Adios to 2013, muchas gracias to all of you

The year had its ups and downs, but when it came to being an independent author, it was fantastic. I'd like to thank all my readers and reviewers, and all my fans, friends, and followers. You make it all worthwhile.

Here's to a happy 2014!

Review: The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug

Can an awesome dragon save a misfired movie? Find out in my review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug over at Horrorview.

Adding another book to my favorite reads of 2013

One last entry into the list of books I've most enjoyed in 2013, and that's Stephen King's Doctor Sleep.

This was a pleasant surprise, as I was very skeptical of a sequel to one of my favorite books. But I heard good things about it from my buddies A.J. and Matt, and asked for it for Christmas (and got it - thanks, Mom!).

A full review for Horrorview is forthcoming, but it's an entertaining and creepy read. It's not pure horror like The Shining was, but along with the creepy stuff is a good exploration of how the past defines us and how we can break the chains (a favorite theme of mine).

Kelly's Big Score: I'm All Out of Candy Canes Edition

Between presents and gift cards, I have now acquired the following books:

Doctor Sleep - Stephen King

Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett

Deadly Heat - Richard Castle

A Lady by Midnight - Tessa Dare

Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Italian

Today's mood

Reading in 2013 - the year in retrospect

It was a very odd year for me in terms of reading. Regular readers will have noticed that I stopped doing monthly updates of what I was reading a few months ago. The truth is that it's been a busy year, with a lot going on (mostly positive but some negative). Not only have I not been keeping good track of what I read, but a lot of new books I've read this year haven't held my attention, and I've fallen back on re-reads and looking through cookbooks.

But there were some excellent books I read this year, so seeing as it's nearly year-end, here are the books I most enjoyed reading in 2013:

Clockwork Twist (Waking) - Emily Thompson: First in a steampunk series. Very imaginative and enjoyable.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn: Watch the train wreck of a sociopathic couple at odds with each other.

I, The Jury - Mickey Spillane: Hard-boiled and politically incorrect, and loads of fun.

NOS4A2 - Joe Hill: Fantastic tale of the supernatural, and surprisingly moving.

The Best of Roald Dahl: Wicked and witty.

Bones of the Moon - Jonathan Carroll: A very interesting twist on the fantasy genre. Will definitely be on the lookout for more by this author.

Cold Light - Jenn Ashworth: Creepy, chilling tale of adolescent friendship gone wrong.

Honorable Mentions for Brain Candy Books: If you need escapism you could do worse than to read What Happens at Christmas by Victoria Alexander (fun romance novel set at Christmas in 19th century) and Frozen Heat by Richard Castle (nice to see the Castle tie-ins turning into real novels).

5-star review of Reckoning (Ashes #2) at Literary R&R

Find out what Charlene at Literary R&R thought of Reckoning (Ashes #2)!

Review of Reckoning (Ashes #2) at The Reading Cafe!

The Reading Cafe has a very positive review of Reckoning (Ashes #2) up - find out what the reviewer thought of the book, and of the series as a whole.

Today's mood

Kelly's Big Score: O Tannenbaum Edition

Made our annual Christmas trip to Solvang this past weekend, and of course I had to visit my favorite indie bookstore, The Book Loft. I came home with:

• The Unfaithful Queen - Carolly Erickson
• San Miguel - TC Boyle
• A Dark Dividing - Sarah Rayne

Looks like some good reading ahead!