The Colorado Kid by Stephen King

On an island off the coast of Maine, a man is found dead. There's no identification on the body. Only the dogged work of a pair of local newspapermen and a graduate student in forensics turns up any clues.
But that's just the beginning of the mystery. Because the more they learn about the man and the baffling circumstances of his death, the less they understand. Was it an impossible crime? Or something stranger still...?
No one but Stephen King could tell this story about the darkness at the heart of the unknown and our compulsion to investigate the unexplained. With echoes of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and the work of Graham Greene, one of the world's great storytellers presents a surprising tale that explores the nature of mystery itself... From Goodreads.





I enjoyed this more than expected, an unsolved mystery discussed years later. I really liked the twist at the end of the story. The characters of the two journalists Dave and Vince are brilliant.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge

Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia

Bah, humbug! Jordan Christian has had it with holiday hoopla. The usual three-ring family circus and the unwanted sympathy for her single status lead to even more unwanted would-be suitors as her relatives can't seem to stop fixing her up with Mr. Never In A Million Years. This year, the wily bachelorette will outwit her overly interested family. With the aid of a singles' ad, Jordan plans to snare a stand-in man. In return, she'll stand by her man to fend off his relatives. For once, the holiday season will be a time of peace on earth and good will towards man. Especially the man who will save her sanity! Jordan knows he's got to be out there, and he needs her help as badly as she needs his. Luke Foster is dreading another Christmas in Vermont. The annual clan gathering overflows with bothersome questions. Like, "When are you going to settle down?" When he sees Jordan's ad, he thinks it's a lifeline. She'll fend off his family, and he'll shield her from hers. It's the perfect solution. Until Jordan and Luke meet and find more than they were bargaining for.  From Goodreads.

Usually I just like romance books but this became enjoyable because of all the humour in it. I was giggling away several times in this book. A quick, fun read.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 A-Z Reading Challenge
2013 Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?
They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus. From Goodreads.






This series is really good. I liked The Mark of Athena slightly better than this one but it still scores a high 4 Polar bears. I like how each of the demigods in turn shows their strong sides and also how nobody can be the sole hero of a quest, they only succeed by working together. It feels like a long time to October 2014 when the last book is scheduled to be published.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (mythological beings) 

Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2013

2013 Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.

Details and sign up:

• challenge will run from Friday, November 22, 2013 through Monday, January 6, 2014 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).
• cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
• These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time...a children's Christmas books level!
• Levels:

            --Candy Cane:  read 1 book
            --Mistletoe:  read 2-4 books
            --Christmas Tree:  read 5 or 6 books (this is the fanatic level...LOL!)
          Additional levels:
            --Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies...it's up to you!
            --Visions of Sugar Plums:  read books with your children this season and share what you read
          *the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

• New this year! It's the Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon to kick us off the weekend of Friday, November 22 through Sunday, November 24! Details and sign-up for the read-a-thon are over at my read-a-thon blog, Seasons of Reading, HERE.
• the most important rule?  Have fun!!!

This is my third time taking part in this Christmas Challenge. When I took part the first time in 2011 it was one of the first reading challenges  that I ever took part in.

As usual I will  do the Christmas Tree level: Read 5 or 6 books and the additional level of Fa La La La Films:  watch a bunch or a few Christmas movies.

I have a very long list of books of which a lot are free books and some are quite short. I will not read them all but I like to have a choice. I haven't decided on the films yet.

List of books:

1. Yule be Mine by Charlene Teglia 
2. Unexpected gifts by Elena Aitken 
3. Wish Upon A Star by Trisha Ashley 
4. Stories for Christmas by various 
5. All I Want For Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
6. Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan 
7. While Snowbound by Anna J. McIntyre 
8. The Santa Shop by Tim Greaton 
9. Claus: Legend of the Fat Manby Tony Bertauski 
10. A Vision of Sugarplums by Jennifer Blake 
11. Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson 
12. Tinseltown by Victoria Fox 
13. Coming Home for Christmas by Jenny Hale 
14. A Cowboy for Christmas by Kristen James  
15. Winter Warmers by Carole Matthews 
16. Last Christmas by Julia Williams 
17. saving christmas by Clare Revell 
18. Six Geese A- Laying by Sophie Kinsella 
19. A Little Christmas Magic by Sylvia Kurtz 
20. Let it Snow by various by Red Tash and others
21. Perfect by Autumn Jordon

The Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon November 22 - 24 Sign Up

The Christmas Spirit Read-a-Thon hosted by Michelle at The True Book Addict.

To kick off my annual Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge this year, I've decided to have a weekend read-a-thon!
Details:

• Read-a-Thon dates: Friday, November 22 at 12:00am CST until Sunday, November 24 at 11:59pm CST (adjust your time zone accordingly)
• You do not have to be signed up for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge to participate (but I sure would love for you to join us!)
• I am not requiring that you read Christmas/holiday books during the read-a-thon, but I hope you will pick up one holiday tale, even if it's just to read some children's books with your kids or some holiday short stories
• to check in on Twitter, we'll use hashtag #CSreadathon
• as usual, you do not have to have a blog to participate...feel free to link up and check in from Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I am  going to take part as a kick off to the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. I wasn't going to read any Christmas books before 1st of December but now I will read one during this Read-a-Thon.

My goal will be to read at least 3 books during this Read-a-Thon but I will make a list of 5 books to chose from.

1. Yule Be Mine by Charlene Teglia
2. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
3. The Colorado Kid by Stephen King
4. Åndeløs by Cliff McNish
5. Ønskebarnet by Eddie Thomas Petersen

Apart from Magic Strikes these are all books I need to read to finish some of my 2013 Challenges.

Playing for Time by Barbara Bretton

Falling in love was easy
But staying alive is a whole other story . . .
Ryder is an undercover operative for PAX, a worldwide antiterrorist agency that flies beneath the radar
Joanna is a Hollywood makeup artist whose magic turns fantasy into reality on a daily basis
He's a spy looking to come in from the cold
She's a woman who's never had a real home
Sizzling passion . . . heart-stopping danger . . . the ultimate choice . . .  From Goodreads.

This was an okay romance. A quick and lightly entertaining read.

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
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 7th of June 2013)

Burning Chrome by William Gibson

Ten brilliant, streetwise, high-resolution stories from the man who coined the word cyberspace. Gibson's vision has become a touchstone in the emerging order of the 21st Century, from the computer-enhanced hustlers of Johnny Mnemonic to the technofetishist blues of Burning Chrome. With their vividly human characters and their remorseless, hot-wired futures, these stories are simultaneously science fiction at its sharpest and instantly recognizable Polaroids of the postmodern condition. From Goodreads.
 

This collection of short stories was okay. Cyberpunk will never become one of my favourite genres but that doesn't mean I won't read it again.

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

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Mervyn Peake's gothic masterpiece, the Gormenghast trilogy, begins with the superlative Titus Groan, a darkly humorous, stunningly complex tale of the first two years in the life of the heir to an ancient, rambling castle. The Gormenghast royal family, the castle's decidedly eccentric staff, and the peasant artisans living around the dreary, crumbling structure make up the cast of characters in this engrossing story. Peake's command of language and unique style set the tone and shape of an intricate, slow-moving world of ritual and stasis:  
The walls of the vast room which were streaming with calid moisture, were built with gray slabs of stone and were the personal concern of a company of eighteen men known as the 'Grey Scrubbers'.... On every day of the year from three hours before daybreak until about eleven o'clock, when the scaffolding and ladders became a hindrance to the cooks, the Grey Scrubbers fulfilled their hereditary calling. Peake has been compared to Dickens, Tolkien, and Peacock, but Titus Groan is truly unique. Unforgettable characters with names like Steerpike and Prunesquallor make their way through an architecturally stifling world, with lots of dark corners around to dampen any whimsy that might arise. This true classic is a feast of words unlike anything else in the world of fantasy. Those who explore Gormenghast castle will be richly rewarded.  From Goodreads.

It might be a gothic masterpiece but I thought it was long and boring with only one slightly interesting character in it. I will not be continuing this trilogy.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Ebook Challenge
2013 Literary Exploration Reading Challenge
A Book A Day Keeps the Boredom at Bay Reading Challenge

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…
As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.
When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…  From Goodreads.




Another page turner in the Kate Daniels series. There is something happening all the time and you never know what pops up next. I have the next three books ready to read and I need to read them before mid-December when I have to return them to the library.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (shapeshifter)
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Elidor by Alan Garner

Part folklore, part adventure and part fantasy, Alan Garner's Elidor is a modern children's classic. When Roland opens a door in a derelict church, he unleashes the wonders of Elidor and the grave challenges that this troubled world presents. Drawing on Welsh, Irish and English mythology, the book chronicles the trials and hardships of a group of young teenagers as they attempt to fulfill a prophecy from another world, and fight a terrible evil. From Goodreads

This is not as good as Alan Garner's Tales of Alderley series but it is still a good fantasy story and I enjoyed listening to it. And I kind of like the not so usual ending.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Audio Book Challenge
Setting Alphabet Reading Challenge

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic…
One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.
In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy… From Goodreads.





I have been looking at this series for quite a while without actually getting to it. Now I finally started and I really enjoyed it. A paranormal book with all kinds of paranormal beings, just my kind of book.
Kate is a strong heroine and I will continue this series right away.

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

The Moon Of Gomrath by Alan Garner

Alan Garner's exciting and atmospheric tale of magic and evil which began with "The Weirdstone of Brisingamen" continues with the "Moon of Gomrath".
It is the Eve of Gomrath – the night of the year when the Old Magic is aroused. Had Colin and Susan known this, they would never have lighted a fire on the Beacon, thereby releasing the uncontrollable ferocity of the Wild Hunt. Soon they are inextricably caught up in the struggle between their friend, the Wizard Cadellin, and the evil Morrigan.
The strength of their courage will determine whether or not they survive the awaiting ordeal …  From Goodreads.






This is a worthy sequel to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen though it is not quite as good. As in a lot of fantasy books the evil, that is thought gone, returns. I have the third book ready.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads 2013 Reading Challenge
Serious Readers 2013
Tower Teams Read 2013-2
2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge (wizard)
2013 Audio Book Challenge
2013 Sequel Reading Challenge
2013 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

Leopard Moon by Jeanette Battista

How do you disappear when you come from a family of predators?
A wereleopard, Kess is forced to flee her home and family in Miami once her brother's obsession with her turns violent. She runs from city to city, trying to stay one step ahead of the investigators her family has dispatched to bring her home. Kess ends up in the mountains of North Carolina and attracts the attention of Cormac, a young man with a secret of his own. As she attempts to live as normal a life as her were-nature allows, her brother Sek continues to hunt for her. He believes she is the key to revitalizing their weakened clan and is driven to extreme measures to ensure their continued existence. As Kess' relationship with Cormac deepens, Sek closes in, threatening Cormac's life and Kess' freedom.
When the moon rises, the hunt is on…. From Goodreads.






This was okay and I liked Kess and Cormac. It wasn't so good that I am rushing out to buy the next books in the series but I might get back to them at a later date.

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 (shapeshifter)
2013 Why Buy the Cow? Reading Challenge (free on Amazon.uk 28th of January 2013)

Vampires: The Recent Undead by Paula Guran (Editor)

The undead are more alive today than ever. Immortal? Indeed! Nothing has sunk its teeth into twenty-first century popular culture as pervasively as the vampire. The fangsters have the freedom to fly across all genres and all mediums - there's even apps for vamps. Whether roaming into romance, haunting horror, sneaking into science fiction, capering into humor, meandering through mystery - no icon is more versatile than the vampire.
Slack your insatiable thirst with the best sanguinary stories of the new millennium: terrifying or tender, deadly or delicious, bad-ass or beneficent, classic or cutting-edge. From Goodreads

It has taken me over a year to listen to this audio book of short stories, I think that says a lot! There are a few good stories but unfortunately most of them just weren't my cup of tea.

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

How (Not) to Kiss a Gargoyle by Elizabeth A. Reeves

Cindy Eller just wants to get her life back. Instead of focusing her energy on her bakery and her relationship, she keeps getting distracted by the hubbub surrounding the upcoming case-- where she and her family will be put on trial for contact with Faerie.
When Cindy is condemned to have her Magic stripped-- a process that could kill her-- who should arrive to save the day but her elusive and very godlike father, Lenus.
When worlds collide, innocent people get caught in the crossfires. And sometimes love is its own worst enemy.
So much for Cindy's Fairytale ending. From Goodreads.

Still a cosy fun read, nothing ever stays good forever so there is some betrayal in this one. I am also pleased that the page count has risen even if it is just with a few pages.

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