Book #1: Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich

It should come as no surprise that my first book of 2014 is a Stephanie Plum novel. I've made it no secret that I love this series and thanks to my awesome friend Lisa in Seattle, I didn't have to buy this installment.

In Notorious Nineteen, Janet Evanovich has our favorite hazard-in-the-making bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum trying to figure out how one of her skips could have disappeared from the hospital soon after having surgery. In order to figure it out, Stephanie has to work with Randy Briggs, a little person with a big attitude.

I also got the feeling that Stephanie may be getting closer to making a firm decision between Morelli and Ranger. Of course, the next installment, Takedown Twenty could prove me completely wrong.

As usual, Janet Evanovich has provided me with a fun, light read that keeps me entertained. When I posted via Goodreads on Facebook that I had finished this book, an acquaintance of mine took it upon herself to share her negativity in the form of a comment on my post. In it, she made it clear that she does not like the series, comparing it to MadLibs. Just for the record, not everything I read has to be deep or stimulating. Sometimes I like to zone out with a familiar character and enjoy her antics, as repetitive as they may seem to some. I think this acquaintance could use some fun in her life and if she opened up to it, maybe a little Stephanie Plum could help her lighten up!

I'm glad I started the new year with a fun book. Bring on the next 29!

Book #5: Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

I once again return to a favorite: the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Explosive Eighteen begins with Stephanie returning from an ill-fated trip to Hawaii. When she gets home she discovers a photo in her bag of a man she has never seen before. She doesn't know where it came from, so she throws it away.

Little does she know, lots of people are after that photo. Of course, nobody believes her when she tells them that she no longer has it. And the trouble begins!

Stephanie is still torn between two men and has her car stolen twice by the same skip. So it's still the usual Stephanie Plum. The usual Stephanie Plum is also funny. Who would get their hair colored and teased in order to gain information? Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter. (You don't see Ranger doing that kind of stuff!)

I was a little disappointed in the ending, I felt like it ended abruptly. Everything was wrapped up, but just a bit too quickly. It seemed rushed to me.

As are the other books in this series, Explosive Eighteen was a fun, light read. It goes fast and makes the reader laugh. It gets my recommendation!

Books #4 & #5 OR Catching Up

In my haste to finish the Stephanie Plum series before I saw the movie, I read the books but did not post reviews. Then, of course, we had the fire which really put me behind!

Just to keep the flow of the blog going, I don't want to completely skip those books. It will come as no surprise that I again laughed out loud while reading Janet Evanovich's Fearless Fourteen and Finger Lickin' Fifteen. I have still not completed the series but hope to as soon as I get the books replaced.

Book #3: Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

"Plum Lucky" is a Stephanie Plum Between the Numbers novel. I look forward to reading these because they are shorter and lighter than the numbered novels. Janet Evanovich is able to mix things up a bit with the Between the Numbers books too. Diesel, an Unmentionable, is a recurring character in these books. He pops in and out of Stephanie's life without much explanation. The plot is usually simpler too.

In "Plum Lucky", Stephanie finds herself dealing with a guy who thinks he's a leprechaun, the horse that talks to him, and the crazy mobster that is after them for stealing his money. Thankfully Diesel is there to help out-as well as to make things interesting.

The story line was a bit predictable, but enjoyable. I laughed a lot and the cat looked at me like I was crazy when I did. There wasn't a lot of extra tension because of Morelli and Ranger since they weren't major players in this novel, either. It's just a light, quick read. Great for a short flight!

I'm Laughing Again: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

My second book for 2012 is another Stephanie Plum Novel: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich. In this installment, Stephanie has another run-in with her ex-husband, Dickie Orr. After she goes after him-again-he disappears and she is a suspect in his disappearance. Then, Joyce Barnhardt is after Stephanie because of Dickie's disappearance. Oh, and don't forget about Ranger and Morelli. They're involved too.

Stephanie has some hilarious things happen to her, which I've been missing for a while. "Thirteen" had me laughing out loud again. Exploding taxidermied animals, dinner with a stuffed cat, and everybody's reaction to the cable company were some of my favorites in this book.

Fun to read, I really recommend this book in the series. My neighbor probably wonders what I'm doing up here with all the laughing!

My First Book of 2012: Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

I'm trying to get through the Stephanie Plum series before the movie, One For The Money, comes out later this month. My latest read in the series is a "Between The Numbers" novella. Janet Evanovich wrote a few of these shorter, lighter books to fit in between the numbered books.

"Plum Lovin'" is set near Valentine's Day and Stephanie is once again visited by Diesel, an Unmentionable who pops in and out of her life, literally. There isn't a good explanation as to how he appears, but we know that he's a human with special qualities. This time, Diesel needs Stephanie's help and she ends up taking over some cases for a matchmaker. Her skills as a relationship expert closely match her skills as a bounty hunter. She's luckier than she is good.

I really enjoyed "Plum Lovin'." It is a short, quick, fun read. It doesn't have all the excitement and explosions you find in the numbered series, but it still has the humor. I recommend this book to fans of the series as well as to those unfamiliar with it.

I Met My Goal Again! Book #35: Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

I hit my goal of 35 books read in 2011 with another of the Stephanie Plum novels. "Twelve Sharp" by Janet Evanovich was a hit, as they always are.

In "Twelve Sharp" Stephanie is back working for Vinnie at the bonds office. She has quite a mystery on her hands, but it doesn't have to do with one of her skips. This time it's all about Ranger. She has to come to his rescue and help him out, while he is once again watching out for her. And don't forget, Morelli is always there too. In this novel, Stephanie and Morelli reach a new level in their relationship.

For some reason, this book had a different feel than the others. I never could put my finger on it. The only thing that stood out to me was that the language Stephanie used seemed to be a bit harsher at times (although that didn't bother me). It wasn't as laugh-out-loud funny as previous books had been, but the great plot and mystery made up for it. I didn't want to put the book down!

I think Ms. Evanovich did a great job keeping the storyline fresh this far into the series. Most of the time the books stand alone, but at this point in the series I think it's best to have some background on the characters. I not only recommend this book, but I recommend the entire series.

Book #34: Eleven On Top by Janet Evanovich

My 34th book of the year was another installment of the Stephanie Plum series, "Eleven On Top" by Janet Evanovich. In the eleventh novel of the series, Stephanie has quit her job as a bounty hunter and has decided to get a "normal" job. Unfortunately, she still ends up being stalked by a maniac who seems to want to blow her up. And yes, there are car explosions in this book!

It was a nice change to the series to have Stephanie trying different career paths while trying to stay alive. Lula still comes around to have Stephanie assist with some apprehensions, but that isn't the focus. Morelli and Ranger are still in her life as well, keeping things hot and complicated.

"Eleven On Top" was funny, as always and left me excited to read the twelfth book in the series. I wonder if Stephanie will go back to work for Vinnie or stay with the job she has. I'll have to read the next one right away to find out!

Book #27: Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

The tenth installment of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Ten Big Ones, starts off with a bang. An explosion, really. Right away, Stephanie's car explodes. Since her car remained intact during the ninth book, it was nice that it got torched so soon in this one.

Stephanie Plum is a bounty hunter that always seems to get herself involved in crazy situations that she can't quite get out of on her own. This time, she ends up on a gang's hit list and she has to go into hiding. Of course, hiding to Stephanie still includes going out and finding skips, but if it were any different it just wouldn't be Stephanie.

This book brings back a character from earlier in the series, Sally Sweet, a big, ugly transvestite who is now driving a bus and becomes Stephanie's sister's wedding planner. As funny as that visual is, this book didn't make me laugh as much as the previous books. Don't get me wrong, I laughed. I'm not sure that Stephanie could not be funny. This book just didn't seem as laugh out loud hilarious as the ones before.

As always, I recommend this book. You don't have to start at the beginning of the series, but it's totally worth it if you do!

Book #22: To The Nines by Janet Evanovich

Here I am, halfway through the Stephanie Plum series and I finally figured out who the bad guy is before the end of the book! Don't worry, I won't give it away, but I'm feeling quite proud of myself.

Janet Evanovich hit the mark once again with "To The Nines". Stephanie is out to find a skip AND the dog he disappeared with. This leads to a trip to Vegas with Connie and Lula. Stephanie thinks she will be safer there since she seems to have a stalker in Trenton. That turns out not to be the case.

In order to keep her safe, Morelli and Ranger take turns as Stephanie's bodyguard. Along the way, a couple of Ranger's Merry Men fall victim to Stephanie's bad luck, but her yellow Escape stays intact throughout the book!

As I always say, you don't have to start at the beginning of the series to enjoy the books, but I highly recommend doing so because they're so good!

Book #14: Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

"Visions of Sugar Plums" by Janet Evanovich is a "Between-the-Numbers" novel in the Stephanie Plum series. It is really more of a novella; very short and not as detailed as the regular series.

In "Visions of Sugar Plums" Stephanie is faced with something completely new: a man appears in her kitchen out of nowhere. She can't figure out what kind of supernatual being he is, but isn't too frightened of him. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's hot (kind of like every man in her life-how lucky is she?). She lets him tag along on her current apprehension since she's feeling frazzled at the fact that it's a few days before Christmas and she's trying to pick up a skip named Sandy Claws. I mean really, at that point, what's a hot, supernatural guy going to hurt?

I read this book in about two hours. It was just as hilarious as all of the other Stephanie Plum books, just quicker to read and with fewer twists. It would make a great read for a work commute or a short flight. Just be open to the fact that the supernatural element is never explained. Who needs an explanation with Stephanie's life though?

Book #10: Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich

Here I go, revisiting Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter, in "Hard Eight." The eighth book in the series brings new twists to Stephanie's life both in the romance department and within her family. Her sister Valerie has split from her husband, moving back in with Stephanie's parents, along with her two daughters. Valerie was always the "good" daughter, the one Stephanie should have been more like, according to their mother. Things have changed now that Valerie's life has been turned upside down.

Mooner and Dougie are nowhere to be found in this book, but rest assured, there is a new character hanging around Stephanie. Albert Kloughn (pronounced "clown") is a lawyer who fancies himself a tough guy and wants to be in on the action with her.

Morelli is around, but the relationship is anything but "on" at this point and things are heating up with Ranger, much to Stephanie's fear.

She's got her usual issues trying to bring in FTAs (failure to appear) but is focused on a non-paying case of finding her mother's neighbor's granddaughter and great-granddaughter. This brings her into contact with some of Trenton's unfriendliest people and gets her car bombed by a giant rabbit. (This is not at all unusual if you have read other Stephanie Plum novels!)

Janet Evanovich once again keeps me laughing out loud. The scenarios that Stephanie gets herself into are ridiculous and hilarious. I found the Ranger-Stephanie storyline a little anti-climactic, but then again, it turned out exactly as I thought it would.

If you need a good laugh and a fast-paced read, jump in. As I always say, you don't need to start with the first Stephanie Plum book in the series, but why wouldn't you? It's totally worth it!

Book #8: Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

If you have followed my blog, you already realize how much I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. I can always count on them to draw me in, make me laugh and keep me coming back for more! "Seven Up" follows right along that same path.

In this installment of the series, things are getting hotter with Ranger and more serious with Morelli. Stephanie is still at war with Joyce and Lula still has her back. Her big case is finding Eddie DeChooch which, as is normal, proves to be harder than it should be. Especially since Eddie is an old man who can barely see. At least he rarely hits what he shoots at!

Along the way, Dougie and Mooner (friends she made in "Hot Six") both end up missing. She has to figure out how they are tied into the DeChooch situation and find them before something bad happens to these harmless stoners.

As a change of pace, Stephanie doesn't have a car blown up in this book. That doesn't mean something doesn't happen to it, though. This is Stephanie Plum we're talking about!

If you want a fun read, one that goes fast and keeps you interested-not to mention howling with laughter-read this book! You don't have to start with the first book in the series since there is a synopsis at the beginning to give you an idea of what the series is about, but seriously, they are all worth reading. Janet Evanovich has created fascinating characters that are flawed in all the right ways.

A New Year, A New Challenge

After (barely) successfully completing my reading challenge for 2010, I feel like I'm ready to step things up a bit. A very little bit. Last year I read and reviewed 30 books. Most of them were books I enjoyed and some of them I absolutely fell in love with. Since things went so well in 2010, I will challenge myself to read and review 35 books in 2011.

There is a change I would like to make to my reviews. I feel as though I should develop some kind of rating system for my reviews, so that is at the top of my list for 2011. I'm not sure when it will be implemented, but I will be creating it in my mind as I go along.

Something I am also hoping to accomplish with my reading this year is to get caught up on a couple of series I have been reading. First, I want to get up to speed in the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich. This really shouldn't be hard, but I also want to pick up the "Between the Numbers" books as well. Because of this, I may be reading several of these books in a row this year.

Another series I discovered this year was the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. I would love to work through that series as well.

I appreciate all the suggestions I get via Twitter and Facebook about books I should read. I look into each of them and if I think they suit me-or even if I don't, but the suggestion came from a reliable source-I add them to my "to-read" list on Goodreads. I enjoy feedback from readers of books I have reviewed, so please add a comment if you have read a book that I have posted about. Just remember, if there is a spoiler in the comment, give a heads-up first!

Another Stephanie Plum Novel for Book #24

My most recent book is part of the Stephanie Plum series, written by Janet Evanovich. I was eager to read "Hot Six" and see where things went after the fifth book. As I expected, I was not disappointed.

In this installment, Stephanie Plum the bounty hunter, is given the task of looking for her mentor, Ranger. She quickly turns down the skip and it's passed on to her arch-enemy, Joyce Barnhardt. Joyce isn't the only one looking for Ranger though, in fact a lot of people are. And all of those people think Stephanie is the one to lead them to him. This is where her trouble begins.

Just to add interest to her already chaotic life, Grandma Mazur has a disagreement with Stephanie's father and moves in with her which really puts a stop to Stephanie's love life. Her love life, of course, was already a mess at the end of "High Five", but you will have to read "Hot Six" yourself to find out how that all turns out.

As always with the Stephanie Plum novels, Janet Evanovich has me laughing out loud chapter after chapter. They are smartly written and I never feel like it's a cheesy book that I'm just burning time with. The characters are well-described and I am fully invested in each and every one of them. I highly recommend the series and although you don't need to start with the first one, it's well worth your time to do so.

Want to Laugh Out Loud While Reading? This Will Do the Trick!

I absolutely LOVE the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. My best friend got me started on the series by giving me the first book, "One For The Money", several years ago and I've been hooked ever since. My latest Stephanie Plum read was my 14th book of the year, "High Five", you guessed it, the fifth in the series. I'm pretty sure this one was my favorite so far. All of the books have made me laugh, but this one was especially funny.

Stephanie is on the case of her missing uncle, assigned by her mother and grandmother. Of course, she gets into her usual trouble (How many cars have blown up now? I lose track.) and has her usual romantic issues with Morelli. Finally in "High Five" things get a little hotter between her and Ranger. I've been waiting for this for four books now!! The cliff-hanger at the end was groan-inducing for me: who does she invite over for a night of passion? Morelli? Ranger? Someone new? I can't wait to get my hands on number six to find out!

A couple of scenes that had me cracking up were Grandma Mazur testing Stephanie's stun gun and Stephanie and Lula trying to apprehend a particularly feisty "Failure to Appear." If that doesn't tempt you, I don't know what will!

In light of the fact that a Stephanie Plum movie is in the works, I recommend starting this series before the movie comes out if you haven't already. In my opinion, movies are usually lacking something that the book had. I'm anxious to see who will be playing Ranger and Lula in the movie, because they are the characters that I have the clearest picture of in my mind. I plan on watching the movie as soon as it comes out and hope they do the books justice.

Book #14 for the year was a blast! How is your reading going for the year?

Romance Is In The Air with Book #13

The book I read right before leaving for vacation was "Manhunt" by Janet Evanovich. I don't typically read romance novels, but this was a gift from a friend who knows I enjoy Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I have put off reading it, but I needed a quick, light read to squeeze in before I went on vacation. This was the perfect choice.

**********SPOILER ALERT**********

Like most romance novels, the plot was pretty predictable. Alexandra (Alex) Scott moves to Alaska to find a husband. Her new neighbor is the hunky Michael Casey (Casey). They are attracted to each other, don't want to fall for each other, then, before you know it, they're in love. No surprises here.

The author was very vague in the descriptions of the sex scenes, so no need to worry about reading semi-porn with this book. It was fun and fast to read. As long as you realize what you're in for with this book, it's pretty good. In fact, I think I'll pick up some of her other romance novels to have on hand when I need a little break from some of my more intense reads.