End of the 100 Books in 2012 Challenge

Although I haven't updated my blog recently, I have been reading. Here are the final additions to my 100 Books in 2012 Challenge update.

79. Into the Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

80. Force of Nature by Suzanne Brockmann

81. Ashes to Ashes by Tami Hoag (reread from 10 years ago)

82. Dust to Dust by Tami Hoag (reread from 8-10 years ago)

83. Falling Home by Karen White

84. Following the Drum: Women in Wellington’s Army by F.C.P. Gage

85. Jane Austen and Ghosts by David W. Wilkin

86. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer

87. Summer at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs

88. The Days of Summer by Jill Barnett

89. Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

90. Love Will Find a Way by Barbara Freethy

91. Almost a Bride by Patricia McLinn

92. The Witness by Dee Henderson

93. Cry Uncle by Judith Arnold

94. Sing Me Home by Jerri Corgiat (reread from 10-15 years ago)

95. True Devotion by Dee Henderson

96. My Man Pendleton by Elizabeth Bevarly

97. Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson

98. Sleepwalker by Karen Robards

99. The Angel Knight by Susan King (reread from 10-15 years ago)

100. Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate (read 3 times in 2 months)

101. Silken Threads by Patricia Ryan (reread from 10-15 years ago)

102. The Poisoned Serpent by Joan Wolf

103. The Earl by Cecilia Holland

104. Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

105. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (reread from 4 or 5 years ago)

 106. Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (reread from 4 or 5 years ago)

107. Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs (reread from three years ago)

108. The Last Hope by Nora Roberts

109. Carolina Home by Virginia Kantra

110. Spinning Forward by Terri DuLong

111. Sunrise on Cedar Key by Terri DuLong (again)

112. Postcards from Cedar Key by Terri DuLong

113. Tangled Up in Love by Heidi Betts

114. Lone Star Cafe by Lisa Wingate (reread from 8 years ago)

115. Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner by Lisa Wingate (reread from 6 years ago)

116. Texas Cooking by Lisa Wingate (reread from 8 years ago)

117. Under the Kissing Bough by Shannon Donnelly

118. Mistletoe and Mischief by Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, Nicola Cornick, Cara Elliott, Anne Gracie, Susan King, and Patricia Rice

119. See Jane Score by Jane Gibson

120. Regency Christmas Magic by Amanda McCabe, Allison Lane, Edith Layton, Barbara Metzger, and Sandra Heath (a reread from 8 years ago)

I enjoyed all these books except two (Jane Austen and Ghosts and The Earl). My favorite books, aside from the rereads (which I wouldn't have reread if I didn't really like), were the books whose covers are shown on the right.

I don't know what my favorite book of the year was. Narrowing the choice down to one single book is almost impossible. Did you have a favorite among the books you read this year?

100 Books in 2012 Challenge: Update

I was an avid reader long before I ever thought about writing a novel. I'm still an avid reader. I took up the challenge to keep track of the books I read this year, and to try to read 100 books. So far, I'm making good progress toward my goal.

Here is a list of the books I've read since I last posted an update.

37. When Dreams Come True by Cathy Maxwell
38. Blame it on Bath by Caroline Linden
39. One Night in London by Caroline Linden
40. Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke
41. Once Around by Barbara Bretton
42. Sleeping Alone by Barbara Bretton
43. The Day We Met by Barbara Bretton
44. Maybe This Time by Barbara Bretton
45. At Last by Barbara Bretton
46. A Soft Place to Fall by Barbara Bretton
47. Girls of Summer by Barbara Bretton (read it twice)
48. The Penalty Box by Deirdre Martin
49. The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts
50. Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas
51. Here to Stay by Catherine Anderson
52. Home for the Summer by Mariah Stewart
53. Moonshell Beach by JoAnn Ross (read it twice)

Of all these books were good. The best of the bunch was Barbara Bretton's Girls of Summer, which is my all-time favorite contemporary romance. Also excellent were Home for the Summer by Mariah Stewart, the fifth book in her Chesapeake Diaries series; Moonshell Beach by JoAnn Ross, the fifth book in her Shelter Bay series, which I was fortunate enough to read before its release due to an advanced reading copy I won in the weekly contest on her website; and The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts, the second book in her Inn Boonsboro trilogy.

I'm on a contemporary romance kick at the moment, and I plan to start reading Ms. Roberts's new book, The Witness, tonight.

What have you been reading?

Susannah

Two Books Closer to Goal

I'm still in my Regency romance reading mood. I have two more books to add to my "read" list, as part of the 100 Books in 2012  Challenge. (Click on the link in the sidebar to learn more.)

The most recent books I read were:
6. The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance editted by Trisha Telep,
7. The General's Granddaughter by Dorothy Mack.

The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance true to its name was large. All the stories were good, and some were excellent. I might have wished some of them were longer, but all the stories were in the 10,000-word range, longer than a short story and about half as long as a novella. I had my favorites, as any reader would. If you've read this book, which story did you like best?

The General's Granddaughter was a book I've had for years, but it had fallen behind a stack of other books. I rediscovered it while dusting the shelf, and enjoyed it very much.

Despite having received three contemporary romances for Christmas, as well as a new research book, I have not yet opened a single one.

Do you ever get in a reading mood? If so, what time period or type of books are you most likely to choose?

Susannah

5 Books Read, 95 to Go

I took the challenge to read 100 books in 2012. (Click on the link in the left sidebar to learn more.) Most years I read more, but I'm not always good at keeping track of exactly how many I've read.

So far this year, I've read:
1. Marrying the Royal Marine by Carla Kelly,
2. The Admiral’s Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly,
3. A Garden Folly by Candice Hern (a reread from 10-15 years ago, read on the Kindle app on my phone),
4. The Best Intentions by Candice Hern (a reread from 10+ years ago, read on Kindle app),
5. Miss Lacey’s Last Fling by Candice Hern (a reread from 10+ years ago, read on Kindle app).

I'm currently reading The Mammoth Book of Regency Romance, editted by Trisha Telep. True to its title, it's huge. I'm about one-third of the way through the book, and so far I've enjoyed almost all of the stories. Like any anthology, some stories are better than others. A few have been excellent.

As you can see from the list, I'm in a Regency romance mood. What are you reading this week?

Susannah