Connie N.’s Comments (group member since Sep 03, 2013)

Connie N.’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Finished #10:

The Playboy by Carly Phillips - 4/3/20 ♥♥♥♥


I didn't particularly care for the first in this series, which is probably why it took me years to read this 2nd book. But this one was a success! I liked it much more and enjoyed catching up with the characters we met in Book #1. I'll continue with the 3rd and final book in this series sooner rather than later.

I agree with the others who've posted. I usually only add one at a time in a series, mostly to keep track of where I am and what book I need to read next. So I only count the books that were actually on my TBR earliest. The later books in the series usually don't count for this challenge.

Wow, Judy, I'm impressed!

Good one, Cat, that sounds interesting.

Hobbies - Part 3

Scuba (5/5)
S - Scored by Sloane Howell - 5/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
C - A Cry In The Night by Mary Higgins Clark - 7/23/19 ♥♥♥♥
U - The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann - 4/30/19 ♥♥♥
B - Author Patricia Briggs - Frost Burned - 4/11/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Author Gillian Archer - Ruthless - 7/9/19 ♥♥♥♥

Table Tennis (11/11)
T - Then Came You by Jill Shalvis - 6/5/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Agatha Christie - The Clocks - 8/2/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - Back Check by Kelly Jamieson - 5/30/19 ♥♥♥♥
L - Liz Lipperman - Beef Stolen-Off - 8/17/19 ♥♥♥
E - 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass - 11/8/18 ♥♥♥
T - Three Daughters of Madame Liang by Pearl S. Buck - 6/8/19 ♥♥♥
E - Everything Under by Daisy Johnson - 10/25/19 ♥♥
N - Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth - 7/17/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
N - Nora Roberts - The Pagan Stone - 3/9/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
I - In a Marrying Mood by Raye Morgan - 11/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
S - Second Chance Summer by Jill Shalvis - 7/5/19 ♥♥♥♥

Ultimate Frisbee (15/15)
U - Unusually Stupid Americans: A Compendium of All-American Stupidity by Ross Petras - 6/6/19 ♥♥♥♥
L – Author Kathleen Long - Counting Stars - 11/18/18 ♥♥♥♥
T - To Have and to Hold by Lauren Layne - 7/29/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
I - The Inherited Bride by Rebecca Stratton - 11/30/19 ♥♥♥♥
M - Author Kristina McMorris - Sold on a Monday - 9/5/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Aunt Dimity: Detective by Nancy Atherton - 9/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
T - Troutte, Kimberley - Forbidden Lovers - 9/7/19 ♥♥♥
E - Eternal Summer by Anne Hampson - 11/14/19 ♥♥♥
F - Fatally Frosted by Jessica Beck - 8/26/19 ♥♥♥
R - Rebecca Zanetti - Claimed - 6/17/19 ♥♥♥
I - I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass - 12/9/19 ♥♥♥
S - Silver Linings by Debbie Macomber - 7/13/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - Bolt by Dick Francis - 10/7/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Emma Chase - Sustained - 11/19/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
E - Emergency!: True Stories From The Nation's ERs by Mark Brown - 11/21/19 ♥♥♥

Vintage Cars (11/11)
V - Valerie Bowman - The Legendary Lord - 11/23/18 ♥♥♥♥
I - Ilona Andrews - Magic Breaks - 1/28/20 ♥♥♥♥♥
N - Nan Asquith - Only My Heart To Give - 6/23/19 ♥♥♥♥
T - Author Karen Templeton - Yours, Mine... or Ours? - 8/31/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Ann Marie Walker - Black Tie Optional - 9/29/19 ♥♥♥♥
G - Author Donna Grant - Cowboy, Cross My Heart - 8/29/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Emily March - Nightingale Way - 12/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
C - Caitlin Crews - Untamed - 8/18/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Annie Rains - Welcoming the Bad Boy - 10/20/18 ♥♥♥♥
R - Rebellious by Gillian Archer - 10/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
S - Slap Shot by Kelly Jamieson - 8/15/19 ♥♥♥♥

Water Polo (9/9)
W - White Heat by Jill Shalvis - 8/22/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Agatha Christie - One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - 3/14/19 ♥♥♥♥
T - A True Cowboy Christmas by Caitlin Crews - 10/19/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
E - Estep, Jennifer - Tangled Threads - 1/2/20 ♥♥♥♥
R - Ruthie Knox - Madly - 4/6/19 ♥♥♥♥
P - Patricia Briggs - Silver Borne - 10/2/18 ♥♥♥♥
O - Once Upon A Christmas by Holly Jacobs - 8/9/19 ♥♥♥♥
L - Liz Lincoln - On the Line - 10/25/18 ♥♥♥♥
O - Once a Moretti Wife by Michelle Smart - 9/22/19 ♥♥♥♥

X - Letterboxes (11/11)
L - Lois Greiman - Unscrewed - 10/24/19 ♥♥♥
E - Author Jill Alexander Essbaum - Hausfrau - 10/26/18 ♥♥♥♥
T - Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker - 4/12/19 ♥♥♥
T - Tina Wainscott - Falling Free - 11/28/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Jennifer Egan - Manhattan Beach - 11/10/18 ♥♥♥
R - River Marked by Patricia Briggs - 1/30/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - Bringing Delaney Home by Lee Kilraine - 11/8/19 ♥♥♥♥
O - One Perfect Kiss by Jaci Burton - 7/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
X - The X Factor: A Quest for Excellence by George Plimpton - 10/24/18 ♥♥♥
E - An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne - 11/13/18 ♥♥♥♥♥
S - Author Danielle Steel - Until the End of Time - 7/24/19 ♥♥♥♥

Yoga (4/4)
Y - You're Saying It Wrong: A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words--And Their Tangled Histories of Misuse by Ross Petras - 5/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
O - One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James - 7/16/19 ♥♥♥♥
G - G.A. McKevett - Bitter Sweets - 7/21/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Aronson, Marc - One Death, Nine Stories - 4/2/19 ♥♥♥♥

Ziplines (8/8)
Z - Author Lindy Zart - Love without a Compass - 10/3/18 ♥♥♥
I - I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter - 3/7/20 ♥♥♥
P - Author James Patterson - Lifeguard - 1/23/19 ♥♥♥
L - Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran - 10/14/18 ♥♥♥
I - Isabella Bradford - When You Wish Upon a Duke - 3/28/20 ♥♥♥♥
N - Nora Roberts - The Hollow - 10/18/18 ♥♥♥♥
E - Ever After by Phyllis A. Whitney - 1/14/20 ♥♥♥♥
S - Author Carla Swafford - Full Heat - 7/31/19 ♥♥♥

*****CHALLENGE COMPLETE 3/28/20*****

Hobbies - Part 2

Jet Engines (10/10)
J - Just One Kiss - Susan Mallery - 12/5/18 ♥♥♥
E - Elly Griffiths - The Crossing Places - 4/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
T - Tangerine by Christine Mangan - 1/16/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Tracy Ewens - Candidate - 4/28/19 ♥♥♥♥
N - Nalini Singh - Mine to Possess - 1/6/19 ♥♥♥♥
G - Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr - 11/15/18 ♥♥♥♥
I - Iceberg by Robyn Donald - 4/25/19 ♥♥♥♥
N - Never Trust a Pirate by Valerie Bowman - 2/6/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - E.L. Konigsburg - The View from Saturday - 5/4/19 ♥♥♥
S - A Snowbound Scandal by Jessica Lemmon - 12/28/18 ♥♥♥

Kayaking (8/8)
K - Kiss the Girls by James Patterson - 3/20/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil by Nancy Atherton - 1/19/19 ♥♥♥♥
Y - The You-Can't-Make-Me Bride by Leanne Banks - 4/19/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Allen Zadoff - Hungry: Lessons Learned on the Journey from Fat to Thin - 2/14/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
K - Krista Davis - The Diva Takes the Cake - 7/2/19 ♥♥♥♥
I - Ilona Andrews - Magic Rises - 5/19/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
N - No One to Trust by Katie Reus - 3/6/19 ♥♥♥
G - Author Donna Grant - The Christmas Cowboy Hero - 1/29/19 ♥♥♥♥

Laser Tag (8/8)
L - Lorelei James - Wrangled and Tangled - 3/11/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton - 3/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
S - Stacey Lynn - Fake Wife - 3/13/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Elizabeth Hoyt - Dearest Rogue - 6/30/19 ♥♥♥♥
R - Author J.D. Robb - Festive in Death - 2/13/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
T - 12 Rounds by Lauren Hammond - 2/17/19 ♥♥♥
A - Author Celia Aaron - Cleat Chaser - 4/10/19 ♥♥
G - Author Roxane Gay - Difficult Women - 5/29/19 ♥♥♥

Macrame (7/7)
M – My Kind of Wonderful by Jill Shalvis - 10/28/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Annie Rains - Stolen Kisses - 4/15/19 ♥♥♥♥
C - Cancun by Kimberly Fox - 3/27/19 ♥♥♥
R - Rescue My Heart by Jill Shalvis - 3/26/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
A - Author Kristen Ashley - Rock Chick Revolution - 5/14/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
M - Max by Sawyer Bennett - 5/27/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Janet Evanovich - Back to the Bedroom - 7/7/19 ♥♥♥♥

Needlepoint (11/11)
N - The Nightingale Nurses by Donna Douglas - 5/21/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Jennifer Estep - Web of Lies - 7/20/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
E - Erin McCarthy - The Hookup - 8/11/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
D - Dick Francis - For Kicks - 6/25/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
L - Leslie Meier - Back to School Murder - 4/24/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Janet Evanovich - Smitten - 8/23/19 ♥♥♥
P – Playing Hurt by Kelly Jamieson - 10/31/19 ♥♥♥♥
O - Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys - 5/24/19 ♥♥♥♥
I - In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park - 5/18/19 ♥♥♥
N - Nalini Singh - Hostage to Pleasure - 5/31/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
T - Take the Fall by Marquita Valentine - 3/19/19 ♥♥

Origami (7/7)
O - Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb - 6/7/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
R - Royal Pain by Tracy Wolff - 6/4/19 ♥♥♥
I - Illegally Yours by Kate Meader - 8/25/19 ♥♥♥
G - Greer Hendricks - The Wife Between Us - 6/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Annette Blair - Cloaked in Malice - 6/16/19 ♥♥♥
M - Miranda P. Charles - The Unwilling Executive - 7/25/19 ♥♥♥
I - Ink Flamingos by Karen E. Olson - 9/30/19 ♥♥♥♥

Poker (5/5)
P - PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives by Frank Warren - 5/7/19 ♥♥♥
O – The Other Side of the Dale by Gervase Phinn - 11/17/19 ♥♥♥
K - The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter - 8/3/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
E - Edwards, Nicole - Bad Business - 9/10/19 ♥♥♥♥
R - Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis - 5/8/19 ♥♥♥♥

Q - Racquetball (11/11)
R - Rock Chick Regret by Kristen Ashley - 2/24/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
A - Autumn Song by Margaret Pargeter - 6/26/19 ♥♥
C - A Curve in the Road by Julianne MacLean - 6/24/19 ♥♥♥♥
Q - Author Spencer Quinn - Paw and Order - 2/20/19 ♥♥♥♥
U - Unplugged by Lois Greiman - 3/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Erin McCarthy - The Breakup - 9/15/19 ♥♥♥♥
T - Tracy Wolff - Hot & Heavy - 3/24/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - A Bite to Remember by Lynsay Sands - 3/29/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Author Jane Arbor - The Other Miss Donne - 6/27/19 ♥♥♥
L - Love Letters by Debbie Macomber - 5/5/19 ♥♥♥♥
L - Looking For Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker - 6/20/19 ♥♥♥♥

Reading (7/7)
R - Author J.D. Robb - Devoted in Death - 8/7/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
E - Estep, Jennifer - Venom - 9/18/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Agatha Christie - Ordeal by Innocence - 8/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
D - Drake, Olivia - His Wicked Wish - 9/27/19 ♥♥♥♥
I - In the Mood Fur Love by Eve Langlais - 10/17/19 ♥♥♥
N - Nalini Singh - Branded by Fire - 8/19/19 ♥♥♥♥
G - Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck - 8/8/19 ♥♥♥

All done with my spell-out! Thanks for the fun.

HOBBIES
Timeframe: 10/1/18 to 3/28/20
219/219
26/26 Hobbies

Amateur Radio (12/12)
A - Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton - 10/21/18 ♥♥♥♥
M - Author Carol Madison - Serena's Plight - 10/12/18 ♥♥♥
A - The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman - 10/23/18 ♥♥♥♥♥
T - Trick or Treat Murder by Leslie Meier - 10/19/18 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Emily March - Lover's Leap - 10/13/18 ♥♥♥
U - Unseen by Karin Slaughter - 1/15/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
R – Robb, J.D. - Brotherhood in Death - 10/30/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
R - The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy - 11/29/18 ♥♥♥
A - Author Ellery Adams - Pecan Pies and Homicides - 10/30/18 ♥♥♥♥
D - Diane Mott Davidson - Killer Pancake - 11/21/18 ♥♥♥♥
I - I Knew You Were Trouble by Lauren Layne - 11/2/18 ♥♥♥♥
O – Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria by Hayley Okines - 10/4/19 ♥♥♥

Badminton (9/9)
B - Beach Happens by Jamie K. Schmidt - 11/16/18 ♥♥♥♥
A - Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis - 11/19/18 ♥♥♥♥
D - Donna VanLiere - The Christmas Star - 12/31/18 ♥♥♥
M – Marie Force - Fatal Justice - 10/9/19 ♥♥♥
I - Ilona Andrews - Magic Slays - 11/9/18 ♥♥♥♥
N - Nurse Smith, Cook by Joyce Dingwell - 12/15/18 ♥♥♥
T - Top Shelf by Kelly Jamieson - 1/12/19 ♥♥♥♥
O - Olivia Dade - Hidden Hearts - 1/24/19 ♥♥♥
N - Nancy Martin - Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds - 1/4/19 ♥♥♥♥

Crochet (7/7)
C - Cook County ICU: 30 Years of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases by Cory Franklin - 10/16/18 ♥♥♥♥
R - Renita Pizzitola - Just a Little Kiss - 12/11/18 ♥♥♥♥
O - Only a Promise by Mary Balogh - 10/29/18 ♥♥♥♥
C – Cait Flanders - The Year of Less - 9/14/19 ♥♥♥
H - Hard Sell by Lauren Layne - 11/26/18 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Lissa Evans - Wed Wabbit - 10/21/18 ♥♥♥♥
T - Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris - 11/5/18 ♥♥♥♥

Darts (5/5)
D - Author Kyra Davis - Sex, Murder And A Double Latte - 4/5/19 ♥♥♥♥
A - Author Jennifer AlLee - A Wild Goose Chase Christmas - 12/8/18 ♥♥♥♥
R - Rocky Mountain Angel by Vivian Arend - 10/9/18 ♥♥♥♥
T - Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb - 10/7/18 ♥♥♥♥♥
S – Shannon Stacey - Under Control - 9/21/19 ♥♥♥♥

Embroidery (10/10)
E - Author Janet Evanovich - Look Alive Twenty-Five - 12/19/18 ♥♥♥♥
M – Moning, Karen Marie - Shadowfever - 10/22/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - Bishop by Sawyer Bennett - 12/3/18 ♥♥♥♥
R - Author J.D. Robb - Concealed in Death - 12/18/18 ♥♥♥♥
O - Author Karen E. Olson - Driven to Ink - 2/3/19 ♥♥♥♥
I - I Think I Love You by Lauren Layne - 12/13/18 ♥♥♥♥
D - Down with Love by Kate Meader - 6/18/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Jennifer Estep - Spider's Bite - 2/7/19 ♥♥♥♥
R - Author M.L. Rowland - Murder on the Horizon - 1/2/19 ♥♥♥♥
Y - Yvonne Whittal - The Light Within - 11/30/18 ♥♥♥

Fashion (7/7)
F - Fated by Rebecca Zanetti - 3/4/19 ♥♥♥
A - Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis - 1/10/19 ♥♥♥♥
S - Snowflakes, Iced Cakes and Second Chances by Sue Watson - 1/25/19 ♥♥♥
H - Hot Response by Shannon Stacey - 7/27/19 ♥♥♥♥
I - Ilona Andrews and Jeaniene Frost - Magic Graves - 3/10/19 ♥♥♥♥
O – Only a Kiss by Mary Balogh - 11/4/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
N - Nancy Martin - Some Like it Lethal - 1/27/19 ♥♥♥♥

Golf (4/4)
G - Author Codi Gary - Don't Call Me Sweetheart - 11/11/18 ♥♥
O - The Other Side by J.D. Robb - 3/25/19 ♥♥♥♥
L - Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann - 12/7/18 ♥♥
F - Follow Love by J.H. Croix - 5/25/19 ♥♥♥♥

Homebrew (8/8)
H - Halston, Sidney - What About Us - 9/17/19 ♥♥♥♥
O – Orion, Doreen - Queen of the Road: The True Tale of 47 States, 22,000 Miles, 200 Shoes, 2 Cats, 1 Poodle, a Husband, and a Bus with a Will of Its Own - 11/13/19 ♥♥♥♥
M - Meant to Be by Maggie McGinnis - 3/2/19 ♥♥♥♥
E - Emma Hart - Stripped Bare - 2/27/19 ♥♥♥♥
B - Robin Benway - Far from the Tree - 2/21/19 ♥♥♥♥
R - Rugged Texas Cowboy by Lora Leigh - 2/11/19 ♥♥♥
E - Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs - 2/28/19 ♥♥♥♥
W - William Wright - Jailhouse Doc: A Doctor in the County Jail - 7/6/19 ♥♥♥

Ice Hockey (9/9)
I - Isobel Chace - To Marry a Tiger - 4/20/19 ♥♥
C - A Cowboy's Christmas Promise by Maggie McGinnis - 12/24/18 ♥♥♥♥
E - Author Katy Evans - Real - 2/9/19 ♥♥♥
H - Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost - 12/26/18 ♥♥♥
O - One Day in December by Josie Silver - 5/20/19 ♥♥♥♥♥
C - Cassie Ryan - My Addiction - 3/22/19 ♥♥♥
K - Kiss Me Back by Sidney Halston - 2/23/19 ♥♥♥
E - The End of Everything by Megan Abbott - 3/31/19 ♥♥
Y - The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey - 3/17/19 ♥♥♥♥

Oh, I felt the same way about this book when I read it, Vicki. Here's my review.

I finally listened to a very old book from my TBR and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. I was going to rate it 3 stars all the way until the end when I found it had a very satisfying ending:

Treading Water by Marie Force - 3/25/20 ♥♥♥♥

My review

I haven't read any John Green, but I thought he was pretty popular. Are you both advising against his books?

Good to know, JC. I need a book set in North Dakota for another challenge, so this looks like it'll fit the bill.

Keely wrote: "Today I reached 30 books read off my TBR list this year, mostly with the help of audiobooks. I have now increased my goal from 40 to 60."

That's amazing, Keely!

Good progress, everyone!

Go, LaurLa...

Elaine wrote: "Cleaning Out the TBR Closet

Challenge Accepted: March 12, 2020
Challenge (hopefully) Completed: December 31, 2020

I will start with the 25 oldest unread books on my Kindle and see how it goes fro..."

You can do it, Elaine!

Amazing progress, everyone! I'm going much slower so far this year, but I'll get there...

Heather wrote: "If We Were a Movie -- I loved this book. So glad I finally read it. I might check out more books by Kelly Oram"

Congrats on your progress, Heather! And an "I" title with an "O" author. Even if you didn't like it as much, it would have been a win!

Eldarwen wrote: "Finished #3.


Book: Until November by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Date Read: 21st February
Rating: barely 2 stars."

Oh, I completely agree with you on this book, Eldarwen! I can't understand why people liked it. I also gave it 2 stars.

Laurie wrote: "Nice! I loved Nancy Drew as a kid and read every book my library had. I need to revisit one sometime. :) "

You should. It's totally amusing to see the kinds of things Nancy can get away with that seem ridiculous by today's standards, or by adult standards of any time, I suppose. (like calling the police chief at home to tell him her theories, being able to drive her car without a license because she asked her dad for permission, etc.)

It's always fun to read a Nancy Drew book, and this one was a good one. Light, easy read.

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene - 2/12/20 ♥♥♥♥

Slow-going so far. This is only the 2nd book I've read for this challenge:

2013
1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller - 2/9/20 ♥♥ (Added 5/23/13)



I wanted to like this one. I remember thinking it was hilarious when I read it as a teenager. But 50 years later, I found it depressing and frustrating.