Best of 2020 with Carole

 

Welcome to the BC Awards!!!  Carole and I will be presenting awards to our favorites of 2020! 

Best Movie of the Year

Blodeuedd's pick......Ashes in the Snow (2018)

"Movies are so hard to recall this year, I watch and forget. But Ashes in the snow needs to be mentioned because it was a reminder how cruel humanity is."

Carole's pick.......Hamilton (2020)

"Okay - okay....I know this is a 'play' not a movie BUT this version is a movie version because it is on Disney+ SO I am counting it ;) hehehehe plus it is AMAZING. 100% the best of the year. No contest."

Best Show:

Carole's pick.....The Great (Season 1)

"Oooo I had a few goodies this year, but I really LOVED this one. I need season 2 right NOW! lol."

Blodeuedd's pick.....Dash & Lily

"It was just so cute and totally needed this year. Though I have watched a bunch of other good ones too"

Best Book Cover:

Blodeuedd's pick.....

"When I looked at all the covers of books I have read the this one stood out."

Carole's pick......

"This one really stuck with me. So beautiful."

Best Audiobook of the Year:

Carole's Pick......Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

"The narrator is amazing and I loved this story so much. I want moreeeee! Boooo to those crappy humans."

Blodeuedd's pick......Love Hard by Nalini Singh

"Great narration by Justine OKeefe. This book gave me all the feels."

Best Book of the Year:
Blodeuedd's pick...........Divine Heretic by Jaime Lee Moyer

"It was so lightly written, and I could not put it down."

Carole's pick........As The Stars Fall by Steve N. Lee

"It gave me so many feels. All the feels. This was really good and deserves this award for sure."

Best Re-Read of the Year: 

Carole's pick......You Can Thank Me Later by Kelly Harms

"Just like pie....I can't get enough of it. I wanna listen to it again and again."

Blodeuedd's pick........Heartstrikers Series by Rachel Aaron

"Heartstrikers by Rachel Aaron, because I heart that series."

Honorable Mentions: 

Blodeuedd - "Special mention goes to Vivarium. A great way to end 2020. Trapped in hell."

Carole - "It was a huge contender for best of the year. It was so dang good. You have to watch it."

And that is the end of the BC Awards. I am excited to see what 2021 has in store for us!!

2020 Audiobook Challenge Final Check-In

With an end result of 82 audiobooks I easily passed my goal of 50 :D

I had to recount several times because my goodreads tag never fit, which in the end meant that I had  forgotten to tag 3 books as audio. I also found 4 books that still do not have audiobook editions so I will fix that for those books today. My good deed as a Librarian

 82. Seduce me at midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Beneath the sugar sky by Seanan McGuire

About a rogue by Caroline Linden

Tempt me at twilight by Lisa Kleypas

In an absent dream by Seanan MCGuire

Married to the viscount by Sabrina Jeffries'

The book of dragons by Jonathan Stahan

The stepping off place by Cameron Jelly Roseblum

Driftwood by Marie Brennan

Come tumbling down by Seanan McGuire

The empress of salt and fortune by Nghi Vo

Nice dragons finish last by Rachel Aaron

A murderous relation by Deanna Raybourn

You had me at hola by Alexis Daria

Waiting on a cowboy by Jennifer Ryan

Like lovers do by Tracey Livesay

A sweet Alaskan fall by Jennifer Snow

Star daughter by Shveta Thakrar

One good dragon deserves another by Rachel Aaron

Charming as a verb by Ben Philippe

A killing frost by Seanna McGuire

Beauty tempts the beast by Lorraine Heath

The footman and I by Valerie Bowman

Her CHristmas cowboy by Jessica Clare

Mistletoe and Mr Rght by Sarah Morgenthaler

Christmas at Holiday house by RaeAnne Thayne

A princess by Christmas by Julia LOndon

A Duke a dozen by Shana Galen

A highlander is coming to town by Laura Trenham

Looking for a cowboy by Donna Grant

No good dragon goes unpunished by Rachel Aaron

A dragon of a different color by Rachel Aaron

The scandalous dissolute nogood Mr Wright by Tessa Dare

Beauty and the blacksmith by Tessa Dare

Scandal wears satin by Loretta Chase

Mistletoe in paradise by Jill Shalvis

Grave war by Kalyana Price

How the lady was won by Shana Galen

Scot under the covers by Suzanne Enoch

Ten things I hate about the duke by Loretta Chase

The highlanders demand by Mary Wine

The perfect waltz by Anne Gracie                           

40. Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean

 How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps

Rowe, Andrew *

Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways, #1)

Kleypas, Lisa *

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Hendrix, Grady *

Alpha Night (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #4; Psy-Changeling, #19)

Singh, Nalini *

Daughter of the Reich

Fein, Louise *

Nothing Compares to the Duke (The Duke's Den, #3)

Carlyle, Christy *

Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, #1)

Harrison, Kim *

Chaos Reigning (Consortium Rebellion, #3)

Mihalik, Jessie *

The Jane Austen Society

Jenner, Natalie *

Always Be My Banshee (Mystic Bayou, #4)

Harper, Molly *

Night Shift Dragons (DFZ, #3)

Aaron, Rachel *

The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1)

Morgenthaler, Sarah *

The Easy Part of Impossible

Tomp, Sarah *

Race the Sands

Durst, Sarah Beth *

First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys, #4)

Quinn, Julia *

A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe (The Wyoming Cowboy #3)

Clare, Jessica *

Wild Country (The World of the Others, #2; The Others, #7)

Bishop, Anne

Badger to the Bone (Honey Badger Chronicles, #3)

Laurenston, Shelly

If I Never Met You

McFarlane, Mhairi *

The Earl Takes a Fancy: A Sins for All Seasons Novel

Heath, Lorraine

Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson, #12)

Briggs, Patricia

A Cowboy Like You (Heart of Texas #4)

Donna Grant *

For the Sake of a Scottish Rake (Besotted Scots, #3)

Bradley, Anna *

Love Hard (Hard Play, #3)

Singh, Nalini *

Undone (Start Up in the City, #3)

Rimmer, Kelly *

Yes No Maybe So

Albertalli, Becky *

Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels, #6)

Kleypas, Lisa *

Sword of Fire (The Justice War, #1)

Kerr, Katharine *

Terminal Uprising

Hines, Jim C. *

This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II

Fukuda, Andrew

A Heart of Blood and Ashes

Vane, Milla

How the Marquess Was Won (Pennyroyal Green, #6)

Long, Julie Anne *

Just Breathe 

McGovern, Cammie *

Loveboat, Taipei

Wen, Abigail Hing

All the Ways We Said Goodbye

Williams, Beatriz *

Three Things I Know Are True

Culley, Betty *

Lake Silence

Bishop, Anne

What I Did For a Duke (Pennyroyal Green, #5)

Long, Julie Anne *

The Claiming of the Shrew (The Survivors, #5)

Galen, Shana *

TMST: Best of 2020

 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2020? 

I am doing a best post with Carole, but then there are so many books that I do want to mention besides the ultimate best of. I will save 3 of those until our post! Stay tuned!

A dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

The best Veronica book so far. I could not put it down!

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Cool fantasy with a bunch of older guys going on one last adventure.

Alpha Night by Nalini Singh

It gave me ALL the feels!

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

The lightest in the series, fun!

The rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

A really slow start, did not almost make it cos of that. But the last half was just so freaking epic

Sing, unburied, sing by Jesmyn Ward

Just really good prose!

Artificial condition by Martha Wells

It was just great fun! Sadly this one was the best of all I the ones I read

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffits

The book that led me on my 12 book long obsession this fall!

The silence of the girls by Pat Barker

Beautiful, sad and haunting

I also re-read the beginning of The Wheel of time by Robert Jordan, epic as always!

And book 6 and 7 of The Others by Anne bishop, great listen.

And that was it :D I read some great books, I listened to many more. My ultimate best of is coming up and I will also do a stats post later on.

Carole's Monday. A White Wedding Christmas

 

Author: Andrea Laurence

Title: A White Wedding Christmas

(Brides and Belles #4)

Genre: Romance

Format: paperback

Pages: 192

Published:  December 1st 2015

Where I Got It: My shelf (Library book sale)

Summary: 

Reunited at a Christmas wedding

I do two words wedding planner Natalie Sharpe will never utter. The cynic in her doesn't believe in love but the woman in her believes in lust! When a last-minute Christmas wedding reunites her with the bride's hunky brother, Natalie's teenage crush and star of all her fantasies. Natalie wants a second chance for their first time

But Colin Russell isn't a teen anymore. He's all man. And his every touch has her thinking about the F word: forever. Working with him on the wedding is more temptation than she can take. Will one long, hot kiss lead this reluctant bride down her own wedding aisle?

Review:

Got this a year or two ago at the Flint Library book sale. Kind of forgot about this one. But it caught my eye on the shelf and it IS xmas time. 

So...we have Natalie who is a wedding planner who doesn't believe in love or weddings. She only believes in lust. We also have Colin who is the brother of Natalie's long-time friend. He tempts her in all the bad ways. Love....Xmas joy....marriage....forever. 

Okay. I knew going in this was a second chance - kinda - story and also a book about a love cynic who gets turned to love love again and to even love Xmas again. Yes...I knew that....but OMG. 

OKAY let's start with YOU Colin. You have a heart of gold. You are a gem among the terrible women in your life. Yesssss you should've just walked away. Screw your sister. Screw Natalie. They don't deserve you. Your sister is a snot - let her have no wedding. She doesn't want it. Natalie is a rude beyotch. YOU deserve a goddess who will love you and not use you. 

Colin's sister....Lily (?) screw you too. Just tell Colin there is NO way and not to waste his money on a wedding you obv don't want. Woman up and don't let him waste his time. 

AND YOU Natalie. You are a dang wedding planner. Yes, there are other tales where the wedding planner plans other people's happiness because they 1) don't deserve love or 2) will ever find it. Read it, watched it. HOWEVER, you are a special crazy because you DON'T believe in love at all and think weddings are dumb and a waste of money. You think love doesn't exist...that is all chemicals and biology and humans only have lust. You sit on your high horse and judge all your couples that you "help" plan their special day. Screw you lady. You don't deserve Colin. Sure your dad left your mom on xmas and I can see you not liking Xmas and not want to trust men. I feel you girl. But then DON'T get into wedding planning. What an illogical career choice. I would be fine with you, but you are just taking people's money and casting judgment on them because you expect them to just divorce and come back to you when they remarry because they are dumb and love is nonexistent. Easy money for you. GAH! Rude!!!!

Sorry. But this book just made me so mad. All the women sucked and Colin was a sucker who should've just walked away from his sister and Natalie. smh. 

Overall, I was not amused and it did not create xmas joy for me even when everything worked out and everyone was happy and in love and having babies. 1 star from me. Bah humbug. 

Movie Night: Christmas with a View

This month Carole and I are reviewing, Christmas with a View. 

I am  in red and Carole in green.

Title:  Christmas with a View
Genre: Drama, Romance 
Running Time: 1h 31min 
Rating: PG
Released: 2018


Secret aspirations between a failed restaurateur and a celebrity chef threaten their blossoming Christmas romance.

TRAILER: 

DISCUSSION: 

It was some time ago, and this movie wasn't exactly memorable, but I will do my best.

Agreed. I feel like we delayed this one bc of the holidays and this was not as good as some other of the xmas movies we have watched. 

I was rather meh, I am trying to recall bad or good things now but it leaves me rather….blank.

It did not inspire xmas joy and xmas love for sure. I was sooooo bored, if I am to be frank. The actors were boring. The story was meh and 100% unbelievable. Like at the end how he found that ornament. Like...okay bro. 

It was still better than this other xmas movie I saw that felt so non romance. It is still two people that meet, fall for each other cos they are both hot. Oh oh, gotta save some old inn. And yes random ornament that gave nothing to the story for me

Yes this wasn’t the worst xmas movie, but it for sure didn’t inspire any good feelings for me. LOL. I kept mocking the slow sexy scenes with the food while he was cooking. Those scenes were so crazy. It felt like they didn’t have enough content so they just had to show the food. WHICH it did all look yummmy, but still...cheesy to another level. 

Ha, like in other movies when they just go out and watch the snow or something for ages, here they cooked. I have seen better movies, but for background noise it is totally fine. You can miss 10 minutes and not having missed anything crucial.

OMG right? At least the food looked good and kept making me hungry. I feel like I ate a lot during this movie. From boredom and from all the sexy cooking scenes. At least make him take his shirt off too while he cooks. Hahahahahaha. 

LOL. Ugh, hair in the kitchen! Haha, why not :D It would have made it more interesting. Also, nah whatever, the movie had plotholes, I have watched every xmas movie in netflix it seems by now

You do love those xmas movies ;) Me too but I have not watched as many. I just watched all three of the xmas prince trilogy AGAIN. LOL twice in like 2 weeks. Those are the best. This just fell flat for me. Maybe if the acting was better? They felt bored and didn’t really want to be there. LOL I did enjoy Bonnie and Clive. Maybe they should have their own movie. They made me laugh and Clive was HAWT. A total weirdo...but hawt. 

I liked Bonnie, and Clive! Weirdos :)

But you are on to something, chemistry is obvi so important. The Xmas prince, omg, those are so cute together. Here, eh, did they really fance the pants of each other or not? Also it felt like they brought in her mum  just to give her a movie credit. She did not need to be there either, actually I would rather have seen her find love,

They were adorbs and I want more of them. Sighs. Ya the mom didn’t add anything. Again...more filler and give her a movie credit. She really didn’t have a role. She wasn’t comic relief. She wasn’t the wise old mum. She was just...there to brag about herself and ask the cook BF to get her references lollll. Boring. And yessss it would’ve been fun seeing her find love. 

Yes, she was rather snobby about her things so she would inherit some little cabin (as they always do), go there, and there is some hunky woodsman and they fall in love and she realises that everything does not need to be perfect.

Ooooooo I am liking that idea!! Teach her the simple things in life are much better than her being in some dumb magazine and all her expensive decorations and clothing. Love it. 

That would have been better. Alas, sadly not. But they can’t all be winners or even fun, or good, some are ok, and I am fine with that.

Makes us appreciate the really good ones...like the Xmas prince trilogy *cough*. And like you said earlier...a good background noise while you read or do chores lol. You won’t miss much. 

Why oh why did they not give is Xmas Prince 4! You effing bastards! OMG, Xmas Prince 30 years later, the Heir marries, ohhhhhhh. Gimme everything

Would that mean we have to watch 30 years tho???? Or just until the kid is like 18 or something LOLLLL. I want movie 4 asap!

Movie 4 is about another kid, another scandal, movie 5 fast forward 30 years, or so. Movie 6 the other kid finds love. Repeat repeat

A dynasty of movies! LOL Follow the whole family line. OOOOOO they could give us a “prequel” too. The old king and queen meeting and falling in love. *gasps* MORE NETFLIX GIMME MORE!!!

Yes! And some like medieval version too, and a 1800s version ;)

Who do we call at Netflix to make this happen dammit?! LOL. 

Hehehe gotta love how this slowly turned into talking about one of the best xmas romance netflix movies ;) 

So, watch Xmas prince instead is our final verdict

100000000%. That is much better. Heck Princess Switch is better too. Skip this one unless you want background noise to fall asleep to. 

The end :D

The end! :D

Merry Xmas

 

From my new books to probably your new books, 

MERRY XMAS

GOD JUL

I hope you all will have a wonderful one as I know many of you celebrate today

We had one excited kid tearing presents apart yesterday to open them, lol

Top Ten Dukes because Dukes need love too

I got a comment about my Ten Things I hate about the Duke review, how they had misread it, and it got me thinking. I love Dukes, so why not make a top Ten!

I admit that it is hard, I can hardly remember all my Dukes, and some Dukes sadly do not have the word Duke in the title which makes it harder to find.

TOP TEN DUKES

The Bastard you need to read about!

"He was so broken, so dark, so without conscience. A borderline sociopath. ..I loved him."

The war hero Duke

"But truthfully the best part is the world. Rich and just awesome. Zombies, nanos in the blood that control you and make you stronger, people with drills for arms, flying ships, seas that have krakens and other monsters. "

A stuffy proper Duke meets a young woman who is everything but

"I did have my moments where I thought about him as Mr Darcy, because he was all pride and stood above everything else."

A poor Duke, but he does own books!

Windham is always fun, and she has lots of Dukes to choose from.

A scarred Duke who hides from society. His last fiance left him cos she did not want to marry a beast. That byotch!

Girl in hideous dress meets Duke, Duke asks her to marry him, why not!

Asshole Duke meets the Queen of the Underworld.

Works better if you do not know what an evil asshole he was in previous books ;) Which I did not.

Duke gets kidnapped by his own mum and forced to pick a bride, and he chooses the serving girl.

'

Hilarious start. Will make you snort.

Super handsome Duke notices smart girl with boobs

"But hey do you know what I liked? They did it, and OMG, she DID NOT ENJOY IT! Hurrah! They tried again and she liked it but thank you Milan! A virgin who did not go all omg best smex ever! Instead they learned about each other bodies, talked to each other and understood how things work."

A proper Duke finds a woman in his bed

I did want to hit him several times, damn those Dukes

Novella:Heiress Alone by Sophie Jordan

Grumpy Duke meets woman in trouble cos there are bandits!

Introducing: Carole!

Carole will share her favorite Duke books as well! 

CAROLE'S TOP TEN DUKES

Avenge seeking Duke!

Must re-read this. It has been years. Our Duke here has returned from years abroad to avenge the murder of his mentor and he was so grumpy and mean to our girl to try and dissuade her. I wanted to kick him, but I did adore him in the end. 

A tragic, undercover Duke. 

Awwww I miss this series. I need to re-read it. I loved this Duke so much and I loved their journey to find love. He thinks his family is cursed if they fall in love so he tries to deny her. Well...love is impossible to run away from ;)

A rake of a Duke who is forced to take care of two young kids and deal with their hawt governess. 

The poor rake has to hang up his rake ways to take care of his two wards! I remember chuckling so much during this one because the two really had to become friends first before love. 

A Duke who will go to any length to uncover a killer even entering into a relationship with an infamous courtesan.

Another series I need to revisit one day!!! What a crazy relationship that is so unlikely...but I loved every moment of it. 

A secret Duke's son who is unsure he wants the title and unsure if he loves this American socialite!

Awwwwww a rough-around-the-edges Duke-to be and this American rich girl! This was such a cute one!

A vampire Duke who is hiding his vampire-ness. 

This Duke just wants to be left alone for his eternity as a vamp. But a delectable gal is trying to get herself ruined so she never has to marry. Dang mortals and their problems ;) Such a ridiculous story that I adored. 

A Duke with a dark past and who would rather be on the battlefield instead of the Season dance floor. 

Bless him for saving Megan from that scoundrel!! Dang rogues. 

Awww Blodeuedd picked this one too! So fun! 

But yessssss - how can you deny a Duke like this who notices the wallflower with big boobs. LOL 

A poor Duke marries a rich-ass American Heiress who will save him and his family. 

My my how the tables turn! Normally it is the rich man who saves the poor girl! This time around he relays on winning her to save him. Love took foreveeeeerrrrrrrrrrr but I jumped for joy when they finally realized their true feelings. He was an idiot and she was a spoiled brat, but it works. 

A mysterious and reclusive Duke who just wants to be alone.

The ton are stupid and cruel as per the norm...so Sally and her stoat wants to prove that this Duke is not what they think he is. They were adorable...especially her little furry pet.