The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey

 Never had there been as close a bonding as the one that existed between the daring and adventurous young Lord Jaxom and his extraordinary white dragon, Ruth. Pure white and incredibly agile, Ruth was a dragon of many talents, though almost everyone on Pern thought he was a runt that would never amount to anything. But Jaxom knew better, knew he could teach his dragon to fly and to destroy the deadly silver Threads that fell from the sky. Disobeying all rules, Jaxom and Ruth trained in secret. Their illicit flights seemed but a minor disobedience-- until they found themselves in the path of danger and in a position to prevent the biggest disaster of all! From Goodreads

This is my favourite book of the three first book in the Pern series. I like the way Jaxom is maturing and trying to find out who and what he is. But as the title suggest the main character is The White Dragon Ruth. I enjoy reading about Ruth and seeing how different he is to the other dragons and he knows so much more than them. It seems like he is a lot more intelligent than the other dragons in the sense that he is not so controlled by feelings but then he is also described as asexual so he does not react when the queens and greens get ready to fly.

This book qualifies for:  
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge
All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012

Reading Challenge Addict 2012

Reading Challenge Addict.

I found this challenge and thought what a great idea to have a challenge about how many challenges one takes part in.

How addicted are you?

• Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
• Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)

I have chosen to take part in 9, year-long challenges and I might try to take part in some shorter challenges over the year. I have chosen that I am On the Roof and will complete 6-10 of my Challenges.

My 9 Challenges are:

1. 2012 Sci-Fi Challenge.
    to read a Sci-Fi book a month over the year
    My Page

2. 2012 Where are you reading Challenge
    to try and read a book that takes place in each of the 50 States.
    My Page

3. 2012 Ebook Challenge
    to read a set number of E-books within the year. I chose the level of Server - Read 100 
    Ebooks.
    My Page

4. 2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge
    to read books from the Book Blogger Recommendation List. I chose Level III - read 15 books.
    My Page

5. 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge.
    to read a set number of Witchy books, fiction and non-fiction. I chose the Level of Mother - 
    read 11-15 Witchy books
    My Page

6. All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012.
    to read a set number of Pern books within the year. I chose the level Blue - read the 
    original trilogy plus the Harper Hall trilogy or any 6.
    My Page

7. 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge.
    to read 100+ books in 2012 any genre
    My Page

8. Why Buy The Cow? Reading Challenge 2012.
     to read a set number of free and legal downloaded books within the year. I chose the Level of
     Coupon Clipper - read 12 books
     My Page

9. Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge.
    set a personal goal for the number of books to read in 2012. I chose 110 books
    My Page

Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge

Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge.

A individual challenge where you have to set your own goal.

I have set my goal to read 110 books in 2012

My progress will be HERE and the posts HERE

Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey

Another Turn, and the deadly silver Threads began falling again. So the bold dragonriders took to the air once more and their magnificent flying dragons swirled and swooped, belching flames that destroyed the shimmering strands before they reached the ground. But F'lar knew he had to find a better way to protect his beloved Pern, and he had to find it before the rebellious Oldtimers could breed any more dissent ... before his brother F'nor would be foolhardy enough to launch another suicide mission ... and before those dratted fire-lizards could stir up any more trouble! From Goodreads

Another book read and only about 24 hours after the last. Well what can I say, I tend to keep reading when I get started and forget everything around me. This book is the second in the first trilogy of the Pern books.  It is a continuation of the first, set 7 years later and a lot of animosity has arisen between the different Weyrs, the Holds and among themselves. What I actually like about this one is that it is still a extremely patriarchal society but the Weyrwomen have so much power or rather what they do effects everything around them. This book shows how much can be destroyed from just one woman's actions. My problem is that it is "only" about 4 years since I read the series for the first time. I keep anticipating things at the same time as I have forgotten a lot of the details in the books.

This book qualifies for:  
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge
All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey

HOW CAN ONE GIRL SAVE AN ENTIRE WORLD?
Lessa seems nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her family and took over their lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright.
But everything changes when she meets a queen dragon. The bond they share will be deep and last forever. It will protect them when, for the first time in centuries, Lessa’s world is threatened by Thread, an evil substance that falls like rain and destroys everything it touches. Dragons and their Riders once protected the planet from Thread, but there are very few of them left these days. Now brave Lessa must risk her life, and the life of her beloved dragon, to save her beautiful world... From Goodreads.

I was introduced to the Pern series about 4 years ago and I think I bought most of them (only the ones written by Anne McCaffrey alone) as fast as I could get them delivered. I am now reading some of them again for  All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012
I enjoyed reading it again and find it a very interesting story. I like Lessa who is quite a strong woman but by no means a saint as she with her power has hurt a lot of people in order to get her revenge. It is a patriarchal society and women are treated badly to say the least but there are some women who are very strong in their own way.

This book qualifies for:  
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge
All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012

Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012

Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge 2012.

It is all about reading books that are "bought" for free. Not won or ARCs but only books that has been downloaded free and legally.

The levels are:
Coupon Clipper: 12 Books
Penny Pincher: 24 Books
Super Saver: 30+ Books


I have chosen the level of Coupon Clipper of 12 books and you can follow my progress HERE

All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012

All the Books of Pern Challenge 2012.

It is only a few years ago I was introduced to Anne McCaffrey and her Pern Books. I loved them from the start and I think I have got most of them.

The levels of this challenge are:

• Green– The original trilogy (or any 3)
• Blue- The original trilogy plus the Harper Hall trilogy (or any 6)
• Brown– Everything with Ms. McCaffrey as sole author (17)
• Bronze– Everything except the ones written by Todd alone (22)
• Gold – The whole lot of them (24-25)

As I by now have chosen to take part in quite a few challenges I will go with:  Blue- The original trilogy plus the Harper Hall trilogy (or any 6) and maybe go up a level later.

My progress can be followed HERE

And all the posts are HERE

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012

I like this challenge and together with my ebook challenge I hope I will succeed.

THIS is the page where I will record my progress.

And all the posts for this challenge can be found HERE

2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge.

THIS is my page where you can follow my progress and This is the posts for this challenge   

I love books about witches and witchcraft so I am going to enjoy this challenge.
The levels for this Challenge are:

Initiate: Read 1-5 Witchy Books
Maiden:Read 6-10 Witchy Books

Mother: Read 11-15 Witchy Books
Crone:Read 16-20 Witchy Books

I have chosen the level of Mother to read 11-15 Witchy books

2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge

2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge.

I have over the last few months ever since Dewey's Read-a-Thon in October started following some book blogs so I would like to try this challenge in order to see what has been recommended over the last year.

The levels of the challenge are:
The Levels:
Level I - Read 5 books from the 2011 Book Blogger Recommendation List
Level II - Read 10 books
Level III - Read 15 books
Level IV - Read 20 books
Level V - Read 20+ books

I will do level III - read 15 books. As I am wanting to take part in a few challenges I do not dare go higher than that.

Follow my progress HERE

2012 Ebook Challenge

This is the perfect challenge for me as at least 90% of the books I read are ebooks. The levels in this challenge are:

1. Floppy disk - 5 ebooks
2. CD - 10 ebooks
3. DVD - 25 ebooks
4. Memory stick - 50 ebooks
5. Hard drive - 75 ebooks
6. Server - 100 ebooks
7. Human brain - 150 ebooks

I have decided to go for level 6. Server and try and read 100 ebooks within the next year.

Follow my progress HERE.

All posts for this challenge are HERE

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge - Finished

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

I chose the level of Christmas Tree to read 5 or 6 books and I  also chose the additional level of Fa La La La Films to watch a bunch or a few of Christmas films.

I ended up reading 14 books / tales

1.  Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
2. A Christmas Greeting, A Series of Stories by H.C. Andersen
3. Christmas Eve by Robert Browning
4. The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien
5. Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
6. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
7. Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibson
8. Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley
9. The Spirit of Christmas by Henry Van Dyke
10. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
11. The Magic of Christmas by Trisha Ashley
12. Holiday Tales: Christmas in the Adirondacks by W.H.H. Murre
13. Mr. Kris Kringle by Silas Weir Mitchell
14. Old Christmas by Washington Irving

I know it looks like quite a lot but at least half of them are rather short. I am still sure I passed my level.

I also ended up watching a lot of films.

1. Jack Frost
2. The Littlest light on the Christmas tree
3. White Christmas
4. The Christmas shoes
5. The Bear
6. A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart)
7. Nativity
8.  The Light Before Christmas
9. A Christmas Carol (Jim Carrey)
10. Christmas Story
11. It is a Wonderful Life ( I need to watch this every year and I did)

The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge

Old Christmas by Washington Irving

Of all the old festivals, however, that of Christmas awakens the strongest and most heartfelt associations. There is a tone of solemn and sacred feeling that blends with our conviviality, and lifts the spirit to a state of hallowed and elevated enjoyment. The services of the church about this season are extremely tender and inspiring. They dwell on the beautiful story of the origin of our faith, and the pastoral scenes that accompanied its announcement. They gradually increase in fervour and pathos during the season of Advent, until they break forth in full jubilee on the morning that brought peace and good-will to men. I do not know a grander effect of music on the moral
feelings than to hear the full choir and the pealing organ performing a Christmas anthem in a cathedral, and filling every part of the vast pile with triumphant harmony.An excerpt from Goodreads
  

Not my kind of book, the story was okay and could maybe have been interesting but it felt long winded and boring.
  
 The last two Christmas films I saw were:


Christmas Story
Discover the secret of the greatest story ever told! A long long time ago in the frozen North Pole the greatest legend of them all was born. Little Nicholas is an orphan who is looked after by a different family every Christmas. To repay their kindness Nicholas spends his days carving wooden toys which he secretly leaves on their doorstep every Christmas Eve. Over the years, after so much kindness, almost every home in the village gets a gift and so the legend of Father Christmas is born. But one day Nicholas is forced to live with an evil carpenter who bans him from making toys. Suddenly, the whole tradition of Christmas is threatened and it will take a miracle to save it. 

This film was absolutely wonderful and has made it to the list of films that has to be watched again next year. I would love to find it in Finnish with English subtitles as the version I saw was the dubbed one. As with any good Christmas film I cried more than once.

It's a Wonderful Life.
The best Christmas film ever. Everything goes bad on the day of Christmas Eve but of course everything turns out brilliantly. A must see Christmas film.

Mr. Kris Kringle by Silas Weir Mitchell

It was Christmas Eve. The snow had clad the rolling hills in white, as if in preparation for the sacred morrow. The winds, boisterous all day long, at fall of night ceased to roar amidst the naked forest, and now, the silent industry of the falling flakes made of pine and spruce tall white tents. At last, as the darkness grew, a deepening stillness came on hill and valley, and all nature seemed to wait expectant of the coming of the Christmas time.[6]
Above the broad river a long, gray stone house lay quiet; its vine and roof heavy with the softly-falling snow, and showing no sign of light or life except in a feeble, red glow through the Venetian blinds of the many windows of one large room. Within, a huge fire of mighty logs lit up with distinctness only the middle space, and fell with variable illumination on a silent group about

the hearth. On one side a mother sat with her cheek upon her hand, her elbow on the table, gazing steadily into the fire; on the other side were two children, a girl and a boy; he on a cushion, she in a low chair. Some half-felt sadness repressed for these little ones the usual gay Christmas humor of the hopeful hour, commonly so full for them[7] of that anticipative joy to which life brings shadowy sadness as the years run on. extract from Goodreads


It sounded as if it was going to be a very sad story but it was not. It starts sad but everything is solved as it should be in a Christmas tale. I enjoyed this short story very much.

Holiday Tales: Christmas in the Adirondacks

Holiday Tales: Christmas in the Adirondacks by W.H.H. Murrey

There are 2 tales in this book. They are both about the old trapper John Norton and Christmas. It was really funny, very Christmassy and also heart warming.
I thoroughly enjoyed this as part of my Christmas Spirit reading Challenge.