Thursday, August 11, 2011

Library Loot - 08 Aug 2011


Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Dead Even- Mariah Stewart
I was hooked on this series. Read the first 2 books (Dead Wrong and Dead Certain) and had to reserve the third to complete the series quickly!
FBI Special Agent Miranda Cahill has always played by the rules: always maintain a respectful professionalism, and never mix business with pleasure. Except when it comes to fellow agent Will Fletcher. Their on-again, off-again relationship has left painful scars even he has never seen.
Now, a series of murders has the two agents racing to outwit a killer before he can strike again. Miranda and Will know that lives depend on identifying intended victims and tracking them down before the killer does. But as they begin to unravel this homicidal agenda, it becomes clear that Miranda may be the last and final target in a twisted game. With the clock ticking, time is running out on a killer who is determined to cross Miranda’s name off his hit list . . . permanently.

Dead End - Mariah Stewart
The last in the series
Avon County, Pennsylvania, detective Evan Crosby is called in to investigate when several schoolgirls from well-to-do families are found murdered in the same manner. Then other girls are found dead, seemingly killed in the same way, but the new victims are Hispanic and unidentified. With the help of his girlfriend, FBI profiler Annie McCall, Crosby determines there are two killers and elects to concentrate on the case of the unclaimed girls. Crosby's romantic relationship with Annie is complicated by memories of her fiance, FBI agent Dylan Shields, who died during an FBI operation--his death unsolved. Evan, hoping to provide closure for Annie by reinvestigating Dylan's killing, makes discoveries that bear on the current cases. Evan and Annie make sympathetic leads, and Stewart effectively frames the fast-paced story with details of police investigation and profiling techniques.Sue O'Brien
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Lost and Found- Shuan Tan
Gorgeous illustrations. Read about this Australian author and I was deeply moved by his drawings. They are beautiful and dark and lonesome.
A collection of three jaw-dropping stories: THE RED TREE, THE LOST THING, and THE RABBITS, by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Shaun Tan

A girl finds a bright spot in a dark world. A boy leads a strange, lost creature home. And a group of peaceful creatures loses their home to cruel invaders. Three stories, written and illustrated by Shaun Tan, about how we lose and find what matters most to us.

Puffin by Design - Phil Baines


Penguin by design- Phil Baines
I was infatuated by Penguin after visiting a penguin exhibition by Books Actually last month.

Review: Fallen by Karin Slaughter





I loved it! And I'm in love with Will Trent! Great storyline and character developments. I felt that I have got to know Faith, Evelyn and Amanda so much more, especially Amanda and her softness behind her mean boss persona.

I ended the book wanting more but I don't mind waiting another year for a good quality book by Karin Slaughter.

5 stars

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Saturday, July 30, 2011

Books read: Jan to July 2011


1. Moonlight Road - Robyn Carr
2. A Place of Secrets - Rachel Hore
3. Vintage Singapore: Souvenirs from the recent past *NF
4. Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks
5. In the woods - Tana French (x)
6. New Tricks - David Rosenfelt
7. Lessons from Stanley the cat - Jennifer Freed *NF
8. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
9. The Search - Nora Roberts (C)
10. Birds in the Garden City: A compendum of photographic works by Lee
Tian Khee with text by Lim Kim Chuah *NF
11. Fractured - Karin Slaughter (C)
12. Undone - Karin Slaughter (C)
13. A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart - Maria A Vettese & Stephanie
C Barnes *NF
14. Broken - Karin Slaughter (C)
15. The Wild Zone - Joy Fielding (C)
16. Deeper than the dead - Tami Hoag (C)
17. Please Forgive Me - Melissa Hills
18. Summer at Willow Lake - Susan Wiggs
19. Secrets to the Grave - Tami Hoag (C)
20. Ross Dobson's wholefood kitchen : delicious recipes with beans,
lentils, grains and other natural foods / Ross Dobson ; photography by
Peter Cassidy. *NF (F)
21. Blindsighted - Karin Slaughter (C)
22. Never Let you go - Kazuo Ishiguro
23. My first New York: early adventures in the big city *NF
24. Kisscut - Karin Slaughter (C)
25. Every last one - Anna Quindlen.
26. The stopping place - Helen Slavin

++++

May 2011

27. The Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards
28. A Faint Cold Fear - Karin Slaughter (C)
29. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins (YA)
30. The authoritative Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Waterson (GN)
31. The Moment between - Nicole Baart
32. Garden Spells - Sarah Addison Allen
33. Baby Blues: Ten years and still in diapers - Rick Kirkman & Jerry
Scott (GN)
34. The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
35. Heart of the night - Barbara Delinsky
36. Dancing in the Dark - Mary Jane Clark (C)
37. It only takes a moment - Mary Jane Clark (C)
38. Mercy Street - Mariah Stewart (C)
39. Dying for Mercy - Mary Jane Clark (C)
40. Indelible - Karin Slaughter (C)
41. Love Me to death - Allison Brennan (C)
42. Urgent Care - CJ Lyons
43. Warning Signs - CJ Lyons
44. When Day Breaks - Mary Jane Clark (C)
45. Cry Mercy - Mariah Stewart (C)
46. Acts of Mercy - Mariah Stewart (C)
47. I'll walk alone - Mary Higgins Clark (C)


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Monday, May 30, 2011

Resolution to read more and 2 reviews



I'm having a little reading slump and trying to clear the stack of library books that I have borrowed frantically a month ago.

I completed Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and I  love it! It's so fun and an easy read and so romantic in the YA way. Brought back memories of first love and crushes when I was 18. Heh.
4.5 stars
Currently reading The moment between by Nicole Baart. It's an emotional read and I feel so sad and touched and conflicted. I'm halfway through and it's good for a new author I chanced upon.

From Publishers Weekly

Baart (Summer Snow) writes an emotionally intense tale of two sisters. Past and present alternate as the history of their family unfolds in order to explain their present circumstances. The present is largely set in a winery in British Columbia, where one of the sisters, Abigail Bennett, pursues Tyler Kamp, her sister Hailey's boyfriend. The vineyard offers opportunity for beautiful description and resonant imagery as the narrative unspools. Abigail is presented in painful, almost claustrophobic, detail as she deals with the central puzzle of her family and history. But some of the supporting characters, while intriguing, are slightly off-pitch. Hailey's boyfriend Tyler isn't presented fully enough, and winemaker Eli Dixon occasionally becomes more of a symbol than a character with a compelling back story. But Baart has exactly right the members and dynamics of the Bennett family, locked in the manic dance of mental illness. She tells a poignant and gripping story. (May) 
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Library Loot: 30 Apr 2011

I admit. I have gone book crazy this week. I blame it on the newly opened library 2 weeks ago. Every book is new and it feels so crisp and I get all excited!

Here's my loot:



A reserved book.
1. A discovery of witches - Deborah Harkness.




2. Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt- Beth Hoffman

3. Indelible - Karin Slaughter
4. Triptych - Karin Slaughter
5. Heart of the night - Barbara Delinsky
6. Garden spells - Sarah Addison Allen
7. The sugar queen - Sarah Addison Allen
8. The moment between - Nicole Bart
9. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins




10. Baby Blues: aren't Yeats and still in diapers


11. The authoritative Calvin and Hobbes

Oh my! That's alot! I had to use my mum's card too. And you know what? When I got home last night and tried to keep the books in my TBR box, I found myself getting upset because I "should have gotten another book".

Don't you love new books?




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Books read: Jan to Apr 2011

1. Moonlight Road - Robyn Carr
2. A Place of Secrets - Rachel Hore
3. Vintage Singapore: Souvenirs from the recent past *NF
4. Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks
5. In the woods - Tana French (x)
6. New Tricks - David Rosenfelt
7. Lessons from Stanley the cat - Jennifer Freed *NF
8. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
9. The Search - Nora Roberts (C)
10. Birds in the Garden City: A compendum of photographic works by Lee Tian Khee with text by Lim Kim Chuah *NF
11. Fractured - Karin Slaughter (C)
12. Undone - Karin Slaughter (C)
13. A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart - Maria A Vettese & Stephanie C Barnes *NF
14. Broken - Karin Slaughter (C)
15. The Wild Zone - Joy Fielding (C)
16. Deeper than the dead - Tami Hoag (C)
17. Please Forgive Me - Melissa Hills
18. Summer at Willow Lake - Susan Wiggs
19. Secrets to the Grave - Tami Hoag (C)

++++

Apr 2011

20. Ross Dobson's wholefood kitchen : delicious recipes with beans, lentils, grains and other natural foods / Ross Dobson ; photography by Peter Cassidy. *NF (F)
21. Blindsighted - Karin Slaughter (C)
22. Never Let you go - Kazuo Ishiguro
23. My first New York: early adventures in the big city *NF
24. Kisscut - Karin Slaughter (C)
25. Every last one - Anna Quindlen.
26. The stopping place - Helen Slavin


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Thursday, April 7, 2011

Library Loot: 6 Apr 2011




"Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!"

+++++++

This is my first time doing a library loot. I was at the library last Sat and picked up these books.



My First New York: Early Adventures in the Big City (As Remembered by Actors, Artists, Athletes, Chefs, Comedians, Filmmakers, Mayors, Models, Moguls, Porn Stars, Rockers, Writers, and Others
~ I have been following lots of TV series which settings is at New York. Law and order, Blue Blood, CSI:NY and an old drama Felicity. This book happened to be displayed and I picked it up and added to my husband's library card.


Every Last One: A Novel (Hardcover)
Anna Quindlen
~ this book was recommended by Margo at Joyfully Retired.


Lake of dreams
Kim Edwards
~ A new release seen at bookshop that I couldn't wait to reserve and now it's in my hands.


Kisscut
Karin Slaughter
~ I started with Broken recently and I like her style and the main leads. I'm now starting with her older books at the beginning of the series. I'm currently reading Blindsighted.


The girl who chased the moon
Sarah Addison Allen
~ I was drawn to the cover at a bookstore and it seems so delighting and magical. The word "Moon" caught my attention because there was a recent "supermoon" phenomenum and I'm fascinated.

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Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Growing stronger at the broken place

Ernest Hemmingway's ~ A Farewell to Arms~

"The world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong at the broken places."

May you go strong at the broken places.

~Secrets to the Grave- Tami Hoag p449~




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Sunday, April 3, 2011

Book Love: Read and Reap




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Saturday, April 2, 2011

Read: A year of mornings: 3191 miles apart




A photography book between 2 person living 3191 miles away. These pictures ate taken in the morning, just that one moment.

I wished I can publish a book of cats photography or food or simple sightings.



4/02 & 4/03



2/22



6/21& 6/22



8/28



9/26, 9/27 & 9/28



10/18

Dreamy and reflective and pensive. Sometimes lonely and sad.


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Thursday, March 31, 2011

Read: Jan to Mar 2011

1. Moonlight Road - Robyn Carr
2. A Place of Secrets - Rachel Hore
3. Vintage Singapore: Souvenirs from the recent past *NF
4. Safe Haven - Nicholas Sparks
5. In the woods - Tana French (x)
6. New Tricks - David Rosenfelt
7. Lessons from Stanley the cat - Jennifer Freed *NF
8. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
9. The Search - Nora Roberts (C)
10. Birds in the Garden City: A compendum of photographic works by Lee Tian Khee with text by Lim Kim Chuah *NF
11. Fractured - Karin Slaughter (C)
12. Undone - Karin Slaughter (C)
13. A Year of Mornings: 3191 Miles Apart - Maria A Vettese & Stephanie C Barnes *NF
14. Broken - Karin Slaughter (C)
15. The Wild Zone - Joy Fielding (C)
16. Deeper than the dead - Tami Hoag (C)
17. Please Forgive Me - Melissa Hills
18. Summer at Willow Lake - Susan Wiggs
19. Secrets to the Grave - Tami Hoag (C)


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Monday, March 21, 2011

Wondrous Words: paraprosdokian

I read this on Margot's blog
http://joyfullyretired.com/2011/03/16/wondrous-words-105/

"A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. Here are some examples:

•We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
•Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
•The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
•Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
•Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
•War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
•A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a workstation.
•Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
•You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
•Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."

It made me chuckle.

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Saturday, March 19, 2011

The (not so) wild zone- Joy Fielding





Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. The Wild Zone, a South Beach (Miami Beach, Fla.) bar filled with lusty men—specifically, charismatic personal trainer Jeff Rydell; his cute visiting half-brother, Will, a Princeton graduate student; and Jeff's married best friend, Tom Whitman, a dishonorably discharged Afghanistan war veteran with some serious problems—provides the starting point for bestseller Fielding's nonstop thrill ride. A sexy bar patron, Suzy Bigelow, inspires the trio to make a wager on who can bed her first, and they even ask Jeff's live-in girlfriend, a Wild Zone bartender, for help. Suzy chooses Will for a platonic date, which has some distinctly unpleasant repercussions that involve not only wide-eyed Will but desperate, gun-loving Tom, whose wife takes their children and files for divorce. Fielding (Still Life) combines a fast-paced plot with top-notch character development to create an atmosphere of brooding unease that explodes in a wonderfully wild resolution. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


++++

This is the worst book ever written by Joy Fielding. The 3 male characters are arrogant and shelfish and I couldn't continue reading and had to skip to the end to read the ending.

Unfortunately this paragraphs irks me terribly.

"You have anyone from Singapore?" Tom had heard about how strict they were in Singapore, where they throw you in jail for jaywalking and doled out hundred of lashes for just spitting on the street. Shit, hadn't they almost execute some poor American kid for scribbling harmless graffiti on a wall? You had to figure their women would be pretty submissive."
~ page 319

Urgh. Typical stereotyping and demeaning to our women.




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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Karin Slaughter

I first spotted "Broken" at page one in vivocity. The back excerpt looks interesting and I proceed to search Amazon and NIL catalogue for books availabilty.

I was surprised to find out that she written almost 10 books! Hoping to get hooked on her books ala Karen Rose and Lisa Gardner, I decided to pick "Fractured" to get a feel of her writing and I'm hooked!


Fractured


Undone


Broken

Featuring Will Trent, Faith Mitchell and Sara Linton from her first Grant County series.
So many books to read so little time!

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Friday, March 4, 2011

Book Love: Immersing myself in books




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Thursday, March 3, 2011

Now reading: The search by Nora Roberts






Product Description from Amazon:

"The #1 New York Times-bestselling author presents a riveting novel where a canine search and rescue volunteer fights danger and finds love in the Pacific Northwest wilderness.

To most people, Fiona Bristow seems to have an idyllic life-a quaint house on an island off Seattle's coast, a thriving dog-training school, and a challenging volunteer job performing canine search and rescues. Not to mention her three intensely loyal Labs. But Fiona got to this point by surviving a nightmare...

Several years ago, Fiona was the only survivor of the Red Scarf serial killer, who shot and killed Fiona's cop fiancé and his K-9 partner.

On Orcas Island, Fiona found the peace and solitude she needed to rebuild her life. But all that changes on the day Simon Doyle barrels up her drive, desperate for her help. He's the reluctant owner of an out-of-control puppy, foisted upon him by his mother. Jaws has eaten through Simon's house, and he's at his wit's end.

To Fiona, Jaws is nothing she can't handle. Simon, however, is another matter. A newcomer to Orcas, he's a rugged and in-tensely private artist, known for the exquisite furniture he creates from wood. Simon never wanted a puppy-and he most definitely doesn't want a woman. Besides, the lanky redhead is not his type. But tell that to his hormones.

As Fiona embarks on training Jaws, and Simon begins to appreciate both dog and trainer, the past tears back into Fiona's life. A copycat killer has emerged out of the shadows, a man whose bloodlust has been channeled by a master with one motive: to reclaim the woman who slipped out of his hands..."

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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Dance movie: Step Up 3





Love watching dance movie. How they managed to dance so effortlessly yet with so much "oomph"!

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Monday, February 28, 2011

The Help - Kathryn Stockett





Descriptions written on the back of the book:

" Enter a vanished world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raised white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver...

There's Aibileen, raising her seventeenth white child and nursing the hurt caused by her own son's tragic death; Minny, whoose cooking is nearly as sassy as her tongue; and white Miss Skeeter, home from college, who wants to know why her beloved maid has disappeared.

Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny. No one would believe they'd be friends; fewer still would tolerate it. But as each roman finds the courage to cross boundaries, they come to depend and rely upon one another. Each is in search of a truth. And together they have an extraordinary story to tell...."

It seems like society is still living in it's past. The lines though no longer clear, has become invisible yet present in our daily lives, regardless of how times have changed, years have passed and how we would like to believe that we have moved on.

The help still get abused by their employers and some family still practice segregations during mealtimes. How have we change? Are our attitide & treatment to our help really different from 1962, Mississippi? The wages we pay in comparison to 40 years ago doesn't seems much different. It's all in relative of course. USD 200 40 years ago and SGD 450 present day 2011. Doing the math, they don't seem to earn much. With conversion to their country currencies, yes, it adds up. However, ideally, we are back at square one.

I don't wish for this post to be political but the fact that this division is present is staring back at me countless times over the years. Coloured and race division is a sensitive issue in many countries. We don't speak of it and we pretend that it's not present but when you stop and pay attention, it hits you hard.

Help is by and large of a different colour from the employer. Look at the help in our country, at service industries, at home. Observed the reversal in a foreign countries where the majority are white. You get my drift.

Black, yellow, brown. Colours of the world and of the help.

It's an exceptional book. Recommended by many book blogs. It made me cry and it made me think. Good books does that.


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Sunday, February 27, 2011

Bewitched by Vampires

Yesterday was spent in the company of vampires. We watch "The Vampire Diaries" & Eclipse.




I prefer the actors and actresses of Vamp diaries more than the Twlight saga. I didn't really thought much of it when Twlight was first shown, but after watching 2 diff shows back to back, I feel that somehow Rob Pattinson (Edward) fails to charm me as much as he did in Twlight. And Kristen Stewart (Bella) irritates me.




I need to google their actual names because they are not so popular in the media but gosh, the bad boy Damon is so cute in the devil may care ways and Stefan is so broodingly in thoughts. Well, Eleanor is the usual human amongst vampire and other lurking creatures (witches, werewolves) that are slowly revealed as the season moves on. She of course being a human needs lots of protections but she is not irritating and much prettier.




I'm going to continue watching Vamp D and be charmed by vampires. Also looking forward to the next instalment of Twlight- Breaking Dawn.

I also wrote something similar on ODL blog.

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Friday, February 25, 2011

Cat lessons










1. Wake up each morning with a song I'm your heart. Sing out when you first see someone you know.

2. Eliminate the rats in your life. You will feel less stressed.

3. Take time out of your day to take time out of your day.

4. Sleep well and rest often. A good nature depends on good sleep.

"Lessons from Stanley the Cat" - Jennifer Freed

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Monday, January 3, 2011

Reading challenges 2011

This is the first time I'm joining a challenge and I think it will be fun to start in 2011. I'm not a book blogger and I'm doing it as a personal fun challenge. 

1. What's in a Name 4. 
This sounds interesting.

Here's How It Works

Between January 1 and December 31, 2011, read one book in each of the following categories:
  1. A book with a number in the title: First to Die, Seven Up, Thirteen Reasons Why
  2. A book with jewelry or a gem in the title: Diamond Ruby, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Opal Deception
  3. A book with a size in the title: Wide Sargasso Sea, Small Wars, Little Bee
  4. A book with travel or movement in the title: Dead Witch Walking, Crawling with Zombies, Time Traveler's Wife
  5. A book with evil in the title: Bad Marie, Fallen, Wicked Lovely
  6. A book with a life stage in the title: No Country for Old Men, Brideshead Revisited, Bog Child
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.
Hosted by Beth


2. Foodie's Reading challenge
I have 2 books on my TBR list

One thing we all have in common is the need to eat food. Some of us also have a strong need/desire to read about food. I’m one of them, are you?  Such people are known as Foodies – people who love to talk, read, watch food tv, or anything else with a food theme.

If that description fits you, I invite you to join me in the Foodie’s Reading Challenge for 2011. Together we’ll explore the world of good food writing. That may take the form of a cookbook or a biography or even a novel centered around food. (See the definition for a food book in the right sidebar.)

Here’s how it works:

1. Decide how many food books you want to read in 2011 and choose your level of reading.  Keep in mind this is a challenge – a throw-down. Go a bit beyond what you think you can really do. Levels:

  • Nibbler: 1 to 3 books
  • Bon Vivant: 4 to 6 books
  • Epicurean: 7 to 9 books
  • Gourmet: 10 to 12
  • Glutton: More than 12

2. Grab the challenge button and write a post on your blog so we can spread the word. No blog? That’s okay. Sign up in the comments section.

3. As you read each book for the challenge, come back here and tell us about it. On January 1st I’ll provide pages so you can post links for your reviews. Non-bloggers will use the comment section.

Guidelines:

  • You don’t need a pre-selected list of books.
  • Crossing over with other challenges is fine.
  • Any book format is allowed (print, audio, ebook)

Prizes:

To encourage you to return here and tell us what you read, there will be a prize at the end of each quarter. I’ll use Random.org to select from all the books you tell us about. Each book read will be one more chance to win.

Sign Up Here: Sign in using Mr. Linky below. Put your name or blog name on the first line and your blog address on the second line. Non-bloggers will use the comment section.


Hosted by: Margot

3. Mystery & Suspense Challenge 2011!

Always a favourite genre for me.



Other Details
  • Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011
  • Rules: To read TWELVE (12) mystery & suspense novels in 2011 (12 is the minimum but you can read more if you wish!)
  • You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.
  • You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.
  • At the beginning of Jan 2011, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews. There will be a monthly prize too courtesy of the lovely Simon & Schuster - you must be signed up to the challenge and add the link to your review to be entered into the monthly prize draw.
Now, there are many different sub-genres of mystery and suspense - you can choose from the numerous sub-genres, from cosy mysteries such as Agatha Christie to the more hard-boiled kind like V I Warshawski by Sara Paretsky, or romantic suspense written by the likes of Linda Howard, forensic crime such as those written by Kathy Reichs and even paranormal/supernatural suspense such as Kelley Armstrong. I'm sure this challenge will have something for everyone! :)

To help you figure out and decide, I have updated a sub-genre list - to view this list go HERE.

Hosted by Book Chick City


4. 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!

I will take upon the challenge to read 100 books in 2011! An increased from the initial 70 to 100. Gosh, I really hope to achieve this!



Challenge Details
  • Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011
  • Rules - Read 100 or more books in 2011
  • All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go. Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks).
  • You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.
  • At the beginning of Jan 2011, I will add a link so you can add your reviews but this is not obligatory.
  • You don't have to have a blog to join in - for those without a blog just FILL IN THIS FORM and I will add you to the list - just join the discussion in the comments section to let us know when you've read a book and what you thought of it! :)
  • You can also follow each other's progress and chat about the VC books you read on twitter too - just use #100BooksInAYear :)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2010 Reads:

1. Deep south - Nevada Barr
2. A thread of truth - Marie Bostwick
3. Midori by moonlight - Wendy Nelson Tokunaga
4. Black Hills - Nora Roberts
5. I can see you - Karen Rose
6. Eden Burning - Elizabeth Lowell
7. Virgin River - Robyn Carr
8. Don't Tell - Karen Rose
9. Shelter Mountain - Robyn Carr
10. Die for Me - Karen Rose
11. Scream for Me - Karen Rose
12. Kill for Me - Karen Rose
13. Whispering Rock - Robyn Carr
14. Second Chance Pass - Robyn Carr
15. Guilty - Karen Robard
16. Have you seen Her - Karen Rose
17. You can't hide - Karen Rose
18. Obsession - Jonathan Kellerman
19. I can see you - Karen Rose
20. Silent Scream - Karen Rose
21. Count to ten - Karen Rose
22. Nothing to fear - Karen Rose
23. The shadow of your smile - Mary Higgins Clark
24. Shades of twilight - Linda Howard
25. Dirty Secrets - Karen Rose ( Hot Pursuit)
26. Necessary Betrayals - Annie Solomon (HP)
27. Endless Nights - Carla Cassidy (HP)
28. Temptation Ridge - Robyn Carr
29. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert *NF
30. Broken Pieces - Carla Cassidy
31. Up close and personal - Carla Cassidy
32. Paradise Valley - Robyn Carr
33. Every move you make - Carla Cassidy
34. Forbidden Falls - Robyn Carr
35. Carnal Innocence - Nora Roberts
36. Without a Sound - Carla Cassidy
37. Are you afraid? - Carla Cassidy
38. The Perfect Family - Carla Cassidy
39. Angel's Peak - Robyn Carr
40. The good luck girl - Kerry Reichs
41/42. A man for Amanda/ Suzanna's surrender (Against all Odds) - Nora
Roberts
43. Paint it Red - Carla Cassidy
44. Bluebird winter (Under the mistletoe ) - Linda Howard
45. Naughty or nice (Under the mistletoe ) - Stephanie Bond
46. Comfort and joy - Fern Michaels
47. A High Kicking Christmas - Marie Bostwick (C&J)
48. Suzanna's Stocking - Cathy Lamb (C&J)
49. Family Blessings - Deborah J. Wolf (C&J)
50. A Virgin River Christmas - Robyn Carr

+++
My no. Of reads have decreased this year.. I'm hoping to achieve more
in 2011. Let's aim for 70 shall we?


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2010 - Movies watched

Movies watched

Jan
1. Street Fighter: the legend of Chun Li
2. Ghost of Girlfriend's past
3. Passengers
4. The Lucky Ones
5. Transporter 3
6. The Lodger
7. Dance Subaru
8. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
9. Deception

Feb
10. Bangkok Dangerous
11. Julie & Julia

Mar
12. (500) days of Summer

June
13. New Moon
14. Whiteout
15. Flood
16. Alice in Wonderland

Jul
17. Valentine Day
18. Hachiku: A Dog's Story

Aug
19. Remember me
20. Love Happens

Sep
21. Land of the Lost
22. When in Rome
23. Obsessed
24. The Runaways

Oct
25. Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
26. The Spy next Door
27. The Last Song
28. Post Grad
29. Letters to Juliet

Nov
30. Dear John
31. Fireflies in the Garden
32. Into the blue 2: The reef
33. Harry Potter and the half blood prince

Dec
34. Rapunzel (C)
35. Harry Potter and the deathly hallows - Part 1 (C)
36. Despicable Me (P)
37. Eat, pray, love (P)
38. Tron: Legacy (C)

DVD series
1. The Closer 4
2. Gilmore Girls 7
3. Brothers and Sisters 3
4. Bones 4
5. The closer 5
6. True Blood 1
7. NCIS 1
8. The Mentalist 2


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