I finished the the 2nd book in the Austin/Stoner Files a few days ago, The Final Chapter of Chance McCall by Stephen Bly. Unlike most of the second books in recent trilogies, this book progresses the story of Lynda and Brady into another fun adventure and brings them closer together in their relationship.

It's fun to read this series. The characters are real, they fight, the make up, they have special little nervous habits. You can relate with them. They have faith and like most of us, it's not always 100% steady, there are a few doubts as to why, it seemed the reason for something to happen, only to have them question themselves, wondering if maybe not, but the answer is shown later on.

Like the first book, there is humor, adventure, new and intriguing characters. I will also say, that this has one of the best endings for a book and I love it! It's a to read! You really can't go wrong with this series.

Since November stunk on the reading, I went to one of my favorites, The Lost Manuscript of Martin Taylor Harrison by Stephen Bly.

I have read this book/series many times over the last few years. It has a little bit of everything; adventure, suspense, action, mystery, and a possibility of some romance (not the bad kind, the good kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy) and all set out in the west, where men are gentlemen and women are treated like ladies and hospitality reins supreme!

Lynda Dawn Austin is an editor for a New York City publisher. It just seems that life as she knows it is what she is supposed to do, until a fascinating  character appears at the publishing house with an interesting manuscript and an even more interesting and perplexing story behind it. Lynda Austin, to get answers and to publish this book, sets out on the adventure of a life time. With the help of an (amazing) bareback riding, cowboy named Brady Stoner, Lynda's life is thrown out of the rut it has become and possibly setting her on the course the good Lord had in mind for her.

The humor of the story is great and the characters are real. I'm not going to say seem, because, these characters just jump off the page and they live and breathe as you read about them. That is something that I haven't seen often with other authors, but Stephen Bly can do it! To read!

I'm a little late on posting the review again. Goodness, the end of the year just gets busy, but I haven't forgotten, so it's all good, I hope.

Anyway, November was a bit of a dud reading month. I knocked 3 more books off of my goal, although I was kind of hoping for one more then that. Sadly, Thanksgiving was there along with a sick kiddo, so reading wasn't priority the end of the month.

Let's jump into the books.


First off was Rebel Heart by Moria Young. It's the second book in the Dust Lands series. The first book I was on the fence, it had promise. This book just dragged! Saba wasn't the take charge girl in this book and her brother whined about everything if he didn't get his way. Not to read!







Second book for the month was The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan. This series is a good series to read after a crummy book. It's fun, lite, and quick. The story carries you through it and doesn't bog you down. Very enjoyable! To read!

The third and final book for the month was Reached by Allie Condie. I didn't know what to think going into the this book. The first book was great! I loved Matched. It was fresh and new. Crossed just seemed like a bridge, leading you to this book. Reached, things happened, but you didn't see it, you just read about it later, after the fact. It was kind of a let down, it wasn't what I was expecting. It's only a Maybe.






A new month is a head of us. These 3 books brought my total for the year up to 46, leaving me with 4 to reach my goal of 50. There are plenty of books out there, let's see what happens.

I did it, I finished Reached by Ally Condie before the 1st! Anyway, this is the 3rd and final book in the Matched Trilogy.

Matched was a very good book. I was hooked from the beginning. The concept was fresh and fun and it made you thing. Crossed, the 2nd book in the trilogy, it left me scratching my head, it didn't go anywhere. The first book set up everything beautifully, only to have it go into a bridge book with Crossed.

Now Reached, left me underwhelmed. I was a little disappointed in this book. We start off with the a plague that is spreading in the Society, then the Rising comes out of nowhere and it's a smooth take over. Ok, that was it? That was nothing.Then a mutation of the plague happens and everyone is thrown into a tail spin. No one knows what to do and very few are immunized. All of a sudden, the Pilot (leader of the Rising) finds our young heroes, Ky, Cassia, and Xander. Three young people, but yet, they hold the key or the knowledge if you must to solving this pandemic that no one could have prepared for!! (Please note sarcasm.)

This book started off slow and when the answers from the first two books are solved, I didn't really care. I had kind of figured out the question from book one once talk of the red tablets started to occur.

In these books, the covers represent the three pills that each person had to carry in the Society. Matched was green. The green pill calmed people. Cassia with help from her grandpa, never took it. Crossed was blue. The blue pill was to help keep you alive, but when actually it made you go still and could kill you. Reached is red. The red pill makes you forget what the society wants you to forget. In each book, we see how Cassia deals and battles through the affects of these pills.

This book also left questions open in regard to other land that is brought up for the first time in this book, but you don't really find out if it is true or not. I guess we get to make up our own assumption for that.

All in all, this book is a Maybe, I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. Matched set the bar high, and these last two just didn't reach it for me.