2017: The Year in Books

1. The Signature of All Things - Elizabeth Gilbert
2. Carry On: Warrior - Glennon Doyle Melton
3. Goodnight June - Sarah Jio
4. The Vintage Caper - Peter Mayle
5. In the Unlikely Event - Judy Blume
6. The Program - Suzanne Young
7. Xenogeneic - Lance Erlick
8. The Treatment - Suzanne Young
9. Her - Christa Parravani
10. Catastrophic Happiness - Catherine Newman
11. Extras - Scott Westerfeld
12. The Midwife of Hope River - Patricia Harman
13. Resist - Sarah Crossan
14. The House I Loved - Tatiana de Rosnay
15. The Death Cure - James Dashner
16. The Summer We Fell Apart - Robin Antalek
17. Studio Saint-ex - Ania Szado
18. French by Heart - Rebecca Ramsey
19. Bloodroot - Amy Greene
20. The Secrets of Midwives - Sally Hepworth
21. What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen
22. The Aviator's Wife - Melanie Benjamin
23. The Kill Order - James Dashner
24. In the Great Green Room - Amy Gary
25. A Man Called Ove - Fredrick Backman
26. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
27. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
28. Maddaddam - Margaret Atwood
29. Prayers for Sale - Sandra Dallas
30. The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas - Madeleine L'Engle
31. Dirt Work - Christine Byl
32. Together Tea - Marjan Kamali

You can check out my lists from previous years here:

2016

2015

2014

2013

2009

2008

2007

2006

Lunchtime Reading

If you enjoy reading books in which everyone dies, I have the perfect book for you.

This is book four in a series, so I knew what I was getting into when I started it. And yet, good grief already. This book is just one awful, bloody mess. Each horrible thing that happens is worse than the last. And thus far, nothing good or happy has happened at all.

Also, if your cable goes out, don't read this before bed if you're anything like me. You'll be jumping at shadows and lying in bed listening to every random creak and bump in the night.

And for some inexplicable reason I've already added book five to my wishlist.

Lunchtime Reading

I'd earned a free drink from Starbucks ages ago, but I hadn't been in a healthy enough state to enjoy it. Finally today I felt up to it (although my sinuses may disagree) and zipped down the hill on my lunch break. I'm still reveling in the joys of the mobile app on which I can place my order and pick it up at the counter without standing in line or interacting with people (the horror). Or at least that's how it was previously. Today, sadly, I was forced to speak with a barista to retrieve my drink, which I could see in a newly designated area out of my reach. People must have been stealing drinks, thus spoiling some of the appeal of mobile ordering. Crappy people, always ruining good stuff for the rest of us.

After securing my green tea frapp I walked back up the hill in search of an unoccupied bench in the shade. I passed a good handful positioned on the hill at an angle. No thanks. I've done enough camping in my lifetime with the tent set up on a slight hill to know that a similarly situated bench would irk me to no end. I can't be sliding off one end of the bench for my whole reading session.

This book is bewildering. It is interesting, occasionally humorous and also a bit dull at times. I'm just shy of halfway through it and frankly, can see no real point to it's meandering existence. Hopefully this becomes more clear SOON.

Lunchtime Reading

The bench I usually sit on during lunch is in dappled sunlight, which is still too much sun for me when it is hot out. Today I varied my walking route and happened upon a charming spot in FULL SHADE. The only downside being the noise from a nearby building (air system? fans? I dunno, but SO LOUD). The other minor issue was that the bench itself is falling apart. Twice while I was sitting on it, one end of the seat dropped several inches. Oh well, charm and shade are more important than stability, right?

Lunchtime Reading

This book is broken into sections for various family members. After reaching the end of the first (and longest?) section from the youngest daughter's perspective, I was feeling disenchanted with the book and set it aside to read the third book in a YA series. When that was done I somewhat reluctantly picked this book back up and launched into the next section about George, the next oldest sibling of four. So far I am enjoying George ever so much more than Amy. I am not feeling overly optimistic about the other two siblings though.

Lunchtime Reads

I am almost done with this book and am loving every word. This is one of those books I hate putting down at the end of my lunch. I think about it when I'm not reading it. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon it before adding it to my wishlist, but I am so glad I did.

Lunchtime Reading

With the wet and rainy conditions today I spent my lunch hour reading at my desk. This is the fourth book in the series, so I felt confident I would enjoy it. It takes place three years after the first three books, with a mostly different cast of characters. It is fast-paced and engaging and difficult to put down at the end of an hour. I may have to check to see if this author has written anything else that interests me.

Lunchtime Reading

On Friday it snowed. On Monday it was 80 degrees outside. Hello April, nice to see you again.

I wore a dress and sandals to work and spent 55 of my 60 lunchtime minutes outside walking and reading. It was glorious. I started this book just yesterday and didn't have time (with the walking) to get very far into it, but I was chuckling and nodding along. I'm looking forward to reading more today. And I can't wait for outdoor lunches to be the norm again!

Xenogeneic: First Contact by Lance Erlick (Review)

Book Description:

Xenogeneic is a science fiction thriller about first contact with an alien race that lost their civil war and wants to take over Earth.

Dr. Elena Pyetrov’s father vanished in space 18 years ago while searching for extraterrestrial life. As an aerospace engineer, Elena travels into space to search for answers and continue his work. Her ship is pulled off course and crashes. She suspects extraterrestrial interference.

The alien Knoonk lost their civil war in a distant star system and fled to Earth’s neighborhood to hide and regroup. They seek a new home—Earth. Unable to live in Earth’s toxic environment, the aliens kidnap and use humans to genetically modify their species to adapt.

Surviving the crash, Elena and her shipmates are transported to a closed cave system where the Knoonk monitor and control everything. Elena tries to make a connection with her hosts and find ways to work together, but Knoonk leaders rebuff her and force the humans to submit as slaves. The aliens use illusions, distractions, and social experiments to learn from their hostages and keep them off balance. Resistance by captive humans brings swift punishment to break the human spirit.

​

While Elena continues to look for ways to cooperate with the Knoonk, it becomes apparent that there can be no compromise. The Knoonk want to capture Earth for their species. It is winner take all. With time running out, Elena must dig deep to uncover the alien plan and find a way to stop them before the human race faces enslavement and extinction.

Buy the Book:  Amazon  ~  Add to Goodreads

Author's Bio:

Lance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for young adult and adult readers. He is the author of The Rebel Within, The Rebel Trap, and Rebels Divided, three books in the Rebel series. In those stories, he explores the consequences of Annabelle Scott following her conscience. He authored the Regina Shen series--Resilience, Vigilance, Defiance, and Endurance. This series takes place after abrupt climate change leads to the Great Collapse and a new society under the World Federation. His latest novel is Xenogeneic: First Contactabout encounters with an alien race aiming to take over Earth.

Connect with the Author:  Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Pinterest  

My Review:

It's been a long time since I've read any science fiction, so I was really excited to get my hands on this book and it captured my attention from page one. Xenogeneic: First Contact by Lance Erlick is fast-paced and action-packed. It is a non-stop whirlwind and packed full of surprises right to the end.

That said, the characters are not well-developed. It's hard to become invested in a story when you don't feel like you really know anyone involved. There are also so many characters with fairly minor roles that it is difficult to keep everyone straight. The story is oddly jumpy at times, lacking smooth transitions. There is a lot of fighting in the book, although it is not particularly graphic. Nor is there graphic sexual content, with violence being mostly implied.

In short, while interesting, it was not compelling enough for me to seek out other books by this author. I have read better reviews of some of his previous efforts though.

To read more reviews, please visit Lance Erlick's page on iRead Book Tours.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for writing this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Lunchtime Reading

I finished this book on my lunch yesterday. It was the last in this series, so I'm sad to not have more to read. I read them out of order, but it didn't end up mattering too much.

I will start a new book tomorrow, as I used my lunch hour today to attend a free yoga class offered by my employer. I enjoyed it a great deal, as always. Then I came back to the office to find it filled with nasty cleaning fumes. The doorstop won't work, so I have no way to even try to circulate air. So there goes my happy, peaceful yoga mood. I hate people.

Lunchtime Reads

I started this book last week. It's in the same series as two others I read this past fall but with a different cast of characters. While interesting and engaging, I'm finding it less captivating than the other two.

My reading time has taken a hit of late, as I had Monday off from work, Tuesday I went for a short lunchtime walk, and yesterday I went for a long walk because it was so glorious outside. I ended up not getting to do any reading at all because when I came back from my walk I was immediately pulled back into a work task, even though I technically had another 20 minutes left of lunch. Grump. I anticipate another lunchtime walk today unless it starts to rain, so I may not do any reading again. But winter will return soon enough, so I must squeeze in all the walking time while I can.

Lunchtime Reads

I finished The Vintage Caper yesterday and found it thoroughly disappointing. It was not worth the time or effort to read (or publish?). Oh well, it still counts for my yearly goal, so moving on...



I started a new book today during lunch. It was initially over-whelming with an enormous cast of characters. I still may not have them all sorted out, but before my reading session was over for the day the book got EXTREMELY INTERESTING. My practice is to read books without looking at the back cover, so I don't have to worry about any spoilers. I read the summaries and use the look inside feature to read the first few pages before adding the book to my wishlist, but then books may hang out on the list and in my tbr pile at home for months or years before I crack them open. So I was entirely surprised by the turn of events and am so anxious to get back to the story tomorrow during lunch.

Lunchtime Reads

I've read at least six other titles by this author, so I feel fairly confident when it comes to starting a new book of his. That said, I generally prefer his non-fiction, plus the subject matter in this novel is of little interest to me. Rich power players in Hollywood? Gag. But the story has moved across the ocean to France, so hopefully that helps with the ugh-factor and eye-rolling.

Lunchtime Reads

I usually only read one book at a time, but I left the bottom book at the office over the weekend because I only read during lunch breaks. But I had a three day weekend and on Monday I missed my normal reading routine so I started the second book at home. Now they both are living at the office, although I've been sticking with the first one, not yo-yoing between them.

My initial impressions of Carry On, Warrior were not great. People are pretty fanatical in support of her, but at first I was turned off by the excessive mention of god (not my thing) and found the book to be somewhat irrelevant to my life. It has gotten better and some of it even has me nodding along as I read. She is funny and not afraid to show her ugly, crazy bits.

I didn't read enough of Goodnight June to really get into the book. What I read was unoriginal, but having read another of Sarah Jio's books I suspect the story will pick up as I read more.

Both books were Christmas presents. Yay! Books!

2016: The Year in Books

1. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
2. Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
3. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
4. When She Was Gone by Gwendolen Gross
5. The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian
6. A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay
7. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
8. Someone by Alice McDermott
9. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd
10. A Girl's Guide to Moving On by Debbie Macomber
11. Still Life with Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen
12. The Remedy by Suzanne Young
13. Breathe by Sarah Crossan
14. The Epidemic by Suzanne Young
15. Pure by Julianna Baggott
16. Fuse by Julianna Baggott
17. A House Like a Lotus by Madeleine L'Engle 
18. Burn by Julianna Baggott

You can check out my lists from previous years here:
2015
2014
2013
2009
2008
2007
2006

Lunchtime Reads

I have felt disinclined to blog of late. Not because anything's wrong or because I've been busy doing fabulously exciting things. Rather all my time has been spent online Christmas shopping and addressing Christmas cards and frittering away my (work) days on the interwebs.

But I did start a new book the other day. I was immediately captivated and drawn into the story. That said, it is not the type of book I could read for hours on end. Which is fine since that is not an option in my current life anyway, haha. I likely will not finish it this year since today was my last readable lunch and I spent much of it walking to the post office for stamps (darn Christmas cards).

A rather bizarre and unimportant detail, but the texture of the cover makes my skin crawl. I'm getting used to it, and by that I mean more tolerant of it. The first day it made me almost sick to my stomach to even hold the thing. Book people, no! Just use regular smooth paper. Don't go crazy with velvety textures. Just no.

Aside from that icky feature, I feel confident in recommending the book already even though I'm only maybe a fifth of the way through it. It may be of particular interest to some of my family members (botany, yo).

Lunchtime Reads

This week I've been reading book 3 in the YA series on loan from my sister. Last week I took a mini-break from it, so by Monday I was super excited to jump back in.

I haven't been making the effort to leave my desk to read during lunch. It's too cold and windy outside to venture forth and frankly, I'm just too lazy. But I usually manage to read with only minor interruptions. And if I do have to stop to help someone, I will tack on another 5 minutes of reading to make up for it. Ha! We are approaching winter break when the office will be fairly quiet, which means my reading time should be even more secure.

I missed one reading session this week on Wednesday when I was home with my sick boy (double ear infection again/still). These books have been taking me about two weeks to read I think, so I still have plenty of time to plot my next read.

Lunchtime Reads

I decided to take a break from the YA series I've been reading. It's very good and I'm quite enjoying it, but a slight change of scenery seemed in order. Plus, this way the series will last me even longer!

I've turned (or returned) to one of my all-time favorite authors to re-read one of her books that I've read several times already. Her writing is timeless and feels like home.

Current Favorite Reads

Lunchtime Reads

During my lunch break today I walked my preferred short loop around the Small Green School campus. I sat briefly on a bench in the sun, but quickly decided the wind was a tad too brisk for outdoor reading enjoyment. I headed back to the community room in the chapel, but as soon as I opened the door I could smell food and hear voices echoing down the hall. Without even bothering to descend the stairs to the community room, I opted to head up to the chapel again.

I did not have the place to myself this time. A woman was practicing on the piano (organ?) and another woman came in after me and bowed her head in prayer. Her sobs carried easily over the music and I felt like I was somehow intruding. I tried to keep my focus on myself and my book, even though part of me wanted to check on her and make sure she was alright.

I started the second in the series on loan from my sister. I ended up quite liking the first. It continued to be darker than I generally prefer, but I got used to it after awhile.