KJ's Book Nook 2017 Reading Challenge

KJ's Book Nook has an annual reading challenge that I decided to quietly take part in. I have my little notebook where I've written down her challenge and when I read a book that fits, I'd jot it down. I've almost completed the entire challenge, might have missed a couple, but was happy I was able to complete so many! I look forward to her challenge next year!

2017 Reading Challenge

1. A book by an author you have never read. 

This was a bonus, it's an author I'd never read before and also a popular book I hadn't read before (I'm counting it for #11 in the challenge). I really enjoyed this first book, I read the second book in the series but kind of lost interest and haven't picked up the final book yet. 

Enclave by Ann Aguire

YA Dystopian

2. A book with a pretty cover.

This whole series has gorgeous covers, but this may be my favorite cover of the three. It's hard to choose though, all of Ms. Anderson's books have awesome covers. 

The Pursuit of Lady Harriett by Rachael Anderson

Traditional Regency Romance

3. A Trilogy

I really enjoyed this collection, fun stories with likable characters. They can stand on their own, but are fun to read in order. 

Pianos and Promises by Jennifer Peel

Christopher & Jamie, Beck & Call, Cole & Jillian

Contemporary Romance

4. A book by your favorite author.

Ms. Allen has been a favorite of mine for a really long time. I love that she writes in different genres and excels in whatever she puts her pen to. This was my first Steampunk read, and I thought it was very well done. Great romance too!

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen

Steampunk Regency Mystery Romance

5. A book by a friends favorite author.

Since I'm always chatting books with these ladies, I picked a book by each of their favorite authors. Kathy Jo, Heidi and Katie

Paige's Turn by Jennifer Peel

Contemporary Romance

A Fine Gentleman by Sarah Eden

Traditional Regency Romance

Asked and Answered by Jennifer Griffith

Contemporary Romance

6. A book you have read before.

I read this forever ago and thought it'd be a great one to choose for this challenge. I hope this is one that Ms. Rallison will re-release, it has a fun plot and cute characters. 

What the Doctor Ordered by Janette Rallison

(Aka Sierra St James)

Contemporary Romance

7. A book with a billionaire in it. 

There's a whole Bachelor Billionaire series by Taylor Hart, and I really enjoyed this one. Fun setting, good plot and was well written. 

The Undercover Groom by Taylor Hart

Contemporary Suspense Romance

8. A book with a one word title. 

This whole series has one word titles! I was a little nervous when I was looking through my 2017 shelf that I wouldn't be able to find a book with just a single word title. This series was fun! Best to read all three together, since each on its own is pretty short. 

Hacked by Stephanie Connelly Worlton

Contemporary Suspense Romance

9. A book that takes place on an island.

Perfect island getaway! Now that I'm living on an island (Hawaii), I could really picture the setting perfectly. A nice little beach getaway. 

From this Moment On by Debra Clopton

Contemporary Romance

10. A book with a topic you dislike.

Good book, but a topic I hate reading about is abuse. Although, it is always nice seeing characters overcome their abuse and of course find love. 

Begin Again by Crystal Walton

Contemporary Romance

11.  A book everyone has read but you.

See, #1 - Enclave

12. A YA bestseller.

I adore Ms. West's YA novels. Always fun and unique. 

By Your Side by Kasie West

YA Contemporary Romance

13. A favorite book from your childhood.

Um, hello? Nancy Drew is hands down my favorite series from my childhood. While they're obviously meant for a younger audience, I still enjoy reading them. 

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

YA Mystery

14. A book with a bad review from a Goodreads friend.

-I wasn't able to complete this one. 

15. Reread a favorite book from 2016

This is such a fun series, I always enjoy Ms. Guymon's books!

Falling for Rayne by Shannon Guymon

Contemporary Romance

16. A book with a hero/heroine's name that you love.

I not only loved the heroines name, Amelia, I loved this book! It's one of those books I just connected with right off the bat. Definitely look forward to reading it again. 

The Earl's Betrothal by Karen Tuft

Traditional Regency Romance

17. A book with your favorite color on the cover.

Pink. I love the color pink. There were a few books that had pink on them, but I kept coming back to this pretty pink dress! Also, this book was awesome!

A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

Traditional Regency Romance

18. A book set in a place you would like to visit. 

I've read so many Regencies that England has made it to the top of my bucket list. I can't wait to visit there some day and tour all these places I've only read about in my fun regency books!

Once Upon a Time Travel by Sariah Wilson

Time Travel Regency Romance

Okay, so I completed almost ALL of the challenges! This was a super fun project to work on throughout the year. Lots of great books! I look forward to KJ's challenge next year!

Swoon Worthy Spotlights

Welcome to another one of our new Book Blog Memes hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Swoon Worthy Spotlights features 1-3 of our favorite books that we have read during the month. We will share the cover(s), our review(s) and a link to each other's post so you can check out which books we have all chosen!

So... without further adieu... our first...

Swoon Worthy Spotlights!

For my first Swoon Worthy Spotlights I am going to choose...

Enclave by Ann Aguire

Razorland, Book One

 

A Christmas Kiss by Susan Hatler

Kissed By The Bay, Book Five

 

So, I had sort of made a goal to read a book a day in January, didn't quite turn out that way (read around seven. Haha, so I didn't even come close, life got in the way. While I enjoyed the books I read, I also didn't have any five star reads (although I'm sure other would have rated them five stars). Here's hoping February will be full of five star reads (already off to a good start).

 

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And don't for get to check Kathy Jo's post here and Katie's post here!

 

Do you have a blog and want to join us for Swoon Worthy Spotlights? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting on the last day of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well! If you don't have a blog, just leave a comment below. I'd love to hear which books we're your favorite for the month!

 

Author's Corner

Welcome to our newest Book Blog Meme hosted by Bookworm Nation, Katie's Clean Book Collection and KJ's Book Nook! Once a month Author's Corner will feature either a favorite author or new to us author. We will share the author's bio, one of our favorite books of theirs and a review. Each of us will be featuring a different author each month so there will also be links to each of our posts.

We love finding and sharing amazing authors with others, We thought this would be the perfect way to share the love not only with other bookworms but with the authors that we absolutely adore! So... without further adieu... may we present our first...Author's Corner!


For my first Author's Corner I am going to choose...

Nancy Campbell Allen

"Nancy Campbell Allen is the author of 13 published novels and several novellas, which encompass a variety of genres from contemporary romantic suspense to historical fiction. Her Civil War series, Faith of our Fathers, won the Utah Best of State award in 2005 and two of her historicals featuring Isabelle Webb, Pinkerton spy, were finalists for the Whitney Award. Her steampunk novel, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast, was released August, 2016, through Shadow Mountain. She served on the 2015 LDStorymakers Conference Committee and currently serves as the Teen Committee coordinator for The Teen Writers Conference. She has presented at numerous conferences and events since her initial publication in 1999.

Her formal schooling includes a B.S. in Elementary Education from Weber State University and she has worked as a ghost writer and freelance editor, contributing to the releases, We Knew Howard Hughes, by Jim Whetton, and My Life Encapsulated, by Kenneth Brailsford.

Nancy loves to read, write, travel and research, and enjoys spending time laughing with family and friends. She and her husband have three children, and she lives in Ogden, Utah with her family and one very large Siberian Husky named Thor."

 

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I've been a big fan of Nancy's for a long time. The first book I read of hers was A House Divided, I believe this was around 2003 (before I had Goodreads or my review blog), I was hooked on that series. I quickly looked up anything else she had written and fell in love with her books (I think she had about eight books at that time. She became an autobuy author for me pretty early on, and I always kept an eye out for when she had a new release. It's hard for me to narrow down a favorite book, so I'll pick a random one (seriously, they're all so good)...



 No Time For Love

Romantic Suspense

Book Two, but can stand on its own

 

Conner O'Brian knows his engagement is a mistake, but before he can take steps to end it, his fiancée is dead and FBI agents are on his doorstep. Then Liz Saxton, a resourceful and self-assured private investigator, shows up looking dangerously like the woman he thought he loved. Conner is hardly looking for a new romance, and the last thing Liz wants is to get involved in a murder investigation with someone as attractive as Conner O'Brian.

Before they know it, Liz and Conner find themselves on a nonstop chase across continents and oceans in a race to find the evidence they need before a bullet finds them.

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And don't for get to check out Kathy Jo's post here and Katie's post here!

 

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Do you have a blog and want to join us for Author's Corner? Then grab the picture and post with us! We will be posting the 2nd Saturday of each month. Make sure you share your link with us so we can check out your favorite authors as well! 

Happy reading my fellow bookworms! 💗