Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 Finished

Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

My goal was to read my missing 3 books for February and get a good start to my March challenges. I more than achieved my goal.
I finished 8 books, a total of 2396 pages.
This was more than expected but I read for 17 hours of a 24 hour readathon and this helped my numbers.

My books:

1. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
2. Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
3. Speechless by Hannah Harrington
4. Forever Fae by L.P. Dover
5. Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 
7. Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
8. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

An international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor on an unusual quest: to find out if he is capable of true love.
Don Tillman, professor of genetics, has never been on a second date. He is a man who can count all his friends on the fingers of one hand, whose lifelong difficulty with social rituals has convinced him that he is simply not wired for romance. So when an acquaintance informs him that he would make a “wonderful” husband, his first reaction is shock. Yet he must concede to the statistical probability that there is someone for everyone, and he embarks upon The Wife Project. In the orderly, evidence-based manner with which he approaches all things, Don sets out to find the perfect partner. She will be punctual and logical—most definitely not a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver.
Yet Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also beguiling, fiery, intelligent—and on a quest of her own. She is looking for her biological father, a search that a certain DNA expert might be able to help her with. Don's Wife Project takes a back burner to the Father Project and an unlikely relationship blooms, forcing the scientifically minded geneticist to confront the spontaneous whirlwind that is Rosie—and the realization that love is not always what looks good on paper.
The Rosie Project is a moving and hilarious novel for anyone who has ever tenaciously gone after life or love in the face of overwhelming challenges. From Goodreads.

I decided to read this as I have seen a lot of good reviews about it indicating that it should be very humorous. Though there are funny bits in-between, it is not hilarious. A complicated romance with an odd couple.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Quick fix Challenge (298 pages)
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (humour)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (reviews persuaded me to read)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge (298 pages)
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Chaitra's bookshelf - she is a pig)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (D-dragonfly)
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel, Raphael, is used to being in control—especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority.
They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel, Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena. From Goodreads.





This series is getting more interesting. Elena has been made an angel, the first in a very very long time and not everybody is happy. Elena also has to fight the nightmares from her childhood that is haunting her. It is not easy being both hunter-born and now also an angel. I will try and get the next book from the library some time next week.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge 2014 (urban fantasy)
Vampire Challenge 2014
2014 Women Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (AndaM's bookshelf - she is a ox)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (E-coyote)
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2
Dansk Readathon March 2014

Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 Update

Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

Wednesday: Finished Shadow of Night as planned.
Thursday: Still reading as planned and finished Night of the Purple Moon.
Friday: Finished my last February book Speechless. Ready for March.
Saturday: Joined a 24hour readathon so have read lots.
Sunday: The last hours of the readathon this morning, didn't read the rest of the day.
Monday: Managed to finish the book from yesterday and start a new one
Tuesday: Finished The Rosie Project.

Wednesday:
# of pages read today: 343
# of pages read for week: 343
Books finished today: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Total # of books finished:1

Thursday:
# of pages read today: 188
# of pages read for week: 531
Books finished today: Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
Total # of books finished: 2

Friday:
# of pages read today: 288
# of pages read for week: 819
Books finished today: Speechless by Hannah Harrington
Total # of books finished: 3

Saturday:
# of pages read today: 804
# of pages read for week: 1623
Book currently reading: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Books finished today: Forever Fae by L.P. Dover and Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt
Total # of books finished: 5

Sunday:
# of pages read today: 302
# of pages read for week: 1925
Book currently reading: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Books finished today: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Total # of books finished: 6

Monday:
# of pages read today: 257
# of pages read for week: 2182
Book currently reading: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Books finished today: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Total # of books finished: 7

Tuesday:
# of pages read today: 214
# of pages read for week: 2396
Books finished today: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Total # of books finished:8

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

In The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman has created a charming allegory of childhood. Although the book opens with a scary scene--a family is stabbed to death by "a man named Jack” --the story quickly moves into more child-friendly storytelling. The sole survivor of the attack--an 18-month-old baby--escapes his crib and his house, and toddles to a nearby graveyard. Quickly recognizing that the baby is orphaned, the graveyard's ghostly residents adopt him, name him Nobody ("Bod"), and allow him to live in their tomb. Taking inspiration from Kipling’s The Jungle Book, Gaiman describes how the toddler navigates among the headstones, asking a lot of questions and picking up the tricks of the living and the dead. In serial-like episodes, the story follows Bod's progress as he grows from baby to teen, learning life’s lessons amid a cadre of the long-dead, ghouls, witches, intermittent human interlopers. A pallid, nocturnal guardian named Silas ensures that Bod receives food, books, and anything else he might need from the human world. Whenever the boy strays from his usual play among the headstones, he finds new dangers, learns his limitations and strengths, and acquires the skills he needs to survive within the confines of the graveyard and in wider world beyond. From Goodreads.

This was very good and quite different. An orphaned boy who grows up in a graveyard and is looked after by ghosts. There is a very dark side to this story but nothing too graphic. It is a children's book so an easy read.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (children's book)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Pigletto's bookshelf - she is a dragon)
Crazy Challenge Connection - Dr. Seuss
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Ten Book Author Train Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (G-eagle)
CCC-Read your age
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2
Dansk Readathon March 2014

Two Weeks with a SEAL by Theresa Marguerite Hewitt

Rhea Griggs has had a hard life. Growing up with an abusive father who's now in jail, her older brother, Randy, was a source of strength, along with his best friend Chad, who Rhea has been in love with since childhood. When her brother and Chad go off in the Navy, eventually becoming SEALs, Rhea thinks she'll never be with Chad. What she doesn't know is that Chad has loved her for just as long, keeping his feelings at bay out of respect and fear of his best friend.
When heartbreak strikes Rhea, Chad knows he has to let her know how he feels or lose her forever to a no good redneck. Can two weeks be enough time to bring their hearts together as they should be? Can Rhea handle what comes with loving a SEAL? From Goodreads.

Unfortunately another just okay romance. Rhea and Chad have loved each other since they were children just never told each other as such. It is rather predictable, of course they get around to saying it. Then there is the "bad guy", Rhea's on-off one night stand who suddenly, but not very convincingly, wants her. It's emotional and is also a lot about loss.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Women Challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (T)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Amy's bookshelf - she is a dog)
Crazy Challenge Connection - Dr. Seuss
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (T-coyote)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2
Dansk Readathon March 2014

Forever Fae by L.P. Dover

He leans down, lips parted, and then our lips connect... We didn’t know that this one kiss has FOREVER changed the Land of the Fae.
According to the Prophecy proclaimed many years ago, Princess Calista of the Summer Court is destined to change the Land of the Fae from the evil determined to destroy it. Her powers are phenomenal, and she secretly trains for battle with her handsome warrior friend, Merrick, who unbeknownst to her protects her heart as well, in hopes of keeping it for himself. At least, until the seductive Prince Ryder attends the Guardian Ceremony and instantly sends a fire burning through her veins and a connection so deep they both discover a love above anything imaginable.
No one knows how Calista is destined to change the kingdoms, but there is one that does. He not only craves Calista’s power, but her body as well, and his goal is to steal her power, make her his Dark Queen, and take over the Land of the Fae.
Will the evil succeed in claiming Calista’s soul? Or will the two men that fight for her heart save her from despair, and help her fulfill her destiny to become what she was meant to be. From Goodreads.

This was okay but no more than that. I like to read about the Fae and usually the Summer and Winter Courts are at each others throats but not here, so there is really only one enemy. The rest is two men wanting the same girl. It was very predictable and I don't think I will continue this series.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge
2014 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought 4th of June 2013)
What’s In A Name 2014 (A reference to time)
2014 Women Challenge
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.co.uk 4th of June 2013)
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (L)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (F-dragonfly)
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2
Dansk Readathon March 2014

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can’t keep a secret
Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.
Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she’s ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.
But there’s strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she’s done. If only she can forgive herself. From Goodreads.

Chelsea has always been the one to gossip and tell everybody's secrets. She shares a discovery with a group of people and somebody is nearly killed. This was an interesting book. The main character goes from very dislikeable to likeable and there is a serious issue in it too.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (288 pages)
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (contemporary)
Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge 2014 (contemporary)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (contemporary)
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought 28th of July 2013)
2014 Women Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Joanne's♥ bookshelf - she is a tiger)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Ten Book Author Train Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (H-hawk)
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2

Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

Abby, 13, is looking forward to watching the moon turn purple, unaware that bacteria from a passing comet will soon kill off older teens and adults. She must help her brother and baby sister survive in this new world, but all the while she has a ticking time bomb inside of her--adolescence. From Goodreads.

Another free book that was way better than expected. The scary part of this book is the description of how they survive. The group the book follows on Castine Island is a good group. Most of the group want to work together to help each other, but that is not the case on the mainland where it is survival of the fittest or in other words the worst. 

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (188 pages)
Meet the Protagonist Reading Challenge 2014 (lives by a body of water)
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (dystopian)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (less than 200 pages)
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought 10th of September 2013)
2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Pass The Parcel Team Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
CCC Winter Seasonal Spell Challenge 2013-2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (S-jellyfish)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge (Maine)
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

It began with A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. Historian Diana Bishop, descended from a line of powerful witches, and long-lived vampire Matthew Clairmont have broken the laws dividing creatures. When Diana discovered a significant alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, she sparked a struggle in which she became bound to Matthew. Now the fragile coexistence of witches, daemons, vampires and humans is dangerously threatened.Seeking safety, Diana and Matthew travel back in time to London, 1590. But they soon realise that the past may not provide a haven. Reclaiming his former identity as poet and spy for Queen Elizabeth, the vampire falls back in with a group of radicals known as the School of Night. Many are unruly daemons, the creative minds of the age, including playwright Christopher Marlowe and mathematician Thomas Harriot. Together Matthew and Diana scour Tudor London for the elusive manuscript Ashmole 782, and search for the witch who will teach Diana how to control her remarkable powers... Fall under the spell of Diana and Matthew once more in this stunning, richly imagined, epic tale. From Goodreads.

This book has been on my TBR pile for more than 1½ year. I bought it as soon as it was published on Kindle in July 2012 but then never got round to reading it.
I enjoyed it and it was interesting being back in 1590 Europe. It just wasn't as good as the first book. I am however looking forward to the final book coming in July.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge (historical fiction)
2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (historical fiction)
2014 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge (award winning)
2014 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge (Night)
2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge (bought on Amazon.co.uk 10th of July 2012)
Vampire Challenge 2014
2014 Women Challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (D)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: 2014 Chubby Chunkster (592 pages)
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Shan's bookshelf - she is a goat)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge (Europe)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (D-badger)
Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2

Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 Start

Crazy Challenge Connection 2014 RaT #2 hosted by Crazy Challenge Connection on Goodreads.

Believe it or not, February is almost over, and that means it's RaT time again! Our next RaT will begin at 12:01am Wednesday, February 26, and continue until midnight on Tuesday, March 4, a total of seven days. (Use your local time for start/end times.) We're hoping that this will help you finish your February reading lists/challenges and get a head start on next month's reading!

Again, our goals for this RaT will be to:
(1) complete any challenges ending in February that you haven't finished yet and start on March's challenges (when appropriate) and/or
(2) work on that pile of library books that's waiting for your attention and/or
(3) read anything you want to read, just because!

If none of these goals fit your reading plan, then create your own goal and let us know what you plan to accomplish :) As you read, be sure to check in here and let us know what you've read, how it fits your goals, how you rate the book, and anything else you want to tell us about it!

Who's in? What do you plan to read?  

I have joined this RaT with option 1, as I have 2½ books that I need to finish in February and then I will hopefully be able to read a few books for March in the second half of this challenge but those choices might changes.

The books I need to read in February:

1. Shadow of night by Deborah Harkness (I have started it but I need to finish) - For the February part of Key Word and Motif challenges.
2. Night of Purple Moon by Scott Cramer - For RRRC Pass the Parcel.
3. Speechless by Hannah Harrington - For the February part of Jumble Your Genres.

The books I would like to read for March:

1. Forever Fae by L.P. Dover - for the March part of Key Word and Motif challenges.
2. Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh - for the February part of Jumble Your Genres.
3. Hell of a Journey: On Foot Through the Scottish Highlands in Winter by Mike Cawthorne
4. Death du Jour by Kathy Reichs