Reading Challenged: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Reading Challenges Update: June 2013

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

Audio Book (6/12)
6. Shoggoth's Old Peculiar by Neil Gaiman

Graphic Novel (4/12)
4. Native American Classics by Graphic Classics

100 Books in a Year (64/100)
56. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
57. Shoggoth's Old Peculiar by Neil Gaiman
58. Making Waves by Nell Dixon
59. Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux
60. Running into the Darkness by D. A. Bale
61. Scottish Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie
62. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Graberstein
63. Planes, Train, and Auto-Rickshaws by Laura Pedersen
64. Native American Classics by Graphic Classics

Book Blogger Recommendations (2/10)
2. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

YA Contemporary (4/10)
4. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Graberstein

New Adult (4/5)
4. Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

Telling Tales (3/10)
3. Scottish Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie

British Books (7/10)
6. Shoggoth's Old Peculiar by Neil Gaiman
7. Making Waves by Nell Dixon

Free Reads (15/15) - COMPLETED!
14. Shoggoth's Old Peculiar by Neil Gaiman
15. Making Waves by Nell Dixon

Self-Published (5/10)
5. Running into the Darkness by D. A. Bale

Elsewhere Online: June 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: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Author: Chris Graberstein

Challenges: YA Contemporary, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Planes, Trains and Auto-Rickshawas

Author: Laura Pedersen

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: Native American Classics

Author: Graphic Classics

Challenges: Graphic Novels, 100 Books in a Year

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Stacking the Shelves: 6/23-6/29

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

The Secret Ingredient by Stewart Lewis

Paradox by A. J. Paquette

My Chemical Mountain by Corina Vacco

A Matter of Days by Amber Kizer

The Companion by R. A. Salvatore

The Godborn by Paul S. Kemp

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Scottish Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend

Title: Scottish Wonder Tales from Myth and Legend
Author: Donald A. Mackenzie

Publisher: Dover
ISBN: 0-486-29677-6

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

Thoughts: I did enjoy some of the stories in this book, but the format of the stories was just odd. Some stories flowed right from one to another; and some did not really flow well and were mashed together with no transition. The story I liked the best was also the longest, "The Land of the Green Mountian", which has the feel of a true fairy tale.

Rating: 2 stars

Running Into the Darkness

by D. A. Bale

published by author

2011

ISBN 978-1-4661-6307-2

Why Read?: Review

Challenges: Self-Published, 100 Books in a Year

Running Into the Darkness is an intense thriller. D. A. Bale really packs in a lot of action and intrigue.

After a major run-in with her boss during her second year of residency, Samantha Bartlett welcomes to the chance to get away. Unfortunately, her reason for going away is the death of her grandmother who raised her since her parents' flight was blown up as she, a five-year-old at the time, watched. However, she no longer feels safe in her childhood home as a mysterious man with sunglasses seems to be following her. When they finally meet, her turns her world completely upside down, and Samantha is not sure at all about the new direction.

Bale has created a very kick-ass heroine in Samantha, but unfortunately, I never connected with her, making it very difficult to get lost in Running Into the Darkness. Detective Joe Roberts, Samantha's childhood friend, was a much more relate-able character, and the scenes with him seemed to pack more punch.

As D. A. Bale's debut, Running Into the Darkness is not a bad attempt at suspense and a strong female lead. I just need the character connection within all the action to ramp it up a notch.

Rating 2/5

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Life on the Edge

Title: Life on the Edge
Author: Jennifer Comeaux

Publisher: Astreae
ISBN: 978-1-936852-87-1

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: New Adult, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This was a complex story with plenty of romance and skating action. It did feel like it could have been split in two halfway through with the run up to the Olympics (which was very climatic) and the budding romance between skater and coach, and then the part with the controversy and Olympics. However, it was a good example of New Adult and a cute, sweet romance.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 6/9-6/22

For review (here and on Bookloons):

A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger

Chasing Memories by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Script Kiddie by Michael F. Stewart

Won:

The Book of Madness and Cures by Regina O'Melveny

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Making Waves

Title: Making Waves
Author: Nell Dixon

Publisher: Astreae
ISBN: 978-1-936852-11-6

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This was a sweet and cute romance, but I really wanted more. I loved the premise, but things seemed to move rather quickly; I would have loved to see their whole three-week holiday.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 6/2-6/8

LibraryThing Early Review:

Plow the Bones by Douglas F. Warrick

Selections for Astraea Press Book Club:

Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux

Making Waves by Nell Dixon

Monday, June 3, 2013

Shoggoth's Old Peculiar

Title: Shoggoth's Old Peculiar
Author: Neil Gaiman

Publisher: Harper Audio
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, British Books, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: With a this title, I had no clue what to expect, but I definitely got the unexpected. For a good two-thirds, the story seems like a humorous tale of a mislead American traveler on England's coast. But then Gaiman delivers a fun and interesting twist and caps it off with the perfect ending to make you wonder.

Rating: 5 stars

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Fahrenheit 451

Title: Fahrenheit 451
Author: Ray Brandbury

Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0-345-41001-7

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Book Blogger Recommendations, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: The start of this was good, but then it got a little slow after Clarisse disappeared. However, after Part 1, it really took off and the ending was not at all what I was expecting. Bradbury expresses some amazing view through some very poetic prose.

Rating: 4 stars