Reading Challenges Update: June 2014

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

Ebook (19/25)
18. The Road to Nyn by Brian G. Michaud
19. Running Through a Dark Place by Michael J. Bowler

Audio Book (10/25)
9. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
10. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross

Graphic Novels (8/12)
8. The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley

100 Books in a Year (59/100)
52. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
53. The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley
54. Clan Lord by Joel Babbitt
55. World War Z by Max Brooks
56. The Road to Nyn by Brian G. Michaud
57. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross
58. Running Through a Dark Place by Michael J. Bowler
59. Hexed by Michelle Krys

Historical Fiction (7/15)
7. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Dystopia (3/5)
3. World War Z by Max Brooks

British Book (6/12)
6. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Free Reads (23/30)
20. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
21. The Dumbest Idea Ever! by Jimmy Gownley
22. Clan Lord by Joel Babbitt
23. Enduring Courage by John F. Ross

Author Alphabet (15/26)
15. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Witches and Witchcraft (5/5) - COMPLETED!
5. Hexed by Michelle Krys

YA Mythology (6/12)
5. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
6. Running Through a Dark Place by Michael J. Bowler

Elsewhere Online: June 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: Hexed
Author: Michelle Krys

Challenges: Witches and Witchcraft, 100 Books in a Year

Running Through a Dark Place

Running Through a Dark Place

by Michael J. Bowler

published by author

May 2014

ISBN 9780990306306

Why Read?: Review

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

Michael J. Bowler picks up the second book in his Knight Cycle, Running Through a Dark Place, right where the first book, Children of the Knight, leaves off.  (I do not want to give any major spoilers for the first book, so I am not going to go into too much detail about the plot, as it would give too much away.)  After the success of his first campaign, Arthur wants to fight for more rights for the youth of Los Angeles who are treated as adults only in criminal matters.  Once again, he and his Knights have a tough battle ahead of them, and there is a lot of growth along the way.  Oh, and Merlin has finally appeared!

Taking a historical figure made mythological and imagining what his crusade would be in today's age is really ingenious, and is a testament to Michael J. Bowler's skill, but hat I like best about his writing is that he does not pull any punches.  He lays the tough issues out there as they are and shows his characters' struggles in tackling these issues.  While many of his characters are what would be considered at-risk youth, Running Through a Dark Place, and the rest of Michael J. Bowler's Knight Cycle, will appeal to all youth and those adults who work with youth.  

Rating 4/5

Enduring Courage

Title: Enduring Courage
Author: John F. Ross

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 978-1-4272-3923-5

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Audio Book, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I had never heard of Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI Ace, before, but his life was very interesting.  I actually found his years of racing before any safety standards come out to be the most exciting.  This is simply a wonderful biography.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 6/22-6/28

For possible review (on Bookloons):

The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker

Guilt by Association by Marcia Clark

Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark

Killer Ambition by Marcia Clark

The Competition by Marcia Clark

First Reads from Goodreads:

Now You Tell Me!: 12 Actors Give the Best Advice They Never Got by Scott Willman

Requested from Paperback Swap:

Gold by Chris Cleve

Bought on Amazon:

Like Clockwork by Margie Orford

Stacking the Shelves: 6/15-6/21

First Reads from Goodreads:

Extraction by Stephanie Diaz

How to Speak Brit by Christopher J. Moore

Requested from Paperback Swap:

Mrs. Ames by E. F. Benson

Bought on Amazon:

Blessed Are the Dead by Kristi Belcamino

Bought on HumbleBundle:

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

Strip Tease by Carl Hiaasen

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris

How Music Works by David Byrne

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

Rules of Prey by John Sanford

Baudolino by Umberto Eco

Bearing an Hourglass by Piers Anthony

The Road to Nyn

The Road to Nyn

by Brian G. Michaud

published by author

2013

ISBN n/a

Why Read?: Review

Challenges:  E-Book, 100 Books in a Year

In The Road to Nyn by Brian G. Michaud, the protagonist, a newly-made squire named Kay, must travel with a rag-tag group of friends to stop the evil goblins from invading his kingdom.  They, of course, encounter many obstacles along the way which help Kay grow as he learns to believe in himself.

As far as middle grade fantasies go, The Road to Nyn is pretty formulaic, which is not always a bad thing for this age group.  Like the road in the title, the plot is very much a series of events, or what a friend of mine terms “and then” storytelling.  There a few events, though, that feel a tad disjointed, and it takes a while to realize how they all fit together.  Michaud does incorporate some fun fantasy elements which make for an entertaining tale.

While there is nothing really to set Brian G. Michaud’s The Road to Nyn apart from other middle grade fantasies, it is a delightful read for its target audience.  Older readers, though, might find it lacking in the depth they crave.

Rating: 3/5

World War Z

Title: World War Z
Author: Max Brooks

Publisher: Broadway
ISBN: 978-0-307-34661-2

Why Read?: Book Club
Challenges: Dystopia, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  I am not a fan of zombies so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this, probably because the zombies actually never make a real appearance.  Brooks does an excellent job making fiction feel like non-fiction.

Rating: 4 stars

Stacking the Shelves: 6/8-6/14

First Reads from Goodreads:

Mom in the Movies by Richard Corliss

Screaming Divas by Suzanne Kamata

Soulsnatcher by Kerry Alan Denney

The Biology of Luck by Jacob M. Appel

Dangerous Illusions by Joseph J. Gabriele

Requested from Paperbackswap:

Banished by Sophie Littlefield

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Bought on Amazon:

The Cutting by James Hayman

Nothing Real Vol. 1 by Claire Needell

Stacking the Shelves: 6/1-6/7

First Reads from Goodreads:

A Perfect Double by Sean Cronin

Portrait Inside My Head by Phillip Lopate

Clan Lord

Title: Clan Lord
Author: Joel Babbitt

Publisher: Author
ISBN: 9781940880013

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  Babbitt's sci-fi world is well-imagined, even if I could not figure out exactly how the humans got to this planet filled with a flying monkey-like race, and why exact they needed them.  Razz is an interesting protagonist, although the title kind of gives away what happens to him in this first installment. 

Rating: 2 stars

The Dumbest Idea Ever!

Title: The Dumbest Idea Ever!
Author: Jimmy Gownley

Publisher: Graphix
ISBN: 978-0-545-45347-9

Why Read?: First Reads
Challenges: Graphic Novels, Free Reads, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  This graphic memoir is cute and good for middle grade readers.  It has a great message about following your dreams and really made me want to check out Gownley's fictional works.

Rating: 3 stars

Grave Mercy

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781464023835

Why Read?: For Fun
Challenges: Audio Book, Historical Fiction, British Books, Free Reads, Author Alphabet, YA Mythology, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts:  With a kick-ass heroine and plenty of court intrigue, Grave Mercy is a very fun read.  LaFevers has a very unique concept for this trilogy and I love how she really brought out the medieval feel with the gods of old Brittany.

Rating: 4 stars