Welcome to the April 2018 Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLeF

And also welcome to the opening entry in this year’s Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week here at Reading Reality!

April 4 is the SEVENTH Anniversary of the first post on Reading Reality. April 5 is my birthday. So we have a Blogo-Birthday to celebrate.

And today is April Fools’ Day. And Easter Sunday. And it’s Passover. That a whole lot of celebration going on!

If April showers bring May flowers, than what do Mayflowers bring?…Pilgrims, of course.

I always have books I’m looking forward to, and this month is no exception. You’ll see as the reviews unfold over the month.

But this Blogo-Birthday Celebration is a Hobbit birthday, speaking of one of my all-time favorite books. That means I’ll be giving presents away, starting today. To get in on this particular giveaway, just fill out the Rafflecopter and let us know what books you are most looking forward to this month!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more fabulous prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this hop!

Welcome to the March 2018 Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLeF

The old saying about March is that it comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb. It’s supposed to be every bit as chilly and rainy today as it was Wednesday, which is probably as lion-like as March gets in Atlanta. Especially considering that this weekend is supposed to be sunny with temperatures in the mid-60s. By the end of the month, who knows? It might even be summer around here.

Rainy or sunny, it’s always good weather to read a great book! Even if we are losing an hour to daylight savings time in the middle of the month!

As always, there are a few books I’m particularly looking forward to this month.

March is the month when the new Maisie Dobbs mystery comes out. This year it’s To Die But Once, and I’m expecting great things of Maisie, as always. The Maisie Dobbs series is historical mystery at its finest, so if you like the genre you’ll love Maisie.

Two completely new books that I’m looking forward to, books that are not part of any series (at least not so far) are Blood of the Four by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, and The Queens of Innis Lear, by Tessa Gratton. Blood of the Four looks like terrific dark fantasy. Golden and Lebbon are the authors of one of my favorite post-Katrina New Orleans fantasies, The Map of Moments, so I’m expecting great things.

The Queens of Innis Lear is a fantasy retelling of the Shakespearean tragedy King Lear, only this time the story is told from the daughters’ point of view. And it looks awesome.

And I would say I was looking forward to Lake Silence by Anne Bishop and Hurts to Love You by Alisha Rai, but I confess that I read both of them a couple of months ago, as soon as I got my eARC. If you love The Others series, Lake Silence is a real treat and an interesting continuation of the series. I hope there will be lots, lots more. And Hurts to Love You is every bit as sexy and heartbreaking as the first two books in that series, Hate to Want You and Wrong to Need You. I think this particular series may be over, but I really, really hope that somehow it’s not.

What books are you looking forward to this month?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to the February 2018 Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLeF

February is the shortest month. Considering the weather in the northern hemisphere this time of year, that’s often a blessing.

But even in a short month there’s still plenty of time to get into a few (or quite a few) good books. And with Valentine’s Day in the middle of the month, it’s certain the season for romance!

As always, there are a few books I’m particularly looking forward to this month. Right now, I’m reading Into the Fire, the second book in the marvelous military-ish SF series, Vatta’s Peace. Which is itself a sequel series to one of my favorite SF series, Vatta’s War. If you think SF needs more kick-ass female warriors, you really need to meet Kylara Vatta.

I’m also looking forward to the latest entry in a completely different series. The Cat in the Stacks cozy mystery series follows the adventures of small-town Mississippi librarian Charlie Harris and his smart, sweet and very outsized Maine Coon cat Diesel – so named because his big purr sounds like one. Charlie reads like “one of us librarians” and Diesel is always a treat. But there are always Claws for Concern in the little town of Athena Mississippi, as Charlie manages to stumble over yet another dead body.

And speaking of romance, one of my favorite authors, Maisey Yates, is opening a new series this month with Smooth Talking Cowboy. Although its not a completely new series, as Gold Valley is just down the road from Copper Ridge, and that series has certainly been a treat for both my guest reviewer Amy and for me.

What books are you looking forward to this month?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more great bookish prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on the hop:

Welcome to the January 2018 Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLeF

New Year’s Day is a time for setting goals and making resolutions for the year ahead. And for looking forward to all the lovely new books coming out in the months ahead.

My own personal end-of-2017 had more than its share of low notes, so I’m looking forward to getting lost in a few (more than a few) forthcoming new books. Three books I’m really looking forward to this month: Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra, The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman (Invisible Library #4) and one of my annual treats, Cast in Deception by Michelle Sagara, the next book in her marvelous fantasy series, the Chronicles of Elantra.

What books are you looking forward to this month?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more bookish prizes to start your year off  right, be sure to visit the other stops on the hop

Welcome to the December Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

And now we’re into the post-Thanksgiving OMG can I get everything done in time for the holidays season. The days are winding down, the daylight is getting shorter (at least in the Northern hemisphere) and the Winter Solstice with all of its attendant holidays is rushing closer.

It’s even cooler here in Atlanta. At least cool enough to break out the jackets. And to be grateful for the cats curling up at our feet at night. When they cooperate – which isn’t half as often as we’d like.

There’s always time for a good book – even if it’s on the nights when you can’t sleep for worrying over all the stuff you have to get done!

Three books I’m really looking forward to this month, A Distant Heart by Sonali Dev, Back Home at Firefly Lake by Jen Gilroy and War Games by Jess Anastasi. And even though those last two sound like polar opposites, all three books are the latest installments in long-running series that I really like. Firefly Lake with its small-town feel and its second-chance at love stories seems particularly apropos for the holiday season.

What books are you looking forward to this month?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for more fabulous prizes – and book recommendations – be sure to visit the other stops on the hop!

Welcome to the November Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

It’s hard to believe that the holidays are almost here. There’s a nip of autumn in the air, even here in Atlanta. As I write this, it is Halloween, and we’re waiting to see just how many trick-or-treaters we will get at our new address.

Halloween is much more of a harbinger of fall down here than Labor Day, because we can feel the weather changing. We are far enough south to have a fairly mild winter, but far enough north that the leaves do change. “And they have.

Cooler weather means more opportunities to curl up with a cup or tea or a mug of hot cocoa, a warm cat and a good book.

The monthly book of choice giveaway hop is a chance to share upcoming books that we just can’t wait to get, and, at least at Reading Reality, enter the giveaway for a chance at either one of those books, or a gift card to help you get one.

I have a few books I’m really looking forward to this month. Nalini Singh is starting a new contemporary romance series with Cherish Hard. And M.J. Scott, the author of one of my favorite fantasy romances of the last few years, The Shattered Court, is finally publishing book 2 in the series, The Forbidden Heir. I’ve been waiting two years for this one, but not much longer.

And, of course, there’s Artemis, the second book from Andy Weir, the author of The Martian. Artemis sounds a lot different – instead of a lonely astronaut, marooned on Mars, this one is a heist story set on a slightly more populated Moon. It looks like fun.

What about you? What books are coming out this month that you just can’t wait to read? Answer in the rafflecopter below for your chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card or the book of your choice, up to $10, from the Book Depository.

Happy Reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other stops on the hop!

Welcome to the September Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

For those in the U.S., Happy Labor Day and happy three-day weekend! And for everyone, happy unofficial beginning of fall. Or at least it feels that way.

The monthly book of choice giveaway hop is a chance to share upcoming books that we just can’t wait to get, and, at least at Reading Reality, enter the giveaway for a chance at either one of those books, or a gift card to help you get one.

End of August through October is one of the prime publishing seasons, so I have lots and lots of books to look forward to this month. Three of my favorite series have new entries this month. The ninth book in the marvelous Bess Crawford historical mystery series, Casualty of War by Charles Todd, is coming out at the end of the month. But next week, The Ruin of Angels, the sixth book in Max Gladstone’s marvelous Craft Sequence is arriving. And last but definitely not least, Secrets in Death, number OMG 45 in the series, by J.D. Robb.

As if that wasn’t enough, the new Ann Leckie book, Provenance, will also be published this month. I’m not completely sure whether this is or is not part of her award-winning Imperial Radch series, but I know it will be terrific science fiction.

So what books coming out this month that you just can’t wait to read? Answer in the rafflecopter below for your chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card or the book of your choice, up to $10, from the Book Depository.

Happy Reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As always, for more great bookish prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on the hop!

Welcome to the July Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

And HELLO Summer!

Hot summer days are perfect for curling up in a nice air conditioned house with a good book. Or for stretching out by the pool or the beach, with a good book. Actually, I’m not sure there are any really bad times to spend with a good book!

This month, the two books I’m most looking forward to are Assassin’s Price by L.E. Modesitt Jr. and The Painted Queen, the last and final book in the Amelia Peabody series by the late Elizabeth Peters, assisted in this case by Joan Hess. Modesitt’s Imager Portfolio is one of my favorite epic fantasy series, so I start looking for the next book as soon as I finish the current one. And I loved Amelia Peabody. I have fond memories of listening to the early books. My first was The Last Camel Died at Noon, which had an awesome title in addition to being a marvelous story. Elizabeth Peters passed away in 2013, so I wasn’t expecting a final wrap-up to the series, but I’m very glad to have one.

So what books coming out this month that you just can’t wait to read? Answer in the rafflecopter below for your chance at a $10 Amazon Gift Card or the book of your choice, up to $10, from the Book Depository.

Happy Reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more terrific July book suggestions (and other great bookish prizes) be sure to visit the other stops on the hop!

Happy April Fools’ Day! I promise this is not an April Fools’ joke.

Welcome to the April Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

The rules for this Giveaway Hop are wonderfully simple. Once a month, participants in the hop give away either a book of the winner’s choice to, of course, the winner, or the means to buy same. Meaning a gift card.

I always like giving away books and gift cards. And this coming week is my Blogo-Birthday, and I especially like giving away presents at celebrations, sort of like a hobbit birthday. This is my 6th Blogo-Birthday. On April 4, Reading Reality will be 6 years old! And on my birthday, April 5, I’ll be quite a few years older than that. I’ll be giving lots of stuff away this week.

But for this hop, it’s all about the books that you are looking forward to this month. What are you absolutely itching to read this month? For me it’s a tie between Song of the Lion by Anne Hillerman and Cold Welcome by Elizabeth Moon. Both are the latest entries in series that I thought were finished, but am oh-so-glad to see continuing. What about you?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more bookish prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this month’s hop!

Welcome to the March Book of Choice Giveaway Hop, hosted by FLYLēF.

The rules for this Giveaway Hop are simple. Once a month, participants in the hop give away either a book of the winner’s choice to, of course, the winner, or the means to buy same. Meaning a gift card.

I like giving away books and gift cards, so here I am in my first Book of Choice Hop. I love the idea of this hop, but so many firsts of the month are on weekends this year. It’s kind of weird the way the calendar works.

So, what book coming out this month are you most looking forward to getting your hands on, or sinking your teeth into if you already have it? For me, it’s a toss-up between In this Grave Hour by Jacqueline Winspear, the next book in her Maisie Dobbs series and The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi. What about you?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And for more fabulous bookish prizes, be sure to visit the other stops on this month’s hop!