Summer Book Trek Wrap-up

I had a lot of fun participating in the Summer Book Trek and I read every book on my reading list got a few reviews up too.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Freshman for President by Ally Condie
The Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
Paige by Annette Lyon

That leaves Castles on the Sand by Emily Mah Tippetts which I did read during the Trek period, but haven't written a review for yet. Finally,  Before I Say Goodbye I didn't read until the second week of September. So, I feel like I did a pretty good job on this trek and it doesn't hurt that I won several prizes.

Steampunk Challenge

Several weeks ago I put a challenge icon up in my sidebar. I slighly late in posting about it, but it is still October right? So, it is all good in my book! The steampunk reading challenge is hosted by the Bookeeper.

The main purpose of the challenge is to spend October 2010-October 2011 discovering more about the steampunk novels that exist out there. I find this quite funny as I had already decided to make the month of October an unoffical steampunk month for myself. Earlier in the year I read Airman by Eoin Colfer and Boneshaker by Cheri Priest. Both of those reviews will be posted this month and tomorrow I will be running to my nearest bookstore to purchase Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld. I am SO EXCITED to read this book. I can't wait until it is in my hot little hands. So happy it is a three day weekend.


Other novels/authors I'm interested in trying out:

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Airborn series by Kenneth Opal

It also may be interesting to read the classics:
The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
Twenty thousand leagues under the sea by Jules Verne.

So, we will see where the year takes me. Steampunk here I come!

Bloggiesta Recap.

How many Hours: 12-14 (that's a rough guesstimate)

What I Accomplished(Ta da!):

Wrote reviews for:
How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-boyfriend
Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack
Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

began review for:
Princess of the Midnight Ball

rewrote and posted review for:
The Hourglass Door by list Mangum

Drafted posts for:
Spare Change by Aubrey Mace
Life in the Pit by Kirsten Landon
Keeping Keller by Tracey Winegar

Worked on Spring Reading Challenge
Emailed LDS publisher Review links
Read Amaranth Enchantment

Blog elements:
Got sick of my old yellow shade and went to Lavender
(still love the dark green text for some reason)
Made my own blog button (This took a really long time. I tried so many different button versions that if I told the whole story it would be a saga)
Added a really cute blog button from Susan’s blog Blogging 'bout Books.

Mini-Challenges:
Grade your blog
This was an awesome little tool I didn't know about. Tweaked a few things on it's advice, but not much yet.
Anchor Text
I have such a lazy habit with this one! I’m guilty. I didn't comment, but since I'm practicing using anchor text correctly on the blog I'm counting it!

I really liked all the little mini-challenges the few I read (I read more of them than I acutally participated in) had really good advice. So, this was a sucessful blogging weekend for me. I really needed to get those reviews written. I was getting a little bit behind on them. So, it was nice to have some extra motivation to do that. Three of those books I read before the move. Yeah, I was totally procrastinating!

Oh, and for the curious of mind. I used Cool Text to make my logo, and then put the book/extra text on it using Picasa. So it was completely free! Yahoo!

Bloggiesta!

Maw Books Blog is hosting a challenge to spruce up your blog this weekend and I've joined the challenge! Yeah, I've already written several reviews that I've been procrastinating, and drafted posts of reivews that I wrote months back! Eeep! I am also plotting a new feature! Yes, all will be reavealed on Monday!

So, I'm having fun this weekend. Join the party! It's not to late!

Summer Reading Thing 2009

LDS Publisher is once again hosting a summer reading challenge. It has been a while since I have participated in a reading challenge and so I'm going to sign up. All you have to do is post of list of books you plan to read by LDS Authors. So, here is my list....

Hourglass Door by Lisa Magnum
Reunion by Ally Condie
Recovering Charles by Jason Wright
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
Dragon Spear by Jessica Day George
Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
At Jouney's End by Annette Lyon
Spires of Stone by Annette Lyon
The Princess and the Bear by Mette Harrison

There may or may not be more...depending on how well the public library works here for me in Texas. This may be weird by I'm already mourning the loss of the Provo area writing and book community. I don't know that I'll ever see its equal. Especially when it came to writing for kids and young adults.

Fall Into Reading Wrap-up

I finally got around to doing this. Life has been crazy the last couple weeks after Christmas. I'm working 60 hours this week, no joke. Though I'm annoyed that I can't keep up on all of my new years goals, I'm feeling pretty grateful that I'm working at all. I hope you all have just as much luck.


Did you finish reading all the books on your fall reading list? If not, why not?

No, some of them I didn't like and so didn't finish. Then I'm still halfway through the last one.

Did you stick to your original goals or did you change your list as you went along?

I mostly stuck to my original goals. Though, I really didn't change the list when I dropped some books out.

What was your favorite book that you read this fall? Least favorite? Why?

Favorite - The Hero of Ages. So Awesome! My least favorite would have to be Life of Pie. I read the introduction and the first three chapters (which made no sense at all), realized it was literary experiment type novel and decided to abandon ship post haste.


Did you discover a new author or genre this fall? Did you love them? Not love them?
Well, I did really like Sharon Creech's novel, and have thought about reading more of her stuff. Other than that I didn't really find anything new. Though, I don't like literary stuff that exists just not to make sense, like Life of Pie. I like pretty writing, I do, and I like profound messages, I do, but I don't like them at the expense of clarity. Once a book starts to obscure its message with wierd tricks I'm out.


What was your favorite thing about the Fall Into Reading challenge?
I like the fact that you can list whatever books you want.


Would you like to participate in another challenge here this spring?
Yes, Please!

Fall Into Reading

So, I'm starting another reading challenge. Truly, having another cool image on my side bar was a mojor motivator to do this again. I'm a sad creature. Without futher ado here is my fall reading list. Also, if you want to join the fun just click the image on the right, which has a link to Callapidder Days, our host.

Peace Like a River by Leir Enger
Hero of Ages (Mistborn 3!) by Brandon Sanderson
Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
Castle Corona by Sharon Creech
As Wide as the River by Dean Hughes
Facing the Enemy by Dean Hughes
Dragon's Bane by Barbara Hambly
Life of Pi

Summer Reading Thing

So, I did rather poorly on my Summer Reading Thing.
I read three out of the seven books I listed. (In my defense I read 19 for the Summer Book Trek.) Though, I did read part of Emma and I started the first chapter of Dragon’s Bane. The book I liked the most would have to be Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm because the story line really sparked my imagination, and left me wanting another story. The book I liked least was Emma by Anita Stansfield. I read about fifty pages into the book, and got more and more depressed about how I really wanted to like this book and just didn’t. I know I said before I didn’t like Stansfield’s style much anymore, but this was a so-so book for her. She can write better, but this one truly did read like a screenplay for me.

Didn’t really discover any new authors. I’d never read George Potter or F.E. Adcok, but I’m not going to go out and read everything they’ve written. Still want to read Barbara Hambly, and see if I like her. (I’ll confess, people, I reread Mistborn instead! The new book is coming out next month and I had to reread it! I’m obsessed! I haven’t been so excited for a book to come out since Harry freakin’ Potter!) Still want to read Jannette Rallison’s book; she really is a great author.

Summer Book Trek 2008 Wrap-Up

1. How many fiction books by LDS authors did you read?

19

2. Did you read more than you would have read if you hadn't participated in this book trek?

Well, I read more LDS fiction than I probably would have, but still would have read just as many books.

3. Did the reviews posted by other participants influence which titles you read? How?

No, not really, but I got some ideas for what I want to read next.

4. Did the Whitney awards influence which titles you read? How?

Well, Since Heather Moore got a Whitney award for her land of inheritance series I decided to read the first book.

5. Did the many, many virtual blog tours that happened this summer influence which titles you read? How?

Yes, I read farworld, and Forged in the Refiner's fire for the blog tour.

6. Did you finish all the books you had planned to read? If not, why?

Well, I was going to read Candy Shop War. I read the first chapter and wasn't interested in it and so I replaced it with another book. I probably should have given it more of a chance, but I wasn't in the mood to finish something I wasn't liking right off. So, it got axed from the list. Other than than I finished more books than I thought I would.

7. Did you discover any new authors whom you now love?

I did discover Kimberley Heuston, and I really like her style. I also really enjoyed reading Dave Free's Journey of the Heart.

8. Did you nominate any of the books you read for Whitney awards?

Hmm, I guess I could for a few of them. I'll certainly have to think about it, but maybe I'll wait until the end of the year for that.

9. Would you be interested in another LDS themed reading challenge either this winter, or next summer?

Yes. I would.

Summer Reading Thing

There is another reading challenge! Inksplasher is holding one and so I figured I'd join another book challenge. So, instead of listing all the same books I'll just post new ones. It will make things more interesting to me.

My list:

How to take the Ex out of Ex-boyfriend by Jannette Rallison

Emma by Anita Stansfield (I really don't like her style anymore. I stopped reading her books a couple years ago, but I'm curious as to how this historical fiction is going to pan out. I disliked her other historical fiction set during the revolutionary war. So this will be my challenge book.)

The White Bedouin by George Potter

Dragon's Bane by Barbara Hambly

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nihm by Robert C. O'Brien

Caesar as a Man of Letters by F. E. Adock

Caesar in Gaul and Rome by Andrew M. Riggsby

Summer Book Trek 2008

So, The LDS Fiction Blog is holding a summer reading challenge right up my alley. I'm planning to participate and I'll probably change this list a few times before I finish the challenge but I thought I'd post up my initial list.

The Icing on the Cake by Elodia Strain
Soldier boys By Dean Hughes
Sun, Moon, Ice, and Snow by Jessica Day George
Arthurian Omen by GG Vandagriff
Fool Me Twice by Stephanie Black
Land of Inheritance Series Vol. 1 by H.B. Moore

added to the list:

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Forged in the Refiner's Fire by Candace Salima and Elizabeth Cheever

Heaven Scent by Rebecca Talley

Farworld: Water's Keep by Jeff Savage

80 Miles to Nowhere By Melissa Alystock

Dante's Daughter by Kimbery Heuston

The Shakeress By Kimbery Heuston

Coffin House by Pamela Carrington Reid

Candy Shop War By Braondon Mull

Hunting Gideon by Jessica Draper

The White Bedouin by George Potter

Two Roads by Chris Crowe

Journey of the Heart by W. Dave Free

Trouble in Palmyra by Rob Ficiur

Click on the picture to join the fun!