Top Ten Tuesday: Most Read Authors

Top Ten Tuesday is weekly meme created by the lovely folks at The Broke and the Bookish. They created it because they're "particularly fond of lists" and since I also enjoy lists, I've decided to participate in this fun feature.

I've read a lot of books in my life. That means I've read quite a few books from the same author. I've only been keeping track on Goodreads for the past few years though so I'm not sure how accurate this week's list actually is. It was actually quite a surprise to see which authors I've read the most from!

Janet Evanovich 

34+ 

My first response to this was "Seriously?!?" Never would have guessed she was my top read author. I've read 21 of her Stephanie Plum books (I've decided I'm not going to read another until the series is done...I'm so bored with it!), maybe 3 of the Between the Numbers books, I think all 6 of the Full series, 1 of the Lizzy & Diesel series (or was it 2?), 3 of the Fox and O'Hare series (ooh, there's a fourth one coming!). and a handful of others. Holy crapola.

Meg Cabot

20?

I've probably read at least 6 Princess Diaries books (I'm going to work on a reread since I want to be totally up to date by the time I get to the latest, Royal Wedding, which I got at BEA.), both All-American Girl books, most of the Vanished/1-800-Where-R-You series, most of the Mediator series, maybe 3 of her teen standalone books, both of the Insatiable books, the 3 Queen of Babble books, and I think just 2 of the Boy series.

Sophie Kinsella/Madeline Wickham 

15 or 16 

I've read the Shopaholic books and all of her standalones but I actually can't remember how many of the Madeline Wickham books I've read and since they're the same person I decided to combine them.

Joanne Fluke 

16

I was surprised by this one, too! Her Hannah Swensen series is a lot of fun. My sister has most of them so I've been able to read all of her copies!

Sarah Dessen 

12

I've read every single one of her books and will read every single other book she publishes.

Nora Roberts 

10

She's my go-to when I need a good, sweet, and entertaining romance! 10 sounds like a lot but she's written approximately a bazillion.

Heather Wardell 

10

I freaking  love Heather and her books. I'm actually a little glad that I'm behind on her books - she has 17 published right now - because it means I have so many more to catch up on. And she's a speedy writer so there will be 18, 19, 20 soon enough!

Laura Ingalls Wilder 

9

I adored the Little House books when I was a kid! I'm looking forward to rereading them soon.

J.K. Rowling/Robert Galbraith

9

I haven't read the entirety of Rowling's other Potter books (Fantastic Beasts, etc.) so I'm not counting them. But the 7 Potter books add up, plus I've read both of the books she's written as Galbraith (can't wait for the next one).

Emily Giffin 

8

And I actually own all of them, too! 

Review: The Job

The Job is the third in the Fox and O'Hare series written by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg. I've enjoyed the series so far and this latest installment delivers more of what readers have come to expect from the books. It is a little darker than the previous books but, overall, it delivers an amusing mystery that's hard to put down.

Here's the synopsis:

Charming con man Nicolas Fox and dedicated FBI agent Kate O'Hare secretly take down world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons, next job Violante, the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire. The FBI doesn’t know what he looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick knows his tastes in gourmet chocolate.
From Nashville to Lisbon back alleys, from Istanbul rooftops to Thames, they chase clues to lookalike thefts. Pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard Reyna holding Kate hostage and a Portuguese enforcer getting advice from an ancestor's pickled head, they again call driver Willie for ship, actor Boyd for one-eyed Captain Bridger, special effects carpenter Tom, her father Jake - retired Special Forces, and his talent - machete-wielding Somali pirate Billy Dee. This could be their biggest job - if they survive. 

The bad guy in this book is a seriously violent individual - who has even scarier folks working for him. Because of this, there's a heightened sense of danger throughout this book. It's still fairly lighthearted and there are many amusing moments, but the potential for disaster and harm was always present for me. 

The puzzle that starts O'Hare and Fox off on this adventure was interesting. I definitely didn't see it coming and I enjoyed how it all came together at the end. Vague, isn't it? It can be hard to review a mystery novel...every clue is so important to the overall story!

Like the previous novels, Fox and O'Hare need to hire a bunch of individuals to pull off their con. This adds a bit of diversity and even more humour to the overall story. 

Overall, The Job is exactly what you'd expect from a humorous mystery series. You don't have to read the previous two books in the series but I do think I liked those ones better. Will I read the next one Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg write? Probably. This a fun series and I'll likely keep reading until I get bored!

*A copy of this novel was provided by Random House of Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Review: The Chase

I'm not a huge mystery reader. I don't like blood or gore or being scared witless. But, give me an amusing caper with some twists and turns and I'm happy. Bonus points if there's a bit of a steamy romance (hey, I'm a chick lit lover...can you blame me for enjoying a touch of romance?). I read and enjoyed the first book in Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's new series last summer (you can read my review of The Heist here) so I was looking forward to The Chase, the recently released second book. It was just as much fun to read and I enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis:

Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals. Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting Grove’s elite assassins, Nick and Kate rely on the skills f their ragtag crew, including a flamboyant actor, a Geek Squad techie, and a band of AARP-card-carrying mercenaries led by none other than Kate’s dad. A daring heist and a deadly chase lead Nick and Kate from Washington, D.C., to Shanghai, from the highlands of Scotland to the underbelly of Montreal. But it’ll take more than death threats, trained henchmen, sleepless nights, and the fate of a dynasty’s priceless heirloom to outsmart Fox and O’Hare.

It was interesting to see what kind of caper Kate and Nick would get up to. There's always a dangerous element (Carter, the guy they're going after, is one badass dude with some ruthless killers on his payroll) but, for the most part, the action is all about a con or two. I like that there's a cleverness to what Nick does and that he's not a mindless criminal. He has a reason for doing what he does and has a knack for understanding what other criminals would do as well. It's interesting to read about, that's for sure.

Of course, as enjoyable as the book was, it was pretty formulaic. I suppose you can expect that with genre fiction and I should expect it knowing that Evanovich's other series, the Stephanie Plum series, always follows the same sort of format. It's not a bad thing. In fact, I purposely read this book on a Sunday afternoon when I needed a quick, fun, and easy read and it totally fit the bill. Win all around!

I like that this book is funny. There are lots of little clever remarks and it doesn't take itself too seriously. As in the first book, there was a Harry Potter reference (love when adult books reference HP). And this really amusing quote that, as a Canadian, had me laughing out loud:

How bad could a Canadian prison be? It was in Canada. Canadians were civilized.
- page 199 

As I mentioned, there's a romance aspect to the story - though it doesn't take over the story nor is it particularly romantic. Kate and Nick are attracted to each other but have so far managed to avoid jumping into bed together. Though Nick is trying really hard, Kate seems to have magnificent willpower. For now, the will they, won't they is fun to read about but I won't be able to handle it for too much longer!

If you want a fun and mysterious book to read, check out The Heist. It is part of a series but you don't really need to read Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg's first novel. It's good if you want more background but this book stands well on its own. I'm still looking forward to the next book!

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review.*

Bunch of Mini Reviews 7

This edition of mini reviews is a mix of my own book (one) and library books (two). I'm still trying to use my library as much as possible even though there are some books I want to own myself. It's also a good way to break out of my comfort zone as it allows me to get some of the YA I've been missing out on. Without further ado, here is my seventh installment of mini reviews!

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (synopsis)

Before every Ontario Blogger Meet-Up, a massive file is started with lists of books bloggers have to give away or trade. I always peruse the list but I don't have much to offer nor do many books appeal to me because the vast majority of titles are YA. This year though, I saw that Wendy had Dash and Lily's Book of Dares up for grabs and she was willing to give it to me. Yay! I'm so glad she did because it was such a cute and enjoyable read!
I was hooked on this story as soon as I read the first few lines:

Imagine this:
You're in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook.
What do you do?The choice, I think, is obvious:
You take down the read notebook and open it.
And then you do whatever it tells you to do. (page 1)

Doesn't that intrigue you? I loved that Dash and Lily met because of a scavenger hunt Lily thought up. I totally wanted to take part! I think the hunt exposed more of themselves and their personalities than Lily had intended but it was really great to read along as they learned more about each other and, oh so slowly, fell for each other.
I don't think this is a book that everyone will love though - and I think it's because of the characters. This is probably going to sound harsh/weird/judgmental but bear with me! This book was published in 2010, before the whole hipster scene became a popular thing. I mention this because Dash and Lily are total hipsters in training and that is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way (like my sister, for instance. I think she'd enjoy the story but she would have really disliked the characters, especially Dash). I was fine with it because these types of characters aren't often the focus of novels. I love Sarah Dessen and everything (fave author ever) but her main characters all have similar characteristics. Dash and Lily broke the average character mold and that was really enjoyable to read.
I liked that there was a touch of Christmas cheer (or anti-cheer in Dash's case) in this novel. Because it was a short read, it made it a perfect book for me to read over Christmas. I started it Christmas Eve and finished it in the wee hours of Boxing Day and it was delightful.
If you're looking for a different sort of contemporary YA read, check out Dash and Lily's Book of Dares. It was cute and a lot of fun!

Takedown Twenty - Janet Evanovich (synopsis)

I've been reading Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series for some time now - probably about ten years. Which is half the time the books have been around. Yes, my friends, One for the Money was released a whopping twenty years ago in 1994. I've been saying for awhile that I just kind of wished this series would end. I'm not loving it like I used to and it's gone on for so long. To be blunt...I'm sure the only reason this series is still being written and published is because it's making money. And that bugs me because there are so many other (better) novels out there that aren't getting the time of day because books like these are front and centre at the store. But that's an issue for another day...
Basically, I didn't love Takedown Twenty. It had the same humour and hijinks you'll always find in an Evanovich novel, particularly her Stephanie Plum series, and I found that kind of boring. My favourite part of the book had to do with the giraffe that was running around Trenton. I'm sure I would have found this amusing even if giraffes weren't one of my favourite animals but because they are, I found myself looking forward to every scene featuring Kevin (Lula decided the giraffe looked like a Kevin...she became quite attached to him).
I've decided that I will not read another Stephanie Plum book until I know it's the last one (so someone let me know, K?). You can't fault me for that...I need to know who she finally chooses! Will it be Morelli or Ranger? Until then, I'll pass on Plum's adventures because there are other books I'd rather spend my time on. I know tons of people will read this and enjoy it and that's totally fine. I am not one to judge what others read, trust me. I'm just done with Stephanie until Evanovich is.

Ten Tiny Breaths - K.A. Tucker (synopsis)

Now this should have been my first read of 2014. I could not put Ten Tiny Breaths down. I was hooked! Tucker created a really addictive story and interesting characters in the first of this series.
I did have a couple of problems with it and that's why I didn't give it five stars. It looks like I'm joining others who are not a fan of instalove. I haven't read a ton of books that are like this but as much as I know instant attraction can exist (I'm looking at you, lust), it was sort of hard to get over how quickly Kacey and Trent fell for each other. Another thing that kind of bugged me had to do with the big revelation that I saw coming and you probably will too but I can't say much more about it because I don't want to spoil anything. I just couldn't really see how Kacey could forgive such a huge lie. Everything else I can understand but the lying to her was hard to take.
I did appreciate that there were some serious issues addressed in this book and it wasn't all about the relationship. Kacey has some major problems to sort out thanks to the car accident she was in that killed her parents, her best friend, and her boyfriend. I think Tucker did a good job of showing how PTSD can really affect a person and how different people react to it in different ways.
I also like that the cover doesn't look like your typical New Adult cover (which tend to look like romance covers but with models who are in their twenties). Kudos to whoever approved that!
Even though I had a few issues, I really loved this book. I'll eventually read the next two books in the series, One Tiny Lie and Four Seconds to Lose, but I think I might wait a little while because they feature different characters and I want to stay with just Kacey and Trent for a little while longer.

Review: The Heist

I'm a Stephanie Plum fan and have been for years. Because of that I've read and enjoyed a few of Janet Evanovich's other novels. I jumped at the chance to review her latest, The Heist, which she co-authored with Lee Goldberg. It was just what I was expecting - funny, a little sexy, and full of action.

Here's the synopsis:

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.
Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.
Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

When I chose to read The Heist, I was looking for an easy and fun read - and I got it. I was interested to see how Evanovich worked with another author and how the story would read (see the next paragraph for my thoughts on that). I was also interested in these new characters and I ended up really liking Kate and Nick. I loved the chemistry between them and thought they played off each other perfectly. There was just enough action to keep things exciting without overpowering the intricacies of the con. There were also many laugh out loud moments that kept me entertained, like this one:

The one sort of negative I have is that it read a little too much like an Evanovich novel. I wanted more of Nick to come through in the story but his personality and secrets were overpowered by the action of the novel and Kate's personality and goals. I feel like he has a really great backstory but we didn't get the chance to learn it. There was a hint of it when he was on his way to Singapore (vague but I don't want to give anything away) but I was disappointed when that was really the only solo Nick portion of the book.

It's not often that I cast a novel but I have to make an exception in the case of The Heist. Why? Because right from the get go I was picturing Sandra Bullock as Kate. I know a lot of people see Bullock as Stephanie Plum but I never really got that. I think the reason Bullock came to mind first, apart from the physical description, is because she's played FBI agents in previous roles that I think are similar to Kate (see: Miss Congeniality and The Heat). As for Nick...well, I struggled to cast him but I ended up picturing him as Ryan Reynolds. The physical description of Nick - brown hair, brown eyes, height(ish), body - were all qualities that Reynolds shares. Plus, I did enjoy Bullock and Reynolds in The Proposal (not the best movie, I know, but I'd give them a second shot at the whole sexual tension thing). If you've read this book let me know how you would cast the film!

The Heist by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg is a perfect weekend read. You can get sucked into the story and finish it within a day or so and fully enjoy yourself while reading it. I'm excited that this is going to be a series and I look forward to reading the next book!

*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for an honest review*

Just Finished: Notorious Nineteen

Oh, Stephanie Plum. I've been reading this hilarious mystery series by Janet Evanovich for...hmmm...well, awhile. I figure it was probably close to ten years ago when I picked up One for the Money - and that's nowhere close to when it was first published (the earliest publication date I can find is 1994). I've always enjoyed reading this series because they're quick, easy, and amusing reads. Notorious Nineteen, the latest in the Stephanie Plum series, did not disappoint.

Here's the synopsis:

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.
After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape...or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.
The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone...or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory...

Confession: I hadn't actually read Explosive Eighteen when I received Nineteen in the mail. For some reason I just never got around to reading it, which is surprising since Smokin' Seventeen ended on such a cliffhanger! Naturally, I did what any bookworm would do when faced with such a situation. I went down to the library, got Eighteen, and proceeded to finish both novels over the course of a weekend.

I felt like there was a lot going on in this book. There's always a ton of craziness happening in Stephanie's life but this just seemed almost excessive. That being said, the involved side story with Ranger made me wonder if Evanovich is setting things up to finish the series after book twenty. As much as I enjoy this series, I think it's time to wrap things up. How long can we really wait before knowing which man Stephanie ends up with?!  Personally, I think I'm hoping for her to get together with Morelli in the end.

It was amusing to see how things had changed since the series began. For example, Stephanie referred to the fact that Ranger's look had totally changed (thank goodness - ponytails on men are so unattractive). I also love that in Nineteen, she was surfing Pinterest! Can you imagine the Stephanie in One for the Money being on Pinterest? She wouldn't know what the heck you were talking about!

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Notorious Nineteen, the latest Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich. It had everything you've come to love about this series - Ranger vs. Morelli, classic Grandma Mazur, and a totalled car or two. Sure, they're formulaic, but that's half the fun. As much as I think that it's time to wrap up this series, I don't know what I'll do when it's over! Now I must ask you a very important question: are you Team Ranger or Team Morelli? :)

Happy reading!

*I received a copy of this novel from Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review.*