Season of the Witch October 2012 Finished Post

Season of the Witch October 2012 has finished.

My goal for this month was to read at least 10 books with some kind of magic in them. Well I reached my goal as I read the 10 books. I like witchy books a lot so this was a fun challenge to do.

The books were:

1. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher 
2. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
3. Forgiven by Jana Oliver 
4. White Night by Jim Butcher 
5. A Modern Witch by Debora Geary 
6. A Hidden Witch by Debora Geary   
7. The Witchlings Midnight Curse by Amanda Turner    
8. A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary
9. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
10. Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton

October 2012 Update

This has been a great reading month. I have read 19 books, quite a jump from last month where I only read 5. The main reason for reading all these books has been that I have taken part in no less than 3 Read-a-Thons and 1 month long Reading Challenge.
So thank you to Michelle @ The True Book Addict for FrightFall Read-a-Thon and Season of the Witch Reading Challenge.
Also thank you to all the great hosts at Dewey's Read-a-Thon. This was my third Dewey's Read-a-Thon and I hope to keep taking part in these.
Last but not least thank you to Alexa and Bianca for hosting 22 on 22 Read-a-Thon celebrating Bianca's birthday.

This is the list of what I read this month:

1. Øjne i Mørket (The Eyes of Darkness) by Dean Koontz
2. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher 
3. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker 
4. I am Legend by Richard Matheson 
5. Åndesøstre (Haunted Sister) by Lael Littke  
6. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
7. Forgiven by Jana Oliver 
8. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne
9. White Night by Jim Butcher 
10. Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle 
11. A Modern Witch by Debora Geary 
12. A Hidden Witch by Debora Geary
13. The Witchlings Midnight Curse by Amanda Turner 
14. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder 
15. A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary
16. Small Favor by Jim Butcher
17. Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton
18. Jewels by Lakisha Spletzer 
19. The Vampire's Warden by S.J. Wright

All my post from October can be found HERE and this month there were lots of posts.

The Vampire's Warden by S.J. Wright

He moved. It was a flash in the moonlight, a blur of motion like I'd never witnessed before. No human had the capacity to move like that. When I found myself face-to-face with him there in the meadow, I knew without a doubt that the journal was authentic. I knew that my grandfather hadn't been crazy at all.
Because a foot away from me stood a vampire.
What do you do when you find out the people you trust have been hiding a terrible secret? When Sarah Wood's father passes away and hands over to her the responsibility of running the family's inn, she finds put things are far more complicated than she first imagined. She's not just responsible for running the inn. She's become the Vampire's Warden. From Goodreads

This was okay. I found the concept of a vampire warden interesting and, as this is called a paranormal romance, it is easy to guess that something romantic is going to happen between the main character and a vampire. It doesn't come to much in this first book / novella but I am sure things will develop further in the next books in the series. I think there was meant to be 3 but there is at least 4 now. I might read more later but it is not so interesting that I need to in the near future.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Why Buy the Cow? Reading challenge 2012 ( this book was free on Amazon.com the 20th of October 2012)

Jewels by Lakisha Spletzer

Special Lieutenant Jewels Enbran, a human telepath unable to shield her mind from thoughts, uses telepathic anchors who protect her vulnerable mind. Her current anchor, Colonel Jeremy Lingley, is nearing burnout. An alien race is seeking an alliance with Earth and the pair are assigned the mission of discovering the aliens' secrets.
Crown Prince Dex LoudRoar is a Gatoan warrior and a royal with a terrible secret. His people wage a constant war against their enemy, the Lupinious empire. But the tide of battle is turning and his people seek help from a new source: the humans of Earth.
With an interstellar war looming, Jewels and Dex seek salvation for their planets and find their destinies changed forever. From Goodreads.

This was okay. The story is about humans meeting a new alien race. They are, of course, not being quite honest with each other and there are a lot of telepathic abilities thrown in the mix, and love between a human and an alien. I might look for more of her books at a later date.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Why Buy the Cow? Reading challenge 2012 ( this book was free on Smashwords the 10th of March 2012)

Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton

It’s two weeks before Triss turns 18, and her world is about to change into the most magical one imaginable as she readies herself to enter The Witch Avenue Order... that is until her mother’s disappearance. Instead of celebrating her transformation, she finds herself spreading rose petals into her mother’s empty grave.
When Logan, her best friend from junior high, moves back to town for college, he vows to help her find the answers she so desperately seeks surrounding her mother’s disappearance. As they begin uncovering clues, it becomes apparent that the life of white magic they both grew up loving is not what the majority practices, and their lives are in danger.
With a haunting feeling that her mother may still be alive, she begins to hear a call to the wilderness. Triss realizes that in order to find the answers she needs, she must learn the ways of her ancestors and become the hunter, not the hunted before it’s too late, and she becomes part of the lonely souls. From Goodreads

A girl about to turn 18 loses her mum, not necessarily dead, but she disappears. Most of her coven friends turn out not to be as friendly or helpful as she has thought all her life. An interesting twist with a lot of dark, evil magic and of course there is romance in it as well. I liked it enough that, after finishing it, I bought the second book in the series.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

22 on 22 Read-a-Thon Finished

End of Read-a-Thon Survey:

1. What was your favorite part of this read-a-thon?
    That I had an excuse to be reading.
2. Did you enjoy the mini challenges?
    I did not take part in the mini challenges but that is not unusual for me.
3. What was your least favorite part of this read-a-thon?
    There was no least favourite part.
4. Anything I should do differently if I were to host another read-a-thon?
    No, I think you did fine.

My goal for this week was to read 4 books and I reached that goal.

The books were:

1. The Witchlings Midnight Curse by Amanda Turner
2. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder 
3. A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary (+ A Witch Central Wedding) 
4. Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Small Favor by Jim Butcher

Gumshoe wizard Harry Dresden has had one quiet -- make that dull -- year. For 12 whole months, nobody has tried to kill him. Just as he's settling into these doldrums, Mab, the monarch of the Winter Court of the Sidhe, calls him in for a small favor. (Favors, it seems, are the main currency of Dresden's universe.) What begins as a tip of the hat quickly escalates into deadly matters that pit Harry against two deadly foes. Supernatural crime noir. From Goodreads.

Book 10 in the Dresden Series. I really like these books, they are full of humour and a lot of fighting bad guys. And then again the bad guys aren't always the ones you think they are or at least not all bad guys are equally bad. I also like that he has Molly his apprentice who has a very different kind of magic to Dresden. I wish there had been more than one season of the television series.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
22 on 22 Read-a-Thon  
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary (+ A Witch Central Wedding)

With great power comes great responsibility. So says the tradition of witching. One teenage witch missed that lesson…
As a child, Sierra Brighton traveled the world. She swam with the baby whales, danced in storm funnels, and lived in complete magical freedom. And then Momma died and Sierra ended up in foster care, an unhappy and very secret witch.
Fetched by Nell's spell, she'll no longer need to do magic on lonely beaches - but can Sierra learn to use her power safely? Or will her reckless blood put Witch Central at risk? From Goodreads

I am enjoying this "A Modern Witch" series by Debora Geary a lot at the moment. I have only one left to read now and it won't be long.  This one is about Sierra, a teenager who hasn't learnt to do magic in the same safe way as they are taught at witch central. Here they are afraid she is like her mother and that she is not interested in doing magic safely.
There is of course also a romance going on with two of the other characters.
If you want to read something cute, funny and with a bit of romance mixed with witches and magic, this is a series to read.

It's a Witch Central wedding - and you're invited :).
This is a short read, about the length of two chapters in my series books. Not a short story, really - more like a snapshot. The chance to share in an important moment in the lives of your favorite witches.
This should be read between A Reckless Witch and A Nomadic Witch. Enjoy the wedding! From Goodreads.

I have added this short story to this post as the story is only 32 pages and is a continuation of the romance in A Reckless Witch. It is a cute and funny little story about a wedding in the family.
 
This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
22 on 22 Read-a-Thon

Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In. From Goodreads.

I so enjoyed this book, it is just as good as the first book in the series. It is about betrayal, trust, love and friendship. I especially like that there are hardly any good or bad characters in these books but they are all quite a bit of both which makes it more believable. I have read the author's Glass series and the two books in this series and I will definitely look into her Study and Healer series.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
22 on 22 Read-a-Thon

The Witchlings Midnight Curse by Amanda Turner

Roxanne didn't know what to expect when she started her new school. However, what she didn't expect was a new boyfriend. Luke was gorgeous but came with baggage, otherwise known as the Elites. Why did they worry her so much ? She was soon to discover that the Elites were a secret coven of witches. Roxanne is thrown into a world full of mystery, spells and best of all love. But love comes at a price. Can Roxanne overcome the Elites, a curse and worst of all the witch finders to find true happiness. From Goodreads.

In the beginning of the book a 16 year old girl starts a new school. There is a group that stands out and when she sees them the first time she can't look away.
Sound familiar?
Luckily this is about witches not vampires and it does get better. It was okay and I might buy the sequel at some point.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
22 on 22 Read-a-Thon

22 on 22 Read-a-Thon start post

I have joined another Read-a-Thon.

Bianca is turning 22 on Oct 22nd so we here at Pages of Forbidden Love decided to honor her birthday with a week long Read-a-Thon. So please join us for a week of fun, challenges, prizes, and lots of reading! There is no pressure to read a certain amount of books during this Read-a-Thon, it is strictly for fun to celebrate a birthday!

Here is a list of 5 books and my goal is to read at least 4 of these during this Read-a-Thon

1. The Witchlings Midnight curse by Amanda Turner
2. A Reckless Witch by Debora Geary
3. Lonely Souls by Karice Bolton
4. Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
5. Small Favor by Jim Butcher

A Hidden Witch by Debora Geary

Elorie Shaw, steeped in the traditions of the Nova Scotia witching community, but not a witch. The fetching spell must have goofed this time… or did it?
Travel to Fisher’s Cove, Nova Scotia, where Moira is matriarch and the old ways are nurtured and passed to the next generation. Where a crotchety old witch makes small children cry and builds walls around the silent pain in his heart. And where Elorie - sea-glass artist, inn owner, and Moira’s granddaughter - makes her home.
The old magics are strong here. Which is all fine and good until the fetching spell pulls Elorie into Witches’ Chat. 
 Because she’s not a witch. Or at least not any kind of witch the old ways recognize… From Goodreads. 





Okay, I am now totally hooked. I only meant to read a couple of chapters last night when I went to bed but I ended up reading this book in one sitting and didn't finish till 5am this morning. I enjoyed it and was both giggling and had wet eyes during this book. I will definitely continue this series and also look into Debora Geary's other books.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

Can you live 28 years without discovering you're a witch? — Lauren is downtown Chicago's youngest elite realtor. She's also a witch. She must be - the fetching spell for Witches' Chat isn't supposed to make mistakes. So says the woman who coded the spell, at least. — The tall, dark, and handsome guy sent to assess her is a witch too (and no, that doesn't end the way you might think). What he finds in Lauren will change lives, mess with a perfectly good career, and require lots of ice cream therapy. From Goodreads.

I had heard of this series a long time ago and actually bought all four books back in August but I haven't gotten around to reading them. I am just now doing Season of the Witch Reading Challenge and that was a good reason to try the series out.
I was pleasantly surprise. It was a cosy, humoristic, easy read and I am ready to read the next books right away.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 13th 2012 wrap up post

My goal for this Read-a-Thon was to take part the whole 24 hours and read at least 3 books.
Another goal was to visit at least two other blogs every hour of the Read-a-Thon

I reached my goals.

I lasted the whole 24 hours. Of course I had a few times I was struggling, around 12 hours and again around hour 21 and 22. I got through without falling asleep.

I did visit over 50 blogs over the 24 hours and even left a comment on a couple of them. This I will change again next read-a-thon as I felt it took a lot of time away from my reading and that is my main purpose of taking part in the read-a-thon.

I read 3½ books all in all.

1. Forgiven by Jana Oliver - 417 pages
2. Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne - 192 pages
3. White Night by Jim Butcher - 481 pages
4. Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle - 75 pages (the book is 150 pages but I only got to 50 % before the end of the read-a-thon. I have now finished the book)

Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle

Alexondra Meyers, known to her friends as Xoe, had a normal life. She liked her normal life, but there's a new guy in the small town of Shelby, OR, and he is anything but normal. Before Xoe can say, "Werewolf," her world is turned upside-down. Between a dark secret in Xoe's past, a best friend who's been scratched, and not to mention highschool, Xoe has a lot of thinking to do. She has to choose who she can trust, and fast . . . tomorrow's the full moon. From Goodreads.

This book is okay. I feel that the author has tried to get as many paranormal beings thrown in as fast as possible. It goes from nobody knows there are any paranormal beings to 3 different ones in a few pages. It was a quick easy read but maybe the book should have been a bit longer. That said, the main character and her friends are an interesting lot and at some point I might read the second book in the series.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2012 

White Night by Jim Butcher

Someone is targeting the city’s magic practitioners, the members of the supernatural underclass who don’t possess enough power to become full-fledged wizards. Many have vanished. Others appear to be victims of suicide. But the murderer has left a calling card at one of the crime scenes–a message for Harry Dresden, referencing the book of Exodus and the killing of witches.
Harry sets out to find the killer before he can strike again, but his investigation turns up evidence pointing to the one suspect he cannot possibly believe guilty: his half brother, Thomas. Determined to bring the real murderer to justice and clear his brother’s name, Harry attracts the attention of the White Court of vampires, becoming embroiled in a power struggle that renders him outnumbered, outclassed, and dangerously susceptible to temptation.
Harry knows that if he screws this one up, a lot of people will die–and one of them will be his brother. From Goodreads


The witches are being killed and again it is Harry's job to find out who is doing it. This is a book filled with deceit, manipulation and secrets. Harry of course solves it all in the end.

This book qualifies for: 
100 books in a year Reading Challenge 2012, 
Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge, 
2012 Ebook Challenge,
A-Z  Book Challenge 2012,
Season of the Witch October 2012,
2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge,
Finishing the Series Reading Challenge,
Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 2012  

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 13th 2012 - End of event meme

End of event meme:

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? That was exactly mid-ways and then again hour 21 and 22.
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? Demon Trapper series by Jana Oliver and Dresden series by Jim Butcher.
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, this time was already better that the spring read-a-thon.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? There were more updates before the event and I liked that.
5. How many books did you read? 3½
6. What were the names of the books you read? 1: Forgiven by Jana Oliver - 2: Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne - 3: White Night by Jim Butcher - 4: Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle (50 % read)
7. Which book did you enjoy most? I think I enjoyed the first 3 books equally.
8. Which did you enjoy least? Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle.
9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? Not a Cheerleader but a huge thank you to the Cheerleaders.
10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? This was my 3rd Read-a-Thon and I will definitely participate again and I will still be a reader.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 13th 2012 - hour 22 update

Hour 22 update.

I have just finished my third book. White Night by Jim Butcher (481 pages)
The last couple of hours has been tough going but I will get through these last 2½ hours.

I think my next book will be Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My! by Sara C. Roethle

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 13th 2012 hour 19 mini-challenge

The White Dragon Walking on Thin Ice Going Inside the Fearful Void

Hour 19 mini-challenge is to create a sentence with book titles. I have made two. I am sorry about the poor picture quality.

Woman on the Boundary Waters Eclipse the Perfect Storm

Dewey's Read-a-Thon October 13th 2012 - hour 17 update

Hour 17 update.

I am 43 % into my third book. White Night by Jim Butcher. And I feel more awake than I did at hour 13, halfway into the read-a-thon.

My sister is fast asleep, she obviously didn't have the stamina (and I am not sure she has quite adapted to my time zone yet) to stay awake but she started her 4th book before falling asleep so she is doing okay.

I have checked the night sky for Northern Lights a couple of times but unfortunately it is a bit too cloudy tonight

Back to the reading.