the one with the "Hidden Treasures"

For this, I was inspired by a challenge in a German book forum. I liked the general idea, but all in all the rules were too difficult for my taste. Now I have tweaked it a bit - okay, maybe more than just a bit - to make it a great bi-monthly event, I hope!

The basic idea is to post your TBR list (whether you choose the whole big thing or the smaller list you created for your challenges) and have someone else pick your next book with a short explanation why they picked this book and not one of the dozen other books. The first book title left to you in your comment section is the one you're supposed to read (or at least try to read, if it turns out to be so bad you can't stand the thought of finishing it) within the next two months. That way, we all could find those hidden treasures on Mt. TBR that we neglected, ignored all this time!

Now, you don't have to participate in each round! Just join in when you can't decide what to read next or want a change of pace. Sign up in the comment section of my bi-monthly post by leaving a link to your post with your current TBR stack.

Also, to give everyone a chance to recommend someone a book and maybe even get to know our fellow book bloggers a bit better, don't leave that one book recommendation for every blogger that already signed up. ;-)

Now, I'll start with my list, which you can find here.

Which book should I read and why? I'll read the book until the end of January and post a review hopefully at the beginning of February at the latest (early on in the year, I'm better with reviewing on time).

the one with the 2010 challenges

I've decided to have only one post where I gather all the challenges I join in this time around. Last time around, I had so many challenge posts, I barely posted anything else in December and January... Maybe I can even figure out how to make in post links, so that I have a list of all the challenges by name only that links to the actual part of the post about said challenge. If you know how this works, let me know!

Series Challenge Season 4
read 4+ books to finish up series
December 1, 2009 - November 30, 2010
1) Kathryn Lilley: A Killer Workout (#2 Fat City)
2) Nick Sagan: Edenborn (#2 Idlewild)
3) Nick Sagan: Everfree (#3 Idlewild)
4) Jill Shalvis: Instant Gratification (#2 Wilder Brothers)
5) Jill Shalvis: Instant Temptation (#3 Wilder Brothers)

Pages Read Challenge Season 2
pick a goal number of pages you want to read
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
25,000

RYOB Challenge 2010
read a certain number of your own books
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
my goal: 80 books

World Religion Challenge 2010
The Universalist Path - read something about the 5 world religions plus more books about any or all of the following religions: Shintoism, Animism, Taoism, Confucianism, Wicca, Mythology, Atheism, Occult, Tribal Religions, Voodoo, Unitarianism, Baha'i, Cults, Scientology, Mysticism, Rastafarianism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zorastrianism, Agnosticism, Gnosticism, Satanism, Manichaeism, Deism, Comparative Religion, Religious Philosophy, Jungiansim, Symbolism, Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, etc., etc. etc. (you may also read about another aspect of one of the 5 Biggies)
possible things to do: read (any form of the written word), movies, music, plays, attend services, perform a ritual etc.)
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

2010 Reading Resolution Challenge
create personal reading resolutions for 2010 and post about your progress every other month starting February 15
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
* I will read a broader variety of books, genre-wise in summer.
* I will limit my book-buying a bit in that I will only buy books that I intend to read within the two months after I bought them.
* I will be more precise with my university reading and not just skim it.

Reading Through the Seasons 2010
read four books, one for each season with the season in the title
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
1) Spring
2) Summer
3) Lisa Kleypas: It Happened One Autumn
4) Winter

Alphabet Challenge 2010 (Yahoo Group)
read the alphabet either by author or by title
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010


Book-A-Week Reading Challenge 2010 (Yahoo Group)
read a book a week in 2010, meaning 52 books total
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010


100+ Reading Challenge 2010 (Yahoo Group)
read 100+ books in 2010
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010


Twenty Minute Book Club Challenge 2010
read 13 books from the book club (withone substitute from 2009) - reading list here
December 29, 2009 - December 29, 2010


TBR Lite Challenge 2010
Option B: read 6 books off of Mt. TBR - list can be changed throughout the year
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
1) Lisa Kleypas: It Happened One Autumn
2) Kelley Armstrong: Bitten
3) Jim Butcher: Storm Front
4) Tzipi Caton: Miracle Ride
5) Agatha Christie: Star Over Bethlehem
6) MaryJanice Davidson: Undead and Unpopular

18th and 19th Century Women Writers Challenge 2010
read 2 books by women writers who lived in the 18th and 19th century
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010
1)
2)

November summary

Now seriously, I am the weakest person ever when it comes to book buying! I was on a book buying ban, zut alors! And what do I do? I buy books... To my defense, I must say I was out and about reading a book I didn't enjoy, so I needed some new reading material - and then I forgot my books and needed some new reading material.

And then I only read 5 books? I'm certainly not happy about that! Maybe if I hadn't forgotten my books at home all the time, I would have read more, but we'll never know now!

Added
125) Patricia Davids: Speed Trap (can I blame the authors? she told me about it and I couldn't resist LOL)
126) Tzipi Caton: Miracle Ride - A True Story of Illness, Fate, Humor - And Triumph
127) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast: Marked
128) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast: Betrayed
129) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast:Chosen
130) P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast:Untamed
131) Josh Bazell: Beat the Reeper
132) Nick Sagan: Edenborn
133) Alan Bradley: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
134) Melissa Marr: Wicked Lovely
135) Gareth P. Jones: The Thornthwaite Inheritance
136) Wolfgang Schorlau: Das München-Komplott (German mystery)
137) Ralf Schmitz: Schmitz' Katze (German book by comedian)
138) Eckard von Hirschhausen: Die Leber wächst mit ihren Aufgaben (German book by comedian)
139) Lernkrimi Italienisch: Mord in der Scala (Language Practice Italian: Murder at the Scala)
140) Jeffery Deaver: The Vanished Man
141) Melissa De La Cruz: Masquerade
142) Georges Simenon: Maigret et le clochard
143) Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis, Rhonda Nelson: Better Naughty Than Nice
144) Gene Luen Yang: American Born Chinese
145) Michael Anthony: Mass Casualties
146) Dan Brown: Da Vince Code (in French, gift from a dear friend!)

Read
92) a great book you'll hear more about as soon as possible! (not the same as #91 in October!)
93) Martin Millar: Lonely Werewolf Girl
94) Cassandra Clare: City of Bones
95) Gareth P. Jones: The Thornthwaite Inheritance
96) Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child: Reliquary (audio)
97) Yasushi Inoue: Memoirs of the Priest Honkaku

DNF
6) Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol (I'm still annoyed I actually shelled out the money for the hardcover!)

the one with the Pages Read Challenge Season 2

The end of the year is coming closer and closer and I really wonder where all the months went. Wasn't it May just yesterday??? What happened to summer and autumn?

But then, the end of the year also means that all those wonderful reading challenges pop up again and we have to figure out which ones we want to join in.

In 2009, I hosted the Pages Read Challenge for the first time and I will host it again in 2010, so post a comment to sign up!

The rules are easy:

1) Pick a number of pages you'll be attempting to read in 2010. It doesn't matter whether your goal is 10,000 or 100,000. You can always up your number as we go along, so you don't need to go all up high with your page count.

2) Write a blog post about it in which you will keep track of your page count.

3) Comment here with your goal number and a link to your blog post (if you have a blog - otherwise, just leave a comment with your name and the goal number). I'll then add you to the list of participants below.

4) The challenge starts January 1, 2010 and ends December 31, 2010. Only pages read after the new year has begun count in for the challenge.

5) As usual: Have fun!

The participants:
1) Jennifer - 50,000
2) Kathrin - 25,000
3) AlleluiaLu - 20,000
4)

the one with the Series Challenge Season 4

It's that time again! The end of the year is near and with this the 3rd Series Challenge is about to end. So let's see whether we can keep this going! (Oops, I almost missed the end of the challenge I host!)



The challenge starts December 1st, 2009 and goes until November 30th, 2010.

The rules are easy:

1) Pick a couple series you already started and now want to finish (meaning, you'll be all up to date with the series when it ends).

2) Read at least 4 books, more are also okay, of course!

3) Crossovers with other challenges are always okay.

4) Post your review of the books on your blog or in the comment section, no matter how long. If you post the review on your blog, please post a link to the review in the comment section so that everyone else can check out your review.

5) Have fun!

As I can only put up one Mr. Linky on my blog it would be nice if you left a link to your blog post in the comment section. I'll add you to the list of participants.

The Participants:
1) Jennifer
2) Kara
3) Grilsgood
4) Kirthi
5) kim in ohio
6) jlshall
7) Kathrin
8) Violette Severin
9) sausconys-books
10)

the one with a challenge idea

This time around, I have an idea for a challenge. (I know, I know, I still haven't posted the sign up posts for the Series Challenge and the Pages Read Challenge, but they'll be up next week or next weekend at the latest!)

Earlier this month (November 12), German kid lit author Michael Ende would have been 80 years old (he died in 1995). He wrote some great books for kids, among others The Never-Ending Story, the Jim Button books and Night of Wished or The Satanarchaeolidealcohellish Notion Potion.


picture: LastFM

The basic idea for the challenge is that I would also write about it on my German blog to bring together the German and English blogging world, if possible.
Everyone would have to read one of Ende's books, though if you want to read more, that's also okay. Once you've written a review, I would then translate the review so that it is available for everyone and leave a link to your blog (of course!).

Would you be interested?

the one with the non-bookish rant

Okay, I'm sorry, but there's a non-bookish rant ahead - YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!

I know I am waaay behind, but I just finished the very last two episodes of Gilmore Girls. I had the DVD box on the shelf next to the TV at my parents' for ages literally, but I couldn't make myself watch it because I knew there wouldn't be any more Lorelai and Rory as soon as I finished the 7th season.

Now first of all: It's over after only 7 seasons? Why? I want more of the girls, of Emily & Richard, of the people in Stars Hollow... I can't believe this is it! I want more, I have so many questions that weren't answered.

And then, the last two episodes. The ones I watched today, tonight. I'm sorry, but up until last weekend (yes, I live without a TV on weekdays!) I was okay with the story line, with what happened. But now? If Lorelai and Luke hadn't "made up" somehow, and if Emily hadn't showed in her very, very unique and bossy way that she really wants Lorelai to be around, that she wants to see her and talk to her and know what's going on, then I would have opened the blends again and thrown the whole damn DVD box out!!!

I mean, seriously? No more Logan? Never again Logan and Rory? They've been through so much together, had they ups and downs and now this is it? Just like that and for such a stupid reason??? Look at them!



No, sorry, I don't buy it and I'm pissed. I don't even know how to say it!!!

Goodbye, my beloved Gilmore Girls! I spent years with you and had so much fun. You'll be missed!

Cassandra Clare: CITY OF BONES

Cassandra Clare
CITY OF BONES
560 pages
McElderry
ISBN: 978-1-4169-5507-8

When Clary Fray sees a boy being stabbed by three other teenagers at a club, she is shocked. Even more so, when the stabbed boy suddenly disappears and no one seems to even have seen the whole incident. After her return home the next day, her mother has disappeared and she is attacked by a giant spider. Barely saved by Jace, one of the teens who stabbed the boy at the club, she realizes there is more than meets the eye of a mortal - much more! And soon Clary is in the middle of a war between good and bad, Shadowhunters (half human, half angel, hunting and killing demons) and secretive demonic forces.

The second time I read City of Bones, I realized so much more about the characters and the plot, so "there's more than meets the eye" fits not only the world depicted in City of Bones, but also Cassandra Clare's writing. There are, in fact, so many details I missed the first time around, I'm already planning in a third reading of the series.

Anyway, back on topic. As you might now from reading my blog, I'm pretty new in the fantasy genre other than vampires and werewolves, so I'm still reluctant, but when I first read the back cover blurb of City of Bones it shouted "buy me", and I haven't regretted it one bit.

Clare wrote a page-turning YA fantasy novel full of twists and turns that should even draw in reluctant readers. Throughout most of the book, I saw the pictures and scenes painted clear and vivid. It was as if the characters and surroundings were jumping out, a bit like watching a movie while reading. This, though, will make it hard for the movie (the movie rights have been sold recently) to measure up with.

And the story? Well, you won’t be able to wait long between reading City of Bones and City of Ashes, as the cliffhanger is unfair, annoying and mean at the same time!

Rating: 4.5/5

the one with the stupid, stupid idea

Did I mention I'm on a book buying ban? I think I did, but honestly, I'm sooo bad at it! Today I have classes from 10 am until 7:30 pm with only a 2 hour break for some lunch and I realized that the only book I have with me is a fantasy novel that has more se* scenes in it than your average Harlequin Blaze romance. (In case you're wondering, I'm reading Anne Bishop's Daughter of the Blood.) Now, I really don't feel like reading it right now, even though it is a book that came highly recommended by a friend of mine.

Right now, this book is simply annoying me, so when I had some time left after lunch and some much needed shopping (just the most basic stuff - new hair brush, some tea, etc.) I still had some time left and my favorite coffee shop was packed with people, I decided that the book store around the corner might be a nice place to stay warm and dry until I could get some coffee. Now what a stupid, stupid idea!!!

When I saw that they had The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley I decided that maybe this was the book I should read while I'm at university for the rest of the day. Only - I didn't pay right away. No, I had to look around and browse the shelves a bit longer. Again: What a stupid, stupid idea!

I had three books in hand, when I finally decided I should probably just pay, leave and hope that I could get my coffee.

Oh, right. This being a book blog, it might be a good idea to let you in on the books I got:



Alan Bradley: The Sweetness At The Bottom of the Pie - I can only blame this one on Ann Kingman & Michael Kindness @ Books on the Nightstand. It was at their podcast that I first heard the book and I've been thinking about getting the book ever since. They mentioned it in Episode #21 and then again in Episode #29.



Melissa Marr: Wicked Lovely - I don't remember whom I should blame for this book, but I read a few reviews and as soon as I find them again, I will edit this post accordingly. No blogger should go without the blame he or she deserves ;-)



Gareth P. Jones: The Thornthwaite Inheritance - Now this is a book I never heard a thing about, but the cover and the back cover blurb sounds hilarious, so I had to get this book!

Next time I leave campus for lunch, I'll make sure I'll drag someone along with me - someone who knows I'm on a book buying ban and has enough strenght to keep me away from book stores!

(On a small side note: This is year #4 that I leave NaNo early, I just can't do it. Not with 20 hours of class each week and work - and sleep. Maybe next year...)

blaming fellow book bloggers

I guess it's time for another round of "blaming bloggers". My wishlist is still growing, which is both good and bad. Bad, because I can't possibly read all the books I hear about and good, because, let's face it, we all like book recommendations!

The first blogger to get some blame is Katrina @ Bloody Bad, who made me want to get Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway right away. It seems to be a great book about a boy with autism who steps out into the world with the help of a dog, Cowboy.

Then, Kathy @ Bermudaonion's Weblog for Ann Pearlman's The Christmas Cookie Club, because I love to bake anything and everything!

Lenore @ Presenting Lenore added How To Buy a Love of Reading by Tanya Egan Gibson, because seriously, parents paying an author to write a book their daughter will like? How cool is that!!!

While Stephanie @ Stephanie's Confessions Of A Bookaholic didn't absolutely love Melissa De La Cruz' Blue Bloods, I think I will give it a try. I like vampires, especially after last semester's class on vampires in literature and film, and I'd like to see for myself where De La Cruz is going with the story.

Ana / Nymeth @ things mean a lot reviewed Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - and what can I say, I love classics and this one seems to have a mystery in it as well, so I can't wait to be off the darn book-buying ban!

Jackie @ Farm Lane Books was reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami a short while ago and now posted her review - and I absolutely have to read that one!!!

Ana / Nymeth @ things mean a lot, Chris @ Stuff As Dreams Are Made On, Amanda @ The Zen Leaf and Carl @ Stainless Steel Droppings are all responsible for Uncle Montague's Tales Of Terror by Chris Priestley ending up on my wish list. But seriously, how could anyone resist such an "army" of advocates???

Then, with one single post, Andi of Tripping Towards Lucidity added two books to my wish list: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman and Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. The first title is self-explanatory, so on to the second, a different book about afterlife.

After reading the review austenfan posted @ Reality Bites... Fiction Does It Better, Robin Benway's Audrey, Wait! had to end up on my wish list. It sounds like one hilarious, surprising, awesome YA! She also reviewed Michelle Rowen's Demon Princess: Reign or Shine, which sounds hilarious, so I must have it!

An interview with Katrina Michaels at Teens Read and Write made me add her Midnight Reflections. I don't like the cover, but vampires in a serial killer mystery? I'm curious!

Amy @ My Friend Amy reviewed The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson and just like her I was reluctant at first, but now I'm curious...

Natasha @ the Maw Book Blog reviewed The Black Book of Colors by Menena Cottin and Rosana Faria and the premise of a book, a black book of colors with braille and raised art, apparently, is too intriguing to not want to take a look and get the book!