Reading Challenge Update: March 2014

Here is where I stand with the challenges I have joined after the month of February (only challenges that I read books for this month are featured here):

Ebook (11/25)
8. Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore
9. After the War by Libby Sternberg
10. Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach
11. The Crone's Jewels by E. J. Dabel

Audio Book (6/25)
5. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
6. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

100 Books in a Year (37/100)
28. Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore
29. After the War by Libby Sternberg
30. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
31. Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach
32. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford
33. Road Rash by Mark Huntley Parsons
34. The Counselor by Cormac McCarthy
35. Heartless by Sam Shepard
36. The Winner's Circle by Marie Rutkoski
37. The Crone's Jewels by E. J. Dabel

Historical Fiction (5/15)
5. After the War by Libby Sternberg

British Book (4/12)
4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Free Reads (16/30)
12. Conscientious Inconsistencies by Nancy Jane Moore
13. After the War by Libby Sternberg
14. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
15. Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach
16. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford

Author Alphabet (12/26)
12. Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach

YA Mythology (4/12)
4. The Crone's Jewels by E. J. Dabel

Elsewhere Online: March 2014

As you know from my Stacking the Shelves posts, I review for two other websites (bookloons.com and bittenbybooks.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.

Title: Road Rash
Author: Mark Huntley Parsons

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Counselor

Author: Cormac McCarthy

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: Heartless

Author: Sam Shepard

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Winner's Curse

Author: Marie Rutkoski

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Crone's Jewels

Author: E. J. Dabel

Challenges: E-Book, YA Mythology, 100 Books in a Year

Stacking the Shelves: 3/23-3/29

For possible review (here and on Bitten by Books):

Written for You by Joseph Cognard

The Unwanted Earl by Ruth J. Hartman

Because It Is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

Won:

Evening Stars by Susan Mallery

First Reads from Goodreads:

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan

Bought on Amazon:

The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom

Cold in the Earth by Aline Templeton

Settled Blood by Mari Hannah

Carter Finally Gets It

Title: Carter Finally Gets It
Author: Brent Crawford

Publisher: Brillance Audio
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: I don't know when I have last read a book that portrayed a 14-year-old boy so exactly.  This was frickin' hilarious!  Might just even hit a tad close to home for readers of the same age as the protagonist.  The only thing I didn't get was that these teens did not seem to have cell phones.

Rating: 5 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/16-3/22

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

Irenicon by Aidan Harte

Requested from Paperback Swap:

A Pig in Provence by Georgeanne Brennan

Bought on Amazon:

Cut Short by Leigh Russell

Dangerous Past

Dangerous Past

by A. F. Ebbers

published by SilverHawk

2008

ISBN 978-0-9789482-3-8

Why Read?: Review

Challenges:  Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

If you are looking for a fast-paced thriller, A. F. Ebbers sure delivers in Dangerous Past.  

Frank Braden thought he left his Vietnam days behind him.  Now a commercial pilot with a loving wife and two grown kids, he wants to forget all about his brother's death and the man who caused it so many years ago.  However, Frank's peaceful life is about to end when a very powerful man orders a hit on him.  The FBI believe Frank is suicidal, but Frank knows someone is out to get him.  The problem is, no one - not even Frank at first - believes this man could possible want him dead.  Now it is a race against time for Frank to prove what happened many years ago in Vietnam.

Ebbers does a great job keeping the suspense up from the first page.  However, Frank is not always the most sympathetic character as he makes some really dumb choices - of course, without those dumb choices, there would be no real story.  But this is not meant to be the great American novel, just a solid action/suspense novel, which is exactly what Ebbers gives.

For those looking for a great beach read of the thriller variety, Dangerous Past is a great pick.  I am interested to see what A. F. Ebbers comes up with in the future.

Rating: 3/5

Mental Health Giveaway Hop

Hop:  Mental Health Giveaway Hop
Host:  I Am a Reader Not a Writer & Reading in Twilight
Prize: A .mobi or .epub copy of Me Vs. PTSD by Scott Moore

Mental Health Fact:  Women are more like men to develop PTSD.
Form: 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow:

Two-Room Flat

Title: Two-Room Flat
Author: Jill Urbach

Publisher: Astraea
ISBN: 978-1-62135-187-0

Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: E-Book, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This really was a cute story.  You knew what would happen, but that is just fine.  The only thing I wished Urbach did a little more of was having the main characters forgive each other for the event that drew them apart in the first place.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 3/9-3/15

For possible review (on Bookloons and Bitten by Books):

The Ghosts of Southwark by O. M. Grey

The Zombies of Mesmer by O. M. Grey

The Dark Eidolon and Other Fantasies by Clark Ashton Smith

First Reads from Goodreads:

The Joshua Effect by P. S. Meronek

The Pink Suit by Nicole Mary Kelby

Requested from Paperback Swap:

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Received in Book Riot Quarterly:

Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

Judging a Book by Its Lover by Lauren Leto

Stacking the Shelves: 3/2-3/8

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

Acid by Emma Pass

The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

The Matchmakers by Ruth J. Hartman

Selection for Astraea Press Book Club:

Two-Room Flat by Jill Urbach

Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley

Publisher: Listening Library
ISBN: 9780736685986

Why Read?: Bookclub
Challenges: Audio, British, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: OK, so I seem to have really known nothing about the original Frankenstein story.  Turns out, there is no Igor and the monster ends up with a wonderful command of language.  There is also a tremendous lack of action, so I am very glad I listened to this instead of reading it or I never would have finished.  I will say, though, I now understand the beginning of the movie I, Frankenstein much better.

Rating: 2 stars

After the War

Title: After the War
Author: Libby Sternberg

Publisher: Istoria
ISBN: n/a

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: E-Book, Historical Fiction, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Bittersweet, this highly character-driven tale portrays a moving picture of the lives of those affected by WWII.  Also, a very interesting look at convent life pre-Vatican II.

Rating: 3 stars

Conscientious Inconsistencies

Title: Conscientious Inconsistencies
Author: Nancy Jane Moore

Publisher: Book View Cafe
ISBN: 9781611382587

Why Read?: Early Review
Challenges: E-Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: These stories were all interesting, but not all were my cup of tea.  I enjoyed "A Mere Schutcheon", probably because I am a fan of high fantasy.  "The First Condition of Immortality" is probably the best of the bunch, a very unique look at mortality.  "Homesteading" was a solid dystopia, but left me feeling rather sick.  And "Three O'Clock in the Morning" was incredibly disturbing, even more so with the second person narrative.

Rating: 3 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 2/23-3/1

For possible review (here and on Bookloons):

Irenicon by Aidan Harte

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

Stealing the Moon & Stars by Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens

Never Ending by Martyn Bedford

Kissing in Italian by Lauren Henderson

Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

The Mirk and the Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson

First Reads from Goodreads:

The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan

LibraryThing Early Review:

Fighting Down into the Kingdom of Dreams by Robin Wyatt Dunn