Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

When an unknown someone shoots him and leaves him to die, Harry Dresden hopes he might be heading to a better place. Unfortunately, being dead doesn’t make Harry’s life any easier. Trapped between life and death, he learns that his friends are in serious trouble. Only by finding his murderer can he save his friends and move on—a feat which would be a lot easier if he had a body and access to his powers. Worse still are the malevolent shadows that roam Chicago, controlled by a dark entity that wants Harry to suffer even in death. Now, the late Harry Dresden will have to pull off the ultimate trick without using any magic—or face an eternity as just another lost soul… From Goodreads.

Another Harry Dresden book and now he is dead. He still has to fight and combat evil in order to save friends from the mess he unintentionally has created. His friends are in a bad way battling evil and grieving for the loss of Harry. An old enemy reappears and is as strong as ever and Harry also has to figure out who killed him. This book had a twist I hadn't seen coming and I liked that. Now I am looking forward to Cold Days which was published on Kindle yesterday.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness

As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale. From Goodreads.

I liked this book but I didn't like it as much as the two first books in the trilogy. I finished book two The Ask and The Answer in April and actually thought I would read this book quite soon after but I just didn't. Instead it has taken me seven months to get to it and I think it is because it started to become very political and that is not for me. There is now a war with 3 different groups. The Mayor Prentiss, the Mistress Coyle and the Land. The two first are trying to outsmart each other and the two main characters Todd and Viola are again stuck on different sides, Viola with Mistress Coyle and Todd with Mayor Prentiss even though they don't trust either of them. Everything of course goes wrong before the end. I think the end is fitting. This is a good book but make sure to read the two first books in the series as this book shouldn't be read until after those.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2012 - Start

Michelle @ The True Book Addict is hosting the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2012.

I took part in the 2011 challenge and have been waiting for the challenge to start again this year. Then I go and miss the start of it.
Never mind I am joining now.

My goal will be the level of Christmas Tree to read 5-6 books and I will also join for the additional level of Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!

This is some of the book I might read during this December:

1. The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown (100 pages)
2. A Little Book for Christmas by Cyrus Townsend Brady (116 pages)
3. Christmas Eve at Swamp's End by Norman Duncan (32 pages)
4. Embers of the Raven: a Christmas Story from Greenland by Chris Paton (short)
5. The Christmas Bake-Off by Abby Clements (25 pages)
6. A Simple Amish Christmas by Vanetta Chapman (290 pages)
7. Snowed Under: A Christmas Story by Jude Ryan (44 pages)
8. Falling for Christmas by Debbie Macomber (433 pages)
9. One Imperfect Christmas by Myra Johnson (281 pages)
10. Christmas with Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley (237 pages)
11. Bah, Humbug! (A Romantic Comedy Christmas Novella) by Heather Horrock (96 pages)

Some of the films I am going to watch are:

1. The Polar Express, 
2. While You Were Sleeping, 
3. Christmas Story, 
4. A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart edition). 

The last two are repeats from last year but they are brilliant films so that is fine. The first two I have also seen before but they didn't make it on the list last year so we will watch them this year. I hope to watch more.

I will not start my reading until December

HERE is where all the posts for this challenge will be

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 November 22-25 Finished

Thanks to Jenn from jennsbookshelves for hosting this challenge.

I have now finished this challenge. I reached my goal of reading 3 books but not everything went according to plan. In my update I mentioned that I wanted to finish my third book on Saturday and hopefully start Monsters of Men on Sunday.
I did finish Changes by Jim Butcher on Saturday or rather I guess it was Sunday as it was about 1am. But I haven't read anything today.
I liked all three books I read this weekend but mostly Changes by Jim Butcher.

This is the three books I read and which challenges they counted towards:

1. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes toward 2012 Sci-Fi Challenge and A-Z Book Challenge 2012.
2. Y by Bonnie Rozanski toward A-Z Book Challenge 2012.
3. Changes by Jim Butcher toward Finishing the Series.

 This weekend has helped me quite well towards finishing my challenges for 2012.

Changes by Jim Butcher

Long ago, Susan Rodriguez was Harry Dresden's lover-until she was attacked by his enemies, leaving her torn between her own humanity and the bloodlust of the vampiric Red Court. Susan then disappeared to South America, where she could fight both her savage gift and those who cursed her with it.
Now Arianna Ortega, Duchess of the Red Court, has discovered a secret Susan has long kept, and she plans to use it-against Harry. To prevail this time, he may have no choice but to embrace the raging fury of his own untapped dark power. Because Harry's not fighting to save the world...
He's fighting to save his child. From Goodreads

I said it last time I read one of the Harry Dresden books and I will say it again. I really like this series! There are two left, Ghost Story and then Cold Days that is being released the 29th of November on Kindle.
This one takes a whole new turn when Harry finds out he has an eight year old kid and the Red Vampires has taken her. He will do anything to save her. He again has to fight a lot of evil helped by friends, other people and beings only a little less evil than the enemy. All ends reasonably well or not.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge,
Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012

Reading Challenge Addict 2012 Finished

Thank you Cheryl and Gina at readingchallengeaddict for hosting this challenge.

When I started this challenge I decided to go for the level of "On the Roof" 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed) as I have never taken part in any reading challenges before Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2011.
Well, I got hooked and I ended up entered 24 Challenges and of these I finished 22.
So I guess I have now reached level "Out of This World" 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

THIS is the list of all the challenges I have completed in 2012
HERE are all the posts for this challenge.

Reading Challenge Addict 2012 Challenge List

This is the list of the challenges I have entered and completed in 2012.

1. A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon January 23 - 29
2. All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012
3. The Magical March Reading Challenge!
4. Dewey's Read-a-Thon April 2012
5. Spring Into Horror Read-a-Thon
6. FrightFall Read-a-Thon October 1-7 2012
7. Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2012
8. 22 on 22 Read-a-Thon
9. Season of the Witch October 2012
10. 2012 Ebook Challenge
11. Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012
12. 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
13. 100 Books In A Year Challenge
14. Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge
15. 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge
16. A - Z Challenge 2012
17. Reading Challenge Addict 2012
18. Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 November 22-25
19. 2012 Sci-Fi Challenge
20. Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2012
21. Scavenger Hunt 2012 Reading Challenge
22. Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2012

A-Z Book Challenge 2012 Finished

 

Thank you Laurel-Rain Snow at curlupandread for hosting this challenge.

This was an interesting challenge and I decided to add the three letters æ-ø-å from my own language (Danish) to the challenge.
It has not been an easy challenge but it has been fun to try and find the last letters that were missing, I am guessing that x and y are some of the more difficult letters to find. I will also admit that finding books with æ-ø-å was also pretty difficult but I did manage to find books from my local library.
This is definitely a challenge I would like to join again in 2013.

THIS is the list of the 29+ books I have read for this challenge.
HERE  is all the posts for this challenge.

A-Z Book Challenge 2012 Book List

This is the list of the 29 books I have read for this challenge. This list only has the first book of each letter after I joined the challenge. There are of course more books with some of the same letters and they can be found in my posts for this challenge.

A: Always the Baker Never the Bride
B: Brides Baby The
C: Chicken Soup for the Soul Love Stories
D: Darkhouse
E: Eagle of the Ninth The 

F: Fierce Dawn
G: Graceling,
H: Hellbound Heart the
I: Inside Out
J: Jewels 

K: Karrusellen
L: Lirael
M: Modesty Blaise
N: No Hand to Hold & No Legs to Dance on: A Thalidomide Survivor's Story,
O: Outside In
P: Proven Guilty
Q: Quietus
R: Road The
S: Snow People The
T: Thirteen
U: Un Lun Dun
V: Vampire's Warden the
W: Wandering Valkyr The
X: Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My!,
Y: Y by Bonnie Rozanski
Z: Zoo City by Lauren Beukes
Æ: Ægteskab for Amatører
Ø: Øjne i Mørket
Å: Åndesøstre

All the posts for this challenge can be found HERE

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 update

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 update.

It is the end of day two and my reading is going according to plan. I have just finished my second book.
I have the last few days been suffering from a cold and have not felt like going out. Luckily the worst was actually over before the Reading Weekend started so I have had no problems reading.
I have decided to start Changes by Jim Butcher next and I am sure I will finish it tomorrow and then I can make a start of Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness on Sunday.

Y by Bonnie Rozanski

The year is 2011, the place, New York City. A mysterious microbe has begun to infect women of child-bearing age. Though the medical establishment writes it off as a simple flu, and the epidemic appears to be dying out, a young New York obstetrician confronts a conundrum. In the past year, the ratio of boys to girls born in her practice has declined precipitously. Dr. Deborah Kruger suspects the truth: that infected women are no longer able to give birth to male children.
With the help of her husband Larry, a computer analyst, Deborah tracks the epicenter to New York City, from which the infection is already bursting forth. And, as years pass, despite hundreds of laboratories at work on it, the microbe continues to overrun borders and envelop the Earth. With Science unable to stop it, and the contagion rippling worldwide in an AIDS-like pandemic, how will society cope in an increasingly female world?
Unquestionably, some changes are inevitable. Companies hire more women; who assume more leadership positions, replacing the male hierarchy with their own female style of management, to great success. Among the younger generation, monogamy is increasingly replaced by polygamy. Wars decrease. Crime falls. Football attendance is down. Ballet is up.
"Y" follows three New York City families for an entire generation, each with its own story. The blue-collar husband proves unable to deal with a wife who has become the major bread-winner. The yuppie husband does well in his career but cannot resist the temptations of a workplace with limitless young women. His wife, turned off from men entirely, will leave him and become a force to reckon with in her own right. And, along the way, the children of all three families struggle to find mates and to secure their own places in this new, topsy-turvy world. From Goodreads.

This book is by some described as a thriller, to me a thriller is a scary book and this is not scary. It is a story about the changes that happens when hardly any boys are born in a generation. Bonnie Rozanski has done a good job of describing different types of men and different types of women, how they interact and how they change when  society is suddenly dominated by women. It is also about  the moral of cloning. I enjoyed this book.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
2012 Ebook Challenge,
Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 

Zoo City by Lauren Beukes

Zinzi has a Sloth on her back, a dirty 419 scam habit and a talent for finding lost things. But when a little old lady turns up dead and the cops confiscate her last paycheck, she’s forced to take on her least favourite kind of job – missing persons.
Being hired by reclusive music producer Odi Huron to find a teenybop pop star should be her ticket out of Zoo City, the festering slum where the criminal underclass and their animal companions live in the shadow of hell’s undertow.
Instead, it catapults Zinzi deeper into the maw of a city twisted by crime and magic, where she’ll be forced to confront the dark secrets of former lives – including her own. From Goodreads.

I like the idea of people getting a familiar, an animal companion, when they commit a crime. This is a very interesting read and it takes several twists that I didn't expect which I really like. What I didn't like is that the book is full of foreign words that even though they make sense in a sentence just make the whole read more difficult. Words such as: nyangas, sangomas and muti. This distracted me from enjoying the book as much as would have liked.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
2012 Sci-Fi Challenge,
2012 Ebook Challenge,
Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 November 22-25 Start

It is time to start Thankfully Reading weekend.

My goal is, as mentioned in my sign up post, to read 3 books toward my 2012 Reading Challenges.
This is my list to choose from:

1. Changes by Jim Butcher toward Finishing the Series.
2. Zoo City by Lauren Beukes toward 2012 Sci-Fi Challenge and A-Z Book Challenge 2012.
3. "Y" by Bonnie Rozanski toward A-Z Book Challenge 2012.
4. Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness toward Finishing the Series.

I think I will start with Zoo City, continue with "Y" and finish of with Monsters of Men. If there is more time I will start Changes. All my books will be ebooks.

2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge Finished

Thank you Jennifer at Reading with Tequila for hosting this challenge.

One of the rules of the challenge was: Rereads do not count towards the completion of the challenge. The challenge is about discovering books that are new to you.

There were a few books on the list that I had already read. Such as:  The Harry Potter Books, The name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, Dibs in Search of Self by Virgina M. Axline, Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher and more. But I still had no trouble finding enough other books to set myself a goal.

My goal for this challenge was to reach level III - Read 15 books from the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation List.
I have reached this goal the 21st of November after reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

I have discovered several new authors through this challenge and will continue to read their books.

THIS is the list of the 15 books I have read for this challenge.
HERE is all the posts for this challenge.

2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge Book List

This is the list of the 15 books I have read for this challenge.

1.  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (number 28 on the list)
2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (number 223 on the list)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (number 1 on the list)
4. Glass Houses by Rachel Caine (number 131 on the list)
5. Fire by Kristin Cashore (number 179 on the list)
6. The knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (number 144 on the list)
7. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (number 83 on the list)
8. Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (number 202 on the list)
9. Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (number 119 on the list)
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth (number 2 on the list)
11. Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder (number 254 on the list)
12. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson  (number 108 on the list)
13. Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (number 125 on the list)
14. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (number 208 on the list)
15. Delirium by Lauren Oliver  (number 9 on the list)

HERE is all the posts for this challenge.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

There was a time when love was the most important thing in the world. People would go to the end of the earth to find it. They would tell lies for it. Even kill for it. Then, at last, they found the cure. Now, everything is different. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But then, with only ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable...

I like this book and it was interesting to read about a world where love is a disease and has to be cured at the age of 18. Until then girls and boys are kept as separate as possible and are not allowed to congregate at all. There is not a happy ending to this book and it ends in a cliffhanger. I will at some point read the other two books in the series and maybe also the two short stories as they are about characters it would be nice to know more about.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (number 9)

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series. From Goodreads.

Quite a few authors are now using the world of the Fey as setting for their books, all of course slightly different but usually there is the Winter Fey and the Summer Fey. Julie Kagawa has added the Iron Fey which is deadly to the rest of the Fay as they can't touch iron. An interesting addition and I am looking forward to read more of this series, I think I already have the next two books on my Kindle.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (number 208)

2013 Ebook Challenge Sign up

 

2013 Ebook Challenge hosted by workadayreads.

My first 2013 challenge sign up.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3. Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4. You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:

1. Floppy disk – 5 ebooks - reached January 6th
2. CD – 10 ebooks - reached January 20th
3. DVD – 25 ebooks - reached February 17th
4. Memory stick – 50 ebooks - reached April 9th
5. Hard drive – 75 ebooks - reached May 19th
   
6. Server – 100 ebooks
7. Human brain – 150 ebooks

My goal again this year is level 6: Server - to read 100 ebooks.I reached this goal the 29th of June, I will now try to make it to level 7: Human Brain - 150 ebooks.

All posts for this challenge will be HERE

List of books:

1. The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi
2. Moon dance by J.R. Rain
3. Sterling by Dannika Dark
4. A Nomadic Witch by Debora Geary
5. The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi
6. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang 
7. To Have and To Code by Debora Geary
8. De Novo Syndrome by Jim Buckner, David Mark Brown 
9. The Scourge by A.G. Henley
10. The Dog Stars by Peter Heller 
11. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon 
12. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles 
13. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
14. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
15. My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann
16. Shadowmagic by John Lenahan 
17. Deadly Legacy by Alison Bruce
18. Vampire Moon by J.R. Rain 
19. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stace
20. A Different Witch by Debora Geary
21. Twist by Dannika Dark 
22. Cross My Heart by Abigail Strom
23. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder 
24. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder
25. Become by Ali Cross
26. Always the Designer, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker 
27. Old Before My Time: Hayley Okines' Life with Progeria by Hayley Okines, Kerry Okines, Alison Stokes  
28. Winging It! by Shel Delisle
29. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen 
30. Skellig by David Almond
31. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
32. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa  
33. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
34. Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa
35. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
36. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
37. The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne
38. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary
39. Witches under Way by Debora Geary
40. Witches in Flight by Debora Geary
41. American Vampire by J.R. Rain 
42. Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder  
43. Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
44. Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden 
45. Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
46. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks 
47. Stained by Ella James 
48. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
49. Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs 
50. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper 
51. A Celtic Witch by Debora Geary 
52. Wise Follies by Grace Wynne-Jones 
53. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton 
54. Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse 
55. Amy's Story by D'Elen McClain
56. Manhattan Grimoire by Sandy DeLuca
57. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
58. Marked by Kim Richardson
59. For a Good Time, Call... by Trish Jensen
60. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
61. Swordfights & Lullabies by Debora Geary 
62. Endlessly by Kiersten White
63. Every Witch Way But Wicked
64. The Hunt by Joseph Williams 
65. Virtual Evil by Jana Oliver
66. WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor 
67. Queen Of Sorcery by David Eddings 
68. Magician's Gambit by David Eddings 
69. Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings 
70. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury 
71. Enchanters' End Game by David Eddings 
72. Just Doll by Janice Daugharty
73. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
74. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
75. The Last Colony by John Scalzi
76. The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
77. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
78. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
79. Guards! Guards!: by Terry Pratchett
80. The Light Within Me by Carly Fall
81. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
82. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub 
83. Zombacter: Center City Contagion by Sean Bingham 
84. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch  
85. Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly  
86. Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub 
87. Alone by Robert J. Crane
88. Chocolate Shoes And Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley
89. Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook
90. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
91. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen by Norah Wilson
92. Origins by Kristen Middleton
93. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
94. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
95. Her Own Devices by Shelley Adina 
96. The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay
97. Amethyst by Heather Bowhay
98. A Lost Witch by Debora Geary
99. To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
100. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
101. Moon Child by J.R. Rain
102. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
103. Daughter of Dragons by Kathleen H. Nelson 
104. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
105. Witch Way Bends by Olivia Hardin 
106. Cursed by Casey Odell
107. Frey by Melissa Wright 
108. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
109. Magnificent Devices by Shelley Adina
110. Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva 
111. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles 
112. Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson 
113. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa 
114. Fins by Ashley L. Knight 
115. I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel
116. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 
117. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
118. Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford
119. Watership Down by Richard Adams 
120. Fathom by Ashley L. Knight
121. Everblue by Brenda Pandos
122. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
123. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
124. One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
125. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
126. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
127. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
128. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin
129. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
130. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
131. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
132. Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn 
133. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey  
134. The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson 
135. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn
136. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
137. DRT by Eric Thomas
138. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory 
139. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
140. To Love a Witch by Debora Geary 
141. An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary 
142. WitchLove by Emma Mills
143. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
144. How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves
145. XBestia by Melissa Conway
146. Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley
147. Matchmakers 2.0 by Debora Geary 
148. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett 
149. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi 
150. Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks
151. How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves
152. How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves
153. How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
154. UnStrung by Neal Shusterman 
155. How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves
156. Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista
157. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
158. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 
159. Burning Chrome by William Gibson 
160. Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton
161. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2012 November 22-25

Thankfully Reading Weekend hosted by Jenn at Jenn's Bookshelves.

I nearly missed this, I am glad I didn't as the Thankfully Reading Weekend 2011 was one of the first reading challenges I took part in.
I am Danish and I do not celebrate Thanksgiving and I haven't been Black Friday shopping either but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy a weekend of reading.

My goal for these four days will be to finish 3 books toward my 2012 Reading Challenges.

Ægteskab for Amatører (The Amateur Marriage) by Anne Tyler

The plot concerns the marriage of Michael Anton and Pauline Barclay, who meet when he tends to her bloodied brow in his family's grocery store, located in a primarily Eastern European conclave in Baltimore, in December 1941. They marry after Michael is discharged from the Army with a permanent injury caused by a deliberate shot from someone he assaulted.
Michael and Pauline settle in a small apartment above the store, but their widely different temperaments and expectations quickly create dissension in the relationship. He is repressed, controlling, and quiet; she is loud, emotional, and romantic. At Pauline's insistence, they move to the suburbs, where they raise three children: Lindy, George and Karen.
Lindy runs away to San Francisco in 1960 and becomes involved in the growing drug culture. Eight years later, her parents retrieve Pagan, their three-year-old grandchild, while Lindy detoxes in a rehab community. The slowly-crumbling marriage finally dissolves when Michael leaves Pauline on their 30th anniversary. For Michael, convinced that he and Pauline didn't have the faintest idea what they were doing when they married or how to conduct a marriage (that they were "amateurs"), divorce is a salvation. For Pauline, it's a tragedy that leaves her in despair.

This is an okay book but no more. It is about a very dysfunctional family and it reminded me of another book. I remembered the title, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, but not the author. I just found out it was also an Anne Tyler book. This book was not for me.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher

When it comes to the magical ruling body known as the White Council, Harry keeps his nose clean and his head down. For years, the Council has held a death mark over Harry's head. He's still thought of as a black sheep by some;and as a sacrificial lamb by others. But none regard him with more suspicion and disdain than Morgan, a veteran Warden with a grudge against anyone who bends the rules.
Like Harry.
So when Morgan turns up asking for help, Harry isn't exactly eager to leap into action. Morgan has been accused of treason against the White Council;and there's only one final punishment for that crime. he's on the run, he wants his name cleared, and he needs someone with a knack for backing the underdog.
Like Harry.
Now Harry must uncover a traitor within the Council, keep a less than agreeable Morgan under wraps, and avoid coming under scrutiny himself. And a single mistake may cost someone his head.
Like Harry...  From Goodreads.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series about Harry Dresden. This book is a bit more "political" as Harry gets involved more with some from the White Council. But of course there are several life and death fights as there must be. I like Harry's brother Thomas and this book sees a change in that relationship which I hope will change again.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 

Foretold by Jana Oliver

Now that Riley’s managed to (just barely) fend off Armageddon, everything’s changed. Well . . . most things. After their passionate kiss before the big battle in the cemetery, Beck is back to treating her like a little girl, as if nothing ever happened. While she’d love to just tell him off and move on, Riley vowed to take care of Beck the way he’s taken care of her since her father’s death—but she’s about to get a whole lot more than she bargained for. When she’s commissioned to go with Beck to his hometown and help him care for his dying mother, they stumble too close to a dark and murderous secret, one that Beck fears will drive Riley away from him forever. As chaos breaks loose, Riley may be Beck's only hope for redemption . . . and survival.      Meanwhile, up in Atlanta, it’s quickly becoming clear that Heaven may have won a battle, but the war is far from over. Riley and Beck face a stormy future, as Lucifer's ex-right-hand-man, Sartael, proves himself to be more resilient than anyone thought. He has Atlanta in his grip and is about to begin a brutal war with the prince of Hell. As the seconds tick down toward a final confrontation, it's up to Riley and the man she loves to finally defeat their old enemy, or lose everything they've fought for. From Goodreads. 

This was the fourth and last book in the series about The Demon Trappers. I have enjoyed every single one of them. This book is a lot about Beck and his past and what a past. No wonder he has kept his past a secret. It is a happy ending to the series and I can definitely recommend this series to anyone who likes to read paranormal books.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challeng,

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild

Pauline, Petrova and Posy are found as orphaned babies in different parts of the world by eccentric fossil collector and explorer Gum. He adopts them, takes them to his London home and leaves them in the care of his niece Sylvia and the family Nurse. Then off he goes to continue his exploring, saying that he'll be back in five years' time. When the three little girls are old enough, they choose the surname Fossil for themselves and vow to make the name famous. At first they lead privileged and sheltered lives. But when Gum fails to return after five years, Sylvia's money begins to run out. First she is forced to take in some boarders - an engaging and eclectic mix of characters - but then she decides that the girls should go to acting school. This way they will be able to earn some money before they grow up. Pauline adores the school, as she dreams of becoming an actress. Petrova hates it, all she wants to do is learn about cars and planes and engines. Posy loves it too - she is born to be a dancer and the school is the perfect place for her. From Goodreads.

About a month ago I watched the film You've got mail for at least the 4th time. In this film when Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) is losing her bookshop, she is sitting in Joe Fox's (Tom Hanks) book store and a customer comes in asking about the shoe series. Kathleen Kelly's favourite is Ballet Shoes. So I decided I wanted to read it.
It is a very cute children's book although the children haven't got an easy life. They do know they are still better off than other children even at times when they have to work to support the family. They are 3 very different girls but of course all lovely in their own way and the description of the characters around them is also very good and you can't help but loving them all. It of course has a happy ending. Well worth a read even as an adult.
I will at some point check the other books in this series.

This book qualifies for:
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (number 125)

No Hand to Hold & No Legs to Dance on: A Thalidomide Survivor's Story by Louise Medus

While the battle for the compensation of Thalidomide victims was raging in the 1970s, former Labour MP Jack Ashley asked in a parliamentary debate how Louise, then 11 years old, could look forward to 'laughing and loving with no hand to hold and no legs to dance on'.Louise was born Louise Mason, a victim of the devastating drug Thalidomide. Born without arms and legs, she is the daughter of David Mason, who single-handedly held out against the drug company, the legal establishment and all the other parents of Thalidomide victims in the high-profile fight for proper compensation for the victims. As she was photographed with her family and appeared on television meeting celebrities during the battle, few people realised that she did not live with her wealthy parents and three siblings at their spacious North London home but was being brought up in an institution, Chailey Heritage in Sussex. In fact, Louise had never gone home from hospital and, for the first five weeks of her life, her mother didn't even see her. This is a survivor's story, a triumph of the human spirit over adversity. Louise married John, a partially sighted man, and had two beautiful children. She was devastated when she discovered that he was having an affair with their carer. She also had to undergo a kidney transplant, the first Thalidomide victim to do so. She has worked, been an active disability rights campaigner and has now found new love, with Darren, a fellow Thalidomide victim who was born without arms. From Goodreads.

This book is the life story of Louise, a Thalidomide victim/survivor. This is a gripping book about growing up in an institution and learning to do things despite having a disability. I am actually surprised how much I liked this book, I didn't expect to but Louise Medus and her co-writer Gill Swain have written a very good book. It took a lot of strength and determination to  fight for her own independence and it makes me think of the ones that might not have had the strength to go against the authorities and parents and ended up living most of their life in an institution. This book is of course written from her point of view and not everybody would agree with her but that is always the case with a life story and I think she has done it well. I would like to read her father's book, to read about his fight for a proper compensation when not many others would or could fight.
Definitely a book worth reading.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Scavenger Hunt 2012 Reading Challenge,  
Why Buy the Cow? Reading challenge 2012 ( this book was free on Amazon.co.uk the 26th of October 2012) 

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy trilogy overturns the expectations of readers and then goes on to tell the epic story of evil overturned in a richly imagined world. A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float down endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields. But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on criminal that no-one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.  From Goodreads

This was a brilliant book. This metal magic used is fascinating and especially with the Mistborn who can master all metals. But it is not easy to master so it takes a lot of practising. It is a story of suppression, loss and betrayal but also of hope, trust and love.
It is a trilogy but actually there is a fourth book set in the same world. I have all 4 books and I am looking forward to reading them all.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (number 108)

Season of the Witch October 2012 Finished Post

Season of the Witch October 2012 has finished.

My goal for this month was to read at least 10 books with some kind of magic in them. Well I reached my goal as I read the 10 books. I like witchy books a lot so this was a fun challenge to do.

The books were:

1. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher 
2. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
3. Forgiven by Jana Oliver 
4. White Night by Jim Butcher 
5. A Modern Witch by Debora Geary 
6. A Hidden Witch by Debora Geary   
7. The Witchlings Midnight Curse by Amanda Turner    
8. A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary
9. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
10. Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton