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 Classics Month starts in just over a week! A while back, Tasha at Heidenkind’s Hideaway and I decided we just didn’t read enough classics, so we chose March as the month to read more. We’re aiming to read four each, challenging each other to read one classic from our own areas of expertise and reading a classic that’s new to us together.
I have quite an overwhelming list of classics to choose from. At the moment, I’m thinking about:
The Vicar of Wakefield, Oliver Goldsmith
Lorna Doone, R.D. Blackmore
The Warden, Anthony Trollope
Barchester Towers, Anthony Trollope
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Shirley, Villette, and/or The Professor, Charlotte Bronte
The Sea, The Sea, Iris Murdoch
East of Eden, John Steinbeck (which I meant to read this month, but I don’t think it’s going to happen!)
Possibly something by D.H. Lawrence, as I have a collection of his books
And Tasha has challenged me to read Nadja by André Breton.
I think it’s going to be great! If you love classics too, I’d love to feature you for a guest post or guest review. Just leave a comment about it and I’ll be in touch. And of course I’d love more recommendations for reading this month. If it’s not too obscure, my library will probably have it, and I know I need to read more non-Western classics in particular.
 Faith heads to Canada in an attempt to find her ex-boyfriend, Hilson, who stole her father’s research paper, and to figure out what has her father so excited. Cameron is there looking for two missing partners. Thanks to a mix-up in their hotel, Faith ends up in his room after he’s just taken a shower. Nothing happens, but they realize they’re heading in the same direction. Almost immediately, they’re thrown into a confusing world of werewolves and people intent on eliminating them. As their lives change drastically, Faith and Cameron find themselves falling in love.
I really enjoyed Terry Spear’s last offering in this series, so I was really looking forward to this one. I read very few romances set in the present, but the werewolf elements liven these books up. I love Spear’s lupus garou universe, even though the characters were new to me in this one. Both Faith and Cameron are bitten and their first transformations are really interesting. Cameron for one doesn’t even realize he’s a werewolf at first; he thinks he’s just dreaming but is confused by the fact that everything is the same when he supposedly wakes up. I’m sure it would be difficult to realize that you’re a werewolf when you don’t even believe that they exist!
The romance was sweet, too. I thought Cameron and Faith were a little too hasty when it came to jumping into bed, but they definitely bonded over their shared predicament. I liked Cameron in particular; he was an extremely compelling character and I could believe in his feelings for Faith. I felt for her, especially given her ex-boyfriend’s bad behavior, but he was just that much more appealing. The secondary characters were not too detailed, but I was given enough that I wouldn’t mind reading their stories, too.
Legend of the White Wolf and all of Terry Spear’s books would be great choices for paranormal romance fans, especially those who are tired of always reading about vampires!
I am an Amazon Associate. I received this book for free from the publisher for review.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone! I’m probably not taking a blogging break over this holiday season, but I doubt I’ll be around much today – and that’s how it should be. I hope you’re all having a fantastic time with family and friends. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a fantastic weekend anyway and a wonderful start to 2010 next week.
I’ve had very little on my plate in November, aside from NaNoWriMo. So I managed to read quite a few books, which has been nice. I suspect December will be equally as empty; I still don’t have any job leads despite a huge number of applications. Here’s the breakdown of what I read by genre:
Fantasy/Science Fiction
- Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
- Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
- Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
- Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
- A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick
- Touch the Dark by Karen Chance
- All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
- From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
Literary Fiction
- Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (also historical fiction)
- Angels of Destruction by Keith Donohue
Non-fiction
YA/MG
Historical Fiction
Humor
Women’s Fiction
- Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani
That makes 24 books this month, not bad at all! I’m actually up to 272 for the entire year. Part of me is curious as to whether I can read almost a book a day in December and hit 300, but most of me is not really planning to do that. My hubby will end up taking off work for something like two weeks this month between the days off we were saving to visit my parents for Christmas (which now sadly we cannot do) and regular Christmas holiday. Overall I think I’d rather spend time with him while I can than try and read fiendishly! In terms of quality, this month was decent. I read a lot of good reads, but had a few that I struggled through, like Wolf Hall and A Scanner Darkly.
How was your reading in November?
 Yay! I managed to finish The Queen of Attolia! And I can totally see what everyone loves about it. Somehow, even though some of its events defy logic, it has that simple touch that makes it just perfect and I can’t wait to read the next one. Saying that, I don’t know if it’s next. I actually don’t know what I’m going to read next – I still have 11 books to choose from. Since I slept for 7 hours or so, I have a feeling I’m going to carry on after the official Read-a-Thon is over. Keith is still sleeping, so it’s all peaceful and early, and I can get a lot read.
Here’s how it’s gone so far:
| Number of Books |
5 |
|
Books Read |
|
| Pages Read |
1598 |
|
Hunting Ground |
The Queen of Attolia |
| Time Spent Reading |
11:47 |
|
The Lightning Thief |
|
| Time Spent Blogging |
2:43 |
|
Dead as a Doornail |
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The Thief |
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My mini-challenge participation and checking up on other bloggers has been terrible this time around, I have to say. I think next time I will shoot for less books read and sign up to be a cheerleader for a while for a change of pace.
Big surprise, I crashed shortly after my last post! Keith even managed to finish his game while I was turning into a zombie. I’m awake now, though. I’m annoyed I’m not going to meet any of my goals, but it’s 7:30 and there are still 4 1/2 hours left, so let’s see what I can read.
Here’s how far I got:
| Number of Books |
5 |
|
Books Read |
| Pages Read |
1362 |
|
Hunting Ground |
| Time Spent Reading |
10:23 |
|
The Lightning Thief |
| Time Spent Blogging |
2:39 |
|
Dead as a Doornail |
|
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The Thief |
I hope everyone else managed to stay up later than I did!
Progress:
| Number of Books |
4 |
|
Books Read |
| Pages Read |
1236 |
|
Hunting Ground |
| Time Spent Reading |
8:59 |
|
The Lightning Thief |
| Time Spent Blogging |
1:53 |
|
Dead as a Doornail |
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The Thief |
I just sped through The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner in less than two hours. If that’s the worst book in the series, as I’ve heard, than I am incredibly excited for the next two, which are conveniently right here beside me. It’s after midnight now but I’m going to start The Queen of Attolia anyway. It’s a little longer, but we’ll see how it goes. That one is possibly my favorite so far, it’s between that and Dead as a Doornail.
I haven’t been participating in too many mini-challenges this time around, but now that I’m making solid progress on my little pile I hope to do so in the next few hours if I can stay awake. I’m beginning to feel a little more alert now, who knows why. Keith is also plugging away at his Tomb Raider game, although we’re not sure what level he’s on. Maybe 13.
Anyway, I also wanted to quickly thank everyone for their kind comments about my great-uncle and for cheering in general. You are all awesome. =)
My progress so far:
| Number of Books |
3 |
|
Books Read |
| Pages Read |
956 |
|
Hunting Ground |
| Time Spent Reading |
7:10 |
|
The Lightning Thief |
| Time Spent Blogging |
######### |
|
Dead as a Doornail |
And Keith has hit level 12 of 15 in Tomb Raider.
Of the 3 books I’ve read, I definitely preferred the two urban fantasies. The Lightning Thief was good and fast, but it felt a little empty, if that makes sense. It was humorous, but perhaps too childish for me. Haven’t eaten anything since my last update, either. It’s now a little after 10 pm for us and we’re both getting tired; we normally head to bed around now, so it’s just a matter of pushing through until we get a second wind.
I had an unhappy phone call this hour; my great-uncle passed away today. I didn’t know him very well – in fact I hadn’t seen him since I was a little girl – and his death was not unexpected as he had terminal cancer, but it has definitely put a damper on the evening. I’m hoping to read something fun and start feeling better about life.
I’m getting tired already, so I’m having another break with a cup of tea and an answer to the mini-challenge hosted over at Beth Fish Reads! I’d just love one of her gorgeous lace bookmarks. I just wrote about what I ate – a rice krispie treat, a hamburger, and some Doritos – but I also have some more treats. Crackers and cheese, tortilla chips and salsa, and kiwi are all awaiting me later on. I also have some Reese’s peanut butter cups, but they’re special so I’m not sure I’m going to eat them yet. I’ve been drinking Coke and now am having some tea. I do wish I had some popcorn, but I haven’t found a kind I like here yet.
What foods are giving you energy as the Read-a-Thon continues?
Just spent half an hour checking out how everyone else is doing. It looks like we’re doing well! I think I’ve actually missed the cut-off for Darren’s mini-challenge, but it sounded like fun, so I’m attaching my picture anyway. [A] Scandal in spring compromised the King of Attolia
And here is my progress:
| Number of Books |
2 |
|
Books Read |
| Pages Read |
661 |
|
Hunting Ground |
| Time Spent Reading |
4:42 |
|
The Lightning Thief |
| Time Spent Blogging |
######### |
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So far I’ve consumed a rice krispie treat, some Doritos, and a burger! I didn’t manage to eat breakfast this morning, although I did eat lunch, so I got hungry early. Things are going well, I’ve completed two books, and have no idea which of my stack I want to read next. My eyes are already tired, though, so I don’t want to take too long to decide. Keith is stressing me out a little every time he dies in his game (sudden ARGHS!), which has really only started this hour, but overall we are progressing well! I hope everyone else is too.
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