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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

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Teaser Tuesdays

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!








Leather scraped against a wooden step, and the tree shivered almost imperceptibly. Someone was climbing up.

I looked around me but the ladder was the only way down, unless I felt like jumping. It couldn't have been more than nine or ten feet down. Odds were I could land more or less in one piece. But if i misjudged the jump I could sprain an ankle or break a leg, which would make running away both impratical and embarassing. Jumping would have to be a last resort


~; Death Masks (The Dresdden Files 05) By Jim Butcher

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Monday, January 25, 2010

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What are you Reading on Mondays



The books I have read in the past week:



Books I am currently reading:



Books I plan on reading this week:
Not sure... I have lots to choose from atm



What are YOU reading?
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Musing Monday: Keeping borrowed books

This week, Rebecca asks:

Where do you keep any books borrowed from friends or the library? Do they live with your own collection, or do you keep them separate? Do you monitor them in anyway.

I have a space on my computer desks where I've placed my borrowed books from friends. For library books however are in my Croc picnic bag. I can't place them together with my own collection or I would mixed them up. My collection are in their own place (everywhere else in the house)
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Friday, January 22, 2010

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Friday Finds

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week (and add to your TBR lists)? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

My Finds:

Godmother; by Carolyn Turgeon
This retelling of Cinderella follows the oft ignored character of the fairy godmother, who may or may not be a mentally ill New Yorker. Lil, as this godmother is known, is now living in New York City, broke and employed at a bookstore, years after being exiled from the kingdom of fairies for betraying her charge. Condemned to live as an old woman, her wings bound to her back as penance, Lil is overcome by longing for what she has lost, slipping in her recollections of her idyllic past into the harsh present. When she meets Veronica, a young woman perpetually dogged with man problems, Lil sees an opportunity to redeem herself. But as the narrative progresses, cracks in Lil's story (and psyche) emerge. Needless to say, readers expecting magical carriages and glass slippers will be surprised by the novel's morose tone, and though the surprise conclusion doesn't quite work, Turgeon's takes on nostalgia and regret are surprisingly clear-eyed given her narrator's unbalance. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


The Story of Forgetting; by Stefan Merrill Block
This riveting novel features well-drawn characters engaged in the epic struggle of finding purpose and meaning in life. Early-onset/familial Alzheimer's disease (EOA) is the launching point for an exploration of memory and the human condition. Fifteen-year-old Seth and 70-year-old Abel alternate as sympathetic narrators of their family's stories. Although they don't meet until the end of the book, the connection between them becomes apparent early on. When Seth's mother is diagnosed with EOA, he assigns himself the task of learning all he can about the disease. Meanwhile, Abel reflects on his past, including his family's struggles with EOA, as he resists encroaching suburban sprawl and waits for the return of his long-gone daughter. The author effectively interweaves several writing styles: historical fiction (the imagined origins of the disease in a medieval English village and its subsequent spread to America); scientific inquiry (explanations of genetics and psychological studies of the brain); fantasy (tales of the mysterious land of Isidora, an alternate world known only to EOA families); Abel's reflective reminiscences; and Seth's coming-of-age in contemporary Texas. The narrators tell painful, funny, heartbreaking stories in authentic voices. An author's note indicates that the novel is semiautobiographical and provides resources for further information about the disease. In addition to being an excellent read, this book would be a wonderful supplement to a psychology class studying memory, or a biology class learning about genetics.—Sondra VanderPloeg, Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


The Book of Fires; by Jane Borodale
Borodale&'s enjoyable debut is the story of Agnes Trussel, who, in 1752, leaves the poverty-stricken countryside for London, intent on hiding her unwanted pregnancy and making a better life. On her journey, she meets Lettice Talbot, a beautiful young woman who promises to help her, but when Agnes loses track of her benefactress, she ends up as the apprentice to Mr. Blacklock, a moody pyrotechnist who is mourning his dead wife as he attempts to bring color to fireworks. Despite her difficulties with Blacklock&'s other domestic staff, Agnes grows to feel at home in London and enjoys her work, but she is constantly threatened by the imminent exposure of her pregnancy and haunted by the guilt of her theft of the stash of coins that funded her trip. This menacing mood is Borodale&'s greatest achievement: from the omnipresent hangings to the economic knife-edge upon which the working class lives, she builds a dark but human world that makes Agnes&'s plight deeply sympathetic. When the story is neatly tied up with an unexpected resolution to Agnes&'s problems, it&'s surprising but not unbelievable, capping off a delightfully diverting book. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

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The Book List

This Week's Topic is:

3 Characters I Love to Hate

1. Ellen Rimbauer (Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life in Rose Red) - I love to slap her and her naivity!
2. Bella (Twilight Saga) - Whiny little ....
3. Edward Cullens (Twilight Saga) - He reminds of somebody i want to forget!
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Teaser Tuesdays

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!








The creature evidently realized that, because it let out a vicious, spitting growl and then leapt. I heard it gather itself for a leap, and turned my head enough to see it out of the coner of my eye. It flew at my back. I threw myself down, sliding and rolling over the asphalt. Teh creature soared over me, to land at the mouth of the alley, a good twenty feet ahead. I skidded to a stop and went running back down the alley, a growling sense of fear and desperation giving my feet a set of chicken-yellow wings.

~; Death Masks (The Dresdden Files 05) By Jim Butcher

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Monday, January 18, 2010

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Musing Mondays: Reading Manners

This week, Rebecca asks:

When is it inappropriate to read in front of others? Is it ever appropriate?

mm.. I guess during family gatherings or during a wedding reception. sometimes it's just so boring during the reception and all I want to do, instead of sitting there waiting for the food to be serve, I just want to pull out my reader, or a book and just read. But of course that would be just plain rude. But I ended up loading up short stories in my wonderful N95 lol. Shhhh!

Oh! Reading while you're out with somebody and you ended up reading instead of talking to her back :P
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Sunday, January 17, 2010

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The Sunday Salon - E-Ink Devices.

The Sunday Salon.com It's that time again, and dare I said it? Yes I dare! It has been a while since I've posted for this segment, so I do apologize for the tardiness and laziness.

What can I talk about today, is that.. I have found a new toy! Well, actually bought it for myself. Most of the people who knows me practically knows what kind of a gadget freak I am, I have iPod Shuffle, Sony MP3 player, N95 8 gig, iPod Nano, PRS-500 and a bit of this and that. Now, what that have to do with reading? Well... I have trying to find a best way to bring my books along for a ride here and there. What I'm talking about here would be my E-books that needed reading while on the go, instead of being stuck in my laptop or my desktop. Let's face it, laptop is too bulky for sense to just read an ebook. PDA is quite um.. distracting for me due to it's other functions available.

Before I continue, let me show you what I mean.



This is my PRS-600. I was torn between this and the PRS-300 (the pocket version) but since, I could put extra memory on this one, I've decided to get this one instead. Thsi product is brought to you by Sony (I'm sorry to say, Brunei's Sony stores doesn't have this on sale - yet) To be honest, this is my second reader. the first one was the first generation PRS-500 which was an absolute wonderful device for me. I've upgraded because I need a spare :P ok ok I lied. I needed to get the updated version of it ASAP!

And yes, the only problem I have with it is, the laggish experience when I try to bookmark my page, which book I have stored within the memory card. But I didn't experience this with the book wintin the internal memory available, also never experience that in my last device. There's also the problem of glare. Yes! The glare is noticable, but I managed to tilt is just right into the position where it's comfortable to read and the glare disappeared.

I haven't tried using it as an, MP3 player due to having my own Sony player (I guess you know Sony happens to be my favorite manufacture by now) to go around with. so my audiobooks goes there instead, or my pendrive for the use in my car's MP3 modulator. Yes, I get around pretty much when it comes to books, don't I?

In another note, if you are not interested with this device, there are also BeBook (which I heard, have alot of good reviews about it), Amazon Kindle (I must admit,it came out ugly the first time around, but it's ok, except for limited access for some), Hanvon Series (new ebook readers from China), Iphones (Obviously), and there are quite a few others to choose from as well.

Wondering... should I get iTouch, iPhone or Google nexus next? if only they are not THAT expensive!
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Friday, January 15, 2010

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Friday Finds

What great books did you hear about/discover this past week (and add to your TBR lists)? Share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

My Finds:

Song of Kali by Dan Simmons Song of Kali; by Dan Simmons
"O terrible wife of Siva / Your tongue is drinking the blood, / O dark Mother! O unclad Mother." It is remarkable that prior to writing this first novel, Dan Simmons had spent only two and a half days in Calcutta, a city "too wicked to be suffered," his narrator says. Fortunately back in print after several years during which it was hard to obtain, this rich, bizarre novel practically reeks with atmosphere. The story concerns an American poet who travels with his Indian wife and their baby to Calcutta to pick up an epic poem cycle about the goddess Kali. The Bengali poet who wrote the poem cycle has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Horror critic Edward Bryant calls Song of Kali "an exactingly constructed, brutal, and uncompromising study of the degree to which an evil place may permeate and steep all that makes us human" and writes that it embodies "the stance of a psychologically violent novel about a violent society as a defensible and indisputably moral work of art." Song of Kali won a World Fantasy Award. --Fiona Webster

Gecko by Jack Priest Gecko; by Jack Priest
Jim Monday’s wife Julia left him for Bernd Kohler, a slick doctor from East Germany and Jim, still in love with her, has agreed to give her half his money and half his business, but that’s not enough for Kohler, he wants it all.

Jim and his best friend attorney David Askew are crossing Second Street in Belmont Shore, the fashionable place to live in Long Beach, California, to meet with Julia and her lawyer to sign the papers, giving her what she wants, when a speeding car comes out of nowhere, bearing down on them. A mysterious voice tells Jim to jump back, he does, but David is struck by the hit and run driver and is killed.

Kohler, who had been watching from a second story window, is on the spot in an instant, proclaiming that he’s a doctor and, when he offers his help, Jim attacks him and is arrested. The police handcuff him, toss him in the back of a police cruiser and are transporting him to jail, when someone shoots at the car and now Jim knows that the hit and run that killed his friend was no accident. Someone is trying to kill him and Jim has a pretty good idea who.

Jim is languishing in a holding cell, when the mysterious voice comes back. At first he thinks he may be going crazy, but after a bit he realizes that a Maori woman named Donna Tuhiwai, held in captivity half a world away in New Zealand, is somehow communicating with him. Somehow she’s in his head, sees what he sees, feels what he feels.

But before he gets a chance to adjust to this new and unsettling development, two men, who claim to be attorneys hired by Kohler, show up outside his cell, supposedly to bail him out, but once alone in an interrogation room in the police station, Jim recognizes (through Donna the voice in his head) that one of them is the driver of the Buick that killed his friend. Jim reacts, using the element of surprise, kills them, escapes and now he’s wanted for murder.

Jim knows in his gut that Kohler is the one behind the attempts on his life. The doctor wants him dead before he divorces Julia, so that all his money will be hers before she marries him. Jim is determined to get even and to save Julia from the evil doctor, who has taken Julia to his fortress home in Northern California. And if that isn’t isn’t enough on his plate, Donna, that voice in his head, tells him that she’s afraid her captor is going to kill her. So, Jim not only has to save his wife, but he has to get on a plane as soon as possible, get to New Zealand and rescue Donna, but he’s afraid of flying.

Then there’s the Gecko beast, a creature come to life right out of Maori folklore. It’s deadly, controlled by Kohler and on Jim’s trail.

Afraid; by Jack Kilborn
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK? YOU WILL BE . . .


Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force. Until now . . .


A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying. Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate. As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven's only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom. And each will have this harrowing thought: Maybe death hasn't come to their town by accident . . .

Afraid; by Nate Kenyon
Starred Review. Kenyon (Bloodstone) shifts smoothly between '80s-style supernatural horror and modern-day science thriller in this superb sophomore effort. Sarah Voorsanger's birth was so explosive that the hospital burned down. Her grandparents attempted to raise her, but after several episodes of psychokinesis, they decided she was the Antichrist and turned her over to the state. Now 10 years old, Sarah is virtually imprisoned in a Boston institution, where agents of Helix Pharmaceuticals experiment on her with drugs designed to activate psychic abilities. When psychology grad student Jess Chambers bonds with Sarah, first outraged by her condition and then shocked by her extraordinary paranormal talents, she knows she must rescue the child from Helix before the company awakens her most deadly powers. Readers, left breathless, will hope Kenyon makes good on hints of a sequel. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Sunday, January 10, 2010

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The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red; by Ellen Rimbauer

This has been a hard book to finish for me. I have honestly say, this is my third attempt to read it and even that i have managed to slip in a couple of books to read in between.

It's a good book actually, regardless me having a hard time with it, but it is a good read. Interesting plot, but it doesn't really pull me in. Joanna is a pain in the ass and I like to smack Ellen half the time while reading it. The plot is of course mostly centered in infidelity and deception, not to forget a living house. I just wish it isn't too light, but what to do, since it's formated as a "journal" in the first place.

Book DescriptionThe Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose RedBook Title: The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red
Author: Ellen Rimbauer
Pages: 277 pgs
Publisher: Hyperion (April 29, 2002)
Genre: Horror, Journal
ISBN: 0786890436 / 978-0786890439


Quote: She is calling upon the house, the "grand house," and requesting she be allowed through its doors, through its walls. In the midst of this chanting, she opens her eyes at half-mast and reaches out for the glass orb before her on the table. She looks different, not all all herself, younger perhaps, yet frozen in time. Again a great gust of cold fills the room and runs up my legs. That glass orb begins to glow -- I swear it! -- and the tendrils of light like a goo, climbs up out it and stretch for the ceiling. At once, the candles are extinguished by this wind, the only light from the swirling blue and green tendrils overhead and that glowing specimen of glass held between her withered hands. I think of my daughter.
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Thursday, January 7, 2010

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Booking through Thursday: Gift Giving


Barbara wants to know:

What books did you get for Christmas (or whichever holiday you may have celebrated last month)?

Do you usually ask for books on gift-giving occasions or do you prefer to buy them yourself?

Last Christmas, I got Harry Dresden's Welcome to the Jungle (Jim Butcher) from Santa Thing! Did I mention Jim Butcher is one of my fave author? he is and now I'm going through his Harry Dresden series and I am loving loving loving Harry Dresden!

As for the second question, depends. I like it both ways. I love books. and i love it even better if I get books I've wanted =D Different books are alright, it'd open up exposure to a new good read out there.
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Tuesday, January 5, 2010

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Teaser Tuesday

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!








She is calling upon the house, the "grand house," and requesting she be allowed through its doors, through its walls. In the midst of this chanting, she opens her eyes at half-mast and reaches out for the glass orb before her on the table. She looks different, not all all herself, younger perhaps, yet frozen in time. Again a great gust of cold fills the room and runs up my legs. That glass orb begins to glow -- I swear it! -- and the tendrils of light like a goo, climbs up out it and stretch for the ceiling. At once, the candles are extinguished by this wind, the only light from the swirling blue and green tendrils overhead and that glowing specimen of glass held between her withered hands. I think of my daughter.

~; The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red By Ellen Rimbauer

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Monday, January 4, 2010

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Musing Mondays: Reading Resolutions

This week, Rebecca asks:

With the New Year here already, do you have any reading resolutions or goals (challenges aside) for 2010? Perhaps a new author? Genre? Want to read more non-fiction? Write more reviews?

I guess my new reading resolution is to review more books efficiently. I have been cataloging alot more books at work than I actually read them, and life caught up with me I barely past my 50 books mark last year. I need to finish some of my series.. but oh my woes... start reading new ones that I probably enjoy. Not to forget I really need to read at least ONE classic! How to actually a book as a classic is another matter to consider. No, I will NOT touch that book with inches of dust on it.

Oh! I have to say, I really need to read the books off my TBR shelf, so... I guess... I need to Bookcross and Bookmooch a lot less, and buy less books... God knows how exactly I be doing that.

Regarding reading challenges, I like to at least finish my A-Z challenge for this year. Fill up my Read around the world list (which means I better read some literature too.. but I love horrors and mystery better!) I really better read Sookie soon too! and avoid reading Anita Blake -_-"

But seriously, I really need to keep track of my reads better!
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Friday, January 1, 2010

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101 Fantasy Reading Challenge



Have you read over the list of 101 of the Best Fantasy Books? I have, and I discovered I’ve only read 27 of the top 101. That leaves a lot of books waiting to be read!

In order to give myself a little encouragement, I’m creating a 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge.

So here are the rules:
1. Pick the number of books you want to read. It can be a mixture of the top 101, and/or the whole list. For example, you might want to aim to read 5 from the top 101 and 5 from the rest of the list.
2. Create a list of the books you want to tackle. You can create a list now, or add them as you go. Completely up to you.
3. The challenge runs from 10/10/09 to 10/10/10.
4. Please post the direct link to your 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge post. (so that other participants can visit and see what you are reading)

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Speculative Fiction Reading Challenge 2010



Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:

Inquisitive – Read 3 Speculative Fiction novels.

Enthusiastic – Read 6 Speculative Fiction novels.

Addicted – Read 12 Speculative Fiction novels.

Obsessed – Read 24 Speculative Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

6. If you decide to participate in this challenge please use the links I have set up below with the buttons to post on your sidebar, this way others can find their way back to this post and join in the fun.

7. If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others, please make sure you add a link back to this post so others can join in.

8. There will be a place for you to link your reviews and be entered into the monthly prize draw. Non-bloggers welcome - please go HERE and select month for more information

1. Life as we Knew it; Susan Beth Pfeffer
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52 Books 52 Weeks



1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010.
2. Participants may join at any time.
3. All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc.
4. Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2010.
5. Books may overlap other challenges.
6. Create an entry post linking to this blog.
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What's In A Name?



Between January 1 and December 31, 2010, read one book in each of the following categories:
  1. A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  2. A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
  3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
  4. A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
  5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
  6. A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher
The book titles are just suggestions, you can read whatever book you want to fit the category.

Other Things to Know
  • Books may be any form (audio, print, e-book).
  • Books may overlap other challenges.
  • Books may not overlap categories; you need a different book for each category.
  • Creativity for matching the categories is allowed.
  • You do not have to make a list of books before hand.
  • You do not have to read through the categories in any particular order.
  • There will be a single prize at the end of the challenge. Readers who complete the challenge and write up a wrap-up post (or wrap-up comment) are eligible. I'll figure out a way to make it international.
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02. New Year Read-A-Thon





I got this as a gift from a 2009 Librarything SantaThing. Jim Butcher happens to be my favorite author and The Dresden Files is one of my most favorite series. This is a Graphic Novel of the series and has a plot of it's own.

Harry Dresden, a wizard detective, is mixed up in a case where a murder takes place at the zoo, and the authorities could only figure out Moe, the gorilla, killed one of the people working in the zoo. Murphy thought otherwise, hooking Harry up in the case, and Harry confirms it. Harry Dresden, who needed the money for rent as well, scent some supernatural is going on. Can't say more or I spoiled the book for ya!

Bottomline, I've enjoyed the book thoroughly. It's a real page turner for me and the pages are full of brilliant colored graphic artwork. It's definitely a keeper for me.

Book DescriptionBook Title: Welcome to the Jungle (The Dresden Files)
Author: Jim Butcher
Pages: 160 pgs
Publisher: Del Rey/Dabel Brothers (October 14, 2008) [Buy It]
Genre: Graphic Novel, Mystery, Paranormal
ISBN: 0345507460 / 978-0345507464

Quote: Emma had never been in such a maelstrom of feelings. Blindfolded, seeing nothing, she could only feel, and that sense was highly intensified.
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Twenty Ten Reading Challenge



The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010. (Was this challenge based solely around the name? I’ll let you decide!)
Rules:
  • Read 2 books from each category, making a requirement of 20 books total.
  • The categories are intended to be loose guidelines only, if you decide it fits, then it fits. (Apart from those marked **)
  • Categories marked with ** have tighter rules, and these must be followed.
  • Each book can only qualify for one category.
  • Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
  • Books read from 01/01/2010 to 31/12/2010 are eligible.
So, on with the categories
  1. Young Adult
    Any book classified as young adult or featuring a teenage protagonist counts for this category.
    1. Frindle; Andrew Clements
  2. T.B.R. **
    Intended to help reduce the old T.B.R. pile. Books for this category must be already residents of your bookshelves as of 1/11/09.
  3. Shiny & New
    Bought a book NEW during 2010 from a bookstore, online, or a supermarket? Then it counts for this category. Second-hand books do not count for this one, but, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts or won in a giveaway also count!
  4. Bad Blogger’s ***
    Books in this category, should be ones you’ve picked up purely on the recommendation of another blogger count for this category (any reviews you post should also link to the post that convinced you give the book ago).
    *** Bad Bloggers: Is hosted by Chris of Stuff as Dreams are Made on.
  5. Charity
    Support your local charity shops with this category, by picking up books from one of their shops. Again, for those on book-buying bans, books bought for you as gifts also count, as long as they were bought from a charity shop.
  6. New in 2010
    This category is for those books newly published in 2010 (whether it be the first time it is has been released, or you had to wait for it to be published in your country, it counts for this one!)
  7. Older Than You
    Read two books that were published before you were born, whether that be the day before or 100 years prior!
  8. Win! Win!
    Have a couple of books you need to read for another challenge? Then this is the category to use, as long that is, you don’t break the rules of the other challenge by doing so! ;)
  9. Who Are You Again?
    This one isn’t just for authors you’ve never read before, this is for those authors you have never even heard of before!
  10. Up to You!
    The requirements for this category are up to you! Want to challenge yourself to read some graphic novels? A genre outside your comfort zone? Something completely wild and wacky? Then this is the category to you. The only requirement is that you state it in your sign-up post.
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42 Challenge 2010


42 Challenge (for 2010)
Officially starts January 1, 2010
Officially ends December 3, 2010

Your mission--if you choose to accept it--is to read, watch, listen, and (possibly) review 42 sci-fi related items.
What counts? Short stories, novellas, novels, radio show episodes, television show episodes, movies, graphic novels, comic books, audio books, essays about science fiction, biographies about sci-fi authors, etc. Adapted or abridged works are okay as well.

Keep an ongoing list of your 42 either here on this site (just leave your email address in the comments) or on your own site (just leave a link to your list in the comments). Your list doesn't have to include links to your reviews. But it can if you like. Reviews are not required.

1. Torchwood Season 2 Episode 1
2. Torchwood Season 2 Episode 2
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
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Flashback Challenge


The Flashback Challenge will run from January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010. If you're super-excited and want to reread a book before that, feel free, and let me know. If many people do so, then I'll do a December challenge linky post and you can all link to it here. Otherwise, we can hold them over to January.

You can sign up for the following levels:
Bookworm - Up to three books
Scholar - Four to six books
Literati - Over six books

Within these levels, we have mini-challenges! These are:

1. Re-read a favorite book from your childhood
2. Re-read a book assigned to you in high school
3. Re-read a book you loved as an adult

Thus, if you sign up for the Bookworm level, you could ostensibly choose to read one book from each mini-challenge. Or you could choose to do none of the above (though, granted, not sure what you could have possibly read that does not fit into either childhood, high school or adulthood).

Also, would just like to make clear that this isn't specifically limited to books you loved reading previously and want to reread. It could also be a book you don't remember enjoying. Or just don't remember reading. It might be interesting to see how your perceptions may have changed.

1. Alice in Wonderland; Lewis Carroll
2. The Lovely Bones; Alice Sebold
3.
4.
5.
6.
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451 Challenge



451 Fridays is based on an idea from Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In his novel, a group of people (Bradbury calls them Book People) are trying to keep the ideas found in books alive. Instead of actually saving the books, the Book People each “become” a book – memorizing it, word for word, and passing it down to the next generation.

451 Fridays asks what books you feel passionate about. What book do you think is so important that you would be willing to take on the challenge of “becoming”?

We have compiled an amazing list of books this year in our weekly 451 Fridays posts, and it’s time to start reading them! So, the 451 Challenge was born.

Here is how it will work: between January 1, 2010 and November 30, 2010, participants are challenged to read books on the 451 master list. There will be several levels of participation:

Spark – read 1-2 books from the master list
Ember – read 3-4 books from the master list
Flame - read 5-6 books from the master list
Blaze – read 7 or more books from the master list

Re-reading is acceptable, as are crossovers with other challenges. Audio, print, and e-books are all acceptable. Each month, participants will be encouraged to post their reviews on the challenge blog, and each review posted will be an entry into a grand prize drawing for a $25 gift card to the online bookseller of the winner’s choice.


I'm going to try for Ember: 3-4 Books =D

1. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
2. The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
3. We Were the Mulvaneys - Joyce Carol Oates
4. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
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2010 100+ Reading Challenges



1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

What doesn't count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your books will be listed. Include the URL to this post so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.




6. Bad, Bad Bunny Trouble; Hans Wilhelm
5. Belly Button Book; Sandra Boynton
4. The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red; Ellen Rimbauer
3. Splitting Hares; Camille Anthony
2. Irish Crème; Leila Brown
1. The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle; Jim Butcher
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2010 TBR Challenge

Hosted by Jen @ MizB Challenges

** Pick 12 books – one for each month of the year - that you’ve been wanting to read (that have been on your “To Be Read” list) for 6 months or longer, but haven’t gotten around to.

** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 “Alternates” (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn’t grab you at the time)

** Then, starting January 1, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31. )

(for more information, please read the challenge FAQs)


1. The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red; Ellen Rimbauer
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8. Frindle; Andrew Clements
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