Killing Rain by Barry Eisler

#ThrowbackThursday
book 4 John Rain series
narrator:Michael McConnohie
mp3 audiobook
rating: ★★★★ (4.4)

From Goodreads:
Killing Rain, John Rain has a new employer, the Mossad, which wants him to fix a "problem" in Manila; a new partner, Dox, whose good-ol'-boy persona masks a sniper as deadly as Rain himself. He also has a new hope: that by using his talents in the service of something good, he might atone for all the lives he has already taken. But when Rain's conscience causes him to botch an assignment, he finds out that the Mossad's next assignment is himself. And when Delilah, the alluring Israeli agent he once fought and then loved, reappears in his life, is she there to help him - or to finish him off?

My Review:
This is the first book I have listed to by this author. I must say that it is quite a story. Narrator Michael McConnohie has a great voice. A great story is always key but with audio books the voice of the narrator is most important because if I don't like the voice that the end of listening to the audio version.

John Rain (wonder if he had John Wayne in mind) is an assassin for hire. He is hired to take out a guy named Manny. With not much to go on, John and his partner Dox has to watch Manny for the perfect opportunity to take him out. The right time presents itself but at the last minute circumstances change and John freezes. Now John is the hunted by those who hired him and the man Manny was working with.

The story is completely interesting. The characters are believable. Each having their own personality and quirks. It's fast paced but still contains detailed information. Though this is book 4, I had no problem reading it out of order which is definitely a plus. A great book for any reader who loves thrillers, suspense, and spy-mercenary novels.

Challenges:
2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge
Let Me Count The Way
2013 Audio Book Challenge

Other:
Winter's Respite Read-a-Thon

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

#NewReleaseTuesday
Ebook: 200p
rating: 2stars

From Goodreads:
Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich
Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and someone who sounds like Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. The FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.
Only one other person has seen the missing photograph—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.
Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual—until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?!
Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii. And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated.



My Review: I love the Stephanie Plum series. The characters are likable. There is always something going on including many funny situations and comments. My favorite charater is Lula. She says what is on her mind. Here's the thing, there isn't any movement with these books. She is in the same place she was at the start of the books. She hasn't learn anything new. She still a bounty hunter afraid of using a gun. She is way too sympathic with her skips (the people she's trying to catch). Granted it is hard to chose between two men when neither one is really pushing for a decision but even that scenerio has become tiresome. I don't think she have to chose but either stop complaining about not knowing which to be with and enjoy the situation or pick one!
Fans keep reading because...well we love the story. However, I think it is time for the series to come to an end. Nothing is happening. It is just one crazy skip situation after another and even though her being a bounty hunter is the main part of the series, we readers are interested in the characters lives. Stephanie needs a life change or end the series at book 20.

Challenges:
2013 Ebook Reading Challenge

2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge

50 States Reading Challenge

Outside the Box Reading Challenge

Outside the Box Reading Challenge


1Jan13-31Dec13



Okay – for something a little different and a little fun! I hope that you will join me on this excursion through the literary genres! Choose your level, post with us at the end of the month about your experiences, and we will have a winner at the end of the year for a $50 GC from that great book place in the Ethernet! Each posting will get your name in the hat for a chance to win! So, post monthly and your chances increase! I hope you enjoy the categories I have created… it was fun doing it!



Choose your level – just how far out of the box do you want to go?

I’m a little Scared: 3-4 categories

It’s not so bad out here!: 5-7 categories

Look at me, outside my comfort zone!: 8-10 categories

No Box can Contain Me!: ALL 13!



Guidelines:

This challenge will run from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013.

Grand Prize Drawing will be 7 January 2014!



1. Sign up any time. Though, it’s best to do it by the 31st of December, 2012 – that way you will have more chances to WIN! (However, sign-ups will close 1 December 2013)



2. You cannot use any books or reading material that was read before 1 January 2013 (except for #9 – but you DO have to REREAD that one to count!)



3. At the End of each month, you must post a link to your review for it to count! If you don’t have a blog, be sure to link up the review you did in GoodReads, Amazon, Library Thing, etc. We need to read your review! (There will be a one week grace period to get in the review. i.e. January 31st rolls around and the linky will be up, but you have until 6th of February to get your linky in!) Each review will get you a ‘token’!



4. Share the Love (PLEASE!?!) – Write your intentions on your blog, link back to this post, have the button on a side bar, so others will know what fun you are having, and they can have it too!



5. Overlaps are okay, but the purpose of this is to try other books, not grabbing ONE book to fit four categories! You only get ONE token in for each review, so the more the merrier.



6. Comment below with how comfortable you are of climbing out of your literary box! BUT, don’t feel you have to be tied to that level! You are shy and want to start slowly but love the feeling of the air outside of where you are…go for it! You thought you could be a book sphere, but the box is warm and comfy, that’s okay too!



7. Be encouraging! Sometimes it’s a little frightening coming out of your comfort zone. Go to the other participants’ sites and give them words to help free them. Offer suggestions on the best ways to climb out of the box – give them a ladder that they can use!

8. Optional – share book

s. Be willing to swap books with other participants (unless they are library books, or books that are not yours, then you might find yourself in a whole other type of box, and I can’t help you then!)



9. Make sure you post your reviews every month. Who knows, I just might have a surprise giveaway that month!



Now… to the categories!



#1 To the Screen

Read a book that was adapted to the screen. Try to read the book first, then see the movie – how did they compare?



#2 Another Voice

Do you typically read books that focus on a Female Character? Try a male protagonist. A male point of view usually? See what it’s like from a woman’s perspective.



#3 Opposites Attract

Are you always reading young adult or historical fiction? Try something that would be opposite – a contemporary read for those stuck in the past, for instance.



#4 5 Star Day

Is there a book you’ve seen featured on another blog and everyone raves about it? Even if it isn’t your cup of tea – give it a try to see what the hype is all about.



#5 XyZ pdQ

You’ve seen them – ABC book challenges – well this one is light! Grab a book that has either an X, Z or Q in the title! Too tough? Try going for the author’s name!



#6 It’s my Birthday!

So, have a party! Read a book that was published in either your birth month or birth year!



#7 From one place…

It’s neat to read a book that was first published outside of the United States (or your country – we won’t hold it against you if you don’t live in the Good Ol’ USofA). Make sure to pull up a slang dictionary of that country, though, otherwise you will always wonder why they put the ‘kettle on the hob’ (and, no, it has nothing to do with short hairy guys with big hairy feet!)



#8 It’s All About ME!

It seems that everyone has written a memoir of one kind or another – or someone wrote about their favorite person. Read about their life and know that yours is still marvelous, even though you didn’t climb Mt. Everest by the age of 2!



#9 Visit an Old Friend

Do you have one of those books that you tell everyone is your favorite, because of the fond memories you have when you read it eons ago? Read it again, just to make sure it still is your Favorite!



#10 Look at the pretty pictures!

It seems that Graphic Novels are all the rage. Check on out and see for yourself! If you have read the original, how did the graphic novel compare?



#11 She made me do it!

You read about the book on another site. It wasn’t necessarily something that everyone raves about, but this person spoke so well of the book, you just had too! (I know, it’s kind of like #4 – but this one is special, you were moved by the blogger’s recount of the story, you just had to!) Don’t’ forget to mention who made you grab that cookie from the jar!



#12 I couldn’t help myself!

We all do it! We walk through the book store (or even one of those super stores) and it strikes you! You stop in your tracks and you have instant Cover Love! Grab it, buy it, and READ IT! Well, was it worth it?



#13 To be or Not to be…

Time to break in to that section that very few of us fear to tread! Read a play, memorize a poem and analyze it since it’s rolling around in your head! Give the Bard (whoever she may be!) a chance!



It’s not so bad out here!: 5-7 categories:
#1 To the Screen

#6 It’s my Birthday!

#8 It’s All About ME!

#9 Visit an Old Friend

#11 She made me do it!

#12 I couldn’t help myself!

Freedom Fighters Reading Challenge 2013

Freedom Fighters Reading Challenge 2013



I Love Reading Challenge group exclusive! (4th year for this challenge)
Nearly every country at some point has had people who were bold and brave enough to stand up and fight for their freedom as well as the freedom of others.
The challenge is to read at least 4 books about 4 different Freedom Fighters.

Challenge runs Jan 1st 13 to Dec 31st 13
overlapping with other challenges is ok
*again this year fictional freedom fighter will count as well - just indicate next to the title that it is fictional
fictional examples:
HP and the Order of the Phoenix - Dumbledore's Army
Matched - Cassia and her grandfather

New Authors Challenge 2013

New Authors Challenge 2013


The idea behind this is to find new authors that YOU have never tried before. Whether an author is a NYT Bestselling with a long backlist or someone who has just released their first novel, as long as YOU haven’t read them, they count. *grin* They can be in your genre of choice or be brave and try something new. You never know what you’re going to like until you try it. If you’re looking for some suggestions, you can check out the Author page here at Literary Escapism or any of the previous challenge pages: 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. With over 1000 reviews posted, I’m sure there will be something there for everyone.



I know everyone likes to see the details, and they really haven’t changed over the years, but here they are:



The challenge will run from January 1st through December 31st.



Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels. Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors should be from anthologies.



I want this to be an easy challenge, so it’s really up to you as to how many new authors you want to try. My suggestion is to aim at either 15, 25 or 50 new authors. It all depends on how fast you read and how adventurous you want to be. If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop. Any new author you try can be added to Mr. Linky. We all want to know about your new experience.



After reading your new author, write your review and then come back here and add your link to Mr. Linky. Make sure you include your name and the author, but adding the title is completely up to you.



Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome. Reviews can be linked from anywhere.

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2013

It's a challenge for all those series books you started at some point and haven't finished. I know I'll start a series and read the first book, then get distracted with other books and never get back to the series. Before I know it, the series has 10 books - I get overwhelmed and don't go back to it. Now, I want to finish a couple.




Here are the rules guidelines.



1) All books that are part of a continuing series qualify (i.e. Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, James Patterson's Alex Cross, etc. etc.)



2) It doesn't matter if you have 1 or 10 books in a series to complete it, it qualifies (i.e. if you only need to read one more Sookie Stackhouse book to complete the goal, that's fine) The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.



3) The qualification period is January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Books must be read during this time frame to count.



4) Take the button above and post about it. Use the Mr. Linky below to sign up and make sure you link it directly to your post about this challenge. (Note: I'm not going to be using the Finishing the Series Blog I created last year. I'm going to keep everything here.)



5) If you don't have a blog, that's fine. Just leave a comment to sign up and tell us what you are reading.



IF YOU WANT TO LINK UP YOUR REVIEWS OR, FOR THOSE WITHOUT A BLOG, LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW.



6) Any format of book counts - audio, ebook, etc.



7) You should choose the series you want to finish before the challenge begins, but it isn't necessary. It's fine to change series during the year - as long as you complete whichever series it is.



8) Choose a level....



Level 1 - Complete 1 series.

Level 2 - Complete 2 series.

Level 3 - Complete 3 or more series.

My Level: Level 2 - Complete 2 series.

2013 Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge

Welcome to the 2013 Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge!!
Last year I got the urge to read more non-fiction books after all that dystopian and fantasy I read, so I created this challenge to help motivate me to do just that in 2013.



If you want to participate, feel free. If there's another non-fiction challenge going on that you would rather do, then go for it! My goal here is really just to encourage you all to read more non-fiction this year. I'm hoping to pick at least 10 of the categories and read both an adult and a children's book in each category. We'll see how it goes.



GUIDELINES



Levels:
Geek: 4-6 books in at least 2-3 different categories

Dork: 7-10 books in at least 4-5 different categories

Dweeb: 11- 14 books in at least 6-7 different categories

Nerd: 15+ books in at least 8+ different categories



Categories:



* Health, Medicine, Fitness, Wellness

* History- US, World, European, etc

* Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy

* Technology, Engineering, Computers, etc

* Business, Finance, Management

* Sports, Adventure

* Food- Cookbooks, Cooks, Vegan Vegetarianism, etc

* Autobiography, Biography, Memoir

* Art, Photography, Architecture

* Music, Film, TV

* Self Improvement, Self Help, How To

* Home, Garden

* Science-Nature, Weather, Biology, Geology

* Anthropology, Archaeology

* Animals-Insects, Mammals, Dinosaurs, etc

* Family, Relationships, Parenting, Dating, Love

* Crime, Law

* Poetry, Theatre

* Politics, Government, Current Affairs

* Literary Criticism/Theory

* Cultural Studies

* Travel

* Crafts



* It is not necessary to pick your categories ahead of time, but try not to read more than two books in each category so you can broaden your horizons.



* The categories I listed are just suggestions. If you have a different category you'd like to add, let me know!



* When you write about the challenge or read/review a book, come back here and link up or leave a comment and tell me what you read and what you thought of it.



* If you're participating in a different non-fiction challenge, please feel free to still link up. It's always fun to see what other people have read in the different non-fiction categories.



Happy reading (and learning)!

My Level:
Geek: 4-6 books in at least 2-3 different categories

2013 Ebook Reading Challenge

The 2013 Ebook Challenge. Encouraging readers to expand past just physical books to embrace ebooks in all forms, whether on Kindle, Kobo, computer, or any other reader.



Challenge Guidelines:



1.This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2013 – Dec 31, 2013.

2.Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).

3.Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.

4.You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.

5.When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.

6.You can move up levels, but no moving down.

7.Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2013, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:
1.Floppy disk – 5 ebooks

2.CD – 10 ebooks

3.DVD – 25 ebooks

4.Memory stick – 50 ebooks

5.Hard drive – 75 ebooks

6.Server – 100 ebooks

7.Human brain – 150 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.



There will be a giveaway at the end of the year for eveyone who achieves their goal level (or higher). If you are an author or publisher and want to contribute to the prize, please contact me.


My Level:
Floppy disk – 5 ebooks
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich 
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Against Nature by John G. Nelson

2013 WHERE Are You Reading Challenge

3rd year running and OH I love this challenge! As the host of the weekly What Are you reading meme, I find it awesome that I get to host the WHERE Are You Reading Challenge each year. What is the point of this challenge? It is to try to read in each of the 50 States between January 1 2013 – December 31, 2013.


How do you decide what state a book is categorized under?

1. In a fiction read it would be the State or Country that the book spends the most time in. (Ie. If your main character is from Wisconsin but the book is all about his/her time in college in California – the books should categorize under California….)
2. Non fiction reads categorize in whatever State or Country it is about (Ie…. a book about fly fishing in Colorado is a Colorado point, and a book about women in Afghanistan is an Afghanistan point.
3. If the book goes from one state to another… go with the state that most of the time is spent.
How to get started

Set up a map under Google Maps. It is easy to do! Every time you read a book in 2012, upload a cover picture to Picasa Web Albums (there may be other sites to use, feel free to use what works best for you).
Grab the challenge button here for your posts and sidebar

Questions?

Do you have to have a blog to participate? No. You can do everything on the map above without linking the book to a review.
Do I have to have my post up by January 1st, 2012? No, but I would think you would want to get started right away at the beginning of the year. However, you will be able to sign up throughout January as well.
How will people see my map? There are a couple of possibilities. On your original challenge post you should have a link to your map. You could also put it on your side bar to draw interest to it (see mine on my left side bar) I will be linking my map to every review I will also set up a monthly link here to post updates if you wish.
I dont get it – I cant figure out how to use Google maps but I really want to participate! No worries! You are welcome to create a challenge post that lists the 50 states (as well as bonus out of USA spots) and then fill them in as you read in the areas.
Do audio books count? ABSOLUTELY!
Once you are ready and have your map set up please create a blog post (those who have blogs) using the Challenge picture of the map I provided above as well as link to this post so others may join in. Then come back and link that post here to Mr Linky (below) so I as well as other participants know that you are participating and we can pop in throughout the year to check out your map and how we are all doing. I will post a linky at the end of each month so participants can check in with their own post of how they are doing. I will offer a $10 amazon gift card to one lucky participant who does a check in post at the end of each month and links it.
This is actually a fun and easy challenge as all books you read qualify and it will be fun to see where you generally read books from as well as searching out books to fill in areas that you need.
For those who have covered the 50 states by the end of 2013, they will go into a drawing for a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble or to Amazon. ** All other areas beyond the 50 states are bonus points and we will have a drawing using random.org for those who read 10 or more books throughout 2013 in that category.
You can see my map I worked on in 2011 here to see what the map looks like and how the pictures link to the reviews. (If you zoom in you will see the individual areas I read in and clicking on the blue pins will show you what book it was and clicking on the picture will take you to the post!
That’s it! Here is a link to tips on how to do it. Any other questions – please leave them in the comments section below.

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (North Carolina)

Freestyle Friday 2 - Play Book Tag's 5th Anniversary Relay

#ff #freestylefriday  picture is from Dolphin Talk photo taken by Bill Tigrett
PBT's 5th Anniversary Relay

Official Rules may change a bit but this is the jest of the game:


It's our Fifth anniversary in February - - so this game is all about the number 5.

This activity is essentially a relay race. The administrators will form teams of 5 people, making the teams as even as possible based on your prior year's reading.

Each team will be assigned a starting tag, selected at random. The first person on the team reads any book that has that tag. They must finish the book and write a review before the next person may start reading. When the first person has completed their book, the next person counts off five tags in the list of top 200 and reads a book that fits the new tag.

For example, the first tag could be "high school". So the first person would read a book tagged "high school" and writes their review. Then the next person would read the tag "holocaust".

The races will be run in "heats". So let's say we have 6 teams at the start. The first four teams to finish the relay (all five people have read their books and written reviews) will move on to the next heat. The final heat will feature only two teams. Heats will begin on Fridays at 8 pm EST - - that way everyone knows when they may start, and hopefully there will be some planning time between heats. A new starting tag will be provided for each heat for those teams that remain.

The minimum page count requirement is 250 pages. However, if you read a book that ALSO fits the monthly tag, then the book may be shorter by as much as 75 pages.

Graphic novels are permissible, but you must read 2 graphic novels instead of one book.

Each team may have 1 skip per heat. This would allow you to skip over one person on the team, for whatever reason, but then that person will need to read the final book for their team. Otherwise you must submit an order to us and stick with it before the start of each heat.

The administrators will do their best to post daily standings.

Reviews must consist of three paragraphs minimum and include a plot summary and your opinion of the book.

If you are interested, please sign up below and include how many books you completed last year along with your expression of interest.

There will definitely be prizes! All members of the winning team will receive a prize. Heat winners will be awarded participation points of varying levels depending upon the heat.

Take Control of Your TBR Pile March 2013

While I do an excellent job of keeping up on new releases and ARC reviews, my own personal bookshelf has suffered, so I decided that for the entire month of March I would focus on cleaning up my TBR pile, catching up on some series and finally cracking the spines on some of those books I cannot wait to read. So I am clearing my schedule, setting aside the ARC's and drowning myself in my own pile of lovely books. (new releases on my gotta have it now or die list-excluded..I will still read those, even though they will not count..LOL) 

So I am inviting you to join me! Glance over your shoulder at your own TBR pile...*yep it's that big!* Ya know you want at them and to encourage you for every book you read you'll get one entry into a Rafflecopter drawling to win a new 2013 release of your choice! 

Rules

• Link-up! This is open to everyone. If you do not have a blog then link your Facebook or Goodreads account. 
• Beginning March 1st, 2013 and ending March 31, 2013 at midnight read books from your TBR pile ALL books must have been published before March 2013. 
• Post a review to Goodreads, your blog or Facebook then link it to the Rafflecopter for an entry. 
• Rafflecopter will close on April 2, 2013 at midnight and a winner will be chosen. Open internationally as long as Book Depository or Barnes and Noble ship to you. Prize: New 2013 release. I will do pre-orders as well.  

You can use hashtag #TakeControl on twitter and share your progress. Share the Take Control Button or this post on your blog, Facebook or twitter to earn an extra entry for each place you share. (Rafflecopter will post March 1st, so be sure and enter them)

*note this challenge can be done in conjunction with any other TBR challenge as long as the book is read between March 1st and 31st.

I hope you will link up and join me! Spread the word and let's

Take Control of our TBR piles! 

Hopefully I will do well in on of these read-a-thons. This one is a month long so chances are good I will have read at least 2 books for this.

My Progress:

Week Ending 03/02

Books: None :-(

Week Ending 03/09
Books: Knit the Seasons, Death Match, Nightlife, A Faint Cold Fear (audiobooks)

50 States Reading Challenge 2013

50 States Reading Challenge
1Jan13-31Dec13

January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013

Are you ready to take the challenge!?!

The goal of this challenge is to read books that are set in each of the fifty states. Your books can be of any genre and any format (ie. paperback, ebook, audiobook, etc.). No short stories. Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine. (Re-read reviews must be written within the year 2013; you can not use old reviews.)

You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. The idea of this challenge came from a Goodreads group.


**Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
**Non-Bloggers: Sign up in the comments section. Post your reviews with other book sites (ie. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) and post the link in the comments section of the 50 States Reading Challenge. (will post January 1).

When you sign up on Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Include a link to this post, so that your followers can sign up too! You can either list your books on your challenge post, sidebar, or a page dedicated to your challenges.

Feel free to sign the Mister Linky with your name and blog name. (ie. Tasha (Book Obsessed)) or just your blog name (ie. Book Obsessed) You are welcome to sign up now, but please check back on January 1, 2013 for the 50 States Reading Challenge Review Link! (You will be able to link your review of the book for others to read and drive traffic to your blog.)

My List:

AL = ALABAMA
AK = ALASKA
AZ = ARIZONA
AR = ARKANSAS
CA = CALIFORNIA
CO = COLORADO
CT = CONNECTICUT
DE = DELAWARE
FL = FLORIDA
GA = GEORGIA
HI = HAWAII
ID = IDAHO
IL = ILLINOIS
IN = INDIANA
IA = IOWA
KS = KANSAS
KY = KENTUCKY
LA = LOUISIANA
ME = MAINE
MD = MARYLAND
MA = MASSACHUSETTS
MI = MICHIGAN
MN = MINNESOTA
MS = MISSISSIPPI
MO = MISSOURI
MT = MONTANA
NE = NEBRASKA
NV = NEVADA
NH = NEW HAMPSHIRE
NJ = NEW JERSEY
NM = NEW MEXICO
NY = NEW YORK
NC = NORTH CAROLINA - The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
ND = NORTH DAKOTA
OH = OHIO
OK = OKLAHOMA
OR = OREGON
PA = PENNSYLVANIA
RI = RHODE ISLAND
SC = SOUTH CAROLINA
SD = SOUTH DAKOTA
TN = TENNESSEE
TX = TEXAS
UT = UTAH
VT = VERMONT
VA = VIRGINIA
WA = WASHINGTON
WV = WEST VIRGINIA
WI = WISCONSIN
WY = WYOMING
DC = DISTRICT of COLUMBIA

Let Me Count The Way 2013

Let Me Count The Way
1Jan13-31Dec13

I know there are many of us out there with goals to read 1 million pages in our lifetime, and some people with lesser goals. I decided to create a challenge for those of us with a page count goal and for others to start one. I'm excited about this!

The challenge goes from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013

There are levels for you to choose from. You can always move up a level but you can't go down. The levels are:
Living with the parents: 0 - 2000 pages
College Dorm: 2,001 - 4,000 pages
Off Campus Apartment: 4,001 - 6,000 pages
My First Place: 6,001 - 8,000 pages
Condominium: 8,001 - 10,000 pages
Mansion: 10,001 + pages


There is also an audio version for those of you who like to listen to audio books!!!

Just like the book version, you can always move up a level but you can't go down. The levels are:
Living with the parents: 0 - 75 hours (0-4,500 minutes)
College Dorm: 76 - 150 hours (4,501-9,000 minutes)
Off campus Apartment: 151 - 225 hours (9,001-13,500 minutes)
My First Place: 226 - 300 hours (13,501-18,000 minutes)
Condominium: 301 - 375 hours (18,001-22,500 minutes)
Mansion: 376+ hours (22,501+ minutes)

To participate all you have to do is create a post announcing your participation with a link to the challenge in and sign up with the link below. You should also specify which version you're doing on your post, you can also do both if you would like. If you don't have a blog you can make a post on Goodreads or Shelfari. If you use audible.com or another audio book site you can track your progress on there as well so others can see it.

Happy reading & listening!

My Level:

College Dorm: 76 - 150 hours (4,501-9,000 minutes)

Killing Rain by Barry Eisler ________________9hrs 55min
Company by Max Barry __________________10hrs 17min___
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson___4hrs
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins______________11hrs 41minn
The Litigators by John Grisham______________11hrs 30min_______r/t 47hrs 38min


My Level:

College Dorm: 2,001 - 4,000 pages
Against Nature by John G. Nelson ______________215pgs

2013 Audio Book Challenge

2013 Audio Book Challenge 
1Jan13-31Dec13

Welcome to the Original Audio Book Challenge. This challenge is for Audio Book lovers as well as those who are brand new to them.

There are five levels to the challenge

Flirting-Listen to 6 Audio Books
Going Steady- Listen to 12 Audio Books
Lover- Listen to 25 Audio Books
Married-Listen to more than 25 Audio Books
You Define the Relationship- Create your own challenge (choose your own name and level starting as low or going as high as you’d like)
This is a fairly laid back challenge and I want it to be as enjoyable as possible.
Audio Books can be any genre
You can cross challenges
You don’t have to be a blogger to participate. You can tell us about what you are listening to in the comments of the monthly link up.
There will be a monthly link up so that we can share what we’ve listened to and make suggestions to each other.

I hope I’ve enticed you to join in the 2013 Audio Book Challenge. I’m really looking forward to reading your reviews and experiences over the next year.

Official Challenge dates: 1/1/2013-12/31/2013

My Level:
Married-Listen to more than 25 Audio Books

1. Killing Rain by Barry Eisler
2. Company by Max Barry
3. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
4. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
5. The Litigators by John Grisham

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Paranormal Reading Challenge
1Jan13-31Dec13

Welcome to the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads! This is my first time EVER hosting anything, so I'm quite excited! The lovely Megan came up with the idea for this, so all credit goes to her (well, I made the purty button!).

[Megan] There are so many awesome sub-genres of paranormal books, that it's easy to find one you like and stick with it. So that's why I decided to make a reading challenge with the goal of reading about all kinds of paranormal creatures.


The goal is to read at least one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures:
Vampires
Werewolves/Shifters
Fey
Angels/Nephilim
Mermaids
Dragons
Zombies
Demons
Witches/Wizards
Ghosts
Aliens
Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)



Guidelines:
This challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
You must have a blog to able to participate, since reviews must be added to the linky.
When you sign up with the linky, please put the link to your post about joining the Paranormal Reading Challenge.
You're welcome to list your books beforehand or just add as you go.
Sign-ups are open until December 1, 2013
At the beginning of each month, I will post a kick-start post, each month featuring a different category of paranormal creature. This post will also include a linky to include your reviews from that month.
Each review you link will qualify you for an entry into the monthy giveaway and if your review includes the feature paranormal creature of that month, you get a bonus entry.
Each book can only count for one category, even if it contains more than one paranormal creature. For example, Twilight contains both vampires and werewolves, but you can't use it for both the vampires and werewolves/shifters categories.
Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a grand prize giveaway at the end of the year.
If you read multiple books from one category, feel free to add them to the linkies. Don't stop at just one!
Book can count for other challenges.


Each month, we'll be featuring one of the creatures on the list at both Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads.
January - Vampires
February - Angels/Nephilim
March - Fey
April - Demons
May - Aliens
June - Zombies
July - Witches and Wizards
August - Mermaids
September - Dragons
October - Ghosts
November - Werewolves/Shape-shifters
December - Other

If you're having trouble finding books for one of the categories, you can try these lists:
Vampires - Adult or YA
Werewolves/Shifters
Fey
Angels/Nephilim
Mermaids
Dragons
Zombies
Demons
Witches/Wizards
Ghosts
Aliens
Other (ie: unicorns, centaurs, timetravelers, seers etc.)

My books:

Vampires - Adult or YA
Werewolves/Shifters
Fey
Angels/Nephilim
Mermaids
Dragons
Zombies
Demons
Witches/Wizards
Ghosts
Aliens
Other (ie: unicorns, centaurs, timetravelers, seers etc.)

Standalone Reading Challenge 2013

1Jan13-31Dec13

The Challenge
Read 15 Young Adult or Middle Grade standalone novels in 2013 that are released in the United States between January 1s - December 31, 2013.


Eligible Books

YA & Middle Grade standalone novels. This means that the book can not have an announced (sometimes sequels happen unexpectedly) sequel, prequel, follow up, etc. Adult novels and picture books do not count.
This year companion novels count towards the challenge. Companion novels take place in the same world and time as a novel but usually follow a different character. It can be read independently from the book that came before it.
Released between January 1 - Decemeber 31, 2013 in the United States. If a book was previously released in another country but is being releasing in the US for the first time, it is eligible. At the same time, if you live in a country where it was previously released, but it is being released in the states for the first time - lucky you- it counts.
Must be read in 2013 (If you have an ARC and read it in 2012, it does not count)
Can be read in any (legally) readable format: ARC, Paperback, Hardcover or e-book
Audio books do not count towards the challenge.

Hafsah and I will be creating a list of eligible challenge titles to get you started towards your goal. It will be available soon.

Participation Perks
There will be a prize pack given away each month to a random participant. You gain entries into that month's prize pack by linking up to your challenge eligible reviews (Unfortunately, prize packs are US only). There will also be giveaways on the hosts' blogs to go along with special posts with authors. That's not even mentioning the random giveaways that we may throw in here and there! People who complete the challenge and fill out an easy form will be entered into another prize pack drawing.

How to Sign Up
Just link to the place where you will be posting your english reviews.

This can be a blog, Goodreads profile (a SARC 2013 list would be better), Shelfari profile, Librarything profile, or Youtube channel.

My books:
Company by Max Barry

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

my teaser:

"Raz tackled me at knee level, we went down, and it turned into a catfight. He was trying to punch me, and I was scratching and biting."  Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

2nd Chance by James Patterson and Andrew Gross

#throwbackthursday
hardcover (large print)
520 pgs
rating 3stars (3.4)

From Kobo:

A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously-or was it intentionally?-only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer senses a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant D. A. Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. This killer's motives are unspeakable.


My Review:

Lindsey Boxer has been promoted to lieutenant. Her first case back seems to be an apparent drive by on choir children. Soon it is discovered that the only murdered victim was not an accident. When things escalate and everyone is at a lost of whom the murderer could be the Women’s Murder Club come together once again.

Fast paced and interesting 2^nd Chance keeps you engaged from the very beginning. No moment for things to become dull in this novel. The murder is, of course, central stage but there are a couple of subplots that keep the story moving forward. The killer in the novel, who calls himself the Chimera, is quite disturbing. There is one particular scene in the book that involves pictures of several lynchings that illustrated just how sick the killer is. If you haven’t read this yet and you are a fan of detective, crime, murder mystery novels this should be added to you tbr.

 

Challenges:

13 in 13
2013 TBR Pile Challenge
2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Peaches and the Gambler by A.T. Hicks

Peaches and the Gambler by A.T. Hicks

http://saltygurl.com

Can be found on smashwords and amazon

Rating 3 (2.6)

Summary:

What Does a Strip Club, a Dead Man and a Dove Ice Cream Bar All Have in Common?

Peaches Donnelly

Peaches Donnelly has a major problem: she's just been fired.

Unaccustomed to filling her days with nothingness, she embroils herself toute suite in the recent murder of a childhood friend.

However, standing between her and the solving of this heinous crime are two pesky daughters, a selfish opera singer sister, the diet from hell and two sexy men she can't resist.

Add to this bubbling pot a hasty decision to go undercover as a stripper and you have a story rife with drama, laughs and a little dash of danger.

Follow Peaches and the always funny cast of characters in this first installment of a rollicking series of cozy mysteries.

My Review:

I actually liked this book. It’s like street fiction meets a detective story. It reminded me of a Stephanie Plum type novel probably because she don’t exactly know what she is doing and finds herself in some pretty crazy situations. Peaches gets laid off from her job and finds herself trying to find out what led to the death of her childhood friend. It is the relationships that make this book though, the relationship between Peaches and her ex, her daughters, her friends, and her sister. 

The story flowed. Just when things seemed to slow down there was something one of the characters was dealing with to keep you interested. I did not enjoy the epilogue. I am the kind of reader who loves end tied up. The outcome doesn't have to be happy but I like knowing what happened to the characters after the initial story. However, this epilogue reads like a list. 

This is a fun light read. I do want to know what will happen next since Peaches is threatened with payback at the end. If you enjoy a fun chick lit, street lit, mystery, detective story give this novel a try.

Note: this book does have some explicit language and scenes

Lusting For Covers 19

#lustingforcovers

I love how the red lips pop!


Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers. 

Here's what you do:

1- Take the graphic (code for it is below) to use on your post. Remember to give credit to the original host (TBQ).

2- Choose your own book cover that you've fallen in "lust" with in the past week. It can be new, old, a reprint, or even a book that is not yet out-- it's all up to you! If you find a cover that catches your eye, then showcase it on your blog, and let others see the pretty covers out there.

3- Copy the direct link to your own L4C post into the Mr. Linky widget at the bottom of this week's post and allow others to come and see what you picked! 

4- (OPTIONAL): Besides posting the picture of the book cover you chose, it's nice to provide the book summary, title, author, or a website link for the book. It's not required, but it can help you readers' to add more books to their own list! A brief "Why I choose this cover" is also appreciated, but not required. 

Also, if you wish to post your links or talk about L4C on Twitter, please use the tag #LustingForCovers so that we can easily find all tweets about it. :)

Wishlist Wednesday 10

#wishlistwednesday





So what do you need to do to join in wishlist fun?
 •Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
 •Please consider adding the blog hop button to your blog somewhere, so others can find it easily and join in too! Help spread the word! The code will be at the bottom of the post under the linky.
 •Pick a book from your wishlist that you are dying to get to put on your shelves.
 •Do a post telling your readers about the book and why it's on your wishlist.
 •Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of this post.
 •Put a link back to pen to paper (http://www.pentopaperblog.com) somewhere in your post, and a note saying that Pen to Paper is the host of the meme.
 •Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

Bout of Books Read-a-thon

#boutofbooks 6.0 Sign Up

It is TIME! Time to sign up! Who's ready?

Well, you have to wait for just a few moments longer. First, we have some VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION for you.


Our standard info:

• Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, run from 12:01am on Monday, January 7th through 11:59pm Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in.
• Bout of Books is low pressure, meaning participants are only asked to push themselves to read more than they normally would during any given week. There is no competition between readers.
• How much time a reader wants, and can commit, to read, tweet, or network with fellow bloggers is left to individual preference. All challenges and giveaways are optional.
• Networking with fellow bloggers is actively encouraged, though never required. 
• Use Twitter to post updates throughout the read-a-thon. Everyone will be tweeting with the #boutofbooks hashtag.
• Follow @boutofbooks for all important announcements. We preemptively answer a lot of questions you may have, so please check our Twitter timeline. During the read-a-thon, we post these announcements at a specific time (generally twice a day)--times will be posted on this blog.

Use the paragraph below (our official Bout of Books blurb) to add to your Bout of Books goal post. Please include attribution.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

Now. To be officially signed up, you must fill out the form below. DONE!

Fine print: In order to qualify for any of the challenges and giveaways, you must have your goals posted somewhere. Signing up for Bout of Books just to enter giveaways is not cool and if it appears that you have done so, we reserve the right to disqualify your entry.

TIME DEVOTED TO READING

I will be reading every day.

MY GOALS

Is to read at least 3 books.

BOOKS TO READ

One Woman Short by Nelson George

2nd Chance by James Patterson

Do or Die by D

UPDATES

I didn't finish a single book for this readathon but I didn't get halfway through 2nd Chance by James Patterson.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone enjoyed their New Year celebrations. In book related news, I have signed up for way too many reading challenges. I am hoping to finish all the challenges this year. I don't know if I will be hosting any challenges this year. Maybe a couple of mini challenges. Also been wanting to update the look of the blog. I don't know when I will do it but that is coming this year. More posts and reviews. It's going to be a great year here over at Worth Reading It?