My Favorite Reads of 2012

Wow! It's so hard to believe that it is that time again! Time to list my favorite reads from 2012. It was really hard to pick my favorite books this year and I'm afraid that I had to make it 20 instead of 10! These are listed in the order that I read them. I have also linked the titles to my reviews just in case you are interested in why I loved each title!! So without further ado........here they are!

• The Lost Wife- this book made a huge impact on my soul.
• Backseat Saints- my first, but not my last, introduction to Joshilyn Jackson.
• Reservation Road- this book broke my heart
• Still Life- wonderful character building
• A Cottage By the Sea- Beautiful story, captured my imagination

• The Baker's Daughter- historical fiction at its finest!
• I Thought You Were Dead (audio)- this books was funny and heartbreaking. Fantastic narrator!
• Mariana- Hauntingly beautiful!
• The Snow Child- loved this one so much..would re-read it at some point!
• The Beginner's Goodbye (audio)- one of those quiet stories that squeeze your heart

• Sea Change- wonderful Southern fiction and I believed every word!
• Gone Girl- because sometimes you need a twisted book!!
• Cinder (audio)- highly original, imaginative, and awesomely narrated
• The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry- this book delivered and made me cry
• The Weight of Heaven- this author's prose blows me away!'

• Broken Harbor- OMG! Loved this one and can't get enough of Tana French!
• The Light Between Oceans- made me really questioned what I would have done...riveting!
• Mr. Churchill's Secretary- loved this historial fiction/mystery book and the main character
• In The Woods- crazy good!
• All of the Jill Shalvis books- sexy men, smart women, awesome locations = great reading!

I want to take a quick moment to just thank all of you for taking time to stop by my blog, read my posts, and leave me feedback! I consider you all friends and couldn't imagine sharing the love of the written word without you!! I hope everyone has a truly wonderful and blessed 2013!! Here's to a new year filled with love, laughter, happiness, prosperity, and great books!!!

Saturday Snapshot- Wintery Day

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

Wintery Day

filters used from Instagram

The day after Christmas brought snow, lots of snow, to our neck of the woods!! I love a good snowstorm when I know that all of my loved ones are safe and that I have everything that I need to make it through a few days!! The wind howled all through the night and I have to admit to being a bit excited to wake up to all that white stuff on the ground!! I was hoping that there would be enough for Matt to get his snowmobile out but he was too busy shoveling out the entrance to the garage and our drive!! After that he took a much earned nap and I snuggled in with the dogs and my book!! I sure hope we get more snow this season than we did last year!!!!

Merry Christmas

May all of my friends, near and far, 

have a wonderful and blessed Christmas Day!

 I hope that you are able to spend it with loved ones 

creating new memories to look back upon in the years to come.

Saturday Snapshot- Christmas Tree Hunting

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

frost frame, corner embellishments, frame, and text all added @ picmonkey.com

One of our themes this year was trying to buy local and not from big box stores. So after Marc and I got home from school we headed about 11 miles down the road to a family owned Christmas tree farm. We thought it would be quick and easy to find the perfect Christmas tree, but it was not. After about a twenty-minute hunt we found the tree that called out to us. Matt cut it down while Marc looked on admiring his Dad's skills!! Then I made them pose with the tree and the saw which my husband hated with every fiber in his being!! The last photo is of Marc hoisting the tree on his back and taking it to our truck! We enjoyed our time together and will certainly go back next year to get our next tree!!

Instant Gratification- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #64

What Instant Gratification (Wilder #2) is about:
Wishful, California, is 3000 miles from Dr. Emma Sinclair's last job in a New York City ER. It may as well be another galaxy. Here, running her father's clinic for a summer, Emma treats bee stings, stomach flu, and the occasional pet cat. Plus, she has to contend with patients like Stone Wilder: gorgeous, laid-back, and irritating beyond belief. The man laughs at her. A lot. And Emma loathes him. All except that tiny part of her that wants to throw him on her examining table and break every doctor-patient rule in the book. . .

Not sure how I ended up reading this series out of order but I'm a bit glad that I did. Why? Because I loved this couple big time and their story was a great way to end this series! I loved Emma's big city attitude and watching her slowly but surely change her mind about what she really wanted out of life. The setting alone made me adore this story but add in Stone whose personality just makes you fall in love with him and you have a book that left me a tad bit giddy!!

Recommend? For those that haven't read a Jill Shalvis book, this would be a great series to jump into. Do yourself a favor and read them out-of-order...trust me on this one!

Source: I bought it from Amazon.com for my Kindle.

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #64
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Under the Mistletoe- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #63

What Under the Mistletoe is about:
There's no place like home for the holidays. And the Lucky Harbor Bed & Breakfast is bursting with festive lights and good cheer. But for Mia, Christmas is turning out to be anything other than merry and bright. Her recent break-up with her boyfriend Nick has made her return bittersweet. But then a surprise arrives, when Nick follows her to town bearing gifts-and asking for forgiveness.

Sometimes authors just shouldn't write short novellas to fill in the gaps until their next book in the series. This is one of those times. I felt absolutely nothing for Mia and Nick. Thank goodness the story was short. I can't believe that this is the first Shalvis writing that I'm slamming, but there it is.

Recommend? Nope. Either write big or stay home.

Source: NetGalley and I purchased this one too. Damn.

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #63
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Perfect Hope- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #62

What The Perfect Hope (Inn Boonsboro #3) is about:
Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out—with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro…

I love trilogies and most of the time can't get enough of them. But. This one dragged on forever and took me well over seven days to finish. I just wasn't feeling Ryder or Hope. Their connection seem contrived and I was a bit tired of the ghost thing in the Inn.

Recommend? If you feel the need compulsion to finish a series or trilogy like I do then go ahead and finish the trilogy. If not, skip it.

Source: The lovely Teddyree gifted this one to me too...I still love her even though I wasn't that crazy about this book.

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #62
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

The Last Boyfriend- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #61

What The Last Boyfriend (Inn Boonsboro #2) is about:
Owen is the organizer of the Montgomery clan, running the family’s construction business with an iron fist—and an even less flexible spreadsheet. And though his brothers bust on his compulsive list-making, the Inn BoonsBoro is about to open right on schedule. The only thing Owen didn’t plan for was Avery McTavish...

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and was excited to get back to Inn Boonsboro. I was once again delighted with the romance between Avery and Owen. I understand Owen and his need to have his life all scheduled out, something that drives my own family crazy! Avery's reluctance to get involved made this a romance with a twist and I thought Roberts did a nice job of keeping the reader engaged in the story. This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Recommend? If you are a Nora Roberts fan then yes, without a doubt. But if you're looking for a good romance series I think you would love the setting, the hunky brothers, and the take-charge women in their lives.

Source: Gifted to me by Teddyree @ The Ecletic Reader

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #61
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

December Host is: Suko's Notebook

Next year is bringing some changes to my blog and one of them is that I will only be accepting a very small limited number of review books. January and February all already taken with the two books you see above. Carol Carr sent me a very gracious and funny email and offered India Black and the Rajah's Ruby and also India Black #3 to be published in February. Then I received an email from Karen White's publicist and I couldn't resist After the Rain, which I see is being reprinted. This book is the sequel to Falling Home, which I loved, so I'm happy to review this one in January.

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and talked about last week:

Rescue My Heart- I absolutely LOVED this one!

Immortal in Death- kick ass series on audio!

Animal Attraction- my favorite in the series.

Bookish Thoughts to Share this week:

The Last Boyfriend

Perfect Hope

Instant Gratification

Under the Mistletoe

In my Book Box:

Anything goes!!! 

Saturday Snapshot- Best Friends

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

Collin and Marcus after their play, The Christmas Carol. 

Love their eyes!! 

Best Friends.

Animal Attraction (Jill Shalvis)- Bookish Thoughts #60

What Animal Attraction (Animal Magnetism #2) is about:
Jade Bennett couldn't be happier to escape her past for the quiet ranching town of Sunshine, Idaho. Plus, there's nothing like working for veterinarian Dell Connelly. And though Dell has no intention of settling down, Jade's strength and sass are enticements no red-blooded male can resist.

When I'm in the mood for romance, fun, and the lighter side of life, I know that I can count on Jill Shalvis to deliver. And that she does with the second installment of her Animal Magnetism series. I absolutely adored Jade and loved how independent she tried to be in her professional and personal life. Dell is one of those men that I would scoop up in a heartbeat. He's kind and compassionate to all he meets in life and even though his mother gave him away, he still finds time to give back to her even when she's not always appreciative. Sexy men, adorable animals, and a strong female lead makes this a satisfying book!

Recommend? In a heartbeat! Of all of her series, I think this one is my favorite!

Source and the blogger who recommended it:

•   Teddyree @ The Eclectic Reader (link to her fab review) 

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #60
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Immortal in Death (audio)- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #59

What Immortal in Death is about:
She was one of the most sought after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted - even another woman's man. And now she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas put her professional life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the facade of glamour, Eve found that the world of high fashion thrived on an all-consuming obsession for youth and fame. One that led from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs could be found to fulfill any desire - for a price

I love it when a fellow book lover and blogger recommends an audio book and it blows me away! Thanks to Nise (Under the Boardwalk), I decided to listen to J.D. Robb's In Death series on audio and I absolutely loved this production. She told me that the narrator delivered the goods with the voices and she was right. I loved Eve and Mavis' voices. Susan Ericksen, the narrator changed them up beautifully and in my opinion captured their personalities. This was a fantastic way to drive to and from work each day. I loved it so much that I bought the next book in the series and have already downloaded it to my iPod!!!

Recommend? With no qualms. This audio production was fantastic and Eve's backstory is starting to be fleshed out!

Source: Purchased from Audible.com
Narrator: Susan Ericksen
Length of audio: 9 hours and 46 minutes

Blogger who recommended it:

• Nise@Under the Boardwalk

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #59
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Rescue My Heart- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #58

What Rescue My Heart is about:
After a tragic stint in the National Guards, Adam Connelly returns to Idaho and to Belle Haven, the animal shelter he owns with his brothers. All Adam wants is to be alone. Then he opens the door to the past—the woman whose heart he once broke. Still gorgeous, still tough-as-nails, but this time, unusually vulnerable.

As I write this I wonder how many of my friends sighed and shook their heads at yet ANOTHER Jill Shalvis post?? Ha! I'm laughing as I write this and hoping that you all will still love me and just hold my hand as I go continue on with my romance addiction!!?? This was another solid book in Jill's list of stories and again she hits it out of the ballpark with her characters. They all have flaws, insecurities, and ache to be loved.

Recommend? Without hesitation. I noticed that Jill will be adding another book to this series, Rumor Has It, to be published August 2013. I can't wait for that one. Plus, I only have a few more of her books to review, so very soon you all will be safe from the endless Shalvis bookish thoughts that I have deluged you with over the last few months!!

Source: Teddyree @ The Ecletic Reader (she is always willing to feed my addiction! Bless her heart!)

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #58
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday..What Are You Reading? --Tuesday Style!

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

December Host is: Suko's Notebook

Faithful Place by Tana French- after finishing and loving book two, I had to purchase this with one of my audible.com credits.

Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb- I'm absolutely addicted to these books on audio. Couldn't resist using my $10.00 coupon to snag this one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and talked about last week:

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts- new way that I will do bookish thoughts

Merry Ex-Mas- perfect holiday read

In the Woods- another stellar read by French

Bookish Thoughts to share this week:

Animal Attraction

Rescue My Heart

Immortal in Death (audio)

In my Book Box:

same books as last week...I'm relaxing right now and going with the holiday flow so my reading has slowed down a bit.

Saturday Snapshot- The Christmas Carol

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

added frost frame and title @ picmonkey.com

photo courtesy of Lynette P. who tagged me on Facebook

Last night was opening night for the annual Christmas play at our local Wesleyan Church. This year's play is The Christmas Carol and it was fantastic. Marc plays Fred, Ebenezer's nephew. This is a shot of him with his wife Grace.  Going back to watch it again tonight!!  

In the Woods (Tana French)- Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #56

What In the Woods is about:
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.  Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox—his partner and closest friend—find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

After reading Broken Harbor I knew that I needed, absolutely needed to read all of French's book from the beginning. From the very first page I was drawn into Rob and Cassie's world. Dublin has been a city that has captured my attention and is one that I must visit before I die, but I do hope that I never ever experience the ugly, dirty, seedy side that encompasses this book. French is masterful and clever with her writing and left me wanting more, so much more. I tried not to get all flustered and angry at the ending of this book. I've been told that she has a way of dangling her readers over the edge of a big cliff called NO REAL ANSWERS and left wondering if anyone will save them!!

Recommend? Yes. Her writing is solid and her characterization is rich and complete. I conjured up images of the scenes and the people who walked the streets. Even though she has the tendency of not wrapping up everything nice and neat, I have found that I am becoming a bit fond of that. I must be off my rocker....but in a good way!! On to The Likeness before I ring out 2012!

Source: Public Library

Blogger who recommended it:

• Sam @ Booked on a Feeling

Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts #56
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Merry Ex-Mas- Bookish Thoughts #55

What Merry Ex-Mas is about:
Christmas in Icicle Falls... Between Yuletide traditions, winter sports and mistletoe hanging everywhere, Christmas is the best time of year in Icicle Falls, Washington. But this year it's not so merry-for three of its residents, anyway. But Christmas has a way of working its magic. One of these women is about to rediscover love, another is going to remember what's important in life and the third will find a new dream in the new year. Merry Ex-mas, ladies!


Merry Ex-Mas was the perfect book for me during this hectic time of year. I loved just kicking back and letting the story take me away. I truly want to visit this idyllic town of Icicle Falls and visit all of the quaint stores along Main street. I often wish that I lived in such a small town and owned a little book store that all of my friends visited daily. Sheila Roberts created some lively characters and provided me with plenty of laughs and sighs. Even though I couldn't imagine spending five minutes with my ex-husband, the women of Merry Ex-mas gave me hope that some ex's can put aside the hurts of the past and create a different type of relationship that creates a bit of harmony for the sake of the family.

Recommend? I had fun with this book and got exactly what I expected...a cute story, interesting characters, and some hours spent away from reality!!

Source: e-book via NetGalley

Other bloggers who read and reviewed this one:

• Kaye @Pudgy Penguin Perusals
• Mary @Bookfan

Bookish Thoughts #55
© 2012, Staci of Life in the Thumb. All Rights Reserved. If you reading this on a site other than, Life in the Thumb or Staci's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

New Feature on my blog

Hello Friends,

I've decided to re-invent my Six Sentence Saturday posts because I have way too fun participating in Alyce's Saturday Snapshot Meme every Saturday. I didn't want to let the Six Sentence idea go to waste though and I've now decided to make all of my reviews Six Sentence Bookish Thoughts!! I've never been one to analyze books and to feature in-depth philosophical reviews. I tend to just state why I enjoyed a book and tell you whether I would recommend it or not. I'm always looking for ways to make my reviews shorter because frankly, there are a lot of book bloggers out there to read, however, we as readers only have a limited amount of time to seriously spend each day reading blog posts. I want my readers to have fun when they visit! I want my readers to know that when they come to Life in the Thumb, I won't be taking up too much of their precious time. I like short and sweet and to-the-point. Plus, I'm bit of a lazy blogger at times and run out of witty things to write! Ha!

So, I hope you enjoy this new feature. Feedback is always welcome!

All the best and Happy Reading!
Staci

Mailbox Monday and It's Monday...What Are You Reading?

Mailbox Monday 

is a gathering place for readers to share the books that

came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. 

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

November Host is: Suko's Notebook

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers- I loved The Murderer's Daughters so when I saw that Randy had a new book coming out I had to request it!! Courtesy of the publisher/NetGalley

Cover of Snow by Jenny Milchman- When I read that Jenny's suspenseful story was in the tradition of Gillian Flynn's I immediately requested it. I love the cover!! Courtesy of publisher/NetGalley

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Hosted by

 Sheila @ One Person's Journey Through a World of Books

We discuss the books that we've read 

and what we're planning to read for the week.

Read and reviewed last week:

Six Sentence Movie Thoughts

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio- loved it and can't wait for her next book!

Bookish Thoughts this week:

Merry Ex-Mas 

Animal Attraction and Rescue My Heart 

In The Woods 

In my Book Box:

Saturday Snapshot- Winter Waterland

Saturday Snapshot

is hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

It's easy to participate- just post a picture that was taken by

you, a friend, or a family member, and add your link

on Alyce's site. (no pictures from the internet!)

no photo editing was used. Only frame @picmonkey.com

My husband went up north last weekend to go hunting with his friend. He stopped and took this picture of Tippy Dam. We loved boating here over the summer and in the fall. Here is a shot of it during the beginning of the winter months...quite lovely!