Book Review: The Princess of Sparta

Title:  The Princess of Sparta
Author:  Aria Cunningham
Pages:  288
Publication Date:  2014
Version:  Paperback free via author for honest review
Genre:  Historical Adult Fiction

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Helen of Troy, arguably the most infamous woman in ancient history, was not the seductress of Homer s poems. Her humble story began as a Princess of Sparta; honorable, loyal, with promise to become a powerful queen. Her lauded beauty was more curse than blessing, inciting lust and jealousy in the greedy kings who would make her their prize. Given in marriage to Menelaus of Mycenae, an abusive husband who neither wants nor needs her, she clings to a prophecy made to her about a great destiny, and even greater love.

That destiny awaits her in Paris, a noble prince of Troy, whose reputation for fairness and fortitude precedes him as an Ambassador. Unjustly cursed at birth by a dark omen claiming he will cause the destruction of Troy, Paris is a haunted figure. This omen overshadows his good deeds, making him an object of ridicule amongst the Trojan nobility, and compelling his own mother to try to kill him as a babe. He is a man who has never known love.

Until the day the Fates intervene and Paris travels to Mycenae as an Ambassador of Troy. He meets Helen, and the two souls linked by common destiny and purpose are reunited. Their love becomes legend, provoking the greatest war of ancient history, shaking the foundations of the world, and paving the way for the rise of Greece and Rome."

My Review:
The summary from Goodreads was very well done, so I am going to bypass my "normal" restating of the summary for this book and just use theirs, as seen above.

I am going to start out saying this...in all honesty I am not a big fan of historical reads, nor do I usually agree to read and review them.  However, Helen of Troy made me decide I would give this read a shot, when I was asked if I would read the ARC.  This just seemed like a twist to a well known story.  The story started a bit rocky for me, I know it got glowing reviews from others, but I just wasn't hooked right away like so many were.  After a couple chapters, however, I did become engaged in the story and wanted to read on.  It was shocking to me that I would even halfway enjoy a book like this, but I actually did enjoy it.  I liked the love angle of it and the war of ancient history.  The characters were easy to come to like or hate, depending on which ones they were.  They were also very well developed and "played out" in this book for who they were.  The emotions of Helen, for example, were very easy to relate to and feel as a reader.  My enjoyment came from these wonderful characters, the romance, and the adventure of it all.  The plot was full of historical content, which was interesting even to a history non-lover like me.  It was written in such a way that I knew it had the historical background and information, but also made me want to read on because of the things going on in the book with the characters and the situations they were in throughout the book.  I just had to continue reading on to see what happened, even though I had a very good idea what would eventually happen.  The details in this book were absolutely amazing and were mind blowing to me, yup even the historical ones.  The images in my head as I read were very vivid and I also found myself learning more about the history of it all.  The typical "forbidden love" story this was not, it was so much more than that.  If I can admit to liking this book, it is worth the read for others.  Even if you are not a history buff or historical fiction lover, it is worth a shot to read.  You, like myself, may be surprised to find that you do like this story and do want to read the book in one sitting.  Great writing by a great new to me author!  I highly recommend you read this book.

4/5 Stars!

Book Review: The Crimson Key

Title:  The Crimson Key
Author:  Christy Sloat
Pages:  246
Publication Date:  2013
Version:  Kindle
Genre:  Young Adult Fiction/Paranormal

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"The truth can be deadly.

Brylee Branson’s best friend and boyfriend have fallen victim to a horrible curse that haunts her home. With the witches who cast it dead she has no choice but to rely on the ghosts inside the Brown house to help her find a cure. But time is not on her side, because Lynley's illness is spreading rapidly. 

Confused and scared, seventeen-year-old Brylee must confront a new ghost in the house she has never spoken to before. This spirit is not a Brown relative and makes no promises to help them … unless she can re-unite her with a loved one.

The fate of those she loves now rests on her. Can Brylee put the pieces of this puzzle together in time to save them? Or will the Brown house claim another victim? 

The Visitor’s Series continues to scare and entice its readers with this gripping second book."

My Review:
Brylee is finally at peace with moving from California to New Jersey and now there is this curse hanging over her head.  Brylee's boyfriend and best friend are both being affected by this curse from her house.  If she can't find a way to break the curse that is claiming them slowly but surely, then she will lose them both forever from their physical selves.  They will be dead, but stuck as ghosts in her house all because she didn't listen when she was told she had to open that secret door and no one else.  Now her two best friends may end up paying the ultimate price for her not listening to detailed directions.  Ephraim is showing signs of the curse taking him over slowly, but for some reason Lyn is falling victim to the curse fast and doesn't seem to have much time left.  Can Brylee figure out how to stop the curse before it claims the lives of those she loves?  What is the key here and how can Brylee not figure it out faster?  What is she missing?  Can an old woman from the Boardwalk help her solve this curse mystery and in time?  Can Brylee use her unique gift of being able to see and talk to ghosts in her favor this time?  What will she do if she can't save them?

Watching Brylee, Ephraim, and Lyn develop even more as characters in this second book of the series was amazing.  Brylee starts to grow into the woman she now knows she wants to and needs to be.  Ephraim grows into his man of the house role and his role as a loving caring boyfriend to Brylee.  Lyn has a lot going on and develops a lot in her character too.  I love these characters along with the more minor ones too, like Brylee's parents, grandmother, Ethan, and more.  They are developed in such a way that they really seem like real people to me while reading.  Once again this author grabbed me by the hair and forced me to read on and on in this book until I was finished with it.  I just couldn't put it down!  The plot has a few side shoots off of the main one, but they add so much to the book.  I was again awed by the details in the writing and the way I actually got the heebie jeebies as I read this book, especially in the darkness as I read late into the night on my iPod.  I became Brylee in a way as I read so intently and with so much focus.  I loved how this book played out.  It was a bit more emotional than the first one, but in a way that just made the book that much better for me.  To say I loved every part and aspect of this book would be very accurate.  The ending was a better fitting for me, personally as a reader, too.  It had the ending of a series book...one that makes you want to read on to see what really happens, but not one that makes you frustrated about how it ends.  There was nothing I didn't like in this book, but there were parts that I never in a million years saw coming that shocked me.  This is a great continuation to the series!  It is a must read by all mystery and ghost lovers!

5/5 Stars!!

Color Coded Wrap Up!

The gold at the end of the rainbow is all mine!  I have read through a rainbow of books to finally come to the end of that rainbow.  I am so excited to say that I have completed yet another challenge this year!  Below is my original post and links to reviews of what I read.

Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014

Well, I put a poll up asking if folks were interested in giving the Color Coded Challenge another go.  I thought I'd run it till the end of the month and then see where we were.  But I've got a baker's dozen of interested readers out there already....and I've looked through my TBR stacks and found that I have books for every category, so here we go again.  Get ready for a rainbow of reading in 2014.

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, 2014 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, 2014.

*Please sign up using the Linky below. Give your name & blog (Example: Bev @ My Reader's Block) and use a direct link to your challenge post as your url. Please don't connect to just your home page.  Links to a list on GoodReads or other social media sites are also acceptable.

*Please use the Review Page (link coming in January) to post review links and a final wrap-up post when you finish the challenge.  (click link)  [Reviews are not required--but I would love to see what you think about the books that you've read if you do review.]

*No blog or GoodReads site? That's okay. Post a comment here to announce your entry into the challenge and when you have completed the challenge just post a comment at the review site with a list of your books.

I am so excited to do this challenge again!!  Very glad the host decided to do it another year.  I love reading all the rainbow-like book titles!!

Blue ~ Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks

Red ~ A Red, Red, Rose by Susan Coryell

Yellow ~ Yellowstone Heart Song by Peggy L. Henderson

Green ~ Green Lake by S.K. Epperson

Brown ~ The Brown House by Christy Sloat

Black ~ Black Woods by Laura Wright Laroche

White ~ The White Aura by Felicia Tatum

Any Other Color ~ Silver Lady by Linda George

Word That Implies Color ~ The Rainbow Man by P.B. Kane

Book Review: Brown House

Title:  The Brown House
Author:  Christy Sloat
Pages:  324
Publication Date:  2012
Version:  Kindle
Genre:  Young Adult Fiction Mystery/Paranormal

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Some secrets should never be revealed... Brylee Branson begrudgingly made the excruciating move with her family from the warm sandy beaches of California to small town living in New Jersey. As if she wasn't miserable enough, they've moved into a creepy old house that everyone in the area claims is haunted. Brylee dismisses the idea of ghosts and hauntings, until she begins to see and hear things that can't be explained... Brylee has no choice but to seek the help of new friends to unlock the secrets of this place she now calls home. But some secrets should never be revealed. Can the teens find a way to release the spirits imprisoned within the walls? Or will the curse claim them, too?"

My Review:
Moving is hard on anyone, but a kid in high school hates it even more.  When Brylee and her family have to move to New Jersey form California she is beyond unhappy.  It is cold, has no cool beaches, and to top it all off she is living in a haunted house.  No one wants to visit her and weird things are happening to her.  Brylee is lucky to make two friends very quickly in the neighbor kids, Lyn and her big studly brother, Ephriam.  Soon she confesses her fears to them  both and they decide to try and help the spirits of the house move on, but to do that a curse must be broken and a secret found out.  Can the kids find a way to free the secrets and spirits of the house and Brown family?  Will the curse take their innocents and their lives?  How much can a girl take before she breaks?

This was by far one of the most realistic ghost books I have read in a very long time.  I could see this happening somewhere out there.  I was sucked into this book from the first chapter and couldn't wait to read on in it to see what happened and if the kids could figure things out and make things right again.  I flew through the pages like a witch through the air on her broom.  I found myself reading late into the night and then being a bit uneasy with my own homes darkness as I realized it was pitch black in my room except for the light of my iPod that I was reading on.  This book brought out my own homes mystery sounds it seems.  I was so into the book I just got lost in the plot and the characters.  The plot had the flow of a rushing river, you just had to continue watching it.  There was so much that happened in the plot, but it was in a good way.  It was in a way that made you want to read on and on and on in the book to see where things were going.  This is a plot that takes a "normal" ghost story to the next level.  It was spooky, mysterious, and just plain great edge of your seat fun!  The characters were so real and developed I felt like they were high schoolers in my own town.  They were amazing and I couldn't wait to see where they went in this book, where their relationships went, and how close they got to figuring out the deep secrets of the Brown family and house.  I just couldn't get enough of this story and the characters.  I was a bit taken back by the ending of the book, but seeing as how I have the second book in the series too, it wasn't so bad of a thing, as I will just continue on in the next book.  However, I hope they don't all end like that....with cliffhangers, or I may start to wonder why the author just couldn't make one huge book or two bigger books.  I get the sales aspect and the come back for more aspect, but still too many "what?!" endings can be a bad thing in a series.  We shall see, as I am starting the next book now.  I would very much recommend this book though to anyone looking for a great ghost mystery!  Just be prepared to want to continue on in the series too.  

5/5 Stars!!

Rewind Challenge Wrap Up!!

!dehsinif m'I  Now rewind your mind and read that playing forward...I'm finished!!!  I have completed my third reading challenge of the year!  My rewind reading challenge is all done now.  I had a great time going back and reading books from before this year!  Below is the original post along with the review links for the books I read to accomplish this challenge.

2014 Rewind Challenge

I know I can’t be the only person out there that struggles with this: I’m always watching for the next great book, but feel like I may be missing something in the ones I don’t get to in time. So, in an effort to remedy this feeling, this challenge was born!

I’m challenging myself (and you) to slow down, rewind a little bit and get to those books that we wanted to read SO badly before they were released but somehow got lost in the shuffle.

The Rules

There aren’t many rules for this challenge…but to clarify things, here they are:

• Books read for the challenge need to have been published before January 1, 2014, but read and reviewed between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2014.
• ARC’s and galleys received in 2013 for books that will be published in 2014 DO NOT count.
• Books can be any format, any genre, and written for any age group – no restrictions!
• Reviews can be posted wherever you feel comfortable – your blog, Goodreads, Amazon, etc. To enter your review into the monthly prize draw, you must link to your review.
• Reviews do not have to be a certain length to be eligible.
• You choose your own goals for this challenge! Please be sure to have your number somewhere on your goals post/page.

The Prizes

Each month, I will post a Rafflecopter where you can link up your reviews. The monthly prize will be a $10 gift card to a book retailer of the winner’s choice. There is a possibility of a grand-prize draw at the end of the year for all participants who completed their challenge.

The Buttons

I’ve designed a couple of buttons for the challenge, feel free to use one on your goals post/page, sidebar, or wherever, and link back to this page!

 

Sign Up

I think that’s about it! If you’d like to participate, you can sign up in the linky below! Please link to your page/post where you’ve listed your goals for the challenge.

Just what I need!  I have many books like this, some of which have come out YEARS ago now.  I was so darn excited to see them come out, I bought them or got them as gifts and then life came along and ran over the time I thought I would have to read them, or some other book swooped in and took the glory away from that book so I read a different one and never did get to the book I waited for.  NOW, I can go back and read those highly anticipated for books!  

I am going to set my goal for 15 books.  This may sound low, but I know how I can wonder from past books for those shiny new ones, so 15 is a pretty good goal for me.

1.  Four To Score by Janet Evanovich

2.  High Five by Janet Evanovich

3.  Hot Six by Janet Evanovich

4.  Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

5.  Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

6.  Black Woods by Laura Wright Laroche

7.  Friends With Partial Benefits by Luke Young

8.  A Red, Red, Rose by Susan Coryell

9.  Green Lake by S.K. Epperson

10.  Yellowstone Heart Song by Peggy L. Henderson

11.  The Rainbow Man by P.B. Kane

12.  Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks

13.  Bloodstorm by Amber Kallyn

14.  Silver Lady by Linda George

15.  Dakota Gold by John Anderson

Book Review: Dakota Gold

Title:  Dakota Gold An Adventure on the Missouri River
Author:  John Anderson
Pages:  112
Publication Date:  2013
Version:  Kindle
Genre:  Young Adult/Middle Grade Fiction  Mystery/Adventure

Summary Via Goodreads.com:
"Follow Rob and Marlo, on their homemade raft, as they head down the Missouri river, into the White Cliffs badlands, to recover stolen gold. Find out why they make such a bold journey, with the Sharndo gang hot on their trail and a run in with Blackfeet Warriors. Will they return safely home? A must read for kids and adults."

My Review:
Rob and Marlo are typical brother and sister, they may not always get along, but they love each other very much and are more than willing to band together if it means an adventure.  Marlo comes to Rob one day with a secret she overheard about there being stolen gold somewhere.  They talk about finding it and then they could be heroes when they return it to the authorities, but Rob never thought in a million years it would be more than just talk.  When Marlo comes to Rob with the map of where the gold is, he is uneasy and unsure they should really go looking for it seeing it is downriver.  Marlo did go through a lot to steal...errr, borrow...the map, so Rob and Marlo start the adventure off by building their own raft to float down the Missouri River to where the gold is hidden away.  Soon they are off on an adventure that they never dreamed would happen to them.  There are Blackfeet Warriors, gold thieves, a raging river, and much more that these two encounter along the way.  Can they brave it all to get to the gold?  If they get to the gold will they get to it and leave before the original thieves come back for it?  How will they get back home even if they do succeed?

This was such a great and exciting read, even for me as an adult.  It was packed full of adventure and kinship.  It reminded me a bit of Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer, in how it is a tale of young kids going on this big and dangerous adventure.  Rob and Marlo are very lovable characters.  They were easy to like and easy to get to know through the great descriptions in the book.  It was a book that I sat down with one night and finished in the wee hours of the morning the same night.  The book had a wonderful flow to it, just like the Missouri River Rob and Marlo took their raft down.  The "current" of the book picked up and slowed down, but was always moving and always exciting and filled with wonder and adventure.  My twelve year old son also loved this book with its adventures and its fast pace.  This is a read that is wonderful for kids and adults.  No matter what your age, if you like adventure and wonder this is the book for you to dive into!

5/5 Stars!!!

eBook Challenge Wrap Up!!!

I never in a million years would have thought I would get into the eBook world.  I am a lover of the real deal book, one that I can turn real pages in and see how much I have read and how much I have to read yet.  I also love the smell of books!  So, that I have completed this challenge so early in the year kind of surprises me, but I have!  I have completed my second challenge of the year; the eBook Reading Challenge!!  Below you will find the original post along with the links to the reviews of the books I read.  I had a great time!!

eBook Reading Challenge 2014

The 2014 Ebook Challenge.
Encouraging readers to expand past just physical books to embrace ebooks in all forms.

Challenge Guidelines:

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2014.
2. Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).
3. Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.
4. You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.
6. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2014, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

Levels:

1. Floppy disk – 5 ebooks
2. CD – 10 ebooks
3. DVD – 25 ebooks
4. Memory stick – 50 ebooks
5. Hard drive – 75 ebooks
6. Server – 100 ebooks
7. Human brain – 150 ebooks

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

I have found that I love my Kindle Fire, but love the "real" books best.  However, I am going to shoot for the CD Level in 2014 anyway.  

1.  Black Woods by Laura Wright Laroche

2.  Friends With Partial Benefits by Luke Young

3.  A Red, Red, Rose by Susan Coryell

4.  Green Lake by S.K. Epperson

5.  Yellowstone Heart Song by Peggy L. Henderson

6.  The Rainbow Man by P.B. Kane

7.  Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks

8.  The White Aura by Felicia Tatum

9.  Bloodstorm by Amber Kallyn

10.  Silver Lady by Linda George

Book Review: Silver Lady

Title:  Silver Lady
Author:  Linda George
Pages:  239
Publication Date:  2013
Version:  Kindle
Genre:  Adult Fiction Romance/Mystery

Summary Via Amazon.com:
"Kate Mathison finds herself alone on a journey of hundreds of miles, headed for the mining town of Silverton, Colorado. Without an escort, she knows she'll never make it. So she hires Drew Kingman to take her there, promising her father will pay him when they arrive. This journey is Kate's only chance to ever have a decent life. And, knowing she's destined to be an old maid, Drew Kingman is probably the only man she'll ever be alone with. The time they spend together will be time she'll remember always.

The last thing Drew Kingman wants to do is escort some fool woman halfway across the continent, with a man intent on killing him hot on his trail. But there's something about Kate Mathison that draws him to her. She's got heart and determination, and he's been missing both in his life for far too long. Before long, he knows that the hardest thing on this journey will be telling her good-bye."

My Review:
Kate has had a rough life, and one that has been far from easy or happy.  She has no one she trusts except her brother Ben.  When they get word from a father who left them many years ago, that he needs their help and it will be in their good fortunes to help him, they decide to risk it, after all nothing is holding them where they are but each other.  When an accident leaves Kate fending for herself on such a long journey she knows it would be in her best interest to hire the man who helped her, Drew, to get her to Colorado.  Drew has his own demons he is fighting with, but he can't hardly let such an innocent and fragile lady on her own, she would surely die.  As they make their way toward Silverton, Colorado they learn a lot about each other and why they are where they are in life.  They also start to form a bond with each other that neither will soon forget, nor would they want to forget.  As a lady there are some things that just shouldn't be done or said, but Kate doesn't know how much longer she can hold out and be that "lady" she is supposed to be.  Drew knows Kate is innocent, but doesn't realize just how innocent and pure she is until desires come to a peak.  Kate soon is proving that she is not some delicate flower of a lady and is more than able to care for herself and Drew if the need should arise.  When Drew suddenly is on deaths door, Kate has the chance now to prove she can fend for herself and save him.  The question is, can she do that as easily as she thinks or will they both die because of her blunders?  If they survive, can Kate ever really bring herself to say goodbye to Drew forever?

When I read reviews for this book, they were all over the board...some were 5 star and others were 1 star, but they seemed to be pretty well split evenly.  I delved into this book thinking, well I am either going to love it or hate it I suppose.  I am glad I decided to read it though.  I thought it was a fantastic read!  I thought it was easy to read, easy to get hooked into, and easy to follow.  There may have not been as much action as there could have been, but personally I never missed it, I was too into the rest of the plot.  I loved the time it took place in too, which surprised me seeing as how westerns and early westerns are not my thing at all.  The bad reviews I read said there was too much sex....um I didn't really see that.  Not the sex part anyway.  There was a lot of almost sex and very intimate parts, but they kind of went with the whole sexy man and sexy woman who are together a long time and fall for each other scenarios.  I thought it all fit together great.  The characters were so real for the time period this took place.  They also were characters you just had to love after getting to know.  I felt myself rooting for Kate and Drew all along their path.  So is there intimate and sex parts?  Sure, but they didn't over run the book like some reviews had me believe.  Or perhaps I just didn't think they did.  This is a great book that was written very well and is very much worth the read.  I loved the suspense and the obstacles they faced trying to make to to Silverton, along with the relationship that I got to watch blossom between Kate and Drew.  Amazing!

5/5 Stars!!

March Wrap Up!

The luck of the Irish wasn't with me this month as far as my reading and reviewing was concerned that's for sure.  It was with me in some respects as I am lucky to have great family, friends, and support.  It was a trying month this month in my personal life, but hopefully luck will continue to be with me and I can get things back on a somewhat "normal" roll again as April springs up.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO ALL MY FOLLOWERS AND THOSE THAT STOP IN TO READ MY BLOG!!!  YOU ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY ME EVERY DAY!  


Here's what I have read in March: 3 Grand Total of 3 Books!!
You can click on the title of the book to get to my review of that book.  :-)

~ 1 Young Adult Fiction:
~The White Aura by Felicia Tatum

~ 2 Adult Fiction ( Paranormal Romance/ Mystery/  Fiction):
~Bluegrass Undercover by Kathleen Brooks
~Bloodstorm by Amber Kallyn

How are my Challenges looking as we gradually approach the finish line?
You can click on each challenge and you will go to my post for that challenge to see which books counted for each challenge or what each challenge entails.  As I complete challenges I will highlight them!  :-)

1.  Reading Challenge Addict Challenge 2014  Complete 11-15 of my reading challenges that I have signed up to do in 2014.

1/11 Completed

Wrap Up Post:  

2.  Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2014  Read 60 books that are in my TBR pile, but have been there BEFORE 2014.

13/60 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

3.  2014 What An Animal Reading Challenge VII  Read 7-12 books with animals either on the cover, as main characters, or in the title.  

0/12 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

4.  Monthly Key Word Challenge 2014  Read a book with a "key word" from each months list.  

3/12 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

5.  TBR Pile Reading Challenge 2014  Read 50+ books from my TBR pile that were put in that pile BEFORE 2014.

13/55 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

6.  Cruizin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2014  Read 20+ cozy mysteries.

7/25 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

7.  Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2014  Finish two series.  I am counting by books in series for counts.

4/27 Books Read  0/2 Series Finished

Wrap Up Post:  

8.  Color Coded Reading Challenge 2014  Read books with colors in the title.  9 different colors in a year!

7/9 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

9.  Chill Baby Chill Reading Challenge 2014  Read six books in the time frame of December 21, 2013 to March 20, 2014.
6/6 Books Read
Wrap Up Post:  Challenge Complete!!

10.  Lucky No. 14 Reading Challenge 2014 Read 14 books from the 14 different categories given.

4/14 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

11.  Foodies Reading Challenge 2014  Read 3 books involving food, fiction or non-fiction.

0/3 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

12.  eBook Reading Challenge 2014  Read 10 eBooks.

9/10 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

13.  Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2014  Read 1-5 more books than 2013.

0/5 Books Read

Wrap Up Post:  

14.  Full House Reading Challenge 2014  Read a book from all the "boxes" on the sheet to get a Full House and complete the challenge.  Each box has a different category.

10/25 Books Read

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15.  Eclectic Reading Challenge 2014  Read a book from the categories listed to read different books you may not have read.

4/12 Books Read

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16.  Reading Outside the Box Reading Challenge 2014  Read books from categories that may be outside your normal reading.  Try to do all the categories listed.

10/25 Books Read

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17.  Quirky A to Z Reading Challenge 2014  Read books from the A to Z guidelines given.  A new and exciting spin on just reading books titled from a to z!

9/26 Books Read

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18.  I Love Picture Books Reading Challenge 2014  Read 25 picture books in the year!

0/25 Books Read

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19.  You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge 2014  Read 150 books in the year.  (Level 2).

14/150 Books Read

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20.  Quick Fix Challenge 2014  Read books that are under 300 pages long.  I picked the Gorilla Glue level of 30+ books.

10/35 Books Read

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21.  100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2014  Read 100 books in a year.

14/100 Books Read

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22.  Audiobook Challenge 2014  Listen to audiobooks.  I picked the Newbie level of listening to 1-5 books.

3/5 Books Listened To

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23.  Jumble Your Genres Reading Challenge 2014  Read a different, set, genre every month.

3/12 Books Read

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24.  Dystopia Reading Challenge 2014  Read set number of distopian books in the year.  I chose the Rebel Level, Level 2 of reading 7-12 books.

0/12 Books Read

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25.  Rewind Challenge 2014  Read those books you couldn't wait to come out, but then never read.  I chose to try for 15 books.

13/15 Books Read

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26.  My Kind Of Mystery Reading Challenge 2014  Read mystery books!  I chose level of Lost Artifacts to read 31-40 mystery books.

5/40 Books Read

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27.  Freda's Voice 100+ Books Reading Challenge 2014  Read 100+ books in the year.  I am personally shooting for 105.

14/105 Books Read

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28.  Gentle Spectrums Challenge 2014  Read 10 books with titles containing color hues.  Read 10 books containing title words fitting in set categories.  

11/20 Books Read

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29.  Ethereal Challenge 2014  Read spiritual/paranormal books.  I picked Third Eye Level of 11-20 books.

3/20 Books Read

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30.  What's In A Name Reading Challenge 2014  Read a book with a title fitting in each of the name categories.

2/5 Books Read

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31.  Audio Book Challenge 2014  Listen to audio books.  I chose the Flirting level of 6 books.

3/6 Books Listened To

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32.  Book To Movie Challenge 2 2014 Read books that were made into movies, then watch the movie.  I chose the Movie Fan Level of 3 book/movies.

0/3 Books Read/Movies Watched

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33.  Diversity Reading Challenge 2014 Read books that have a main character or are written by a person of color.  I chose the First Shelf Level of 1-6 Books
0/6 Books Read
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34.  Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge 2014 Read books that are Witchy.  I chose the Maiden Level of 6-10 Books.
1/10 Books 
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35.  Shifter Challenge 2014 Read 10 books with a main character that is a Shifter.
1/10 Books Read
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36.  Vampire Challenge 2014 Read 10 books with a main character that is a Vampire.
2/10 Books Read
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37.  Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2014 Read a variety of books that start with all the letters of the alphabet to make up a nice soup of reading.
8/26 Books Read
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38.  Where Are You Reading Challenge 2014 Read books set in all of the 50 states!
9/50 Books Read
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39.  YA Mythology Reading Challenge 2014 Read 12 YA Mythology books.
3/12 Books Read
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40.  Fur and Fangs Reading Challenge 2014 Read books with Werewolves, Shifters, Vampires in.  I am shooting for 25!
2/25 Books Read
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41.  Ireland Reading Challenge 2014 Read books set in or about Ireland or that have Irish characters.  I am doing Shamrock Level of 4 books.
0/4 Books Read
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42.  Zombie Reading Challenge 2014 Read Zombie books.  I chose Infested Level of 1-3 books.
0/3 Books Read
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43.  Women's Murder Club Reading Challenge 2014 Read books in this series.  I chose level Detective in Training 4-6 Books.
0/6 Books Read
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44.  Erotic Romance Reading Challenge 2014 Read Erotic Books.  Level One 12 books.
1/12 Books Read
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45.  A to Z Mystery Author Challenge 2014 Read Mystery authors from A to Z using last names.
7/26 Books Read
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46.  In The Middle Reading Challenge 2014 Read books that are between 300 and 450 pages.  I am doing Cruising through the Pages level of 10 books.
0/10 Books Read
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47.  Witch's Reading Challenge 2014 Read books dealing with paranormal or witchcraft.  Initiate Level of 5-10 books.
1/10 Books Read
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Perpetual:

1.  Stephanie Plum Reading Challenge  Read all the books in this series.
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2.  Kinsey Millhone Reading Challenge  Read all the books in this series.
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3.  Read 1 Million Pages Challenge  Read 1 Million Pages.
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