Happy 1st Blogoversary Giveaway!

Saturday January 22nd is my first blogoversary so I've decided to have a little giveaway.

What can you win?

Your choice of book from one of my favorite series! Each of these series has a new book being released this year and you can pick either the new one or the first book in the series.

Rules and Details:

1. Winner will be able to pick a book from the list below and it will be ordered/preordered from Amazon.com or Book Depository
2. Giveaway is International (if The Book Depository ships to your country)
3. You DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog (although I'd love it if you decided to become one)
4. You MUST fill out the form to enter (comments on this post do not count as entries)
5. Extra entry: Respond to my Help Wanted post for one extra entry*
6. Extra entry: Tweet this giveaway
7. Winner will be chosen using Random.org
8. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to my notification before I choose another winner
9. The giveaway ends on February 21, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. (EST) 

*If you are unable to leave comments on my blog and wish to respond to the Help Wanted post, you can leave your suggestions on the giveaway entry form
Now on to the goodies:

The Mortal Instruments series
by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones (book 1)

Description from Goodreads:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.... Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

City of Fallen Angels (book 4)
Publication date: April 5, 2011

The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series
by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver (book 1)

Description from Goodreads:

Grace has spent years watching the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—watches back. He feels deeply familiar to her, but she doesn't know why. Sam has lived two lives. As a wolf, he keeps the silent company of the girl he loves. And then, for a short time each year, he is human, never daring to talk to Grace...until now. For Grace and Sam, love has always been kept at a distance. But once it's spoken, it cannot be denied. Sam must fight to stay human—and Grace must fight to keep him—even if it means taking on the scars of the past, the fragility of the present, and the impossibility of the future.

 

Forever (book 3)

Publication date: July 12, 2011

The Silver Phoenix Series

by Cindy Pon

Silver Phoenix (book 1)

Description from Goodreads:

No one wanted Ai Ling. And deep down she is relieved—despite the dishonor she has brought upon her family—to be unbetrothed and free, not some stranger's subservient bride banished to the inner quarters. But now, something is after her. Something terrifying—a force she cannot comprehend. And as pieces of the puzzle start to fit together, Ai Ling begins to understand that her journey to the Palace of Fragrant Dreams isn't only a quest to find her beloved father but a venture with stakes larger than she could have imagined. Bravery, intelligence, the will to fight and fight hard . . . she will need all of these things. Just as she will need the new and mysterious power growing within her. She will also need help. It is Chen Yong who finds her partly submerged and barely breathing at the edge of a deep lake. There is something of unspeakable evil trying to drag her under. On a quest of his own, Chen Yong offers that help . . . and perhaps more.  

 

Fury of the Phoenix (book 2)

Publication date: March 29, 2011

The Nightshade Series

by Andrea Cremer

 

Nightshade (book 1)

Description from Goodreads:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything— including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

 

Wolfsbane (book 2)

Publication date: July 26, 2011

The Eon Series

by Alison Goodman

 

Eon (book 1)

Description from Goodreads:

Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragoneye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and if discovered Eon faces a terrible death.

 Eona (book 2)
Publication date: April 19, 2011

The Parasol Protectorate Series

by Gail Carriger

Soulless (book 1)

Description from book:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she’s a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire — and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London’s high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? Soulless is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Heartless (book 4-no cover released yet)

Publication date: June 28, 2011

Contest is Closed

Remember: Comments to this post do not count as entries

Help Wanted! (Or Desperately Needed!)

Dear fellow bloggers,


I need your help/advice!


Blog Designer Needed

First, I am looking for a new blog design and could use some recommendations. I am currently using a free blog background but by the end of the month it will no longer work. I have looked at some other free designs but cannot find something I like. I've been interested in having a custom made design and layout. Which blog designers do you recommend?

Name For New Blog Feature Needed

I also have a new blog feature planned where readers can request book suggestions based on books they've already read and enjoyed or ask for readalikes (i.e. if you liked Matched by Ally Condie, then you might like Delirium by Lauren Oliver). I don't know what to call this feature and could use some suggestions!

A Thank You Gift

As a thank you to all who respond to this post with their suggestions, you will automatically get an extra entry in my blogoversary giveaway (if you choose to enter) that I will be announcing later this weekend. I'm giving away books from series I love including City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare!

If you are participating in Bloggiesta this weekend and you help me with this, you'd also be fulfilling the mini challenge Help a Blogger Out.

So please help me out with your suggestions/advice. Thank you!

Bloggiesta Starting Line

I was supposed to be working today but have to work tomorrow instead but I don't mind at all! The weather here is not the greatest so I am happy to be able to stay inside and participate in Bloggiesta all day long.

My goal for today is to spend about 12 hours working on my blog. I have a list of things I hope to accomplish over the course of Bloggiesta but I don't know how much I'll get done today.

So I'm all set to start with my eclectic music playlists (Glee, Twilight soundtracks, Bollywood favorites) and snacks (Chex Mix, Chocolate Special K cereal, lots and lots of tea). Let the Bloggiesta begin!

My "to-do" list for Bloggiesta:

Create form for my blogoversary giveaway

Finish writing post for blogoversary giveaway

Write review of Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Write review of Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Write review of The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Update sidebar with current challenges

Add link to my Goodreads account

Update my profile

Work on pages for blog

Finalize plans for new blog feature

Update reviews on Goodreads

Update reviews on Shelfari

Write WoW posts

Wish me good luck! Good luck to all the other Bloggiesta participants this weekend. If you haven't signed up for Bloggiesta, it isn't too late! Just visit Maw Books for the details.

Review: Blameless

Blameless

By Gail Carriger

Publication date: September 1, 2010

My review:

In this third entry in the Parasol Protectorate series (after Soulless and Changeless), Alexia finds herself unjustly accused of something she didn't do and cast out from the protection of the Woolsey Pack, her job with the Shadow Council, and all "polite" society. To make matters worse, Lord Akeldama, her friend and ally, has left London just when she needs him the most. It also looks as though the vampire hives want her dead. In an effort to clear her name Alexia, along with her trusty servant Floote and her new friend Madame Lefou, sets of for Italy. Alexia hopes that in her father's homeland the Knights Templar will have the answers that she seeks but has she gone from the frying pan into the fire?

Gail Carriger is quickly becoming one of my favorite paranormal fiction authors. Her writing is incredibly funny and her heroine is intelligent. While there is still plenty of humor here, Blameless shows us a more emotional and vulnerable Alexia as she faces quite a bit of personal pain. It was nice to see this side of Alexia's character. She is not entirely friendless with the support of Floote, Madame LeFou, Tunstell, and her dear friend Ivy Hisselpenny.

I did miss the presence of Lord Akeldama for much of the book with his over-the-top fashion and way with words. We also get to see the story through the view of Professor Lyall, beta of the Woolsey Pack, and one of my favorite characters. Lyall reminds me so much of Dr. Watson from Sherlock Holmes. He may be mild mannered compared to his Alpha, Conall Maccon, but Lyall shares a similar wit and sense of propriety with Alexia. It was nice to see him come into his own in this book.

In addition to the characters I also enjoyed the plot. The story moves from London to France and Italy. New steampunk technology is introduced and we also meet the Knights Templar and hear their unusual views on preternaturals. I am sure we will see much more of them in future books. Once again I found myself highly entertained by this series. Blameless resolves some of the conflict from Changeless but finding out more about preternaturals only presents more questions which I hope will be answered in the next book.

If you enjoy paranormal romance and intelligent characters, you might like the Parasol Protectorate series. I would suggest these books to fans of Sookie Stackhouse (I do consider Carriger's writing to be far superior) because of the combination of humor, romance, and the paranormal. I would also suggest it to more mature fans of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare for the Victorian steampunk setting and paranormal elements.

Readalikes: the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, the Pink Carnation series by Lauren Willig, Julia Quinn, the Five Hundred Kingdoms series by Mercedes Lackey, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Waiting on Wednesday (37)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting on:

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Publication date: May 3, 2011

Description from Goodreads:

In this exciting second installment of the three-book series, Carter and Sadie, offspring of the brilliant Egyptologist Dr. Julius Kane, embark on a worldwide search for the Book of Ra, but the House of Life and the gods of chaos are determined to stop them.

I loved The Red Pyramid and I am sure this will be just as funny and adventurous. You can read an excerpt from the book here.

What are you waiting on this week?

Teaser Tuesdays (34)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers this week:

"Her attacker gave a surprised cry as she dislodged him and he stumbled backward, trying to keep his balance as he stepped over a fallen branch. Now it was Xan's turn to watch her with astonishment. He wasn't the only one who had hidden abilities and it made Donna feel good that she could take care of herself. It wasn't often she was thankful for being different but now was one of those times."

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

p.100 (ARC)

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma. When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

So far I think this book is very entertaining and an interesting take on faeries. Donna is a funny and strong heroine with a great sidekick in Navin. He is such a fantastic friend. Xan is also a good love interest and he reminds me a bit of Jace Wayland from the Mortal Instruments series. It is hard to put this book down at the moment. I hope it will not disappoint in the end.

Review: Dark Goddess

Dark Goddess

By Sarwat Chadda

Publication date: January 25, 2011 (US)

My review:

In this sequel to Devil's Kiss, Billi travels with the Templars to Russia in order to save a young girl from a terrible fate. Vasilisa's powers as an Oracle have brought her to the attention of the evil and ancient goddess Baba Yaga, who plans to use her to destroy the earth. Billi faces danger from werewolves, gangsters, and traitors but she also finds help from unlikely places.

Dark Goddess is a suspenseful and fast paced read filled with action, terrifying creatures, and a little bit of romance.In Devil's Kiss, Billi suffered some very painful losses and had to make hard decisions. Now she is dealing with the aftermath of her choice. At the same time she has even more challenges as the depleted Templars fight a new threat in the form of werewolves and the powerful Baba Yaga. This makes for another dark story as the title implies.

Billi is a strong yet flawed character. It is hard to believe that she is only fifteen and while reading I tended to think of her as a much older teen.When Billi isn't busy swordfighting, dodging bullets and werewolf bites, she still seems too old for her years except when she is with Ivan Romanov, her love interest. He was raised to be a warrior just as she was only in a much more opulent lifestyle.  Ivan is a member of the Bogatyrs, Russian knights similar to the Templars. (He also happens to be a descendant of the late Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, daughter of Tsar Nicholas II.) Their chemistry isn't very believable but I still liked Ivan as a character and hope to see more of him in future books.

I liked that this book takes place in Russia and incorporates Russian mythology. With the frenetic pacing, we don't really get to enjoy the setting very much and the developing romance also quickly takes a back seat to the action. Though there is plenty of action there are also thoughtful and more philosophical moments where Billi considers her path in life and the beliefs of the Templars. Something else I liked was a twist involving the werewolves that I was not quite expecting. 

Overall I thought this was a grim but entertaining book. It does have quite a bit of violence so it is not for everyone. However for those who are sick of sparkling vampires and paranormal love, this series might be just the thing you need. I would suggest this to fans of Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels.

Readalikes: Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow, Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, Slayed by Amanda Marrone, The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Note: I read and reviewed an ARC of this title as part of an ARC tour courtesy of Star Book Tours

It's Monday, What Are You Reading (48)

It's Monday What Are You Reading? is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books. I always enjoy seeing what other people have read and reviewed over the past week. It is also a great way to find new books to add to that ever-growing TBR list!

Lately I've been reading a lot of books for ARC tours so my library books have been pushed to the backburner. This week I'm hoping to get caught up so that I can return some of my overdue books! If I don't read Cleopatra this week, I won't get to read it for months but I may just have to do that. It takes me much longer to read nonfiction anyway. We'll see if I get to it or not.

This week is Bloggiesta and my one year blogoversary so I have a busy weekend ahead and a new contest in the works. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to read.

Books finished:

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Books reviewed:

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Currently reading:

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

What I might read next:

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

In My Overstuffed Mailbox (42)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to share what books you received for review, purchased, or checked out from the library during the past week.

Because it has been a month since my last IMM post, the list this week will be extra long! Links will take you to my reviews (Entice and Crusade) or to Goodreads.

For review (from ARC tours):

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

Entice by Carrie Jones

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

I've read all of these except for The Iron Witch, which I will be reading this coming week.

For Christmas (from my awesome sister Usha):

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

From the Library:

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

I have been waiting and waiting for this one so hopefully I'll get to read it soon. I hope the book will live up to its beautiful cover and all the hype

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

I reserved this one right away when it won the Michael Printz Award and I was surprised it arrived so quickly. I didn't try last year's Printz winner because Going Bovine didn't appeal to me at all.

Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick

This sounds so fantastically suspenseful and it is a Printz Honor book

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

I didn't know anything about this book until it was named a Printz Honor book

Stolen by Lucy Christopher

I already had this on my TBR list but moved it up the list when it received a Printz Honor

Dash and Lily's Book of Dares
by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

I've heard that this is fantastic and I look forward to reading it soon

The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal

Such a beautiful cover and compelling story line. I am reading this for the South Asian Author Challenge and POC Challenge

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal

This is another SAAC/POC Challenge selection but a bit lighter than The Dowry Bride

Queen Hereafter by Susan Fraser King

Scottish history and a beautiful cover drove me to pick this one up

Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell

I may not have time to read this one but it received positive reviews and is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in post-Civil War Texas so I will do my best to get to it

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Such a beautiful cover and so many good reviews for this one. I have to read it soon because there is a long waiting list at the library. I will endeavor to try starting it next week but at the rate I am receiving review books, it may not happen!

Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett

I love, love, love Tudor history and I kind of ordered it for my library even though we probably didn't need a dedicated biography of Catherine of Aragon. To be fair, it did receive good reviews and is the first biography of her in years. Supposedly it breaks new ground in looking at her life in Spain before she became queen number one for Bluff King Hal.

So that's my very overstuffed mailbox. Next week's should be back to normal. I hope...

2011 Hogwarts Reading Challenge

January 1, 2011-June 30, 2011

Bunnitaz of Worth Reading It is once again hosting the Hogwarts Reading Challenge! I had a lot of fun with this challenge last year so I knew I had to sign up again.

In the Hogwarts Reading Challenge you are a student of the school. You will be sorted into houses. Each book you read must fit in to the subject of one the classes. You do not have to read books that fit all the subjects. Each book equals one point (toward the house cup).


You must read at least 5 books (audio books counts) before you are entered in the drawing. At the end of the Challenge one person will win a $15 Amazon Gift Card and one house will win the House Cup (purely a pride thing).


Reading one of the 7 Harry Potter books earns you 25 house points. You can only read these books once during the challenge. 15 points for any other Harry Potter related book such as The Tales of Beedle the Bard or A Parent's Guide to Harry Potter, again these books can only be read once during the challenge.

The Sorting Hat placed me in:

The Classes


Transfiguration - read any book that has trans or figure in its title, is about shape shifting, has a shape shifter in it, or is about anything having to do with changing one thing into another


1. Blameless by Gail Carriger 1-6-11
2. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain 1-30-11

 Defence Against the Dark Arts - read any book that has defence(defense), dark and/or art(s) in its title, read any book that is about self defense, war, history of war/martial arts, murder mysteries

1. The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal 1-25-11
2. Pemberley Ranch by Jack Caldwell 2-4-11
3. Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting 2-9-11
4. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan 2-15-11
5. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn 2-21-11
6. Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey 3-16-11
7. Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West 4-17-11
8. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross 5-5-11
9. Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn 5-25-11
10. Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn 6-3-11
11. Divergent by Veronica Roth 6-27-11
12. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn 6-30-11

Charms - read any book that has charm in its title, any book that deals with gives something or someone a new aspect (for example the nerdy guy become a handsome doctor)


1. Wither by Lauren DeStefano 1-13-11
2. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig 2-13-11
3. Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors 2-14-11
4. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins 2-22-11
5. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg 3-1-11
6. The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal 3-13-11
7. Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen 3-30-11
8. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen 4-11-11
9. Never Sit Down in a Hoop Skirt by Crickett Rumley 4-24-11
10. My Foolish Heart by Susan May Warren 5-15-11
11. Dolci di Love by Sarah Kate-Lynch 6-29-11


Potions - read any book that has potion in its title, cookbooks count but you must cook at least one recipe out of the book

1.


Astronomy - read any book that has astronomy in its title, books about planets, stars, etc, sci-fi

1. Across the Universe by Beth Revis 2-2-11


History of Magic - read any book that has history or magic in its title, books about magic, witches, etc


1. Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie 1-8-11
2. Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon 1-10-11
3. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney 1-18-11
4. Misguided Angel by Melissa de la Cruz 1-23-11
5. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa 2-6-11
6. Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins 2-7-11
7. Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis 3-26-11
8. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare 4-25-11


Herbology - read any book that has herb in its title, again cookbooks count and again you must cook at least one recipe out of the book


Arithmancy - read any book that has arithmancy in its title, any book with a number in its title, any book that deal with numbers or math

1. Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell 3-13-11
2. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton 5-1-11

Ancient Runes - read any book that has ancient or runes in its title, books about historical places like the pyramids, Stonehenge, great wall of china, or any book about symbols

1. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury 4-27-11
2.


Divination - read any book that has divine in its title, any book about psychics or psychic abilities, tarot reading etc

1. Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier 1-15-11
2. Deadly Little Games by Laurie Faria Stolarz 3-8-11
3. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell 4-4-11
4. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris 5-9-11
5. Clarity by Kim Harrington 5-10-11
6. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini 6-15-11


Care of Magical Creatures - read any book that has magical or creatures in its title, about supernatural beings

1. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 3-27-11
2. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand 5-7-11
3. The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle 6-14-11


Muggle Studies - nearly any book works here, what better way to understand Muggles than to read what they read

1. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell 2-12-11
2. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult 2-20-11
3. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley 2-26-11
4. Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran 3-6-11
5. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 3-20-11
6. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley 4-13-11
7. Stay by Deb Caletti 4-16-11
8. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys 4-19-11
9. The Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew 4-21-11
10. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn 5-13-11
11. Sideways on a Scooter by Miranda Kennedy 5-17-11
12. The Help by Kathryn Stockett 5-22-11
13. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews 6-4-11
14. Ophelia by Lisa M. Klein 6-11-11
15. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby 6-19-11
16. The Violets of March by Sarah Jio 6-25-11

Harry Potter Books (+50 points!)

1. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 3-25-11
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 6-25-11

In addition to the regular challenge, there will also be mini challenges:

Perfect Mini Challenge
January 14-February 13, 2011

For this mini challenge there are two ways to participate (can be combined):

• Read at least 3 books with the word "perfect" in the title
• Read at least 3 books that you give a perfect rating to and tell why you gave the books the perfect rating

Points - 10 per book for the first three and 25 points for completing the challenge. After the first three books, you get 15 extra points for each additional book you read for the mini challenge. Every third book equals one extra entry in the Triwizard Tournament Drawing.

Book in the Day Mini Challenge
February 14 to March 13, 2011

For this mini challenge the goal is to read 3 books published in 1999 or earlier

Points - 10 per book for the first three and 25 points for completing the challenge. After the first three books, you get 15 extra points for each additional book you read for the mini challenge. Every third book equals one extra entry in the Triwizard Tournament Drawing.

Hide and Seek Mini Challenge (+100 points!)
March 14 to April 30, 2011

For this mini challenge the goal is to read 3 books that are related to hide and seek. These books can be mysteries, detective stories, crime, or have the words hide or seek in the title.

Points - 10 per book for the first three books and 25 points for completing the challenge. After the first three books, you get 15 extra points for each additional book you read for the mini challenge. Every third book equals one extra entry in the Triwizard Tournament Drawing.

1. Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey 3-16-11
2. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan 3-20-11
3. Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 3-27-11
4. Stay by Deb Caletti 4-16-11
5. Gone With a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West 4-17-11
6. Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury 4-27-11

Fight or Flight Mini Challenge (+55 points!)
May 1st to June 30, 2011

For this mini challenge the goal is to read 3 books that have to do with fighting, boxing, military, or aviation. Books with the words fight or flight in the title will count as well as books with the word bird in the title or with the name of a flying bird.

Points  - 10 per book for the  first three books and 25 points for completing the challenge. After the first three books, you get 15 extra points for each additional book you read for the mini challenge. Every third book equals one extra entry in the Triwizard Tournament Drawing.


1. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross 5-5-11
2. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini 6-15-11
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth 6-27-11

Page to Screen January Reviews

Post your January book or movie reviews for the Page to Screen Reading Challenge here in the Linky below. Remember that each review you link equals an extra entry in the grand prize drawing!

For more details, visit the Page to Screen Challenge Sign Up.

Please leave a link directly to your review with the title of the book and author (or title of the movie) reviewed. You can add your reviews through the end of the month.

Book Blogger Hop!

"In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!"

If you'd like to join the hop, sign up at Crazy For Books.

This week's question:

Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?

I read a lot of YA fiction, particularly romance (paranormal, historical, contemporary). I think I am drawn to it because the characters tend to be less jaded. I like reading about first love and the intensity of emotions and attraction between the characters that you typically find in YA fiction. There is this kind of innocence or hopefulness to it.  I also love the creativity of story lines that you sometimes find in YA fiction with novels like The Hunger Games or Before I Fall and Delirium by Lauren Oliver. The stories are entertaining but they ask deeper questions at the same time. Somehow I don't think Before I Fall or The Hunger Games would have the same impact if written for adults and featuring adult protagonists. Mostly I think I am drawn to YA fiction because when you are a teenager you are at this place in life where your future stretches out before you with infinite possibilities: it is exciting and scary at the same time and I like remembering that feeling.

Welcome to Reading Extensively where I like to blog about my favorite YA and genre fiction. My name is Christina and I am an adult services/YA librarian from Ohio.

If you leave a comment, I'll be sure to come visit your blog too. Thanks for stopping by!

2011 Colorful Chick Lit Challenge

January 1-December 31, 2011

Reads4Pleasure is hosting the Colorful Chick Lit Challenge. I found out about this fun challenge from Ari at Reading in Color. I know that I am once again going overboard on the reading challenges but this one will fit nicely with the POC Reading Challenge so I decided to take the plunge and sign up. 

The goal of the challenge is to read chick lit written by women of color about women of color and to try to read a variety of POC chick lit (Indian, Asian, Latina, African American).

There are three levels to the challenge:

Novice-4 to 7 books

Amateur-8 to 11 books

Queen of Chick Lit-12 or more books

I am going to aim for the novice level to start with and see how I do from there.  I don't have my book list yet but I will hopefully find some great titles to read soon.

If you'd like to participate too, head over to Reads4Pleasure to find out more.