Women Challenge

This challenge is to read any kind of book authored by a woman.  

It is hosted at Peek a Book!

Levels:

Level 1: BABY GIRL - read 5 books written by a woman author
Level 2: GIRLS POWER - read 6 to 15 books written by a woman author
Level 3: SUPER GIRL - read 16 to 20 books written by a woman author
Level 4: WONDER WOMAN - read 20+ books written by a woman author

She also asks that we list our three favorite woman authors.  These three were the first to come to mind:  Alex Kava, Emily Bronte, Veronica Rossi.

I am going to go for Girl Power!

1. Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
2. Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian
3. Love Me, Love Me Not by Alyxandra Harvey
4. How Willa Got Her Groove Back by Emily McKay
5. Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
6. A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

Read the Nobels Challenge

Simple concept - read a book authored by a Nobel Laureate.  This challenge is sponsored by Guiltless Reader @ Read the Nobels.  For a list of Laureates, see here.

Levels:

• Nobel dabbler: 1 to 3 books 
• Nobel keener : 4 to 8 books 
• Nobel enthusiast: 9 to 13 books 
• Nobel devotee: 14 to 18 
• Nobel zealot: More than 19

I am just going to be a dabbler this year.  

New Authors Reading Challenge

The challenge - to find authors that are 'new-to-you' - they don't have to be debut authors.  It is being hosted at Literary Escapism.

There are no levels, so I think I will choose 15 new authors.  

After writing the review - links can be added here. 

1. Goat Mountain by David Vann
2. Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian
3. How Willa Got Her Groove Back by Emily McKay
4. Love Me, Love Me Not by Alyxandra Harvey
5. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington
6. Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
7. A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

Southern Literature Reading Challenge

For this challenge, books must have that Southern Literature "feel" (use your best judgement) and be set in one of the following states:
South Carolina
Georgia
Alabama
North Carolina
Virginia
Tennessee 
Mississippi
Louisiana
Kentucky 
West Virginia
Texas
Arkansas
Florida

It is being hosted at The Introverted Reader. 

Levels:
Level 1--C'mon in the house! Read 1-2 books.

Level 2--Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 3-4 books

Level 3--Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 5-6 books

Level 4--Y'all come back now, y'hear! Read 7-8 books

I am going to try for Level 2 - Pull up a seat and stay awhile!

1. Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Ed Tarkington
2. 
   

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

Books for this challenge need to be in the mystery, suspense, thriller or crime genres. These are some of my favorite genres, so I had to join this challenge.  It is hosted by Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm. 

Levels:

1-10 books – Amateur sleuth

11-20 books – Detective

21-30 books – Inspector

31+ books – Special agent

I will just be doing the Amateur Sleuth level. 

1. Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
2. A Ghostly Undertaking by Tonya Kappes

Cover Reveal: The Society by Jodie Andrefski

Cover Reveal: Her Australian Hero by Margaret Way

Title: Her Australian Hero 

Author: Margaret Way 

Publisher: Lyrical Press 

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Format: Ecopy

“If you’ve never read Margaret Way before, you’re in for a treat.” —New York Times bestselling author Diana Palmer 

An epic tale of modern day Australia, where greed, desire, tragedy, and ambition collide . . .

Alexandra Ross has always known Lavender Hill will be hers one day. The grand old house, with its waving jacaranda fronds circling around it like a canopy against the white-hot Australian sun. The acres of orchards, trees heavy with sweet-smelling mangoes and prickly pink lychee. The rushing emerald creek that claimed her brother’s life; the genteel boudoir where her mother died of grief, gin, and stroke. Even the quad bike her bullheaded father uses to tear around the plantation like a teenager, as his covetous young wife plays tea party with Alex’s mother’s favorite china.

Someday Alex will undo her father’s blunders and be the good neighbor her childhood friend Rafe Rutherford deserves. The yearning she feels for Rafe can never overcome the heartbreak they’ve lived through together, but at least she will have his companionship.

Until her father is killed and the plantation is divided. If she wants to keep the land she loves Alex must break free of guilt and hesitation. And once she begins to fight for what her heart desires, there’s no telling where she’ll stop . . .

About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Margaret Way has written more than 130 books, many of them International Bestsellers. She has been published in 114 countries and 34 languages. Her novels are set in her beloved Australia, where she was born and lives to this day. Her stories always contain the beauty and rugged nature of the rural and Outback Australia, as well as the rainforests and coral reefs of Northern Queensland.

Tour Schedule

Author C.A. Milson

Extreme Bookaholics

Books and Needlepoint

Around the World in Books

Alpha Book Club

Teatime and Books

Reads and Reviews

I'm Shelf-ish

The Review From Here

The Literary Nook

The Book Czar

PUYB Virtual Book Club

Harmonious Publicity

The Dark Phantom

Literal Exposure

Bent Over Bookwords

2016 Audiobook Challenge

I listen to books in my car and while I am walking on the treadmill.  Just recently I also learned that I can stream my phone through my car - so that has increased my audiobook time also!  This challenge is hosted by The Book Nympho and Hot Listens. 

Levels

• Newbie (I’ll give it a try) 1-5
• Weekend Warrior (I’m getting the hang of this) 5-10
• Stenographer (can listen while multi-tasking) 10-15
• Socially Awkward (Don’t talk to me) 15-20
• Binge Listener (Why read when someone can do it for you) 20-30
• My Precious (I had my earbuds surgically implanted) 30+
• Marathoner (Look Ma No Hands) 50+

I will be trying Stenographer for this challenge. 

2016 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

This is always a fun challenge as most of your books will fit this one!  You can drop the A's and The's from the beginning of the title. 

Each Letter Counts As 1 Spoonful

The first main word needs to start with the letter you are using for the challenge.  Q, X and Z can be found anywhere in the title though. 

• a
• b - Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb
• c
• d
• e
• f
• g - Goat Mountain by David Vann
• h - How Willa Got Her Groove Back by Emily McKay
• i - Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
• j
• k
• l - Love Me, Love Me Not by Alyxandra Harvey
• m
• n
• o - Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian
• p
• q
• r
• s
• t
• u
• v
• w
• x
• y
• z

2016 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge

For this challenge, each month is assigned a certain motif or theme. Your task is to read one book per month that fits in with the motif for that particular month.   It is hosted by Tanya at GirlXOXO. 

There will be a linky put up the beginning of each month that will remain open until the 10th day of the following month. 

The Motifs

JANUARY- Who Dunnit?
Crack the case and solve the mystery with your first book of the year.
Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb

FEBRUARY- New Releases
Read a book released in the last year.
Orhan's Inheritance by Aline Ohanesian

MARCH- Take a Trip
Time Travel or read a book set in a country different than where you live
Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

APRIL- Best of the Best
Read a book that has won recognition or a literary award

MAY- Story of Survival
Make it out alive, beat the odds, save yourself stories. Try thinking beyond the typical wilderness survival. Surviving high school? Surviving a family road trip? Yep- those count too! PS. Dystopians would work great in this motif too.

JUNE- Girlxoxo Recommends
We’ve read a lot of great books. Check out our archives and pick one of our recommendations off our book lists.

JULY- LOL
Hilarious memoirs, silly chick lit, comedic scifi. Pick a book that is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.

AUGUST- Genre Jumble
Read from a genre that you don’t normally read from

SEPTEMBER- Steampunk, Science Fiction, and Fantasy
Pretty self explanatory and loads of great books to pick from in this motif.

OCTOBER- Things That Go Bump in The Night
Cozy mystery ghost stories, paranormal creeptastic, murder mystery- it’s up to you!

NOVEMBER- Fiction Takes A Break
It’s all about Nonfiction November this month!

DEC- That’s a Wrap
Finish a series you’ve been meaning to finish or read the next book in a series you started but never finished.