definitely NOT the cozy mystery Myers is known for. This is a smart, edgy, suspenseful story with well developed characters. Myers experience shines in writing characters that both women and men will enjoy. The rekindled relationship between Jenna and Wolf has you rooting for them to be together and Jenna’s secret adds to the mix. The warped mind of Cusp is exactly what every good suspense novel needs, the perfect antagonist. Then there’s the chase and the snow and the mystery of how these former partners will come together for their showdown. Surprises, edge of your seat moments, well done!

I can’t wait to read more of Myers’ suspenseful stories as long as he continues to write the cozies I love too!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

This book was from my personal collection.

Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge 2012

Why Buy The Cow Reading Challenge - 2012 3 Responses »

Dec 062011

This is an entirely new challenge for me because a fabulous friend recently sent me my very own Kindle. I have finally figured out how to work everything and have actually read 3 books, one of which was a freebie, meeting the criteria for this challenge. Entering this challenge will have me using my Kindle more and more while still allowing me to still read “the printed word” and share my printed books with you in giveaways.

I will be entering at the Coupon Clipper Level of 12 free e-books and we will see how I do.

Here is how it works:
Should you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) legally obtained FREE e-books. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit.

Anyone can join. You don’t have to be a blogger, and you don’t have to live in the United States.

Any E-Reader will work for this challenge, including: iPad, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, enTourage.

Please Note: If you don’t have an e-reading device, you can still join in with Amazon’s Free Kindle Reading Apps which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more.

The challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime.

e-books in ANY genre count for this challenge as long as it was FREE at the time that you downloaded it.

Every month in 2012, I will make a post for the Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012 so you can link your reviews. Based on participation, monthly link ups may be combined.

Those that link their reviews will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a different prize each month, such as an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card, a bookmark, or a GelaSkins for your e-Reader.

Challenge Guidelines:
If you have a blog, create a post announcing your participation in the challenge. Please include a link back to this post.
Non bloggers: participate by linking up your profile URL from the site you plan to post your reviews on such as Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
When you post your book review, you MUST reveal how you obtained the free & legal download. Please make your source clear.

You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them.

Crossovers to other reading challenges is acceptable, but ARCs/galley e-books DO NOT count. Again, this is a Reading Challenge to read as many of the FREE e-books legally offered for your e-reader. To get started, check out the Top 100 Free books on Amazon, or the Free e-books on Barnes & Noble.
Any linked reviews that do not meet the guidelines will not be entered into the monthly drawing for the prize of the month.

Levels:
Coupon Clipper: 12 Books
Penny Pincher: 24 Books
Super Saver: 30+ Books

Please visit this post to sign up for the challenge: Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012!

Places where you can legally grab some free e-books:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
All Romance eBooks: offers random freebie books throughout the year (signing up for the newsletter to get updates)
For More Ideas Check Out this post.

I am excited about this challenge and hope you will join me!!

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

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