Goodreads' Challenge Corner & YA Buddy Readers' August Page Count Challenge

#readingchallenge #pagecountchallenge #bookblogger #goodreads

Two of my Goodreads' groups are having the same challenge this month so I decided to combine the post this time around. Check back for updates!

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Goodreads' YA Buddy Readers Corner: Harry Potter Bookish Blocks August 2017

Hufflepuff - Read a book with a yellow cover OR Read a book beginning with the letter "B" for the house mascot, Badger.

The sorting hat - Read a book with a hat on the cover OR Read a mystery book. 

Harry Potter - Read a book with glasses on the cover OR Read a book which features lightning on the cover (or in the title.)

Deathly Hallows - Read a book with the word 'Death' in the title OR Read the last book in a series.

Slytherin - Read a book with a green cover OR Read a book beginning with the letter "S" for the house mascot, Serpent.

Severus Snape - 'Turn to page 394' Read a book which has at least 394 pages OR Read a book which features someone on the cover fully dressed in black. 

Checkmate! - Read a book with a black and white cover OR Read a book with a playing piece in the title (Pawn/Queen/King/Rook/Knight ect)

After all this time? Always. - Read a book with the word 'Time' in the title OR Read a book with the word 'Always' in the title

Moaning Myrtle - Read a book which features ghosts OR Read a book in which a teenager dies. 

Hermione Granger - Read a book by an author who's first name starts with the letter 'H' OR Read a book which features witches.

The Cursed Child - Read a book with the word 'Curse' in the title OR Read a Spin-off (A book based off another by the same author)

The Forbidden Forest - Read a book with trees on the cover OR Read a book with an animal on the cover

J.K. Rowling - Read a book by an author who's first name begins with the letter "J" ORRead a book by an author who's first name begins with the letter "R" (For Pseudonym, Robert Galbraith.)

Howler - Read a book with an envelope on the cover OR Read a book with the word "Letter" in the title.

Fred & George - Read a book about twins OR Read a book beginning with the letter "W" for Weasley.

Luna Lovegood - Read a book with the word "Love" in the title OR Read a book with a moon on the cover (or title)

Ron Weasley - Read a book about best friends OR Read a book which features someone on the cover with Red/Ginger hair.

Draco Malfoy - Read a book which features someone on the cover with blonde hair ORRead a book tagged as 'Bullying'

The golden trio - Read a book that has three people on the cover OR Read a book that's part of a trilogy

Hogwarts - Read a book set in a boarding school OR Read a book which has a castle on the cover.

Ravenclaw - Read a book with a blue cover OR Read a book beginning with the letter "E" for the house mascot, Eagle. 

Dobby - Read a book which features a piece of footwear on the cover OR Read a book which you got for free.

Platform 9¾ - Read a book which has a train on the cover OR Read a book which has a number in the title.

Quidditch - Read a book tagged as 'Sports' OR Read a book with wings on the cover

Gryffindor - Read a book with a red cover OR Read a book beginning with the letter "L" for the house mascot, Lion.


Rules:

• Books must be read from the 1st of August to the 31st of August 2017.

• You can only use a book once, and for one description only. 

• Books must be over 100 pages to count.

• Buddy reads must take place in our group to count.

The Challenge Factory: BOOK it to the finish line May 2017

#amreading #readingchallenge #goodreadsgroup

Books must be at least 200 pages.
Re-reads are okay.

To go 15 kilometers, read:
Pericles, Prince of Tyre - a book with royalty in it
Two Gentlemen of Verona - a book by two authors
Hamlet - a book where a family member of the main character dies
Much Ado About Nothing - a book where the main character's first name starts with a 'B' (for Benedick and Beatrice)
A Midsummer Night's Dream - a book where it is nighttime on the cover
The Merchant of Venice - a book where the main character owns his/her own business
Love's Labour's Lost - a book with a title that starts with a 'L' (ignoring 'a', 'an', 'the')
Julius Caesar - a book where the main character spends time in Mediterranean area (specify location)

To go 7 kilometers, read:
As You Like It - any 200+ book
The Tempest - a book that is set on an island
The Taming of the Shrew - a book where the main characters are husband and wife
All's Well That Ends Well - a book with a happy ending
Twelfth Night - a book published in 2012
The Winter's Tale - a book set in the wintertime
The Two Noble Kinsmen - a book where family is important to the story
Romeo and Juliet - a romance novel
The Comedy of Errors - a book that will make you laugh
Timon of Athens - a book where the main character is wealthy
Macbeth - a book with magic in it (for the witches)
King Lear - a best seller *
Othello - a book where the main character is in the military
Antony and Cleopatra - a book with two people on the cover
King John - a biography, autobiography, or fictional biography
Henry VIII - a historical novel

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YA Buddy Readers' Corner: Jumanji Challenge May 2017

#amreading #readingchallenge #books #goodreadsgroup

Part 1 - The beginning!
- Read a book about bullying.
- Read a book by an author, or with a character who’s name starts with the letter ‘A’ (for Alan)
- Book with shoes or trainers on the cover
- Read a book with soil/earth/ digging equipment/ something buried, or a box or trunk on the cover. Or a book with a brown cover.
- Read a book set in a boarding school
- Pick a playing piece – read a book with an animal on the cover
- Read a book by an author, or with a character called ‘Sarah’
- Winged things… read a book with the letters ‘B’, ‘A’, and ‘T’ in the title
- Read a book set in another world
- In the Jungle you must wait… read a book with trees on the cover.

Part 2 – 26 years later…
- Read a book set in the future, or in the past (after 2041 or before 1989)
- Read a book with a house on the cover (or in the title)
- Read a book featuring an orphan
- A tiny bite can make you itch – read a book with something that flies on the cover
- Watch out for those monkeys! Distract them by reading a book with food on the cover!
- Watch out for that Lion! Find something even scarier! Read a horror story!
- Roll a five or an eight – read 800 pages of your choice (can be made up from more than 1 book.)
- What year is it? Read a book published in 1995.
- I’ve been in Jumanji! Read a Paranormal story.
- That’s my car! Read a book with a car on the cover.

Part 3 – Time to play the game:
- We need our fourth player! Quick buddy read a book! (GBR&BR&R also count)
- They grow much faster than bamboo – Read a book with flowers on the cover.
- Watch out for the hunter! Read a book with the words ‘hunter/hunted/hunt’ in the title.
- It’s a stampede! Run! Read a book whose title starts with the letter R.
- We lost the game! Read a book in which someone goes missing.
- Help! I’m turning into a monkey! Read a book starting with one of your teammates initials to save them! (Each teammate’s initial can only be used once!)
- There be a monsoon in your lagoon! Read a book with water or rain on the cover (or in the title)
- You wrestled a crocodile for me! Read a romance novel.
- The floor is quicker than the sand. Read a book with a beach on the cover, or set at the beach.
- Need a hand? We each have 8! Read a fantasy story.

Part 4 – The end
- Finish the game! Read books whose titles begin with J,U,M,A,N,J,I

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Challenge Corner: Mega Mad May 2017 - Bookish Bingo

 #amreading #readingchallenge #goodreadsgroup #bingo

I don't have any books planned for this challenge so I'll just post as I go along. Below is the updated BINGO card. This is a team challenge so it should go pretty fast.

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Myths of Immortality by Raye Wagner

#bookreview @rayewagner

Myths of Immortality by Raye Wagner
Pages: 388
Publisher: Self Published
Source: Author
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆



Summary
Hope Nicholas is desperate to believe that the truth will set her free from the bindings of Apollo's curse. But to get the truth, she must travel to the Underworld, a feat near impossible for the living. The gods there have their own agendas and, forced to forge alliances with the most unlikely allies, Hope will find that death is not the worst torment of the Underworld.

Athan Michael spent months chasing Hope, only to have her disappear once again. And when he discovers her destination, he knows the treacherous journey to the Underworld is one he cannot take alone. Forced to put aside his past with Xan and Dahlia, the three demigods embark on their own quest. But the past will not stay buried, and Athan must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice to help Hope break the curse.

Told in dual points of view, Myths of Immortality is a tense, action-packed story that will leave you begging for the next installment of The Sphinx series.

The Sphinx series is perfect for fans of urban fantasy with a mythic twist!

Goodreads

Purchase

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My Review
This has become one of my favorite series. Each book picks up where the last one left off. In this third installment, Hope is trying to find a way to break the Sphinx curse. She ends up going to the Underworld for answers and boy do she get some.

There are some interesting reflections along the way. Xan and Athan story is told together while Hope has her pov. There is a lot going on and definitely keeps your attention.

I wouldn't say this is a stand alone. If you are like me then you could read it and still appreciate the story that was told but you would definitely notice that you are missing out on a back story.

About the Author
Raye Wagner grew up in Seattle, the second of eight children, and learned to escape chaos through the pages of fiction. As a youth, she read the likes of David Eddings, Leon Uris, and Jane Austen. Inspired by a fictional character, Raye pursued a career in nursing, thinking to help the world one patient at a time.
One summer afternoon, when her then young children were playing in the pool, a plot dropped into her head, and she started writing.
She enjoys baking, puzzles, Tae Kwon Do, and the sound of waves lapping at the sand. She lives with her husband and three children in Middle Tennessee.

Origin of the Sphinx, a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, is her first publication. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series.

Curse of the Sphinx, the first book in the series, is completed, and set to be released in August 2015.

Author Links

Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Website  -  Goodreads



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The Piper's Price by Audrey Greathouse

#review #missaudreyjoy

The Piper's Price by Audrey Greathouse
Pages: 300
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Source: Author Newsletter
Format: ePub
Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

summary:
Peter is plotting his retaliation against the latest bombing. Neverland needs an army, and Peter Pan is certain children will join him once they know what is at stake. The lost boys and girls are planning an invasion in suburbia to recruit, but in order to deliver their message, they will need the help of an old and dangerous associate—the infamous Pied Piper.
Hunting him down will require a spy in in the real world, and Gwen soon finds herself in charge of locating the Piper and cutting an uncertain deal with him. She isn't sure if Peter trusts her that much, or if he's just trying to keep her away from him in Neverland. Are they friends, or just allies? But Peter might not even matter now that she's nearly home and meeting with Jay again.
The Piper isn't the only one hiding from the adults' war on magic though, and when Gwen goes back to reality, she'll have to confront one of Peter's oldest friends… and one of his earliest enemies.

Goodreads

Purchase

Amazon

My Review
Gwen is back in Neverland. The adults have a couple devices that they have been using to attacking anyone/anything that happens upon them. Peter has holed up in a tree house coming up with a plan. Finally he let's Gwen in on it. They need to find the Piped Piper. A task that Gwen is given.

I liked this second installment (admittedly not as much as the first one). Gwen is still in her inbetweeness. It was touched on but never fully explored but it is obvious, at least to me, that she is in Neverland for two reasons. The first one being her sister and the second being Peter. Though I'm not sure if is i a romantic feeling she has for Peter she certainly seems to desire his approval. Anyway, I found that most of this book had a slower pace. It does pick up and get better at the end of course. We are introduced to a new character besides the Piper.

Good book and probably a must read if you plan on reading the third book. Which I am actually looking forward to because she left a door in which the Piper may come back as well as that other character I mentioned. The third book has the potential to have more

About the Author
Audrey Greathouse is an active member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators and seven-time winner of the National Novel Writing Month challenge. Her BA in English Language and Literature comes from Southern New Hampshire University, where she completed her honors thesis on Victorian children's literature.

Author Links

Facebook  -  Twitter  -  Website  -  Goodreads



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Retellings Reading Challenge 2017

#readingchallenge2017

The Retellings Reading Challenge is back again for 2017, and this time it's bigger and better! Thanks to a lovely bunch of publishers, this year's challenge will come with monthly giveaways* for UK entrants!

The Challenge:

    For readers to read retellings of stories we know well from their chosen level in 2016:
        Easy: 1-4 retellings
        Medium: 5-8 retellings
        Hard: 9-12 retellings
        Difficult: 12+ retellings

The Rules:

    You must sign up to the challenge below.
    You must share your thoughts/reviews on the retellings you read for the book to count. You can post anywhere: your blog, YouTube, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Tumblr, etc.
    As you review the books, update the monthly link up post with a link to your review. This is important, as each book you review will be an entry into that month's giveaway.
    You can sign up any time between now and 31st December 2017.
    Use the hashtag #RetellingsRC2017 so we can follow your participation in the challenge!

Which Books Count:

    You can read retellings of any of the following (if I've left anything out, please let me know!):
        Classics & Children's Classics
        Fairy Tales
        Myths and Legends
        Folk Tales
        Retellings of real, well known people's lives - I.E. Becoming Jane by Kevin Hood about a young Jane Austen, and And I Darken by Kirsten White, a gender bent retelling of Vald Dracul's teen years, both count
        I will also accept origin stories/prequels/sequels - I.E. Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige is a sequel series to The Wizard of Oz, Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the origin story of the Queen of Hearts, and both would count.
        Reimaginings that aren't strict retellings would also count - I.E. Kody Keplinger's novels Shut Out and A Midsummer's Nightmare are both reimaginings, the first of the Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, and the second of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, both of which would count.
    You can read any retellings you want, they do not need to be recent releases to count.
    Feel free to re-read any retellings! They will also count, as long as you review them somewhere.
    All age categories are accepted; middle grade/young fiction, YA, NA, adult.
    All books count; physical books, audiobooks, eBooks.
    ARCs/Proofs count, as do self-published books.

To Sign Up:

    Write a blog post/page, record a video, or upload a photo to Instagram about your participation in the challenge. This is important, you must do this. (If you're using Goodreads, Amazon, or any other platform that doesn't allow you to do this, in the link up below, just link to your public profile.)
    If you wish, in that post/page/video you can compile a list of retellings that you hope to read and review for the challenge - but this isn't compulsory. Also, the titles you list do not have to be set in stone. If you'd like some inspiration, Goodreads has a number of lists on retellings you can browse.
    Submit your link in the widget below to show your participation. If you have a blog/channel/Instagram, please make sure the link you add goes directly to your sign up post/page/video/photo and you mention your blog/channel/Insta name/screen name. If you're participating via Goodreads or Amazon, etc, please put your "screename @ platform" - I.E. If I was participating via Goodreads, I would put "Jo @ Goodreads"

I'm going to try for the easy level. My books will be listed below

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