Ten Book Author Train Challenge Finished

Ten Book Author Train Challenge hosted by Nothing But Reading Challenges.

For this challenge, you read a book, then for your second book the author's first name has to start with the same letter as the first book's author's last name.
 
Example
(title) by R F DelderfielD
(title) by David neviN (DelderfielD ends with d, so this author's first name starts with d also)
(title) by Nancy FairbankS (neviN ends with n, and Nancy starts with it.)

This one is kind of tricky to plan out because lots of writers' first names start with J but almost no last names end with it, etc. But it might be a good way to whittle the TBR list!

I have now finished this challenge. It was not easy and I would like to try again some time where I want my 10th author to fit the first, but that is not now.

THIS is all posts for this challenge and THIS is my post on Goodreads.

List of Books:

1. Julie KagawA: The Iron Knight (finished August 13th)
2. Alan GarneR: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (finished September 4th)
3. Raymond ChandleR: The Big Sleep (finished September 12th)
4. Rick RiordaN: Percy Jackson and The Titan's Curse (finished September 16th)
5. Nicholas SparkS: The Last Song (finished October 15th)
6. Stephen VolK: Whitstable (finished January 8th)
7. Kim HarrisoN: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (finished January 26th)
8. Nalini SingH:  Angels' Blood (finished February 4th)
9. Hannah HarringtoN: Speechless (finished February 28th) 
10. Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book (finished March 2nd)

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

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

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.
Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break. From Goodreads.

I read a short story, a prequel to this book, in Must Love Hellhounds and decided I wanted to try the series. It was good and I like Elena. I have already ordered the next book from the library and will hopefully get it in March.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
Vampire Challenge 2014
2014 Women Challenge
CCC A-Z Authors 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (S)
Crazy Challenge Connection Chinese New Year Challenge (Rat - series #1)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
CCC Winter Seasonal Spell Challenge 2013-2014
Ten Book Author Train Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (N-dragonfly)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan, sexy witch, independent bounty hunter, prowls the downtown Cincinnati for criminal creatures of the night. She can handle leather-clad vamps and a cunning demon or two. But a serial killer who feeds on the experts in the most dangerous kind of black magic is an ancient, implacable evil that threatens her very soul. From Goodreads.

Another series where I really liked the first book but just never got back to the series. I am glad I am back. Things just don't get easier for Rachel in this and a lot of things actually go badly. I read this book in a day starting at 3 in the afternoon and with a few breaks thrown in finished at 6.30 the next morning which for me makes it a very good read.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
2014 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (more than 400 pages)
Vampire Challenge 2014
2014 Women Challenge
CCC A-Z Book Titles 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (G)
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: 2014 Chubby Chunkster (453 pages)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Ten Book Author Train Challenge
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (G-badger)
Nothing but Reading Challenges - 50 States Challenge (cincinnati - Ohio)

Whitstable by Stephen Volk

1971. A middle-aged man, wracked with grief, walks along the beach at Whitstable in Kent.
A boy approaches him and, taking him for the famous vampire-hunter Doctor Van Helsing from the Hammer movies, asks for his help. Because he believes his stepfather really is a vampire…
Published to Honour the 2013 Peter Cushing Centenary. From Amazon.co.uk

This was okay. It is not particularly scary apart from a few paragraphs about child abuse. It is a description of Peter Cushing in grief over the loss of his wife, mentioning a lot of his films and a side story about child abuse. The ending is a bit too neat.

This book qualifies for: 
2014 Ebook challenge
2014 Quick fix Challenge (140 pages)
Meet the Protagonist Reading Challenge 2014 (real person in fiction)
2014 Full House Reading Challenge (author new to me)
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory Spell It Out - Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (S)
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Ten Book Author Train Challenge 
Bout of Books 9.0

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them. From Goodreads.




This was an okay love story between two teenagers and also the tough relationship between an estranged dad and his daughter. To me it all ties up a bit too well even though it doesn't mean it is a completely happy ending.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Nicholas Sparks Reading Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

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

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

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 Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.
Unless he can earn a soul.
To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.
Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.
With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.
To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.
And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice. From Goodreads.

I have really enjoyed this series of The Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa. This book, which seems to be the last of series, is about Ash and his quest to become human so he can join Meghan at the iron court.
As far as I can see, this is currently the last book in this series but it seems there is another series: The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten which is set in the same world starting with a book about Meghan's younger brother. I will continue with that series at some point.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
Beat the Heat Readathon 2013
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (fey)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
Ten Book Author Train Challenge

Ten Book Author Train Challenge Start

Ten Book Author Train Challenge hosted by Nothing But Reading Challenges.

For this challenge, you read a book, then for your second book the author's first name has to start with the same letter as the first book's author's last name.

Example

(title) by R F DelderfielD
(title) by David neviN (DelderfielD ends with d, so this author's first name starts with d also)
(title) by Nancy FairbankS (neviN ends with n, and Nancy starts with it.)

This one is kind of tricky to plan out because lots of writers' first names start with J but almost no last names end with it, etc. But it might be a good way to whittle the TBR list!

Another interesting challenge to take part in. This is not as easy as it looks.

My train of authors:

1. Julie KagawA: The Iron Knight (finished August 13th)
2. Alan GarneR: The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (finished September 4th)
3. Raymond ChandleR: The Big Sleep (finished September 12th)
4. Rick RiordaN: Percy Jackson and The Titan's Curse (finished September 16th)
5. Nicholas SparkS: The Last Song (finished October 15th)
6. Stephen VolK: Whitstable (finished January 8th)
7. Kim HarrisoN: The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (finished January 26th)
8. Nalini SingH:  Angels' Blood (finished February 4th)
9. Hannah HarringtoN: Speechless (finished February 28th) 
10. Neil Gaiman: The Graveyard Book (finished March 2nd)