Favorite Reading Challenges

I don't know why, but these are some of my favorite challenges.  I think it is probably because I like following lists, and these kind of feed into that. . .  

Monthly Key Word Challenge is hosted by Bookmark to Blog.  The challenge is to read one book each month whose title includes one or more of the key words (or variation of the key word) for that month. 

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May
• June
• July
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

The Colorful Reading Challenge is hosted by Lost in Books.  The challenge is to read 9 books with a color in their title.  To see other rules and sign up - visit Lost in Books.

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x
6. x
7. x
8. x
9. x

The Color Coded Reading Challenge is hosted by My Reader's Block.  The challenge runs all year and you must read a book from each of the nine categories:

1. Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc.)
2. Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc.)
3. Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.)
4. Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc.)
5. Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc.)
6. Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc.)
7. White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc.)
8. Any other color (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magenta, etc.)
9. A word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc)

What's in a Name 6 Challenge is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. Between Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2013, read one book with each of the following words/category in the title.

1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title.
2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title.
3. A book with a party or celebration in the title
4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title. -
5. A book with an emotion in the title. -  Proof of Guilt - Charles Todd
6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title. 

What an Animal Reading Challenge is hosted by Socrates Book Reviews.  The challenge runs from Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2013.  The challenge is to read 6 books with one of the following:

1. An Animal in the title
2. An Animal on the cover
3. An Animal plays a major role
4. A main character is (or turns into) an animal

The animal can be any type (real or fictitious) - dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark, dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf, etc.

Visit Socrates Book Reviews to see the other rules and to sign up. 

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x
6. x

A to Z Reading Challenge is being hosted by Escape with Dollycas.  It runs all year and the challenge is to read 26 books, one starting with each letter of the alphabet.  To see any other rules and to sign up, please visit Escape with Dollycas.

• A - Amanda's Story by Brian O'Grady
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F - Five Years to Live by Frank Zaccari
• G
• H
• I - Into the Dark by Stacy Green
• J
• K - Kissing Kendall by Jennifer Shirk
• L
• M - Melting the Millionaire's Heart by Linda Morris
• N
• O
• P - Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd
• Q - Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

The A to Z Book Challenge is being hosted by Babies, Books and Beyond.  I am going to do both of these challenges, but am not going to duplicate the books - there will be a different set of books for each A-Z (I might cheat on letters like X and Z, but we will see.)  To see all the rules and sign up, please visit Babies, Books, and Beyond. 

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

The Book to Movie Challenge is being hosted by Doing Dewey and will run until Dec 2013.  I am going to go for the Movie Devotee, which is to read 6 books and then watch the movies and review.  To see other levels and to sign up, please visit Doing Dewey. 

1. x
2. x
3. x
4. x
5. x
6. x

Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer (Book Review)

Title: Fatal Illusions
Author: Adam Blumer
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Available: Now
Genre: Christian/Suspense
First sentence: As dusk settled over the suburban Cincinnati neighborhood, the sodium-vapor lights along the quiet street blinked and came to life on cue.

Marc and Gillian were a couple in crisis - though at first they did not seem to realize this. Marc was an assistant pastor and one of his duties was Christian counseling. Stacey, on of his parishioners, had been coming to counseling as she said she was trying to reconcile with her husband. Marc felt that she was developing a crush on him, so had a female staffer take over her counseling. Stacey continued to call him and send him e-mails, which Marc tried to ignore.

Gillian had given birth to stillborn twins six months ago. She was still grieving, visiting their graves and writing them letters. Neither confided in the other the obstacles they were up against.

On the day that Stacey's feelings got out of hand, Gillian finds a love letter that she had written to Marc, hinting at an affair. Before Gillian can confront him about it, Stacey shows up at their house and shoots Marc in the chest, accusing him of attempted rape as she runs from his home. Fortunately, he survives, but he and Gill are further apart than ever.

Together, accompanied by their 16-year-old daughter Crystal, they take a sabbatical to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in hopes that the media circle will die down in their absence. Little do they know that they are moving to the same remote area as the Magician Murderer, a serial killer who has killed 4 girls in Cincinnati. Girls that all resemble their daughter Crystal.

This book was hard for me to put down. You are instantly immersed in the murders and through them begin to know Detective Riley. A veteran cop and a Christian who is on the brink of retirement. But he can't seem to let go of this case.

Between the loss of the babies, Marc's shooting and Stacey, Marc and Gillian have lost faith in each other and where is their faith in God? You cheer them on that they will somehow be able to see how the other is hurting and open up to the love they once had for each other and the love that God still has for them.

There are a lot of twists in this book, but the way it came together in the end was very believable! As everyone begins to close in on the killer, I found myself urging them on - trying to tell them how close they were. I also loved the way it brought everything around to believing and trusting in God. I highly recommend this book! You can read the first chapter here.

Purchase book here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Book Review)

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Random House Listening Library
Narrated by: Jim Dale
Genre: YA/Fantasy
I listened to this book for fun!

First sentence: It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind.

Year six finds Harry, Ron and Hermione headed back to Hogwarts after passing their O.W.L.s. There is also a new Prime Minister of Magic after Fudge was fired over his handling of Voldemort's return. Ron and Harry are disappointed as they had not scored high enough on their Potions test to continue on in this class - but this is soon rectified by Dumbledore. Since they hadn't purchased Potions books, they must use some old ones from the classroom until theirs arrive. Harry is lucky and gets one filled with detailed notes and spells. Notes left by the Half-Blood Prince. But who is the Half-Blood Prince?

Dumbledore believes Harry (since he is the Chosen One) is ready to start learning more about his enemy Voldemort. Through a series of memories viewed through the pensieve, Harry sees Voldemort as Tom Riddle and watches his transformation into the Dark Lord. He is also able to discover what a horcrux is and how Voldemort has used them to gain his advantage.


Along the way we have Harry's adventures in Quidditch, learning to apparate and see him developing feelings for Jenny, Ron's sister.

I continue to enjoy this series, having read the first four and now listened to 5 and 6. I was happy to have finished this one before the movie comes out! I have decided though, that I enjoy listening to them more than reading them - probably because I can clearly see the characters (because of the movies) and very much enjoy listening to Jim Dale read them. If you have not read the Harry Potter series, I think you definitely should - regardless of your age. I guess I can admit now that I tried to read the first one when it came out and couldn't get past the first chapter. All the muggles and mudbloods and Quidditch! I am not sure what has changed.

BoneMan's Daughter by Ted Dekker (Book Review)

Title: BoneMan's Daughter
Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Hachette
Genre: Thriller
Available: Today! April 14
My ebook was provided by Net Galley.

First sentence: The day that Ryan Evans' world forever changed began as any other day he'd spent in the hot desert might have begun.

Ryan Evans is a Naval Intelligence Officer on location near Fallujah. Normally he deciphers information from his desk, but today he is being sent out to a remote location. His caravan is hit on the road and he is taken hostage by a man called Kahlid. Kahlid wants to show America all the senseless killing of women and children that is happening because of America's bombs. He tells Ryan that he must either tell him where his wife and daughter live, or watch more children die in front of him by having their bones broken one by one.

Many days and several children later, Ryan is able to escape. But is he leaving the same man that he was when he was captured?

Celine and Bethany are Ryan's wife and 16 year old daughter back in Texas. They were abandoned by Ryan years ago because he felt the best way to serve them, the only way he knew how, was to serve his country. Now he is back and wants to be the husband and father he never was. But Celine is currently involved with the D.A. Burton Welsh. Is it too late for this family to mend?

BoneMan is a serial killer that made his way across Texas two years earlier. A man was convicted and sent to prison. Evidence has come to light that the blood samples that were used to convict may have been planted. BoneMan has been set free. Ricki Valentine, the FBI agent who was on the case 2 years ago, reopens the investigation now. Either they have just released a serial killer back on the public, or they never had him to begin with.

BoneMan has been looking for the perfect daughter - as he considers himself to be the perfect father. When the girls he abducts do not live up to his expectations - he is forced to kill them by breaking their bones one by one. After two years of no activity, he is feeling the need to find a daughter again. Who better than the soon to be step daughter of the D.A. that is trying to find him and the daughter of a man who doesn't deserve her - as he abandoned her years earlier? How far will a father go to protect his daughter?

This is my second Ted Dekker book and I can't wait for more. I love the way that we really get to know these characters. We can feel their pain, their frustration, their fear. And what is scarier than having one of your children abducted! If you love thrillers, this is a book you won't want to miss.

Trail of Crumbs by Kim Sunee (Book Review)

Title: Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love and the Search for Home
Author: Kim Sunee
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Genre: Nonfiction/Memoir

First sentence: Let me start by saying where I am.

From the cover: Kim Sunee was abandoned in a Korean marketplace at the age of three and raised by adoptive parents in New Orleans. But by the age of twenty-two, her life was totally transformed - she found herself the companion of a French mogul, and mistress over his homes in Paris and Provence. Yet despite the glamorous trappings, Kim never felt quite at home. It was only in the kitchen, where she encountered exotic ingredients and fed crowds of friends, that she felt she truly belonged. Trail of Crumbs is a compelling personal narrative of the search for home pursued among the tastes, aromas, and sensuality of food across three continents.

This book was beautifully written! It led you through Kim's life - most of it centered in her 20's after she had moved out of the United States. It showed such a deep yearning to try to understand where she fit in, where she belonged, that you just wanted to reach into the book and take her in your arms to let her know that it would all be okay. By being "lost" by her mom, she grew up always searching, never quite feeling "at home."

I interpreted the title "Trail of Crumbs" to be a metaphor for two things. First, she used to have a dream about her and her brother as Hansel and Gretel, just waiting for the moon to come out so they could see the trail of crumbs - only to find out that they had been eaten by the birds. Secondly, how she seemed to feel most comfortable in the kitchen, regardless of where she was, cooking wonderful dishes for friends. So as she traveled, she left her own 'trail of crumbs'. Her book is doctored with tales of wonderful foods in exotic (to me) places. At the ends of many of the chapters are recipes of what sound like delicious dishes. I hope someday to have the courage to try some of them. (There is an index in the back of the book listing these recipes.)

You must read Kim's story of loss and loneliness as she loved, in her way, Olivier, but could not come to accept the life he created for her.

"Somehow, I thought, he'll never realize that the everything he wants to give me will never take away the nothing that I've always had." (p66)

Join her as she searches for acceptance and family and discovers a strength to let go of what cannot be changed and move forward.

About the author: Kim Sunee has been featured in the New York Times, Ladies' Home Journal, People, Elle, and Glamour. She is the founding food editor of Cottage Living and the host of "Local Flavor with Kim Sunee" for MyRecipes.com. You can visit her website at http://www.kimsunee.com/.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (Book Review)

Title: The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold

Genre: fiction

First sentence: My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.

This was the most original book that I have read in quite awhile. The narrator of the story, Susie, is the murder victim. We see her family, her friends, and even her murderer, Mr. Harvey, in the days and years after her death through her eyes.

She leads us down that road as her friends and her 'crush' Ray try to understand and come to terms with her murder. As her family disintegrates, she begins to see them as individuals - even as those around them on Earth only see them as shadows of Susie.

Her father is convinced he knows who committed the crime and one night he follows a light into a neighbor's cornfield, only to be clobbered with his own baseball bat by some innocent high school kids. This is the last straw for Susie's mother. Her mother's loneliness is only amplified with Susie's death and she seeks comfort away from her husband. This eventually leads her to the other side of the country where she tries to forget.

Grandma Lynn moves in with her dad, brother Buckley and sister Lyndsey to try to help them cope with Susie's loss and their abandonment by their mother. The police have pretty much told the family that they have no leads and they are closing the investigation so Lyndsey decides to go looking for evidence herself. She watches Mr. Harvey's house, and one afternoon when he leaves, she breaks in and actually finds some evidence. She barely gets out of the house in time, but Mr. Harvey has seen her so knows that he needs to leave.

Come and read this book and follow her family as they move from her murder and their isolation as they come together year's later and are finally able to say out loud 'Susie is not coming home again.'

This novel was wonderfully written and gives us a picture of one little girl's heaven, which, while not always joyous, is stable and safe. Susie's heaven allows her to mature and move on in much the same way that her family does.

What's In a Name - 2009

I just found this new challenge over at A Novel Challenge. It sounds like a lot of fun. Go here to sign up, but the rules are below:

Runs from Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2009

Choose one book from each of the following categories.

A book with a "profession" in its title. Examples might include: The Book Thief, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Historian My Choice is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

A book with a "time of day" in its title. Examples might include: Twilight, Four Past Midnight, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - My choice is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

A book with a "relative" in its title. Examples might include: Eight Cousins, My Father's Dragon, The Daughter of Time -My choice is Boneman's Daughter by Ted Dekker

A book with a "body part" in its title. Examples might include: The Bluest Eye, Bag of Bones, The Heart of Darkness - My choice is Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A book with a "building" in its title. Examples might include: Uncle Tom's Cabin, Little House on the Prairie, The Looming Tower - Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search For Home by Kim Sunee

A book with a "medical condition" in its title. Examples might include: Insomnia, Coma, The Plague - My choice is Fatal Illusions by Adam Blumer.

You may overlap books with other challenges, but please don't use the same book for more than one category.

There will be some small prizes scattered throughout. There will also be a prize awarded at the conclusion to one participant who completes the challenge.

You don't need to decide exactly which books you will be reading ahead of time