Reading Challenged

Saturday, August 6, 2011

In My Mailbox 7/31-8/6

For review (on bookloons.com):

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Mystery by Graphic Classics

Won:

Midnight Pleasures by Amanda Ashley, Maggie Shayne, Sherrilyn Kenyon, & Ronda Thompson

Night's Edge by Maggie Shayne, Charlaine Harris, & Barbara Hambly

A Bride's Story Vol. 1 by Kaoru Mori

Suite Scarlet by Maureen Johnson

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Summer Giveaway Hop (US/Can)

Summer's coming to a close, so that means it is time for another giveway hop! Before school starts,

there is time to get at least one last "fun"book in. This giveaway is for a used ARC copy of The Incredible Origins of the Onyx

Sun by Christopher Mahoney. This is a fun sci-fi adventure for middle grades.

To enter:

Fill out the Form.

Extra entries for following on GFC or Goodreads.

Don't forget to check out the other great giveaways:

Reading Challenges Update - July

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

E-Book (3/3) - COMPLETED!

3. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Mystery & Suspense (12/12) - COMPLETED!

12. Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

100 Books in a Year (72/100)

60. Into the Dark by Gena Showalter

61. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

62. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

63. Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett

64. Secrets in the Attic by Damian Serbu

65. Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

66. The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne

67. The Haunted by Jessica Verday

68. OtherWorlds by Thomas Kidd

69. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

70. Fire by Robin McKinley & Peter Dickenson

71. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

72. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Debut Author (6/12)

6. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Young Adult Contemporary (8/13)

7. Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett

8. Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Book Blogger Recommendation (5/5) - COMPLETED!

5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Horror & Urban Fantasy (14/24)

10. Into the Dark by Gena Showalter

11. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

12. Secrets in the Attic by Damian Serbu

13. The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne

14. The Haunted by Jessica Verday

Borrowed Books (4/12)

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

International Reading (8/10)

8. The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne

iChallenge (4/10)

4. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

Show Me the Free (2/12)

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Vampire (2/20)

2. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris

Cozy Mystery (2/6)

2. Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

Vacation Reads (2/6)

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Title: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
Publisher: Book Club
ISBN: 978-0-14-303714-9
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I liked the first couple of chapters, thinking the premise would be tense, filled with family secrets. Shortly thereafter, though, all I found were unsympathetic characters who just made me mad. The pace also dragged a lot. There were some parts I enjoyed, and I liked that the end was more positive than I thought it would be, but overall, despite Edwards's capable prose, this was just not for me.
Rating: 2 stars

Outlander

Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Publisher: eBook
No ISBN
Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: E-Book, TBR Pile, Book Blogger Recommendation, Show Me the Free (Borders), Vacation Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Outlander is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and after reading it, I can see why it has lasted so long. I have never read a romantic time-travel before, but I can see that Gabaldon really knows this genre. The story as well as the characters were highly engaging, although it did drag a little in a few parts, but I honestly think that was due to the fact I was reading an ebook and couldn't really see how much of the story was left. I now what to pick up the rest of the series.
Rating: 5 stars

Vacation Reads Challenge: I have always wanted to visit the Scottish countryside. I think it would be just beautiful. I think, though, I would prefer to visit it now a days, rather than in the time of the clans.

Elsewhere Online: July 2011

As you may have guessed from my In My Mailbox posts, I review for 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: Who What Wear

Author: Olivia Bennett

Challenges: Young Adult Contemporary, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Secrets in the Attic

Author: Damian Serbu

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Absolutely, Positively

Author: Heather Webber

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, Cozy Mystery, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Paradise Prophecy

Author: Robert Browne

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy, International, 100 Books in a Year