Reading Plans 2018 (Bout of Books, 2018 Reading, and Winter's Respite)

The next Bout of Books read-a-thon is coming up and I'm super excited to join in on the fun.  I think that I've participated in this read-a-thon the last three years in a row at least.  It is always a good way to get my reading started off right in the new year!  If you haven't yet had the chance to participate in Bout of Books before now, here are the rules:

 "The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team"

I would love to finish at least two books for this challenge.  Since I'm writing this post a bit earlier than usual, I'm not really for sure what I plan on reading yet.  These two are definite possibilities though as I'm hoping to read both of them this month:

It will all depend on what I actually finish reading this first week of the new year - I'll post updates on Litsy and Twitter of what books I actually end up reading during this read-a-thon.  I'm really looking forward to it though and cannot wait to begin!

I've previously talked about my TBR challenge that I'm doing in 2018 which is a personal challenge.  I'm also planning on a 2018 releases challenge (which will also be personal).  The plan is I have a list of 30 books being published in 2018 that I want to read.  For every book that I read off of this list, I'll add a new release in it's place.  Participating in both of these personal challenges will help to give my 2018 reading a variety of backlist reads along with new releases.  The best of both worlds if I do say so myself!  I will also be creating a page to list out all of my 2018 releases that I'm wanting to read if you are interested.

The final change to my 2018 reading that I'm hoping to put into place is really stretching my reading limits.  I read a TON of mysteries and thrillers last year.  I would say that the majority of the books that I read were books that were part of a series.  I'm fine with both of those things alone but I also really want to stretch myself as a reader.  I want to expand my reading horizons and that means trying new things.  It means reading more nonfiction (in 2017 I finished 3 nonfiction reads which is a pretty low number; but also a really great number for me considering there were many years where I didn't read any nonfiction books).  It also means participating in read-alongs, focusing on reading books featuring diverse characters or written by diverse authors, and just picking up books that I normally might not.  Reading different genres is also something that I want to do more of!  In the spirit of all of this, I have signed up for a read-along of the following book on Litsy:

I know absolutely nothing about this book other than it was one of the choices for the Book of the Month club.  I went ahead and put it on hold at the library anyways because this is the year where I'm going to try something different.  And for me, this is definitely outside of what I would normally read.  I'll keep you updated with the different books that I read but I'm hoping to become a much more well-rounded reader in 2018!

Finally, I'm also signing up to participate in the Winter's Respite read-a-thon which goes through the entire month of January.  There are no rules to participating besides read, read, read.  I'm planning on using this read-a-thon to help me get some quality reading done in January while also making progress on the #COYER Winter Switch challenge that I'm participating in.  I'm really hoping that month long read-a-thon will start my 2018 reading year off on the right foot with tons of great books!

Enough rambling, I'm off to get some quality reading done but let me know what your reading plans/goals are for 2018!

Read-A-Longs (Where I Overcommit Myself Yet Again)

 

What is it about this time of year that always makes me want to find a great read-a-long to join in on?  I don't know the exact reasons, but I can tell you that I've really been in the mood to participate in a read-a-long just for the sense of community that these always seem to bring.   Plus, it is always such  fun to discuss a good book with other readers (and especially a scary one).  So here I am completely over-extending myself and signing up for three read-a-longs that will all fit in with the R.I.P. challenge.  

I'm a bit late for the first one but I am planning on starting (today) The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson.  This read-a-long is being hosted by the lovely ladies at The Estella Society.  I should be ready to discuss on October 1st.  I'm super excited to finally read this one as it has been on my R.I.P. lists for years now. 

I am also finally read to try Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury hosted by Sandy from You've Gotta Read This and Ti from Book Chatter.  I couldn't resist joining this one when I saw the Twitter hashtag #EnterTheRingmaster.  This should be fun!

Finally, I am signing up to participate in a read-a-long for Fingersmith by Sarah Waters.  I loved Affinity (the only book of hers that I have read so far) and have been meaning to read more every since.  This read-a-long is being hosted by The Literate Housewife.

I cannot tell you guys how excited I am to participate in all three of these read-a-longs.  Are any of you planning on joining in on one of these?  Or are you just sitting there laughing at my crazy bookish ways yet once again?? 

The Sunday Salon: R.I.P. Fever!!!

You guys!  I seriously, seriously have R.I.P. fever as of late and am anxiously waiting for Carl to post about it!! I've been setting books aside for about a month now that I plan/want to read in the coming months but when I saw that the ladies at The Estella Society are hosting a read-along for The Historian I knew that I just HAD to participate!  I've already got this one on my shelves and have been meaning to read it for awhile now.  I actually think that I won my copy a few years back but I'm struggling to remember from who or where.  But anyways this would be a great way to get this one off of my shelves and finally read!  I can't wait to get started!

I'm also officially signing up for the Bout of Books read-a-thon.  I've participated in this one a couple of times and always had a good time.  This weeks looks to be crazy busy for me: school starts, overtime, football practice and other fun things but I'm still planning on getting some books read.  Here is what the Bout of Books website says:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

My reading plans are going to be kept to a minimum considering how crazy the week is shaping up to be.  I'm currently reading The Arrangement by Mary Balogh which I'm reading for a TLC book tour.  I also want to finish up Vanish With the Rose by Barbara Michaels which I keep setting aside for no good reason.  Actually I do have a really good reason as last week I read and loved Lost by S.J. Bolton.  S.J. Bolton is one of my FAVORITE authors and she definitely didn't disappoint with this latest book.  I plan on writing up my thoughts on this one for this week (which almost never happens) but suffice it to say that it helped to give me even more R.I.P. fever.  This book was so creepy!  So I may only plan to try and finish two books this week for the read-a-thon but if I get the chance to read more you can bet I will!  In fact I plan to get some reading done today in between loads of laundry (and cleaning).  Happy Sunday and happy reading!!

The Sunday Salon: Rambles

Good morning!  I'm getting a late start this morning since it seems everyone decided to sleep in.  This happens so rarely that I am in the best mood (all from a little extra sleep).  LOL!  And a three day weekend which is even better.  But I have lots of bookish randomness to talk about so let me begin.

This week begins A Winter's Respite Read-a-thon and I'm officially signing up to participate.  It doesn't start until tomorrow but I'm unofficially beginning today.  My reading has been pretty slow going in January (which I would like to blame the new job for but really it is probably just me) so I thought I would join and get some quality reading time.  Plus, I just love participating in read-a-thons!  I'll try to post some pics of the books that I want to read during the week but realistically I just want to get one or two books read.  I can totally do that!  So here is to reading and having fun while I'm at it :)  And if you want to participate as well click here.

I'm also officially signing up for the group read of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley hosted by the lovely Christine.  I went to the library last week and snatched up all kinds of books that I still need to tell you about.  But one of the books that I grabbed was this one and I cannot wait to begin reading it.  Some of my favorite bloggers rave about her books and this will be my first by her.  This will be my first read-a-long of the year as well but next month is The Shining by King.  AAAHHH!  I'm so creeped out by this book that just thinking about it...I'm crazy but I HAVE to join in and read this one with others.  But enough on that until later.  If you want to join in on the group read for The Winter Sea click here.

Finally, in reading news I'm currently reading The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon.  It is SO GOOD!  How have I never read this author before now????  I must remedy this and have added almost all of her books to my TBR list.   I'm reading this book as part of a TLC book tour so you should be able to read my review on Tuesday.  And if I keep this up I will be two for two on writing my reviews right after I finish (and not two months later).  I knocked out a few more of my 2012 reads that I have left to review last week but expect a few more mini review posts to finish that all up.  And that's about it for me except for one more thing.  I want to wish my Pickle baby the best 3rd birthday!  Happy Birthday Baby Boy!!!!!!

Really Random Tuesday: It-Along

Really Random Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Suko and let's us share basically anything that we want to :)

The Stand. It beat me. Or I should really say that I gave up after less than 100 pages. Yikes! I just couldn't get into it so I set it aside for other books. And then more books. Before I knew it the read-a-long was over and I hadn't really even begun. Oops! So I decided to return it to the library and try again another day. I mean it is a HUGE book. I can try again later, right???

But who am I to give up on Stephen King after one read-a-long?? Instead I'm diving head first into ANOTHER read-a-long and for a book that scares the living daylights out of me. Ummm...just look at that picture :/ I hate clowns! I'm absolutely, positively certain that this one will probably give me nightmares but I just HAVE to try it. Kinda like I really, really, really want to read The Shining (and every other book that King has written) at some point but I'm terrified. So this book may hang out in my freezer while I sleep....and I'm only halfway kidding. But I'm throwing in my hat and am going to participate. Baby steps to picking this one up from the library. And then baby steps to cracking the book open. I is scared... :)

The Stand-a-long

So I know that I mentioned already that I'm planning on joining in on Trish's read-a-long of The Stand by Stephen King. And I'm SUPER excited about it because it's a read-a-long AND with Trish (for one) and two, I feel like this book has been on my TBR list for FOREVER. Seriously, I'm intimidated. But who isn't at this point??? It is HUGE!!!! (and yes, I know that I'm using tons of capitals and exclamations but I can't help myself) I need to say this again..it is ENORMOUS!!! I'm reading the uncut version that I checked out from the library and it is hideous. Seriously old and nasty looking. I could care less though because I'm too excited/scared about reading this book. I think that I might end up buying it though because I'm gonna hate having to return it to the library 1/2 way finished. So we will see on Friday if I can resist snatching up my own copy of it. Anyways, I thought it would be fun since I'm officially joining in to answer Trish's questions:

1. What makes you want to read The Stand? Honestly, I'm not sure. I added it to my TBR list too many years ago to really remember why I wanted to read it in the 1st place. But that has only piqued my curiosity so now I just can't resist the chance to read it!

2. Describe your preconceived notions of The Stand. That it is long. And probably scary. And long. And scary. When I think of King, I think of the Friends episode and Joey hiding the book in the freezer. So I'm a bit nervous if I do say so myself.

3. What was the last scary(ish) book you read or movie you saw? I don't do scary movies. AT ALL. I have been watching a few episodes of The Walking Dead which might count. And if Mira Grant's Deadline (zombie novel) counts as scary then that is the last book. But I didn't think that it was actually scary so there you have it.

4. Which version of the book will you be reading from? The uncut ugly library version. If I buy it, I will still be reading the uncut version but hopefully it won't be so nasty looking :)

5. What are you previous experiences with Stephen King? Umm..a long time ago (pre-blogging) I read The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. And I've always wanted to try and read The Shining but I'm too scared to even try. Yet, I want to read The Stand. Go figure.

6. Anything else you'd like to add (bonus points for being extra random). If I have nightmares from this book, you guys are ALL going to know it. Just saying... If you are on the fence about joining in, then just do it! You know you want to! And it will be fun. I think :)

Readathons, Reviews, and Readalongs

Look what I found!!! A new read-a-thon to join in on which of course makes me ridiculously excited. The only requirement to participate in this read-a-thon is that we read one scary book. As I'm just beginning The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson I can honestly say that I'm good to go as this book is supposed to be a creepy, gothic read. The read-a-thon goes on all week long so let's see if I can make up for a crappy month of reading in September and make October that much better :)

I'm also reading The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson because I am participating in Carl's readalong. I'm super excited to participate in this readalong because so many others are and I think that it will be fun to discuss this book with everyone. Plus, there has been a TON of hype surrounding this book so naturally I'm curious to see what it is all about.


And then look what else I found while I was perusing my reader. Another read-a-thon although this one doesn't start for a few weeks. That's okay as it means that maybe I will get lots of reading done in October and have my best month yet. I can hope even though my busy life says otherwise :)

And finally, I just signed up to be a cheerleader for Dewey's read-a-thon! I participated last time it came around and had lots of fun. I haven't even checked my schedule yet to see if that is my weekend to work or not (9 times out of 10 it is though) but I'm still going to clear a few hours of my schedule and cheer the readers on. Probably later at night when the kiddos are asleep :)

I'm super excited about all of these different events and I'm thinking that October is going to be filled with bookish goodness. I almost forgot to share that I will also be "attempting" to focus on catching up on my reviews now that I'm 11 reviews behind and counting. I read a post about the No Old Review Club started by the Literate Housewife (hashtag #NORC). Catching up on reviews has been something I've been trying to do for months now so of course I wanted to participate. Maybe talking to others will help motivate me to catch up. Because I really want to review every book that I read in 2011. It has kinda become a goal for me :) Now let the reading commence!

Storm Front - Week 2 Questions

Week two's question are here and I'm moving right along with finishing the book up. I couldn't wait any longer and continued reading. It is getting GOOD! Anyways, here are my thoughts on the middle portion of the book :)

1. What are your thoughts on the pop culture references Butcher includes in his work, largely coming from Harry himself?

Hmm...this question has me pondering and wondering what I missed. Because I'm drawing a blank other than the council reference that Carl made in the previous questions. I honestly don't know how to answer this question other than to say that I'm sure I'll find it interesting to read other participant's answers to this question :)

2. As I finished part two of Storm Front I realized that each section of the book thus far feels like a distinct act in a three act story arc. How do you compare the events in this second section of the book with what happened it part one? Is there a mood or theme or such that you feel is embodied by part two of Harry's adventures?

There is a definite different feel to the second part of the story. Harry is getting caught deeper and deeper into events and mysterious happenings that he cannot control. I'm definitely getting a different experience by rereading it this time around. I feel like all of the different directions that Harry is being pulled in make more sense this time and are really making the book that much more enjoyable for me. I'm still surprised by how much of the book that I've forgotten but by rereading it, I'm slowly starting to remember more and more. It has been an interesting reading experience so far!

3. One of many things Jim Butcher demonstrates in Storm Front is a healthy sense of humor. Share with us your thoughts on one (or more) of the humorous moments in the story thus far.

I loved the scene with the Harry, Susan, and the demon. It was over the top but not in a bad way and I couldn't help but chuckle while seeing Harry try to get out of all the trouble that he was in. Bob continues to be a favorite character of mine and I'm curious to see if we get to hear about what he did with his "free time". I'm guessing that he got into some kind of trouble that we will hopefully hear about :)

4. Our hero Harry had disastrous interactions with the women in his life in section two of the book (Four by my count). For first time readers, were you surprised by any of these and what are your thoughts? For those who've read the books before, had you forgotten about any of these? If so, or even if not, share your thoughts on Harry's luck with women.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you look at it), I had forgotten about all of these so I found it to be just like I was reading it for the first time with an "idea" of where the ending was going. I was surprised at how fun I found Harry's interactions with Susan to be. This could be because of everything that happens to them in that scene but I really enjoyed it. And I had forgotten how sad it was to see Murphy and Harry at odds with each other. I didn't like it and had to remind myself that she continues to play a role in future books. Harry just seems to have rotten luck when it comes to women and doesn't seem to be entirely comfortable with them either.

5. A few other popular characters have been brought up in the first round of discussion about Storm Front. What books, films, tv shows, etc. does this story/these characters call to mind and why?

I heard references to Harry Potter in the previous discussion which didn't really surprise me that much considering they are both wizards using magic (and the name of course). Honestly though, I'm having a hard time coming up with another book that has a main character like Harry Dresden. I think that his character makes the book unique which makes this book even more pleasurable to read. The loner aspect to Harry along with the unique abilities that he has reminds me a tiny bit of Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz but I really find Harry to be the more satisfying of the two characters. And saying that makes me realize how long it has been since I've read that series. Hmm...

6. For new readers, what is your overall assessment of the story thus far? For re-readers, what have you picked up on this time that you either forgot about or don't remember seeing from your first trip through the book?

Since this is my 2nd time reading this book, I feel like even though I don't remember a lot from reading the book the first time, I am able to see all of the threads that the author has created more clearly. It has allowed me to see how they relate to each other and to appreciate this book even more. I'm having a hard time putting this book down and can't wait to see what everyone thinks when they finish!

Until next week...

Storm Front - Week 1 Questions

I'm in the midst of rereading Storm Front by Jim Butcher as part of a readalong for the R.I.P. VI Challenge hosted by Carl. I've read the first 3 or 4 books in this series (and enjoyed them all) but kind of stalled out on the series after that. I thought it would be fun to reread this one and then continue on with the series. Here are my thoughts on the questions for week one.

1. What are your first impressions of our main character, Harry Dresden?

Harry is one of those characters that you can't help but like. He is old school, gallant, and completely eccentric which makes me like him even more. One of the things that I noticed was that he wasn't completely sure of himself and even though he is a wizard, he has a healthy dose of fear for some of the individuals and things that go bump in the night. Harry isn't perfect, and I like him all the more for it.

2. In the first section of the book we are introduced to a large cast of characters. Some in support of our main character and others who are involved in the multiple investigations with agendas unknown to us. Are there any of the these characters who stood out to you?

Murphy stood out to me but of course that could be because I've read this book and a couple others before so I know what an important role she plays in the series. I was surprised at how much I had forgotten about this book but it was interesting to be "reintroduced" to some of the characters that play important parts in this series or are featured in other books. Bob, the talking skull, is my favorite character for sure though :)

3. Did you ever watch the Syfy channel's Dresden Files TV adaption? If so did it effect how you approached the novel? Were there positive and/or negative differences that stood out to you?

Nope, I didn't even realize that there was a TV adaption. I'll admit that I'm curious as to how it played out and wouldn't mind seeing an episode or two if they are still playing.

4. Any thoughts on Jim Butcher's magic system, Harry's Watcher, and/or the White Council?

You can already tell that Harry's relationship and role in regards to the White Council is both complicated and dangerous. I'm curious to see what the White Council is going to think about the different dealings that Harry is getting caught up in (and I honestly wish that I could remember exactly what happens.) As it is, I guess we will all find out as we read further into the book :)

5. Lastly, Any guess on were Dresden's multiple plot threads will lead and/or any favorite scenes the first section of the book?

I've got a vague idea as I have read this book before but because my memory is faulty and it has been a few years, I'm not exactly sure. I don't have any favorite scenes yet although the scene with Toot was fun to read about. I'm looking forward to continuing on with Harry's adventures!

The Affinity Readalong Part One (thoughts)

From the inside cover:

"From Sarah Waters-a spellbinding ghost story, a complex and intriguing historical mystery, and a poignant romance with an unexpected twist.

An upper-class woman recovering from a suicide attempt, Margaret Prior has begun visiting the women's ward of Millbank prison, Victorian London's grimmest jail, as part of her rehabilitative charity work. Amongst Millbank's murderers and common thieves, Margaret finds herself increasingly fascinated by an apparently innocent inmate, the enigmatic spiritualist Selina Dawes."

My Thoughts:

I began reading this book as part of Andi's (Tripping Toward Lucidity) Affinity readalong. I'm so glad that I'm finally taking the time to read a novel by Sarah Waters. And as soon as I read that summary I knew that this was a book that I wanted to read. My thoughts so far are very positive. I love the atmosphere that Waters has created with this book. While I'm reading it, I can almost feel like I'm there with Margaret at the prison. She describes everything in such perfect detail that I find myself caught within the pages. I think that the hint of ghosts and supernatural is interesting and I'm looking forward to seeing what more the author does with this. Margaret's character is very mysterious with hints of something more given in small portions. I know from reading the summary (sorry if the summary I shared is a bit spoilery) that Margaret tried to commit suicide, but it isn't clear exactly what led her to it or any of the details. I want to know more and am curious to see how this plays into the storyline. I've only read the first two parts of the book and am anxious to return and see what happens next. All in all, so far I'm really liking this book and I can't wait to read more.