2009 New Author Challenge Complete

I finished the 2009 New Author Challenge hosted by Literary Escapism. The goal was to read at least 15 books by authors that I had never read before.

The blog post containing my list is here.

I will be joining the challenge again in 2010.

Series Challenge Complete

I finished the Series Challenge Season 3 book Challenge hosted by Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic . The goal was to read books that would finish a series you had been reading. The goal was 4 books. I have read way more than 4 and my books are as follows:

The Final Friends Series by Christopher Pike
"Final Friends: The Party" by Christopher Pike 212 pages
"Final Friends: The Dance" by Christopher Pike 226 pages
"Final Friends: The Graduation" by Christopher Pike 238 pages

The Last Vampire Series
"The Last Vampire" by Christopher Pike 193 pages
"The Last Vampire 2: Black Blood" by Christopher Pike 196 pages
"The Last Vampire 3: Red Dice" by Christopher Pike 193 pages
"The Last Vampire 4: Phantom" by Christopher Pike 179 pages
"The Last Vampire 5: Evil Thirst" by Christopher Pike 179 pages
"The Last Vampire 6: Creatures of Forever" by Christopher Pike 181 pages

The Sookie Stackhouse Books
"Living Dead in Dallas" by Charlaine Harris 291 pages
"Dead to the World" by Charlaine Harris 291 pages (I know this is book 3 or 4 in the series, but I read them out of order and this is the last one I needed to read)

The Bones Series
"Devil Bones" by Kathy Reichs 320 pages
"206 Bones" by Kathy Reichs 308 pages

The Anita Blake Series
"Skin Trade" by Laurell K. Hamilton 486 pages

The Stephanie Plum Series
"One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich 334 pages
"Two for the Dough" by Janet Evanovich 352 pages

The Remember Me Series
"Remember Me" by Christopher Pike 230 pages
"Remember Me 2: The Return" by Christopher Pike 210 pages
"Remember Me 3: The Last Story" by Christopher Pike 244 pages

2010 Anita Blake Reading Challenge

I love the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I actually just finished reading the latest book in the series Skin Trade. I was actually thinking about rereading the series when I saw on J Kaye's Boog Blog that Book Chick City is hosting an Anita Blake Reading Challenge. How could I resist joining?

The books in the series are as follows:

1. Guilty Pleasures
2. The Laughing Corpse
3. Circus of the Damned
4. The Lunatic Cafe
5. Bloody Bones
6. The Killing Dance
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Blue Moon
9. Obsidian Butterfly
10. Narcissus in Chains
11. Cerulean
12. Incubus Dreams
13. Micah
14. Danse Macabre
15. The Harlequinn
16. Blood Noir
17. Skin Trade
18. Flirt (Jan 2010) - June
19. Bullet (June 2010)  - August

The contest starts January 1st, and I will update as I read the books.

Demeter Giveaway Winner

Congrats to the winner of the Demeter Giveaway: Heather!

After putting all entrants that followed the giveaway rules into a spreadsheet in entry order, Heather is entry number 117, which is the number chosen by random number generator.

"Heather said...
Have you read any of the Sookie Stackhouse vampire books? I noticed you did the vampire reading challenge and didn't see any of those in there."

November 14, 2009 9:50 PM

"Here are your random numbers:

117
Timestamp: 2009-11-16 03:54:58 UTC

Heather has one week to contact me - after which a new winner will be selected. "

Fall Into Reading 2009 Reading Challenge

I'm taking part in the Fall Into Reading Challenge. I'm starting late in the game, so my list is a little shorter than would be had I started in September. I will add more as I complete these.

My Friend Leonard by James Frey
The Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton
Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich
Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell
Quakeland by Francesca Lia Block

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

I will update as I finish the books.

Finished The Skin Trade by Laurell K. Hamilton 286 pages

Giveaway reminder

You have until tomorrow night to enter my Demeter Fragrance Giveaway. Please check it out. Winner is drawn tomorrow night.

October Book Log

51. "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey 432 pages
52. "Two for the Dough" by Janet Evanovich 352 pages
53. "Killer Pancake" Diane Mott Davidson 368 pages
54. "Bad Love" by Jonathan Kellerman 483 pages
55. "How to (un)Cage a Girl by Francesca Lia Block 119 pages
56. "The Giver" by Lois Lowery 180 pages
57. "The Immortal" by Christopher Pike 213 pages
58. "The Te of Piglet" by Bejamin Hoff 257 pages
59. "Little Alters Everywhere" by Rebecca Wells 224 pages

I loved A Million Little Pieces and I can't wait to read My Friend Leonard also by James Frey. I was a little disappointed that there were parts of the story that were fictionalized (if you will remember this is the book that caused all the controversy with Oprah), but it was still an intriguing read, that I couldn't put down.

Janet Evanovich books are a fun, quick read, as are Diane Mott Davidson. The Jonathan Kellerman books are a little hard to get into, but they don't usually disappoint by the time you get to the end.

I wasn't that thrilled with the Francesca Lia Block book of poetry... but it did give some wonderful insight into the author herself. The Giver had been on my to-be-read list forever, and while I liked the story, I do feel that the end was a bit rushed. The Immortal was another re-read in order to get off my shelf. Pike wove in Greek mythology which is one of my favorite subjects to read about.

I was disappointed in The Te of Piglet as well. I think that Taoism is a fascinating topic... and though the author was attempting to break it down so people could understand it he came off as preachy and trite.

I enjoyed Little Alters Everywhere, which is the book before The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

It's Monday! What Are you Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Books I Completed This Week:

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs – The latest installment in the Dr. Brennan series.

For This Week:

I started:

Chopping Spree by Diane Mott Davidson

Life on the Color Line by Gregory Howard Williams

Still working on:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

The Web by Jonathan Kellerman

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget to enter my Demeter giveaway.

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

It’s Monday! What are you reading?

Books I Completed This Week:

"How to (un)Cage a Girl” by Francesca Lia Block 119 pages – Francesca Lia Block has been one of my favorite writers since I was a teenager and first read Dangerous Angels. This particular book is a book of poetry, and the first non prose writing I’ve read by Block. Some of it I liked a great deal. Some didn’t really move me. Overall though, it was interesting to get some incite into the author, her life, and what makes her who she is.

"The Giver" by Lois Lowery 180 pages – I have had this on my to-be-read pile for a while. I like the meaning behind the book, but I think the author rushed through the ending of the book.

"The Immortal" by Christopher Pike 213 pages – Another reread from my teen years.

"The Te of Piglet" by Bejamin Hoff 257 pages – I wasn’t really impressed with this one, it seemed trite and very preachy to me – something that I don’t expect out of Taoism.

"Little Alters Everywhere" by Rebecca Wells 224 pages – This is the prequel to Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisterhood. The stories were sometimes sad, sometimes funny. It gives a little incite into why Sidda is the way she is in Divine (though I haven’t read that book, only seen the movie).

For This Week:

Still working on:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Cunt: A Declaration of Independence by Inga Muscio

The Web by Jonathan Kellerman

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs