August 2013 - REPORTING Thread

[Janice, Moderator]

This it the thread where you will report your completion of the challenge. Tell us why you chose this book and link to a review if one is completed. For now, you won't be required to score it until the end of the month when I post the scoring criteria.

The rules are here.

SCORING CRITERIA

Here goes... do this for every book you read for the challenge, but report ONLY THE HIGHEST SCORING BOOK. In order to get a badge, you must score and report the highest scoring book in this thread.

Scoring: (Count all that apply)

How impulsive are you?
10 pts - I saw it in a store or online and I just had to have it, so I bought it. It was not on my TBR or wishlist. (No Freebies)
8 pts - Same as above but it was a freebie (Kindle Freebie, Audible Freebie, Kobo, etc)
8 pts - I saw it at the library and I just had to read it, so I borrowed it. It was not on my TBR or wishlist.
6 pts - The cover was what drew me in.
4 pts - The title was what drew me in.
2 pts - I've had this on my shelf and I've been dying to read it, but I haven't been able to because of all the challenges I've committed to.

Genre:
5 pts - Fantasy
4 pts - Science Fiction
3 pts - Horror
2 pts - Young Adult

Title: (sub-titles do not count)
5 pts - Is one word long
4 pts - Is two words long
3 pts - Has numerals in it
2 pts - Has something to do with water (any word that refers to water, proper name of a body of water - please explain)

Cover: (based on the issue you read)
5 pts - Has a person's back to you
4 pts - Has the title in white
3 pts - Has a white background (significant portion)
2 pts - Has a building on it.

Pages:
10 pts - anything over 1000 pages (if ebook or audiobook, based on first book on Goodreads search)
5 pts - 500 - 1000 pages
4 pts - 400 - 499 pages
3 pts - 300 - 399 pages
2 pts - 200 - 299 pages

Example (using the book I read)

Three to Get Lei'd
10 pts - Impulsive shopper
4 pts - Title drew me in
0 pts - Genre (mystery)
0 pts - Title
0 pts - Cover
2 pts - 272 pgs
Total points = 16

[Beverly]

My first book is Diary of a Mad Fat Girl.

[Sarah]

I just finished my first "Just Because" book - Living with the Dead which is the 9th book in the Women of the Otherworld series. I gave it 5 stars. I'm slowly working my way through them! My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/527816412

[Wanda]

I have just finishedSaga of the Swamp Thing, Book 1. It did not cry 'Read Me' but someone else did. I have a 9 year old grandson who has over the past two years has become interested in reading (YEAH!!). So in order to join in with his interests, I chose to read a graphic novel--and Swamp Thing just looked good! I will say that my grandson has recently turned from the graphic novels to Harry Potter so I might have some rereads to do.

[Anna]

I choose these books because I absolutely love Jeeves & Wooster stories
The Mating Season
Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves
My Man Jeeves
The Inimitable Jeeves
Thank You, Jeeves
The Code of the Woosters
Much Obliged, Jeeves
Ring for Jeeves

Because this book is the last in the trilogy Terrorscape review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Ava Catherine]

I read Life After Life, Kate Atkinson
I gave it 5 stars.

Just because it has been on my bookshelf since it was released from the publisher this spring. I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, and this is the perfect opportunity to finally read it. So glad we had this Just Because challenge.

[Betsy]

Finished Allison DuBois -don't kiss them goodbye- which is written in a straight fore ward style which tells about her life as a psychic.

[Esther]

Well, one done. Thirteen. Just because i loved this series and it just came out in paperback. I was waiting for this one.

[Snoozie Suzie]

Just because it was in my cupboard I've picked up Water Touching Stone. The size of it is more like water touching brick as its +600 pages. Ah well if I don't finish it in August it'll count as Tibet, which only twigged as I read the first line! I may also need to read a shorter one just because I think I may need a rest - or my wrist will - from this chunk.

[Nancy from NJ]

I am reading my first "just because" book which is Fin and Lady by Cathleen Schine. This book takes place during the 60's in Greenwich Village. The main character is a 20 something Auntie Mame who inherits her 11 year old half brother when he is orphaned.

[Jess :)]

I read Karama!: Journeys Through the Arab Spring

[Nancy from NJ]

Read my first "just because" book late last night.

The title is Fin & Lady: A Novel

[Almeta]

So far I've read:
Somewhere In Time and
What Dreams May Come
just because Richard Matheson died very recently and just because I want to!

[Helen]

Finished:

Chickens, Mules And Two Old Fools: Tuck Into A Slice Of Andalucían Life by Victoria Twead

Funny cozy. Quirky characters, off-the-wall location, and Murphy's Law in full force. Great summer read.

Read just because it was a free book clogging up my kindle and the title was so entertaining. Definitely an impulse read.

[Lisa]

I read:

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. I gave it 3 stars but my actual rating would be 3.5. I read it 'just because' I wanted to and because it chose me. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Travis]

I finished Red Seas Under Red Skies because I loved the Lies of Locke Lamore and finally had an audible credit that I didn't use on something else to be able to buy this one. Quite different from the first as this turns into a pirate tale. Really the best part was the last page and then the epilogue which gets you all ready for book 3 whenever that is hopefully later this year. On a side note before starting this series I had a fear that Lynch was to become another 'George RR Martin as so many years have passed between books. To my understanding now the author has been plagued with some illness and now is better and health provided should be putting out a book a year for the next few years to this series.

[Janet]

Picked up and enjoying for the most part

[Marnie]

I have been collecting the free audiobooks from Sync this summer.
http://www.audiobooksync.com/ I decided to let the fruit machine help me decide which to listen to first. The Mysterious Howling was selected. It was cute in a Mary Poppins meets The Jungle Book kind of way. I haven't read a book meant for 9-11 year olds in a decade but it was nice " Just Because."

[Nancy from NJ]

Finished my second "Just Because" book - Durable Goods by Elizabeth berg. I read this because is for chosen for one of my groups as a group read.

[Lara]

Today I finished Make Shift Happen: Change How You Look by Changing How You Think, which I bought before reading the rules for the challenge this month. It sounded interesting as I have been struggling to make some lifestyle changes and this book focuses on how we approach change rather than just giving a bunch of should do statements.

I only wrote a short review; it can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

[Lori]

I read . I initially chose it because the description sounded interesting. The title was intriguing, the cover was pretty and the first few pages drew me in. My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

If I can get it finished I will add . I purchased it months ago on audio...it's 900+ and it's Sci-Fi (which I usually enjoy). I am about 1/3 of the way through the book and I have 20 days left--so there is still hope to complete it!

[Janice, Moderator]

You can do it Lori! If you have 1/3 finished, you'll have approximately 20 hours left. One hour a day, and you're done! :)

[Nancy from NJ]

I finished The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman this morning. I decided to read this because in the past I have enjoyed this author's books. This one was just OK.

[Travis]

Janice wrote: "You can do it Lori! If you have 1/3 finished, you'll have approximately 20 hours left. One hour a day, and you're done! :)"

Or depending on the narrator you may try a faster speed. I mostly run 1.5x occasionally 1.25x and very rarely a 1 or 2 x all depends on the speaker but can shave a lot of time off with a faster speed

[Almeta]

Travis of NNY wrote: "Or depending on the narrator you may try a faster speed. I mostly run 1.5x occasionally 1.25x and very rarely a 1 or 2 x all depends on the speaker but can shave a lot of time off with a faster speed
..."

Hmmmmmm. They don't sound like the Chipmunks Christmas Special?

[Lori]

Travis of NNY wrote: "Janice wrote: "You can do it Lori! If you have 1/3 finished, you'll have approximately 20 hours left. One hour a day, and you're done! :)"

Or depending on the narrator you may try a faster speed..."

Already doing that! I've listen to so many audiobooks on 1.5x that I can't hardly listen to one on normal playback. The thing that slows me down is all the "real people" that interrupt my fast forwarded audio world!!!

[Sarah]

I've just finished my second "Just Because" book with The Name of the Wind. I chose this book as it was recommended to me by Rusalka. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series. 5 stars.

[Cherie]

Almeta wrote: "Travis of NNY wrote: "Or depending on the narrator you may try a faster speed. I mostly run 1.5x occasionally 1.25x and very rarely a 1 or 2 x all depends on the speaker but can shave a lot of time..."

Hee hee, Almeta. I wondered that too.
Thanks, Travis. I did not realize you could speed up the book being read, but I found the button on my iPod. I will have to check it out!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I've just finished my second "Just Because" book with The Name of the Wind. I chose this book as it was recommended to me by Rusalka. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I'm looking forward to readin..."

Awesome!! Really, really glad you enjoyed it. I'll text the boy straight away.

Now you can read the second one and then swear at him to stop doing fun things and write the damn book.

He hosted a show on Geek and Sundry last year called The Story Board where he got a whole heap of writer friends of his on to talk about writing. So you had guests like Jacqueline Carey,Jim Butcher, Cherie Priest, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, Terry Brooks, Peter V Brett, you get the point.

Anyway, they had one on Putting the Meme in Memoir, and Wil Wheaton was on it. As much as I don't really like him that much, about every 20-30 minutes you had him yelling at Patrick Rothfuss telling him to stop doing all this stuff and to put us all out of our misery and write the last book!! Nice to know his friends are yelling at him too.

[Esther]

Rusalka wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I've just finished my second "Just Because" book with The Name of the Wind. I chose this book as it was recommended to me by Rusalka. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I'm looking for..."

You know, i just bought it and planned to read it as one of my "just because" books. Then i almost convinced myself to wait to used it as my R book. You are not making it easy for me. The fact that this is a month of paperback releases of books I was waiting for may make me wait but, really, you are not making it easy.

[Cherie]

ROFL, Rusalka @ Patrick Rothfuss and Wil Wheaton. Let me know when he finishes the last book and maybe I will start the 1st.

Is he the guy who wrote the blog about how badly he wanted Neil Gaiman's book and even after he had gotten a signed copy and had it on his desk, he had not read it?

[Travis]

Almeta wrote: "Travis of NNY wrote: "Or depending on the narrator you may try a faster speed. I mostly run 1.5x occasionally 1.25x and very rarely a 1 or 2 x all depends on the speaker but can shave a lot of time..."

I kicked it up to 3x once it got rather chipmunky twas too fast for me

[Sarah]

Rusalka wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I've just finished my second "Just Because" book with The Name of the Wind. I chose this book as it was recommended to me by Rusalka. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I'm looking for..."

Yes it's good to hear his writer friends are on at him too. It looks like there was quite a gap between the first and second book too so I'm pleased I have another book I can read now and it is a whopping 1000 pages so it will keep me busy for a while. Fingers crossed for a 2014 release?!?

The have some books on my TBR by the other authors you mentioned in the post above so I might have to check those out (Terry Brooks and Brandon Sanderson look good places to start) in the meantime.

[[deleted user]]

I've finished my just because book The Camel Bookmobile because who could resist a title like that!
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Beverly]

I finished Diary of a Mad Fat Girl and now I'm starting Guilt by Association.

[Marnie]

I finished my second "Just Because" book. I listened to Of Poseidon. I was looking forward to this book because I liked the idea of a girl not knowing she was a mermaid meeting the Prince of the mermaids- yada yada yada. I thought I would be swept away.... I was not.
My review
http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/...

[Roz]

I finished my "Just Because" book. I read . I liked the cover because it reminded me of pictures I had seen of my mother from back in the '40s. It was sitting in my Kindle for quite a while and this was the perfect time to read it. Just because. I've never been more anxious reading a book. There wasn't a moment of calm. I'll post my review as soon as I can.

[Cherie]

Marnie wrote: "I finished my second "Just Because" book. I listened to Of Poseidon. I was looking forward to this book because I liked the idea of a girl not knowing she was a mermaid meeting the Prince of the m..."

Hi Marnie - I think the link is broken or something is wrong. What I see is blank... There is no review.

Here is the correct link to your review.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Too bad it was not a good read for you.

[Marnie]

Thank you Cherie- just my stellar computer skills on display. Thought I had that cut/ paste thing down....thank you friend:).

[Roz]

Here's my review for :

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Sarah]

I've just finished my third "Just Because" book with . It was so good! I gave it 5 stars. Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/664677282

[Rusalka, Moderator]

You're on a five star roll Sarah!

[Sarah]

Rusalka wrote: "You're on a five star roll Sarah!"

Some people might say I give 5 stars away too easily (although definitely no in the case of Joyland and The Name of the Wind -they will be 5 stars for many people I think). I'm one of those kind of people who either love a book or hate it.

[Travis]

I give a lot of 5 stars I like to claim to just be good at picking out books that I'll enjoy. May be a load of crap but its my story and I'm sticking to it

[Cherie]

Travis of NNY wrote: "I give a lot of 5 stars I like to claim to just be good at picking out books that I'll enjoy. May be a load of crap but its my story and I'm sticking to it"

ROFL!!!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Love it Travis lol

[Lynn]

So at the end of July I picked up the first book of The Vampire Academy series, just because ...... Which led to me reading the whole series, just because.

The last book in the series was read in August, Last Sacrifice

[Ann]

My "Just Because" book was I absolutely loved it! I found it at the library one day and was compelled! Here's my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Nancy from NJ]

My latest just because book was Middle School- How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli and Snake Hill by James Patterson. I read this because I substitute teach in the middle school and like to read books aimed at young adults. This was a fun read which actually took place at a sleep away camp.

[Janice, Moderator]

Nancy wrote: "My latest just because book was Middle School- How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli and Snake Hill by James Patterson. I read this because I substitute teach in the middle school and like to read book..."

Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill