It's Monday, What Are You Reading (47)

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!

Books finished:

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Books reviewed:

Entice by Carrie Jones

Currently reading:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

I haven't read very much of this one because I've had to read some ARCs for ARC tours and keep up with library books. My goal is to finish it by the end of the month.

Fury of the Phoenix by Cindy Pon

Silver Phoenix was one of my favorite fantasy books that I read last year. I am sure this one will be just as fantastic although I'm really disappointed with the decision of the publishers to homogenize the covers. The original Silver Phoenix cover was beautiful and depicted a strong Asian heroine. The new versions make the character appear white and look like any other YA paranormal cover.

What I might read next:

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

I actually started reading this but then received Fury of the Phoenix which I am reading for an ARC tour. I will definitely be reading this next though because it is a library book. I love Juliet Marillier's writing so it was hard to put this aside and I can't wait to get back to it.

The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal

I am going to read this for the POC Reading Challenge and South Asian Author Challenge. I've never read Shobhan Bantwal's books but this one has a compelling storyline and I love the cover!

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

I am hoping to get to this book before it is due back at the library. It received such great reviews and I've always found Cleopatra to be a fascinating historical figure.

What does your reading week look like?

POC Reading Challenge Wrap Up

I'm so glad that I participated in this challenge and that I was able to reach my reading goals!

My list:


1. Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
2. The Promise by Chandra Sparks Taylor
3. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
4. Invisible Lives by Anjali Banerjee
5. Ash by Malinda Lo
6. Persepolis 1 by Marjane Satrapi
7. One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
8. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
10. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
11. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
12. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
13. Gateway by Sharon Shinn
14. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
15. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
16. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa
17. Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
18. The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
19. Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
20. Caleb + Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma
21. Sea by Heidi Kling
22. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
23. The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee
24. Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
25. Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

My favorite books read for this challenge were Girl in Translation, Someone Knows My Name, Silver Phoenix, and Sea. All four books had great characters and compelling storylines. Girl in Translation focuses on the immigrant experience and Someone Knows My Name is a historical novel about slavery during the 1700s. Silver Phoenix is an Asian inspired YA fantasy. I was drawn to this book by the cover as well as the book description. Sadly, the publisher has decided to reissue the book with a more homogenized YA paranormal cover with a non Asian looking cover model. While it may get more readers that way it made me unhappy because I loved that the original cover showed this strong Asian girl who reflects the character of Ai Ling much better than the new cover.  Sea is set in Indonesia in the aftermath of the tsunami of 2004. I liked that it covered this tragedy in a very sensitive way.

There were a couple of books that I read for this challenge that I found to be disappointing. Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa is a novella and while the author is POC, the characters of the Iron Fey series are not. The regular novels in the series have both flaws and strengths but this novella seemed to showcase the flaws and I am glad it was a free download and not something I had to purchase. Gateway by Sharon Shinn features a POC main character and I really really wanted to love this book. It started out well but then the ending disappointed me because the story didn't really go anywhere. I also wanted the main character to be stronger and less dependent on her love interest. Their romance was not very believable either.

The POC challenge did introduce me to some great new authors, mainly Cindy Pon, Y.S. Lee, and Julie Kwok. I read two books in Ying Lee's Agency series featuring Mary Quinn who is part Chinese and struggling with her cultural identity in a discriminating Victorian society. I look forward to reading more about Mary who is a strong and intelligent POC heroine. I also found Ai Ling, heroine of Cindy Pon's Silver Phoenix, to be a strong and capable heroine and I've just started Fury of the Phoenix, the sequel. It was great to read an Asia inspired fantasy novel.

Over the course of the challenge I realized that while I had been reading some POC books on an off through the years I mostly read books that had Caucasian protagonists or were written by Caucasian authors even though I am a "person of color". I do enjoy reading POC fiction, especially about people from Asian cultures because of my own South Asian heritage. I found that I was able to relate to those characters more (especially the family dynamics).

I am participating in the POC challenge again this year. I  already have a small list of books I want to read but plan to add to it. I am aiming to read 25 POC novels for the challenge and I want to read more South Asian fiction because I am participating in Swapna's South Asain Authors Challenge again. Already I am planning to read a couple of books by Shobhan Bantwal and there is a new one by Anjali Banerjee coming this winter that I want to read. I would love to read more POC YA fiction too.

Thank you to Pam, Ari, and all the others who are promoting POC books through their blogs and the POC Reading Challenge! If you'd like to sign up for this year's POC challenge or find out more about it, you can visit the POC Reading Challenge blog.

2011 Take a Chance Challenge

January 1-December 31, 2011

Life With Books is hosting the third Take a Chance Challenge. This unique reading challenge is all about how we choose what books we read. By participating in this challenge, I am sure to find some great books that I would otherwise have missed out on.


There are ten different "challenges" or ways in which we can select what we read:


1: Staff Member’s Choice: Go to a bookstore or library that has a “Staff Picks” section. Read one of the picks from that section.


2: Loved One’s Choice: Ask a loved one to pick a book for you to read. (If you can convince them to buy it for you, that is even better!)


3: Blogger’s Choice: Find a “Best Books Read” post from a favorite blogger. Read a book from their list.


4: Critic’s Choice: Find a “Best of the Year” list from a magazine, newspaper or professional critic. Read a book from their Top 10 list.


5: Blurb Book: Find a book that has a blurb on it from another author. Read a book by the author that wrote the blurb.


6: Book Seer Pick: Go to The Book Seer and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you.


7: What Should I Read Next Pick : Go to What Should I Read Next and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you.


8: Which Book Pick: Go to Which Book and use the software to generate a list of books. Read a book from that list.


9: LibraryThing Pick: Go to LibraryThing’s Zeitgeist page. Look at the lists for 25 Most Reviewed Books or Top Books and pick a book you’ve never read. Read the book. (Yes … you can click on MORE if you have to.)


10: Pick A Method: Pick a method for finding a book from the choices listed below (used in previous versions of the challenge).


•Random Book Selection. Go to the library. Position yourself in a section such as Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, Children (whatever section you want). Then write down random directions for yourself (for example, third row, second shelf, fifth book from right). Follow your directions and see what book you find. Check that book out of the library, read it and then write about it. (If you prefer, you can do the same at a bookstore and buy the book!)
•Public Spying. Find someone who is reading a book in public. Find out what book they are reading and then read the same book. Write about it.
•Random Bestseller. Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the number 1950 for the min. and 2010 for the max. and then hit generate. Then go to this site and find the year that Random.org generated for you and click on it. Then find the bestseller list for the week that would contain your birthday for that year. Choose one of the bestsellers from the list that comes up, read it and write about it.


I think this is a fun and creative challenge. I will hopefully be able to do all ten.  If you'd like to participate too, visit Life With Books to sign up.

2011 Outlander Series Reading Challenge

January 1-December 31, 2011

I know that I made a resolution to try to keep my reading challenge participation to no more than 20 but when I saw this challenge I just couldn't resist! The Lit Bitch is hosting the Outlander Series Reading Challenge to encourage people to read Diana Gabaldon's series about time travel and Scottish history.


The goal is to read all of the books currently published:


Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums in Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breath of Snow and Ashes
An Echo in the Bone


I loved Outlander but sadly haven't finished the rest of the series. I tried to read Dragonfly in Amber a couple of years ago but couldn't get into it. I plan to reread Outlander and hopefully this time I will be able to finish Dragonfly in Amber. I may also read The Exile (graphic novel that is a companion of sorts to Outlander).


If you'd like to participate, head over to the Outlander Series Reading Challenge Sign Up Page.

2011 Young Adult Contemporary Reading Challenge

Reggie at The Undercover Book Lover is hosting the YA Contemporary Challenge to encourage us to read more YA contemporary novels. The goal of the challenge is to read 13 YA contemporary novels in 2011. The novels also must be published in 2011. As someone who reads a lot of YA paranormal fiction I think it would be good for me to balance it out by doing this challenge. 

If you'd like to participate, head over to The Undercover Book Lover to sign up. There is also a helpful list of YA contemporary books being released this year. This challenge would go along nicely with the Debut Author Challenge as well!

2011 Mystery and Suspense Challenge

 

Book Chick City is once again hosting the Mystery & Suspense Reading Challenge. I did not participate last year but thought I'd join this time because I want to read more mystery and suspense fiction. One of my job responsibilities as an adult services librarian is to order fiction for adults and I realized that I am deficient in the mystery department so I often miss out ordering books that mystery readers would like to see on the shelves. Hopefully this challenge will help me become more familiar with the genre. I might even convince myself to try reading some "cozy" mysteries.

The goal of the challenge is to read twelve mystery/suspense books between January 1 and December 31, 2011. If you are interested in signing up, visit Book Chick City. 

 

Review: Entice

Entice by Carrie Jones

Publication date: January 3, 2011

My review:

After the way Captivate ended, I couldn't wait to find out what happened in Entice. In some ways Entice met my expectations especially with the development of Astley's character. Those who liked Astley in Captivate will be really happy with Entice as he becomes a major player in the storyline. By the end of the book he was definitely my favorite character. I really enjoyed watching the friendship develop between Zara and Astley.

Entice had a different feel to it compared to Need and Captivate. This is partly due to the changes and events that occur during Captivate. In that book we were introduced to Norse mythology and the concept of Valhalla, a Norse version of heaven and the place where fallen warriors are taken. In Entice, Zara and her friends are trying to find a way to get to Valhalla. The addition of Norse gods to the plot was not a plus in my opinion. Thankfully that is just a small part at the end of the book but it really doesn't seem to fit the rest of the book or the series.

I do wish the story had focused more on the changes in Zara's life. There are some moments in this book where characters are not given enough time to process what happens.  Instead everything is pushed to the side to focus on the "quest" to find Valhalla. I think that part was handled badly. I still liked this book however mainly because of Astley. His character is the only one that really shows development. While Astley is likely the "Jacob Black" of the series, I still hope that Zara will choose him in the end. I look forward to seeing where Carrie Jones will take the series and how the story will be resolved.

Readalikes: The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer, Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin, Thief Eyes by Janni Lee Simner, The Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Note: I received an ARC for review purposes as part of an ARC tour courtesy of Around the World ARC Tours

100+ Reading Challenge Wrap Up

The 100+ Reading Challenge was originally hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog but later passed on to Home Girl's Book Blog. The object was to read at least 100 books in 2010.

I had a lot of reading time last year so I managed to finish 204 books for this challenge. If you are curious, you can read the whole list here.

I enjoyed participating in the challenge and I am participating in another 100+ Reading Challenge this year although this one is hosted by Amy at My Overstuffed Bookshelf. My goal for this year is to read 101 books. I am working full time now so I don't have as much time to read. Hopefully I will reach my goal!

First in a Series Challenge Wrap Up

The 1st in a Series Reading Challenge was hosted by The Royal Reviews and then passed on to Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings.

I was aiming to reach the Addicted level (reading the first book in twelve series) but I ended up reaching the Obsessed level by reading the first book in twenty series.

I was introduced to some great series for this challenge including the Vampire Academy series, the Pink Carnation series, and the Gallagher Girls series.

Here are the books I read:


1. Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
2. Deliver Us From Evil by Robin Caroll
3. Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
4. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
5. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
6. The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Colleen Coble
7. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
8. The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen
9. Heist Society by Ally Carter
10. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter
11. Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
12. Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
13. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
14. The Mark by Jen Nadol
15. Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
16. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
17. The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent
18. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
19. Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
20. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesdays (32)

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!


I haven't participated in this meme for awhile and today I chose to post two teasers because I liked them both so much!

My teasers this week:

"Alexia was known throughout London for her intellectual prowess, patronage of the scientific community, and biting wit. Felicity and Evylin were known for their puffed sleeves. The world, as a result, was generally more peaceful when the three were not living under the same roof." p.6


"Given her previous familiarity with near-death experiences and their comparative frequency with regards to her good self, Alexia should probably have allowed extra time for such a predictable happenstance. Except that in this particular instance, the unpleasant event was occurring in broad daylight, while she was driving down Oxford Street-not, as a general rule, the expected time or location for such an event." p. 37

Blameless by Gail Carriger

I chose not to post a description of Blameless because it unfortunately contains spoilers for book two, Changeless. I love the Parasol Protectorate series. Alexia is such a funny and intelligent character and I like the mix of paranormal, mystery, and romance. Gail Carriger's writing style is witty and sarcastic. If you haven't read the books, check out my review of Soulless, the first book in the series to learn more about it.

2011 Victorian Literature Challenge

 January 1-December 31, 2011 

The Victorian Literature Challenge is being hosted by Bethany at Words, Words, Words. The purpose of the reading challenge is to read literature written from 1837-1901.

There are four levels to this challenge:

Sense and Sensibility-read 1 to 4 books

Great Expectations-read 5 to 9 books

Hard Times-read 10 to 14 books

Desperate Remedies-read 15+ books

I am going to aim for the Sense and Sensibility level because I know that I won't likely read 5 or more Victorian novels.

I am definitely going to read one book for the challenge as I've already started it and love it so far:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Other Victorian novels that have been on my TBR list that I might read:

Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope

If you'd like to participate, visit Words, Words, Words

 

2011 Southern Literature Challenge

Jen at the Introverted Reader is hosting the Southern Literature Challenge to pay homage to her heritage. I haven't read a lot of Southern Literature but I have enjoyed what I've tried so I thought I'd sign up for this challenge.

The object is to read at least one book by an author from the South that is set mostly in the South.

 

There are four levels to this challenge:

Level 1-C'mon in the house! Read 1 book

Level 2-Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 2 books
Level 3-Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 3 books
Level 4-Y'all come back now, y'hear! Read 4 books

I am going to aim for Level 2 for now and see how I do with it.

If this sounds like something you are interested in, visit The Introverted Reader to sign up!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading (46)

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!

It's been a couple of weeks since I last participated in this meme because I was taking a break over the holidays.  I hope everyone had a nice holiday season!

Books finished:

Entice by Carrie Jones

Dark Goddess by Sarwat Chadda

Books reviewed:

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

Currently reading:

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Blameless by Gail Carriger

What I plan to read next:

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

What does your reading week look like?

2011 Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge

Jamie at The Book Junkie's Bookshelf is hosting a Support Your Local Library Challenge. As a librarian and library patron I love the idea behind this challenge! 

There are four levels to this challenge:

Mini-read 30 books checked out from the library
Fun size-read 40 books checked out from the library
Jumbo size-read 50 books checked out from the library
Mega size-read51+ books checked out from the library

I am going to aim for the Mega size. It shouldn't be too hard for me since I work in a library and I'm constantly checking out more books than I can possibly read in a month!

If you'd like to participate in this challenge and support your library, sign up here

10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge Wrap Up

The 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge was hosted by Jessica at Chick Lit Teens and YA author Kay Cassidy. The purpose of the challenge was to read ten YA chick lit novels in 2010. 

I was able to complete this challenge (actually I read more than ten YA chick lit novels). Here is my list of ten:

1. The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
2. Tangled by Carolyn Mackler
3. The Oracle of Dating by Allison Van Diepen
4. Heist Society by Ally Carter
5. Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald
6. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
7. A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
8. The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
9. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
10. Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman

2011 POC Reading Challenge

I have once again decided to participate in the POC Reading Challenge. This fantastic challenge encourages participants to read books written by persons of color or featuring characters that are persons of color.

There are 5 levels to this challenge:

Level 1-read 1 to 3 POC books

Level 2-read 4 to 6 POC books

Level 3-read 7 to 9 POC books

Level 4-read 10 to 15 POC books

Level 5-read 16 to 25 POC books

Last year I read 25 POC books. This year I hope to at least reach level 4 and read 10 to 15 POC books.

If you are interested in participating, visit the POC Reading Challenge blog where you will also find helpful reading suggestions.

2011 Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge

I've been wanting to read Anne McCaffrey for years now. People keep telling me how fantastic the Harper Hall and Dragonriders of Pern series are. So when I found out that Caroline at Portrait of a Woman is hosting an Anne McCaffrey Reading Challenge I decided to sign up!

My goal for this challenge is to read the three books that comprise the Harper Hall Trilogy (Dragonsong, Dragonsinger, Dragondrums) and then if I decide I want to keep reading more of McCaffrey's work I will go on to the Dragonriders of Pern Trilogy (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, The White Dragon). I plan to read Dragonsong during the first quarter and then read Dragonsinger and Dragondrums in the second quarter.

If you are a fan of McCaffrey's books or think this sounds like the challenge for you, head to Portrait of a Woman to sign up.

2011 South Asian Author Challenge

January 1-December 31, 2010

Swapna of S. Krishna's Books is once again hosting the South Asian Author Challenge. I participated in this challenge last year but to my disappointment I was unable to finish. As a South Asian American I think this challenge is very important and I hope to do much better this year!

The books read for this challenge must either be written by a South Asian author (from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, or the Maldives) or the book must be about South Asia in some way (set in a South Asian country or about South Asians living abroad). Memoirs, cookbooks, travel guides, etc. also count.

There are six levels to this challenge:

•South Asian Encounter - 1 book
•South Asian Wanderer - 3 books
•South Asian Explorer - 5 books
•South Asian Adventurer - 7 books
•South Asian Hero/Heroine - 10 books
•South Asian Guru - Over 10 books (you can set your own goal)

I am aiming for the South Asian Explorer level. Here are the books I plan to read (subject to change):

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal
The Dowry Bride by Shobhan Bantwal
The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson
Secret Keeper by Mitali Perkins
Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

You can sign up for the South Asian Author Challenge at S. Krishna's Books

Resolutions

I don't usually make resolutions because I find it nearly impossible to keep them. The only one I've been able to keep consistently for the past two years is my resolution to keep track of the books I read each year. I used to just keep a list in a notebook, then I had a Word document where I typed up a list, and in 2010 I used Goodreads and Shelfari. So due to my success, I've decided to make some reading and blogging resolutions for 2011.

My Reading Resolutions:

• I will keep track of all the books I read in 2011 using Goodreads and Shelfari
• I will read more fiction for adults
• I will read a greater variety of books
• I will read at least two nonfiction books this year
• I will read at least two classics
• I will read more literary/book discussion worthy fiction
• I will read more POC authors
• I will try reading a book from a genre I am not very familiar with
• I will try to be more critical/discerning of the books that I read
• I will sign up for reading challenges that encourage me to read outside my box
• I will try to limit the number of challenges I participate in to no more than 20
• I will complete the reading challenges I sign up for
• I will do my best to read the books on my shelf that I have not yet read
• I will not go overboard on requesting e-ARCs from NetGalley
• I will not go overboard on signing up for ARC tours

My Blogging Resolutions:

• I will write more book reviews
• I will try to review every book I read
• I will write my reviews as soon as possible after reading the book
• I will try to improve the quality of my reviews
• I will post at least one review each week
• I will limit the number of memes I participate in
• I will try to write more meaningful posts
• I will try to write more posts about other book topics
• I will try to blog every day
• I will try to keep up with all the blogs I follow
• I will participate in Bloggiesta
• I will reorganize my blog
• I will create pages for my blog
• I will create a page of readalikes
• I will try to have at least two contests this year

Wish me luck as I attempt to keep these resolutions!

What reading/blogging resolutions have you made this year?

2011 Wish I'd Read That Challenge

January 1-December 31, 2011

I am once again participating in this challenge although I did not finish it last year. This year the challenge is being hosted by My Love Affair With Books.

There are four levels to the challenge:

Curious-read 3 books

Fascinated-read 6 books

Addicted-read 12 books

Obsessed-read 20 books

Last year I aimed a little too high and listed 20 books, some of which I actually didn't want to read. This year I will aim for the Addicted level and see how I do.

Here are the books I am thinking of reading. This list is subject to change and I have over 150 books on my TBR list to choose from!

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

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran

The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

If you'd like to join this challenge, sign up at My Love Affair With Books!