Spring Reading Challenge 3/20 - 6/20 and Read-a-thon March 3/20 - 3/26

I was just thinking I needed a Read-a-thon to get me back in the reading groove, so this is just the ticket! Book Dragon's Lair is hosting a Spring Reading Challenge from March 20th - June 20th, and kicked it off with a Read-a-thon from March 20th - March 26th! Click on the pictures to go to the sign ups, they both start today!


Read-a-thon Progess:

03/20/14 - Starting Line

The First American Army - starting location 103
Blood Rules - starting location 1460
Lover Reborn - starting page 100
Heal Your Headache - starting page 22
A Feast for Crows - starting at 6:10

I'm sure I won't get through all of this in a week, but anything will be progress!

03/22/14 - Update

Backup - Finished!  Picked this up at the library yesterday and gave a quick read last night and today.

03/25/14 - Update

With only one day left, my goal will be to finish Blood Rules, the Kindle says I have just under 3 hours left on it, so hopefully I'll make it!

3/26/14 - Update

So I didn't actually finish Blood Rules, but I only have an hour left on it, so I still consider that pretty good, and more than I've gotten read lately! 

Finish Line:

The First American Army - starting location 103, ended at 103
Blood Rules - starting location 1460, ended at 4425 - estimate 174 pages
Lover Reborn - starting page 100, ended at 128 - 28 pages
Heal Your Headache - starting page 22, ended at 60 - 38 pages
A Feast for Crows - starting at 6:10, ended at 12:00 estimated
Backup - started at 1 - finished at 70

Total = 310 pages and almost 6 hours of listening.



Challenge Progess:

1. Backup by Jim Butcher - finished 3/22/14

 
Books Completed

A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare

When a devilish lord and a bluestocking set off on the road to ruin...time is not on their side. Minerva Highwood, one of Spindle Cove's confirmed spinsters, needs to be in Scotland. Colin Sandhurst, Lord Payne, a rake of the first order, needs to be...anywhere but Spindle Cove. These unlikely partners have one week to • fake an elopement • convince family and friends they're in "love" • outrun armed robbers • survive their worst nightmares • travel four hundred miles without killing each other All while sharing a very small carriage by day and an even smaller bed by night. What they don't have time for is their growing attraction. Much less wild passion. And heaven forbid they spend precious hours baring their hearts and souls. Suddenly one week seems like exactly enough time to find a world of trouble. And maybe...just maybe...love.

I picked up A Week to be Wicked after hearing much love for the author by Amanda over at On a Book Bender. Our tastes seem to be pretty compatible, so while at the library I decided to see what they had.  A Week to be Wicked is actually the second of the Spindle Cove series, but I went for it anyway, figuring I wouldn't be too lost.  I'm so glad I did, this was a fun, adventurous and intelligent romp that had me laughing and sighing with emotion often on the same page! 

I enjoy historical fiction/romance on it's own, just for the fact of being set historically, but what really gets me attached to a book is when there is another element that ties in to my own interests.  I got that pleasant surprise here, as neither the cover, nor the description hints at the geological/paleontological elements involved.  It's actually a driving factor in the story and I love that!  Francine is a passive but humorous "character" in her own right.  Minerva is a strong woman with scientific interests, she's witty and quick, a girl I could easily identify with.  Colin is a rake, and a mess, but a lovable one, and he does his best to keep his promises, which usually just makes everything go even more wrong the harder he tries.  Of course he's a damaged hero, and we love those right? YES WE DO!  Fictional suffering FTW!

I also loved the dedication in the front: "For all the girls who walk and read at the same time."  Tessa was totally saying to me, "This romance is for YOU!" (I still do it!)

Thanks for the recommend Amanda, I'll definitely be reading more from Tessa Dare!

Amanda's Review of A Week to be Wicked

Tessa Dare's Website

KEEP GOING by Joseph Marshall III

From Goodreads: Grandfather says this: "In life there is sadness as well as joy, losing as well as winning, falling as well as standing, hunger as well as plenty, bad as well as good. I do not say this to make you despair, but to teach you…that life is a journey sometimes walked in light and sometimes in shadow.”   Grandfather says this: "Keep going.” When a young man’s father dies, he turns to his sagacious grandfather for comfort. Together they sit underneath the family’s cottonwood tree, and the grandfather shares his perspective on life, the perseverance it requires, and the pleasure and pain of the journey. Filled with dialogue, stories, and recollections, each section focuses on a portion of the prose poem "Keep Going” and provides commentary on the text. Readers will draw comfort, knowledge, and strength from the Grandfather’s wise words—just as Marshall himself did.

I discovered this little book in our collection the other day as I was poking through our basement books as I often do, just to remind myself of what is there.  I didn't remember buying it, or even seeing it there before, but as my family is going through some difficulties right now it seemed that it may have appeared in front of me for a reason.  I chose to honor the sign, if that's what it was, and give it a read.

This is a gentle, down to earth book of encouragement.  It does not sugar coat reality but instead emphasizes the duality of all aspects of life and the importance of taking another step, no matter how weary you are, or how small that step is.  Life is difficult, and those steps will be hard, but you must keep going, and in facing down those storms, you will gain strength.

I found this quick video of the author reading the introduction to the book which summarizes with a beautiful oration.  I know I will enjoy listening to it many times, and look forward to reading more of the author's work.

Website of Joseph Marshall III

That Thing at the Zoo by James R. Tuck

From Goodreads: Shredding monsters is his stock and trade. He sniffs them out, tracks them down, and corners them. End of story. But when the tables are turned, expect the unexpected. Knowing his enemy is a rule Deacon Chalk swears by. But he's never seen anything like whatever is leaving the Atlanta Zoo's most dangerous predators bloodless, skinned, and hanging high in the treetops. And he's only got until sunrise to keep it from turning the entire city into a slaughterhouse. Now Deacon is in zoo lockdown with a handful of staffers to save. His zookeeper backup has more guts than monster-hunting experience. And the only chance Deacon has to run this thing to holy ground is to unleash his darkest, most uncontrollable instincts.

That Thing at the Zoo is a prequel novella in the Deacon Chalk: Occult Bounty Hunter Series. I picked it up as a freebie, right now it is at its regular price of $0.99 on Amazon.

I liked this a lot. Deacon is a bad-ass with heart, the traumatized hero that I find so attractive in fiction. This was a self-contained story that is a great introduction to the series, and in fact made me more interested than I already was.  It's gritty and action packed and dark, but has that bit of humor that also draws me.

I would recommend this a great read-a-thon quickie with substance that will let you know if this series is for you.  I'm pretty sure it's for me!

James R. Tuck's Website

Best reads of 2013

May I recommend these to you? Good, because I just did! These were not published in 2013, but books I read during the year. There is a mixture here, non-fiction, teen paranormal/urban fantasy and dystopian, dark fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction/romance. Also, many are not the first of their series, but series that I have really enjoyed and in my opinion well worth getting into!





Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain -I already knew I was an introvert, but Susan Cain explains it in a way I never could.  It was fantastic!

Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey - (#2 of Phaedre's Trilogy) - So much happens to Phaedre, adventure and intrigue out the wazoo! 

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi (revamp of a classic, Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper) I recommend reading both for contrast.

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon (#6 of Outlander) - *sigh* I'm so excited for the show on Starz!

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - this man can make anything interesting and fun.  This was more than the facts and figures you're used to, it provided personality and a lot of side facts that you haven't heard before!  The audio was very enjoyable, the reader was perfect!

Killbox by Ann Aguirre (#4 Sirantha Jax) - The first book of this series put Ann Aguirre firmly in my list of favorites.  I was lucky enough to meet her this year too! *squee*

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (#1 The Raven Cycle) - I was really taken in by this story, my first book by Maggie Stiefvater, I'm looking forward to more!

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr (#5 Wicked Lovely) - The last book in this beautiful series of scary faeries. 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (#2 Divergent) - The dystopian genre is fascinating and horrifying at the same time.  I've heard mixed reviews of #3, and I know why, but I'm still interested to see how it turns out, and to see the movie of Divergent later this year.

Dead Men's Boots by Mike Carey (#3 Felix Castor) - Dark and sarcastic, Felix "Fix" Castor is an exorcist/detective who gets in all kinds of trouble.  Luckily he has some supernatural help. 

And now let's get started on 2014, may all your reads be fantastic!

Bout of Books 9.0 - Goals/Updates

*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)

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

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 

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!

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne (Steampunk Chronicles #0.5) by Kady Cross

From Goodreads: Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined... An ebook exclusive prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles.

I picked up The Strange Case of Finley Jayne as a Kindle freebie on 4/27/11, it is currently $2.51.  The steampunk theme is what attracted me and I was not disappointed!  There are corsets, a mad scientist, automatons and mechanical horses, fabulous!

Right away Finley was a character that you could root for, she stands up for a child, reacting from the gut rather than propriety.  It costs her her job, but then we get to see that she doesn't come from a damaged family, but a loving one, even a loving step father!  It is this forthright aspect of her character that quickly lands her another position as a companion and this is where we get to begin exploring Finley's dark, other side.  It was pretty vague where her abilities come from, I kept thinking I had just missed it but read other reviews with the same question, so I hope that is revealed in the first actual novel The Girl in the Steel Corset which I luckily already own.

I recommend this for a read-a-thon, for anyone enjoying the Steampunk genre, some mystery and some adventure!  It was a perfect read for the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge this month!

Kady Cross's Website (you might also know her as Kathryn Smith!)




See what others are reading here:

A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Shana Galen, Vanessa Kelly, Anna Campbell, Kate Noble

From Goodreads: Four breathtakingly romantic tales of a Regency Christmas from four bestselling romance authors. Down through the years, enchantment touches a tall gray house in Grosvenor Square. The legend of Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball promises true love and happiness to one lucky couple. Who will feel the magic this winter? 1803 - The Seduction of a Duchess by Shana Galen Rowena Harcourt, the Duchess of Valère, never forgot the handsome footman who helped her escape the French Revolution. For fourteen years, Gabriel Lamarque has loved Rowena—now at Lady Winterson’s Christmas ball, has fate finally delivered a chance to win her hand? 1818 - One Kiss for Christmas by Vanessa Kelly Nigel Dash is London’s most reliable gentleman, a reputation he never minded until he fell in love with beautiful Amelia Easton. Unfortunately, Amelia sees Nigel as a dependable friend, not a dashing suitor. At Lady Winterson’s famous Christmas ball, Nigel vows to change Amelia’s mind—by sweeping her off her feet. 1825 - His Christmas Cinderella by Anna Campbell At the season’s most glittering ball, a girl who has never dared to dream of forever after discovers a Christmas miracle. 1830 - The Last First Kiss by Kate Noble Susannah Westforth has always loved Sebastian Beckett – but he’s only ever seen her as a friend. When Sebastian takes his Grand Tour, Susannah transforms herself into a woman he’ll notice. Now Sebastian is back, just in time for Lady Winterson's Christmas ball – but the last thing he expects to see is his little Susie, all grown up... You’re invited to join the whirling dance at Lady Winterson’s sparkling Christmas ball, where miracles happen and true love shines forever. How can you resist?

I picked up A Grosvenor Square Christmas as a Kindle Freebie on 11/1/13, at last check it is still free.  This was a fantastic, light hearted and heart warming collection of short stories all centered around the same location, across a span of years.

Each story brings together a couple at Lady Winterson's Christmas ball.  I like that the circumstances of the couples are varied, from their ages, to their stations in society to have been childhood friends who finally realize what they really mean to each other.  I was also very pleased at the ending, though I can't say I was surprised, I mean Christmas stories generally end happily ever after, that's part of why we read them!

I highly recommend this one if you're into holiday reading, especially if you are taking part in the many different holiday read-a-thon's.  It's light, fast and sweet.  I gave it a 4/5.

Reviewed for the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge.



See what others are reading here:

The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens

From Goodreads: Every cemetery has a story. Every grave, its secrets. Enter the world of Amanda Stevens's Graveyard Queen series--where forbidden passion and secrets from the past are as restless as the ghosts--in the series prequel novella, The Abandoned. There are rules for dealing with ghosts. Too bad Ree Hutchins doesn't know them. When her favorite patient at a private mental hospital passes away, psychology student Ree Hutchins mourns the elderly woman's death. But more unsettling is her growing suspicion that something unnatural is shadowing her. Amateur ghost hunter Hayden Priest believes Ree is being haunted. Even Amelia Gray, known in Charleston as the Graveyard Queen, senses a gathering darkness. Driven by a force she doesn't understand, Ree is compelled to uncover an old secret and put abandoned souls to rest--before she is locked away forever....

I picked up The Abandoned as a Kindle freebie on 4/10/11, it is currently at $2.51.  I had heard of the Graveyard Queen series and thought this would be a good way to see if I was at all interested in it.  I enjoyed this short story/novella even though it suffers from the same thing that turns me off of most of them, not enough time to develop the story which leaves the events feeling rushed and unrealistic.  However, ghosts and a secret society do have me intrigued so I may go ahead and give the series a try.  There was a lot packed into this story, Amelia Gray really features very little here, but I'd like to know more about her.  I gave it a 3/5.

Reviewed for the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge.




Check out other reviews for this challenge here:

Monster Read-a-thon November 9th - 15th

I'm probably asking for it since I'm already doing the Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-thon and the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge (links to the right on the sidebar) but like I've said before, I can't turn one down, so Monster Read-a-thon, here I come!

I'm currently working on A Grosvenor Square Christmas (a Kindle Freebie) and Aftermath by Ann Aguirre (who I was lucky enough to meet this past week) so I will continue on those and see what comes up next!

Winners of Blog Events and Blogger's Mindset by Amanda Shofner

And the winners are... Everyone that entered! Congrats! I will be contacting you shortly to find out where to send your Kindle copies.

For anyone finding this after the fact that would like to check these out, they are available on Amazon:

Blog Events - see my review here

Blogger's Mindset

Also check out Amanda's website, The Path of Least Revision, for great tips and helpful services to make your written life easier!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ho-Ho-Ho Read-a-thon November 7-11

I am an unbelievable sucker. I really tried to resist signing up, for about a minute. Even after I've spent the whole day feeling stressed out by my hobbies because this week has been so busy at work, and then also busy in the evenings (I met Ann Aguirre *fangirl squeal*), I've still decided to join up. But I can make this work. I can fit it in with my other challenge, I can, I know it, and I can not be stressed about it, really!

So here we go, the first of the Holiday themed read-a-thon's that I'm planning to probably take part in.  (What is this probably I speak of, we know I will, don't we? Yes, we do.)  The Ho-Ho-Ho Holiday Read-a-thon is hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, so clicky on the picture above to go learn more and join us!  I'm off to figure out what my goal will be!

Goal:  TBD - stay tuned!  Probably some Christmas Freebies that I've picked up so that I can count them for the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge as well!

Update/Finish: I only made it about 75% of the way through A Grosvenor Square Christmas, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and this RAT prompted me to pick it up sooner rather than later. I'll review it soon for Clean Out Your E-Reader as I'm hoping to finish it today 11/12/13!

Don't Die, Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

From Goodreads: After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco. Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger.

I picked this up as a Kindle freebie, currently the Kindle version can be purchased for $2.99.

My first impression on reading this was to think how frustrating it would be to have a gift in which you receive visions that are symbolic messages, but that you still have to interpret.  You can never be sure that your interpretation is the right one.

Not for the first time I was more intrigued by the side characters than I felt for the main character.  I really enjoyed Manny and Thorn, so I hope they are recurring characters in the rest of the series.  I'd like to know more about Dominic as well, but was honestly bored by Josh, he's so perfect it makes me suspect that something is up with him and I just didn't feel much spark between him and Sabine.

My favorite quirky part of this was the cow painting, it was just cute and I'll leave it at that so I don't ruin the fun for anyone else!  I do really like the cover art, very pretty.  I'm a sucker for a pretty cover for sure!

Having read the synopsis for the second book, I may go ahead with the series.  Don't Die, Dragonfly was an enjoyable, quick read and I wouldn't mind knowing what happens next.  I would recommend this as a read-a-thon selection for it's length, ease of reading and quick pace.

Here is another review by Kelly at Reading the Paranormal, posted on Goodreads that I think expresses my thoughts very well.

For more information on Linda Joy Singleton and her work, visit her website.

This was reviewed for the Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge.  See book reviews by other participants here:

Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge - November 1-30, 2013

I'm as guilty as everyone else about grabbing all those freebies and then not getting around to reading them. Hence why this challenge is perfect! I've gone through and picked out some of my older selections that have been languishing about for a couple-three years now, and here they are!

Don't Die Dragonfly by Joy Singleton Currently $2.99, freebie on 1/1/11	Bite Me by Parker Blue Currently $9.39, freebie on 3/23/11	Retro Demonology by Jana Oliver Currently $0.00, purchased 3/29/11
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross Currently $2.51, freebie on 5/1/11	The Abandoned by Amanda Stevens Currently $2.51, freebie on 4/10/11	Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell Currently $9.39, freebie on 3/18/11

Going back and checking to make sure I got them as freebies, and seeing what some of them are now has unfortunately just inspired me to keep checking the freebie list because I've gotten some good deals!  Just this group should have cost me $26.79 but guess what?  FREE!  *cheers* *gets self back under control* *Ahem* 3 of these are novellas, bet you can guess which three from their current prices!  I'm going to declare the Lightly Clean level of 1-5 and we'll see how far I get, there are many more where these came from!

This is also a blog hop, see what everyone else is doing here:

Indexing by Seanan McGuire

From Goodreads: “Never underestimate the power of a good story.” Good advice...especially when a story can kill you. For most people, the story of their lives is just that: the accumulation of time, encounters, and actions into a cohesive whole. But for an unfortunate few, that day-to-day existence is affected—perhaps infected is a better word—by memetic incursion: where fairy tale narratives become reality, often with disastrous results. That's where the ATI Management Bureau steps in, an organization tasked with protecting the world from fairy tales, even while most of their agents are struggling to keep their own fantastic archetypes from taking over their lives. When you're dealing with storybook narratives in the real world, it doesn't matter if you're Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or the Wicked Queen: no one gets a happily ever after. Indexing is New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s new urban fantasy where everything you thought you knew about fairy tales gets turned on its head.

I really liked this, it was a fresh treatment of fairy tales. It was my first novel by this author and also my first try of a Kindle serial.  It was delivered over the course of 24 weeks, an episode every two weeks. What I really would have liked after reading this is that each tale type had been a full length novel, where McGuire could have developed the characters more, and delved deeper into each tale and it's variations. I would still like that, I think it would be fantastic! I feel like Henry and Sloane were pretty well fleshed out, but the other members of the team, especially Jeff and Andy, just aren't as full and alive as I think they could be in a longer telling. So I highly recommend this, even though I almost feel like the idea was a bit wasted in such a quick telling, I'm not at all disappointed in it, I just think it has a lot of potential and it seems more like an outline of what could be, rather than a finished product on it's own. More please! 

Check out Seanan McGuire's Website for more on the author and her work, I know I will be!

I also just learned that Seanan McGuire is Mira Grant!  I did not know that!

Here is a blogpost from Seanan's live journal discussing Indexing, wherein the possibility of second "season" is mentioned though not confirmed.

Giveaway: Blog Events and Blogger's Mindset by Amanda Shofner

Have you participated in any online read-a-thons, giveaway hops, seen author tours or book carnivals  and had dreams of one day hosting one of these yourself?  These blog events are harder and easier than you might think.  You must remain organized or the event could quickly grow beyond your control, or not receive the attention you hoped for.

In her book Blog Events Amanda gives some important tips on how to run a successful event, pointing out things you need to consider, and directing you to ask yourself some very important questions on the purpose behind the event, who it is serving, and how is it helping you the event owner?  For more of my thoughts, see my previous review here.

The best thing about Blog Events is that it is general enough to fit any event, so while I mention read-a-thons because those are my passion, the principles in the book can be applied to anything you might want to do whether it's a hobby or business blogging event.

I was able to pick this up as a kindle freebie soon after it was published, but having had the pleasure of participating in many of the read-a-thon's co-hosted by Amanda and getting to know her through Twitter and Facebook, I want to give something back by offering up some copies of Blog Events to you aspiring bloggers out there who I know want to hold more read-a-thons for me!

But wait, there's more!  Hot off the presses, and I mean so hot it's not even out of the oven as I'm writing this, is Amanda's second book, Blogger's Mindset.

From her website The Path of Least Revision, she describes it this way: 

"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."

I am especially excited about this one because I can't tell you how many times I think to myself, why am I doing this?  Who even cares?  Does anyone even read it?  I can't keep up!  I should just quit.  So I step away for awhile, and find myself missing it.  But then I look at other blogs and think, wow, they're so much better than me, why do I bother? It's just a vicious cycle.  Well, the short answer is, because I like it, and I'm very interested in reading Amanda's take on the topic.

Just in case you're wondering who is this Amanda Shofner anyway, and what makes her qualified to tell us these things? Check out her cred here!

Now for the giveaway!  Two random winners will receive a US Kindle copy of both Blog Events and Blogger's Mindset, to get you excited and on the path to blogging happiness!  This giveaway will run from Oct. 23rd through Nov. 6th.  Good Luck!

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