September 2013 Update

I have read 17 books in September. I had a goal of 15 for the September challenge in Tower Teams2.
All in all I read 4922 pages.

My list of books:

1. The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice
2. The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
3. One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones
4. The Owl Service by Alan Garner
5. Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin
6. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
7. Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin
8. Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
9. Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
10. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
11. Æsel by Kristna Stoltz
12. Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn 
13. Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection by Charles de Lint
14. Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey  
15. The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson 
16. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 
17. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

All September posts are HERE.

September 2013 Takeover Challenge Finished

September 2013 Takeover Challenge hosted by Lisa Kay on Nothing but Reading Challenges.

My goal was to do the level: Greeting the Sunrise: read 8-10 books of a total of 10.
I read all 10. 
Detailed explanation of each category can be found in my start post.

• Latest Kick...Wrapped Up in Mysteries:The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
• Blue:  The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner
• “V” is for...:Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler
• This Kitchen is Green Powered: The Owl Service by Alan Garner
• Love That Dress!: Dollhouse by Anya Allyn
• Animals: Æsel by Kristina Stoltz
• Beach, Mountains, Desert: Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
• Do You Know Jack?: Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn
• Challenge Book: Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
• One More Time: The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Dollhouse by Anya Allyn

For fifteen year old Cassie Claiborne, there's only one good thing about moving from steamy Miami to the wild inland forests of Australia--the even wilder Ethan McAllister. But Ethan already has a girlfriend--Aisha Damaj--the girl with a hundred different moods a minute.
When Aisha goes missing on a hiking trip in the local mountains--presumed dead--the whole town points a finger at Ethan. Cassie defends Ethan fiercely. She's just about the only friend he has left.
Is Cassie letting her feelings for Ethan cloud her judgment? Or does something dark lurk out there in the forests? From Goodreads

This was quite scary and didn't give too much away along the way. The worst part of it is that I just didn't realise that this was number one in a series, I totally missed the part where it says (Dollhouse #1) right after the title. I have to buy the next book now as it will be perfect for a Halloween read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (ghost)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 9th of September 2013)
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
FrightFall RaT 2013

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Freshman orientation is about mastering new things, but this is ridiculous. Percy didn't expect that in his first week at school, he would have to face a squad of demon cheerleaders. And the dangers are far more than scholastic: Kronos's armies are threatening even the relative safety of Camp Half-Blood. The fourth installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians deals out action, surprises, suspense, and gripping characters. From Goodreads

I am enjoying this series based on Greek mythology, in a modern day setting. I will keep reading this series. I also liked how we in the last book were introduced to a mortal character very shortly and in this book she is very important.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge

The Dragon Reborn by Kathleen H. Nelson

In the five years since the downfall of Malcolm Blackheart and his dark Mistress, Lathwi has led a life free of human complications. Now two old acquaintances intrude on her solitude. Pawl has come in search of help against an infestation of ghosts, while Luke bears dire news of dragonslayings. Lathwi recruits her mother, Taziem, to hunt down and destroy the murderers, and then sets out with Pawl to restore the dead to their rest. Their adventures draw them into the badlands of the south, where they encounter an ambitious warlord, his troubled mage, and a deranged dragonsire. The balance of continental power hinges on the final confrontation. Will humans dominate? Or will dragons? From Goodreads.

This was a very good continuation of Daughter of Dragons. Two of the main dragons have the ability to shapeshift to human form as they are also sorceresses but it is not a common ability. Not all the good guys survive and I actually like that in a book. Do you like dragons and fantasy? Then read Daughter of Dragons and this book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (dragon)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

With language as colorful as a Canyonlands sunset and a perspective as pointed as a prickly pear, Cactus Ed captures the heat, mystery, and surprising bounty of desert life. Desert Solitaire is a meditation on the stark landscapes of the red-rock West, a passionate vote for wilderness, and a howling lament for the commercialization of the American outback. From Goodreads.

This was not a book for me. I was bored, basically I fell asleep every time I tried to read this book in the evening and when I like a book I can read far into the night. I felt he was just waffling and filled several pages with names of flowers and mountains.
If you want an interesting desert book do not read this book, read something by Michael Asher instead.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge

Dreams Underfoot: The Newford Collection by Charles de Lint

Publisher's Summary: Welcome to Newford: to the music clubs, the waterfront, and the alleyways where ancient myths and magic spill into the modern world. Gemmins live in abandoned cars and skells traverse the tunnels below, while mermaids swim in the gray harbor waters and fill the cold night with their song.
Come meet Jilly, painting wonders in the rough city streets; and Geordie, playing fiddle while he dreams of a ghost; and the Angel of Grasso Street gathering the fey and the wild and the poor and the lost. Dreams Underfoot is a must-read book not only for fans of urban fantasy but for all who seek magic in everyday life. From Goodreads.

This is the best audible I have heard to date, Kate Reading did a good job. I have read Charles de Lint before and really like his urban fantasy. The magic is right here with us if we would just see it.
I enjoyed the different stories and the way they were part of one story. We meet people in one story and learn more about them in another. I am looking forward to read / listen to more books from Newford.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
2013 Audio Book Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (various)

Necrophobia by Jack Hamlyn

An ordinary summer's day. The grass is green, the flowers are blooming. All is right with the world. Then the dead start rising. From cemetery and mortuary, funeral home and morgue, they flood into the streets until every town and city is infested with walking corpses, blank-eyed eating machines that exist to take down the living. The world is a graveyard. And when you have a family to protect, it's more than survival. It's war. From Goodreads.

I liked this book about zombies. As there are more books in this series the question about why the dead are rising is not quite answered only hinted at. I hope the next books are as good.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
2013 Ebook Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge

Æsel by Kristina Stoltz

To teenagebrødre, Nadeem og Farid, er på flugt fra Afghanistan, hvor Talebans militser spreder død og ødelæggelse. Med sig har de erindringer om et hærget land, en forfulgt familie og en tabt barndom.
Brødrenes omtumlede rejse fører dem over iran til Turkmenistan, Rusland, Belarus, Polen, Tyskland og videre til Sverige og Danmark. Undervejs møder de andre flygtninge, hvis historier sætter spor i de to drenges sind. Vi hører blandt andet om den pashtunske general, der forelsker sig i den fattige smeds datter, sufisheiken, som kaster sin kærlighed på en evnesvag pige, og apotekeren, der flygter ud af Kina med sit ufødte barns foster i et glas med formaldehyd. 
Da brødrene ved et uheld skilles, bliver kampen for overlevelse ikke kun et spørgsmål om mad og sikkerhed, men også en kamp for at finde hinanden igen og for at finde sig selv i det fremmede. From the back of the book.




This book was about two brothers who flee from Afghanistan to Sweden. I liked it but felt the book had too many stories in it. A lot of the book is very detailed, describing the people they meet on the way.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge (28)
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide. From Goodreads.

This was interesting and I liked the idea of a person changing into a dragon but most of this book was about trying to fit in as a teenager in a new school. I might read the next books. 

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (dragon

FrightFall Read-a-Thon 2013 Sign Up

FrightFall Read-a-Thon 2013 hosted by Michelle @ The True Book Addict.

FrightFall Read-a-Thon! A week long fest of scary reading (well, at least one scary book anyway).  All you have to do to participate is read at least one horror/scary book.  For the faint-hearted among you, it can be a spooky mystery, a scary thriller, or something classically gothic.  Children's books are also allowed. It's not so much about the quantity of our reading, but the quality, right? But...if this read-a-thon helps you to mark a bunch of books off your TBR pile, so be it!

My goal for this week will be 3 or 4 books from the list below. 3 books if this includes The Witching Hour by Anne Rice.

My list of books which as usual might change.

1. Dollhouse by Anya Allyn 
2. The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice 
3. Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett
4. The Bridge by Allan Krummenacker 
5. Inheritance by Joe McKinney 
6. Witchlove by Emma Mills
7. My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
8. The Trouble With Spells by Lacey Weatherford
9. The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
   

Vegan, Virgin, Valentine by Carolyn Mackler

Mara Valentine is in control. She's a straight-A senior, a vegan, and her parents' pride and joy. She's neck-and-neck with her womanizing ex-boyfriend for number-one class ranking and plans to kick his salutatorian butt on her way out the door to Yale. Mara has her remaining months in Brockport all planned out, but the plan does not include having V, her slutty, pot-smoking, sixteen-year-old niece — yes, niece — come to live with her family. Nor does it involve lusting after her boss or dreaming about grilled cheese sandwiches every night. What does a control freak like Mara do when things start spinning wildly out of control? With insight, authenticity, and a healthy dose of humor, Carolyn Mackler creates an evolving Type A heroine that every reader will recognize — and root for. From Goodreads.

I liked this more than expected. It had a dysfunctional family and it had the humour I need in a chick-lit book. I might have a look at Carolyn Mackler's other books.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge (20)

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

It's the last Friday before the winter holidays but Percy Jackson isn't at school: he's battling the fearsome Manticore (half human, half lion), which in itself isn't ideal . . . but with Annabeth missing and the goddess of the hunt held captive, things get a whole lot more serious . . .Greek mythology relocated to modern-day America. Action-packed, funny, accessible writing for both boys and girls aged 10+. Perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. From Goodreads.

I do enjoy this series. It has Greek mythology and is a fun, easy read. I will definitely continue this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Mythology Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin

Gerry Hinton thought she had the perfect career as an operative for the Company. Her next assignment should have been another "mission accomplished", but hell was delivering hand baskets that day.
When a little girl gives a mysterious silver box to Gerry, her world self-destructs. Suddenly under constant mental attacks, the only person who can save her is her partner, Nicky--but nothing comes without a cost. Secrets buried deep in the past begin to rise, threatening everything she holds dear. From Goodreads.

The last book in the trilogy. It actually starts just after the sixth chapter of book one. In this book we follow Gerry, a witch with a secret (that I won't reveal). She is unconscious for a while but we still get a lot of her past in that time. This last book does a good job of binding the three books together and finishing the story. I think the author is going to write more books set in this world and I would like to read them.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge (27)
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (witch)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

When a dying millionaire hires Philip Marlowe to handle the blackmailer of one of his two troublesome daughters, Marlowe finds himself involved with more than extortion. Kidnapping, pornography, seduction, and murder are just a few of the complications he gets caught up in. From Goodreads.

I used to like mystery books, I read a lot of Agatha Christie and Ruth Rendell but I don't enjoy them as much any more. They are usually okay but I prefer fantasy and paranormal.
That said I didn't actually guess who did it and that, of course, is what I like in a mystery book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

Bitten Shame by Olivia Hardin

Jill Prescott returned from self-imposed seclusion to help save her best friend Devan’s life. Throwing herself into Devan’s problems and bringing an evil organization to its knees might just be the distraction she needs to keep living without the only man she’s ever loved. Her life changed forever when she was hired to spend a week with Doc Massey. On the day she became a vampire her youthful innocence ended, but Doc’s love rescued her from being consumed by the darkness. The shadow of that former life continues to loom over her, keeping her from realizing her own self-worth. Running from her past only brings her closer to a destiny that is inextricably connected to what she is trying to escape… Every gift has both a reward and a price, because All of it fits… From Goodreads.

This is the second book in the Bend-Bite-Shift Trilogy and I found it slightly better than the first. The story is still about Devan but it is from Jill's point of view and it also tells the story about how Jill got turned into a vampire.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
NBRC Stuck in a Rut
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (vampire/witch)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

The Owl Service by Alan Garner

Something is scratching around in the attic above Alison's room. Yet the only thing up there is a stack of grimy old plates. Alison and her stepbrother, Roger, discover that the flowery patterns on the plates, when traced onto paper, can be fitted together to create owls-owls that disappear when no one is watching. With each vanished owl, strange events begin to happen around Alison, Roger, and the caretaker's son, Gwyn. As the kids uncover the mystery of the owl service, they become trapped within a local legend, playing out roles in a tragic love story that has repeated itself for generations... a love story that has always ended in disaster. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this one, a love/friendship triangle that keeps repeating itself generation after generation. A warning though, it is fantasy but I also found it a bit weird.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge

One Glass Is Never Enough by Jane Wenham-Jones

Three women, one bar, and three different reasons for buying it. Single mother Sarah needs a home for her children, Claire's an ambitious business woman. For wealthy Gaynor, Greens Wine Bar is another amusement, or is it?
On the surface, Gaynor has it all - money, looks, a beautiful home in the picturesque seaside town of Broadstairs, and Victor - her generous, successful husband. But while Sarah longs for love and Claire is making money, Gaynor wants answers.
Why does Victor behave strangely and who does he see on his frequent trips away? Who makes threatening phone-calls? Sam - strong and silent with a hidden past - becomes an unlikely friend. But nobody is what they seem in this tale of love, loss and betrayal. From Goodreads





This was okay but no more than that. I don't read a lot of chick-lit but I also prefer a bit more humour in the book. This book was free and if I see other of her books for free I will most likely get them.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 15th of July 2013)

The Weirdstone Of Brisingamen by Alan Garner

Neither Susan nor her brother, Colin, ever thought that war would be waged over a simple gemstone in her bracelet. But that's what happens when the children visit Alderley Edge, a spooky place in a remote part of England. There, they meet the wizard Cadellin, who needs the stone to rouse his allies in the never-ending battle between good and evil. But when the stone vanishes, Susan and Colin must find it before the forces of evil use it to destroy all the goodness that ever existed in the world. From Goodreads.

I really enjoyed this fantasy book. My husband has wanted me to read it for a while and now it was published in Kindle we got it right away.
I have just visited The Wizard Inn and walked to Alderley Edge this summer which makes it an even better read as I can see the real forest and the edge in my mind as the children are exploring it. I am going to continue reading this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Once an aristocrat in the heady days of pre-revolutionary France, now Lestat is a rockstar in the demonic, shimmering 1980s. He rushes through the centuries in search of others like him, seeking answers to the mystery of his terrifying exsitence. His story, the second volume in Anne Rice's best-selling Vampire Chronicles, is mesmerizing, passionate, and thrilling. From Goodreads.

I think this is a re-read but it is quite a few years ago that I read it the first time. After Interview With The Vampire it is interesting to hear Lestat's side of the story. He is very different in this book than the way Louis described him in the previous book. My biggest problem with this book is that it sets an exciting scene for the next book The Queen of the Damned so I need to read that book soon.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (vampire)
Author Alphabet Reading Challenge
2013 Anne Rice Challenge
2013 Mammoth Book Challenge
September 2013 Takeover Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge