November and December Reading Reflections

It is that time of year (ie the end) where I need to share the stats for my reading year in 2010 or I will never actually get around to doing it!

Before I do that however, I didn't get around to sharing my books read for November, and then I should share December's reads and then I can start reflecting on the year that was, and the upcoming year!

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich 3/5
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare 4.5/5
Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt 4/5
The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 4/5
Outback by Aaron Fletcher 4/5
Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons 5/5
Hot Under Pressure by Kathleen O'Reilly 4/5
The Third Day, the Frost by John Marsden 4/5
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong 4/5
A Kiss At Midnight by Eloisa James 4/5
The Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith 4/5
Wedding of the Season by Laura Lee Guhrke 4/5
Scandal of the Year by Laura Lee Guhrke 4/5
Christmas with her Boss by Marion Lennox  4/5
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 5/5
Dream Chaser by Sherrilyn Kenyon 4/5


Wicked Intentions was my read for the Year of the Historical Reading Challenge

By reading the third book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series I have also completed the Aussie Authors Challenge for 2010. This is one challenge that I am definitely signing up for again next year!

For December (or perhaps I should call it Robyn Carr month), my reads were:

Whispering Rock by Robyn Carr 4/5
A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr 4/5
The Memorist by M J Rose 4/5
Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane 3.5/5
Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas 4/5
The Perfect Love Song by Patti Callahan Henry 2.5/5
Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr 3.5/5
Outback Station by Aaron Fletcher 4/5
Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr 4/5
Pigeon English by Stephan Kelman 3.5/5
Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr 4/5
Forbidden Falls by Robyn Carr 4/5
Angelique in Revolt by Sergeanne Golon 4/5
Angel's Peak by Robyn Carr 4/5
Cake: A Global History by Nicola Humble 4/5
Moonlight Road by Robyn Carr 4/5
Sheltering Hearts Robyn Carr 3/5
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 4.5/5
Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley 4/5

Outback Station was my Year of the Historical reading challenge for December. Thanks to Kmont from Lurv a la Mode for hosting this challenge!

When I signed up for the Support Your Local Library Challenge, I said I would attempt 100 library books for this year. There was no way I thought I would make that target, but I did! Here's the list of books that I read for this challenge during 2010.

As for the challenges I didn't meet. I didn't manage to read any books for the Tudor Book Challenge, which I must confess kind of surprised me. Maybe I am a bit Tudor'd out?

One challenge that I knew I wouldn't meet (because it was one book every month) was In Death Reading Challenge. I did however expect to read more than one book in the series this year.  At this stage J D Robb is writing the books in the series quicker than I am reading them, and that is before we talk about her books under the name Nora Roberts!

For the second year running I managed to not complete the Art History Reading Challenge. I did read two books, when the minimum requirement was three books.

The final challenge I didn't finish was the Ireland Reading Challenge. I read one book, and I had several here to read that would have qualified but I didn't quite make it. I think I have already signed up for the 2011 version of the challenge.

TSS: February reading round up

This week's unofficial Sunday Salon post is my February reading round up, although I am still wondering how on earth can it possibly be the end of February already. I know it is a short month, but it really should still only be near the middle of the month, maybe the 21st, not the end of the month.

The biggest casualty of the fact that the end of the month is upon us is my LOTR Readalong book, The Fellowship of the Ring. My intention was to read 100 pages a week, but I am still stuck on page 160 having not read anything for a couple of weeks at least! And, I haven't even requested the next book from the library so it isn't like I would be ready for the next month's readalong anyway!

So, if I haven't been reading the Tolkien book, what have I been reading? This month I read 12 books, which is not bad, especially considering that two of those books were chunksters.

The books I read were:

If His Kiss Is Wicked by Jo Goodman (4.5/5)
Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex (4/5)
First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh (4/5)
A Distant Shore by Peter Yeldham (4.5/5)
Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander (3/5)
Graceling by Kristin Cashore (4.5/5)
Emma Vol 2 by Kaoru Mori (4/5)
Remember When by Nora Roberts/J D Robb
Roses by Leila Meacham (4.5/5)
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (5/5)
Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig (4/5)
Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland (4/5)

And how did I go with my challenges?

I had several books which covered multiple challenges this month. I love it when that happens! The book that I read for the Year of the Historical challenge was Jo Goodman's If His Kiss Is Wicked (excellent dialogue) also qualified for the Romance  Reading Challenge as did First Comes Marriage.

The books that I read for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge this month were Leonardo's Swans, Roses, The Betrayal of the Blood Lily and Mistress of the Sun. I am making good progress through the Historical Fiction Reading challenge having read 6 of the 20 books required to get to the Obsessed level of achievement. Karen Essex's Leonardo's Swans also qualified for the Tournament of Reads (just), and Mistress of the Sun for the French Historical Challenge.

I am happy to report that I am still doing okay on the Aussie Authors reading challenge. This month I read A Distant Shore by Peter Yeldham, and I am currently over half way through Lord Sunday by Garth Nix, the final book in the Keys to the Kingdom YA series.

So far I have read 27 books for the 100+ Reading challenge and 22 books for the Support Your Local Reading Challenge. I did notice that there is new reading challenge called 100 Books in a Year that is being hosted by Reading with Sea which runs from March 2010 to February 2011. I am still deciding whether to sign up or not for that challenge. It does seem to be a duplication 100+ challenge that I am already participating in, but covers a different period, so I might still sign up.

I made a start on the Chunkster Challenge this month by reading Roses by Leila Meacham and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (excellent, excellent book). Roses also qualified for the Pub 2010 challenge.

I also read a book for the In Death Reading Challenge. Remember When is a bit of a strange book really. The first half of the book is written in the style of Nora Roberts, and the second half is J D Robb featuring Eve Dallas from the In Death books. Nora Roberts and J D Robb are the same person writing under different names but it was still a bit strange to read.

The challenges that I didn't make any progress on this month include the Harry Potter Reading Challenge, the Vampire Series Challenge (which I kind of surprising - a whole month without reading a vampire novel. I can't remember the last time that happened), the Tudor Book Challenge, the L J Smith reading challenge and also my own Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge. I am planning to put a post up for the Terry Pratchett Challenge this week. Actually, I have been planning that for a while now, but this week I will actually do it!


No progress on these challenges doesn't stop me from joining new challenges. This time I am joining Carrie at Books and Movies in her Ireland Reading Challenge. It runs from February to November and I am planning to meet the Luck O' the Irish level of achievement by reading 4 novels that are either set in Ireland, written by Irish authors or involving Irish history or Irish characters

You can never have too much of a good thing right?

I am so glad that Michelle from 1MoreChapter.com is running this challenge again this year! Here are the rules from the challenge site.

1. Read a minimum of 10 books first published in 2010. You don’t have to buy these. Library books, unabridged audios, or ARCs are all acceptable. To qualify as being first published in 2010, it must be the first time that the book is published in your own country. For example, if a book was published in Australia, England, or Canada in 2009, and then published in the USA in 2010, it counts (if you live in the USA). Newly published trade paperbacks and mass market paperbacks do not count if there has been a hardcover/trade published before 2010.
2. No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
3. At least 5 titles must be fiction.
4. Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
5. You can add your titles as you go, and they may be changed at any time.
6. Sign up at the Pub Challenge site using Mr. Linky.
7. Have fun reading your 2010 books!

Please use the link to your specific post about this challenge!

I also realised the other day that I have signed up for another challenge, but hadn't mentioned it on the blog anywhere. It is the In Death Challenge that is being hosted at Happily Ever After. This challenge is specifically designed to help us all get through the fabulous In Death series by J D Robb.

The other January challenge that I had forgotten about was National Just Read More Novels Month which is hosted by Foma.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Must Be A Novel. Works of fiction only, please. Memoirs, non-fiction, how-to books, and Garfield collections don't count.
2. Memoirs Aren't Novels. No matter how made up the story, anything ostensibly true isn't a novel. Also known as The James Frey Rule.
3. Start and Finish in January. I guess if you got some cool books for Christmas, Hanukkah or some other gift-giving event and jumped the gun, you can't be blamed. But I only count books I start and finish within the 31 day window.
4. Re-reading Doesn't Count. Try something new. Read something by your favorite author or try an entirely new author or tackle that novel you have always wanted to read.
5. Have Fun. Nobody is grading you or paying you or judging you. Read what you like and like what you read.