Reading Challenged

Friday, March 6, 2015

Seeing America

Title: Seeing America
Author: Nancy Crocker

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781449897376

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: n/a

Thoughts: Seeing America has so many connotations within this rich story of a blind boy and his friends taking a road trip at the beginning of the 20th century. This historical coming-of-age tale is deep, insightful, and really makes you think.

Rating: 4 stars

Sunday, March 1, 2015

In the Box: February 2015 Awesome Pack Big Kid Box

While this month's Awesome Pack Big Kid Pack was not as chockful of items as last months, what was inside were some very high-quality games, all of which arrived at an amazing price. The subscription is $44.99 a month and you can choose the Big Kid option (for those without kids - like me), or the Family option. Their site does not have referral links set up yet, nor can you log into your account yet, but they do have a referral program, so if you do decide after reading my review to try it, I would very much appreciate if you told them you heard about it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com.

The big game this month was Kairo (a $59.99 value). This comes from Queen Games who publishes some great Euros. This looks like a fun and intense game of trying to lure buyers to your market stall. Aside from games, Awesome Pack also includes little collectibles, and this month it was an adorable chibi DC keychain (a $4.99 value). I was lucky enough to receive this adorable Harley Quinn who immediately went onto my keys.

In addition to a "big" game, smaller games are also included in the Big Kid pack. One of the ones this month, Love Letter (a $9.99 value), has been on my wish list for a while (and what better month than February to receive it). The version included was actually the Kanai Factory Edition which contains two exclusive cards. The other game, Fairy Tale (a $19.99 value), I have never heard of, but reading about this card game, it is totally me and I cannot wait to play it! (Please note: I have linked to the Z-Man Games version who is the US publisher of the game, but the copy I received was from What's Your Game? which is a European publisher).

All told, my February Awesome pack had an estimated retail value of $94.96 and I got it all for $44.95, which included shipping. If you would like to subscribe, once again, I ask that you say you heard it from me, rickimc [at] aol [dot] com. (Please note: as games and collectibles can vary in price based on demand, I tried to take the price from the manufacturers site whenever possible.)

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Reading Challenge Update: February 2015

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

Graphic Novels (2/12)
2. The Gigantic Beard that Was Evil by Stephen Collins

Author Alphabet (14/26)
10. The Bridge of Dead Things by Michael Gallagher
11. The Orange Eats Creeps by Grace Krilanovich
12. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear
13. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
14. Stolen by Lucy Christopher

Demons of the Ocean

Title: Demons of the Ocean
Author: Justin Somper

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781449897376

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: n/a

Thoughts: The start to the Vampirates series was super fun, even for someone older than the typical MG reader. The story was fun and had surprising depth, and a lot of questions were left for futures books.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 2/22-2/28

For possible review (on Bookloons):

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

First Reads from Goodreads:

Frosted Blood by Larry Pellitteri

Bought from Humble Bundle:

Brayan's Gold by Peter V. Brett

The Top of the Volcano by Harlon Ellison

The Ape's Wife and Other Stories by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Jacaranda by Cherie Priest

Muse of Fire by Dan Simmons

Inside Job by Connie Willis

The Jack Vance Treasury by Jack Vance

Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong

Tortured Souls by Clive Barker

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate by Ted Chiang

The End of the Sentence by Maria Dahvana Headley & Kat Howard

The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox by Barry Hughart

Nobody's Home by Tim Powers

The Mallet of Loving Correction by John Scalzi

Bleeding Shadows by Joe R. Lansdale

I Travel by Night by Robert McCammon

Salvage and Demolition by Tim Powers

New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear

The Agonizing Resurrection of Victor Frankenstein and Other Gothic Tales by Thomas Ligotti

Black Hat Jack by Joe R. Lansdale

The Hunter from the Woods by Robert McCammon

Academic Exercises by K. J. Parker

Elsewhere Online: February 2015

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves 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: Allies & Assassins
Author: Justin Somper

Challenges: n/a

Title: The Gigantic Beard that Was Evil

Author: Stephen Collins

Challenges: Graphic Novel

Title: Monkey Wars

Author: Richard Kurti

Challenges: n/a