Winter Wonderland Pictures

I’ve never really been one for winter—probably because I live in Ohio in an old Victorian house where, at times, you can see your breath upstairs and the downstairs isn’t much warmer even with the fireplace roaring and the heat up to 90—but this year, I’ve been finding the snow rather enchanting—plus it gives me a chance to play with my camera. I’ll admit it; I’m a bit of a shutterbug!

So, here is a few shots I snapped in the back garden!

 

Mailbox Monday

 

 

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This month’s host is Rose City Reader

On Rose City Reader’s master post for Mailbox Monday Gilion asked the following question: Will you give books as gifts this year? Which ones? Please share!

I love giving—and receiving—books as Christmas gifts. It has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember to do a book exchange for Christmas, usually on Christmas Eve provided the weather is cooperating and we can all get together.

Last year I received this amazing basket filled with tea and books. So this year I thought that I would do the same and gift the person whose name I received a book basket. I think my theme will be classic books, although that is all that I am saying as the person who will be receiving the basket reads my blog.

Here is what I received in my mailbox:

 

 For review:

 

Purchased:

 

 

One of the many things that I received this week was a $5 Amazon gift card so I purchase the following e-books:

I also received two more Amazon gift cards ($25 and $50) which will be going to feed my book addiction! I would also like to say thank you to the anonymous person who sent me the $25 Amazon card!

 

What’s coming up on Simply Angela: I’ve been reading a ton of Christmas books and this week I will be sharing some of them. My dvr is practically bursting with Christmas cheer and as the weekend was filled with nothing but snow and ice, I’ve had some time to actually watch them, so I will be sharing those as well! What lovelies arrived in your mailbox?

The Sunday Salon: Where has the creativity gone?

Oh how I’ve missed you Sunday Salon post. With my crazy schedule this year I haven’t been able blether to you like I’ve wanted! Now that I’m back on track we can share a pot of tea and have a lovely wee chat!

I have a question for all you lovelies out there in bloglandia: Is originality, creativity, and the ability to have an independent thought dead? Has it been replaced by the effortless and ignominious act of nicking someone else’s work and claiming it as your own? Have people become so lackluster in their thoughts that they have to encroach on someone else’s work? Because I’ve been seeing a horrible trend as of late where the content from one blog has appeared nearly verbatim on another nonrelated blog, sure the font has been changed, but the content remains the same, and I not going to be naming names or pointing fingers, but shouldn’t bloggers respect one another’s post and content enough not to abscond with it then claim it’s their own?

While this hasn’t happened to me, I’ve noticed it when reading other blogs. Just take this morning for instance, I was reading through a blog post that was published Friday on a blog that was less than a few months old. As I was reading through the post, I had an odd feeling that I had read this before. Having a vague recollection where I might have read it at, I searched through the archives of a rather well known blog and sure enough there was the post I had been reading. It had been published (complete with time-stamped comments that verified the post was posted on the date listed) years before the post on the newbie blog which claimed the content as their own.

And it’s not only blog posts and reviews. It’s review/blog policies, rating systems, and—my absolute favorite—disclaimers stating that if you nick this content you will be punished (but they fail to mention that they nicked it from the blog they just read).

So my final question to you my lovelies would be: If we, the readers, see that content had been nicked from another blog/website, what should we do? I’ve had numerous discussions with family and friends about this same topic and I would love to hear your answers.

Welcome to Simply Angela

Hello Lovelies!

Welcome to Simply Angela!

I hope that you are all warm, happy, and healthy with a tbr pile that would make others envious!

As you may have noticed, Renee’s Reads is no more—well, at least the title and url—the blog still remains, it’s just under a different name, Simply Angela, and url. When I started Renee’s Reads my focus was solely on book reviews—and I am still going to have a wealth of book reviews as well as book/author related content on Simply Angela—but over the years my style of blogging has changed and I thought a name change for my blog was very apropos.

My posting has been sporadic and spare, but I intend for that change since I have Royal Reviews finally under control.

Now, for a bit of an update!

Winter storm Cleon has made its way to Ohio. My part of Ohio has been getting rain on and off all morning and finally gave way to snow. It’s a bit daunting when the weathermen are even afraid to predict how much ice and snow we will get. As schools in the area have already been called off, everyone is looking for things to get pretty bad fairly fast as was apparent in the craziness of the stores this morning. Apparently everyone was in a mad rush to buy the needed supplies. As long as I have a way to heat up water for tea and batteries for my reading light, I’m fine! (I know, I’m a bit odd…but as long as I have a hot cuppa—or preferably a pot of— tea and a book, I can withstand just about anything.)

In bloglandia, I recently joined two amazing reading challenges: 2014 Full House Reading challenge hosted by Book Date and Lucky No. 14 Reading Challenge hosted by Books To Share. If I find another one or two that catches my fancy, I may join—it just depends. I thought they would be a great way to cut down my trb pile, which has turned into a tbr mountain. If I’m being honest, my tbr read pile mountain has grown so rapidly pretty soon it will be getting its own zip code, and those are just the books I’ve purchased!

Next week, I will have a few Christmas related reviews, so make sure you check back to see what reviews I post and goodies I have to offer!

Lucky No. 14 Reading Challenge

 

Challenge: Lucky No. 14 Reading Challenge

Time Frame: January 1st to December 31st 2014

Host: Books To Share

The Challenge:

Read 1 book in each of the 14 categories

Categories

1. Visit The Country: Read a book that has setting in a country that you really want to visit in real life. Make sure the setting has a big role in the book and it can make you know a little bit more about your dream destination.

2. Cover Lust: Pick a book from your shelf that you bought because you fell in love with the cover. Is the content as good as the cover?

3. Blame it on Bloggers: Read a book because you’ve read the sparkling reviews from other bloggers. Don’t forget to mention the blogger’s names too!

4. Bargain All The Way: Ever buying a book because it’s so cheap you don’t really care about the content? Now it’s time to open the book and find out whether it’s really worth your cents.

5. (Not So) Fresh From the Oven: Do you remember you bought/got a new released book last year but never had a chance to read it? Dig it from your pile and bring back the 2013.

6. First Letter’s Rule: Read a book which title begins with the same letter as your name (for me, Angela means A, and I can read anything that started with the letter A). Remember: Articles like “a”, “an” or “the” doesn’t count :)

7. Once Upon a Time: Choose a book that’s been published for the first time before you were born (not necessarily has to be a classic book, just something a little bit older than you is okay. You can read the most recent edition if you want to)

8. Chunky Brick: Take a deep breath, and read a book that has more than 500 pages. Yep, the one that you’ve always been afraid of!

9. Favorite Author: You like their books, but there are too many titles. This is your chance, choose a book that’s been written by your favorite author but you haven’t got time to read it before.

10. It’s Been There Forever: Pick up a book that has been there on your shelf for more than a year, clean up the dust and start to read it now :)

11. Movies vs Books: You’ve seen the movie adaptation (or planned to see it soon) but never had time to read the book. It’s time to read it now, so you can compare the book vs the movie.

12. Freebies Time: What’s the LAST free book you’ve got? Whether it’s from giveaway, a birthday gift or a surprise from someone special, don’t hold back any longer. Open the book and start reading it now :D

13. Not My Cup of Tea: Reach out to a genre that you’ve never tried (or probably just disliked) before. Whether it’s a romance, horror or non fiction, maybe you will find a hidden gem!

14. Walking Down The Memory Lane: Ever had a book that you loved so much as a kid? Or a book that you wish you could read when you were just a child? Grab it now and prepare for a wonderful journey to the past :) Comic books or graphic novels are allowed!

Waking Up With A Rake by Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe

 

The Fate of England's Monarchy Is In The Hands of Three Notorious Rakes.

To prevent three royal dukes from marrying their way onto the throne, heroic, selfless agents for the crown will be dispatched...to seduce the dukes' intended brides. These wickedly debauched rakes will rumple sheets and cause a scandal. But they just might fall into their own trap...

After he's falsely blamed for a botched assignment during war, former cavalry officer Rhys Warrick turns his back on "honor." He spends his nights in brothels doing his best to live down to the expectations of his disapproving family. But one last mission could restore the reputation he's so thoroughly sullied. All he has to do is seduce and ruin Miss Olivia Symon, and his military record will be cleared. For a man with Rhys's reputation, ravishing the delectably innocent miss should be easy. But Olivia's honesty and bold curiosity stir more than Rhys's desire. Suddenly the heart he thought he left on the battlefield is about to surrender. (Taken From GoodReads)

Book Details:

Title: Waking Up With A Rake, Author: Connie Mason with Mia Marlowe, ISBN, 978-1-4022-7240-0, Publisher: Personal library, Format: Mass Market Paperback, $7.99, Release Date: January 2013, How I Read It: Mass Market Arc from Publisher, Rating: 4 Cups

This is the third book by Connie Mason and Mia Marlow that I have read devoured and I must say that each one I read is better than the last.

Miss Olivia Symon (both rich and virginal) has been selected to be a contender in the ‘Hymen Race Terrific’* yet certain people are not so thrilled with the House of Hanover succeeding and are willing to do anything to eliminate the duke’s potential brides.

After returning from the horrendous defeat at Maubeuge, France during the Napoleonic Wars Rhys Warrick has been content to live the life of a rake. Yet when Alcock tells him he must ruin the Duke of Clarence’s potential bride, Rhys immediately says no. However, Alcock has the power to ruin Rhys’s family, which was a rather persuasive bargaining tool.

However once Rhys meets Olivia he realizes things are not going to be as easy as he thought.

I loved this book. It had all of the right elements (scandalous behavior, a tortured hero, a heroine with moxy, drama, romance, and intrigue) and was well researched. I also enjoyed the fact that the Hymen race was brought into the story because it’s not something you see in romance novels.

Olivia was a clever mix of proper society lady and someone who is willing to push the boundaries. I found her interesting to read for the fact I was never sure what she was going to say next.

Rhys was the perfect tortured hero. From the first few pages you could see that the war, and the French, are still haunting him. Although he may be a self-professed rake, he has redeemable qualities that you can see develop throughout the course of the plot.

The plot was brilliant. I won’t get into the events because I truly believe that this is one of those romance novels that you have to read for yourself although I will say that the plot was so brilliantly developed that you will be constantly turning the page.

Lastly, I must say that Rhys Warrick is the perfect example of character development and it made one brilliant read.

This is the first book in The Royal Rakes series and I cannot wait to read the others.

* Hymen's War Terrific Race in 1818, the year Queen Victoria was conceived, to produce a future heir to the throne when George III was old and senile; his son, the future George IV, had produced one child, Princess Charlotte, but she had just died. The line of succession then passed to the siblings of George III or their heirs. The race involved three of George III’s 14 children: the Duke of Clarence (later William IV); the Duke of Kent (Victoria’s father), and the Duke of Cambridge.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Goodbye to Yesterday by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Instead of experiencing newlywed bliss, Meredith and Luke Stoltzfus are faced with the greatest challenge of their young lives.

When Luke Stoltzfus loses his job at a furniture store in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, he is given the opportunity to learn a new trade from his uncle who lives in Indiana. Despite his wife’s reservations, Luke jumps at the chance and makes plans for a quick trip to Middlebury.

Along the way, Luck meets with tragedy, and life as he knew it will never be the same.

Despite all odds, will the faith and love Luke and Meredith share be enough to bring them back together again? Or will Meredith begin a new life with another? (from the back of the book) 

Title: Goodbye to Yesterday, Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter, ISBN: 978-1-61626-085-9, Publisher: Barbour, Series: A Lancaster County Saga, The Discovery Part 1 of 6, Format: Trade Paperback, $6.99, How I read it: Finished copy from Handlebar publishing, Rating: 3 Cups

My Thoughts:

Luke and Meredith haven’t been marriage for long, yet they find their marriage being tested when Luke loses his job. Seeing the answer to his prayers in the form of buying into his uncle’s headstone engraving business, he believes that he should travel to his uncle’s place in Indiana. Meredith knows that Luke is stressed out about losing his job so when she believes herself to be pregnant she decides to wait until Luke returns to tell him.

Leaving for Indiana shouldn’t be too much of a problem, yet with a winter storm on the wing Luke becomes the target for Alex, a homeless drug addict, who is demanding that Luke hands over his wallet. When Luke refuses, Alex beats Luke and leaves him on the bathroom floor.

Seriously! You are going end the book with the main character beaten and lying on the bathroom floor. While I wasn’t too thrilled about the cliffhanger ending, I knew given the size of the book and the fact that this is billed as part one of six, something such as that would occur.

I liked this book—even with the cliffhanger ending. It wasn’t your typical Amish book where the couple is this happy go lucky couple that makes flowers sprout on the ground each time they walk. Luke and Meredith are a couple struggling with the problems most marriages go through and that lends a realness to the story that made me want to devour the book. The book also brings the outside world in in the form of Alex so I am eager to see how this story unfold.

As this is part 1 of 6 with only 121 pages, this book has the feel of a sampler or a short story. While I am now hooked on the series, I am a bit annoyed with the format as I would rather have a complete story.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,

Waltz With A Stranger by Pamela Sherwood

"May I have this dance?"

Aurelia wasn't hiding exactly. She just needed to get out of the crush of the ballroom—away from the... people staring at her scar, pitying her limp. She was still quite enjoying the music from the conservatory. And then a complete stranger—dashing, debonair, kind—asked her to waltz. In the strength of his arms, she felt she could do anything. But both would be leaving London soon...

When they meet again a year later, everything has changed. She's no longer a timid mouse. And he's now a titled gentleman—with a fiancée. Is the magic of one stolen moment, one undeniable connection enough to overcome a scandal that would set Society ablaze and tear their families apart?

Title: Waltz with a Stranger, Author: Pamela Sherwood, ISBN: 978-1-4022-7322-3, Format: Mass-Market Paperback, $6.99/£4.99, Release Date: December 2012, How I Read It: Personal library, Rating 5 Cups

My Thoughts:

After a horrible horse-riding accident that left her with more than just physical scars, Aurelia Newbold waltzes with a handsome stranger in a conservatory.

A year later the handsome stranger, James Trelawney, finds himself newly titled and in need for a wife, thus he enters into an agreement with none other than Aurelia Newbold’s twin sister, Amy. Aurelia and James find themselves thrown into each other’s company as unseen circumstances cause James to confide in Aurelia.

Filled with sexual tension, honor-bound promises, a death inquiry, and a smuggling venture that places James and Aurelia in dire danger, Waltz with a Stranger has everything a good novel requires.

While the story focuses on James and Aurelia, this is Amy’s story as well and the events that unfold in each one of their lives had me continually flipping the pages to discover if they ever received their HEA.

I was a bit worried when I started reading the book that I would not like Aurelia as I found her a bit whiny for my taste but I was glad that she finally found a way to rise above her whininess. James was a very endearing character, while I was a bit angry with him for asking Amy to marry him, the author made him suffer because of his choice and it made for good reading.

Another thing that I liked was the Cornish setting as I have become addicted to books set in Cornwall. Plus, this book actually focused on a plot rather than just trying to figure out a way to get the hero and heroine in bed.

Best Wishes & Happy Reading,