Challenges

This challenge is to read those books you own copies of, but have never got around to reading. If you don't have many that you own, but have a massive TBR shelf you're welcome to read those ones as long as you don't add new ones. You don't need to actually get rid of your books after you've read them, this is just to read them.

How To Participate:
1. Decide which challenge level you'll be doing (further below) - do not include books that you buy from the start of this challenge.
2. Grab the code for the badge down below and post it on a side bar or in a signature.
3. Create your own post to let all your readers know you’re taking part in the challenge and at what level (if you're really proficient you can list your books!). Make sure to link back to this page with either one of the buttons or a text link..
4. Sign up here to enter into the challenge by sharing your challenge post url and your name (either your name, blog name, or both).Please don't use the comment form to participate, only to comment on the challenge or something else..
5. Submit your reviews (if you choose to review them, but that is optional) on the review page.
6. When you’ve completed you’re challenge let us know on the completion post. If you're using a tag or category I recommend sharing the link back to that so everyone can find them

Challenge Levels
1. Tempted–  Choose 5 books to read (boring I know... but I just want to reread a few books I have)
2. Trying – Choose 15 books to read
3. Making A Dint – Choose 30 books to read
4. On A Roll – Choose 50 books to read
5. Flying Off – Choose 75 books to read

Challenges

Historical fiction: tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity. (Wikipedia)

UPDATE! Some Lists:
- My Amazon YA Historical Fiction list
- New YA Historical Fiction 2011
- My Goodreads Historical Fiction shelf here! 
- Time Line with YA Historical titles post-Civil War

Choose your level:

Level 1: 5 YA HF books in 2011

Level 2: 10 YA HF books in 2011

Level 3: 15 YA HF books in 2011

 Rules:

• All Historical Fiction books must be YA or MG
• Books don't have to be 2011 releases.
• Anyone can join. Please link to a public (web) place I can find you.
• You can join at anytime. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

Challenges

Here is how it works:
* Should you choose to participate in this challenge, your goal is to read at least twelve (12) legally obtained e-books which you got for FREE for your e-reading device. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit.
* Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States.
* Any E-Reader will work for this challenge, including: iPad, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony Reader, enTourage.
* Please Note: If you don't have an e-reading device, you can still join in with Amazon's Free Kindle Reading Apps which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more.
* The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. You can join at anytime.
* e-books in ANY genre count for this challenge as long as it was FREE at the time that you downloaded it.
* Every month in 2011, I will make a post for the Show Me The Free Reading Challenge so you can link your reviews.
* Those that link their reviews will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a different prize each month, such as an Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card, a bookmark, or a GelaSkins for your E-Reader. Winners will be announced at the end of each month.


Challenge Guidelines:
* If you blog, create a post announcing your participation in the challenge. Please include a link back to this post.
* Non blogger must publish reviews on some type of public domain such as Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble to enter the monthly giveaway.
* When you post your book review, you MUST say how you obtained the free read. Please make your source clear.
* You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them.
* Crossovers to other reading challenges is acceptable, but galley e-books DO NOT count. Again, this is a Reading Challenge to read as many of the FREE e-books legally offered for your e-reader. To get started, check out the Top 100 Free books on Amazon, or the Free e-books on Barnes & Noble.
* Any linked reviews that do not meet the guidelines will not be entered into the monthly drawing for the prize of the month.


Levels:
Coupon Clipper: 12 Books
Penny Pincher: 24 Books
Super Saver: 30+ Books

The Royal Diaries

Kaiulani: the People's Princess by Ellen Emerson White

I got most of the Royal Dairy Series almost ten years ago. I just love these books. They are super simple, but full of lots of historical facts. This diary is a little different from in the rest in that it records three years of Kaiulani's life. All the other books just catalogue one year. I wanted to read this one because I found a movie similar, called Princess Ka'iulani, it's also lightly based on her.

Kaiulani had so many sad things happen to her. Between deaths of family and friends, then the lose of her country. Really it is no surprise she died of heartbreak.The thing I found the most interesting was the 'bending' as a princess she was not allowed to stoop or bend over. So she has to ring a maid whenever she drops something. Makes me curious what happened the first time she dropped something when she want to school in England?

I think if I had been in her first English school I would have thought her snobbish, or maybe even barbaric as the American's claimed. The three sides of the fighting are interesting and I am sure there is much more to it, but because she starts off as a 13 year old girl we miss allot of the politics.

But it was a fun fabulous read. And now I might even continue reading through the Royal Diary Series.

Waiting on Wednesday

The Contemps Challenge Books.

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (HarperTeen, February 15, 2011): The stage is set for a high-stakes duet between two high school seniors--once friends, now enemies--as they prepare to go up against each other in a major singing competition. To Brooke, winning means escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional musician. Kathryn, meanwhile, sees victory as the key to a much-needed college scholarship. As the big day nears, each girl must face her fears about the future, her scars from the past, and the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Mom read this book to my sister and I as children. I remember playing acting parts of this book and thinking it was the greatest. We used the lid of our toy chest (which was bright pink and curved) to play as our boat. Sis and I played out parts of this book and another book (which I can not remember the name of) for hours.

Island of the Blue Dolphin is an interesting extremely light read. It is made for young young adults. Actually my little sis, who is ten just finished reading it. It was very well-written and I am glad I reread it, even though it was purely for nostalgic feelings. I did enjoy the hour or so it took me to read it.

The ending did not go to my liking, because it's based on actually facts, at least the character is. Which makes me really sad. Because a happy ending is exactly what this book needed. And I won't say anything more, so I don't share any spoilers!! :)

I recommend it, for children learning to read. And for people like me, who like to remember good things that happened in the past, though maybe they should read books connected to their past as this book is connect to my past.

Happy Reading

Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Ree

I an not much of a biography reader. But I could not pass up the opportunity to read about Jane Austens life. After all I do have a whole blog dedicated to the reading and understanding of her books. So I was pretty excited to find Jane Austen: A Life Revealed by Catherine Reef on NetGalley.

Release Date: April 18 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Received from: NetGalley
Rating: 4 STARS
Cover Thoughts: I love silhouettes and the blue ribbon is fun. It's a great cover in my opinion for a Jane Austen related book.

I did and didn't enjoy it. I read novels not biographies, mainly because I like a story settings and biographies are all facts. It was interesting however, to go deeper into the life of Jane. It is surprising how little is known about her though.

I did have one issue with the biography, I am not sure if this is a common thing with biography. But there was a detailed description of each of the books Jane wrote. Which to me, if you are reading a book about Jane, that probably means you have invested sometime into reading her books, so complete descriptions of her writing seemed unnecessary. But at the same time I was really glad for the description of Emma, because I have tried reading it and found Emma to be extremely annoying. The description kinda showed me a different way to look at the book.

The images in the book didn't come out very clearly on the EReader and due to the images I couldn't make the font as big as I like. I really enjoyed seeing Jane's writing and it's very sad that out of 3000 letters only 150 or so survived. I was really sad when I read that they tore down her childhood home. But I am so glad that her last resting place has been made into a museum, that one day I hope to visit.

Quote

"I cannot anyhow continue to find people agreeable" Jane Austen, May 13 1801.

Good for us Jane kept writing, even through her hardships. Happy Reading!

*★Merry★* •。★Christmas★

*★Merry★* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★Christmas★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˚* _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•*/______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛•｜ 田田｜門｜ ˚

And a happy new year♥ ♥ ♥

me and my awesome Christmas Hat, Mr. got me a couple years ago!!

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I was feeling sentimental the other day. 

And so I find myself a copy of the Little Women movie

And I was surprised to discover that

Josephine March was played by Winona Ryder

"Fifteen-year-old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a cold, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way. She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful. Her long, thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way. Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a woman and didn't like it"

Mrs. March was played by Susan Saradon, who was in Shall We Dance (which is like my ALL time favorite movie!)

"Teddy" Laurie Lawrence was played the one and only BATMAN Christian Bale, like before he was popular. Seriously this name surprised me the most when I first saw it.

AND AMY, well little miss Amy was played superbly but Kristen Dunst

"Amy, though the youngest, was a most important person, in her own opinion at least. A regular snow maiden, with blue eyes, and yellow hair curling on her shoulders, pale and slender, and always carrying herself like a young lady mindful of her manners."

The movie is superb and I simply love the sound track. I have listened to it many many times. Watching this movie reminded me of play acting it out with friends, when we stayed with them for a couple months. It also made me really really want to read the book (which I immediately found after watching the movie).

Little Women 

by Louisa May Alcott.

Favorite Quotes... I have so many it was hard to choose just one!! I didn't want to overwhelm anyone and make this a large post.

"If anybody had asked Amy what the greatest trial of her life was, she would have answered at once. "My Nose." When she was a baby, Jo had accidentally dropped her into the coal hod, and Amy insisted that the fall had ruined her nose forever. It was not big nor red, like poor 'Pretrea's', it was only rather flat, and all the pinching in the world could not give it an aristocratic point. No one minded it but herself, and it was doing its best to grow, but Amy felt deeply the want of a Grecian nose, and drew whole sheets of handsome ones to console herself."

(good thing they didn't have plastic surgery then!)
What to say about this book. I really enjoyed it, it made me laugh (crazy laugh until Mr. was very annoyed and looked at me down his nose asking "What on earth made me cry out so!"), it made me cry (sob, is so more like it kinda like a breaking heart, oh BETH!), and really it made me want to be a better person (Marmee's little sermons).
Jo really curbs her temper and it was just so well-written and so realistic and I have such a fiery temper. I so want to follow her example and become good. To be known, as these girls were, for their kindness and loving.
I honestly had to stop and wonder what has happened to good writing. I am a horrible writer (I LOVE you beautiful followers even more for being so kinda and commenting and following me, even with my horrible grammar and spelling) Louisa's book is stunning, and author's just don't write like that. Actually it's sad to say allot of 'great' authors out there write just like ME! and that's horrifying. For example The House of Night series, it's like reading my own writing. It's not fabulous writing or good grammar or sentence structure. If that makes sense
I hope (fingers crossed) that with my study of the classic books (which is becoming a goal) that my writing and grammar will improve (seriously look at the sentence above about Mr. looking down his nose, now THAT (in my head at least) is a good sentence)
Author's like Louisa May Alcott, Jane Austen, and C.S. Lewis make me want to better myself in my writing, attitude, and my general reactions to things. I want to be a better person. This is a very strange review!

Comparing the book to the movie. It was different but the movie did a fabulous job portraying the book. And I am glad to have them both. I loved picturing the characters as the actors from the movie they fit their parts well!

I am super happy because a dear friend informed me that Louisa didn't just write Little Women, she also wrote "Little Men; Life at Plumfield with Jo's Boys", sequels "Eight Cousins" and many more!! I can not wait to find them and read read read!!

OH and this is a perfect book to read just before Christmas!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and happy reading to you all!

Waiting on Wednesday

The Contemps Challenge Books.

Trapped by Michael Northrop (Scholastic, February, 2011): The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That the nation's next great natural disaster would come dressed all in white. That, for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of staying warm, but of staying alive... Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids waiting to get picked up at their high school that day, and it doesn't take them long to realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping down the hall. But then the power goes out; then the heat. As the days add up, the snow piles higher and the empty halls grow colder and darker, and the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision...

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Teaser Tuesdays

"Why, you pile up your hands, choose a number, and draw out in turn, and the person who draws at the number has to answer truly any questions put by the rest. It's great fun."

Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott
No idea when I will finish this book. It's lots of pages on an EReader (like 600!) and I am really enjoying it!! Teaser Tuesdays are hosted by Should Be Reading, be sure to check out the other Teasers!!

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

I read this on Saturday while waiting for everyone to come back and rescue me from a freezing cold house. After I finished it, because it was a super quick read, I started reading another book, so now I have to remember all the things I wanted to talk about.
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

On a trip to visit his father, 13-year-old Brian is the sole survivor of a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness. With only the clothes on his back and a hatchet he received as parting gift from his mother, Brian begins to shape a life for himself in the wild.

This book was extremely easier to read and I really enjoyed it. It felt like a real description of what would happen. Especially at the beginning when he first crash and how his body reacted and the mosquitoes. I would have done and reacted allot of the same ways Brian did. That was really nice because usually I hate reading about male characters, cause I can't understand a thing.

SPOILER....
The only thing that really annoyed me was the big secret. It wasn't that big of a secret. It's not like he walked in on her having sex with a man, not his dad. That would have made it a bigger deal for me. However I did understand his perspective on how the secret affect him and his life.

I probably won't read it again, but it was great for a short read. Oh, and it was definitely young young adult.

City of Fallen Angels

so I just totally copied and pasted this blog post from Book Couture who heard it from Cynthia from A Blog About Nothing, and discovered that the cover of CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS by Cassandra Clare, the much-anticipated fourth installment in the very popular Mortal Instruments series, has been released. Voila!

Read the article here: EW Exclusive.

Vital info you need to know:

•  The book is set to be released in March-April, 2011.
• City of Fallen Angels is an embargoed book, and that means that there will not be any Advance Reader Copies, and there will be a strict International sale date.
• There is no excerpt for CoFA online (well, at least there shouldn't be), see Cassandra Clare's message about it here.
• Teasers for CoFA are available here.

Cassandra Clare reading an excerpt from CoFA:

 


Synopsis:

City of Fallen Angels takes place after the events of City of Glass. It splits its focus between Jace and Clary and Clary’s best friend, Simon, and how he adjusts to life as a vampire, but it’s still an ensemble-cast story, and all the characters from the Mortal Instruments series appear in it: Jace, Isabelle, Alec, Magnus, Luke, Jocelyn, Maia, and many more. (It even helps to have read The Clockwork Angel before you read CoFA, because some of the characters from the ID series do show up in it. However, it isn’t required.) In City of Fallen Angels, someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and leaving their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters. Internecine warfare among vampires is ripping the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Meanwhile Jace and Clary investigate a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.

Author's Birthday

I know this is totally unrelated to book reviews but

it's Jane Austen's 235 BIRTHDAY!! :) And because I am such an addicted or trying to become an addict I just had to share!

The Book Vixen filled me in on all the details. And the best part...

Sourcebooks, the world’s leading publisher of Jane Austen fiction, is offering a unique deal to readers who want to celebrate Jane by reading special editions of all six of Austen’s beloved novels in a 21st century format.

Special e-book editions of Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Mansfield Park will be available for free for one day only. These celebratory editions include the full novels, plus the legendary color illustrations of the Brock brothers, originally created to accompany the books in 1898.

In addition to the Jane Austen classics, readers can also enjoy these bestselling Austen-inspired novels, for that book list be sure to check out the Book Vixen's post

Happy Reading and enjoy some Austen, I know I will!!

The Frugalista Files by Natalie McNeal

Release Date: January 1 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Received from: NetGalley
Rating: 5 yaaa I loved it
Cover Thoughts: It's perfect.
Be sure to check it out on goodreads.


My Review:
When I signed up to review this book, I didn't realize it was a Harlequin. My original thoughts on a Harlequin published book was that it was all things I do not read (an adult book, not my YA). And so I was really debating on even reading it, by the time I got around to looking at the actually book (because I totally just went off the cover and not the synopsis), I had almost convinced myself not to read it. But I want to build my relationship with NetGalley, so I decided to give it ago. BOY am I so glad I did. What a read!! I HIGHLY highly recommend it.

It was so refreshing and fun to read. I would compare it to the Shopaholic Book Series, except that the main character in the Shopaholic Series was conceited and annoyed me, so I barely could stand reading the books. But Natalie is a wonderful woman and so Empowering! I book-marked 14 spots in her book, I never book-mark and I hardly ever quote. But this book just has so much stuff in if I want to remember. Debt has been such a huge thing on my mind lately, especially after Mr. and mine latest shopping spree and Christmas Presents which have set us back $1000!

Comparing myself to her, I don't make as much money as her, but I have a double income and she doesn't. My rent is $55 bucks more than hers and well she took her debt from $20,000.00 to $14,000.00 in 10 months! That is simply amazing!! TEN MONTHS! I can not wait to buy the hard copy of this book and reread it. It will become another one of my book bibles (I also have The One Hundred by Nina Garcia as a bible!)

This book completely inspires me and I know I can do better with Mr. and mine's money. WAY better. If she can manage that much in 10 months we can be out of debt by September 2011. But I am totally getting off topic here.

The Frugalista Files is actually a blog and if you haven't heard of it SHAME!!! LOL jk.. seriously though I always check it out when I am depressed about money and need a pickier upper. Some of my favorite quotes are the following but aren't limited to just these :)

"Fun, fashionable and frugal is my mantra. What else is there to life?"

"One of the panelists suggested that we each spend 3 hours per week taking care of our personal financial matters. At first, that seemed like a long time. Borderline obsessive. After I thought about it, it's not."

"Find solutions to your problems. Instead of just whining, moping or complaining about a problem, I find solace in finding a solution for it. When I find a workable solution to whatever is bothering me, I feel smart."

"It's not enough to become a great chef. Nowadays, people would rather eat at a restaurant of a chef with a kick-ass website. People judge you by your online presence and the online reviews of your work."

This is so true, it's how Mr. and I decide pretty much everything we do!

"Never trust a man who makes you sit on his lap and ask for favors. Santa is not fooling me."

Her opinion of Christmas shopping!! Loved this part!

Recipes I got from the book
1. Salmon
nuked in the microwave with butter, seasoned salt, garlic salt and cayenne pepper
2. Asparagus
stir-fried with a little bit of garlic and olive oil
3. Preheat the oven to 450F. Wash and slice at least 2 potatoes medium thin. Put the slices on a foil-covered baking sheet. Toss the potato slices with extra-virgin olive oil, garlic salt, pepper and Lawry's Seasoned Salt. Slice a small lemon and randomly put the slices on top of the potato slices. Pull the leaves off a few fresh oregano stems and place on top of the potatoes. Cover the potatoes with foil and bake until tender, about 25 minutes, checking every 10 minutes.
YUM YUM

Websites and articles she mentioned that I totally want to find.
The Crushed Grape Report - awesome post on affordable wines to drink.
Dollars and Sense - Panel
RetailMeNot.com
Giantstep.net
Smartshoppersunite.com

To wrap up I will use one last quote

"So, the moral of this story: work smarter, harder and never be afraid to take an educated risk. It pays off."

BE sure to check out my quote on my Teaser Tuesday HERE. Leave me a comment on what you think, this was a long review.

Waiting on Wednesday

The Contemps Challenge Books.

Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers (St. Martin's Press, December 21, 2010): When Eddie Reeves's father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father's and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. He seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie's vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but some questions should be left unanswered.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Teaser Tuesdays

"The best thing and scariest thing about being on my own: I have no one else to blame if I fail but myself."

The Frugalista Files by Natalie McNeal review coming Thursday! (this is my favorite quote from her book, though there are so many good ones) Teaser Tuesday hosted by Should be Reading! Be sure to join in!!

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

Release Date: March 7 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Received from: NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 STARS
Cover Thoughts: L♥VE. She is fleeing from something and well I just love it. And her dress is beautiful
Goodreads:

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.
When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

Review: I am honestly not sure what to make of this book. It was definitely different. Saundra Mitchell writing is beautiful. But the story, I don't know. I am very confused by it. I loved Zora as a character, she was crazy, bold and the things she does for her time are well... bold and crazy. Amelia.... well I am not sure, I feel like I didn't get to know her as a character, I don't know who she is. She became those she hung out with, quiet and meek when she lived with her brother. Bold and Loud when with Zora, and when Nathaniel comes in the picture giddy with what he does. Their love, I am not sure but it didn't feel real, it felt like infatuation. Oh and Nathaniel is a complete surprise, at least parts.

I really liked the book, but it felt incomplete. Thanks Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for allowing me the chance to read it.

Waiting On Wednesday Post here

Book Club!

Book Club was actually Friday... Things have just been crazy and I haven't posted anything about it. This one was a much smaller group of girls and this time I very much noticed my inexperience and how young I am. Not that the girls there are old, they are just all in a different place in life. Most are married, one has grown kids and all have got allot of education.

They talked about exams they had taken and things they were currently studying for and all this kind of thing. And then there's me Beauty School Dropout with minimal high school education. Sure I actually graduated high school but my lovely mother's idea of brilliant teaching and standard teaching are two extremely different things (and I hope to god she figures this out before she ruins the rest of my siblings).

I am super glad I went and I definitely want to hang out with this ambitious women again. I think I could learn allot from them. Oh and we did slightly talk about the book, I was the only one who didn't like it, but discussion actually made me want to read it, just in a new light.

Random Tidbit: Mr.'s opinion of a classic, like Little Woman, the movie he refused to watch this amazing piece of work! . I said "It's a classic!" and his response "Which means men have been groaning for many years." The big meanie! :)

Challenges

I am taking on the Challenge for the year 2011 

the Book Vixen is hosting this challenge 

and here are the guidelines

* Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 (books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. You can sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
* The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2011 than you did in 2010. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
* Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
* Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
* You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
* Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.

Levels:
Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Prom Dates from Hell

is a collaboration of 5 authors and their 5 short stories. Meg Cabot, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe, Stephenie Meyer, and Lauren Myracle. I am going to review the book as one post but each story will have it's own section.

The Exterminator's Daughter
by Meg Cabot
Okay not something I expect from Meg Cabot. She writes sweet, fun-loving stories, not vampires and murder. Great story, loved the beginning and the ketchup part was definitely my favorite scene!

The Corsage
by Lauren Myracle
Intro she writes is pretty awesome

"Readers, beware! The following story was inspired by "The Monkey's Paw", fist published in 1902 by W.W. Jacobs, which scared the dickens out of me when I was a teenager. Be careful what you wish for, indeed."

Makes me very curious about "The Monkey's Paw" Anyways it was a good story.

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper
by Kim Harrison
I think this is my favorite out of the stories. There was lots of intrigue. I definitely want to know more about Seth and Barnabas. I wonder if Kim Harrison has anything similar. Will be checking out her books. This one doesn't really have anything to do with prom.

Kiss and Tell
by Michele Jaffe
A very interesting concept. I am really curious about the super woman powers. Quite an action packed story for so small a story. I am really going to have to look up more books by Michele Jaffe and Kim Harrison because I really enjoyed their short stories. I almost should always find a short story of an author's before reading their actual books, just to see if I like their ideas. Next up Stephenie Meyer... Not sure on that one I hated Twilight.

Hell on Earth
by Stephenie Meyer
Now why couldn't Stephenie Meyer write this story out fully instead of stupid Twilight. Interesting story.

All in all these was a great collection of stories.

Sweets and Hearts

November's Reading List

1. Do Tampons Take Your Virginity by Marie Simas (EReader gift from Marie)
2. Fallen by Lauren Kate (OWN)
3. Jane Eyre by Emily Bronte (Coworker)
4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (OWN)
5. Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (NetGalley)
6. Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler (OWN)

that's 89 books so far. 11 more to go to reach my goal and one month left!