Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2015 - Fall Updates

If you wish to participate, you can sign up HERE.

These are the books I still have to read. My 2015 list has gotten slightly bigger. Don't forget you can check out all my Netgalley reviews here.

Status of lists

Year	Total Requests	Completed	Still to read
2013	51	13	38
2014	57	5	52
2015	29 (as of October 2015)	4	25

TBR 2013
A Shimmer of Angels - Lisa M. Basso
Broken Forest - Eliza Tilton
Compliance - Maureen McGowan
Defy
Dragonwitch - Ann Elisabeth Stengl
Dream Girl
Echo Prophecy
Elfin
Endless
Escaping Reality
External Forces
Forbidden to Love - D.A. Wills
Hereafter
Hero's Lot, The - Patrick W. Carr
King Hall
Mage Fire - C. Aubrey Hall
Mistress of the Solstice
Night Creatures
Rebels Divided
Rival
Safe in His Arms
Scrap - Emory Sharplin
Sekret
Shadow Allegiance
She Is Not Invisible
Spirit - Brigid Kemmerer
Stargazing from Nowhere
The Bane - Keary Taylor
The Dominant - Tara Sue Me
The Naturals
The Silver Chain
The Trials of the Core
The Waking Dreamer
Tin Star
Turned
Unspoken
Will in Scarlet - Matthew Cody
Winds of Purgatory

TBR 2014
A Curse Unbroken
Alex + Ada volume 1
A Secret Colton Baby
Black Rook
Blind Faith
Blood Assassin
Blood Orange Soda
Catch Me When I Fall
Clipped Wings
Dark Hope
Darkness
Dark Wolf Returning
Danny Dirks
Delucca's Marriage Contract
Desired
Divided
Don't Judge a Lizard by His Scales
Dragon Defender
Fire Heart
Forbidden
Freed
Iskida of the Land of Nurak
Jhanmar World Travellers
Lingering Echoes
Longing
Love's Paradox
One is Enough
On Her Watch
Outshine
Raytara - Judgement of the Stars
Seed
Shadow Heart
Since You've Been Gone
Star Trek: Khan
Stitching Snow
Stones of Power
Street Fighter Origins: Akuma
Tales from OZ
Tamed
The Amulet of Sleep
The Boy a Thousand Years Wide
The Circle
The Fifth Vertex
The Mark of the Dragonfly
The One
Sentinels
The Thirteenth Tower
Thirty Days to Win His Wife
Transformers Primacy
Waking up Pregnant
We are the Goldens
Worth the Fall
Wrecked

TBR 2015 (so far)
Arivaca
Bound by Sin
Bound in Darkness
Commanded
Cursed by Ice
Eden Vol 1
Emissary
Everywhere It's You
Imperfect Love
In Ark
In Search of Lost Dragons
King of the World
Monster Squad: The Iron Golem
Of Flame and Promise
On the Hunt
Rocco's Wings
Seeker Arwen (Elys Dayton)
Sentinels
Sneak Peek Soundless
Sneak Peek: Dove Arising
Sorcerer to the Crown
Tamed
The Battle for Darracia
The Golden Wizard
The Phantom of the Earth
The World of Evendaar Book Two
This Is Where It Ends
Witches Be Burned
Zack

Return of My Vlog Series - Kishaz Talks

It's been a couple of years since my last vlog. I used to do them regularly but as my personal life (marriage, health problems, children problems, and other life problems) became increasing more hectic, crazy and sometimes depressing, I lost my drive to write and to make my vlogs.

In an effort to jumpstart my writing back into high gear, I recorded my long overdue vlog for my novel, "The Melody." Feel free to watch it and to watch any other of my Kishaz Talks Vlogs.

Kishaz Reading Corner: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

About the Book

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful - and passionate - of the Elder Races. As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they've ignited in one another.

Buy the Book

AMAZON | ARE

Here's what I'm giving it:

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here's why:

Disclaimer: I got this book from the public library and have received no compensation from the author or publisher for this honest review.

I couldn't put this one down and read it in one sitting. I was hooked from the opening sentence and stayed on the wild ride with Pia as she took me on an urban fantasy journey that had me laughing, shouting in frustration, and cheering the characters on.

The relationship & romance with Dragos was intense as much as it was a roller coaster ride as two people who are not very good at relationships have to make one work.

The twists that were there did not feel contrived or unnecessary. Overall, a really good read.

Would I recommend this? Based on reading this one, I'd be willing to pick up others in this series.

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2015 - October #2 This Book Will Change Your Life

About the Book

Take a chance and change your life...

College is where Hannah Gregory plans to follow in her dad's footsteps as a chemistry prodigy-except she bombs her first test. And now her future isn't so certain. Worse, she's not sure she wants it anymore. Salvation comes from an unlikely place-a used bookstore and the sexy Ben Fisher, the passionate college senior who works there.

Ben is trapped in a life mapped out for him. Trapped in a future career as a lawyer to make his father happy. Trapped pursuing a girl he doesn't even like because she fits into a world he doesn't want but can't escape. But then he meets the beautiful and quirky Hannah. And for the first time, he knows what it means to truly want something.

So he gives in to being her friend. Then to wanting her. Then to kissing her. But freedom comes with a cost, and it isn't long before their carefully planned lives begin to fall apart...

Buy the Book

AMAZON | ARE

Here's what I'm giving it:

Rating: 4.5 stars

Here's why:

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from the author, Netgalley or the publisher for this honest review.

This one was really close to a 5-star for me but I felt some of the angst about telling the parents about their true career desires was a bit much.

Other than that, the romance which was well written kept me captivated as I watched a young woman blossom and a young man finally believe in his own worth.

The familial relationships were intricate but realistic and you couldn't help but sympathize with both characters as they tried to find the correct path they needed to take.

Would I recommend this? Yeppers! I'd even read a sequel.

Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2015 - October #1 Under His Skin

About the Book

Earth girls are never easy. But they're worth it.

Bakery owner Annabelle Sparks' business is booming ever since she won reality TV's Cupcake Wars. The one thing deflating her happy soufflé? The extremely sexy Kaden Chance only sees her as a best friend-and Annabelle wants so much more. After waiting a year for him recognize their chemistry, she's giving up and dating other people.

What she doesn't know is Kaden's heart doesn't actually beat. He's not human. Heck, he's not even from Earth. To retain his intergalactic immunity, no one can ever know he is an extraterrestrial. But when Annabelle starts dating, something strange happens to Kaden's unmoved heart: it begins to beat. Now he faces an impossible choice-tell Annabelle the truth and be deported-or lose his last chance at love.

Buy the Book

AMAZON | ARE

Here's what I'm giving it:

Rating: 4 stars

Here's why:

Disclaimer: I received no compensation from the author, Netgalley or the publisher for this honest review.

This book took me a couple of days to read because of family distractions but, I'm sure if I had not been interrupted, I would have finished it in one sitting.

I've read some of Ms. O'Neale's other works and it was nice to see a science fiction romance one in the mix.

I like her treatment of female leads. They are not way over the top strong nor are they overly weak. Annabelle was a nice blend of strength and vulnerability. She knew when to stand her ground and when to bend.

My feelings toward Kaden were a little bit more ambivalent. There were moments that I liked him and moments when he irritated me to no end.

Overall the two leads played off each other well and the secondary characters contributed yet did not detract from the storyline.

Would I recommend this? Yes, I think this book is a good start for this series.