August in Review

I'm alive! But tired, lol. DragonCon was a lot of fun, the recap post(s) is coming soon actually, but I got some Con crud and then managed to scratch my eyeball with my mascara wand, and it's just been  bit of a doozy getting myself back up to speed. So let's skip right ahead to the books I read last month!

Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
All Fired Up by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy
Count on Me by Lauren Dane
A Tale of Two Dragons by G.A. Aiken
Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston
Love is a Battlefield by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy
The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane
Hot Zone by Jayne Castle

And drum roll please.....Magic Breaks is the favorite book I read last month! Is anyone surprised? No, I didn't think so.

Links I Love

// "The Definitive Ranking Of Rory’s Hairstyles On "Gilmore Girls"" (and hey, did you hear that Gilmore Girls is coming to Netflix? Super awesome!)

// "Hey, Ladies -- Catcalls Lead to Gender-Based Violence! Deal With It."

// "The 6 Best (Non-Disney) '80s and '90s Animated Films" 

//"Men React to Plus-Size Snow White: We're Attracted to This" Somehow I'm both horrified and... pleasantly surprised by these comments? I think? 

//Robot Hugs - a super awesome web comic that you should read and share with all your friends too :D.

July in Review

Happy August friends! It's been the usually hectic month for me and I think I have to accept the fact that for the foreseeable future my "books read" number is going to be low. Like reeeeaaaal low. I don't like beating myself up about the fact that I can't read as much as I used to - life's too short and I feel like there are too many of us in the same boat.  So instead, let's just continue to take a look at what I read and the random things on the internet that brought me joy.

Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston
The Search by Nora Roberts
The Witness by Nora Roberts
Sparrow on the Hill by Seanan McGuire
Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb

I picked up Indulgence in Death on major discount at Books-a-Million, and it was just wonderful. I know Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is a comfort read for me but she just kicks ass pretty much every time and Eve and Roarke are one of my favorite couples ever.

Links I Love

//I think a lot of these 24 Life-Changing Ways to Store Your Beauty Products depend on a certain kind of home aesthetic but if I ever purge enough of well...everything...to do this, I would love it!

//If only I oculd knit - this DIY Knit Wonder Woman Sweater would be mine!

//I'm not going to lie, I really want to make this Bastardized Ramen Burger. Anybody with me?!

//"50 Incredible Tattoos Inspired By Books From Childhood" (strangely this makes me want to get a Totoro tattoo, even though that story was never a book from what I know and I'm not even sure how old I was when I first watched it

March in Review

I've actually been having a lot of fun with my reading this month. I still haven't come up that far on my "new and noteworthy" list but reacquainting myself with the oldies but goodies on bookshelves is an adventure all on its own. I  can't wait to play catchup this month though, because the latest Anne Bishop is calling my name!

I also did some "burnt newspaper" nails last weekend 

during the unending rain in DC.

Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis (C)
Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
The Winning Hand by Nora Roberts
The MacGregor Grooms by Nora Roberts
Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (A+)
The MacGregor Brides by Nora Roberts
The Calender Girls: Flavor of the Month by Madison Hayes
The MacGregors: Alan ~ Grant by Nora Roberts
The Perfect Neighbor by Nora Roberts
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts
Her Kind of Trouble by Sarah Mayberry
Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton (A)
Bite Me by Shelly Laurenston

My favorite this month has to go to Seanan McGuire. It might have taken me many many moons to finally read Chimes at Midnight, but it was awesome!

And now on to other random/cool things I found on the internet!

Links I Love

 //D.C. Launches First Ever Transgender Respect Ad Campaign - I have my feelings about the city I live in (good and bad) but this is just fantastic.

//Someone Give Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart a Late Night Talk Show - Yes, please. All the yeses in the world should go to this idea.

//This print is adorable! And exactly how I feel about my friends. 

//I'm becoming more and more a broach person as time goes on, and these classic book ones are adorable!

//Guys I want to see Boxtrolls so badly! Give it to me now!

February in Review

Slowly but surely I'm chugging along somehow, despite DC's (and most of the East Coast) UNENDING WINTER I managed to read a few new things. And some more to my TBR pile, lol. I just don't know how people do it - stress just kills my reading drive. All I want to do is curl up with a good book where I know everyone loves each other and the ending will work itself out, lol.So what did I end up actually finishing this month? Let's see....

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin (B)
Seducing His Princess by Olivia Gates (C+)
Dark Wolf by Christine Feehan (B-)
Marked by Kit Rocha, Lauren Dane, & Vivian Arend (A)
Considering Kate by Nora Roberts
"For Now, Forever" by Nora Roberts
The Troubled Texan by Phyliss Miranda (DNF)

My favorite was an easy pick this month because damn if Marked didn't get me - it's so good! 

NEW SECTION ALERT! 
I want to try something a little different this month and instead of just highlighting what I liked best reading wise, here's what I also liked best BLOG-wise! 

//"Small - Travel, Part Two" - I love Feather Factor's post on travel. She's incredibly knowledgeable and seems to always have the best advice when it comes to making the most of your time.

//"Finished AT-AT Rocker Reveal!" - I will never EVER be this crafty, but how cool is this rocker?! Jen and John did a freaking fantastic job and I love that their little test rider decided to do it in costume :). 

//"slouch" - Atlantic Pacific is a huge source of style inspiration and this is post showcases a look I'm currently trying to cultivate from my closet: sophisticated relaxation. I have no idea if I'll ever pull it off, lol, but I love to dream.

//"Hidden Stripes :: Cropped top & Lace-up pumps" - It's all about the coat for me in this latest post from Wendy's Lookbook.

//"Monday News" - this is the March 3rd news edition from Dear Author but as it contains such gems as "DON’T BE A SEXUAL VAMPIRE OR A FRIGID FRANNY" I don't think it's lost its luster yet. 

//"Let's Talk About Hobbies..." - It's always interesting to me to self reflect when it comes to hobbies. I'm a big reader but outside of that I think I'd have to say my biggest interests hinge on makeup and fashion. Which is a little weird to me when I consider them as hobbies, but I guess if you like what you're doing it can't be that bad? Hmm...

How about you all? Anything particularly cool that you read or saw out there on the internet? Let me know!

October in Review

October was a whirlwind of a month, in both good and bad ways. I had a lot of fun things to read, spent more time at my local library than I think I have since I moved to DC, and enjoyed reviving a DragonCon costume for Halloween.

Plus RAtChaos introduced its first guest reviewer - Rachel! She did a great job reviewing Harrowgate and I can't wait to see what else is on her TBR pile :). But for now - on to the books!

A Deeper Dimension by Amanda Carpenter (B-)
Undead and Underwater by MaryJanice Davidson (B+)
Charming by Elliott James (A+)
Drawn Together by Lauren Dane (B+)
Enthralled by Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook, & Lucy Monroe (B/B+)
Dark Lycan by Christine Feehan (C-)
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
Shutdown by Laurell K. Hamilton
Cherished by Maya Banks and Lauren Dane
One Night Heir by Lucy Monroe
Prince of Secrets by Lucy Monroe
Grave Secret by Charlaine Harries
Indexing by Seanan McGuire
Water Bound by Christine Feehan
Harrowgate by Kate Maruyama (B)

I'm going to be coming back to Indexing for a full review soon, but between that and Charming urban fantasy was the genre to beat this month! 

September in Review

So September was a hard month. Fast and over incredibly quickly, but a hard month. It started out well with Dragon*Con (I've got a one, two, and three wrap up posts for that monstrosity, lol) but work (if you'll excuse my language) has been a bitch. I'm glad to be past of it.

Reading wise though I like the books I got through. I spent time reuniting with authors I like (Gini Koch) and series I'd lost touch with (J.D. Robb).

To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory (B-)
Girls Night Out by Lauren Dane (Mini Me)
Heart of the Sea by Christine Warren (Mini Me)
Making Chase by Lauren Dane
Deception Cove by Jayne Castle (A)
Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch
Alien Tango by Gini Koch
Alien in the Family by Gini Koch
Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton (C+)
Cake by Lauren Dane (A)
Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
In too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb
Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston

Winner? Well I think from now on I'm just going to always pick two because this month I had a hard time deciding between Deception Cove and Cake.  Both great stories!

July in Review (is it Fall yet?)

It's so weird to me how a week can take forever to go by but suddenly I turn around it's August. AUGUST. I've been lamenting the heat for so long I think I can finally see Fall on the horizon and you know what that says to me? Blazers and sweaters and BOOTS - all the wardrobe pieces that have been relegated to the back of my closet because 100* temperatures and high levels of humidity.

Also - water gun fights in Central Park. It's a good thing.

Still Summer has been the season of some really great book releases and July was no exception. I've reconnected with the love I once had for Harlequin Presents titles (hey there Lucy Monroe!) and my favorite Urban Fantasy series had its first release in two years (I'm talking about you Ilona Andrews ;) ).  It's been a bit of an emotional whirlwind, but one that's left me upbeat and optimistic about what to pick next (don't hate on my for not catching up with the Peter V. Brett series ok? I'm still trying to get over reading the first one).


True Love by Jude Deveraux (A-)
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Royal Treatment by MaryJanice Davidson
Royal Mess by MaryJanice Davidson
Kamikaze by Moira Rogers (Mini Me)
Marked by Elisabeth Naughton (B-)
Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison
The Wicked by Thea Harrison (B)
Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai
It's a boy! by Victoria Pade (C+)
Prince of Secrets by Lucy Monroe (A+)
Yours, Mine, and Howls by Kinsey W. Holley
Indexing by Seanan McGuire (A)
Never Deal With Dragons by Lorenda Christensen (C+)
Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews (A+)

And which lovely books should you make sure to pick up for yourself? Well they're both parts of series but I consider what comes before both these titles to be just as enjoyable: Prince of Secrets and Magic Rises!

June in Review

Somehow we've passed the halfway mark of 2013 and I just don't know how I feel about it. I guess everyone's entitled to a bit of a life moment now and then but I hate stressing about things I can't change, or the things at least I perceive as being unchangeable. How about we just talk about books and holidays and rainbow, sunshine, and sparkles instead?

Tomorrow is the 4th of July and in addition to fireworks (yay DC!) my plans are to walk my butt to the Mall and take in all the Smithsonian Folk Festival has to offer. If you live in the ares then I highly recommend you come down - food (festival prices D:), performances, and cultural presentations. Just ignore the tourists!

But I guess I should at least attempt to address the books I read this month right?

True Colors by Thea Harrison
Ideal Bride by Stephanie Laurens
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh (A+)
Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway (C+)
Alone Time by Lauren Dane
Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd (B-)
Beauty Touched the Beast by Skye Warren (Mini-Me)
The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett (B)
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston
Hidden Dragons by Emma Holly

And my favorites? Well it's a tie - two very different books that both made me super happy!

(and both are part of series though only with Heart of Obsidian does it really matter)

Hope you guys are having a fantastic day!

May in Review

Oh May, there you go with all the pre-Summer DC breezes and hope of a day without hairline sweat. Sigh. It's been a busy month, especially at the second job, with everything 'go go GO!' all day and I have to admit my reading suffered for it. It was hard to find the gumption to read, even when I did have a down moment, but looking at the list below maybe I can say it could have been worse?

I spent some time in Old Town towards the beginning of the month and just last weekend held up my Duke pride at an international chain of events entitled Duke Forward. I even tried my hand at this year's Armchair BEA (find my posts here) but surprising no one but myself I fell quickly behind and am now considering which questions I liked enough to go ahead and answer at my leisure. Oops!

in Old Town, Alexandria

Duke Forward DC

I hope everyone out there is having a great week, or as great a week as possible, and if you're in hot weather like me dreaming wonderful beach filled dreams!

Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick (B) 
True by Erin McCarthy (C-) 
Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts
Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts
i can barely take care of myself by Jen Kirkman (B-) 
Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris (C+) 
Making Chase by Lauren Dane
Once and Again by Lauren Dance
Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick (B+)
The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly
Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken
Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison
Loving a Prince Charming by Danielle Monsch (B+)

And I don't care if I've already read it, this month's favorite is going to Oracle's Moon and that's all I have to say about that!

April in Review

What the heck people - it's May (imagine that Justin Timberlake picture that's been up all over Facebook cause I don't wanna post it). How did this happen?!

DC is bouncing between a million different temperatures, my allergies are killing me, and somehow I'm super busy. Again. Or still, I'm really not sure about that.  I did manage to find time to get my butt down to Duke for my 5th year Reunion but in addition to have a grand time, the baby faces currently walking around campus made me feel SUUUPPPPPEEERRRR old. I did get in one last time at my favorite Tex-Mex places of all time and demolished the following:

Worth all the calories :D

I guess with that intro no one's surprised by the short list of books below. I wish I had time to read more and probably more books that I want to read but all in all I can't say I'm totally dissatisfied. At least I got some books in!

Scarlet by Marrissa Meyer (B)
Impulse by Moira Rogers
It Had to be You by Jill Shalvis (review coming soon!)
Lush by Lauren Dane  (A+)
Kitty Rocks the House by Carrie Vaughn (B-)
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
Coming Undone by Lauren Dane
Never Enough by Lauren Dane
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg (B+/A)
Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts (B-/C+)

My favorite of the month? Most fun has to go to Lush by Lauren Dane, most inspirational to Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg - go read them both!

P.S. -  My thoughts on that German fan who released the ending of Harris's last Sookie book? BAD FORM MAN. I can resist the internet ok, and you will NOT ruin it for me! 

March in Review

You know you've got a lot on your mind when it takes another blogger's summary post to remember you've still go to write your own! LOL!  

 "Hi my name is Dana and sometimes I pose for moody pictures in Old Town Alexandria."

(via Instragram (goodredherring))

With my new Mon/Thur rotation the number of books I read every month have gone down but I feel more at peace with the whole process. I read books I enjoyed and reviewed them as such, and you know what, if I can't make that schedule the world will not end (amazing right?). March had a good mix with plenty of well loved favorites and a new to me author I was lucky enough to find thanks to NetGalley. The breakdown:

Blue Flame by Jill Shalvis (B-)
Shadow Woman by Linda Howard (A)
Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh (A)
Written in Red by Anne Bishop (A+)
The Wolf Prince by Karen Whiddon (A)
Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire (A)
Slashback by Rob Thurman (A)
Rising Darkness by Thea Harrison (review coming soon!)
Dark Storm by Christine Feehan (review coming soon!)

Question to self: am I a really generous reviewer or do I only read books I have a high chance of enjoying? Hmm.... probably a bit of both but the second is more true then I think about. But who wants to read books they know they're not gonna like? Piffle on that I say - life's too short! My favorite of the bunch? Hard to choose but I keep going back to re-read parts of Written in Red even now so let's say that one!

February in Review

I told you February was a bad month! I read almost nothing, reviewed less than that, and I have to say I'm a little ashamed. BUT. I did manage to plan and execute a lovely engagement party with the help of my fellow bridesmaids and even with some camera error (booo) we were able to get some pretty primo shots like this:

(I'm the girl with yellow necklace)

Fun right? Homemade photobooths - not for amateurs or those with OCD.

March is already looking to be a bit better (hello there March 5th! $50 gone from my wallet in one fell swoop) and I hope I'll share some other good books with you soon :). I think I may shift the posting schedule though, to Mon and Thurs, to give myself a break - I don't wanna feel guilty when life just makes it impossible to read or when the only thing I want to read is the Nora Roberts I've already read a billion times. 

Trickster by Jeff Somers (A)
Winter's Tale by Emma Holly (B+)
Beneath the Skin by Lauren Dane
Wolf With Benefits by Shelly Laurenston (review coming soon!)
Lost in You by Lauren Dane (A)
Dream Eyes by Jayne Ann Krentz (B+)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (B+)

My favorite (that's actually out right now?):

Trickster!

January in Review (yeah I went there)

I have no excuses for this. I have no idea how this escaped without being posted but you know what? If my favorite YouTube gurus can post their monthly hits and misses during the middle of the next month well so can I!

January was a little sparse as far books go but I'm still - STILL - in shock and I think mourning after Cold Days. If you don't read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files then I'm pretty much ordering you to get your butt over there but I can't say they're the easiest things to read. I can't decide if I'm a fan of the darker tone of the series; yes a lot of it has been necessary for Harry's growth and obviously contributed to a new plot direction in the series but damn! I used to be able to pick these up and expect more laughs then I get now.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher (B+)
Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
Dark Wolf Rising by Rhyannon Byrd (B-)
Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Zinnia by Jayne Castle
Orchid by Jayne Castle
Tart by Lauren Dane
Yours, Mine, and Howls by Kinsey W. Holley (B+)
Bound by Magick by Eliza Gayle (C)
The Marriage Campaign by Karen Templeton (B+)
Santa Reads Romance by Dara Joy (Mini Me)

To try and pull a favorite from this group was hard because while Cold Days was phenomenally written I ended up a little wrecked. How about The Marriage Campaign? It was a nice familiar story that reminded my why the monthly releases don't always have to frustrate me, lol. 

December in Review

A little late with this one, huh? I got so excited about 2013 guys! It was right there on the horizon and I got so excited looking ahead that I didn't prep like I needed to end 2012, lol. 

Whatever, this'll be a bit of quicky anyway because I really didn't read much in December. I've been in a bit of a funk lately I admit (and I just finished Cold Days - that didn't help) but I've got some good books lined up to read and review so hopefully that will give me back my rhythm.

I hope you all had a wonderful entry in 2013, however you celebrated it, and that there are some great books in your future!

Impulse by Moira Rogers (A-)
Burned by Eliza Gayle (B)
Considering Kate by Nora Roberts
Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance (Mini Me)
The Next Always by Nora Roberts
The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts (C+)
The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts (B)
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Beast in Him by Shelly Laurenston
The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston
Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

My favorite this month? Gotta be Impulse! It was a great addition to Rogers' series and a fun book to read overall.

November in Review

I told myself I was going to do better this month as far as 'books read' goes but I was fooling myself. How I thought that goal was going to work when I was headed to Hong Kong for a week was beyond me. Still the highlights are here and you get the general idea right? Lol! Forgive me and let's hope that 2013 just makes me that much more consistent with tracking. Maybe I can create a list on my phone? That may work better than one exclusively on my home laptop. 

And besides traveling the globe I ended up hitting another milestone this month - Reading Amidst the Chaos is at 200 likes on Facebook! I know it's probably a ridiculous number celebrate but it is incredibly cool to me to imagine there are 200 people out there who don't mind my intermittent updates in the world of book blogging. I have to say thank you to each and every one of you for connecting with me there and I'm going to be doing a special FB only giveaway during December to celebrate!

But now on to the books!

Realm of the Gods by Tamora Pierce
Petals and Thorns by Jeffe Kennedy (B+)
The Boldest Man in Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly (B+)
The Brightest Flame in Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly
The Billionaire Bad Boys Club by Emma Holly (Review coming soon!)
Born to be Wild by Donna Kauffman (B)
Midnight Heat by Donna Kauffman (Review coming soon!)
Lord's Fall by Thea Harrison (A+)
Fur Play by Christine Warren
Fired Up by Jayne Ann Krentz
Pride Christmas in Brooklyn by Shelly Laurenston
Tart by Lauren Dane (Review coming soon!)
Coming Undone by Lauren Dane


My favorite? I gotta give it to Emma Holly! I've already reread part of The Billionaire Bad Boys Club and I highly recommend for a spicy holiday read :).

October in Review

Trying to think about October what keeps coming up for me is the word 'stressful'. Work was stressful, life was stressful, all topped off by the fact that early October is never my favorite part of the year. 

Luckily I can't say that everything was totally crappy and at the moment things are pretty great! (Vacation on the horizon folks, it's so close I can smell it) And now? Now it's time to take a look at what I read this month*!

Rescuing Christmas by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Catherine Mann, and Kathie DeNosky (B)
Cast in Ruin by Michelle Sagara
Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara (A-)
Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken
Laid Open by Lauren Dane (Mini Me)
Men of Smithfield: Seth and David by L.B. Gregg (B-)
Surrender the Dark by Donna Kauffman (A)
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh
Samurai Game by Christine Feehan
The Last Bride in Ballymuir by Dorien Kelly (B+)
Absolutely, Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz (A-)
What an Earl Wants by Kasey Michaels
Tempted by Megan Hart (?)
Beast Behaving Badly by Shelly Laurenston
Blade Song by J.C. Daniels (B+)
Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce

*Tentatively. I feel like I'm forgetting some titles (I've been remiss with updating the list as soon as I'm done) but hey, close is sometimes close enough right? Just consider this horse shoes. 

The favorite this month? Cast in Peril! I'd say something awesome about Nalini Singh for the billionth time but I'm not sure that's fair since I was rereading her books this month. 

 

September in Review

September was such a wild month! 1) I have no idea how it's already October 2) I can't believe I survived it. DC finally succumbed to Fall (even if things are still a bit up and down) so I've actually been able to pull out a cardigan a time or two without dying. Cuddling up in my comfy chair with cool air coming in through my balcony doors? Awesome, I'm telling you. 

I also think it's funny that I actually spent more times with authors and getting things signed after Dragon*Con. Usually that's my mecca but hey, if the writers I love want to come to DC, more power to them! The biggie was the 2012 National Book Festival where I got listen to such greats as R.L. Stine and Eloisa James. It was also the place where I stood in line for 2hrs to get some books signed by Charlaine Harris! Woot! 

After that, last Thursday in fact, I got to hang out after work with Megan Hart! I've read books by her and the past and heard Mandi from Smexy Books rave about her, but this was my first time meeting her. The crowds were low and the whole thing was super chill so thanks Barnes and Noble for hosting a spiffy author! 

And finally, after all that babbling, onto the books!

Burning Wild by Christine Feehan
Howl For It by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden
Big Bad Beast by Shelly Laurenston
The Mane Attraction by Shelly Laurenston
Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston
Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire (A)
The Lost Night by Jayne Castle (Mini Me)
Midnight Crystal by Jayne Castle
About Last Night by Ruthie Knox (B+)
Run the Risk by Lori Foster (B)
The Search by Nora Roberts
In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz
How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken (B+/A-)
Hunter's Season by Thea Harrison (A-) 

Looking at the list though I'd have to say Ashes of Honor wins as the best book of the month. If you are not reading this series you are missing out!!