Numbers Challenge Wrap-Up

I completed the Numbers Challenge - this was actually a little harder than I originally anticipated but I still completed it with time to spare. :D

Here is my final list:

1 One Fifth Avenue - Candace Bushnell (completed 2/09/09)

2 One Silent Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon (competed 2/12/09)

3 Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult (completed 3/28/09)
4 One Deadly Sin - Annie Solomon (completed 4/16/09)
5 Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler (completed 5/19/09)
6 One Scream Away - Kate Brady (completed 7/12/09)


This was fun though - I like a "challenging" challenge like this. Will definitely jump on the bandwagon again next year.

One Scream Away by Kate Brady

Beth Denison is being stalked and harassed by serial killer Chevy Bankes. Chevy was just recently paroled and is after Beth since she’s the one who sent him to jail seven years ago. He keeps calling her cell phone to threaten her and her young daughter Abby. She is terrified by his antics but at the same time she feels that she has the strength to take him on.

Former FBI agent, Neil Sheridan has been called in for his expertise by his friend and colleague, Rick. Neil once handled a murder case whose actions were quite similar to Chevy’s. Their investigation leads them to Beth’s doorstep but they know that she isn’t being honest when questioned as to her connection to these killings. Beth has no other choice but to trust and believe in Neil... but as their feelings grow stronger and Chevy draws nearer she worries about what the truth of that fateful night, years ago with Chevy, might cost her.

This was a fast-paced thriller, full of twists and turns that had me at the edge of my seat. It had these great characters - Beth, Neil and even Chevy, that were broken in one way or another, but who were strong, clever and downright terrorizing (Chevy). Although some scenes were graphic in nature - they were not overly disturbing. I thought it was neat that Chevy had his own chapters so you were able to get these glimpses into his disturbed mind. He was always one step ahead of the good guys and the whole Jenny thing was just creepy. The romance was very subtle - I would classify this more as a thriller than a romantic suspense - which is a good thing. I really enjoyed this and I’m sure that fans of detective/murder mysteries, thrillers and action novels will too.

GIVEAWAY: I have 5 copies of ONE SCREAM AWAY by Kate Brady to giveaway.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. Second entry if you follow, third if you follow on Twitter, and so forth.

Rules: Books will be delivered directly from Publisher so giveaway is only available to residents of the US and Canada. No P.O. Boxes please. Winners will be drawn this Saturday, July 25.

20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Anna, Frankie and Matt (Frankie’s older brother) have been best friends since they can remember. They are next door neighbors, their parents are best friends and they do everything together. On Anna’s 15th birthday Matt kisses her - making Anna’s lifelong dream come true. Anna has been crushing on Matt since she started liking boys. After several weeks of secret rendezvous’ in their backyard and chaste kisses in the shadows, Matt tells Anna that he is waiting for the appropriate time to break the news of their budding love to Frankie and asks her to please not tell Frankie about them until he does. Due to unforseen circumstances, Matt dies and the secret is never told. A year after Matt’s death, Frankie’s parents decide that they should resume their yearly vacations at Zanzibar Bay on the west coast and invite Anna to go along. The girls see it as a vacation from their grief, a place where they can be whomever they want to be and won’t be seen as Matt’s sister or Matt’s best friend. They devise a plan the "20 Boy Summer". They have to meet 20 boys while on their 20 days of vacation - and make it the ABSE (absolute best summer ever) and hopefully the possible ditching of the A.A. - Anna's Albatross (a/k/a her virginity).

This was such a beautiful and poignant story about the powers of friendships, loss, summer romances, healing and believing in oneself. Once I started I could not put it down. The characters were so real - you can’t help but to laugh, cry, and eventually fall in love with them. Ms. Ockler wins you with her imagery and you long to be there laying out on the beach with the girls. I loved this and I highly recommend it.

20 Boy Summer will be on sale on June 1. My thanks to FSB Associates for providing me with a copy.

One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon

Edie Swann heads back to her hometown, Redbud, with one intention only - and that is revenge. She has a list given to her by her dying aunt that has the five names of the men that her father had dealings with shortly before his tragic death. Her only problem is that someone starts off-ing these men making her the main suspect in their murders.

Local lawman and the man that makes Edie's heart race - Holt Drennen is handling the death cases of these prominent Redbud residents... but are they accidental deaths or murders? As his feelings for Edie grow so do his suspicions of her somehow being involved.

This book can be emotional when it delves into Edie's insecurities and fears. Although on the outside she might look tough riding a Harley, tattoos all over and wearing leather - she is rather fragile on the inside. She is a strong character that has to overcome her past and learn to live for herself and her future.

While spine-tingling is not a word that is usually associated with romance Annie Solomon makes it so by her masterful descriptions of these crimes. The not over descriptive intimate love scenes are frequent and varied throughout this read - add in a mysterious murderer, and you have a true page-turner.

There were some interesting plot lines, and the narrative was good enough to keep me intrigued, sometimes to push me to go to the next chapter when I know I should stop and go to bed. It definitely had me guessing as to the twists and turns it was going to take and I was never able to guess whodunnit until the very end. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a nice little romantic suspense read and would definitely recommend it.

GIVEAWAY: I have 5 copies of ONE DEADLY SIN by Annie Solomon to giveaway.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. And if you follow this blog or already are following leave me a note and I'll be glad to give you a second entry.

Rules: Books will be delivered directly from Publisher so giveaway is only available for residents of the US and Canada. No P.O. Boxes please. Winners will be drawn this Friday - May 1.

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five. In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Nineteen Minutes is set in Sterling, New Hampshire - a town where nothing ever happens – that is until the day that Peter Houghton walks into his high school and in 19 minutes kills and injures several of his classmates and teachers. The story is told through several perspectives and ranges anywhere from when before Peter is born until about one year after the deadly shooting. We hear from Peter’s parents, his old best friend Josie Cormier, who eventually became part of the popular crowd and abandoned her friendship with Peter, Josie’s mom, Alex - also the judge sitting on the case, Patrick the detective who was able to apprehend Peter after the shooting and, of course, Peter himself.

I was so caught up in this book while reading it - there were just so many emotions that I went through (anger, despair, heartbreak, sadness, etc.) The story is written in a way that helps you relate and even sympathize with all of the main characters. I thought it gave good insight into bullying, and the torture that some kids are put through while in school. The peer pressure, the complicated tumultuous life of teens - was perfectly captured.

This book will stick with me for a while, I think.

One Silent Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Bad boys need lovin’ too!

This is the story of Stryker - yes, Strykerius (tormentor of all things Dark-Hunter, Acheron and Nick Gaultier related). Yet I thoroughly enjoyed reading the bad guy’s side of the story.

In this story we were able to get a glimpse of the romance between Stryker (all around Dark-Hunter nemesis) and his first-wife Zephyra (she’s a total bwitch). Upon reading this you see Stryker in a whole new light and why he is the way he is. Yes, Stryker, was human at one point. He was a child, he loved, he made mistakes... he was/is a man. I found myself feeling sympathy for him and understanding a little more of the world that Sherrilyn Kenyon has created.

Although it can be a bit confusing with all the Greek mythology she normally intertwines with her storylines, this book (I think) is like a new era for the Dark-Hunter series. Sherrilyn is involving a lot of new and different characters that I can’t help but anticipate the day when we get to read their stories.

For those of you who are fans of the Dark-Hunter series, this book felt like an intermediate point, where she just filled you in on information that she was unable to incorporate into any of her other stories. If you have not read a Dark-Hunter novel before than this definitely is not the book you want to start the series on (definitely read some of her older stuff and I’m sure you’ll get snagged along with the rest of us into this world).

But intrigued I am! With all the new hotties characters that she is introducing I can’t wait to read the next installment.

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

This one is a toughie. I haven’t decided whether I liked this one or not.... yet. I’m leaning towards the not liking direction though.

The story revolves around the lives of the residents of a luxury building on Fifth Avenue. A place that just by living in it or being seen entering or exiting from it - meant wealth and power. Each resident of One Fifth is interconnected somehow and it was neat to see how one of their actions would cause an effect in one of their neighbors’ lives. I also liked that architecture was the center-piece of the story. I will say, that there were a lot of characters (each written in the first person) introduced all at once, which was confusing at first, but once I got passed that and actually started focusing on who was who and what was what it became easier to read and the pages began turning. The writing was very hip and fresh and I loved her comments on 20-somethings, bloggers and the Internet.

But in the end, it just didn’t strike a note with me. I don’t know if it was that I just didn’t connect with any of the characters or that we have no similarities in common, but I found that none of the characters were likeable. There was one character that I did like but she was the one that we barely read about (figures). I got the impression that this book was expressly written to become a movie or tv series.

All in all, if you like reading stories about New York City life, sex, lies and money, (Drama, Drama, Drama), then this is something that I’d recommend you read.

Numbers Challenge 2009

The challenge is to read 5 books whose titles have a number in them from Jan 1, 2009 to August 1, 2009. This includes written numbers like 'one' and numbers like 10th or first.

You can choose up to three that are on lists for other challenges. So two of the choices must not be on any list. You can re-read books but all books must NOT be read until January 1, 2009.

Want to Join?
-Comment on THIS post to join.
-Please include a link to a SPECIFIC POST on your blog with your book choices.
-This will be what I link to in the Participants list.
-If you don't have a blog, just say so. You'll still be added.
-If you would also like to be able to post on THIS Blog, leave your email address. I suggest putting it like this to prevent spam: yourname AT yourprovider DOT com.
-If you are already a member of this blog but no longer want to be, you can leave this blog through your dashboard. If you are already on and want to stay on, no need to say anything.
-NOTE: If you don't want to be a member of this blog but wouldn't mind your review being cross-posted to this blog, email me your review and a link to your blog and i'll post it.
-ABOUT TAGGING: If you do decide to post your reviews on this blog (and I hope you will) please note I have changed around some of the tags. Please tag your book with the number in it. If the number is between 1-9, there are tags like this: "1_One" Use those. For over 9, you can just input it either as a number or a word, depending on how it is in your book.
-Also tag as fiction or non-fiction.
-Always include your name and use the tag "Lists" for your book choices and "Wrap-Ups" for your wrap-up posts.
-Sorry to have rules but I'm just trying to make this blog easy to navigate so those looking for book ideas can find them.