I’m so excited to see what 2017 has in store for my family, friends, and myself. These last few months have been crazy busy but in a good way as I transitioned into a new job and learning how to balance my life is now my new main task. But I’m not complaining one bit, nay I am extremely thankful for my new job, because I had been searching for a couple years and then just when I was at my wits end at the job I was working, God gave me exactly what I needed.
So looking over this last year I realized sure at the time I felt like I hadn’t accomplished much, but I read a lot and got to travel too. I loved that I traveled quite a bit with my sister and friends to places I’d been dying to venture to in and around LA. Seriously, singing out loud during packed LA traffic are the best moments. My health also took a turn for the better, helps when specialist can pinpoint things your regular doctor can’t. Oh and my other hobbies are beginning to flourish, well at least their shaping up into something to be proud of.
All in all, I’m happy to enter 2017, with my family, friends, books and camera. I'm ready to pack for trips I hope to squeeze in after a busy work week, but I really hope to hit my reading goals this year by reading more classics and history books I've had on my TBR list for waaay too long. I also hope to spend a lot of quality time with my family meaning my grandparents who are a lot older now and my kid cousins who aren't the babies I remember them to be.
___________________________________________________________________________
My Goodreads Record:
Okay I know for a fact that I've read a few more books than just the novels I've pressed "Read", but I must sadly admit that my number of books read this year was smaller than last years. I completely blame it on my wanderlust and lack of a proper computer for a bit.
Now a lot of amazing books were released over this past year and some series released their final novels. Those releases are always bittersweet because anticipation is sooo long, but once finished the realization that your beloved series is over sometimes sets in a book-depression. However, all good things must come to end, or else how can we cherish them if not for their beginning and subsequently their unforgettable ending.
So listed below is a compilation of my favorite reads from the year and a mention of the various series that finished this past year.
******************************************************
My Favorite Books Read In 2016:
Surprisingly enough most of these novels were released just this past year. Hope some of these books match your favorites from this year or bring you a new choice to pick up for the new year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Awakened Angel"
(Soul Savers, Book 7.5)
by Kristie Cook
Genre: Paranormal, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy. 135 pages
Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)
~~~~~~~~-------**********-------~~~~~~~~
"Nora & Kettle"
(A Paper Stars Novel, Book 1)
by Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Social & Family Issues. 355 pages
Price: $3.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Back of Beyond"
(Complicated Love Series, Book 1)
by Neeny Boucher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Coming of Age. 316 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"See No Evil"
(Brotherhood Trilogy, Book 1)
by Jordan Ford
Genre: Young Adult, Sports, Romantic Suspense, Thriller. 244 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
~~~~~~~~-------**********-------~~~~~~~~
NEW ADULT:
"Never Stop Falling"
by Ashley Drew
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance. 288 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"The Sister Code"
(D.O.R.K. Series, Book 2)
by Haley Allison
Genre: New Adult, Music Fiction, Contemporary. 268 pages
Price: ebook N/A (at time of post)
**Note: the D.O.R.K series is in the middle of a makeover but ebooks should be available soon.**
~~~~~~~~-------**********-------~~~~~~~~
Contemporary Romance:
"Yesterday's Tomorrows"
by M.E. Montgomery
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense. 290 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Geronimo"
(A Songbird Novel, Book 8)
by Melissa Pearl
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Holiday. 218 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"In All My Wishes"
(Riverbend Novels, Book 1)
by Ciara Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance. 188 pages
Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Shameless"
(Dearest Series, Book 4)
by Lex Martin
Genre: Contemporary Romance. 394 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Follow Me"
(Corrupted Hearts Series, Book 1)
by Tiffany Snow
Genre: Romantic Suspense. 304 pages
Price: $1.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Polaris Boxed Set:
North Star and True North"
(Book 1 & Book 2)
by M.E. Montgomery
Genre: Romance, Mystery, Suspense. 582 pages
Price: $4.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Last Chance"
(A Second Chances Novel, Book 8)
by L.P. Dover
Genre: Romance, Sports, Mystery, Suspense. 318 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
~~~~~~~~-------**********-------~~~~~~~~
MYSTERY:
"The History Major"
by Michael Phillip Cash
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. 132 pages
Price: $1.99 ebook (at time of post)
~~~~~~~~-------**********-------~~~~~~~~
Historical Fiction:
"Forget Me Not"
by Allison Whitmore
Genre: Historical Fiction. 447 pages
Price: $2.99 ebook (at time of post)
*****************************************************************
"Time of Useful Consciousness"
by Jennifer Ott
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller. 286 pages.
Price: $0.99 ebook (at time of post)
********************************************************
Series That Ended in 2016
Some of these series I'd been following since the beginning, while some I found at the end. But all of them I'm happy to have read and will most likely re-read in the future.
******************************************************
This is definitely a refreshing twist on the vampire genre. The female lead is royal vampire who is constantly concerned with matters of family, community, politics and learning to live. It's a great series and a spin off is coming soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Big Play Novels
As a new writer in the ya sports romance scene Jordan Ford, she brilliantly smashed the charts with "The Playmaker". Each novel is about a couple and the drama encountered is high school with issues such as race, social status, blackmail, bullying, friendship and of course love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Risky Business Trilogy
The risk is clear when it's the main character who has to choose whom to trust. Two hot guys and she has to decide whom not only to believe but love as well. Ugh, wish I had her problems, minus the danger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Patience Trilogy
This trilogy opened my eyes to an issue I knew about in thought but hadn't truly given more attention too. The main character endures sexual abuse and after turning in her abuser begins to find healing. It's her story process of healing and the strength it takes that really makes me want to be there for people who've faced similar situations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fire and Ice Series
This is a spinoff of the Kindred series and fans from that series will not be disappointed. The two leads make this series their own and let me just say Erica Stevens is great with writing about the supernatural and chemistry ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Supernatural Chronicles: The New Orleans Collection
Written as individual novellas by various authors, the story all revolves around a key plot and of course New Orleans. Each novella highlights a different supernatural group and a bit of their history. A project like this from these authors is amazing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sydney West Novels
Simply put main girl doesn't do love or relationships, but loves sex and partying. The party time is reward for her good behavior and hard work at college, but when vacationing in Malibu-California, everything is fair game. Until one guy says no to her for once and shows her love could be a real thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love in the '80s: A New Adult Novella Anthology
Novellas written but various authors chronicle the fantastic 80's decade by each year. It's great how contemporary the stories are even set in a time when it's all about scrunchies, spandex and shoulder pads.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is YA but I'd definitely keep it upper YA. Dealing with angels, demons and other supernatural beings everything always seems unknown. The plot is complex and just a bit sinister when the hero finds he may not get his HEA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This series is the epitome of opposites attract theory. Amber Garda knows how to have her characters fall hard for people they think aren't or shouldn't be their perfect fit. Especially when the relationship brings tension to the baseball team.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For this series to end I honestly cried. The first novel "Captive" was the first novel I read by author, Erica Stevens, and I've been her fan ever since. So saying adieu to the characters and this dystopian world of vampires and humans fighting to coexist and survive was difficult.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
