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It's a new month, people, and a new challenge to tackle.

Right now, I'm still in the middle of listening to Brockmann's Dark of Night and I'm having a ball. I just love her style of writing and the narrators are top-notch.

Just started The Demon's Daughter by Emma Holly. This is my first time to read any of her work, and I thought I'll give her a try.

I'm currently rereading Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward can't get enough of the brothers.

In the car I'm listening to The Bone Garden by Tess Garritsen, I really like her series even though I normally don't read detective stories, her's are well written and show the scenes from several different perspectives from the Medical Examiners view point to the detective's view point of the crimes.

Almost done with my first June challenge book, Weddings From Hell. I really hate anthologies, but always feel the need to read them just in case I'm missing something important! Sometimes, the stories are just a side note or just based in the "world" that the series books have created. Other times, it seems almost crucial to plot or character development for the series and I think that's not fair! I've read a lot of these anthologies lately and I'm giving them up for awhile after this one.

I'm finishing up The Mortal Instruments trilogy with City of Glass. Not a June challenge book, so I need to finish it! ;) I'm also listening to Lover Unbound. Oh, how I love V...

I'm reading James Potter and the Hall of the Elders but it's an ebook so can only read it while at my pc. So I started The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy while at the YMCA Splash classes with my kids.

I've just finished working my way through the campus cravings series. They're novellas and I read all 11 over the past few days. There is one more in the series which I think is the end. Because of that, I never did finish the last book for the PNR challenge. I may pick it up again but I just can't get in the mood. Planning on starting Devon Cream by Jet Mykles. I love all of her stuff so I'm excited to read this one.

Oohh woke up early this morning and read Edward Unconditionally by Lynn Lorenz which takes care of #6 of my m/m June challenge for this month.

I sucked at last month's challenge list - too many books and not enough time and working from home - bad, bad habit :) Left 2 books incomplete and will prob not finish them ever. 'Cause I'm too lazy and can't be bothered.

And I'm BACK online, baby! Finally, not that you've noticed... But I did. 2 days 8 hours and 43 minutes!! Yeah I've counted. Yeah I had withdrawal symptoms. To cope with that I've decided to read some for a change and guess what? I'm done with The Pillars of the Earth. Finally! Don't get me wrong. It's a really damn good book. Epic, I'd say. But also unbelievably long.

Also I'm half way through Ender's Game and loving it. If any of you liked The Hunger Games, you'd probably like Ender's too.

wb Kasia :) All the librarians I work with tell me The Pillars of the Earth is a must read and I keep meaning to get around to it but haven't yet. But then, they also told me Mr. Pip is a must read and as a general rule I don't like NZ authors (yeah, even though I'm an NZ-er). Had to read it twice before I liked it LOL

I don't think The Pillars of the Earth is for everybody... It's loooooong and a bit repetitive at times. But I have a thing for historical fiction, and Follett sure can write so it's gonna get a high rating for me.

And even though I haven't read much from NZ authors, I stumbled upon The Bone People once and it became one of my all time favorites. It's weird and intense though. Consider yourself warned.

Kasia wrote: "...Also I'm half way through Ender's Game and loving it..."

Loved Ender's Game. My husband has the whole series so I'm not sure why I didn't carry on with it. Will have to go back to it some day when I need a break from the paranormal.

I know! It's quite something, this book. I don't know why I was staying away from Orson Scott Card for this long... But yes, it's not paranormal it's Sci-fi and there's no romance thus far. But it keeps me on the edge so who cares.

I just started Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh. It's the only PNR series that I've read and liked so far.

Kasia wrote: "And even though I haven't read much from NZ authors, I stumbled upon The Bone People once and it became one of my all time favorites. It's weird and intense though. Consider yourself warned. ..."

Read it when I was in high school and didn't like it. Thought it was exceptionally well written but could not get into it - which seriously brassed me off because it won an award and I didn't get it. Felt like I was missing out on some exclusive secret LOL

Fanip wrote: "I just started Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh. It's the only PNR series that I've read and liked so far. "

I'm a big fan of Singh's Psy/Changeling series. I hope you enjoy all the books...the new one is about to be released soon.

tosca wrote: "Read it when I was in high school and didn't like it..."

Aaaa... There are book that I loved in high school and I don't care for right now and there are books that I adore now and I hated back in the days. I believe you can grow into and out of books.

But who cares about Bone People, when there's so much other stuff to read. Right? I read for entertainment purely, if some book gets plenty of awards but fails to engage me - it gets axed, STAT. I might get back to it years later, or not.

Reading many but my favorite as far as being unique and engaging writing style has to be The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann I realize I am starting another series but this one seems to be worth it.

Second fave is between Cabal by Clive Barker. It is the book that was adapted for the movie Nightbreed. Took about 5 pages before I reconzied the opening scene, lol. And Paul's Dream by Rowan McBride b/c I love a good incubus story. The attraction seems to be a notch higher when an incubus is in charge of the lovin', hehe.

I have just started Dead After Dark.

Kenjii wrote: "Reading many but my favorite as far as being unique and engaging writing style has to be The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann I realize I am starting another series but..."

Kenjii,

There are 14 books so far in Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, so yes, you will have more books to read. It is so much fun to read because you get to meet the previous characters in the other books and actually grow with them.

This is another series I like to discuss almost at the same level as BDB, even though TS is not paranormal.

Devon Cream was a disappointment and not up to Jet's usual standard. Now I'm reading Blue Ruin 1 Some Kind of Stranger and loving it.

I'm reading Earth Hive, which is a book spun off of the Aliens movies. It makes vague references to the movie characters, and of course the aliens are in it. It's actually really good so far. I don't think it would be any good if you didn't like the movies or have any idea what the aliens were all about, but I loved those movies so I thought I'd give this book a shot. So far it's worth it!

I'm working on Devil Takes a Bride by Gaelen Foley. I love the hero already and can't help but like the sweet bookish heroine too. I've enjoyed all the books in this series so far, and this one is shaping up really nicely too.

As a fellow NZ-er - I'm with Tosca! If it wasn't for children's & young adults authors, I'd NEVER read a NZ author (well, apart from Nalini, actually)... They're all too earnest!
My most hated NZ book at school would probably have been Potiki by Patricia Grace - but I'll eat up her picture books.
I'm currently reading stuff that's not on any challenge... while my challenge books sit at home, taunting me, and becoming overdue at the library.
Just like I'm sitting typing this while my work sits beside me, making disapproving noises. As soon as I sign out, I'm off downstairs to find copies of my June challenge books that are supposed to be sitting on the shelves.

Julie, I have the first three in that series. I think I need to bump this series up in my TBR pile :)

I'm reading The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston. It's very good. Funny, too. It's the first thing I've read by her but I'll be looking for more.

I'm starting the Midnight Breeds series by Lara Adrian. I've started Kiss of Midnight, and I already have Kiss of Crimson for when I'm done.

Melissa wrote: "I'm reading Earth Hive, which is a book spun off of the Aliens movies. It makes vague references to the movie characters, and of course the aliens are in it. It's actually really good so far. I ..."

I have this on my TBR pile. No idea how it got there, lol. I liked the movies so perhaps after a marathon I was inspired to look up a novelization. Thanks for your comment.

Yz,

I realize I may be in trouble with Suzanne Brockmann. As I do like this debut book in the series. I won't mind hunting down the rest. It is quite different than any series and that's what I like. Thanks for the comments and I can see her being the suspense rival to J R Ward's paranormal world. I have not read suspense back to back in about a year and perhaps that is what heightens her writing all the more. The love how each character has similar thinking but at the same time very distinct voices. I mean coming from one author I think that is hard to do.

Aww totally agree Annie - NZ has some great chns/ya authors but I sometimes find the adult authors a bit umm depressing.

Have finished reading Gaydar by Kim Dare. Working my way through Vision of White but it may take me a day or two. Wondering how I can fit in Lara Adrian's 'Ashes of Midnight' into my June challenges and am not so sure I can. Just trying to find an excuse to justify reading it LOL

Decided it was time to read something that has been on my TBR shelf for over a year, so chose "No Regrets" by Michele Ann Young - my first and last book by her. Not bad so much as - nothing there: a non-romance and flat characters (gave it 2*). So I read a quick contemporary cute romance - "Curveball" by Kate Angell (3*). Now I'm reading and enjoying Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh.

Fani, I can't believe I'm ahead of you in the Psy-Changeling series!

tosca wrote: "Aww totally agree Annie - NZ has some great chns/ya authors but I sometimes find the adult authors a bit umm depressing.

Have finished reading Gaydar by Kim Dare...."

Looks like I have another M/M author to add to my already out of control TBR list...Thanks Tosca.

Finished Blue Ruin 1 Some Kind of Stranger and REALLY want to read the next two in the series but I'll behave and stick to my challenge books. I'm currently reading The Draegan Lords which is the sequel to True of Heart. Beautiful gay men, an evil wizard and dragon shifters...what could be better?

Nikki wrote: "Julie, I have the first three in that series. I think I need to bump this series up in my TBR pile :)"

I highly recommend the Knight Miscellany series, Nikki. The first three books were keepers for me, and even though the fourth wasn't quite as good, IMHO, it still got 4 stars from me. So far, Devil Takes a Bride is looking like it's going to be right up there with all the rest of them.

colleen wrote: "I'm reading The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston. It's very good. Funny, too. It's the first thing I've read by her but I'll be looking for more."

You will definitely enjoy Shelly's book. I've read her Magnus Pack series and couldn't get enough. I really enjoyed the second in that series called Go Fetch. Micki and Conall were great. i usually don't do re-reads but I can see myself doing that with Laurenstons books.

absolutely agree with Jael - I found the Magnus Pack series to be so FUNNY. Hot sex didn't go amiss either heh LOL and the dynamics between the characters. what a hoot! my friends are almost (but not quite, thank goshness) as bad/good as each of the main female characters :0)

Lori - yeah, since I joined this place my TBR list is awful. I tend not to record it here these days because it makes me wince everytime I see how out of control it's getting LOL

Finished reading Vision In White by Nora Roberts and all I can say is awww I want a professor of my very own :)

Started Warrior Prince by J.P. Bowie.

Finished The Draegan Lords and OMG I love this series. It ended on a heartbreaking cliff hanger and there's no ETA on the next one. ARG!!!

I'm off to the library to pick up several other challenge books. Can't decide what to read next. Should probably start one of the books from the PNR challenge. Decisions, decisions...

I started The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy.

Just finished Undead and Unwelcome and it was a good, quick book. This one and the one before this, have brought the series back to the top of my list. So many laughs, with a cool story and I love all the characters. Even the Wyndam wolves were a major part of the story. That was cool to read about.

Got Bone Crossed at the library yesterday and it's a 7 day book so I'm starting it today. Also reading Natural Disaster the sequel to Bareback which I absolutely loved.

I'm a little more than halfway done with Twilight

Julie (Mom2lnb) wrote: "Nikki wrote: "Julie, I have the first three in that series. I think I need to bump this series up in my TBR pile :)"

I highly recommend the Knight Miscellany series, Nikki. The first three books ..."

Thanks, I'll bump them up :)

Hope you enjoy Twilight, Nikki. That's another one of my all-time favs. BTW, Devil Take a Bride is turning out to be such an amazing read, I can barely put it down. It's so good, in fact, that I'm thinking about reading the next in the series as my next book. I just have to figure out a way to fit it into the challenges.;-)

Amid all the other challenge and group read books, I'm trying to sneak in The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. I'm pleasantly surprised because it really is very good!

Also reading: Red-Headed Stepchild, Tempting Danger, Ghostland, the 4th Meredith Gentry, and the 1st Darkyn. (Any wonder why the last two titles are escaping me right now? Surely couldn't be because I've started too many books.)

Finished sherrilyn kenyon's Devil May Cry, and upon the midnight clear both of which I read toooo fast...I'm avoiding wuthring heights which I usually love to immerse myself in... seems to much right now, also avoiding my YA lit cuz cuz cuz I'm not prepared to complete a lesson plan just yet...hoping Jamie will let me borrow her lara Adrian books real soon...REAL SOON :) just three more books to bring me down... :) (my own personal drug READING)

I'm reading Bone Crossed. This is the series I love to hate. Great characters, great story, no sex. I hate the no sex part :)

I just finished reading Always a Scoundrel by Suzanne Enoch and am in the middle of Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts. I also just started Dark and Deadly by Jeanne Adams...pretty good so far...has anyone else read any of these and if so, what did u think of them?

Julie, I am really enjoying Twilight. I'm going to order the rest of the series today.

I'm reading The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy. I'm glad I watched the movie first. The books got more in it, but for this book, knowing the plot helps. It's 469 pages but it's full of naval technical terms and specifications on different boats, subs and aircraft that frankly I can't make sense of quite a bit of it and I served in the Air Force for ten years. It's also got alot of Russian names (boat's and people's names) and russian military rank or other words. It's a good book. It's incredibly well researched, but dang it's a slow read. After 6 days I've only read 208 pages.

I'm reading Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I'm having a hard time because there as SO many characters and it's been awhile since I read the two before this one. I feel like I'm constantly trying to remember if I should recognize a character or not and I feel like I'm not enjoying this story for what it is. I read all the time on goodreads how important it is to read these books in order so I think I'm trying too hard to pay attention. It's making the reading unenjoyable! I might read something else and then come back to it.

Yesterday was my one lazy day of the weekend so I spent it reading: Demon Moon by Cameron Dane. Partway through the second book in this series Falling An Erotic Love Story. Also finished off Lonely Hearts by Adrianna Dane (m/m novella). Have finally started Finding Home which I've had for ages and for some reason never read. D'oh. Lazy day over, have to get serious :)