Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-thon April 2013 Edition

The End

I really didn't get much farther after my last update. I did manage to finish Two Ravens and One Crow, but didn't remember anything I read from An Exchange of Gifts, so I don't think I'll even count that one.

My ending stats then are:

Pages: 383 (1 book/2 novellas)
Time listened: 59:30 (2 items, seriously?! 30 seconds short of an hour? Augh!)

Thanks again to all the organizers and cheerleaders, and everyone that makes this event happen!


Hour 17

I took a break and played some computer games and had dinner around hour 14. Just finished listening to The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, and I'm about 80% done with Two Ravens and One Crow, so I'm going to take that one, and also another Anne McCaffrey short to bed with me and see how far I get! This is probably my last blog update until in the morning, but I may still be on Twitter some.

An Exchange of Gifts by Anne McCaffrey When Meanne, a princess of the realm, runs away from her father's castle and an unwanted suitor, little does she realize the hardships and difficulties that lie ahead of her. Loneliness is the worst part - until she finds a fellow refugee, a boy named Wisp. Together they must make new lives for themselves. Yet they both have secrets - hidden pasts and magical powers that can tear them apart!

Hour 13

My friend Azuki has a fun sounding challenge for us, we get to cook the books!

For this challenge, You will need to think of a popular title, twist it into a cookbook theme, then give us a little introduction about the book.

I struggled with this for a bit, and then inspiration hit, I won't say it was a good one, but I liked it, so I'm going to go with:

Gone with the Wok - A collection of authentic Civil War recipes with an Asian twist! Prissy might not have known "nothin' 'bout birthin' babies" but she could sure make a mean stir fry! You'll find everything from "Scarlett's Never Be Hungry Again Szechuan" to "Rhett's Don't Give a Damn Super Hot Kung Pao" in the pages of this delectable volume!

Hour 11

I finished up Cryer's Cross, very creepy story! That makes 2 books and 1 REALLY short audio finished, page count so far is 318. Now I'm having a hard time deciding what to read next. I've sampled a couple pages of some of my stack and they're just not grabbing me. I think I'll work on Two Ravens and One Crow for awhile, Atticus and Oberon are always good for a laugh!  I also started The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, a Sherlock Holmes story, ready by Alan Cumming while out driving around, so I'll probably try to finish that up soon, it's also very short, only 47 minutes.

Six years into the training of his beautiful apprentice, Granuaile, a large crow swoops down and transforms into none other than the Morrigan, a goddess who insists that Atticus come with her at once. He must leave his apprentice behind, along with his Irish wolfhound, Oberon—and he must also leave his sword. The Morrigan has always taken extreme pleasure in pronouncing the Druid’s mortal danger and imminent doom, so the fact that she won’t reveal the purpose of their journey makes him very nervous. Of course, any time the Celtic Chooser of the Slain drops in unannounced, it’s never good. When she does let slip that she’ll be saving his life in the near future, Atticus is left to wonder . . . will he soon be giving his legions of enemies something to crow about?

In this holiday-themed short story, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, follow the trail of a lost hat and a Christmas goose through the streets of London and into a rapidly expanding mystery.

Hour 9

I haven't finished anything else yet, though I'm halfway through Cryer's Cross, have had lunch (Thai buffet yum!) and have new tires on my vehicle, so that's productive, right? Back to reading now, must stay off you tube! Evil Interwebs!

Hour 4

I made a quick detour and listened to Click-Clack the Rattlebag by Neil Gaiman, it's a 12 minute freebie I picked up around Halloween, and unfortunately not currently available, I checked. I can see why he's so popular, I enjoyed his reading of it so will definitely look into more of his audios!

A few words from Neil: "Why tell ghost stories? Why read them or listen to them? Why take such pleasure in tales that have no purpose but, comfortably, to scare? "I don't know. Not really. It goes way back. We have ghost stories from ancient Egypt, after all, ghost stories in the Bible, classical ghost stories from Rome (along with werewolves, cases of demonic possession, and of course, over and over, witches). We have been telling each other tales of otherness, of life beyond the grave, for a long time; stories that prickle the flesh and make the shadows deeper and, most important, remind us that we live, and that there is something special, something unique and remarkable, about the state of being alive. Happy Halloween!" "'What kind of story would you like me to tell you?' 'Well,' he said, thoughtfully, 'I don't think it should be too scary, because then when I go up to bed, I will just be thinking about monsters the whole time. But if it isn't just a little bit scary, then I won't be interested. And you make up scary stories, don't you?'" So begins this subtle, witty, deceptive little tale from master storyteller Neil Gaiman. Lock the doors, turn off the lights, and enjoy!

Hour 3

I've finished If Wishes Were Horses, a nice short fantasy novella and I'm moving on to Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann. I really enjoyed her Dreamcatcher series, a couple of which I read in past read-a-thon's so it should be perfect!  This one is a bit longer, so I don't expect you'll be seeing another update for awhile! ;)

Kendall loves her life in small town Cryer's Cross, Montana, but she also longs for something more. She knows the chances of going to school in New York are small, but she's not the type to give up easily. Even though it will mean leaving Nico, the world's sweetest boyfriend, behind. But when Cryer's Cross is rocked by unspeakable tragedy, Kendall shoves her dreams aside and focuses on just one goal: help find her missing friends. Even if it means spending time with the one boy she shouldn't get close to... the one boy who makes her question everything she feels for Nico. Determined to help and to stay true to the boy she's always loved, Kendall keeps up the search--and stumbles upon some frightening local history. She knows she can't stop digging, but Kendall is about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried....

Good Morning! - Hour 1

Apparently my cat was just as excited for the read-a-thon as I was since he started calling for breakfast at least half an hour before I'd set the alarm.  *looks pointedly at unrepentant feline*  So I'm up and have chosen to start with If Wishes Were Horses by Anne McCaffrey a beloved and much missed favorite author.

Young Tizra and her twin brother Tracell find their world abruptly changed when their father is unexpectedly called to fight in a war which promises to last much longer than the usual three-day skirmish. Their mother -- the village healer -- enlists her children to assist her in caring for the many refugees left wounded and homeless by the conflict. Inspired by her mother, Tizra learns never to surrender hope even in a time of fear and uncertainty.

The Night Before

It's almost time again for another Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon! It begins at 7 am on a Saturday morning for me, and it's almost like when you're little and have a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve. Read-a-thon prep is always fun though, as you have that completely clean slate, and you start massing all the books you want to read, and it's always more than you'll ever get through, but you just don't know what you'll be in the mood for right? Here's my stack so far, but even as I was posting this picture I was thinking of other books that I might want to add to it, plus I have a couple of shorter stories on my Kindle app ready to go.

I see a lot of people talking about planning out snacks, some are healthy, some not so much, I don't do a lot of that other than to make sure I have a nice tasty dessert around. I'm also not really one for staying home the whole day, I always think that sounds great, but my attention span is kind of short, and I need to move around a lot, especially while reading. If I get too comfortable, it's lights out for me! There are always errands to do still, but my husband is kind enough to drive so I can still read, I have impressed upon him the importance of read-a-thon, and luckily he's a reader himself so he understands. At least he understands it's important to me, and you should always humor the crazy woman, right? Just nod, it's okay.

Well, I think that's about all for now, I'll probably add a few more books to the stack tonight. I'll do all my updates in this post, not sure if I'll do newest at the top or the bottom. I think I do my updates differently every single time, I'm still looking for the perfect method!

Happy Read-a-thon everyone, and my the pages turn ever in your favor! (Listening to Mockingjay today so I had to say it!)

Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon 2013

This is the week for read-a-thon's! We just finished up a Random Read-a-thon for My Shelf Confessions Blogaversary, and now it's time for the Spring Into Horror Read-a-thon over at Seasons of Reading from April 22-28. Towards the end of that is Dewey's Read-a-thon on April 27th, but you know what's better than one read-a-thon? TWO at the same time! Muahahaha!!! Yes, I might have a problem. It's okay though, it's not contagious... or it might be, as I seem to have infected some other people.

As my scary book I have chosen Ghost Hunt: Chilling tales of the Unknown by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson, yep, the Ghost Hunters themselves. -- Finished 4/24/13 304 pages



I am only about halfway through Tithe by Holly Black, so I'll work on finishing that up too. -- Finished 4/23/13 -- 177 pages



I'm ready to start a new Kindle book too, so I think I'll see how far along I can get in The Riftwalker (Vampire Empire #2) by Clay and Susan Griffith.



I have a completely different set of shorter books that I've chosen for Dewey's so I'll probably keep the two separate, not sure yet. I think the above is a pretty lofty goal for me! Looking forward to seeing what everyone else chooses to read!

My Shelf Confessions Blogaversary Read-a-thon April 19-21

Well, will you look at that! I take a day off from work and a read-a-thon appears, convenient that, huh? Join us in celebrating My Shelf Confessions 2nd Blogaversary with a read-a-thon and other goodies!  No rules, just read!  Click on the hat above to go to the sign ups.  I'll do all my updates below.  Happy Blogaversary ladies!

	Finished up the last 100 pages of Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles. Great start to a cozy series, great characters and a smidge of paranormal so far! Recommend! It is $.99 for Kindle on Amazon.
	124 pages, No One Noticed the Cat by Anne McCaffrey is perfect for a read-a-thon, a quick, light story full of court intrigues, but none more intriguing than the cat who seems to know all.
	Tithe by Holly Black - I started on page 95 and got to 154, so another 59 pages on this one. No where near done so I'll work on finishing it during the Spring into Horror Read-a-thon that starts tomorrow. I wasn't crazy about the start, but it's picking up now, we'll see how I feel by the end.

I managed 283 over the last 3 days, or averaged 94 pages per day, not bad for me!  Thanks again to April and Tabitha over at My Shelf Confessions for hosting, and Happy Blogoversary! 

Giveaway: US Kindle copy of Wild at Heart Vol. I and II Benefitting Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Dewey's Read-A-Thon is just around the corner, and the Wild at Heart Anthologies would be perfect for it! Even if you don't participate in read-a-thons, these are enjoyable reads and even better, their purchase benefits the Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge near Eureka Springs, Arkansas.


Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

The refuge is dedicated to providing a forever home for abandoned, abused and neglected big cats. Being the big softies they are, there are other animals there as well, including, you guessed it, several bears, probably so that we could all say "Lions and Tigers and Bears! Oh My!" when we visit. They have recently performed a rescue of 32 big cats from another location that needed to close down, taking 28 of the animals into their own fold, a massive undertaking to say the least. Their goal is to eventually be able to provide large habitats for all the animals so that they can run and play and enjoy the grass beneath their feet and just have room to move around in. Much of the work is provided by interns and volunteers, including the building of the habitats which can cost around $25,000 each. As you can imagine food and veterinary care for that many large animals is also very expensive.

My husband and I visited the refuge last year and were very impressed. We actually stayed there for two nights in one of the several different housing options they have so that we could listen to the lions caroling to each other, as a big cat lover, I thought it was very cool. If you're looking for an interesting vacation idea and love big cats, I highly recommend giving them a visit, and scenic/historic and maybe haunted town of Eureka Springs is close by, so there is plenty to do!


Wild at Heart Anthologies

(paraphrased from the descriptions of the two anthologies) These are available for Kindle on Amazon at $2.99 each or in paperback for $8.99 each. These two volumes of short stories were produced by the Diamond State Romance Authors, and showcase the plight of large wild creatures and their need to have safe homes and/or freedom. They are a mixture of paranormal and contemporary stories. Volume II is specifically young adult stories. All profits from this collection will go directly to the refuge to help with the care and feeding of the rescued animals.

Wild at Heart Vol. I
Wild at Heart Vol. II


The Giveaway

I am going to give away one copy of each for the US Kindle. I'll have two separate giveaways since one is for young adult specifically so be sure to enter both if you are interested in both. I'll choose winners Thursday April 25th so that I can try to get it sent out in time for Dewey's Read-a-thon on April 27th if the winners are interested in that. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seriously Series Challenge 1st Qtr Check-In

We're three months into the year, can you believe it? It's time to check in on my progress for the Seriously Series Challenge.

So far I've read 5 books, 1 short story and listened to 2 audiobooks towards my updated 34 book goal, and 1 book that doesn't count towards my amended goal. I've added a few series and I've taken one out. I haven't actually finished any series yet, but I hadn't necessarily planned to by this time either, since I like to skip around. I very rarely will read 2 books in a row in the same series, or even by the same author.

I add 3 series to Series Started Before 2013, taking me to 9 series, and the Seriously Serious level.

I took out 1 series from Series Started in 2013, keeping me in the Semi Serious tier.

I feel behind where I should be, but I'm going to leave it as is for now, hopefully by the next check in I will have finished up at least one series!

Book read:

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (audiobook) - finished 3/11/13
Killbox by Ann Aguirre - finished 3/5/13
Dead Matter by Anton Strout - finished 1/9/13
Nice Girls Don’t Sign a Lease Without a Wedding Ring by Molly Harper (short story) - finished 1/10/13
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey - finished 2/18/13 (added after start)
Tricked by Kevin Hearne (audiobook) - Finished 3/18/13 (added after start)
The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld - finished 2/24/13
Odalisque by Fiona McIntosh - finished 4/2/13
Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson - Finished 1/27/13 - (removed from challenge, cute read, just not really into it right now)

Music: Lindsey Stirling - A Dancing Violinist? YES!

I have been gushing about my newest music find to anyone that will listen. Her name is Lindsey Stirling and she plays the violin AND dances! This is something that has become more popular in the last few years, and even though we're seeing more string players liberated from their orchestra chairs, it's still just amazing to me that this is even possible. I was in marching band in high school, I know it is not the easiest thing in the world to move and play at the same time!

I have seen the music described as dubstep (I had to look that up!) which is a genre electronic dance music, and it definitely makes you want to dance! It also makes me wish I could just pick up a violin and express my emotions, but alas my instrument is the clarinet and I am woefully out of practice lo these many years since college. Rather than struggle to describe how wonderful she is, I encourage you to check out the videos Lindsey has posted on Youtube under her Lindseystomp channel, there is a great mix of the beautiful and the fun there! Here are a couple of my favorites:





My husband and I were lucky enough to get to see Lindsey and her crew recently at a sold out concert, and also were able to attend the meet and greet before hand. That room was full of energy and joy! This girl is adorable in addition to being so talented and so sweet and fun! Gavi on keyboards and Drew on drums are great backups for her, they all three have fantastic personalities and I would love to just be able to hang out with them, and also Becky and Sandra, but you'll have to watch Lindsey's "My Girls" video on her second YouTube channel to fully appreciate that experience!

We discovered Lindsey through another recent music find, The Piano Guys, who we are so excited to get to go see in May! You should definitely check them out too, their Cello Wars video is fantastic! Here is the video that introduced us to Lindsey, also a lot of fun!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

From Goodreads: WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

I participated in a read-a-long for Under the Never Sky hosted by On a Bookbender and Books with Cass. They had some questions for us to answer about it, so I think I will let those serve as my review, and tease you a bit! I really enjoyed this book, and am looking forward to Through the Ever Night, and also getting a hold of the short story about Liv and Roar.

1. What do you think of Aria’s adjustment to living outside the Realms?

It seemed almost too easy for her, compared to what was happening when others were cut off from the realms, but we later found out why! Not that it was a piece of cake for her, I was impressed by her fortitude. She was so determined, and not going to be bested by the elements, her own condition, or Perry. She was a very strong character.

2. These two worlds are so different from each other, which would you want to be in?

This is a tough one because the realms have a lot of appeal, but you just can't beat Mother Nature and the peace it brings to be outside among the trees and the sky. I think the realms would eventually pale in comparison to reality, so if I can't have both, then I'll have to pick outside the domes.

3. If you had a Smart-Eye, what would you do? Where would you go?

Archaeological sites for sure! Egypt, Mexico, Greece, all those places I can't afford to go to right now. I think it would be a lot of fun to have the fantasy realms as well.

4. Who was your favorite character and why?

I have to go with Perry, I'm a softie for the tortured heroes. Though again, I was very impressed with Aria, she was a strong girl, and got through all the nasty surprises that were thrown her way. I think Perry must have had a little more admiration for her when he got to walk a bit in her shoes through the Smarteye. I'm also looking forward to getting to know Roar better!

5. Make a few predictions about what you think will happen in Through the Ever Night.

Without being spoilery... I think they will find what they're looking for, I think there will be hurt feelings over information held back, but I think they'll "win" out over the dwellers, or find a way to to "win" for everyone. I'm all optomistic like that!

Check out Veronica Rossi's Website for more info!

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

From Goodreads: A Breath of Snow and Ashes continues the extraordinary story of 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser and his 20th-century wife, Claire. The year is 1772, and on the eve of the American Revolution, the long fuse of rebellion has already been lit. Men lie dead in the streets of Boston, and in the backwoods of North Carolina, isolated cabins burn in the forest. With chaos brewing, the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and safeguard the colony for King and Crown. But from his wife Jamie knows that three years hence the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the result will be independence — with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile. And there is also the matter of a tiny clipping from The Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports Jamie’s death, along with his kin. For once, he hopes, his time-traveling family may be wrong about the future.

I am continuously amazed by the depth of detail and character building in these books. There is so much packed in here, from historical events to medical knowledge and beyond, it exhausts me to think of how much research has to take place for each and every one. The Outlander novels stand apart for me on an untouchable pedestal of their own, spotlighted in my mental museum of all time favorites. You know that question of what books would you take with you if you were stranded on an island? I would take these, because it would take many many re-reads before you might remember everything and connect the dots, AND because with all the things that Jamie and Claire and their family go through, being stranded on that desert island would seem like a vacation in comparison!

I highly recommend the audiobooks read by Davina Porter. They are long, this one was 57 hours and took me just under two months (with a break for another audio in the middle) but so very worth it. The characters come alive with Davina's amazing performance. It's very difficult to come back to reality after finishing one. It seems to be a series you either love, or just can't get interested in, but I am firmly in the love category! I hope to get to the next book before the end of the year, as part of the Seriously Series Challenge, it's about 10 hours shorter, which is the length of a regular book in some cases! Just another reason to be in awe of Diana Gabaldon!

The Outlander Series on Audible.com

Diana Gabaldon's Website

Read-a-long: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

From March 1st - March 29th On a Book Bender and Books with Cass are hosting a Read-a-long of Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi. I will take part by reading the first book (pictured at left), I rarely read 2 books by the same author back to back, I have to skip around. Click on either blog link above to be taken to the sign up page for the schedule and the first round of questions. There is also a Twitter hashtag #UTENreadalong for updates, come join us! I've only read the first 10 pages and I'm already sucked in! So far it feels like this might appeal to you if you liked The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, or Divergent by Veronica Roth. I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Midnighters #1: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

From Goodreads: Nobody is safe in the secret hour. Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma. Time freezes. Nobody moves. For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time. These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School. Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

A very interesting idea, a 25th hour where only certain people are awake and aware, and a whole different set of creatures are in existence. I liked the storyline the most, I couldn't really get in touch with the characters. I did really like Dess and her Polymath talent, and the names she would give to her weapons, that was a fun idea. I'm actually glad I read this one after having read Westerfeld's Uglies and Leviathan series. His character development has really gotten amazing, and while I enjoyed this one, I'm not sure I would have pursued more of his books if this had been my first one, and he's become one of my favorite authors. He's extremely versatile, each series I've read by him has been a completely different idea, in no way related to the others, so you never know what you're going to get, only that it will be great! I do recommend this one, the premise alone is worth it!

Scott Westerfeld seems very in touch and accessible to his fan base, and often features fan art and photos that have been sent to him on his blog and on Twitter. There are some recent Midnighter ones on there from last month. ScottWesterfeld.com

I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! In the meantime I have these older books to catch up on.

February Read-a-thon's

There are 2 read-a-thons this week that I can do! TWO OF THEM! Yay! Starting tomorrow and running until Feb 14th we have the Wicked Valentine's Read-a-thon hosted by the ladies at My Shelf Confessions during which I shall attempt to finish a large book that I am currently reading. Then Friday we have Doin' it Dirty 2.0 hosted by my favorite Divas of Dirty Amanda at On a Book Bender and Kelly at Reading the Paranormal, in which I will attempt to read multiple short but naughty freebies that I've collected for the kindle. I missed the inaugural Doin' it Dirty, so I was determined to take part the next time around!  Join us if you want to be Dirty and Wicked! ;)


Wicked Valentine's Goals:

Finish this:

maybe these:

and listening to:

Doin' It Dirty 2.0 Finished:
 
Tit for Tat by Delilah Fawkes
Taking Instruction by Cheyenne McCray
Stolen by Jinx Jamison
Catching Caroline by Sylvia Day

2 really short stories, 1 short story and a novella?  I definitely enjoyed my first Doin' It Dirty 2.0, and was beat over the head with, err, I mean had a new author STRONGLY  SUGGESTED to me, so I will have to check out some of Jodi Redford's work!  Also Moira Rogers just in case anyone else was looking for a recommendation!

Random Reads: A Killing Among the Dead by Diana Wilder

From Goodreads: Wenatef opens his eyes to darkness and intense silence. The air is heavy with myrrh: he is in a burial chamber. Pain lances through his left side as he tries to raise himself, bringing the taste of blood to his lips. His life ebbs as he remembers how the nightmare began.. One of his men came screaming of destruction and mutilation in the tomb of Egypt's greatest king. Wenatef set out to stop the sacrilege only to find that the very people he is sworn to protect were blocking him. He dreams of judgment before the gods and awakens to find new strength and even more questions. Whose blood is pooled on the floor beneath him and caked on his side when he seems, now, to be unhurt? Wenatef lets his enemies think they have killed him and sets out to uncover who is robbing and defiling the dead. Each new discovery brings him closer to the heart of a far-flung scandal of greed and betrayal that reaches a climax in a final confrontation in the great Temple of Karnak beneath the gaze of the gods. (from the author's website) A KILLING AMONG THE DEAD is a historical mystery set during ancient Egypt's declining years. It is a tale of betrayal, revenge and redemption, and one man's discovery that no matter how alone we seem in our struggle against evil, the Great Ones are never far away.

This was a freebie on Amazon when I picked it up, but it is currently at it's normal price of $2.99, along with the other 2 Egyptian stories by the same author.

I love all things Egyptian so when I saw this as a freebie I had to give it a try. I was pleased with it, and got more from it than I expected. Wenatef grew on me, I wasn't sure about him at first, but he goes through quite a personal and spiritual transformation throughout the story. His beliefs are challenged and overthrown, but instead of becoming disheartened, he is enlightened to a greater truth. While he is comforted by this new knowledge, it comes at a price, he is changed to the point where he can no longer feel comfortable among his own people, but he has a duty to uphold and he does that before moving on to the next stage of his own life. I would really like to see a story about him as he journey's away from Egypt, and how he deals with new lands, new people, and different belief systems.

There is plenty of action as Wenatef matches wits with the graverobbers, and single handedly brings to an end a pillaging that has gone on for years. I also enjoyed his encounters in the spirit realm, and the authors descriptions of the setting. While she is the first to admit that her depictions may not be historically accurate, as an amateur Egyptophile, I found them stable enough to set the scene for me, and would recommend this to any that enjoy the ancient Egyptian world as a backdrop.

I'm looking forward to checking out Diana Wilder's other work.

Diana Wilder's Website

A Winter's Respite Read-a-thon January 21-27, 2013

It's time for the Winter's Respite Read-a-thon, taking place over at Seasons of Reading! Come on and join us! Work on the TBR pile and get ahead!

Goals:

I would like to try and finish the two books I've started:






If I manage that, then I'll probably start another book for my Seriously Series Challenge:






That should be plenty to keep me busy for the week, as I'm also working on:





But I'm taking my time with those and will come nowhere close to finishing them!


Updates:

Title	Start	21-Jan	22-Jan	23-Jan	24-Jan	25-Jan	26-Jan	27-Jan	Total
Ench.	75	98	132	146	192	-	-	308 Finished!	233
AKATD	28	48	-	63	71	84	-	135	107
KC	58	73	-	-	-	-	-	-	15
ABoSaA	5:34	6:47	8:49	1:35  pt 2	3:20	3:51	-	4:09	7:24
Tithe	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Final: 355 pages = about 50 pages per day, and 7:24 hours = 1:03 listening per day.

Giveaway (International): Graveminder by Melissa Marr

From Goodreads: Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you." Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene's death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

I am already a fan of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, so I was excited to try Graveminder, something completely different. I was drawn in from the beginning, listening on audio, and found myself doing a few extra chores so I didn't have to stop! The story is dark, and enthralling, set in a small town with some very big secrets. Being the Graveminder is a huge responsibility, keeping the dead at rest. I really liked Mr. D and his underworld, and the whole idea of the Graveminder and Undertaker partnership was interesting and eerie.

I listed this as one of my favorite reads/listens in 2012, and I would love to share it with you, so I'm offering up one copy, either the US Kindle version or a physical copy from the Book Depository as long as they will ship to where you live. I'm also interested to know what your favorite reads of 2012 were. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bout of Books 6.0 January 7-13

It's time for Bout of Books 6.0!  Get a jump start on your reading this year! You can sign up HERE.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team


Goals

• Devote one additional uninterrupted hour per day to reading/listening (that's harder than it sounds, and usually I'm my own interruption!)
• Finish up the books I'm in the middle of.
• Start another Seriously Series Challenge book. 
• Added later - 700 pages total.

Books to finish up

 

Paperback Starting page: 126 Status: Finished!

Kindle Starting position: 84 Status: In Progress

Audio Starting time: 5:06 Status: Finished!

Books/Short Stories Started

Trade PB Starting page: 1/252 Status: Finished!

Nice Girls Don’t Sign a Lease Without a Wedding Ring blog post/short story Pages: 9 Status: Finished!

Short story Pages: 17 Status: Finished!

Short Story Pages: 10 Status: Finished!

Updates

1/7 - Day 1
Time Listened: 1:23 (6:29)
Pages Read: DM(18), TTB(146) = 164

1/8 - Day 2
Time Listened: :49 (7:18)
Pages Read: DM(40), TTB(106) = 146
Finished Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

1/9 - Day 3
Time Listened: 2:20 (part 2 1:49)
Pages Read: 136
Finished Dead Matter by Anton Strout

Page 48 Challenge

"What can I do?" I asked. "It's not like the Order has put me through any kind of psychology boot camp." -- pg. 48 - Dead Matter by Anton Strout

My Continuation:

     My partner stared out at the scene before us in bemusement.  "Freud would have a hey day with this. I  really hope the Order has a good mental health clause in their insurance plan, you're going to need it after you clean this up!"  He contemplated the tableau awhile longer then said, "Well, good luck mate, ring me if you need a drink, you know... after..."

1/10 - Day 4
Time Listened: 1:41 (part 2 3:30)
Pages Read: NG (9), KU (17), Reb (41) = 67
Finished 2 short stories

1/11 - Day 5
Time Listened: 2:06 (part 2 5:36)
Pages Read: ATM (10), Reb (29) = 39
Finished A Test of Mettle short story

1/12 - Day 6
Time Listened: 2:13 (part 2 7:49)
Pages Read: Reb(24) = 24
Finished the Orchid Affair on audio

1/13 - Day 7
Pages Read: Reb(98) = 98

Total Time Listened: 10:32
Total Pages Read: 674
Books Finished: 3
Short Stories Finished: 3

Closing Remarks:  I didn't quite hit my amended goal of 700 pages, but I'm still really happy with what I managed, especially the 10 hours of listening time!  As usual this was a great time and I can't wait until the next one!

2012 Wrap Up

Favorite Reads in 2012

Out of the 100 books I read this year, these are the ones that really stand out in my mind when I look back over the list. To me it is interesting that 6 of them were audiobooks, so apparently I just REALLY like being read to! Two of these were read by the same narrator, Wil Wheaton, so I must really like his style!

All of these are either stand alones, or beginnings of a series. I did continue reading in some favorite series this year but decided to focus on beginnings or singles, instead of the middle of something I've been working on for awhile.

If I've reviewed it, I've provided a link to that, otherwise, it will be to the Goodreads page.

Review	Review	Review	Review
Goodreads	Goodreads	Goodreads	Review

Challenges Basically I didn't succeed at any of the challenges I did except for Speculative Romance, which I then tried to go on to the next level and didn't make it.  So we're not going to spend a lot of time on that, except to say that this year, I've picked one challenge, and that in itself was a challenge! They all sound so fun it's hard to resist, but I'm doing the lowest level of the Seriously Series Challenge, and that is all! Check out the links below to join up! To see what I've chosen for it, I've set up a page here for tracking. Sign up at  Reading the Paranormal or On a Book Bender it's all part of the same challenge.

Happy New Year everyone! May 2013 be filled with peace and good books!