An Unholy Alliance

Title: An Unholy Alliance

Author: Judy Nedry
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 9781440142062
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Show Me the Free

Thoughts: I am really not sure how exactly to categorize this book. It had all the makings of a cozy - amateur sleuth, niche hobby, etc - but some of the side subject matter was much darker than any cozy - alcoholism and incest. There is one point in the middle that it alludes to possible past dectecting exploits, but there were no earlier books that I could find. And the end does not seem open to more in a series. However, having said all that, this is a very well-written mystery and I hope to see more from this author.
Rating: 4 stars

Young Adult Contemporary Challenge Recap

One of my favorite challenges this year was the Young Adult Contemporary Challenge. I knew I read a lot of YA genre fiction, but I never paid attention to how much contemporary I read, too - 13 exactly. I think I will do this one again as it offered a nice change of pace. Here's what I read:

1. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

2. I Am J by Cris Beam

3. You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

4. Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

5. The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennett

6. Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

7. Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett

8. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

9. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

10. In Zanesvilles by Jo Ann Beard

11. Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle

12. Freshman by Corinne Mucha

13. Bunheads by Sophie Flack

Elsewhere Online: November 2011

As you may have guessed from my In My Mailbox posts, I review for another website (bookloons.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: Dearly, Departed

Author: Lia Habel

Challenges: Debut Author, Full Steampunk Ahead, Horror & Urban Fantasy

Title: Trance

Author: Kelly Medling

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy

This Day in the Life

Title: This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America

Author: by Joni B. Cole , Rebecca Joffrey & B.K. Rakhra, eds.
Publisher: Three Rivers
ISBN: 9781400082322
Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Borrowed Books

Thoughts: This was different from any book I have read before. Each chapter was a day diary of a different American woman. What I liked better, though, were the shorter chapters that either included just a few hours from the day or one paragraph. Despite the format, it was slow reading.
Rating: 2 stars

Debut Author Challenge Recap

I am not quite finished with the Debut Author Challenge yet, but I think I might make it - after this month, I just need to read 2 more to meet the requirement of 12 books. I really enjoyed reading debut authors, so I will definitely do this in 2012. Here are the 2011 authors I have read so far:

1. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
2. I Am J by Cris Beam
3. The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman
6. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
7. In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard
8. Bunheads by Sophie Flack
9. The Masterwork of a Painting Elephant by Michelle Cuevas & Ed Young
10. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
11.
12.

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YA Series Challenge Recap

I do read a lot of YA series, so the YA Series Challenge was a relatively easy one. What I found a little difficult, though, was that the series had to have at least 3 books in it, and a lot of the series I have read are just starting and only have 1 or 2 books out yet, so I didn't know if they counted or not. I am not sure if I will do this next year or just stick with eh 1st in a Series Challenge and maybe pick up the 2nd in a Series Challenge. For the level I chose of Trying It Out (3-5 books), here's what I read:

1. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper

2. Summer by Eden Maguire

3. The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

4. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

5. The Midnight Palace by Carlos Ruiz Zafon