2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- Completed Initial Goal

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level
~Not sure I am going to complete it, but now trying for the Bronze level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
7.  
8.  
9.  
10.  
11.  

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- December Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level
~Not sure I am going to complete it, but now trying for the Bronze level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
7.  
8.  
9.  
10.  
11.  

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- November Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level
~Not sure I am going to complete it, but now trying for the Bronze level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
7.  
8.  
9.  
10.  
11.  

Book Review- Hex Hall

I just finished reading Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins.

From Goodreads:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes.

Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
 
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
 
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

Cindy from Princess Bookie knows what's on my bookshelves and asked if she could pick what I read next.  I said sure and she picked Hex Hall for me since I love books about boarding schools.  And she was sooo right!  I loved this book!

This book was light and funny and I loved Sophie's sense of humor.  I also loved her sense of loyalty and her good heart.  I also enjoyed the side characters of Elodie and Archer.  I certainly didn't want to like Elodie but for some reason I did.  And Archer too!

This book was a fun way of looking at the life of witches, fairies, shapeshifters, werewolves, and vampires.  I loved how they all interacted and lived together. 

There were some surprises that I enjoyed and didn't see coming.  Always love when that happens!  I have the next book in the series, Demonglass, in my hands and I can't wait to start!

I gave this book a 4.5 out of 5 rating.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 52
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 31
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 41
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 6

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for a review. 



 

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- October Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenges- September Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell

Book Review- Ralph's Party

I just finished reading Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell.

From Goodreads:

Meet the residents of the London brownstone on 31 Almanac Road who together weave a tangled
web of romance. Ralph, a ne'er-do-well artist, suddenly realizes he's head over heels in love with his new flatmate Jem, the most fun and sensible girl he's ever encountered. Unfortunately, Ralph's best friend, Smith, has already won Jem's affections, although Smith has not entirely given up his passion for the femme fatale, Cheri, who lives upstairs. Across the hall, Karl and Siobhan have been happily unmarried for years, until Karl gets a smashing job as a London rush-hour DJ and momentarily gets tempted into Cheri's cozy lair. These six star-crossed tenants become more enamored, and more confused, as the story progresses-until their true destinies are revealed on one crucial night-the evening of the extravaganza that is . . . Ralph's party. This wonderfully hip new novel was an instant popular success when it was first published in England, and American readers are sure to be captivated by the debut of a talented new writer.

I was expecting this to be a cute British chick-lit story.  Instead there were times that I was grossed out and felt that there was over-sharing involved. 

I just couldn't really get into the story.  I didn't care much about the characters or what was happening.  At first, I got confused about which was with which character but at the end you could see the connection of all of them.

I have a couple of other books by this author on my bookshelves.  Hopefully I'll like them better.

I gave this book a rating of 2/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 41
What's in a Name? 6 Challenge: Party or Celebration
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 5
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 19

*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book

Book Review- Artichoke's Heart

I finished reading Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee today.

From Goodreads:

Blubber meets Steel Magnolias in this funny and honest story about body image and family.

Rosemary Goode is smart and funny and loyal and the best eyebrow waxer in Spring Hill, Tennessee. But only one thing seems to matter to anyone, including Rosemary: her weight. And when your mom runs the most successful (and gossipy) beauty shop in town, it can be hard to keep a low profile. Rosemary resolves to lose the weight, but her journey turns out to be about everything but the scale. Her life-changing, waist-shrinking year is captured with brutal honesty and humor, topped with an extralarge helping of Southern charm. A truly uncommon novel about an increasingly common problem.

I think this book deals with an important topic--obesity--in a such great ways.  It shows that 1) You can be loved for yourself no matter what your body looks like and 2) You can lose weight in the correct way, to be healthy.

Rosie was such a great character.  She seemed so real.  Not wanting to exercise at first and being embarrassed.  But soon coming to love who she was and taking her health more seriously.  And she showed that she struggled, not that it was just suddenly easy to lose weight.  She stayed true to herself the whole book.

But the book wasn't all serious.  It had a gossipy southern charm to it.  I think this would be a great book for any teenage girl to read!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 38
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 31
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 4
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 16

*FTC Disclosure: I won this book in a contest.
 

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- August Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  
5.  

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- July Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  
5.  

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- June Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  
5.  

Book Review- The Returners

I just finished reading The Returners by Gemma Malley.

From Goodreads:

London teenager Will Hodge is miserable. His mother is dead, his father's political leanings have

grown radical, and his friends barely talk to him. To top it off, he's having nightmares about things like concentration camps. Then Will notices he's being followed by a group of people who claim to know him from another time in history. It turns out they are Returners, reincarnated people who carry with them the memory of atrocities they have witnessed in the past. Will realizes that he, too, is a Returner. But something about his memories is different, and with dawning horror, Will suspects that he wasn't just a witness to the events, he was instrumental in making them happen. Set in the near future, with the world on the verge of a new wave of ethnic cleansing, Will must choose to confront the cruelty he's known in his past lives, or be doomed to repeat it…

Ugh.  This book was horrible for me.  I didn't really like any part of it.

  Will is such a weak character.  He gets mad a lot, but that doesn't make him strong. 

And there's so much racism in the book.  I couldn't handle it.  It's one thing to read a historical novel dealing with racism but this is supposed to be set in the near future. 

There was nothing happy or positive in the book.  The returners are there to absorb pain and suffering,  But they don't do anything about it.  They just accept it.

Add in the constant flashbacks and the dreams and thoughts and it all gets confusing.  Just not my type of book.  At all.

I gave this book a rating of 1.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 25
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 17
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 21
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 3
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 9

*FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for a review.

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge--May Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  
4.  
5.  

Book Review- Invisible Girl

Late last night I finished reading Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone.

From Goodreads:

When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie's

Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie's queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is. Brilliant newcomer Mary Hanlon Stone delivers a compulsively readable insider's view of growing up in a world where money and privilege don't always glitter.

When I first started reading this book, I felt bad for Stephanie. But as the story went on, I became less and less sympathetic.  She started off hiding in a closet and so scared of her mother that she had an accident.  She hides in the library during lunch.  I felt bad for this version of the girl.  Then she moves to California and wants to fit in so badly with Annie that she suddenly comes up with all these lies about her life back home and is pretty bold.  And when a new girl tries to join the group, she becomes mean like the girls she's with.  I didn't like this version of Stephanie. She lost all sympathy votes.

And lets talk about this group.  A group of young teens who smoke, drink, and mess around.  I'm sure that does happen, but the author makes it seem like the norm.  Disturbing.  Just not the book for me.

I gave this book a rating of 2.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 21
2013 ARC Reading Challenge: 14
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 17
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 2
2013 Quick Fix Challenge: 7

*FTC Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- April Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  

2013 Embarassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge-- March Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge- February Update

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
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Book Review- Pug Hill

I finally finished reading Pug Hill by Alison Pace.

From Goodreads:

For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany’s. For me, there’s always Pug Hill. For as long as I’ve lived in New York, whenever I’ve just wanted to think, or relax, or be happy, or even sad, my destination of choice has been, without fail, Pug Hill. For Hope McNeill, pugs are love, unconditional friendship, happiness, and freedom—all qualities currently in short supply in her own life. She’s also short on time and apartment space, and for those reasons she doesn’t have a pug of her own. But she does have Pug Hill in Central Park, where pugs (and their owners) from all over New York City convene.

She also has a serious crush on one of her co-workers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a flailing relationship with her squash-playing, cold-weather-loving boyfriend, and an unspeakable fear of public speaking. When Hope’s father calls with a daunting assignment--to make a speech at her parent’s fortieth wedding anniversary party--Hope is completely taken off guard. As a last resort, she signs up for a public speaking class, but can't help wondering, will it be enough?

Some fears are so big that even all the pugs in the world might not be enough...

Yes, I have to admit that the puppies on the cover drew me in.  I love dogs so I couldn't wait to read this book.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

Often times, I'll feel sympathetic for a character which usually makes me like them more.  But in this story, I just felt that Hope was pitiful.  I never really liked her.  It might sound mean, but I found myself thinking that she was pathetic.  And that doesn't really make me want to root for her.

The very end was nice and happy and you can imagine a happily-ever-after situation in the future.  So there's always that I suppose.

I gave this book a rating of 2.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 2
2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge: 1

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

2013 Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge

RULES: To be considered a TBR book, you must own it prior to Jan 1, 2013. The book can count toward other challenges, as well. It can be fiction or nonfiction, poetry or play, audiobook–as long as it is a book. This is not a picky challenge–just about reading the riches we already own.

On the last day of each month I will post an entry where you can say how many TBRs you read that month, titles, and whether you liked them or not. Full-blown reviews not required. You can list them in comments or link back to your own blog or page where they are listed.

At the end of the year I will have pretty badges for all levels, and if I haven’t learned to create them by myself, hopefully somebody else will make them for me.

There are five levels of accomplishment (and a bonus challenge) in the Embarrassment of Riches TBR Reading Challenge.

Copper: Read 6 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bronze: Read 12 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Silver: Read 24 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013

Gold: Read 36 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Platinum: Read 50 TBR books between Jan 1 and Dec 31 2013.

Bonus Challenge! The same levels are also available for digital samples. If you are like me, you also have a quizillion samples you’ve downloaded onto your e-reader. Culling through samples and deciding whether to keep reading or not is a separate challenge with all five levels and the same year-end prize–a special badge.

~I am going to start off trying for the Copper level
~Not sure I am going to complete it, but now trying for the Bronze level

1.  Pug Hill by Alison Pace
2.  Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
3.  The Returners by Gemma Malley
4.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee
5.  Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell
6. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
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