A Million More Pages - Crop Circles - Finished

Crop Circles hosted by A Million More Pages on Goodreads.

This was more difficult than expected as I needed to join both character and author but I still managed to make a link of 9 books in a row that gave me 9 points for the Hogwarts challenge.

To complete this challenge you will need to read books that have a certain type of character in it. Then link the authors to each other.

You must link the author's names from the Last name to the first name.

Example:
1.Terry Goodkind
2.Gail Carriger,
3.Carolyn Jewel,
4.JoJo Moyers
...etc...
You may move the characters around, they do not need to be in the # order they are currently in.

Your List of Characters are:

1. Alien
2. Psychic
3. Farmer
4. Fighter
5. Healer
6. Priest
7. Shapeshifter
8. Bard
9. King
10. Illusionist
11. Dancer
12. Archer
13. Cook
14. Blacksmith
15. Thief
16. Traveler
17. Elf
18. Monster
19. Assassin
20. Viking
21. Librarian

Now choose your level:
Maid:3 characters:5 Points
Pawn:6 characters:7 Points
Knight:9 characters:9 Points
Bishop:12 characters:11 Points
Rook:15 characters:13 Points
Queen:18 characters:15 Points
King: 21 characters:17 Points  

My books:

Maid: 3
#10. Illusionist: Blood Faerie by India Drummond
#13. Cook: The Vintage Tea Dress Shop in Summer by De-Ann Black
#6. Priest: Redwall by Brian Jacques 
Pawn: 6
9. King: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
16. Traveler: Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
3. Farmer: Den sidste stjerne by Hans Blangstrup Christensen
Knight:9
7. Shapeshifter: Unruly Magic by Camilla Chafer
12. Archer: Elfhunter by C.S. Marks
2. Psychic: Toby Streams the Universe by Maya Lassiter

Toby Streams the Universe by Maya Lassiter

Toby Hay is a psychic living in New York City, supporting his screwed-up family using his visions to play the stock market. He also helps his private investigator best-friend with the occasional case--all while trying not to read the future of every person he meets. Such as Toby's new neighbor, a beautiful painter hiding from her violent Ex. Or Toby's psychic, sex-pot, sister, scared of her own future. Or his quirky virtual-assistant, struggling to care for her sick child. Toby wants to help them all, but his super-psychic father trained him not to interfere, lest he lose his own sanity in the process. Toby's father knew everything--he must have had good reasons for his rules. Of course, he vanished nearly a year ago...
Then a voice speaks in Toby's mind, offering a path away from the dark future predicted by the Family Histories--if only Toby will challenge what his father taught him and learn to use his visions, rather than merely control them. Now Toby must find his father, uncover the identity of the voice, and save his friends from their futures, all while figuring out how to live inside his own, increasingly strange mind. From Goodreads.

This was better than I expected. This is Toby's journey to find a way to escape insanity. I like the way he tries to help people change their sad futures even if they think him a stalker in the process. I will definitely read more by Maya Lassiter at some point.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection A-Z Locations - 2014
Novel Books & Reading Challenges Tower Teams III
A Million More Pages Hogwarts Challenge

A Million More Pages - Crop Circles

Crop Circles hosted by A Million More Pages on Goodreads.

Another challenge from A Million More Pages that gives points to the Hogwarts challenge.

To complete this challenge you will need to read books that have a certain type of character in it. Then link the authors to each other.

You must link the author's names from the Last name to the first name.

Example:
1.Terry Goodkind
2.Gail Carriger,
3.Carolyn Jewel,
4.JoJo Moyers
...etc...
You may move the characters around, they do not need to be in the # order they are currently in.

Your List of Characters are:

1. Alien
2. Psychic
3. Farmer
4. Fighter
5. Healer
6. Priest
7. Shapeshifter
8. Bard
9. King
10. Illusionist
11. Dancer
12. Archer
13. Cook
14. Blacksmith
15. Thief
16. Traveler
17. Elf
18. Monster
19. Assassin
20. Viking
21. Librarian

Now choose your level:
Maid:3 characters:5 Points
Pawn:6 characters:7 Points
Knight:9 characters:9 Points
Bishop:12 characters:11 Points
Rook:15 characters:13 Points
Queen:18 characters:15 Points
King: 21 characters:17 Points  

My books:

Maid: 3
#10. Illusionist: Blood Faerie by India Drummond
#13. Cook: The Vintage Tea Dress Shop in Summer by De-Ann Black
#6. Priest: Redwall by Brian Jacques 
Pawn: 6
9. King: The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
16. Traveler: Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl
3. Farmer: Den sidste stjerne by Hans Blangstrup Christensen
Knight:9
7. Shapeshifter: Unruly Magic by Camilla Chafer
12. Archer: Elfhunter by C.S. Marks
2. Psychic: Toby Streams the Universe by Maya Lassiter

Elfhunter by C.S. Marks

Elfhunter is the first of the tales of Alterra, The World That Is. It concerns the quest of an unlikely pair of heroines, Gaelen and Nelwyn, who are Wood-elves of the Greatwood Forest. They are hunter-scouts in the realm of King Ri-Aruin, and they have sworn to protect their woodland home, but they are drawn into a quest to defend all the Elves of Alterra as they seek to destroy the 'Elfhunter', a monstrous entity intent on exterminating the Elves until none remain. Along the way, Gaelen and Nelwyn are joined by other interesting characters as they make their way through the realms of Alterra in pursuit of the Elfhunter, whose true name is 'Gorgon'. What headstrong Gaelen and her gentle cousin do not know is that Gorgon is in league with the Dark Power, and that the forces of Evil have forged an entanglement between Gorgon and Gaelen herself. Now she and all she loves are in jeopardy, and only an inspired plan put forth by Orogond, a mortal man, can save her. From Goodreads.


This is okay but no more, it is a bit too much a copy of LOTR. There is an evil that the elves have been fighting for millennia. There is a ring, not the same purpose but still an important ring. Elfgirl and ranger together, and a stone to look in to see the past and the possible future. I have the next two books but I am not convinced I will read them.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection: 1000 Member Celebration!
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Novel Books & Reading Challenges - Baby Got Book
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet O-xoni)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Novel Books & Reading Challenges Tower Teams III
A Million More Pages Hogwarts Challenge

Den sidste stjerne by Hans Blangstrup Christensen

Den Sidste Stjerne er bogens titelnovelle. Den handler om den konflikt, der opstår, når en enlig gårdmandsenke med en søn, der hele sit liv har boet hjemme, pludselig ser sin hverdag bryde sammen, fordi sønnenfinder en pige, som han ønsker at dele fremtiden med. From back of book.

Another collection of Christmas short stories. These didn't have a too sickly happily ending, it seemed more like a promise of hope for the future. I liked this.

This book qualifies for:
I Love Library Books Reading Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Novel Books & Reading Challenges Tower Teams III
Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2014

The Vintage Tea Dress Shop in Summer by De-Ann Black

Esmie works as a marketing consultant for a company in Glasgow. But when she's given the offer of a vintage tea dress and fabric shop on the West Coast of Scotland, she decides to try and make a new life for herself in the little coastal town.
Using her marketing skills she tries to make the vintage shop with its floral fabrics and furniture profitable, while building a new life away from the city.
It's an old fashioned shop and a house combined, with one of the most beautiful cottage gardens Esmie has ever seen, filled with sweet peas, pink bluebells, pansies and tea roses.
Will Esmie the city girl find romance and love here? Is local hotel owner, Grant, the man for her? Or perhaps Angus who owns the tearoom? And how much trouble will Esmie cause with her meddling and mischief during the long hot summer?
Find out in this exciting new romance set in summer in the West Coast of Scotland. From Goodreads.


Another short and sweet read from De-Ann Black. Again good for an afternoon cozying up indoors.
I like books set in Scotland and in small towns. This had both and I enjoyed it.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Novel Books & Reading Challenges Tower Teams III

Redwall by Brian Jacques

When Redwall was published in 1987 it catipulted author Brian Jacques to international stardom. And small wonder! This enthralling tale is jam-packed with the things we long for in a great adventure: danger, laughter, hairbreath excapes, tragedy, mystery, a touch of wonder, a truly despicable villain, and a hero we can take to heart.
That hero is Matthias, a young mouse who must rise above his fears and failures to save his friends at Redwall Abbey. The villain is Cluny the Scourage, one of the most deliciously despicable rats of all time. The unforgettable cast of supporting characters includes the stalwart badger Constance, an irrepressible hare named Basil Stag Hare, and the elderly wisemouse Brother Methuselah.
But most of all there is Matthias, seeking his true destiny in a journey that will lead through danger and despair to true wisdom. From Goodreads.



This was way better than I expected. I just didn't like the idea of mice and rats as main characters but it worked. I really liked Matthias, a clumsy but very brave mouse and it was a very good description of the horrible warlord Cluny the Scourage. I have the next two books and will definitely continue the series as some point.

This book qualifies for:
Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: Yahtzee Challenge
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Novel Books & Reading Challenges Tower Teams III

Blood Faerie by India Drummond

Sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything. From Goodreads.

Okay I have a weakness for Scotland as I have lived there some years and my favourite genre is paranormal. Put these two things together and the likelihood of me enjoying the book is high.
I did like this book about Eilidh, an outcast faerie. She has been avoiding humans while living among them for the last 25 years. Now she has to prevent murders, comitted by another outcast faerie, taking place in Perth. Here she meets Quinton, a policeman, and things develop.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
Read Scotland 2014
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
The Challenge Factory - R4: Team Challenge SSS
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Sub-Genre Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (I-zorilla)
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2014

Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl

"Am going to cross Pacific on a wooden raft to support a theory that the South Sea islands were peopled from Peru. Will you come?...Reply at once." That is how six brave & inquisitive men came to seek a dangerous path to test a scientific theory.
On a primitive raft made of 40' balsa logs & named Kon-Tiki in honor of a legendary sun king, Heyerdahl & five companions deliberately risked their lives to show that the ancient Peruvians could have made the 4300-mile voyage to the Polynesian islands on similar craft.
Life on the raft was strange & wonderful. Perhaps the most amazing part of the whole voyage was that not once during the 101 days were the men bored. The always present danger of storms (& the storms themselves), the eternal, ever-changing sea & sky, & their own ingenuity took care of that. & the huge company of fish. They encountered the rare whale shark--"Walt Disney, with all his powers of imagination, could not have created a more hair-raising monster"--& they were the 1st men ever to see a live snake mackerel.
On every page of this true record--from the actual building of the raft thru all the dangerous & comic adventures on the sea to the spectacular crash-landing & the native islanders' hula dances--each reader will find a wholesome & spellbinding escape from the 20th century. From Goodreads.

This was quite interesting, all of it. The whole preparation, the trip itself and the end of the trip. Thor Heyerdahl and his companions survived an impossible trip. I am impressed by this undertaking. Now I want to watch the film.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Bookshelf Battle Team Challenge #4
Crazy Challenge Connection - Oktoberfest
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Crazy Challenge Connection - Let's Play Jeopardy!
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

As the War of the Rings builds in intensity and the dark minions of Sauron look to extend their evil influence over Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam edge ever closer to Mount Doom. Desperate to avoid the watchful eye of the Dark lord and the treacherous betrayal of Gollum, the two noble hobbits struggle through the Land of Shadow in an attempt to destroy the One Ring of Power and end Sauron's evil reign forever. From Goodreads.

The final book in the trilogy The Lord of The Rings. The part I miss in the film is the return of the hobbits to the Shire. It seems in the film that the Shire has not been affected by the war at all. This is not correct, I can see why it is not in the film but I miss it none the less as it is one of my favourite parts of the book.
If you have only seen the films, try reading the books. As with most books to film there is a lot more happening in the books.

This book qualifies for:
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Romance Readers Reading Challenges: 2014 Chubby Chunkster
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet R-vulture)
Crazy Challenge Connection Scrabble, anyone?
Crazy Challenge Connection Bard of Avon

Unruly Magic by Camilla Chafer

The sequel to Illicit Magic...
A witch on the run.
A quiet little town where everything is far from normal.
A fractured witch council threatening to tear the supernatural world apart.
Life hasn't been easy for novice witch Stella but small town life seems to be agreeing with her. When a seemingly innocent girl begs for her protection, Stella is pulled into a dangerous game of unruly magic.
With bewitching friends and two super-sexy mysterious men by her side, Stella is plunged into a mystery where she must uncover dangerous secrets before she ends up paying the ultimate price. From Goodreads.

This book continues right after number one. She is hiding in her parents house. New nice neighbours that are not what they seem. It is still a good paranormal story with lots of romance.

This book qualifies for:
2014 Ebook challenge
You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges Wheel-A-Thon
Goodreads Reading Challenge 2014
Nothing but Reading Challenges - Spell it Out - Animal Alphabet (U-umbrillabird)
Crazy Challenge Connection Monopoly