Deadly Legacy by Alison Bruce

In 2018, rookie detective, Kate Garrett lives in the shadow of her near-legendary father Joe. When Joe dies unexpectedly, he leaves Kate half interest in Garrett Investigations, his last case that ties to three murders, a partner she can't stand, and a legacy to live up to.
Jake Carmedy has lost a partner, mentor and friend, but grief will come later. First, he has a case to solve, one that has detoured from a simple insurance case to a murder investigation. If that isn't enough, Joe's daughter seems to want to take her father's place as his boss.
No matter how hard they try, Carmedy and Garrett can't avoid each other and they might be next on a killer's list. From Goodreads.

This is a nice short cosy, if you can call three murders cosy, mystery book and I enjoyed it. It was clear from approximately the middle of the book who the killer was. It looks like there is to be more books in this series and I will keep an eye out for them.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
2013 1st In A Series Challenge
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (178 pages)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 2nd of November 2012)
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (178 pages)

Shadowmagic by John Lenahan

Conor thought he was an average teenager. Okay, so his father only had one hand, spoke to him in ancient languages, and was a bit on the eccentric side, but, other than that, life was fairly normal. Until, that is, two Celtic warriors on horseback and wearing full armor appear at his front door and try to kill him. Don't you hate when that happens? Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems, like how to deal with a father's high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own, and how to woo a beautiful girl who wants you dead. From Goodreads.

I bought this book back in June 2011 which means it has been on my TBR list for over 1½ years. I am glad I finally got around to reading it as I enjoyed it. It is a fast moving fantasy and there is the obvious enemy but also some that I wasn't sure of till the end of the book. I will definitely be reading the next book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (278 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (magic)
2013 1st In A Series Challenge
2013 Mythology Challenge
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (278 pages)

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon January 21 - 27 Finished

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

I reached my goal for this week which was to finish the book I was reading and at least another 4 books.
 
Just like last year I enjoyed taking part in this read-a-thon and I am already looking forward to Spring into Horror Read-a-Thon in April.

What I read this week:

1. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon (I finished the last 59%)
2. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles
3. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
4. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
5. My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann

A SECRET SOCIETY, HOT HEROES, AND VAMPIRES come together where chance intersects romance for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure proving that true love can find you in the strangest places, even far, far from home.
Minutes ahead of inevitable assassination, Elora Laiken is forcibly transported to an alternate dimension similar, but not identical, to her own. She is stranded. Alone. Far from home. A stranger in a "strangish" land. Of course a girl could suffer worse problems than having gorgeous suitors. Perhaps more importantly, in the midst of an epidemic of vampire related abductions, can she stay alive long enough to choose between an honor debt, true love, or the breathlessness of single-minded passion?
My Familiar Stranger is a full length, stand-alone, Paranormal/Fantasy Romance novel that also sets up the foundation for the Black Swan series. It is loved by fans of paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and urban fantasy. From Goodreads.

This book starts extremely slow but it picks up after some chapters. It is an interesting story with Elora coming from an alternate dimension landing in the middle of a group that hunt vampires. Then she has to chose her true love from the three men(?) who love her. There is a bit more erotic content than I usually like in the romance books I read. I might read the next book in the series as it is free and I would like to see what happens to the characters.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (328 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 8th of January 2013)
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (vampire)
2013 1st In A Series Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

The first and only novel by Sylvia Plath, originally published in 1963.
When Esther Greenwood wins an internship on a New York fashion magazine in 1953, she is elated, believing she will finally realise her dream to become a writer. Instead she finds herself spiralling into depression and eventually a suicide attempt, as she grapples with difficult relationships and a society which refuses to take women’s aspirations seriously. From Goodreads.

Just after reading this book, I gave it 3 Polar Bears. Now after a few days I have decided to give it 4. It is a very well written book but it was not an enjoyable read because of the subject. Also the knowledge that Sylvia Plath actually did commit suicide made it an uncomfortable read. I will probably not read more by Sylvia Plath as she mostly wrote poetry and I don't read that.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (213 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (nr. 94 on the List)
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Classics)
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (213 pages)

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Choose:
A quick death
Or slow poison...
Yelena has a choice – be executed for murder, or become food taster to the Commander of Ixia. She leaps at the chance for survival, but her relief may be short-lived.
Life in the palace is full of hazards and secrets. Wily and smart, Yelena must learn to identify poisons before they kill her, recognise whom she can trust and how to spy on those she can’t. And who is the mysterious Southern sorceress who can reach into her head?
When Yelena realises she has extraordinary powers of her own, she faces a whole new problem, for using magic in Ixia is punishable by death... From Goodreads.





I have had this book in my TBR pile since March 2012. I finally got around to reading it and I was not disappointed. There is a lot of action and also questions about who to trust. I am looking forward to the next two books in this series. Maria V. Snyder is one of my favourite authors at the moment.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (409 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
2013 1st In A Series Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge
2013 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge (nr. 82 on the List)
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Paranormal)

Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles

The sorceress Lusiradrol, exiled to human form thousands of years earlier from her life as the terrible black dragon, has awakened her Red Clan. The true dragons are ready to renew their ancient wars to save the world, but they cannot do it alone. Unfortunately, the magi and the two races of men are far from ready to face the darkness unleashed by Lusiradrol.
The white dragon was made to banish her, one who could unite all beings of Light, but his return is not as any foresaw. Through a woman who guards his power and his spirit, he will be reborn. But will he be too late to save the world? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book. It is a typically good (light) versus evil (dark) fantasy book. I am glad I didn't find it till all the books were published as there are a lot of different characters in it and if I want to continue this series I shouldn't wait too long to do so. Each chapter is about a character and I sometimes had to stop at the beginning of a chapter and think back to recollect the character.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (321 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 18th of January 2013)
2013 Women Challenge
2013 1st In A Series Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon

Pru Marlowe isn't your ordinary animal psychic. A tough girl on the run from her own gift, Pru left the big city to return to her picturesque Berkshires hometown looking for a little peace. Too bad that her training as an animal behaviorist got her mixed up with Lily-a rescue dog-and Charles-Lily's person. Now Charles is dead, and Lily looks good for it. After all, Lily is a pitbull, a fighting ring dropout, and way too traumatized to give Pru a clear picture of what she has witnessed. But Pru knows something about bad girls trying to clean up, and, with a sense of justice strong enough to overcome her dislike of human society, she takes the case. Listening to the animals, Pru picks up clues-and learns there are secrets in the pretty little town that make murder look simple. Unable to tell anybody about her psychic abilities, uncertain at times about her own sanity, Pru comes to realize that if she clears Lily, she'll likely become the prime suspect-or the next victim. While the only creature she can totally trust is her crotchety tabby Wallis, Pru's got to uncover the real killer-and find a way to live with her gift-before the real beasts in the town savage her and those she has come to love. The first in the Pru Marlowe "pet noir" series. From Goodreads.

I liked this book. It was a bit long-winded and that was what brought the book down, but it was still okay.  I liked the animal telepathic thing and the best about the mystery was that the end was a complete surprise. I might read more of this series if I need a cosy mystery.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (247 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Mystery)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.com 26th of December 2012)
2013 Women Challenge
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (247 pages)
2013 1st In A Series Challenge

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon January 21 - 27 Start

A Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict

It will start at 12:00am Monday and end at 11:59pm on Sunday.  Times are central standard time so adjust your times accordingly.  Of course, like most read-a-thons, the books read must be novels or novellas, adult or young adult are fine, and you can read children's books too (as long as you do read some novels too).   Note:  Non-Fiction is also okay! You DO NOT have to participate the entire week.  Join in when you can, start in the middle, end early...whatever works best for your schedule.  As long as you sign in at the sign-in post and do some kind of wrap up post, you're in for the big giveaway at the end.  As with my previous read-a-thons, it will be a week of relaxed reading during which we can personally challenge ourselves and whittle away those ever looming TBR piles/shelves/libraries.  I hope you will join me!

I am pleased to take part in this Read-a-Thon again.

My goal for this week is to finish my current book and at least another 4 books.

My list of books ( though they might change)

1. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon (I have read 41%)
2. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles
3. The Foretelling by Jessica M. Acosta
4. Wait For Me by Elisabeth Naughton
5. The Butter Spirit's Tithe by Charles de Lint 
6. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 
8. Alone by Robert J. Crane

The Dog Stars by Peter Heller

Hig, bereaved and traumatised after global disaster, has three things to live for - his dog Jasper, his aggressive but helpful neighbour, and his Cessna aeroplane. He's just about surviving, so long as he only takes his beloved plane for short journeys, and saves his remaining fuel.
But, just once, he picks up a message from another pilot, and eventually the temptation to find out who else is still alive becomes irresistible. So he takes his plane over the horizon, knowing that he won't have enough fuel to get back. What follows is scarier and more life-affirming than he could have imagined. And his story, THE DOG STARS, is a book unlike any you have ever read. From Goodreads.

This Post Apocalyptic book is set after end of the world. There are few survivors. One must kill or be killed. However, it isn't actually as bad as I might have expected but then we don't see a lot of different areas. There is hope!

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (336 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Post Apocalyptic)
Dystopia Reading Challenge 2013

The Scourge by A.G. Henley

Seventeen-year-old Groundling, Fennel, is Sightless. She's never been able to see her lush forest home, but she knows its secrets. She knows how the shadows shift when she passes under a canopy of trees. She knows how to hide in the cool, damp caves when the Scourge comes. She knows how devious and arrogant the Groundlings' tree-dwelling neighbors, the Lofties, can be.
And she's always known this day would come—the day she faces the Scourge alone.
The Sightless, like Fenn, are mysteriously protected from the Scourge, the gruesome creatures roaming the forests, reeking of festering flesh and consuming anything—and anyone—living. A Sightless Groundling must brave the Scourge and bring fresh water to the people of the forest. Today, that task becomes Fenn's.
Fenn will have a Lofty Keeper, Peree, as her companion. Everyone knows the Lofties wouldn’t hesitate to shoot an arrow through the back of an unsuspecting Groundling like Fenn, but Peree seems different. A boy with warm, rough hands who smells like summer, he is surprisingly kind and thoughtful. Although Fenn knows his people are treacherous, she finds herself wanting to trust him.
As their forest community teeters on the brink of war, Fenn and Peree must learn to work together to survive the Scourge and ensure their people’s survival. But when Fenn uncovers a secret that shatters her truths, she’s forced to decide who and what to protect—her people, her growing love for Peree, or the elusive dream of lasting peace in the forest. From Goodreads.

I read this book in one sitting, I think that says it all. It was interesting from start to finish and I am looking forward to the next book that should be published at some point in 2013.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (242 pages)
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Young Adult)
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
Dystopia Reading Challenge 2013
Quick fix Challenge 2013
2013 1st In A Series Challenge

De Novo Syndrome by Jim Buckner, David Mark Brown

He'll do anything to get her back, including evolve.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
"The rabid, frothy pacing gripped me like the iron jaws of a junkyard dog and left me crying out for a literary tetanus shot! More please."
When Jim Buckner's daughter is kidnapped, his obsession shifts from discovering the lost genetic sequence for awakening human immortality to discovering who took her and how to get her back.
The journey reveals a hibernating side-effect of his research, telekinesis. At the heart of a secret war raging for over a century, Buckner discovers how far he'll go to get his daughter back--as far as it takes.
A father-daughter story written as paranoid thriller, De Novo Syndrome centers on a father learning to dedicate his heart, rather than his work, to his daughter. The fact his life's work has been to save his daughter's life, complicates the matter. From Goodreads.


This book was okay. It took a bit of time to get used to the way it is written and who is who. It did improve with quite good action a bit into the story which is why it made it up to 3 Polarbears. I am glad I didn't pay for it.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (219 pages)
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 12th of January 2013)
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (219 pages)

To Have and To Code by Debora Geary

Nell Sullivan is fiery, easily distracted by cookies, and doomed to wear the peach monstrosity at her best friend’s wedding.
And she’s a witch.
Daniel Walker is a former baseball player turned bored hacker looking for a challenge. Hacking Nell's online gaming world is going to get him a lot more than he bargained for.
A prophecy says they will make babies together – but when it comes to the love life of a modern witch and a hacker, prophecy might not get a vote. From Goodreads

I have read four of the six books in this series. This book actually comes before the other four. In a way I would have liked to have read this before the others as it is the start of everything. On the other hand it was quite fun to read knowing the future. I will most likely read the fifth book in the series soon and then I will have to wait for the last to be published. While waiting I can always hope that Debora Geary decides to write more books in this series. Meanwhile I will try out her WitchLight Trilogy which is a spin-off this series.

This book qualifies for:
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2013 
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013(364 pages)
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
Serious Readers 2013

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

In Wild Swans Jung Chang recounts the evocative, unsettling, and insistently gripping story of how three generations of women in her family fared in the political maelstrom of China during the 20th century. Chang's grandmother was a warlord's concubine. Her gently raised mother struggled with hardships in the early days of Mao's revolution and rose, like her husband, to a prominent position in the Communist Party before being denounced during the Cultural Revolution. Chang herself marched, worked, and breathed for Mao until doubt crept in over the excesses of his policies and purges. Born just a few decades apart, their lives overlap with the end of the warlords' regime and overthrow of the Japanese occupation, violent struggles between the Kuomintang and the Communists to carve up China, and, most poignant for the author, the vicious cycle of purges orchestrated by Chairman Mao that discredited and crushed millions of people, including her parents. From Goodreads.


This is a hard book to read as it is quite depressing. Jung Chang is telling the story of  the life of her grandmother, her mother and herself from 1909 to 1977 in a ever changing China. It seems a lot of changes happened all the time and even under Mao's regime people could be privileged one day and  beaten, tortured and shunned the next. Both her grandmother and mother were very strong and courageous women and there were probably a lot like them. This is still the story from a somewhat privileged point of view and we get glimpses of how much worse life is like for the peasants and farmers.
A very personal and strong book.

This book qualifies for:
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Women Challenge
TEA & BOOKS Reading Challenge 2013 (660 pages)
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013 
2013 Mammoth Book Challenge (660 pages)
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (Non Fiction)
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (660 pages)
Serious Readers 2013

The Sagan Diary by John Scalzi

Fans of John Scalzi's "Old Man" universe, prepare yourselves: there's a long new story in that universe, told from the point of view of one of the series' most intriguing characters. Subterranean Press is proud to publish The Sagan Diary, a long novelette that for the first time looks at the worlds of the Hugo-nominated Old Man's War and its sequel The Ghost Brigades from the point of view of Lieutenant Jane Sagan, who in a series of diary entries gives her views on some of the events included in the series... and sheds new light into some previously unexplored corners. If you thought you knew Jane Sagan before, prepare to be surprised. From Goodreads

This is as the title says Jane Sagan's diary. It must be the most boring part of her diary. It is only 100 pages long but I had to pull myself together to read it. I liked the chapter where she describes how she, at his request, kills her friend Cainen. He is an alien but became her friend and this chapter is a direct follow on from a conversation in The Ghost Brigades. I am still looking forward to read The Last Colony.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (100 pages)
Quick fix Challenge 2013
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013

A Nomadic Witch by Debora Geary

Spring brings a traveler to Nova Scotia - a tiny babe who will turn Marcus's life upside down and reincarnate the horrifying events of his past.
Can Marcus find his way through the pain to love and healing? And can the witching community finally learn to keep their astral travelers safe? From Goodreads

There is no doubt I really like this series of witch books by Debora Geary. I liked that this book was about Marcus and his relationship with children and especially the new arrival that is put in his care. It is also about Marcus finally coming to terms with the loss of his twin brother at the age of 5. The only problem was the amount of people in the book, I usually have no problem with a lot of characters but it took me some time to remember who was who. I will be buying the latest book soon.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
A-Z  Book Challenge 2013
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (263 pages)
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (263 pages)
2013 Women Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (magic)
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2013
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013

Sterling by Dannika Dark

Zoë Merrick lived a less than ordinary life, until late one night, she was brutally attacked and left for dead.
A man named Adam spotted her running down the road covered in blood, and took her under his wing. Zoë didn't just survive that night - she underwent a physical transformation and acquired strange new abilities. Severed from her old life, her frustration grows as she tries to comprehend what's happening to her.
Serendipity leads her to Justus. He's handsome, arrogant, and not entirely human. Zoë learns the truth about what she is, and just how dangerous their world is for a young Mage. The only way she will understand her power is by putting her trust in this man, and accepting the protection he offers.
When her immortal freedom is threatened by the one man who has a right to claim her, Zoë learns the price of freedom...and the value of loyalty. From Goodreads

This was an interesting story and a new paranormal world. Okay, so the heroine does some stupid things but she has trouble getting to terms with having been killed but not having died. I am looking forward to see what is going to happen in the next book. I already have it.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
Tower Teams Read 2013
A-Z  Book Challenge 2013
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge  (Urban Fantasy)
Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013 (263 pages)
Quick fix Challenge 2013 (263 pages)
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (magic)
2013 1st In A Series Challenge 
2013 Women Challenge

Serious Readers 2013

2013 Mammoth Book Challenge Sign up

2013 Mammoth Book Challenge hosted by Darlene's Book Nook.

Here are the challenge details:
1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
2. You can join the challenge at any time. All books read in 2013 count for the challenge, regardless of when you sign up.
3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.
4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.
5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks as long as they meet the guidelines of Point #6 below!
6. Important Information About E-books and Audiobooks: If you are using an e-book or audiobook for the challenge, the bound format equivalent must be a minimum of 450 pages. Only unabridged audiobooks will count!
7. Both adult and children's literature are allowed: As long as it meets the minimum page count of 450 pages.
8. About large-print books: Same rules apply as noted in Point #6. As long as the regular-bound format equivalent is a minimum of 450 pages, this format will count.
9. No anthologies, short story collections, or poetry: Just novels.
10. There are four levels for the challenge:
a. Walrus: Read 3 mammoth-sized books.
b. Hippopotamus: Read 6 mammoth-sized books.
c. White Rhinoceros: Read 9 mammoth-sized books.
d. African Elephant: Read 12 or more mammoth-sized books.
11. When you write your sign-up post, you must choose your level. You can go up, but you cannot go down!
12. There will be a link-up for your reviews, which will be posted on THIS page.
13. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the year.
14. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.
15. Grab the challenge button and post it in your sidebar.

I have joined another challenge where I have to read books of 650 pages or more but I think this is better for me as a lot of my book are going to be more than 450 pages.
Update 31st of March: This challenge is not going as well as I hoped. I have only read two books with more than 450 pages. 6 of my other books have been over 400 pages but unfortunately not 450.

My goal for this challenge is: d. African Elephant: Read 12 or more mammoth-sized books.

My Posts are HERE

List of books:

1.  Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (660 pages)
2.  The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (765 pages)
3. The Hunt by Joseph Williams (459 pages)
4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (607 pages)
5. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb (834 pages)
6. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (466 pages)
7. Watership Down by Richard Adams (470 pages)
8. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice (493 pages)
9. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice  (464 pages)
10. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (1058 pages)
11. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (557 pages)
12. Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley (513 pages)
13. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett (484 pages) 
14. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan (513 pages) 
15. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan 

2013 1st In A Series Challenge Sign up

2013 1st In A Series Challenge hosted by Darlene's Book Nook.

Here are the challenge details:
1. This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.

2. You can join the challenge at any time. All books read during the challenge period count for the challenge, regardless of when you sign up.

3. This challenge can cross-over to your other reading challenges.

4. You do not need a blog to participate! If you are not a blogger, you can post your reviews at Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing and link them up here.

5. All formats of books are acceptable: Bound copies, e-books, and audiobooks (unabridged only). 

6. There are four levels for the challenge:

a. Series Novice: Read 5 books that are first in a series.
b. Series Lover: Read 10 books that are first in a series.
c. Series Expert: Read 20 books that are first in a series.
d. Series Fanatic: Read 30 books that are first in a series.

7. When you write your sign-up post, you must choose your level. You can go up, but you cannot go down!

8. There will be a link-up for your reviews, which will be posted on THIS page.

9. There will be a link for your wrap-up post at the end of the challenge, which will be posted on THIS page. 

10. Create a sign-up post and link back to this post. Sign up with Mister Linky below! Be sure to use the direct url to your sign-up post and not the url to your blog.

11. Grab the challenge button and post it in your sidebar.

I looked for this challenge last year and couldn't find it so I am pleased to find it this year.

My goal for this challenge will be  b. Series Lover: Read 10 books that are first in a series.
Update: As I am obviously reading a lot of 1st in a series I have decided to go up a level to C. Series Expert: Read 20 books that are first in a series.
Update 30th of April: I am  going up another level to d. Series Fanatic: Read 30 books that are first in a series.
Update 30th of June: After 6 months I have read 33 books that were 1st in a series. I finished this challenge on the 8th of June.

My Posts are HERE

List of books: 

1. Moon dance by J.R. Rain
2. Sterling by Dannika Dark
3. The Scourge by A.G. Henley    
4. Dogs Don't Lie by Clea Simon 
5. Legend of the White Dragon: Legends by Melanie Nilles 
6. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
7. My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann
8. Shadowmagic by John Lenahan 
9. Deadly Legacy by Alison Bruce
10. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stace
11. Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder 
12. Become by Ali Cross
13. Winging It! by Shel Delisle
14. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
15. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
16. Witches on Parole by Debora Geary 
17. Stained by Ella James 
18. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
19. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper 
20. Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse
21. Amy's Story by D'Elen McClain
22. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
23. Marked by Kim Richardson
24. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
25. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice 
26. The Light Within Me by Carly Fall 
27. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub 
28. Zombacter: Center City Contagion by Sean Bingham 
29. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch 
30. Alone by Robert J. Crane 
31. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen by Norah Wilson  
32. The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay
33. Amethyst by Heather Bowhay

Level 1 of the Serious Readers Challenge for 2013 Start

Level 1 of the Serious Readers Challenge for 2013.

This challenge is for serious readers. If you can commit to read at least a hundred books, well, we'll let you play. The challenge will consist of many levels, each level will consist of 100 books. So once you complete your first hundred, you may advance to the next level - Level 2. Just create your list of books (at this level label them 1 through 100) and mark them off with a strike through them as you finish. If you find you can't finish one of the books on your list for any reason, you may replace it with another. Also, if you just want to decide what you read as you go you can do that as well. Since this challenge is for the year 2013 any books you've read this year may be included so we may have quite a few levels being utilized at one time once I get this challenge up. If you get done with one level, but I haven't created the next just let me know and I'll add the next level to our challenge. This is a free choice challenge. Read whatever you want. Hopefully, all is clear. Happy reading.

My goal for this year is to read at least 130 books. In this challenge level 1 is 100 books so I am sure I can do that 

I have finished this 1st part of the challenge June 29th and have moved on to level 2. the rules are still the same so I will keep going on this page.

THIS is bookshelf on Goodreads for this challenge. And THIS is the list for the level 1.
Level 2 list of books is HERE.

My posts are 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. Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong
78. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
79. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
80. Sharpe's Prey by Bernard Cornwell
81. Merrick by Anne Rice
82. Guards! Guards!: by Terry Pratchett
83. The Light Within Me by Carly Fall
84. All Summer Long by Susan Mallery
85. Athena the Brain by Joan Holub 
86. Zombacter: Center City Contagion by Sean Bingham  
87. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch  
88. Waking Up Married by Mira Lyn Kelly  
89. Persephone the Phony by Joan Holub 
90. Alone by Robert J. Crane
91. Chocolate Shoes And Wedding Blues by Trisha Ashley
92. Alice in Zombieland by Nickolas Cook
93. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
94. The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
95. The Case of the Flashing Fashion Queen by Norah Wilson
96. Origins by Kristen Middleton
97. Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
98. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 
99. Her Own Devices by Shelley Adina 
100. The Long Midnight Of Barney Thomson by Douglas Lindsay
101. Amethyst by Heather Bowhay
102. A Lost Witch by Debora Geary
103. To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory
104. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
105. Moon Child by J.R. Rain
106. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
107. Daughter of Dragons by Kathleen H. Nelson 
108. A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
109. Witch Way Bends by Olivia Hardin 
110. Cursed by Casey Odell
111. Frey by Melissa Wright 
112. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson
113. Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs
114. Magnificent Devices by Shelley Adina
115. Drowning Mermaids by Nadia Scrieva 
116. Eternal Vows by Chrissy Peebles 
117. Between the Land and the Sea by Derrolyn Anderson 
118. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by Deborah Moggach
119. The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa 
120. Fins by Ashley L. Knight 
121. I Bring the Fire: Part I Wolves by C. Gockel
122. Life of Pi by Yann Martel 
123. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
124. Dorothy: The Darker Side of Oz by Scott Stanford
125. Watership Down by Richard Adams 
126. Fathom by Ashley L. Knight
127. Everblue by Brenda Pandos
128. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
129. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
130. One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
131. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
132. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
133. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
134. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin
135. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
136. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
137. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
138. Æsel by Kristna Stoltz
139. Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn 
140. Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection by Charles de Lint
141. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey  
142. The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson 
143. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 
144. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn
145. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
146. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan 
147. DRT by Eric Thomas
148. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory 
149. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice 
150. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan 
151. To Love a Witch by Debora Geary 
152. An Imperfect Witch by Debora Geary 
153. WitchLove by Emma Mills
154. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller 
155. When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne 
156. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
157. How (Not) to Kiss a Toad by Elizabeth A. Reeves
158. XBestia by Melissa Conway
159. Good Husband Material by Trisha Ashley
160. Matchmakers 2.0 by Debora Geary 
161. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett 
162. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi 
163. Wyrd Girl by Jon Jacks
164. How (Not) to Kiss a Prince by Elizabeth A. Reeves
165. How (Not) to Kiss a Beast by Elizabeth A. Reeves
166. How (Not) to Kiss a Ghost by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
167. Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades by Rick Riordan / Groovy Greeks by Terry Deary, Martin Brown
168. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan 
169. UnStrung by Neal Shusterman
170. The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan  
171. How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves
172. Vampires: The Recent Undead by Paula Guran (Editor)
173. Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista
174. The Moon Of Gomrath by Alan Garner
175. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
176. Elidor by Alan Garner
177. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
178. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 
179. Burning Chrome by William Gibson 
180. Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton
181. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
182. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia
183. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King 
184. Ønskebarnet by Eddie Thomas Petersen 
185. Buried Child by Sam Shepard 
186. Åndeløs by Cliff McNish 
187. Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer
188. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
189. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews
190. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre
191. Red Shift by Alan Garner
192. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley  
193. Tethers by Jack Croxall 
194. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan
195. The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
196. Gears of Wonderland by Jason G. Anderson
197. All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
198. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
199. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
200. A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James
201. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton