I’m participating in The Book Vixen’s men in uniform and outdo yourself 2012 reading challenges.

For the outdo yourself challenge my goal is to read 100 books, putting me at the I’m on fire level. Click the logo to join the challenge.

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones – Really do I need to explain how I have to read a series once I get sucked in? About 100 pages in and I am declaring myself a total fan girl. Status: Finished

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones – A friend has been on me like crazy to read this book. Oh. My. God. It’s. Awesome. Go read it. Now. Status: Finished April 15.

Sweet Series by Maya Banks – Another instance of USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog costing me money. This BSDM erotic romance series consists of Sweet Surrender, Sweet Persuasion, Sweet Seduction, Sweet Temptation, Sweet Possession and Sweet Addiction. I enjoyed them all, but Serena’s and Damon’s story (#2) was my favorite. Hot. Hot. Hot. Status: Finished the series April 10

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling – A great collection of essays and observations from Mindy Kaling. My favorite was the best friend requirements/contract. Yes, a best friend will wear all of your clothes but you do get to wear it first. Status: Finished April 6

Afterglow by Cherry Adair – I read the review of this book on USA  Today’s Happy Ever After blog and had to have it. My first non-digital read since The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes. Status: Finished April 4

Be With Me by Maya Banks – Oh my. One woman. Three men. One house. The best part of this erotic romance was the way the characters addressed their relationship and the challenges and rewards it presented. Status: Finished April 2

A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster – I fell into this book and didn’t climb back out until it was finished. Another great one in the Men who Walk the Edge of Honor series. I just love Lori Foster’s books. Status: Finished April 1

The Dark Tide (Adrien English #5) by Josh Lanyon – The last book in the series and Lanyon did a great job of bringing everyone home again for another mystery. Have to admit on this one I was speeding through the mystery parts to get to the personal stuff with Jake and Adrien. Status: Finished March 28.

Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English #4) by Josh Lanyon – Another twisted mystery to be solved, more Jake to want to punch and an ending that gave me the melty feeling in my stomach. Yep, another good one. Status: Finished March 26.

The Hell You Say (Adrien English #3) by Josh Lanyon – I spent this entire book wanting to smack Jake over the head with a frying pan for being an ass to my new boyfriend Adrien. What? You say he can’t be my boyfriend because he’s gay? He’s also pretend and that isn’t stopping me. And even though I wanted to kill him, I totally understood why Adrien couldn’t completely let him go. Damn good book. Status: Finished March 25

Adrien English Mysteries 1&2 by Josh Lanyon – Ohhh I’m only a few pages in and am loving it already. Here’s the quickie blurb: “Relationships can be murder. Bookseller and mystery author Adrien English is looking for love in all the wrong places — and, according to hot and handsome LAPD detective Jake Riordan, it’s liable to get him killed.” Status: Reading

A Tale of Two Djinns by Mina Khan – This is the second in Mina’s Djinns series and is a Romeo and Juliette tale of warring Djinn tribes. A really fun read with a hot hero and a strong heroine. Status: Finished March 20

French Quarter by Lacey Alexander – OK, I loved her Bad Girl by Night so I had to find more from this author. This is one of her early books and you can really see how she’s grown through her career. An enjoyable, hot read. Status: Finished March 19

Fever by Joan Swan – So I jumped right into the controversial fire with this one. I know and really like Joan and had been looking so forward to reading this book that I had to read it myself. I won’t lie the racist talk by a secondary character is significant so be warned. Does it cross the line from gritty realism to shock value? I think each reader needs to decide for themselves. Status: Finished March 19

The Virtuoso by Grace Burrowes – You see how I get with a series? I have to finish it. Val was my favorite brother from the first book in the series so I was really looking forward to this one. I loved the thematic concept of wondering what does a person turn to when the one thing they’ve been doing their entire life – and loved doing – falls through. Status: Finished March 10

The Soldier by Grace Burrowes – So you knew I’d have to finish this series off as soon as I got home, right? I didn’t like this one as well as The Heir, but still enjoyed this romance. Status: Finished Feb. 26

The Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell – Lucky me, I found a copy of this in the airport bookstore. I read most of it on the plane and finished it the next day. I gasped when she revealed who The Thorn was – she did a great job of setting up one guy who turned out to be a red herring. I loved that the hero of the book was plenty alpha, but he wasn’t an entitled, titled alphahole. Status: Finshed Feb. 26

The Heir by Grace Burrowes - How much did I like this book? I finished this while in Chicago on a business trip, staying up until 2 a.m. when I had to be in a suit and on the floor at 7:30 a.m. A future duke and the housemaid who’s actually so much more. The love story hooked me and the great storytelling kept me there. I already had books two and three in the series at home, but still scoured the airport bookstore in hopes of finding a copy there to buy so I could read it on the plane. Loved. It. Now. Status: Finished Feb. 25

The Suicide Run: Five Tales of the Marine Corps by William Styron - This book of five short stories by the Pulizer Prize winning author of Sophie’s Choice had its moments, but on the whole it read as dated and the first person narrator in many of the stories was less than likable to put it mildly. Still, it was a good change of pace. Status: Finished Feb. 24

A Muse Gone Rogue by Kacey Mark – I read the description and had to read it. I’m thinking of it as a pick me up after the Hunger Games. Status: Reading

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I was crying at the end of this one for poor broken Peeta. Out of the trio, I have to say Hunger Games was my favorite but I loved this one too for the heartbreak and redemption aspect of it. Now if Peeta hadn’t come back at the end? Oh man would I have been pissed. Status: Finished Feb. 12

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins – So I went through the entire trilogy in a weekend. I think I may have liked these books. Status: Finished Feb. 12

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – This is a YA book, perhaps you’ve heard of it? Yeah, I know I’m the last person on earth who hadn’t read it. Loved it. Had to buy the next two immediately. Status: Finished Feb. 11.

You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs – If you haven’t read Augusten Burroughs before he’s a personal essayist – think a really dark David Sederis. I’ve read his Wolf at the Table (fabulous) and his brother’s autobiography Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger’s (John Elder Robison), both were awesome. This one dragged for me, but then on page 167 it felt like he’d punched me in the gut. Had to blink away tears. Status: Finished Feb. 9

Bad Girl by Night: H.O.T. Cops #1 by Lacey Alexander – This book almost melted my iPad it was so hot, but what I really loved about the book was how it made me think about the importance of being able to define your own sexuality as opposed to letting society and your own past dictate it. Double bonus, it features a cute cop. Finished: Feb. 4, 2012

Gunshy by Seleste Delaney – This is a short novella (only 53 pages) but it was so good. Jesse is a rock star sick of the life and Kira is a straight-laced principal who just got dumped. They have a one-night stand that turns into more than either expected. Finished: Jan. 31, 2012

Breaking Delia’s Rules by W. Lynn Chantale - I was lucky enough to win this. Whoo-hoo!!! The tagline is: Five days, three rules, and one sizzling seduction. Status: Finished Jan. 31, 2012

Trouble Don’t Last Always by Francis Ray - This is my first of her books, but I have a total Twitter crush on her. Plus, she’s going to be February’s guest interview at Waterworld Mermaids. Ray has a great talent for building emotion. I really enjoyed this. Status: Finished Jan. 27, 2012.

Accidentally Catty by Dakota Cassidy – This was my first book in the accidentally series, but the fifth in line. I love her sense of humor, so I’ll be reading more. Status: Finished Jan. 6, 2012

For the men in uniform I’m going for the chief rank (16 or more books). Click the logo to join the challenge.

Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English #4) by Josh Lanyon – Another twisted mystery to be solved, more Jake to want to punch and an ending that gave me the melty feeling in my stomach. Yep, another good one. Status: Finished March 26.

The Hell You Say (Adrien English #3) by Josh Lanyon – I spent this entire book wanting to smack Jake over the head with a frying pan for being an ass to my new boyfriend Adrien. What? You say he can’t be my boyfriend because he’s gay? He’s also pretend and that isn’t stopping me. And even though I wanted to kill him, I totally understood why Adrien couldn’t completely let him go. Damn good book. Status: Finished March 25

Adrien English Mysteries 1&2 by Josh Lanyon - Ohhh I’m only a few pages in and am loving it already. Here’s the quickie blurb: “Relationships can be murder. Bookseller and mystery author Adrien English is looking for love in all the wrong places — and, according to hot and handsome LAPD detective Jake Riordan, it’s liable to get him killed.” Status: Reading

Bad Girl by Night: H.O.T. Cops #1 by Lacey Alexander - This book almost melted my iPad it was so hot but what I really loved about the book was how it made me think about the importance of being able to define your own sexuality as opposed to letting society dictate it. Double bonus, it features a cute cop. Finished: Feb. 4, 2012

The Past Came Hunting by Donnell Ann Bell - From humor to gritty romantic suspense. This one has an opening that grabbed me right away and never let go. Loved. It. Plus it has a cop so this counts for the overall and men in uniform challenges! Status: Finished Jan. 9, 2012

Big goals, but hey if you’re not going to go all in, why bother? Have ideas for what I should read? Put them in the comments section, I’m open to everything. Yep, am a book slut.