October 2014 Update

I have read a lot this month. As usual thanks to Dewey's Read-a-Thon and FrightFall Read-a-Thon. I have read 25 books which totals 6885 pages. It is also the time of the year where I try to finish of some of my yearly challenges.

List of books:

1. Color My Horse by Bev Pettersen 
2. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
3. Dracula by Bram Stoker 
4. How (Not) to Play With Magic by Elizabeth A. Reeves  
5. How (Not) to Love a Hero by Elizabeth A. Reeves  
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde   
7. Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
8. True of Blood by Bonnie Lamer
9. Quiet storm by Romanus Gabriel 
10. The Magician by Michael Scott
11. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
12. The Sorceress by Michael Scott 
13. Feathers by Debora Geary
14. The Witch with no Name by Kim Harrison 
15. First Kisses, Near Misses by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
16. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews 
17. Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye 
18. Blood Faerie by India Drummond
19. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
20. Unborn by Amber Lynn Natusch
21. The Necromancer by Michael Scott
22. Z 2134 by Sean Platt and David W. Wright
23. PARENTS WHO KILLED THEIR CHILDREN: FILICIDE by R.J. Parker
24. X. by Matt Thompson
25. Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition by Bruce Jones

Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014 - Finished

Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014 hosted by Book’d Out.

I have now finished this challenge. It has been fun and as usual some genres are easy and others are a bit harder as it is genres I don't usually read. But I managed and I might take part again next year if Shelleyrae hosts the challenge again.

All posts for this challenge is HERE.

List of books is at the bottom of this post.

In it’s third year, the aim of The Eclectic Reader 2014 Challenge is to push you outside your comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different categories.

Join in:

• The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2014. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2014

• Create a blog post committing to  your participation in this challenge.

*  If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing or a similar site Just include your name and a link to your shelf.

• Post your name, blog name, and the direct link to your challenge post in the Linky using the link below

Click here to enter your link to sign up for the challenge

• Select, read and review a book from each genre listed below during the year for a total of 12 books. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.

*  You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish.

*  Where a book is identified by more than one genre eg historical romance, it may only count for either the historical fiction or romantic fiction genres – not both.

*  You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just complete the challenge by December 31st 2014 to be eligible for the prize drawing.

Categories

1. Award Winning
2. True Crime (Non Fiction)
3. Romantic Comedy
4. Alternate History Fiction
5. Graphic Novel
6. Cosy Mystery Fiction
7. Gothic Fiction
8. War/Military Fiction
9. Anthology
10. Medical Thriller Fiction
11. Travel (Non Fiction)
12. Published in 2014

If you need some ideas for what to read in the above categories I suggest you search Listopia at Goodreads for example click here for a list that includes Alternate History titles

• Each time you read and review a book as part of this challenge, make sure you identify it by adding either a direct statement  and /or the challenge image badge to the post. If you tweet use the tag #eclecticreader or @bookdout
  

• Share your review with other challenge participants by posting your name/blog name and title of the book with a direct link to your review in the Linky.

List of books:

1. Award Winning: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
2. True Crime (Non Fiction): PARENTS WHO KILLED THEIR CHILDREN: FILICIDE by R.J. Parker
3. Romantic Comedy: Neanderthal Seeks Human: A Smart Romance by Penny Reid
4. Alternate History Fiction: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
5. Graphic Novel: Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition by Bruce Jones
6. Cosy Mystery Fiction: A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes
7. Gothic Fiction: Dracula by Bram Stoker
8. War/Military Fiction: Alien Stars by C.J. Cherryh, Joe Haldeman, Timothy Zahn
9. Anthology : Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris
10. Medical Thriller Fiction: Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs
11. Travel (Non Fiction): Hell of a Journey: On Foot Through the Scottish Highlands in Winter by Mike Cawthorne
12. Published in 2014: Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Star Wars: A New Hope - The Special Edition by Bruce Jones

When George Lucas made the first Star Wars motion picture, a scene was shot wherein Han Solo met Jabba the Hutt. But as any Star Wars fan knows, Jabba didn't appear until the third film, Return of the Jedi. Lucas had hit the technological wall -- he couldn't craft Jabba the way he wanted, so he simply removed the scene from his initial, ground-breaking movie. Two decades later he that footage -- with a young Harrison Ford portraying a brash Han Solo -- and added Jabba to it. The result is incredible. The hair will stand up on the back of your neck, and you'll feel twenty years younger as you experience that remarkable thrill all over again. That's the same feeling you'll have as you read this adaptation of Star Wars: A New Hope. Crafted completely from scratch by Bruce Jones, Eduardo Barreto, and longtime Star Wars artist Al Williamson, with a stunning cover by Greg and Tim Hildebrandt, this adaptation includes the new scenes from the Special Edition. Experience it again, for the very first time. From Goodreads.


This was okay but it is a well know story. I would most likely have enjoyed it more if I had read a paper copy. I have no problem reading books in e-book format but even though I read this on my iPad, it just didn't have the right graphic novel feel to it which means it took a bit longer for me to read than a graphic novel normally would.

Crazy Challenge Connection A-Z Book Titles 2014 - Finished

A-Z Titles 2014 hosted by Goodreads Crazy Challenge Connection.

Another challenge finished. I now finally managed to get Z and X books read. Unfortunately X. was pretty bad. I will most likely take part in this challenge again next year if possible.

A – Z BOOK TITLES
Timeframe:: 1/1/14 to 12/31/14

Once again this year, we’re challenging you to read at least one book whose title begins with each letter of the alphabet. Only the first word of the title counts, and A, An and The DO NOT count. If you have trouble finding titles beginning with Q, X and Z, you may use a title in which the letter appears – for example: The Red Queen for Q. However, we’re asking that you NOT use this option until the last two months of the challenge, or until you have completed all but these letters. Please TRY to find a title beginning with the appropriate letter!

CHALLENGE RULES:
* Books must be at least 150 pages long. Cross-challenge posting is encouraged :)
* For each book you read, please post a link to the book title, the author's name, and the date you finished reading it.
* We provide a link to each participant's initial post so you can find your post to update as often as you'd like. But when you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message so we can all give you a virtual pat on the back :) 

List of books:

✔ A: Aurora Sky by Nikki Jefford
✔ B: Brazen by Kelley Armstrong
✔ C: A Clockwork Christmas by J.K. Coi, P.G. Forte, Stacy Gail, Jenny Schwartz
✔ D: Deep Blue Secret by Christie Anderson
✔ E: Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
✔ F: A Fistful of Charms by Kim Harrison
✔ G: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison
✔ H: The Highlander's Hope by Cali MacKay
✔ I: The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill
✔ J: John Macnab by John Buchan
✔ K: The Keepers by Donna Augustine
✔ L: A Little Christmas Magic by Sylvie Kurtz
✔ M: Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews 
✔ N: Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
✔ O: One Sweet Moment by Maggie Craig
✔ P: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
✔ Q: Quiet storm by Romanus Gabriel
✔ R: The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
✔ S: Saltwater Witch by Chris Howard
✔ T: Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
✔ U: An Unlikely Witch by Debora Geary
✔ V: The Vintage Summer Wedding by Jenny Oliver
✔ W: What Stays in Vegas by Beth Labonte
✔ X: X. by Matt Thompson
✔ Y: Your Guardian Angel by Skyla Madi
✔ Z: Z 2134 by Sean Platt and David W. Wright

X. by Matt Thompson

Cale is a young man who struggles with an unusual addiction and eventually it makes him realize what really matters to him. This is his narrative. It is often unreliable and unpredictable. He is occasionally delusional, and always over thinks. Reality is grounded in the footnotes that accompany his thoughts. It takes more than it should for Cale to come back to that reality. From Goodreads.

I like reading free books and mostly they are okay. I needed a book with title starting with X for a challenge and chose this. This is the worst book I have read in 2014. Cale's unusual addiction is masturbation so of course this is mentioned quite often in the book though luckily not in any great detail. Cale doesn't really care about anybody but himself. It was also a problem that 15% of this book was footnotes and these were important footnotes as it was part of the story. That just doesn't work well in e-book.
Not a book for me and I will not be reading more from this author. 

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (X-xoni)

PARENTS WHO KILLED THEIR CHILDREN: FILICIDE by R.J. Parker

A clear-eyed view on the most heartbreaking of crimes
The killing of a child is always an aberration, we can never forget it because it takes such diligence to try to understand, rather than simply lock away the killer and brand him or her a monster. What really incites parents to kill their children? This book portrays ten filicidal killers, people's whose names--Andrea Yates, Diane Downs, Susan Smith, Jeffrey MacDonald--received a great deal of media attention. The author explores the reasons, from addiction to sociopathy, insanity to altruism.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY - "{A}valuable resource and reference book for Criminologists and Psychologists on the fraught subject of maternal filicide, supported with ten case studies." From Goodreads.






This was hard to read. Mothers and fathers killing their children for one reason or another. I read mostly fiction and this is so much more scary because it is true.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014 
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Play Jeopardy!

Z 2134 by Sean Platt and David W. Wright

z 2134 is a thrilling new zombie serial in the spirit of 1984, The Walking Dead, and The Hunger Games, from the writers of the post-apocalyptic smash hit serial, Yesterday’s Gone.
It is the year 2134 in a dystopian America, following a series of zombie plagues which infected and decimated much of the world’s population starting 100 years ago.
Those left, formed six walled Cities throughout the continent, all under the rule of a totalitarian government which enforces strict control over its populace.
You must obey your government.
You must be a good citizen.
You must be a productive citizen.
You must not break the law.
Or The City Watch will find you and arrest you.
Jonah Lovecraft, a former Watcher, was arrested for the murder of his wife. And like most criminals, he has one chance at freedom — to participate in The Darwin Games, a televised survival show which pits two players from each city against one another in The Barrens, the uninhabited areas outside the City Walls.
He’ll also have to face another enemy — the zombies which still roam The Barrens.
As he fights for his freedom against impossible odds, his daughter, Anastasia, stumbles into people who have information about her father — information which will change her life forever.
But it will also put her in the crosshairs of her father’s enemies. From Goodreads.

Yes, I chose this book because I needed a title Z. But luckily it was better than expected. There is of course an underground movement when a world is run like this and we meet a lot of them. But there is also a lot of spies. The government is bad but it is difficult to figure out if the characters are good or bad. This ends in a cliffhanger and I might continue the series at a later date even though I don't like the spy part.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (L-zorilla)

The Necromancer by Michael Scott

San Francisco:
Josh and Sophie Newman are finally home. And they're both more confused than ever about their future. Neither of them has mastered the magics they'll need to protect themselves, they've lost Scatty, and they're still being pursued by Dr. John Dee. Most disturbing of all, however, is that now they must ask themselves, can they trust Nicholas Flamel? Can they trust anyone?
Alcatraz:
Dr. Dee underestimated Perenelle Flamel's power. Alcatraz could not hold her, Nereus was no match for her, and she was able to align herself with the most unlikely of allies. But she wasn't the only one being held on the island. Behind the prison's bars and protective sigils were a menagerie of monsters, and now Machiavelli has come to Alcatraz to loose them on San Francisco.
Perenelle might be powerful, but each day she weakens, and even with Nicholas back at her side, a battle of this size could be too much for her. Nicholas and Perenelle must fight to protect the city, but the effort will probably kill them both.
London:
Having been unable to regain the two final pages of the Codex, Dee has failed his Elder and is now an outlaw.
But the Magician has a plan. With the Codex and the creatures on Alcatraz, he can control the world. All he needs is the help of the Archons. But for his plan to work, he must raise the Mother of the Gods from the dead. For that, he'll have to train a necromancer.  From Goodreads.

I like this series. I know we have to believe that the Flamels are the good guys but they make it quite hard in-between. I find Josh quite whiny but I guess he has to be that to do the things he does. I like his twin sister Sophie much more. I am looking forward to read the continuation.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (N-xoni)

The Challenge Factory - R4: Team Challenge SSS Finished

R4: Team Challenge SSS (SSS= Super Speedy Series) hosted by The Challenge Factory on Goodreads.

This challenge has now finished. I think my team came last, the roll of the dice just didn't like us. This does not mean we read less books than the other teams just that we didn't get very far along the snake. Our last books read was on spot 49 and at least two teams passed spot 75 the next round. This is fun though and I will take part again.

All posts for this challenge are HERE.
List of books at the end of this post.

This is a team challenge that will require two books a week. The object of the game is to roll the dice (there will be a link to the website to roll) and move along the board. The first team to pass the finish line wins the game.

Captains will roll the dice by clicking here on Sundays and Thursdays once their team has completed their reads. Please note captains when rolling you will have to change it to one die. You may not advance until all of the team's reviews are in. If a player or team falls behind the team has to wait until the next Sunday or Thursday to roll. That being said it's very important to finish and review your book on time. If a player fails to review on time more than twice they will no longer be on the team (excluding a prearranged absence)

How to pick a book:
If you land on single digit spot for example lets say you land on spot 5 then you have to read a book that's #5 in a series. For double digit numbers, for example you land on spot 48 you can read either a #4 or a #8 in a series. Stand alone books will count as a #1 or a #0. I don't expect anyone to read a series out of order and for people that don't really read series books that still want to play there will be an alternate option. There will be an alternate option for each spot.

Sign ups are open now through August 25th. Teams will be formed on August 26th and the game will begin on Sunday the 31st.

There will be a separate thread for captains to post their place on the board after rolling and a separate thread for captains to post a link to the teams completed reviews.

Teams will have a chance to earn 1 Free Pass to roll. To earn your free pass your team has to complete their reads a day before the next roll. Once your team has done this you will have 1 free pass. The free pass will allow a team to roll if they are missing a review(s) before the cutoff. The free pass may not be used for the win. Once you've used it, you can't earn another one. It's a one time shot.

Re-reads are allowed
Page limit is 150
When using an anthology you may use any of the numbers in the book except for the .5 since this means 1/2. But you must review each story in the anthology.
Series # will be based on how GR has it listed.
Any questions please feel free to ask!

List of books:

Week 1 (Sunday roll): roll 3 ➜ space 3: Devious Magic by Camilla Chafer (Stella Mayweather #3)
Week 1 (Thursday roll): roll 5 ➜ space 8:  Size 12 Is Not Fat by Meg Cabot (alternative: New York)
 
Week 2  (Sunday roll): roll 4 ➜ space 12: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (The Border Trilogy #1)
Week 2 (Thursday roll): roll 3 ➜ space 15:  The Secret History by Donna Tartt (stand alone)
 
Week 3 (Sunday roll): roll 2 ➜ space 17: Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein (stand alone)
Week 3 (Thursday roll): roll 3 ➜ space 20: Altered Soul by Karice Bolton (The Witch Avenue #2)
 
Week 4 (Sunday roll): roll 1 ➜ space 21: Cupcakes, Trinkets, and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge (Dowser #1)
Week 4 (Thursday roll): roll 1 ➜ space 22: Monsters by C. Gockel (I Bring the Fire #2)
 
Week 5 (Sunday roll): roll 5 ➜ space 27: Color My Horse by Bev Pettersen (alternative: Cover Item 2 People)
Week 5 (Thursday roll): roll 5 ➜ space 32: Dracula by Bram Stoker  (alternative: 3-star)
 
Week 6 (Sunday roll): roll 5 ➜ space 37: How (Not) to Love a Hero by Elizabeth A. Reeves  (Cindy Eller #7)
Week 6 (Thursday roll): roll 3 ➜ space 40: quiet storm by Romanus Gabriel (stand alone)

Week 7 (Sunday roll): roll 2 ➜ space 42: The Magician by Michael Scott (The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel #2)
Week 7 (Thursday roll): roll 1 ➜ space 43: The Sorceress by Michael Scott  (The Secrets of The 
Immortal Nicholas Flamel #3) 
 
Week 8 (Sunday roll): roll 4 ➜ space 47: Blood Faerie by India Drummond (alternative: Title B)
Week 8 (Thursday roll): roll 2 ➜ space 49: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams  (alternative: Author L)

Unborn by Amber Lynn Natusch

Born into mystery. Shackled to darkness....
Khara has spent centuries discovering everything about the Underworld―except her place in it. But when she is ripped from her home, solving the riddle of her origins becomes more important than ever. With evil stalking her through the dark alleys of Detroit, she finds salvation from an unlikely source: a group of immortal warriors sworn to protect the city. Khara needs their help to unravel the tangled secrets of who and what she is — secrets many seem willing to kill for. But time is running out, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer necessity binds her to an arrogant fallen angel.
Can their shaky alliance withstand that which threatens her, or will her soul fall victim to the unholy forces that hunt her―those that seek the Unborn? From Goodreads.





I needed a book by an author with N for last name. I found this on Kindle unlimited and liked that I could listen to it. This is full of mythology. Khara is, like the group of immortal warriors she meets, a child of Ares. She has lived all her life, which is centuries, half the year with Hades and half the year with Demeter. This book is about finding out who / what she is and how she deals with it. It was interesting enough that I will look out for the next book that has not yet been published.

This book qualifies for:
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (U-vulture)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014 Finished

Sub-Genre Challenge - 2014 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

I have now finished this challenge and it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, at the same time a lot of books actually fits into several sub-genres.
Of course I got my favourite sub-genres filled first and took a bit longer with the others

All post for this challenge are HERE.
List of books at the end of this post.

SUB-GENRE CHALLENGE
DURATION: June 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015

We all have our favorite genres, but have we really explored all the different sub-genres out there? Should you decide to accept our challenge, you’ll get a chance to do just that!

You get to choose your own books for this challenge, but within these parameters:
* You must read a minimum of 30 books over the course of the challenge.
*You will choose which genres and sub-genres you wish to read, but you must choose at least 3 DIFFERENT genres, and at least 4 SUB-GENRES for each of those genres.
* You may only read 1 BOOK per sub-genre, so you will need to choose a minimum of 30 sub-genres in order to complete the challenge.

How you distribute those sub-genres is up to you. You can choose 3 genres with 10 sub-genres each; you can choose 6 genres with 5 sub-genres each; you can choose 2 genres with 9 sub-genres each and 3 genres with 4 sub-genres each, or any other combination that adds up to 30 different sub-genres. Keep in mind that you need to read at least 4 sub-genres for each genre you choose.

There are lists all over the internet with genres and sub-genres, but they vary widely, so we’re going to leave this to your own judgment. If it’s a mystery book and you think it fits the hard-boiled sub-genre, then feel free to use it for that sub-genre.

CHALLENGE RULES:
♦ If you want to participate in this challenge, sign up by telling us which genres you’re going to read. If you know the sub-genres, you can post those too, or you can fill the in as you read. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.
♦ Books must be at least 150 pages long and may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged : )
♦ For each book you read, please indicate the title, the author and the date you finished reading it. Be sure to tell us the genre AND sub-genre for each book!
If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title or author, see the instructions here
♦ If you want the challenge moderator to verify those books as you post them, please copy/paste your update into a new message. If you do this while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your formatting, etc. too. We don’t have time to scroll back through the entire thread looking for "message #15," or to follow links back to an original post.
♦ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read :) If you don’t repost your list, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge. 

List of books:

Fantasy:
✔ Epic ➜ The Children of Húrin by J.R.R. Tolkien
✔ Dark ➜ Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence
✔. Mythical ➜ Monsters by C. Gockel
✔ Urban ➜ Skin Game by Jim Butcher
✔ Young Adult ➜ Prince of Hazel and Oak by John Lenahan
✔ Fairy Tale ➜ A Place Beyond The Map by Samuel Thews
✔ Paranormal ➜ Ever After by Kim Harrison
✔ Crime ➜ Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf

Paranormal:
✔ Angels ➜ Legions by Karice Bolton
✔ Demons ➜ The Witch with no Name by Kim Harrison
✔ Fairies ➜ Blood Faerie by India Drummond
✔ Mermaids ➜ Evergreen by Brenda Pandos
✔ Shapeshifters ➜ Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
✔ Vampires ➜ Your Guardian Angel by Skyla Madi
✔ Witches ➜ The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison

Young Adult:
✔ High School ➜ The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
✔ Fantasy ➜ The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
✔ Paranormal ➜ True of Blood by Bonnie Lamer
✔ Coming of Age ➜ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
✔ Religion ➜ The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Science Fiction:
✔ Aliens ➜ Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein 
✔ Cyberpunk ➜ Moxyland by Lauren Beukes
✔ Dystopia ➜ Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
✔ Steampunk ➜ Infernal Devices by K.W. Jeter

Romance:
✔ Contemporary ➜ The Way They Were by Mary Campisi
✔ Paranormal ➜ Drip Drop Teardrop by Samantha Young
✔ Chick Lit ➜ If the Shoe Fits by Laurie LeClair
✔ Humour ➜ Neanderthal Seeks Human: A Smart Romance by Penny Reid
✔ Suspense ➜ After the Storm by M. Stratton
✔  Western ➜ Texas Secrets: The Gallaghers of Morning Star by Jean Brashear

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated community without questioning the fact that her father has three wives and she has twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way. That is, without questioning them much---if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with Joshua, the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her.
But when the Prophet decrees that she must marry her sixty-year-old uncle---who already has six wives---Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family forever. From Goodreads.

This book was easy to read but not an easy read. I don't like books about cults as it seems they are always ruled by men and full of abuse. It is not only the women that are ruled and abused in this book, some men might like to make a change but that either cost them their family or their life. It actually seems like the main character, who is 13, has grown up in a loving family albeit it consists of her father, his 3 wives and around 20 siblings.
This book to me doesn't have a happy end though it could be worse.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory - R4: Team Challenge SSS
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014

Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything. From Goodreads.

Okay I have a weakness for Scotland as I have lived there some years and my favourite genre is paranormal. Put these two things together and the likelihood of me enjoying the book is high.
I did like this book about Eilidh, an outcast faerie. She has been avoiding humans while living among them for the last 25 years. Now she has to prevent murders, comitted by another outcast faerie, taking place in Perth. Here she meets Quinton, a policeman, and things develop.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory - R4: Team Challenge SSS
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (I-zorilla)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014 - Finished

 

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014.

My goal this year was as usual to last the whole 24 hours and then also to read more than 1000 pages. I am pleased that I completed both goals.
I read in total 1063 pages from 5¼ books and I actually found it easier to stay awake this time than last October. I felt I had made some good choices with books I really wanted to read.

I am ready to take part as a reader again April 25th 2015

List of books:

1. Feathers by Debora Geary
2. The Witch with no Name by Kim Harrison 
3. First Kisses, Near Misses by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
4. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews 
5. Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye 
6. Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014 - End of Event Meme

 

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?  The most daunting time for me was around hour 17 - 18 but I got through it without falling asleep.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?  If interested in paranormal books then the Hollows by Kim Harrison is a good choice.                                           
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, your are still doing very well.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I like both the pre Dewey's post and the early start of meme post.
5. How many books did you read? I finished 5 books and got 25% into the sixth. In total 1063 pages.
6. What were the names of the books you read? Feathers by Debora Geary, The Witch with no Name by Kim Harrison, First Kisses, Near Misses: Short Stories from the Magical World of Cindy Eller by Elizabeth A. Reeves, Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews, Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye, Blood Faerie by India Drummond.
7. Which book did you enjoy most? The Witch with no Name by Kim Harrison and Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews
8. Which did you enjoy least? Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? N/A
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? If in any way possible I will definitely take part in the next Read-a-Thon again. I will be a reader

Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye

On December 2, 2013, my marriage of twelve years exploded. It left little bits of brain and heart matter all over the walls, and the certain, irrevocable knowledge that my life had just radically changed shape forever.
I'd been unceremoniously dumped out onto the road of a new journey.
I expected it to be dusty and hard and short on food and water, a gut-wrenching endurance test that would take a long time to wind its way to ease and peace and a modicum of happiness.
That's not what happened at all.
There have been hard days and dusty ones, and I do my best, in this missive from the road, to speak the truth of those moments. But the words clamoring at my door weren't the dusty ones - they were the ones full of surprised pride in the journey that has actually happened instead. The ones full of abundance and purpose and happiness and the wild, bubbling need to dance.
Yeah. Not what I expected from my post-marriage apocalypse either.
Welcome to Sleeping Solo, my anthem song from the road. It's 17,000 words, or about 60 pages, and every one of them comes straight from my heart. From Goodreads.

This was okay but no more than that but it was probably an important book for this author to write. The reason I read this book is that this is the same author as Debora Geary who has written "A Modern Witch" which is one of my favourite series.
I hope that she at some point in the future will return as Debora Geary but unfortunately that will most likely not happen.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014 - Update #6

 

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014.


Hmm I started reading Star Wars: A New Hope: Special Edition by Bruce Jones (Graphic Novel 117 pages) but that just didn't work for me. I was reading on my Ipad but the writing in the speech bubbles was just too small.

So instead I finished
Sleeping Solo: One Woman's Journey Into Life After Marriage by Audrey Faye (51 pages)

I wanted to start reading On the Edge by Ilona Andrews as my last book but when I picked it up I realised that the writing was quite small and there is no way I am going to cope with that at this point.

Instead I will start:
Blood Faerie by India Drummond (263 pages)