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.

Sunday Salon: October Reading Reflections

I am pretty happy with my October reading! 16 books completed, some good reads, some were ebooks, and a couple were a bit outside my normal reading range. Wait until you see my post tomorrow of the books that I received during the month of October though. Despite a good reading month, my TBR got a lot bigger instead of smaller!

Here are my reads for October:

Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine 3/5
The Exile by Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nguyen 4.5/5
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett 3/5
Adrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon 4/5
The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by CW Gortner 4.5/5
The Accidental Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren 4/5
Gobsmacked by L B Gregg 4/5
Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr 4.5/5
Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn 4.5/5
Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie 3.5/5
Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter 4/5
Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh 3.5/5
The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4/5
The Sharing Knife: Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold 4.5/5
The Passionate Brood by Margaret Campbell Barnes 4.5/5
The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie 4.5/5



I thought I would mention a couple of things. Gosbmacked was a m/m romance, and the Adrien English Mysteries are erotic mysteries featuring gay bookseller/amateur detective Adrien English. It is actually the first two books in the series, and I have the next couple waiting here to be read.

The Exile is the graphic novel version of the first half or so of the Outlander novel by Diana Gabaldon. I liked it a lot, but I do think it is a book for the existing fans, not necessarily for new fans of the series.

I was so pleased that I finished reading The Princess Bride because I decided to read it as part of a readalong hosted by Chrisbookarama. I have done attempted a couple of readalongs before but I tend to get lost along the way. For example, the first book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy is still sitting by the side of my bed despite the fact that I started a readalong early this year.

The book that I read for the Year of the Historical was the excellent Confessions of Catherine de Medici by CW Gortner and this book also counts as my final read for the French Historical Challenge as well.

The two books by Pratchett counted for the Terry Pratchett challenge.

As at the end of October, I have read 88 books of the 100 that I was aiming for in the Support Your Local Library challenge, so it looks like I will make that target.

There are still a number of challenges that I am not making a lot of progress on, but that doesn't mean that I won't be starting to think about next years challenges soon.

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge list

This post will be my list of reads for the Support Your Local Library Challenge being hosted by J Kaye.

I am aiming to read 100 books from the library this year.

January

1. The Awakening by L J Smith
2. Men of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
3. Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell
4. Hunted by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
5. Bravo Mr William Shakespeare presented by Marcia Williams
6. The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters
7. Shadowfae by Erica Hayes
8. The Night They Stormed Eureka by Jackie French
9. A Dangerous Love by Sabrina Jeffries
10. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
11. Disco Boy by Dominic Knight

February

12.  Leonardo's Swans by Karen Essex
13. First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh
14. A Distant Shore by Peter Yeldham
15. Tears of Pearl by Tasha Alexander
16. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
17. Emma Vol 2 by Kaoru Mori
18. Remember When by Nora Roberts/J D Robb
19. Roses by Leila Meacham
20. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
21. Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
22. Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland


March

23. Lord Sunday by Garth Nix
24. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
25. Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
26. Dance of Seduction by Elle Kennedy
27. The Struggle by L J Smith
28. Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh
29. Tempted by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
30. Dance Upon the Earth by Nora Roberts
31. The Champion by Elizabeth Chadwick
32. A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James
33. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
34. The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
35. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

April

36. When Twilight Burns by Colleen Gleason

May

37. The Fury by L J Smith
38. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
39. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
40. Hero at Large by Janet Evanovich
41. The Knife of Letting Go by Patrick Ness

June

42. Emma Vol 3 by Kaoru Mori 4/5
43. Belong to Me by Marisa de los Santos 5/5
44. The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley 5/5
45. The Yellow House by Patricia Falvey 4/5
46. Mort by Terry Pratchett 4/5
47. Fire by Kristin Cashore 4/5

July

48. Burned by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
49. At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh 4/5
50. Twilight: The Graphic Novel by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim
51. Emma Vol 4 by Kaoru Mori 4/5
52. City of God by Beverly Swerling 4/5
53. Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts 4/5
54. Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick 4/5
55. Arcadia Falls by Carol Goodman 4/5
56. Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden  5/5
57. The Oak Apple by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 4/5
58. The Passage by Justin Cronin 4/5
59. Sourcery by Terry Pratchett 4/5
60. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer 3.5/5

August 

61. A Murderous Procession by Ariana Franklin 3/5

62. The Love Knot by Elizabeth Chadwick 4/5
63. The Reincarnationist by M J Rose 4/5
64. Upon the Midnight Clear by Sherrilyn Kenyon 3.5/5
65. The Girl on Legare Street by Karen White 4/5
66. Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas 4/5
67. Zack: Armed and Dangerous by Cheyenne McCray 4/5
68. The Queen's Pawn by Christy English 3/5
69. The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner 4.5/5
70. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich 3/5
71. The Dead of the Night by John Marsden 4.5/5
72. The Night Villa by Carol Goodman 3/5
73. Emma Vol 5 by Kaoru Mori 4/5

September

74. Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong 4/5
75.The Various Flavors of Coffee by Anthony Capella 3.5/5
76. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett 4.5/5
77. Real Men Last All Night Anthology 4/5
78. Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas 4/5
79. Serpent in the Thorns by Jeri Westerson 3.5/5

October

80. The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett 3/5
81. The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by CW Gortner 4.5/5
82. The Accidental Mistress by Tracy Anne Warren 4/5
83. Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie 3.5/584. Ravishing in Red by Madeline Hunter 4/5
85. Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh 3.5/5
86. The Princess Bride by William Goldman 4/5
87. The Sharing Knife: Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold 4.5/5
88. The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie 4.5/5

November

89. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
90. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt
91. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier
92. Outback by Aaron Fletcher
93. Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons
94. The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden
95. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
96. A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James
97. Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith
98. Dream Chaser by Sherrilyn Kenyon

December

99. The Memorist by M J Rose
100. Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane

2010 Support Your Local Library Challenge

This is another no brainer challenge for me. Generally I get around 80% of the books that I read from the library. I am going to be brave and say that I am going to go for Super Size Me option, despite the fact that I am a bit worried about even making it to 100 books read for next year. This year, I would have made it to this level!

Here are the rules as adapted from J Kaye's blog post announcing the challenge.

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. There are four levels:

--The Mini – Check out and read 25 library books.

--Just My Size – Check out and read 50 library books.

--Stepping It Up – Check out and read 75 library books.

--Super Size Me – Check out and read 100 library books.

(Aim high. As long as you read 25 by the end of 2010, you are a winner.)

3. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Young Reader – any book as long as it is checked out from the library count. Checked out like with a library card, not purchased at a library sale.

4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

5. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

6. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

7. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

Better late than never!

I know that we are well and truly into June now, but I still haven't done my May reading update, so now that I can get back on the net, I thought this would be the first thing that I did!

So here are the books that I read in May.

The Terror by Dan Simmons 4.5
Children of Destiny by Elizabeth Chadwick 4
Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon 4.5
The girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson 4
Fish out of Water by Mary Janice Davidson 3.5
Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas 4
The Boat by Nam Le 4
My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding Anthology 4
The Sharing Knife - Beguilement by Lois McMaster Bujold 4.5
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton 4.5
The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint 4
Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley 4
Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus 4
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith 4.5

As for how I am going with my many challenges, the answer is not too badly, although there are a couple that I am not sure that I will be able to finish on time.

The Book Awards II challenge finished on 1 June, and I very nearly made it. During May I read The Boat, and that left me one short of completing the challenge, but in the first couple of days of June I did finish In the Woods by Tana French which won a few awards (the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Award for Best First Novel, The Strand Magazine’s Best First Novel award and Newcomer of the Year at the Irish Book Awards) so I am going to count that as completed!

I haven't managed to read any books for either the Art History Challenge or the War Through the Generations challenge. I really need to look at my reading lists and work towards reading some more for these two challenges.

Another challenge that I have now completed is the Support Your Local Library Challenge that was being hosted by J Kaye from J Kaye's Book Blog. J Kaye is also hosting the 100+ Challenge, and as at the end of May I was up to book number 61 so well on target for completing this challenge in the next couple of months.

The Victorian Challenge is another that I am going to struggle to finish I think. I am currently reading Tasha Alexander's A Fatal Waltz which will count, but that will still be one book short. I have a couple of others in the TBR pile but I am not sure I will get to them before the end of June.

Another challenge that I completed this month was the Chunkster Challenge. After April I had only one more chunkster to read, so this month I actually read two - Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon and The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson.

Not quite complete, but not too far off either, is the Pub09 Challenge. During May I read To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt and Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith. I have also read one other book in June which means that I only have one more book left to read in order to complete this challenge.

Sometimes you just seem to finish challenges without realising it. Last month I joined the Love Bites reading challenge, and this month I have read the two books that I needed to read in order to complete it - Betrayed by P C Cast and Kristin Cast, and Full Moon by Keri Arthur.

You know, my list of current challenges is looking a bit depleted. I might need to join some more!

March Update

This month was a pretty good one reading wise. I ended up reading 17 books, but it is fair to say that I had a very average reviewing month, with only two reviews written! I do have a couple of reviews nearly written so we will see how we go with actually posting them!

New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini (4/5)
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (4/5)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (5/5)
The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson (4/5)
Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn (4/5)
Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong (4/5)
Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood (3.5/5)
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich (3.5/5)
Angelique and the Sultan by Sergeanne Golon (4/5)
Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich (4/5)
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (4.5/5)
Night of Flames by Douglas W Jacobson (4.5/5)
Superior Saturday by Garth Nix (4/5)
Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis (4/5)
An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell (4.5/5)
The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts (4/5)
Forbidden Fantasies anthology (4/5)

The end of the month means it is time to check out the progress on my challenges and to do my 'I Suck at Challenges' update.

By reading Silent in the Sanctuary, I finished the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, but I also joined two new challenges, Once Upon a Time III and The Love Bites Challenge. I have already read one of my books for Once Upon a Time III (Superior Saturday by Garth Nix) but haven't yet read anything for my other new challenge.

I managed to read two books for the Book Awards Reading Challenge - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. You might notice that I rated The Graveyard Book as a 5/5 read - my first, and only, so far this year. I think I still have four books to read to complete this challenge.

I read another book for the War Through the Generations challenge this month as well - Night of Flames by Douglas W Jacobson, so have three more books to read before the end of the year for this challenge.

I have read 37 books for the 100+ Reading Challenge, and 27 for the Library Challenge. My target for the Library Challenge is 50 books, so I am over half way through.

One more book to go to complete the Victorian Challenge after I read Silent in the Sanctuary in March. I just picked up Silent on the Moor from the library tonight so that may well be the third book for the challenge, although I do have at least one more book that fits so maybe it will be that one instead.

Silent in the Sanctuary also fitted for the Chunkster Challenge, so I have 4 books left to go to complete that challenge. The book that I am currently reading (Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry) fits for this challenge too.

Plum Spooky was the book I read for the 2009 Pub Challenge this month - 2 down, 7 to go!

Library Challenge List

This is my post to list my books that I have read for the Library Challenge. I am aiming to read at least 50 books from the library as part of this challenge.


January

1. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
2. Naughty Neighbor by Janet Evanovich
3. The Leopard Unleashed by Elizabeth Chadwick
4. The Last Queen by C W Gortner
5. To Seduce a Bride by Nicole Jordan


February

6.His Wicked Kiss by Gaelen Foley
7. The Water Horse by Julia Gregson
8. The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
9. Foul Play by Janet Evanovich
10. Snowy Night with a Stranger anthology
11. Portrait in Death by J D Robb
12. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
13. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
14. Life as we Knew it by Susan Pfeffer

March

15.The New Year's Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
16. Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
17. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
18. The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson
19. Living with the Dead by Kelley Armstrong
20. Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
21. Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovich
22. Angelique and the Sultan by Sergeanne Golon
23. Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich
24.The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
25. Night of Flames by Douglas W Jacobson
26. Superior Saturday by Garth Nix
27. Venus in Copper by Lindsey Davis
28. The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
29. Forbidden Fantasies anthology

April

30. Tiger Claws by John Speed
31. Gilded Web by Mary Balogh
32. Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry
33. Marked by P C Cast and Kristin Cast
34. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
35. Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
36. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

May

37. The Terror by Dan Simmons
38. Children of Destiny by Elizabeth Chadwick
39. Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
40. The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
41. Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
42. The Boat by Nam Le
43. My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding anthology
44. The Sharing Knife: Beguilement
45. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
46. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint
47. Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley
48. Calamity Jayne by Kathleen Bacus
49. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith

June

50. In the Woods by Tana French
51. Imitation in Death by J D Robb
52. Full Moon by Keri Arthur
53. Betrayed by PC Cast and Kristin Cast
54. A Fatal Waltz by Tasha Alexander
55. Made to be Broken by Kelley Armstrong
56. A Hollow Crown by Helen Hollick
57. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
58. Sin and Scandal in England by Melody Thomas

2009 Reading Challenges

The 2009 reading challenges are popping up on blogs all over the place! Whilst I am trying not to go crazy with challenges, there are two that I feel that I can safely join in on, and J Kaye is responsible for both of them.

The first is the 2009 100+ Reading Challenge. So far this year I have finished 162 books. There is no way I am going to make 200, but 100 is doable! The rules:

(1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) If you don’t have a blog, please join our Yahoo Groups.

5) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your 100+ books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed.

6) All books count: children’s, YA, adults, fiction, non-fiction, how-tos, etc.

7) Feel free to post in the comment section or on Yahoo Groups your monthly progress as well as your favorite books that month.

The second challenge that I am committing to today is the 2009 Support Your Local Library Challenge. I LOVE my library. It is very rare that they don't have the books I want to read, and they save me a fortune in money. I couldn't support my reading habit if it wasn't for the library! The details and the sign up post can be found here:

You all know what a supporter of the library my family and I are. What better way to pay homage than by having a reading challenge in 2009? Since we are all different, there will be three sizes of challenges.

** The first is to read 12 books from your local library in 2009.
** The second is to read 25 books from your local library in 2009.
** The third is to read 50 books from your local library in 2009.

You decide which one of the three challenges is best for you.

Here are the guidelines:

1) You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading your books prior to 2009.

2) This challenge is for 2009 only. The last day to have all your books read is December 31, 2009.

3) You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009.

4) When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your library books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed. If you don’t have a blog, leave the URL blank.

6) Our goal is to read 12, 25, or 50 books checkout from our local library in 2009. Please decide which when you sign up and don’t change it.

7) These can be audios, downloads, children’s, YA. As long as it’s a book, format and target age group does not matter.

8) Feel free to post a link to your reviews in the comment section below. That way, we can visit your blog and read your review.

9) If you have any questions, feel free to ask below or email me at jkayeoldner@yahoo.com. Comments usually get a quicker response.