Top Ten Tuesday

The Broke and the Bookish hosts the meme Top Ten Tuesday.  This week's topic is all about those 2013 debut books we are dying to read!
Make a list of the ten books you are just dying to read and link them on the meme!

1. Bianca (Silk Merchant's Daughters, book 1) by Bertrice Small
2. Francesca(Silk Merchant's Daughters, book 2)by Bertrice Small
I just love Bertrice Small's writing - she gives me that romance that my husband of 38 years just can't get.  
3. Red Velvet Cupcake Murder by Joanne Fluke
Have to keep up with Hannah and see if she'll finally make a decision on her love life.
4.Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs
Love, love, love this series - got to read it as soon as it comes out!
5.Thread and Buried by Janet Bolin
Just found this series and definitely want to keep up!
6. The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig
How will the Pink Carnation continue?
7. How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny
Louise Penny - what more has to be said?
8. Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay
new series - yeah!
9.Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams
Finally Pies and Prejudice has a sequel!
10. Buried in the Bog by Sheila Connolly
New Series with an Irish flair!

These are my ten, what are yours?

2013 READING GOALS

I was reading the Broke and the Bookish and saw her meme Top Ten Tuesday.  I'm a day late but I'm still going to play.  This week it's Reading goals for 2013.

So here are my Top Ten 2013 reading goals:

  1. Read 105 books from my shelf  (35 ea audio, e-book, ARD)
  2. Read at least 45,000 pages
  3. Read at least 6 books in 13 categories selected for 2013
  4. Read books to bring at least 10 series up-to-date
  5. Read the first 2 Fire and Ice series books
  6. Read at least 4 CLASSICS
  7. Read a book over 500 pages long
  8. Read the Sharon Kay Penman series
  9. Read my first graphic novel
10. Read at least 5 books borrowed from Tina (I've borrowed them, now I need to read them and get them back to her)

My other big goal for 2013 is to try to reduce the number of new books coming to my possession this year.  In 2012 I acquired over 150 books.
This year I'd like to keep it under 100.

Knit the Season by Kate Jacobs

★★★

GENRE: Fiction
SUBJECT: family
Setting: NY, NY   Scotland
CHARACTERS: Dakota Walker, Anita Lowenstein, Catherine Anderson
DATE READ: December 31 - January 5
NO. OF PAGES: 318
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   Yes,audio stockpile

PLOT:........................................3
CHARACTERIZATION:.................3
TOPICS:.....................................3
STYLE:.......................................3
ORIGINALITY:.............................3
ADDICTIVENESS:........................3
OWNERSHIP:..............................3
THRESHOLD QUALITY:.................3
Average...................................................3.00

Dakota Walker, the daughter of Georgia Walker, has grown and now is working to her personal ambition of becoming a chef.  As she works toward her goal, several of the women who have stood by her as she has grown up, are also making life changes.

Realizing that family is more important than her career enhancement, Dakota heads to Scotland for the holidays and Dakota is warmly embraced with memories of her mother.

A cozy tale that continues the Friday Night Knitting Club.

Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy

  ★★★★¾

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: Family history
Setting: Washington, DC
CHARACTERS: Ollie Paras, Leonard Gavon, Joe Yablonski
DATE READ: January 3 - January 5
NO. OF PAGES: 304
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   Yes,Nook stockpile

PLOT:........................................5
CHARACTERIZATION:................5
TOPICS:....................................4.5
STYLE:......................................4.5
ORIGINALITY:............................4
ADDICTIVENESS:......................5
OWNERSHIP:............................5
THRESHOLD QUALITY:..............5
Average.............................................................4.75

Ollie Paras, head chef at the White House has finally persuaded her mother to tell her the truth about her father's death.  Unfortunately, Mrs. Paras doesn't know much other than the fact that he was murdered and the crime was never solved.  Adding the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the service, Ollie is filled with questions that she wants answered.

With the help of her boyfriend, Secret Service agent, Leonard Gavin, and his friends in high places, Ollie meanders into trouble on her own, trying to track down answers to who killed her father as well as how he managed a burial in Arlington with his record.

The story was crisp and clean drawing the reader into Ollie's emotions as she searched deeper into her father's life and death.  Her frustrations became the reader's frustrations as we want more and more information as the story progressed.

Definitely the best of a great series - can't wait for the next one, but unfortunately we must.

A Fatal Appraisal by J.B. Stanley

 ★★★¾

GENRE: Cozy Mystery
SUBJECT: antiques, forgery
Setting: Richmond, VA
CHARACTERS: Betty, Avery, Jack
DATE READ: December 31 - January 1
NO. OF PAGES: 454
Off the Shelf (pre-2013)? Source?:   Yes,Nook stockpile
CATEGORY: Second Hand Rose

PLOT: 4
CHARACTERIZATION: 3
TOPICS: 3.5
STYLE: 4
ORIGINALITY: 3.5
ADDICTIVENESS: 3.5
OWNERSHIP: 3.5
THRESHOLD QUALITY: 4
Average 3.63

Molly Appleby, reporter for Collector's Weekly is sent to Richmond to report on the Hidden Treasures TV show being taped at the Museum.  She is introduced to the different experts in various areas - furniture, toys, jewelry, books, coins, etc. and as she gets to know them through the interviews she conducts, Molly also learns about the knowledge that each expert garners.  Following the experts, Molly sees their personal quirks as well so when Frank (furniture) is exposed to a strange mold and later dies because of an allergic reaction, Molly becomes curious.

When Alexandra (coins) is found murdered in the museum after mentioning that the coins on display there are fakes,  Molly delves deeper into the backgrounds of various other experts.

The writing for this cozy was easily presented to the reader, spacing and "quietly" presenting the clues at the same time as taking the reader on a pleasant journey through the antique world.  Made me want to visit Richmond and its historical district.