Tag Archives: fun

Bout of Books 7.0

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boutofbooks7

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, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th 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 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Alrighty! It’s been a while since I’ve done a readathon, so I’m again participating in Bout of Books.

I’ll update with my goals tomorrow, as I haven’t yet figured out what they’ll be. Lots of reading and writing reviews, of course! I want to visit other participants as well, and maybe find some new blogging buddies. Tonight I plan to have one long night of Warcraft, and then I’ll devote the upcoming week to reading and getting ahead.

Goals:
REVIEWS:
Review AMITY & SORROW by Pegy Riley
Review THE BOLEYN KING by Laura Andersen
Review VICTORIA REBELS by Carolyn Meyer
Review ALPHA GIRL by Kate Bloomfield
Review THE END GAMES by T. Michael Martin
Review ROSES HAVE THORNS by Sandra Byrd

FINISH AND FINISH REVIEW:
Finish/review DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS by Staci Hart
Finish/review SUBMERGED by Nicole Sobon
Finish/review TWISTED SUMMER by Lucy V. Morgan
Finish/review COMES THE NIGHT by Norah Wilson and Heather Doherty
Finish/review THE BORGIAS: THE HIDDEN HISTORY by G. J. Meyer

READ AND REVIEW:
Read/review THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young
Read/review PULSE by Patrick Carman
Read/review DARK TRIUMPH by Robin LaFevers
Read/review DON’T TURN AROUND by Michelle Gagnon
Read/review CRYSTAL BONES by C. Aubrey Hall
Read/review INSIGNIA by S. J. KINCAID

As you can see, I have a LOT of reviews I need to write. I doubt I’ll get to all of them, but having yet another list is a good reminder that I need to get better about taking notes as I read! I’ve been trying to do this, because it helps, but sometimes I get through a book way too quickly or I’m too into it to take notes.

I’m also trying to give myself some variety with the books I need to read next, so we’ll see what I actually pick up to read.

Lastly, I want to get around to some of the other participating blogs and maybe make some new blogging friends. I’m also going to attempt to be more active on Twitter while reading. We’ll see!

Progress:
MAY 13:
Finished review for DEER IN HEADLIGHTS
Finished post for SUBMERGED
Read half of PULSE

MAY 14:

MAY 15:

MAY 16:

MAY 17:

MAY 18:

MAY 19:

– leeanna

Wicked Valentine’s Read-A-Thon

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At the last minute I decided to sign up for the Wicked Valentine’s Read-A-Thon, mainly because I want to get a lot of reading done, and I think the bat on the banner is cute! I like bats just as much as I like owls.

The readathon runs from February 7 to February 14, and I’m going to put all updates in this post. I will probably spam Twitter and Instagram with updates too, so follow/interact with me there — links are on the sidebar.

Goals:
01: Finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
02: Read Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell
03: Read Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
04: Read Blood’s Pride by Evie Manieri
05 Read The Holders by Julianna Scott
06: Review Shadow on the Crown by Patricia Bracewell
07: Review Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black
08: Review Blood’s Pride by Evie Manieri
09 Review The Holders by Julianna Scott
10 Review Incarnation by Emma Cornwall
11: Review Lady at the O.K. Corral by Ann Kirschner
12: Review City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
13: Review Trickster by Jeff Somers

As you can see, my main goal is going to be reviewing all the books … I hate getting behind in reviews. I might also start a reread of something fun, either Percy Jackson or World of Warcraft.

Updates:
February 7: I read to page 351 of Shadow on the Crown.

February 8: I finished Shadow on the Crown sometime in the early morning. Because I have quite a few reviews to write, I’ve picked up World of Warcraft: The Well of Eternity for a fun read. I even got a couple hundred words in last night, writing-wise. So far I’m having a good run … and I probably just jinxed myself.

February 9: Sick.

February 10: Sick.

February 11: Sick.

February 12: Sick.

February 13: Ugh! It seems to be my luck that I always have SOMETHING interfere when I try to do a readathon. I’ve been suffering from a weird cold for the past few days, which has put a huge damper on my reading/computer time. I spent most of the time flat on my back, a heated beanbag or pillow over my eyes, because I had such a bad headache. After a few days away, I feel oddly disconnected from the blogosphere. Fortunately now I’m almost back to normal, and I did get in a little reading time. With real books. How old fashioned :D

Here’s what I’ve read:
World of Warcraft: The Well of Eternity, War of the Ancients 1 by Richard A. Knaak
World of Warcraft: The Demon Soul, War of the Ancients 2 by Richard A. Knaak
World of Warcraft: The Sundering, War of the Ancients 3 by Richard A. Knaak
World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden

I’m in the middle of The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle and Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black. I had hoped to have a review up for Dance of Shadows yesterday, but got sidetracked with being sick. Both of these were actually started earlier in the week, and I anticipate finishing them before much longer.

I’ve been rereading the WoW books for fun, and I have to say that I’m sort of missing my days playing World of Warcraft. Uhoh.

February 14: The last day. Sadness. I didn’t get to hang out on Twitter like I’d hoped, but at least I got some reading accomplished. Not as much reading or reviewing as I’d hoped there either (I’m starting to sound like a broken record) but it was still fun! Today I finished The Hallowed Ones and am more than halfway through World of Warcraft: The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb. I may or may not finish it tonight.

And that’s it!

Total books read: 7
Total reviews written: 2

– leeanna

January 2013 Page Count Contest

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I’m participating in Reading Angel’s page count contest. It’s a fun way to push yourself to read more. My goal for January is 6,000 pages.

Title Author Date Finished Page Count
Vampires Revealed Rebeka Harrington 01/01/13 106
Desires Revealed Rebeka Harrington 01/01/13 128
The Cadet of Tildor Alex Lidell 01/02/13 400
The Queen’s Vow C.W. Gortner 01/05/13 400
Broken A.E. Rought 01/01/13 320
Mind Games Kiersten White 01/08/13 256
The Last Queen C. W. Gortner 01/13/13 400
The Queen’s Vow C.W. Gortner 01/18/13 400
Counting One’s Blessings ed. William Shawcross 01/18/13 666
Incarnation Emma Cornwall 01/19/13 352
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone JK Rowling 01/20/13 332
Star Wars: Scoundrels Timothy Zahn 01/21/13 464
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets JK Rowling 01/22/13 341
Magisterium Jeff Hirsch 01/23/13 310
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban JK Rowling 01/26/13 448
daynight Megan Thomason 01/26/13 324
Lady at the O.K. Corral Ann Kirschner 01/28/13 244
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire JK Rowling 01/28/13 752
Marie Curie and Her Daughters Shelley Emling 01/30/13 211
       

Running count: 6,854

– leeanna

2012 Favorite Books of the Year

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The only limit to this list was that I read the book in 2012. There’s a mix of books published this year and in years past. Several are books I’ve reread several times over the years, hence why they’re on my favorites list.

I went down my spreadsheet of books read in 2012 and picked out the ones that leapt out. So I probably missed a few favorites, but they’ll show up next year, I’m sure.

Bunheads by Sophie Flack
Date read: January 2, 2012 and November 5, 2012
Review: Haven’t posted it yet
I read Bunheads twice this year. I really hope the author writes another book set in the ballet world. Or any book — I’d love to see more from her.
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Date read: January 11, 2012
Review: See comment
I still remember how excited I was to see an ARC of this at work. I very excitedly emailed the teen librarian and asked if I could borrow it. I never reviewed this, because I was too full of squee to do so properly.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Date read: February 29, 2012
Review: Here.
A few weeks ago I got an email that my blog will be one of the ones listed in the paperback of Cinder as a thanks for supporting it!
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Date read: April 27, 2012
Review: Here
I haven’t yet reread Shadow and Bone, but I definitely want to. It’s YA fantasy with Russian influences, and I’ve convinced at least one person to buy it.
The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
Date read: February 8, 2012 and May 17, 2012 and September 23, 2012
Review: Here
The review I linked is an old one, from my previous blog. Seeing as I’ve read The Fire Rose three times this year, and countless times over the years, it marks right up there in my favorites. It’s just one of my comfort reads.
Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs
Date read: May 22, 2012
Review: Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground
I love both of Patricia Briggs’s series on shifters, but Alpha and Omega slightly edges Mercy Thompson out for my favorite. Yet another series I’ve read multiple times since first finding it.
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Date read: July 7, 2012
Review: Here
I will always remember Incarnate as one of the very first books I saw when I got into the book blogosphere. The scavenger hunt the author did on her blog was the first event like that I’d seen.
Huntress by Malinda Lo
Date read: July 28, 2012
Review: Not written
Sometimes I get way too excited over a book to write a review for it. Huntress is one of those books. I love, love the author’s writing style.
Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines
Date read: September 31, 2012
Review: Here
Libriomancer was the subject of my first ever v-log. This is one of those books that I really, really wish was true, because how cool would it be to use the magic in books?
The Dark Wife by Sarah Diemer
Date read: October 6, 2012
Review: Not yet reviewed
The Dark Wife is probably my favorite indie of the year. It’s a fantastic retelling of the Hades/Persephone myth.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Date read: October 10, 2012
Review: Not reviewed
This is one of my favorite classics, and I reread it once every year or two years.
Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Date read: November 5, 2012
Review: Not reviewed
Hands down, Kushiel’s Dart is my favorite epic fantasy. I had to buy a second copy this year because I wore out the spine on my first.

– leeanna

December 2012 Page Count Contest

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I’m participating in Reading Angel’s page count contest. It’s a fun way to push yourself to read more. My goal for December is 7,000 pages.

Title Author Date Finished Page Count
Sister Queens Julia Fox 12/08/12 480
ReVamped Ada Adams 12/13/12 298
ReAwakened Ada Adams 12/13/12 337
Debris Dreams David Colby 12/16/12 292
Delusion Laura L. Sullivan 12/18/12 341
The Six Wives of Henry VIII Alison Weir 12/19/12 656
Fall to Pieces Vahini Naidoo 12/19/12 314
The Children of Henry VIII Alison Weir 12/23/12 416
Innocent Traitor Alison Weir 12/24/12 407
The Lady Elizabeth Alison Weir 12/25/12 512
Velveteen Daniel Marks 12/26/12 450
The Madman’s Daughter Megan Sheperd 12/27/12 432
The Shadow Society Marie Rutkoski 12/30/12 416
The Life of Elizabeth I Alison Weir 12/31/12 560
       

Running count: 5,351

– leeanna

November 2012 Page Count Contest

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I’m participating in Reading Angel’s page count contest. It’s a fun way to push yourself to read more. My goal for November is 4,000 pages. I need to get back on track!

Title Author Date Finished Page Count
Bunheads Sophie Flack 11/05/12 320
Kushiel’s Dart Jacqueline Carey 11/05/12 912
Luminosity Stephanie Thomas 11/06/12 296
Greta and the Goblin King Chloe Jacobs 11/10/12 290
Kushiel’s Chosen Jacqueline Carey 11/14/12 704
Troll or Derby Red Tash 11/18/12 263
Kushiel’s Avatar Jacqueline Carey 11/20/12 768
Twilight Stephenie Meyer 11/21/12 544
New Moon Stephenie Meyer 11/24/12 576
Eclipse Stephenie Meyer 11/24/12 640
Breaking Dawn Stephenie Meyer 11/25/12 768
The Second Short Life of Bree Tanner Stephenie Meyer 11/25/12 192
The Red Chamber Pauline A. Chen 11/27/12 400
The Shadow Queen Rebecca Dean 11/29/12 423
The Blessed Tonya Hurley 11/29/12 416
       

Running count: 7,512

– leeanna

October 2012 Page Count Contest

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I’m participating in Reading Angel’s page count contest. It’s a fun way to push yourself to read more. My goal for October is 3,000 pages.

Title Author Date Finished Page Count
The Dark Wife Sarah Diemer 10/06/12 264
The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck 10/10/12 368
The Heretic Queen Michelle Moran 10/13/12 416
Escape Carolyn Jessop 10/15/12 426
       

Running count: 1,474

– leeanna

All Quiet on the Writing Front

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I’m not going to post a lot about writing this month. Or at least, I don’t plan to. I’m sure you guys get sick of hearing me go on and on about it ;)

I’ve got so many thoughts and ideas swirling in my brain. Some of them have been around for years, and are now combining with other ideas. It’s kind of cool, really, to know stuff I’ve thought about for so long is still something I like and want to do.

Aside from reading books, I’ve also been reading tons of author blogs and interviews, and I’ve bookmarked or saved bits from a lot of articles/interviews. There’s a lot of good stuff I’m taking away, including:

♥ Write every day
♥ Read a lot
♥ Write what makes you happy
♥ Write what you want to read
♥ Don’t be scared
♥ It’s okay to mess up

And so on. A lot of it is common sense, but the more I see it, the more it sinks into my mind. I know I’ll finish my first novel one day — I just have to try and quell my impatience to have it done NOW. I also need to quit worrying that no one will want to read what I want to write.

Right now, I need to remember why I love writing. So I’m spending the rest of September (how is it the 8th already??) working on fun stuff. No more stressing about original fic and how I should have something written by now.

Maybe in November I’ll attempt NaNo again, because having a deadline and a goal can be good for me. If I stick to them, that is.

Now wish me luck, because I’m going to try doing a video review! Here’s hoping I don’t sound or look like a dork, and that someone watches it.

– leeanna

Instagram for August

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I’m still on my Instagram kick! Follow me, I’m leeannac.

September 2012 Page Count Contest

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I’m participating in Reading Angel’s page count contest. It’s a fun way to push yourself to read more. My goal for September is 4,000 pages.

Title Author Date Finished Page Count
The White Forest Adam McOmber 09/03/12 320
Safekeeping Karen Hesse 09/07/12 291
Dearie Bob Spitz 09/07/12 534
God Save the Queen Kat Locke 09/16/12 351
Crewel Gennifer Albin 09/18/12 357
The Second Empress Michelle Moran 09/19/12 320
Lies Beneath Anne Greenwood Brown 09/22/12 303
The Fire Rose Mercedes Lackey 09/23/12 448
Sleepers Megg Jensen 09/23/12 171
Afterlife Megg Jensen 09/24/12 151
The Sundering Megg Jensen 09/26/12 159
Nefertiti Michelle Moran 09/29/12 474
       

Running count: 3,879