December 2008 Reading

1. Six Geese A-Slaying - Donna Andrews
   Meg Langslow, Book 10; Cozy Mystery; 8/10
   
2. Pomegranate Soup - Marsha Mehran
   Arminpour Sisters, Book 1; Fiction/Magical Realism; 8/10
   
3. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
   Magical Realism; 9/10
   
4. Silent in the Grave - Deanna Raybourn
   Lady Julia Grey, Book 1; Historical Mystery; 7/10
   
5. Dragon Rider - Cornelia Funke
   YA Fantasy; DNF
   
6. Obernewtyn - Isobelle Carmody
   Obernewtyn Chronicles, Book 1; YA Fantasy; 8/10
   
7. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
   Magical Realism; 7/10
   
8. Queen of Sorcery - David Eddings
   Belgariad, Book 2; Fantasy; Audibook; Reread; 8/10
   
9. The Farseekers - Isobelle Carmody
   Obernewtyn Chronicles, Book 2; YA Fantasy; 9/10
   
10. The First Betrayal - Patricia Bray
    The Chronicles of Josan, Book 1; Fantasy; DNF
    
11. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer
    Twilight Saga, Book 2; YA Fantsy; 7/10
    
12. Spin State - Chris Moriarty
    SF; DNF

December reading:
Books read this month = 9
DNFs this month = 3
10/10 reads this month = 0
New reads this month = 8
Rereads this month = 1

Patricia A. McKillip Reading Challenge

Lenneth over on Livejournal is holding a Patricia McKillip reading challenge for 2009 that I just can't resist joining. Her guidelines are beautifully simple.

Read 3 novels by Patricia A. McKillip between January 1st and December 31st 2009.

My planned 2009 Patricia A. McKillip reading list (reviews over on Saving My Sanity...):

1. In the Forests of Serre - finished 9-01-09
   
2. Alphabet of Thorn - finished 1-04-09
   
3. Harrowing the Dragon - finished 5-10-98

Challenge completed on 5th October 2009.

eBook Reading Challenge

And yes, J. Kaye does it yet again. I've also signed up for her 2009 eBook Reading Challenge. I admit that this one is going to be easy for me. I already read a lot of eBooks, but it will certainly be interesting to see just how many I read in a year.

Challenge Guidelines:
1. You can join anytime as long as you don’t start reading to your books prior to 2009.
2. Read 10 eBooks in 2009.
3. Overlaps with other challenges are fine.
4. You do not have to list your books ahead of time. If you decide to, you can change them as you go. Feel free to remove or add titles as needed.

My 2009 eBook reading list (reviews over on Saving My Sanity...):

1. In the Forests of Serre - Patricia A. McKillip
   
2. Soul Deep - Lora Leigh
   
3. Kiss of Midnight - Lara Adrian
   
4. The People of Sparks - Jeanne duPrau
   
5. Ashling - Isobelle Carmody
   
6. A Thousand Words for Stranger - Julie E. Czerneda
   
7. Secrets of a Summer Night - Lisa Kleypas
   
8. Shades of Dark - Linnea Sinclair
9. The Prophet of Yonwood - Jeanne duPrau
10. The Eye of Night - Pauline J. Alama
    
    Challenge officially completed: 24th February 2009

11. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever - Julia Quinn
12. V: The Second Generation - Kenneth Johnson
13. Ties of Power - Julie E. Czerneda
14. The Vorkosigan Companion - Lilian S. Carl
15. Alphabet of Thorn - Patricia A. McKillip
16. Born in Fire - Nora Roberts
17. Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels - Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan
18. Born in Ice - Nora Roberts
19. Megan's Mark - Lora Leigh
20. Giants of the Frost - Kim Wilkins
21. The Initiate - Louise Cooper
22. It Happened One Autumn - Lisa Kleypas
23. The Warlord's Daughter - Susan Grant
24. Shards of Honor - Lois McMaster Bujold
25. The Keeping Place - Isobelle Carmody
26. What Happens in London - Julia Quinn
27. Branded by Fire - Nalini Singh
28. The Invisible Ring - Anne Bishop
29. Break No Bones - Kathy Reichs
30. Silent in the Sanctuary - Deanna Raybourn
31. Memory and Dream - Charles de Lint
32. The Long Run - Daniel Keys Moran
33. The Mummy Case - Elizabeth Peters
34. Harrowing the Dragon - Patricia A. McKillip
35. Harmony's Way - Lora Leigh
36. Soulless - Gail Carriger
37. Christmas Angel for the Billionaire - Liz Fielding
38. Nightlife - Rob Thurman
39. Barrayar - Lois McMaster Bujold
40. The Warrior's Apprentice - Lois McMaster Bujold
41. The Vor Game - Lois McMaster Bujold
42. Cetaganda - Lois McMaster Bujold
43. Ethan of Athos - Lois McMaster Bujold
44. Heart Change - Robin D. Owens
45. Brothers in Arms - Lois McMaster Bujold
46. Tanner's Scheme - Lora Leigh
47. Daughter of the Blood - Anne Bishop
48. Heir to the Shadows - Anne Bishop
49. Queen of the Darkness - Anne Bishop
50. Heart Change
51. Brothers in Arms
52. Tanner's Scheme
53. Daughter of the Blood
54. Heir to the Shadows
55. Queen of the Darkness

YA Reading Challenge

J. Kaye is holding another challenge I've decided to join. This time it's the 2009 YA Challenge. I like her challenges as I'm not required to choose books in advance. Instead, I can list them as I go. So in a way, it ends up a list of what I've read in a certain category instead of a millstone around my neck. I like YA and while I don't read heaps and heaps of it, I read enough to feel I can manage the challenge.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

3. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009.

My 2009 YA reading list (reviews over on Saving My Sanity...):

1. The People of Sparks - Jeanne duPrau
   
2. The Dreaming Place - Charles de Lint
   
3. Ashling - Isobelle Carmody
   
4. Princess of the Midnight Ball - Jessica Day George
   
5. The Prophet of Yonwood - Jeanne duPrau
6. The Diamond of Darkhold - Jeanne duPrau
7. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
8. The Keeping Place - Isobelle Carmody
9. Leviathan - Scott Westerfield

Cumulative Totals - November 2008

Cumulative Totals:
Books read so far in 2008 = 118
DNFs so far in 2008 = 16
10/10 reads so far in 2008 = 15
New reads so far in 2008 = 92
Rereads so far in 2008 = 26

November 2008 Reading

1. Foundation - Mercedes Lackey
   Valdemar; Fantasy; DNF
   
2. Dear Santa - Karen Templeton
   Category Romance; 6/10
   
3. Winter of Magic's Return - Pamela F. Service
   Winter, Book 1; YA Fantsy; Reread; 8/10
   
4. Stands a God Within the Shadows - Anne Bishop
   (in the anthology Imaginary Friends, ed. John Marco)
   Short story; Fantasy; 7/10
   
5. Stroke of Enticement - Nalini Singh
   (in the anthology The Magical Christmas Cat, ed. Lora Leigh)
   Psy/Changeling short story; Paranormal Romance; 9/10
   
6. The Haire of the Beast - Donna Andrews (7/10)
   Star of David - Patricia Briggs (9/10)
   Milk and Cookies - Rob Thurman (7/10)
   (in the anthology Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, ed. Charlaine Harris)
   Fantasy anthology; 8/10
   
7. Tomorrow's Magic - Pamela F. Service
   Winter, Book 2; YA Fantasy; Reread; 8/10
   
8. Yesterday's Magic - Pamela F. Service
   Winter, Book 3; YA Fantasy; 8/10
   
9. Rising Tides - Nora Roberts
   Chesapeak Bay, Book 2; Contemporary Romance; Audiobook; Reread; 8/10
   
10. The Wild Road - Marjorie M. Liu
    Dirk and Steele, Book 8; Paranormal Romance; 9/10
    
11. The Spring of the Ram - Dorothy Dunnett
    The House of Niccolo, Book 2; Historial Fiction; 9/10
    
12. Salvation in Death - J. D. Robb
    Eve Dallas, Book 32; Futuristic Romance/Mystery; 8/10
    
13. The Hawk's Grey Feather - Patricia Kennealy
    The Tales of Arthur, Book 1; Fantsy; Reread; 8/10
    
14. Ritual in Death - J. D. Robb
    Eve Dallas short story, Book 33; Futuristic Romance/Mystery; 7/10
    
15. Race of Scorpions - Dorothy Dunnet
    The House of Niccolo, Book 3; Historical Fiction; 8/10
    
16. One Silent Night - Sherrilyn Kenyon
    Dark-Hunters, Book 22; Paranormal Romace; 6/10
    
17. Pawn of Prophecy - David Eddings
    The Belgariad, Book 1; Fantasy; Audibook; Reread; 8/10
    
18. Bare Bones - Kathy Reichs
    Temperance Brennan, Book 6; Thriller; 7/10
    
    

November reading:
Books read this month = 17
DNFs this month = 1
10/10 reads this month = 0
New reads this month = 12
Rereads this month = 5

Romance Reading Challenge

Naida at the bookworm is hosting the Romance Reading Challenge for 2009. Since I read a decent bit of romance these days, especially in the paranormal genre, I've decided to join up. The minimum number of books to read is five and it's for the whole year, so I'm confident I can do that easily.

The rules:
1) Now, "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
2) Choose at least 5 novels read them between Jan 1st though Dec 31st 2009. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.
3) Read them at your own pace in 2009 then go here and post the link to your review(s).

My 2009 romance reading list (reviews over on Saving My Sanity...):

1. Soul Deep - Lora Leigh
   
2. Kiss of Midnight - Lara Adrian
   
3. Secrets of a Summer Night - Lisa Kleypas
4. Shades of Dark - Linnea Sinclair
5. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever - Julia Quinn

   Challenge officially completed: 25th February 2009

6. Born in Fire - Nora Roberts
7. Smooth Talking Stranger - Lisa Kleypas
8. The Night Bird - Catherine Asaro
9. Born in Ice - Nora Roberts
10. Megan's Mark - Lora Leigh
11. It Happened One Autumn - Lisa Kleypas
12. The Warlord's Daughter - Susan Grant
13. Inner Harbor - Nora Roberts
14. What Happens in London - Julia Quinn
15. Branded by Fire - Nalini Singh
16. Angels' Blood - Nalini Singh
17. Harmony's Way - Lora Leigh
18. Christmas Angel for the Billionaire - Liz Fielding
19. Blaze of Memory - Nalini Singh
20. Heart Change - Robin D. Owens
21. Tanner's Scheme - Lora Leigh