Bout of Books Challenge: Scientific Discovery

The first challenge in this Bout of Books is brought to you by The Book Barbies.  

You have made a scientific discovery (who knew you were so good at science?!) on how to bring fictional characters to life. The problem? The method still isn't *perfect,* so you can only bring two people to life, and they must return to the land of fiction in 30 days. Who will you choose as your bestie and your love interest for that one splendid month? (Feel free to add pictures if you like, but they are not required.)

For best friend, this was a difficult choice.  I saw one blog today that chose Lizzie from Pride and Prejudice which I think is the best answer ever, but I don't want to steal it, so I think I'll say Jilly Coppercorn from many of the Charles de Lint books.  Now if you don't know Jilly, you should.  She is a wonderful person who went through a horrific childhood to turn her life around to help others.  She is an artist and has been known to access the Otherworld.  We could work on artsy projects and talk about her experiences with the Fey and magic.  

For love interest.  Sirius Black, especially if he takes the form of Gary Oldman.  I love his character because he is damaged and tortured and honorable and loyal.  For that month we could go on long walks in the moonlight and he could teach me some magic.   If I was a teenager it would be Cas from Anna Dressed in Blood because he is dreamy and cool and clever.  We would probably do some ghost hunting.  

How about you?  Who did you conjure up?

Bout of Books 6.0

I'm jumping in pretty last minute, but I decided to participate in Bout of Books 6.0.  I read so slow so I'm hoping this will force me to use my time more conducively to catching up on some books.

Here are my goals.
1. To finish Threshold by Caitlin Kiernan.
2. To finish Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi.
3. To start Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff.
4 To meet new bloggers and discover a few new book blogs.
45 Participate in a Twitter chat.


The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 6.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. -From the Bout of Books 6.0 team

Monday
What I've read today:  12 pages
Book: Threshold by Caitlin Kiernan.
Thoughts: This book has small print and is not geared for a fast read.  I think without BoB I may not have even read that much. 
What I've listened to: A few minutes
Audio book: The Wolfe Gift by Anne Rice.
Thoughts: I haven't read an Anne Rice book in years.  I'm curious to see how my feelings about her writing has changed. 

Tuesday:
What I've read today: Nothing.
Book:
Thoughts: I couldn't keep my eyes open last night!
What I've listened to: About an hour (To/From work).
Audio book: The Wolfe Gift by Anne Rice.
Thoughts: Kind of a lot of telling, but it is still holding my interest.

Wednesday:
What I've read today: Didn't count, but I finished Threshold.
Book: Threshold. 
What I've read today: 54 pages.
Book: Under the Never Sky.
Thoughts: Threshold was a mind trip.  UTNS is enjoyable so far.
What I've listened to: About an hour (To/From work).
Audio book: The Wolfe Gift.
Thoughts: Not as great as I remembered Anne Rice to be. 

Thursday:
What I've read today: p. 55-136.
Book: Under the Never Sky.
Thoughts: Loving it!
What I've listened to: About an hour (To/From work).
Audio book: The Wolfe Gift.
Thoughts: Some parts have made me lol, because it is striking me as silly.

Book Blogger Confessions - (Monday, January 7, 2012)

Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that allows book bloggers to discuss issues unique to what we encounter in the blogging world. Every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month we will post a question and invite you to answer, comment and discuss opinions and different views.

Please keep the dialogue courteous. No bashing!

If you would like to participate in this meme sign up below and please feel free to to grab the button to include in your post with a link to For What It's Worth Reviews or here at Midnyte Reader.

Question: Happy 2013! What are your blogging goals for the new year? Are you making any changes or testing out new ideas for reviews or organization? Have you joined any challenges?

What are the trends you noticed in blogging from 2012 and what do you hope to see for the blogging community in 2013?

Answer:  Oh boy.  Goals huh?  We're supposed to have goals?  I'd be happy just to be able to continue, lol.  Seriously though, I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants blogger.  I'm pretty laid back and the thought of the tight schedules that other bloggers adhere to make me hyperventilate.  I wish I could be uber organized, but I doubt that will happen with blogging. 

However, I would like to get around to some of the features I've been planning and to resurrect some of the ones I haven't done in a while like Childhood Thrills and Midnyte Finds.  

I also think that I want to read what I want to read at my own pace.  I don't take review requests as it is, but I often think that I get so involved in other people's recommendations that I've neglected a lot of books that I might have otherwise read.  I also don't want to feel pressured to read fast just because I want to or feel the need to provide a review on my blog.  I want to relax and enjoy reading more!

To see the Challenges I've joined just look on my sidebar or click HERE. 


Trends I saw: It seems to me I saw a lot of book tours in 2012.  I don't usually pay too much attention to them because once I read one or two reviews, I'm pretty much aware of the book.  But they do serve their purpose and I participate in a book tour once in a while as well.  In 2013 I would just like to see more professionalism and respect towards everyone in the book community.

Let's Talk - 1/4/2013.

Let’s Talk is a meme hosted by Smash Attack Reads and A Book Obsession.  

Let's Talk is a a great place to get personal and learn more about one another!  

Each week, a different question will be posted along with a place to link up your posts and visit other people’s responses. This meme is definitely meant to bring out conversation and meet new people. So, Let’s Talk!

Today's Question:  Do reviews often influence your book choices, or are you someone who doesn’t read reviews until after reading the book?

Answer: Reviews will definitely influence my reading choices.  There are a few blogs that I always go to and trust what they have to say, whether it's something that will appeal to me or not.  For the most part though, reviews will bring the book or author to my attention and then I'll look into it a bit more.  As an example, there are so many Urban Fantasy books out there, you know the ones, with the bad-ass chicks on the cover...that I usually go to Amazon and see what is being said.  I usually read the negative reviews more carefully to determine if it's something that I would like.  If they gave it a negative review because there was no romance, well then that is something that appeals to me more.  If they say it's too violent, I'm there! If they say there is no character development and the plot is cliche, then that wil hold me off more.  

If I own a book that I know I'm going to read, I won't read a review on it.  In fact, I'll avoid reviews because I don't want any spoilers.  As Smash said, I too, also won't read reviews before I write a post because I don't want to be infuenced.  I do like reading them afterward though.  It's funny to see all the different opinions.  And that's what I love about discussing books!

2013 Horror Reading Challenge

Are you scared? 

You will be. 

That is, if you join this challenge and start reading some spine tingling, flesh crawling, gore ridden books. 

Guidelines:
•This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013.
•Books must be read and reviewed in 2013.
•You can choose fiction or non-fiction.
•Audio books are fine.
•Short stories are fine as long as you leave a thoughtful review.
•Books can cross with other challenges.
•You can join at anytime during the year.  Any books you have read in 2013 can be added.
•Anyone can participate (not just book bloggers). If you don't have a blog: You can link to Goodreads, Amazon, Shelfari, etc. The easiest way may be to make a seperate shelf for this Challenge or a post. Links back to the Challenge are appreciated and will help others if they would like more information.
•If you are using Facebook for this challenge, please write a post (you can just use a few sentences) about the Challenge. Links back to the Challenge are appreciated and will help others if they would like more information. When you review a book or short story, please do not write a sentence or two. Please write a full review, even if it is just a few few paragraphs.
•Yes!  Prizes will be given!

Horror is described on the Bing Dictionary site as:
"...Literature grotesque and terrifying: describes a genre of motion picture or literature intended to thrill viewers or readers by provoking fear or revulsion through the portrayal of grotesque, violent, or supernatural events."

Horror can be subjective. The events of one experience may be horrific to one person and not to another.   But for the purposes of this Challenge let's be a little selective.  Think terror, dread, and fear.  I would really love this Challenge to be a meaningful exploration into the Horror genre.  Just because a vampire could be scary does not mean that every book that includes one is right for this challenge.  We don't necessarily have to go for the gore, but let's go for the throat and get our scare on!

If you are hard pressed to find some unique Horror books, check out Wag The Fox, Darkeva's Dark Delights (I call them the Horror Gurus) and the Horror Writers Association for recommendations.  You can also visit The Undead Rat.  Although the blog has not been active for a while there is still a lot of information to be found.  Also, check out this great list of YA Horror from Kelly at Stacked along with a few other Horror links.
If anyone has any suggestions for this challenge or would like to host a mini-challenge let me know!

Rules:
•Write a post about this challenge with a link back to this post.
•If you want to make a list of books you wish to read you can, but it's not mandatory.
•Your list is not set in stone. You can change, add or subtract books
•Sign up on the designated Mr. Linky below.
•The page to link your reviews is HERE.

Here is my stack of books I plan to read in 2013.

Grab the Button!

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Sign up on the linky below.  Please put the link in for your post not directly to your blog. Otherwise it will be removed.




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Darkfever.

Title/Author: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning.

Genre: UF/PNR.

Publisher: Dell.

Source: Purchased.

Favorite character: none.

All in all: A few frustrations but mostly fun.

Synopsis:  MacKayla Lane’s life is good. She has great friends, a decent job, and a car that breaks down only every other week or so. In other words, she’s your perfectly ordinary twenty-first-century woman. Or so she thinks…until something extraordinary happens.

When her sister is murdered, leaving a single clue to her death–a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone–Mac journeys to Ireland in search of answers. The quest to find her sister’s killer draws her into a shadowy realm where nothing is as it seems, where good and evil wear the same treacherously seductive mask. She is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn how to handle a power she had no idea she possessed–a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae….

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister’s death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho, a man with no past and only mockery for a future. As she begins to close in on the truth, the ruthless Vlane–an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women–closes in on her. And as the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac’s true mission becomes clear: find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book–because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control of the very fabric of both worlds in their hands. ~Goodreads.com

My Thoughts: Okay, so...I felt like I was missing out for not reading these books.  People would refer to main male protagonist Jericho Barrons in conversations as if he is a figure everyone should know and I would get yelled at on Twitter for not reading these books.  I can't say I am absolutely in love with it like everyone else seems to be but it was a fun and enjoyable read. 

I did like the premise of the story and it included mythology that I enjoyed and mysteries that were intriguing.   Told in main female protagonist Mackayla Lane's viewpoint, the urgency of her mission to find her sister's killer is clear.  I like her spunk and her guts.  However, I didn't like her at first or rather I didn't like the way every outfit was described down to matching accessories.  Perhaps this is Mac's armor...her fashion and her clothes and dressing up helps her feel better and stronger.  However, toward the end she seems to truly get tougher and grow up a little.  What I also really enjoyed was the foreshadowing.  Mackayla would tell you things in retrospect...like had she known then what she knew now, she wouldn't have done the following...then the scene would play out.  These hints made me pay attention more closely and they served to create more tension. 

Unfortunately, the ending left me frustrated.  I closed the book feeling kind of confused.  Perhaps this is my fault and I was expecting something different.  I know I should keep reading, but it is also my belief that a book, whether it's the first or the third or the tenth in a series, should wrap up the main story.  Sure a few cliffhangers and dangling of fruit is fine, but I closed the book feeling "Huh?  That's it?" We found out who the killer is, (and I guess that is the main thing along with several other plot points,) but we don't really know who he is.  If that makes any sense.

I also think I have to trust in the fact that I should probably not read books from the Paranormal Romance section.  Or, I just need to adjust my thinking when doing so. While there is no romance in this per se...it reads like one.  Mackayla has to dress like a sex bomb to infiltrate Dublin's exclusive locations with Jericho.  Not my thing.  The way he controlled her from her hairstayle to her not leaving the country did not make me swoon.  I know he is trying to protect her and that a lot of his motives are hidden but he annoyed me.   But again to play devil's advocate, he also annoyed Mac.  So his character is well written.

Will I continue the series?  Probably.  I do kind of want to find out what happens so that is a testament to the story right there.  

Other editions:

 

2013 New Orleans Reading Challenge.

I absolutely love New Orleans!   The magic, the music, the mayhem and the quiet moments.  I try to visit as often as I can.   I've heard people say it's an entirely different world, separate from the rest of the country with it's own unique history and culture.

I love reading and learning about New Orleans and many times I choose to read a book based only on the fact that it takes place there, or the main character grew up there or the author stopped by there once...okay, maybe not that last one, but I just wanted to illustrate my obsession adoration for The Big Easy.  Because I love reading about New Orleans, I thought I'd give myself more of an excuse to do so by hosting the 2013 New Orleans Reading Challenge.


Guidelines:

• This challenge will run from January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2013.
• Books must be read and reviewed in 2013.
• You can choose fiction or non-fiction.
• You do not need a blog to participate.
• Audio books are fine. 
• Books can cross with other challenges.
• You can join at anytime during the year.
• You can choose any genre (Romance, UF, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Non Fiction) as long as it has some connection to New Orleans.  (Even if the story or book takes place near New Orleans, such as a Louisiana plantation or the Bayou, it can be used.)

If anyone has any suggestions for this challenge let me know!

Rules:

• Write a post about this challenge with a link back to this post.
• If you want to make a list of books you wish to read you can, but it's not mandatory.
• Your list is not set in stone.  You can change, add or subtract books
• Sign up on the designated Mr. Linky below.
• Choose a level: 
• Gator: Read 1-4 books. 
• Jazz Musician: Read 5-8 books. 
• Mardi Gras King: Read 9-12 books. 
• Voodoo Queen: Read 13-16 books.

To post a review:

• Link to the designated Mr. Linky below.
• Please leave a comment after linking!

I'm going to try for the Gator Level. 

Grab the button!

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This is the SIGN UP Mr. Linky!  (Use only to sign up for the challenge). Please sign up to your Challenge Post, not just your blog.


This is the REVIEW Mr. Linky.  (Use only to link up your New Orleans Reading Challenge reviews.)




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