February Giveaway Winners

The winners of February's giveaways are:

Stay

By: Alie Larkin

Winner: Emily Drake

 

The Knitting Diaries 

By: Debbie Macomber, Susan Mallery, Christina Skye

Winner: Mamabunny

Moonlight Cove

By: Sherryl Woods

Winner: Paula

The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno

By: Eileen Bryson

Winner: LadyInRead

 

Thanks to all who entered and don't forget to stop by next month to see a new set of books up for grabs!

Month in Review: February 2012

Here are my reading stats for February!

• Books read:  13

Books I read (reviewed ones have * and link to review; books not yet reviewed will be linked up once review is posted.)

1. Home at Rose Cottage* by Sherryl Woods
2. The Surgeon* by Tess Gerritsen
3. The Little Giant of Aberdeen County* by Tiffany Baker
4. Private London* by James Patterson
5. The 7th Month* by Lisa Gardner
6. Catch Me* by Lisa Gardner
7. First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
8. Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer
9. A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
10. By the King's Design* by Christine Trent
11. Private Games by James Patterson
12. Destiny by Carly Phillips
13. The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice

Favorite Book of February:    

• By the King's Design  by Christine Trent

2012 Challenge Update:

•  100+ Reading Challenge -- Books Read: 13/100
•  Support Your Local Library Challenge -- Books Read: 7/37
•  Off the Shelf Reading Challenge -- Books Read: 3/30
•  E-Book Reading Challenge -- Books Read: 1/20 
•  Historical Fiction Reading Challenge -- Books read: 0/15
•  First in a Series Challenge -- Series started: 4/6
•  Finish the Series Challenge -- Series completed: 1/3
•  Cruising Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge -- Books Read: 4/13+

Review: Catch Me by Lisa Gardner

First line: The little girl woke up the way she'd been trained: quickly and quietly.

From the inside cover: In four days, someone is going to kill me . . .

Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle her death investigation.

It will be up close and personal. No evidence of forced entry, no sign of struggle.

Charlie tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p.m. on January 21st, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours.

But as D.D. quickly learns, Charlie Grant doesn't plan on going down without a fight. By her own admission, the girl can outshoot, outfight, and outrun anyone in Boston, which begs the question: Is Charlie the next victim, or the perfect perpetrator? As D.D. tracks a vigilante gunman who is killing pedophiles in Boston, she must also delve into the murders of Charlie's friends, racing to find answers before the next gruesome January 21 anniversary. Is Charlie truly in danger, or is she hiding a secret that may turn out to be the biggest threat of all?

In four days, someone is going to kill me. But he's has gotta catch me first. 

My thoughts: This is Lisa Gardner's latest Detective D.D. Warren book and it had me hooked right from the beginning. I find with her books that I am on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what is going on and this one was certainly no exception. Things are certainly not what they seem to be in this book.

In Catch Me, we find Boston Detective D.D. Warren just back from maternity leave after the birth of her son, Jack. She is worried about an impending visit from her parents, whom she would rather just stayed in Florida, and is trying to solve what appears to be a serial murder spree on child predators. She then meets Charlie Grant, who asks D.D. to stop her from being murdered in four days. Charlie has spent the last year training and preparing herself for this, while working the overnight shift as a 9-1-1 operator in a nearby town.

As usual Lisa Gardner gives us multiple pieces of a puzzle, seemingly unrelated cases and yet as the story progresses, she weaves and interconnects all the pieces together into a story in such a way that you are compelled to continue reading in order to find out how all it's all going to turn out in the end. The novel is told in three narrative threads - that of D.D.'s investigation, the continuation of Charlene's story, and a third storyline involving a young boy who is being cyber stalked. It is a fascinating look at the lives of 9-1-1 operators, the unsung heroes of the police department, as well as a glimpse into the world of pedophiles and how they use the Internet to find their victims. It definitely leaves you wondering about the safety of the Internet for kids today.

I devoured this book in one day and while I am waiting for the next D.D. Warren book to come out, I think I am going to look into Lisa Gardner's FBI Profiler series.

(I borrowed this book from the library.)

Books in this series: 

1. Alone                                     5.   Love You More
2. Hide                                      5.5  The 7th Month
3. The Neighbor                       6.  Catch Me
4. Live to Tell

Review: The 7th Month by Lisa Gardner (e-book)

First line: Have you ever contemplated killing someone?

Synopsis from B&N: In Lisa Gardner’s first-ever short story following thirteen bestselling novels, The 7th Month takes readers between the books and into a day in the life of Boston Detective D. D. Warren.

In her seventh month of pregnancy, D.D. should be taking it easy. Instead, she accepts a small consulting role on the set of a serial killer film shooting in Boston. D.D. figures she’ll be useful to someone for at least one night, serving as a police expert and making a little extra money in the bargain.

It seems like a simple task—until the previous film consultant, a former Boston cop, is found beaten to death. Suddenly D.D.’s date with Hollywood gets serious. Extremely pregnant, on the trail of a killer, and surrounded by a hundred and four murder suspects in the middle of a graveyard, D.D. must quickly unravel a tangled web of lies. As another cast member is attacked, D.D. realizes that like it or not, her priorities have changed—and her last desperate hope is that she can catch a killer before she and her unborn baby face mortal danger.

Packed with the suspenseful storytelling that has turned Gardner’s novels into New York Times bestsellers, The 7th Month reveals new insights into a beloved series heroine.

My thoughts: I have really come to enjoy reading about Detective D.D. Warren and so when I found this eSpecial book, I had to read it. It takes place right between the previous book, Love You More and Lisa Gardner's new book, Catch Me, which came out this month.

This was a fast, quick moving story. D.D. is put on desk duty now that she is pregnant and ends up taking a job as a consultant to a movie production team. The previous consultant disappears and then is found dead. D.D. quickly moves from movie consultant back to police detective. The entire story takes place in one day and on top of trying to solve this murder, D.D. is also trying to figure out things with boyfriend Alex.

Before each of the 7 chapters are parts of a "murder blog" which contains steps on how to commit murder. Each step contains details on how to select a victim, how to choose a weapon, and goes up to the proper disposal of a body. They are quite eerie.

Overall, this was a great fill-in between the previous book, Love You More, and the upcoming book, Catch Me. Even though it was a short story, it was filled with the usual suspense that I have come to love from Lisa Gardner.

(I purchased this e-book.)

Books in this series: 

1. Alone                                     5.   Love You More
2. Hide                                      5.5  The 7th Month
3. The Neighbor                       6.  Catch Me
4. Live to Tell

Review: Private London by James Patterson

First line: Hannah Shapiro was having a wonderful day.

From the back cover: For Hannah Shapiro, a beautiful young American student, this particular nightmare began eight years ago in Los Angeles, when Jack Morgan, owner of Private - the world's most exclusive detective agency - saved her from a horrific death. She has fled her country, but can't flee her past. The terror has followed her to London, and now it is down to former Royal Military Police Sergeant Dan Carter, head of Private London, to save her all over again.

Dan Carter draws on the whole resources of Private International in a desperate race against the odds. But the clock is ticking... Private may be the largest and most technologically advanced detection agency in the world, but the only thing they don't have is the one thing they need - time. 

My thoughts: As many of you know, I love most of James Patterson's books. I read many of his series - Alex Cross, the Women's Murder Club, Michael Bennett, and most recently the Private series. I read the first one in this series, called Private, and loved it. When that book came out there was talk that JP was going to be partnering with international authors to write parts of this series. Private London is the result of one of those partnerships. The only problem is that the book was only released in the UK. Fortunately for me, I have family (my brother and his family) living there and last month, my mom was over in London visiting my brother and picked a copy of Private London up for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled!!!

Private London follows the pattern that most of James Patterson's books follow. There are the short chapters that just beg you to read one more until you realize you're at the last page. There are also the multiple plots going on in the one book - which naturally leads to a lot of mini-cliffhangers as the book flows back and forth between the different plots. The primary story in Private London is about Hannah Shapiro, who early in life is forced to watch unspeakable acts committed on to her mother during a kidnapping. Later in life, she travels to London to attend school and her past seems follows her as she finds herself once again the victim of a kidnapping. It's up to Dan Carter, head of Private's London office, to save her. At the same time, there is also the case of women being abducted and when their bodies are finally found, they appear to have been mutilated. Dan Carter's ex-wife, a detective, is involved in that case.

There are the usual twists and turns and everytime you think you have it figured out, another wrench is thrown in. I was captivated with the story and read it in one sitting. I still don't know where this book fits in with the rest of the Private series, but I do know that it comes before Private Games (which also happens to be set in London). Whatever the case is, I am glad I was able to get a copy of this book and I look forward to reading more of the Private books.

(This book was given to me as a gift.)

Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: By the King's Design by Christine Trent

First line: "Remember what I told you, brothers."

From the back cover: Strong-willed Annabelle Stirling is more than capable of running the family draper shop after the untimely death of her parents. Under her father's tutelage, she became a talented cloth merchant, while her brother Wesley, the true heir, was busy philandering about Yorkshire. Knowing she must change with the times to survive, Belle installs new machinery that finishes twice the fabric in half the time it takes by hand. But not everyone is so enthusiastic.

Soon, riled up by Belle's competitors, the outmoded workers seek violent revenge. Her shop destroyed, Belle travels to London to seek redress from Parliament. While there, the Prince Regent, future King George IV, commissions her to provide fabrics for his Royal Pavilion. As Belle's renown spreads, she meets handsome cabinetmaker Putnam Boyce, but worries that marriage will mean sacrificing her now flourishing shop. And after Wesley plots to kidnap the newly-crowned King - whose indiscretions are surfacing - she finds herself entangled in a duplicitous world of shifting allegiances.

Painting a vivid portrait of life in the British Regency, Christine Trent spins a harrowing tale of ambition, vengeance, love, and complex loyalties against the dynamic backdrop of the early Industrial Revolution.

My thoughts: I have come to love Christine Trent's novels and this one was no exception. I love how she takes trades of whatever time period she is writing in and brings them to light. She has explored the life of a dollmaker (The Queen's Dollmaker), the wax-working apprentice to the great Madame Tussaud (A Royal Likeness) and now a cloth merchant.

I have to admit that I am not all that familiar with the Regency Period, but Christine Trent somehow makes it come to life. By the King's Design is set in the early 19th Century, right at the start of the Industrial Revolution. After her parent's shop was destroyed by the Luddites, Annabelle sets out for London in an attempt for retribution. She manages to catch the Prince Regent's eye and is summoned to visit him. He offers her the opportunity to provide the fabrics for his new palace, which helps bring more business to her new shop in London.

Annabelle is a strong-willed, determined character. She is of the insistent opinion that she needs no man (as the times require) to either help her run her business or her life and constantly  finds herself surrounded by men that feel differently. Not surprising, when she meets Putnam Boyce, a cabinet maker, she keeps him at arms length, unwilling to give up her independence. When things with her brother, Wesley, get out of hand, it is Put that is there to help Belle.

I loved all the details on being a draper and on cabinetmaking - you learn just what was and wasn't popular back in this time period as well as quite a lot of details about the trade itself. I also loved all the cameos throughout the book - Jane Austen had a small part in the book as well as Madame Tussaud and Claudette Laurent, the latter two who were prominent characters in Christine Trent's previous novels.

Christine Trent has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I cannot wait to read her next book, Lady of Ashes, due out sometime in 2013, which is about a Victorian undertaker.

About the author: Christine Trent writes historical fiction from her two-story home library. She lives with her wonderful bookshelf-building husband, three-precocious cats, a large doll collection and over 3,000 fully catalogued books. She and her husband are active travelers and journey regularly to England to conduct book research at historic sites. It was Christine's interest in dolls and history that led to the idea for her first novel, The Queen's Dollmaker.

Christine Trent's novels include The Queen's Dollmaker and A Royal Likeness. She is currently working on her 4th novel, Lady of Ashes, which will be released in 2013.  

You can find more information about Christine and her books by visiting her website or you can find her on facebook. You can find a complete list of the tour schedule for By the King's Design here. 

I received a complimentary copy of By the King's Design from Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.

Giveaway Information:

Thanks to Amy at Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours, I have one copy of By the King's Design to give away to my readers.  Giveaway is international.

To enter please leave a comment below and include your email address (only comments with email addresses will be entered in the giveaway).

- +3 additional entries become a follower of Always With a Book. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries (just leave the name you follow under). 

- +1 additional entry each, please help spread the word by blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting or posting this giveaway on Facebook. 

 

All entries can be in one comment.

Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 12th

It's Monday...What Are You Reading? (2.27.12)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs.

It was a crazy week. My brother-in-law was admitted to the hospital and on the ICU/CCU floor all week. I spent all week with her at the hospital and because they were out of state visiting a friend when he was admitted, we had to stay in a hotel all week. Needless to say, while I did get some reading done, I did not get to the many reviews I have to still do. Hopefully this week will be quieter and I will make a dent in that list.

Books Completed last week: 

• By the King's Design by Christine Trent (review book)
• Private Games by James Patterson (mine)
• Destiny by Carly Phillips (library book)

Reading Now: 

• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (mine, book club book)
• The Silver Boat by Luanne Rice (library audio book)

Next:  

• Glitter Baby by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (library book)
• Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs (review book)

Reviews completed last week: 

• The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

Other Posts related to books:

• In My Mailbox: 2.26.12

Books for which I need to finish reviews:

• Private London by James Patterson
• The Seventh Month by Lisa Gardner
• Catch Me by Lisa Gardner
• First Lady by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 
• Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer
• A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr 
• By the King's Design by Christine Trent (to be posted later today!) 
• Private Games by James Patterson
• Destiny by Carly Phillips

Contest information:  

• New contest to be posted later today!

What about you?  What does your reading week look like this week?  Whatever it is, happy reading and have a good week!