TwentyTen Reading Challenge- Giving Up

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

**ETA: I decided on October 10, 2010 not to finish this challenge.  I know that I won't be reading any books from a charity or any books that are older than I am.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
2. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- October Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
2. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- September Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
2. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review- My Soul to Keep

I just finished reading My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent.

From Goodreads:

WHEN KAYLEE CAVANAUGH SCREAMS, SOMEONE DIES AND KAYLEE IS ABOUT TO SCREAM HER HEAD OFF...

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon’s breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves.
 
I so enjoy this series!  It's just so engaging.  I fly through the books and am lost in them.  The writing is so engrossing and the characters trap you in.  And it's something different from the other paranormal books out there.
 
Once again, I really liked Kaylee.  She's just a great, down-to-earth character.  But I have to say that Nash disappointed me this time (which I think he was supposed to).  After reading the last book in the series, My Soul to Save, I grew to really like Tod.  And now, I think I might like him more than I like Nash.  Hopefully Nash can redeem himself in the book, My Soul to Steal.  And I have to wait until January for the chance to read it!
 
I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.
 
This book fulfilled an item in the following challenge:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 106
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 76
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Shiny & New #1
 
*FTC Disclosure: I bought this book.

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- August Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- July Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- June Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review- Club Dead

I just finished reading the 3rd Sookie Stackhouse book, Club Dead by Charlaine Harris.

From Goodreads:

Things between cocktail waitress Sookie and her vampire boyfriend Bill seem to be going excellently (apart from the small matter of him being undead) until he leaves town for a while. A long while. Bill's sinister boss Eric has an idea of where to find him, whisking her off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. When she finally catches up with the errant vampire, he is in big trouble and caught in an act of serious betrayal. This raises serious doubts as to whether she should save him or start sharpening a few stakes of her own ...

This book in the series deals with Sookie trying to save Bill from the people who captured him.  But really, when we find out what Bill did, I don't think Sookie should have saved him.  The book leaves us wondering what is going to happen between Sookie and Bill, and since I don't watch True Blood, I have no idea what's going to happen.  I am hoping that they break up and don't get back together!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
Stookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge: Club Dead
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 56
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: TBR #2

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

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- May Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2.

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- April Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2.

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review- Living Dead in Dallas

I just finished Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris.

From Goodreads:

Waiting tables, sweeping floors, reading minds and solving mysteries for the undead. It's all in a day's work for Sookie...

Cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse is on a streak of real bad luck. First, her co-worker gets murdered and no one seems to care. Then Sookie is attacked - and poisoned - late one night by some weird and apparently mythical beast. She only survives because the local vampires roll up and graciously suck the poison from her veins (like they didn't enjoy it). But in return the blood-suckers need a favor.

Which is why Sookie ends up in Dallas, using her telepathic skills to search for a missing vampire, on the condition that her undead friends don't do anything, well, vampiric while she's there. Easier said than done. All it takes is one delicious blonde and one small mistake for things to turn deadly...
 
Well, I feel pretty much like I did after I read Dead Until Dark.  The book was good and fun, but nothing to rave about.  I'm still not sure about Sookie or Bill.  And this book went a little weird for me close to the end.  There was a pretty good surprise right at the end though.  And I really don't have much to write about this story.   I think I liked the first book better, but am looking forward to the next book in the series, Club Dead.
 
I gave this book a rating of 3/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:  
*ETA, I forgot to add these to the main challenge pages so changing it now
Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge: Living Dead in Dallas
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 57

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

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- March Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Here is the link to my original post: TwentyTen Reading Challenge



Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2.

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review- Claire de Lune

I just finished reading Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson for an Around the World Tour.

From Christine Johnson's website:

Hanover Falls hasn’t had a werewolf problem in over one hundred years. Seattle, Copenhagen, Osaka–they’ve had plenty of attacks. But when humans begin dying in Claire Benoit’s town, the panic spreads faster than a rumor at a pep rally. At Claire’s sixteenth birthday party, the gruesome killings are all anyone can talk about. But the big news in Claire’s mind is the fact that Matthew Engle–high-school soccer god and son of a world-renowned lycanthropy expert–notices her. And flirts with her. A lot.

That night, Claire learns that she is the latest in a long line of Benoit werewolves, and that contrary to popular belief, all werewolves are female. Killing humans is forbidden by the code of the pack, but a rogue werewolf has been breaking that law, threatening the existence of Claire’s new pack. As the pack struggles to find and fight the rogue werewolf and Claire struggles with her lupine identity, her heart and her loyalties are torn in two. Claire must keep her new life a secret from even her best friend–and especially from Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt…and with whom Claire is impossibly and undeniably falling head-over-paws in love.

While I have seen this book on many blogger's WoW posts or Wish List posts, I hadn't read any reviews of the book so I went in reading the story with no idea of what it would be like.  And that was kind of refreshing for a change.

There wasn't too much action in this book--mostly just little snippets at the beginning of some chapters and towards the end.  I definitely think its a book driven by characters. There is some suspense and wonder who the rogue werewolf is, but it's mostly about how Claire deals with learning about her future as a werewolf and about dealing with a first love.  I really liked both Claire and her boyfriend, Matthew.  They both seemed like such real teenagers. 

When you get to the end of the book, there is two ways that the story could go.  One that would be heartbreaking and one that would be a happily-ever-after.  I won't give away what happens, but I like the choice that the author made.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

Claire de Lune will be released on May 18, 2010.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 21
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 16
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 7
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Who Are You Again? #2
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 15

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

TwentyTen Reading Challenge- February Update

TwentyTen Reading Challenge

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010.

Rules:
~Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
~The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
~Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
~Each book can only qualify for one category.
~Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
~Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.

Here is the link to my original post: TwentyTen Reading Challenge

Young Adult (Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.)
1. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
2. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

T.B.R. ** (Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.)
1. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
2.

Shiny & New (Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!)
1.
2.

Bad Blogger’s *** (Books in this category should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book a go)
1. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young (I found this review at Sharon Loves Books and Cats)
2. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin (I found this review at BookHounds)

Charity (Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.)
1.
2.

New in 2010 (This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!) )
1. Captivate by Carrie Jones
2. Explorer X-Alpha by LM Preston

Older Than You (Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!)
1.
2.

Win! Win! (Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long as you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! )
1. Gone by Lisa McMann
2. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Who Are You Again? (This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!)
1. In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth
2.

Up to You! - Paranormal Books
1. Need by Carrie Jones
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review- Dead Until Dark

I finally read the first Sookie book-- Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.

From Goodreads:

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

I have heard so much hype about the Sookie Stackhouse books so I went about collecting all of them and I finally got around to reading the first one.  And maybe because there was so much hype about them and my expectations were so high, but it just wasn't that spectacular to me.  Don't get me wrong--I enjoyed it.  But I didn't fall in love with it.

I'm not sure how I feel about Sookie.  I didn't really like her all that much.  Maybe she's too "hard" or "tough" for me.  I don't know.  But I did like Bill, the vampire, and Sam the bar owner. 

The plot definitely got me though.  Often, I can peg who the killer is but not in this book.  I had several guesses, but none of them were correct.  I love books like that!

I look forward to reading Living Dead in Dallas next!

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
Stookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge: Dead Until Dark
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 17
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: T.B.R. #1

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

Book Review- In A Heartbeat

I just finished reading In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth for an Around The World tour.

From Goodreads.com:

A touching novel of last regrets and second chances in the tradition of Lurlene McDaniel and Gabrielle Zevin.

When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different — dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy —her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life,meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.

Told in alternating viewpoints, In a Heartbeat tells the emotional and compelling story of two girls sharing one heart.
 
Growing up I always loved reading stories by Lurlene McDaniel about teens with terminal illnesses or health problems.  They always pulled at my heartstrings and made me cry.  So when I read the summary of In A Heartbeat and saw that it was about teens and organ donations, I jumped at the chance to read it.
 
While I enjoyed the characters, I didn't really connect with them.  I feel that Eagan was a better written character.  We get to know her through flashbacks in her memories.  And her story is wrapped up at the end.  But I don't feel like we really get to know Amelia except that she was sick and she loved to draw horses.  And it feels like her story suddenly stops at the end.  The book was relatively short--only 195 pages.  I feel that there could have been more from Amelia's point of view to connect with her more.
 
That being said, the idea for the plot is original (to me at least).  I loved the theme of organ donation and that the transplant recipients might have characteristics from the donor's personality after the surgery.  It's such an interesting idea and it really makes you think!
 
I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
A to Z Challenge: E
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 13
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 12
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Who Are You Again? #1
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 11
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Book Review- Alice I Have Been

I just finished reading Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin for a Pump Up Your Book Promotions Virtual Book Tour.

ABOUT ALICE I HAVE BEEN

Few works of literature are as universally beloved as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Now, in this spellbinding historical novel, we meet the young girl whose bright spirit sent her on an unforgettable trip down the rabbit hole–and the grown woman whose story is no less enthralling.

But oh my dear, I am tired of being Alice in Wonderland. Does it sound ungrateful?

Alice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.

First of all, let me say that the only thing I know about Alice in Wonderland is from Disney (and while I own the Disney movie, I haven't seen it yet.  I am also looking forward to the new movie coming out soon).  That said, who doesn't love the idea of Alice, and I wanted to read more about her. 

Melanie Benjamin wrote a fascinating historical fiction novel about the life of Alice Liddell, the little girl who inspired the Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story by Lewis Carroll (real name Charles Dodgson).  And while I found that the mysterious relationship between the Alice and Mr. Dodgson bothered me, I enjoyed the rest of the story.  I especially enjoyed the part of her life when she was in her young twenties and I could feel her pain about the way that part of her life turned out.

 I am glad that Melanie Benjamin wrote author's notes at the back of the book to let us know what was real and what she took liberties with.  If you like historical fiction and/or are a fan of Alice in Wonderland, then this book would be right up your alley!

I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
A to Z Challenge: B
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 9
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Bad Blogger's #2
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 8

ABOUT MELANIE BENJAMIN

Melanie Benjamin lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two sons, where she is working on her next historical novel. Visit her website at www.melaniebenjamin.com.





View more stops on the blog tour here.




FTC Disclosure: I was sent this book a part of Pump Up Your Book Promotions for a honest review.

Book Review- The Summoning

I just finished reading The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.

From Goodreads.com:

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.

All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.

Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

I have heard such good things about the series by Kelley Armstrong, and I've had the first two books in my TBR pile for a while, but hadn't had a chance to get around to them.  I'm so glad that I finally did.  It was a great, intriguing story!

While I didn't personally connect with any of the characters, I really liked them all.  Even Derek--there was a soft spot in my heart that knew he couldn't be as bad as he was portrayed at first.  The ending definitely surprised me.  And the plot keeps you hanging on.  What is Lyle House really?  And why are the kids that are there, there?  We only find out some of the answers, and some questions leave us hanging.  I am really glad that I have the next book, The Awakening, ready to read next!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
A to Z Challenge: A
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 10
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 9
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Up To You! #2
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 9

*FTC Disclosure:  I won this copy of the book from another blogger.

Book Review- The Dark Divine

I finished reading The Dark Divine by Bree Despain last night.

From Goodreads.com

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.
 
Wow!  I had heard good things about The Dark Divine and I definitely wasn't disappointed.  I loved this book!  I loved the characters--Grace, the pastor's daughter who isn't too perfect (like I feared she would be), Daniel, the hot guy Grace is in love with, even the secondary characters like Don who is mentally handicapped but seems sweet and protective and Jake who seems like the All-American guy.
 
The plot was also great!  I don't want to give anything away so it's hard for me to comment on it.  Let's just say that there were a bunch of twists and turns that I definitely didn't see coming.  I knew going in that this was a paranormal book, but I didn't know how until right til I got to the page.  The book kept me hanging on until the very end!  And oh how I want to know more (I can't tell you what about because that would spoil it for you).
 
I even love the tag-line "True love's first kill."  Sooo good! ( And I was lucky enough to get a finger nail polish to match the cover of The Dark Divine's purple color....so pretty!)
 
I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 8
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 8
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 5
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: Win! Win! #2
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 7

*FTC Disclosure:  This book was given to me for free from the publisher for an honest review.

Book Review- Explorer X-Alpha

I just finished reading Explorer X-Alpha.

From Phenomenal One Press:

For most kids, a trip to space camp is a trip of a lifetime, for Aadi it was life altering. After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. Lucky for him, he was engineered to survive, thrive, and dominate. Without realizing he is being trained to conquer worlds, and manipulated under the guise of a camp, he unfolds the plot too late for a change of fate. Aadi’s world is shaken upon the revelation that life before camp was not what it appeared. This solidifies his plan to save them all from the company that seeks to control him, only for his rescue to end abruptly due to a freak accident on a field trip to Mars. The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. Holding onto his humanity, in the midst of turning into a god is Aadi's biggest battle yet. This turn of events causes him to put his childish thoughts away, forcing him to accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do, dominate it. In the midst his struggles with his changes, his power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrenas, and he is forced to choose sides to save a life, or to save himself. A decision that may prove just how much humanity he has left.

This book was different from books I normally read.  I'm not normally into Sci-Fi type books but the author is so nice and its a YA book, so I agree to review it.  And I enjoyed it!

The characters were okay for me.  I thought that the main character, Aadi was a strong, positive character.  And I liked that the females were strong (both mentally and physically) as well.  But I have to admit that I got a couple of secondary characters confused often.  There were two characters named Dakota and Damien that I often got confused and had to go back and figure out which kid I was reading about.  There were also times toward the end when the story was talking about the different species that I got confused. 

But other than that, the plot was good and well-thought out.  I thought the idea of an experiment on these kids and what happened as a result was fresh and new.  And I liked reading about all of the technology that was in the book in the year 2080.  There were several that I thought that I wanted now! 

The book ends on a cliff hanger and you don't really know if they are safe or not.  I want to read the next book in the series to find out more!



I gave this book a rating of 3/5.

Explorer X-Alpha will be released on February 2, 2010.
Watch for a guest blog by LM Preston and a contest tomorrow!

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:

A to Z Challenge: P
2010 100+ Reading Challenge: 7
2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 7
2010 Debut Author Challenge: 4
TwentyTen Reading Challenge: New in 2010 #2
ARC Reading Challenge 2010: 6

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review by the author.