2013 Genre Variety Reading Challenge

This challenge is put on by A Daydreamer's Thoughts.  You can head over there to sign up!
Here is in the info on the challenge:

The challenge is to read books from different genres throughout the year. I have found that blogging has opened my eyes to so many genres that I would never have tried before, simply from recommendations, and the idea of this challenge is to keep that going. The challenge is to read a large variety of genres within one year.

Other Important Info;

• Runs from January 1st 2013 until December 31st 2013. Sign ups will be open until December 1st 2013.
• There are five levels to challenge yourself too. You may move up a level but not go down a level. These are all outlined below. Please mention in your sign up post which level you will aim for.
• The genres you choose to read are up to you. As long as every book is different, whichever genre you wish to read you can.
• Every month there will be a post on this blog to link up to your update post / review(s)
• There will be a giveaway at the end of the challenge, and maybe a few within the year but these are TBD.
• To sign up, you will need to write a post saying which level you are challenging yourself too and then use the linky list. Non-Bloggers may post in the comments of this post.
• Any book formats are accepted.
• Novellas and Novels are all accepted for this challenge.
• YA, NA and Adult books all count towards this challenge.
• New sub-genres are accepted. (for example, paranormal-romance, or historical-romance)

Levels;

• Careful; 6 different genres, 6 books
• Cautious; 12 different genres, 12 books
• Branching; 18 different genres, 18 books
• Avid Reader; 24 different genres, 24 books
• Champion; 30 different genres, 30 books

Categories;
This is just a list of the vast variety of genres you have to choose from. I have probably missed a lot, so feel free to branch off from this. These are just suggestions.

Contemporary
Historical
Paranormal
Fantasy
Romance
Sci-Fi
Crime
Thriller
Adventure
Non-Fiction
Women’s Fiction
Chick-Lit
Dystopian
Epic Fantasy
Western
Comedy
Horror
MANfiction
Self-Help
Biography
Auto-biography
Religious
Fairy Tales
Classics
Erotica
Short Stories
Travel Guides

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I'm going for Avid Reader, which means 24 different genres!

My Progess
1. Dystopian-- Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
2.  Romance-- A Look of Love by Bella Andre
3.  Sci-Fi--Tempest by Julie Cross
4. Paranormal--Vanquished by Nancy Holder & Debbie Vigue
5. Contemporary-- Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
6. Short Stories-- Til the World Ends by Julie Kagawa

7. New Adult--Wait For You by J Lynn
8. Thriller--The Burning Time by JG Faherty
9. Childrens--The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
10. Fairy Tale Retellings--Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Rebel Heart by Moira Young

GoodReads
432 pages, YA dystopian
2nd book in the Dust Lands series

Synopsis:
It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

My 2 cents:  I would like to start out by saying, how much I loved Blood Red Road.  It was one of the best books I read this last year.  That being said, I did not like Rebel Heart near as much.  I had very high hopes for this book, and maybe that was part of the problem.

It starts off very good.  It really felt like a continuation of the story, and there was lots of drama with Saba and Lugh.  Both felt so out of place with each other after they had both changed so much.  I really felt like that was going to be the bulk of this book, it would have been fabulous if the author had explored it further.  But, no.  The unthinkable happens, first with Jack, then with Saba.  I don't want to give any spoilers, but I felt like throwing the book against the wall!   I'm all for our characters making mistakes, but both of them felt so out of character...it was hard to read!

By the end, a few things have gotten ironed out, but I had real trouble with sympathizing  with either character at that point.  I think both of them acted so selfish...I will probably read the last book just to see how the story comes out.  I almost gave it 3 stars, but most of the book was really good, so  I ended up giving it 4 stars.

What Are You Reading Monday? #8

What are you reading Monday is put on by Book Journey.  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!



Books I finished last week

 Books I reviewed (Click on the title to link to the review)

Half Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout 

The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa



Books on my To Read pile for the week

What are you reading?

Color Coded Challenge for 2013

This challenge for 2013 is put on by My Reader's Block.  You may sign up for this challenge there, or get more info!

Here is the info copies directly from her site:

Here are the rules:

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc) in the title.

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc) in the title.

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.)in the title.

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc) in the title.

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc) in the title.

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc) in the title.

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc)in the title.

8. A book with any other color in the title (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magneta, etc.).

9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

* Any book read from January 1 through December 31, 2013 will count.

*Crossovers with other challenges are fine.

*Everyone who completes all nine categories will be entered in a year-end drawing for a book-related prize package.

*Please post about the challenge on your blog. Sign ups accepted until Nov 30, 2013.

I am going to keep track of my progress here

1. RED-- Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

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If you are also excited about this challenge and want to sign up, head over to My Reader's Block!

Gravity Review from Goodreads--Giveaway by Jen Ryland/Ya Romantics!

GoodReads
400 pages, Released Nov. 20th

Synopsis:
In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war

To enter the giveaway Click Here  

In My Mailbox #10

IMM is put on by The Story Siren.  Anyone can join, but you can head over there for the specific details!  IMM is where us bloggers feature our new books of the week--books we bought, checked out from the library, received as gifts or for review, or anything we may have won!

Books I bought

 Wanted (Pretty Little Liars #8) by Sara Shepard
Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9) by Sara Shepard
I Am Number Four The Lost Files (Lost Files #1-3)
The Iron Legends by Julie Kagawa (Short stories of the Iron Fey)
The Lost Prince (#1 Call of the Forgotten) by Julie Kagawa
The Magnolia League (Magnolia League #1) by Katie Crouch

Book I borrowed

Room by Emma Donoghue

EDIT:
Almost forgot, I got a great deal at Best Buy on Black Friday!  2 blu rays that were $3.99 each!

Now my Twilight Blu Ray collection is complete!  Just need the last movie when it comes out!  Squee!

I've already read The Iron Legends, and can't wait to crack open the rest of 'em!
What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Banned Books Challenge

For this challenge, all banned and challenged books you've ever read count. The point of it is to read 50 of them, not necessarily 50 new ones. But, of course, if you'd like to choose 50 new ones, then that is wonderful. This is a perpetual challenge and has no end date. If you'd like to join me in this particular challenge, just leave a comment saying you'd like to participate and then a link to where you will show your progress on the challenge. Book reviews are not required, but, of course, accepted. A few short lines on what the book was about and whether you found it worthy of reading in and of itself (as oppose to the singular fact it may be worthy of reading just because it is banned).

This challenge is put on by Lost in Books.  Head over there for more info and book suggestions!

Here is where I will keep track of my progress!

1.  The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown (banned in Lebanon and by the Catholic Church)
2.  Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
3.  The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
4.  Carrie by Stephen King
5.  The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
6.   The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
7.  The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
8.  Lord of the Flies by William Golding
9.  Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
10.   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
11.  A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
12.   Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (Ironically a novel about book burning and censorship.)
13.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
14.   Little House in the Big Woods (challenged for “fueling the fires of racism”)
15.  Little House on the Prairie (challenged due to derogatory remarks about Native Americans)
16.   Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
17.  A Time to Kill by John Grisham
18.  My Antonia by Willa Cather
19.  Cantebury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
20.  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (In South Africa)
21.  Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (In South Africa)
22.  Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
23.  Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
24.  The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
25.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madelaine D'Engle
26.  James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
27.  The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline Cooney
28.  Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
29. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
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I will also keep track of my read on this shelf on Goodreads, and also try to write a few reviews, if I can remember all of these books!  I can't believe how many I've already read that are considered banned!  Crazy! Long Live Free Speech!