Reading Challenges Update: October 2012

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

Mystery & Suspense (12/24)
11. Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger
12. The Shadow Man by Mark Murphy

Chick Lit (3/12)
3. Pillow Talk by Freya North

Horror & Urban Fantasy (32/48)
27. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
28. Ghosts in the Graveyard by Kim Bowman
29. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
30. The Fallen Star by Jessica Sorensen
31. Dead World by Shannon Rouchelle
32. Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan

Standalone (12/15)
12. Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill

Immortal (10/12)
9. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
10. Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Short Story (2/3)
2. War Stories by Elizabeth Doyle

Elsewhere Online: October 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 Fallen Star

Author: Jessica Sorensen

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

Title: Dead World

Author: Shannon Rouchelle

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

Title: Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World

Author: Simon Callow

Challenges: n/a

Title: Darkness Falls

Author: Cate Tiernan

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

Title: Memories of Murder
Author: Lara Nance

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

Title: Iron Hearted Violet

Author: Kelly Barnhill

Challenges: n/a

Stacking the Shelves: 10/21-10/27

For Review (here and on Bookloons):

The Circle of Tivedon by Ryan Shorten

The Woman from Paris by Santa Montefiore

The Legend of Mickey Tussler by Frank Nappi

Sophomore Campaign by Frank Nappi

Won:

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Eustice by Alex Gulczynski

The Color of Grace by Linda Kage

Hollyweird by Terri Clark

Burn for Burn by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Shelter by Harlan Coben

Seconds Away Harlan Coben

The Widow and the King by John Dickinson

Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

Temptation by Jude Deveraux

Bought on Kobo:

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

Bought from Amazon:

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

War Stories

War Stories
by Elizabeth Doyle
published by Two Harbors
2012
ISBN 978-1-937928-40-7
Why Read?: Review
Challenges: Short Story

The nine pieces of short fiction that author Elizabeth Doyle collected into War Stories sure pack a punch.  Each story deals with war of a kind, some in a more direct way than others.  But each is beautifully written yet incredibly melancholy.  Doyle gives hope, but it always comes after an tragic price.  War Stories is not for the faint of emotional heart, but it is a stunning collection for those who can take some tears.

Rating: 4/5

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Hop:  Spooktacular
Hosts:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer & The Diary of a Bookworm
Prize: Used ARC of Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant

Entry Form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Follow the Hop:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

Title: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
Author: Helen Simonson

Publisher: Random House
ISBN:978-0-8129-8122-3
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: n/a

Thoughts: Although the characters were much older than me, I found them very relateable.  This is a charming, uplifting, wonderful read.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 10/14-10/20

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman

Nobody Has to Know by Frank Nappi

Tempestuous by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

Exposure by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes

The Namesake by Steven Parlato

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

Louder than Words by Laurie Plissner

Won:

Princess by Courtney Cole

Torn Together by Emlyn Chand

Careful by Isobella Jade

Breaking Lauren by Jordan Deen

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Pillow Talk

Title: Pillow Talk
Author: Freya North

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 978-1-4022-5446-8
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Chick Lit

Thoughts: I loved how important Tanzanite was to this story as it is my favorite gem.  I also liked how everything ending up resolving at the end.  What I didn't like was how slow the beginning was.

Rating: 3 stars

Why Do Men Have Nipples?

Title: Why Do Men Have Nipples?: Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini

Author: Mark Leyner & Billy Goldbery, M. D.
Publisher: Three Rivers
ISBN:1-4000-8231-5
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: n/a

Thoughts: A tongue-in-cheek look at many medical questions people are afraid to openly ask.  The chapter openers were rather of unnecessary, yet the IM conversations were fun but could have done without the awkward timestamps.

Rating: 2 stars

The Shadow Man

The Shadow Man
by Mark Murphy
published by Langston Street
2012
ISBN 978-1-938296-30-1
Why Read?: Review
Challenges: Mystery & Suspense

Mark Murphy’s debut novel, The Shadow Man, is a dark, atmosphere thriller set in the haunting city of Savannah, Georgia.  In it, Malcolm King, a respected surgeon finds himself the suspect in a serial murder case that involves surgical precision.  Someone – or something – seems to be setting him up, targeting him, but Malcolm can never get a good glimpse of his tormentor.  As the bodies pile up, Malcolm’s psychological state become more and more tenuous, leading up to one heck of an ending.

Murphy’s fast-paced writing immediately draws the reader in, and the mood permeates every word.  This helps to immerse the reader into Malcolm’s world, making the pages fly by as the terror builds.  Mark Murphy carefully walks the line between mystery and horror making The Shadow Man the perfect psychological thriller.  For a debut novel, this is one amazingly strong story.

Rating: 5/5

Rebel Angels

Title: Rebel Angels

Author: Libba Bray
Publisher: Delacorte
ISBN:978-0-385-73341-0
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy, Immortal

Thoughts: Normally the middle book in a trilogy is just meant to be a build-up to the climax in the third, but Rebel Angels has such a strong plot that it could almost be a stand alone.  The dark intrigue and plenty of riddles kept the story moving rapidly and now I cannot wait to see how things end for Gemma Doyle and her friends.

Rating: 5 stars

Stacking the Shelved: 10/7-10/13

For Review (on Bookloons):

At Left Brain Turn Right by Anthony Meindl

The Steam Mole by Dave Freer

Hello, My Name is Pabst by Miek Bruno & Kerry Sparks

Trevor by James Lecesne

Won:

Ruby by Amanda Burke

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Requested on Paperbackswap:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Wolf Hall by Hilary Hantel

Ghosts in the Graveyard

Title: Ghosts in the Graveyard

Author: KimBowman
Publisher: Astraea
ISBN:978-1-936852-68-0
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

Thoughts: This is a cute MG novella perfect for Halloween.  Young readers will get a thrill out of the ghostly chills, but what really makes Ghosts in the Graveyard work is the ending.  With most stories, the beginning tends to be the strongest - not so with this one; the ending is perfect.

Rating: 4 stars