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2013 Dystopia Reading Challenge

From Blog of Erised:

Love Dystopian books? Then this is just the right thing for you! If you're as big of a fan as I am of post-apocalyptic dystopia books (and even if your are not) you are welcome to join the challenge!
We will try to read 24 Dystopian books in 2013 as the challenge goal, which means 2 per month, if you would like to read them monthly. You can of course make your own schedule. 2 per month is plenty because it still gives you time to explore and love books from other genres.
At the end of the year there will also be a giveaway with great prizes!
Rules
> The challenge will run from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. Each month will have its own link form so you will be able to share your book reviews. You do not have to review the books you read to participate, but only those who read/reviewed at least one dystopian book will be able to participate in the giveaway (you can track your reading without the reviews with Goodreads, Shelfari etc.).
> Books that count in this challenge must include any form of post-apocalyptic theme (book sites like Goodreads are good sources of genre information). The books must be full-length.
> All formats allowed.
> Rereads allowed.
> It does not matter whether it's a series or a stand-alone book.
> If you are participating, grab the challenge button from below and post it on you blog. You can also make a post with the header (the code is also below). Please include the link back to this post so others will be able to participate as well.
> If you will participate, put the sign-up link to your blog post (about the challenge) or blog (for the button) directly into the linky below. Sign-ups will be open until December 20, 2013.
> You do not have to list your books in advance, go and do as you please. Read as many as you want (you can read more than 24!) and whenever you want, as long as you have fun!
> Info about the giveaway will be available in December 2013.
Levels
Level 1: Recruit (1 to 6 books)
Level 2: Rebel (7 to 12 books)
Level 3: Revolutionist (13 to 18 books)
Level 4: Leader (19+ books)
Each time you reach a new level, you will receive a badge.

I am going to start with the Recruit level of 6 books.  This may be increased as the year goes on.  My tentative TBR list:

  1. TBD
  2. TBD
  3. TBD
  4. TBD
  5. TBD
  6. TBD
tags: dystopian
categories: Reading Challenges
Thursday 01.03.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

T4MC Part 11 -- Starting Line

5 Point Challenges

Read a book with a famous painting on the cover

Read a book with a man and woman on the cover

Read a book by a new to you author

Read a book that you’ve read before

Read a book whose author name begins with J (First or last)

10 Point Challenges

Read a book that’s a collection of short stories

Read a book about family

Read a book currently on the NYT Bestsellers list

Read the first book in a series

Read a book whose author name starts with F (first or last)

15 Point Challenges

Read a bio/auto bio/memoir

Read a book with a first and last name in the title

Read a historical mystery

Read a book by a female author

Read a book whose author name begins with M (first or last)

20 Point Challenges

Read a cult classic (Helpful link)

Read a book no longer under copyright

Read a fantasy/scifi/steampunk

Read a book you got for Christmas

Read a book whose author begins with A (first or last)

I've been wanting to try one of these, but I always miss the start dates.  I finally looked ahead and got involved.  Tentative TBR:

  • Read a book with a famous painting on the cover --
  • Read a book with a man and woman on the cover --
  • Read a book by a new to you author -- The Read by Bernhard Schlink
  • Read a book that you’ve read before -- Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
  • Read a book whose author name begins with J (First or last) -- Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
  • Read a book that’s a collection of short stories -- Stories of Hans Christian Anderson
  • Read a book about family --
  • Read a book currently on the NYT Bestsellers list --
  • Read the first book in a series -- Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
  • Read a book whose author name starts with F (first or last) --
  • Read a bio/auto bio/memoir -- The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge
  • Read a book with a first and last name in the title --
  • Read a historical mystery -- A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
  • Read a book by a female author -- Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
  • Read a book whose author name begins with M (first or last) -- Wanted by Mark Millar
  • Read a cult classic --  Locke and Key Vol. 1 Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill
  • Read a book no longer under copyright -- Persuasion by Jane Austen
  • Read a fantasy/scifi/steampunk -- A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
  • Read a book you got for Christmas --
  • Read a book whose author begins with A (first or last) -- Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
tags: t4mc
categories: Reading Challenges
Thursday 01.03.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

From Megan Like Books:

Welcome to the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads! There are so many awesome sub-genres of paranormal books, that it's easy to find one you like and stick with it. So that's why I decided to make a reading challenge with the goal of reading about all kinds of paranormal creatures.The goal is to read one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures:

  1. Vampires
  2. Werewolves/Shifters
  3. Fey
  4. Angels/Nephilim
  5. Mermaids
  6. Dragons
  7. Zombies
  8. Demons
  9. Witches/Wizards
  10. Ghosts
  11. Aliens
  12. Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)

Guidelines: 1. This challenge runs from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013. 2. You must have a blog to able to participate, since reviews must be added to the linky. 3. When you sign up with the linky, please put the link to your post about joining the Paranormal Reading Challenge. 4. You're welcome to list your books beforehand or just add as you go. 5. Sign-ups are open until December 1, 2013 6. At the beginning of each month, I will post a kick-start post, each month featuring a different category of paranormal creature. This post will also include a linky to include your reviews from that month. 7. Each review you link will qualify you for an entry into the monthy giveaway and if your review includes the feature paranormal creature of that month, you get a bonus entry. 8. Each book can only count for one category, even if it contains more than one paranormal creature. For example, Twilight contains both vampires and werewolves, but you can't use it for both the vampires and werewolves/shifters categories. 9. Everyone who completes the challenge will be entered into a grand prize giveaway at the end of the year. 10. If you read multiple books from one category, feel free to add them to the linkies. Don't stop at just one! 11. Book can count for other challenges.

I thought it would be nice to have a variety of paranormal books to read this year.  Here's my tentative TBR list:

  1. Vampires -- Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts
  2. Werewolves/Shifters
  3. Fey -- Switched by Amanda Hocking
  4. Angels/Nephilim
  5. Mermaids
  6. Dragons
  7. Zombies
  8. Demons
  9. Witches/Wizards -- Dance of the Gods by Nora Roberts
  10. Ghosts
  11. Aliens
  12. Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.) -- Ill Wind by Rachel Caine
tags: paranormal
categories: Reading Challenges
Thursday 01.03.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Change of Fortune by Jen Turano

Title: Change of Fortune (Ladies of Distinction #1)

Author: Jen Turano

Publisher: Bethany House 2012

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 202

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Sub Genre -- Mystery, Romance; New Authors; Mount TBR; Book Bingo -- 1 from TBR Pile; T4MC -- J Author (5 points)

How I Got It: I won it!  An ARC

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiance, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society--all the female ones, at least--are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

A good choice to help kick off my new's reads.  I won this ARC a few weeks back and decided to throw it in my suitcase for reading on the plane.  I didn't read it on the plane but devoured it in just two days before my trip back.  The romane, the adventure, and the mystery were all great elements.  I loved Eliza's spunk and Hamilton's devotion.  The rest of the characters were fun and useful.  Zayne and Agatha were by far my favorites.  Piper and Ben were the cutest children ever.  I really enjoyed read this book.  However, I have one issue: the Christian angle.  Suddenly about half way through the book more and more characters are bringing up their faith.  It felt a bit after the fact to me.  I didn't see it as an apparent main theme.  In that way, it seemed just a bit disingenuous.  If that's the angle taken, I would like to see it incorporated at the start of the book.  But even that little issue didn't keep me from enjoying the book.  Plus, I started my year off right with a good read.

Ladies of Distinction

  • #0.5 Gentleman of Her Dreams
  • #1 A Change of Fortune
  • #2 A Most Peculiar Circumstance
  • #3 A Talent for Trouble
  • #4 A Match of Wits
tags: 4 stars, book bingo, Christian, historical fiction, Jen Turano, mount tbr, new authors, romance, Sub Genre
categories: Book Reviews
Thursday 01.03.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

2013 Genre Variety Reading Challenge

Genre Variety

From A Daydreamer's Thoughts:

This is the first year that I will be hosting the Genre Variety Reading Challenge. If there is already a challenge similar to this, please can you let me know as I don’t want to encroach on anyone’s ideas. This is just something that came to me that I hope will be fun and that others will enjoy.

But what is it?

The challenge is to read books from different genres throughout the year. I have found that blogging has opened my eyes to so many genres that I would never have tried before, simply from recommendations, and the idea of this challenge is to keep that going. The challenge is to read a large variety of genres within one year.

Other Important Info;

  • Runs from January 1st 2013 until December 31st 2013. Sign ups will be open until December 1st 2013.
  • There are five levels to challenge yourself too. You may move up a level but not go down a level. These are all outlined below. Please mention in your sign up post which level you will aim for.
  • The genres you choose to read are up to you. As long as every book is different, whichever genre you wish to read you can.
  • Every month there will be a post on this blog to link up to your update post / review(s)
  • There will be a giveaway at the end of the challenge, and maybe a few within the year but these are TBD.
  • To sign up, you will need to write a post saying which level you are challenging yourself too and then use the linky list. Non-Bloggers may post in the comments of this post.
  • Any book formats are accepted.
  • Novellas and Novels are all accepted for this challenge.
  • YA, NA and Adult books all count towards this challenge.
  • New sub-genres are accepted. (for example, paranormal-romance, or historical-romance)

Levels:

  • Careful; 6 different genres, 6 books
  • Cautious; 12 different genres, 12 books
  • Branching; 18 different genres, 18 books
  • Avid Reader; 24 different genres, 24 books
  • Champion; 30 different genres, 30 books

Categories; This is just a list of the vast variety of genres you have to choose from. I have probably missed a lot, so feel free to branch off from this. These are just suggestions.

Contemporary Historical Paranormal Fantasy Romance Sci-Fi Crime Thriller Adventure Non-Fiction Women’s Fiction Chick-Lit Dystopian Epic Fantasy Western Comedy Horror MANfiction Self-Help Biography Auto-biography Religious Fairy Tales Classics Erotica Short Stories Travel Guides

I am going to go for the Branching Level of 18 different genres, 18 books.

My TBR List:

  1. Contemporary -- One Day by David Nicholls
  2. Historical -- Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
  3. Paranormal -- Velveteen by Daniel Marks
  4. Fantasy -- The Host by Stephenie Meyer
  5. Romance -- Whisper Cape by Regan Walsh
  6. Thriller -- Next by Michael Crichton
  7. Nonfiction -- Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
  8. Women's Fiction -- Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand
  9. Chick Lit -- Baby Proof by Emily Giffin
  10. Dystopian -- Matched by Ally Condie
  11. Horror -- Terror by Night by Ambrose Bierce
  12. Biography -- The Private World of Georgette Heyer by Jane Aiken Hodge
  13. Fairy Tales -- The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson
  14. Classics -- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
  15. Science Fiction -- The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein
  16. Short Stories -- Selected Stories of O. Henry
  17. Erotic -- Beauty or the Bitch by Jasmine Haynes
  18. TBD
tags: genres
categories: Reading Challenges
Wednesday 01.02.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

2013 Nerdy NonFiction Reading Challenge

550

From Bookmark to Blog:

Welcome to the 2013 Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge!!

Last year I got the urge to read more non-fiction books after all that dystopian and fantasy I read, so I created this challenge to help motivate me to do just that in 2013.

If you want to participate, feel free. If there's another non-fiction challenge going on that you would rather do, then go for it! My goal here is really just to encourage you all to read more non-fiction this year. I'm hoping to pick at least 10 of the categories and read both an adult and a children's book in each category. We'll see how it goes.

Levels:

Geek: 4-6 books in at least 2-3 different categories Dork: 7-10 books in at least 4-5 different categories Dweeb: 11- 14 books in at least 6-7 different categories Nerd: 15+ books in at least 8+ different categories

Categories:

* Health, Medicine, Fitness, Wellness * History- US, World, European, etc * Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy * Technology, Engineering, Computers, etc * Business, Finance, Management * Sports, Adventure * Food- Cookbooks, Cooks, Vegan Vegetarianism, etc * Autobiography, Biography, Memoir * Art, Photography, Architecture * Music, Film, TV * Self Improvement, Self Help, How To * Home, Garden * Science-Nature, Weather, Biology, Geology * Anthropology, Archaeology * Animals-Insects, Mammals, Dinosaurs, etc * Family, Relationships, Parenting, Dating, Love * Crime, Law * Poetry, Theatre * Politics, Government, Current Affairs * Literary Criticism/Theory * Cultural Studies * Travel * Crafts

*  It is not necessary to pick your categories ahead of time, but try not to read more than two books in each category so you can broaden your horizons.

*  The categories I listed are just suggestions. If you have a different category you'd like to add, let me know!

* When you write about the challenge or read/review a book, come back here and link up or leave a comment and tell me what you read and what you thought of it.

* If you're participating in a different non-fiction challenge, please feel free to still link up. It's always fun to see what other people have read in the different non-fiction categories.

Happy reading (and learning)!

I'm going for a the Nerd level of 15+ books in 8+ categories.

My TBR List:

  1. Health, Medicine, Fitness, Wellness
  2. History -- Almost America by Steve Tally
  3. Religion, Spirituality, Philosophy -- The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
  4. Technology, Engineering, Computers 
  5. Business, Finance, Management -- The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
  6. Sports, Adventure
  7. Food
  8. Autobiography, Biography, Memoir -- Thomas Paine by Craig Nelson
  9. Art, Photography, Architecture
  10. Music, Film, TV
  11. Self Improvement, Self Help, How To
  12. Home, Garden
  13. Science
  14. Anthropology, Archaeology -- Collapse by Jared Diamond
  15. Animals
  16. Family, Relationships, Parenting, Dating, Love
  17. Crime, Law
  18. Poetry, Theatre
  19. Politics, Government, Current Affairs
  20. Literary Criticism/Theory
  21. Cultural Studies
  22. Travel
  23. Crafts
tags: Nerdy Nonfiction, nonfiction
categories: Reading Challenges
Wednesday 01.02.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

2012 Wrap-Up

Favorite Books of the Year

  1. Fables: The Witches
  2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
  3. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
  4. Sunshine by Robin McKInley
  5. Timeless by Gail Carriger
  6. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  7. Allison Hewitt is Trapped / Sadie Walker is Stranded by Madeleine Roux
  8. The Lost Hero / Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
  9. His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
  10. Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant

Honorable Mentions: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Persuasion and Northanger Abbeyby Jane Austen and The Importance of Being Earnestby Oscar Wilde.  Since these are rereads, I decided not to put them in my Top 10 (seems like cheating a bit).  But that doesn't mean that I didn't just love these.  Check them out if you've never read.

Total Books Read -- 184 books

Total Pages Read -- 58,309 pages

I averaged 4859 pages per month.  My lowest month was August with 2751 pages (health issues).  My highest month was January with 7005 pages.  I hope to read 60,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats -- I may have to get a bit stricter about my ratings.  They seem a bit top heavy.  Or maybe I really have bene reading some great books.

  • 5 stars -- 100 books
  • 4 stars --  57 books
  • 3 stars -- 18 books
  • 2 stars -- 9 books
  • 1 star -- 0 books

Special Projects/Features

Readathons -- 11 total completed!  I wanted to complete at least one a quarter, and I definitely accomplished that.  For the start of 2013, I have already committed to Bout of Books 6.0 and am possibly hosting a challenge.

  • January -- Bout of Books and Winter's Respite
  • April -- Spring into Horror
  • May -- Bout of Books
  • July -- High Summer and Once Upon a Readathon
  • August -- Labor Day and Bout of Books
  • October -- FrightFall
  • December -- Book Drunkard Readathon and Book Club Bash Readathon

Bloggiesta in September -- I finally joined the fun.  I've gotten to the point where i need to take a break from time to time to work behind the scenes of the blog.  This was such a great opportunity to accomplish just that.  I'm sure I'll be joining in on the fun in the spring.

Day Zero Project  -- I don't think I'll finish it all, but I do love having goals.

Quote Wednesday -- I got back into the swing of Quote Wednesday this year and want to keep my momentum.

Music Monday -- This year was a ton of My Years music posts.  Next year I will be highlighting my favorite songs.  I still really really love this feature.

Top Ten Tuesday -- I got back in the swing of things, and also become more picky.  I didn't do every Tuesday list,  but picked the ones I really wanted to do.  This helped me keep excited about participating.

Reading Challenges

  • Goodreads -- 175/175  100%
  • Semi-Charmed -- 9/14  60%
  • Zombies -- 24/24  100%
  • Young Adult -- 12/12  100%
  • Vampires -- 10/10  100%
  • Fantasy -- 10/10 100%
  • Romance -- 10/10  100%
  • Telling Tales --  10/10  100%
  • Historical Fiction -- 10/10 100%
  • Graphic Novel --  20/20  100%
  • Shakespeare -- 12/12  100%
  • SciFi -- 5/5 100%
  • Outlander -- 0/5 0%
  • Mixing It Up --  16/16  100%
  • Back to the Classics --  9/9 100%
  • Harry Potter --  7/7  100%
  • Fables -- 5/5  100%
  • Read Your Name --  23/23  100%
  • A to Z -- 24/26  92.3%
  • What's In a Name -- 6/6 100%
  • Support Your Local Library -- 37/37  100%
  • Mount TBR --  95/150  63.3%
  • Dewey Decimal -- 27/38  71.1 %
  • Books2Movies -- 20/20  100%
  • My Years -- 22/30  73.3%
  • Color Coded -- 6/9  66.7%

Total: 19/26  challenges   73% done

Total: 654/743  slots    88% done

Overall Thoughts/Reflections/Musings/Ideas

2012 was a great reading year.  I got more organized and read some great books.  I participated a good number of readathons and challenges.  And I even got back into some of my regular features.  Overall, I am super excited about my accomplishments.  For 2013, I am trying to change up my reading challenges and branch out a bit.  Here's to the new year!

tags: Year Wrap
categories: Books
Wednesday 01.02.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi

Title: Chicken with Plums

Author: Marjane Satrapi

Publisher: Pantheon 2006

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 90

Rating:  3 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Women Author; Mount TBR; Book Bingo -- 2 from TBR; T4MC -- Women Author (15 points)

We are in Tehran in 1958, and Nasser Ali Khan, one of Iran’s most revered tar players, discovers that his beloved instrument is irreparably damaged. Though he tries, he cannot find one to replace it, one whose sound speaks to him with the same power and passion with which his music speaks to others. In despair, he takes to his bed, renouncing the world and all its pleasures, closing the door on the demands and love of his wife and his four children. Over the course of the week that follows, his family and close friends attempt to change his mind, but Nasser Ali slips further and further into his own reveries: flashbacks and flash-forwards (with unexpected appearances by the likes of the Angel of Death and Sophia Loren) from his own childhood through his children’s futures. And as the pieces of his story slowly fall into place, we begin to understand the profundity of his decision to give up life.

Interesting story...  I must admit that I liked her Persepolis series much better than this one.  But this volume does have some redeeming qualities.  I loved the look into the head of Nasser Ali.  Instead of a linear story, we get flashbacks and almost stream of consciousness.  It's an interesting choice of style.  I liked it.  And the drawings were amazing as ever.  The stark black and white with figures really lends powers to the story.

tags: 3 stars, book bingo, graphic novel, Marjane Satrapi, mount tbr, women authors
categories: Book Reviews, Movies
Wednesday 01.02.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Wanted by Mark Millar, JG Jones, and Paul Mounts

Title: Wanted

Author: Mark Millar, JG Jones, Paul Mounts

Publisher: Image Comics 2008

Genre: Graphic Novel

Pages: 208

Rating:  4/5 stars  Movie: 4/5

Reading Challenges: Graphic Novel; Mount TBR; 52 Books in 52 Weeks -- Week 1; Book Bingo -- 2 from TBR; T4MC -- M Author (15 points)

First review of 2013!!!!

What if everything in your life was out of your hands and those around you propelled your fate? Your girlfriend left you for your best friend; your boss gave your job to someone better. What if then, after all this, someone gave you back total control? What if he revealed you were the next in line to join a secret society of super-villains that controlled the entire planet? Mark Millar and J.G. Jones provide a look at one man who goes from being the world's biggest loser to the deadliest assassin alive.

My initial reaction was "that reminded me of Kick-Ass."  And then I actually looked at the authors and realized that Millar wrote both.  Silly me.  This volume still reminds me of Kick-Ass with the hyper-action violence and larger than life characters.  But at the core, we get a story of lifelike characters.  Even with the costumes or superpowers, at their core these characters are just like us.  I really enjoyed the story of Wesley's transformation.  As an extra note, this volume also reminds me of The Boys, but without the really interesting political angle.

Movie:

I saw the movie two years, obviously before reading the comic.  At the time I thought it was a somewhat interesting story, but I wasn't over the moon for it.

After reading the comic, I have a new found appreciation for the film.  It's definitely different, but keeps the main story of Wesley Gibson intact.  We see his transformation from pathetic loser to top assassin.  The movie ditched the superhero and supervillian angle, but the story and tone stays.  And the movie is shot beautifully.  All of the special effects and stunts pull the watcher into a fantastical world.  Plus James McAvoy is just outstanding...

52 Books Week 1: Journey to Your Imagination

This week's theme was books set in Canada.  Unfortunately I have a limited selection this week as I am not at home.  Instead of the theme, I am just going with the first read of the year.  

tags: 4 stars, 52 books in 52 weeks, book bingo, graphic novel, JG Jones, Mark Millar, mount tbr, movies, Paul Mounts
categories: Book Reviews, Movies
Wednesday 01.02.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

2013 Sub-Genre Reading Challenge

From Book Dragon's Lair:

 Requirements:

  • read three books from each genre
  • each book must be a different sub-genre (sub-genres can be found here at Writer's Digest)
  • each book counts only once for this challenge
  • books may overlap with other challenges
  • any format allowed (print, ebook, audio)
  • reviews are not necessary but a list of books read is.
  • a blog is not necessary, just comment that you want to join in
  • *addition* if you do have a blog, write up a post and link up

Now for the genres. . .

ROMANCE

  • Chick-Lit: often humorous romantic adventures geared toward single working women in their twenties and thirties.
  • Christian: romances in which both hero and heroine are devout Christians, typically focused on a chaste courtship, and mentioning sex only after marriage.
  • Contemporary: a romance using modern characters and true-to-life settings.
  • Erotica: also called “romantica,” a romance in which the bedroom doors have been flung open and sexual scenes are described in candid language.
  • Glitz/Glamor: focused on the jet-set elite and celebrity-like characters.
  • Historical: a romance taking place in a recognizable historical period.
  • Multicultural: a romance centered on non-Caucasian characters, largely African-American or Hispanic.
  • Paranormal: involving some sort of supernatural element, ranging widely to include science fiction/fantasy aspects such as time travel, monsters or psychic abilities.
  • Romantic Comedy: a romance focused on humor, ranging from screwball antics to witty interplay.
  • Romantic Suspense: a novel in which an admirable heroine is pitted against some evil force (but in which the romantic aspect still maintains priority).
  • Sensual: based on the sensual tension between hero and heroine, including sizzling sex scenes.
  • Spicy: a romance in which married characters work to resolve their problems.
  • Sweet: a romance centered on a virgin heroine, with a storyline containing little or no sex.
  • Young Adult: written with the teenage audience in mind, with a suitably lower level of sexual content.

HORROR

  • Child in Peril: involving the abduction and/or persecution of a child.
  • Comic Horror: horror stories that either spoof horror conventions or that mix the gore with dark humor.
  • Creepy Kids: horror tale in which children are often under the influence of dark forces and begin to turn against the adults.
  • Dark Fantasy: a horror story with supernatural and fantasy elements.
  • Dark Mystery/Noir: inspired by hardboiled detective tales, set in an urban underworld of crime and moral ambiguity.
  • Erotic Vampire: a horror tale making the newly trendy link between sexuality and vampires, but with more emphasis on graphic description and violence.
  • Fabulist: derived from “fable,” an ancient tradition in which objects, animals or forces of nature are anthropomorphized in order to deliver a moral lesson.
  • Gothic: a traditional form depicting the encroachment of the Middle Ages upon the 18th century Enlightenment, filled with images of decay and ruin, and episodes of imprisonment and persecution.
  • Hauntings: a classic form centering on possession by ghosts, demons or poltergeists, particularly of some sort of structure.
  • Historical: horror tales set in a specific and recognizable period of history.
  • Magical Realism: a genre inspired by Latin-American authors, in which extraordinary forces or creatures pop into otherwise normal, real-life settings.
  • Psychological: a story based on the disturbed human psyche, often exploring insane, altered realities and featuring a human monster with horrific, but not supernatural, aspects.
  • Quiet Horror: subtly written horror that uses atmosphere and mood, rather than graphic description, to create fear and suspense.
  • Religious: horror that makes use of religious icons and mythology, especially the angels and demons derived from Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost.
  • Science-Fiction Horror: SF with a darker, more violent twist, often revolving around alien invasions, mad scientists, or experiments gone wrong.
  • Splatter: a fairly new, extreme style of horror that cuts right to the gore.
  • Supernatural Menace: a horror tale in which the rules of normal existence don’t apply, often featuring ghosts, demons, vampires and werewolves.
  • Technology: stories featuring technology that has run amok, venturing increasingly into the expanding domain of computers, cyberspace, and genetic engineering.
  • Weird Tales: inspired by the magazine of the same name, a more traditional form featuring strange and uncanny events (Twilight Zone).
  • Young Adult: horror aimed at a teen market, often with heroes the same age, or slightly older than, the reader.
  • Zombie: tales featuring dead people who return to commit mayhem on the living.

THRILLER/SUSPENSE

  • Action: a story that often features a race against the clock, lots of violence, and an obvious antagonist.
  • Comic: a thriller played for laughs, whether through a spoof of the genre or wisecracking interplay between the protagonists.
  • Conspiracy: a thriller in which the hero battles a large, powerful group whose true extent only he recognizes.
  • Crime: a story focused on the commission of a crime, often from the point of view of the criminals.
  • Disaster: a story in which Mother Nature herself is the antagonist, in the form of a hurricane, earthquake or some other natural menace.
  • Eco-Thriller: a story in which the hero battles some ecological calamity Ð and often has to also fight the people responsible for creating that calamity.
  • Erotic: a thriller in which sex plays a major role.
  • Espionage: the classic international spy novel, which is enjoying a resurgence with one important change: where spies used to battle enemy spies, they now battle terrorists.
  • Forensic: a thriller featuring the work of forensic experts, whose involvement often puts their own lives at risk.
  • Historical: a thriller taking place in a specific and recognizable historic period.
  • Horror: a story—generally featuring some monstrous villain Ð in which fear and violence play a major part, complete with graphic descriptions.
  • Legal: a thriller in which a lawyer confronts enemies outside as well as inside the courtroom, generally putting his own life at risk.
  • Medical: a thriller featuring medical personnel, whether battling a legitimate medical threat such as a world-wide virus, or the illegal or immoral use of medical technology.
  • Military: a thriller featuring a military protagonist, often working behind enemy lines or as part of a specialized force.
  • Police Procedural: a crime thriller that follows the police as they work their way through a case.
  • Political Intrigue: a thriller in which the hero must ensure the stability of the government that employs him.
  • Psychological: a suspenseful thriller in which the conflict between the characters is mental and emotional rather than physical—until an often violent resolution.
  • Romantic: a thriller in which the protagonists are romantically involved.
  • Supernatural: a thriller in which the hero, the antagonist, or both have supernatural powers.
  • Technological: a thriller in which technology Ð usually run amok Ð is central to the plot.

Science Fiction/Fantasy

  • Alternate History: speculative fiction that changes the accepted account of actual historical events, often featuring a profound “what if?” premise.
  • Arthurian Fantasy: reworkings of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
  • Bangsian Fantasy: stories speculating on the afterlives of famous people.
  • Biopunk: a blend of film noir, Japanese anime and post-modern elements used to describe an underground, nihilistic biotech society.
  • Children’s Fantasy: a kinder, gentler style of fantasy aimed at very young readers.
  • Comic: fantasy or science fiction that spoofs the conventions of the genre, or the conventions of society.
  • Cyberpunk: stories featuring tough outsiders in a high-tech near-future where computers have produced major changes in society.
  • Dark Fantasy: tales that focus on the nightmarish underbelly of magic, venturing into the violence of horror novels.
  • Dystopian: stories that portray a bleak future world.
  • Erotic: SF or fantasy tales that focus on sexuality.
  • Game-Related Fantasy: tales with plots and characters similar to high fantasy, but based on a specific role-playing game like Dungeons and Dragons.
  • Hard Science Fiction: tales in which real present-day science is logically extrapolated to the future.
  • Heroic Fantasy: stories of war and its heroes, the fantasy equivalent of military science fiction.
  • High/Epic Fantasy: tales with an emphasis on the fate of an entire race or nation, often featuring a young “nobody” hero battling an ultimate evil.
  • Historical: speculative fiction taking place in a recognizable historical period.
  • Mundane SF: a movement that spurns fanciful conceits like warp drives, wormholes and faster-than-light travel for stories based on scientific knowledge as it actually exists.
  • Military SF: war stories that extrapolate existing military technology and tactics into the future.
  • Mystery SF: a cross-genre blend that can be either an SF tale with a central mystery or a classic whodunit with SF elements.
  • Mythic Fiction: stories inspired, or modeled on, classic myths, legends and fairy tales.
  • New Age: a category of speculative fiction that deals with occult subjects such as astrology, psychic phenomena, spiritual healing, UFOs and mysticism.
  • Post-Apocalyptic: stories of life on Earth after an apocalypse, focusing on the struggle to survive.
  • Romance: speculative fiction in which romance plays a key part.
  • Religious: centering on theological ideas, and heroes who are ruled by their religious beliefs.
  • Science Fantasy: a blend in which fantasy is supported by scientific or pseudo-scientific explanations.
  • Social SF: tales that focus on how characters react to their environments Ð including social satire.
  • Soft SF: tales based on the more subjective, “softer” sciences: psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc.
  • Space Opera: a traditional good guys/bad guys faceoff with lots of action and larger-than-life characters.
  • Spy-Fi: tales of espionage with SF elements, especially the use of high-tech gadgetry.
  • Steampunk: a specific type of alternate history in which characters in Victorian England have access to 20th century technology.
  • Superheroes: stories featuring characters endowed with superhuman strengths or abilities.
  • Sword and Sorcery: a classic genre often set in the medieval period, and more concerned with immediate physical threats than high or heroic fantasy.
  • Thriller SF: an SF story that takes on the classic world-at-risk, cliffhanger elements of a thriller.
  • Time-Travel: stories based on the concept of moving forward or backward in time, often delving into the existence of parallel worlds.
  • Urban Fantasy: a fantasy tale in which magical powers and characters appear in an otherwise normal modern context, similar to Latin American magical realism.
  • Vampire: variations on the classic vampire legend, recently taking on many sexual and romantic variations.
  • Wuxia: fantasy tales set within the martial arts traditions and philosophies of China.
  • Young Adult: speculative fiction aimed at a teenage audience, often featuring a hero the same age or slightly older than the reader.

Mystery/Crime

  • Amateur Detective: a mystery solved by an amateur, who generally has some profession or affiliation that provides ready access to information about the crime.
  • Child in Peril: a mystery involving the abduction or persecution of a child.
  • Classic Whodunit: a crime that is solved by a detective, from the detective’s point of view, with all clues available to the reader.
  • Comic (Bumbling Detective): a mystery played for laughs, often featuring a detective who is grossly unskilled (but often solves the crime anyway, owing to tremendous good luck).
  • Cozy: a mystery that takes place in a small town—sometimes in a single home—where all the suspects are present and familiar with one another, except the detective, who is usually an eccentric outsider.
  • Courtroom Drama: a mystery that takes place through the justice system—often the efforts of a defense attorney to prove the innocence of his client by finding the real culprit.
  • Dark Thriller: a mystery that ventures into the fear factor and graphic violence of the horror genre.
  • Espionage: the international spy novel—here based less on action than on solving the “puzzle”—is today less focused on the traditional enemy spies than on terrorists.
  • Forensic: a mystery solved through the forensics lab, featuring much detail and scientific procedure.
  • Heists and Capers: an “antihero” genre which focuses on the planning and execution of a crime, told from the criminal’s perspective.
  • Historical: a mystery that takes place in a specific, recognizable period of history, with much emphasis on the details of the setting.
  • Inverted: a story in which the reader knows “whodunit,” but the suspense arises from watching the detective figure it out.
  • Locked Room: a mystery in which the crime is apparently committed under impossible circumstances (but eventually elicits a rational explanation).
  • Medical: generally involving a medical threat (e.g., a viral epidemic), or the illegitimate use of medical technology.
  • Police Procedural: a crime solved from the perspective of the police, following detailed, real-life procedures.
  • Private Detective: Focused on the independent snoop-for-hire, these have evolved from tough-guy “hard-boiled” detectives to the more professional operators of today.
  • Psychological Suspense: mysteries focused on the intricacies of the crime and what motivated the perpetrator to commit them.
  • Romantic: a mystery in which the crime-solvers fall in love.
  • Technothriller: a spinoff from the traditional thriller mystery, with an emphasis on high technology.
  • Thriller: a suspense mystery with a wider—often international—scope and more action.
  • Woman in Jeopardy: focuses on a woman put into peril by a crime, and her struggles to overcome or outwit the perpetrator.
  • Young Adult: a story aimed at a teenage audience, with a hero detective generally the same age or slightly older than the reader, pursuing criminals who are generally less violent—but often just as scary—as those in adult mysteries.

My TBR List:

Romance

  1. Contemporary -- P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
  2. Historical -- The Hostage by Susan Wiggs
  3. Chick Lit -- Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin

Horror

  1. Religious -- Year Zero by Jeff Long
  2. TBD
  3. TBD

Thriller/Suspense

  1. Historical -- A Foreign Affair by Caro Peacock
  2. Action -- Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine
  3. TBD

Scifi/Fantasy

  1. Vampire -- The Passage by Justin Cronin
  2. Dystopian -- Crossed by Ally Condie
  3. Epic Fantasy -- A Game of Thrones by George Martin

Mystery/Crime

  1. Historical -- Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
  2. TBD
  3. TBD
tags: crime, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, sub genres, suspense, thriller
categories: Reading Challenges
Tuesday 01.01.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

2013 Get Steampunk'd Reading Challenge

Hosted at Bookish Ardour:

The Get Steampunk’d Reading Challenge is all about Steampunk! Read anything as long as it has that Steampunk theme, with steam-powered gadgets, dirigibles, and punked up Victorian dress.

Steampunk Examples: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, The Difference Engine by William Gibson.

The Finer Deets
  • Running dates for all 2013 challenges: 1st of January – 31st of December 2013
  • Sign-Ups are accepted until the 16th of December 2013.
  • Formats: All BA Challenges are eBook, audio, short story, and graphic novel friendly.
  • Crossovers: You’re welcome to crossover with BA’s challenges. Include as many books across all the challenges as you can, I always say.
How To Sign-Up and Join In
  1. Choose Your Level: Choose a challenge level listed below.
  2. Sign Up Post: Create a post on your blog, in a group, or on a forum (where possible) to let others see what you’re aiming for (a predefined list of books is optional).
  3. Grab The Badge: Download or grab the badge and place it in your sign up post. Then link back toBookish Ardour.
  4. Link Up: Grab the direct URL to your sign up post, not your blog, click the Mr Linky graphic and enter your link.
  5. Blogless? Don’t worry, you can sign up with your social network profile (YouTube, Twitter, GoodReads, Shelfari included), just make sure you link to your review list, shelf, tweet, or category. If you don’t have any of those feel free to comment.
  6. Your Reviews: Reviewing is optional! But if you do review it would be great for you to share them by submitting them on thereview page.
  7. Finished: When you’re done it’s completion post time and you can share these on the completion/wrap-up page.
Challenge Levels
  1. Geared – Choose 5 books to read
  2. Cogged – Choose 15 books to read
  3. Goggle Mad – Choose 30 books to read
  4. Victorian Lord/Lady – Choose 50 books to read
  5. Inventor – Choose 75 books to read
  6. Zephyr Pilot – Choose 76-135 books to read
  7. Steampunk’d – Choose 136-200 books to read

I do love me some steampunk.  And I had a few steampunk books lying around that I couldn't really fit into other challenges.  I am excited to join this one.  I am going to aim for the Geared level of 5 books.  It may be increased as the year goes on...

My TBR list:

  1. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
  2. Ganymede by Cherie Priest
  3. Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
  4. Firelight by Kristen Callihan
  5. TBD
tags: steampunk
categories: Reading Challenges
Tuesday 01.01.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Top Ten Tuesday -- I Resolve to Read...

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join.  If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

These are books that have been sitting on my shelves for awhile.  They are my top picks for January.  I want to knock some of these out and get a great start on the New Year.

1. Emma and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen -- Rereads, but I haven't gotten to them in a few years.

2. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman -- I am determined to read more Gaiman this year. I'm even devoting a whole reading challenge to him.

3. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

4. Matched, Crossed, and Reached by Ally Condie -- I won the first book last year, but never read it.  Then at a book swap in October, I grabbed Crossed.  I should really read these now.

5. Lightworld/Darkworld trilogy by Jennifer Armintrout -- Sitting on my shelf for at least two years, I will finish this trilogy.

6. The Passage by Justin Cronin -- Another long time shelf occupant.  I heard such good things, but never started.  Bad me!

7. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- Adored The Shadow of the Wind, really want to read the rest of his books.

8. Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen -- Been meaning to get around to these.

9. Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro -- Acquired at that October book swap.  Really want to dive into this one.

10. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming -- Long time shelf resident, needs to be read.

tags: TBR Pile, Top Ten Tuesday
categories: Books
Tuesday 01.01.13
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 2
 
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