It's All About The Books - Vol. 10

Pines by Blake Crouch - I really enjoyed this book, it reminded me of a cross between Dean Koontz (author of my first favorite adult books) and Stephen Kind. My only complaint is my library doesn't have books 2 or 3 in the series so until/unless I buy the book or wait for an intra-library loan I'm stuck not know. 4/5

Under a Dark Summer Sky by Vanessa Lafaye - I chose this book because Erin recommended it and because when I joined Erin's book challenge I had to choose a book with a season in the title. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book fit the bill perfectly. The author was able to bring me into the story so much that I could feel the monster hurricane in the same way her characters did. The only complaint I had was I felt like on the story lines was left unfinished, it didn't need to be finished to complete the story but I was left wondering what happened anyway. 4/5

Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Millan - When we thought about adding a puppy to our pack I knew I needed to review some basic dog training ideas. With Salem not being 2 yet and Marina under the age of 1 I was going to have two puppies on my hands. I'd read some online article by the "dog whisperer" and decided to check out one of his books. I'll admit I thought the guy was a little hokey but with some of his techniques and the right dog treats (dogs will work for food) I've got Salem and Marina both in a good place training wise. There was a LOT of repetition which had me skimming in quite a few places. 3/4

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper - Another book for Erin's book challenge, this one from the category a book that will make you laugh. I already had this book on my to-read list so it was a win/win. The book didn't necessarily make me laugh but I'm a sucker for any book with a family more dysfunctional than my own. 4/5

American Housewife: Stories by Helen Ellis - This book wasn't for me, the summary of the short stories within had me hooked but after story 1 and half of story 2 I realized the summary was better than the book. I hate when that happens, DNF. 1/5

Dumplin' By Julie Murphey - This book was also for Erin's book challenge (told you I was killing it), the category was a book with a title that starts with "D". I really enjoyed the be who you are and be proud of it message this book delivered. What I didn't enjoy so much was the teen angst especially when it came to relationships with the opposite sex. I'm so far past that in my life it was hard to read without wanting to give the characters some sage advice. 3/5

Cinder by Marrissa Meyer - This book has been on my to-read list forever but for some reason, I kept passing it by. Then one of the categories in Erin's book challenge was read a book from the Amazon Most Popular author's ranking that you've never read before. Then as I was reading I kept kicking myself for not reading sooner, no wonder this author is in the most popular author's ranking. I love the futuristic take on Cinderella and look forward to seeing how she ties the other fairy tales in. 4/5

The Marauders by Tom Cooper - I received this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. See full review here. 3/5

The Sound of Glass by Karen White - I finished this book at 12:01 AM on February first so I'm counting as a January read. This was the last book challenge book I was able to squeeze in this month, the category was a book with a 4-word title. If you are looking ahead to summer and pre-planning your beach reads this is a must add. Set in Beaufort, SC around the sites and sounds of the South Carolina marsh I felt instantly at home with this book. The only thing I found a little odd was the switch from first person POV to third person POV when changing character stories. 4/5

What did you read last month? Have you joined Erin's book challenge? You might not be able to win but you could still have some reading fun!