Summer Wrap-Up Read-A-Thon

Hosted by Jude @ In Between and Jennifer @Some Like It Paranormal

Starts today and ends on August 12th. You can read whatever you want and as much or little as you want. If you can only participate during a few days of the read-a-thon that is okay too. You don't have to have a blog, feel free to follow along on twitter, goodreads, or facebook. They will be tweeting with hashtag #SWUR. They have a ton of fabulous challenges and giveaways planned. Click on image or their links to join in the fun.

I love read-a-thons, heck I love any excuse to read but I like chatting with fellow

book lovers and this is the perfect format. 

Here are my reading goals:

Every Day

Beautiful Disaster

Blackwood

Dream of Me

City of Demons

I Hunt Serial Killers

The Uninvited

On the Island

The Taken

Destined  for An Early Grave

Juliet Immortal
Seawitch
In a Fix

Now the titles may all change but I'd like to read at least one a day.
I will post my progress here nightly.

Updates:

Saturday Aug 4 -       Finished Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
                               Started: Beautiful Disaster
                               pages read:. 516

Sunday Aug 5-          Finished: Beautiful Disaster
                               Started: In A Fix
                               pages read: 276

Monday Aug 6th-      Finished: In A Fix by Linda Grimes
                                     Started: Dream of Me by Jennifer Froelich
                                     pages read: 334

Tuesday Aug 7th-      Finished: 0

                               Started:
                               pages: 100

Wednesday Aug 8th- Finished: Dream of Me by Jennifer Froelich
                                      Started: Seawitch by Kat Richardson
                                      pages: 215

Thursday Aug 9th-     Finished: Seawitch by Kat Richardson
                                      Started: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
                                      pages: 238

Friday Aug 10th-         Finished: 0
                                       Started: 0
                                pages: 100

Saturday Aug 11th-     Finished: Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
                                 Started: City of Demons by Kevin Harkness
                                 pages: 207

Sunday Aug 12th-        Finished: 0
                                        Started:
                                        pages: 125


Well, I managed to read 6 books and started a 7th. I participated in a few challenges and accomplished some goals. Thanks to the hosts who sponsored this read-a-thon :)
   


Challenges:

From Wicked @Wickedly Bookish Books
Find the Book Cover : Find the following item(s) on a book cover:

Sun

A teeny bikni

Beach umbrella

Sandcastle

Oceanscape or a beach scene

Sunflower

An American flag (4th of July)

Lemonade/Iced Tea

Sunset

Sailboat

Camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, etc.)

Sunglasses

Swimming Pool

Sun bather

Picnic 

My finds:

the sun:

teeny bikini:

beach umbrella:

sandcastle:

ocean or beach scene:

sunflower:

an American flag:

ice Tea/ lemonade:

sunset:

 sailboat:

camping:

swimming Pool:

sunglasses:

Sunbathers:

picnic: 

Eek gads ..thanks for the challenge Wickedly Bookish :)

Trini @ A Book-lovers' Review hosted the following challenge:

I need for you to create a small but fun post with a

1. list characters (as many as you want) that you thing are HOTTER than Summer 

2. Add the book title or book cover

3. Put your rating

4. Link up your review (Amazon, blog, Goodreads, etc.)

5. explain why you picked him or her.

Here is my list:

Rad Beaumont from Sweet Chaos:

My rating: 5 cups of steamy hot coffee
Review
Smoking Hot Chaos Demon 

Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston

My rating : 5  cups of frothy coffee

Review

breathtakingly gorgeous and a notorious rake

Dominic

My Rating: 5 cups of spicy coffee 

Review

Vampire, Agent, romantic 

Well that was fun and hot! thanks Trini! 

Challenge from Emily @ Falling for YA

Cover Love Challenge -show covers of books released in the summer that you love. 

my picks:

(love the cover may not have read book)

Never More by James Patterson

The Queen's Vow by C.W. Gortner

The Last Bastion of the Living

by Rhiannon Frater

Of course I could list a hundred more covers I adore, but choose one from a few genres I adore :)

Review Copy Clean Up for August

 

Review Copy-Clean Up is hosted by 
Celene @Nyx Book Reviews and Vicky @Books, Biscuits and Tea

I participated in the first Review Copy Clean Up and had a blast, 

so I have decided to join the fun again.

 I encourage you to sign up and join in the fun. (click image to link up)

My Goals :

Read and Review:

• Innocent Darkness by Suzanne LaZear
• Skylark by Meagan Spooner
• The Uninvited by Heather Graham
• City of Demons by Kevin Harkness
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
• In a Fix by Linda Grimes
• Every Day by David Levirthan
• Dream of Me by Jennifer Froelich
• Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
• The Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright
• Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
• The City's Son by Tom Pollock
• Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout 
• Undead by Kirsty McKay
• Too Many Cooks by Shirley Ann Wilder
• Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

It looks like a lot, but with a couple of read-a-thons I am confident I can meet and surpass this goal. Wish me luck and stop back to check my progress. I will update this post once a week with my progress and provide a link on my Sunday Post each week. 

Accomplished (finished reading and review to post this month):

• Innocent Darkness by Suzanne LaZear
• Skylark by Meagan Spooner
• Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
• In a Fix by Linda Grimes
• Dream of Me by Jennifer Froelich
• Blackwood by Gwenda Bond
• Seawitch by Kat Richardson
• The Uninvited by Heather Graham
• City of Demons by Kevin Harkness
• Every Day by David Levirthan
• Too Many Cooks by Shirley Ann Wilder
• Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
• Undead by Kirsty McKay (review to post Sept. 1)
• The Angry Woman Suite by Lee Fullbright
• The City's Son by Tom Pollock (review to post Sept 8)

15  ARC/review books!

I also read the following personal books this month for review on my blog:

• The Reckoning by Alma Katsu (review to post Sept. 6th)
• Isolation by Dan Wells (review to post Sept. 3rd)
• San Diego: 2014 by Mira Grant (review to post Sept. 7th)
• Destined for An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost (review to post Sept. 10th)
• The Truth About Lord Stoneville by Sabrina Jeffries (review to post Sept. 13th)
• Last to Die: A Rizolli & Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen (review to post Sept 14th)

I had a really good time, although I failed to attend the twitter parties and I am sorry I missed them. I did however read all but one review book on my list and I am delighted by my accomplishments. I feel great about having read 21 books and writing all of the reviews up. 

Thanks to our hosts Celene and Vicky!!!! 

My Wicked Wildfire Read-a-Thon Stats

 

So far I have participated in all of the Wicked Read-A-Thons 
 Hosted by: Rebecca @ Kindle Fever and April @ My Shelf Confessions

Wicked Wildfire Read-a-thon
from June 20th to the 24th 
(it's not to late to join ~ click on image above to sign-up)


This is where I will update my reading progress and answer challenges. 

Here are the books I hope to read:

• Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian (completed)
• This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (completed)
• Seduced by Blood by Laurie London (completed)
• The Unspoken by Heather Graham (completed)
• What a Boy Wants by Nyrae Dawns (completed)
• The Hollow of Mont Noir by Jennifer Krey (forgot to download..my bad)
• Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (read 100 pages)

Progress Report:

Wednesday:

• Finished The Sandcastle Girls and wrote my review
• Read 284 pages of Seduced by Blood
• Visited and commented on all Slake Your Thirst participants blogs 
• chatted at #WWreadathon

Thursday:

• Finished Seduced by Blood
• Finished What A Boy Wants
• finished visiting all the Slake Your Thirst blogs and selected a winner congrats to Kristen @Parahangover 
• participated in the #WWreadathon twitter party..it was crazy and that's all I am saying *wipes chocolate from chin and scratches wrist*

Friday:

• worked :(
• wrote reviews for What A Boy Wants and Seduced by Blood, finished The Sunday Post edition for this coming Sunday.
• participated in a challenge
• read 200 pages of The Unspoken by Heather Graham
• chatted on #WWreadathon

Saturday:

• Finished The Unspoken
• participated in another awesome challenge
• attended the #WWreadathon twitter party..it was a hoot! 
• read 50% of This Is Not A Test..eep! 

Sunday:

• Finished This Is Not A Test
• Read 100 pages of Something Strange and Deadly 

Grand Stats: I read 5 books and 100 pages of a book 6. ..wahoo! 

First Challenge by Rebecca @ Kindle Fever she ask for a response to the following question:

“A wildfire is quickly coming your way! What thing/s do you grab when you only have a few minutes to make it out?”
(I’ve saved any people or pets in there already!)

My response:

Thanks for saving all of my peeps, now help me grab our family videos and photos, while I find my nook, and grab as many signed books as I can!! While I cringe at losing books...i know I have insurance and can replace them all...but signed copys..eek gads they must be saved! 

 Kriss @ The Cabin Goddess Reviews challenge 

• Your perfect beach (from a book, or a place or a cover)
• Your perfect date (provide a link to cover or book)
• in your preferred swimwear (description, or link to image or cover)
• With your first choice of books to read (title with link to book or to cover)

my response:

the beach: 

(notice how secluded it is)

the date: 

Damon (ssh..don't tell my hubby)

from the book:

what I am wearing:

What I am reading:

Preet @ A Written Rhapsody Challenge:

Challenge:

In a comment or post(leave a link), pick a character(s) from your current read and do at least two of the following:

Create a catchy band name for your group of characters or solo artist.

Tell me what genre they would sing.

Find a song and/or lyric that would fit the book and tell me who it’s by and why it fits.

Find a music video that would relate to the book and leave the link.

Create a playlist of three to five songs that would go with your book.

My response:

currently reading This is Not a Test 

Band : lead singer Sloan Price 

Band name: the Survivors

Genre:  rock 

favorite song: 

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

They are trapped in a high school surrounded by ZOMBIES!!! 

Bout of Books Read-A-Thon

You all know I love to participate in read-a-thons and this week I am joining 
Bout of Books sponsored by Amanda @ On a Book Bender she is in charge of organizing the read-a-thon. Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal, Shirley @ Creative Deeds, and Hannah @ Once Upon a Time are helping. 

Standard info:

• Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, run from 12:01am on Monday, May 14th through 11:59pm Sunday, May 20st in whatever time zone you are in.
• Bout of Books is low pressure, meaning participants are only asked to push themselves to read more than they normally would during any given week. There is no competition between readers.
• How much time a reader wants, and can commit, to read, tweet, or network with fellow bloggers is left to individual preference. All challenges and giveaways are optional.
• Networking with fellow bloggers is actively encouraged, though never required. Co-hosts are there to facilitate blog hopping and interaction between participants.
• Use Twitter to post updates throughout the read-a-thon. Everyone will be tweeting with the #boutofbooks hashtag.

I hope to join in on some activities, visit some blogs and plan to read the following books:

The Caline Conspiracy by M.H. Mead

Obsidian by Jenniefer L. Armentrout 

Croak by Gina Damico

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Nine Rules to Break When Romances a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Of course the books I end up reading may be totally different..LOL

I will post my updates here on this post, as I complete them :)


Updates:

Monday - I finished Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. I loved this book. I read a review by a fellow blogger and immediately bought it..I am so glad since I laughed and cried and consumed this! I will post a review next week. Started Half-Blood, visited a few blogs and tweeted my results. 
Tuesday- Today I worked, so I wasn't able to read as much. I read 150 pages of Half-Blood. Updated on twitter, and visited a few blogs. Hopefully tomorrow I will knock out this book and finish another. Happy Reading! 
Wednesday- Today was a good day. I wrote a review, finished Half-Blood at 2am..eek gads! Visited and followed some new blogs, read some great reviews and saw some great Wow's on blogs I follow. I started and finished Croak..what a great read. I am on target to reach my goal..wahoo! 
Thursday- I started Code Verify read 50 pages and stopped..i could not seem to connect with this book, not sure if it was me or the book. I started Dark Magic by James Swain and I am loving this suspenseful novel with its paranormal twist. I have read 200 pages and should wrap it up tomorrow, after work. I wrote a review, scheduled a WoW and set up two blog tours..wahoo. My daughter came to visit and we had a great time.  
Friday- I worked today, but did manage to finish Dark Magic. So far I have read four books and feel confident I will reach my goal of five books for this event. I wrote my review for Croak today and visited a few blogs. What am I reading next..I have no idea..I want something different and will be digging around in my tbr pile tomorrow looking for a book to speak to me..LOL
Weekend- I read Lies Beneath this weekend, chatted on twitter and visited a lot of you as well as other blogs I follow and wrote my review of Dark Magic. I have started a sixth book The Unholy. I do not think I will finish it before the cut off but if I do, I will post an update. I have had a blast, and will definitely participate again! 


Final Update: I had a blast this week. I chatted with fellow book lovers, found some great blogs to follow and put a lovely dent in my tbr pile (pfft..even if i bought 5 more) I read 5 and 1/2 books this week and wrote three reviews. 
Thanks to the hosts for providing this read-a-thon..what fun!!!

Spring into Horror Read-A-Thon April 23rd through April 29th

This week I am joining a week-long read-a-thon hosted by Michelle @ Castle Macabre. You do not have to be a blogger to join in the fun. The goal is to read as many books as you can and have at least one of those be a scary book! This can be horror, paranormal, supernatural, suspense or mystery. I hope you will join in the fun. Just click on the image to sign-up. 

Here is my reading list for the week:

1. The Vanishing Game by Kate Kay Myers

2. Dark Kiss

3. Of Poseidon 

4. Big Sky Country
5.The Girl in the Clockwork Collar 

6. Croak by Gina Damico

7. At Graves End by Jeaniene Frost

I am not sure how many I will complete. My goal is the read at least the first three. Hope you decide to join in! 

Wicked Winter Read-a-Thon February 3rd through February 5th

    Today begins the
Wicked Winter Read-a-thon 

 Hosted by: Rebecca @ Kindle Fever, April @  My Shelf Confessions.  

It’s not too late to join in the fun Just click on the Host links to join.

Here is a link to the challenges and there times:

Challenge Schedule  

*I will be hosting the Wicked Winter Ball challenge at 10AM(EST) Saturday February 4*

 Here  are the books I am hoping to read:

I will be stopping back and updating my progress on this link. To see how I am doing, simply click on the Wicked Winter Read-A-Thon Button on the right of my blog.  I hope you decide to join us.

                                     Kimba  

Status updates:
Currently reading : Bone Crossed - I finished this at 2:30pm 2/3
Currently reading: Divergent  - I finished this at 12:47 pm 2/3
Currently reading Best Man Worst Man- I finished at 10:30 am 2/4
Currently reading Hunger Games  I finished at 11:30 pm on 2/4
Currently reading How a Cowboy Stole Her Heart - I finished at 2:00am on 2/5
Currently reading Thief of Hope I finished at 10:45 pm on 2/5 
Six  books in 3 days..not bad ! I am very happy with my results...my reviews will post this week!
I had a blast and look forward to doing it all again in June for the Wicked Fire Read-a-thon June 20-24. I will post the event when the hosts finalize the details. 


1st Challenge Hosted by Kindle Fever

 “A second Ice Age is coming on quickly! What do you do in order to prepare and how do you end up surviving it?”  

My answer:

Not only would I survive, but I would become a tribe leader as well.  I have some kick-a$$ knowledge from reading post-apocalyptic, dystopias and urban fantasy novels. These would enable me to not only survive but thrive.

As a mother of three, former PTA and Girl Scout leader..I am very good at organizing and delegating. I would gather my family and folks along the way. We would first need to secure a good location, near a frozen lake. I am thing someplace in New Hampshire. Weapons would be important, to protect against theft and for hunting. Fortunately I know all about them from such heroines as Charley Davidson, Harper Blaine, Georgia Mason and the woman of the Night keepers. 

I would call on my knowledge base from such great novels as; Earth Children’s series by Jean M. Auel. Her characters lived in the Ice Age.  My Hunting skills from all of the Werewolf and shape shifter books I have read such as the Mercy Thompson series, Law of the Lycan series.  I know how to grow plants indoors from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, the Passage by Justin Corwin and Partials by Dan Wells. Medicinal skills from the Hollows, Garden Spells and a few witches I have encountered along the way.

One of the most important qualities needed to survive the ice age is to know your sh@t and if you don’t ..to act like you do…..so people will follow you. I have gained these skills from fine leaders such as Mercy Thompson(from Moon Called), Harper Blaine(from Greywalker), Cat (from Half Way to the Grave), Rachel Morgan(Dead Witch Walking) and Jane Rizzoli (Freaks). Plus I'd be dressed for warmth and to impress in all black leather and combat boots. I'd carry a knife strapped to my thigh, and several tucked in my boots. A couple of guns on my hips and a big old samurai sword on my back. I learned how to dress from the heroines in my books. 

This is how I would survive….your welcome to join my tribe. 

Second Challenge  hosted by Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

Using at least 3 of  the titles of the books below...make up the most interesting, funny, romantic, mysterious, or simply ridiculous sentence that you can!

Kissing Snowflakes
Shiver
Cold Kiss
The Black Ice
Frozen
After the Snow
Frost
Cold Magic
Winter Garden

Here is my sentence:  

After the Snow, the cold magic from his frozen, cold kiss, sent  kissing snowflakes of black ice  shivering down my spine as he worked his cold magic on me  pushing me further into his demented winter garden. 



Third Challenge hosted by Vicky @ Books, Biscuits and Tea


Take a photo of your reading space/corner, the place where you're blogging from right now - and make it fun! Showcase the books you chose for the read-a-thon, the snacks you bought for this event, your pets who sleep next to you while you read, etc. Feel free to tell us a few words about why you chose this place for reading or about your reading habits so that we can get to know each other a little bit better. :) 

Here is my Reading Space (well one of many)

I like to read in my room in the winter when it's cold. The family room is usually filled with my teenage children' and their friends. The sounds of video games and laughter have me moving upstairs to a quieter place. Here in my room I can snuggle under the blankets with my nook. I like to read with a cup of coffee on my bedside table. Sometimes my hubby will read or watch TV beside me.  In the summer, I love to read on the back deck in the late afternoons. I finished Bone Crossed and tonight I will complete Divergent. Tomorrow it;s Hunger Games and Best Man Worst Man.. Sunday is still up in the air..lol

 Third Challenge: Wicked Winter Ball hosted by moi. 
see it here: Wicked Winter Ball

Update: and the winner thanks to Random.org is Roro@Roro is Reading

(Roro has been notified via email)

Forth Challenge Wicked cover Love  hosted by Christy @ Love of Books

 A cover puzzle. The host provided pieces of  covers and you had to tell what the book was .....I solved 10 out of 12. 

Fifth challenge hosted by Michelle @ Book Briefs

Ok, so how does this work? First you pick a book. Then you find pictures to represent the words in the book title. Then you put the pictures/clues together and try to guess what the book title is.  Get creative and make it as challenging as you want. Make a post with your Book picture puzzles and go around to different blogs and try to guess some of the puzzles.

Make a post with your picture puzzle and then come back here and comment on this post. Be sure to leave your email address/or twitter/or some way for me to contact you. Let me know if you are US or international. Also leave a link to your post or picture title.

If you want an additional entry you can try and correctly guess my book title.

Here is my picture title :

The answer to Michelle's picture title is Don't Breathe a Word.

 Sixth  Challenge  hosted by Claire @ Project TBR

For this challenge I would like you to tease me at random from your current read. All you need to do is to divide your book roughly into thirds and then randomly select two sentences from each third (so six in total) and put them together to give a good tease.

Here is my Tease at Random:

From the novel Thief of Hope:

Sydney, a street urchin and pickpocket in the town of Last Hope, has managed to evade the oppressive Guild for years, but there is no escaping fate when she's sentenced to death for associating with the resistance.  After she's rescued by a wizard, Sydney is forced to accept that magic-long outlawed throughout the Kingdom of Thanumor-still exists, and the Tuatha, a powerful faery folk, are much more than ancient myth and legend. When the wizard offers a chance to fight the Guild and bring Willem, bastard prince and champion of the Tuatha, to the throne, Sydney embraces the cause as a way to find her own redemption.  But Sydney's fear of the Guild, distrust of authority, and surprising connection to the Tuatha threaten Willem's success. Can she untangle the strange threads that entwine her life not only to the fate of the kingdom, but also to Willem himself?(synopsis from Goodreads)

Gregor placed a hand on his sword."I give you my word no harm will come to Willem." "Is it true what they are saying about Schramig?"A young solider stepped forward, eyes wide.(pg 92, nook)

She shivered. The silver-eyed man had called them the Shadow Folk. (pg 184, nook)

"So good to see you again, Syd. Can't believe I missed all the excitement." (pg 267, nook)


Seventh Challenge  hosted by Amanda @ Letters Inside Out

So, I challenge you…*smiles sweetly* to come up with a song on that fits your current read.

My response : Genesis - Dancing with the Moonlit Knight

My book : Thief of Hope by Cindy Young Turner

Why I chose this song:

The protagonist Sydney with the help of magic , wizards and the faery folk must safely return a king to its throne and defeat the Guild. Thus begins her journey traveling with the Moonlit Knight. 


Update: I won this event and my prize was a 10.00 itunes card and the novel Promise..which is in the mail from the Book Depository....thanks  Amanda :)


The Eighth and final challenge hosted by April @ My Shelf Confessions

Congratulations you’ve survived the Ice Age this long – some of you were more ingenious than others. However all of you will now face one of the Ice Age’s greatest challenges: the Wicked Winter Witch. She has magick and uses the fierce weather and temperatures to her advantage.

 How will you save yourself and the precious books you’ve managed to save and savor through this long winter? How will you defeat the Wicked Winter Witch so you can go on and fight another day until this evil Ice Age ends?

 Tell me your survival strategy – and be creative, she is not an easy foe to be felled. 

Here is my answer: 

The  Wicked Winter Witch is a worthy opponent, but I have surrounded myself with powerful friends. Harry has agreed to lend me his invisibility cloak. and we will use it to cover Cinder's hover craft.  The Carriers of the Mark have agreed to escort me to safety.  The fae from Rosemary and Rue will lay traps and illusions to distract the witch. Katiness's arrow is tried and true and when the clock strikes midnight she will find her mark and lay the witch down. Bones and Cat  shall hide her in a tower in a town called Heart and she shall haunt it's halls forever more. Christian from Unearthly will guard the tower for that is his purpose. Charley and Cookie have invited me to spend the remaining ice age with them. Reyes has connection and says he knows someone who can heat things up....i am confident the ice age is coming to an end. - Kimba