SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Expired Challenges
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"Firsts" Challenge

July 2010




August 2010

Also read:










September 2010

Also read









October 2010

November 2010


December 2010 *smack!* Bad girl!
January 2011



February 2011





March 2011



April 2011



Read the first book in a series new to you, one book per month.
10/12 Completed
July I've also got 5 new ones in July challenges, it'll be one of them

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May
June
Also Read
































Definitely. This Darkness Rising trilogy is following the same pattern as The Darkest Powers which means the next books will get higher ratings. The slow start due to world-building, unlikeable love interest (the best friend's a better match) and the cliffhanger is the reason for the 3 stars.

July 2010 - 7/6/10 ***

July Also Read:






August 2010 - 8/1/10 ****

August Also read:









September 2010 - 9/5/10 ***

September also read:







October 2010 10/3/10 ***

October also read:






November 2010 - 11/18/10 **

November also read:

December 2010 - 12/2/10 ***

December also read:






January 2011 - 1/1/11 ****

January also read:




February 2011 - 2/19/11 ***

February also read:

March 2011 - 3/6/11 ***

March also read:





April 2011 - 4/4/11 **

April also read:



July 2010-Out of Bounds7/20, also read The Hunger Games 7/24,The Darkest Night 7/29
August 2010-You Slay Me 8/10, also read Skin Game 8/18
September 2010-Wolf Signs 9/4, also read Slave to Sensation 9/6, The Surgeon 9/7, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula 9/11
October 2010-Vampire Academy 10/14
November 2010- Pack Challenge 11/10 also read Trey: Red Hot & Blue, Book 1 11/17
December 2010- Beyond the Highland Mist 12/8- also read On Fireand Simply Irresistible
January 2011- Three to Ride 1/5 also read Club Shadowlands 1/11
February 2011- Darkfever 2/3
March 2011- First Grave on the Right 3/5. Also read Surrender 3/17, I Am Number Four 3/21
April 2011- Evernight 4/7

Duration: 07/01/10 thru 06/30/11
July 2010 =
August 2010 =
September 2010 =
October 2010 =
November 2010 =
December 2010 =
January 2011 =
February 2011 =
March 2011 =
April 2011 =
May 2011 =
June 2011 =












JULY '10:
Haunted(Harrison Investigations) -Heather Graham
Love Only Once Malory Family 1-Johanna Lindsey
Deadly Night(Flynn Bros, Bk 1)-Heather Graham
Cocaine Blues(Phryne Fisher, bk 1)-Kerry Greenwood
August '10
White Heather(White Regency) Jaclyn Reding
The Last Viking(Viking Saga II)-Sandra Hill
Deadly Love(Francesca Cahill, bk 1)-Brenda Joyce
River of Darkness(John Madden, Bk 1)-Rennie Airth
Covet(Fallen Angels, bk 1)-J.R. Ward
September '10
The Naked Duke-Sally Mackenzie 9/3
Jewels of the Sun-Nora Roberts 9/4-9/6
Key of Light-Nora Roberts 9/6-9/7
The Neon Rain-James Lee Burke 9/11-9/15
Across a Moonlit Sea-Marsha Canham
Dance Upon the Airm (3 Sisters Island)-Nora Roberts 9/27-9/28
October '10:
Murder on Astor Place (Gas Light, bk 1)-Victoria Thompson
Enforcer (Cascadia Wolves, Bk 1) Annie Windsor
Whose Body? (Lord Peter Wimsey, bk 1) by Dorothy L Sayers
Kiss of Fire-Deborah Cooke 10/1-10/2
Death by Inferior Design-Leslie Caine 10/16
Candy Apple Dead-Sammi Carter 10/15
Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband Melissa Mayhue 10/21
Rushed to the Altar (Blackwater Brides #1) Jane Feather10/24
Ghost Shadow Heather Graham
November:
Wicked Appetite-Janet Evanovich 11/2
Poison Study-Maria V Snyder 11/26
Dragonflight-Anne McCaffrey 11/27
December:
:The Face of Deception-Iris Johansen 12/13-12/15 (Eve Duncan, bk 1)
January:
Darkfever (1st Fever book)-Karen Marie Moning 1/1/11
Divorced, Desperate and Delicious-Christie Craig 1/8 (Divorced/Desperate bk 1)
February
-Riding Wild(Wild Riders, bk 1) Jaci Burton 2/6
March
A Timely Vision-Jim & Joyce Lavene
April
Ill Wind-Rachel Caine

Duration: July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011
10/12 Completed
July 2010:
August 2010:
September 2010:
October 2010:
November 2010 :
December 2010:
January 2011:
February 2011:
March 2011:
April 2011:
May 2011:
June 2011:
Challenge:










Also read:
July:






























If you decide to wait until this one ends in a coupl'a months, I've no doubt we'll have a repeat of this starting in July or shortly there after.


July 2010-None
August 2010-
September 2010-
October 2010-None
November 2010-
December 2010-
January 2011-
February 2011-
March 2011-
April 2011-
May 2011-
June 2011-








Also Read






















April 2011 - The Red Pyramid (for April)
The Lost Hero (July)
Beautiful Creatures (August)
Wither (September)
May 2011 - If I Stay (for May)
Little House in the Big Woods (October)
Shiver (November)
ttyl (December)
June 2011 - The Alchemyst (for June)
Wicked: Witch & Curse (January)
The Iron King (February)
Nevermore (March)
0/12 completed













I've popped (back on-line, that is!) That looks great, and so happy you're joining us! Your list looks great, and lots on there that I've still got to read. Have fun!


August 2010:
September 2010:
October 2010:
November 2010:
December 2010:
January 2011:
February 2011:
March 2011:
April 2011:
May 2011: Night's Cold Kiss - Tracey O'Hara
June 2011: Immortal Ops - Mandy M Roth













Duration: July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011
Read 12 books that are the first novel in a new-to-you series. Read one book per calendar month (that means, can't read and count 3 new ones in ONE month...)
For those joining later: You may include "extra" firsts in your first month of the challenge to reach a total of 12 books by June 30, 2011. After the first month, only ONE book per month will count!
Revision for people joining later: 1 book for the month you join, plus 3 or more back books along with your monthly first until you're caught up.
Example:
Joining in December: Read Dec. book, plus 3 books (July, Aug, Sept), read Jan. book plus 2 books(Oct, Nov).
Please post the date you finish the book you're counting.
July Book:
August Book:
September Book:
October Book:
November Book:
December Book:
January Book:
February Book:
March Book:
April Book:
May Book:
June Book:

Exactly what Sandra said!

July 2010:
August 2010:
September 2010:
October 2010:
November 2010:
December 2010:
January 2011:
February 2011:
March 2011:
April 2011:
May 2011: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones











Also read these firsts this month...









July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011
Completed: 10/12
Read 12 books, 1 per month, that are the first in a new to me series.
See post 322 for July - October
See post 441 for November - February
March
Night's Cold Kiss, Tracey O'Hara, 3-3-11 2 Stars and here's why: The mythology of O'Hara's world confused me. It confused me a lot. I don't know if she was attempting a slow discovery process, but it didn't work. We have CHaPR, The Department, The Guild, The Council. What are they? How are they related? Who is a member of each? I still wasn't sure when I reached the end of the book. Then I found the glossary at the back and boy, I wished I'd known it was there. It did a better job of explaining things than the narrative did.
As for Antoinette and Christian's relationship, it was resolved way to quickly. Antoinette went from hatred to sex in 0.5 seconds. Okay, admittedly, the first time can be justifiably explained by other events. But not the subsequent times, especially given her reaction to a later event proves she hasn't totally lost her prejudice against the Aeturnus.
Also read:
Warrior, Zoe Archer, 3-8-11 4.5 Stars. Definitely recommend this book. It's a historical, but doesn't "feel" like a historical. Thalia has been living in Mongolia since she was a little child, so she is a strong character with atypical views. Gabriel Huntley is also a very strong character, having been in the army for the majority of his adult life. But he hasn't become hardened and still cares about doing the right and fair thing. The book is well written and the action moves along well. I'm definitely going to be reading the other three books in this set.
Heart of Stone, C.E. Murphy, 3-21-11 A lot of UF features a strong female protaganist who can fight with magic, swords, teeth and occaisionly claws. Heart of Stone is different. Margrit Knight's strength lies not in the physical or magical, but the mental. As a lawyer with Legal Aide, she's learned the value of determination, stubborness and negotiating. Suddenly thrust into a world with Gargolyes, Dragons, Djinn, Selkies and Vampires, Margrit's heritage and experience give her an interesting perspective in dealing with the five Old Races. To her, they are not monsters. Fiercly opposed to racism of any kind, she views them as people, not human, but still people who are no worse than those she deals with every day on the job. Negotiating with the Old Races is just a matter of figuring out their motivations. I really enjoyed reading this and will be finishing the rest of the trilogy soon.
Beyond the Highland Mist, Karen Marie Moning, 3-22-11 Quick, fun read. I read the first five Highlander books when they first came out, but somehow never got around to Adam's story. Which surprises me, because I was really looking forward to that one. Not remembering a lot of details, I decided to reread the entire series while I wait for a copy of Shadowfever from the library and was pleasantly surprised. It was still entertaining and actually pretty good for a first published novel.
I Am Not A Serial Killer, Dan Well, 3-29-11 Much darker and more graphic than I expected a young adult/teen book to be, I still enjoyed I Am Not A Serial Killer. It's almost impossible not to draw comparisons between John Wayne Cleaver and Dexter. Both are atypical heroes, sociopaths with no understanding of emotion and determination to protect the "innocent" from themselves. Dexter has his Dark Passenger. John has his Monster behind a wall, a wall built out of rules to combat his own sociapathic inclinations and which he struggles to maintain constantly. Dexter was taught The Code of Harry by his foster father, but John has had to reasearch what constitutes bad behavior and formulate rules for himself. A big difference lies in John's unwillingness to kill at all. Afraid that letting his monster out from behind the wall to kill would totally unleash it, John struggles with what to do when a demon begins killing residents of his home town and it seems he is the only person capable of stopping it. The demonic aspect of the killer, the only fantasy element in the book, seems almost secondary and unnecessary until you take into consideration that this is exactly the impetus needed for John to overcome his reluctance to deal with the killer. Regular methods won't stop the demon and nobody is going to believe the truth, so John has to deal with the situation on his own. John, just starting high school, hasn't yet learned the surface charm typical of a sociopath, but I find myself liking him despite myself. He's terrifying and I wouldn't want to draw his attention in real life, but I still found myself hoping he would come through everything okay. I will definitely read the next book in this series.





April
First Grave on the Right, Darynda Jones, 4-5-11 4.5 stars. There's a fine line between sarcastic/snarky funny and sarcastic/snarky annoying. For the most part, Darynda Jones stays on the right side of that line. There were only a couple instances where Charley Davidson's inner dialogue and conversations with other people crossed over to the other side, well not the other side. This book isn't meant to be anything except a fun, light-hearted read and that's exactly what Jones delivers. The murder of three law firm partners as well as the case they were working on is investigated lightly. There was another minor concern that struck me halfway through the book, every single female was enthralled by the beauty of Reyes. However, this was explained to my satisfaction at the end of the book when we find out who he is. (view spoiler) Overall, I loved this book and I will definitely be reading the next. In fact, the book I read was borrowed from the library and I'm seriously considering buying it for my keeper shelf.
Also read:
Moon Awakening, Lucy Monroe, 4-11-11 I was a little worried in the beginning. I didn't really care for the prologue's wording. It came across as a "long, long ago in a place far, far away" intro. The minute I started the first chapter and got into the story, my fears disappeared and I really enjoyed it. I was reminded quite a lot of Julie Garwood's Highland historicals. Emily is a charming Englishwoman, strong, supportive of her friend and willing to face her fears to do what she thought was right. She forms an instant bond with Cait, despite their differences. Lachlan is a typical grumpy hero who can't help liking Emily despite fighting his attraction at the same time. Throw in a dash of paranormal and you get this enchanting book that made me smile in quite a few places.
Wake, Lisa McMann, 4-13-11 I love the concept of this book. And while I can understand that the format isn't to everyone's taste, it worked for me. Janie lives her life in moments, the dreams of others can disrupt her at any moment. Intentional or not, the sometimes abrupt writing style reflects this. I did have a problem with the actions of a certain adult toward the end of the book, I had trouble believing the amount of trust this person placed in Janie given the entire situation. This is a trilogy, so obviously there's going to be more to the story, but the ending was almost too pat, everything coming together for Janie's benefit in an almost too-perfect way. (view spoiler) I will definitely be reading the other two books.
The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, Leanna Renee Hieber, 4-20-11 There's something haunting and slightly dreamlike about the title and cover art of this book. At times, that's almost the tone achieved in the writing. At other times, not so much. Unfortunately, this created a problem for me. I never quite felt like a part of the story. Instead of being a participant in the action, I was following along as a spectator, never quite connecting or having any emotional investment in the characters.
Another problem I had, occasionally the prose was overwrought. Conversations between Percy and Alexi became bogged down and I just wanted a scene to be over.
Finally, as a heroine, Percy came across as timid and weak. Yes her appearance was unusual and she had to deal with a lot of stares and whispers. But sometimes I just wanted to shake Percy and, stealing Alexi's line, tell her to "Stop apologizing!"
I wanted to love the book more than I actually did. The concept was interesting , but I would have liked to have seen more of the other members of the Guard. Overall, I liked it enough to give it another chance and try the second book in the future.
Frankenstein: Prodigal Son, Dean R Koontz, 4-24-11 Good, solid start to a horror series. Interesting twist on the Frankenstein legend. Not as powerful to me as the Odd Thomas start, but definitely will continue.





May
Also read:
June
Also read:
Future Plans:

























July/2010 Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
August/2010 Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
September/2010 Beyond The Highland Mist
October/2010 Stray by Rachelle Vincent
November/2010 Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
December/2010 Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire
Jan/2011 Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Feb/2011 Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear
March/2011 Storm Born by Richelle Mead
April/2011 Dark Embers by Tessa Adams











July 2010 -

also read:



August 2010 -

also read:



September 2010 -

also read:



October 2010 -

also read:


November 2010 -

also read:


December 2010 -

also read:




January 2011 -

also read:




February 2011 -

also read:


March 2011 -

also read:





April 2011 -

also read:







May 2011 -
June 2011 -

That's why I love the longer challenges, and the mini monthlies--I can still do challenges and have fun figuring them out, but they don't restrict my reading as much as the 10-books-per-month ones do. Especially considering I read 13 books in a good month, so the 10 book challenges are beginning to feel stifling--I can't just take a night off from reading if I want, and then it just begins to be a chore. Sigh.




Read: 10/12
* I didn't realize it, but almost 1/2 the total bks I read in May were 1st-in-series
Jul/10
Riding the Storm ~ Read @ 3 Jul ★★★★☆
Also read (8):
Grimspace // Blood Oath // Embers // Black Dust Mambo // Some Girls Bite // Flat-Out Sexy // Spider's Bite // Unholy Ghosts
Aug/10
Marked by Passion ~ Read @ 2 Aug ★★★★☆
Also read (3):
Hearts at Stake // Fantasy Lover // Boys that Bite
Sep/10
Raised by Wolves ~ Read @ 4 Sep ★★★★☆
Oct/10
50 Ways to Hex Your Lover ~ Read @ 8 Oct ★★★☆☆
Also Read (4):
Enchanted, Inc. // Intertwined // Sins of the Heart // Strange Angels
Nov/10
Poison Study ~ Read @ 8 Nov ★★★★★
Also Read (3):
Assassin's Honor // Beautiful Lies // You Slay Me
Dec/10
Almost to Die For ~ Read @ 3 Dec ★★★★☆
Also Read (1):
Queen of Shadows
Jan/11
Night's Cold Kiss ~ Read @ 1 Jan ★★★☆☆
Also Read (6):
Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye // Pack Challenge // Black Wings // Dark Embers // Kitty and the Midnight Hour // Afterlife
Feb/11
The Scent of Shadows ~ Read @ 4 Feb ★★★☆☆
Also Read (5):
Mind Games // Birthmarked // Song of Scarabaeus // Serengeti Heat // Kiss of Moonlight
Mar/11
13 to Life - Read @ 8 Mar ★★★★☆
Also Read (4):
Strange Neighbors // Trick of the Light // Primal Hunger // Immortal Beloved
Apr/11
Eternal Hunger - Read @ 2 Apr ★★★☆☆
Also Read (9):
A Brush of Darkness // Outlander // Destiny Kills // I Am Not A Serial Killer // Dragon's Blood // Blood Law // Bloodshot // Tempest Rising // My Blood Approves
May/11
Jun/11
Monthly Reads:










Add'l Reads:














































Read the first book in a series new to you, one book per month.
11/12 Completed
July I've also got 5 new ones in July challenges, it'll be one of them

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

June
Also Read





































Duration: 07/01/10 thru 06/30/11
July 2010 =
August 2010 =
September 2010 =
October 2010 =
November 2010 =
December 2010 =
January 2011 =
February 2011 =
March 2011 =
April 2011 =
May 2011 =
June 2011 =













July 2010:
August 2010:
September 2010:
October 2010:
November 2010:
December 2010:
January 2011:
February 2011:
March 2011:
April 2011:
May 2011: Night's Cold Kiss - Tracey O'Hara
June 2011: Immortal Ops - Mandy M Roth













Just one more month left!
July 2010 - 7/6/10 ***

July Also Read:






August 2010 - 8/1/10 ****

August Also read:









September 2010 - 9/5/10 ***

September also read:







October 2010 10/3/10 ***

October also read:






November 2010 - 11/18/10 **

November also read:

December 2010 - 12/2/10 ***

December also read:






January 2011 - 1/1/11 ****

January also read:




February 2011 - 2/19/11 ***

February also read:

March 2011 - 3/6/11 ***

March also read:





April 2011 - 4/4/11 **

April also read:


May 2011 - 5/8/11 ***

May also read:



July 2010-Out of Bounds7/20, also read The Hunger Games 7/24,The Darkest Night 7/29
August 2010-You Slay Me 8/10, also read Skin Game 8/18
September 2010-Wolf Signs 9/4, also read Slave to Sensation 9/6, The Surgeon 9/7, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula 9/11
October 2010-Vampire Academy 10/14
November 2010- Pack Challenge 11/10 also read Trey: Red Hot & Blue, Book 1 11/17
December 2010- Beyond the Highland Mist 12/8- also read On Fireand Simply Irresistible
January 2011- Three to Ride 1/5 also read Club Shadowlands 1/11
February 2011- Darkfever 2/3
March 2011- First Grave on the Right 3/5. Also read Surrender 3/17, I Am Number Four 3/21
April 2011- Evernight 4/7
May 2011- Backstage Pass 5/9, also 13 Little Blue Envelopes 5/11

July/2010 Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon
August/2010 Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
September/2010 Beyond The Highland Mist
October/2010 Stray by Rachelle Vincent
November/2010 Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
December/2010 Edge of Sight by Roxanne St. Claire
Jan/2011 Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Feb/2011 Heart of the Wolf by Terry Spear
March/2011 Storm Born by Richelle Mead
April/2011 Dark Embers by Tessa Adams
May/2011 Stolen Passions by Crystal Jordan












11/12 Done
July -
August -
September -
October -
November -
December -
January -
February -
March -
April -
May -
June - The Looking Glass Wars












Other first in series books read (during this challenge):







































Just wondering.


July 2010




August 2010

Also read:










September 2010

Also read









October 2010

November 2010


December 2010 *smack!* Bad girl!
January 2011



February 2011





March 2011



April 2011





May 2011

Books mentioned in this topic
Jenny Pox (other topics)Heroes Die (other topics)
Wild Magic (other topics)
Nightshade (other topics)
Tyger Tyger (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Suzanne Enoch (other topics)Lorraine Heath (other topics)
Katie MacAlister (other topics)
Robin Kaye (other topics)
Karen Marie Moning (other topics)
More...
10/12 Done
July -
Soulless07-15-2010 ★★★★August -
Halfway to the Grave08-13-2010 ★★★★September -
Pride Mates09-02-2010 ★★★★October -
Strange Angels10-20-2010 ★★★★November -
Sandman Slim11-17-2010 ★★★★December -
Guilty Pleasures12-09-2010 ★★★January -
Magic Bites01-05-2011 ★★★★February -
Something from the Nightside02-02-2011 ★★★March -
Leviathan03-21-2011 ★★★April -
Born of Night04-03-2011 ★★★★May -
June -
Other first in series books read (during this challenge):