Thursday, February 01, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (Best & Least Best of January & a Peek into Clean Sweep)

I finished Clean Sweep by husband and wife writing team Ilona Andrews the last day of January, and have yet to start a new book. I thought I would share a couple of teasers from Clean Sweep as a result. I am not sure how to classify this book. It's more of a cross genre novel mixing urban fantasy, science fiction and mystery. In other words, a book I was bound to enjoy.



A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

Brutus was dead. His body lay under an oak on the Henderson's lawn. A small group of neighbors had gathered around his corpse, their faces sad and shocked. 


My thoughts: When I first started the book I had no idea who Brutus was, but it seemed he drew quite a bit of attention. Of course, who would expect to find a body lying under a tree? This opening certainly caught my attention though. I had to know more.


A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

"I've never understood why some guys strip when drunk." Sean grinned.
"It's not funny. I've got a naked drunk vampire running around in my orchard." [56%]

My thoughts: I thought this the perfect scene to share, and it happens just at 56% of my e-copy edition.


What do you think? Does this sound like something you would be interested in reading? 

*

Everyone has a favorite and then we also have something we dislike. Like a coin, there are two sides to every question. Each week, Carrie at The Butterfly Reads and Laura from Blue Eye Books ask participants to list what they like and don't like about that week's topic.


This week's topic is Best/Worst Book Read in January

This is a tough topic this week because I liked everything I read in January. Choosing one best book seems wrong somehow. They were all so good! After much thought, I am going with a collection of poetry that is both beautiful and inspiring, Sunday Sugar by Q. Gibson. It moved me to tears, made me laugh and left me in a good place mentally.


Because I do not have a worst book to fit this category, I am going with a book I enjoyed, but wasn't quite as smitten with as I was with my other reads in January. It was still a very enjoyable book though, and I do recommend it, especially for cozy mystery fans.  That would be Claws for Concern by Miranda James.



I just want to add that cover-wise, Claws for Concern definitely takes the prize for best cover in January.

What was your best and worst book read in January?


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44 comments:

  1. Clean Sweep looks interesting. Thanks for mentioning it.

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    1. It was a lot of fun. I am reading the second book in the series now. :-)

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  2. I have to go with Anne. The naked drunk vampire takes the cake.

    I'll be looking for Sunday Sugar. Glad you liked all the books you read in January. I wasn't so lucky.

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    1. Roberta - It seemed perfect that the scene appeared right at 56%.:-)

      I highly recommend Sunday Sugar!

      I am sorry you did not like all of your January reads. I usually have at least one that doesn't measure up. But not this time.

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  3. My best in January was Glass Houses by Louise Penny. Don't really have a worst, but I will say that The Darkest Thread by Jen Blood ran a little long. That's the worst I can say. Now, on to February, right?

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    1. Kay - It I was such a good reading month. I enjoyed everything I read too. Glass Houses does sound good. I'll get around to reading the series someday.

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  4. I'm not familiar with this "author." I do find the number of writing teams who successfully work on a novel an interesting phenomenon. Glad you enjoyed it, Wendy.

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    1. Jenclair - I do too. I always wonder what their process is.i have read a few of their books and really enjoy them.

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  5. I enjoy everything Ilona Andrews writes. This Innkeeper series is fun. I can't wait for another installment. This week I have A Cold Day in Hell by Lissa Marie Redmond. Happy reading!

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    1. Kathy - Me too! At least what I've read by them so far. :-) I am reading the second installment now and enjoying it!

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  6. I'm not a fan of vampires, but a naked drunk one might change my mind...lol. Enjoy your weekend, and here's mine: “FATES & FURIES”

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    1. Laurel-Rain - Haha! That would be a sight to see. :-)

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  7. I have Ilona Andrews coming up on my TBR and I'm really looking forward to it. That's too bad that Claws for Concern wasn't a total winner for you. I just read the previous book in the series and am about to start that one. I like it but it's very cozy!

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    1. Katherine - I enjoy their books! Which one are you going to read? I did enjoy Claws for Concern quite a bit. It just had really stiff competition this past month. :-)

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  8. I'm hoping to read more poetry this year, I'll put Sunday Sugar on my list.

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    1. Jennifer - I hope you like Sunday Sugar if you read it. I'd like to try some of the poet's earlier work now as I hear it is a bit darker and Sunday Sugar is more how she's feeling now that she's made piece with her past.

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  9. I haven't read anything by the writing team Ilona Andrews, but that may be because the genre of Clean Sweep is not one I usually read.

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    1. Catherine - This is a bit different than I was expecting (aliens), but I don't mind. I enjoy urban fantasy quite a bit and have read other books by Ilona Andrews. They're on my list of favorite authors.

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  10. Claws for Concern is such a cute cover. I love the cat!

    Thanks for linking up!

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  11. Quite a gripping beginning. It was enough to pull me in! Happy weekend!

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    1. Freda - Yes, it is! I am so glad I read this one. Happy weekend to you too!

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  12. I love cozy mystery novels and the cover for Claws For Concern Looks awesome!

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    1. Captivated Reader - I hope you will read it! It's a good one, and I just love Diesel the cat. :-)

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  13. Didn't have a worst read in January, which was good bookish luck; my best? Definitely A Gentleman in Moscow. :)

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    1. Lark - I didn't read a bad or even meh book in January either. So, we both had good bookish luck! I hope to read A Gentleman in Moscow one of these days!

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  14. Love that beginning! The naked vampire though! LOL
    Have a great weekend,
    Jo-Ann

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    1. Jo-Ann - I know! Can you imagine? Haha! I hope you have a great weekend too.

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  15. Ok, I need to know more about this drunk vampire character - haha! What a hoot. And, don't those cozies have the best covers? Too cute!

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    1. Iliana - Haha! You won't believe what he was drunk on. That only adds to the humor of it. :-)

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  16. Hmm... don't think I've a worst read in January although there was one book I didn't really enjoy although it'd a great premise. And I love the cover of Claws for Concern.

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    1. Melody - Same here. All the books I read this past month were good, even Claws for Concern. There was no worst book.

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  17. Claws for Concern is a hilarious and wonderful book title - I'm kind of tempted to read it just based on that. Thanks for sharing!

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  18. Both books sound really fun, although I think Claws for Concern sounds more like my kind of thing. Cats and mysteries always make me think of The Cat Who series.

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    1. Eustacia - I find it hard to resist a mystery with a cat too. :-)

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  19. I also had the same sort of January! I didn't really have any books that I disliked, just books that didn't fit my personal preferences (which the honestly the best kind of month to have!). Thanks for linking up, Wendy!

    Laura @BlueEyeBooks

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    1. Laura - I am glad you had such a good reading month as well!

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  20. I've been told that I need to try Andrews - oen of these days! :)

    Lauren @ Always Me

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  21. Ilona Andrews is always great! It is great that all of your January reads were good ones. I hope you have many more months like that!

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