Wednesday 31 December 2014

Wrap-up post: Alphabet soup

The 2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, hosted by Dollycas is one of several A to Z challenges online. The goal is to read one book starting with each letter of the alphabet. For Q, X and Z, the word starting with the letter could be anywhere in the title, but this year, I decided to see if I could use only books that started with the letters. I also wanted to read 26 different authors.

A - Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh
B - Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
C - The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
D - Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor
E - Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
F - Fool Me Twice - Meredith Duran
G - The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
H - Hero - Alethea Kontis
I - Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
J - Jackaby - William Ritter
K - The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
L - Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
M - Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
N - Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
O - The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
P - Poison Princess - Kresley Cole
Q - The Queen´s Fool - Philippa Gregory
R - Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare
S - Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
T - Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
U - The Undead Pool - Kim Harrison
V - Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase
W - White Night - Jim Butcher
X - X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
Y - You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Z - Zoya - Danielle Steel

Challenge completed: 24th of December 2014

Wrap-up post: 2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

As in 2013, I signed up for the Historical Fiction reading challenge, because let´s face it, I read a lot of historical novels. This year is unusual in that only about a third of the books I completed were historicals, but then again, some of them were more than a thousand pages long, so that has to count for something. I signed up for the highest level, prehistoric (50+ books)

1. The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
2. The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason
3. Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare
4. Haiene (The Sharks) - Jens Bjørneboe
5. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
6. When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
7. Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George
8. Hero - Alethea Kontis
9. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
10. Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
11. The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
12. The Glass Casket - McCormick Templeman
13. Fool Me Twice - Meredith Duran
14. Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
15. The Sandalwood Princess - Loretta Chase
16-17. Boxers and Saints - Gene Luen Yang
18. How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
19. Teori og praksis (Theory and Practice) - Nikolaj Frobenius
20. The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
21. The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
22. The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon
23. A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson
24. What Happens in London - Julia Quinn
25. The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
26. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
27. Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer
28. Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase
29. Ten Things I Love About You - Julia Quinn
30. Emma - Jane Austen
31. Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
32. Indigo - Beverly Jenkins
33. Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers
34. The Suffragette Scandal - Courtney Milan
35. The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
36-37. The Hidden Blade and My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
38. A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
39. Talk Sweetly to Me - Courtney Milan
40. Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
41. It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain
42. Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
43. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
44. Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster
45. The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
46. X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
47. Jackaby - William Ritter
48. The Season - Sarah Maclean
49. The Lady Most Willing - Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
50. The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
51. The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
52. Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover - Sarah Maclean
53. The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley
54. An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon
55. The Promise in a Kiss - Stephanie Laurens
56. Zoya - Danielle Steel
57. The Queen´s Fool - Philippa Gregory

Challenge completed: 1st of November 2014

Wrap-up post: Lucky 14

As I suspected may very well happen, I of course read many more than 14 books for the Lucky 14 Reading Challenge than I was strictly required to do. It was a really fun challenge, which both made me read outside my comfort zone and get through quite a few TBR books I might never have got round to otherwise.

The 14 categories:
1. Visit the country: Read a book that has a setting in a country that you really want to visit in real life. Make sure the setting has a big role in the book and it can make you know a little bit more about your dream destination.

The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand (France)

2. Cover lust: Pick a book from your shelf that you bought because you fell in love with the cover. Is the content as good as the cover?

 The Twistrose Key - Tone Almhjell (I suspect the book would have been better if I were younger)
The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason (Gorgeous cover, really fun book)
Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George (Lovely cover, book not as good as rest of series)
Jackaby - William Ritter (Stunning cover, really imaginative and entertaining book)

3. Blame it On Bloggers: Read a book because you've read the sparkling reviews from other bloggers. Don't forget to mention the bloggers' names too!

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig (recommended on countless romance blogs)
Fortune´s Pawn - Rachel Bach (recommended by Ilona Andrews, one of my favourite authors)
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund (Forever Young Adult and others)

4. Bargain All the Way: Ever buy a book because it's so cheap you don't really care about the content? Now it's time to open the book and find out if it's really worth your cents.

Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer (not bad, not sure I would have bought it at full price)
Spider´s Bite - Jennifer Estep (absolutely not worth even the tiny amount of money I paid for it)

5. (Not So) Fresh From the Oven: Do you remember you bought/was given a newly released book last year but never had a chance to read it? Dig it from your pile and bring back the 2013.

When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
Hero - Alethea Kontis
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger

6. First Letter's Rule: Read a book where the title begins with the same letter as your name (so M for Malin, in my case). Articles like "a", "an" or "the" don't count.

Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
Match Me If You Can - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews
My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
Mind Games - Carolyn Crane

7. Once Upon a Time: Choose a book first published before the year you were born. Doesn't have to be a classic book, something only a bit older than you is ok. You can read the most recent edition if you like.

Haiene (The Sharks) - Jens Bjørneboe
Emma - Jane Austen
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

8. Chunky Brick: Take a deep breath, and read a book that has more than 500 pages. Yep, the one that you've always been afraid of! As suspected, this category was not a difficult one to cover. So many fat books read this year.

Cress - Marissa Meyer (550 pages)
Turn Coat - Jim Butcher (545 pages)
Changes - Jim Butcher (546 pages)
Ghost Story - Jim Butcher (608 pages)
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor (624 pages)
Cold Days - Jim Butcher (614 pages)
The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon (1456 pages)
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers (549 pages)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon (1410 pages)
An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon (1126 pages)

9. Favourite Author: You like their books, but there are too many titles. This is your chance, choose a book that's been written by your favourite author, but you haven't gotten round to reading it before.

The Season - Sarah Maclean

10. It's Been There Forever: Pick up a book that's been there on your shelf for more than a year, clean up the dust and start to read it now.

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson

11. Movies vs Books: You've seen the movie adaptation (or planned to see it soon) but never had time to read the book. It's time to read the book, so you can compare the book vs the movie.

The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot (honestly don´t know if I prefer the film or the book)
Teori og praksis - Nikolaj Frobenius (absolutely prefer the film, it was shorter, for one thing)
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn (preferred the film, which was excellent)
Divergent - Veronica Roth (haven´t seen the film, don´t particularly want to)
Horns - Joe Hill (based on the reviews I´ve seen, the book and the film are quite different)

12. Freebies Time: What's the LAST free book you got? Whether it's from a giveaway, a birthday gift or a surprise from someone special, don't hold back any longer. Open the book and start reading now.

Hounded - Kevin Hearne
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire

13. Not My Cup of Tea: Reach out to a genre that you've never tried (or probably just disliked) before. Whether it's romance, horror or non fiction, maybe you'll find a hidden gem.

The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey (I don´t normally like horror, but I loved this)
Locke and Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

14. Walking Down the Memory Lane: Ever had a book that you loved so much as a kid? Or a book that you wish you could read when you were just a kid? Grab it now and prepare for a wonderful journey to the past. Comic books or graphic novels are allowed!

The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Books read in total: 51

Wrap-up post: RIP IX

From September 1st until October 31st, Stainless Steel Droppings hosts the RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) Reading Challenge every year. This was the ninth such challenge. The goal is to read, or watch stories in the genres of mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, supernatural or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the genres above. You can sign up for three levels - Peril the first (4 books), Peril the second (2 books) and Peril the third (one single book). I tend to challenge myself to complete all three, as really there doesn´t seem much point otherwise. I also decided to count all the books I read in the two months in my total.

Peril the First:
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire
The Witch with No Name - Kim Harrison
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Peril the Second:
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Peril the Third:
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

Also read:
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake
Jackaby - William Ritter
Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Horns - Joe Hill
Burn for Me - Ilona Andrews

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Books read in total: 12

Wrap-up post: Colour Coded Reading Challenge 2014

My readers block has hosted the Colour Coded Reading Challenge for a few years, and this year I decided to take part. The rules are pretty simple. There are nine categories, and you read at least one book in each category, with a book containing the colour or any shade of the colour in the title.

A book with "blue" or any shade of blue in the title:
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

A book with "red" or any shade of red in the title:
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

A book with "yellow" or any shade of yellow in the title:
Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer

A book with "green" or any shade of green in the title:
The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

A book with "brown" or any shade of brown in the title:
The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand
The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

A book with "black" or any shade of black in the title:
Svart Elfenben (Black Ivory) by Arne Svingen
The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig

A book with "white" or any shade of white in the title:
White Night by Jim Butcher

A book with any other colour in the title:
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Greywalker by Kat Richardson
The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

A book with a word that implies colour:
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
Glitterland by Alexis Hall

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Total books read: 20

Tuesday 30 December 2014

Wrap-up post: 2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Having greatly enjoyed their Book Bingo Challenge in 2013, I was delighted when I discovered that Anne from Creativity´s Corner and Kristilyn from Reading in Winter not only were repeating their success, but had changed the Bingo Card somewhat, making it (at least for me) easier to complete the challenge).
The bingo card for 2014 looked like this:

I completed my first bingo card on the 26th of June and my second (because of course I had to complete another one, just to show off) on the 22nd of November.

Bingo Card 1: 

From your TBR Pile:
One book:
The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
Two books:
White Night - Jim Butcher
The Chocolate Heart - Laura Florand
Three books:
Poison Princess - Kresley Cole
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
Four books:
Stay with Me - Elyssa Patrick
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
Side Jobs - Jim Butcher
Five books:
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
Fortune´s Pawn - Rachel Bach
Teori og praksis - Nikolaj Frobenius
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson

Mix it up:
Non-fiction:
I Don´t Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer
Classic:
Emma - Jane Austen
Re-read:
The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon
Contemporary:
Play - Kylie Scott

Part of a series:
One book:
Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh 
Two books:
Small Favour - Jim Butcher
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Three books:
Endless Knight - Kresley Cole
Turn Coat - Jim Butcher
The Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George
Four books:
Hero - Alethea Kontis
Changes - Jim Butcher
Ghost Story - Jim Butcher
Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
Five books:
Cold Days - Jim Butcher
Skin Game - Jim Butcher
The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer

Genres:
Fantasy:
The Twistrose Key - Tone Almhjell
Historical fiction:
Haiene - Jens Bjørneboe
Mystery:
Creation in Death - J.D. Robb
Romance:
Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare

New releases (out in 2014):

One book:
The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand
Two books:
The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey
Cress - Marissa Meyer
Three books:
The Undead Pool - Kim Harrison
Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
Four books:
The Glass Casket - McCormick Templeman
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor
Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
Five books:
The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
It Happened One Wedding - Julie James
Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase

Free squares - read whatever you want:
Square 1:
The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason
Square 2:
Innsirkling - Carl Frode Tiller

Bingo Card 2: 

From your TBR Pile:
One book:
Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
Two books:
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers
Spider´s Bite - Jennifer Estep
Three books:
It Had to Be You - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Greywalker - Kat Richardson
Finding Colin Firth - Mia March
Four books:
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
The Silver Metal Lover - Tanith Lee
Hounded - Kevin Hearne
Five books:
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Mix it up:
Non-fiction:
The Kid: What Happened When My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant - Dan Savage
Classic:
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Re-read:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
Contemporary:
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane

Part of a series:
One book:
Rumor Has It - Jill Shalvis
Two books:
Heaven, Texas - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Nobody´s Baby But Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Three books:
Dream a Little Dream - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This Heart of Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Match Me If You Can - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Four books:
Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
Across the Star-Swept Sea - Diana Peterfreund
Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster
Five books:
X Marks the Scot - Veronica Roberts
Mind Games - Carolyn Crane
Double Cross - Carolyn Crane
Head Rush - Carolyn Crane
Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater

Genres:
Fantasy:
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
Historical fiction:
The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
Mystery:
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Romance:
Indigo - Beverly Jenkins

New releases (out in 2014):
One book:
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet - Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
Two books:
Landline - Rainbow Rowell
The Suffragette Scandal - Courtney Milan
Three books:
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews
Lead - Kylie Scott
Four books:
The Hidden Blade - Sherry Thomas
My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire
Five books:
The Witch with No Name - Kim Harrison
Rock Addiction - Nalini Singh
Jackaby - William Ritter
Burn for Me - Ilona Andrews
Yes, Please - Amy Poehler

Free squares - read whatever you want:
Square 1:
The Season - Sarah Maclean
Square 2: 
It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain

Wrap-up post: 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

My TBR list gets longer with every passing year, so it seems like a good idea to take part in a reading challenge that makes me at least attempt to reduce the pile a little. This year, that reading challenge was the 2014 TBR Pile, hosted by Bookish. There were a number of levels, and once again, I didn´t want to aim too high.

I therefore chose level 4: Sweet Summer Fling, aiming to read at least 31-40 books on my TBR list. The books had to have been added before the beginning of 2014, and had to have been published in 2013 or earlier. I not only completed my initial goal by June 28th, I also surpassed my wildest expectations this year (way more than I managed in my TBR challenge in 2013), so I will be aiming for the highest level next year.

1. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
2. White Night by Jim Butcher
3. Archangel´s Legion by Nalini Singh
4. The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand
5. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
6. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
7. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
8. Small Favour by Jim Butcher
9. Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
10. Innsirkling by Carl Frode Tiller
11. Haiene by Jens Bjørneboe
12. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
13. When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke
14. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
15. Hero by Alethea Kontis
16. Stay with Me by Elyssa Patrick
17. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
18. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
19. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
20. Changes by Jim Butcher
21. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
22. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
23. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
24. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
25. Songs of Love and Death - anthology
26. The Sandalwood Princess by Loretta Chase
27-28. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
29. Locke and Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
30. Fortune´s Pawn by Rachel Bach
31. Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
32. Cold Days by Jim Butcher
33. Teori og prakis by Nikolaj Frobenius
34. Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
35. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
36. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
37. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
38. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
39. Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer
40. Somewhere I´ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas
41. Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
42. Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis
43. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
44. It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
45. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
46. Greywalker by Kat Richardson
47. Finding Colin Firth by Mia March
48. Nobody´s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
49. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
50. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
51. Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
52. Natural Born Charmber by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53. Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie
54. You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
55. Where´d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
56. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
57. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
58. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
59. The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
60. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
61. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
62. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
63. Divergent by Veronica Roth
64. It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain
65. Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
66. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
67. Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
68. The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale
69. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
70. X Marks the Scot by Victoria Roberts
71. Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
72. The Season by Sarah Maclean
73. The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant by Dan Savage
74. The Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
75. Horns by Joe Hill
76-78: Mind Games, Double Cross and Head Rush by Carolyn Crane
79. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
80. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
81. The Promise in a Kiss by Stephanie Laurens
82. Zoya by Danielle Steel
83. The Queen´s Fool by Philippa Gregory
84. Glitterland by Alexis Hall

Wrap-up post: What an Animal Reading Challenge VII 2014

When I signed up for the What an Animal Challenge, hosted by Socrates´ Book Reviews, I didn´t want to get too ambitious. There were three levels - up to 6 books, between 7 and 12, and more than 13. I figured I´d play it safe and go for level 2 - 7-12 books. As it turns out, I could easily have gone for level 3, as I´d completed my first 12 books by the 30th of May. I will obviously go for level 3 next year, when I intend to take part again (sign-up post to come).

The books had to follow these requirements:
a. there is an animal in the title of the book
b. there is an animal on the cover of the book
c. an animal plays a major part in the book
d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you´d like).

1. The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell (animals play a major part)
2. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason (title and cover of the book)
3. Haiene (The Sharks) by Jens Bjørneboe (title and cover)
4. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (title, cover, major part of the book)
5. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop (title, main characters who turn into animals)
6. Hero by Alethea Kontis (shapeshifting creature plays a major part)
7. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher (characters turn into an animal)
8. Saga, vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples (talking cat is an important character)
9. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (half the characters are beast creatures)
10. The Kraken King by Meljean Brook (title and some of the covers)
11. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (cover of UK edition, animal plays a major part)
12. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley (title, story about the bird plays a major part in the book)
13. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson (title)
14. Vixen in Velvet by Loretta Chase (title)
15. Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis (cover)
16. It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (cover, animal plays major part in the book)
17. Spider´s Bite by Jennifer Estep (title)
18. Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews (cover, main characters who turn into animals)
19. Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie (animal plays major part of the plot)
20. Across the Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund (animal plays a major part in the plot)
21. Hounded by Kevin Hearne (title, animal plays a major part of the plot)
22. The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire (main character turns into an animal)
23. The Witch with No Name by Kim Harrison (main characters turn into animals)
24. Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson (animals play a major part)
25. Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster (character turns into an animal)
26. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (animal plays a major part)
27. Jackaby by William Ritter (character turns into an animal)
28. Horns by Joe Hill (animals play a major part, protagonist sort of turns into an animal)
29. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (cover, animal plays a major part)
30. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (cover, animals play a major part)
31. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (animal plays a major part)

Wrap-up post: Meet the Protagonist Reading Challenge 2014

The first of the many Reading Challenges I signed up for this year, was completed on May 9th.

Meet the Protagonist, hosted by Litlequeen Rules, was a fun little challenge.

A person who is a mother: 
Saga, vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

A real life person written into a fictional story:
The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason 

A person that changes form:
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

A person who is from a country different from the one you live in:
The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand

A person who lived before World War 1:
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

A person who lives by a body of water: 
Nokon kjem til å komme by Jon Fosse
Hero by Alethea Kontis

A person younger than 18:
Svart Elfenben by Arne Svingen
The Twistrose Key by Tone Almhjell
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman

A character that is in a book series: 
Archangel´s Legion by Nalini Singh
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison
Changes by Jim Butcher

Monday 29 December 2014

#CBR6 Book 138: "Glitterland" by Alexis Hall

Page count: 248 pages
Rating:3.5 stars

Ash Winters is a bipolar depressive who once wrote a very clinically acclaimed novel, but now makes a living writing mystery genre fiction, when he´s well enough to do anything at all, that is. He feels like a constant disappointment to his friends and family and cannot remember the last time he felt happy or even content. He´s dragged along to a stag party in Brighton against his better judgement and ends up going home with Darian, an Essex model with a spray tan, elaborate coif and a ridiculously flashy outfit. He wakes up with a panic attack and leaves without saying goodbye, trying his best to forget the encounter ever happened.

But Darian tracks him down at a book signing and Ash has to admit that he´s still deeply attracted to the bouncy, talkative, orange-skinned, big-haired Essex lad. Even if Darian isn´t exactly his intellectual equal in any way, he seems to make Ash forget about his anxiety and misery while they´re together. Ash can´t bring himself to tell Darian the truth about his illness. He keeps telling himself that they have nothing in common except their sizzling chemistry, so how can they possibly have a future?

Alexis Hall first came to my attention when he did a series of very entertaining romance reviews for Dear Author, one of the many romance review sites I spend far too much of my time frequenting. I began following him on Twitter and discovered he had written his own book. Then, as is so often the case, I bought the e-book and forgot all about it. When looking for light entertainment while woolly-headed and sick with a cold over Christmas, I came across the book on my e-reader and the rest is history.

I like a lot about the book. I like that Ash has a genuine illness and that it´s quite clear that someone with a diagnosis as bipolar isn´t going to suddenly get well just because they fall in love. I like that while Darian clearly isn´t an intellectual and enjoys fashion, glamour and reality TV, he´s not actually stupid either and is a genuinely good person, whose optimism and cheerfulness is an important contrast to Ash´s gloom and fatalistic world view. I liked Ash´s literary agent, Amy, and her fiancee Max. They both seemed lovely. I liked Darian´s friends. While they are not the sort of people I would hang out with, they seemed to genuinely care for each other and support each other, which is more than I can say for all of Ash´s friends.

Which brings me to what I didn´t like. I did not like Ash´s ex-boyfriend Niall, whose passive-aggressive behaviour was clearly meant to make Ash feel guilty all the time. I didn´t feel even vaguely sorry for him, even towards the end of the book, when he breaks down and finally apologises to Ash for his controlling ways. I also, unfortunately, didn´t like Ash all that much. He´s mentally ill, yes, and unfortunately Niall´s so-called friendly advice has made him believe that he is beyond redemption or happiness, but he is far too judgemental and pretentious for much of the book and really very mean to Darian far too much of the time. I´m honestly not sure Darian should have forgiven him, considering what Ash did and how long it took him to apologise. I also feel that there should have been more grovelling.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.

Saturday 27 December 2014

#CBR6 Book 137: "The Queen's Fool" by Philippa Gregory

Page count. 514 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Young Jewish girl Hannah Verde flees the Inquisition in Spain with her father after her mother is burned for heresy. They travel through Europe to England, calling themselves "Green" and making a new life for themselves as loyal Christians. Hannah´s father has a printing press and soon his skilled work comes to the attention of scholars like John Dee. While John Dee is visiting their print shop with his patron, Lord Robert Dudley, Hannah has one of her visions, seeing an angel over their shoulder. Her abilities make her a priceless resource for the Dudleys, who takes her to court and presents her to young King Edward as a "Holy Fool". Of course, they also want her to swear fealty to them. If she refuses to spy for them, they will reveal her Jewish origins and both Hannah and her father will be executed.

Besotted with the charming Lord Robert, enticed by the chance at independence and glamorous life at court, Hannah would much rather be a Holy Fool than work in her father´s print shop and at sixteen marry the young doctor´s apprentice her family have picked for her. Her loyalties are tested when she is sent to spy on the Princess Mary for the Dudleys, but grows to admire and love the rightful heir to the throne, even though she suspects the Duke of Northumberland of having sinister plans for the royal succession. When Mary becomes Queen of England, she keeps Hannah with her, trusting her visions as a gift from God. She too needs Hannah to work as a spy, however, keeping watch over the Princess Elizabeth and making sure Protestant plots to put the Queen´s sister on the throne are not successful.

Throughout, Hannah´s father, and Daniel, her fiancee, are deeply worried about her and not at all happy that she is defying traditional female virtues by appearing in breeches and Fools´ motley, the pawn of powerful men and women with the power to destroy as easily as they can protect. As religious persecution in England becomes more aggressive, they flee to France. But Hannah feels unable to leave either the Queen she serves or the charismatic Princess she´s also grown so attached to.

The Mama´s Cannonball review of this book convinced me to give Philippa Gregory another chance. I wasn´t all too impressed with her writing in The Other Boleyn Girl and even less so in The Boleyn Inheritance. I suspect that may be because I did part of my history degree on the Tudors, with Henry VIII and Elizabeth I as speciality fields. I´m more fuzzy on the details about little Edward and Mary I, however, and I know very little specific about the persecution of Jews throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, so this book was a lot more interesting to me. While I think it may be a bit anachronistic how independent Hannah wanted to be, how reluctant she was to conform to the traditional role of women of the time and how demanding she was of equality in her future marriage, Hannah did also serve a woman who ruled as Queen in her own right and a Princess who would go on to be the most fiercely independent woman in Europe. So as female role models go, it´s not surprising that she didn´t just want to conform, keep silent and be controlled like the chattel most Medieval women were treated as.

I totally understand the popularity of "sexy history" like Philippa Gregory´s novels, The Tudors, The Borgias and Reign and when I´m able to turn off the part of my brain who screams about inaccuracies, simplifications, anachronisms and the like, I am usually a big fan. There are after all the attractive actors, the sumptuous costumes and tons of exciting intrigue. This book was incredibly engrossing. I am worried that a lot of people take the heavily fictionalised accounts of these historical events as fact (although I have trouble seeing how anyone can do anything but suspend their disbelief when watching Reign), but at the same time, it´s good that the history doesn´t become entirely forgotten. Hopefully some are inspired to find out the truth behind the fiction. As my final book for the Alphabet soup challenge of this year, I´m glad I picked something so entertaining. I may give some of the other Gregory books from time periods I´m more hazy about a try over the course of 2015.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.

#CBR6 Book 136: "Zoya" by Danielle Steel

Page count: 512 pages
Rating: 3.5 stars

Zoya Ossupov, a young noblewoman, second cousin to the Tsar himself, lives a sheltered life of luxury in St. Petersburg. When the revolution breaks out, Zoya´s grandmother, who has seen which way the wind was blowing, bundles up the many garments they´ve sown jewellery into and Zoya and they flee the country through Finland. Having lost her father, mother and elder brother in only a few days and worrying about the safety of her cousins the Romanovs, who were placed in house arrest by the revolutionaries, Zoya has to make a new life for herself in Paris with her grandmother and the one loyal servant who came with them.

Going against the express wishes of her stately grandmother, Zoya auditions with the Ballet Russe and starts supporting their little family as a ballet dancer. The only other money they have is the pittance they can get from selling their family heirlooms, in a market already flooded with Russian treasures. Zoya rejects the elderly Russian prince and the young lodger that her grandmother tries to match her with. Her grandmother wants her to be safe, Zoya wants to marry for love. She falls for an American officer, but he´s old enough to be her father and believes she would be better off without him. Only towards the end of the first World War he realises that they cannot fight their attraction, and Zoya becomes a society darling in New York.

She´s blissfully happy until the Wall Street crash, suddenly widowed with two small children to support. Once again, Zoya´s willingness to work hard sees her safe and comfortable within a few years, and eventually she even finds love again. Then the second World War arrives, and both Zoya´s new husband and son are determined to fight for their country. Will another conflict cost her more of the people she loves?

I´m pretty sure that this is the first novel I´ve ever read by Danielle Steel, and having read it, I can see both why her books are incredibly popular among some readers, and completely panned by others. I´m not going to pretend that I thought this was great literature, some of the descriptions and info dumping was a bit heavy handed and the plot was possibly a bit too packed, but it was an entertaining book and it reminded me that I´ve always found the Romanov family and their fate fascinating (even before I watched Anastasia. So it´s spurred me to add two non-fiction books about them to my TBR list and they will be part of my reading list for CBR7.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.

Monday 15 December 2014

#CBR6 Book 135: "The Promise in a Kiss" by Stephanie Laurens

Page count: 400 pages
Rating: 4 stars

Sixteen year old Helena de Stansion, Comtesse D'Lisle, is spending Christmas Eve wandering around the gardens of the convent where her sister is recuperating from illness when a man suddenly drops down into the convent garden pretty much on top of her. Assuming the man is fleeing from something clandestine, she lies to the nuns and the guards when the approach her to ask if she's seen someone on the grounds. As a thank you for protecting him, the handsome stranger gives her a kiss.

Seven years later, while in England trying to find a suitable husband, Helena discovers that the man who kissed her is none other than Sebastian Cynster, the Duke of St. Ives. Helena's autocratic guardian has signed a document giving her permission to choose her own husband, should his title, wealth and landholdings be equal to or surpassing her own. Helena is determined to get away from the demands of her guardian and want someone as different from him as possible as her husband. A nice, kind man who won't try to control her. One short meeting with St. Ives, and it's obvious that he is just as controlling and arrogant as her guardian, if not more so. He has also sworn not to marry, but delighted to see her again, offers to help her find a suitable match. Helena is convinced that he has designs to be her lover, and if he aids her in finding a biddable husband, she will be more easily seduced.

St. Cyr hasn't really forgotten Helena either, and while he is not announcing his intentions to find a wife publicly, the machinations of his tiresome sister-in-law has made him reconsider his vow never to marry. When he discovers that the lovely girl he met seven years ago is now a beautiful and spirited young woman, with a temper and an iron will to match his own, he's pretty sure he's found the woman he wants to share his future with. He pretends he wants to help her find a match so he can spend more time with her and get to know her better. He finally manages to convince her that he wants her as a wife, not just as a mistress, when further complications occur.

It turns out that Helena's guardian and St. Cyr have a history, and that St. Cyr once won a valuable dagger in a wager. Now Helena's guardian wants it back, and he intends for Helena to steal it, or her sister will be in terrible danger. Helena has to decide whether she will betray the man she is growing to love or the sister she adores.

I've never read any Stephanie Laurens, but a quick Wikipedia search shows me that she has written a truly staggering amount of romances, mostly focusing on the romantic exploits of various Cynster family members. This book is chronologically the first in the series and as such set in Georgian times, rather than the Regency. Sebastian and Helena are a fun couple and in some of their interactions, they reminded me of Falconbridge and Genevieve in Julie Anne Long's What I Did for a Duke. I suspect older, worldly, archly sarcastic nobleman and younger spirited woman will always bring that to mind now.

I bought the book in an Amazon sale more than a year ago, probably on the recommendation of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books (I buy a lot of romance that way) and promptly forgot about it until this month's Monthly Key Word Challenge, where it qualifies twice (promise and kiss). It's also set around Christmas, which made it impossible to pass up. It's a fun read, even though the main complication in the lovers' way involves a misunderstanding that could have been much more easily solved through simple conversation and honesty. Still, when the truth is out and all the cards are on the table, I will give Laurens thanks, because St. Cyr reacts in a very logical way to Helena's secrets and the resolution is both action packed and exciting. Possibly a bit silly and melodramatic, but I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not sure I'm going to be actively seeking out more of Laurens' books, but if they show up in another e-book sale, I'm not ruling out buying more.

Crossposted on Cannonball Read.