Winning Wednesday--Bookish Giveaways

Happy Wednesday book friends!!  We've made it half way through the week.  Did you get a day off this week for President's Day?  I did and it was lovely, although I feel like my whole week is off.  But enough of my jabbering, let's get to the good stuff GIVEAWAYS!!!

**What 'Cha Readin'?  is not responsible for the giveaways in this email, unless specified.  Please see the official rules of each contest for more information on how to enter!**

Enter for your chance to win three new horror books.  Brought to you by The Line Up

The Sun Down Motel, a haunting new ghost story by the award-winning author of The Broken Girls Simone St. James 

The Boatman's Daughter, a fresh tale of ethereal terror by In the Valley of the Sun author Andy Davidson 

Those Across the River, a new paperback edition of award-winning author Christopher Buehlman's southern Gothic nightmare 

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends Feb. 24th

Enter for your chance to win The Office Sweepstakes.  Brought to you by Penguin Random House. 

One lucky winner will receive the ultimate fan bundle for The Office—including copies of the upcoming and recently published books The Office and Inside Dunder Mifflin, a 2020 Calendar of The Office Characters, The Office World's Best Boss Dunder Mifflin Ceramic Mug, Dunder Cards—the Full The Office TV Show Card Game, and a Shrute Farms Tee.

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends March 15th

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 200 advanced copies of Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas.  Brought to you by Harper Collins.  

Open to US Residents only -- Ends Feb. 20th

Enter for your chance to win the latest Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.

Blue Moon

Past Tense

The Midnight Line

Brought to you by Ted Galdi. 

Open Internationally except for Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Austria, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Japan, Spain, and Czech Republic -- Ends Feb. 24th. 

Enter for your chance to win 1 of 5 advanced copies of these three titles

How Ike Led by Susan Eisenhower

The Hunting of Hillary by Michael D'Antonio

George Washington, Entrepreneur by John Berlau

Brought to you by Macmillan

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends Feb. 29th

Enter for your chance to the Book Club Sweestakes.  Brought to you by Hachette.  One winner will receive a hard cover of:

Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton 

The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan 

A Bend in the Stars by Rachel Barenbaum 

Conviction by Denise Mina

Circe by Madeline Miller 

and one paperback copy each of 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 

In Pieces by Sally Field
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends Feb. 29th

Enter for your chance to win one of 10 early copies of The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles.  Brought to you by Simon & Schuster

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends Feb. 29th

Enter for your chance to win one of 10 copies of The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.  Brought to you by Simon & Schuster

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends Feb. 29th

Enter for your chance to win an Amazon Echo.  Brought to you by BookDoggy

Does not specify who can win -- Ends March 7th

Enter for your chance to win a $100 Etsy gift card for you and a friend.  Contest is on Instagram, so you will have to be signed up to enter.  

Open to Residents of the US, Canada (excl. Quebec), France, Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom, and India -- Ends Feb. 20th

Enter for your chance to win one of five hardcover copies of Lost by James Patterson.  Brought to you by James Patterson.

Open to Residents of US and Canada (excl. Quebec) -- Ends Feb. 21st

Enter for you chance to win one of 10 copies of Side Trip by Kerry Lonsdale.  Contest is on Goodreads, so you have to be signed in to enter.

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends March 14th

Enter for your chance to win one of 30 galley copies of The Request by David Bell.  Brought to you by Berkley.

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends March 1st

Enter for your chance to win one of 25 advanced copies of The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin.  This contest is on Goodreads so you will have to be signed in to enter. 

Open to US Residents Only -- Ends March 1st

INSTANT WINNER!!!!

Enter for your chance to instantly win  a free, three volume set of Blair Howard’s Starter Library. Harry Starke Book 1; Jasmine, The Lt Kate Gazzara Novels Book 1; and Harry Starke Genesis Book 1

Plus your entry all gives you the opportunity to win the Grand Prize of a Kindle Paperwhite with a Built-in Front Light and three more ebooks of your choice from the Harry Starke series.

Open Internationally, except for Taiwan, South Korea, Portugal, Italy, Austria, China, Russia, Hong Kong, Greece, France, Japan, Spain, and Czech Republic -- Ends Feb. 21st

Enter for your chance to win one of 15 copies of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman.  Brought to you by Berkley

Open to US Residents -- Ends Feb. 25th

The Best of 2017


THE BEST BOOKS I READ IN 2017

After only reading 40 books in 2016, I was determined to read more in 2017.   At the beginning of the year, I set my Goodreads goal for 100 books.  Quickly I realized that was not a realistic goal especially after reading less than half of that the year before, so I changed my mind and reset it to 75.  I'm happy to say I met and surpassed my goal, finishing the year with 78 books read.  For me 2017 was a great year for reading.  Here is a breakdown of my reads:

★★★★★ - 4 Books

★★★★ - 35 Books

★★★ - 37 Books

★★ - 1 Book

For 2018, I've pledged to read 85 books.  I'm working my way up to 100.  So let's take a closer look at my favorites for the year!

FIVE STAR BOOKS

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Nora Shaw has been invited to her "friend" Clare Cavendish's hen weekend(a bachelorette party). But Nora and Clare haven't spoken to each other in ten years and if their mutual friend Nina wasn't attending, then Nora sure as hell wasn't going to go. Nora doesn't even know who Clare is marrying. Arriving a a house made completely of glass in the middle of the woods, with snow on the ground and no cell reception, Nora instantly regrets her decision to come. When disaster strikes, despite Flo(the maid of honor) trying to make this the best hen weekend ever, Nora tries hard to remember exactly what happened, but it's difficult. Will she be able to put the pieces together before she is charged with a serious crime?

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens
Lindsey and Sophie are mother and daughter. They live together in Dogswood Bay. Sophie is in here senior year in high school and Lindsey owns her own cleaning company. When Lindsey finds out that her ex-husband, Andrew is about to be released from prison after 10 years, she goes on the alert. He was very abusive and manipulative towards Lindsey, but Sophie wants her dad to be a part of her life. When things start to happen that can only be explained by Andrews controlling behavior, the pair try to hide from him in any way they can. Will they be able to stay away from him, or will he try to hurt Lindsey again?

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena
Karen and Tom Krupp have been married for two years and they are very much in love. When Tom comes home from work one night, he finds his front door unlocked and dinner half way done in the kitchen, but his wife and her car are no where to be found. After calling her best friend and neighbor Brigid and having no luck with where Karen, might be, Tom calls the police to report her missing. Shortly after, the police arrive at his door to let him know that Karen has been in a terrible accident and is in the hospital. Tom is instantly worried because none of these actions sound like his wife. But does Tom now Karen as well as he thinks? Is she keeping secrets from him?

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
Liv and Nora are cousins and practically sisters. They decide to take their families on a two week cruise down the coast of Central America. Both women cautious, they spend the first several days aboard the ship. When they finally decide to take an excursion, the men head for golf and the women take the kids on a zip line tour. This is when all hell breaks loose! From the bus breaking down, to six children going missing in a foreign country, this family vacation is definitely not going to plan. Told from the perspective of the children and the parents, as well other key characters that are introduced throughout, you dive deep into the story and it's hard to get drawn out!

My Four-Star Faves

The Wife Between Us by Sarah Pekkanen & Greer Hendricks 

An American Cage by Ted Galdi

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr

Ginny Moon by Benjamin Ludwig

Solo by Kwame Alexander & Mary Rand Hess

Watch Me Disappear by Janelle Brown

FAVORITE AUTHOR

I have enjoyed reading James Patterson books for a long time now.  I know a lot of people think his books are just cookie cutter these days.  He writes an outline and then another author does the hard work.  But I still enjoy his books and I will continue to read them.  I'm up to date on two of his series, The Women's Murder Club and NYPD Red.  It's so hard to keep up with his writing since he puts so many books a year.  With at least 17 books coming out this year alone, keeping up has proved to be challenging.  7% off the books I read this year were James Patterson books.  I hope to continue in my quest this year to read his standalone books and stay on top of the series I'm already reading.  I would also like to start the Alex Cross series again.  I've read a few of the books in the series but this was many years ago.  

Here are the 11 James Patterson books I read this year:

The Best James Patterson book of 2017:

The Black Book by James Patterson

Detective Billy Harney comes from a family of cops. His dad is a cop, the head of detectives and his twin sister is a cop. Billy likes to play by the rules, he's a good cop. When he takes down a brothel in the middle of Chicago filled with the city's most prominent people, the mayor, the arch bishop, etc., he is faced with a few difficult situations to get him through this arrest and trial. With the help from Goldie, a family friend and the head of Internal Affairs, Billy will get to the bottom of this case one way or another. But then those involved in the case end up dead, including himself, briefly, and his memory leading up to the trial is erased. Will he be able to find his memory before he is charged with the deaths? 

BINGE READING

In late October, I was determined to get caught up with the Helen Grace series.  I had a copy of Hide and Seek, which is the 6th book in the series, from First To Read.  When I was ready to read it, I found out I needed to catch up with the series, because the first paragraph had me confused.  Then I realized that I only had 16 days to read 5 books.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to Hide and Seek, but I did catch up with the remainder of the series.  Helen Grace Series

MOST VISITED POST IN 2017

I'm thankful for all the new followers I've received throughout the year and each person who takes a few minutes out of their life to read my posts.  The most visited post this year was from Hit The Ground Running by Mark Burley

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2018

Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp -- January 2018

Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughn -- January 2018

Missing Isaac by Valerie Fraser Luesse -- January 2018

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones -- February 2018

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeny -- March 2018

How To Walk Away by Katherine Center -- May 2018

Dreams of Falling by Karen White -- June 2018

Thank you to everyone for joining me on my blogging journey.  I hope to bring you more content this year and more reviews.  I plan to review more of the audiobooks I listen to, which I haven't done in the past.  What are your reading plans for 2018?  I would love to hear about them in the comments. 

HAPPY READIN'!!

October Readin' Roundup!!

October Reads!!!

Even though the picture only shows 7 books, I was able to finish 8 in October.  One was an audio book, Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline.  Most of the month, I spent binge reading the Helen Grace series by MJ Arlidge in hopes to get caught up.  Unfortunately I did not meet my goal.

I was able to finish 1 audio book, some contemporary fiction, and an erotic novel.  I rekindled with an author from my past, and found a new favorite.  You know, those author's whose books you read no matter what.  So, I hope you all will check out each review and let me know what you read and are reading. 

Best Books of the Month

An American Cage by Ted Galdi  

Danny Marsh is serving time in a maximum security prison in Texas. His cellmate, Phil Zorn, along with his good friend Monty Montgomery all decide to make an escape from prison and head to Mexico. But, as these things go, the plan did not go as it should and quickly decisions had to be made on the fly. Will the trio make it to Mexico, or will they be caught and forced to spend even more time behind bars?

Little Boy Blue by M.J. Arlidge
People from Helen Grace's personal life are turning up dead. But this is a part of her life that she never wanted anyone to see. Will they make a connection between her and they victims? Will she be able to find the killer before her secrets are exposed? Hang on to your hats because this book takes you on quite a journey and leaves you hanging off a cliff at the end.

A Book from an Old FavoriteI read a lot of books by Zane while I was in college and in my 20's recently I've started reading her books again.  I've been on waiting on hold at the library for her newest book 

Vengeance by Zane
Wicket is a world famous performer. She dazzles crowds wherever she goes and she's sold more albums than most artists. She is known to her friends, which are very few as Ladonna Sterling and even fewer know her as Caprice Tatum. When Caprice was 15 years old, she was brutally attacked by the people she trusted. Having been cut as a young girl by her mother her life hadn't been the easiest, but she never thought anything like that would happen. Now as she approaches her fortieth birthday she hopes to get vengeance against those who wronged her.

A Book from a New Favorite
Over the past couple of years I have read quite a few of Lisa Scottoline's books.  They always grab my attention right away. 

Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
Christine Nelson has wanted nothing more than to be a mother. When she and her husband, Marcus have trouble conceiving, they use a sperm donor in order to have their child. Soon after Christine finds out she's pregnant, a news story comes on about a serial killer who is killing nurses. The killer looks a lot like their sperm donor and Christine will not rest until she finds out the truth. Traveling from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, she uses all her available resources to find out who the father of her child is no matter what her husband thinks.

A Book Everyone is Talking About

Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin
Aviva Grossman has made a mistake, but so has Aaron Levin. One of them will continue to lead a normal life and one of them will go into hiding and move hundreds of miles away from their home until the secret comes out in the open. Similar to the story between Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Aviva Grossman has had an affair with a Congressman she was working for in South Florida. When the scandal breaks, Aviva can no longer get a job or leave her house without being recognized. So she changes her name to Jane Young, leaves the state, and cuts ties with her old life. But now she wants to run for Mayor of her small town and her secret will no longer be safe.

A New Series
The Helen Grace Series by M.J. Arlidge is up there, for me, with the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson.  Women getting the job done, and I love them both. 

Pop Goes the Weasel by M.J. Arlidge
DI Helen Grace has another case that is proving to be very difficult to solve.  Men in Southampton are being murdered and having their hearts cut out.  Who would do something so gruesome?  A prostitute who wants payback.  Getting to the bottom of this mystery will not be easy, especially with all the obstacles, twists and turns that get in the way.  But DI Grace and her team are determined to bring the killer to justice.

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge
Ruby Sprackling has gone missing.  Had this been a few months ago, her family probably wouldn't have thought twice about it.   But, they had recently reconciled and Ruby was supposed to move back home.  At the same time, DI Helen Grace and her team are investigating the death of a body found on the beach.  Are these two incidents connected?  When more bodies turn up on the beach, all of which look very similar to Ruby Sprackling, the search intensifies.  Will they be able to find Ruby before it's too late?

Liar, Liar by M.J. Arlidge
Ruby Sprackling has gone missing.  Had this been a few months ago, her family probably wouldn't have thought twice about it.   But, they had recently reconciled and Ruby was supposed to move back home.  At the same time, DI Helen Grace and her team are investigating the death of a body found on the beach.  Are these two incidents connected?  When more bodies turn up on the beach, all of which look very similar to Ruby Sprackling, the search intensifies.  Will they be able to find Ruby before it's too late?






Over all it was a great month of reading.  Coming up for November, I'll be doing a few reviews of newly released books.  I just finished The Boyfriend Swap by Meredith Schorr.  It was a great chick-lit book.  And Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward.   I'm almost done with Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips.

Thanks for following and reading my posts.  I want to hear from you, what are you reading?  What are you looking forward to reading?  I'm going to be doing another giveaway soon, Winter Weather Giveaway(look for something to keep you warm)!!

HAPPY READIN'!!!

To purchase any of the books above, click the book covers below: