2010 A-Z Female Character Challenge

Progress: 6/26

A:
B:
C: Cheever, Miranda from The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever - 02/21/2010
D:
E:
F: Fancy Jordan from Corbin's Fancy - 03/09/2010
G: Grayson, Jacy from Squeeze Play - 01/15/2010
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M: Molly Sommerville from This Heart of Mine - 01/06/2010
N:
O:
P: Phoebe Sommerville from It Had to Be You - 01/17/2010
Q:
R: Rosalie Ronaldi from Romeo, Romeo - 03/30/2010
S:
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

2010 A-Z Book Challenge

I'm in for this one as well! :)

Progress: 3/26

A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
F:
G:
H:
I: It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - 01/17/2010
J:
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R: Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye - 03/30/2010
S: Squeeze Play by Kate Angell - 01/15/2010
T: This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips - 01/06/2010
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

2010 A-Z Author Challenge

Progress: 6/26

A: Angell, Kate - Squeeze Play 01/15/2010
B:
C:
D:
E:
F: Foster, Lori - Impetuous 03/05/2010
G:
H:
I:
J:
K: Kaye, Robin - Romeo, Romeo 03/30/2010
L:
M: Miller, Linda Lael - Corbin's Fancy 03/09/2010
N:
O:
P: Phillips, Susan Elizabeth - This Heart of Mine 01/06/2010
Q: Quinn, Julia - The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever 02/21/2010
R:
S:
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

Change in 101010 Challenge

So, I decided to change the Shakespeare category in my 101010 challenge, to the Georgia Nicholson books.  After watching the movie, I got interested in the rest of the storyline.  And so now, I'm going to read the complete series, which has 10 books.  Works out pretty perfectly, haha.

Also, I'm doing some other challenges too, and am interested in participating in still more challenges.  Challenges introduce you to so many new books!  I love it!  So the new ones that I've decided to take part in for now are ones I found in the Romance Readers Reading Challenges group on  Goodreads, under their "Dare You to Read" challenges.  The challenges I decided to partake in are: to read Line of Scrimmage by Marie Force in a month, to read The Last Time I Was Me by Cathy Lamb in a month, and to read the Sweet Magnolias series (4 books) by Sherryl Woods within 4 months.  Actually, the Sweet Magnolias series is going to come out with 3 more books this year, so that challenge might be extended.  So yeah, this doesn't seem too bad.  And I can use these books to cross challenge with my 101010 challenge.

There are many more challenges from the Romance Readers Reading Challenges (RRRC) group that I'm interested in.  I also have some I'm interested in from the Royal Reviews site.

So check back for more news on the challenges I'm participating in.  Also, I should have some reviews up next week! :)

Monday Motivation

Hello!  It is officially Monday, and so I thought I'd post with my new weekly thing: Monday Motivation.  Every Monday I will try to post a quote that will try to help motivate us through the week...or maybe just give us a laugh, to make the week not so daunting.  Anyway, I found a good one for this week!

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

                                                                                            ~ Louisa May Alcott

I went to Costco about a week ago and picked up 2 books. One I've been wanting, because I'm a big fan of Julia Quinn, and that one is What Happens in London. The other, which is Hearts at Stake, just caught my eye. It's the first in a series, I believe. And it's about vampires. I've always been interested in vampires, along with witches, werewolves, etc., even way before all this Twilight hype. (Haven't even read the Twilight series yet...) Anyway, these two books have been added to my TBR pile, which is quite big (and not completely updated on the sidebar...it's much longer than that)...

I also have several books to review, which I will get around to some time this week...hopefully. I've got a midterm coming up, plus a paper due. So we'll see. I'm also thinking of changing one of my categories for the 101010 challenge to The Georgia Nicholson books, because I just watched the movie Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, and go interested in rereading. Then, I found out there are actually 10 books in the series! I had only read 3 of them, I think.

101010 Challenge

Classics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Jane Austen Related
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

1st in Series (that I haven't read yet)
1. Squeeze Play by Kate Angell
2. Romeo, Romeo by Robin Kaye
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

From the Pages to the Big Screen
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Asian Authors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

YA
1. Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian
2. The V Club by Kate Brian
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Fantasy
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Mystery
1. Executive Privilege by Philip Margolin
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Georgia Nicholson Books
1. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Romance/Chick-lit
1. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
2. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever by Julia Quinn
3. Impetuous by Lori Foster
4. Heartbreaker by Diana Palmer
5. Corbin's Fancy by Linda Lael Miller
6. Curveball by Kate Angell
7.
8.
9.
10.

2010 Challenges

Alrighty, I'm here to post the year-long challenges I'm starting this year. First off is the 101010 challenge. Here are my categories:

1. Classics
2. Jane Austen Related
3. 1st in Series (that I haven't read yet)
4. From the Pages to the Big Screen
5. Asian Authors
6. YA
7. Fantasy
8. Mystery
9. Georgia Nicholson Books
10 Romance/Chick-lit

Next post will be the books I've read for these categories. Anyway, this is the only challenge I've officially signed up for, so far. Although, if I finish this, I'll be completing the read 100 books challenge, too. Another reading challenge I'm looking into is the Dewey Decimal Challenge. It looks interesting. :)

ROMANCE: Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home

Title: Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home
Subtitle: Undead fathers really know best.
Author: Michele Bardsley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
# of Pages: 283

Summary: Libby Monroe works as a paranormal investigator for Paranormal Research and Investigation Services (PRIS), which her parents founded. She winds up in Broken Heart, Oklahoma because rumor has it that Broken Heart is a breeding ground for the paranormal, so she's there to investigate. While there, she meets and falls in lust with a sexy vampire named Ralph Genessa, who also happens to be the father of two adorable boys. Unfortunately, she also runs into trouble, as the queen of the vamps won't let her leave Broken Heart. But soon, that's the least of her problems, as a dragon and an Ancient are out to get her, and they don't care who or what they destroy along the way...

Review: This is the fourth book in the series, but the first of the series that I've read. It can pretty much stand alone, though you won't know much background for the other characters if you don't read the other books first, I guess. Didn't really matter for me, though I do want to eventually get around to reading the others. The idea for the storyline was interesting, but it could be worked out better. Also, the romance was pretty lacking. I know I shouldn't expect romance novels to be realistic...but I can't help it. This was more than just unrealistic. There's an attraction between Libby and Ralph, sure. But there's no proof that the attraction is something real between them, and not just from the fact that they share a dragon's soul. Plus, they both fight the attraction until near the end. They don't really get to know each other at all. I mean, the characters are likable enough, except for "Uncle Archie." But the relationship between the two main ones leaves something to be desired. Oh yeah, Ash is pretty cool; probably my favorite character. Haha. I hope she has an upcoming story...

I've been putting off writing this review, because I just didn't know how I felt about this book. I probably could read it again, because it has a happy ending (and I love those), but I'm still unsure about if I'd consider it a good read. If I'm willing to read it again, that should mean it is...right? lol

Rating: ★★★

HAUL: Library's Used Bookstore FTW!

I went to the library this past weekend, just to sit and read and relax, as well as to cool down since it was so hot. While there, I decided to stop at the Friends Bookstore, which sells used books to help raise funds for the library. I made a major haul there, though it's mostly Silhouette Desire books (I have an addiction to these. xD). I got 8 Silhouette Desire books (4 from The Hudsons of Beverly Hills series, 3 from the Park Avenue Scandals series, 1 from Royal Seductions series), the whole Heiress Brides series by Celeste Bradley (all 3 books!), hardback version of Girl with a Pearl Earring, as well as some others that I'm forgetting for only THREE DOLLARS! What a deal!

I'm hoping to go back soon, to try to see if I can find the rest of The Hudsons of Beverly Hills series, as well as the Park Avenue Scandals one. I love reading series books, as well as owning the whole series.

I also borrowed books from the library, and just finished reading one of the books I borrowed. Review for that to be posted, after this post. I was just so excited about my haul, I had to post about it. x]

Ooh...and I stopped by Borders yesterday to use my 30% off coupon. Ended up buying Tongue in Chic by Christina Dodd, since I liked Trouble in High Heels and it's the next in the series. (There I go with the series thing again! haha)