2015 Books to Movies Reading Challenge

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finished it (i.e. Song of Fire and Ice) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From ebookclassics:

Hello friends! Do you love movies? Do you love when books you love become movies? Welcome to the 2015 Book to Movie Challenge which was previously hosted by Katie on her blog Doing Dewey. The objective of the challenge is to share your reviews of movie or TV book adaptations, and hopefully generate some interesting discussions over the course of the year.

The challenge is super easy and flexible comprising of two parts:

♦  A quarterly check-in where you can add a link-up to your reviews; and/or

♦  Participate in a read-along of four 2015 movie adaptations.

GUIDELINES

♦  There are no hard or fast rules.

♦  You can join at any time. You can participate in one part of the challenge or both. You can participate in one read-along or all four. It’s all about having fun and what suits your interests and time.

♦ Neither the book nor the movie has to be new this year.

♦ A TV show counts if it is movie length or you have watched at least 2 episodes.

READ-ALONG SCHEDULE

March 2015 – Serena by Ron Rash to tie-in with the movie starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper

June 2015 – Paper Towns by John Green to tie-in with the movie starring Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne

September 2015 – To Reach The Clouds by Philippe Petit to tie-in with the movieThe Walk starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt

November 2015 – The Martian by Andy Weir to tie-in with the movie starring Matt Damon

Definitely signing up for this challenge!  I love reading a book and then comparing it to the movie version. I probably won't participate in the read-a-longs, but I aiming for 12 books and movies.

2015 Seriously Series and Book Blogger Recommendations Reading Challenges

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors. From The Geeky Zoo Girl:

One of my favourite challenges to take part in during 2012 and 2013 was The Book Blogger Recommndation Challenge, which was hosted by Reading with Tequila but seems to have since disappeared.

In case you don’t know, the challenge was simple: book bloggers nominated their favourite books, and then a list was made, with books nominated the most often at the top.  To take part in the challenge, you picked a level and read a specified number of recommended books from the list.

I think it’s a really great challenge, because you get to discover books other bloggers loved and share your own favourites (and isn’t that kind of the point of book blogging?).  I put out a call for book recommendations, and have had some great feedback already, so I’m going to try hosting it for 2015.  I’m still putting the list together but there will be at least 100 titles to choose from – if I’m a few short, I’ll be using people’s end of the year favourites lists or something to make sure we hit that.

The rules are crazy simple:

1. The challenge runs from January 1st 2014 to December 31st 2015
2. There are five levels to choose from. You can increase your goal as many times as you want, or (because we all know real life happens!) you can decrease your goal once at any point throughout the year.
3. The full list of books to choose from will go up on New Year’s Eve
4. You don’t have to commit in advance to your choices, though of course you can plan them if you want to.

I want to recommend some books!

Please do!  You can either vote using the form available here, or leave a comment on this post. I’ll be taking recommendations up until the 25th of December – that gives me a few days to add them in before the full list goes up on New Year’s Eve.

Is there a giveaway?

There will definitely be a giveaway at the end of the year.  I haven’t figured out the details of that yet but I’ll let you know!

The LevelsBronze – 3 books Silver – 5 books Gold – 10 books Platinum – 25 books Diamond – 50 books +

I did this 2 years ago and enjoyed the challenge.  I think I'll join the Gold level this time around.

NMJ #7: Dear Santa

Title: Dear Santa

Year Released/Rating: 2011

Starring: Amy Acker, David Haydn-Jones, Emma Duke

Directed By: Jason Priestley

Written By: Barbara Kymlicka

Genre: Holiday romantic comedy

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Summary: Beverly Hills 90210 alumni Jason Priestly takes the helm for this warmhearted romantic comedy about a die-hard party girl struggling to change her frivolous ways. Crystal (Amy Acker) comes from a wealthy family. She loves spending money. Her parent's money. When they decide it's time for her to make something of her life they give her until Christmas to clean up her act. Should Crystal fail to comply, her credit cards will be promptly canceled. Petrified at the prospect of having no money and no boyfriend, Crystal has a flash of inspiration when she finds a letter to Santa from seven year old Olivia (Emma Duke). In the letter, Olivia asks Santa to find her widowed father Derek (David Haydn-Jones) a new wife. He owner of a local soup kitchen, Derek has dedicated his life to helping others. Though Crystal has never set foot in a soup kitchen, she soon seeks Derek out and begins volunteering her time in an effort to get closer to him. Little does Crystal realize that Derek's scheming girlfriend (Gina Holden) will do anything to keep her man to herself. Meanwhile, Crystal remains determined to prove herself, despite the obstacles that stand in her way.

Review: 

Cute little holiday themed romantic comedy. The entire movie was carried by Amy Acker's Crystal.  She could have been a completely vapid spoiled brat, but instead we see a person grow and change throughout the movie. I loved the little moments between Crystal and Olivia. A good movie for a cold afternoon.

2015 I Love Picture Books Reading Challenge

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From Book Dragon's Lair:

For all of you who still love picture books but find they don't qualify for your other challenges. . . You know you're going to read them, they might as well count!

Guidelines:

• Challenge runs from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015
• Read picture books.
• Pick a number and go for it. Twelve too easy? Go for 20. Piece of cake? Go for 40.
• Books you own and library check outs count. So do ebooks and re-reads.
• Please post about the challenge and sign up with a direct link.
• A blog is not necessary, just link to where you talk about the challenge
• Reviews are not necessary but would be nice (so we know which ones to read ourselves!) A link for reviews will be posted in January.

I'm going for 150 books!  We easily passed that last year, so it should be easy peasy.

2015 A to Z Titles and What's in a Name Reading Challenge

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From Escape with Dollycas:

This challenge will run from January 1st, 2014 until December 31st, 2014.

You can join anytime. You do not have to review the book. Books can come from any genre.

You do not need to link up each spoonful.

Make a page or a post or a GoodReads shelf where you will keep track of your spoonfuls. I keep track of mine on my Challenge Page.

Crossovers to other challenges are allowed and encouraged!

It’s an alphabet challenge!!! The challenge is to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet.

You can drop the A’s and The’s from the book titles as shown below. For those pesky Q, X AND Z titles the word with the challenge letter can be anywhere in the title.

So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z Reading Challenge.

A – How I plan to do it: Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

OR

B – Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example:A – All the President’s Menus by Julie Hyzy  B- Bushel Full of Murder by Paige Shelton  C – Criminal Confections by Collette London  D – Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlayetc.

Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!

After a year off, I'm rejoining this challenge. I don't have my list yet, but I imagine it will start to be compiled soon...

From The Worm Hole:

The basics

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

• A word including ‘ing’ in it (The Time Of Singing, Dancing To The Flute, Lex Trent Fighting With Fire) My examples are verbs but you can of course use other words.
• A colour (The Red Queen, White Truffles In Winter, On Gold Mountain)
• A familial relation (Daughter Of Smoke And Bone, Dombey And Son, My Cousin Rachel) By all means include in-laws, step, and halves.
• A body of water (The River Of No Return, Black Lake, Beside The Sea)
• A city (Barcelona Shadows, Shanghai Girls, Under The Tripoli Sky)
• An animal (Black Swan Rising, The Leopard Unleashed, The Horse And His Boy)

Extra information

• Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
• It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
• Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my example of Black Swan Rising for ‘an animal’ could be used for the ‘colour’ category or ‘animal’ category, but not both).
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
• You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
• You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.

I'm definitely in for this one again.  Can't wait to shop my shelves for books that fulfill each category!

2015 Library, Ebook, and Read Your Freebies Reading Challenges

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From Book Dragon's Lair:

There are a number of levels, for those who don't have a library card yet to those that live there. Enjoy!Requirements:

• choose a level - you may move up as needed, just not down.
• read books you checked out of the library
• books may overlap with other challenges
• any format allowed (print, ebook, audio)
• reviews are not necessary but a list of books read is. (post with review linky is coming in January)
• a blog is not necessary, just comment that you want to join in or link up another way

Levels:

• • board book - 3
  • picture book - 6
  • early reader - 9
  • chapter book - 12
  • middle grades - 18
  • Young adult - 24
  • adult - 36

This year I'm going for the Chapter Book level of 12 books.  Even though I'm trying to focus on reading my own books, I know there will be come I want from the library.

From Annette's Book Spot:

Challenge Guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015.

Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).

Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.

You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.

Sign-ups will be open throughout 2015, so feel free to join at any time during the year.

Levels:

1. Bits – 5 ebooks 2. Bytes – 10 ebooks 3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks 4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks 5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks 6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.

I'm going for the Megabytes level of 25 books this year.

From The Book Vixen:

This challenge was originally created and hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, then co-hosted with Kelly at Reading the Paranormal and Amanda at On a Book Bender, and is now hosted by The Book Vixen. Even though the name of the challenge has changed, the goal remains the same: read those freebies!

Reading Challenge Details:

• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 (ebooks read prior to 1/1/2015 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime before 9/30/2015. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to read at least twelve (12) free ebooks. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself.
• This reading challenge is for LEGALLY obtained FREE ebooks. We do not condone ebook piracy. These can be ebooks offered through bigger sites, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or smaller sites, such as Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks. Ebooks offered through author or publisher websites are acceptable as well, provided they are available free to everyone at the time of download.
• Only ebooks and audiobooks that were available free, in a legal manner, to the public will count towards this challenge. eARCs, library books, ebooks free through Amazon Prime/Kindle Unlimited, and/or books won or gifted are not eligible for this challenge.
• Any ebook format will work for this challenge (azw, EPUB, iBooks, mobi, PDF, etc.). You DO NOT need to have an ereader to participate in this challenge. You can read ebooks using Amazon’sFree Kindle Reading Apps, which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more. Free audiobooks also count towards this challenge provided they are free to the public. They can't be free as a condition of signing up for a service and they can't be provided by the publisher for review.
• Ebooks can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
• Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, however, re-reads are not eligible for this challenge. The goal is to read the freebies you’ve legally acquired so that they are off your TBR pile.
• To join this challenge, grab the 2015 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge button below and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, etc., so as long as you have a dedicated shelf for the 2015 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge and your profile is not private. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.

Levels:

• Coupon Clipper: read 12 ebooks
• Penny Pincher: read 24 ebooks
• Buying in Bulk: read 36 ebooks
• Super Saver: read 50 ebooks
• Extreme Couponer: read 100+ ebooks

I'm doing this one again.  Going for the coupon clipper level of 12 ebooks.

2015 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

From My Reader's Block:

Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

And the rules: *Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade.  All books counted for lower mountains may carry over towards the new peak.

*Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2015.

*You may sign up anytime from now until November 4th, 2015.

*Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2015. No ARCs (none), no library books. No rereads. [To clarify--based on a question raised last year--the intention is to reduce the stack of books that you have bought for yourself or received as presents {birthday, Christmas, "just because," etc.}. Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.]

*You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1--provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish in 2014.  I will trust you all on that.

*Books may be used to count for other challenges as well.

*Feel free to submit your list in advance (as incentive to really get those books taken care of) or to tally them as you climb.

*There will be quarterly check-ins and prize drawings!

*A blog and reviews are not necessary to participate. If you have a blog, then please post a challenge sign up and link THAT post (not your home page) into the linky below. Non-bloggers, please leave a comment declaring your challenge level--OR, if you are a member of Goodreads, I will once again put together a group for the challenge there. Feel free to sign up HERE (link coming soon).  At the beginning of the year, I will once again have a sidebar link for called Mount TBR Review Headquarters for 2015 reviews and progress updates.

I'm going for the Mount Vancouver category of 36 books.  Right now, those 36 books are still very much TBD. I'm sure I'll start filling out the list soon.

NMJ #6: Penguins of Madagascar

Title: Penguins of Madagascar

Year Released/Rating: 2014 PG

Starring: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knight, John Malkovich, Benedict Cumberbatch

Directed By: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith

Written By: Michael Colton, John Aboud

Genre: Animated comedy

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: At the theater

Trivia:

• Benedict Cumberbatch cannot pronounce "penguins" correctly. Instead, he says "pengwings".
• One of the sheep that the north wind had was from "How to Train Your Dragon"
• John Malkovich had been offered the role of Dr. Octavius Brine three and a half years before the film's release, and thought that it would be funny to use his voice for an octopus.

Summary: Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.

Review: 

I took the boys to see this at their request. It wasn't high on my list of movies to see, but I really did enjoy it. The penguins are the best part of the Madagascar movies. I love their rapid fire dialogue. It's well done. And this time we get some fun side characters with the North Wind and Dr. Brine. I would definitely recommend this movie for a great family movie night.

Best Bits: 

• Corporal: He hacked into our system. Skipper: Debbie! Kowalski: Dave. Skipper: Dave! [There's no sound on the screen] Eva: Where's the sound? Kowalski: Dave, your microphone, it's not working. Classified: Click on the button with the picture of the microphone. Short Fuse: Every time a villain calls in, this happens. Dave: Hello? [the screen goes off] Dave: Hello? Kowalski: But, now we can hear you. Short Fuse: So annoying! Kowalski: But we cannot see. Short Fuse: Every time! Classified: It's like talking to my parents.
• [They've arrived in Shanghai] Kowalski: We've arrived in the center of Dublin, Ireland.Skipper: We gotta blend in. River dance. [They start river dancing]
• [the penguins have just blown up a ship] Skipper: Kowalski, analysis. Kowalski: We are really... awesome at this! Skipper: High one! [They all high five]
• Classified: We are the North Wind, and no one breaks the Wind.
• Skipper: Leopard seals! Nature's snakes. Kowalski: Technically, snakes are nature's snakes.

2015 Perpetual Reading Challenges

Nonfiction Adventure

For this year's reading challenges, I decided to do something very different and drastic.  I am going to read women authors.  I feel like I've been neglecting all those wonderful female authors sitting on my shelves.  I will be tailoring my challenge participation to account for this overall goal.  I do have a few exceptions.  I may read a male author if 1) I've already started the series and desperately want to finish it (i.e. Song of Ice and Fire) 2) It is a book club selection (out of my hands) or 3) If it is a male author writing nonfiction specifically about a women subject (e.g. a biography of Kate Chopin).  Other than those three exceptions, I want to discover some wonderful women authors.

Goal: 10 books

1. Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
2. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
3. The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
4. Life in Ruins by Marilyn Johnson
5. Backlash by Susan Faludi
6. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
7. TBD
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD

Fantasy Project

Goal: 5 books

1. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
2. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
3. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
5. TBD

NPR’S TOP 100 SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOKS

Goals: 5 books

1. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
3. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldan
4. TBD
5. TBD

NPR’S TOP 100 TEEN BOOKS

Goal: 5 books

1. Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth (in progress)
2. The Mortal Instruments (series), by Cassandra Clare (in progress)
3. Graceling (series), Kristin Cashore
4. TBD
5. TBD

TOP 100 YA NOVELS

Goal: 5 books

1. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
2. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2, 3)
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

21ST CENTURY WOMEN AUTHORS

Goal: 5 books

1. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
2. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
3. The House of Riverton by Kate Morton
4. TBD
5. TBD

TIME MAGAZINE’S TOP 100 NOVELS

Goal: 5 books

1. TBD
2. TBD
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

THE RORY GILMORE READING CHALLENGE

Goal: 5 books

1. Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi
2. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
3. Living History by Hillary Rodham Clinton
4. TBD
5. TBD

1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE

Goal: 5 books

1. Ethan Frome - Edith Wharton
2. TBD
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD

Goal: 5 books

1. Interview with a Vampire
2. The Vampire Lestat
3. The Queen of the Damned
4. The Tale of the Body Thief
5. Memnoch the Devil

Feminism

Goal: 10 books

1. Backlash by Susan Faludi
2. TBD
3. TBD
4. TBD
5. TBD
6. TBD
7. TBD
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD

Bout of Books 12 Update #1

I started the week off on the right foot this time!  Started and finished a book today...  Hope I can keep up the momentum.

Pages Read Today: 374 (Love Finds You...)

Pages Read Total: 374

TBR Pile:

• Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania by Cerella Sechrist √
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
• The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
• A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania by Cerella D. Sechrist

Title: Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania

Author: Cerella D. Sechrist

Publisher: Summerside Press 2010

Genre: Christian Romance

Pages: 347

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; A to Z - L; What's in a Name - City; 52 Books - W2; New Author

Chef Sadie Spencer is living the sweet life, running a successful eatery in the charming town of Hershey. That is, until a handsome stranger arrives with plans to open a competing restaurant. Will Sadie melt under the pressure…or find a love that's simply icing on the cake?

Not impressed by this one.  I enjoyed the first half of the book.  Sadie and Jaspar were an interesting couple and I love them getting together.  And then the book took a huge turn and I just wanted to slap Sadie. Ugh!  Not a fan of that character at all.  Her obsession with the dessert competition wasn't an interesting challenge, it was neglectful. I just couldn't stand her at all. My major dislike of the main character permeated my reading experience for the rest of the novel. I finished it, but wasn't excited at all.

NMJ #5: The Christmas Kiss

Title: The Christmas Kiss

Year Released/Rating: 2011

Starring: Elizabeth Rohm, Laura Breckenridge, Brendan Fehr

Directed By: John Stimpson

Written By: Joany Kane

Genre: Romantic comedy

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Summary: After a spontaneous kiss, a struggling designer ends up falling in love with her demanding boss's boyfriend as she decorates his home for a Christmas party.

Review:

A fun little Christmas movie after Christmas. (Why do I never actually watch these during Christmas?) Sure some of the plot points were clcihes and the dialogue wasn't always great. But I enjoyed this one a lot. It was a nice little light hearted romance romp. I'd add it to the list of feel good Christmas movies to add to your list next year.

Best Bits: 

• [Priscilla leaves town for a few days] Tressa: You do know what this means, don't you? Wendy Walton: That the flying monkeys can breathe a sigh of relief?
• Wendy Walton: It is the type of kiss that, years from now when I am suffering from dementia and drooling in my jell-o - I will be thinking about that kiss.

2015 Goals and Resolutions

It's the New Year.  Time for my yearly goals and resolutions...

Blog and Reading Resolutions:

1. Read 30,000 pages -- Figured I'd try and make this an attainable goal this year.
2. Read at least 75 books -- Passed this number in 2014, hoping to keep the momentum going.
3. Read 20 new fiction authors -- I have a ton of never read authors on my shelves.  Want to get to some of these this coming year.

Life Resolutions:

1. Focus on OLW 2015 Home -- I have an entire blog post about my choice and intentions, but I also put it here to stress the importance of incorporating Home into everyday life.
2. Set up more 30 Day Challenges -- I liked the idea in 2014, I want to continue this for 2015.
3. Write more personal posts -- I don't want to rely on too many memes... I want to write more personal blog posts.
4. Be intentional about meal planning -- Did decently in 2014, really want to focus on this in 2015.
5. Create and stick to an exercise plan -- Yeah... I'm not going to say that I will lose all the baby weight, but I definitely want to start some sort of exercise regime.
6. Work on creating livable rooms -- New house = randomly decorated and placed rooms.  Now to focus on creating a home and truly livable spaces.
7. Make progress on my 101 in 1001 list -- I'm restarting this challenge in 2015 after failing the last one.  Hopefully I made my list challenging by doable.

Revisiting 2014's goals and resolutions:

1. Read over 50,000 pages —Fail. I didn't even make it to 30,000 pages this year.  But my reading was good considering the baby.
2. Get rid of at least one box of books —Success! I ended up taking probably 10 bags of books to sell at HPB over the course of the year.
3. Add in my new features/update weekly schedule —Success!  I changed a few things around and it seemed to work a lot better.  More changes will be coming this next year.
4. Focus on reading my own books — Success!  I really got a ton of those long languishing books read.  Want to keep this up for next year.
5. Focus on my perpetual lists —50% Success! I got a decent start on these lists, but need to read from them more.
6. 30 Day Challenges —Success!  I planned a ton of these and completed at least half of these.
7. Documentation through Project Life —Success!  2014's albums are 90% complete.  Being in Indiana for 5 weeks put me a bit behind, but I'll catch up by the start of February.
8. New food adventures —Success!  We tried some great new restaurants and made some new recipes this past year. Want to keep this going.
9. Losing the baby weight —Fail. Yep, I didn't lose a single pound this year.
10. Exploring the Bay Area —50% Success!  The baby and I explored a ton of parks and baby related spaces, but could have done more.  Next year will include a ton of exploring by necessity.  We now have all of East Bay to explore.

Bout of Books 12 Goals

I'm so excited for tomorrow! I thought about it and here are my goals for this week:

• Read 3 books
• Review all books read
• Read 1000 pages
• Participate in at least two challenges

TBR Pile:

• Love Finds You in Hershey Pennsylvania by Cerella Sechrist
• The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
• The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer
• A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 5th and runs through Sunday, January 11th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 12 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Title: Midnight in Austenland (Austenland #2)

Author: Shannon Hale

Publisher: Bloomsbury 2012

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 272

Rating:  4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; A to Z - M; Seriously Series

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?

A lovely little breezy book to start off the year right.  I didn't love this one as much as the first in the series, but it was still a treat.  We get to see some familiar characters (Miss Charming, Colonel Andrews, and of course Mrs. Wattlesbrook), plus some great new ones.  Miss Gardenside was my favorite.  I figured her twist out right away, but she was a nice character to follow.  My main issue was with the main character.  I wasn't huge fan of Charlotte, but grew to like her more as the story progressed.  The murder mystery was a bit forced at times, but was still enjoyable.  A nice companion novel to Austenland.

 Austenland:

• #1 Austenland
• #2 Midnight in Austenland

NMJ #4: Artifact

Title: Artifact

Year Released/Rating: 2012

Starring: Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Milicevic

Directed By: Bartholomew Cubbins (Jared Leto)

Genre: Documentary

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netflix

Summary: Telling harsh truths about the modern music business, this riveting and award-winning documentary gives intimate access to singer/actor Jared Leto ("Requiem for a Dream," "Dallas Buyers Club") and his band Thirty Seconds to Mars as they fight a relentless lawsuit with record label Virgin/EMI and write songs for their album "This Is War." Opening up his life for the camera during months of excruciating pressures, Leto reveals the struggles his band must face over questions of art, money and integrity.

Review: 

Fascinating documentary that began when 30 Seconds to Mars decided to sue their label... It was interesting to see the progress (or should I say nonprogress?) of the lawsuit and the band.  The inclusion of interviews from EMI employees and fellow musical artists helped to add context to the issue at hand. I was riveted.. and so was Arthur!  He loved the all the music.  Beyond the lawsuit it was interesting to see how the band approached the album making process.  Very very good documentary.

2014 Wrap-up

Favorite Books of the Year

• The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
• The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
• Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn
• Washington by Ron Chernow
• No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman
• A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

Honorable Mentions: The HM category is reserved for rereads that I really loved.

• The Awakening by Kate Chopin
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Total Books Read – 88 books

Total Pages Read – 28,381 pages

I averaged 2365 pages per month.  My lowest month was April with only 1616 pages.  My highest month was August with 3466 pages.  I hope to read 30,000 pages next year.

Book Rating Stats –

• 5 stars — 30 books
• 4 stars — 37 books
• 3 stars — 19 books
• 2 stars — 1 book
• 1 star — 1 book
• DNFs —0

Special Projects/Features

Readathons —I completed 8 readathons this year.  My totals are down from last year, but I did well with an almost toddler running around.  I'm always up for readathons each quarter.

• January's Bout of Books 9: 750 pages, 3 books
• February's Winter's Respite: 738 pages, 2 books
• February's Love for Books: 265 pages, 1 book
• May's Spring into Horror: 348 pages, 2 books
• May's Bout of Books 10: 686 pages, 1 book
• July's High Summer: 767 pages, 4 books
• August's Bout of Books 11: 1180 pages, 3 books
• October's Frightfall: ? pages, 1 book

Bloggiesta in September — I participated again in September and loved getting my blog back-end in order. Definitely participating in 2015.

Day Zero Project  – I lost steam and ended my first attempt in failure. I am going to try this again starting January 2015.

Quote Wednesday — I kept this feature going this year.  Next year, I'm going to alternate between QW and Currently to give some variety to my week.

Music Monday —Still love sharing my favorite music videos every Monday.

Top Ten Tuesday — I don't usually participate, but every once in awhile the topic inspires me.

Fashion Friday — Love doing FF. I am definitely continuing this into 2015.

Arthur Updates — I loved sharing an Arthur update every week, but after 52 weeks, I am burned out.  I am switching to a monthly update in 2015.

Project Life — With the start of my craft blog in April, all PL spreads have moved over there...

Thanks/Odds and Ends/Fun Videos -- My Thursday rotation was a good way to break up content and not get bored with writing. I will be continuing the rotation in 2015.e

Reading Challenges

Here’s the final breakdown:

• Fantasy Project  8/20  40%
• Nonfiction Adventure  18/20  90%
• NPR Scifi and Fantasy   4/10  40%
• NPR Teen  8/10  80%
• Top 100 YA   5/5  100%
• 21st Century Women Authors  3/5  60%
• US of YA   3/5  60%
• Time Top 100   1/5  20%
• Rory Gilmore   6/10  60%
• 1001 Books  5/10  50%
• U.S. Presidents   2/5  40%
• Mount TBR  36/36  100%
• TBR Pile  7/30  23.3%
• Ebooks  23/25   92%
• New Author   15/15  100%
• Women Authors  20/20  100%
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks   52/52  100%
• Library  12/12  100%
• Read Your Freebies   12/12  100%
• Monthly Motif   10/12  83.3%
• Monthly Key Word   11/12  91.7%
• Books to Movies  12/12   100%
• Well Rounded Reader  22/25  88%
• Seriously Series  8/10   80%
• What’s in a Name   5/5  100%
• Picture Books   100/100  100%
• Rereading  3/4  75%
• Chunkster  5/10  50%
• Lucky No. 14   14/14  100%
• Back to the Classics   6/10  60%
• Fall Reading Challenge 15/20  75%

Total:  11/31 challenges   35.5% done

Total:  451/541 slots   83.4% done

Overall Thoughts/Reflections/Musings/Ideas

I anticipated that my reading totals would decrease this year and it happened. But I still read a ton of great books and wrote a lot of other blog posts. I'd say 2014 was a good year. I'm planning on continuing with a lot of my regular features. And I'm going to be adding in more personal posts tied to my new 101 in 1001 project and One Little Word. Stay tuned for a great new year!

NMJ #3: Sharknado 2

Title: Sharknado 2: The Second One

Year Released/Rating: 2014

Starring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, Vivica A. Fox

Directed By: Anthony C. Ferrante

Written By: Thunder Levin

Genre: Horror Thriller

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Netlfix

Trivia:

• The characters played by Mark McGrath and Kari Wuhrer are named Martin and Ellen Brody. Those are the same names as Roy Schieder and Lorraine Gray's characters in "Jaws". Their son is named Vaughan, which was the name of Murray Hamilton's character as the Mayor in "Jaws".
• Wil Wheaton's appearance in the film had originally been a joke in The Big Bang Theory: The Gorilla Dissolution (2014) where he gets the opportunity to audition for it after getting fired from another bad horror film.
• The flight in the beginning of the movie is flight 209, the same flight number as the doomed flight in Airplane!.

Summary: A freak weather system turns its deadly fury on New York City, unleashing a Sharknado on the population and its most cherished, iconic sites - and only Fin and April can save the Big Apple.

Review: 

I actually enjoyed the sequel more than the original.  Setting this one in New York made for some campy fun.  The scenes with the Statue of Liberty's head were spectacularly amazing!  And the subway scene with the two workers, some sharks, and an alligator was priceless.  I just could have done without all the family love crap.  Let's just go kill some sharks!

Best Bits: 

• April Wexler: Fin, why aren't you having more fun with this?  Fin Shepard: Come on, April. Two of my friends were killed. I almost destroyed Los Angeles. And, oh, yeah... I got eaten by shark. How much fun do you think that was?
• Martin Brody: [to Vaughn after Fin jumps to safety from the taxi] You know what you just did, don't you?  Fin Shepard: Don't say it.  Martin Brody: He jumped the shark.

2014 Reading Challenge Round-up -- Failed

And here's my shame for the year... all the challenges I failed to complete.

Fall Reading Challenge

Goal: 15/20 books

1. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (12/19/14)
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (12/1/14)
3. Beloved by Toni Morrison (12/5/14)
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (11/25/14)
5. Divergent by Veronica Roth (11/28/14)
6. Entwined by Kristen Callihan (10/7/14)
7. Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan (10/14/14)
8. Evernight by Kristen Callihan (11/16/14)
9. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (10/27/14)
10. Expecting Adam by Martha Beck (10/14/14)
11. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (10/20/14)
12. Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer (11/6/14)
13. Authority by Jeff Vandermeer (11/6/14)
14. Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer (11/9/14)
15. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (12/5/14)

Goal: 8/20 books

1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (8/29/14)
2. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (12/19/14)
3. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (5/15/14)
4. Wicked by Gregory Maguire (4/5/14)
5. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (2/28/14)
6. The Little Prince by Antoine St. Exupery (8/9/14)
7. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein (12/1/14)
8. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (4/19/14)

Goal: 18/20 books

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (1/19/14)
2. Washington by Ron Chernow (9/8/14)
3. What Ifs of American History edited by Robert Cowley (3/24/14)
4. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (5/24/14)
5. Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon (8/26/14)
6. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/7/14)
7. Sh*tty Mom by Laurie Kilmartin, et al (2/23/14)
8. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling (4/30/14)
9. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (6/7/14)
10. Grand Forks Marilyn Hagerty (6/15/14)
11. Death in Yellowstone by Lee Whittlesey (6/22/14)
12. Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand (7/27/14)
13. Pinterest Perfect by Walter Foster Creative Team (7/27/14)
14. Journal Bliss by Violette (7/27/14)
15. How to Sell Your Crafts Online by Derrick Sutton (7/27/14)
16. No Turning Back by Estelle Freedman (9/29/14)
17. Expecting Adam by Martha Beck (10/14/14)
18. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai (10/20/14)

NPR Scifi and Fantasy

Goal: 4/10 books

1. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (12/19/14)
2. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (5/15/14)
3. Dune by Frank Herbert (10/5/14)
4. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (4/12/14)

NPR Teen Books

Goal: 8/10 books

1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (8/29/14)
2. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (4/12/14)
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (1/11/14)
4. Dune by Frank Herbert (10/5/14)
5. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (8/12/14)
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (11/25/14)
7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (9/23/14)
8. Divergent by Veronica Roth (11/28/14)

21st Century Women Authors

Goal: 3/5 books

1. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (9/17/14)
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (7/10/14)
3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (4/19/14)

Goal: 3/5 books

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (1/11/14)
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (8/12/14)
3. Divergent by Veronica Roth (11/28/14)

Time Top 100

Goal: 1/5 books

1. Beloved by Toni Morrison (12/5/14)

Rory Gilmore

Goal: 6/10 books

1. Beloved by Toni Morrison (12/5/14)
2. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (1/24/14)
3. The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (2/9/14)
4. High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1/24/14)
5. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (6/7/14)
6. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (7/10/14)

1001 Books

Goal: 5/10 books

1. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (9/17/14)
2. Beloved by Toni Morrison (12/5/14)
3. A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (1/24/14)
4. Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (8/7/14)
5. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery (8/9/14)

Goal: 2/5 books

1. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (1/19/14)
2. Washington by Ron Chernow (9/8/14)

Goal: 7/30 books

1. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (2/28/14)
2. Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews (5/28/14)
3. Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk (6/28/14)
4. Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale (1/30/14)
5. Tales of the Brothers Grimm (3/23/14)
6. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (7/1/14)
7. Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon (8/26/14)

Goal: 23/25 ebooks

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (1/11/14)
2. Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein (3/15/14)
3. Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason (2/1/14)
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman (5/15/14)
5. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (1/19/14)
6. Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain (1/7/14)
7. TIthe by Holly Black (2/4/14)
8. Ember by Kristen Callihan (5/6/14)
9. Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim (3/30/14)
10. In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller (1/3/14)
11. Wicked by Gregory Maguire (4/5/14)
12. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (5/24/14)
13. Shambling with the Stars by Jesse Petersen (1/12/14)
14. The Zombie Whisperer by Jesse Petersen (3/23/14)
15. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (2/9/14)
16. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling (4/30/14)
17. Gentleman of Her Dreams by Jen Turano (4/30/14)
18. A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (12/5/14)
19. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (11/25/14)
20. Dune by Frank Herbert (10/5/14)
21. Entwined by Kristen Callihan (10/7/14)
22. Divergent by Veronica Roth (11/28/14)
23. Beloved by Toni Morrison (12/5/14)

Goal: 10/12 books

1. Jan- Around the World – High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1/24/14)
2. Feb- Award Winner – Dune by Frank Herbert {Hugo Award 1966} (10/5/14)
3. Mar-  Fairy tales or Fairy Creatures – Tales of the Brothers Grimm (3/23/14)
4. Apr- Short & Sweet – Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palaniuk (6/28/14)
5. May- Mystery, Murder, & Mayhem – Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn (7/1/14)
6. June-  A Long Journey – The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente (6/15/14)
7. July- Assassins, Warriors, & Rebels – Fables Vol 19: Snow White (7/6/14)
8. Aug- Alternate Reality – Moonglow by Kristen Callihan (8/21/14)
9. Sep- Book to Movie –
10. Oct- The Witching Hour –
11. Nov- An Oldie but a Goodie – The Awakening by Kate Chopin (10/27/14)
12. Dec- That’s a Wrap – Evernight by Kristen Callihan (11/16/14)

Goal: 11/12 books

1. JAN- Secret — In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller (1/3/14)
2. FEB- Her, Life, Night, Red, Dark, Island — A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (12/4/14)
3. MAR- Flower — Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim (3/30/14)
4. APR- Light — Ember by Kristen Callihan (5/6/14)
5. MAY- Lost — Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (6/10/14)
6. JUN- Color — The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (6/7/14)
7. JUL- Prince — The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery (8/9/14)
8. AUG- Down — A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby (7/30/14)
9. SEP- Number — Ten Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn (8/16/14)
10. OCT- Ocean, Blood, Still, Out, The, Fate — The Orphans at Race Point by Patry Francis (8/19/14)
11. NOV- Into, Sound, Blue, House, My, Last —
12. DEC- Fire — Firelight by Kristen Callihan (7/12/14)

Well-Rounded Reader

Goal: 22/25 books

1. Self Help — Handmade to Sell by Kelly Rand (7/27/14)
2. History — What Ifs of American History edited by Robert Cowley (3/24/14)
3. Classic –
4. Graphic Novel/Comic — Locke and Key Vol. 6 (7/3/14)
5. Chick Lit — Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews (5/28/14)
6. Historical Romance — Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale (1/30/14)
7. Mystery — A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (12/4/14)
8. Science Fiction — Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein (3/15/14)
9. YA / NA — The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa (3/7/14)
10. Steampunk/Dystopian — Divergent by Veronica Roth (11/28/14)
11. Paranormal Romance — Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason (2/1/14)
12. Anthology / Short Story Collection — Stranger Than Fiction by Chuck Palahniuk (6/28/14)
13. Art  Design — Becoming Mona Lisa by Donald Sassoon (8/26/14)
14. Fairy Tales — Tales of the Brothers Grimm (3/23/14)
15. Fantasy — A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (12/19/14)
16. Historical Fiction — The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy (3/15/14)
17. Home — Pinterest Perfect by Walter Foster Creative Team (7/27/14)
18. Media — Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling (4/30/14)
19. Horror — The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (5/24/14)
20. Philosophy — A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (5/24/14)
21. Science –
22. Politics –
23. Biography / Autobiography / Memoir — Expecting Adam by Martha Beck (10/14/14)
24. Humorous — Reasons My Kid is Crying by Greg Pembroke (8/19/14)
25. Children’s Literature — Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (2/28/14)

Goal: 8/10 series

Started before 2014:

1. Locke and Key — #6 Omega and Alpha (7/3/14)  √
2. Opal Cowan by Maria Snyder — #2 Sea Glass, #3 Spy Glass
3. Bevelstoke by Julia Quinn — #2 What Happens in London (7/20/14), #3 Ten Things I Love About You (8/16/14) √
4. Living with the Dead by Jesse Petersen — #3.5 Shambling with the Stars (1/12/14), #4 The Zombie Whisperer (3/23/14)  √
5. Ashfall by Mike Mullin — #3 Sunrise (8/10/14)  √

Started in 2014:

1. Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten by Julie Kagawa — #0.5 Iron’s Prophecy (2/10/14), #1 The Lost Prince (2/21/14), #2 The Iron Traitor (3/7/14)  √
2. Fairest — Vol 1 (7/10/14), Vol 2 (7/14/14), In All the Land (7/19/14), Vol 3 (9/15/14) √
3. Darkest London — #0.5 Ember (6/2014), #1 Firelight (7/12/14), #2 Moonglow (8/21/14), #3 Winterblaze (9/8/14), #3.5 Entwined (10/7/14), #4 Shadowdance (10/14/14), #5 Evernight (11/16/14) √
4. Southern Reach — Annihilation (11/6/14), Authority (11/6/14), Acceptance (11/9/14) √
5. TBD

Goal: 3/4 books

1. The Awakening by Kate Chopin (10/27/14)
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (12/1/14)
3. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (5/24/14)

Goal: 5/10 books

1. Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein (3/15/14)
2. The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan (5/24/14)
3. Sunrise by Mike Mullin (8/10/14)
4. Washington by Ron Chernow (9/8/14)
5. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin (12/19/14)

Goal: 6/10 books

Required:

1. A 20th Century Classic — A Room with a View by E.M. Forster (1/24/14)
2. A 19th Century Classic — The Awakening by Kate Chopin (10/27/14)
3. A Classic by a Woman Author — A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (5/24/14)
4. A Classic in Translation — Tales of the Brothers Grimm (3/23/14)
5. A Wartime Classic  2014 will be the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I.  Any book relating to a war is fine –
6. A Classic by an Author Who Is New To You –

Optional Categories:

1. An American Classic –
2. A Classic Mystery, Suspense or Thriller — A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle (12/4/14)
3. A Historical Fiction Classic –
4. A Classic That’s Been Adapted Into a Movie or TV Series — Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie (2/28/14)

NMJ #2: Not Another Happy Ending

Title: Not Another Happy Ending

Year Released/Rating: 

Starring: Karen Gillan, Stanley Weber

Directed By: John McKay

Written By: David Solomons

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Star Rating:  4/5 stars

Where I Got It: Hulu Plus

Trivia:

• The film was financed in part by a crowdfunding campaign on the website Indiegogo, which raised USD$22,660. Additional funding came through the efforts of producer Claire Mundell, who "[patch-worked] a bunch of different sources of funding together, none of whom interfered in any kind of way with the film turned out".
• Stanley Weber replaced originally cast Emun Elliott as Tom, which lead filmmakers to write into the script, Tom's French background and an explanation on how a Frenchman ended up in Glasgow to be a publisher.

Summary: When a struggling publisher discovers his only successful author is blocked he knows he has to unblock her or he's finished. With her newfound success, she's become too damn happy and she can't write when she's happy.The only trouble is, the worse he makes her feel, the more he realizes he's in love with her.

Review: 

As far as romantic comedies go, this one was a winner.  We get just enough cutesy scenes between the two leads to satisfy our romance cravings, but not too many to annoy us.  I loved Karen Gillan's writer to death.  And the inclusion of Darsie was just way too much fun.  Overall, the film felt a little too long (pacing issue) and some of the characters like Willie were a bit too cliche.  But I still enjoyed my time watching this little indie film.