It’s April again, which means that it is time for my annual Blogo-Birthday celebration. Although the official celebration is Monday, I’ll be giving something away every day this week. Books will be going to several lucky readers over the next several days. Maybe you can be one of them.

What’s a Blogo-Birthday, you ask? Reading Reality began on April 4, 2011, five whole years ago tomorrow. April 5 just so happens to be my personal birthday. So Blogo-Birthday.

In addition to next week’s festivities, the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop will be taking entries all week, so that’s another chance to add to your TBR pile. Happy Reading!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop
Set of the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter, signed by the author

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the $10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop is: Jessica I.

Blog Recap:

D Review: Hawke by Sawyer Bennett
A+ Guest Review: Blue Dahlia by Nora Roberts
C+ Review: Battlestorm by Susan Krinard
B Review: Reader I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Fool for Books Giveaway Hop
B Review: The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (178)

Coming Next Week:

Fifth Annual Blogo-Birthday Blast
The Murder of Mary Russell by Laurie R. King + Giveaway (review)
Journey to Munich by Jacqueline Winspear + Giveaway (blog tour review)
Once a Rancher by Linda Lael Miller + Giveaway (blog tour review)
What We Find by Robyn Carr + Giveaway (blog tour review)

Happy Easter to those who celebrate the holiday. Happy first weekend of Spring to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere. And while it generally doesn’t get too cold here in the Atlanta area, the increasing amount of daylight every evening is definitely a welcome change. Except when the sun glares through the window over my computer. But that’s what curtains are for.

Speaking of Easter, the Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop runs through next Saturday, and the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop starts on Friday, April Fools Day. And, last but not least, Monday April 4 and Tuesday April 5 are my fifth annual Blogo-Birthday celebration. Reading Reality is celebrating its fifth birthday. As for my birthday, it’s a number much higher than five. We’ll have fun and I’ll be giving away some special prizes to share my celebration!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop
Texas West handbag and wallet set courtesy of Victoria Vane

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the $10 Gift Card in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop is Michelle L.

Blog Recap:

B Review: Beauty and the Bull Rider by Victoria Vane + Giveaway
A Review: Dirty Heart by Rhys Ford
B Review: The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich
B Review: Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu
Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (177)

Coming Next Week:

Hawke by Sawyer Bennett (review)
Battlestorm by Susan Krinard (review)
Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (review)
Reader I Married Him by Tracy Chevalier (blog tour review)
The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter (blog tour review)
Fool for Books Giveaway Hop

It seems to be giveaway time again. The Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop is still going on. Just as it ends, the Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop will begin, followed fairly soon by the Fool for Books Giveaway Hop and my very own annual Blogo-Birthday celebration and giveaways. Spring is definitely sprung.

The SEAL’s Secret Lover and The SEAL’s Rebel Librarian were good fun. I just picked up the eARC of the next book, The SEAL’s Second Chance because I think I’m hooked…and it isn’t as though I don’t have plenty of other things to read, in spite of yesterday’s rather short Stacking the Shelves.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the paperback copy of The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie is Tori H.

Blog Recap:

B Review: The SEAL’s Secret Lover and The SEAL’s Rebel Librarian by Anne Calhoun
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
A- Review: Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War by Heather Webb, Hazel Gaynor, Beatriz Williams, Jennifer Robson, Jessica Brockmole, Kate Kerrigan, Evangeline Holland, Lauren Willig, Marci Jefferson
B+ Review: The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate
B Review: An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels
Stacking the Shelves (176)

Coming Next Week:

Beauty and the Bull Rider by Victoria Vane (blog tour review)
Dirty Heart by Rhys Ford (review)
The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich (blog tour review)
Aunty Lee’s Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu (review)
Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop

After spending a chunk of Thursday participating in a joint review of Marked in Flesh over at The Book Pushers, I decided to do a calendar flail and post Cass’ and my joint review of the same book on Friday. Even though there isn’t much difference between Friday and Monday, after all I did want to get the review in on release week. I did finish both of Anne Calhoun’s SEALs books, because I just couldn’t resist even the concept of The SEAL’s Rebel Librarian. I absolutely had to find out what that was about, so I did. You’ll see tomorrow.

And as one giveaway door closes, another one opens. The Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop is over, but the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop starts on St. Patrick’s Day. Of course it does!

Current Giveaways:

The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie

Winner Announcements:

The winner of a $10 gift card in the Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop is Alisha S.

Blog Recap:

B- Review: The Sisters of Versailles by Sally Christie + Giveaway
A Review: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop
A- Review: America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
A- Review: Hell Squad: Holmes by Anna Hackett
B+/C- Joint Review: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
Stacking the Shelves (175)

Coming Next Week:

The SEAL’s Secret Lover by Anne Calhoun (review)
The SEAL’s Rebel Librarian by Anne Calhoun (review)
Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
Fall of Poppies by Heather Webb, Hazel Gaynor, Beatriz Williams, Jennifer Robson, Jessica Brockmole, Kate Kerrigan, Evangeline Holland, Lauren Willig, Marci Jefferson (blog tour review)
The Skeleton Garden by Marty Wingate (blog tour review)
An Improper Arrangement by Kasey Michaels (review)

I should have known better last week than to think I would be able to resist the siren song of Brotherhood in Death for more than a day or two. And then I thought I could just hold the review for a while, but not last week. In addition to the books listed here, I also reviewed two books over at The Book Pushers (Ghost Talker by Robin D. Owens and Countdown to Zero Hour by Nico Rosso) and there just wasn’t enough time to squeeze reading an eighth book into the week. I’m fast, I’m not THAT fast.

And that pushed Prince’s Gambit to this week. So many books, so little time!

Current Giveaways:

Counterfeit Conspiracies Prize Pack ($50 value)
$10 Amazon Gift Card from Lisa Medley and The Astronaut’s Princess

Winner Announcements:

The winner of The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley is Anne.

Blog Recap:

B Review: Counterfeit Conspiracies by Ritter Ames + Giveaway
B Review: The Astronaut’s Princess by Lisa Medley + Giveaway
A- Review: Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
A- Review: Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence + Giveaway
B+ Review: The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson
Stacking the Shelves (172)

Coming Next Week:

Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster (blog tour review)
Aunty Lee’s Delights by Ovidia Yu (review)
Cat Shout for Joy by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (review)
The Defender by Ethan Michaeli (review)
Prince’s Gambit by C.S. Pacat (review)

As you read this, the SFR Galaxy Awards for 2015 are being announced over at the Awards site. The rounds are being posted every two hours, and mine should be up at 6 pm tonight. Although I have four awards listed, there was originally a fifth, but the author of my fifth awards book was also a judge at the beginning of the year, so she wasn’t eligible. So I’d like to give a special shout-out to Laurie A. Green and her book Inherit the Stars for an unofficial but still heartfelt, “Best Plucky Rebels vs. the Evil Empire” Award.

Last week’s schedule changed from my original plans. These things happen. I bounced off of one book, just not in the mood. And one book, late in the week, I looked at 300 pages and staying up until 3 am again to finish and just switched to a shorter book. In other words, I got behind. I’ll try both of them again at different points.

Current Giveaways:

Night Stalkers by M.L. Buchman Book Bundle from Sourcebooks

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the $10 Gift Card or Book in the Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop is Carol L.

Blog Recap:

A- Review: Shaw by Anna Hackett
A- Review: Love in the Morning by Meg Benjamin
B Review: The Winemaker Detective Mysteries: An Omnibus by Jean-Pierre Alaux and Neol Balen
B- Review: Hell on Heels by Victoria Vane
B+ Review: By Break of Day by M.L. Buchman + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (169)

Coming Next Week:

Revisionary by Jim C. Hines (review)
My Sweet Vidalia by Deborah Mantella (blog tour review)
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders (review)
Holding Strong by Lori Foster (review)
Mardi Gras Mayhem Giveaway & Book Carnival