May Reading List

I got pretty sick at the end of May and spent a lot of time reading and laying around.  Alot of what I read was "fluff"...books that weren't too challenging to figure out the plot, if they had anything other than just romance and light adventure.  Plus, I got a great deal on a Kindle this month from Amazon.  I wasn't sure if I'd like it since there is nothing like having a REAL book, but it turns out I LOVE it.  It's so nice to have my books with me always since my Kindle fits right inside my purse and comes with me everywhere.  Definitely glad I bought one, and wishing I had done it sooner.

Timebound (The Chronos Files, Book 1) by Rysa Walker
From Amazon:

When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.

Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and her genetic ability to time travel makes Kate the only one who can fix the future. Risking everything, she travels back in time to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the murder and the chain of events that follows.

Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does Kate have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world?

I absolutely loved this book.  It's the first one I've read in a while that hasn't been about how we messed up the world and our kids are trying to fix it.  And it's the first one that I haven't struggled to get into and enjoy.  Instead, from the beginning of the Prologue, I was completely hooked.

The story was engaging, the characters weren't whiny or needy, and there was enough action and a little bit of romance to make me want to finish the book quickly.  I even took it with me and found quick moments to read many times as I was drawn back to the story throughout the day.

I am super anxious to be able to read more of this series and even enjoy the little Novella "Times Echo."

Time's Echo: A CHRONOS Files Novella  by Rysa Walker

From Amazon: " Kiernan Dunne abandoned his family ties to help Kate fight the Cyrists, and he's never regretted that for one moment. But he doesn't understand why Kate can't remember that night in 1893 Chicago, when she turned back to face the killer chasing them through the smoky corridors of the World's Fair Hotel. Kate placed the CHRONOS key around his neck and made his eight year old self promise to wear it always, and that's a promise Kiernan has never broken. 

When Kate suddenly vanishes after a Cyrist-engineered time shift, that hidden medallion is Kiernan's only hope for finding her. He returns to the Cyrist fold to look for clues, but his search will lead him back to the question that has haunted him for years--what really happened after he left Kate at the World's Fair Hotel?

This digital novella gives Timebound readers a glimpse at Kate in another timeline and helps set the stage for Time's Edge, the second book in The CHRONOS Files Series, coming from Skyscape in October. "

Time's Echo wasn't as wonderful as the first book Timebound, but I did enjoy reading Kiernan's side of the story.  The Hows and Whys of the alternate time line is a little confusing to figure out, but it was still an enjoyable novella while waiting for the next book in the series to be published.

I enjoyed this book.  I got it free from Amazon during one of their daily deals and am now hooked on the series. (It's still free if you want to read it too!)  I think they give you the first one to hook you and then make you purchase the next six books to keep reading.  I wish that didn't work on me, but it does. (sigh)

The Soulkeepers (The Soulkeepers Series) by G.P. Ching
From Amazon: " When fifteen-year-old Jacob Lau is pulled from the crumpled remains of his mother's car, no one can explain why he was driving or why the police can't find his mother's body. Made a ward of his uncle and thousands of miles from home, a beautiful and mysterious neighbor, Dr. Abigail Silva, offers to use her unique abilities to help him find his mom. In exchange, she requires Jacob to train as a Soulkeeper, a gifted warrior charged with protecting human souls. He agrees to her demands, desperate for any clue to the mystery of his mother's disappearance. But soon Jacob finds himself trapped in a web of half-truths, and questions Dr. Silva's motives for helping him.  "

I enjoyed this book. I got it free from Amazon during one of their daily deals and am now hooked on the series.  I think they give you the first one to hook you and then make you purchase the next six books to keep reading.  I wish that didn't work on me, but it does. (sigh)

My Sweet Valentine (Pride Series Romance Novels (Volume 7)) by Jill Sanders
From Amazon: " Sara Lander was back in town. She had big plans for her inheritance along with her freshly printed business degree and years of experience in some of Seattle’s finest bakeries, she has a rich idea for Pride. Sara's Nook is going to be the next biggest thing to hit town. All she needs now is to steer clear of the hunky ex-Navy SEAL who is hell bent on taking all her focus away from starting her own business. 

Allen Masters has been living in Pride for several years. Setting up a new branch of the Coastguard and training all the new recruits took years of skill and all his patience. But when he sees the black-haired beauty, who had come back into town, he realized she was the one he'd been searching for. Taking one taste of her sweets, he knew he'd be in for a sinful time, but losing his focus while flying into the eye of a storm was the last thing he could afford."

This was another book that I got free from Amazon during a daily deal.  There really wasn't a lot to the story.  Not much of a real plot, only a love story, which was great for a rainy Saturday afternoon read.  I'm not sure I'd recommend it unless you are looking for a fluff read that doesn't need much thought.  The biggest thing that I got from this book was the desire to go bake, and a bigger waste line from the homemade cookies I made after reading.