Romance Readers Reading Challenges discussion

Before we look forward to another month of reading challenges let's take a few minutes and look back at July. Tell me about it all, the good the bad and the DNF! Get a great rec this month? Find a new author you enjoyed? Any wallbangers? I want to hear all about your month of reading!!! :)

Finally got around to reading Casino Royale this month. It was just about what I expected so no complaints. I think I will read the next in the series sometime soonish. Also finally got around to reading Miracles from Simple Gifts : Four Heartwarming Christmas Stories : Just Curious / Miracles / Change of Heart / Double Exposure wich is Niki's story from Whitney My Love. It was great! Just wish it were a full length novel, but I still loved it! And even tho it took me 3 weeks to read it I really enjoyed Lady Vixen! There were some others but these are the highlights! No real big disappointments so that is nice :)

loved (although i'm not quite done with it yet); DNF'd and temporarily set aside (just not feeling it right now)

Favorites for July and .

I had a hard time finishing

July Fav's The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder & Megan’s Mark by Lora Leigh

least fav: Carpe Demon ~ Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner (it wasn't bad I just found that I thought it would be funnier and faster paced)

Favorite Reads of July:
Big Disappointments of July:

Favorite Reads:

Favorite Reads of June-

Books I really liked-


The only one I thought was just ok, not so good, was

I gave up on summer sisters...I tried but just couldn't get into it...

Delicious Dee the book slut wrote: "I gave up on summer sisters...I tried but just couldn't get into it..."

I made myself finish it b/c it was the bonus book I picked for read "SUMMER" and Judy Blume was "IT" for me growing up. As a kid I always felt that she was an adult that could see right into a child's soul. But what happened with this one? A miserable read and a pretty miserable ending- not much happiness there.

I think I have another book with summer in the title..if not, well then I just won't do the bonus...

This was actually a pretty good month for me. ;)

FAVORITES


WANT MY TIME BACK

I absolutely loved that book!

My ONLY read for July was WICKED by Sasha White. A D/s themed romance. I loved the characters and the author always amazes me =D.

Favorite reads for the month of July are:



Disappointing Read:

My favorite reads of July would have to be


Worst read

No hesitation when I say , I would recommend that to everyone!!

Loved:


Enjoyed:


Hated:

Most Enjoyed:


Most Disappointing:

Best reads:



Disappointing:

I didn't read a bad book this month!



Best light read -

Best new author (to me) -

Hottest contemporary -

Best from a favourite author -

Best PNR -
(unlike some I loved this one and cannot wait for the next in the series)
Best continuation of a series -

Best of trilogy -

Absolute standout -

Favorite reads:
Yeah, I'll admit it. I liked it... alot. Kept me on my toes. It was my first hard-cored bodice-ripper and lived up to all my expectations.

Best new to me Author book:
This author is new to me. Not the fastest read at first, but as the story developed I really got sucked in. 3/4 of the way through I went on to add the rest of this series as well as started a contemporary romance series from her.

Best in a series:
This is my 2nd time reading this. Still love it. I wish there were more by Litton at there. This series and her Akora are stand-outs for me.

Best Love-Inspired:
- new to Jillian Hart, but will read more by her.

Best TRAIN-WRECK of a book:
Although I only rated it 2 stars I have to say this book was hard to put down and it was so bad I read on so I could pick it apart. It was just wrong on SO MANY levels.

Worst book of the month:
- this book just tanked for me. It actually provoked my first negative review on GRs.

My favorites this month were:

I just love Catherine Anderson's sweet style of writing.

Working my way through this series. This was the second and loved it.

Another great read by Linda Howard, I actually wanted the storyline to go on, it ended too soon for me.


Cute little romance.

Didn't like:

Didn't like the heroine at all in this book.

Widely popular, but I got it into my head that I just didn't like the hero about halfway through the book, and it killed the rest of it for me.

LibraryLass wrote: "I didn't read a bad book this month!"

What good luck, LibraryLass!

I also had good luck this month (out of 62, lol):
And.. I discovered a new favorite author, Diana Palmer:-) Yay:-)

Fave books


Liked (3-4*) but expected better:


Books I wouldn't have read (didn't hate, but just didn't do anything for me):

my favorite reads:
Charming the Prince by Teresa Medeiros
and also Everything and the Moon by Juila Quinn

I hated The Devil's Web by Mary Balogh

It was another good month for me. My favs this month, all 4.5-5 stars:
Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
Maverick's Black Cat by Maggie Casper & Lena Matthews
Don't Tell by Karen Rose
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling


Only disappointments:
Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly
Sugar on Top by Leigh Ellwood
(At least both of these were very short)

From July:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Murder is Binding were both 4-star.

ARC Hailey's War: A Novel was a 3-star. It had a good storyline, but it just wasn't my type of suspense.

I started my current book on Thursday, so that will be an August book.

wow I'm really enjoying all your good reads (no pun intended) and can't wait to try some new authors that you guys enjoyed!

I had an eventful good month and can't say that I had a bad read although I'm pretty lenient andall around enjoy a lot it's basically got to be the Grapes of Wrath for me to not like it. lol

Read some new to me authors:

One for the Money..Janet Evanovich! LOVE HER !! (while everyone has pretty much already read all her Stephanie Plum novels this was my first and I have to admit I've really enjoyed it and laughed and will find time to work my way through the whole series)

Her Majesty's Dragon and Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik ... I fell in love with the Dragons in this series and will also make my way through it to find out more!

Naked in Death.. JD Robb .. while I figured out the 'who dun it' early on I enjoy Nora Roberts so much that I'm sure I'll keep at this series although I did find this one a bit predictable ... I like the characters enough to stick it out.

Hidden Fires..Betina Krahn...while I'm not normally a typical bodice ripper reader I have to admit I have a weak spot for Highlanders and this was no exception. I enjoyed every sultry minute of it and I probably would read her works again although I did have a moment half way through where I just wanted them to quit fighting already and tell each other they loved the other. lol It was entertaining and the ending round out nicely with some great descriptive scenes that again make me woosey for a man in kilt!

The Lost Symbol .. Dan Brown ... really love Dan Brown's work and this was no exception. I really felt right online with the subject matter in this book and enjoyed the read and adventure. I love the connection in our consiousness and can't wait to see what's up his sleeve next!
(note: sorry I don't know how to get the bookcovers to show so I'm just notating them :)

can't wait til next month!

I know, I'm late... again ;o).

My absolute favorites for July were:
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts -- I'm really enjoying this series
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen -- I've loved all of Allen's books so far, but this one's my favorite! It has magical books in it -- what's not to love ;o).
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins -- This YA dystopian series has caught my imagination. I just pre-ordered the third, and last, book in the series last night.



My only disappointment --

Kristi (Passion for the Page) wrote: "I know, I'm late... again ;o).

My absolute favorites for July were:
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts -- I'm really enjoying this series
..."

I really need to start this series - I'm usually on top of NR, but I'm probably about 2 series behind right now with her...

My two 5 star reads for July were Hannah's List by Debbie Macomber whose books I just adore, and Parting Gifts by Lorraine Heath. I have never read any Lorraine Heath books before but this one was really good.

In another group we are doing a buddy read on the old Trixie Belden girl's series from the 1940s and 50s. I aread the first two: The Secret of the Mansion and The Red Trailer Mystery both of which brought back fond memories of Trixie and I gave them both 4 stars.

My other 4 star book was A McKaslin Homecoming by Jillian Hart. This was my first read as a Harlequin Ambassador. I would probably have given it a 5 star if I had known it was one of a series and there are many books before it. Also I had never read Jillian Hart but I definitely will in the future.

Going down in ratings was If I Stay by Gayle Forman at 3 stars and

My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares, Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde and The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman all at 2 stars.

I read more books than that in July but those are the ones I would specifically comment on. I have written a review on all of them if you want to see why I rated them the way that I did.