Audiobook: The Valley of Secrets by Charmian Hussey

Stephen Lansbury is an orphan who receives a letter informing him of an inheritance. After his meeting with an odd lawyer, Albert Postlethwaite, who is extremely reluctant to answer any of his questions, Stephen travels to the mysterious estate to take possession.

The estate is strangely deserted, yet somehow things keep happening that make Stephen realize he's not quite alone. His exploration of the secrets Lansbury Hall contains is enchanting and often humorous, while his discovery of a family he would have liked to have known, just after his Great Uncle Theodore's death is poignant. The more he learns of them as he reads the Theodore's journals, written as a young man, the more he misses what could have been, but a great surprise still awaits him out in the lush wilderness of the estate.

The author is clearly also concerned very deeply about environmental protection, and works this into the story very well. She brings these issues to life by creating characters we can sympathize with, and demonstrating the destruction of the rainforest and it's indigenous peoples through their story.

Charmian Hussey trained as an Archaeologist at the University of London. So far I do not see any other novels, but hope there are some in the future!

Charmian Hussey at Simon & Schuster

Hurry Spring, I'm ready!

Spring actually only lasts about 2 minutes around here and then goes right into hot and humid summer, but I'm ready for that too. We had 3 inches of snow last Saturday, and today we had a temp in the high 70's!

When the trees lose their leaves in the fall you begin to be able to see all the bird nests that were invisible before. That's when we discovered a little nest out in our front tree, and I do mean little! Not hummingbird little, but still quite small compared to what I commonly see. I kept meaning to take a picture of it because I didn't figure it would last long in the weather with no leaves to help shield it from the elements. Well, it's still there! I think it might be a finch nest of some kind we've been seeing several different ones around in the summer. I wonder if the previous owners will come back and use it again? I don't know anything about finches, I should probably read up. I'm seriously amazed it's still there, it's anchored, but doesn't seem by much! I've included a close up and a picture of the whole tree, so you can see how small it really is! Can you see it in there? Hope we get some new or return feathered neighbors soon!

TV: Ghost Hunters or Ghost Hunters International?

Wednesday night is Ghost Hunters night on Sci-Fi, and sadly I'm addicted, even though I can't see half the things they supposedly catch on video, or understand most of the EVP recordings, I have to have the prompt at the bottom to have a clue what they think they heard! Both Ghost Hunters and Ghost Hunters International is on during the evening, and my question to you is... which version do you like better?

Myself, I love all the interesting places that GHI goes to, but wow are they quick to proclaim a place haunted! I kind of want to see a show where Robb, Jay and Grant are all together and see what they decide, because the TAPS guys seem a lot more skeptical than GHI!

For more info on these guys, check out Ghost Hunters on SciFi, TAPS: The Atlantic Paranormal Society and GHI on SciFi (the downloads and gallery are funny, so dramatic! *giggle*)

Game Night or Madagascar the New Superpower

We try to get together with friends Susan and Del once a month or so for game night. I think as adults we really lose sight of how much fun it can be to play games with friends, it's a good stress reliever if you can get together and laugh and have a good time. I've come to really look forward to these nights, they are a lot of fun!

Last night we pulled out a board game, Risk, one of those games where you have your playing pieces on different countries, trying to control as much land as possible and conquer the rest of the world as fast and as brutally as you can! Last night was no exception, and we witnessed the rise of a new superpower in the world. Deciding it was wise to pull back and regroup, Del prepared to make a stand on Madagascar, with so many armies that he actually had to use the lid of the piece box to contain them all (he's all the red down there at the bottom right of Africa, if it wasn't obvious!), maybe you just had to be there, but I thought it was hysterical!



Now, I'm not a Risk expert, but I've played a few times, and I'm used to people holing up on Australia and then trying to make a stand from there, but not Madagascar! We were not going to get Del's lemurs no matter what! He controlled it for the whole game too, while I had to vacate my early hold on North America and head to Europe!

We actually ended up calling the game at 2 am, still not truly sure who would have won, as at that point, each turn can completely change who's got the upper hand! Thanks for yet another fun game night guys, I think we made Madagascaran history last night!

Book: Shapeshifter: The Demo Tapes, Year 1 by Susan Helene Gottfried

Wouldn't you have loved to be in on the early days of your favorite band? To be there for the ups and downs, the triumphs and the tears, to be part of it all? This book is your chance. Susan Helene Gottfried, also known as Bookcrosser WestofMars, has collected the first year of out takes that she has written for her fictional rock band Shapeshifter. This collection of brief glimpses takes you from the first time Trevor and Mitchell meet, to when the serious girlfriends and later wives horn in on the boy time, to when they've hit the big time and are rock gods.

Currently this volume serves as a teaser for the novel to come, working title "Trevor's Song", and you can clearly see Susan's devotion and dedication to her characters in each out take. These guys and their friends and family are real to her, and she makes them real for her reader as well. Her writing style is very comfortable and familiar feeling, drawing you in and making you part of the scene, rather than just an outside observer.

I'm looking forward to more volumes of out takes (all material not to be repeated in "Trevor's Song", though sometimes taking place at the same time), maybe even a Roadie Poet collection (you'll have to visit the blog to meet Roadie Poet, and many other colorful characters), and what I hope could be a series of novels set in Riverview, and centered around these folks.

Think you might be interested? Head on over to WestofMars - the Meet and Greet where you can learn all about Shapeshifter, and how you can get your own copy of the Demo Tapes, Year 1, sorry, mine's PC, cause it's signed to me, I'm selfish like that!

Yeah, I'm gushing... Why? Because this is a tough thing to try to do, and I'm proud of her! It takes a lot of guts to put your writing out there and then take whatever comments come, good and bad, even after you've been told that your topic isn't "in" right now. You've got those guts woman, keep it coming!

My first LOL CAT Picture

moar funny pictures

This is my hefty cross-eyed girl Misu, in my first ever lolcat! I thought it was funny, hopefully the world will think so too. It's probably too geeky for the non-geeks, and not geeky enough for the true geeks, but I tried! :D It's a tad too big for my setup...

Geocaching: Travel Bug Check-in

Last night we set free a new travel bug, yay! Say hello to Tigger Bug!


Tigger Bug Travel Log

Tigger was always my favorite Winnie the Pooh character, so I thought a travel bug of him would be appropriate. Hopefully his propensity for "bouncing" will serve him well in the caching world! ;) He's been started off in our very own first cache, hope someone finds him and moves him along soon!




KU Jayhawk Bug Travel Log

Our KU Jayhawk Bug has been having a grand old time visiting caches, and even managed to hook up with a travel bug tour! If you have the time, you should definitely check out geocacher MaxB on the River who has moved over 16,000 travel bugs in his career, and has organized travel bug tours. I thought this was hysterical when I started reading it. This is definitely someone who has REALLY gotten into geocaching! I think Max is currently the leader on most travel bugs moved, hands down! It's other members like Max that add that extra level of enjoyment to caching for the rest of us, by being so enthusiastic and fun!




Kill a Bug Byte #1 Travel Log

Kill-a-Bug Byte #1 has had a bit more mediocre of a time and is currently in the hands of a another geocacher who picked it up last November in Minnesota. In the meantime, someone has logged it as discovered on the www. This means they didn't actually see it, but found the code for it in one of the pictures that I must not have gotten replaced from early on (mental note to go do that). You might remember me talking about how this is a no-no, as it's considered cheating if you didn't actually see it. This same bug suffered a similar and more dramatic fate at the beginning of it's career when someone logged it as being placed overseas in Iran when it had been no such place. I did delete those logs, as they were clearly false, once the bug showed up back close to home in a much more reasonable way. So my dilemma is, should I delete this log? This "discoverer" did not place it anywhere, logging truthfully where they saw it "www" for the world wide web, and it is still listed as residing in the hands of the person who retrieved it last. Are these types of discoveries wrong? I'll have to do a little research to see. It has been quite awhile with no real activity, the friends who got us into this educated us on the proper ways of handling trackables, and that it's polite to move them on quickly (a couple weeks to a month) whenever possible, or to post a note when you haven't. I just did this, as I too have a trackable picked up in November 08, but not moved on yet, our geocaching has slowed a lot with winter, and we haven't ventured too far from home lately. So, it's entirely possible that this cacher is similar to ourselves and kind of on hiatus for the winter. I guess we'll see!

Winner: Highland Sword by Ruth Langan

Our winner this sunny but cold Saturday (at least where I am!) is:

olympianlady

I've already sent off an e-mail to you. Thanks for entering everyone!

My next giveaway will be for The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart, so check back in a couple weeks!

Book: Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh

Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh


Christopher Marlowe's death is a mystery that still inspires people to speculate. This short work of fiction is an interesting piece doing the same. I enjoyed the writing style, but wish there had been a bit more story on both ends. A good and fast read that gives a quick taste if you're in the mood for historical fiction, centered solely on Marlowe and what his last days might have been like, with no Shakespeare in sight. It has peaked my interest in learning more about Marlowe's life and works as previously I've never seen him mentioned without be overshadowed by the so famous Mr. S!

Some V-Day Geocaching

It was still a bit cold for geocaching today, but the husband and I decided to do some of our favorite things to celebrate the day. I picked out a few sites in the area of the stores we wanted to visit, and hit a jackpot! Geocaches are many times just placed in a spot that is out of the way, or ingenious, but not necessarily that interesting. Every once in awhile you find one that that just makes you say "WOW! Thank you for taking me here, I wouldn't have ever seen this otherwise!" Today's awesome find was a statue (well, more than just a statue, but I can't think of the word right now, must still be awestruck!) that celebrates the highest rank that can be achieved in the boy scouts: The Eagle Scout. I just thought this was really beautiful and wanted to share it with you my online friends. :)

Audiobook: Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper

Can you even imagine going to seventeen weddings in six months? I sure can't, but Joy Silverman, who really doesn't believe in marriage, is getting to spend her entire spring and summer doing just that. Even her parents are getting remarried, but not to each other. With a rainbow of bridesmaid dresses in her closet, and a bulletin board of sticky notes to keep her on track, Joy faces wedding season bravely, watching just about everyone she knows walk down the aisle.

As the weddings of the year are cataloged, we get to see Joy's struggles with what it is about marriage that she disagrees with, all the while believing that her boyfriend Gabe shares her views. Does she want to spend her life with him? Absolutely! But why does that have to include marriage vows? No marriage could possibly live up the ideal, and is doomed to be a disappointment, right? So why is everyone so keen on the idea?

Wedding Season is at times humorous, painful, uplifting, and sad, but altogether an enjoyable read. I wish it had ended differently, but then, we don't really know how it truly may have ended, so I can write my own end end in my imagination. ;) The characters are lively, especially Joy's best friend Henry (a lesbian, but also getting married). The narrator did a good job bringing each character to life, so we can laugh, cringe, or want to share a hug at each of Joy's experiences.

This seems to be Darcy Cosper's only title so far, but I wouldn't hesitate to check out another by her.

Butterfly Award

I received this award from Ruthie over at Books, Books and More Books back in January this year. Please give her a visit, she is so much cooler than I!

Here are the rules for this award:

1. Post the logo on your blog
2. Add link to the person who awarded it to you
3. Award up to 10 blogs
4. Add links to those blogs in your award post
5. Leave a message for awardee on their blog

I would like to pass along this award to the following blogs:

West of Mars - The Meet and Greet I know butterflies are probably not Trevor's thing, but hopefully his creatress will appreciate the love! Head on over to meet Trevor and the rest of the group, you won't be sorry! Well, you might, but only because you'll love them too much, and get sucked into reading all the outtakes when you should be doing dishes and laundry, and going to work or something! ;)

Yankee Romance Reviewers - I watched Terra57 build this blog from the beginning, and am just amazed at what she's created. The reason I don't even try to interview authors or do official reviews is the amount of time and energy it would take, and I know I couldn't keep it up. Therefore I'm impressed at anyone who can and does! Please check them out, and tell Lemonitsa what a good job she's doing filling in for Terra while she's recouping from a wee accident! Love ya Terra, feel better soon!

The Movieholic and Bibliophile's Blog - It didn't look like Ladytink has one of these awards yet, so now she does! She totally deserves this award, each and every post is a great review, complete with pictures that may seem off the wall but really do have something to do with the movie or book she's talking about. It's great fun!

The Fantasy and Sci-Fi Lovin' Blog - SQT and friends over at this blog bring great reviews, interviews and contests to the table! Please go over and show them some love for all their hard work!

The Cozy Mystery List - I've developed a love of cozy mysteries, or at least only within the last few years realized that the type of mysteries I liked had an actual classification. The Cozy Mystery List is a great resource, so if you're curious about what's considered a cozy mystery, or just want to see what else is out there, give this one a look!


There are so many awesome blogs out there, people who do an amazing amount of work, often merely for their own satisfaction and to share the love of the subject they've chosen with others. I've really enjoyed reading these and getting ideas from them, whether it's a new subject or way to post myself, a shared challenge or a book I want to look for, I feel like these are shining examples of what a blog can be, and how they can contribute to making an interesting and fun online community. Thank you all for your efforts!

Giveaway: Highland Sword by Ruth Langan

Imprint: Harlequin Historical
Copyright: 2003

Allegra Drummond and her family moved back to the Mystical Kingdom when she was just a child, their abilities misunderstood and frightening to the people around them. Their life there, while idyllic, was very isolated, having only themselves for company, until one day their peace was shattered.

Desparate to save the life of his son, Merrick did the only thing he could think of, and braved the Mystical Kingdom to steal away the witch that was his last hope for healing his son. He took Allegra back to his home, demanding that she heal his son or pay the price with her own life.

Allegra soon grew to love the little boy she'd saved, but still had to deal with the constant mistrust and fear of the people in Merrick's home, who believed she had bespelled their lord. Something evil was definitely going on, and while many would blame her, a deeper plot was in the works, and had been for quite some time. Allegra must bring light to this evil before it destroyed everything she'd come to love in Merrick's world!

This is a very quick medieval fantasy romance. Honestly it was pretty generic, but still a sweet story. I'm ready to pass my copy on to make a new friend! As always, it is gently used and registered at Bookcrossing.com. If you would like a chance to win this book, please comment on this post and leave me with a way to contact you through e-mail. I will choose a winner on February 21st!

Winner: Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

Okay, so Jan 31st came and went, and I was naughty and chose to spend the beautiful day out geocaching with my poor overworked husband. Much bushwhacking, slogging through mud, and balancing on rocks in a shallow creek was to be had, we even kinda sorta climbed a tree! As well as a couple pretty much out of shape people are able to climb a tree heehee!

But now I'm back, and ready to applaud the winner! Without further ado, my copy of Scot on the Rocks will be going to...


Liviania

Liviana's favorite Scot is Hume the philosopher, which makes her MUCH better read than I! Please check out her blog In Bed With Books of which I've just become a follower!

Congrats Liviania, now you can find out the beginning of the story, since you've read the second book already! LOL!

Book: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns is the second book in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews, and my first read for the seconds challenge in 2009.

Called out to assist in retrieving stolen maps for the Pack, Kate becomes involved in a much greater problem, a problem involving ancient Celtic gods and goddesses and their minions. What makes it worse is that Atlanta, always in a state of flux as waves of magic roll through and then dissipate, is currently experiencing a flare that only comes once every seven years. All magic is stronger during a flare, and much harder to control. Of course that would be when this ancient diety decides to make an entrance! All in a days work for Kate though...

Man does this girl take a beating! We're teased a bit more about Kate's heritage. The tension between her and Curran is alive and well, but we see a learn a little more of his feelings for her through his actions as interpreted by some of the other shapeshifters. We get a little Celtic mythology, a lot of action, and a few tears. Yes, I admit it, one of Kate's speeches just really got me, and made me want to go hug on my husband quite fiercely! The ending is great too, another point to the Curran team! LOL! I'm really looking forward to Magic Strikes, #3 in the Kate Daniels series. You can read an excerpt of it HERE at Ilonaland.com.

Book Giveaway: Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

Sometimes we're so busy trying to fix the wrong thing that we don't see the right thing that's in front of us.

Brooke Miller had planned to attend her ex-boyfriend Trip's wedding with her Scottish hottie fiance, Douglas. Well, okay, they're not quite engaged yet, but soon, real soon, Brooke is sure! When a fight leaves Brooke suddenly boyfriendless, and homeless, she has to come up with a new plan for Trip's wedding. A normal person might just cancel, right? Actually, a normal person probably wouldn't have gone in the first place, but that's beside the point! Brooke has a plan, and with her best friends and co-workers in tow, she attends the wedding anyway and has a life-changing night!

I'm not sure I agree that she kept her dignity ever-so-slightly intact, but Scot on the Rocks was a very fun read, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next book, Jack with a Twist!

Now is your chance to keep your dignity ever-so-slightly intact, and just see if you can read this one without laughing out loud! Ah, what good is dignity anyway if it gets in the way of fun? I'm ready to give away my gently used and Bookcrossing labeled copy of Scot of on the Rocks. To enter, just comment on this post and tell me who your favorite Scot is, real or fictional, there's quite a few to choose from! I will announce the winner on January 31st! Be sure to give me a way to reach you!

My favorite Scot has to be Jamie from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. But why stop at just one? I like Gerard Butler quite a bit too!

Check out Brenda Janowitz's website HERE for more info and the author's blog!

A Serpent in Turquoise - and the winner is...

Alyce!

Congratulations! I'll check in with you to get your snail mail soon!

I found another book by Peggy Nicholson featuring the same female character, it's called An Angel in Stone, also in the Silhouette Bombshell line from June 2005. It actually comes before A Serpent in Turquoise. I'm looking forward to giving it a try, and possibly offering it up for giveaway sometime later!

My next giveaway will be for Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz, I hope to get it posted this weekend!

Thanks everyone, and Congrats Alyce!

My Favorites from 2008

I managed to read 80 books this year, but here are the ones that stuck out for me (in no particular order) and that I would recommend to others. I've linked to my reviews so you can see what I thought a little more in depth (or to Fantastic Fiction if I had not done a review):


Teen Fantasy and Sci-Fi

Harry Potter #7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling - Is anyone really surprised by this? Probably not! ;)

The Uglies Series by Scott Westerfield - Honestly I didn't expect to like these too much but they seemed popular, so I wanted to check them out. I ended up really enjoying them!

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - This is one rough school to attend, I know *I* wouldn't have made it!


Urban Fantasy

The Marla Mason Series by T. A. Pratt - So far I've read Blood Engines and Poison Sleep, and am looking forward to the next two installments!

Dead to Me by Anton Strout - Very fun, ready for the next one to come out!

Dog Days by John Levitt - Aw, the story of a boy and his dog... well, not really, Mason's not a boy, and Louie isn't really a dog, he just looks like one. Another great new series, I'm looking forward to #2, New Tricks which I just picked up yesterday!

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews - Aw look, a story about a girl and her cat... Well, again, not really... Kate definitely isn't a girl, and Curran is definitely NOT just a cat, he happens to be King of Beasts. I'm reading the second in the series right now, Magic Burns and enjoying it!

Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco - Connor is a druid who has lost his powers, but still assists on magical investigations. Well, assists is his word for it, others might say interferes. I already have #2 in the series Unquiet Dreams which I hope to get to this year!


Science Fiction and Fantasy

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I have had this recommended to me for years, and I'm glad I finally got around to it! Very few books have I read that actually stunned me, and left me feeling like I had read something vitally important. This was heavy.

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre - This gave me the feel of the Firefly series that generated the movie Serenity. Don't get me wrong, the story was original, I just think it would appeal to those who enjoyed that series. I have #2 Wanderlust in the TBR already.

Stardoc by S. L. Viehl - Talk about trial by fire! I think Cherijo deserves top honors from the school of hard knocks. I was a little apprehensive about this one at first, thinking oh, it's going to be all sci-fi medical and boring, but it definitely was not! You can get into some pretty interesting situations in an emergency room with alien beings! I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

Poison Study by Maria v. Snyder - A very interesting story, I would NOT want to be a food taster, that's for sure! I listened to this on audio, and have the next two of the trilogy, Magic Study and Fire Study which I hope to get to this year also.


Romance

Succubus in the City by Nina Harper - A lot of fun, Lily and her friends are different demons, and indulge in all the vices, clothes, food, you name it, but love even gets them down sometimes. I love the rendition of Satan here, she's like their best girlfriend, and because she's so stylish they call her Martha! This was great fun, and I just recently picked up Succubus Takes Manhattan so I can continue the story!

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning - Mac thinks her life is going pretty well until her sister is murdered in Ireland, and her only clue is a mysterious cell phone message. She goes to Ireland to investigate, and is thrown into a world she couldn't have dreamed existed. Bloodfever is already in my TBR!

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella - Samantha is a lawyer who has worked very hard and has high hopes of being made partner soon. A beginner mistake is uncovered that will cause unbelievable trouble, and rather than face the music, Samantha runs, with no thought of what she will do next. She finds herself knocking on a door where the owners believe she's there to interview for a housekeeper position and before she knows what's happened, she's been hired. The only problem, she really has no idea how to do any of those things! Very hysterical and sweet.


Historical Fiction

Ireland by Frank Delaney - I listened to this on audio and the narrator was just perfect. I think sometimes that can really make or break an audiobook. I'm not sure I would have had the patience to stick with this had I been reading it myself, because my own mental voice is just not that impressive, but I highly recommend this on audio (and in print)! The story is a boy's journey to find a wandering storyteller, and his journey to becoming a man, and learning the history of the country along the way.



2008 was great reading year for me, I found a lot of new authors to enjoy, and now have a bunch of sequels to look forward to! I can't wait to see what else I discover this year, though I do need to catch up with some old favorites who are equally deserving of admiration!

2009 Reading Challenges

I've decided to join in on a few reading challenges this year, these shouldn't be too difficult for me, I think they will fit in fine with what I would normally do, so not a lot of pressure! I've joined all of these over on J. Kaye's Book Blog, so if you think they sound like fun and would like to join in, head on over there and sign up, they're listed on her side bar. J. Kaye's Book Blog

I think as an extra challenge to myself, I won't let any book count for more than one challenge, even though I know they will overlap. We'll see if I can do it!



The 2009 Young Adult Reading Challenge: Read 12 Young Adult Novels between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009

1. Temple of the Dragonslayer (#1 New Dragonlance Adventures) - Tim Waggoner - finished 3/22/09
2. Fendi, Ferragamo and Fangs - Johanna Edwards, Julie Kenner and Serena Robar - finished 6/9/09
3. Glass Houses (#1 Morganville Vamps) - Rachel Caine - finished 8/15/09
4. The Colossus Crisis (#6 Seven Fabulous Wonders) - Katherine roberts - finished 9/5/09
5. The Good Ghoul's Guide to Getting Even - Julie Kenner - finished 9/6/09
6. Braced 2 Bite - Serena Robar - finished 10/10/09
7. Fangs 4 Freaks - Serena Robar - finished 10/13/09
8. The Book of Time - Guillaume Prevost - finished 10/25/09
9. The Curse of the Blue Figurine - John Bellairs - finished 10/31/09
10. Heart of a Jaguar - Marc Talbert - finished 11/8/09
11. Psyche in a Dress - Francesca Lia Block - finished 11/15/09
12. Extras (Uglies #4) - Scott Westerfeld - finished 11/30/09

Challenge completed 11/30/09!




The 2009 Audiobook Challenge: Listen to 12 Audiobooks between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009

1. Wedding Season - Darcy Cosper - finished 1/28/09
2. The Valley of Secrets - Charmian Hussey - finished 3/5/09
3. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig - finished 5/1/09
4. The Egyptologist - Arthur Phillips - finished 7/10/09
5. Magic Study - Maria V. Snyder - finished 8/4/09
6. Fire Study - Maria V. Snyder - finished 8/19/09
7. One for Sorrow, Two for Joy - Clive Woodall - finished 9/3/09
8. Skullduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy - finished 9/26/09
9. Bartimaeus #3: Ptolemy's Gate - Johnathan Stroud - finished 10/12/09
10. Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr - finished 10/26/09
11. 12 Sharp - Janet Evanovich - finished 10/29/09
12. The Well of Lost Plots - Jasper Fforde - Finished 11/23/09

Challenge completed 11/23/09!



The 2009 First in a Series Challenge: Read 12 books that are the first in any series

1. Bad Blood (#1 Crimson Moon) - L A Banks - finished 1/21/09
2. The Iron Hunt (#1 Hunter Kiss) - Marjorie M Liu - finished 2/11/09
3. Dreamer (#1 Silent Empire) - Steven Harper - finished 2/26/09
4. Touched by Venom (#1 Dragon Temple Saga) - Janine Cross - finished 4/5/09
5. A Murderous Glaze (#1 of Clay and Crime Series) - Melissa Glazer - finished 4/9/09
6. Bitterwood (#1 Bitterwood) - James Maxey - finished 4/23/09
7. The Xibalba Murders (#1 Archaeology Mysteries) - Lyn Hamilton - finished 5/10/09
8. Dark Lover (#1 The Black Dagger Brotherhood) - J. R. Ward - finished 6/7/09
9. Airs Beneath the Moon (#1 Horse Mistress Saga) - Toby Bishop - finished 6/20/09
10. This Pen for Hire (#1 Jaine Austen Mysteries) - Laura Levine finished 7/5/09
11. Dying in Style (#1 Josie Marcus Mystery Shopper Series) - Elaine Viets 7/19/09 (Elaine even stopped by to comment!)
12. Fellowship of Fear (#1 Gideon Oliver Anthropologist series) - Aaron Elkins finished 7/31/09

Challenge completed 7/31/09!




The 2009 Seconds Challenge: Read 12 books by authors that you have only read once. It doesn't have to be a series.

1. Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2) - Ilona Andrews - finished 1/4/09
2. Succubus Takes Manhattan - Nina Harper
3. Lover Eternal (#2 The Black Dagger Brotherhood) - J. R. Ward - finished 6/11/09
4. High Heels are Murder(#2 Mystery Shopper) - Elaine Viets - finished 8/4/09
5. Practical Demonkeeping (2nd book by Moore for me) - Christopher Moore - finished 8/23/09
6. Corpse Pose (2nd book by Killian for me)- Diana Killian - finished 10/2/09
7. The Demo Tapes - Year 2 - Susan Helen Gottfried - finished 12/6/09
8. Reign of Shadows (2nd Chester for me) - Deborah Chester - finished 12/9/09
9. New Moon (Twilight #2) - Stephanie Meyer - finished 12/17/09
10. Wanderlust (Grimspace #2) - Ann Aguirre - finished 12/24/09
11. Into the Labyrinth (sequel to The Great Good Thing) - Roderick Townsley - Finished 12/27/09
12. Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely #2) - Melissa Marr - Finished 12/31/09

Challenge completed 12/31/09!




The 2009 Erotica Challenge: Read 10 erotica in 2009. You must be 18 years or older to join.

1. Fantasy Fix - Christine Warren - finished 8/30/09
2. Wonderland #1: King of Hearts - Cheyenne McCray 11/22/09
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


Whew, listed all out that way, it looks like a lot of books to read, doesn't it? I managed to get through 80 books last year, so I think I can do it! Wish me luck! :D

Happy New Year!

Well here we are, the 1st day of a shiny new year! We get to start over on our book counts and challenges, and make resolutions that we're determined to keep (only to break them in the first week if not sooner! lol!). It's a clean slate in some ways, and there's just nothing more exciting than the unlimited potential of a new beginning!

I've learned not to make detailed resolutions, because for me those are doomed to fail right off! So my one and only true resolution this year will be to try to exercise more, I've the got the equipment in my basement, and a nearly unlimited supply of books that I add to almost weekly, so really, it's a win/win (yes, I read while walking on my treadmill or using the elliptical, otherwise I would be totally bored!)

My job has been extremely challenging lately, causing me a lot of anxiety and stress (was that redundant?) and making me a little less than an optimistic person (that sound was my husband snorting in the background at my understatement. okay, actually he didn't, because he's not reading over my shoulder right now, but if he were, that's what he would have done! Heehee!) So another challenge I'm going to tackle in 2009 is trying to keep a more positive outlook, to try and remind myself of how fortunate I am, and what I have been blessed with during those times when it seems like all I can see is the never ending black tunnel of a job that doesn't seem to be getting any easier. It's very easy to get caught up in all of that and let it determine your mood. These are difficult times, and I know I'm only one of millions of people who feel the same way. If you're one of them, just hang in there, we'll get there! ;)

Whatever your resolutions are, don't be too hard on yourself if you step off track, just don't stay off track. Accept that you're not perfect (because despite rumors to the contrary, none of us are!), forgive yourself, and get back on track in your goal! It's never too late to start again, and while New Years Day is a good mile marker, it's all hype, any day is a great day for a new start! ;)