Last Year's Book Challenges + stuff

Is anyone still talking about the books they read last year? Yeah, I didn't think so. How was your year of reading in 2013? I did okay number wise, but you know, I'm a little disappointed with my year of reading in general.. I don't know exactly why, but it didn't feel like a stellar year. I think maybe I didn't read enough romance. Anyway, I'm just getting around to pulling together my book stats and reading challenge success and failures from last year now. Hoping it will inspire me for a fabulous year of books in 2014.

First up.. Last Year's Reading Challenges:

I actually had a lot of fun with these and plan on repeating all of them in 2014.

100 Books in a Year 2013:
I read 98 books which includes 11 re-reads.
My goodreads challenge goal was to read 101 books and only made it to 87 I guess because you can't count re-reads there. And then they delete your challenge if you don't make it which stinks because now I can't browse the books I read through that widget anymore. Darn it.

My list of Books Read in 2013

Big Book Challenge 2013

I read four 500+ page books:
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley [527 pages]
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami [611 pages]
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness [579 pages]
Shadow of the Night by Deborah Harkness [584 pages]

TBR Challenge 2013 [romance]
I missed December but read a book from my TBR pile for all the other months and kept to the suggested theme, too. I missed a few reviews, but am pretty happy about getting to all those books.

(NR = No Review)
Jan 16    Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin
Feb 20   The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
Mar 20   The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
Apr 17   Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson
May 15  Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie (NR)
Jun 19    First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Jul 17     Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale 1992
Aug 21  Dirty by Megan Hart (NR)
Sep 18   At Home in Stoney Creek by Linda Lael Miller
Oct 16   Beg For Mercy by Jami Alden (NR)
Nov 20  50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James (NR)
Dec 18  ----

What's In A Name 6 Reading Challenge
The categories were tough for me this time around but I managed to get it done.

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

1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
2. French Milk by Lucy Knisley
3. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
4. The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
5. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
6. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2013
I read two of Murakami's books:

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Sputnik Sweetheart

Murakami is a great writer and story teller but I'm think not quite my thing. I am willing to read another of his books, though.. thinking of Norwegian Wood in 2014.

In Death Series perpetual Reading Challenge
My own challenge and I'm failing miserably. I read only one In Death book in 2013, which was Promises In Death back in March. I barely even remember what it was about. In theory I'd like to continue with this series, but I just haven't found the desire to. I think Kindred in Death is next on my list.. is it a good one? Someone motivate me to pick it up! HELP!

Book Bingo 2013
I almost filled the whole board.. I just needed two re-reads! I WAS SO CLOSE! And let me tell you I was very tempted to spend my New Year's Eve re-reading two novellas or something just to fill that Bingo board, but there was celebrating to be done so I let it slide. Here's by Book Bingo 2013 Scorecard:

Finally, the numbers:

I read 98 books total, 11 of which were rereads.

SO CLOSE TO MY GOAL OF 101 BOOKS! Did you know that goodreads basically deletes your book challenge data if you fail to meet your goal? What a bummer.. I'd rather it be there and show my failed numbers than be gone completely. I worked hard for those 87 books! (re-reads not counted). Anyway, more numbers...

  where did the books come from? 
42 were library books
53 were from my shelves
3 were online shorts

  what kind of books did I hold in my hand?
21 were ebooks or online fiction
77 were paper books

  what kind of books did I read? 
54 novels/books
13 novellas
28 graphic novels
3 online shorts

 what percentage of male or female authors did I read?
20 male authors 31.25%
44 female authors 68.75%

 what were the genre of books I read?
9 nonfiction
89 fiction
 
  more specifically .. 
44 romance
   17 paranormal
   11 contemporary
   10 historical
     5 romantic suspense
     1 magical realism sort of (The Winter Sea)
28 graphic novels
9 general fiction
5 urban fantasy
2 young adult
2 fantasy
1 crime fiction

  how many books did I read each month?
Jan 6
Feb 5
Mar 9
Apr 12
May 10
Jun 8
Jul 5
Aug 11
Sep 12
Oct 7
Nov 6
Dec 7

Are you still with me? So what did I learn from these numbers? The one thing that stands out the most to me is that I read A LOT of graphic novels and I have no problem with that but I think they contribute to my feeling of not reading enough BOOKS. Also, and probably most indicative of my reading blahs, is that I ONLY read 44 romances in 2013!? That's only 45% of the books I read! Not good...

The moral of this story? READ MORE ROMANCE IN 2014!

What do you think?

If you had to recommend ONE ROMANCE NOVEL that you read in 2013, which would it be? Okay you can tell me more than one if you want to..

Hope your 2014 reading is off to a great start! Let's not talk about mine.. January 18 and I've only read one book. A graphic novel. Not a good start...

My Book Bingo Scorecard: 3rd quarter

It's time for a Book Bingo update! I'm actually doing a lot better with this challenge than I expected. I've completed quite a few more squares since the last quarter update, but I still have a lot of reading to do to complete the grid. Some squares will be easier than others to complete.

I need to read:

2 TBR books
3 books from a series
5 books released in 2013
5 books everyone else has read
3 re-reads

Not too bad, but I still think it's going to be a close finish!

Read From Your TBR Pile: [15] [see 1st column]
[X]ONE book:
    1. Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin

[X]TWO books:
    2. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb
    3. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

[X]THREE books:
    4. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
    5. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
    6. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

[ ]FOUR books:
    7. To Die For by Linda Howard
    8. At Home in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller
    9.
   10.

[X]FIVE books:
   11. Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson
   12. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
   13. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn
   14. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
   15. Spellbound by Nora Roberts

Read Books in a Series: [15] [see 2nd column]

[X]ONE Book in a Series:
    1. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs

[X]TWO Books in a Series:
The Works Series by Marie Harte
    1. Bodywork by Marie Harte
    2. Working Out by Marie Harte

[X]THREE Books in a Series:
The Princes Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt
    1. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
    2. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
    3. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

[ ]FOUR Books in a Series:
Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep
    1. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
    2. "Thread of Death" by Jennifer Estep [novella]
    3. By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
    4.

[ ]FIVE Books in a Series:
Guardians Series by Meljean Brook
    1. Demon Bound by Meljean Brook
    2. Demon Forged by Meljean Brook
    3. "Blind Spot" by Meljean Brook [novella]
    4.
    5.

Read 2013 Releases: [12] [see 3rd column]
[X]ONE book:
   1. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

[X]TWO books:
   2. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
   3. On Every Street by Karina Halle

[No THREE books in this category - see FREE SPACE below]

[X]FOUR books:
   4. Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
   5. Hearts of Shadow by Kira Brady
   6. A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
   7. Primates by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks

[ ]FIVE books:
   11.
   12.
   13.
   14.
   15.

FREE SQUARE: [middle square] 
Read ONE book someone else has read for this challenge
[X]1. Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi ... read by http://msbuff.com/reading-challenges-2013/

Read Books Everyone Else Has Read: [15] [see 4th column]
ONE book: [X]
    1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

[X]TWO books:
    2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
    3. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

[X]THREE books:
    4. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
    5. Dirty by Megan Hart
    6. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

[X]FOUR books:
    7. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey
    8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
    9. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
   10. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

[ ]FIVE books:
   11.
   12.
   13.
   14.
   15.

Re-Read books: [15] [see 5th column]
ONE book: [X]
   1. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

[X]TWO books:
   2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
   3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Expuréry

[X]THREE books:
   4. Demon Night by Meljean Brook
   5. "Thicker Than Blood" novella by Meljean Brook
   6. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

[ ]FOUR books:
   7. Amulet, Vol. 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi
   8.
   9.
  10.

[X]FIVE books:
   11. Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady
   12. "Falling For Anthony" by Meljean Book [novella]
   13. Demon Angel by Meljean Brook
   14. "Paradise" by Meljean Brook [novella]
   15. Demon Moon by Meljean Brook

R.I.P. VIII

Artists: Jennifer Gordan and Roman Sirotin.

This year marks the 8th annual R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril or R.I.P. reading event created and hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. This year will be my 2nd year participating.

The purpose of R.I.P. is to enjoy books, movies or television shows that could be considered mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, supernatural, etc. and to share your experience with others. Um. Like maybe reviews? I'll try.. ;)

R.I.P. VIII takes place from September 1, 2013 through October 31, 2013 and includes a read along of The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I actually have this book on my shelves, but I'm not really in the frame of mind to tackle it just now (752 pages!) even though a read along would be a great motivator for this one! Instead I'm going to attempt to tackle this list of books that I've been wanting to read for sometime now, although I'll probably really get going on them in October when I'm more in the mood to read spooky stuff.

I'm aiming to read (and review!) at least four of these books and anything else that might grab me:

The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Joyland by Stephen King
Darkhouse by Karina Halle
The Devil's Metal by Karina Halle
Unnatural Creatures by Neil Gaiman

What do you think? Have you read any of these?

Want to join R.I.P.? You can even read just ONE book!

Sign up for the R.I.P. VIII event HERE on Carl's blog.

Mid Year Reading Update: Book Bingo etc.

Can you believe 2013 is half over already? Holy smokes time is just flying!

As many of you already know, I'm a fan of Reading Challenges. I have fun making lists and keeping track of books and reading stats, so reading challenges add an extra dimension of fun to my love of reading. I'm hoping to reach my goal of reading at least 101 books again this year and I'm pleased to report that I've read 50 book so far in 2013 so I'm just about on track. Three of those books were re-reads, which are not included in my goodreads numbers, but I'm still counting them as books read for the year.

As for the other challenges, I'm doing well with most of them. I've already read four big books [500+ pages] so I've met my Big Book Challenge at least twice over, but I'd still like to finish Anna Karenina by the end of the year. I have one more category to complete for the What's In a Name challenge and I already have a book chosen for that, so I'm sure I'll meet that challenge in the next six months, too. I've also kept up with the monthly TBR Challenge hosted by Wendy the Super Librarian, although I never got around to writing my review for May's book, I did read it and comment on both twitter and goodreads about it. The one challenge in which I'm suffering right now is my own In Death Series Reading Challenge. I'm just not motivated to pick up one of the books in that series lately. Maybe they're starting to feel the same to me..

Below is my Book Bingo Scorecard for the mid-year mark. The completed first quarter squares are marked with a light blue button and the second quarter squares are marked with the white buttons. I'm pleased with my progress so far and think I'll end up filling the whole board except for the Books Re-Read column. I'm not a big re-reader. There's not enough time in the day to read the unread books, you know? For those of you playing Book Bingo, my list of books read for each square is below the scorecard. You'll want to check my list out and be sure to post yours as well, because you need to read a book that someone else has read for the challenge in order to complete the center FREE SQUARE, which is therefore not really free. ;)

Books highlighted below in PINK are completed squares.
I've read all the books listed below.

Read From Your TBR Pile: [15] [see 1st column] 
ONE book:
   1. Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin

TWO books:
   2. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb 
   3. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

THREE books:
   4. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
   5.
   6.

FOUR books:
   7.
   8.
   9.
  10.

FIVE books:
  11. Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson 
  12. Stardust by Neil Gaiman 
  13. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn 
  14. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn 
  15. Spellbound by Nora Roberts

Read Books in a Series: [15] [see 2nd column] 
ONE Book in a Series:
   1. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs

TWO Books in a Series:
  The Works Series by Marie Harte
  1. Bodywork by Marie Harte 
  2. Working Out by Marie Harte

THREE Books in a Series:
  The Princes Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt
   1. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 
   2. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt 
   3. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

FOUR Books in a Series:
 Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep
 1. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
 2. Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep [novella]
 3. By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
 4.

FIVE Books in a Series:
  1.
  2.
  3.
  4.
  5.

Read 2013 Releases: [12] [see 3rd column] 
 ONE book:
  1. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

TWO books:
  2. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas 
  3. On Every Street by Karina Halle

[no list of THREE books - see FREE SQUARE below] 

FOUR books:
  4. Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
  5. Hearts of Shadow by Kira Brady
  6.
  7.

FIVE books:
  8.
  9.
  10.
  11.
  12.

FREE SQUARE: [middle square] Read ONE book someone else has read for this challenge 
  1. Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi 
   [... read by http://msbuff.com/reading-challenges-2013/]

Read Books Everyone Else Has Read: [15] [see 4th column] 
ONE book:
  1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

TWO books:
  2. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  
  3. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

THREE books:
  4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
  5.
  6.

FOUR books:
  7. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey 
  8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness 
  9. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 
 10. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

FIVE books:
 11.
 12.
 13.
 14.
 15.

Re-Read books: [15] [see 5th column] 
ONE book:
 1. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

TWO books:
  2.
  3.

THREE books:
  4.
  5.
  6.

FOUR books:
  7.
  8.
  9.
 10.

FIVE books:
  11. Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady
  12. "Falling For Anthony" by Meljean Book [novella]
  13.
  14.
  15.

And that's it so far! The next Book Bingo check in will be due around October 1. In the meantime, let's read!

Did you make any reading goals for 2013? How are you doing with them so far?

Austen In August

Confession: I have never read a book by Jane Austen. O_o

But that's going to change this summer because I plan to read at least one Jane Austen novel in August. I joined the Austen In August event hosted by Adam who blogs at Roof Beam Reader, I've decided to finally crack open the single volume collection of seven Jane Austen works that I own. I bought this tome several Christmases ago for myself and it still sits on our bookshelf unread. Now the question is which book should I read first?

Have you read Jane Austen? If so, which book is your favorite?

In other words, which of the following Austen books do you suggest I read?

Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Emma
Northanger Abbey
Persuasion
Lady Susan

To join Austen In August, visit Adam at the Austen In August Sign-In.

For book event discussions on twitter, follow the hash tag #AustenInAugustRBR.

Summer Reading

Happy Summer Solstice, northern hemisphere people!
Happy Winter Solstice to those of you in the southern hemisphere!

I'm so happy summer is finally here and today's weather in the NY metro area is a perfect way to start the season.. the sun is shinning, it's 81º F with no humidity (ahhh!) and a gentle breeze is blowing. It doesn't get much better than this. It would be nice if it stayed this way, but I'm sure hot and humid is right around the corner!

Two more half days of school for my girls with a graduation ceremony each night and we are done!

First, I have exciting Reading Challenge news to share with you. Well, exciting to me, anyway. ;) I actually succeeded in completing my goals in Carl's Once Upon a Time VII Reading Challenge! Woohoo! I chose to participate in the third quest, which was to read five books from any combination of fairy tale, folklore, fantasy and mythology genres and read Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. And I did it! This is what I read:



1. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs  ... GN Urban Fantasy
2. Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh                         ....  Paranormal - PNR
3. MirrorMask by Neil Gaiman                         .... Fairy tale
4. Stardust by Neil Gaiman                                .... Fantasy
5. The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 1, 2 & 3 by Sherrilyn Kenyon    .... Manga - PNR 
5. Hearts of Shadow                                              .... Folklore - PNR
6. "Falling for Anthony" by Meljean Brook     .... Paranormal w/mythological/biblical elements
7. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness     .... Fantasy - folklore
8. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness              .... Fantasy - folklore

9. Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream Graphic Novel

Congratulations to me!

Now let's talk about summer reading! My summer reading plans include reading some Japanese Lit, Jane Austen and The Guardians series by Meljean Brook with several other spontaneous choices thrown in along the way.

I'm already signed up for the Japanese Literature Challenge hosted by Dolce Bellezza that I posted about last weekend. I'd like to read at least two books before we travel to Japan in a few weeks.

I've also signed up--but not yet posted about-- the Austen In August reading event hosted by Adam who blogs at Roof Beam Reader. I'm really excited about it! I want to post more about it in a separate post, so look for that very soon.

Finally, I am determined to catch up in The Guardians series by Meljean Brook this summer in preparation for the release of the final book in that comes out in August, including re-reading a few of the earliest books I read many moons ago and then reading the more recent releases that have been languishing unread on my TBR shelf. I'm pretty excited about this reading project as I'm a huge fan of Meljean's writing prowess. Her world building and character development are phenomenal. The writing is really smart--I just love it.  If you enjoy fantasy and urban fantasy, I think you'd like this series. Well, the series is technically marketed as paranormal romance, so expect some sexiness.

In addition to those three more specific reading goals, I'll be reading a bunch of other books, too. Some will be the monthly book picks for book club, the TBR Challenge and whatever strikes my fancy at the moment.

What's on YOUR summer reading list?

REVIEW: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Published February 2011

The theme for this month's TBR Challenge hosted by Wendy the Super Librarian is 'RITA Award nominees or winners' -- pick a book from your TBR or To Be Read shelf that was either nominated or awarded a RITA Award in the past. For those of you unfamiliar with the romance genre, the RITA Award is an award given by RWA [Romance Writers of America] to recognize excellence in published romance novels and novellas and is named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada. [http://www.rwa.org] A list of past RWA Award recipients can be found here. I was surprised at how many books on my TBR shelf that I could choose from for this one and in the end, I went with a more recent RITA winner, First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones, which won the Best First Book RITA Award in 2012.

I won this book in a giveaway by the publisher last year, I believe through a goodreads giveaway. I received no compensation for writing this review.

I had the feeling this book was going to be a fun one as soon as I read the author's dedication. Check this out:

"For Annette.

My beautiful sister.

You are like sunshine: 

bright, 

incandescent, 

and oddly irritating at times.

But what else are sisters for?"

Isn't that great? I truly think this was the first time an author's dedication sold me on reading a book!

So about the book. First Grave on the Right the first book in a paranormal suspense series featuring Charlotte 'Charley' Davidson. Charley is the grim reaper, helping lost souls cross to the other side. Sometimes when someone dies for nefarious reasons like murder, the dead seek Charley's help in solving their crimes. It's usually these times when Charley works as a private investigator with her Uncle Bob, often consulting with the Albuquerque police department to help solve murders. The cops aren't always so nice to Charley--most people respond negatively to her unusual ability to see and speak to dead people, but at the same time they can't seem to help needing her often enough to ensure justice is served. Thank goodness Charley has such an awesome sense of humor and a great best friend to help her get through all the craziness!

In First Grave on the Right, Charley is called in on a murder case involving three lawyers all from the same firm. Soon one of their clients is found dead and Charley is key in solving the murders, thanks to her ability to communicate with the dead lawyers. In the meantime, Charley's trying to figure out who is visiting her every night driving her crazy in her dreams. Although these dreams are so vivid these visits might just be real. Not only that, but she's starting to think this guy in her dreams is someone "other" like her who reminds her an awful lot of a guy named Reyes she met one disturbing night when she was a teen so she sets out to investigate whatever happened to that guy all those years ago. All of this investigating while still helping lost souls go into the light keeps Charley very busy and keeps those pages turning one after another.

This book is a hoot. Charley is very funny--her sharp wit and sarcasm add a lighthearted, humorous tone to a story that would otherwise be rather grim and depressing. There are definite serious moments to the book, but overall it's a fast paced, quirky, fun read.

As much as I prefer not to compare books in a review, I can't help but mention how much First Grave on the Right reminds me of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, only better and with a supernatural twist. The funny lines and moments in First Grave on the Right are laugh out loud funny and the seriousness of the plot has quite a bit of depth to it. Around the middle of the book I debated whether I would seek out the subsequent books in the series.. I mean, I was having fun reading the book and I liked it, but I wasn't sure if I really liked it enough to invest more time and money on it. Then the revelations in the last twenty pages or so were just too intriguing and now I just have to read the next book!

I thought I was going to give First Grave on the Right 3 or 3.5 stars, but in the end, I'm going with 4 out of 5 on goodreads.

GRADE: B

Do you read the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones? What's your take on it?

Next month's #TBRChallenge theme is 'a romance classic.' What book do you consider a classic in the romance genre?  

I already have a book from my shelves in mind for next month, but I'd love to hear what you think is a romance classic!

Japanese Literature Challenge 7

While attempting to tackle over 1200 unread posts in Feedly the other day, I came across a new reading challenge on Harvee's blog Book Dilettante that I'd like to join. This one's for Japanese Literature! I'm pretty excited about this one because it will expand my literature horizons a bit, plus 2013 has become the Year of Japan for me, highlighted by our upcoming trip there later this summer.

Hosted by: Dolce Bellezza 

Link: Japanese Literature Challenge 7

Time Frame: June 1 2013 - January 30 2014

Goal: Read a number of works in Japanese Literature

Readers can chose to read a variety of genres in Japanese written works, including children's books, short stories, mystery, biography, sci-fi/fantasy, manga and poetry with an optional monthly theme. June is children's literature.

I recently read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami for the Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge, The Big Book Challenge and The Wind-Up Bird Read Along hosted by Ti at Book Chatter. I'm looking forward to sampling some more Japanese literature in the coming months.

I'm planning to read at least five Japanese books. I'll keep a running list of the books I read for this challenge here, editing this post as I go along. Below is a list of five books I'm strongly considering, which is open to change as I discover more about Japanese literature.

1. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
2. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
4. Spring Snow by Yukio Mishima
5. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki [Japanese-American author]

I know it doesn't really count because it's not written by a Japanese author, but I also plan to read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. Come to think of it, I'm not certain A Tale for the Time Being technically counts, either.

Have you read Japanese Literature? If so, what do you recommend?


**** EDITED ****
Books read to date: 

1. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruiki Murakami 
2. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki [Japanese-American author]
3. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

My Book Bingo Scorecard

Remember the super-duper cool Book Bingo Reading Challenge I joined in the beginning of the year? Would you believe it's time for the first quarter check-in already?! Well it is!

Below is my Book Bingo Scorecard so far. I used buttons in the spaces I've completed. Beneath the scorecard, I list the categories by column and the books I've read for those categories so far. Participants can browse my list of books that I've read for this challenge so far for ideas of what to read for the center FREE SQUARE on their board--which is technically not a free space. This space gets crossed off when you read a book that someone else has already read for this challenge. So listing our books is critical for every one's success here.

Books highlighted below in BLUE are completed squares.

Read From Your TBR Pile: [15] [see 1st column]
ONE book:
1. Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin

TWO books:
2. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb 
3. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Read Books in a Series: [15] [see 2nd column]
ONE Book in a Series:
1.

TWO Books in a Series:
    The Works Series by Marie Harte 
1. Bodywork by Marie Harte 
2. Working Out by Marie Harte

THREE Books in a Series:
   The Princes Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt 
1. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
2. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
3.

FOUR Books in a Series:
   Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep 
1. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
2. Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep [novella]
3. By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
4.

FIVE Books in a Series:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Read 2013 Releases: [12] [see 3rd column]
ONE book:
1. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle

TWO books:
2. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas 
3. On Every Street by Karina Halle

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

FREE SQUARE: [middle square]
Read ONE book someone else has read for this challenge
1.

Read Books Everyone Else Has Read: [15] [see 4th column]
ONE book:
1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

TWO books:
2.
3.

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Re-Read books: [15] [see 5th column]
ONE book:
1. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan

TWO books:
2.
3.

THREE books:
4.
5.
6.

FOUR books:
7.
8.
9.
10.

FIVE books:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.


If you'd like to join Book Bingo, it's not too late! Sign up with Kristilyn & Anne HERE and start filling your board. Come on... you know you want to!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: March 2013

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

First I have to ask.. did anyone notice that I didn't post an In Death post in February? It was the first month since starting this challenge in January 2010 that I didn't post a monthly discussion post. I remembered late in February.. but since I still hadn't read a book, so I kind of didn't feel like posting. I'm back this month, however, because guess what?!? Yep! I finally read an In Death book this month. Phew! So glad I got over that hiatus. I hope to stay on track from here on out. I really want to finish this challenge once and for all in 2013.

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: Link up any In Death posts you made this month here. If you made a post on your blog, whether it be a review or commentary, please grab the link to your post and link it up with Mr.Linky below so we can find each other's latest In Death posts easily. You can also just use the link to your goodreads or other virtual bookshelf as well.

BOOK REVIEW:

Promises In Death by J.D. Robb
Book #28

Promises was a really great installment to this series. I liked the crime story and police procedural in this one .. the crime of which hits close to home for Eve's team. The victim is a fellow cop who also happens to be the lover of chief medical examiner, Li Morris. It turns out the victim has a roundabout connection to Eve & Roarke's past so that makes things pretty interesting as the story unveils. I liked the little twists and turns that popped up in the investigation but even more so, I adored the personal story going on in this one, namely the bridal shower the women are hosting for their friend Louise. Hilariously fun and endearing. Of course, it was also lovely seeing Eve comfort Morris in his time of grief. In fact, I got choked up and shed a tear or two not once, not twice but thrice! Okay so to those of you know me may think doesn't mean much because I'm often brought to tears reading a book, but three times is still a lot even for me.      GRADE: B+

SERIES DISCUSSION:
Eve and Roarke have both made a lot of progress expanding their circle of friends in the two years they've been married and things are coming a little more naturally to them regarding these relationships. I think Eve in particular, has finally come to consider some of her closest friends the closest thing to family she's ever had. I loved this realization for Eve. It reminds me of the sentiment about the best families being the ones you pick yourself. For those with broken families, I believe this is the absolute truth. Can you relate to this new sense of family that Eve and Roarke are experiencing? In other words, do you have a friend or friends who are like family to you?

Don't forget to link up any of your In Death posts below!

Once Upon A Time VII

I'm still trying to find time to go through my Iceland pictures and put a nice post together--hoping to do so over the next couple of days. Life's been pretty busy around here lately, but everyone is happy and healthy so I cannot complain! I just need a couple of extra hours in the day, but can't we all!

I have managed to pull together this post on Carl's annual Once Upon A Time reading challenge in which I so enjoy participating. Carl who blogs at Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the 7th annual Once Upon a Time reading and viewing event that encourages participants to explore fairy tales, folklore, fantasy and mythology in books and on the screen. This year marks my 4th year participating. Here are the details:

artwork by Melissa Nucera

Host: Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings

Link:  Once Upon a Time VII

http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/once-upon-a-time-vii

Time Frame: March 21 - June 21, 2013

Challenge: Various levels [see sign up post at Carl's site.]

Rules: Have fun, have fun, share and don't be freaked by the idea that this is a "reading challenge"--hence I used the word "event" above instead. You can join in by just committing to read ONE book from the themed categories.

artwork by Melissa Nucera

I'm going to do Quest the Third by reading five books from any combination of fairy tale, folklore, fantasy and mythology genres and read Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. Yes, this will be my third time attempting to actually read this play. I happen to know there is a graphic novel version somewhere out there..

Once again, we are graced with the beautifully enchanting artwork of artist Melissa Nucera which were used to make the banners for the Once Upon a Time event. Please visit Melissa Nucera at her shop This Years Girl to view and purchase her artwork.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

artwork by Carl Vess

There will also be a Read-Along of Neil Gaiman's fairy-tale novel, Stardust during the Once Upon a Time event. I bought a well worn copy of Stardust many years ago at a library used book sale and I have never read it. I'm so excited to finally have the push to read it. By the way, you do not need to sign up for the reading challenge in order to participate in the read-along. Come join us! It's a relatively short book.. I'm sure you can squeeze it in your reading schedule. Sign up HERE. Read-Along takes place April 1-17, 2013.

Stardust Read-Along image art copyright Carl Vess http://www.greenmanpress.com/



I hope to see you participating in the Once Upon A Time event or Stardust Read-Along or both!

In Death Series Reading Challenge: January 2013

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the sign up post HERE and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?

I did not, much to my disappointment. I had big intentions to finally pick up the pace on this challenge in 2013, and yet I broke my promise to myself to read Promises in Death! It's literally collecting dust on my nightstand..

CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: 

Link up any In Death series posts you may have made this month in Mr. Linky below and leave a comment letting us know which book you read. If you didn't read a book this month, tell me why not! We can swap excuses. ;)

Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2013

I have one more reading challenge to share. This will be my third year participating in this challenge. In 2011, I read After the Quake, a collection of three short stories by Haruki Murakami. I enjoyed it, but thought it was too small of a sampling of Murakami's writing to truly decide if I was a fan of this popular Japanese author. So I signed up for the challenge again in 2012, intending to read Sputnik Sweetheart, but the closest I came was to borrow the book from the library on December 20th! Alas, here I am ready to give it another go in 2013.

Host: tanabata
Link: Haruki Murakami Reading Challenge 2013
Time Frame: January 1 - December 31, 2013
Challenge: Read one or more or all [sign up for different levels] of Haruki Murakami's books in 2013.

I am going to challenge myself to read one, but I'm hoping to read two. Sputnik Sweetheart and The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, the latter chosen largely because I found a reader who is hosting a read-along later this year. I welcome the motivation to read this one with a group since it is a long one at 607 pages.

The No Stress, No Fuss, Read-Along of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami hosted by Ti who blogs at Book Chatter.

It will take place April 1 - May 5, 2013.

The twitter hash tag for the group read will be #winditup2013.

Visit the Read-Along sign up post at Ti's blog HERE for more info and to sign up!



Have you read any books by Haruki Murakami? Which is your favorite?


*** CHALLENGE COMPLETED JUNE 2013 ***

Books read to date:
1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
2. Sputnik Sweetheart 

2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge!

Hold onto your hats, everyone! This is the newest, coolest, shiniest Reading Challenge ever invented!

Well, I think it's pretty darn cool. ;)

Hosts: Anne from Creativity's Corner & Kristilyn from Reading In Winter

Link: Anne & Kristilyn's 2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Time Frame: January 1 - December 31, 2013

Challenge: Read books and fill your BINGO board! [see below]

Just like any challenge, this ultimate goal of this challenge is to read books--lots of books! Instead of just keeping a list of books to satisfy some theme or number goal this challenge is designed in a Bingo board format, where each square on the board has a set of reading requirements that need to be met in order for you to cross out that square. To get Bingo, all you need to do is complete a whole column, row or diagonal.. just like the classic game. But Kristilyn and Anne know no one should EVER get stressed out over reading or reading challenges, so really, you can complete your Bingo board in a variety of patterns as you play along, including going for the Stamp of Awesome by blacking out the entire board!

The reading requirements on the Bingo board vary from reading books from your own TBR pile, reading multiple books in a series, reading new releases, reading books everyone else has read but you and re-reading books. Also, the center square is not a free space. To fill in that square, you need to read a book someone else in the challenge has read for the challenge. Sounds fun, right? Hopefully you're not confused and hopefully you want to join!

Here's what Anne and Kristilyn's 2013 Book Bingo Board looks like:

I'm going for the "the super reader" level [fill the entire board!] so I can get the Stamp of Awesome. It's probably not gonna happen--I honestly don't see myself re-reading 15 books to cross out the entire last column, but it'll be pretty darn fun trying to make it happen. Because Rule #1 is that YOU MUST HAVE FUN. And I'm all about THAT.

I'm not sure yet how I'm going to keep track of the books I'm reading for each square. I'll either keep tabs here in this post or make a new post just for my Bingo board.

Want to play?

What's In A Name 6 Reading Challenge

This year will be my fourth year participating in this fun reading challenge hosted by Beth F at Beth Fish Reads. I don't know what it is about this one that's so much fun.. but if you know me, you know I like making lists and if there's a creative way to cross something off that list, I'm even happier. Well, I guess that IS why I like this one so much!

Host: Beth F at Beth Fish Reads 

Link: What's In A Name 6

Time frame: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2013

Goal: Read six books whose titles satisfy the following six themes:



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

1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
2. French Milk by Lucy Knisley
3. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
4. The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
5. A Short Guide to A Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
6. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn

*** Challenge completed on September 4, 2013 *** 

TBR Challenge 2013 {Romance}

Host: Wendy The Super Librarian 

Link: TBR Challenge 2013

Time Frame: January 1 - December 31, 2013

Challenge: Read and Review [or comment on] one romance novel per month from my TBR pile

Once again, Wendy has suggested themes for each month's book pick. It's optional to follow the themes, but it really is fun when we're all reading from the same sub-genre. Reviews and commentary are "due" on the third Thursday of the month. This is all for fun, so no penalties if readers post late. Visit Wendy's blog each month on the dates below to see what other readers are reading from their TBR piles. You can also follow what people are reading on twitter by the hash tag #tbrchallenge.

January:    We Love Short Shorts!
February:   Recommended Read
March:   Series Catch-Up
April:   New-to-you Author
May:  More Than One (more than one book by that author in your pile)
June:  Lovely RITA (RWA RITA nominee or winner - link to lists at Wendy's)
July:   The Classics (in romance genre)
August:  Steamy reads
September: Western
October:  Paranormal or Romantic Suspense
November: All About the Hype
December:  Holiday themes (any holiday - doesn't have to be Christmas)

I already have ideas for some of these themes--I can't wait to get to them!

MY BOOKS:

January    Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

The 2013 Big Book Challenge

Host: orannia from Walkabout
Link: The 2013 Big Book Challenge
Time Frame: January 1 - December 31, 2013
Challenge: Read a book that is 500 400 pages or more that you have been procrastinating reading because it is so big.

I've done this challenge for the last couple of years and have welcomed the push to finally tackle some of those big books that I'd been putting off. This year I plan to read at least two big books. The first is to finish Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I started it last November, but stopped somewhere around the 250 page mark. It comes in at 828 pages so I still have over 500 pages to go. There was another big book that crossed my mind to read in 2013, but I forgot what it was! I think I mentioned it somewhere ...

Edited to Add: 
I got it! The other big book I'd like to read in 2013 is The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Hopefully I'll be able to make that happen in a group read hosted by Ti at the blog Book Chatter in April.


500+ page Books Read in 2013:

1. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley  [527 pgs]
2. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami  [611 pgs]
3. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness  [579 pgs]
4. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness [584 pgs]

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge

Host: Carolyn at Book Chick City 

Link: 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge

Time Frame: January 1 - December 31, 2013

Challenge: Read 101 Books in 2013

I've slowly increased the number of books I read in a year over the last several years, but I think I've found my magic number to be around 100, so I'm sticking with this annual reading challenge hosted by Book Chick City, but making my goal 101 books just because. :D

 61 books read in 2008
 79 books read in 2009
 83 books read in 2010
100 books read in 2011
109 books read in 2012

Last year's tally of 109 books includes 8 online short stories that were so short that I felt guilty counting them towards my total. Therefore, in my mind, I really only read 101 books in 2012. I think this is a challenging number of books for me to read in a year, a total which includes a smattering of graphic novels and novellas as well as a few re-reads. So instead of challenging myself to out-do my numbers from last year, I'm going to stick to an annual goal of 101 books, which may or many not count any books I re-read during the year. I'll track my progress both here and on goodreads, where I've joined the 2013 Reading Challenge again this year.

Favorite reads are highlighted in PINK! 

1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens [graphic novel adaptation]
2. A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen
3. Vanity Fare by Megan Caldwell
4. Surrender At Dawn by Laura Griffin
5. Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep
6. Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep

7. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
8. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
9. Bodywork by Marie Harte
10. Working Out by Marie Harte
11. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle 

12. By A Thread by Jennifer Estep
13. A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
14. A Game For Swallows by Zeina Abirached
15. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas
16. Metamorphosis [Franz Kafka] by Peter Kuper
17. The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan [RE-READ]
18. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
19. On Every Street by Karina Halle
20. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb

21. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming by Patricia Briggs
22. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
23. Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
24. French Milk by Lucy
25. Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson
26. MirrorMask by Neil Gaiman and David Mckean
27. Tales of Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
28. Hearts of Darkness by Kira Brady [RE-READ]
29. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
30. The Lost Duke of Wyndham by Julia Quinn
31. Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
32. Spellbound by Nora Roberts

33. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
34. The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 1 by Sherrilyn Kenyon
35. The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 2 by Sherrilyn Kenyon
36. The Dark-Hunters, Vol. 3 by Sherrilyn Kenyon
37. Exclusively Yours by Shannon Stacey 
38. Hearts of Shadow by Kira Brady
39. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
40. Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook [RE-READ]
41. Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi
42. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

43. The Sigh by Marjane Satrapi
44.  Midsummer Nights Dream Graphic Novel [Shakespeare]
45. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
46. First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
47. Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
48. Persepolis: The Story of Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
49. For I Have Sinned by Darynda Jones
50. The Great Gastby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

51. Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami
52. Persepolis: The Return by Marjane Satrapi
53. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale
54. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki fiction
55. Demon Angel by Meljean Brook 

56. Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto
57. "Paradise" by Meljean Brook [RE-READ]
58. Demon Moon by Meljean Brook [RE-READ]
59. Demon Night by Meljean Brook [RE-READ]
60. To Die For by Linda Howard
61. "Thicker Than Blood" by Meljean Brook [RE-READ]
62. Dirty by Megan Hart 
63. Primates by Jim Ottaviani & Maris Wicks
64. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle [RE-READ]
65. Reason Enough by Megan Hart
66. Fahrenheit 451 The Authorized Adaptation by Time Hamilton

67. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
68. The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz-Zafón
69. The Kite Runner Graphic Novel by Khaled Hosseini 
70. One Hundred Demons by Lynda Barry
71. The Girl Who Owned A City by O.T. Nelson
72. Amulet, Vol. 4: The Last Council by Kazu Kibuishi [RE-READ]
73. Amulet, Vol. 5: Prince of Thieves by Kazu Kibuishi
74. At Home in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller
75. The Last Unicorn Graphic Novel Adaptation by Peter S. Beagle
76. Demon Bound by Meljean Brook 
77. Demon Forged by Meljean Brook
78. "Blind Spot" by Meljean Brook

79. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
80. Beg For Mercy by Jami Alden
81. A Study in Scarlet: A Sherlock Holmes graphic novel
82. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
83. Relish by Lucy Knisley
84. Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
85. "Delilah Dirk and The Turkish Mark" by Tony Cliff

86. Baby's In Black by Arne Bellstorf
87. Coraline by P. Craig Russell and Neil Gaiman
88. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
89. The Shadow of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz Záfron
90. Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant by Tony Cliff
91. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

92. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
93. The Scandal Before Christmas by Elizabeth Essex
94. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
95. It Happened Under the Mistletoe by Valerie Bowman
96. Wanderlust by Kitty French
97. Dark Celebration by Christine Feehan [RE-READ]
98. Dark Curse by Christine Feehan


I didn't make it! :(

Last Call to Join The 'In Death' Series by J.D. Robb Reading Challenge

Interested in joining the Challenge? Anyone is welcome to join in at any time of the year at wherever in the series you currently are. See the post below and join the fun!

Did you read any In Death series books this month?
I still have Promises In Death on my nightstand bookmarked somewhere in the first several chapters. I fell off track with this challenge in 2012, but I'm determined to fix that in 2013.

I first announced this 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge in November 2009 and here I am, hopefully at the cusp of meeting that challenge in 2013. There are currently 35 full length novels and 9 novellas published in this series, with the thirty-sixth book due out sometime next year. Despite the fact that I fell off schedule in 2012 having read only 5 novels and 2 novellas, I plan to get back on track in January and read at least one book per month, starting with Promises In Death, the 28th book. If I manage to stay on track this time, I'll finally be caught up in this series by the end of 2013, at which point, I'm going to end the Reading Challenge. So... if you've been wanting to catch up in the In Death Series, too, now is your chance to do it with some friendly camaraderie. Recommit yourself to catching up and join or re-join my 'In Death' Series Reading Challenge for 2013. 

If you'd like to join or re-join (continue) with the challenge, please add your name and a link to your blog or goodreads page in the Mr.Linky below. You can also join if you don't have a blog or goodreads page. Just leave your name in the comment section below.

By linking up below, maybe it will help you be accountable to yourself to read an In Death book every month in 2013. I sure am counting on it helping me!

I post an In Death Series Reading Challenge post in the last several days of the month so participants can link up any reviews, commentary or general progress they've made that month. I also post a spoiler free series discussion post since most readers are at different stages of the series at this point.

I hope you decide to join [or re-join]!  

To help you find your way, here's a list of the currently published books in the In Death series by J.D. Robb:

1. Naked In Death
2. Glory In Death
3. Immortal In Death
4. Rapture In Death
5. Ceremony In Death
6. Vengeance In Death
7. Holiday In Death
7.5. "Midnight in Death" (in the Silent Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
8. Conspiracy In Death
9. Loyalty in Death
10. Witness In Death
11. Judgment in Death
12. Betrayal in Death
12.5. "Interlude in Death" (in the Out of this World anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
13. Seduction in Death
14. Reunion in Death
15. Purity in Death
16. Portrait in Death
17. Imitation in Death
17.5. "Big Jack" (in Remember When novel)
18. Divided in Death
19. Visions in Death
20. Survivor in Death
21. Origin in Death
22. Memory In Death
22.5. "Haunted in Death" (in the Bump in the Night anthology or the Three in Death anthology)
23. Born In Death
24. Innocent in Death
24.5. "Eternity in Death" (in the Dead of Night anthology)
25. Creation in Death
26. Strangers In Death.
27. Salvation In Death
27.5. "Ritual in Death" (in the Suite 606 anthology)
28. Promises in Death
29. Kindred in Death
29.5. "Missing in Death" (in The Lost anthology)
30. Fantasy in Death
31. Indulgence in Death
31.5. "Possession in Death" (in The Other Side anthology)
32. Treachery in Death
33. New York to Dallas
33.5. "Chaos in Death" (in The Unquiet anthology)
34. Celebrity in Death
35. Delusion in Death
36. Calculated in Death [2013]
.
.
.

JOIN HERE!