Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012!

Another Challenge YAY! I'll make my list soon!

This is a challenge that has been passed around a bit. In 2012, BaffledBooks 2.0 will be taking over hosting the Speculative Fiction Challenge which was created by Carolyn at Book Chick City and then passed on to Amanda at Floor to Ceiling Books. It’s found it 2012 home here with us and I’m so, so excited!
I (Lisa, by the way) am doing my thesis on Science Fiction as a thought experiment, focusing on artifical intelligence (robots basically). This means that my reading pile has had a lot of speculative fiction added to it lately and what better way to make the most of my limited reading time than to host a speculative fiction challenge!
Sign Up
Anyone can join, blog or not, you just need somewhere to post your reviews to share with the world. If you have a blog, a post about the challenge would be nice!
Just add your details to the linky below to sign up.
I’ve made a couple of buttons and have modified the traditional challenge button for this year. Feel free to put them in your sidebar and use them in your review posts! Just save the image of your choice to your computer first please!
Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2012. You can sign up from now right up until 31 Nov 2012.
Rules: The levels are back this year! Just pick your level and declare it in your post or in the comments below:

• Nosey: 3 novels
• Excited: 6 novels
• Content: 12 novels
• In Nirvana: 24 novels
• Obsessed: 48 novels

There is no need to list your books now (unless you are like me and love making lists), just pick as you go along and have fun! Books can most definitely be counted towards other challenges.
I will post a monthly link up for you to share your reviews. There are no prizes other that a sense of satisfaction at reaching your goal (*interpretation* We are broke college students with no sneakily awesome publishing contacts).
Any book format (ebook, print, audio) counts!
And because it can sometimes get a bit confusing (from Carolyns original post), Genres:

• Science Fiction: hard/soft SF, cyberpunk, time travel, alternative history, space opera
• Fantasy Fiction: dark fantasy, urban fantasy, magic realism, quest, mythical fantasy, steampunk
• Horror Fiction: paranormal, gothic literature, splatterpunk
• Supernatural Fiction
• Superhero Fiction
• Utopian and Dystopian Fiction
• Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction

Buttons (Click to make them bigger):

Lexicon Vlog #2

Well Hello there! Please Subscribe, Comment, and Rate!

2012 Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge

The 2012 Paranormal Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Tales from the Crypt. All you have to do is read books in the paranormal romance genre!
Rules:

• Starts January 1, 2012 and ends December 31, 2012
• Anyone can join
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate.
• Non-Bloggers feel free to share your list of books in the comment section of the monthly link up post.
• Reviews though not required are always nice.
• Audio, E-books, Bound and re-reads all count
• There is no need to come up with your list of books in advance.
• Challenge crossovers ok
• Create a sign up post and link up in the linky ON THE HOST’S BLOG.

Levels:
Level 1 – Read 1-5 Paranormal Romances
Level 2 – Read 6-10 Paranormal Romances
Level 3 – Read 11-20 Paranormal Romances
Level 4 – Read 21+ Paranormal Romances

I'm going for level 2 lol I think I can do 6-10 lol

Reading the 2011 Award Winners Book Challenge

Goal

Read books that WON a Book Award during 2011.

Duration
Jan. 1, 2011 - Dec 31, 2012
Summary
There always seem to be controversy over some of the choices for winners of some of the major book awards - so let's hear what you have to say! Pick some award winning books, read them, and then we'll talk about it. Book awards have many different categories - so feel free to pick books from any (or all) of them. Every month I will post a recap of the books that I (and anyone else who wants to participate) reads and reviews.

Reading the 2011 Award Winners Book Challenge

If you Do want to participate: Choose the level you wish to participate at.

Level 1 - Gold - Read 10+ books
Level 2 - Silver - Read 6 - 9 books
Level 3 - Bronze Read 1-5 books

* Link to your "commitment" post in the comments below (you don't have to choose your books in advance). If you don't have a blog, just leave a comment letting us know which level you'll be participating at.
* While you don't have to have a blog, your book review must be published online somewhere (e.g. Goodreads, Amazon, Shelfari), so that I can link to it in the monthly progress post.
* Remember, the book must have won a book award in 2011 - and you can have read it/ reviewed it anytime during 2011 or 2012.

Here's a list of a few Literary Awards to get you started on selecting your books.

• National Book Critics Awards
• Pulitzer Prize
• Edgar Awards
• Commonwealth Writers Prize
• Orange Prize
• Hugo Awards
• Man Booker Prize
• National Book Awards
• ALA Alex Awards

My list is:
 1. Caught by Harlan Coben
2. Faithful Place by Tana French
3. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
4. The Haunting of Charles Dickens by Lewis Buzbee
5. 7 Souls by Barnabas Miller and Jordan Orlando
6. Dust City by Robert Paul Weston
7. Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
8. The Radleys by Matt Haig
9. The Reapers Are the Angels: A Novel by Alden Bell
10. Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

so I'm going for GOLD!

•  

2012 "Bucket List" Book Reading Challenge

2012 "Bucket List" Book Reading Challenge

The 2012 "Bucket List" Reading Challenge is the challenge to sign up for if YOU have a list of books that you are dying to read but just haven't gotten to them yet. The rules are simple for this challenge and I've also included a couple of sample "Bucket" Lists to provide a good starting point. NOTE: The link titled "Bucket List" Books is a list that I created and if you would like to add books to that list I encourage you to.

Rules:

1. Challenge starts on January 1, 2012 and goes until December 31, 2012.

2. You don't need a blog to participate.

3. Create a "sign up" post and link to the linky below.

4. There are 4 levels to this challenge....

a. The Mini Cooper level - 4 "bucket" list books
b. The Mid-sized Sedan level - 8 "bucket" list books
c. The Pick Up level - 12 "bucket" list books
d. The Semi level - 13 or more "bucket" list books

NOTE: I am adding a stipulation to this challenge. If you originally decided to start small with the Mini Cooper level and decide to upgrade that is fine. But once you decide to go big you can NOT downgrade.

5. Each month a review link will be posted. Please feel free to link up your reviews where ever you happen to post them...your blog, goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc.

Sample "Bucket" Lists:

YAReads
"Bucket List" Books

 

 

I'm going for Semi since I live for reading!

 

My list:
1. Matched - Ally Condie

2. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead

3. Delirium - Lauren Oliver

4. Road Kill - Rob Thurman

5. Black Out - Rob Thurman 

6. Crossed - Ally Condie

7. Airborn - Kenneth Oppel

8. Red Glove - Holly Black

9. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

10.  The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting

11. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater

12. Meg Cabot - Abandon

13.  Pillage - Obert Skye

 

I might change a few of these but thats it so far!

 

Sign-Up: 100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012!

Sign Up

To sign up you MUST make a post on your blog about participating in the challenge - you then use the DIRECT URL of the post to sign up to the challenge by adding it to Mr Linky below. DO NOT just add your blog URL - this will be deleted.

You must add the button to your sidebar - make sure that it links back to this post so others can join the challenge if they wish. Easiest way to do this is to copy and paste the code displayed below!

Grab the Button!

<center><a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/12/sign-up-100-books-in-year-reading.html"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6445247409_9ac04ea932_m.jpg" /></a></center>

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2012

• Rules: Read 100+ books in 2012 (any genre)

• 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 you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.

• At the beginning of Jan 2012, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews.

• Audiobooks do not count, but all other formats are accepted.

• Only fiction, no non-fiction.

• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.

• You don't have to have a blog to join in - for those without a blog just FILL IN THIS FORM and I will add you to the list - just join the discussion in the comments section to let us know when you've read a book and what you thought of it! :)

Please add your DIRECT URL link, not just your blog link. If you have trouble adding your URL link below, just fill out the form above and I will add it for you.

 

--------------------------------------

The first challenge I'm joining for the next coming up year! YAY for 2012!

Book Review Vid 12-7-2011 (Week #1)

ok the new book vlog review!

Mercedes Lackey :: Collegium Chronicles



Mercedes Lackey: Valdemar: Collegium Chronicles

Foundation. Book One.

The long-awaited brand new novel in the bestselling Valdemar series. In this chronicle of the early history of Valdemar, Mercedes Lackey’s bestselling world, a thirteenyear- old orphan named Magpie escapes a life of slavery in the gem mines when he is chosen by one of the magical Companion horses of Valdemar to be trained as a Herald. Thrust into the center of a legend in the making, Magpie discovers talents he never knew he had—and witnesses the founding of the great Heralds’ Collegium. From Shelfari

Intrigues. Book Two.
You would think that everything would have settled down for Mags at the Collegium. After all, he had been there for half a year, and by now things should have sorted out into a routine.
But nothing is ever simple where the Collegia are concerned. Bear's parents want him to "stop wasting the Healers' Collegium's time" and demand he return home. Lena's father Bard Marchand, turns up, and sends her into a tailspin. The Foreseers have had a vision of the King covered in blood, and all the signs point to Mags being involved! He finally uncovers some scant information about his parents, and they are not what he thought they were. And old enemies have not given up.... From Shelfari

Changes. Book Three.
In Mercedes Lackey's classic coming-of-age story, the orphan Magpie pursues his quest for his parent's identity with burning urgency-while also discovering another hidden talent and being trained by the King's Own Herald as an undercover agent for Valdemar. Shy Bardic Trainee Lena has to face her famous but uncaring father, one of Valdemar's most renowned Bards. And Healing Trainee Bear must struggle against his disapproving parents, who are pressuring Bear to quit the Healers' Collegium because he lacks the magical Healing Gift.

Each of the three friends must face his or her demons and find their true strength as they seek to become the full Heralds, Bards, and Healers of Valdemar. From Amazon.


I love this Series, horses that aren't horses at all- kids that are more than just kids with powers. Mercedes Lackey is my hero with this series... Another series I love of hers is Arrows of the Queen which takes place in this world of Valdemar- In the future I will be reading more of her books... the only downer of these books are that some of the characters have really weird talking grammer and such but you get use to it! I recommed this series to any reading into fantasy... horses... or kids with powers... or just someone looking for something else to read!

Keeper of the Winds

Book:
Jenna Solitaire - Keeper of the Winds

My name is Jenna Solitaire and everything I thought I knew about myself, my family, and my future is wrong. My life is not my own. It never has been. I just didn’t know it—until now… After the death of her grandfather, nineteen-year-old Jenna Solitaire finds an ancient wooden board hidden away in the attic of his house. Scorched by fire and covered in mysterious symbols, the board fascinates her—and scares her—at the same time. As does Simon Monk, the handsome stranger who has come into her life, claiming to know about the board. Even more frightening is the voice whispering in Jenna’s head, calling her “Keeper.” Does Jenna have power over the winds, as Simon claims? Is she truly the Daughter of Destiny?  (from Shelfari)

My thoughts on this book are mixed, it was hard to get into the plot and characters until I was finished with it... and of course the library doesn't have the next one. I thought it was strange that the author is the character's name... she is writing this down like a journal- well there is no telling in how its written. Weird. Well thats all I'm ranting about this book!

Psycho Busters 1-5 (9.15.11)

Psycho Busters:

Manga by: Akinari Nao

Story by: Yuya Aoki

This manga is about a boy who wishes that he was a hero- so he turns away from real life and gets sucked in to the games around him where he could protect everyone. That is until he meets a group with interesting powers of the mine and he finds out he is one too... But why do they think he is the person to either destroy the world or save it. Will he become a hero or the villian in this story. I really like this series better than their Get Backers Series.  I still need to read the last volume which is 6-7 together... but so far its a 4 star for me! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Demonglass (9-5-2011)

After learning that she is capable of dangerous magic, Sophie Mercer goes to England with her father, friend Jenna, and Cal hoping to have her powers removed, but soon she learns that she is being hunted by the Eye--and haunted by Elodie.  more to come!

Storm Borm Comic 1-3 (9-4-2011)

Dark Swan: Storm Born
Eugenie Markham is a fiery redhead- that is a freelance
shaman, battling and banishing creatures from the otherworld.
When her luck changes and after a prophecy is announced she
becomes the hottest bachelorette towards these creatures. Now
she must fight supernatural suitors as well as her past.

Preview #1
Volume 1 starts with a whirl as Eugenie is attacked by a
Keres but what is strange is that he knows her real name.
After that her secretary gives her a call and tells her
about a girl that the gentry took away into the otherworld.
She is dead set to help the girl after seeing the site but
her stepfather tells her to stay away from the gentry and to
let this one girl go- since she isn't the first. This volume
ends with a moment of passion with a stranger and an attack.

Will she save the girl?
More importantly will she survive the night??

So far I love this series... I'm thinking about picking up even
the novels and reading them! And I really enjoyed the story so
far Thankz Sea Lion Books for the free previews. I'll read part
2-3 and the other story soon!

The Candidates (9-2-2011)

Delcroix Academy: Book 1
The Candidates
by Inara Scott

Dancia Lewis tried to stay a wallflower ever since she noticed strange things happened to people around her when her emotions went to bit high. Raised by her grandmother she is visited by two recruiters. One teacher and another student, Cam. They are from Delcroix Academy- and they were giving her a full scholarship to go to a school where everyone knew only the best went too. Singers, dancers, computer nerds, sporty types- they went there but not the type of person that only wears neutral colored clothes. But nothing is what it seems...

Wow there wasn't any part of this book that was boring. Loved the characters and story. Hmmm another triangle love story... but isn't that the best. Cam or Jack... man I probody would have picked Jack
since he is all alone- poor Jack

Can't wait to get my hands on book two!