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Jane's 2012 practical & sensible challenges
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Random Book List #1Part 13 - ends 25 Jan: Men Under the Mistletoe √ 1-Jan
Part 14 - ends 28 Feb: Simple Gifts √ 12-Feb
Part 15 - ends 6 Apr: Twelve Days √ 22-Mar & A Nanny for Nate √ 29-Mar
Part 16 - ends 8 May: Dark Soul Vol. 1 √ 21-Apr
Part 17 - ends 12 June: Bulletproof √ 18-May & Blind Space √ 23-May
Part 18 - ends 17 July: Shattered Glass √ 10-Jul
Part 19 - ends 21 Aug: Chase in Shadow - nope: skip
Part 20 - ends 25 Sep: skip
Random Book List #3
Part 12 - ends 3 Jan: The Sea of Monsters √ 21-Dec
Part 13 - ends 7 Feb: Kiss of Snow √ 22-Jan
Part 14 - ends 13 Mar: Megan's Mark - missed the date
Part 15 - ends 17 Apr: skip
Part 16 - ends ? May: skip
Part 17 - ends 23 June: Halfway to the Grave √ 8-Jul
Part 18 - ends 31 July: skip
Part 19 - ends ?: skip
2012 A-Z Book Challenge
1 January - December 2012
26/26 Read
A: Among the Living √ 4-Jan
B: Bloodfever √ 10-Feb
C: The Curtis Reincarnation √ 18-Mar
D: The Darkest Hour √ 7-Jan
E: The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen √ 7-Jun
F: Faefever √ 22-Feb
F: Fish & Chips √ 6-Jan
G: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo √ 25-Jan
H: Hell's Pawn √ 08-Mar
I: I'll Be Your Drill, Soldier √ 07-Feb
J: Jesse's Christmas √ 30-Jul
K: Kiss of Snow √ 22-Jan
L: Life Lessons √ 14-Jan
M: Midnight Crystal √ 24-Feb
N: Nothing Ever Happens √ 3-Jan
O: And One Last Thing ... √ 24-Jan
P: The Picture of Dorian Gray √ 10-Feb
Q: Quinn's Hart √ 31-May
R: Rain √ 10-Jun
S: Street Game √ 17-Jul
T: The Tin Star √ 14-Jan
U: Unlikely Hero √ 1-Dec
V: The Vicar of Passmore √ 12-Apr
W: Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela √ 03-Feb
X: The Texas Ranger √ 15-Mar
Y: You and a Billion Blue Tiles √ 18-Sep
Z: Zero at the Bone √ 25-Mar
2012 A-Z Male Character Challenge
1 January - December 2012
26/26 Read
A: Andrew - Nothing Ever Happens √ 3-Jan
B: (Mikael) Blomkvist - The Girl Who Played with Fire √ 12-Jun
C: (Tyler) Curtis - The Curtis Reincarnation √ 18-Mar
D: David - A Note in the Margin √ 11-Jan
E: Ethan - The Darkest Hour √ 7-Jan
F: (Jack) Francisco - Zero at the Bone √ 25-Mar
F: Francis (Monroe) - And One Last Thing ... √ 24-Jan
G: (Dorian) Gray - The Picture of Dorian Gray √ 10-Feb
H: Hawke - Kiss of Snow √ 22-Jan
I: Ian - Lies and Consequences √ 15-Jun
J: Jamie - The Tin Star √ 14-Jan
K: Kane - Street Game √ 17-Jul
L: Levi - Between Sinners and Saints √ 6-May
M: Mikael - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo √ 25-Jan
N: (Gabriel) Nightengale - Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs √ 10-Apr
O: Ontoniel - Dance in the Dark √ 25-Apr
P: Paris - Prey √ 09-Apr
Q: Prof Quirrel - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone √ 25-Sep
R: Roan - Bloodlines √ 24-Jul
S: Simon - Tigers and Devils √ 03-Mar
T: Tony - Life Lessons √ 14-Jan
U: Uriskel - Skin Deep √ 23-Dec
V: Victor - Among the Living √ 4-Jan
W: (Adam) Winters - Midnight Crystal √ 24-Feb
X: Maxwell - The Art of Racing in the Rain √ 12-Sep
Y: Yuri - Change of Heart √ 18-Jul
Z: Zane - Fish & Chips √ 6-Jan
2012 A-Z Female Character Challenge
1 January - December 2012
25/26 Read
A: Alex - Nothing Ever Happens √ 3-Jan
B: Barbara - A Note in the Margin √ 11-Jan
C: Charlotte - Timing √ 10-Jun
D: Dani - Faefever √ 22-Feb
E: Ellie - The Christmas Throwaway √ 4-May
F: Fiona - Bloodfever √ 10-Feb
G: (Lisa) Gutierrez - Among the Living √ 4-Jan
H: Harriet - The Girl Who Played with Fire √ 12-Jun
I: Ida - Whistling in the Dark √ 26-Jun
J: (Marlowe) Jones - Midnight Crystal √ 24-Feb
K: (Claire) Keyes - Sweet Talk √ 20-Jun
L: Lisbeth - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo √ 25-Jan
M: Margie (Aunt Margaret) - The Tin Star √ 14-Jan
N: Nyssa - Tigers and Devils √ 03-Mar
O: (Melissa Qells) Ortiz - Acrobat √ 17-Nov
P: Poppy - Catch Me If You Can √ 6-Jun
Q: Queen Aoibheal - Shadowfever √ 2-Apr
R: Rachael - The Darkest Hour √ 7-Jan
S: Samantha - And One Last Thing ... √ 24-Jan
T: Trillian - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy √ 9-Sep
U:
V: Veronica - Prince Joe √ 31-May
W: Ginny Weasley - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone √ 25-Sep
X: Alexia - Spider's Bite √ 20-Sep
Y: Ylena - Making Promises √ 28-Jun
Z: Zoe - The Art of Racing in the Rain √ 13-Sep
One Book From Each Genre30 July 2011 - 30 June 2012
Completed: 9/12 FAILED - did not finish
1. Contemporary: Just the Sexiest Man Alive - √ 26-Nov
2. Erotic: Roane
3. GLBT: Caught Running - √ 10-Sep
4. Historical: Miss Wonderful
5. Paranormal: Wild Fire - √ 16-Aug
6. Suspense: Murder Game - √ 7-Oct
7. Women's Fiction: And One Last Thing ... - √ 24-Jan
8. World Literature: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - √ 25-Jan
9. Young Adult: City of Ashes - √ 28-Aug
Bonus:
10. Classic: The Picture of Dorian Gray - √ 10-Feb
11. Non-fiction: Lonely for my Land
12. Dystopia: Animal Farm - √ 23-Aug
Featured Author Challenges 2012January: Maya Banks [Start 'B'/End 'C'] - The Darkest Hour √ 7-Jan
February: Jayne Ann Krentz [Start 'A'/End 'A'] - Midnight Crystal √ 24-Feb
March: Jude Devereux [Start 'C'/End ?] - skipped
April: Robyn Carr [Start 'C'/End?] - library CD did not arrive in time
May: Suzanne Brockmann (Start 'D'/end 'B') - Prince Joe √ 31-May
June: Susan Mallery (Start 'C'/End 'B') - Sweet Talk √ 20-Jun
July: Fern Michaels (Start 'D'/End 'C')What You Wish For - dnf :( yuk
August': Jeaniene Frost (Start 'A-'/End 'B-')One Foot in the Grave √ 20-Aug
September: Lisa Jackson (Start 'C'/End ?) - skipped
October: Heather Graham (Start 'C'/End 'B') - The Dead Room √ 25-Oct
November: Sherryl Woods (Start 'C'/End ?) - The Backup Plan
February Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 29 February 2012
Read: 5/5
1. "F" is for February - Where the Allegheny Meets the Monongahela by Felicia Watson - √ 3-Feb
4. Leap Year: 4th in series - Divide & Conquer - √ 14-Feb
5. Make a friend, join the PIFM challenge - Bloodfever - √ 10-Feb
8. Banned book - The Picture of Dorian Gray - √ 10-Feb
10. Me time - Midnight Crystal - √ 24-Feb
Treasure Hunt (Quarterly) - aka Barbie & Ken15 February - 14 May 2012
Read: 15/15
Clothing
1. Pants: Dance With Me - √ 18-Feb
2. Singlet: Midnight Crystal - √ 24-Feb
3. Beanie: Tigers and Devils - √ 26-Feb
4. Jacket: Hell's Pawn - √ 8-Mar
5. Cowboy Hat: The Texas Ranger - √ 15-Mar
6. Shirt: A Nanny for Nate - √ 29-Mar
7. Underpants: Clear Water - √ 10-Apr
Personal Items
Earring: The Curtis Reincarnation - √ 18-Mar
Tattoo: St. Nacho's - √ 21-Mar
Glasses: It's Not Shakespeare - √ 1-Apr
Weapons
Knife: Cut & Run - √ 18-Feb
Gun: Zero at the Bone - √ 25-Mar
Nice to Have
Sports Equipment (skis): Sno Ho - √ 6-Mar
Candle: Prove a Villain - √ 28-Mar
Book: When Love Is Not Enough - √ 28-Mar
April Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 30 April 2012
Read: 9/8
1. "A" is for April - Prey √ 9-Apr
2. Happy Birthday Juana - Finding Home √ 20-Apr
3. Kansas - American Love Songs √ 19-Apr
4. 4x4 - A Matter of Time √ 13-Apr
5. 8 track tape day - Conquest √ 5-Apr
6. Earth day - Lonely for My Land: Tales of Karratha Station and the Nor' West
7. Take a Chance - Cheating Chance √ 7-Apr
8. Babe Ruth - Aidan and Ethan √ 12-Apr
9. Shrimps & Scampi - Clear Water √ 10-Apr
10. Me me me - Dance in the Dark √ 25-Apr
Delightful Diction or Nightmare Narration15 February - 14 November 2012
Loud Mouth: Completed 24/30
1.
: Narration by Natalie Ross and Phil Gigante - 4 stars. √ 12-MarStoryline - 5 stars. Loved this book - nothing more to add!
Narration - 4 stars. Natalie Ross is the main narrator and does a great job with the accents. Phil just drops in occassionally to contribute a male voice, so Natalie is my official narrator under review. Joyce Bean narrated the previous 3 books - Natalie does a much better range of Irish, Scottish and American accents. She really brings Dani to life.
2.
: narrated by Phil Gigante. √ 15-MarBook: 1 star. Mix a frustratingly obvious mystery (not) with a couple of illogical and pathetic main characters, and *ta-da* = an eye-rolling romance. Urgh!! I had so much trouble not giving up on this book. I read it for a challenge and that is the ONLY reason I persisted. No more DP for me.
Narrator: 4 stars. Great characterisation (when I could separate my hands from my hair and distance myself enough to appreciate the narration). Not too keen on his masculine laugh (it reminds me of a puppet laugh or the Count from Sesame Street) - but I think the book really affected my ability to appreciate his vocalisations.
3.
: narrated by Natalie Ross and Phil Gigante. √ 2-AprStory - 4 stars. This book is a lot more verbose and protracted than previous offerings by KMM which I felt detracted significantly from the flow the story. I love the whole concept and world development, but there is a lot of repetition of internal thoughts by Mackayla - that really bored me! The same themes were pounded into my brain for pages, especially in the first 3 parts of the book. (I'm quite sick of the word 'duality'.) But the twists and outcome were great. I'm sure I'll read more in this world - I note there is a 'Fever 6' in the offing :)
Narration: 5+ stars! Excellent narration by both Ross and Gigante. Natalie does an amazing scene where she needs to laugh and talk at the same time. I was in awe of her verbal skills!
4.
: narrated by Amanda Ronconi. √ 10-AprStory - 4 stars. I love Molly Harper's snark and sarcasm. The one-liners felt a bit more forced in this book, but it is still a fun read/listen. I'll tackle the next book when I'm in the mood for some more of Molly's life observations :)
Narration - 4 stars. When I first heard the narrator, I wasn't sure if her voice would get irritating after the first couple of chapters. But I was pleasantly surprised at how well the narrator settled into the story. Amanda's characterisation of 'Missy' from the Newly-Born Welcome Committee (not entirely sure of the name) was expert!!
5.
: narrated by James Marsters. √ 16-AprStory - 3 stars. This was a fun bit of escapism. I'm not sure it would have held my attention in paperback, but as an audiobook it worked pretty well. It only really had me riveted toward the end, but I do like the premise so I will probably continue with the series if the reviews of later books are positive.
Narration - 3.5 stars. Decent narration which was impaired by sub-standard audio controls/editing I think. I could hear too much mouth-movement and breath in-takes (saliva/lip-smacking - the microphone was too close to the narrator's mouth I think). Not all was audio's fault - some of the deep breaths were part of the narration/characterisation; these were too exaggerated and bugged me (1/2 star deduction!).
6.
: narrated by Samuel L Jackson. √ 16-AprWhat a hoot! Great little poem :)
Narration - 5 stars. Really well narrated - great for an infusion of fun in a neat little package.
7.
: narrated by Sean Crisden √ 20-AprStory - 5 stars. I had previously read this story in ebook. Needless to say, I love this series! F&C is slight departure from the previous two books as it focuses more on Ty and Zane's relationship and their personal perceptions and development. I think I prefer these books to read, not listen. There are so many details to accumulate and this can be difficult in audio; my concentration is reduced as I am generally driving, so necessarily my attention is on the road.
Narration - 3 stars. Good solid narration. Perhaps he spoke just a fraction fast at times? but I liked his characterisations once I got into the story. Having previously read the book I already had preconceived notions of accents - I was expecting Zane's to be Texan, however I think this would have stretched any narrator on top of the Ty's US/English accent plus all the side characters' accents (Italian, Turkish, etc etc)...
8.
: narrated by Sawyer Allerde √ 29-AprStory - 5 stars. Probably my favourite series and one that I have both in ebook and audio. I love it :)
Narration - 4 stars. Some ppl really don't like the narration of this audiobook, but I was pretty happy with it; I read somewhere that the narrator made some of the voices sound like comic-book characters, but I didn't find this at all. Perhaps because I'm not from the US? Most of my american accents are courtesy of sitcoms etc - there are some pretty weird accents on those, so it didn't seem out of place in this audio :) My main complaint is that I think Zane should have a deep Texan voice, and Ty's should also be deeper rather than not. The narrator's natural voice was deeper than his MC characterisations.
9.
: narrated by Sawyer Allerde & Ray Romano(?) √ 2-MayStory - 5 stars. I hadn't read this book since the first time back in December so it was time for a reread! :)
Narration - 4 stars. Refer above comments. I would also add that Sawyer is pretty bad at female voices but since there is only 1 female in this book (Ty's mother, Mara) it isn't a huge issue :)
Note: It says on GR that Ray Romano also narrated parts of this book, but I truly couldn't pick that up :( Audible does not credit him with any narration, so I think someone is pulling our legs!
10.
: narrated by Sean Crisden √ 16-MayStory: 5 stars. I just love this couple and all their inner (and outer!) turmoil.
Narrator: 5 stars. Sean has really settled into his narration of these characters. He conveys Zane & Ty so well, and it is easy to identify which character is speaking without the author prompts.
Now I just have to be patient for book 5 to come out in audio :)
11.
: narrated by Laural Merlington √ 23-MayStory: 4 stars (reread)
Narrator: 3 stars.
When I first read this book I rated it 5 stars. The storyline didn't have the same impact for me on this occassion, and much of this was due to the narration. I can see that LM is a very competent narrator, but her characterisation of Ellie St Clair had me almost disliking this heroine. She was portrayed as condescending, stuck up, proud and really - just a bit of tool. I think LM nailed Cooper pretty well, and I enjoyed her take on a lot of the minor characters. But again, her characterisation of Emmett London sounded like a 60 year old English professor - that killed that scene straight up.
I enjoy this storyline, so no doubt I'll listen to this again when I need some downtime and light escapism... :)
12.
: narrated by Rebecca Cook √ 24-MayStory: 4 stars (reread). This is a great novella that fills in some gaps in the Carpathian time line, telling us how the ancient warriors/hunters went 'missing' and brings back our first 'ancient'. For such a short book, CF does a great job of imparting a full story mixed with emotions and action.
Narrator: 4 stars. Rebecca Cook does a very solid job with this novella. I can't complain about any part of her narration, but it didn't have that special 'lift' to make me rate it 5 stars.
13.
: narrated by Natalie Gold √ 28-MayStory: 5 stars (reread). Another piece in the puzzle is filled in. I love the Carpathian books set around the home mountains and involving the ice-caves. I'm almost starting to wonder if I prefer CF's novellas to her full novels, as she has to reign in some the extensive love scenes to ensure her storyline is complete...
Narrator: 5 stars. Natalie Gold portrays the heroine so well in this narration, and does a great job with all the other characters. She has a wonderful husky voice for the h which lifts this narration to 5 stars ;)
14.
: narrated by Saul Reichlin √ 12-JunStory: 4 stars. What the??! Talk about an abrupt finish!
I loved the story although it dragged for the first third or so... And of course I had always intended to read the final book in the trilogy - but did the ending have to be so sudden and so unresolved?
Narrator: 5 stars. The narration was excellent. I love how fluidly Saul pronounces the Swedish names and places. To the point that I actually repeat the pronunciations even though I have no idea where they are or how to spell them.
15.
: narrated by Therese Plummer √ 20-JunStory: 3 stars. I enjoyed this book, but I had trouble believing anyone could be so forgiving and god-damned nice! Claire (h) was amazingly resilient, and so willing to get knocked down and then bounce right back up again for another punch-down! Does that make me sound like a flaming bitch? ...Because I can't believe it? I'll probably check out the next in the series sometime, if I can find it in audio at the library.
Narration: 4 stars. Therese Plummer did a very good job with the narration. I couldn't complain.
16.
: narrated by Joyce Bean √ 25-JunStory: 4 stars. This was a reread for me - a trip back onto Harmony to play with the dust bunnies. This first installment introduces us to Fuzz :) Lydia (MC) was a bit precious, but you get that...
Narration: 4 stars. Joyce Bean narrates a story very well. Her tone is more of an alto and she pulls off men's voices pretty well, along with the women.
17.
: narrated by Tavia Gilbert √ 8-JulStory: 3 stars. Another reread. I just can't take to Cat (the MC). I really can't see what has attracted Bones to her. The only thing I truly enjoyed was the action.
Narration: 3 stars. Tavia has clearly worked on the Cockney accent, but her tone was too high for Bones. He sometimes sounded like a woman. The other characters were all well executed, but not pegging the voice of the male MC can't be rated as anything more than average.
18.
: narrated by Joyce Bean √ 23-JulStory: 4 stars. A fun continuation of Lydia Smith and Emmett London's romance on Harmony. This was a fraction better than the first story IMHO.
Narration: 4 stars. Well narrated - not much more to add :)
19.
: narrated by Tavia Glibert √ 20-AugStory: 2.5 stars. Fast disappearing on my radar of books that I'm interested in reading/listening.
Narration: 3 stars. Narration just doesn't do it for me.
Follow The Leader Tournament #315 April - 14 October 2012
Overall Tally: 35
Track 1 Caught Running: Points Earned - 13
1. Fish & Chips - Start 16-Apr/Finish 20-Apr: 2 points
2. A Matter of Time Vol 4 - Start 25-Apr/Finish 26-Apr: 1 points
3. Sticks & Stones - Start 29-Apr/Finish 2-May: 1 points
4. Divide & Conquer - Start 3-May/Finish 16-May: 1 points
5. Bulletproof - Start 17-May/Finish 18-May: 2 points
6. Shades of Gray - Start 18-May/Finish 9-Jun: 2 points
7. Shattered Glass - Start 8-Jul/Finish 10-Jul: 2 points
8. Criss Cross - Start 25-Jul/Finish 26-Jul: 1 points
9. Armed & Dangerous - Start 15-Aug/Finish 18-Aug : 1 point
Track 2 - Clear Water : Points Earned - 14
1. American Love Songs - Start 18-Apr/Finish 19-Apr : 2 points
2. Moonlight Becomes You - Start 27-Apr/Finish 28-Apr : 2 points
3. It's Not Shakespeare - Start 30-Apr/Finish 1-May : 2 points
4. Between Sinners and Saints - Start 3-May/Finish 5-May : 2 points
5. Duty & Devotion - Start 7-May/Finish 11-May : 1 point
6. Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mystery, #1) - Start 23-May/Finish 24-May : 1 point
7. Catch Me If You Can Start 4-Jun/Finish 6-Jun : 2 points
8. Mexican Heat - Start 21-Jul/Finish 22-Jul : 2 points
9. The Hell You Say
Track 3 - Hell's Pawn : Points Earned - 8
1. Dance in the Dark - Start 22-Apr/Finish 25-Apr : 2 points
2. A Chip in His Shoulder - Start 3-May/Finish 4-May : 2 points
3. A Thread of Deepest Black - Start 23-May/Finish 4-Jul : 2 points
4. Bloodlines - Start 22-Jul/Finish 24-Jul : 2 points
5. Natural Instincts
May Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 31 May 2012
Read: 8/8
1. "M" is for May - Between Sinners and Saints √ 6 May
2. Happy Birthday Joanne - Without Reservations (With or Without #2) √ 3 May
4. Fabulous Five - Bulletproof √ 18 May
5. May Day - Duty & Devotion √ 11 May
6. Recommittment Day - Prince Joe √ 31 May
7. Towel Day - A Chip in His Shoulder √ 4 May
8. Kentucky Derby - No Going Home √ 14 May
10. Me time - Ghost Hunter √ 23 May
Battle of the Bands Challenge15 May - 14 August 2012
Read: 20/20
1. Stone Temple Pilots - After Dark archeological √ 25 Jun
2. Alice in Chains - A Thread of Deepest Black BDSM √ 4 Jul
3. Kings of Leon - Scales And A Tail royalty √ 3 Jun
4. Black Eyed Peas - Sweet Talk Baker √ 20 Jun
5. Disturbed - The Girl Who Played With Fire thriller √ 12 Jun
6. Green Day - Ghost Hunter green cover √ 23 May
7. Incubus - Touched by an Alien Para Sci-fi √ 31 Jul
8. Jane’s Addiction - Fatal Shadows J author √ 24 May
9. Muse - Catch Me If You Can art gallery √ 6 Jun
10. Paramore - One Real Thing cheating wife √ 21 Jun
11. Rage Against the Machine - Shades of Gray law enforcement √ 9 Jun
12. Sublime - Visible Friend pretty! √ 27 Jul
13. The White Stripes - Street Game √ 17 Jul
14. Big Time Rush - For Gom's Sake YA √ 23 May
15. Jack Johnson - Timing Summer √ 10 Jun
16. Faith No More - Lies and Consequences lies √ 15 Jun
17. Crowded House - Tommy's Story big family √ 19 May
18. Blue October - Bloodlines depression/tear-jerker √ 24 Jul
19. Ben Folds Five - Bulletproof 5th in series √ 18 May
20. Regurgitator - The Letter Z Ask me if you really want to know ;) but trust me, it fits in beautifully! (And it is nothing to do with being sick.) √ 19 May
June Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 30 June 2012
Read: 8/8
1. "J" is for June - After Dark √ 25 Jun
3. Greek (Art) - Catch Me If You Can √ 6 Jun
4. 6! - Maybe With a Chance of Certainty √ 2 Jun
5. Donuts (yum) - Sweet Talk √ 20 Jun
7. Father's Day - Not Knowing Jack √ 13 Jun
8. First day of summer - Timing √ 10 Jun
9. Helen Keller - Out in the Field √ 5 Jun
10. Me time - The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen √ 7 Jun
June Smutters Challenge1 - 30 June 2012
Read: 5/5
Something Old - Catch Me If You Can √ 6 Jun
Something New- Out in the Field √ 5 Jun
Something Borrowed - Sweet Talk √ 20 Jun
Something Blue - Maybe With a Chance of Certainty (blue title, blue jacket) √ 2 Jun
Destination - The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen (New York!) √ 7 Jun
July Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 31 July 2012
Read: 8/8
1. 'J' - Purgatory √ 13 Jul
2. Happy Birthday!: Bah humbug - skip
3. Saudi Arabia (Middle East) - skip
4. Prime! - Devlin and Garrick √ 6 Jul
5. Firecrackers galore - Touched by an Alien √ 31 Jul
6. Exercises, exercises, I must do my exercises - Out of Bounds √ 3 Jul
7. Stand alone - Super Sock Man √ 19 Jul
8. Ooops; I Forgot - Street Game √ 17 Jul
9. Ugly cowboy - The Broken H√ 14 Jul
10. It's all about me :) - Shattered Glass √ 10 Jul
The Decades Challenge1 July - 31 December 2012
Read: 29/30 Foiled by an older book!
The 1940's:
1. Song-White Christmas by Bing Crosby- 'Christmas' in the title and has a mostly white cover: Jesse's Christmas √ 30 Jul
2. Movie-Casablanca- reuniting old lovers: Devlin and Garrick √ 6 Jul
3.TV Show-Howdy Doody - features a child prominently in the story: Daddy, Daddy and Me √ 2 Jul
4. Popular Books of the 40's- Read a book from the following shelf or any book published in the 40's or any book set in the 40's- http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/23... ?1984
5. Fad-Slinky - an Erotic book: With a Kiss √ 25 Aug
The 1950's:
1.Song- Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lee Lewis- read a book with fire on the cover. Touched by an Alien √ 31 Jul
2.Movie- Some Like It Hot- read a humorous book/a hot guy on the cover. How about both? Frat Boy and Toppy √ 8 Jul
3.TV Show- The Honeymooners- read a book with a NY setting. The Luckiest √ 15 Jul
4.Popular Books of the 50's- The Unknown Ajax √ 8 Oct
5.Fad- Hula Hoop- read a book with a title that has the same first letters (i.e. Totally Tubular, Cowboy Cassanova) At Piper's Point √ 24 Aug
The 1960's: MY decade
1.Song-I Heard It Through The Grapevine by Marvin Gaye- fruit on the cover: Strawberries for Dessert √ 20 Jul
2.Movie-Bonnie and Clyde- gun on the cover: Mexican Heat √ 22 Jul
3.TV Show- The Munsters- character who feels like an outsider in their family: Nowhere Ranch √ 15 Aug
4.Popular Books of the 60's- read a book found on the following shelf or any book published in the 60's or any book set in the 60's- http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/18...
A Wrinkle in Time √ 11 Oct
5.Fad- Flower Power- a book with characters that take drugs. Shattered Glass √ 10 Jul
The 1970's:
1.Song- Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin- read a book with the word heaven, angel, devil or stairway in the title. The Dark Angels: With Wings √ 6-Sep
2.Movie- The Godfather- read a book with an Italian character. Street Game √ 17 Jul
3.TV Show- All In The Family- read a book that has a character with a prejudice. Some Kind of Magic √ 21 Jul
4.Popular Books of the 1970's read a book found on this shelf - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy √ 9-Sep
5.Fad- Disco music- read a book featuring a musician. Purgatory √ 13 Jul
The 1980's:
1.Song- Born In The USA by Bruce Springsteen- All of the criteria :) Super Sock Man √ 19 Jul
2.Movie- Back to the Future- read a book featuring a sports car in the story & cover. High Line √ 7-Oct
3.TV Show- Cheers- read a book centering on friends. Paris A to Z √ 28-Aug
4.Book set in the 1980's - Sidecar √ 9-Dec
5.Fad- Classic Coke- read a book featuring a character with a failed relationship. Caregiver √ 11-Sep
The 1990's:
1.Song- My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion- read a romance novel. Again √ 30-Sep
2.Movie-Titanic- read a book with a ship on the cover. The Long Way Home √ 10 Aug
3.TV Show- E.R.- a book written by an author who uses their initials. The Broken H √ 14-Jul
4.Popular Books of the 1990's- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone √ 25-Sep
5.Fad- Beanie Babies- read a book that has an animal in the story. Edward Unconditionally √ 3-Aug
August Monthly Reading Challenge1 - 31 August 2012
Read: 10/10
1. "A" - Armed & Dangerous √ 18-Aug
2. Happy Birthday to ME :) - The Heart of Texas √ 20-Aug
3. Oklahoma! - Nowhere Ranch √ 15-Aug
4. US Coast Guards - At Piper's Point √ 24-Aug
5. Friendship Day - Paris A to Z √ 28-Aug
6. Romance HEA - The Long Way Home √ 10-Aug
7. Smile :) - Private Dicks √ 22-Aug
8. Golden Oldies - With a Kiss √ 25-Aug
9. Dawgs - Edward Unconditionally √ 3-Aug
10. Me again! - Red+Blue √ 5-Aug
Romance Lovers Quarterly Challenge15 August - 14 November 2012
Target - Dating
Completed: 10/10 'Yay :)
1. Erotic (a) - With a Kiss √ 25-Aug
2. Suspense (h) - Armed & Dangerous √ 18-Aug
3. Contemporary (d) - At Piper's Point √ 24-Aug
4. Historical (j) - The Unknown Ajax √ 8-Oct
5. YA (i) - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone √ 25-Sep
6. Paranormal/Fantasy/Sci-Fi (b) - Life After Death √ 3-Oct
7. Christian/Religious/Inspirational
8. Western (l) - The Heart of Texas √ 20-Aug
9. Interracial (g) - Her Two Dads √ 17-Sep
10. GLBT (k) - Paris A to Z √ 28-Aug
11. Time Travel (c) - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy √ 9-Sep
12. Category (Harlequin, etc.)
matched to -
e. read a book from the list generated from clicking the 'Recommendations' link on top of your home page
f. read a new release (within 2 months)
September Monthly Challenge1 - 30 September 2012
Completed: 8/8
1. 'S' is for September: Archangel's Blade √ 23-Sep
2. Happy Birthday jdphoenix!: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy √ 9-Sep
3. Austria: skip
4. National Beheading Day: Trusted Bond √ 26-Sep
5. Neither Rain Nor Snow Day: Our December √ 21-Sep
6. Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month: Written in the Stars √ 8-Sep
7. Read a Book Day: Inland Empire √ 22-Sep
8. 9/11: skip
9. National Hispanic Heritage Month: Her Two Dads √ 9-Sep
10. Reader's Choice: Caregiver √ 11-Sep
October Monthly Challenge1 - 31 October 2012
Completed: 8/8 'Yay!!
1. 'O' is for October: Gaven √ 6-Oct
2. Happy Birthday: skip
3. Maine - wild outdoors camping: Dangerous Ground √ 5-Oct
4. Crazy Daisy: Holiday Outing √ 15-Oct
5. Angelic food: skip
6. Teddy bears at work: Tech Support √ 6-Oct
7. White canes: 18% Gray √ 5-Oct
8. Gaudy: Chase in Shadow √ 25-Oct
9. Pumpkin pie PNR: Life After Death √ 3-Oct
10. Me!: Fireman's Carry √ 4-Oct
Delightful Diction or Nightmare Narration15 February - 14 November 2012
Loud Mouth: Completed 29/30
...The final 11...
20.
: narrated by Robert Petkoff √ 24-AugStory - 4.5 stars. I wasn't concerned with the violence in the relationship this time round (this was originally one of my first PNRs back in 2009). I really enjoyed the whole story, loved the characters - especially the traits of the Valkyrie, and look forward to listening to more in this series.
Narration - Robert Petkoff: 5 stars.
Excellent narration with very well executed accents from a range of backgrounds (US, English, Scotish, Russian etc) all seamlessly integrated. This book was a pleasure to listen to and I would recommend this series as an audio option simply due to RP narration. (My paperbacks are heading to the book exchange!)
21.
: narrated by Stephanie Riggio √ 6-SepStory - 3 stars. I think if I had read this a year ago I would have rated this higher, but fantasy isn't holding my attention the way it used to.
In a nutshell, the heroine, Ellie, is sweet with a spine of steel, but constantly apologising - almost for her own existence at times. The hero, Rain, battles his inner 'beast' to work at winning Ellie. There is a cast of bad characters, some of whom are the same person. The 'baddies' fairly consistently have luck go their way. The 'goodies' are still trying to work out what the hell is going on.
This novel finishes at no particular point with not much resolved. Essentially is sets the scene for the other four books I think.
I may continue with the series because I do want the 'goodies' to win. But I'm not sure if I am interested enough to wade through the boring bits...
Narration - 3 stars. Good but not great. Ellie sounded like a little girl but the other characters flowed nicely. There were some issues with editing; some long pauses at points that didn't appear to be section breaks or anything more than a paragraph.
22.
: narrated by BBC Radio Production - various actors √ 9-SepStory - 3 stars, although it was difficult to hear the delivery of the lines.
Narration - 1 star. I really don't like these BBC radio plays. There is WAY too much background noise or affected characterisation that makes it difficult to hold the volume at an appropriate level. Some of the characters were computerised voices with so much synthesis in the production that I couldn't hear what was said. The explosions, which were numerous, hurt my ears, along with the engine noises and other extraneous sounds.
From the bits that I could hear there were some pretty amusing one-liners but I really can't properly judge the book known as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - only this radio-play.
I would definitely recommend that this radio-play be skipped in preference to the real book.
23.
: narrated by Christopher Evan Welch √ 13-SepStory: 4.5 stars. Toy zebras are evil...
Enzo, the dog, knows this and is reminded of it regularly throughout the book. Crows aren't good either.
This is a beautiful story that engaged me at the beginning but didn't really earn it's final star rating until the end. There are twists and turns in this book that keep the reader off balance and firmly in the hero's (and dog's) court.
I liked the way the author relieved pressure after a big scene by bringing the dog's thoughts back into play on a lighter issue or observation. It allowed the reader to take a breath, smile and absorb some of the drama.
My only complaint: Without a doubt I found it inconceivable that so many bad things could pile up on such a good person all at once - I felt that it was a bit OTT - 'You think this is bad? But wait, there's more...'. This is where I deducted my half star.
Narration: 5 stars. Christopher Evan Welch, gave it life. His voice flowed with the story, providing drama and excitement without overdoing it. Excellent.
I highly recommend this book - but you might need a tissue or three.
...Somewhere the zebra is dancing.
24.
: narrated by Jenny Urban √ 17-SepStory - 3 stars. It took me a while to warm up to this book. The beginning is slow (although understandably so I guess), and I hadn't reread the precis prior to listening, so I wasn't exactly sure who the other MC was going to be...
But I loved the ending and the resolutions.
Narrator - 2 stars. I'm not keen on Urban's narration style. She reads a bit too quickly and with flat tones. I would prefer to not listen to her narrate a story, however if I really wanted to listen to it, I would probably still put up with the monologue.
25.
: narrated by Lauren Fortgang √ 20-SepStory - 4 stars. I have to say I REALLY enjoyed this story. I'm sort of surprised at how well the author kept my attention. Things moved along at a good pace with plenty of friction. I loved how the MCs didn't trust or much like each other (OK, one of them wanted to kill the other - minor inconvenience); this really worked well. I now want to watch the relationship develop - preferrable slowly.
There was quite a bit of background repetition, predominantly surrounding Gin's dead family, but fortunately it didn't go on for too long. Being told once, perhaps twice, works - any more and feel I'm being pounded over the head! *sloppy, sloppy, sloppy*, to quote a well-used phrase within the book.
Narration - 4 stars. I wasn't keen on Lauren's male voices to start with and there were some strange pauses in mid-sentence, especially noticeable in the beginning. (I think this mainly occurred where the end of one word require greater diction before the next word. Eg. hard sounding consonant ending a word to a hard sounding consonant beginning the next word.) But she has a lovely husky voice and a southern twang that relaxed and was very easy to listen to.
26.
: narrated by Stephen Fry √ 25-SepStory: 5 stars. I love this first book in the series. So rich with imagery, humour and morality.
Narration: 5 stars. Beautifully narrated - the story captivated me again for the nth time. I loved Fry's characterizations which tied in seamlessly with the movies and my own internal dialogues. There is so much humour littered throughout that it takes a number of reads/listens to fully appreciate the care and construction of this storyline.
27.
: narrated by Daniel Philpott √ 8-OctStory: 5 stars. Another all time favourite that I regularly re-read, predominantly in audio now; this book always amuses me, despite knowing it backwards.
Narration: 4.5 stars. Philpott's narration is very good, with only a few minor issues that I won't bother to write about. His characterisation of Lord Daracott is masterful and he seamlessly moves between his characters without apparent effort.
28.
: narrated by Madeleine L'Engle √ 11-OctStory: 3 stars. A very interesting concept that educates whilst creating quite an interesting story. Suitable kids from 10 years old
Audiobook: narrated by author (Madeleine L'Engle). 1 star.
Unfortunately I found the narration very disappointing. As noted above, the author narrated the audio version to which I listened. L'Engle has a very strong lisp and reads most of the book as if every sentence has exclaimation marks. I found this rather tiresome and difficult to listen to. I ended up not liking the heroine (Meg) much - she was just too much; but I'm sure this was due to narration rather than the actual character.
29.
narrated by Angela Dawe √ 30-OctStory: 4 stars. I really enjoyed my exposure to later 19th Century England. It isn't a period that I've read much in my books, so the integration of the train, telegraph, a more open society and the mention of some the quakier medical thoughts was of some interest beyond the storyline.
The high born family of four single burly 'gifted' men is a plotline guaranteed to appeal. The investigative thread through the romance was well balanced. My main complaint, and it is minor, is that the ending dragged a bit; but there were parts of that ending that I loved.
Audiobook: Narrated by Angela Dawe. 2 stars.
I found the narration by Angela to be too rhythmic with quite a drawling cadence. She did vary all the accents very well generally speaking, but then that drawl with some extended vowel sounds would hit and pull me out of the story.
30.
narrated by Elizabeth Sastre
Heart & Tears Tournament1 October 2012 - 31 March 2013
1. Square 3 ~ PNR: Life After Death by Andrea Speed. √ 3-Oct ★★★★
2. Square 7 ~ Free Read ;) 18% Gray by Anne Tenino. √ 5-Oct ★★★★
3. Square 9 ~ Alpha Male: Tooth & Nail by Mary Calmes. √ 8-Oct ★★★
4. Square 13 ~ Abandoned: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle √ 12-Oct ★★
5. Square 16 ~ Sci-Fi Romance: Dark Light by Jayne Castle √ 19-Oct ★★★★
6. Square 21 ~ Pirates: Frost Maiden by Michelle M Pillow √ 18-Oct ★★
7. Square 24 ~ Fantasy: The Dead Room by Heather Graham √ 25-Oct ★★★
8. Square 26 = square 49 ~ Time Travel: Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde √ 28-Nov ★★★½
9. Square 52 = square 101 ~ Mail-order bride (yuk!): Space Bride by Missy Martine √ 28-Oct ★★
10. Square 103 = square 80 ~ General: Handyman by Claire Thompson √ 30-Oct ★★★★
11. Square 83 ~ Fun: Like Coffee and Doughnuts by Elle Parker √ 6-Nov ★★★
12. Square 86 ~ 5 Stars: Cop Out by K C Burns √ 6-Nov ★★★★
13. Square 91 ~ hearts! Move to 115 = Interacial romance: No Souvenirs by K A Mitchell √ 21-Nov ★★★★½
14. Square 120 ~ Native American Romance: Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard √ 24-Nov ★★★★
15. Square 122 ~ Plain Jane :) Playing for Keeps by R L Mathewson √ 28-Nov ★★★★
16. Square 123 ~ Read a book I own :) Unlikely Hero by Sean Michael √ 1-Dec ★★★
17. Square 124 ~ AAR Top 100 Romances: This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips √ 18-Dec ★★★
18. Square 128 ~ Anthologies: Love Ahead: Please Excuse Our Mess by Abigail Roux √ 1-Dec ★★★★
19. Square 133 ~ love-story: Sidecar by Amy Lane √ 9-Dec ★★★★
20. Square 138 ~ Magic: Skin Deep by S W Vaughn √ 23-Dec ★★★★
21. Square 143 ~ Favourite Heroes:
22.
RITA Awards 2012 - Social Butterfly1 October 2012 - 30 June 2013
1. Paranormal Romance: Dragon Bound (W) (reread?) or Storm's Heart
2. Romance Novella: I Love the Earl (W)
3. Novel with Strong Romantic Elements: Spider’s Revenge
4. Best First Book: First Grave on the Right (W)
5. Historical Romance: Unlocked for Unveiled?
6. Inspirational Romance: The Measure of Katie Calloway: A Novel (W)
7. Contemporary Series Romance Suspense/Adventure: The Man from Gossamer Ridge?
8. Contemporary Single Title Romance: Summer at Seaside Cove or The Welcome Home Garden Club
9. Regency Historical Romance: A Night to Surrender (W) or How to Marry a Duke
10. Young Adult Romance: Enclave (W)
11. Contemporary Series Romance: Doukakis's Apprentice (W)
12. Romantic Suspense: New York to Dallas (W) or Holiday in Death
November Monthly Challenge1 - 30 November 2012
Completed: 7/8
1. 'N' - Three Wrong Turns in the Desert √ 14-Nov
2. Happy Birthday - skip
3. Missouri/Cowboy - Mackenzie's Mountain √ 24-Nov
4. Gravestones - Cop Out √ 6-Nov
5. Book Lovers Day (free pass :) - skip
6. Forget Me Not - Hard Fall √ 25-Nov
7. Young Readers - Talker's Redemption √ 8-Nov
8. Christmas Theme - Zombie Wonderland √ 19-Nov
9. Stay At Home and read - Pricks and Pragmatism √ 7-Nov
10. Me! - Lost in a Good Book
Read the month in Irish - mi na SAMHNA1 - 30 November 2012
Completed: 6/6
S Squeak And A Roar √ 22-Nov
A Talker's Redemption by Amy Lane √ 8-Nov
M Acrobat by Mary Calmes √ 17-Nov
H Hard Fall (by James Buchanan) √ 25-Nov
N Three Wrong Turns in the Desert by Neil Placky √ 14-Nov
A Shane and Trey by Anyta Sunday √ 12-Nov
December Monthly Challenge1 - 31 December 2012
Completed: 8/8
1. 'D' - Room at the Top by Jane Davitt √ 14-Dec
2. skip
3. skip
4. Summer Solstice (long) - Living Promises √ 17-Dec
5. Summer Solstice (short) - Wish List √ 27-Dec
6. Humbug - Take My Picture √ 11-Dec
7. Pollyanna - The Party Boy's Guide to Dating a Geek √ 4-Dec
8. New Year's Eve (complete series) - Stars & Stripes √ 21-Dec
9. New Year's Eve (new) - Special Delivery √ 22-Dec
10. Me! - Sidecar √ 9-Dec
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Sidecar (other topics)Shadowfever (other topics)
Acrobat (other topics)
Unlikely Hero (other topics)
You and a Billion Blue Tiles (other topics)
More...
1 January - 31 January 2012
8/8 Read
1. "J" - The Tin Star by J L Langley √ 14-Jan
2. Happy Birthday Bookwatcher! - Among the Living √ 4-Jan
3. Sth Africa - skip
4. 1st in a series - Life Lessons √ 14-Jan
5. Friday 13th - skip
6. Dr Watson I presume - Fish & Chips √ 6-Jan
7. Year of the Dragon - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo √ 25-Jan
8. Australia Day! - A Note in the Margin √ 11-Jan
9. New year, new author - Nothing Ever Happens √ 3-Jan
10. Me time - The Darkest Hour √ 7-Jan