Audio Bliss

Susi:

I just finished Witness in Death by J.D. Robb last night. That one might be one of my favorites in this series so far. I liked the moral dilemma Eve faces in this one and well I can’t say much on the whys but it really touched me. Also the emotional development of Eve’s and Roarke’s relationship was wonderful to see and Peabody finally gets more time for her story. And as always the narration was extraordinary. *g* I’m so hooked on this series.

After that cuz I was riled up and couldn’t sleep I started Tricked by Kevin Hearne and I so missed Atticus. He’s hilarious and made me snort and giggle in bed. I even woke bf once and he was so rolling his eyes at me. Well he actually is only jealous- I’m sure. Not far in on that one yet but I’m pretty sure it will rock.


Caro:

I started way too many audiobooks at the same time once again LOL I only JUST started Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb (yes Susi infected me with the In Death syndrome). The narrator is AWESOME!!! I was despairing over ever being able to read this (huge-ass) series and Audiobooks made it happen! But I stopped listening so I could start Tricked!!! Squeeeeeeeeeee! I miss Atticus and Oberon. I’m super excited. The narrator is so good I can’t have enough of his voice. I can’t stop laughing at his Oberon voice. I’m not listening much these days so it’ll take me some time to finish both. =P

I also have 2 other audiobooks started...Virgin River by Robyn Carr and Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones. So as you see be it books, audiobooks, or knitting projects...I always start too many at a time. This is eye opening lol

What are you listening to right now?

Have you read or listened to any of these books?

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DIY Yarn Swift & Ballwinder

Last week I finally succumbed and ordered some Malabrigo Lace yarn. I just had to get some of their pretty colors. But why did I never do that before? They aren't really more expensive than other yarns but well they aren't balled yet. *gasp* Yes, I know I'm lazy but it's not only that. Last year the wonderful Caro gave me some Malabrigo Sock yarn in Tiziano Red and I tried to make my own ball. That's the result:

Bf holding the ruined yarn.

As you can see I suck at that. It took us hours to unravel that- okay actually 2 days speant in front of tv unraveling  instead of knitting. Meh for that.

So after that fiasco I asked Caro how she makes her pretty balls. And she told me about her ball winder and how great that is. So I googled and discovered that a ball winder is freakish expensive (at least for me: 30-40€ that's like 6 books or enough yarn to make at least 3 shawls). So I asked bf if we could just build one ourselves. After googleing at work on how to build your own ballwinder we discovered that we should also build a yarn swift (I'm such a newbie at stuff like this). So that was our plan.

We build both out of stuff we had at hand so it actually cost us nothing. Here's the yarn swift:

Self made yarn swift

The under-construction is a turn table originally bought for a tv. The white thingies are an old and unused curtain rail.. In the middle we cut some of the plastic out so we could cross it. We measured the distance the  pencils should have and drilled some holes in it.  Here is it with some pretty Vermillion on it:

Malabrigo Lace Vermillion 

The ball winder was actually even easier. We found some online instructions that told us to use and electric drill which I found rather scary. But luckily we found some antique thingie in our cellar- a really OLD hand powered drill. So I added some foam distance holders ,which are actually used under chair legs,  to a pencil  and we were ready to go:

Self made ball winder (and yes we're watching Star Trek - The Animated Series at the  moment)

So the winding started and 21minutes later we have a ball of wonderful yarn:

I actually don't pull the pencils out cuz I'm a scaredy cat. But well it's better than my first attempt at making my own  ball.

After accomplishing this I have to say yet again it rocks to live in an engineering household.

What's the best thing you ever build yourself? 

Do you have a ballwinder or can you actually make real balls without it?

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We're back

Hey everyone,
we know long time no see but life was chaotic here. We both were busy and when we had a free moment or two we spent those on Book Lovers Inc or on our newest hobby... knitting.

But well we both do love this blog and so we thought we might just start posting again. But how to get that lost blogging mojo back? Our solution: changing the rules.

We will from now on post about what we want to share be it book related or not. We hope you will bear with us until we will find our own way back.

And be warned- we both love to knit so there will be posts about stuff like that. Pretty pictures and all.

We also discovered audiobooks so we plan on talking about those too and well everything else that happens around here.  

Caro's PS: I take full responsibility for infecting Susi with the Knitting virus. We both thought it would just be a phase, a few months and we'd go back to our normal selves. But we have to admit defeat and recognize that we're beyond hopes of recovery. ;) 

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July's HEAs

Susi's Books:
July was definitely not my month. Hospital stay, a bazillion doc appointments and my finals all in one little cozy month. Blech! I vote for August being a better month. So here my tiny list:

1. Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford (my review) - 4 stars
This was a really good m/m mystery novel. The setting was rather exotic and the characters highly intriguing. I will keep my eyes open for more of Ford's work.

2. Red Mortal (Gods of Midnight, #4) by Deidre Knight - 3 stars
Last book in the Gods of Midnight series *sobs* and I kind of expected more. Leo and Daphne always had this chemistry between them and for my taste they just spend to much time with denying themselves in this one. Got really annoying at some point to here the same reason again and again and again. And I'm still sad that Mason and Nikos won't have their own book. =(

3. Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour #1) by Olivia Cunning - 4 stars
OMG hawt hawt hawt. I read this one cuz Caro forced me to guinea-pig for her and I was always reluctant cuz I knew it would have rimming and just yuck. *Susi the prude* But well I just ignored those scenes. The rest was hot, hot, hot and the guys are fun in a rockstar kind of way. And they make me think of Apocalyptica doing dirty things. I approve. *g*

4. Rock Hard (Sinners on Tour, #2) by Olivia Cunning - 4 stars
This one was a bit more emotional and not so much focused on the sex. We still have tons of that but the emotional buildup is more complex and the overall feel more thought-provoking. Really liked this change of pace.

5. Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1) by Thea Harrison- 4 stars
This one was really good. Finally a new PNR I actually do like. I wasn't sure if I would like it because I read some spoilers (on accident) before I started it but I did like it. It's not that outstanding as everyone wanted me to believe but it is definitely one of the best.

6. Black Night (Madeline Black, #2) by Christina Henry (my review) - 3 ½ stars
This one was fun- it has awesome characters that will make you giggle and snort and it has the gory fight scenes that will make you O_o. I expected a bit more development of the romantic plotline but there wasn't much.

7. Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera (my review) - 3 stars
This one was funny and reminded me of Bridget Jones but on the other hand it was a bit too shallow and superficial for my taste. I really wanted to bang the heroine's head against some hard.

8. Changing the Game (Play by Play, #2) by Jaci Burton (my review) - 4 stars
Ohhhhh Gavin- I'm in love. I really loved to see how he and Lizzie found their HEA. A love story about to stubborn humans and the smex was hot. Highly recommended series!

9. Indecent Experiment by Megan Hart- 4 ½ stars
A short story I bought for being a good student. And OMG this was hot- this will show what sexual build up should be like. Wonderful and just awesome. All thumbs up.

10. Open Season by Linda Howard - 3 stars
I read this one cuz Has from The Book Pushers pimped it. A nice romantic suspense but for me it was a bit too slow. I wanted a bit more thrill. But it was a fun read with a wonderful condom scene that made me giggle and role my eyes at the same time.

Caro's Books:
I’m not sure why this was a slow month for me too (Susi: you missed me!! Awww. *hugs*) but it turned out that way. *shrug* I won’t complain though because I read some fantastic books. I’m still over-the-roof happy about Backstage Pass! *squee*. Here’s my list:

1. Only Mine by Susan Mallery - 4 Stars (my review)
This is a very cute Small Town romance. Easy to read and full of happy! I fell for this town and its inhabitants.

2. Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase - 4 ½ - 5 Stars
This was different from the usual Historical romances, for once the heroine is working and not an idle aristocrat. This was really good. I’m excited about the next book.

3. Venom Jennifer Estep - 4 ½ Stars - Audiobook
I think this was my favorite in the series so far. But I’m still annoyed at a few of my pet peeves in this series.

4. Something About You by Julie James - 4 ½ Stars
I wish it had more romance from the start. Otherwise it was very funny and the hero was yumilicious. NOM NOM NOM

5. The King’s Courtesan by Judith James - 4 ½ Stars (my review)
I was SO excited to read this book and it didn’t disappoint. My review HERE

6. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning - Big fat 5 Stars
Woooot!! *suqeeeee* This was SO amazing. I loved it to PIECES. It’s just perfect. I’m still thinking about it now. *squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee*

7. Hammered by Kevin Hearne - 4 Stars - Audiobook
This was well narrated like the first 2 books but the story was a bit less interesting. Or better said it was a bit harder to follow mostly because I didn’t know ¾ of the deities/Gods/myths mentioned in this book. It was still a good book

8. Inside Out - Lauren Dane - 3 ½ Stars
As much as I love this series, I didn’t enjoy Inside Out as much as the other books. Not enough things happening and I didn’t care much about the main characters. I’ve been waiting for years for Adrian’s story though...I’m excited for Never Enough. It’s killing me to see everyone reading t now. WANTZ!!!

What was your favorite read in July? 

Any recommendations we shouldn't miss in August?

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ARC Review: Changing the Game by Jaci Burton

Blurb:

Most people play by the rules. Gavin and Liz aren't most people...

Win at any cost. That's always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far and risks losing her number-one client, baseball pro Gavin Riley, Liz realizes that she'll have to work extra innings to win him back. It might not be too much of a stretch. She's had a thing for this player's moves since she first laid eyes on him, and by the looks of it, he wants her just as bad.

Gavin's more than ready—especially when Liz is offering herself as part of the bargain. And as much of her as Gavin wants. For added thrills, he decides to throw a little curve ball Liz's way to see just how far she's truly willing to go to keep him as a client. But when love unexpectedly enters the playing field, neither Liz nor Gavin are ready for the biggest game-changer of them all.

Susi's Thoughts:
Elizabeth didn't have the best start with us as the readers in book 1. She played the role of the antagonist  and I wasn't sure if I could warm up enough to her to really enjoy her book. But I did. Elizabeth is a complex character and there is so much hidden under her perfect and pretty shell. She isn't the shark and unfeeling agent we thought her to be. After the first few pages I already knew that I would like that woman. She is strong, won't back down and stands up for what's important to her. She is a fighter and never shrinks away from a challenge. I think she and sports are a fit made in heaven. She has the attitude and endurance to be successful in this branch. I loved to see how she ticks. She has so much heart and love inside her- she cares deeply for those she sees as her friends- it's just hard for her to show it.

Gavin is one hot alpha male.He knows what he wants, sometimes *winks*, and is as ambitious as Lizzie. He loves a good challenge and Elizabeth is his biggest yet. He loves her independence and her stubborness. He isn't one to back down either.

The predictment of their love wasn't pretty good from the start. The past makes it complicated for them to start fresh and without any burdens. The buildup was sexy as hell but also broke my heart one small step at a time. The emotional background in this book is always present but doesn't overshadow the actual story. Elizabeth's love for Gavin is always present but their "fling" gave the story a lightheartedness that just screamed fun. I really crossed all my fingers and toes for them- they really deserve a life together. They are so different but fit in a way that's just enviable. The way the love between these two developed was paced  just right but still I wanted to scream and rant at them more than once

I have to say that Ms Burton really knows how to write her sex scenes. Wowza says is it all. She creates this great mix of emotions and erotic sensuality- my favorite kind. *wink* But I'll be honest, the dirty talk in Changing the Game wasn't exactly made for me. Dirty talk is always a hit or miss for me- sometimes I love it and other times it starts to annoy me at least a bit if it seems to be a too big contrast to the characters usual behavior.  Another thing that irritated me was the baseball lingo but that could be because I have not the slightest idea how that play works besides that some guy hit that bat thingie against the ball and everyone starts to run around the field. I actually had to google words to see what it is. *hides in shame*

I can already feel that the next book will be awesome. We see some glimpses of Jenna and Ty- those two will burn the pages (and I actually know some things about hockey so I'm sure I will love the sports aspect in that one more).

Changing the Game is a great mix of everything I love in my romance novels. It is smoking hot and still made laugh and smile. When a book makes you love the bad girl it just has to be good. Never thought I would say that but Jaci Burton made me love stories about sports. Keep them coming, I'm already counting the days till Taking a Shot.

I give Changing the Game 4 out of 5 stars

with a HEA as it should be. 

Author Links:
Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Goodreads

Book Links:
Lea's review @ Book Lovers Inc, Goodreads, Amazon, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Chapters, Nook, Kindle, iBookstore

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