Sunday, December 20, 2009

100+ Reading Challenge 2010

This is the third year I've joined The 100+ Reading Challenge. It is always fun and sure does encourage me. I enjoy seeing what others are reading. The only drawback to seeing so many good books that others have read is that my wish list is really l....o....n....g. Click on the picture or HERE to go to J. Kayes Book Blog for the details. Happy reading.

January
1. Ravenheart by David Gemmell review
2. Sandstorm by James Rollins review
3. Elvis and the Dearly Departed review
4. In the Woods by Tana French review
5. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck review
6. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot review
7. Cat Striking Back by Shirley Rousseau Murphy review
8. Gone For Good by Harlan Coben review
9. Web of the Witch World by Andre Norton review
12. King Rat by China Mieville review

Feburary
14. Cat Playing Cupid by Shirley Rousseau Murphy review
15. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett review
16. The Three Miss Margarets review
17. The Black Stallion review
18. Three Days to Dead review
19. And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer review
20. The Briar King by Greg Keyes review
21. The Gate House by Nelson DeMille review
22. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane review

March
23. Skeeter: A Cat Tale by Anne Watson review
24. Void Moon by Michael Connelly
review
25. Secrets by Jude Deveraux review
26. Miss Julia Paints the Town by Ann B. Ross review
27. The Last Car to Elysian fields by Janes Lee Burke review
28. Jackdaws by Ken Follett review
29. Snow Angels by James thompson review
30. The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke review
31. The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters review

April
32. Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck review
33. Falling Man by Don DiLillo review
34. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright review
35. Thereby Hangs a Tale byS pencer Quinn review
36. The Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker review
37. Fever Dream by Preston and Child review
May
38. The Princess of Burundi by Kjell Eriksson review
39. The Overlook by Michael Connelly review
40. Bitterroot by James Lee Burke review
41. Below Zero by C.J. Box review
42. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown review
43. Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux review
June
44. Master of None by Sonya Bateman review
45. Changes by Jim Butcher
review
46. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey review
47. Dead to Me by Anton Strout
review
48. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley review
49. The Good, the Bad and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green review
50. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl review
July
51. Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels review
52. Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti review
53. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin review
54. The Double Comfort Safari Club review
55. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin review
August
56. City of Thieves by David Benioff review
57. Nineteen Minutes by Judy Pichoult review
58. Sizzling sixteen by Janet Evanovich review
59. The Devil's Punchbowl by Gret Iles review

September
60.The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin review
61. Belle Weather by Celia Rivenbark review
62. Dead matter by Anton Strout review
63. Twlight by Stepnenie Meyer review
64. The Front by Patricia Cornwell review
65. The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd review
66. The Likeness by Tana French review
67. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King review
October
68. The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Marchart review
69. The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly review
70.Dexter is Delicious by Jeff Lindsay review
71.Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris review
72.To Fetch a Thief by Spencer Quinn review
73. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Graham-Smith review
74.Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin
75.The Charlemagne Pursuit by Steve Berry

November
76.Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
77.Vixen by Jillian Larkin
78. The Bone Vault by Linda Fairstien review
79. A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman review
80. A Kiss Before the Apocalypas by Thomas E. Sniegoski review
81.Tell Me Where It Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout review
82. Blood Memories by Barb Hendee review
83. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory review
84. Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson review
85. Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson review

December
86. Echo Park by Michael Connelly
87. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
88. Tomb With a View by Casey Daniels
89. Heat Wave by Richard Castle
90. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag review
91. The narrows by Michael Connelly review
92. How To Talk To a Liberal by Ann Coulter review
93. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tommie dePaola review
94. Mooseltoe by Margie Palatini review
95. Perfect Little Cats by Lesley Anne Ivory review
96. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer review
97. Perdido Street Station by China Melville review
98. Wicked Appitite by Janet Evanocvich review
99. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein review
100. A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid review
101. Rage by Jonathan Kellerman review
102. Eat, Love, Pray
All of my 2010 Challenges are listed here.

5x4 Reading Challenge 2010


Once again in an effort to widen my reading range but still have lots of room for the books I come across that I want to read, I'm doing my own Challenge: The 5X4 Self Challenge. Four books in each of five categories. These are books I wouldn't normally read or that I want to read and never get around to. That's a quarter of my 100 book reading goal for this year. I'm going to plan the books, but will change if something else comes along that catches my interest. Who knows, I may read more than four in each category. The categories I've chosen are:
Classics:
4.Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot review
Award winners:
1. The Lincoln Lawyer (Mccavity award for best novel)
4. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradly (Agatha Award)
True Crime:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Books On My Shelf That Are Older Than Me:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Non Fiction:
1. Arguing with Idiots by Glenn Beck
2. Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim review
3. Tell Me Where It Hurts by Dr. Nick Trout review
4. Belle Weather by Ceila Rivenbark review
All of my Reading challenges are listed here.

Decades Challenge 2010

Abandoned
This challenge is hosted by 1morechapter . Sounds like fun. Please visit the host to sign up and read the rest of the rules. Decades 2010 Rules: Read a minimum of 10 books in 10 consecutive decades in 2010. Books published in the 2000’s do not count. Titles may be cross-posted with any other challenge. You may change your list at any time.

1890's
Dracula by Bram Stoker 1897
1900's
The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton (1907)

1910's
Greatheart by Edith Dell (1919)

1920's
The Red House Mystery by A. A. Milne (1922)

1930's
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (1930)

1940's
The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
review

1960's
Web of the Witch World by Andre Norton (1964)

1970's
Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (1978)

1980's
The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982)

All of my 2010 Challenges are listed
here.

eBook Reading Challenge 2010

Click on the picture above to read the GUIDELINES and to sign up for this challenge at Royal Reviews. Thanks for another fun challenge! I purchased a Kindle last year and I haven't used it as much as I thought I would, so this challenge is perfect for me.
I think I will join at the Obsessed Level – Read 20 E-Books.:

1. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck review
2. Psych: Mind Over Magic by William Rabkin review
3. The Briar King by Greg Keyes review
4. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane review
5. Skeeter: A Cat Tale by Anne Watson review
6. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradly review
7. The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny by Simon R. Green review
8. Dead Man Talking by Casey Daniels review
9. The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradly
10. Perdido Street Station by China Melville
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16
17.
18.
19.
20.
All of my 2010 Challenges are listed here.

2010 Cat Book Challenge




Beth's Book Review Blog is hosting a fun challenge: The 2010 Cat Book Challenge! I've already got too many challenges, but since I love cat books, hae several on my TBR pile, I thought I'd just bite the bullett and go ahead and join this one.

Here are the guidelines from Beth's blog:
  • You can join anytime, but don't start reading your books before January 1, 2010.
  • This challenge is for 2010 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2010.
  • When you sign up with Mr. Linky below, use the direct link to the post where your challenge book list will be listed, not your blog homepage. If you don't have a blog, just leave the URL blank.
  • The goal is to read 1 cat book per month for a total of 12 for the year. This can be any book with "cat" in the title or about cats (cats as characters, etc.).
  • These can be audiobooks, children's books, non fiction, mysteries, whatever, as long as it's cat related.

January
Cat Striking Back by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
review

Feburary
Cat Being Cupid by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
review

March
Skeeter: A Cat Tale by Anne Watson
review

April
The Golden Cat

May
The Knot Garden

June
The Cotswold Portal by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

July
Dewey by Vicki Myron

August

September

October

November

December

Typically British Reading Challenge 2010

Completed!
This fun new challenge is being hosted by Book Chick City. Click on the picture to visit her for the complete set of guide lines. I have listed a part of them here:

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.
Details:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
2. There are four levels:
• "Put The Kettle On" – Read 2 Typically British novels.
• "Gordon Bennett" – Read 4 Typically British novels.
• "Bob's Your Uncle" – Read 6 Typically British novels.
• "Cream Crackered" – Read 8 Typically British novels.
3. Any book format counts. Must be fiction not non-fiction.

I'm going for "Bob's Your Uncle" just because I like that saying, it always makes me smile.

1.
Ravenheart by David Gemmell
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
3.
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
4.
Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
5.
King Rat by China Mieville
6. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

Terry Pratchett Challenge 2010



I love reading Terry Pratchett's books so imagine my delight when I found this challenge. It is hosted at Marg at Reading Adventures. Click on the picture or the link for the full set of guidelines.

The challenge will start from 1 December 2009 and run through to 30 November 2010.There are several different levels of participation for you to choose from:
1-3 books - Cashier at Ankh-Morpork Mint
4-5 books - Guard of the City Watch
6-8 books - Academic at the Unseen University
9-10 books - Member of Granny Weatherwax's Coven
10-12 books - Death's Apprentice

I am going to set my goal for this year at 6-8 books. If I read more, I figure I can up to the next step. My first book will be Unseen Academicals as my husband is getting the audio for me for Christmas.

1. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett
2. Soul Music
3. Ladies and Gentlmen
4. Hogfather
5. The Truth
6.

What's In A Name3 Challenge

Completed!


(See wrap up at the bottom)
The What's in a Name Challenge will be hosted by Beth Fish Reads this year. I have participated in this for the last two years while it was hosted by Annie and enjoyed it. It is an easy, fun challenge. Click on the picture or the name of the challenge above for all the details! Once I have read the book I will add a link to the review.

Basicaly this is how it works: Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

1.A book with a food in the title:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

2.
A book with a body of water in the title:
The Wake of Forgiveness by Bruce Marchart
review

3.A book with a title (queen, president) in the title:
The Winter Queen by Amanda McCabe

4. A book with a plant in the title:
The Briar King by Greg Keyes review

5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title:
Web of The Witch World by Andre Norton review

6.
A book with a music term in the title:
Cat Striking Back by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
review

Wrap Up
Did it! I'm done with this challenge and had a lot of fun doing it! I hope that Beth will host it again next year. Above is the list of books I read along with the categories. I hope you had as much fun with this as I did!

All of my 2010 Challenges are listed here.

Audio Book challenge 2010


The Queen of Happy Endings is now hosting this challenge. Click on the picture or HERE to read the guidelines. With most of us having IPods or MP3 players these days listening to audio books has become an easy activity. I have been listening to books in the car and around the house for several years now.
I am signing up for the:
Obsessed level– Listen to 20 Audio Books.
1. Sandstorm by James Rollins review
2. In the Woods by Tana French review
3. Gone For Good by Harlan Coben review
5. Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett review
6. And Another Thing ... by Eoin Colfer review
7. The Gate House by Nelson DeMille review
8. Void Moon by Michael Connelly review
9.Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux review
10. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown review
11. The Overlook by Michael Connelly review
12. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn review
13. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright review
14. The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl review
15. Pride and Prejudice review
16. Nineteen Minutes by Judy Picoult review
17. The Devil's Punchbowl by Greg Iles review
18. Twilight review
19.The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd review
20.Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris review

All of my 2010 Challenges are listed here.

Flashback Challenge 2010

Complete




A truly great book should be read in youth,
again in maturity and once more in old age,
as a fine building should be seen by morning light,
at noon and by moonlight. ~ Robertson Davies ~

The Flashback Challenge will run from January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010. It is hosted by Aarti at Booklust. This sounds like a fun challenge. I've been wanting to do some rereads so this is perfect! I'm glad I found it. I will list some of the particulars here but please click on the picture or the link above to read all the guidelines.

You can sign up for the following levels:
Bookworm - Up to three books
Scholar - Four to six books
Literati - Over six books

Within these levels, we have mini-challenges! These are:
1. Re-read a favorite book from your childhood
2. Re-read a book assigned to you in high school
3. Re-read a book you loved as an adult

I think I will choose the Scholar level - Four to six books
My Flashback reads for 2010:
1. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley (childhood)
2. The Shepherd of the Hills by Harold Bell Wright (adult)
3. The Cat n the Hat(childhood)
4. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (adult)
5. Web of the Witch World by Andre Norton (High School)
6. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot (Adult)

All of my 2010 Challenges are listed here.

NaJuReMoNoMo Reading Challenge

Complete!


This is the third year I have participated in this challenge. I think it is a great way to start out a new year of reading! This reading challenge is hosted by Live by the FOMA. Click on the highlighted text and it will take you to the guidelines. Last year I made it to 11 books by the end of Jan. I'm hoping to up that number a little this year!
1. Ravenheart by David Gemmell review
2. Sandstorm by James Rollins review
3. Elvis and the Dearly Departed review
4. In the Woods by Tana French review
5. Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck review
6. Cat Striking Back by Shirley Rousseau Murphy review
7. Gone For Good by Harlan Coben review
8. Web of the Witch World by Andre Norton review
9. Eye of the Needle by Ken follett review
10. Psych: Mind Over Magic by William Rabkin review
11. King Rat by China Mieville review
12. The Winter Queen by Amanda McCabe review

2009 Reading Wrap-up

What a great reading year 2009 was. I read 135 books, finished all 11 of my 2009 my challenges, made good progress on my two on going challenges, read several books out of my comfort zone and all in all had a great time.

My absolute favorites this year were:
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski review
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Shaffer & Barrows review here
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith review here
Thanks For the Memories by Cecelia Ahern review here
The Help by Kathryn Stockett review here
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck review here
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris review here
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery review
Dog Days by John Levitt review

Some of my other favorite books this year were:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger review here
Miracle at Speedy Motors by Alexander McCall Smith review
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson review
The Lost City of Z by David Grann review here
Bless Your Heart, Tramp by Celia Rivenbark review here
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson review here
Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon review here
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck review here
Gil's All Fright Diner by A. Lee Martinez review here
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith review here
Fire Me by Libby Malin review here
Staying Dead by Laura Anne Gilman review
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson review here
Divine Justice by David Baldacci review here
Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker review here
1776 by David McCullough review here

Books out of my comfort zone:
A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah review here
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel DeFoe review here
Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe review here
The Christmas Day Murders by Sheriff J.B. Smith review here
Battle on the Bay by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. review here

Some of my least favorite were:
Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy review here
I just assumed that I would like this since I like to read urban fantasy. The main character irritated me. I thought I might read another in the series anyway, but so far not so.

Obsessed by Ted Dekker review here
I am a Ted Dekker fan so I was surprised that I found one of his books I didn't like.

The Night Gardner by George Pelecanos review here
I really disliked the end. The book wasn't anything like I thought it would be.

Death Match by Lincoln Child review here
It's not that I disliked this one so much as I got bored in the middle of it.

Cross Country by James Patterson review
It didn't seem like I was reading about Alex Cross.

Why Beulah Shot Her Pistol Inside the Baptist Church by Clayton Sullivan review
I was disappointed in this book.

Friday, December 11, 2009

2009 Challenges

I had a lot of fun with the Challenges I joined last year and decided to join more this year.
(My 2008 Wrap Up is here.)
The Challenges I've chosen to join or continue this year are:

1. The 100+ Reading Challenge + The Read & Review Challenge (below) Finished! :)

2.The 5X4 Self Challenge (below) Finished! :)

3. The Audiobook Challenge (below) Finished! :)

4. The 2009 Read-Your-Own-Books Challenge (below) Finished! :)

5. Books Around the States (Continued from 2008) (below)

6. Suspense & Thriller 2009 Challenge (below) Finished! :)

7. Support Your Local Library Challenge 2009 (below) Finished :)

8. Chunkster Challenge (below) Finished! :)

9. What's In a name Challenge (below) Finished :)

10. The Daniel DeFoe Mini-Challenge (below) Finished :)

11. John Steinbeck Mini-Challenge (below) Finished! :)

12. The Southern Reading challenge (below) Finished! :)

Reading Around the World (see the sidebar)