Action heroine annual reading challenge

[Werner]

For those who may be logging onto Goodreads using devices that can't access the thumbnail Georgann posted, the book she's reading is The Elvenbane by Andre Norton.

[Mervi]

Georgann wrote: " I read this book waaaay back when (can it actually have been nearly 30 years?? How is that even possible?) I remembered liking it..."

Half-elf raised by dragons? That's sounds awesome!
I'm sorry it didn't live up to your memories. It's always such a disappointment.

I miss my library, too. :(

[Mervi]

I'm rereading the Modesty Blaise comics and I still enjoy them almost as much as the first time I read them. I'm now on album 5. Of course there are repetitive elements in them. So, people who won't like the first stories aren't likely to enjoy the rest.

[Werner]

I've recently upped my challenge goal from five books to seven. I got an unexpected opportunity to read two titles that weren't on my radar back in January when I set the original goal; I finished one over the weekend, and hope to finish the other before the end of this week.

[Mervi]

My Modesty Blaise reread is going very well so I'm raising my goal by ten books/comics.

[Werner]

Sounds great, Mervi! (I'm enjoying your Modesty Blaise reviews.)

[Georgann]

Librarian with super powers! Yes!

[Mervi]

Georgann wrote: " Librarian with super powers! Yes!"

I double the yes! I love Cogman's series!

[Georgann]

[Werner]

Georgann, that looks like a good series (I've run across reviews of some of the books before). Here's a tip for you: posting the cover thumbnail image, as you've done, is great and adds color and interest to your post; but some people who access Goodreads on devices other than a PC can't see the images. So it's always best to also post the text link --as, in this case, Dhampir. (I didn't know that myself until some people's complaints in other groups made me aware of it!)

[Georgann]

ummm... ok I choose "add book/author" above this box, and I search "cover". So I do it again and this time search link?Dhampir lets see if this works OK! That works. Thanks!

[Werner]

No problem, Georgann; thank you! (For future reference and convenience, you can actually post both the thumbnail image and the link in the same post. Once you've searched under 'cover" and posted the image, you can just skip a space and click on "add book/author" again; the same result frame you got before will still be there waiting for you, and this time you just change the setting to "link" and click "Add" again.)

[Georgann]

#17 The Lost Plot

[Georgann]

#18 Pursued I don't think either Dwayne Johnson OR Bruce Willis would've made it to the end as well as this heroine!

[Georgann]

#19 Sister of the Dead #20 Doctor in Petticoats And I've made my goal! Thanks, Werner, for the recommendation of The Mary Connealy series. I enjoyed it very much!

[E.G.]

Georgann wrote: "#19 Sister of the Dead #20 Doctor in Petticoats And I've made my goal! Thanks, Werner, for ..."

Congratulations!

[Werner]

Good for you, Georgann! And glad you enjoyed the Connealy book too --she's become a favorite writer for both my wife and I.

[Werner]

Thanks to our own Lance Charne's kind gift of a review copy of his latest novel, Zrada, I have another action-heroine book on my reading agenda that I didn't anticipate when I set my challenge goal. So I've been able to raise it once again, this time from seven books to eight. :-)

[Werner]

I've now met my challenge for this year! Looking forward to doing this again next year. :-)

[E.G.]

I overshot mine. I found a series that blew out the number.

[Werner]

You've read the most action-heroine books of any of us doing the challenge this year, E.G. --39. Impressive; well done!

[Mervi]

Excellent reading, E.G.

I only managed to read 31 action heroine books and comics this year. However, I bought Marvel Unlimited subscription so I'll be reading lots of Marvel heroines next year.

[Werner]

The new challenge for 2021 is up and running, at this link: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/... . (E. G. will be posting our challenge logo soon.) If you like reads featuring an action heroine --and who in this group doesn't? :-) -- I invite you to join in! There's no pressure; you set your own goal (and can revise it up or down at will, until the total is reached), and you're not competing against anyone. It's just a way of encouraging yourself to read books of this type, and to share your reads with the group.

This year, I started off very cautiously, with a goal of only three books. Like most people in the group, I read a wide variety of things, not all of them relevant to our focus here. Three of the other reads I'm planning for 2021 are of VERY long books; and that's going to make it a challenge indeed to squeeze in some of the shorter reading I also want to do! We'll see what happens; I may revise my goal upwards as the year goes on, but I'd rather do that than have to revise it downwards.

[Georgann]

1. To start 2021 Operation Chaos Altho written from the husband's POV, the wife was the boss and the clever one. Her brains tohis brawn. 2. The Lark and the Wren

[Werner]

Georgann, I've only ever read a couple of short stories by Lackey (though i liked those); but I loved Operation Chaos; it got five stars from me! It's one of a number of books that I've read, over the years, out loud to my wife, and she liked it, too. (I'm hoping we can read the sequel, Operation Luna, together later this year.)

[Georgann]

I was a little disappointed with Operation Luna. Sigh. It was OK, but I read them back-to-back, so it was easy to compare them, and the sequel just didn't quite make it. Hopefully, you'll like it better than I did. I just finished 3. The Ten Thousand Doors of January. Early on, I wouldn't have expected the heroine to be an action figure, but, honestly, I couldn't have predicted where this book went at all! It was great, and my first 5 star in a while!

[Werner]

Georgann wrote: "It was great, and my first 5 star in a while!"

Glad you liked it, Georgann!

[E.G.]

I've blown out my goal the last two years, so I got bold and signed up for 30. Now, I'm worried I bit off more than I can chew.

[Werner]

You can always edit the goal upwards or downwards during the year, E.G.! The only exception to that is that, once you've reached your current goal (whatever it is at that point), then you can't change the goal number any more.

[Georgann]

4. The Mortal Word Only one more in this series and I'll be sadly caught up and anxiously awaiting the next!

[Mervi]

I’m reading Element 42 by Seeley James. It’s not in the group shelf but is it considered an action heroine book?

[Werner]

Mervi wrote: "I’m reading Element 42 by Seeley James. It’s not in the group shelf but is it considered an action heroine book?"

it certainly is, Mervi (I've read it, and it got four stars from me!), and it is on the group shelf now; thanks for making me aware that it wasn't! I should have added it right after reading it; that was an oversight on my part.

[Mervi]

Werner wrote:
it certainly is, Mervi (I've read it, and it got fou..."
No problem. Yes, I agree that it’s a very nice first book in the series.

[Werner]

Mervi wrote: "...it’s a very nice first book in the series."

This is actually the third book featuring Pia Sabel that Seeley wrote; but for some reason, he currently treats the first two of those books, The Geneva Decision and Bring It, as a different series, Sabel Origins. So this one is numbered as the first book of Sabel Security. (Personally, I consider all of the Pia Sabel books to be one series; and they're best read in order, IMO.)

[Mervi]

Werner, that's very interesting. I have a boxed set of the first three in the series so I guess that's actually books 3-5.

[Werner]

Mervi wrote: "Werner, that's very interesting. I have a boxed set of the first three in the series so I guess that's actually books 3-5."

No, actually that boxed set (Sabel Security Series: Books 1-3) appears to have been numbered at an earlier stage, when Seeley was still treating all the books as one series. According to the Goodreads description, it starts with The Geneva Decision. So, you're in good shape there!

[Mervi]

Werner, I don’t have that boxed set. The one I have isn’t listed on Goodreads.

[Seeley]

Mervi wrote: "Werner, I don’t have that boxed set. The one I have isn’t listed on Goodreads."

It's there, Sabel Security Boxed Set #1: Books 1-3. (Only a slight name variation from the old one, but I've explained below.)

Unfortunately, GR has the earlier boxed set Werner mentioned crosslinked with the later one. I've given up trying to straighten out their database on that and several other issues.

Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy it!

To Werner's point, I started writing the Pia Sabel series and introduced a new and comedic sidekick in my third book (at the time called book #3), but by the time my fourth book came out, I was getting complaints from people who started later and went back to the beginning to get more of this funny character. Since he wasn't there, they were angry/confused, etc. SO, I changed the series numbering and called the first two "Sabel Origins" and called the rest (now 10 books) the "Sabel Security" series. Werner is right, all but three feature Pia Sabel.

The easiest way to find the current series is to visit seeleyjames.com/amazon (or, /apple, /nook, /kobo, /google, /paper, whichever is your favorite vendor).

Glad to see the Action Heroine gang is still here. Due to concentrating my social media time on Facebook, I've not kept up with GR in years. (I get notices when I'm mentioned.)

Peace, Seeley

[Werner]

Thanks for the helpful explanation, Seeley!

[Werner]

Seeley wrote: "Unfortunately, GR has the earlier boxed set Werner mentioned crosslinked with the later one. I've given up trying to straighten out their database on that and several other issues."

I think I have the two boxed sets separated in the database now, Seeley; thanks for bringing that to my attention! (Among other things, I'm a Goodreads "librarian," meaning that I can edit the database to some extent.)

[Georgann]

#5 The Conductors From slavery to Underground Railroad conducting to Private Detective, with some magic thrown in, she never stopped. although she did grow.

[Georgann]

#6 The Bone Houses Axe-wielding 17 YO heroine in this terrific tale

[E.G.]

Georgann wrote: "#6The Bone Houses Axe-wielding 17 YO heroine in this terrific tale"

Yikes! That one would keep me up at night.

[Mervi]

I've already read 29 books and comics for the challenge, so I'm increasing my goal with ten, most likely comics.

[Werner]

Mervi wrote: "I've already read 29 books and comics for the challenge, so I'm increasing my goal with ten, most likely comics."

That's great, Mervi!

[Georgann]

#7 Amari and the Night Brothers This action heroine is only 13, but wow! What a great story!

[Georgann]

#8 Discount Armageddon Finally getting started on this popular series!

[Georgann]

#9 The Secret Chapter

[Georgann]

#10 The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

[Georgann]

#11 Midnight Blue-Light Special