Top Ten Tuesday -- Winter TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I have a list of books I need to finish by the end of the year. I really got behind on some of these reading challenges. The list may be long, but I am determined to try and finish...

1. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke -- 2011: Bablefish Challenge

2. Finish Fables series for the year (~8 volumes) -- Fables challenge

3. Contact by Carl Sagan -- Science Fiction challenge

4. Boneshaker and Dreadnought by Cherie Priest -- Steampunk challenge

5. The Dress Lodger by Holman -- Historical Fiction challenge

6. The Girl from Jungchow by Kate Furnivall -- Historical Fiction challenge; A to Z Author F

7. Heart of Iron by Ekaterine Sedia -- Steampunk challenge

8. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein -- Science Fiction challenge

9. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury -- Science Fiction challenge

10. Snow Crash by Larry Niven -- Science Fiction Challenge

11. Another two historical fiction novels

There's a few more random books and spots to fill, but this is the bulk of it! Already looking forward to January's new reading challenges.

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn

Title: The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever (Bevelstoke #1)

Author: Julia Quinn

Publisher: Avon 2007

Genre: Historical Romance

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: A to Z Authors: Q; Historical Fiction

How I Got It: I own it!

2 March 1810 . . . Today, I fell in love.
At the age of ten, Miranda Cheever showed no signs of Great Beauty. And even at ten, Miranda learned to accept the expectations society held for her—until the afternoon when Nigel Bevelstoke, the handsome and dashing Viscount Turner, solemnly kissed her hand and promised her that one day she would grow into herself, that one day she would be as beautiful as she already was smart. And even at ten, Miranda knew she would love him forever.
But the years that followed were as cruel to Turner as they were kind to Miranda. She is as intriguing as the viscount boldly predicted on that memorable day—while he is a lonely, bitter man, crushed by a devastating loss. But Miranda has never forgotten the truth she set down on paper all those years earlier—and she will not allow the love that is her destiny to slip lightly through her fingers . .

Not bad. I read this in one sitting, granted I was on a plane, but still one sitting. I liked the main characters, Miranda. She was tough and feisty, but still a dreamer. The male lead, Turner, was mostly likable. There were a few times throughout the book that I really wanted Miranda to smack him for his actions and speech. But overall, I thought he was a good character. I was really rooting for him by the end. The plot is fairly typical with a "will they, won't they" romance, a tragedy, steamy sex scene, and a plenty of other characters to complicate matters. I admit that I even started tearing up in the last few chapters. They really pulled at my heart-strings. But by the end, I was happy and got my fairy tale ending. Quinn writes description, exposition, and dialogue smoothly. I'm really looking forward to reading more by her.

Bevelstoke

#1 The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever
#2 What Happens in London
#3 Ten Things I Love About You

The Queen's Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Title: The Queen's Dollmaker

Author: Christine Trent

Publisher: Kensintong 2010

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 3 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; A to Z: Title Q

How I Got It: Library lend

On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil - as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris. After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London. But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes. When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home...Amid the violence and unrest, Claudette befriends the Queen, who bears no resemblance to the figurehead rapidly becoming the scapegoat of the Revolution. But when Claudette herself is lured into a web of deadly political intrigue, it becomes clear that friendship with France's most despised woman has grim consequences. Now, overshadowed by the spectre of Madame Guillotine, the Queen's dollmaker will face the ultimate test.

I started reading this book with high hopes. I loved the premise, the characters were interesting, and I really like historical fiction. Yet, most of this fell flat. I loved the main character; Claudette was a real women with hopes, dreams, and insecurities. Beatrice was tiresome, but her daughter was wonderful. All the other side characters in Claudette's life were interesting and intriguing. I even liked the interactions between Claudette and Marie Antoinette. The setting was unique. I haven't read a historical fiction novel set on the Eve of Revolution in France. I was really liking the story. The part I disliked: the switches in point of view and voice to Marie Antoinette. I felt like the author was trying to educate us mere mortals about the Revolution by following Marie Antoinette's story also. It felt very cluttered and unnecessary. I don't think the readers needed a history lesson that detailed. So what? We could have understood Claudette's story and even how her story interacts with Marie Antoinette's without the switches. I kept having to reorient myself to various characters. For that reason, I gave the book 3 stars. I liked the main storyline and characters, just not the point of view changes.

Top Ten Tuesday -- Thanksgiving Guests

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

Great topic for this week. I've picked a variety of authers, but made myself pick only ones that were currently alive. The restriction made it harder, but I found myself picking some authors I've been reading (and loving of course). In general, I think any of these authors would be make for interesting dinner conversation. They write very different kinds of books, but I think they are all amazing.

1. Jill Mansell -- Awesome British contemporary romance

2. David Moody -- Zombie novels Autumn and Autum: The City are currently in my 2011 favorites list

3. Carrie Ryan -- More zombie novels. Different from Moody's but still amazing.

4. Gail Carriger -- The Parasol Protectorate series is just great steampunk fun

5. Rick Riordan -- Percy Jackson, need I say more?

6. J.K. Rowling -- HP, duh!

7. Shannon Hale -- Loved her updated take on Pride and Prejudice in Austenland (and the sequel is coming out next year!)

8. Garth Ennis -- Writer behind comic series The Boys... very dark, but very intriguing.

9. Jesse Petersen -- Author of the Married with Zombies series. A comedic take on zombies? Sure!

10. Bill Willingham -- Creator of the comic series Fables. Currently my absolute favorite series. I am addicted to it!

Heartless by Gail Carriger

Title: Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4)

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Orbit 2011

Genre: Steampunk

Pages: 385

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Steampunk

How I Got It: I own it!

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.
Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

I think this was my favorite one yet from the series. I love pregnant Alexia; she's feisty but clumsy. She's such a treat to continue to follow her unconventional life. Although I love her to pieces, Lord Akeldama and Biffy have become my favorite characters. The interplay between those two is just fantastic. Carriger has captured me again. I can't wait to read Timeless and find out what happens with the baby, the newly installed hive and of course the pack. It's such a shame I have to wait until spring!

Alexia Tarabotti

Pondering Reflections

I am at a crossroads... with this blog I mean. My blog is basically a year old. I started it sometime in November, but didn't really get the hang of it until the first of the year. I signed up for a ton of reading challenges. I jioned a few memes. I created a few regular features. And now it's time to decide where to go from here. I've already began to organiaze my TBR piles and reading challenges for next year. The basement theater is lookiong a bit ridiculous and I'm sure J is about done with my mess. But I love being organized. And usually that means making a crazy mess for a bit before everything looks all pretty again. There are so many great books sitting in the garage. I want to read them all. But I know that's a crazy goal. So I need to try and organize and scale back.

I'm also trying to figure out the overall shape of my blog. I know that I'll still do book reviews and reading challenges. But what about all those other little feature things (meal plan, music monday, top ten tuesday, etc)? I have to think about what I want to commit myself to, especially since taking on a full time job and wanting to plan things for when I have the boys (and possibly a vacation with or without the boys).

All this leads to a pondering Tobe. What to do? What to do? In some ways I love these times of decisions. And then I panic and think "Am I doing the right thing?" I guess it's all about the decisions the time. I can't get caught up in "What Ifs." So I'll ponder and make decisions. And make a big year end wrap-up post. Also, I think I'll be taking a bit of blog vacation for the second half of December. A bit of a break to energize sounds like a great idea.

Top Ten Tuesday -- On My Shelf the Longest

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

I need to preface this week's Top Ten with a big confession... I have six file boxes in the garage full of books that I haven't read yet. I am a book hoarder. There, I said it. But I am trying to change my ways. After I read a book, if I don't absolutely love it, I'm getting rid of it (selling, giving, Goodwilling). And next year, I have a book reward program for myself. If this topic comes around next year, hopefully I the shelf life will be weeks instead of months and years...

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -- I know, I know. I'm dying to read it, but I know I'll want to read the other two books right after and I don't have them yet. They are both on my wish list this Christmas.

2. Entire Outlander series -- I read the first one and was blown away. I promptly scoured the used book stores for the rest of the series. And then, they sat on my shelf. I even had a reading challenge this year and I have read zero... I'm going to try again next year.

3. The Magicians by Lev Grossman -- J's recommendation. He loved it, I've heard amazing things. I really want to read this and yet I kept finding other things to read instead.

4. Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare -- Last Christmas gift card purchase. I found a boxed set for an awesome price. I've heard some great things about this series. On my list for next year.

5. Charles Dickens -- I went on a huge classics book buying kick about two years ago and then I didn't read 80% of them. So there are a ton of classics sitting in the garage right now.

6. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton -- Classic

7-10. Classic book -- Pick a classic, it should probably go on this list...

U.S. Presidents Reading Project

I found this great idea for a reading challenge, but decided to change it to a perpetual reading challenge. I was trained as a U.S. History teacher, so reading about the Presidents sounds like great fun to me. I plan on getting started after the New Year.

The rules are simple:

1. Read at least one non-fiction book about each of the U.S. Presidents 2. Take as much time as you need 3. Have fun learning about U.S. history and its leaders 4. And if you like buttons for your blog, feel free to add this one provided by the fabulous Michele at A Reader's Respite. Thanks, Michele!

That's it! If one book about each president sounds a bit like "too much information" to you, feel free to choose books that talk about more than one president at a time and count it for each one. Tailor this project to suit your personal level of interest. Maybe you just want a passing knowledge of each one. Maybe you found a couple presidents interesting enough to read two or three or more books about them. Maybe you'll discover so many avenues you'd like to explore that we'll need to start an American History Reading Project. :-) The possibilities are endless!

LIST OF U.S. PRESIDENTS

George Washington (1789-97)
John Adams, 1797-1801 (Federalist)
Thomas Jefferson, 1801-9 (Democratic-Republican)
James Madison, 1809-17 (Democratic-Republican)
James Monroe, 1817-25 (Democratic-Republican)
John Quincy Adams, 1825-29 (Democratic-Republican)
Andrew Jackson, 1829-37 (Democrat)
Martin Van Buren, 1837-41 (Democrat)
William Henry Harrison, 1841 (Whig)
John Tyler, 1841-45 (Whig)
James Knox Polk, 1845-49 (Democrat)
Zachary Taylor, 1849-50 (Whig)
Millard Fillmore, 1850-53 (Whig)
Franklin Pierce, 1853-57 (Democrat)
James Buchanan, 1857-61 (Democrat)
Abraham Lincoln, 1861-65 (Republican)
Andrew Johnson, 1865-69 (Democrat/National Union)
Ulysses Simpson Grant, 1869-77 (Republican)
Rutherford Birchard Hayes, 1877-81 (Republican)
James Abram Garfield, 1881 (Republican)
Chester Alan Arthur, 1881-85 (Republican)
Grover Cleveland, 1885-89 and 1893-97 (Democrat)
Benjamin Harrison, 1889-93 (Republican)
William McKinley, 1897-1901 (Republican)
Theodore Roosevelt, 1901-9 (Republican)
William Howard Taft, 1909-13 (Republican)
Woodrow Wilson, 1913-21 (Democrat)
Warren Gamaliel Harding, 1921-23 (Republican)
Calvin Coolidge, 1923-29 (Republican)
Herbert Clark Hoover, 1929-33 (Republican)
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 1933-45 (Democrat)
Harry S. Truman, 1945-53 (Democrat)
Dwight David Eisenhower, 1953-61 (Republican)
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 1961-63 (Democrat)
Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1963-69 (Democrat)
Richard Milhous Nixon, 1969-74 (Republican)
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr , 1974-77 (Republican)
James Earl Carter, 1977-81 (Democrat)
Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-89 (Republican)
George Herbert Walker Bush, 1989-1993 (Republican)
William Jefferson Clinton, 1993-2001 (Democrat)
George W. Bush, 2001-2009 (Republican)
Barack Hussein Obama, 2009- (Democrat)

Fables: Arabian Nights (and Days)

Title: Fables Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days)

Author: Bill Willingham

Publisher: Vertigo 2006

Genre: Graphic Novel; Fantasy

Pages: 144

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fables Series

Collecting issues #42-47 of writer Bill Willingham's Eisner Award-winning creation, FABLES: ARABIAN NIGHTS (AND DAYS) opens a new front in the struggle between the Fables and the Adversary as the worlds of the Arabian Fables are invaded — leading to an unprecedented diplomatic mission to Fabletown and a bad case of culture shock! This seventh volume of the popular Vertigo series also includes "The Ballad of Rodney and June," the 2-part story of forbidden love among the Adversary's wooden soldiers, and features stellar Art by Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Jim Fern, Jimmy Palmiotti and Andrew Pepoy.

When I went to read Volume 7, I found out that the library didn't have it!! Horrors upon horrors. Someone had lost it. A new copy was on order, but no availability date. I was saddened. But I decided to read on in the series. I would just have to fill in the blanks later. Thankfully Vol. 8 didn't rely heavily on Vol. 7. But I still wanted to read it. Thursday I received an email from the library that Vol. 7 was available. Thank goodness! I rushed to the library Saturday (would have gone Friday, but Veteran's Day so closed) and snatched it up. I even thought about reading it before finished the book I was reading, but I restrained myself.

The storyline about the Arabian Fables lands was interesting. I liked the twist on the djinn (genie in the bottle). He's not your Disneyfied version, but much closer to the legendary djinns of mythology. It was a good bridger bringing in Sinbad, Mowgli, Red Riding Hood, and Boy Blue. I liked it.

However, I felt like "The Ballad of Rodney and June" was superior storytelling. It starts out as a simple story about one of the wooden soldiers, but then it becomes something more. We get insight into the Adversary's army. We see how the wooden soldiers think. And we get a twist... I won't give it away, but I imagine it will become important as the series progresses. I can't wait to see Rodney and June again!

Fables:

Music Monday -- Kate Voegele "It's Only Life"

I was pondering this week's song and couldn't grab any one particular song... And then "It's Only Life" came up on my iPod giant shuffle. It's a great song and I love Kate Voegele. I've previously posted one of Kate Voegele's songs ("Chicago"). I've also met her at a teeny tiny concert in Bloomington, IN opening for Josh Kelley. I rushed over and bought her EP right after the concert. I have since bought the rest of her cds. I love her, her voice, and her music. Overall, this is just a great feel good song to lift some spirits. Enjoy!

Lyrics (my favorite lines in bold):

Tears are forming in your eyes A storm is warning in the sky

The end of the world it seems You bend down and you fall on your knees Well get back on your feet yeah

Don't look away Don't run away Hey baby it's only life Don't lose your faith Don't run away Hey baby its only life Yea it's only life

You were always playing hard Never could let down your guard

But you can't win If you never give in To that voice within Saying pick up your chin Baby let go of it

[Chorus]

Take your hesitance And your self-defense Leave them behind, it's only life Don't be so afraid Of facing everyday Just take your time, it's only life I'll be your stepping-stoneNo, don't be so aloneJust hold on tight, it's only life

[Chorus]

Day Zero Project: Week 7-8 Update

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts. These will track my progress each week. I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits. Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links. Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

22. Keep a journal for this project — Obviously an ongoing goal. I got a beautiful black soft cover journal to use. I am determined to journal at least a bit each day.

19. Blog 1001 times — 15 posts for the last two weeks (99/1001)

32. Read my height in books — This week’s height: 2 in (21.5/68 in.)

31. Finish 30 reading challenges (5/30)

Contemporary Romance finished

15. See 101 new movies (2/101)

Attack the Block -- awesome British film involving kids from the projects and an alien invasion. A must see! And Nick Frost has a small part!

20. Complete NaNoWriMo -- still working on it

33. Bookcross 20 books -- I sent out 10 books toward my goal (10/20)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge -- At the end of October, I passed the 50,000 pages mark. I am officially 1/5 of the way done! (50,789/250,000)

55. Try 30 new recipes (5/30)

Roasted Chicken, Leeks, and Apples -- not the greatest, but I might try it again to tweak

66. Save $5 for every task completed ($20)

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (10/50) -- Questions #6-10

82. Make a wish at 11:11 on November 11, 2011 -- I would tell you what i wished, but then it wouldn't come true!

What I Plan to Do Next Week

More of the same. Plus I want to start on my homemade Christmas cards and inspiration quotes. (reposted — I never got around to this last week, so I’m going to try again, again. I feel like I'm repeating, but everything got so crazy these past weeks, I didn't get much else down.)

Monthly Goal

Still trying to pound out some chapters for NaNoWriMo. I feel like I'm failing, but I keep at it a bit at a time.

Overall Progress

4 / 101

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

Title: The Russian Concubine (Russian Concubine #1)

Author: Kate Furnivall

Publisher: Berkley Trade 2007

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 517

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Historical Fiction; 2011 - Will Power? What Will Power?

How I Got It: I own it!

A sweeping novel set in war-torn 1928 China, with a star-crossed love story at its center.
In a city full of thieves and Communists, danger and death, spirited young Lydia Ivanova has lived a hard life. Always looking over her shoulder, the sixteen-year-old must steal to feed herself and her mother, Valentina, who numbered among the Russian elite until Bolsheviks murdered most of them, including her husband. As exiles, Lydia and Valentina have learned to survive in a foreign land.
Often, Lydia steals away to meet with the handsome young freedom fighter Chang An Lo. But they face danger: Chiang Kai Shek's troops are headed toward Junchow to kill Reds like Chang, who has in his possession the jewels of a tsarina, meant as a gift for the despot's wife. The young pair's all-consuming love can only bring shame and peril upon them, from both sides. Those in power will do anything to quell it. But Lydia and Chang are powerless to end it.

To say that this is a love story is selling the book short. It is so much more than a love story. The story takes place in a short amount of time but includes so many actions and events it seems so long. Rereading that sentence, it seems like I felt the novel was long and drawn out, but it was just the opposite. The action flew through the storyline. I love the fierce nature of Lydia, the determination of Chang, and the mystery and intrigue surrounding the other characters. The characters made the story. I loved all the twists and turns. A beautiful epic novel. And it's the first novel in a trilogy. I am dying to read the second and third. I want to find out what happens to Lydia, Alexei, Liev, and Chang. I can't wait!

Russian Concubine

#1 The Russian Concubine
#2 The Girl from Junchow
#3 The Jewel of St. Petersburg

Quote Wednesday -- Burke

"Society is indeed a contract...it becomes a partnership not only between those who are living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born." -- Edmund Burke

I've been watching the news lately... a very dangerous thing for me to do. I have also been watching a lot of Daily Show and Colbert Report... and it just disgusts me. The state of the political divide in this country is absolutely disgusting. We've lost the ability to actual talk to each other about politics. Now it's all about how loud you can yell. We have lost the idea that we are one country. We have lost the past, present, and future. And it makes me oh so sad. We need to be always mindful of the next generation. It is our legacy.

Top Ten Tuesday -- Outside My Comfort Zone

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We’d love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don’t have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. If you can’t come up with ten, don’t worry about it—post as many as you can!

This week's Top Ten is an interesting one. I had some trouble thinking of specific books without listing about 50. Instead, I thought I would list the new to me genres and my thoughts. Previous to this year, I read mostly classics and nonfiction. Because of my reading challenges and following bloggers, I have really branched out.

1. Christian Fiction -- I picked up a few Christian Historical Romance books because I wanted a bit of romance without all the graphic sex. Some I liked and some I found way to predictable and preachy. To me, there has to be balance between the plot and the Christian elements. I don't think this will be a genre that I actively pursue, but I might pick one up here and there.

2. Science Fiction -- J's influence. I've always tended to fall on the fantasy side of the divide. J convinced me to join a scifi reading challenge and gave me recommendations. I have to say that I haven't delved completely into the genre, but I have found some great books so far. I still have four to read for this year and I'm contemplating doing another challenge next year.

3. Young Adult -- Definitely a prejudice from my own young adult time. Then one's choices were Christopher Pike and Sweet Valley High. I'm oversimplifying, but in reality very few actually enticed me. Now, I am finding so many great books. I will definitely be pursuing this genre. I already have a ton of books my TBR list.

4. Mystery -- Other than Sherlock Holmes, I've never read much mystery. I tried a few contemporary mysteries out earlier this year and just wasn't impressed. I think I'm going to have to try and get some recommendations on this one.

5. Contemporary Romance -- I was never excited about the girl meets boys yada yada. I joined a reading challenge this year and have had mixed results. Some good, some bad, some I couldn't even finish. I'm really on the fence about this genre...

6. Historical Romance -- I am a history teacher by trade and have always loved reading history books. This just seemed like a natural progression for me. And I love this genre! I'm definitely reading more this year and going to add this challenge next year.

7. Graphic Novels and Comics -- Again, J's recommendation. And I am loving his choices. I was always very wary of this genre, but now it's one of my favorites.

Contemporary Romance Challenge Finished!

Goal: 10/10 Books FINISHED!!!!

I was really concerned about this challenge for awhile. I just didn't think this was going to get finished. I struggled to finish the contemporary romance section of the Summer Romance Reading Challenge, so this seemed dead in the water. And yet, I pulled it out with two months to go. And really the thanks should go to Jill Mansell for writing some contemporary romance that I just love. I think I've now read four of her books and I want to read more. My favorite reads of this challenge are Take a Chance on Me and Austenland. The rest were entertaining, but I don't think I will ever reread them. This will not be challenge that I will be repeating next year, but it was a nice chance from my usual reading.

The Royal Treatment – MaryJanice Davidson (1/5/11)
The Royal Pain – MaryJanice Davidson (1/7/11)
Valentine’s Day is Killing Me – MaryJanice Davidson, Leslie Esdaile, Susanna Carr (2/7/11)
The Royal Mess – MaryJanice Davidson (2/14/11)
Love Finds You in Paradise, Pennsylvania – Loree Lough (2/21/11)
Austenland – Shannon Hale (2/27/11)
Under Cover – MaryJanice Davidson (3/22/11)
Surrender Bay – Denise Hunter (3/23/11)
Love Finds You in Pendleton, Oregon – Melody Carlson (4/25/11)
Take a Chance on Me — Jill Mansell (11/4/11)

Take a Chance on Me by Jill Mansell

Title: Take a Chance on Me

Author: Jill Mansell

Publisher: Sourcebooks 2010

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 412

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Contemporary Romance

How I Got It: Borrowed from the library

Even in a small town the drama is larger than life...
Cleo Quinn doesn't have the greatest track record when it comes to men, but now Will's come along. Handsome and attentive, he could be her Mr Right. Things are definitely looking up for Cleo... apart from one small problem with a rather large ego. Johnny LaVenture, sculptor extraordinaire and her personal childhood nemesis, is back in Channing's Hill and tormenting her as if he'd never been away.
Meanwhile Cleo's sister Abbie has a problem of her own-husband Tom has become distant and withdrawn, and she's determined to find out why. But will the shocking truth mean the end of their idyllically happy marriage?
The sisters are about to discover that the past can come back to haunt you, and that love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places...

There is something so predictable about Mansell's book, but I love them anyway. These books are like a cup of hot tea, a blanket, and a warm fire. They are comfort. I lose myself in the characters and the little village atmosphere. I love the setting and the mood. The characters are lovely, so diverse. I don't know everything that's going to happen in any given book. Mansell still manages to throw in little twists and turns that keep me from being bored. I think of these as comfort books and that's okay. Every once in a while we need a little comfort to get us through the day. I find myself coming back to Mansell's books. Thank goodness I have another sitting in my library pile.

Holiday Card Exchange

From BirdBrain(ed) Book Blog:

It’s that time of the year! I’m hosting the Book Bloggers Holiday Card Exchange once more (see the 2010 post here) and I’m hoping this year will go much more smoothly. Last year was fun but it took me forever to come up with partners; this year I’ve simplified things so hopefully I won’t have people getting more cards than they send out again.

Info

1. Sign up for the exchange by November 30, 2011. 2. Partners go out December 3, 2011. 3. You have until December 13, 2011 to send your card(s). 4. Since it’s a book-lovers card exchange you have to include something book-related in your card. Some ideas:

a. Write about a book you’ve read recently

b. Give a few book recommendations to your partner

c. Tell a book-related story

d. Something else book-related that you think up yourself.

5. Since this is a book blogger holiday card exchange, you need to be a blogger who blogs at least sometimes about books to participate. 6. The swap is open internationally. Since last year I got a big headache trying to pair up people who did/did not want to send internationally, this year everyone must be willing to send internationally. Okay? Okay. 7. You can exchange up to five cards. You won’t always get a card from the same people you send your cards to. It will nevertheless be an awesome thing.

Some Things to Remember

1. You HAVE to send a card. A card is something like this. You can make it yourself or buy it at the store. Everything you write must be contained in the card itself. Letters are not cards. The card doesn’t have to be book-themed OR holiday themed (but it might be nice if it was). I would personally refrain from sending specifically religious-themed cards, because that sort of thing tends to offend people, even if you didn’t mean to offend them. 2. You HAVE to write something book-related in your card (see above). You can’t just say “happy holidays.” You COULD just write a list of books and that’s all, but I don’t think that’d be a lot of fun, do you? 3. You DON’T have to send anything else but the card, but if you want to stick in something else that’d be fine. A bookmark, for instance, would be really nice. Whatever you send: it has to be flat enough to fit in the envelope– no upgrading into package territory, here. 4. The most you should spend is $5. The point of the exchange is that it’s cheap enough for us money-less people to participate in, so everything should cost $5 and under. I don’t know if you can even buy a card that costs more than $5. Can you?

I love this Idea!!!! I'm going to be making homemade Christmas cards this year and it would be amazing to spread the joy to fellow book bloggers! Follow the link, sign up, and join me in the fun!

NaNoWriMo - TPTBD Update and Reflections

It's been a few days since I started NaNoWriMo... okay okay it's been only three days sinceIi started. But I must say that I'm not going to finish the goal of 50,000 words. I just know this. It's my first time attempting something this big. I started off strong on Day 1 writing 1056 words. I thought a very respectable word total for someone completely an amateur and unprepared for this. Day 2 I wrote a measly 656 words. That's it... One chapter. And now I'm temporarily out of motivation. That means that I know I will not be reaching 50,000 words. Yet, I am okay with that. My realistic goal is 20,000 words. I also probably won't be participating in any of the online or physical events. I view this year as testing the waters. What does it feel like to attempt something like this? Do I want to attempt this next year? Should I vary my attempts and/or strategies? This year is my trial run.

Good luck to all the other writers out there. I know that some of them will create some wonderful pieces that actually have a future. I don't think mine will, but that's okay. To me it's all about the exercise.

I will be trying to write every day. So I will probably have fewer blog entries than usual for this month. I am still reading (not going to give that up), but not at a frenzied pace. Book reviews will appear sporadically. Other posts may also appear that have nothing to do with books. I might feel inspired some day to write about life, or crafting, or my job, or music, or food. I also have a few reading challenge goals to accomplish this month to stay on track. I am determined to knock out at least two challenges (only 3 books aways!). We'll see. And if I'm feeling less critical of myself, I might even put up some passages from my NaNoWriMo attempt: The Place that Bordered Death...

Blameless by Gail Carriger

Title: Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3)

Author: Gail Carriger

Publisher: Orbit 2010

Genre: Steampunk

Pages: 374

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Reading Challenges: Steampunk

How I Got It: I own it!

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season.
Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead.
While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

So good!!!! I love the adventure and paranormal in these books. They're like a supernatural Indiana Jones story. Alexia is still feisty, even after encountering killer ladybugs, Germans, vampires, and Templars. I loved the continued inclusion of Madama Lefoux. A very interesting character indeed. And we get to resolve at least part of the cliffhanger from last book. I must read Heartless soon.

Alexia Tarabotti