Reading Challenges update

So I really need to sort out where I am up to with each of the challenges that I have said that I was going to participate in, so that I can figure out my reading priorities for when I have gaps between library books!

Pub08 Reading challenge

I still need to read Daughter of York by Anne Easter Smith, Fire Study by Maria V Snyder and Mistress of the Sun by Sandra Gulland.

I have two reviews written, one for The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin and the other for The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig. Those reviews will be posted in the next week or so. I still need to write my review of The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square by Sara Donati and People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks.

This challenge ends on 31 December 2008. I figured out that so far this year I have read 35 books that have been published this year, so if I don't get to read the remaining two books on my list, I have plenty of choices on books to swap in. In effect this challenge is completed.



Romance Reading Challenge

I still need to read The Huntress by Susan Carroll or Lover Unbound by J R Ward. I have read and reviewed the other books nominated.

This challenge also finishes at the end of the year.





Chunkster Challenge


I still need to read Wolf of the Plains by Conn Iggulden.

A chunkster is defined as a normal print book of more than 450 pages. So far this year I have read 29 books that would qualify so for I have kind of finished this challenge as well. This challenge officially finishes on December 20.

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

I've read Rhett Butler's People, Dreaming the Serpent Spear and The Witches Trinity, but haven't yet written the reviews and still need to read Aztec by Gary Jennings and Counting the Stars by Helen Dunmore.

This challenge actually finished on 1 October. I read way more than 6 books in the period from 1 April to 1 October (whoops), so I am going to sub the following books in and declare this challenge complete:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes


I Heard it Through the Grapevine Challenge

Need to read Counting the Stars by Helen Dunmore to complete this challenge.

This challenge finishes on November 30






Stephenie Meyer Mini Challenge.

I have read and reviewed The Host, and have read Breaking Dawn. Just have to write the review for that one, and then I am done. This challenge finishes on January 30 2009.







Book Awards Reading Challenge II

I have read a couple of books for this challenge already. It finishes on June 30 2009.



Bang Bang Book Challenge

The books that I nominated for this challenge were:

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
Winston's War by Michael Dobbs
Flashman and the Dragon by George Macdonald Fraser
Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
The Birth House by Ami McKay

I have read the last three, just need to read the first two. This challenge finishes on February 29 2009.


RIP III Challenge

The books I nominated were:

Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason
Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong
Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
The Blackstone Key by Rose Melikan

I haven't read Before They Are Hanged or The Blackstone Key yet, but I have read Faefever by Karen Marie Moning and Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer which will both qualify so I am going to swap those books into my list, and then say, I am done, with the reading part of the challenge anyway!



Phew! That took a while!


The Pulitzer Project, The Orange Prize Project and The Booker challenges are all ongoing challenges. I really need to read at least one book for each just to show that I am still intending to participate!

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good.

When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep.

With a killer stalking the supernatural hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible....

For a woman who didn't know what she was getting into, there's only one way out: it's time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears - and desires.

After starting out reading this series two years ago, I now have a problem. I am all caught up and that means that now I have to wait for each successive full length book to come out! Fortunately at this time it is only a couple of months, but it is going to get worse as the wait between each book gets longer. I did however discover that I have missed a couple of short stories so that should tide me over for a little while.

We first met Hope Adams in a short story in the Dates from Hell anthology. She is a half demon whose special talent is the sensing of chaos. If she walks into a room where something bad has happened, or is going to happen she feeds off of the chaos vibes. Given that she was raised away from other supernaturals she is still trying to understand her nature.

As a result of the events that occurred during the previously mentioned anthology, Hope and werewolf Karl Marsten owe cabal leader Benicio Cortez. When he decides that it is time to call in that debt, Hope finds herself adopting a new identity, and trying to infiltrate a young gang of non-cabal supernaturals who are giving the established cabals (think mafia families with supernatural powers) some trouble. When Hope's friends Lucas Cortez and his wife Paige Winterbourne find out what is going on, they too become involved. Lucas is Benicio's semi-estranged son, despite the fact that he has long been named the heir of the Cortez cabal, much to his older brothers' distaste.

Disguised as society girl Faith Edmonds, Hope finds herself involved in some petty criminal acts with her fellow gang members, and also finds herself drawn to Jaz, a charismatic man whose initial supernatural skills seem relatively tame. It is only when Jaz and his friend Sonny appear to have been kidnapped by the cabal that things start to really heat up.

By this time, werewolf Karl Marsten has turned up, determined to protect Hope from herself and from any other events that might cause her to be placed in danger. Karl is somewhat conflicted when it comes to Hope. Whilst he is extremely protective of her as well as possessive, he doesn't really appear to have known what he wants in relation to her in the past as he had disappeared from Hope's life leaving their relationship somewhat unresolved. When he sees Hope canoodling with Jaz he is determined to get her out of the situation she is in for a number of reasons, but Hope is equally determined to see things through to the end, albeit with additional levels of protection.

The chaos gene/skill/talent is quite interesting. It can help Hope to identify if something has happened, or is going to happen, but it also can drive Hope over the edge to the point where she can't necessarily control her thoughts and, perhaps, her actions as she is feeding on the chaos around her.

As Hope must learn to understand her nature, Hope and Karl and Lucas and Paige must do everything they can to stop the killings, and to learn exactly who it is that is targetting the cabals in Florida, and why.

I must confess that I have a soft spot for Karl, despite the fact that he was in effect one of the bad guys in one of the earlier books. In my mind I kind of imagine him as a Sean Connery as Bond kind of figure - suave and debonnair - and yet he is a thief. I loved the explanation that he gave for why he hunts his prey as he tries to help Hope to understand how to use her skills without having them overwhelm her.

There was a pretty major change in this book compared to the other Otherworld books in that there were two narrators throughout the novel. Now that might not necessarily be that different from other books, but the fact that Lucas (i.e. a man) is one of those narrators is unique to this book in the series so far. Hope is the other narrator, and for the most part this dual narrative works, especially as it enables us to be in two places at the one time throughout the story. The fact that Lucas did narrate this book, opens the doorway for the Men of the Otherworld book which will be out next year.

I did like the ending of this novel, especially as it appears to add in some new elements for future books in terms of who the bad guys can be. The conflicts between Lucas and the cabals will no doubt still be a part of the future books but the options are expanded to include at least one more possibility.

Whilst this wasn't my favourite Otherworld book, it was once again a very entertaining entry in one of my favourite series.

This book is my first completed book in the RIP III Reading Challenge.


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Romance Rookie

RIP III Challenge

It's time for another one of Carl V's fabulous challenges - this time it is the RIP Challenge:

From Carl's site

Mystery.
Suspense.
Thriller.
Dark Fantasy.
Gothic.
Horror.
Supernatural.

There is just something about this time of year, when the ghosts of past Autumns and the Autumn to come chase away the dog days of summer, that entices one to read books that fit into the above categories.

It was a desire share the love of eerie, creepy, things-that-go-bump-in-the-night literature that brought me into the online reading challenge game for the first time back in September of 2006. My goals today, in this its third iteration, are no different than the inaugural R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge:

1. Have fun reading.
2. Share that fun with others.

There are three different options availabe and I am choosing Peril the Second which is to read two books of any length, from any subgenre of scary stories that you choose.

I will be choosing from the following list:

Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason
Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong
Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
The Blackstone Key by Rose Melikan

There's a chance I might substitute some other books as well but we will start with that list as a base.