Reading Challenge Update: February

Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of February (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here): 


E-Book (6/6) - COMPLETED
2. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson
3. Broken by David H. Burton
4. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas
5. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace

100 Books in a Year (23/100)
14. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
15. Sorceress by Lisa Jackson
16. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson
17. Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar
18. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
19. Broken by David H. Burton
20. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas
21. The Hunger Pains by The Harvard Lampoon
22. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace
23. Immortal Quest by Alexandra MacKenzie


Debut Author (2/12)
1. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson
2. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker


YA Contemporary (1/5)
1. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker


Steampunk (1/6)
1. Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar


YA Historical Fiction (1/5)
1. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson



Historical Fiction (2/5)
2. Sorceress by Lisa Jackson



Horror & Urban Fantasy (4/48)
4. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas


Aussie Authors (2/3)
2. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace



Dystopia (3/5)
3. The Hunger Pains by The Harvard Lampoon


Standalone (2/15)
1. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson
2. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker


Immortal (2/12)
1. Broken by David H. Burton
2. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas



European (1/1) - COMPLETED!
1. Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar



British Books (2/12)
1. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
2. Immortal Quest by Alexandra MacKenzie

A to Z (16/26)
10. Sorceress by Lisa Jackson
11. The Priest and the Peaches by Larry Peterson
12. Camera Obscura by Lavie Tidhar
13. The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker
14. Broken by David H. Burton
15. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas
16. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace


Romance (4/4) - COMPLETED
1. Sorceress by Lisa Jackson
2. Broken by David H. Burton
3. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas
4. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace


Self-Published (2/5)
2. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas



Witches and Witchcraft (3/5)
1. Sorceress by Lisa Jackson
2. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas
3. Immortal Quest by Alexandra MacKenzie



Ghostly Challenge (2/6)
2. Fire of My Heart by Erin Grace



Paranormal Fantasy (3/10)
2. Broken by David H. Burton
3. Veil of the Unknown by Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas

Elsewhere Online: February 2012

As you know from my In My Mailbox posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.


Title: The Queen of Kentucky

Author: Alecia Whitaker

Challenges: Debut Author, YA Contemporary, Standalone, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Broken

Author: David H. Burton

Challenges: E-Book, Immortal, A to Z, Romance, Paranormal Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Veil of the Unknown

Author: Kelly Leigh & Terri Lucas

Challenges: E-Book, Horror & Urban Fantasy, Immortal, A to Z, Romance, Self-Published, Witches & Witchcraft, Paranormal Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Hunger Pains

Author: The Harvard Lampoon

Challenges: Dystopia, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Fire of My Heart

Author: Erin Grace

Challenges: E-Book, Aussie Author, A to Z, Romance, Ghostly, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Immortal Quest

Author: Alexandra MacKenzie

Challenges: E-Book, British Book, Witches and Witchcraft, 100 Books in a Year

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Hop:  Leap Into Books
Hosts:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Jinky Is Reading
Prize:  1 used ARC copy of The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

Entry Form:

Camera Obscura

Title: Camera Obscura

Author: Lavie Tidhar
Publisher: Angry Robot
ISBN: 978-0-85766-094-7
Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges:  Steampunk, European, A to z, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I really loved The Bookman, the first in Tidhar's trilogy, and there were parts of Camera Obscura that I really loved too - especially when she encounters Holmes's murder castle outside the White City.  However, the fourth part disgusted me so much that it slowed my reading of it to almost a complete stop; I had to take it in very small doses, and this diminished my liking of it.

Rating: 3 stars

In My Mailbox 2/19-2/25

For review (on Bookloons):

Starcrossed by Jospehine Angelini

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Won:

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill

Twice Bitten by Chloe Neill

Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

The Dashwood Haunting by Ann Nyland

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

This weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

The Priest and the Peaches

Title: The Priest and the Peaches

Author: Larry Peterson

Publisher: Tribute

ISBN: 978-0-9837418-4-8

Why Read?:  Review

Challenges:  E-Book, Debut Author, YA Historical, Standalone, A to Z, 100 Books in a Year

One thing you do not see much of nowadays is books written for young adults that can be described as “heart-warming”.  Right now, dark and intense are in style.  So it is refreshing to see an ultimately uplifting book such as Larry Peterson’s The Priest and the Peaches.

The five Peach children – Teddy, Joanie, Dancer, Beeker, and Joey – have been surviving for years without their mother.  Their father may not be the greatest, spending more time at the bar than at home, but his love is apparent.  However, those nights are the bars end up tearing the family apart in a way no one expect as alcohol consumption finally takes its toll on Yimey Peach.  At the innocent age of 18, Teddy now finds himself the guardian of his younger siblings and dealing with the adult responsibilities of taking care of his father’s funeral and paying the long-overdue bills.  Things look bleak, but with the help of their parish priest and Yimey’s philosophy of “love your neighbor”, the Peach kids just might make it through.

The Priest and the Peaches is the type of story that really touches the heart of whomever reads it, no matter their age.  While Peterson was trying to present a YA novel, this comes across a little more ageless.  It is written simple enough that middle schoolers could understand, yet some of the issues are more sophisticated.  The switching of point of views from the kids to the adults in their lives also makes it seem geared towards an older audience.  But the message is a good one for readers of any age.  While the Peaches are Catholic, the thought of loving your neighbor will resonate with those from all walks of life.  Catholic means “universal”, and Peterson’s moral in The Priest and the Peaches is truly that.

Anyone looking for a tender story with Catholic undertones will enjoy The Priest and the Peaches.  The more he writes, the more Larry Peterson could really make a name for himself in this niche genre.

Rating:  3/5

Sorceress

Title: Sorceress

Author: Lisa Jackson
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-22198-8
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges:  Historical Fiction, A to Z, Romance, Witches and Witchcraft, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I have read Lisa Jackson's contemporary romantic suspense before and it was okay, but her historical fantasy romance is excellent.  There was enough magic to make it fun but not enough to make it unrealistic.

Rating: 4 stars

In My Mailbox 2/12-2/18

For possible review (on Bookloons):

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Gil Marsh by A.C.E. Bauer

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge

Black Gold by Albert Marrin

The Whole Story of Half a Girl by Veera Hiranandani

My Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky

Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo

Won:

Ghoul Interrupted by Victoria Laurie

Sentenced to Death by Lorna Barrett

Mortar and Murder by Jennie Bentley

The Cocoa Conspiracy by Andrea Penrose

It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake

Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley

Valentine's Day of the Undead by Stacey Jay

Act of God by Paul Byers

Taken by Fire by Sydney Croft

The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Follower Love Giveaway WINNER!

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JaneP!

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Lady Windermere's Fan

Title: Lady Windermere's Fan

Author: Oscar Wilde
Publisher: Dover
ISBN: 0-486-40078-6
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges:  British Books, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I love Oscar Wilde, but this, his first play, is lacking a little of his trademark comedy and wit.  It is a comedy,  does have some witty lines, but some of the satire is lost today.  Maybe this is just a play that works better on stage than page.

Rating: 3 stars

In My Mailbox 2/5-2/11

Won:

Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco

The Word Gang by Mark McKenna

Home Front by Kristin Hannah

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

G.I. Joe Frontline: Icebound by Dan Jolley & Drew Johnson

Just Peachy by Jill Winters

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Follower Love Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Hop:  Follower Love
Hosts:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Rachael Renee Anderson
Prize:  1 ARC copy of Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Entry Form:

In My Mailbox 1/29-2/4

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Bent Road by Lori Roy

Won:

Destined by Jessie Harrell

Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young

Bay of the Dead by Mark Morris

Addressing Spirits by Carla Foft

Rock On by Denise Vega

River in the Sea by Tina Boscha

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

The Ferguson Rifle by Louis L'Amour

The Merchant of Death by D. J. MacHale

Requested from Paperbackswap:

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Bought on Kobo:

The Blacksmith's Daughter by Arley Cole

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.