Alice & Julie's 2014 List Swap Challenge

It's that time of year again. Alice and Julie are doing their List Swap Challenge again. Although, this year it is slightly different. This year we just picked 5 books for each of us to read and one to read together. So, here they are:

Book Together:

The Time in Between by Maria Duenas  

Alice's Picks for Julie:

He's Gone by Deb Caletti
Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio

The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffmann

The Silver Star by Jeannette Walls

Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

Julie's Picks for Alice:

Six Years by Harlan Coben

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

The Book of Someday by Dianne Dixon
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

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YA Challenge Wrap-Up

Ok, I failed at it. If failing means not reading everything on my YA Challenge list then yes, I failed. I will counter to say that I did read some YA books and I didn't hate them. I will say this, I don't think The Hunger Games is a YA book other than the fact that the characters are teenagers. It deals with some pretty adult themes in that series.

So here is what I did read:

The Hunger Games
Catching Fire
Mockingjay
Virals
The Fault in Our Stars

Out of them, The Fault in Our Stars hit it out of the park. It was an emotional journey about first loves and dealing with death, something all of us can relate to. I am very excited to see the movie as well.

For those of you who made recommendations that didn't make my reading cut, don't worry they are on a list somewhere.

Will I stick up my nose at all YA books in the future? No, I won't but I'll still be picky about them. More picky than I about other genres I read.

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Jenn's List: Criminal Plots Challenge 2013

I loved last year's Criminal Plots Challenge sponsored by Jen of Jen's Book Thoughts so I've signed up for this year's Criminal Plots Challenge.

Here are the 2013 guidelines: 

You'll be reading six books between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. One book (or in one case two short stories) should be read that fits into each of the following categories:

1. Novel with an animal in the title Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross #1) by James Patterson which has been in my TBR pile for a while.  -- Reviewed 1/30/13

2. Two short stories written by two different authors who are new to you - this will be a challenge for me because I don't read short stories.  I'm open to suggestions (PLEASE!)

3. Book written by more than one person.  The 9th Judgment (Women's Murder Club #9) by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

4. A YA crime novel. Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter -- Reviewed 5/27/13

5. A book from a series optioned for televsion.   This is an easy one for me.  I've been reading Kathy Reichs for years and have her latest on my TBR pile along with the first Rizzoli and Isles book (I've read a few out of order and want to start at the beginning).  That means it will either be Bones Are Forever (Temperance Brennan, #15) by Kathy Reichs or The Surgeon (R&I #1) by Tess Gerritsen.

6. A novel that's been nominated for an Edgar® in the last five years. (Edgar® database) Faithful Place (Dublin Murder Squad #3) by Tana French -which means I have to get book 2, The Likeness , read also.

This year's challenge will definitely be a little harder than last year's, but I look forward to it.

By the way, you can still sign up for Jen's 2013  Criminal Plots Challenge.  Anyone want to join me?

Julie's List: Chunkster Challenge

With so many thick books sitting in my TBR pile, I decided that this would be the year that I put some of them in the read pile instead. Here is what I am reading for this personal challenge:

Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
The Winds of War by Herman Wouk
Fall of Giants: Book One of the Century Trilogy by Ken Follett
Outlander by Diana Galbadon
The Time In Between: A Novel by Maria Duenas

You will see that some of these books have ended up on other challenge lists as well. I figured this way I won't be so overwhelmed. Wish me luck!!


 

Julie's List: YA Challenge

After stating on Twitter that I didn't read YA because well it just doesn't appeal to me, I had people telling me I was missing out, so I decided to try out a few and see if I really am. You know because I need another genre to read.

So here are the ones I am choosing to read:

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Book of Tomorrow by Celia Ahern
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Viralsby Kathy Reichs
Saving June (Harlequin Teen) by Hannah Harrington
Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

A couple of these authors I have read other books by them, so I thought I'd see what they do with the YA genre.

Thanks to those of you on Twitter who gave me some recommendations.


 

Julie's List: What's in a Name Challenge 6

Here I go again! I'm excited to be doing What's in a Name Challenge again. I love the challenge of figuring out the books that fit into each category and this year was no exception.

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2013, read one book in each of the following categories:

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Deep down True, The Girl Below, The Diva Digs up the Dirt
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title: Loose Lips Sink Ships, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Breadcrumbs
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title: A Feast for Crows, A Wedding in Haiti, Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Burning for Revenge, Fireworks over Toccoa, Catching Fire
5. A book with an emotion in the title: Baltimore Blues, Say You're Sorry, Dreams of Joy
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: The Book of Lost Fragrances, The World We Found, A Discovery of Witches

The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know

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

Here is the list I am aiming for this year:

Up or down (or equivalent) in the title: Receive Me Falling by Erika Robuck
Something you'd find in your kitchen: Off the Menu by Stacy Ballis
Party or Celebration in the Title: Wedding Night: A Novel by Sophia Kinsella
Fire (or equivalent) in the title: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Emotion in the title: Misery Bay by Steve Hamilton
Lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: Losing Clementine by Ashley Ream

Can't wait to get started!

 

Julie's Wrap-Up Post: What's in a Name Challenge 5

YAY! I finished another challenge for 2012. Thank goodness she's a little flexible since one of my books I started in 2012 and just finished.  I'm thrilled I finished this challenge again, even if it did spill a little into 2013. Thanks to BethFishReads for hosting again in 2012. Here were the books that I read:

Topographical Feature: The Forgetting Tree by Tatjana Soli Reviewed on 1/7/2013

Something You'd See in the Sky: The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard Reviewed on 3/14/2012

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs Reviewed on 5/12/2012

Type of House: The Bungalow by Sarah Jio Reviewed on 1/9/2012

Something You'd Carry In Your Purse, Pocket or Backpack: Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs Reviewed on 7/21/2012

Something You'd on a Calendar: Think of a Number by John Vernon Reviewed on 1/20/2012

Look for my What's in a Name Challenge 6 list in the next couple days.

Alice & Julie's 2013 List Swap Challenge

In 2011 and 2012, we borrowed (or stole) this one from Jen at Devourer of Books, so we're going to continue to borrow it for 2013. Alice and I have decided again to do the List Swap Challenge. Woo hoo!!

What I liked about this challenge is that it got both of us out of our comfort zone in terms of what we normally read. For example, I don't do a lot of romance and Alice doesn't do a lot of thrillers/mysteries. It also allows your partner to pick some of their favorite reads and have you read them.

Basically, you choose five books for yourself to read and five books for your challenge partner to read, then one book to read together.

Our Book Together:
 









Alice's Picks for Julie:



Julie's Picks for Alice:



Alice's Picks:


Julie's Picks:



What do you think of our choices and our picks for each other? I'm intrigued by Alice's choices for me. She has quite the mix!

I think she'll like what I've picked for her, if she's in the mood for some historical fiction...