Reading Challenged Update: March 2013

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

E-Book (10/10) - COMPLETED!
10. Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins

Audio Book (3/12)
1. Trouble on His Wings by L. Ron Hubbard

Graphic Novel (3/12)
3. On the Ropes by James Vance & Dan E. Burr

100 Books in a Year (38/100)
28. Trouble on His Wings by L. Ron Hubbard
29. Thrift by Phil Church
30. Untimed by Andy Gavin
31. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Alder-Olsen
32. Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins
33. The Book of Paul by Richard Long
34. The Circle of Tivedon by Ryan Shorten
35. On the Ropes by James Vance & Dan E. Burr
36. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga
37. The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
38. Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Historical Fiction (6/10)
6. On the Ropes by James Vance & Dan E. Burr

Why Buy the Cow (1/12)
1. Thrift by Phil Church

New Adult (3/5)
2. On the Ropes by James Vance & Dan E. Burr
3. The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen

YA/MG Fantasy (6/10)
5. Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins
6. The Circle of Tivedon by Ryan Shorten

Immortal (3/12)
3. Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins

European (1/2)
1. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Alder-Olsen

British Books (2/12)
2. Thrift by Phil Church

Free Reads (8/12)
7. Trouble on His Wings by L. Ron Hubbard
8. Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins

A to Z (19/26)
18. Untiled by Andy Gavin
19. I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Self-Published (3/10)
2. Thrift by Phil Church
3. The Circle of Tivedon by Ryan Shorten

Paranormal Fiction (3/6)
3. Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Hereafter

Title: Hereafter
Author:  Tara Hudson

Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062084491

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Paranormal Fiction, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Hereafter was a fun YA ghost story with the right amounts of darkness and romance.  The end was a little sudden, and I am not sure how this will work as part of a larger series, as I thought it was a good standalone.  I am curious, though, now knowing there is more to the story.

Rating: 4 stars

Elsewhere Online: March 2013

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves 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 Circle of Tivedon
Author: Ryan Shorten

Challenges: YA/MG Fantasy, Self-Published, 100 Books in a Year

Title: On the Ropes

Author: James Vance & Dan E. Burr

Challenges: Graphic Novel, Historical Fiction, New Adult, 100 Books in a Year

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Challenges: A to Z, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Secret of Ella and Micha

Author: Jessica Sorensen

Challenges: New Adult, 100 Books in a Year

Stacking the Shelves: 3/17-3/30

For Possible Review (here and on Bookloons):

Deep Betrayal by Anne Greenwood Brown

Scowler by Daniel Kraus

Promises to Keep by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

Heart of Glass by Sasha Gould

Running into the Darkness by D. A. Bale

Won:

Time's Twisted Arrow by Rysa Walker

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Forged in Grace by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Lucky by Alice Sebold

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Early Review on LibraryThing:

After the War by Libby Sternberg

Requested from Paperbackswap:

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Jingo by Terry Pratchett

Healer by Linda Windsor

Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor

Bought at Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis:

The Legend of Oz: The Wicked West 1: Over the Rainbow by Tom Hutchinson, Alisson Borges, & Kate Finnegan

Bought on Amazon:

Tags by Walter Dean Myers

Flirting with Maybe by Wendy Higgins

Hoppy Easter Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Hop: Hoppy Easter
Host:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer & Read Now, Sleep Later
Prize: Used The Secret Saturdays Vol. 1: The Kur Stone 

Form:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow:

The Book of Paul

The Book of Paul

by Richard Long

published by Open Eyes

2012

ISBN 978-0615648644

Why Read?: Review

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Richard Long has crafted a highly complex horrifying suspense in The Book of Paul.  This occult thriller sets the tone as the first of a seven-part saga.

A crummy apartment building houses tenants who have no clue how important they really are in the age-old fight between good and evil.  A broken sink brings together Rose, a tattoo artist covered in sexual piercing, and Martin, a loner who has never quite learned how to fit into society.  Little do these two know that their union will be seen by Paul, the powerful keeper of an occult book who is working to bring about an apocalyptic philosophy.  When these three collide, the world will never be the same.

I love occult thrillers, so I really wanted to love The Book of Paul.  The problem was that I could not connect with Rose or Martin – in fact, I was a tad put out by them – so I had trouble investing myself in their story, making this long book a slow read.  There is plenty of action and horror, but not feeling for the characters made it hard for me to pick up the book and want to read it.

I do think there are plenty of readers out there who will love The Book of Paul, but it was not for me.  Richard Long is supposedly writing a YA series, though, and I have a feeling that will be something that I will enjoy.

Rating: 2/5

Legend of the Oceina Dragon

Title: Legend of the Oceina Dragon
Author:  J. F. Jenkins

Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-936852-03-1

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Ebook, YA/MG Fantasy, Immortal, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I really like Jenkins's concept and world-building for her Dragons Saga.  However, I did not understand why she made the characters - who were old enough to have just graduated from high school - still in high school.  The story would actually have worked much better if it was New Adult and trying so hard to be YA.  Also, some spots seemed to have some inconsistencies  making it feel a little rough like an ARC rather than a polished release.  It does end with quite a bit of intrigue, so I am curious to find out what happens next.

Rating: 2 stars

The Keeper of Lost Causes

Title: The Keeper of Lost Causes
Author:  Jussi Adler-Olsen

Publisher: Plume
ISBN: 978-0-452-29790-6

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: European, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I think I will always prefer a good British or American mystery, but as Nordic mysteries good, The Keeper of Lost Causes is the best I have read yet.  Yes, it is graphic and hard to take at parts, but the secondary characters were amazing, and Carl grew on me, too.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/10-3/16

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Inkheart by Cornelia Fluke

Untimed

Untimed

by Andy Gavin

published by Mascherato

2012

ISBN 978-1-937945-04-6

Why Read?: Review

Challenges: A to Z, 100 Books in a Year

Andy Gavin has put a new twist on time travel in Untimed.  In this creative tale, we follow Charlie, a modern boy who is rather forgettable, making his life somewhat boring.  All of that changes when he follows a clockwork man through a hole in time and finds himself in 1725 London.  He is immediately accosted by Yvaine, a street urchin with more than her fair share of secrets.  Once he gets his wallet…er, coin purse…back, Charlie discovers that Yvaine is a time-traveler – and he is one, too.  It turns out, boys can only travel to the past and girls can only travel to the future, but they can travel with each other.  Yvaine, however, is reluctant to leave 1725 because of her son.  Charlie, though, has an idea that involved Ben Franklin…and that is where the time changing adventure truly begins.

Untimed is a very unique novel and Gavin has obviously spent considerable time on world-building and figuring out the logistics.  The only problem is that some parts seem rather slow for what should be a fast-paced YA adventure. Part of this is because it takes some time to really get to know Charlie and Yvaine – and to like them – but once their problems escalate, so does the pace.

Fans of time-travel, YA adventure, and steampunk will enjoy the world Andy Gavin has created in Untimed.  Just remember to give the novel a bit of time to suck you in.

Rating: 4/5

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Hop: Lucky Leprechaun
Host:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer, Books Complete Me, & Author Cindy Thomas
Prize: Used ARC of Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Form:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow:

St. Jude Novena

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever.  Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us.  St. Jude, Worker of Miracles, pray for us.  St. Jude, Help of the Hopeless, pray for us.

Say the prayer nine times a day; by the 8th day, prayer will be answered.  Say if for nine days, then publish.  Your prayers will be answered.  It has never been known to fail.  Thank you, St. Jude.

Stacking the Shelves: 3/3-3/9

Won:

I, Nemo by J. Dharma & Deanna Windham

Early Review for LibraryThing:

Trouble on His Wings by L. Ron Hubbard

Requested from Paperbackswap:

The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

Thrift

Title: Thrift
Author:  Phil Church

Publisher: n/a
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Why Buy the Cow, British Books, Self Published, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: With the title of Thrift, I really had no clue what to expect.  What I got was a funny story about a slacker teacher just trying not to get fired at a mediocre English academy.  There were a few slow parts, but most of it was just fun fluff.

Rating: 4 stars

Trouble on His Wings

Title: Trouble on His Wings
Author:  L. Ron Hubbard

Publisher: Galaxy
ISBN: 978-1-59212-308-7

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This audio edition of Trouble on His Wings was actually a lot of fun.  Unlike a typical audio book, it is performed like a radio drama which works excellently with this 1939 adventure story of a new photographer who will do whatever it takes to get the scoop...and the jinx he picks up along the way.  If you are looking for an exciting blast from the past, this is definitely it.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 2/24-3/2

For review (on Bookloons):

Native American Classics by Graphic Classics

Won:

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Vampire's Hope by Danica Winters

Guardian of Atlantis by Annie Rachel Cole

Sweet Oblivion by Bailey Ardisone

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor

Downloaded from Discover a New Love:

The India Fan by Victoria Holt

Selection for Astraea Press Book Club:

Legend of the Oceina Dragon by J. F. Jenkins