Monday, January 28, 2013

SciFi and Fantasy Top Picks

This is the list of 100 top science fiction and fantasy books as voted on by 60,000 NPR listeners. I enjoy both genres and am always looking for good suggestions. I'm going to color those that I've read. I've still got a lot to read! Any thoughts on specific titles? Things you think should be here that aren't or that shouldn't have made the list?

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert (I've read Dune)
5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin
6. 1984, by George Orwell
7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov (I've read Foundation)

9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman
12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan
13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson
15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore
16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov
17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein
18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss (I've read the first and half of the second)
19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick
22. The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood
23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King
24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke
25. The Stand, by Stephen King
26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson
27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman
30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein
32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams
33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey
34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein
35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller
36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells
37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne
38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys
39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells
40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny (I've read the first and will read them all.)
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings
42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley
43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson
44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven
45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood's End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman
57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold
60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett
61. The Mote In God's Eye, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind
63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist
67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks
68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard
69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson
72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne
73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore
74. Old Man's War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel's Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher
87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe
88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldon
90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock
91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury
92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson
96. Lucifer's Hammer, by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville
99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

Monday, January 21, 2013

Conservative must reads

Another list to incorporate into my to-reads. Must. Read. Faster.

As I was choosing what to read next last night I kept vacillating between a book that I should read or  something fluffy or a book from one of my lists or that library book that looked appealing when I grabbed it, but now. . . . The competitive side won out and I picked something that can be crossed off a list. Although if I had had some true fluff at hand--a good, mindless chick-lit or something--it probably would have won, because this flu bug has me worn out.

Does anyone else struggle with just not wanting to read the books that should be read? I couldn't stand a constant diet of fluff, but sometimes my brain just wants to relax. Last night the last thing I wanted to deal with was man's inhumanity to man, in any form.

That said, the books on this list look good. Perhaps not fun, but good.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Reviews

Why Shoot a Butler?  by Georgette Heyer
3/5 stars
I'm a big fan of Georgette Heyer's regency romances, so I've been wanting to read one of her mysteries. It was decent, but not great. The story seemed draggy to me, and I found myself reading faster and concentrating less just to get through the story. In many ways it was a classic country house mystery, which has always been a favorite genre of mine, but I was slightly annoyed by the fact that most of the clues to the crime were withheld until the end. I will probably try one more of her mysteries to see if I like it better.

Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb
3.5/5

J.D. Robb's "in Death" series is what I consider literary junk food. One once in a while won't hurt you, but you wouldn't want a steady diet of them. This installment in the series about Eve Dallas, a cop in the New York of the future, after the Urban Wars, was slightly better than the last couple. A bomber is threatening the landmarks, and people, of the city and is personally challenging Eve by sending her taunting letters. It's a race against time that she doesn't completely win.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Review: Two Graves

By Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Book 12 featuring Special Agent Aloysius Pendergast
3.5 Stars/5

This is a hard one to review. For those of you who thinkyou might want to read a Preston/Child book, don't start here! This book is the finale in a series of three telling the story of Agent Pendergast's wife, Helen. And those three are even later in the 12 books that feature Pendergast.
There were elements of the book that I enjoyed, but there were also places that, for me, the story dragged. Still, if you are already a fan, you will probably enjoy this book and look forward to the next one with great anticipation.

 And if you are not a fan, I would highly recommend that you go get Relic and read it.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Ready to read!

This year's first library trip



One of my favorite things about a new year is a fresh start on reading. I look forward to attacking new challenges. I've been thinking about what books I am going to start with for a month. Since I started keeping track of my reading, a new element has been added to the sheer pleasure that books bring. There's a satisfaction in meeting goals. My competitive spirit enjoys rising to challenges. And I love to see my progress!

I am a reading challenge addict

SO it's official. And I'm not alone. There is support for people like me.

Even though I was trying to be judicious and only choose challenges that support my desire to improve the quality and breadth of my reading, I ended up with a lot of challenges for 2013.

Let's see how many:
1.  A Little Help From My Friends
2.  What's in a Name
3. Vintage Mystery
4. Nerdy Non-fiction
5. TBR Pile Challenge
6. Genre Variety Challenge
7. Historical Fiction Challenge
8.  Read-a-Latte
9.  Back to the Classics
10. Tea and Books
11. Library Challenge
And the Reading Challenge Addicts makes 12!  This puts me in the In Flight category.

I also have my two ongoing challenges. Filling in the Gaps, which runs through December 2015, and the Nonfiction Challenge running through 2017.


Library Challenge

This year, with so much to read from my TBR pile, this may be more of a challenge. But my goal is to read 50 or more books from the library. So for the Library Books Reading Challenge, my level is "Just insert IV."

1. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (1/6/2013)
2. Loyalty in Death by J.D.Robb (1/8/2013)
3. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (1/11/2013)
4. The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer (1/30/2013)
5. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson (1/31/2013)  
6. The Racketeer by John Grisham (2/2/2013) 
7. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (2/5/2013)
8. The Black Box by Michael Connelly (2/7/2013)  
9. Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide (2/14/2013) 
10. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (2/18/2013) 
11.  Larklight by Philip Reeve (2/26/2013)  
12. Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman (3/3/2013) 
13. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (3/22/2013) 
14. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (3/25/21013) 
15. Shadow Creek by Joy Fielding (3/30/2013)
16. Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson (4/2/2013)
17. How (Not) to Have a Perfect Wedding by Arliss Ryan (4/3/2013)
18. The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories Volume 2 by Ursula K. LeGuin (4/3/2013)
19. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (4/4/2013)
20. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge (4/6/2013) 
21.  Witness in Death by J.D. Robb (4/14/2013)
22. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (4/16/2013) 
23. A Little Folly by Jude Morgan (4/19/2013)
24. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb (4/22/2013) 

25. Two of the Deadliest ed. by Elizabeth George (4/26/2013)
26. The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair (5/6/2013)
27. The Future of Us by Jay Asher (5/23/2013) 
28. Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman (5/27/2013) 
29. Watchmen by Alan Moore (5/29/2013) 
30.  The Hit by David Baldacci (6/2/2013)
31. Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (6/13/2013)  
32. Restrike by Reba White Williams (6/17/2013) 
33. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (6/20/2013)
34. Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb (6/27/2013) 
35. Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (6/29/2013)
36.  Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb (7/1/2013)
37. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (7/4/2013) 
38. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah (7/7/2013)
39. In Deep Voodoo by Stephanie Bond (7/14/2013)
40. Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende (7/20/2013)  
 41. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (7/24/2013)
42. Orchestrated Death by Cynthia Harrold-Eagles (8/4/2013)

43. L.S. Ayres and Company: The Store at the Crossroads of America by Kenneth Turchi (8/13/2013) 
44. Nebula Award Showcase 2013 (8/18/2013) (Library)
45. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (8/20/2013) (Library)
46. Silken Prey by John Sandford (8/23/2013)
47. What the River Washed Away by Muriel McLeod (8/26/2013)
48. Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War by Helen Frost (8/27/2013)
49. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (9/4/2013)

 50. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (9/14/2013)

51. Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson (9/18/2013)  
52. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (9/19/2013)  
53. Hidden Order by Brad Thor (9/23/2013) 

 
 
 
 

Tea & Books

This is a simple challenge. It is a bout reading books more than 650 pages long. I may bump up my level, but for now I'm going for the Berry Tea Devotee level, which means four 650+ page books.

1.  Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (1/19/2013) 985 pages
2. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (3/17/2013) 1168 pages
3. Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd (5/2/2013)  809 pages
4. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (6/8/2013) 704 pages 



Back to the classics

This challenge is appealing. It doesn't just require a set number of classics, it requires variety in the choices, supporting my goal of broadening my reading.

The Required Categories:
  1. A 19th Century Classic--The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1/28/2013)
  2. A 20th Century Classic-- My Antonia by Willa Cather (1/15/2013)
  3. A Pre-18th or 18th Century Classic-Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (9/9/2013)
  4. A Classic that relates to the African-American Experience - This can be an African-American author, or a book relating to slavery, civil rights, or African-American culture.Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (4/8/2013)
  5. A Classic Adventure--The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (11/27/2013)
  6. A Classic that prominently features an Animal - This can feature animal characters or animals in the title (real or imagined)--Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (1/12/2013)
Optional Categories:
    A.  Re-read a Classic--Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (3/5/2013)
   B.  A Russian Classic-- The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (2/5/2013)
   C.  A Classic Non-Fiction title-- In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1/6/2013)
   D.  A Classic Children's/Young Adult title--Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery(1/6/2013)
   E.  Classic Short Stories - collection must include at least 3 short stories by the same author, or at 
                                              least 3 stories collected together by genre, time period, etc.

Read-a-Latte

Yay! A challenge that fills the need for my 100+ fix! How appropriate that it's named after coffee!

I'll be taking part at the level of my beverage of choice: cappuccino. That means that I'll be reading at least 100 books this year.

After each title I will also note the other challenges it fulfills. I am also noting the number of pages. This is mostly for my own satisfaction.

1. Two Graves by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (1/4/2012) (Genre Variety) 484
2. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery (1/6/2012) (Library) (Genre Variety) (Gaps) (Friends)(Historical Fiction) (Classics) 299
3. Loyalty in Death by J.D.Robb (1/8/2012) (Library) (Genre Variety) 336
4. Why Shoot a Butler? by Georgette Heyer (1/11/2013) (Library) (Vintage Mystery) 329
5. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (1/13/2013) (Genre Variety) (Classics) (Nerdy) Ebook  290
6.  My Antonia by Willa Cather (1/15/2013) (Genre Variety)(Classics)(Historical Fiction)(TBR) (Gaps) 276
7. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (1/19/2013) (Historical Fiction) (Genre Variety) (Tea & Books) 985
8. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1/20/2013) (Nerdy) (Gaps) (Genre Variety) (Nonfiction) 342
9. The Case of the Stuttering Bishop (Perry Mason) by Erle Stanley Gardner (1/20/2013) (Vintage Mystery) 184
10. Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard (1/21/2013) (Genre Variety) (TBR) (Name) (Nonfiction) 310
11. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (1/25/2013) (Genre Variety) 384
12. The Old Man and the Wasteland by Nick Cole (1/27/2013) (Genre Variety) (Ebook) 150 
13. The Warden by Anthony Trollope (1/28/2013) (Classics) (Gaps) 137 
14. The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer (1/30/13) (Library)  448 
15. Merry Christmas, Alex Cross by James Patterson (1/31/2013) (Library)   400
16. The Racketeer by John Grisham (2/2/2013) (Library) 340 
17. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov (2/5/2013)(Classics) (Library) (Gaps)
18. The Black Box by Michael Connelly (2/7/2013) (Library) 
19. The Postman by David Brin (2/11/2013) (Genre Variety)
20. Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide (2/14/2013) (Library) (Historical Fiction)
21. Mad River by John Sandford (2/16/2013) (Audio) 
22. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny (2/18/2013) (Library) (Friends) 
23. The Kronos Interference by Edward Miller and J.B. Manas (2/22/2013) (Ebook) (Genre Variety) 
24. Larklight by Philip Reeve (2/26/2013) (Library)
25. The Forgotten by David Baldacci (3/1/2013) (Library) 
26. Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman (3/3/2013) (Library) (Name) 
27. The Man Who Knew Too Much by G.K. Chesterton (3/4/2013) (Vintage Mystery) (Ebook)
28. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (3/5/2013) (Reread) (Classic) (Genre Variety) 
29. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (3/17/2013) (Gaps) (Friends) (TBR) (Tea and Books) (Historical Fiction)
30. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (3/22/2013) (Library)
31. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (3/24/2013) (Library) (Vintage Mystery) (Gaps)
32. Shadow Creek by Joy Fielding (3/30/2013) (Library)
33. Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson (4/2/2013) (Library) 
34. How (Not) to Have a Perfect Wedding by Arliss Ryan (4/3/2013) (Library) (Genre Variety)(Name)
35. The Unreal and the Real: Selected Stories Volume 2 by Ursula K. LeGuin (4/3/2013) (Library)
36. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (4/4/2013) (Library) (Vintage Mystery) 
37. Margin by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. (4/5/2013) (Genre Variety) (Nerdy) 
38. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge (4/6/2013) (Library)
39. Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington (4/8/2013) (Classics) (Gaps) (Nerdy)
40. In the Garden of Beasts by Eric Larson (4/12/2013) (Genre Variety) (Nerdy) (Nonfiction) (Name)
41. Witness in Death by J.D. Robb (4/14/2013) (Library)
42. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler (4/16/2013) (Genre Variety) (Library) 
43. A Little Folly by Jude Morgan (4/19/2013) (Library) (Historical Fiction) 
44. Judgment in Death by J.D. Robb (4/22/2013) (Library)
45. Two of the Deadliest ed. by Elizabeth George (4/26/2013) (Library) 
46. Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd (5/2/2013) (Historical Fiction) (Tea and Books) 
47. The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair (5/6/2013) (Library) 
48. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann (5/6/2013) (Gaps)
49. The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones (5/14/2013) 
50. Poke the Box by Seth Godin (5/20/2013) (Ebook)
51. The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny (5/21/2013)
52. The Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny  (5/22/2013)
53. Here I Go Again by Jen Lancaster (5/23/2013) (Ebook)
54. The Future of Us by Jay Asher (5/23/2013) (Library)
55. Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey (5/25/2013) (Vintage Mystery) (Ebook)
56. Guilt by Jonathan Kellerman  (5/27/2013) (Library)
57. Watchmen by Alan Moore (5/29/2013) (Library) (Gaps)
58. Whatever It Takes by Paul Tough (5/30/2013) (Nerdy) (Non-fiction)
59. The Hit by David Baldacci (6/2/2013) (Library) 
60. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (6/8/2013) (TBR) (Historical Fiction) (Tea and Books)
61. Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child by Anthony Esolen (6/13/2013) (Nerdy) (Library)
62. The Hand of Oberon by Roger Zelazny (6/14/2013)  
63. Restrike by Reba White Williams (6/17/2013) (Library) 
64. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (6/19/2013)  
65. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (6/20/2013) (Library)
66. Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb (6/27/2013) (Library)
67. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (6/29/2013) (Library) (Friends)
68. Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb (7/1/2013) (Library) 
69. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok (7/4/2013) (Library) (Friends)
70. The Heist by Janet Evanovich (7/6/20130 (Library)
71. Fly Away by Kristin Hannah (7/9/2013) (Library) 
72. In Deep Voodoo by Stephanie Bond (7/14/2013) (Library) 
73. Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende (7/20/2013) (Library) 
74. The Bat by Joe Nesbo (7/24/2013) (Library)
75. Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen (7/25/2013) (Nerdy)
76. Kate's Progress by Cynthia Harrold-Eagles (7/28/2013) (Library) 
77. Orchestrated Death by Cynthia Harrold-Eagles (8/4/2013) (Library)
78. The Tao of Martha by Jen Lancaster (8/13/2013)  
79. L.S. Ayres and Company: The Store at the Crossroads of America by Kenneth Turchi (8/13/2013) (Library) (Nerdy) 
80. Nebula Award Showcase 2013 (8/18/2013) (Library)
81. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella (8/20/2013) (Library)
82. Silken Prey by John Sandford (8/23/2013) (Library)
83. What the River Washed Away by Muriel McLeod (8/26/2013) (Library) (Historical Fiction)

84. Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War (8/27/2013) (Library) (Historical Fiction) 
85. Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien (TBR)
86. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (9/4/2013) (Vintage) (Historical Fiction) (Library) 
87. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (9/9/2013) (Classics ) (Gaps)
88. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (J.K. Rowling) (9/14/2013) (Library) 
89. Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson (9/18/2013) (Library) (Historical Fiction) 
90. The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (9/19/2013) (Library) (Vintage) 
91. Hidden Order by Brad Thor (9/23/2013) (Library) 
92. Never Go Back by Lee Child (9/26/2013) (Library)
93. Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb (10/11/2013) (Library)
94. Menfreya in the Morning by Victoria Holt (10/16/2013) (Library)
95. W. is for Wasted by Sue Grafton (10/21/2013) (Library)
96. Surgery Not Included by Richard E. Busch III (10/23/2013)
97. The Hive by Gill Hornby (10/26/2013) (Library)
98. Gone by James Patterson (10/28/2013) (Library)
99. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (10/29/2013) (Library) (Friends)
100. Snobs by Julian Fellowes (11/3/2013) (Library)
101. Thy Kingdom Come  by David H. Petersen (11/6/2013) (Nonfiction)
102. Monrovia Mon Amour by Theodore Dalrymple (11/6/2013)( Nonfiction)
103.Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford (11/11/2013) (Library) (Historical fiction)
104. Color Your Style by David Zyla (11/10/2013) (Nonfiction) 
105. The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander (11/21/2013) (Friends) 
106. Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy (11/24/2013) (Historical Fiction) (Ebook)
107. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle (11/27/2013) (Classics) (Name) (Ebook)
108. White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (12/4/2013) (Library)
109. In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (12/10/2013) (Library) (Audio) (Gaps) (Nonfiction)
110. The Gods of Guilt by Michael Connelly (12/12/2013) (Library) 
111. Middlemarch by George Eliot (12/13/2013) (Friends) (Gaps) (Historical fiction) (Ebook) 
112. Tam Lin by Pamela Dean (12/15/2013) (Friends) 
113. An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer (12/23/2013) (Historical Fiction) (Ebook) 
114. A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy (12/30/2013) (Library)

Okay. . . so maybe I want another challenge (or three)

I just had to go look for a 100+ Challenge, which I still haven't found. But over the holiday season some more interesting challenges have appeared, and I'm going to have to add a few more.

So, first of all: The Historical Fiction Challenge.
I am going to take part at the Medieval Level, which is 15 books in the historical fiction genre. This has always been one of my favorites, so it should be fun.

1. My Antonia by Willa Cather (1/15/2013)
2.  Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (1/19/2013)
3. Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide (2/14/2013)
4. Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset (3/17/2013) 
5. A Little Folly by Jude Morgan (4/19/2013)  
6. Paris: The Novel by Edward Rutherfurd (5/2/2013)  
7. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane (6/8/2013)
8. What the River Washed Away by Muriel McLeod (8/26/2013)
9. Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War by Helen Frost (8/27/2013)
10. The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (9/4/2013) 
11. Love and Lament by John Milliken Thompson (9/18/2013)  
12. Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford (11/11/2012) 
13. Mary, Queen of France by Jean Plaidy (11/24/2013) 
14. Middlemarch by George Eliot (12/13/2013)  
15. An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer (12/23/2013)