Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 is over

2013 is over.

I have read 201 books of varied length, all in all, approximately 59452 pages in 2013. 

I have taken part in 36 Reading challenges and completed 35 of these - the last one just disappeared off the internet and I couldn't find it again.

It has been a lot of interesting challenges and I am going to take part in some of the same again but also a few new ones. At this point I have joined 20 challenges for 2014 and I am continuing 7 that hasn't finished yet. But I think there might be a few more yearly challenges I want to join + the usual shorter ones that pop up during the year.

Most of the challenges I take part in I find at either A Novel Challenge or from 2 groups on Goodreads. Crazy Challenge Connection and Nothing but Reading Challenges.

December 2013 Update

 
December has been a slow reading month for me. I have read 14 books but they have mostly been shorter books so I have read only 3525 pages.

My Decemember books:
  1. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
  2. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews
  3. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
  4. Red Shift by Alan Garner
  5. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley
  6. Tethers by Jack Croxall 
  7. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
  8. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
  9. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson
  10. All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
  11. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
  12. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
  13. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
  14. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19 Update

Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

My goal was to read 3 books in total and I have already reached this goal.
  1. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks - finished 30th of December 2013
  2. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James - finished 30th of December 2013
  3. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton finished 31st of December 2013
I hope to read a few more books for this challenge in the first days of 2014.

Reading Challenge Addict 2013 Finished

Reading Challenge Addict 2013.

Some of us have a bit of a problem. Some of us have a huge problem. Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. And they are the founding mothers of the Reading Challenge Addict Blog.  Bev from My Reader's Block is one with a HUGE problem and the current author and caretaker of the Blog.  We each can stand proudly and say,

I am a Reading Challenge Addict.

So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

There will be random prizes and recognition for those who are meeting their own expectations by completing the challenges they've entered.

How addicted are you?

  • Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

Rules:

We're not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it's going to be very simple!

  1. The newest edition of the challenge will begin on January 1 and end on December 31, 2013.
  2. Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
  3. Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
  4. Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.
  5. Comment like crazy and offer support for your fellow addicts.
  6. Have FUN!
Easy, right? Who wants to be in on the fun? What else will be on offer? Random giveaways for participants to enter and unannounced special drawings for commenters on the site so be sure to leave your email address with your comment! Are you ready? Sign up on the Challenge Addicts 2013 page.  

My goal this year was Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed) 

 

I have more than succeeded this year as I have joined, all in all, 36  Reading challenges and, of these, I have completed 35.
 

This is my list of the challenges I have joined. 
  1. 2013 Anne Rice Challenge (finished 23/11-13)
  2. 2013 Audio Book Challenge (finished 24/11-13)
  3. 2013 A-Z Reading Challenge (finished 25/11-13)
  4. 2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge  Cancelled
  5. 2013 Ebook Challenge (finished 24/11-13)
  6. 2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (finished 24/11-13)
  7. 2013 Mythology Challenge. (finished 23/11-13)
  8. 2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge (finished 31/12-13)
  9. 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (finished 24/12-13)
  10. 2013 Sequel Reading Challenge (finished 23/11-13)
  11. 2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (finished 23/11-13)
  12. 2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge (finished 24/11-13)
  13. 2013 Women Challenge (finished 05/03-13)
  14. Dystopia Reading Challenge 2013 (finished 23/11-13)
  15. Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2013  (finished 28/04-13)
  16. Get Steampunk’d 2013  (finished 27/12-13)
  17. Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (finished 10/03-13)
  18. Quick fix Challenge 2013 (finished 05/03-13)
  19. Reading Challenge Addict 2013 
  20. TEA & BOOKS Reading Challenge 2013 (finished 23/11-13)
  21. Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge (finished 31/12-13)
  22. Tower Teams Read 2013 (finished 24/11-13)
  23. Level 1 of the Serious Readers Challenge for 2013 (finished 31/12-13)
  24. 2013 1st In A Series Challenge (finished 23/11-13)
  25. 2013 Mammoth Book Challenge (finished 23/11-13)
  26. A Winter's Respite  (finished 27/01-13)
  27. Dewey's Read-a-Thon April 2013 (finished 28/04-13)
  28. Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon (finished 28/04-13)
  29. High Summer Read-a-Thon July 22-28 (finished 28/05-13)
  30. Beat the Heat Readathon (finished 18/08-13)
  31. Bout of Books Read-a-Thon 8.0 (finished 25/08-13)
  32. September 2013 Takeover Challenge (finished 30/09-13)
  33. FrightFall Read-a-Thon 2013 (finished 07/10-13)
  34. Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2013 (finished 13/10-13)
  35. The Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon November 22 - 24 (finished 24/11-13)
  36. Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #18 (finished 04/12-13)
  37. A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge (finished 05/12-13)

Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge Finished

Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge.

This is just a brilliant challenge. It is personal so you just set it to the amount of books you think you are going to read in 2013 and you can change the total at any time.

Goodreads is where I will record all books I read and that includes short stories of only a few pages. Everything I read will be part of this challenge.

My goal at the beginning of the year was 130 books but I have read 201 all in all.

THIS is my Goodreads bookshelf of books read

List of books:
  1. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
  2. Moon dance by J.R. Rain
  3. Sterling by Dannika Dark
  4. A Nomadic Witch by Debora Geary
  5. The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi
  6. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 
  7. To Have and To Code by Debora Geary
  8. De Novo Syndrome by Jim Buckner, David Mark Brown 
  9. The Scourge by A.G. Henley
  10. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 
  11. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon 
  12. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles 
  13. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
  14. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
  15. My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann
  16. Shadowmagic by John Lenahan 
  17. Deadly Legacy by Alison Bruce
  18. Vampire Moon by J.R. Rain 
  19. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stace
  20. A Different Witch by Debora Geary
  21. Twist by Dannika Dark 
  22. Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom
  23. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder 
  24. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
  25. Become by Ali Cross
  26. Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker 
  27. Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria by Hayley Okines, Kerry Okines, Alison Stokes  
  28. Winging It! by Shel Delisle
  29. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 
  30. Skellig by David Almond
  31. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
  32. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa  
  33. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
  34. Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
  35. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
  36. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
  37. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
  38. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary
  39. Witches under Way by Debora Geary
  40. Witches in Flight by Debora Geary
  41. American Vampire by J.R. Rain 
  42. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder  
  43. Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
  44. Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden 
  45. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
  46. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks 
  47. Stained by Ella James 
  48. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
  49. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs 
  50. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper 
  51. A Celtic Witch by Debora Geary 
  52. Wise Follies by Grace Wynne-Jones 
  53. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton 
  54. Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse 
  55. Amy's Story by D'Elen McClain
  56. Manhattan Grimoire by Sandy DeLuca
  57. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
  58. Marked by Kim Richardson
  59. For a Good Time, Call... by Trish Jensen
  60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
  61. Swordfights & Lullabies by Debora Geary 
  62. Endlessly by Kiersten White
  63. Every Witch Way But Wicked
  64. The Hunt by Joseph Williams
  65. Virtual Evil by Jana Oliver
  66. WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor 
  67. Queen Of Sorcery by David Eddings 
  68. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings 
  69. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings 
  70. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 
  71. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings 
  72. Just Doll by Janice Daugharty
  73. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
  74. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
  75. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
  76. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
  77. Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
  78. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
  79. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
  80. Sharpe's Prey by Bernard Cornwell
  81. Merrick by Anne Rice
  82. Guards! Guards!: by Terry Pratchett
  83. The Light Within Me by Carly Fall
  84. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
  85. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub
  86. Zombacter: Center City Contagion by Sean Bingham 
  87. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch  
  88. Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly 
  89. Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub 
  90. Alone by Robert J. Crane
  91. Chocolate Shoes And Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley
  92. Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook
  93. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
  94. The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
  95. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen by Norah Wilson 
  96. Origins by Kristen Middleton
  97. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
  98. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
  99. Her Own Devices by Shelley Adina 
  100. The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay
  101. Amethyst by Heather Bowhay
  102. A Lost Witch by Debora Geary
  103. To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
  104. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
  105. Moon Child by J.R. Rain
  106. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
  107. Daughter of Dragons by Kathleen H. Nelson 
  108. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
  109. Witch Way Bends by Olivia Hardin 
  110. Cursed by Casey Odell
  111. Frey by Melissa Wright 
  112. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
  113. Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs
  114. Magnificent Devices by Shelley Adina
  115. Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva 
  116. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles 
  117. Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson 
  118. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach
  119. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa 
  120. Fins by Ashley L. Knight 
  121. I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel
  122. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 
  123. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
  124. Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford
  125. Watership Down by Richard Adams 
  126. Fathom by Ashley L. Knight
  127. Everblue by Brenda Pandos
  128. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
  129. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
  130. One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
  131. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
  132. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
  133. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
  134. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin
  135. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
  136. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
  137. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
  138. Æsel by Kristna Stoltz
  139. Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn 
  140. Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection by Charles de Lint
  141. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey  
  142. The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson 
  143. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 
  144. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn
  145. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
  146. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 
  147. DRT by Eric Thomas
  148. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory 
  149. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
  150. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan 
  151. To Love a Witch by Debora Geary 
  152. An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary 
  153. WitchLove by Emma Mills
  154. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller 
  155. When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne 
  156. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
  157. How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  158. XBestia by Melissa Conway
  159. Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley
  160. Matchmakers 2.0 by Debora Geary 
  161. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett 
  162. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi 
  163. Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks
  164. How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  165. How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  166. How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
  167. Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades by Rick Riordan / Groovy Greeks by Terry Deary, Martin Brown
  168. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 
  169. UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
  170. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan  
  171. How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  172. Vampires: The Recent Undead by Paula Guran (Editor)
  173. Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista
  174. The Moon Of Gomrath by Alan Garner
  175. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
  176. Elidor by Alan Garner
  177. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
  178. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 
  179. Burning Chrome by William Gibson 
  180. Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton
  181. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
  182. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia
  183. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King 
  184. Ønskebarnet by Eddie Thomas Petersen 
  185. Buried Child by Sam Shepard 
  186. Ã…ndeløs by Cliff McNish 
  187. Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer
  188. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
  189. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews
  190. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
  191. Red Shift by Alan Garner
  192. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley
  193. Tethers by Jack Croxall 
  194. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
  195. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
  196. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson
  197. All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
  198. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
  199. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
  200. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
  201. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge Finished

2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge hosted by The Book Vixen.

Reading Challenge Details:
    Runs January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013 (books read prior to 1/1/2013 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
    The goal is to read or re-read as many Nicholas Sparks novels as you’d like. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
    Books can be any format (bound, ebook, audio).
    You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
    Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
    Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
     First Date – Read 1–4 Nicholas Sparks novels
     Going Steady – Read 5–8 Nicholas Sparks novels
     Engaged – Read 9–12 Nicholas Sparks novels
     Married – Read 13–16 Nicholas Sparks novels


My goal was First Date - Read 1 - 4 Nicholas Sparks Novels. I have completed this challenge and read 4 books. I am not ready to take part in this challenge again in 2014.

All my Posts are HERE

List of books:

  1. The Notebook
  2. The Last Song 
  3. The Lucky One
  4. Safe Haven

Level 1+2 of the Serious Readers Challenge for 2013 Finished

Level 1 of the Serious Readers Challenge for 2013.

This challenge is for serious readers. If you can commit to read at least a hundred books, well, we'll let you play. The challenge will consist of many levels, each level will consist of 100 books. So once you complete your first hundred, you may advance to the next level - Level 2. Just create your list of books (at this level label them 1 through 100) and mark them off with a strike through them as you finish. If you find you can't finish one of the books on your list for any reason, you may replace it with another. Also, if you just want to decide what you read as you go you can do that as well. Since this challenge is for the year 2013 any books you've read this year may be included so we may have quite a few levels being utilized at one time once I get this challenge up. If you get done with one level, but I haven't created the next just let me know and I'll add the next level to our challenge. This is a free choice challenge. Read whatever you want. Hopefully, all is clear. Happy reading.

My goal for this year was to read at least 130 books. In this challenge level 1 is 100 books so I was sure I could do that.

I finished the 1st part of the challenge June 29th and moved on to level 2. 

I have read 201 books in 2013 so I also completed level 2 of this challenge.

THIS is bookshelf on Goodreads for this challenge. And THIS is the list for the level 1.
Level 2 list of books is HERE.

My posts are HERE. And the full list of all my books read in 2013 is HERE.

The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton

Skip Ralstat is a man so steeped in grief and despair that life seems no longer possible. After the death of his wife and child, Skip blames himself. He has given up his friends, his job, and even his home. Now, homeless, he survives on the mean streets of Albany. He knows it can't go on, that life must end. But will it?
Come join him on his most unusual road to redemption. The salvation of one life...lies along this road.
Let the healing from "The Santa Shop" begin.
From Goodreads.







I enjoyed this more than I expected. Yes it is sad but it is full of the Christmas Spirit of helping each other.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 8th of October 2013)
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

Monday, December 30, 2013

A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James

When her estranged brother passes, Missy is suddenly an unwanted co-owner to Ocean View Stables by Florence, Oregon. Missy wants to start over somewhere new after her old boss burned her. She's jobless and has a wrongly ruined reputation, so this works out perfectly . . . until she meets the cowboy running the place. Brent built his dream with determination and his two hands; he's responsible for everything that happens there. Secretly, he feels responsible that his former partner died. He also doesn't hide his belief that Missy won't stick around. Women tend to take off on him so why would she be any different? They both have a past that can ruin their future. Can he trust her to stay? Can she trust him with her heart? From Goodreads.





This was an okay romance. Apart from taking part around Christmas there is no Christmas theme in it.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Ebook Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 27th of December 2011)
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.
But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.
From Goodreads

This was better than the last two Nicholas Sparks books I read, but still not as good as The Notebook. It touches the scary life in an abusive relationship and how difficult it can be to get out. I didn't find any surprises in the book, it all turned out as I expected.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19

Crazy Challenge Connection RaT #19 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

'Tis that time again :) Our next Read-a-thon will begin at 12:01am Sunday, December 29, and continue until midnight on Saturday, January 4, a total of seven days. (Use your local time for start/end times.) We're hoping that this will help you finish your December reading lists/challenges and get a head start on next month's reading!

Note: Yes, we know that this is a crazy busy time of year for everyone, but we also know that a lot of us have challenges that end on December 31, and might need a boost to get them finished on time.

Again, our goals for this RaT will be to:
(1) complete any challenges ending in December that you haven't finished yet and start on January's challenges (when appropriate) and/or
(2) work on that pile of library books -- or those new books you got as gifts from family/friends! -- that's waiting for your attention and/or
(3) read anything you want to read, just because!

If none of these goals fit your reading plan, then create your own goal and let us know what you plan to accomplish :) As you read, be sure to check in here and let us know what you've read, how it fits your goals, how you rate the book, and anything else you want to tell us about it!

So ... who's in? :D  


I am going to take part in this challenge and hope to read at least 3 books. 2 to complete my 2013 challenges and 1 to start the 2014 challenges.

For Nicholas Sparks 2013:
Safe Haven

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013:
A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton
A Little Christmas Magic by Sylvie Kurtz


For different 2014 challenges:
An Unlikely Witch by Debora Geary or/and
Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews

When her werewolf friend Derek is discovered half dead, Kate Daniels knows that she cannot rest until she neutralizes his attackers. Her hunt for the culprits ultimately leads her to the Midnight Games, an invitation-only, no-holds-barred paranormal fighting tournament. Magically appealing. From Goodreads





This Kate Daniels series just keeps getting better. I read this in one day and I am looking forward to the next one which I will read in the beginning of January. If you like books with shifters and lots of other paranormal creatures I can recommend this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
CCC Winter Spell 2013-14
CCC-Read your age

Friday, December 27, 2013

2014 Women Challenge Sign Up

2014 Women Challenge hosted by Peek a booK!.

Welcome to the second edition of the “Women Challenge”!
This challenge will make us want to read more books of any kind written by women, so choose whatever you like and get involved!
Set your level and, if you like, leave me a comment on this post listing your three favourite women writers, in order to suggest new names to other participants as well.

Here are mine (they are just the first ones coming to my mind):

* Simone De Beauvoir
* Fannie Flagg
* Joanne Harris


Rules:

* anyone can join;
* you don't need a blog to partecipate: if you are a non-blogger please leave a comment with a link (if you review elsewhere) to your review or with the list of the books you read and the level you choose;
* audio, e-books, bound books and re-reads are ok;
* create a sign up post on your blog and post the link in the Linky below (scroll down please, it's at the end of the italian translation);
* challenge goes from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014;
* here you can link for your reviews.


Levels:

Level 1: BABY GIRL - read 5 books written by a woman author
Level 2: GIRLS POWER - read 6 to 15 books written by a woman author
Level 3: SUPER GIRL - read 16 to 20 books written by a woman author
Level 4: WONDER WOMAN - read 20+ books written by a woman author

It's never too late to join!

Have fun and good luck! :)


I am ready to join this challenge again. I took part in 2013 and more than half of the books I read, over a hundred, were written by women. My goal is to reach Level 4: WONDER WOMAN - read 20+ books written by a woman author

List of books:
  1. An Unlikely Witch by Debora Geary 
  2. A little Christmas Magic by Sylvie Kurtz
  3. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews  
  4. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews 
  5. Brazen by Kelley Armstrong  
  6. Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson 
  7. Himmelbegravelsen (Sky Burial) by Xinran
  8. Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook
  9. Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford 
  10. Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken
  11. The Rising by Kelley Armstrong  
  12. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison
  13. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
  14. A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
  15. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh  
  16. The Highlander's Hope by Cali MacKay 
  17. Honeymoon For One by Chris Keniston 
  18. What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte
  19. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
  20. Speechless by Hannah Harrington 
  21. Forever Fae by L.P. Dover
  22. Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
  23. Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Shifter Challenge 2014 Sign Up

Shifter Challenge 2014 hosted by Parajunkee.

THE RULES:

  1. The Shifter Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014
  2. The challenge is to read 10 books that have a SHIFTER as a main, or supporting character
  3. Books can be in any format and should be at least 100 pages. Short stories do not count. You can also post about rereads.
  4. Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating or create a shelf via Goodreads, Booklikes etc. That post or shelf is the link that you will include in the link-up below. The link should be the post link not just your direct blog link. Please be courteous and include a link back to this post.
  5. Post your reviews on the Review Post: Click here to log your reviews!
Another challenge that goes well with my favourite genre of Paranormal. My goal is to read at least 10 books with shifters in them.

List of books:
  1. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews  
  2. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews 
  3. Brazen by Kelley Armstrong  
  4. The Rising by Kelley Armstrong 
  5. Curran POV Collection by Gordon Andrews  
  6. Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews 
  7. Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews  
  8. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs 
  9. Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
  10. Baehrly Bitten by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  11. Baehrly Alive by Elizabeth A. Reeves
  12. How (Not) to Kiss a Were Bear by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Vampire Challenge 2014 Sign Up

Vampire Challenge 2014 hosted by Parajunkee.

THE RULES:

  1. The Vampire Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014
  2. The challenge is to read 10 books that have a VAMPIRE as a main, or supporting character
  3. Books can be in any format and should be at least 100 pages. Short stories do not count. You can also post about rereads.
  4. Post about this challenge on your blog stating that you are participating or create a shelf via Goodreads, Booklikes etc. That post or shelf is the link that you will include in the link-up below. The link should be the post link not just your direct blog link. Please be courteous and include a link back to this post.
  5. Post your reviews on the Review Post: Click here to log your reviews!
My favourite genre is Paranormal and I have no doubts I will be able to read 10 Vampire books in 2014. My goal is to read at least 10 vampire books.

List of books:
  1. Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford 
  2. The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison
  3. Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
  4. A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
  5. Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh 
  6. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
  7. Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
  8. WitchHunt by Emma Mills
  9. For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison 
  10. The Outlaw Demon Wails by Kim Harrison 
  11. White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

What’s In A Name 2014 Sign-Up

What’s In A Name 2014 hosted by The Worm Hole.
The basics

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

  • A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
  • A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
  • A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
  • A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
  • A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

Remember the titles I’ve given here are only examples, you can by all means use them if you want to – some are classics after all – but it’s not necessary. There are plenty of other books that will fit the categories and you may have some in mind already or even some on your shelves you can read. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about whether there will be a sixth category – not this year. I realised too late after publishing the post that I hadn’t included a sixth, so as not to confuse everyone we’ll be sticking with five this time around.

Extra information

  • Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
  • It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
  • Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my first example, Eleven Minutes, could be used for category 1 or 3 but not both).
  • Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
  • You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
  • You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.

Another interesting sounding reading challenge and I have a book for one of the categories already. My goal is to finish a book for each of the 5 categories.
Update: In February a sixth category was added: A book with a school subject in the title. And yes, that does mean you can get creative and use a magical academic subject if you wish – Hogwarts is a school, after all.

List of books:
  1. A reference to time: Forever Fae by L.P. Dover
  2. A position of royalty: Death on the Aegean Queen By Maria Hudgins
  3. A number written in letters: Honeymoon For One by Chris Keniston
  4. A forename or names: John Macnab by John Buchan
  5. A type or element of weather: After the Storm by M. Stratton
  6. A school subjec: The Secret History by Donna Tartt