What's In a Name 2 & What's In a Name 3

I have completed another challenge for 2009. What's In a Name 2 was a lot of fun, especially putting the titles together. Finding appropriate books was a challenge in itself. Here's what I read:

1. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale ('profession' in the title)

2. Nightwalker by Heather Graham (time of day)

3. Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin (a relative)

4. The Fourth Hand by John Irving (a body part)

5. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III (a building)

6. The Plague by Albert Camus (a medical condition)

The two books I enjoyed the most were Nightwalker and Father Melancholy's Daughter. Both authors were new to me and I am certain to read a lot more from them. Ms. Graham is the one I will read when I need a paranormal mystery fix and Ms. Godwin will be my companion when I need to read something deep. a little bit sad and always with food for thought.

The most disappointing books was House of Sand and Fog. I had heard so many wonderful things about it before I read the book and I think that my expectations might have been too high. Whatever the reason, the book certainly didn't live up to the hype it got in my opinion. For the first half it dragged too much and the ending felt somehow unfulfilling.

Because I liked this challenge so much, I of course decided to sign up for What's In a Name 3. It is hosted by Beth F. from Beth Fish Reads and even has its own blog.

Here are the rules:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:

A book with a food in the title

A book with a body of water in the title

A book with a title(queen, president) in the title

A book with a plant in the title

A book with a place name(city, country) in the title - Andean Express by Juan de Recacoechea

A book with a music term in the title

Other things to consider:

Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).

Books may overlap other challenges.

Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.

Creativity for matching the categories is allowed.

You do not have to make a list of books before hand.

You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

There will be a single prize at the end of the challenge. Readers who complete the challenge and write up a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment) are eligible. I'll figure out a way to make it international.

I do not have the list ready yet but will put it here once I figure out the titles. The rules are pretty easy and from what I understand, it will be a very popular challenge in 2010.

Weekly Geeks: Top Ten

Weekly Geeks asks us today:

For the second year in a row, we're asking book bloggers to help put together a top 10 list of books published in 2009.

I encourage you to read the whole post Jackie wrote because it is very interesting and it talks about the originator of Weekly Geeks, our dear Dewey. It also explains in details how the Top Ten list should be put together. It is pretty much made out of the best books we have read published in 2009 (no re-issues). When I first read it I actually thought I would not be able to come up with 10 titles deserving the spot of the best ones. I did however, quite easily too.

One thing I would like you all to keep in mind is that some of these titles, while on the top published-in-2009 list, would probably not make it on the top ten books read in 2009. But they are still great books worth your time and attention.

Finally just to give you some perspective and a bigger picture: in 2009 I read a total of 52 books published in 2009, therefore the ten I put together beat 42 other contenders.

And now, taa daaa (meaning, the list)*:

1. A Child's Journey Out of Autism by Leeann Whiffen - memoir

2. The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham - historical fiction

3. BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker - thriller

4. Afraid by Jack Kilborn - horror

5. Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere - inspirational memoir

6. A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal - memoir

7. Follow Me by Joanna Scott - contemporary American fiction

8. Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant - horror/thriller

9. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor - memoir

10. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - thriller

* The books are listed in order I read them

Women Unbound Challenge

I absolutely love this challenge! And not because I am a great feminist or anything, because I actually am not. But I am a woman and that is enough. I decided to join also because I don't read enough fiction or non-fiction written by/for/about women and this challenge will give me a kick in the butt to correct that mistake. There is actually a blog devoted to the challenge only, Women Unbound Blog and I will only steal a little bit from the introductory post written by Eva (this is also the post where you sign up for the challenge) just to explain quickly what the challenge is about to those of you who would like to join but haven't really heard of it and want to know a little more before committing.

Here it goes:

The challenge runs from November 1, 2009-November 30, 2010, but you may join in the fun whenever you wish! Participants are encouraged to read nonfiction and fiction books related to the rather broad idea of ‘women’s studies.’ (...) For nonfiction, this would include books on feminism, history books focused on women, biographies of women, memoirs (or travelogues) by women, essays by women and cultural books focused on women (body image, motherhood, etc.). (...) It’s trickier to say what is applicable as fiction. Obviously, any classic fiction written by a feminist is applicable. But where do we go from there? To speak generally, if the book takes a thoughtful look at the place of women in society, it will probably count. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to explain in your review why you chose this for the challenge and its connection to women’s studies.

Sounds great, doesn't it?!

There are three levels but I will try to shoot for the stars and am picking 'The Suffragette' one. That means I have to read at least eight books, including the minimum if three non-fiction.

I do not have a full list yet but here are the titles that will definitely be included:

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

3. George Eliot, a Life by Rosemary Ashton

4. Color Me Butterfly by L. Y. Marlow

And let me just add a recommendation for all of you who are not sure what to read (it's actually two recommendations):

Lucky by Alice Sebold & Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy. They both are memoirs that are extremely difficult as far as the subjects go (first one is about the authors being raped, the second one about the author living with a ruined face due to a childhood illness) but they both are beautiful and really showcase female strength.

Fall Into Reading 2009

I promised, I swore and I gave in in the end. I cannot pass this challenge up. It fits perfectly into my reading schedule and will hopefully motivate me to read more.

What's the challenge, you ask? Fall Into Reading 2009 hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days is a challenge that's first and foremost supposed to be fun. Which I am intending on having. It goes on from September 22 - December 20, 2009. I am presenting you the list of the books that I want to read this fall as part of Fall Into Reading 2009.

Here is an outline of what the challenge is all about stolen from Katrina's post:

• Make a list of books you want to read (or finish reading) this fall. Your list can be as long or as short as you’d like. (Also, feel free to modify your list during the challenge if it’s not working for you.)

• Write a blog post containing your list and submit it to this post using the Mr. Linky below.

• Get reading! The challenge goes from today, September 22nd, through December 20th.

• Check out other participants’ lists and add to your own to-read-someday pile!

• Write a post about your challenge experience in December, telling us all about whether you reached your goals and how Fall Into Reading went for you. But remember: this is a low-pressure challenge that should be fun. As long as you do some reading this fall (and enjoy it!), that’s good enough for me.

Okay, let's move on to the list (and I am not making it very long, trying to set up realistic expectations here for myself:

1. Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee - done

2. Silverstein & Me by Merv Gold - done

3. The Book Shopper. A Life in Review by Murray Browne - done

4. Nightwalker by Heather Graham - done

5. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin - done

6. The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes - done

7. Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart - done

8. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd Taylor - done

9. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - done

10. Vital Signs by Robin Cook - done

11. 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - done

12.The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale - done

13. The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni - done

14. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James - done

15. The Fourth Hand by John Irving - done

16. A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick - done

17. Soulstice by Simon Holt - done

18. The Trickster by Muriel Gray - done

19. The Elephant Keeper by Christopher Nicholson - done

20. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - done

Okay, maybe it's not so very realistic :). But I will do my best to try.

My "Reading" Bucket List

Pam from Bookalicio.us came up with a kind of meme where we would list 10 books we think should be read before we die. I decided to join in the fun but I wanted to find ten best books to still read instead of the ones which I have already read and think others should. (Does that even make sense?). Anyway, to make the long story even longer, I grabbed a book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for the longest times, The Top Ten Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, edited by J. Peder Zane and compiled my "bucket" list from the titles that were mentioned the most frequently. Here's what I came up with (or rather what the writers came up with and I just stole):

1. Rabbit Angstrom novels by John Updike

2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

3. Middlemarch by George Eliot

4. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

5. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

6. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

7. The Red and the Black by Stendhal

8. Clarissa by Samuel Richardson

9. The Raj Quartet by Paul Scott

10. I, Claudius by Robert GravesJust in case you're curious, some of the authors whose lists I took the titles from include: Stephen King, Francine Prose, Joyce Carol Oates and John Irving.
I am actually planning to really stick to this list and read these ten books. I only hope that I can put it away till next year (meaning, I won't kick the bucket, lol!) because I have so many review books to read and other challenges' books for this year that I couldn't possibly fit another list in.

2009 Audio Book Challenge Completed

Yay, another challenge down (I don't want to count how many more to go, although I'm sure it's still not as many as most of you signed up for). Anyway, I enjoyed this challenge, which is hosted by one and only J.Kaye, and I am definitely signing up for next year's edition. The only problem I had was with reviewing. I have learned that reviewing audio books is one of the most difficult tasks for me. There several reasons but mainly I felt that the books I listened to were probably much better read because the choice of narrators was simply bad. I don't know if authors have any say in choosing who will narrate their books. I hope that in the case of books I felt were ruined by narrators, the authors didn't choose them. Also, while listening to the books on audio I have noticed certain things that I would not pay so much attention to if I were reading them:

a) shaky to bad dialogue

b) excessive use of adverbs

c) repetitive use of certain words throughout the book.

The worst books of the bunch were High Profile by Parker and The Forrest of Hands and Teeth by Ryan. First one made me want to shoot myself when listening to the dialogue parts and the second one made me want to pull over and fall asleep. The best book was The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bryson. I think the fact that Bryson chose to read his own book was a good one because he read it in exactly the way he wanted it to be read.

2009 Audiobook Challenge

1. The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster

2. One For the Money by Janet Evanovich

3. High Profile by Robert B. Parker

4. Hard Truth by Nevada Barr

5. Death of a Dreamer M. C. Beaton

6. The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

7. Twenty Seven Bones by Jonathan Nasaw

8. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King

9. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

10. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb

11. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

12. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge - summary

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge hosted by Melissa from Book Nut was the first one I finished first this year for two reasons: it was the shortest (three books) and the titles I chose were the ones I wanted to read the most. Here’s the list:

1. Chocolat by Joanne Harris (food name in the title)

2. Andorra by Peter Cameron (place name in the title

3. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (about a specific culture and/or author whose ethnicity is different from mine)

As you can see, there were specific instructions on what exactly I could read and I have to say it was a separate challenge to put together the list. That’s why I loved it so much! The idea that not only do I have to think about a specific group of books but think through every single book I included in the challenge was what appealed to me and encouraged me to join it. All three books were actually very good reads but my favorite one was Reading Lolita in Tehran. I reviewed it a few weeks back and there I listed all the reasons why I liked it so much. Let me just say that for an addict reader like me, the deep and insightful thoughts on why exactly reading literature is so very important and why it’s not about having a good time only but about life itself were what sold me on Reading Lolita in Tehran as my favorite.

Winter Challenge Summary

First the list of all the books I managed to read for this great challenge hosted by My Two Blessings.

1. King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes
2. Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson
3. What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
4. With Violets by Elizabeth Robards
5. The Testament by David Morrell
6. Blessings by Anna Quindlen
7. The Book of Air & Shadows by Michael Gruber
8. The Book Thief by Michael Zusak
9. The Hellfire Club by Peter Straub
10. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
11. Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz
12. Mr. X by Peter Straub
13. The Kingmaking by Helen Hollick

Winter is always a very difficult time for me. As some of you might know, I suffer from clinical depression and I unfortunately get to be visited by it more often during the cold, dreary, mostly sunless days of winter. This year it actually was quite worse since on top of my usual struggles, I was also struggling in my personal life, my professional career wasn’t going anywhere and many days, even weeks, I had to live on a very limited budget. Of course books have always been my rescue and not having been aware of what was ahead of me, I put up the Winter Challenge list with books that were perfect for helping me get outside of myself and somehow survive this season that is thankfully coming to an end.

I honestly enjoyed all of the thirteen books, but if I had to pick my most favorite and most ‘life-saving’ it would be The Book of Air & Shadows. The main reasons are that it was very funny, very clever and utterly entertaining. I truly believe that sometimes laughter is the best medicine and this book proved that well known theory to me yet again. What I like about this challenge though is that it didn’t have any particular theme so I could pick any books I wanted. And I did my best to make it genre-wise diversified. I have there horror, mystery, chick lit, memoir, action thriller, popular and historical fiction. It’s almost like a little bit of everything. I will certainly be looking for a second helping next winter around.

Chunkster Challenge 2009

Think Pink Dana from Feeling Chunky returned this year with Chunkster Challenge. I just could not resist. It's a wonderful challenge, I love long novels, especially when they're really good and I don't want to part with the characters too soon. I signed up for option three. There total of four options. Visit here to learn the rules and sign up.

1. Maia by Richard Adams (1062 pages)

2. Shardik by Richard Adams (529 pages)

3. Possession by A. S. Byatt (511 pages)

4. Devices & Desires by K. J. Parker (635 pages)

5. Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (767 pages)

6. The Host by Stephenie Meyers (631 pages)

7. East Of Eden by John Steinbeck (601 pages)

8. Illium by Dan Simmons (725 pages)

9. Olympos by Dan Simmons (891 pages)

10. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (562 pages)

11. Underworld by Don DeLillo (827 pages)

12. Four Fires by Bryce Courtenay (986 pages)

13. Sade/A Biography by Maurice Lever (568 pages)

14. Schulz & Peanuts by David Michaelis (566 pages)

15. Einstein by Walter Isaacson (551 pages)

16. The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber (466 pages) - DONE

17. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak(553 pages) - DONE

18. Gauntlet by Richard Aaron (488 pages) - DONE

19. The Hellfire Club by Peter Straub (463 PAGES) - DONE

20. Wizard by Trade by Jim Butcher (598 Pages) - DONE

21. The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham (490 pages) - DONE

22. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis (509 pages) - DONE

23. The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins (626 pages) - DONE

24. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory (514 pages) - DONE

25. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (487 pages) - Done

26. Annette Vallon by James Tipton (480 pages) - done
27. God is an Englishman by R.F. Delderfield ( 634) - done
28. The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner (563 pages) - done
29. To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield (594 pages) - done

2009 Ban On Spending Challenge list

Here's my list. I figured I would just start listing all the books in alphabetical order and go down the list. I'll see how that goes. At least I'll save some money for once.

1. Wizard by Trade by Jim Butcher - DONE
2. Mr. X by Peter Straub - DONE
3. Chocolat by Joanne Harris - DONE
4. Andorra by Peter Cameron - DONE
5. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi - DONE
6. 'A Suitable Vengeance' by Elizabeth George - DONE
7. 'Deadly Decisions' by Kathy Reichs - DONE
8. 'Slip & Fall' by Nick Santora - DONE
9. 'Friend of the Devil' by Peter Robinson - DONE
10. 'The Reincarnationist' by M.J. Rose - DONE
11. 'Firestorm' by Iris Johansen - DONE
12. The Plague by Albert Camus - DONE
13. Blessings by Anna Quindlen - DONE
14. The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber - DONE
15. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - DONE
16. Medallions by Zofia Nalkowska - DONE
17. Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz - DONE
18. The Hellfire Club by Peter Straub - DONE
19. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy - DONE
20. Left Behind by Tim LaHaye - Done
21. The Birth Of Venus by Sarah Dunant - DONE
22. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - DONE
23. The Borgia Bride by jeanne Kalogridis- DONE
24. Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick - DONE
25. The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins - DONE
26. Blessed are the Meek by Zofia Kossak - DONE
27. One Thousand White Woman by Jim Fergus - DONE
28. Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin - DONE
29. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - DONE
30. The Boelyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory - DONE
31. The Return by Bentley Little - DONE
32. Lucky by Alice Sebold - DONE
33. The art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein - DONE
34. House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III - Done
35. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse - Done
36. Annette Vallon by James Tipton - Done
37. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts - Done
38. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
39. Cell by Stephen King
40. From a whisper to a scream by Charles de Lint
41. The Case Has Altered by Martha Grimes
42. Rebecca by Daphne du maurier
43. Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris
44. Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee
45. The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni
46. The Fourth Hand by John Irving
47. Vital Signs by Robin Cook
48. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman b P.D. James
49. The Trickster by Muriel Gray
50. A Matter of Roses by David Manuel

My 2009 reading challenges

Following J.Kaye's example I am putting all my challenges in one post to make it easier for me to keep track of them (100+ Reading Challenge is the exemption as it is long enough for it's own post).

2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge (trying to categorize all books was a challenge in itself, I swear):

1. 'A Suitable Vengeance' by Elizabeth George (murder mystery) - DONE

2. 'Deadly Decisions' by Kathy Reichs (forensic thriller) - DONE

3. 'Slip & Fall' by Nick Santora (legal thriller) - DONE

4. An Unsuitable Job For a Woman by P.D. James (private detective thriller) - done

5. 'Friend of the Devil' by Peter Robinson (romantic thriller) - DONE

6. 'A Matter of Roses' by David Manuel (cozy mystery) - done

7. 'The Reincarnationist' by M.J. Rose (action thriller) - DONE

8. 'The Case Has Altered' by Martha Grimes (serial killer thriller) - DONE

9. 'Firestorm' by Iris Johansen (romantic thriller) - DONE

10. Nightwalker by Heather Graham (paranormal thriller) - Done

11. 'Vital Signs' by Robin Cook (medical thriller) - done

12. 'The Mosaic Crimes' by Giulio Leoni (literary thriller) - done

Winter Challenge (COMPLETED)

1. 'King's Fool' by Margaret Campbell Barnes - DONE

2. 'Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark' by Diana Lea Simpson - DONE

3. 'What Would Jane Austen Do?' by Laurie Brown - DONE

4. 'With Violets' by Elizabeth Robards - DONE

5. 'The Testament' by David Morrell - DONE

6. 'Blessings' by Anna Quindlen - DONE

7. 'The Book of Air & Shadows' by Michael Gruber - DONE

8. 'The Book Thief' by Michael Zusak - DONE

9. 'The Hellfire Club' by Peter Straub - DONE

10. 'Autobiography of a Face' by Lucy Grealy - DONE

11. 'Dragon Tears' by Dean Koontz - DONE

12. 'Mr. X' by Peter Straub - DONE

13. 'The Kingmaking' by Helen Hollick - DONE

999 Challenge

CLASSICS

1.

2. The Plague by Albert Camus - DONE

3.

4. The frenchman's Creek by Dapne Du Maurier - Done

5. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - Done

6. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - Done

7. Alice In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - DONE

8. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Done

9. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - Done

FICTION

1. 'House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III - Done

2. Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - DONE

3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - DONE

4. Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin - DONE

5. Blessings by Anna Quindlen - DONE

6. Andorra by Peter Cameron - DONE

7. Chocolat by Joanne Harris - DONE

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - DONE

9. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo - Done

MEMOIR

1. Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee - Done

2. Reading Lolita In Tehran by Azar Nafisi - DONE

3. A Child's Journey Out Of Autism by Leeann Whiffen - DONE

4. Medallions by Zofia Nalkowska - DONE

5. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy - DONE

6. Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere - DONE

7. A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal - DONE

8. Lucky by Alice Sebold - Done

9. Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee - done

Mystery/Thriller

1.Blood on His Hands by Mark Sadler - Done

2. The case Has Altered by Martha Grimes - Done

3. Threshold by Bonnie Kozek - Done

4. Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins & Amberly Collin - done

5. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Ghrandhi - done

6. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - done

7. The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni - done

8. Nightwalker by Heather graham - done

9. Vital Signs by Robing Cook - done

Audio Books

1. Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

2. Requiem for a Mezzo by Carola Dunne - done

3. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran - done

4. Twenty Seven Bones by Jonathan Nasaw - done

5. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King - done

6. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb - done

7. The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson - done

8. High Profile by Robert B. parker - done

9. Two for the Dough by Janet Evanovich - done

HISTORICAL FICTION

1. Blessed are the Meek by Zofia Kossak - DONE

2. King's Fool by Margaret Campbell Barnes - DONE

3. Lady Anne and the Howl In the Dark by Donna Lea Simpson - DONE

4. The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham - DONE

5. The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall - DONE

6. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant - DONE

7. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - DONE

8. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis - DONE

9. Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick - DONE

HORROR

1.From a whisper to a scream by Charles de Lint - Done

2. 'Mr. X' by Peter Straub -DONE

3. Dragon Tears - DONE

4. The Hellfire Club by Peter Straub - DONE

5. Afraid by Jack Kilborn - DONE

6. Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant - DONE

7. The Return by Bentley Little - Done

8. The Trickster by Muriel Gray - done

9. Cell by Stephen King - Done

Young Adult

1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - done

2. The Day after Tomorrow

3. Wicked Lovely by Marissa Marr - done

4. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr - done

5. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor - done

6. Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr - done

7. Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins & Amberly Collins

8. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - done

9. Willow by Julia Hoban - done

FANTASY

1. Soulstice by Simon Holt - done

2. Dark Desire by Christine Feehan - done

3. The darkest Fire, Lords of the Underworld prequel by Gena Showalter - done

4. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong - done

5. Wizard by Trade by Jim Butcher - DONE

6. Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione - Done

7. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts - Done

8. Dark Prince by Christine Feehan - Done

9. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins - Done

Spiritually Speaking Challenge (Completed)

1. 'Blessed Are The Meek' by Zofia Kossak (fiction) - DONE

2. Elijah's Coin by Steve O'Brien - DONE

3. Shame Lifter by Marilyn Hontz - DONE
4. Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere - DONE
5. Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Sahar - DONE
6. Nine Ways God Always Speaks by Mark Herringshaw & jennifer Schuchmann - Done

What's In a Name -2

1. The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale ('profession' in the title)

2. Nightwalker by Heather Graham (time of day) - done

3. 'Father Melancholy's Daughter' by Gail Godwin (a relative) - DONE

4. 'The Fourth Hand' by John Irving (a body part) - done

5. 'House of Sand and Fog' by Andre Dubus III (a building) - Done

6. 'The Plague' by Albert Camus (a medical condition) - DONE

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge (COMPLETED)

1. 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris (food name in the title) - DONE

2. 'Andorra' by Peter Cameron (place name in the title) - DONE

3. 'Reading Lolita in Tehran'

by Azar Nafisi (about a specific culture and/or authro whose ethnicity is different from mine) - DONE

2009 Audiobook Challenge

1.'The Book of Illusions' by Paul Auster - DONE

2. 'One For the Money' by Janet Evanovich - DONE

3. 'High Profile' by Robert B. Parker - DONE

4. 'Hard Truth' by Nevada Barr - DONE

5. 'Death of a Dreamer' by M. C. Beaton - DONE

6. 'The Life and Times of Thunderbolt Kid' by Bill Bryson - Done

7. 'Twenty Seven Bones' by Jonathan Nasaw - DONE

8. 'The Beekeeper's Apprentice' by Laurie R. King - DONE

9. Darkfire. Lords of the Underworld prequel by Gena Showalter - done

10. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb - Done

11. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr - DONE

12. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr - DONE

Winter Challenge List

1. 'King's Fool' by Margaret Campbell Barnes
2. 'Lady Anne and the Howl in the Dark' by Diana Lea Simpson
3. 'What Would Jane Austen Do?' by Laurie Brown
4. 'With Violets' by Elizabeth Robards - DONE
5. 'The Testament' by David Morrell
6. 'Blessings' by Anna Quindlen
7. 'The Book of Air & Shadows' by Michael Gruber
8. 'The Book Thief' by Michael Zusak
9. 'The Hellfire Club' by Peter Straub
10. 'Autobiography of a Face' by Lucy Grealy
11. 'Dragon Tears' by Dean Koontz
12. 'Mr. X' by Peter Straub

Things I Have Done

Originally this fun list was borrowed from Stephanie at The Written Word. But I first saw it on Softdrink's blog Fizzy Thoughts http://fizzybeverage.blogspot.com/. I really liked the idea so I figured I'll do mine (measly as it might be, maybe it'll give me the motivation to try and do new things). The things I have done are in bold.


1. Started my own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than I can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyworld/land
8. Climbed a mountain (quite a few actually, I almost got sick of all that climbing).
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sung a solo.
11. Bungee jumped (nothing will ever be motivating enough for me to do it).
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched lightening at sea.
14. Taught myself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown my own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitchhiked (teenage years in Poland).
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb (not a lamb but a baby pig).
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a Marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (for personal reasons, it's a rather painful memory now).
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught myself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance (unfortunately, having a baby wasn't the reason).
47. Had my portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theatre.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Got flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (many times, I used live two hours driving away from Auschwitz).
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar (and absolutely hated it).
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had my picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous (Rudy Guiliani)
92. Joined a book club (online).
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee (not technically a bee. A wasp, but I think it counts).
100. Rode an elephant.

Only 29. It looks like I might have some catching up to do.

999 Challenge

Here's my list:

1. 'Sense and Sensibility' by Jane Austen (January - classic literature)
2. 'Arthur and George' by Julian Barnes (February - fiction)
3. 'Running with Scissors' by Augusten Burroughs (March - memoir)
4. 'From a Whisper to a Scream' by Charles De Lint (April - Sci-Fi)
5. 'Mary Queen of Scots' by Antonia Fraser (May - historical non-fiction)
6. 'The Boleyn Inheritance' by Philippa Gregory (June - hitorical fiction)
7. 'The Face' by Dean Koontz (July - horror)
8. 'Atlantis Found' by Clive Cussler (August - adventure)
9. 'Equal Rites' by Terry Pratchett (September - fantasy)

Spiritually Speaking Challenge

I like to seek and explore. My favorite area to do just that is the spiritual realm of our lives. Therefore, I have decided to turn it into a challenge. Why not! The rules of the challenge are:

1. Read 6 books from January 31st, 2009 to June 30th, 2009.
2. The main theme of all the titles you choose must be spiritual, metaphysical or self-help.
3. The books can be both fiction & non-fiction.
4. You don't have to have a blog to participate* (read up for a small amendment)
5. A new copy of 'Happiness is a Choice' by Barry Neil Kaufman will be raffled away at the
end of the challenge among the participants. You don't have to do anything special, just have
fun! And let's fate decide who gets the prize.

To give you an idea of what books are allowed in the challenge, I am posting my list:

1.'The Witch of Portobello' by Paulo Coehlo (fiction)

2. 'The Last Lecture' by Randy Pausch (non-fiction)

3. 'Color Me Butterfly' by L.Y. Marlow (non-fiction)

4. 'Autobiography of a Yogi' by Paramahansa Yogananda (non-fiction)

5. 'Blessed Are The Meek' by Zofia Kossak (fiction)

6. 'Such A Pretty Fat' by Jen Lancaster

7. Elijah's Coin by Steve O'Brien

What's In a Name-2

That was fun, looking for the titles and a challenge in itself already:

1. 'Captain Alatriste' by Arturo Perez-Reverte ('profession' in the title)
2. 'Night Work' by Steve Hamilton (time of day)
3. 'Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin (a relative)
4. 'The Fourth Hand' by John Irving (a body part)
5. 'House of Sand and Fog' by Andre Dubus III (a building)
6. The Plague' by Albert Camus (a medical condition)

Well-Seasoned Reader Challenge

Here are the titles:

1. 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris (food name in the title)
2. 'Andorra' by Peter Cameron (place name in the title)
3. 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' by Azar Nafisi (about a specific culture and/or author whose
ethnicity is different from mine)

From the Stack Challenge '08

Here's the list:

1. 'Compulsion' - Jonathan Kellerman - DONE
2. 'The Road to Cana' - Anne Rice - DONE
3. 'A Feast for Crows' - George R.R. Martin - DONE (finally)
4. 'Outlander' - Diana Gabaldon
5. 'Lord John & the Private Matter' - Diana Gabaldon

100+ Books Reading Challenge

Here's my list for the challenge. Some are by authors I had read before and others are completely new to me. I own these books so I am glad for the challenge as it will give me a kick to go through my personal library a little faster.
I hope to post reviews of my favorite ones and simple comments on all the others. I do not want to post mean words however I believe that if a book is really not worth the time I should let other readers know. After all not every writer was supposed to be one or a good one for that matter.



1. A Suitable Vengeance – Elizabeth George - DONE
2. Ghostwalk – Rebecca Stott
3. Left Behind - Tim LaHaye & Jerry B. Jenkins - DONE
4. 'Father Melancholy's Daughter - Gail Godwin - DONE
5. 'House of Sand and Fog' - Andre Dubus III - done
6. 'The Plague' - Albert Camus - DONE
7.'Chocolat' - Joanne Harris - DONE
8. 'Andorra' - Peter Cameron - DONE
9. 'Reading Lolita in Tehran' - Azar Nafisi - DONE
10. 'Blessed Are The Meek' by Zofia Kossak (fiction) - DONE
11. 'Deadly Decisions' by Kathy Reichs - DONE
12. 'Slip & Fall' by Nick Santora - DONE
13. 'Friend of the Devil' by Peter Robinson (DONE)
14. 'The Reincarnationist' by M.J. Rose - DONE
15. 'Firestorm' by Iris Johansen - DONE
16. 'The Kingmaking' by Helen Hollick - DONE
17. 'King's Fool' by Margaret Campbell Barnes - DONE
18. 'Lady Anne and the Howl I the Dark' by Donna Lea Simpson - DONE
19. 'The Testament' by David Morrell - DONE
20. 'Blessings' by Anna Quindlen - DONE
21. 'Mr. X' by Peter Straub - DONE
22. 'Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins - DONE
23. The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber - DONE
24. Conan Doyle's Wallet by Patrick McNamara - DONE
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - DONE
26. Medallions by Zofia Nalkowska - DONE
27. A Child's Journey Out Of Autism - DONE
28. Dragon Tears by Dean Koontz - DONE
29. Gauntlet by Richard Aaron - DONE
30. The Hellfire Club by Peter Straub - DONE
31. Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy - DONE
32. Wizard by Trade by JIm Butcher - DONE
33. The Day After Tomorrow by Sandee Sgarlata - DONE
34. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Patillo - Done
35. The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham - DONE
36. For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn - DONE
37. The Red Siren by M. L. Tyndall - DONE
38. Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione - DONE
39. Stakes & Stilletos by Michelle Rowen - DONE
40. For Men Only by Shaunti Feldhahn - DONE
41. BoneMan's Daughter by Ted Dekker - DONE
42. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant - DONE
43. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman - DONE
44. Elijah's Coin by Steve O'Brien - DONE
45. Afraid by Jack Kilborn - DONE
46. Shame Lifter by Marilyn Hontz - DONE
47. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - DONE
48. Finding Grace by Donna VanLiere - DONE
49. A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal - DONE
50. The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis - DONE
51. Follow Me by Joanna Scott - DONE
52. Vivaldi's Virgins by Barbara Quick - DONE
53. Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar - DONE
54. Angel of Wrath by Bill Myers - DONE
55. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer -DONE
56. The Frenchamn's Creek - by Dapne du Maurier - DONE
57. The Unfinished Clue by Georgette Heyer - DONE
58. Why Shoot the butler by Georgette Heyer - DONE
59. The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins - DONE
60. Two Brothers by David H. Jones - DONE
61. Nine Ways God Always Speaks - Done
62. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier - Done
63. Cousin Kate by Georgette Heyer - done
64. One Thousand White Woman by Jim Fergus - DONE
65. Worst Nightmares by Shane Briant - DONE
66. Change of heart by Jodi Picoult - DONE
67. The Survivors Club by Ben Sherwood - DONE
68. The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory - DONE
69. The Return by Bentley Little - DONE
70. Lucky by Alice Sebold - DONE
71. The art of racing in the rain by Garth Stein - DONE
72. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse - Done
73. Annette Vallon by James Tipton - Done
74. Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts - Done
75. Blood on his hands by Mark P. Sadler - Done
76. The Age of innocence by Edith Wharton - Done
77. Cell by Stephen King - Done
78. From a whisper to a scream by Charles de Lint - Done
79. The Case Has Altered by Martha grimes - Done
80. Threshold by Bonnie Kozek - Done
81. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - done
82. Amazing Grace by Kathleen Norris - done
83. God Is an Englishman by R. F. Delderfield - done
84. The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner - done
85. I Do Again by Cheryl & Jeff Scruggs - done
86. To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield - done
87. Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee - done
88. The Tudor Rose by Margaret Campbell Barnes - done

89. Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd & Ann Kidd taylor - done

90. Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins & Amberly Collins - done

91. A Flickering Light by Jane Kirkpatrick - done

92. Across the Endless River by Thad Carhart - done

93. Silverstein & Me by Merv Gold - done

94. A Circle of Souls by Preetham Grandhi - done

95. No Wind of Blame by Georgette Heyer - done

96. The Fourth Hand by John Irving - done

97. The Mosaic Crimes by Giulio Leoni - done

98. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler - done

99. Tattoo Machine by Jeff Johnson - done

100. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin - done

101. Nightwalker by Heather Graham - done