Hosted by The Space Between

Monday, December 30, 2013

Bout of Books 9.0 - Goals/Updates

Bout of Books


*Sings* Ce-le-brate Good Books Come On! *Ahem* It's time for Bout of Books 9.0, January 6th-12th with our favorite hostesses, Amanda and Kelly!  It's just the thing to get your 2014 reading started off with a bang!

Signup Here!

Link Your Goals up Here!

As for me, I'm going to concentrate on my Seriously Series Challenge list and see how far I can get!

Updates:

Currently Reading:



Finished:




Day 1:
Allegiant - 2:10 listened
The Getaway - 26%

Day 2:
Allegiant - 4:00 listened
The Getaway - Finished! 61 pages
Catacombs - Started 36 pages

Day 3:
Allegiant - 7:22 listened
Catacombs - 120 pages in

Day 4:
Allegiant -finished! 11:51 total
Catacombs -166 pages in

Day 5:
Catacombs - finished! 236 pages
Hunted - started listening
Photographs & Phantoms - started

Day 6:
Photographs & Phantoms - Finished! 64 pages
Hunted - 1:31 in, probably won't finish for the 'thon but that's still an hour and a half of "reading" I did for it! ;)
That Thing at the Zoo - started

Day 7:
That Thing at the Zoo - finished! 63 pages

Final:
Total Pages: 424 (60 1/2 pages per day)
Hours listened: 13:22 (1.9 hours per day)

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Seriously Series 2014



    I'm joining Kelly at Reading the Paranormal for the Seriously Series 2014 Challenge!

    For details and sign up, click on the image above, you know what want to join us!

    I'm going to concentrate most of my effort on finishing off or reading up to what I own of series that I have already started.

    Declared Levels:
    Series Started Before 2014: Seriously Spectacular Series Star
    Series Started in 2014: Semi-Serious
    Series Re-Reads in 2014: Semi-Serious


    Currently Reading
    Finished Reading


    Series Started Before 2014

    Series = 0/19
     

    Total Books = 0/32
     


    Format Author Series Title
    Audio Veronica Roth Divergent Allegiant
    Audio Kevin Hearne Iron Druid Hunted
    Audio Lauren Willig Pink Carnation The Garden Intrigue
    Audio Lauren Willig Pink Carnation The Passion of the Purple Plumeria
    Audio J. R. R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
    Audio J. R. R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King
    Paperback Ann Aguirre Sirantha Jax Endgame
    Paperback Molly Harper Jane Jameson Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors
    Paperback J. R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood Lover Reborn
    Kindle Carolyn Crane Disillusionists Head Rush
    E-book Carolyn Crane Disillusionists Devil's Luck
    Paperback Stephen Harper Dreamer Offspring
    Paperback Jennifer Rardin Jaz Parks Another One Bites the Dust
    Paperback Thea Harrison The Elder Races Storm's Heart
    Paperback Thea Harrison The Elder Races Serpent's Kiss
    Paperback Anne Bishop Black Jewels Shalador's Lady
    Paperback Anne Bishop Black Jewels Twilight's Dawn
    Kindle Sonya Bateman Gavyn Donatti The Getaway
    Paperback Sonya Bateman Gavyn Donatti Master and Apprentice
    Hardback Karen Marie Moning Fever Dreamfever
    Hardback Karen Marie Moning Fever Shadowfever  
    Paperback J. R. Ward Fallen Angels Crave
    Paperback J. R. Ward Fallen Angels Envy
    Paperback J. R. Ward Fallen Angels Rapture
    Paperback Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels Magic Mourns in Must Love Hellhounds (Kate Daniels 3.5)
    Paperback Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels Magic Bleeds
    Paperback Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels Magic Dreams in Hexed (4.5)
    Paperback Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels Magic Slays
    Paperback Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels Magic Rises
    Hardback Anne McCaffrey Tales of the Barque Cats Catacombs
    Kindle Christine Cody Bloodlands Blood Rules
    Audio Eoin Colfer HitchHiker's Guide And Another Thing...



    Series Started In 2014

    Series = 0/2
     

    Total Books = 0/7
     


    Format Author Series Title
    Hardback Ann Aguirre Razorland Outpost
    Hardback Ann Aguirre Razorland Enclave
    E-book Ann Aguirre Razorland Restoration
    Hardback Ann Aguirre Razorland Horde
    Paperback Katie MacAlister Silver Dragons Playing With Fire
    Paperback Katie MacAlister Silver Dragons Up in Smoke
    Paperback Katie MacAlister Silver Dragons Me and My Shadow


    Series Re-Reads In 2014

    Series  = 0/1
     

    Total Books = 0/5
     


    Format Author Series Title
    Audio Douglas Adams HitchHiker's Guide Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
    Audio Douglas Adams HitchHiker's Guide The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
    Audio Douglas Adams HitchHiker's Guide Life, The Universe and Everything
    Audio Douglas Adams HitchHiker's Guide So Long and Thanks For All the Fish
    Audio Douglas Adams HitchHiker's Guide Mostly Harmless

    Saturday, December 21, 2013

    2013 Seriously Series Challenge Wrap Up



    2013 is not quite over, but I don't think my list is going to change too much in what's left.  While I did not complete my ambitious series list for this challenge, I did make progress and finished off or caught up to what I owned on 4 series started before 2013 and 1 series started in 2013.  This totaled:  4 audiobooks, 7 novels and 1 novella.  I did get started on a few of the others as well, and was able to read 9 novels and 1 novella in those series.  My original goal was for 34 total reads and I achieved about 65%.  Even though I only made a D grade, I'm still happy with what I achieved, and am definitely in for 2014!  Some of those I didn't finish I will carry over and we'll just give it another try!

    Series Completed:

    Series started before 2013

    Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

    • A Breath of Snow and Ashes - finished 3/11/13
    • An Echo in the Bone - finished 8/9/13
      Simon Canderous by Anton Strout
    • Dead Matter - finished 1/9/13
    • Dead Waters - finished 5/25/13
    Iron Druid by Kevin Hearne (added 1/30/13)
    • Tricked - Finished 3/18/13
    • Two Ravens and One Crow - finished 4/27/13
    • Trapped - finished 5/24/13
    The Vampire Empire by Susan and Clay Griffith (added 1/30/13)
    • The Riftwalker - finished 5/22/13
    • The Kingmakers - finished 8/6/13

    Series started in 2013


    The Modern Tales of Faerie by Holly Black
    • Tithe - Finished 4/23/13
    • Valiant -Finished 9/9/13
    • Ironside - Finished 10/22/13


     Series not completed but made progress: 

     Series started before 2013

    Sirantha Jax by Ann Aguirre

    • Killbox - finished 3/5/13
    • Aftermath -  finished 11/15/13
    • Endgame
    Fever by Karen Marie Moning
    • Faefever - finished 9/28/13
    • Dreamfever
    • Shadowfever 
     Jane Jameson by Molly Harper
    • Nice Girls Don’t Sign a Lease Without a Wedding Ring - finished 1/10/13
    • Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors  
    Phaedre's Trilogy by Jacqueline Carey (added 1/20/13)
    • Kushiel's Chosen - finished 2/18/13
    • Kushiel's Avatar - currently reading

    Series started in 2013


    Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld
    • The Secret Hour - finished 2/24/13
    • Touching Darkness
    • Blue Noon (added 3/18/13) 
    Elder Races by Thea Harrison
    • Dragon Bound - finished 8/24/13
    • Storm's Heart
    • Serpent's Kiss (added 1/14/13)
    Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin
    • Once Bitten, Twice Shy - finished 8/1/13
    • Another One Bites the Dust

    Percheron by Fiona McIntosh
    • Odalisque - finished (4/2/13)
    • Emissary

    Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson - the first one was cute, but I've decided I'm just not interested enough to continue.
    • Enchanted Inc. - Finished 1/27/13
    • Once Upon Stilettos
    • Damsel Under Stress 
    Fallen Angels by J. R. Ward
    • Crave
    • Envy 

    Tuesday, December 03, 2013

    Blogger's Mindset by Amanda Shofner

    From Goodreads:

    What makes bloggers give up and step away from their blogs?

    Burnout. Feeling overwhelmed or defeated. Over-committing. Jealousy. Life.

    Sound familiar? Your blogging experience is shaped by how you approach blogging and how you think about it. The Blogger’s Mindset is about finding your way to the right mindset.

    Learn how to build your blogging foundation and keep blogging when the blogging gets tough. Determine your why, who, and focus. Get real about your commitment and the nuts and bolts of blogging. Address your brand and evaluate your approach. Check your attitude. Find out what it takes to stick with it.

    The Blogger’s Mindset is an uplifting slap in the face. It brings the harsh realities of blogging to you while at the same time offering you encouragement to go on, find your purpose, get focused and make it work for you.

    There is good advice for blogging that is also good advice for life. I felt like Amanda wrote this just for me, addressing my negative self-evaluations and making me realize that no one else is making those comparisons, just me. You have to get rid of undermining thoughts; they are only a self-fulfilling prophecy.

    The answers to success are inside you, Blogger’s Mindset gets you to ask yourself the right questions:
    • Why are you blogging?
    • Who are you blogging for?
    • What is your purpose?
    • How can you build a community?

    If you answer these questions truthfully, it might change your whole perspective about your blogging method and style.

    I put off reading Blogger’s Mindset until I hit one of those low points where I start asking myself, why bother? Who cares? Why am I doing this? It was the perfect time for it. While it would be helpful to bloggers at any time and stage of their blogging career, it was more powerful for me when I was experiencing one of those down turns and needed that pep talk/swift kick from someone who’s been there. I plan to keep it handy to look through again whenever I fall into one of those dips in the road.

    Visit Amanda's business website, The Path of Least Revision for tips, tricks and editing services.  She knows her stuff, she does!
    Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...