Kylee's Journal

2013 Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 23:25:00 +0000

I reserve the right to make changes as needed. I don't own any of these books so I may need to revise based on Overdrive or local library availability. =)

(Semi-serious) Series rereads:

The Belgariad (8 books) - David Eddings

The Pawn of Prophecy
The Queen of Sorcery
The Magician's Gambit
Castle of Wizardry
Enchanter's End Game
Belgarath the Sorcerer
Polgara the Sorceress
The Rivan Codex

Malloreon (5 books) - David Eddings

Guardians of the West
King of the Murgos
Demon Lord of Kandara
The Sorceress of Darshiva
The Seeress of Kell

Harry Potter (7 books) - JK Rowling

~~The Sorcerers Stone~~
The Chamber of Secrets
The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Goblet of Fire
The Order of the Phoenix
The Half-Blood Prince
The Deathly Hallows

(Semi-serious) Series started before 2013:

A Song of Fire and Ice (1 book) - George RR Martin

A Dance with Dragons

Wallflowers (3 books) - Lisa Kleypas

It Happened One Autumn
Devil in Winter
Scandal in Spring

Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson (1 book) - Patricia Briggs
- Frost Burned (to be released March 5, 2013)
Cupcake Bakery Mystery (3 books) - Kenn McKinlay

Death by the Dozen
Red Velvet Revenge
Going, Going, Ganache (to be released April 2, 2013)

I had already decided, months ago, that I would NOT start any new series this year.

To get the details and sign up!

Progress

January:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
February:

Summer of Series 2012

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 23:23:00 +0000

Hosted by Amanda of On a Book Bender and Kelly of Reading the Paranormal

Since I was toying around with the idea of doing something like this this winter, why not join in the fun early?! Simply put, get further into (and possibly finish, for me) some series before starting others!

Since discovering FictFact several months ago I have been made aware or many series (and authors) that I had never heard of before. So, before delving into some new series I'm going to knock out some I have already begun to get into. Most of these are books I don't own, but my Public Library has a lot of books available through inter-library loan.

Now, I don't actually expect read ALL of the books listed below, but I hope to put a pretty good dent in the list! For exceptionally long series (I'm lookin' at you Stephanie Plum and Cedar Cove!) I will only list the next 2 or 3 in the series. Here in my list, in order of how they are presently in my tabs (in other words, no order in particular ;) )

A Song of Ice and Fire

~~A Feast for Crows~~ ~ finished June 21, 2012
A Dance with Dragons

All Souls Trilogy

Shadow of Night (I actually was lucky enough to snag a Netgalley copy!)

Cedar Cove Series

311 Pelican Court
50 Harbor Street (Yes, I know I skipped #4. 44 Cranberry Point was actually my very first CC as well as Debbie Macomber book.)
6 Rainier Drive

Maternal Instincts Mystery

~~Formula for Murder~~ ~ finished July 5, 2012

Time Quartet

Many Waters

Stephanie Plum

~~Ten Big Ones~~
~~Eleven on Top~~
~~Twelve Sharp~~

The Dark Tower

The Wind Through the Keyhole

Wallflowers

It Happened One Autumn
Devil in Winter
Scandal in Spring

Hannah Swensen

Cinnamon Roll Murder

Hellions of Halstead Hall

How to Woo a Reluctant Lady
To Wed a Wild Lord

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse

20 books, not too bad. =)

Now this list has it's own spot on my GoodReads shelves.

Review of: DEADLOCKED by Charlaine Harris

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:55:00 +0000

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.

Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down.

---------------------------

I've read a couple of other people's reviews of DEADLOCKED that were not entirely favorable. For me DEADLOCKED was great! I don't mind the lack of Eric. I confess to being on Team Sam! In my humble opinion, he is the best for Sookie of the current (Eric, Bill, Quinn, Alcide) men in her life.

Sookie has a birthday in DEADLOCKED (a big one if I remember correctly). Quite a lot goes on during the few weeks that DEADLOCKED covers. Babies are born, one particular character disappears for most of the book, magic items may or may not have been used, there is an engagement!

I don't want to give away too much. DEADLOCKED, for me, felt like the beginning of the series. A lot is packed into these 327 pages. The last few books have fallen flat for me, DEADLOCKED did not!

Title: Deadlocked
Author: Charline Harris
ISBN:9781937007447
Pages: 327
Published by: Ace Hardcover (May 2012)
Source: Public Library (I got on the list for this back in February!)
Grade: B+ What does this grade mean?

Books in this series:
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)
Living Dead in Dallas (Sookie Stackhouse, #2)
Club Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #3)
Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4)
Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse, #5)
Definitely Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #6)
All Together Dead (Sookie Stackhouse, #7)
From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse, #8)
Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, #9)
Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse, #10)
A Touch of Dead Contains 5 short stories that fit in between some of the books in this series.
Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, #11)
Deadlocked (Sookie Stackhouse, #12)**

This series on FictFact. Sookie Stackhouse (Southern Vampire)

Review of: RIVER MARKED by Patricia Briggs

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help.

---------------------------

In the beginning of River Marked we see Stefan has fallen into what he calls a fugue. He is very depressed and hasn't replaced the members of his menagerie that Marsilia "broke". Stefan and what is left of his household are in pretty bad shape. Mercy tries to help and gets harassed for her trouble. But this is Mercedes Thompson, she gives just as good as she gets. =)

Mercy and Adam get married! I won't say much more because it happened in a really sweet way and I don't want to ruin it.

On their honeymoon, Mercy see her father's ghost. The scene had me almost in tears. In River Marked we also meet Coyote, Hawk, Wolf, Thunderbird and a few other Native American gods. I found the Native elements of this book really interesting. My oldest daughter has some Micmac (completely different part of the country) blood in her and off and on she has been curious to learn more about that part of her heritage, as have I.

There is a "river monster" that is the big bad in River Marked. The creature sort of ties together this new Native American storyline with the Fae. Took me a while to get into, but I think that was more due to mundane everyday stuff getting in the way of my reading time. Once I was able to be still enough I really got sucked in and finished the last 2/3 of the book in a day.

Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
ISBN: 9780441019731
Pages: 326
Published by: Ace Hardcover (March 2011)

Categories: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Series, Vampire, Werewolf, Walker

Source: Public Library

Grade: B+ What does this grade mean?

Books in this series:

Homecoming (a graphic novel prequel)

Moon Called

Blood Bound

Iron Kissed

Bone Crossed

Silver Borne

River Marked **

Frost Burned (coming February 2013)

**This review.

This series on FictFact. Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson

Review of: Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

When mechanic and shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge-and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side-leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

---------------------------

Dr Samuel Cornick has let his wolf take over. For most werewolves this would be dangerous for those around him and lead to a death sentence. Mercy is able to buy him some time. Will it be enough time for her to drag the human half of Samuel to the surface and get him to take charge again?

Certain members of the fae population thin that Mercy is in possession of something they want. Mercy doesn't know if but she has something that can take away a fae's power. Can she stand up to and fight off a fairy queen? When said queen kidnaps someone special to herself and Jesse, she has no choice but to try.

While trying to find this thing some of the fae burn down Mercy's tailer. When Adam, and another wolf, go into the burning structure to save her he is badly hurt. Before he can fully recover from his injuries Adam is challenged for Alpha. Even more pack-related things happen in Silver Borne.

Also in Silver Borne Mercy and Adam begin to date while she adjusts to both her pack and mate bonds. Adam helps Mercy, who is still readjusting to being touched after her rape. Some of my favorite "people" reappear in Silver Borne: Zee, Tony, Ben, and the walking stick. =)

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
ISBN: 9780441018192
Pages: 342
Published by: Ace Hardcover (March 2010)

Categories: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Series, Vampire, Werewolf, Walker

Source: Public Library

Grade: B+ What does this grade mean?

Books in this series:

Homecoming (a graphic novel prequel)

Moon Called

Blood Bound

Bone Crossed

Silver Borne **

River Marked

Frost Burned (coming February 2013)

**This review.

This series on FictFact. Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson

Review of: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

In a world where "witches, vampires, werewolves, and shape-shifters live beside ordinary people" (Booklist), it takes a very unusual woman to call it home. By day, Mercy Thompson is a car mechanic in Eastern Washington. By night, she explores her preternatural side. As a shape-shifter with some unusual talents, Mercy's found herself maintaining a tenuous harmony between the human and the not-so- human on more than one occasion. This time she may get more than she bargained for.

---------------------------

Bone Crossed begins about one week after Iron Kissed ended. Mercy is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of the events that occurred in Iron Kissed (who wouldn't be?) Mercy is being slammed by panic attacks and nightmares.

I don't want to give away anything for those who haven't read the previous books, I'll be as circumspect as I can. While the previous books have centered around vampires and werewolves, Bone Crossed is much more ghost-centric. I really enjoyed Bone Crossed, definitely as much as the previous 2 books (not counting the prequel, which I have not read).

Sample chapter of Bone Crossed from Ms Briggs website.

Title: Bone Crossed

Author: Patricia Briggs

ISBN: 9780441016761

Pages: 309

Published by: Ace Hardcover (February 2009)

Categories: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Series, Vampire, Werewolf, Walker

Source: Public Library

Grade: B+ What does this grade mean?

Books in this series:

Homecoming (a graphic novel prequel)

Moon Called

Blood Bound

Bone Crossed**

Silver Borne

River Marked

Frost Burned (coming February 2013)

**This review.

This series on FictFact. Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson

Good Things

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:54:00 +0000

They are forthcoming!

Library Loot - September - Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:05:00 +0000

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire @ The Captive Reader and Marg @ Reading Adventures that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Here are the books that I have checked out right now:
{in addition to the books from last week's edition}

Challenge books

The Outsiders by SE Hinton, narrated by Jim Fyfe -- Banned Books Reading Challenge -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge -- Audio Book Challenge -- my first time with PlayAway

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda -- South Asian Author Challenge -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke, narrated by Suzanne Toren -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge -- Audio Book Challenge

Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke, narrated by Suzanne Toren -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge -- Audio Book Challenge
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak -- Banned Books Reading Challenge -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge -- Audio Book Challenge

Reaghan's current books checked out

Nothing new from last week.

"Chapter" book(s) checked out

Nothing new from last week.

Checked out for myself just because

Daniel H. Burnham: Visionary Architect and Planner by Kristen Schaffer, edited by Scott J Tilden, photographed by Paul Rocheleau -- Immediately after watching this PBS program I got out of bed (this was at about 11:50pm) and logged on to my library's catalog and started looking for books about the man.

Book images and links courtesy of GoodReads.com

Review of: Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Nights out are hard to come by for new mommy Kate Connelly. So when Kate and her husband are invited to a dinner cruise hosted by her new mommy club, Roo & You, they jump at it. But when the president of the club takes a deadly spill, everyone becomes suspect-and Kate's on deck to solve the mystery.

---------------------------

Fledgling PI and new mommy, Kate Connolly, is considering joining the mommy club, Roo & You, when one of the founders of the group dies. Was it an accident? Was it murder?

Kate's little peanut is 7 weeks old when one of her new friends, Margaret, hires her to do a little investigating for her. Margaret is concerned about her husband's fidelity. It couldn't be connected to Helene's death.... could it?

As Kate is trying to get the dirt on Margaret's husband and find out what really happened to Helene, Kate's best friend Paula comes back from Paris, Kate's mom goes off on a Mexican cruise, and what was that other thing? Oh yes, she has to plan and help cook Thanksgiving dinner. =)

Title: Motherhood is Murder

Author: Diana Orgain

ISBN:9780425233733

Pages: 320

Published by: Berkley Prime Crime (March 2010)

Categories: Fiction, Mystery, Series, Cozy

Source: Purchased at this awesome bookstore while on vacation.

Grade: B What does this grade mean?

Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge

Books in this series:
Bundle of Trouble
Motherhood is Murder**
Formula for Murder (due March 2011)

**This review.

Review of: Dead Head by Rosemary Harris

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

---------------------------

When Caroline Sturgis is arrested, her family and friends are thrown for a loop. She's a stay at home mom who drives her kids to their many activities and tends to not finish the projects she starts. That's WHO she is, right? Wrong. That may be who she is now, but it's not who she always was. To find out what she used to be you'll have to pick up your own copy of Dead Head.

Babe squinted and walked around the parking lot. She held a nursery catalog near each planter to visualize what it would look like next year when it was in full bloom. I resisted the urge to tell her the images in the booklet were almost as unrealistic and unattainable as the ones in the Victoria's Secret catalog. Why burst her bubble? Optimism was a critical ingredient in any garden. {p4}

Title: Dead Head

Author: Rosemary Harris {website}

ISBN:9780312569945

Pages: 256

Published by: Minotaur Books (April 2010)

Categories: Fiction, Mystery, Series

Source: author

Grade: B What does this grade mean?

Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge

Books in this series:

Pushing Up Daisies

The Big Dirt Nap

Dead Head**

**This review.

Library Loot - September - Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Here are the books that I have checked out right now:

Challenge books

Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley -- 2010 YA Reading Challenge -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

The Terrorist by Caroline B Cooney -- Banned Books Reading Challenge -- 2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Reaghan's current books checked out

Go Dog, Go! by PD Eastman

Super Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold

The Bird House by Cynthia Rylant, Illustrator Barry Moser

The Island of the Skog by Steven Kellogg

Wormy Worm by Chris Raschka

Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills

"Chapter" book(s) checked out

The Complete Tales by Beatrix Potter

Checked out for myself just because

Choke by Chuck Palahniuk -- A friend, Tait, recommended it.

Book images and links provided by GoodReads.com

Review of: The Big Dirt Nap by Rosemary Harris

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Something stinks to Paula Holliday, and it isn't just the corpse flower, titan arum, named for its off-putting fragrance. When Paula's friend Lucy asks her to tag along on an all-expense-paid junket to the Titans Hotel, it seems like a good idea. Paula even manages to squeeze a few bucks and a byline out of the local paper for writing an article on the titan arum, a rare flower that's just about to bloom and on display at the hotel. But when her friend is unavoidably detained, a would-be suitor is found with a gaping hole in his head, and the corpse flower refuses to bloom, the entire venture starts to seem less like a good idea.

---------------------------

The mystery in The Big Dirt Nap takes place mainly at a hotel and near by reservation about an hour from fictional Springfield, CT. Some of the characters from Pushing Up Daisies (book 1, Dirty Business series) reappear, but we also get to meet some new folks. My favorite is Hector, a security guard at Titans.

Once we were away from the real cops, Hector slowed down and regained some of his swagger. He may have even shot his cuffs.

I totally did not see the ending coming. I could connect the dots in hindsight, though. I read so many mysteries and being caught unaware like this does not happen very often.

Title: The Big Dirt Nap

Author: Rosemary Harris {website}

ISBN:9780312372224

Pages: 288

Published by: Minotaur Books (February 2010)

Categories: Fiction, Mystery, Series

Source: author

Grade: B What does this grade mean?

Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge

Books in this series:

Pushing Up Daisies

The Big Dirt Nap**

Dead Head

**This review.

Review of: Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Meet Paula Holliday, a transplanted media exec who trades her stilettos for garden clogs when she makes the move from the big city to the suburbs to start a gardening business. Paula can handle deer, slugs, and the occasional human pest---but she’s not prepared for the mummified body she finds while restoring the gardens at Halcyon, a local landmark.

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime.

Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years.

---------------------------

Pushing Up Daisies (book 1 of The Dirty Business series) is set in the fictional town of Springfield, Connecticut. Within it's pages we meet some great characters. Paula Holliday, gardener extraordinaire; Babe Chinnery, owner of the Paradise Diner; Mike O'Malley, detective on the Springfield PD.

Secrets abound! Seems like everyone in this small town as at least one dirty little secret that they are trying to keep to themselves. Paula doesn't know who to suspect, who to rule out when her friend Hugo is arrested for murder. She's certain he's innocent, but in order to convince the police, she must find out who the killer is herself. But how is she going to do that trapped in a greenhouse?

Forty minutes later, it was pitch-black, getting colder, and I was running out of options. Despite my embarrassment, I decided to call Babe at the diner, to see if she or Chloe could rescue me. Dead battery. So much for that idea. One of the unintended consequences of rarely using your cell is that it will inevitably run out of juice without your noticing. Until you need it.

I didn't trust myself to break any glass panels without bringing the whole damn house crashing down around me. Besides, despite its condition, it was exquisite, so, bone tired, I did the only other thing I could think of. Using my backpack as a pillow, I crawled onto the potting table, pulled the dusty tarp over me, and succumbed to what someone once called "the divine stupidity of sleep". {p86}

I enjoyed spending time with Paula and her friends. The mysteries between the covers of Pushing Up Daisies are well plotted. I kept changing my mind about who was guilty of what.

Title: Pushing Up Daisies

Author: Rosemary Harris {website}

ISBN:9780312943721

Pages: 320

Published by: Minotaur Books (Feb 2009)

Categories: Fiction, Mystery, Series

Source: author

Grade: B What does this grade mean?

Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge

Books in this series:

Pushing Up Daisies**
The Big Dirt Nap
Dead Head
**This review.

It's Monday! What are you Reading? {September 6, 2010}

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:46:00 +0000

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is hosted by Shelia over at Book Journey.

What I have finished this week

"Something stinks to Paula Holliday, and it isn't just the corpse flower, titan arum, named for its off-putting fragrance. When Paula's friend Lucy asks her to tag along on an all-expense-paid junket to the Titans Hotel, it seems like a good idea. Paula even manages to squeeze a few bucks and a byline out of the local paper for writing an article on the titan arum, a rare flower that's just about to bloom and on display at the hotel." But when her friend is unavoidably detained, a would-be suitor is found with a gaping hole in his head, and the corpse flower refuses to bloom, the entire venture starts to seem less like a good idea.

Fugitive Mom. That’s the tabloid headline that rocks Springfield, Connecticut when one of the town’s favorite ladies is discovered to be an escaped convict. With a little help from the always game Lucy Cavanaugh, Paula is hired to find out which of her neighbors is a fugitive from the law and why the long-kept secret has finally come out.

Nights out are hard to come by for new mommy Kate Connelly. So when Kate and her husband are invited to a dinner cruise hosted by her new mommy club, Roo & You, they jump at it. But when the president of the club takes a deadly spill, everyone becomes suspect-and Kate's on deck to solve the mystery.

What I am reading now

Nothing. I'm writing this in between book.

What's next?

I have no idea! :/

So what are you reading? [Comment below!]

R.I.P. Challenge V

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 00:21:00 +0000

From the host blog, Stainless Steel Droppings:

Though the weather outside ain’t frightful, this type of reading makes September and October delightful. I know that as I have gathered together books for this, the fifth annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril Challenge, I have felt that chill up my spine and an anticipation that was hard to put on hold until now.

There are two simple goals for the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril V Challenge:

1. Have fun reading.
2. Share that fun with others.

As I do each and every year, there are multiple levels of participation that allow you to be a part of R.I.P. Vwithout adding the burden of another commitment to your already busy lives. There is even a one book only option for those who feel that this sort of reading is not their cup of tea but want to participate all the same.

R.I.P. V officially runs from September 1st through October 31st. But lets go ahead and break the rules. Lets start today!!!

I'm only going to join up at the level that requires me to read two books. I'm overlapping so many challenges right now, I want to at least have a shot at completing this challenge. =)

The Banned Books Reading Challenge 2010

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 23:25:00 +0000

From http://litbites.blogspot.com.

I will admit it. There are some things that I'd really love to ban (ie my 4yo busting on me in the bathroom!). But banning books!? No, thank you. So to show my disdain for censorship, I'm joining this challenge.

From the host blog, Steph Su Reads

Goals of This Challenge:

To bring attention to books that have been challenged or banned

To support authors whose freedom of expression have been questioned or challenged by buying and reading their books

To increase awareness of censorship

The best way to fight censorship is to do what these challengers rarely do, and that is to READ the books that have been challenged and educate ourselves on their content and impact on our society!

Guidelines:

The challenge will run from September 1, 2010 to October 15, 2010.

The challenge is open to any reader with an online blogging platform who'd like to participate.

I personally will devote my attention towards mostly YA literature challenged within the last decade, but you are welcome to any books of your choosing, from challenged picture books (there are a lot of them) to frequently banned classics.

I will make it my goal to read at least 7 challenged or banned books (one for each day of Banned Books Week), but you are welcome to read less or more.

So I've looked at some of the lists that Steph Su links to in her sign-up post and here is my plan.

Read these to/with Reaghan

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola (he is from right here in Meriden, CT)
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (it was a favorite of mine growing up)

Read these myself

The Outsiders by SE Hinton (this will be my 7th or 8th reread)
The Terrorist by Caroline B Cooney (another CT author and an author I've read before, but not this book)
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Wrap-Up for August 2010

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:00:00 +0000

photo credit: http://newvoicesforresearch.blogspot.com/

Since I find myself borrowing more and more books from the library for Reaghan (my 4yo daughter) my wrap-up posts are now going to be broken down into 2 sections. Books I read/listened to myself and those that I read to or listened to with Reaghan. If I have already written and posted the review I will link the title to that review. =)

I have also added my Monthly and YTD (Year To Date) stats at the bottom of the post.

Books I finished and reviewed in August 2010 (click links)

Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner

Books I finished but did not review in Month 2010

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris

Started but could not finish (DNF)

NONE!

Books I read to Reaghan

The Summer Playground by Carl Emerson

The Autumn Leaf by Carl Emerson

The Cold Winter Day by Carl Emerson

The Busy Spring by Carl Emerson

Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Bathtime for Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

---------------------------

Challenge Progress

September 2009 - August 2010

Middle Grade Book Challenge (4 of 12) INCOMPLETE!

January - December 2010

2010 100+ Reading Challenge (77 of 100)

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge (3 of 12)

2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge (57 of 75)

South Asian Author Challenge (0 of 3)

Books to Read Before I Die Challenge (2 of 10)

Flashback Challenge (0 of 3/6)

Read the Book, See the Movie (1 of 2)

Audio Book Challenge (3 of 6)

451 Challenge (0 of 3/4)

You've Got Mail Reading Challenge (1/there is no #)

Take Another Chance Challenge (1 of 6)

Typically British Reading Challenge 2010 (1 of 8)

Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010 (2 of 3)

February 2010 - January 2011

2010 Chunkster Challenge (3 of 3) COMPLETE!

---------------------------

Monthly Stats

Number of books: 3

Number of pages read: 1239
Number of Audio Books: 0
Hours listened to (completed audio books only): 0

Yearly Stats

Number of books: 35

Number of pages read: 12174
Number of Audio Books: 3
Hours listened to (completed audio books only): 28 hours 30 minutes

It's Monday! What are you Reading? {August 30, 2010}

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:08:00 +0000

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is hosted by Shelia over at Book Journey.

What I have finished this week

Casual snooping turns serious when a body is impaled on a garden tool and one of Paula’s friends is arrested for the crime.
Aided by the still-hot aging rocker who owns the neighborhood greasy spoon, a wise-cracking former colleague, and a sexy Mexican laborer with a few secrets of his own, Paula digs for the truth and unearths more dirty business the town has kept buried for years.

What I am reading now

What's next?

So what are you reading? [Comment below!]

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:53:00 +0000

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is hosted by Shelia over at Book Journey.

What I have finished this week
None! I didn't finish anything last week. I have been flipping through 2 books though.
One is a knitting book that I am borrowing from my mom. I'm scanning some of the niftier patterns into the computer. I need to enlarge my stash of go-to scarf patterns.

This volume is a comprehensive how-to book about all aspects of knitting. This book is a reference for all knitting techniques, beginning with the basics of how to knit. A large section of the book is devoted to showing different stitch patterns, arranged in style categories for easy reference. Special knitting topics will be explored in depth: cables, intarsia, entrelac, Fair Isle knitting, and lace knitting. A section will discuss yarns: fibers, how they are spun, gauge, and how to choose.

The other is a homeschooling book. My 4yo is showing many signs of being ready to start learning how to read. Right now I'm borrowing it from the library, but I'd like to purchase a copy.

Too many parents watch their children struggle with early reading skills—and don't know how to help. Phonics programs are too often complicated, overpriced, gimmicky, and filled with obscure educationalese. The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading cuts through the confusion, giving parents a simple, direct, scripted guide to teaching reading—from short vowels through supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This one book supplies parents with all the tools they need.
Over the years of her teaching career, Jessie Wise has seen good reading instruction fall prey to trendy philosophies and political infighting. Now she has teamed with dynamic coauthor Sara Buffington to supply parents with a clear, direct phonics program—a program that gives them the know-how and confidence to take matters into their own hands.

What I am reading now
Still reading Dragonfly in Amber. I have less than 100 pages left. May even finish it today. =)

With the publication of her debut novel, Outlander, Diana Gabaldon dazzled readers with a love story that spanned two centuries. Hailed by critics for its spellbinding blend of history, passion, and drama, it is a unique evocation of eighteenth-century Scotland from the perspective of a modern heroine.

In Dragonfly in Amber, Gabaldon returns us to the same landscape. Claire Randall -- successful physician, recent widow, mother -- has returned to the Scottish Highlands with her nearly grown daughter to look up a young historian she met briefly some twenty years earlier. But why does she come back? What does she know about the rim of standing stones on nearby Craigh na Dun? And who is really the father of her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna?

The questions raised by Claire's reappearance lead her back to the far, far distant past: back to Jamie Fraser, the young Scottish warrior whose gallant attentions drew her from the security of her own life to the dangers of his. Together, Claire and Jamie struggle to save a country and thwart a king. Their love affair -- as brilliant as the span of a dragonfly's wing and as enduring as the glowing depths of ancient amber -- takes them from the intrigue-filled Paris court of Charles Stuart to the warring clans of a Scotland gripped by the fierce Jacobite Rebellion. Theirs is a story about the power of kings, the dangers of ambition, the agony of choice -- and finally, the terrible burden of too much knowledge.

In the hands of this masterful storyteller, history is neither dead nor fixed, but a thing coiled, fluid and alive. For Claire, the inexorable march of fate -- toward the Highlanders' doom on Culloden Moor -- raises questions that lie far beyond the timeless stones.

What's next?
What's Next has changed since last week's post. I will be starting Rosemary Harris' Dirty Business Mystery series.

So what are you reading? [Comment below!]

Middle-Grade Book Challenge (failed)

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:09:00 +0000

Linda Ellen (aka Bambi) has moved her blog. http://betterwithbooks.blogspot.com/

While I technically have until the end of the month to complete this challenge, I already have the rest of the month planned out and there are no MG books on the immediate horizon. So I am conceding defeat.

I only managed to read 5 Middle-Grade books since the start of this challenge. Here is my list and links to reviews of the ones I posted reviews for (3 out of the 5).

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall {borrowed from the library - my review}
Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery {borrowed from the library}
The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox {received from the author - my review}
Anne of Avonlea by LM Montgomery {borrowed from the library - my review}
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall {borrowed from the library}

It's Monday! What are you reading? {August 9, 2010}

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:57:00 +0000

"It's Monday! What Are You Reading?" is hosted by Shelia over at Book Journey.

What I finished last week

Rosner tells the story of a German artist and his Israeli model, the moral implications of their relationship and the lasting impact of the Holocaust.
{But it's so much more than that. You can read my post about Blue Nude.}

What I am reading now

"The Well-Educated Mind offers brief, entertaining histories of five literary genres - fiction, autobiography, history, drama, and poetry - accompanied by detailed instructions on how to read each type. The annotated lists at the end of each chapter - ranging from Cervantes to A. S. Byatt, Herodotus to Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - preview recommended reading and encourage readers to make vital connections between ancient traditions and contemporary writing." {Yes, I had this one listed last week too.}

With the publication of her debut novel, Outlander, Diana Gabaldon dazzled readers with a love story that spanned two centuries. Hailed by critics for its spellbinding blend of history, passion, and drama, it is a unique evocation of eighteenth-century Scotland from the perspective of a modern heroine.

In Dragonfly in Amber, Gabaldon returns us to the same landscape. Claire Randall -- successful physician, recent widow, mother -- has returned to the Scottish Highlands with her nearly grown daughter to look up a young historian she met briefly some twenty years earlier. But why does she come back? What does she know about the rim of standing stones on nearby Craigh na Dun? And who is really the father of her beautiful copper-haired daughter, Brianna?

The questions raised by Claire's reappearance lead her back to the far, far distant past: back to Jamie Fraser, the young Scottish warrior whose gallant attentions drew her from the security of her own life to the dangers of his. Together, Claire and Jamie struggle to save a country and thwart a king. Their love affair -- as brilliant as the span of a dragonfly's wing and as enduring as the glowing depths of ancient amber -- takes them from the intrigue-filled Paris court of Charles Stuart to the warring clans of a Scotland gripped by the fierce Jacobite Rebellion. Theirs is a story about the power of kings, the dangers of ambition, the agony of choice -- and finally, the terrible burden of too much knowledge.

In the hands of this masterful storyteller, history is neither dead nor fixed, but a thing coiled, fluid and alive. For Claire, the inexorable march of fate -- toward the Highlanders' doom on Culloden Moor -- raises questions that lie far beyond the timeless stones.

What's next?

For an exercise in the The Well-Educated Mind". I only need to read the first 10 chapters. We'll see once I start if I'll continue with the book.

So what are you reading? [Comment below!]

Top 5 Male (book) Crushes

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 15:05:00 +0000

{photo credit: istockphoto.com}

Earlier today I read this post by Bobbie @ 'Til We Read Again. So I started thinking about who would be in my top 5. I don't know if I could rank them, like Bobbie did, so mine are in no particular order.

Garion {Wiki} from David Eddings' The Belgariad and The Malloreon series'.
Norman Rhodes {Wiki} from Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson Mysteries series.
Keirnan Fitzgerald from Loucinda McGary's The Treasures of Venice.
Dale "Barbie" Barbara {Wiki} from Stephen King's Under the Dome.
#1 This one I can rank! Ron Weasley {Wiki} from JK Rowling's Harry Potter series.

Who makes your list?

Also I have changed the look of my blog. Come check it out and let me know what you think!

Library Loot #10 (w00t! double digits!)

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:18:00 +0000

Challenge books

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon -- Reading this as my 3rd (and final required) book for The Chunkster Challenge

Reaghan's current books checked out

No new books this week for Reaghan

Checked out for myself just because

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost -- I borrowed this after reading this review on Moonlight to Twilight but I just couldn't seem to get into it. I did adhere to my 20% rule.

The Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra -- I got this specific ISBN because it was recommended by Susan Wise Bauer in her book (from last week's LL) The Well-Educated Mind. I have been waiting for it to arrive so that I can do the next exercise in that book.

Book images and links provided by GoodReads.com

Review of: Blue Nude by Elizabeth Rosner

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:20:00 +0000

Once a prominent painter, Danzig now shares his wisdom and technique with students at San Francisco's Art Institute—yet his own canvases remain empty. When he meets Israeli-born Merav, the beautiful new model for his class, he senses she may reignite his artistic passion. Merav moved to California to escape the danger and violence of the Middle East, yet she cannot outrun her fears about the past. As the characters challenge one another, Rosner lyrically uncovers their disparate upbringings, their creative awakenings, and their similarly painful, often catastrophic, love lives to propel them toward reconciliation, redemption, and ultimately revival.

I'm sitting here and sitting here trying to figure out what to say about BLUE NUDE. Now, I don't get to select which specific books S&S send me. I'm very thankful to them for sending me Rosner's BLUE NUDE. Both the German artist, Danzig, and the artist/model, Merav, are born after World War II. Danzig and his older sister Margot, who we meet briefly, suffer from being their father's children. Both in different ways and with different results.

There is so much overlap between the three characters of Danzig, Margot and Merav. The two women, as girls, had bestfriendships with boys. Physically, Margot's was her polar opposite and Merav's was almost her twin.

(and now I have sat for another 10 minutes not knowing what to say)

I guess I should mention that I expected to not like Danzig at the beginning of BLUE NUDE. Not realizing at the time where he fit into the WWII timeline. My maternal grandfather was a POW during WWII. He was of 100% German heritage, fighting his own "people". That had to have been so hard for him. He passed away about 20 years ago. I didn't even know until many years later that he had been held as a prisoner of war. It's affected how I view anything connect to that period of time.

Ok. Enough rambling. BLUE NUDE is a powerful novel. It touched me deeply. I will be rereading it. I recommend it, highly! If you've read BLUE NUDE, please feel free to email me to discuss it further.

Title: Blue Nude
Author: Elizabeth Rosner {website - essay on the back story of this book}
ISBN: 9781439173084
Pages: 208
Published by: Gallery (September 2010 (first published 2006))
Catagories: Fiction
Source: I received an advance copy from Simon and Schuster (Gallery is one of their imprints).
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?
Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge

Review of: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

noreply@blogger.com (KyleeJ) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:32:00 +0000

The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

As I have mentioned many times in many places, a friend (and future sister-in-law) has been asking me to start this series pretty much since we met more than 5 years ago. She has never steered me wrong, we have very similar tastes in books (among other things, including wine!) so I pretty much knew that I would enjoy these books once I buckled down and read them. As of now I have only read Outlander, but last night I went to the library because Dragonfly in Amber was finally in. So look for a review of that as well, probably this month.

I enjoy well-written, well-researched (if historical) epic fiction. I adore (most) of the series written by David and Leigh Eddings, Elizabeth Haydon, Stephen King and Jacquline Carey just to name 4 authors. Now I must add one more to that list: Diana Gabaldon. I just got so swept up in the story. Even before the time travel (since I knew it had to be coming at some point) I was intrigued by Claire. A strong, independent woman, she was a nurse during World War II (present time for Claire is 1945). Then when she is in 18th century Scotland... it is a little amusing watching Claire trying not to influence the past.

Outlander is a love story too. Claire and her (20th century) husband Frank are very much in love even though they spent years apart because of the war. Claire falls for someone while in the 18th century, though she tries desperately NOT to.

I would recommend Outlander to fans of: romance, fantasy, and just great fiction. Now I'll post some of my favorite quotes from the book.

"Does it bother you that I'm not a virgin?"

He hesitated a moment before answering. "Well, no," he said slowly, "so long as it doesna bother you that I am."

He grinned at my drop-jawed expression, and backed toward the door. "Reckon one of us should know what they're doing," he said.

The door closed softly behind him; clearly the courtship was over.

---------------------------
"Murtagh was right about women. Sassenach, I risked my life for ye, committing theft, arson, assault, and murder into the bargain. In return for which ye call me names, insult my manhood, kick me in the ballocks and claw my face. Then I beat you half to death and tell ye all the most humiliating things have ever happened to me, and ye say ye love me." He laid his head on his knees and laughed some more. Finally he rose and held out a hand to me, wiping his eyes with the other.
"You're no verra sensible, Sassenach, but I like ye fine. Let's go."

---------------------------
" I wept bitterly, surrendering momentarily to my fear and heartbroken confusion, but slowly I began to quiet a bit, as Jamie stroked my neck and back, offering me the comfort of his broad, warm chest. My sobs lessened and I began to calm myself, leaning tiredly into the curve of his shoulder. No wonder he was so good with horses, I thought blearily, feeling his fingers rubbing gently behind my ears, listening to the soothing, incomprehensible speech. If I were a horse, I'd let him ride me anywhere."

---------------------------
"The rest of the journey passed uneventfully, if you consider it uneventful to ride fifteen miles on horseback through rough country at night, frequently without benefit of roads, in company with kilted men armed to the teeth, and sharing a horse with a wounded man. At least we were not set upon by highwaymen, we encountered no wild beasts, and it didn't rain. By the standards I was becoming used to, it was quite dull."

---------------------------
"For where all love is, the speaking is unnecessary. It is all. It is undying. And it is enough."

---------------------------
"What are you doing with the child? I inquired cautiously.
I'm teachin' young James here the fine art of not pissing on his feet, he explained."

{To those that are fans: Isn't there a scene in Outlander that mentions something like a dragonfly in a piece of amber? Or am I confused?}

Title:Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon {website}
ISBN: 9780385302302
Pages: 627
Published by: Delacorte Press (June 1991)
Catagories: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Part of a series
Source: Public Library
Grade: A+ What does this grade mean?
Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge
2010 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge
2010 Chunkster Reading Challenge

Books in this series:
**Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
An Echo in the Bone
**This review.