2015 First Quarter Wrap Up Post!!

Wow, the first quarter of 2015 has come to end! This year is going by way too quickly if you ask me.

I've had a decent year in reading so far. I've read or listened to a total of 31 books so far this year. My goal is to read 100 books this year. So far, I'm making great strides in meeting that goal... Who knows, I may even exceed my reading goal of 100 books read this year!! Wouldn't that be great?

The break down of what I've read thus far this year is as follows:

I've listened to 5 audiobooks.
I've read 22 eBooks.
I've read 4 physical books.

Rain Gods by James Lee Burke is my favorite audiobook this quarter.
I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith is probably favorite eBook this quarter.
Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler is my favorite physical book I've read this quarter.

At the start of the year, I would have guessed/predicted that I would have read more physical books and listened to more audiobooks at this point than read eBooks!! But, I'm not complaining mind you... I'm simply happy that I've read so many awesome books so far this year.

How is your year in reading going for you so far?

Ten Books You Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

The following books are my Top Ten Books I Recently Added To Your To-Be-Read List.

1. A Sudden Light by Garth Stein
2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
3. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
5. Duplicity by N. K. Traver
6. Murder on the Champ de Mars by Cara Black
7. The Dead Key by D. M. Pulley
8. Letters Across Time by Anna Zogg
9. Murder & Moonflowers by Leslie Leigh
10. The Forgotten Girls by Alexa Steele

I'm looking forward to reading this books!!! So, which books have you recently added to your 'To-Be-Read List'?

Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke

Unabridged Audiobook

I listened to the unabridged audio version of the Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke and read by actor, Will Patton. Total listening time for Crusader's Cross is approximately 12 hours.

Crusader's Cross is my second experience with anything written by James Lee Burke. Earlier this year, I listened to the audio version of Rain Gods by James Lee Burke and also narrated by Will Patton. I enjoyed listening to audio version of Rain Gods immensely, so was excited to listen to Crusader's Cross as well.

I find James Lee Burke's writing to be richly detailed and descriptive. He truly has a gift with words and storytelling that is layered, complex, dark and suspenseful. I also find that Will Patton's narration of James Lee Burke's work is spot on and adds another dimension to one's reading/listening experience. 

I found Crusader's Cross to be a bit on the dark side, but it kept me interested in learning what happened to Ida Durban. Plus, all the plot twists and turns and other deep dark secrets had me intrigued as to how it was all going to play out.

The following is a plot summary for the Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke from Amazon:

Critically acclaimed and bestselling crime writer James Lee Burke returns to Louisiana where his ever-popular hero, Dave Robicheaux, sleuths his way through a hotbed of sin and uncertainty. 

For Dave Robicheaux, life in Louisiana is filled with haunting memories of the past -- images from Vietnam, the violent streets of New Orleans, and his own troubled youth. In Crusader's Cross, a deathbed confession from an old schoolmate resurrects a story of injustice, the murder of a young woman, and a time in Robicheaux's life he has tried to forget. 

Her name may or may not have been Ida Durbin. It was back in the innocent days of the 1950s when Robicheaux and his brother, Jimmie, met her on a Galveston beach. She was pretty and Jimmie fell for her hard -- not knowing she was a prostitute on infamous Post Office Street, with ties to the mob. Then Ida was abducted and never seen again. 
Now, decades later, Robicheaux is asking questions about Ida Durbin, and a couple of redneck deputy sheriffs make it clear that asking questions is a dangerous game. With a series of horrifying murders and the sudden appearance of Valentine Chalons and his sister, Honoria, a disturbed and deeply alluring woman, Robicheaux is soon involved not only with the Chalons family but with the murderous energies of the New Orleans underworld. Also, he meets and finds himself drawn into a scandalous relationship with a remarkable Catholic nun.

Brilliant, brooding, and filled with the author's signature lyricism, Jim Burke's latest novel is a darkly suspenseful work of literature.

I'm giving Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke a rating of 8 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith

eBook Novel ~ Historical Fiction

Do you enjoy reading historical fiction? Then reading I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith may just be the novel for you! It's a full length novel and is approximately 391 pages.

I downloaded the ebook edition of I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith last year to my Kindle for free from Amazon. Below is my unbiased review of I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith.

First off, I love the cover design/artwork for I Am Livia!! The cover of I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith definitely made me want to learn more about this novel. When I learned that it fell into the historical fiction genre, I decided to give it a try as I've enjoyed reading historical fiction in the past.

I enjoyed that I Am Livia is it is set in ancient Roman times. I also enjoyed that this novel's leading character is female and told through her perspective throughout the entire novel. Livia is a strong female character and is very intelligent. I like how she is portrayed by the author... Livia becomes a true partner to each of her husbands. She helped to shape Rome positively in a way that no woman was normally able to do during her time. 

I was amazed at how easy it was to read I Am Livia... I was actually expecting it to possibly be a dry read. Or that it would be difficult to get into it. But I Am Livia wasn't what I expected at all. I loved how readable I Am Livia was. 

I was also a tad nervous that I wouldn't be able to keep the names of all the characters straight and remember who was who, especially when the author provides a cast of characters list at the start of her novel. But, I never had to refer to the cast of characters list once during reading I Am Livia as keeping track of the characters was easy.

Below is the book summary for I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith from Amazon's website:

Her life would be marked by scandal and suspicion, worship and adoration…

At the tender age of fourteen, Livia Drusilla overhears her father and fellow aristocrats plotting the assassination of Julius Caesar. Proving herself an astute confidante, she becomes her father’s chief political asset—and reluctantly enters into an advantageous marriage to a prominent military officer. Her mother tells her, “It is possible for a woman to influence public affairs,” reminding Livia that—while she possesses a keen sense for the machinations of the Roman senate—she must also remain patient and practical.

But patience and practicality disappear from Livia’s mind when she meets Caesar’s heir, Octavianus. At only eighteen, he displays both power and modesty. A young wife by that point, Livia finds herself drawn to the golden-haired boy. In time, his fortunes will rise as Livia’s family faces terrible danger. But her sharp intellect—and her heart—will lead Livia to make an unbelievable choice: one that will give her greater sway over Rome than she could have ever foreseen. 

Overall, I really enjoyed reading I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith and am giving this novel a rating 8 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson

eBook Edition

I've been somewhat curious/fascinated with tarot as a form of divination, but have never learned how to use/read tarot cards. So, I decided to download a free copy of Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson from Amazon to my Kindle. Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson is approximately 37 pages in length, so it makes for a quick read.

The following is my unbiased review/opinion of Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson.

I enjoyed learning how to best select a tarot deck. The best tip about buying a deck of tarot cards is to buy a tarot deck in person, not online or through the mail. That way you can feel the cards, get a sense of dimension and whether the artwork and so on, appeals to you.

I also enjoyed learning how to come up with a mission statement for one's tarot deck, how to transfer one's energy to a new tarot deck, how to cleanse and how to properly store one's tarot card deck for future readings. However, I am not sure I agree with or would use some of the cleansing techniques mentioned by the author... Burying the deck in dirt, sand, or salt for 24 hours, sprinkling the tarot deck with water or herbal tea, or passing the deck through a candle flame without burning them are some of the cleansing techniques I wouldn't want to try using on my own tarot deck.

I enjoyed reading an entire chapter on the tarot deck basics and getting to know the basic meaning of the cards in one's tarot deck. However, I was disappointed that the author chose to focus solely on the meaning of the major arcana only and not even address the meaning of the minor arcana --- the suit of swords, wands, coins and cups. I want to learn about and understand the entire tarot deck, not just the major arcana, to perform an accurate reading. As an author, why wouldn't you address the meaning of the cards in the entire deck of tarot cards for one's readers?

How to do a reading is also briefly discussed in another chapter. The biggest tip I learned about doing a reading is to "tell a story". The author mentions that there are hundreds of tarot spreads to learn, but mentions that the three card spread is the easiest one to startr... I'm a newbie to the world of tarot. So, the three card spread appeals to me as a way to begin learning tarot. The twenty-one card spread was also briefly discussed for more advanced readings.

As a recap, Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson has a few good tips, gives meanings to the major arcana cards and explains how to  do both a three card and twenty-one card spread. But with the lack of meanings for the minor arcana, I can't give this book a high rating. I would also have liked to have seen more information about reading the tarot cards themselves. Needles to say, I would call this book an ultimate beginner's guide to tarot.


With that said, I'm giving Tarot: The Ultimate Beginners Guide For Learning The Secrets Of Tarot Cards by Sarah Thompson a rating of 4 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

2015 Audiobook Challenge Update!!

Yes, I'm participating in the 2015 Audiobook Challenge!! This is my second year participating in the Audiobook Challenge. I had so much fun participating in this challenge last year and have become addicted to listening to audiobooks. Last year, I listened to a total of 48 books. I ended up reaching the "My Precious" level in the 2014 Audiobook Challenge. This year, I am hoping to reach "Marathoner" level and listen to 50+ audiobooks.

Before giving my first audiobook update of 2015, I'd like to thank both Jennifer at The Book Nympho & Lupe at Hot Listens for hosting the 2015 Audiobook Challenge. You both have made the audiobook challenge a fun, enjoyable annual event! So, cheers to listening to audiobooks!!

So, now for my audiobook update. I'm off to a slow start this year in terms of listening to audiobooks... I've started/finished a total of 30 books this year, but only 4 of the 30 books have been audiobooks. I've been in an audiobook listening slump and have chosen to read more books in the eBook format than read physical books or listen to audiobooks. 

So, what have I listened to so far this year?

1. Garden of Beasts by Jeffrey Deaver
2. Hour Game by David Baldacci
3. Rain Gods by James Lee Burke
4. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Click on above link to read my reviews of each audiobook listed above.

I'm still hoping to reach the "Marathoner" by the end of 2015 as I still have several audiobooks on compact disc, MP3 and of course, Audible downloads as well.

Do you love listening to audiobooks??? There's still time to participate in the 2015 Audiobook Challenge... Simply click on the link to learn more about 2015 Audiobook Challenge and sign up!

So, which audiobooks have you listened to this year?

Friday Finds #76

Friday Finds is a book meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. Friday Finds is a chance to share and show off the books you discovered during the week and would like to add to your reading list... 
 
Or a place to simply feature the books you've actually purchased throughout the week and have added to your to be read pile!

I received another two books for free from the Goodreads First Reads program:

1. Too Quiet in Brooklyn by Susan Russo Anderson
2. Three Novellas: Carmen's Roses, Blue Moon for Bombers, The Windflower Vibration by Jennifer Barraclough

Plus the following free ebooks downloads to my Kindle from Amazon:

Love Handles by Gretchen Galway
Fudged-Lacey Felonies by Cynthia Hickey
Love Garage by Liz Crowe
Toad in the Hole by Paisley Ray
The Last Encore by Julia Butler
Appaloosa Summer by Tudor Robbins
A Journal of Sin by Darryl Donaghue
The Lanvin Murders by Angela M. Sanders

So, books which have you added this week?

Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh

Cozy Mystery Novella, 1st in a Series

I'm an avid cozy mystery fan!! I absolutely adore this genre. So, when I came across the eVersion of Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh on Amazon's website, I downloaded it to my Kindle immediately!! Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh is a novella and is approximately 117 pages in length. Murder & Moonflowers is a quick read and can be read in a few of hours.

I received my copy of Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh for free. The following is my unbiased review/opinion of Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh. Happy reading!

I really enjoyed reading Murder & Moonflowers. The writing is solid and grabbed my attention from the start and held it through to the very end. Suffice it to say that the plot development and storyline are solid throughout this read as well. It contained a nice mix of dialogue between the various characters and good storytelling by the author. I enjoyed the many aspects of the small town feel and the setting of Arizona... Plus, I enjoyed reading about the main character being an herbalist with her own practice.

I liked the 'red herrings' offered in Murder & Moonflowers. Although, I had pretty much guessed who the killer was halfway through reading Murder & Moonflowers. However, I was still uncertain at that point in time as to the killer's motive and if he/she was working alone or not?? This question was resolved by the end of Murder & Moonflowers.

My only minor complaint about the plot/storyline of Murder & Moonflowers was its ending. I wouldn't suspect that real life events would end the way in which they did in this work of fiction... I simply can't imagine the killer confessing why he/she did what they did to main character before being arrested by the police. But this is fiction, right? Tidy endings that answer unanswered questions are sometimes required for readers to be satisfied.

Most all of the cast characters presented in Murder & Moonflowers were likable ones. The character development and interactions all of them  had were good ones, with the exception of one character... The character of the sheriff was a tough guy/bully, as he harasses the leading character about being an herbalist and calls her a witch. He eludes that she's a major suspect before the cause of death was even determined and he continues to act like an ass for much of this novella.

The following is a plot summary for Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh, which I found on Amazon's website:

Murder awakes in the town of Catalonia, Arizona.

Melissa Michaels is an herbalist and nutritional healer operating a market in the sleepy town of Catalonia, Arizona. When a client dies mysteriously from something even the Medical Examiner cannot decipher, gossip runs amuck and local law enforcement officials make wild speculations.

When Melissa herself, along with other townspeople, fall under suspicion, a local doctor hires a handsome private investigator to give Melissa a hand, and the two of them race against time to solve the mystery before mounting evidence leads to wrongful accusations and false arrests.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this novella and would recommend it to other cozy mystery enthusiasts. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of The Herbalist Series. I'm giving Murder & Moonflowers (The Herbalist #1) by Leslie Leigh a rating of 8 stars out of 10 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top 10 Books From My Childhood (Or teen years) That I Would Love To Revisit

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I became an avid Agatha Christie fan in high school and have been hooked ever since! I would like to reread the following ten Agatha Christie novels:

1. And Then There Were None

2. The Mysterious Affair at Styles Finished on 4/12/15

3. Curtain

4. Peril At End House

5. Easy to Kill

6. The Murder At Hazelmoor

7. Evil Under the Sun

8. Death on the Nile Listened to on 4/8/2015.

9. A Caribbean Mystery

10. Crooked House

So, which of these Agatha Christie have you read and what did you think of it/them? Do you have a favorite Agatha Christie novel?

Novels About Madness!!

I'm so not into March Madness, however reading books which are about madness is intriguing if you ask me! 

So, when I came across an article on Flavorwire titled, 50 Great Novels About Madness by Emily Temple, I could resist checking out the book titles... Some of the book titles I've read, but many I have not read and some of the book titles were completely new to me!

In the above mentioned article, Temple writes the following:

Not so much into March Madness? Well, perhaps you should look at it another way. March is the perfect month for reading books about madness — it is a transitional time, after all, possessed of both lion and lamb. Plus, you’ll have ample reading time, both outside and inside. The books herein, it should be noted, are those that deal with a kind of literary madness — obsession and absurdity and hallucination — not directly focusing on mental illness proper, whenever the two can be separated. So you won’t find The Bell Jar orOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or The Yellow Wallpaper here, though those are all excellent reads.

Click on above link to see which novels made the list of novels to read about madness! Until my next post, happy reading!!