2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge - Finished

2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

My goal this year was of course  Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books as I reached that goal already in May last year.
This year I decided to continue the whole year to see how many witchy books I was going to read in total.
I reached my goal of 20 books on the 17th of March and in total I read 52 witchy books this year. I am of course going to take part again in 2016

Welcome to the 4th Annual Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the 2012, 2013, & 2014  Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenges!

I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Welcome to the 2015 Challenge!!

• Low commitment…you can sign up to read just ONE book as an INITIATE!!!
• Participants who choose to link up reviews will be entered for the end of year prize!!

Challenge Rules:

• This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015. I will be posting a place to link up a sign-up post (below), reviews and a wrap-up post. (Note: You do not have to review the books to participate, but only those who link up reviews will be entered for the prize)
• Grab the reading challenge button (code & button below) and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate- you could track your progress and post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.
• Any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or includes major witchcraft elements counts. They may be fiction or non-fiction. However, they should not be reference books which are not read cover to cover-I will leave this to your discretion.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
• When you sign up in the linky put the direct link to your post about joining the 2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge, not just a link to your blog.
• You can move up levels, but no moving down.
• Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2015, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
• Have some Witchy Good Fun !!!

• The Levels:

  Initiate: Read 1 – 5 Witchy Books
  Maiden: Read 6 – 10 Witchy Books
  Mother: Read 11 – 15 Witchy Books
  Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books

List of books:

1. The Spirit of A Witch by Sarah Jane Avory  
2. Life's a Witch by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
3. Bewitching You by Viola Estrella 
4. Sapphire of the Fairies by Richard S. Tuttle
5. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews  
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling 
7. Coven by K.A. Young
8. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews 
9. Every Witch Way But Wicked by Amanda M. Lee  
10. Witching You Were Here by Amanda M. Lee  
11. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness 
12. Child of the Ghosts by Jonathan Moeller
13. Witching on a Star by Amanda M. Lee 
14. The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox 
15. Meows, Magic & Murder by Madison Johns
16. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 
17. Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong
18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 
19. Raven by Suzy Turner 
20. A New Witch in Town (Maybe Two) by Dani Corlee 
21. Opal Fire by Barbra Annino
22. Something to Witch About by Amanda M. Lee
23. Bloodstone by Barbra Annino  
24. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 
25. Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
26. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
27. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 
28. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
29. Witch Hunt by S.M. Reine 
30. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 
31. A New Witch in Town (Not to Mention the Cat) by Dani Corlee 
32. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 
33. The Magicians by Lev Grossman  
34. Seven Viking Romances by Hermann Pálsson 
35. First Frost by Liz DeJesus   
36. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
37. Young Lord of Khadora by Richard S. Tuttle
38. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen 
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
40. Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder 
41. Witch Me Luck by Amanda M. Lee  
42. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 
43. Witchy Tales: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale by Amanda M. Lee 
44. Eragon by Christopher Paolini 
45. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan  
46. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
47. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
48. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
49. Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder 
50. Life's a Witch by Amanda M. Lee
51. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
52. The Christmas Witch by Amanda M. Lee

2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge Finished

2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.

The year is over and I managed to read 52 books that I think are either witch or wizard books. As usual I have enjoyed it and will definitely take part again in 2016. This is one of my favourite reading challenges.

My goal was: Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books

Welcome to the 4th Annual Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the 2012, 2013, & 2014  Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenges!

I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Welcome to the 2015 Challenge!!

• Low commitment…you can sign up to read just ONE book as an INITIATE!!!
• Participants who choose to link up reviews will be entered for the end of year prize!!

Challenge Rules:

• This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015. I will be posting a place to link up a sign-up post (below), reviews and a wrap-up post. (Note: You do not have to review the books to participate, but only those who link up reviews will be entered for the prize)
• Grab the reading challenge button (code & button below) and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate- you could track your progress and post reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, etc.
• Any full length book that includes a witch as a main character or includes major witchcraft elements counts. They may be fiction or non-fiction. However, they should not be reference books which are not read cover to cover-I will leave this to your discretion.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
• When you sign up in the linky put the direct link to your post about joining the 2015 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge, not just a link to your blog.
• You can move up levels, but no moving down.
• Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2015, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
• Have some Witchy Good Fun !!!

• The Levels:

  Initiate: Read 1 – 5 Witchy Books
  Maiden: Read 6 – 10 Witchy Books
  Mother: Read 11 – 15 Witchy Books
  Crone: Read 16 – 20 Witchy Books

List of books:

1. The Spirit of A Witch by Sarah Jane Avory  
2. Life's a Witch by Elizabeth A. Reeves 
3. Bewitching You by Viola Estrella 
4. Sapphire of the Fairies by Richard S. Tuttle
5. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews  
6. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling 
7. Coven by K.A. Young
8. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews 
9. Every Witch Way But Wicked by Amanda M. Lee  
10. Witching You Were Here by Amanda M. Lee  
11. The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness 
12. Child of the Ghosts by Jonathan Moeller
13. Witching on a Star by Amanda M. Lee 
14. The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox 
15. Meows, Magic & Murder by Madison Johns
16. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling 
17. Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong
18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 
19. Raven by Suzy Turner 
20. A New Witch in Town (Maybe Two) by Dani Corlee 
21. Opal Fire by Barbra Annino
22. Something to Witch About by Amanda M. Lee
23. Bloodstone by Barbra Annino  
24. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 
25. Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky
26. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
27. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss 
28. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
29. Witch Hunt by S.M. Reine 
30. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling 
31. A New Witch in Town (Not to Mention the Cat) by Dani Corlee 
32. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 
33. The Magicians by Lev Grossman  
34. Seven Viking Romances by Hermann Pálsson 
35. First Frost by Liz DeJesus   
36. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling 
37. Young Lord of Khadora by Richard S. Tuttle
38. First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen 
39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
40. Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder 
41. Witch Me Luck by Amanda M. Lee  
42. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson 
43. Witchy Tales: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale by Amanda M. Lee 
44. Eragon by Christopher Paolini 
45. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan  
46. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
47. The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
48. The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson
49. Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder 
50. Life's a Witch by Amanda M. Lee
51. Uprooted by Naomi Novik
52. The Christmas Witch by Amanda M. Lee

The Christmas Witch by Amanda M. Lee

It’s the winter of 1995, and the Winchester household is more doom and gloom than mistletoe and merriment.
Young Bay, Clove and Thistle are anything but happy. They’re facing their first Christmas without their fathers, and no matter how hard their mothers try, they just can’t seem to get the girls to embrace this festive time of year.
Between the lack of snow, which the girls firmly believe brings magic, and Hemlock Cove’s local Santa Claus going missing, things continue to go wrong instead of right.
Christmas has never been Aunt Tillie’s favorite time of year. She thinks the only thing snow is good for is plowing, and the only reason she likes Santa Claus is because he brings her presents. All of that changes when she’s forced to spend time with three miserable little girls – and the pall they’re casting over the entire town.
Instead of letting them wallow, Aunt Tillie decides to take them on an adventure. They’re going to find Santa. They’re going to make it snow. Oh, and Aunt Tillie is going to get what she wants for Christmas – even if her nieces keep saying no.
It’s Aunt Tillie to the rescue, and she’s bound and determined her family is going to have a happy holiday – even if she has to make everyone miserable during the process. From Goodreads.

This was fun and it was great having Aunt Tillie as the main character. All the books in this series describe Aunt Tillie as a mean, wicked witch who loves her family even when she pesters them. As this book shows, she loves being that wicked witch but it also shows she will do anything for her family. Aunt Tillie is still one of my favourite characters of this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XVI
Rawk-A-Tiers: The Shorts Stack
Rawk-A-Tiers: Companion Challenge 2015
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2015 

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.
Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows—everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.
But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose. From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this very much and wished it was part of a series so I could return to this world. This was pure fantasy nearly without romance and it was quite refreshing. Nothing is like Agnieszka expects after she, surprisingly, has been chosen to serve The Dragon - the wizard, who protects her people.
I've had the first book in the Temeraire Series for years but not gotten around to reading it, I will definitely push it up my TBR list after reading this book by Naomi Novik.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
I love Library books 2015
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
Wacky Reading Challenges: Word Search 2015
Wacky Reading Challenges: Mini Challenge 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XVI
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: Reading by the Numbers
A Million More Pages: Scavenger 2015
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
Crazy Challenge Connection: Pick a Theme 2015-2016
Crazy Challenge Connection: Monopoly
Crazy Challenge Connection: Scrabble, anyone?
Wacky Reading Challenges: Vampires, Witches & Ghosts, O My

Life's a Witch by Amanda M. Lee

Life's a witch ... and then you die.
Bay Winchester is living the witch part – literally. She’s hoping to avoid the dying part.
The Winchester world is full of trouble when great-aunt Willa and cousin Rosemary come to town. It’s clear they’re up to something, but no one can figure out what.
Aunt Tillie is loading for bear. She’s declared war on her sister, and she’s not taking prisoners – or looking to skirt collateral damage.
When a young man’s body shows up at Hollow Creek, Bay’s attention is divided thanks to a morose ghost who blames her for ending “party time” and Aunt Tillie’s refusal to back down.
FBI Agent Landon Michaels enjoys watching the show, although he’s worried the dead man’s ties to the local drug trade could put the Winchesters in danger due to Aunt Tillie’s “glaucoma medicine” side business.
Local kids are trying to steal from the property, Aunt Willa is trying to undermine everyone and Aunt Tillie has a secret that she’s dying to spill – that is when she’s not protecting her land with a shotgun.
Bay is determined to find answers, even if she dies in the process. From Goodreads.

As usual a fun, quirky, cosy read about Bay and her family. This time Aunt Tillie's sister turns up and makes trouble, but of course Aunt Tillie sorts everything out in her special way. This also has a darker side with drug and sexual abuse and revenge in the mix that Bay has to sort out. 

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
Wacky Reading Challenges: Word Search 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XVI
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: Companion Challenge 2015
Rawk-A-Tiers: Haunted House
Rawk-A-Tiers: Travel Around the World
Rawk-A-Tiers: Twelve Days of Christmas
A Million More Pages: Scavenger 2015
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
Crazy Challenge Connection: Pick a Theme 2015-2016
Wacky Reading Challenges: Locations A-Z
Crazy Challenge Connection: Scrabble, anyone?
Wacky Reading Challenges: Vampires, Witches & Ghosts, O My 

Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder

Powerful healer Avry knows hardship and trouble. She fought a plague and survived. She took on corrupt King Tohon and defeated him. But now her true love, Kerrick, is missing and Avry fears he’s gone forever.
Yet she faces a more immediate – and deadly – threat. The Skeleton King plots to claim the Fifteen Realms for his own. With the territories’ armies in disarray and the dead not staying dead, Avry’s powers are needed now more than ever.
Torn between love and loyalty, she must choose her path carefully. For the future of Avry’s world depends on her decision…  From Goodreads.

I enjoyed the end to this series and as usual Maria V. Snyder keeps me turning the pages. There is war and chaos and I am pleased I read it so soon after the second book as there were a lot of characters to remember. I liked the bond part of the story and the happy ending though I think too many of the good guys survived compared to all the bad guys dying.
I have read a lot of her books and I just found out she has written a new book in the Study series but it also says it ends on a cliffhanger so I will just wait with that till the next book is released next year and then maybe even reread the 3 first books in the series. 

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Troupe Theme Challenges
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages: Reading Under The Stars
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
Crazy Challenge Connection: Scrabble, anyone?

The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

The Mistborn trilogy has become a firm favourite with fantasy fans the world over. The imagination that Sanderson brought to the series and his skill at marshalling epic storylines and dramatic action, his ability to create vivid characters made him a natural choice to complete Robert Jordan's epic wheel of time sequence. But with Mistborn, his standalone fantasies and his new series, The Stormlight Archive, Sanderson has shown his bountiful talents in his own fiction. Now he returns to the series that made his name with a new story set years after the events of Hero of Ages.
In a world recovering only slowly from evil, a world where allomancers wield immense power through their ability to unleash the magic bound up in common metals someone who can burn metals that no-one has burned before can tip the balance...
Sanderson has the knack of giving the epic fantasy reader exactly what they want. This ability has thrown him to the forefront of the genre and the dramatic story within The Alloy of Law shows off this skill to its very best. From Goodreads.

As I have only just finished the Mistborn trilogy, it was a bit weird to be back with new characters. It took me a bit to get used to Wax who is the main allomancer of the story. He left his noble background in the city to go and work as a mistborn lawkeeper in the wasteland. He now has to return to the city to be head of house after his uncle's death.
I liked his friend Wayne that turned up better than Wax but I am looking forward to see how they will develop in the next book. One part of the story does end with this book but at the same time the whole mystery of what has happened opens up and promises an interesting continuation of the story.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Pack Your Picnic Basket
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Troupe Theme Challenges
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages: Campfire Cookout
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt is a witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent. He roams the country seeking assignments, but gradually comes to realise that while some of his quarry are unremittingly vile, vicious grotesques, others are the victims of sin, evil or simple naivety. From Goodreads.

The reason I decided to read this book now is that I am just starting to play the game The Witcher which is based on this book. It is short stories loosely put together where Geralt is looking for work. Witcher work is slaying monsters, of which there are many but evil and not so evil. This is fantasy based on fairy tales and it is very good.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt
Crazy Challenge Connection: Scrabble, anyone?

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end. From Goodreads.

This was okay but no more than that. There is both a bit of Harry Potter and Star Wars in it. None of the characters are really strong but they are okay. As I subscribe to Kindle Unlimited and the books are available there I will probably continue the series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Pack Your Picnic Basket
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Troupe Theme Challenges
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick Your Fate Adventure Challenge
A Million More Pages: Campfire Cookout
A Million More Pages: Reading Under The Stars
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Though the Greek and Roman crewmembers of the Argo II have made progress in their many quests, they still seem no closer to defeating the earth mother, Gaea. Her giants have risen—all of them—and they're stronger than ever. They must be stopped before the Feast of Spes, when Gaea plans to have two demigods sacrificed in Athens. She needs their blood—the blood of Olympus—in order to wake.
The demigods are having more frequent visions of a terrible battle at Camp Half-Blood. The Roman legion from Camp Jupiter, led by Octavian, is almost within striking distance. Though it is tempting to take the Athena Parthenos to Athens to use as a secret weapon, the friends know that the huge statue belongs back on Long Island, where it "might" be able to stop a war between the two camps.
The Athena Parthenos will go west; the Argo II will go east. The gods, still suffering from multiple personality disorder, are useless. How can a handful of young demigods hope to persevere against Gaea's army of powerful giants? As dangerous as it is to head to Athens, they have no other option. They have sacrificed too much already. And if Gaea wakes, it is game over. From Goodreads.

Yes, this was a great ending to the Heroes of Olympus series. The book is written in a lot of different POVs, and I found that interesting. I didn't mind Percy didn't have a chapter told from his POV. All the other characters are so strong and have to endure a lot all the way through. It is a bit open-ended but that was fine.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Clue#2
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Fifteen-year-old Eragon believes that he is merely a poor farm boy—until his destiny as a Dragon Rider is revealed. Gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save—or destroy—the Empire. From Goodreads

This was better than expected as I was unsure what to expect with the reviews for this book being all over the place. I enjoyed it and thought it was a good fantasy book. It is a coming of age book with a dragon, elves, dwarves and of course an evil ruler and his equally bad henchmen. I will continue this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Witchy Tales: A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale by Amanda M. Lee

Look out Hemlock Cove, Aunt Tillie is on a rampage. What else is new, right?
She’s determined to move her wine business to the next level, and she needs twenty-four hours of peace and quiet to do it.
There’s only one thing standing in her way. Well, make that a whole family of obstacles … and one ticked-off FBI agent.
When cousins Bay, Clove and Thistle vow to stop their great-aunt’s wine endeavor in its tracks, Aunt Tillie is forced to come up with a unique solution. In order to keep her great-nieces out of her hair, she curses them into a book of fairy tales.
Of course, because it’s Aunt Tillie, these aren’t normal fairy tales. They’re the fairy tales she created – with a little inspiration from the classics.
Now Bay, Clove and Thistle have to work their way through a labyrinth of stories they haven’t heard since they were kids – and they have to take Landon, Marcus and Sam along for the ride.
Will Bay get eaten by bears? Will Thistle kiss a frog? Will Sam climb Clove’s hair to rescue her from a tower? And, better yet, will Landon turn himself into a prince and slip a glass slipper on Bay’s foot?
Each task becomes harder as the story progresses, and as the tales darken, things start to become dangerous.
Can the Winchester witches survive Aunt Tillie’s twisted mind? Or will they be lost in a book forever? From Goodreads.

A bit of fun with Bay, Thistle, Clove and their boyfriends caught in Aunt Tillie's book of Fairy Tales. Aunt Tillie doesn't like the original versions of the Fairy Tales so all of them are slightly twisted.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson

Tricked into releasing the evil spirit Ruin while attempting to close the Well of Ascension, new emperor Elend Venture and his wife, the assassin Vin, are now hard-pressed to save the world.
This adventure brings the Mistborn epic fantasy trilogy to a dramatic and surprising climax as Sanderson's saga offers complex characters and a compelling plot, asking hard questions about loyalty, faith and responsibility. From Goodreads.

Another book it took me a few chapters to get back into, as it is so long since I read the second book. It was a brilliant end to the Mistborn trilogy. Vin and Eland are the main characters but so are the rest of the group as they nearly all have major parts to play.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Big Books Bonus Club
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt
Crazy Challenge Connection: Monopoly

Witch Me Luck by Amanda M. Lee

Hemlock Cove is celebrating a magical birthday, and familiar faces from different places are descending on the town to participate in the party.
Everyone is looking forward to the festivities except Bay Winchester, who would rather be hiding from her high school nemesis than chatting her up in the town square.
Lila Stevens hasn’t changed since graduation, and Bay remains her favorite target. Bay would like to ignore her, but Lila isn’t making it easy – especially when she sets her sights on FBI Agent Landon Michaels.
Unfortunately for Bay, she can’t focus on that predicament when the Hemlock Cove Savings & Loan is held up and a local teller is shot. When suspicion falls upon Sam Cornell, the Winchesters have to gather together to prove his innocence (or guilt).
Clove is despondent, Thistle is on a revenge mission and Aunt Tillie is … well … Aunt Tillie. As usual, the Winchester witches are in an uproar.
As the clues start to fit together, Bay realizes she has to wade through a pack of lies to find the truth. With Landon by her side, and Lila nipping at her heels, Bay is going to have to find a way to survive and keep her family together. From Goodreads.

This was fun. These books have a lot of cheeky sexual innuendo. Bay, Thistle and Clove fight constantly but always support each other against outsiders. But not against Aunt Tillie, who is my favourite character. Against her it is just a question about staying off her list to avoid being cursed.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Crazy Challenge Connection: Monopoly

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder 7/11-15

The army of the dead are coming…
Avry of Kazan, the last Healer of the mystical Fifteen Realms, has a power that can’t be matched. But in the minds of her friends and foe alike, Avry no longer exists. Now, as the psychotic King Tohon builds an army mightier than any that has been seen before—a league of undead soldiers—Avry must face her toughest, most terrifying battle alone. Fighting to be reunited with her family and her lover Kerrick, Avry must infiltrate Tohon’s troops. But does she have the power, the rare magic; to do what legend says is impossible? From Goodreads.

I enjoyed this and though it took me a few chapters to sort people out, as it is a long time since I read the first book in the series, it wasn't to difficult to get back into. Avry is a brilliant heroine who will give her life for others and is deeply hurt by the loss of her friends and the betrayal by others. This book finishes on a cliffhanger and I won't wait so long before I read the third book.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Rhyme Time
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
Rawk-A-Tiers: House Games
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is preparing to leave the Dursleys and Privet Drive for the last time. But the future that awaits him is full of danger, not only for him, but for anyone close to him — and Harry has already lost so much. Only by destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes can Harry free himself and overcome the Dark Lord's forces of evil. In a final perilous journey, Harry must find the strength and the will to face a deadly confrontation that is his alone to fight.  From Goodreads.

I have always enjoyed this last book in the series, so much happens. Harry, Hermione and Ron are of course the main story but also Neville and the other students that are fighting in Hogwarts are important. Dobby and Kreacher again show that house elves have their own special magic. I will re-read this series again.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Word Hunt 2015
The Challenge Factory: Scavenger Hunt Part XV
Rawk-A-Tiers: Summer At The Beach
Rawk-A-Tiers: Words With ... Myself!
Rawk-A-Tiers: Getting Acquainted
Rawk-A-Tiers: Big Books Bonus Club
Rawk-A-Tiers: Scavenger Hunt
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

A magical new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Lost Lake, featuring characters from her beloved novel Garden Spells.
Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beat-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever. From Goodreads.

This wasn't as good as the first book in the series but it was still very enjoyable. Bay knows where things belong and she also knows the boy she belongs with, but for a 15 year old that is not so easy as it sounds.
Claire seems to be so sure of herself but when she seriously doubts her identity she needs the support of her family.
I hope there will be more books about the Waverly family.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: House Elves
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Deja Vu Books
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Summertime Mountaineering
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Diagon Alley Supply List
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Pick One For Me
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

It is Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As Voldemort's sinister forces amass and a spirit of gloom and fear sweeps the land, it becomes clear to Harry that he will soon have no choice but to confront his destiny. Can Harry succeed in the death-defying tasks ahead? From Goodreads.

I think this is the third time I have read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I enjoyed it nearly as much as the first time, the only difference being that I of course know what is going to happen. Slughorn is an important character but to me not very likeable, he seems to like only the exceptionally bright students or the ones that have connections. Now I will go watch the film again.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: June Challenges
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Summertime Mountaineering
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Diagon Alley Supply List
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: I Like Big Books Bonus Club
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Meet a Million Members
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt
Novel Books & Reading Challenges - Baby Got Book

First Frost by Liz DeJesus

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”
Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.
She’s about to find out how wrong she is. From Goodreads.






Just my kind of fairy tale. You've got modern day Snow White, a prince and the evil witch. Throw in some artefacts from a lot of different fairy tales to help along the way and you have a fun and cute story. I will definitely continue this series.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: June Challenges
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Deja Vu Books
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Harry Potter: The Ultimate Series Tour
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: School's Out, Well...Almost
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Summertime Mountaineering
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Diagon Alley Supply List
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Meet a Million Members
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt

Seven Viking Romances by Hermann Pálsson

Combining traditional myth, oral history and re-worked European legend to depict an ancient realm of heroism and wonder, the seven tales collected here are among the most fantastical of all the Norse romances. Powerfully inspired works of Icelandic imagination, they relate intriguing, often comical tales of famous kings, difficult gods and women of great beauty, goodness or cunning.
The tales plunder a wide range of earlier literature from Homer to the French romances - as in the tale of the wandering hero Arrow-Odd, which combines several older legends, or Egil and Asmund, where the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops is skilfully adapted into a traditional Norse legend.
These are among the most outrageous, delightful and exhilarating tales in all Icelandic literature. From Goodreads.





This was extremely boring. I like stories about Vikings and Norse mythology but not this book. I think my biggest problem was the names, not the understanding of the names, but the huge number of names. Every time a new character was named we also got the names of all his present family and his forefathers.

This book qualifies for:
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015
2015 Witches & Witchcraft Challenge
I love Library books 2015
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: May Challenges
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Holding out a Hero
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Guess Who?
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Diagon Alley Supply List
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Dragon Nursery
A Million More Pages Hogwarts: Backpacking Around The Globe
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly