A Book Lover's List of Literary Grievances

 

First, let me say that I believe myself to be very tolerant when it comes to the books I read. My average book rating is 3.55 (out of 5) stars, which I feel speaks to my preference to acknowledge the positive more often than the negative. I read a lot of self-published romance books and overall have been blown away by the quality of the writing. (I believe most of the books on my year-end favorites lists are self-published.) However, there are some inaccuracies I'm finding repeated all too often—grammatical,  formatting, and publishing, mainly. 

Sometimes we just have strong preferences and become bothered when books don't conform, though, right?

These are some of the "repeat offenders" I find particularly irksome.

• The words "floor" and "ground" should never be used interchangeably! (This writing blunder is the one that irritates me most. Authors, please stop misusing these words!)
  
• Whoa is not spelled w-o-a-h!
• Lightning, the atmospheric occurrence, is misspelled lightening.
• Qualifying "unique" with very, more, really, etc. Unique means something is one of a kind; it can't be more unique than something else!
• The verb needs to agree with the subject. For example, "One of the boxes is open." "The woman with all the dogs walks down my street." "All of the books, including yours, are in that box."
• The excessive overuse of some words is highly annoying (e.g "core" in romance novels), particularly when listening to audiobooks.
• Using "zip" as a noun instead of as a verb. In the U.S. it's a zipper, folks.
• First-person internal monologues should not contain excessive descriptive adjectives! Do our inner voices actually say things like the following? "I brush my long, curly, blonde  tresses..." or "I drive my large black custom SUV..." or "I clean my  beautifully decorated monotone apartment..." These fabricated examples seem silly, yes? Well, I've read much sillier, believe me.
• When asked something like, "Do you mind if...?" the answer, if it is okay, should be NO!
• If a book represents more than one character's point of view, each change in narration should be obviously attributed to whose voice it is. Sometimes it's just not obvious! 
• Book covers should be representative of the story and/or characters. If the hero's and/or heroine's physical appearance is mentioned in the book, the cover models should at least resemble them. Things like hair color are obvious, yes?
• When authors use initials in lieu of their given name(s) and don't use periods, it can appear to be a two (or more)  letter name. I know the modern trend is straying away from periods, but it can be confusing. I mean, I see a name like AL JEFFERSON as AL (short for Albert, Alfred, etc.) and not A.L. Although, maybe it's just my preference and doesn't matter to others.
• In dialogue exchanges or conversations, the character should be rather easily identifiable.
• A character's idiosyncratic personality and verbal language patterns should belong to one character only and not every character an author creates.
• When characters in who the author repeatedly emphasizes intelligence and articulateness don't live up to those standards at all.

I am no grammar queen, but I know some things. I know the above things take away from my reading pleasure. What about you? What are some of your pet peeves in regards to books?

Book Review: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Title: Born to Run

Author: Bruce Springsteen

Rating: Five out of five stars

Published: 09/27/2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre(s): Memoir/Autobiography

DESCRIPTION

“Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl’s halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That’s how this extraordinary autobiography began.

Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.

He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big Bang”: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized.

Born to Run will be revelatory for anyone who has ever enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, but this book is much more than a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for workers and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks, or anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.

Rarely has a performer told his own story with such force and sweep. Like many of his songs (“Thunder Road,” “Badlands,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “The River,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “The Rising,” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” to name just a few), Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography is written with the lyricism of a singular songwriter and the wisdom of a man who has thought deeply about his experiences.

---

MY THOUGHTS 

Reading Born to Run was like being handed an all-access backstage pass to spending time with the musical artist I've admired for over thirty years. It certainly felt more intimate than my seats in the nosebleed seats at his concerts I attended so many years ago.

Memoirs/autobiographies can certainly be tricky things—we read them to learn about the person but we don't want to know too much. Too much can taint our opinions, alter our perceptions, dull our affections, and lead us to believe our idols are...human. And man, does he ever come across as human here. From his rocking with the highs to his rolling with the lows, he shares with a keen self-awareness and honesty how he pursued his musical dream and found a love he could accept. If anything, my admiration for him has only increased. He handled sensitive subjects and his relationships with tact and respect.

For decades, he's been known for his songwriting, guitar playing, and epic performances. This book shows his writing skills aren't limited to songwriting. It may not have the energy of one of his epic, four-hour-long concerts, but it certainly spotlights his storytelling abilities, page after page. Bruce was born to write!

---

HIGHLIGHTS 

"There is a place here—you can hear it, smell it—where people make lives, suffer pain, enjoy small pleasures, play baseball, die, make love, have kids, drink themselves drunk on spring nights and do their best to hold off the demons that seek to destroy us, our homes, our families, our town."

~*~

"I desperately want to fit in but the world I have created with the unwarranted freedom from my grandparents has turned me into an unintentional rebel, an outcast weirdo misfit sissy boy. I am alienating, alienated and socially homeless . . . I am seven years old."

~*~

"Unfortunately, my dad’s desire to engage with me almost always came after the nightly religious ritual of the “sacred six-pack.” One beer after another in the pitch dark of our kitchen. It was always then that he wanted to see me and it was always the same. A few moments of feigned parental concern for my well-being followed by the real deal: the hostility and raw anger toward his son, the only other man in the house. It was a shame. He loved me but he couldn’t stand me. He felt we competed for my mother’s affections. We did."

~*~

"Their deep love and attraction and yet the dramatic gulf between my mother and father’s personalities was always a mystery to me. My mother would read romance novels and swoon to the latest hits on the radio. My dad would go so far as to explain to me that love songs on the radio were part of a government ploy to get you to marry and pay taxes."

~*~

"I still can’t read music to this day, and back then, my seven-year-old fingers couldn’t even get around that big fret board. Frustrated and embarrassed, shortly, I told my mom it was a no-go. There was no sense wasting her hard-earned cash."

~*~

"I was standing on a street corner before a college gig in Connecticut as a car pulled up to a light and I heard “Spirit in the Night” blasting from the radio, your number one rock ’n’ roll dream come true! You never forget the first time you hear your song on the radio."

~*~

"No one you have been and no place you have gone ever leaves you. The new parts of you simply jump in the car and go along for the rest of the ride. The success of your journey and your destination all depend on who’s driving. I’d seen other great musicians lose their way and watch their music and art become anemic, rootless, displaced when they seemed to lose touch with who they were. My music would be a music of identity, a search for meaning and the future."

~*~

"Writing about yourself is a funny business. At the end of the day it’s just another story, the story you’ve chosen from the events of your life. I haven’t told you “all” about myself. Discretion and the feelings of others don’t allow it.

---

Book Review: America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Title: America's First Daughter

Authors: Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Published: 03/01/2016

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre(s): Historical Fiction

DESCRIPTION

The New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

In a compelling, richly researched novel that draws from thousands of letters and original sources, bestselling authors Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie tell the fascinating, untold story of Thomas Jefferson's eldest daughter, Martha "Patsy" Jefferson Randolph--a woman who kept the secrets of our most enigmatic founding father and shaped an American legacy.

From her earliest days, Patsy Jefferson knows that though her father loves his family dearly, his devotion to his country runs deeper still. As Thomas Jefferson's oldest daughter, she becomes his helpmate, protector, and constant companion in the wake of her mother's death, traveling with him when he becomes American minister to France.

It is in Paris, at the glittering court and among the first tumultuous days of the revolution, that fifteen-year-old Patsy learns about her father's troubling liaison with Sally Hemings, a slave girl her own age. Meanwhile, Patsy has fallen in love--with her father's protégé William Short, a staunch abolitionist, and ambitious diplomat. Torn between love, principles, and the bonds of family, Patsy questions whether she can choose a life as William's wife and still be a devoted daughter.

Her choice will follow her in the years to come, to Virginia farmland, Monticello, and even the White House. And as scandal, tragedy, and poverty threaten her family, Patsy must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her father's reputation, in the process defining not just his political legacy, but that of the nation he founded.

MY THOUGHTS 

I rarely read nonfiction. I believe one reads it to learn about the subject of the book, especially to be able to recall that information at a later date. I have no ability to remember details and facts, so I let myself enjoy reading fiction and leave it at that. This book, though—reading a fictional account of the life of America's First Daughter, Martha "Patsy" (Jefferson) Randolph—was the ultimate compromise between the two genres. It took me three days to read. It's a substantial story; and yet, her life was necessarily condensed to 624 pages for the purposes of this novel. I put my Kindle down frequently and not because I didn't find the story compelling. I did that because I wanted to read the novel and reference sources concurrently.

My daughter is a Virginian, and I lived there for many years. I visited Monticello and Poplar Forest. Nothing I read (or saw) before this novel had me so interested in the lives of the residents of those two historical places. My main interest in the family previously (and mistakenly) lay with the facilities, rather than their inhabitants. I felt extremely fortunate to have walked the grounds where the Jeffersons made history, and I feel grateful to Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie for giving me a personal insight into who the Jeffersons were known to be and who they may have been beyond the letters.

HIGHLIGHTS 

"You see, girls, I wooed your mother by making music with her in the parlor—me with my violin and tenor, she with her harpsichord and soprano. And when two other waiting suitors heard the beauty of our song, they left, vanquished, without another word, knowing they had heard the sound of true love.”

~*~

“If there is, beyond the grave, any concern for this world, then there’s one angel who must pity the misery to which life confines me. I’m in a stupor of mind that has rendered me as dead to the world as she whose loss occasioned it.” 

~*~

 

He ought to have been downstairs with us, reacquainting himself with the little daughter who still didn’t remember him. He ought to have been sipping cider with the young man who fancied me, giving his permission to court. He ought to have been doing a hundred other things. Instead, he was preying upon my dead mother’s enslaved half-sister—and the wrongness of it filled my voice with a defiant rage.

~*~

I never would have a say, because in the world outside the convent, men did as they pleased and women were left to simply accept the consequences.  

 

~*~

 

After the House of Representatives voted thirty-five times in a deadlock, on the thirty-sixth ballot my father was elected, peacefully and democratically, to the presidency of the United States. 

My Signed Copy

This book and I have quite the history...I purchased a paperback copy from Amazon in February 2016 to be signed by Laura Kamoie at an event in Virginia that April. I wasn't able to attend, so it was not signed. In May I mailed it to California ahead of my move. In June I purchased the Kindle edition but did not read it until January 2017. After reading and reviewing it, I wrote to Laura Kamoie asking if she would sign my copy if I mailed it to her. Not only did she say yes, but she also said she would have Stephanie Dray sign it as well. So, in February I sent my copy with a self-addressed stamped envelope. When I hadn't received it after two months I wrote to Laura; she replied immediately apologizing about the delay. When she wasn't able to find my exact copy she and Stephanie signed another copy and mailed it right away. I feel extremely fortunate to have this signed copy and will treasure it always.

---

My Proposed 2017 Reading Challenge

A friend posted this reading challenge on Facebook yesterday, and I definitely recognize it a challenge. I will be updating this as I finish the book from each category. The first challenge is going to be extremely difficult (read: impossible!), as I specifically remember only one book I read in school! And, since I have no interest in ever reading that book again...I chose a book that I should have read while in school.

Are you up to taking this challenge?  If you are, good luck, and happy reading!

*Last Revised: 07/25/2017* 

 1.) A book you (should have) read in school - 1984 by George Orwell  [Library Book - Read 04/08/2017]

 2.) A book from your childhood - Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry [Library Book - Read 01/13/2017]

 3.) A book published over 100 years ago - Mansfield Park by Jane Austen [Library Audiobook - Finished 04/20/2017]

 4.) A book published in the last year - The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena [Library Book - Read 01/04/2017]

 5.) A non-fiction book - Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman [Read 07/28/2017]

 6.) A book written by a male author - The Closers (Harry Bosch #11) by Michael Connelly [Library Book - Read 01/11/2017]

 7.) A book written by a female author - Raw Deal by Cherrie Lynn  [Read 01/24/2017]

 8.) A book by someone who isn't (known primarily as) a writer - Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham [Library Book - Did Not Finish 05/17/2017]

 9.) A book that became a film - Inferno (Robert Langdon #4) by Dan Brown [Read 02/03/2017]

10.) A book published in the 20th Century - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway [Borrowed - Read 01/29/2017]

11.) A book set in your hometown/region - (San Diego) The Fallen by T. Jefferson Parker [Library Book - Read 01/19/2017]

12.) A book with someone's name in the title - Stinger by Mia Sheridan [Read 02/27/2017]

13.) A book with a number in the title - The 6th Target by James Patterson [Library Book - Read 02/26/2017]

14.) A book with a character with your first name - Virginia Clay by Meredith Rich [Did Not Finish 05/27/2017]

15.) A book someone else recommended to you - An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur [Read 02/15/2017]

16.) A book with over 500 pages - American's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie [Read 01/09/2017]

17.) A book you finished in one day - A Lover's Lament (386 pages) by K.L. Grayson and B.T. Urruela [Amazon Prime Reading Book - Read 01/14/2017]

18.) A previously banned/challenged book - Looking for Alaska by John Green [Library Book - Did Not Finish 06/09/2017]

19.) A book with a one-word title - Jock by C.M. Foss [Read 02/11/2017]

20.) A book translated from another language - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman [Library Book Read 03/15/2017]

21.) A book that will improve a specific area of your life - How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Gregor [Library Book Read 05/06/2017]

22.) A memoir or journal - Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen [Library Book Read 01/24/2017]

23.) A book written by someone younger than you - Egomaniac by Vi Keeland [Read 02/07/2017]

24.) A book set somewhere you may be visiting this year - Wrecked by J.B. Salsbury [Read 07/18/2017]

25.) An award-winning book - Commonwealth by Ann Patchett [Library Book - Did Not Finish 04/09/2017]

26.) A self-published book - Mists of The Serengeti by Leylah Attar (Pitch73 Publishing) [Read 01/31/2017]

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Between the Pages - Books I Read in 2016

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." ~ Mason Cooley

I think the aspect of reading I love the most is the escapism it offers, especially during trying times.

As I haven't discovered a better way of expressing the following, I shall repeat what I said in previous years...

The books I select as my favorites each year are those that: I get lost in; the ones that while reading, I lose all track of time; the ones that evoke the strongest emotions; the ones that make me laugh, cry, blush, gasp, and sigh. Yeah, those books!

Each year I meticulously review my database and Goodreads shelves to select my favorites. Even though I arbitrarily decide upon the categories, I am careful in considering which books deserve each designation.

To all the authors whose stories entertained me this year, and especially those who wrote my favorites below, you've earned my highest esteem, gratitude, and adoration. Thank you!

Sadly, no matter how much I love a book, I am unable to recall details. In other words, although my devotion is clear, my memory is not. I would, indeed, like to attempt to explain my choices to anyone who may be interested.

(Note: I receive no monetary compensation. I only wish to show my appreciation!)

Here are my stats for 2016

• my Goodreads Challenge total was 254 (first reading of single titles)
• my database total was 237 (book bundles are counted as a single title)
• my total books read was 269 (including 19 rereads ) 

My favorite genre remains romance, but I also enjoy select mysteries, thrillers, and popular fiction. With the immense digital collection available through the San Diego County Library system, I've been able to continue some long-time favorite series, such as Molly Murphy Mysteries, Harry Bosch, Kinsey Millhone, Alexandra Cooper, Kovac and Liska, and Penn Cage. This year I've also begun these well-established series: Jack Reacher, Walt Longmire, and Travis McGee. I look forward to discovering other great reads utilizing OverDrive in the coming year.

In 2016 I finished a total of 65 digital library books and didn't finish an additional 3. In total, 10 books were added to my did-not-finish shelf this year.

I'll be starting out 2017 with over 200 books (all priced under $2.00!) on my to-be-read shelves—primary and secondary—and nearly 100 books on my library wish list. I've chosen The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena as my first read of 2017 and set my Goodreads Challenge goal at 200 books.

Here's to 2017 being a successful reading year for all of us! 

My Favorites Published in 2016

(alphabetical by author)

Single Titles

Tap (Lovibond #1) by Georgia Cates (my short and sweet review)
The Silent Waters (Elements #3) by Brittainy Cherry (my short and sweet review)
Target on Our Backs (Monster in His Eyes #3) by J.M. Darhower (my short and sweet review)
One With You (Crossfire #5) by Sylvia Day (my short and sweet review)
Strong Signal (Cyberlove #1) by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell (I read it twice!)
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (my short and sweet review)
Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward (my short and sweet review)
The Score (Off-Campus #3) by Elle Kennedy (my short and sweet review)
Levi's Blue by M. Leighton (my short and sweet review)
*Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3) by Penny Reid (my short and sweet review)
The Shadow (Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard (my short and sweet review)
American Queen (American Queen Trilogy #1) by Sierra Simone (my short and sweet review)
The Angels' Share (The Bourbon Kings #2) by J.R. Ward (my short and sweet review)

Series Titles (two or more installments published within 2016)

True North Series by Sarina Bowen
The Lovibond Series by Georgia Cates
The Legal Briefs Series by Emma Chase
The Elements Series by Brittainy C. Cherry
Colorado High Country Series by Pamela Clare
Cyberlove Series by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
The Quantum Series by M.S. Force
The Winston Brothers Series by Penny Reid
The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard

Favorites by Category

Favorite Mainstream Romance - The Angels' Share (The Bourbon Kings #2) by J.R. Ward
Favorite Contemporary Romance - The Silent Waters (Elements #3) by Brittainy Cherry

Favorite Romantic Suspense - Target on Our Backs (Monster in His Eyes #3) by J.M. Darhower

Favorite Inspirational Romance -  It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Favorite Paranormal Romance - The Shadow (Florentine #2) by Sylvain Reynard

Favorite New Adult Romance - The Score (Off-Campus #3) by Elle Kennedy, (runner up) Royally Screwed (Royally #1) by Emma Chase

Favorite Romantic Novella - Imitation & Alchemy (Elemental Legacy #2) by Elizabeth Hunter, (runner up) Sidebarred (Legal Briefs #3.5) by Emma Chase

Favorite Romantic Series - The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard

Favorite Audiobook - (tie) Hard Ball by C.D. Reiss and narrated by Jo Raylan & Jeremy York and Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward and narrated by Joe Arden & Maxine Mitchell

Favorite Romantic Hero - Eric Hawke from Slow Burn (Colorado High Country #2) by Pamela Clare, (runner up) Jake Becker from Sidebarred (Legal Briefs #3.5) by Emma Chase

Favorite Romantic Heroine - Lawrence "Lawry/Wren" Thorn from Tap (Lovibond #1) by Georgia Cates

Favorite Romantic Couple - Garrett Reid and Kai Bannon from Strong Signal (Cyberlove #1) by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

Favorite Alpha Male - Ignazio "Naz" Vitale from Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower

Favorite Suspense - Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell #1) by Barbara Nickless

Favorite Thriller - The Bitter Season (Kovac and Liska #5) by Tami Hoag

Most Pleasant Surprise - Stuck-Up Suit by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward

Most Luscious Romance - Tap (Lovibond #1) by Georgia Cates

Most Erotic Romance - American Queen (American Queen Trilogy #1) by Sierra Simone

Most Outside My Comfort Zone - You and Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

Most Heartrending - The Silent Waters (Elements #3) by Brittainy Cherry

Most Humorous - Beard Science (Winston Brothers #3) by Penny Reid

Most Tormented Hero - William York from The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard

Most "Kick-Ass" Heroine - Estelle Evermore from Unseen Messages by Pepper Winters

Most Guilty Pleasure - Patchwhore and Clubwhore (Devil's Renegades MC #1 and #2)  by Kim Jones
Most Striking Cover - Bittersweet (True North #1) by Sarina Bowen

Most Anticipated Books of 2017

Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase
The Gravity of Us (Elements #4) by Brittainy Cherry
FSD from Christian's POV by E.L. James
Amped (Trent Brothers #2) by Tina Reber (I hope this one will finally be released in 2017!)
Two Nights by Kathy Reichs
Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
Twist (Dive Bar #2) by Kylie Scott
American Prince (American Queen Trilogy #2) by Sierra Simone
American King (American Queen Trilogy #3) by Sierra Simone
Devil's Cut (The Bourbon Kings #3) by J.R. Ward

Book Bundles I Read in 2016

I buy book bundles when I can due to the bargain pricing. (All of my 2016 bundles were only $0.99, $1.99, or $2.99 each.) However, since my book database counts a multi-book bundle as a single book, the following is a list of the 20 individual books from within the book bundles. The remainder of my 2016 book database follows that.

Impossible (7 Book) Box Set (no longer available) by Julia Sykes
Rogue (#3) 01/25/2016 (6 of 10 stars)
Knight (#4) 03/20/2016 (6 of 10 stars)
Mentor (#5) SKIPPED
Master (#6) 10/21/2016 (6 of 10 stars)
King (#7) 12/24/2016 (6 of 10 stars)

Rook and Ronan (3 Book) Omnibus Edition by J.A. Huss
Tragic (#1)  01/27/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Manic (#2) 01/28/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Panic (#3) 01/28/2016 (10 of 10 stars)

Forbidden (3 Book) Box Set by C.D. Reiss
Kick (#1)  03/20/2016 (6 of 10 stars)
Use (#2) 03/21/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Break (#3) 03/21/2016 (8 of 10 stars)

Serve and Protect (3 Book) Box Set by Norah Wilson
Saving Grace (#2) 04/24/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Protecting Paige (#3) 05/01/2016 (6 of 10 stars)

The Ready Series (4 Book) Box Set by J.L. Berg
When You're Ready (#1)  05/03/2016 (6 of 10 stars)
Ready to Wed (#1.5) 05/11/2016 (6 of 10 stars)

The Mercenaries (3 Book) Box Set  by Stylo Fantome
Best Laid Plans (#1) 08/06/2016 (6 of 10 stars)

Laura Cardinal (3 Book) Box Set by J. Carson Black
Darkness on the Edge of Town (#1) 09/28/2016 (8 of 10 stars)

Alpha (3 Book) Box Set by Jasinda Wilder
Alpha (#1) 10/01/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Beta (#2) 10/02/2016 (8 of 10 stars)
Omega (#3) 10/02/2016 (10 of 10 stars)

Explosive (5 Book) Box Set by Tessa Teevan
Ignite (#1) 10/24/2016 (4 of 10 stars)

Individual Books I Read in 2016

(The (a) following a book's title designates an audiobook. 

A rating of zero denotes a book that defies a rating. 

Table best viewed in landscape mode on mobile devices.) 

Author	Title	Publication Year	Reading Date	My Rating
Aston, Jana	Wrong	2015	12/19/2016	8
Attar, Leylah	The Paper Swan	2015	8/28/2016	10
Barrymore, Drew	Wildflower	2015	1/26/2016	6
Bowen, Rhys	The Edge of Dreams	2015	11/5/2016	8
Bowen, Sarina	Bittersweet	2016	6/23/2016	8
Bowen, Sarina	Steadfast	2016	8/14/2016	8
Boyd, Natasha	All That Jazz	2016	3/24/2016	8
Bromberg, K.	Raced	2014	4/2/2016	4
Brown, Sandra	Deadline (a)	2013	10/21/2016	8
Brown, Sandra	Friction	2015	2/22/2016	8
Brown, Sandra	Sting	2016	9/11/2016	8
Carlan, Audrey	January	2015	1/31/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	February	2015	1/31/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	March	2015	1/31/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	April	2015	2/1/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	May	2015	2/9/2016	8
Carlan, Audrey	June	2015	2/9/2016	4
Carlan, Audrey	July	2015	2/10/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	August	2015	2/10/2016	7
Carlan, Audrey	September	2015	2/10/2016	8
Carlan, Audrey	October	2015	2/11/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	November	2015	2/11/2016	6
Carlan, Audrey	December	2015	2/11/2016	6
Carmack, Cora	All Played Out	2015	3/6/2016	6
Carr, Robyn	What We Find	2016	7/31/2016	4
Carr, Robyn	Wildest Dreams	2015	2/5/2016	4
Casey, Elle	Rebel	2013	6/19/2016	6
Cates, Georgia	Beauty from Pain (a)	2013	8/10/2016	8
Cates, Georgia	Beauty from Surrender (a)	2013	8/11/2016	8
Cates, Georgia	Beauty from Love (a)	2014	8/16/2016	8
Cates, Georgia	Indulge (a)	2016	5/26/2016	10
Cates, Georgia	Tap	2016	1/11/2016	10
Cates, Georgia	Stout	2016	5/17/2016	8
Chase, Emma	Royally Screwed	2016	10/31/2016	10
Chase, Emma	Sustained (a)	2015	12/19/2016	8
Chase, Emma	Appealed	2016	2/8/2016	8
Chase, Emma	Sidebarred	2016	4/28/2016	10
Cherry, Brittainy	The Fire Between High & Lo	2016	3/27/2016	8
Cherry, Brittainy	The Silent Waters	2016	9/23/2016	10
Child , Lee	The Killing Floor	2006	5/27/2016	8
Child , Lee	Die Trying	2006	6/13/2016	6
Child , Lee	Tripwire	2007	7/12/2016	4
Child , Lee	Running Blind	2007	12/2/2016	8
Clare, Pamela	Barely Breathing	2016	5/11/2016	8
Clare, Pamela	Slow Burn	2016	9/22/2016	10
Clare, Pamela	Soul Deep (a)	2016	5/18/2016	10
Clayton, Alice	Last Call	2015	10/15/2016	8
Clayton, Alice	Cream of the Crop	2016	8/11/2016	4
Cole, Courtney	Confessions of an Alli Cat	2012	4/30/2016	6
Connelly, Michael	The Narrows	2004	11/18/2016	8
Connor, Claudia	Worth It All	2016	4/20/2016	8
Cosway, L.H.	The Nature of Cruelty	2013	1/29/2016	8
Cosway, L.H.; Reid, Penny	The Player and the Pixie	2016	4/19/2016	8
Cullinan, Heidi	Family Man	2013	2/17/2016	8
Cullinan, Heidi	Let It Snow	2013	3/2/2016	4
Cullinan, Heidi	Sleigh Ride	2014	3/16/2016	6
Cullinan, Heidi	Nowhere Ranch	2015	2/15/2016	10
Cullinan, Heidi	Nowhere Ranch (a)	2015	5/23/2016	10
Cullinan, Heidi	Special Delivery	2014	2/19/2016	8
Cullinan, Heidi	Double Blind	2014	2/20/2016	8
Cullinan, Heidi	The Twelve Days of Randy	2014	2/21/2016	8
Cullinan, Heidi	Tough Love	2014	3/19/2016	6
Cumberland, Brooke	Spark	2013	3/27/2016	4
Cumberland, Brooke	Burn	2013	3/29/2016	4
Cunning, Olivia	Insider	2015	10/10/2016	8
Cunning, Olivia	Backstage Pass (a)	2012	9/25/2016	10
Daniels, J.	Four Letter Word	2016	12/15/2016	8
Daniels, J.	Sweet Possession	2014	8/8/2016	6
Darhower, J.M.	Target on Our Backs	2016	2/24/2016	10
Dawes, Casey	California Sunrise	2015	2/13/2016	6
Day, Sylvia	One With You	2016	4/6/2016	10
Donovan, Susan	Sea of Love	2013	10/27/2016	6
Donovan, Susan	The Sweetest Summer	2014	11/27/2016	4
Donovan, Susan	Moondance Beach	2015	10/20/2016	8
Erickson, Megan; Hassell, Santino	Strong Signal	2016	2/15/2016	10
Erickson, Megan; Hassell, Santino	Strong Signal (a)	2016	9/16/2016	8
Erickson, Megan; Hassell, Santino	Fast Connection	2016	12/10/2016	10
Evans, Katy	Legend	2016	3/20/2016	8
Fairstein, Linda	Devil's Bridge	2015	3/12/2016	6
Fairstein, Linda	Killer Look	2016	10/30/2016	8
Fasano, Donna	Reclaim My Heart	2013	9/4/2016	8
Finn , Elizabeth	Kane's Hell	2015	1/12/2016	10
Finn , Elizabeth	The Rules Regarding Gray	2014	2/6/2016	8
Force, Marie	Fatal Frenzy	2015	1/3/2016	10
Force, Marie	Fatal Identity	2016	12/7/2016	8
Force, Marie	I Saw Her Standing There	2014	11/16/2016	6
Force, Marie	Rapturous	2016	1/19/2016	6
Force, Marie	Ravenous	2016	8/26/2016	10
Force, Marie	Love After Dark	2015	5/15/2016	6
Foss, C.M.	City Beautiful	2015	1/13/2016	10
Foss, C.M.	Shiver	2014	1/15/2016	8
Fowler, Earlene	Spider Web (a)	2011	5/17/2016	8
Frank, Ella	Alasdair	2015	2/14/2016	4
Frank, Ella	Finley	2016	3/22/2016	8
Frank, Ella	Devil's Kiss	2016	5/30/2016	4
Garvis Graves, Tracey	Heart-Shaped Hack (a)	2016	6/1/2016	8
Garvis Graves, Tracey	White-Hot Hack	2016	6/17/2016	6
Glenn, Priscilla	Back to You	2012	1/26/2016	8
Grafton, Sue	"V" is for Vengeance	2011	12/18/2016	8
Halle, Karina	The Lie	2016	2/21/2016	6
Halle, Karina	The Debt	2016	9/2/2016	6
Halle, Karina	Smut	2016	5/25/2016	6
Harvey-Berrick, Jane	Dazzled	2014	5/2/2016	6
Hassell, Santino	Sutphin Boulevard	2015	4/24/2016	8
Hassell, Santino	Sunset Park	2015	6/20/2016	8
Higgins, Kristan	Waiting On You	2014	4/13/2016	6
Hoag, Tami	The 9th Girl	2013	11/13/2016	10
Hoag, Tami	The Bitter Season	2016	2/17/2016	10
Holden, Kim	Bright Side	2014	2/27/2016	10
Holden, Kim	Gus	2015	2/28/2016	10
Hoover, Colleen	It Ends with Us	2016	8/16/2016	10
Hoover, Colleen	Too Late	2016	12/26/2016	8
Howard, Linda	Son Of The Morning	1997	9/6/2016	10
Howard, Linda	Troublemaker	2016	7/24/2016	6
Hunter, Elizabeth	Waking Hearts	2015	1/18/2016	8
Hunter, Elizabeth	Imitation & Alchemy	2016	1/30/2016	10
Hunting, Helena	Inked Armor	2014	10/8/2016	6
Hunting, Helena	Felony Ever After	2016	9/3/2016	6
Huss, , J.A.	Rook and Ronin Omnibus Edition	2014	1/28/2016	9
Huss, , J.A.	Three, Two, One (321)	2015	6/18/2016	10
Iles, Greg	Turning Angel	2005	12/14/2016	8
Jackson, A.L.	Where Lightning Strikes	2016	4/29/2016	0
James, E.L.	Fifty Shades of Grey (a)	2012	11/11/2016	6
James, E.L.	Fifty Shades Darker (a)	2012	12/5/2016	6
James, E.L.	Fifty Shades Freed (a)	2012	12/13/2016	6
James, Nicole	Jameson	2016	9/21/2016	10
James, Nicole	Red Dog	2016	9/20/2016	8
James, Nicole	Ruby Falls	2013	5/7/2016	6
Hobman, Lisa J.	Bad Company	2015	9/25/2016	8
Hobman, Lisa J.	Six	2015	9/26/2016	6
Johnson, Amber L.	She Dims the Stars	2016	4/22/2016	6
Johnson, Craig	The Cold Dish	2004	12/21/2016	6
Jones, Kim	Clubwhore	2016	1/20/2016	8
Jones, Kim	Patchwhore	2016	10/11/2016	8
Jones, Lisa Renee	Hard Rules	2016	8/18/2016	4
Jones, Lisa Renee	Beneath the Secrets	2013	4/26/2016	4
Jordan, Skye	Rumor (a)	2015	8/24/2016	8
Jordan, Skye	Relentless (a)	2016	8/29/2016	8
Kaye, Laura	Bound to Submit	2016	10/11/2016	8
Kaye, Laura	Hard Ever After	2016	2/3/2016	8
Kaye, Laura	Hard to Serve	2016	7/2/2016	8
Kaye, Laura	Love in the Light	2016	1/12/2016	10
Kaye, Laura	Hearts in Darkness	2013	1/11/2016	10
Kaye, Laura	Ride Hard	2016	4/27/2016	8
Keeland, Vi	The Baller	2016	12/22/2016	8
Keeland, Vi	Bossman	2016	11/9/2016	8
Keeland, Vi; Ward, Penelope	Stuck-Up Suit	2016	4/16/2016	10
Keeland, Vi; Ward, Penelope	Stuck-Up Suit (a)	2016	10/24/2016	10
Kennedy, Elle	The Mistake	2015	1/13/2016	10
Kennedy, Elle	The Score	2016	9/18/2016	10
Kenner, J.	Seduce Me	2015	10/24/2016	8
Kepnes, Caroline	You	2014	10/19/2016	0
Kepnes, Caroline	Hidden Bodies	2016	10/29/2016	0
Kincaid, Kimberly	Reckless	2016	9/30/2016	4
Krentz, Jayne Ann	Secret Sisters	2015	2/1/2016	6
Lacey, Rachel	For Keeps	2015	5/5/2016	6
Lake, Autumn Jones	Slow Burn	2014	8/25/2016	8
Lane, Prescott	Stripped Raw	2016	3/4/2016	8
Lauren, Christina	Beautiful Boss	2016	3/1/2016	6
Lauren, Christina	Beautiful	2016	12/5/2016	8
Lauren, Christina	Dark Wild Night (a)	2015	11/23/2016	8
Lauren, Christina	Wicked Sexy Liar	2016	5/10/2016	8
Lee, Molly E.	Edge of Chaos	2016	4/14/2016	6
Leighton, M.	All the Pretty Poses	2014	7/5/2016	4
Leighton, M.	Levi's Blue	2016	9/21/2016	10
Lynn, Cherrie	Rock Me (a)	2013	9/11/2016	10
Lynn, Cherrie	Leave Me Breathess (a)	2013	9/14/2016	10
Lynn, Cherrie	Watch Me Fall	2015	1/17/2016	6
Lynn, J.	Wait for You (a)	2013	12/17/2016	8
MacDonald, John D.	The Deep Blue Good-by	2013	12/23/2016	8
Mackenzie, Riley	Abruption	2016	1/10/2016	8
Madden-Mills, Ilsa	Dirty English	2015	7/14/2016	6
Mallery, Susan	Thrill Me	2015	11/21/2016	4
Miller, Raine	Filthy Rich	2016	12/11/2016	10
Morris, Liv	Marry Screw Kill	2016	5/13/2016	4
Morton, Kate	The Lake House	2015	1/9/2016	0
Nickless, Barbara	Blood on the Tracks	2016	10/6/2016	8
Pacat, C.S.	Captive Prince	2014	11/21/2016	6
Pacat, C.S.	Prince's Gambit	2014	11/23/2016	8
Pacat, C.S.	Kings Rising	2016	11/25/2016	8
Pettersen, Bev	A Scandalous Husband	2014	8/7/2016	4
Phillips, Carly	Dare to Love	2014	7/4/2016	4
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth	It Had to Be You (a)	2007	10/23/2016	10
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth	Heaven, Texas (a)	2007	10/25/2016	8
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth	Nobody's Baby But Mine (a)	2007	10/28/2016	6
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth	First Star I See Tonight	2016	11/12/2016	6
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth	Heroes are My Weakness (a)	2014	12/25/2016	8
Prescott, Daisy	Ready to Fall	2013	7/20/2016	6
Preston, Beverly	No More Wasted Time (a)	2016	5/29/2016	6
Krentz, Jayne Ann	'Til Death Do Us Part	2016	9/16/2016	8
Raeder, Leah	Unteachable (a)	2014	10/18/2016	10
Redmerski, J.A.	The Black Wolf	2015	5/20/2016	8
Reid, Penny	Beauty and the Mustache	2014	1/23/2016	8
Reid, Penny	Grin and Beard It	2016	6/2/2016	8
Reid, Penny	Beard Science	2016	12/30/2016	10
Reiss, C.D.	Forbidden	2015	3/21/2016	8
Reiss, C.D.	Hard Ball (a)	2016	5/31/2016	10
Reiss, C.D.	Hard Ball	2016	3/30/2016	10
Reiss, C.D.	Shuttergirl	2015	1/20/2016	4
Reisz, Tiffany	The Bourbon Thief	2016	8/22/2016	8
Reynard, Sylvain	The Shadow	2016	2/3/2016	10
Reynard, Sylvain	The Roman	2016	12/6/2016	8
Roberts, Nora	The Obsession	2016	5/29/2016	8
Robinson, Steve	The Lost Empress	2014	4/24/2016	6
Salsbury, J.B.	Fighting the Fall (a)	2015	5/23/2016	8
Saperstein, M.D.	Naked Truth	2016	4/20/2016	4
Scott, Kylie	Dirty (a)	2016	10/19/2016	10
Scott, Kylie	Dirty	2016	4/19/2016	10
Scott, Kylie	Deep (a)	2015	10/14/2016	8
Sheridan, Mia	Leo	2013	1/2/2016	8
Simone, Sierra	American Queen	2016	10/29/2016	10
Simone, Sierra	Priest: A Love Story	2015	1/4/2016	10
Simone, Sierra	Midnight Mass	2015	3/25/2016	8
Spinella, Laura	Ghost Gifts	2016	2/12/2016	6
Staab, Elisabeth	At the Stars	2015	4/6/2016	6
Stevens, Amanda	The Visitor	2016	9/20/2016	10
Sykes, Julia	Impossible Series Box Set	2015	12/24/2016	6
Taylor, Keary	What I Didn't Say	2012	10/22/2016	6
Torre, Alessandra	Moonshot	2016	12/27/2016	8
Towle, Samantha	Unsuitable	2016	10/3/2016	6
Tucker, K.A.	Becoming Rain	2015	3/1/2016	6
Ward, J.R.	The Bourbon Kings (a)	2015	10/17/2016	10
Ward, J.R.	The Angels' Share	2016	11/7/2016	10
Webster, K.	Dirty Ugly Toy	2016	6/22/2016	6
Wilder, Jasinda	Alpha Boxed Set	2016	10/2/2016	8
Wilder, Jasinda	Madame X	2015	1/24/2016	10
Wilder, Jasinda	Exposed	2016	3/8/2016	8
Wilder, Jasinda	Exiled	2016	8/9/2016	8
Wilson, Norah	Serve and Protect Box Set	2012	5/1/2016	6
Wilson, Norah	A Fall from Yesterday	2016	6/22/2016	6
Winters, Pepper	Destroyed	2014	11/2/2016	4
Winters, Pepper	Ruin & Rule	2015	2/24/2016	6
Winters, Pepper	Sin & Suffer	2016	2/26/2016	4
Winters, Pepper	Unseen Messages	2016	10/15/2016	8
Wolff, Tracy	Ruined	2014	4/10/2016	8
Wolff, Tracy	Addicted	2014	4/9/2016	6
Wylde, Joanna	Reaper's Fire	2016	8/12/2016	8
Young, Samantha	Hero	2015	10/31/2016	6

Exported from BookCollector 12/30/2016 10:29:15 AM