Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 Year in Review--Stats and Favorite Books

I read 122 books this year.  Not so good.  But I think it's because I got a puppy towards the end of last year and I don't read as quickly now because I constantly have to check that she's not chewing up something.  Plus I got engaged over Christmas break last year and got married in June of this year so the first half of the year was spent planning and researching stuff for that!  Hopefully next year will be a better reading year!

I read 38,936 pages this year (I read 52,193 pages last year so I read 13,257 pages less than last year.  Yikes!

I only had one 5 star rating book this year again! (and it suprised me!)

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron











I had 5 books get a 4.5 rating.

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle











I also finished all of my challenges!  (I am not counting the Sookie Stackhouse one since that will be ongoing since more books keep coming out)

2011 YA Contemporary Challenge-- Completed!


What is contemporary? It's the genre wherein the events can happen in real life at the present time. The characters in the novel can be present in real life.

Goal: To read a minimum of thirteen young adult contemporary novels published in 2011.

Rules:

- All contemporary books must be in the Young Adult genre

- Books have to be published in 2011

- Open to everybody. Please fill in the form to enter.

- You can join whenever you want

- If you want to enter with your blog link, you have to post about the challenge.

- Link your reviews of 2011 Contemporary books in the MisterLinky below.

  1.   Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors 
  2.  The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
  3.  The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
  4.  Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
  5.  The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  6.  Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
  7.  The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
  8.  Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
  9.  Winter Town by Stephen Emond
  10.  Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
  11.  Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge-- Completed!



1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Create a post about the challenge and link your challenge post up in the linky below.
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.
2. There are four levels:
--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.
--The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.
--The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.
3. Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
5. The Challenge starts on January 1, 2011 and goes until December 31, 2011.

* I will be participating in the Mega size YA Reading Challenge

  1.  Entice by Carrie Jones
  2. Starstruck by Cyn Balog
  3.  The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
  4.  Mercy by Rebecca Lim
  5.  Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
  6.  The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
  7.  The Chaos by Rachel Ward
  8.  Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
  9.  The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
  10.  Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors 
  11.  The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
  12.  Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
  13.  Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
  14.  A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
  15.  The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
  16.  Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris 
  17.  Clarity by Kim Harrington
  18.  Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
  19.  Forgotten by Cat Patrick
  20.  Drought by Pam Bachorz
  21.  Haven by Kristi Cook
  22.  Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
  23.  Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
  24.  Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurely Deriso
  25. Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey 
  26.  Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
  27.  Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  28.  The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  29.  Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
  30.  Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
  31.  Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
  32.  Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
  33.  The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
  34.  Supernaturally by Kiersten White
  35.  Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
  36.  The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
  37.  My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
  38.  If I Die by Rachel Vincent
  39.  My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
  40.  Reaper by Rachel Vincent
  41.  Frost by Wendy Delsol 
  42.  The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton 
  43.  Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
  44.  Between by Jessica Warman
  45. Winter Town by Stephen Emond
  46. Dark Souls by Paula Morris
  47. Eternity by Heather Terrell
  48. Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
  49. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
  50. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
  51. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
  52. Fateful by Claudia Gray
  53. Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
  54. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
  55. Variant by Robison Wells
  56. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
  57. Eve by Anna Carey
  58. Crossed by Ally Condie
  59. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  60. As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
  61. Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
  62. Wherever You Go by Heather Davis
  63. Fury by Elizabeth Miles
  64. Possession by Elana Johnson
  65. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
  66. After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
  67. Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
  68. The Mark by Jen Nadol
  69. The Vision by Jen Nadol
  70. The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
  71. The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
  72. Enthralled: Paranormal Diversion edited by Kelley Armstrong & Melissa Marr
  73. The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
  74. The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
  75. Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
  76. You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
  77. Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
  78. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  79. Prized by Caragh O'Brien
  80. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
  81. Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
  82. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
  83. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
  84. Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
  85. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  86. Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
  87. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  88. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
  89. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  90. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  91. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel
  92. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
  93. A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
  94. The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
  95. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
  96. On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker
  97. Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick
  98. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

What's in a Name? 4 Challenge-- Completed!



Here's How It Works:

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:

A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler's Wife
A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child
The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know:

Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
Books may overlap other challenges.
Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed but encouraged.
You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.

On January 1, I'll publish 7 posts, each with a Mr. Linky (one for each category and one for your wrap-up post), on this blog so you'll have a place post links to your reviews (bloggers) or leave comments (non-bloggers) as you finish up each category.

Number: Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
Jewelry or Gem: The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Size: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Travel or Movement: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
Evil: The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Life Stage: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

2011 Debut Author Challenge-- Completed!



2011 Debut Author Challenge participant information:

The objective of the DAC is to read at least twelve novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit! I encourage readers who can read more than twelve to do so!

Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States.

You do not have to have an blog written in English to participate.

You can join at anytime. Deadline to join is November 20, 2011. (not 2010 you still have PLENTY of time to sign up!) The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

Qualifying books:

Books must be a Young Adult or Middle Grade novel.

DO NOTE: Just because a book has a teen character or is about a teen, does not mean that it is necessarily a Young Adult novel.

This must be the authors debut with a release date in 2011.

If an author has a previous novel published under adult fiction/nonfiction or children's fiction/nonfiction, they can still qualify for the challenge if they are releasing their YA or MG debut.

More challenge guidelines:

Novels must be read between January 1, 2011- December 31, 2011. That means, those of you that have read arc forms of the titles early will not be able to count those toward your challenge totals.

You can use debuts from other countries, but the novel cannot be previously released in your county. (I explain this a little bit more in the FAQ section, if you want to check that out!)

  1.   The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
  2.  Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
  3.  The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
  4.  Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
  5.  Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
  6.  Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris 
  7.  Clarity by Kim Harrington
  8.  Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
  9.  Forgotten by Cat Patrick
  10.  Haven by Kristi Cook
  11.  Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
  12. Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  13. The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  14. Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
  15. The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
  16. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
  17. Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
  18. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
  19. Variant by Robison Wells
  20. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
  21. Fury by Elizabeth  Miles
  22. Possession by Elana Johnson
  23. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
  24. The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
  25. The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
  26. Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
  27. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
  28. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  29. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel
  30. On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

2011 ARC Reading Challenge-- Completed!



The Levels

Level Bronze: .a. All of us who have or will have less than 12 ARCS must read all of the ARCS we have. Note, that if you have 11 ARC's and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to catagory b.

b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCS must read and review at least 12.

Level Silver: Read 24 ARCS
Level Gold: Read 25 ARCS
Level Platinum: Read 30 or more ARCS

Rules:

To sign up, leave a direct link to your blog post about this challenge. Please leave a comment as well.

You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want.

If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's.

Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Please subscribe to my blog, as I will be doing a monthly post with MR Linky. Please add your reviews for each month in MR Linky in the monthly post. For your Name, please use this format Name: (Your Name, Book Title and Author's Name) for example: (Teddy, Obsessive Reading by Helen Reader). Please be sure to use the direct link to your review, not just to your blog. Then please leave a comment.

HAVE FUN!

* I will be signing up for the Platinum Level

  1.  Entice by Carrie Jones
  2.  Starstruck by Carrie Jones
  3.  These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
  4.  The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
  5.  Mercy by Rebecca Lim
  6.  Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
  7. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
  8.  The Chaos by Rachel Ward
  9.  Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
  10.  The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
  11.  The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
  12.  Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
  13. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
  14. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
  15.  A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
  16.  Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
  17.  The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
  18.  Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris 
  19.  Clarity by Kim Harrington
  20.  Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
  21.  Forgotten by Cat Patrick
  22.  Drought by Pam Bachorz
  23.  Haven by Kristi Cook
  24.  Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
  25. Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
  26.  Demons are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom
  27.  Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
  28.  Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
  29.  Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
  30.  Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  31.  The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  32. Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
  33. Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
  34. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
  35. Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
  36. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
  37. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
  38. The Rapture by Liz Jensen
  39. Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley
  40. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
  41. The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
  42. My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
  43. If I Die by Rachel Vincent
  44. Frost by Wendy Delsol
  45. The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
  46. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
  47. Between by Jessica Warman
  48. Winter Town by Stephen Emond
  49. Dark Souls by Paula Morris
  50. Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
  51. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
  52. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
  53. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
  54. Fateful by Claudia Gray
  55. Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
  56. Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler
  57. Variant by Robison Wells
  58. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
  59. Eve by Anna Carey
  60. Crossed by Ally Condie
  61. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  62. As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
  63. Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
  64. Wherever You Go by Heather Davis
  65. Fury by Elizabeth Miles
  66. Possession by Elana Johnson
  67. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
  68. After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
  69. The Mark by Jen Nadol
  70. The Vision by Jen Nadol
  71. The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
  72. Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Kelley Armstrong and Melissa Marr
  73. The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
  74. The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
  75. Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
  76. You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
  77. Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
  78. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  79. Prized by Caragh O'Brien
  80. Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
  81. Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
  82. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
  83. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
  84. Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
  85. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  86. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
  87. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  88. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
  89. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  90. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  91. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel
  92. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
  93. A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
  94. The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
  95. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
  96. On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker
  97. Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick
  98. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

2011 100+ Reading Challenge-- Completed!



DETAILS:
1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate. Posting on GoodReads or wherever you post your reviews is good enough.
2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.
What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.
3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2011. Books started before the 1st do not count. You can join at anytime.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

  1.  Entice by Carrie Jones
  2.  Starstruck by Cyn Balog
  3. These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
  4. Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey
  5.  The Lying Game by Sara Shepard
  6.  Mercy by Rebecca Lim
  7.  Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
  8. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
  9. The Chaos by Rachel Ward
  10.  Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
  11.  The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
  12.  Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
  13.  The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
  14.  Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
  15.  Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter
  16.  My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
  17.  A Need So Beautiful By Suzanne Young
  18.  Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
  19.  The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
  20.  Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
  21.  Clarity by Kim Harrington
  22.  Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
  23.  Forgotten by Cat Patrick
  24.  Drought by Pam Bachorz
  25.  Haven by Kristi Cook
  26.  Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
  27.  The Baby Planner by Josie Brown
  28.  Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers
  29.  Demons are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom
  30.  Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso
  31.  Miss Hildreth Wore Brown: Anecdotes of a Southern Belle by Olivia deBelle Byrd
  32.  The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
  33.  Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
  34.  Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
  35.  Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky
  36.  The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski
  37.  Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
  38.  From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
  39.  Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
  40.  Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
  41.  Ripple by Mandy Hubbard
  42.  The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
  43.  Priceless by Nicole Richie
  44.  Supernaturally by Kiersten White
  45.  The Rapture by Liz Jensen
  46.  Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley
  47.  Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
  48.  The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
  49.  Sweet Valley Confidential by Francine Pascal
  50.  My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
  51.  If I Die by Rachel Vincent
  52.  My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
  53.  Reaper by Rachel Vincent
  54.  Frost by Wendy Delsol
  55.  The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
  56.  Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
  57.  Between by Jessica Warman
  58.  Winter Town by Stephen Emond
  59.  Dark Souls by Paula Morris
  60.  Eternity by Heather Terrell
  61.  Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
  62.  Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
  63.  Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich
  64.  Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
  65.  Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
  66.  Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
  67.  A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
  68.  Fateful by Claudia Gray
  69.  Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
  70.  Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich
  71.  Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
  72.  Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler
  73.  Variant by Robison Wells
  74.  Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
  75.  Eve by Anna Carey
  76.  Crossed by Allie Condie
  77.  Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  78.  As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
  79.  Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
  80.  Wherever You Go by Heather Davis
  81.  Fury by Elizabeth Miles
  82.  Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
  83.  Possession by Elana Johnson
  84.  Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
  85.  After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
  86.  Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin
  87.  The Mark by Jen Nadol
  88.  The Vision by Jen Nadol
  89.  The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
  90.  The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
  91.  Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions edited by Kelley Armstrong & Melissa Marr
  92.  The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
  93.  The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
  94.  Awake at Dawn by C.C. Hunter
  95.  Second Hand Heart by Catherine Ryan Hyde
  96.  You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
  97.  Reasons to Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
  98.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  99.  Prized by Caragh O'Brien
  100.  Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
  101. Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
  102. The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
  103. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
  104. Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
  105. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
  106. Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
  107. Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
  108. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  109. Everneath by Brodi Ashton
  110. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
  111. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  112. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron
  113. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel
  114. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
  115. A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford
  116. The International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
  117. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
  118. On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker
  119. Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick
  120. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
  121. Super in the City by Daphne Uviller
  122. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

2011 A to Z Challenge-- Competed!



January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011.

How does this reading challenge work? Choose the option that works best for you...

Authors -- Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.
Titles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books.
Authors & Titles -- Commit to reading 52 books

How strict is the 26 or 52? I know it isn't always easy to find those difficult letters. The thought of finding the X's (for example) might scare folks away. It shouldn't! I'm a merciful host! (Ask anyone!)

If you want to give the X's a go... For authors, try to find an X in the first name, middle name, or last name. For titles, it doesn't have to be the starting word. Try to find an X somewhere in a title, and it'd count in my book.

Still can't find a book for the letter you need? I'll take your word for it. I've been there. I know. If your library doesn't see the need to order books just because it starts with an X, then I don't blame you for not wanting to special order a book that you may or may not enjoy. You gave it your best, don't feel bad. You can still make this challenge work for you.

*Since I didn't finish the authors one last year, I am going to try for it again this year.

A. Armstrong, Kelley "The Gathering"
B. Balog, Cyn "Starstruck"
C. Cach, Lisa "Wake Unto Me"
D. Desrochers, Lisa "Original Sin"
E. Emond, Stephen "Winter Town"
F. Franklin, Emily & Halpin, Brendan "Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance"
G. Gudenkauf, Heather "These Things Hidden"
H. Holder, Amy "The Lipstick Laws"
I.   Ivy Adams, "The International Kissing Club" (I am counting that the first name starts with since I don't have a single author whose last name starts with I.)
J. Jones, Carrie "Entice"
K. Kacvinsky, Katie "Awaken"
L. Lim, Rebecca "Mercy"
M. Mahaffey, Shana "Sounds Like Crazy"
N. Nadol, Jen "The Mark"
O. O'Brien, Caragh "Prized"
P. Picoult, Jodi "Sing You Home"
Q. Quick, Matthew "Sorta Like a Rock Star"
R. Richie, Nicole "Priceless"
S. Shepard, Sara "The Lying Game"
T. Terrell, Heather "Fallen Angel"
U. Uviller, Daphne "Super in the City"
V. Vincent, Rachel "My Soul to Steal"
W. Ward, Rachel "The Chaos"
X. de Saint-Exupery, Antoine "The Little Prince" (since I don't have any authors with first or last names that begin with X, I chose an author with X in his last name)
Y. Young, Suzanne "A Need So Beautiful"
Z. Zarr, Sara "How to Save a Life"

Book Review- How to Save a Life

I just finished reading How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

Jill MacSweeny just wishes everything could go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. And when her mom decides to adopt a baby, it feels like she's somehow trying to replace a lost family member with a new one.

Mandy Kalinowski understands what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, one thing she's sure of is that she wants a better life for her baby. It's harder to be sure of herself. Will she ever find someone to care for her, too?

As their worlds change around them, Jill and Mandy must learn to both let go and hold on, and that nothing is as easy--or as difficult--as it seems.

Critically acclaimed author and National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr delivers a heart-wrenching story, told from dual perspectives, about the many roads that can lead us home.
 
This was such a sad, yet heartwarming story.  I don't always care for books told from 2 points of view, but I really liked how this was done.
 
Mandy broke my heart.  I felt so bad for her.  To grow up with a mom like she did and be told things she was told--how horrible.  And to have her mom's boyfriend behave the way he did!  She was so naive and innocent about so many things.  I just wanted to hug her.
 
And then I felt so bad for Jill.  Reading this story about how the main character lost her dad was a little hard since one of my close friends just lost her mom suddenly this week.  But I really liked Jill too.  And I wanted her to get a little bit of closure and be happy.
 
I felt like there was going to be some huge sad twist that would be piss me off, but (hopefully I'm not giving too much away), but there wasn't.  Only a little twist but a happy one.  If all of Sara Zarr's books are like this, I can't wait to read more!
 
I gave this book a rating of 4/5.
 
This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2011 A to Z Challenge: Z
2011 100+ Reading Challenge: 122
2011 ARC Reading Challenge: 98
2011 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 98
2011 YA Contemporary Challenge: 22
 
*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.