2012 Reading Year in Review

This year, I have only managed to read 81 books.  Way off my pace of 140 books last year!  Although, I wasn't working last year until September.  There was a time where I was even too busy and stressed to write down my books in my reading journal, so that number might be a few low, but it's pretty close.  Here are some highlights:

The only "regular fiction" I read was:

The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Be Different, Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian by John Elder Robinson
The Beach House by Jane Green
Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett

All but two of these were my book club's picks.  I can only attend my book club in the summer due to my job now, but I try to read along with them at home.  I enjoyed all of them, but my favorite was Unbroken.  It's quite a story; all the more interesting because it's all true!

Here are some of the series I read a lot of this year:

Betsey Taylor Vampire queen by Mary Janice Davidson, I really enjoyed the first few books, but then the jokes seemed to get old and there didn't seem to be enough meat to the books.  I stopped reading at book # 8.  I might pick-up more later.

Laurell K. Hamilton.  I finished up reading all the available Anita Blake books and started reading the Meridith Gentry series.  I don't like Meridith as well as Anita, but then again I like Shifters and Vampires better than the Fey anyway!

I'm still reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series and I have started reading the Dream Hunter books also.  I don't get the Dream Hunter books.  I still don't really understand what I dream hunter is and there are a lot of characters and stories to keep track of, but she is still worth reading.  I am on book 16.  I read Acheron in November, it's got to be my favorite so far!

My favorite by far is J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.  I devoured all 11 books!  The men are totally hot, completely cool, and utterly heroic!  I LOVE them!  I have started reading her Fallen Angels series since I have to wait until March to get the next Black Dagger book (and I must say I can't wait to read it!)  The Fallen Angels are really good, but not quite up to the most excellent level of the Black Dagger Brotherhood!

I have read the first two books in Larissa Ione's Dominica series and so far I am really enjoying them!.  I am excited to read the next Black Dagger Brotherhood book, the next Sookie Stackhouse book, and the next The Hollows book.  I am sooo looking forward to all the excellent spring reading!

Merry Christmas

I have not been posting because I have been busy working.  I work as a teacher's aide for my county's special educations cooperative and I love it, but it keeps me very busy.  After work, almost every night, I have to run the kids around then help the youngest with his homework (a long nightly struggle).  I don't mind.  I consider helping my children the most important thing in my life right now.  Sometimes other things have to take a back seat.

I have been reading, but I haven't been very good about keeping up with my writing journal.  Here are some highlights:

My latest discovery/favorite--J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood.  This series has everything and I mean everything I have ever wanted in a book--romance, hot, but tough heroes, steamy sex scenes, paranormal, lots of on going story lines, and a large cast of characters that we continually follow through the books!  I can't get enough!

I did not read a Christmas novel this year.  I have been unhappy in the past with these.  It seems like the story line always overshadows the Christmas part and the story lines are usually not what I would normally want to read.