Category: End of Year Wrap-Up

DNF Books, SERIES

2011 DNF #2 – Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell

Tara

Faceless Killers
by Henning Mankell

Copyright: 1991
Pages: 359
Format: Print

Blurb: On a cold night in a remote Swedish farmhouse, an elderly farmer is bludgeoned to death, and his wife is left to die with a noose around her neck. The only other clue the police have is one that they wish they didn’t: the dying woman’s last word is “foreign.” In the first riveting installment in the internationally bestselling Wallander series, police inspector Kurt Wallander doggedly investigates the horrible crime, as he contends with his own demons and tries to keep the public outcry for vengeance against an already reviled immigrant community at bay.

I picked this book up based solely on the recommendation of many fellow readers on the Yahoo reading group MostlyBooks. It sounded like it was right up my alley. But the fact of the matter is that it wasn’t a very good book in my opinion. I never warmed up to the main character, Kurt Wallander, I didn’t find him to be a very likable fellow. In fact, I didn’t think that any of the characters were very well developed. I gave this book 150 pages before I finally had to put it aside. It just wasn’t to my liking.

DNF Books

2011 DNF #1 – A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

Tara

A Reliable Wife
by Robert Goolrick

Copyright: 2009
Pages: 291
Format: Print

Blurb: He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for a “reliable wife.” She responded, saying that she was “a simple, honest woman.” She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving herself a wealthy widow. What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own.

I wanted to love this book. So bad. And I couldn’t even get through it.  290 pages and I could only (barely) tolerate 100. I’m still kind of curious to know what happens in the end of this book, but not curious enough to suffer my way through the rest of this book. The characters are unlikable, the writing is way too lyrical for my taste, and it’s overall just boring. I searched for some other blogger book reviews for this book and noticed that people either loved or hated this book. Unfortunately, I am on the negative side in my opinion on this book.

Challenge Wrap-Up, End of Year Wrap-Up, READING CHALLENGES 2010

2010 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

Tara

So I didn’t do as good on my reading challenges as I had hoped, but that’s okay. I’m still pleased with what I accomplished in 2010. Here’s where I stand in terms of my challenges for 2010:

FINISHED CHALLENGES:

  • Random Reading Challenge (12/12)
  • Thriller & Suspense Challenge (12/12)
  • Finish That Series Challenge (3 Series caught up with)|
    ALEX KAVA’S MAGGIE O’DELL SERIES
    JAMES PATTERSON & MICHAEL LEDWIDGE’S MICHAEL BENNETT SERIES
    TESS GERRITSEN’S JANE RIZZOLI & MAURA ISLES SERIES

 

UNFINISHED CHALLENGES:

  • 2010 100+ Reading Challenge (67/100)
  • Celebrate the Author Challenge (10/12)
  • Countdown Challenge 2010 (45/55)
  • Harry Potter Reading Challenge (1/7)
  • RYOB 2010 (45/50)
End of Year Wrap-Up, Reading Statistics

2010 Reading Statistics

Tara

Well, here it is. The breakdown of my 2010 reading. I had a good year this year, and I’m very happy with where I’m at. I especially like that I was able to read 45 books off of my shelves. That’s great in my opinion (now if I could just get through the other gazillion books on my shelves, haha!) Anyways, without further ado, here is my 2010 reading year in review:

Overview

  • Books Read: 67
  • Books Un-Finished: 6
  • Pages Read: 24,551
  • Male Authors: 22
  • Female Authors: 18
  • New-To-Me Authors: 22
  • Longest Book Read: The Camel Club by David Baldacci (593 pages)
  • Shortest Book Read: The Fun of Dying by Roberta Grimes (149 pages)

Best & Worst

  • Best Reading Month Based on Number of Books: September (8 books)
  • Worst Reading Month Based on Number of Books: November (3 books)
  • Best Reading Month Based on Number of Pages: September (2820 pages)
  • Worst Reading Month Based on Number of Pages: November (1322 pages)

Averages

  • Average Books Read Per Month: 5.58
  • Average Pages Read Per Month: 2045.91
  • Average Pages Per Book: 366.43

Top 10 Favorites (In alphabetical order):

  • The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver
  • 14 by J.T. Ellison
  • The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
  • 31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan
  • Black Friday by Alex Kava
  • The Inner Circle by Brad Meltzer
  • Victim Six by Gregg Olsen
  • The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson
  • The Spire by Richard North Patterson

Breakdown of the Numbers

  • Page Distributions
    • 0-200 pages: 2
    • 201-300 pages: 8
    • 301-400 pages: 33
    • 401-500 pages: 19
    • Over 501 pages: 5
  • Publication Date
    • 2011: 1
    • 2010: 16
    • 2000-2009: 35
    • 1990s: 11
    • 1980s: 3
    • 1970s: 1
  • By Genre
    • Fiction: 64
    • Non-fiction: 3
  • By Rating
    • 5/5: 18
    • 4.5/5: 7
    • 4/5: 25
    • 3.5/5: 3
    • 3/5: 14
    • 2/5: 0
    • 1/5: 0
    • 0/5 (DNF’s): 6
  • Source of Book
    • Owned: 45
    • Library: 11
    • Review Book: 11
  • Authors Read Multiple Times This Year
    • David Baldacci: 3
    • Patricia Cornwell: 13
    • Tess Gerritsen: 6
    • Erin Healy: 2
    • Alex Kava: 3
    • James Patterson: 9
  • Challenges
    • Challenges Completed: 3
    • Challenges Unfinished: 5
DNF Books, End of Year Wrap-Up

2010 DNF Books

Tara

So, I got this idea from Marce over at Tea Time with Marce. She posted her DNF books and is offering a spot to link up your DNF list. Here’s mine:

 

  1.  Dan Brown – The Lost Symbol
    ~I wanted SO much to love this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I’m not really sure what the problem was, to be honest. It just didn’t catch my attention. Maybe I’ll try again sometime next year.
  2. William Coughlin – The Court
    ~I have only read one previous William Coughlin book and I had trouble getting into it. But I took another chance on this author, and I just couldn’t get through it.
  3. Ted Dekker – The Bride Collector
    ~I read (and LOVED) BoneMan’s Daughter last year. I was hoping that this one would be just as good, if not better. And the blurb sounded great. But for whatever reason, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the main character. I might try again some day, but I’m not in any rush.
  4. Paul Christopher – Rembrandt’s Ghost
    ~    I had read some of the previous books in the Finn Ryan series and enjoyed them. This one, I don’t know if it was the plot or what, but I was not interested in it.
  5. Jeffrey Archer – Sons of Fortune
    ~I read through quite a bit of this book … and I just never liked it. I hated the characters. I found it unbelievable. I simply did not like it one bit.
  6. Steig Larsson – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    ~I was told that this book was hard to get into at first, and to get through the first 100-150 pages and then it would pick up. Well I made it to page 186, and I will admit, it got a little bit better. But by that time, I had wasted 3 weeks to get to that point and I just wasn’t all that into it. I only wish I hadn’t wasted the money by buying the second book at the same time as the first….
End of Year Wrap-Up

Books Read in 2008

Tara

Here’s a list of the books that I read in 2008.

  1. Nancy Grace, Objection!: How High-Priced Defense Attorneys, Celebrity Defendants, and a 24/7 Media Have Hijacked Our Criminal Justice System
    Finished: Jan. 3 Rated ->2/5
  2. Harlan Coben, No Second Chance
    Finished: Jan. 3 Rated: 4/5
  3. Michael Fleeman, Laci: Inside the Laci Peterson Murder
    Finished: Jan. 5 Rated: 3/5
  4. Kathy Reichs, Deja Dead
    Finished: Jan. 8 Rated: 3/5
  5. Tom Piccirilli, The Night Class
    Finished: Jan. 9 Rated: 1/5
  6. Mary Higgins Clark, Two Little Girls in Blue
    Finished: Jan. 11 Rated: 5/5
  7. Alice Blanchard, Darkness Peering
    Finished    : Jan. 16 Rated: 4/5
  8. Christopher Andersen, After Diana: William, Harry, Charles, and the Royal House of Windsor
    Finished: Jan. 16 Rated: 5/5
  9. Lisa Gardner, Gone
    Finished: Jan. 18 Rated: 4/5
  10. Mark Fuhrman, Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley?
    Finished: Jan. 21 Rated: 4/5
  11. Greg Iles, The Quiet Game
    Finished: Jan. 23 Rated: 5/5
  12. Iris Johansen, The Face of Deception
    Finished: Jan. 25 Rated: 4/5
  13. Walter Lord, The Night Lives On
    Finished: Jan. 29 Rated: 4/5
  14. Suzanne O’Malley, Are You There Alone?: The Unspeakable Crime of Andrea Yates
    Finished: Jan. 29 Rated: 3/5
  15. Milo Speriglio, The Marilyn Conspiracy
    Finished: Feb. 1 Rated: 3/5
  16. Thomas Harris, Hannibal
    Finished: Feb. 4 Rated: 4/5
  17. Tom Coffey, The Serpent Club
    Finished: Feb. 6 Rated: 3/5
  18. Taffy Cannon, Class Reunions are Murder
    Finished: Feb. 7 Rated: 4/5
  19. Thomas Harris, Hannibal Rising
    Finished: Feb. 8 Rated: 3/5
  20. Danielle Steel, Accident
    Finished: Feb. 11 Rated: 5/5
  21. Larry Watson, White Crosses
    Finished: Feb. 14 Rated: 4/5
  22. Erica Spindler, See Jane Die
    Finished: Feb. 15 Rated: 5/5
  23. Greg Iles, Blood Memory
    Finished: Feb. 21 Rated: 5/5
  24. Dave Holloway, Aruba: The Tragic Untold Story of Natalee Holloway and Corruption in Paradise
    Finished: Feb. 23 Rated: 2/5
  25. Thomas T. Noguchi, M.D., Coroner
    Finished: Feb. 27 Rated: 2/5
  26. Andrew Britton, Assassin
    Finished: Feb. 28 Rated: 4/5
  27. Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason, The Rule of Four
    Finished: March 2 Rated: 4/5
  28. James Patterson, 1st to Die
    Finished: March 4 Rated: 5/5
  29. Iris Johansen, Firestorm
    Finished: March 9 Rated: 4/5
  30. Christopher Andersen, Diana’s Boys: William & Harry and the Mother They Loved
    Finished: March 10 Rated: 4/5
  31. Philippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl
    Finished: March 14 Rated: 5/5
  32. Jodi Picoult, The Pact
    Finished: March 16 Rated: 5/5
  33. Anita Shreve, The Pilot’s Wife
    Finished: March 17 Rated: 4/5
  34. Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas
    Finished: March 21 Rated: 3/5
  35. James Patterson, 2nd Chance
    Finished: March 22 Rated: 4/5
  36. J.D. Robb, Naked in Death
    Finished: March 27 Rated: 4/5
  37. Nancy Pickard, The Virgin of Small Plains
    Finished: March 31 Rated: 5/5
  38. Sue Grafton, A is for Alibi
    Finished: April 3 Rated: 3/5
  39. James Patterson, 3rd Degree
    Finished: April 7 Rated: 4/5
  40. James Patterson, 4th of July
    Finished: April 9 Rated: 4/5
  41. Ann Rule, A Rose for Her Grave & Other True Cases, Crime Files Vol. 1
    Finished: April 17 Rated: 3/5
  42. John Connolly, Dark Hollow
    Finished: April 22 Rated: 3/5
  43. James Patterson, The Midnight Club
    Finished: May 4 Rated: 3/5
  44. Jacqueline Seewald, The Inferno Collection
    Finished: May 10 Rated: 4.5/5
  45. Don & Susie Van Ryn & Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak, Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
    Finished: May 14 Rated: 4/5
  46. Robin Cook, Marker
    Finished: May 19 Rated: 4/5
  47. Carla Neggers, The Widow
    Finished: May 24 Rated: 4/5
  48. Harlan Coben, The Woods
    Finished: May 27 Rated: 5/5
  49. Clive Cussler, Raise the Titanic!
    Finished: May 31 Rated: 4/5
  50. James Patterson, Mary Mary
    Finished: June 3 Rated: 4/5
  51. Nora Roberts, Blood Brothers
    Finished: June 5 Rated: 4.5/5
  52. Danielle Steel, Johnny Angel
    Finished: June 7 Rated: 5/5
  53. M.C. Beaton, The Deadly Dance
    Finished: June 8 Rated: 3/5
  54. Max Allan Collins, The Titanic Murders
    Finished: June 18 Rated: 3.5/5
  55. Harlan Coben, The Innocent
    Finished: June 20 Rated: 5/5
  56. Linda Fairstein, Entombed
    Finished: June 24 Rated: 4/5
  57. Kathy Reichs, Deadly Decisions
    Finished: June 29 Rated: 3.5/5
  58. John Sandford, Invisible Prey
    Finished: July 6 Rated: 4/5
  59. J.F. Freedman, The Disappearance
    Finished: July 8 Rated: 3/5
  60. Michael Connelly, The Black Echo
    Finished: July 16 Rated: 4/5
  61. John Lescroart, Dead Irish
    Finished: July 20 Rated 4/5
  62. Alex Kava, The Soul Catcher
    Finished: July 23 Rated: 3/5
  63. Anne Bird, Blood Brother: 33 Reasons My Brother Scott Peterson is Guilty
    Finished: July 24 Rated: 3/5
  64. J.A. Jance, Name Withheld
    Finished: July 27 Rated: 3/5
  65. James Patterson, The 5th Horseman
    Finished: July 28 Rated: 4/5
  66. Jeffery Deaver, The Bone Collector
    Finished: July 31 Rated: 4/5
  67. Janet Evanovich, Two for the Dough
    Finished: Aug. 3 Rated: 3.5/5
  68. Sue Grafton, B is for Burglar
    Finished: Aug. 6 Rated: 3.5/5
  69. Alex Kava, A Necessary Evil
    Finished: Aug. 9 Rated: 4.5/5
  70. Matt Dalton, Presumed Guilty: What the Jury Never Knew About Laci Peterson’s Murder and Why Scott Peterson Should Not Be on Death Row
    Finished: Aug. 11 Rated: 3/5
  71. Nelson DeMille, Night Fall
    Finished: 14 Rated: 4/5
  72. Gregg Olsen, A Cold Dark Place
    Finished: Aug. 19 Rated: 5/5
  73. James Patterson, Judge & Jury
    Finished: Aug. 22 Rated: 3.5/5
  74. Stephanie Meyer, Twilight
    Finished: Aug. 24 Rated: 5/5
  75. J.D. Robb, Glory in Death
    Finished: Aug. 26 Rated: 4/5
  76. Jeff Lindsay, Darkly Dreaming Dexter
    Finished: Aug. 28 Rated: 3/5
  77. J.T. Ellison, All the Pretty Girls
    Finished: Aug. 29 Rated: 4.5/5
  78. Stephanie Meyer, New Moon
    Finished: Sept. 7 Rated: 4.5/5
  79. Stephen King, The Shining
    Finished: Sept. 8 Rated: 3.5/5
  80. Kevin O’Brien, One Last Scream
    Finished: Sept. 15 Rated: 5/5
  81. John Saul, Black Creek Crossing
    Finished: Sept. 21 Rated: 3/5
  82. Sandra Brown, The Witness
    Finished: Sept. 25 Rated: 4/5
  83. Chelsea Cain, Heartsick
    Finished: Oct. 2 Rated: 4/5
  84. Sandra Brown, White Hot
    Finished: Oct. 16 Rated: 4/5
  85. Erica Spindler, Last Known Victim
    Finished: Oct. 17 Rated: 5/5
  86. Jeffery Deaver, The Sleeping Doll
    Finished: Oct. 20 Rated: 4.5/5
  87. Jonathan Kellerman, Compulsion
    Finished: Oct. 22 Rated: 3/5
  88. Tana French, In the Woods
    Finished: Nov. 9 Rated: 3/5
  89. Dennis Lehane, Mystic River
    Finished: Nov. 14 Rated: 3.5/5
  90. Brenda Novak, Trust Me
    Finished: Nov. 20 Rated: 4/5
  91. Ann Rule, Dead by Sunset
    Finished: Nov. 23 Rated: 2/5
  92. Iris Johansen, Quicksand
    Finished: Nov. 28 Rated: 3.5/5
  93. James Patterson, Kiss the Girls
    Finished: Nov. 30 Rated: 4/5
  94. Karen Harper, The Falls
    Finished: Dec. 6 Rated: 4/5
  95. Mary Higgins Clark, I Heard That Song Before
    Finished: Dec. 14 Rated: 5/5
  96. W.E.B. Griffin, By Order of the President
    Finished: Dec. 26 Rated: 4/5
  97. Gregg Olsen, A Wicked Snow
    Finished: Dec. 30 Rated: 5/5
End of Year Wrap-Up

2008 Challenge Wrap-Up

Tara

This is my year-end wrap up of the challenges that I participated in this year. 2008 was my first year being involved in reading challenges and I am overall quite pleased as to what I was able to accomplish.

1% Well-Read Challenge
May 1, 2008-Feb. 28, 2009
Read 10 books from 1001 Books to Read Before You Die
Progress: 1/10 [I’m really struggling with this challenge, I’m not sure I am going to be able to finish it.]

  1. The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5

2008 2nds Challenge
Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 4 books by authors you’ve only read once before.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. New Moon by Stephanie Meyer
    Finished: Sept. 7/ Rated: 4.5/5
  2. One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
    Finished: Sept. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  3. The Witness by Sandra Brown
    Finished: Sept. 25 / Rated: 4/5
  4. A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen
    Finished: Dec. 30 / Rated: 5/5

A Well-Rounded Challenge
July 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 1 book from 6 different challenges you’re signed up for.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Initials Challenge: The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman
    Finished: July 8 / Rated: 3/5
  2. Celebrate the Author: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
    Finished: July 16 / Rated: 4/5
  3. Series Season 2 Challenge: The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava
    Finished: July 23 / Rated: 3/5
  4. 1% Well-Read Challenge: The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  5. 2008 2nds Challenge: One Last Scream by Kevin O’Brien
    Finished: Sept. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  6. Book Awards II Challenge: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5

Back to History Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 12 books, either fictional or nonfictional.
Progress: DROPPED OUT
[I read 3 books for this challenge, but I just never could get into it so I decided to give up on it.]

Book-a-Week Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 52 books
Progress: FINISHED

Book to Movie Challenge:
Sept. 1-Nov. 30, 2008
Read 3 books that have been made into movies
Progress: FINISHED

  1. The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Sept. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  2. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5
  3. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
    Finished: Nov. 30 / Rated: 4/5

Book Awards II Challenge
Aug. 1, 2008-June 1, 2009
Read 10 award winning books (at least 5 different awards)
Progress: 2/10 [Since this challenge continues on into 2009, I’m not concerned about where I’m at just yet.]

  1. Anthony Award: B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton
    Finished: Aug. 6 / Rated: 3.5/5
  2. Anthony Award: Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
    Finished: Nov. 14 / Rated: 3.5/5

Celebrating the Author Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 12 books, choose an author who is celebrating a birthday that month
Progress: FINISHED

  1. January: No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
    Finished: Jan. 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. February: See Jane Die by Erica Spindler
    Finished: Feb. 15 / Rated: 5/5
  3. March: 1st to Die by James Patterson
    Finished: March 4 / Rated: 5/5
  4. April: ‘A’ is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
    Finished: April 3 / Rated: 3/5
  5. May: Marker by Robin Cook
    Finished: May 19 / Rated: 4/5
  6. June: The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  7. July: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
    Finished: July 16 / Rated: 4/5
  8. August: Night Fall by Nelson DeMille
    Finished: Aug. 14 / Rated: 4/5
  9. September: The Shining by Stephen King
    Finished: Aug. 8 / Rated: 3.5/5
  10. October: Dead by Sunset by Ann Rule
    Finished: Nov. 23 / Rated: 2/5
  11. November: By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
    Finished: Dec. 26 / Rated: 3/5
  12. December: I Heard That Song Before by Mary Higgins Clark
    Finished: Dec. 14 / Rated: 5/5

Eponymous Reading Challenge
March 1-May 31, 2008
Read 4 books whose title has a character name or description
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Diana’s Boys: William and Harry and the Mother they Loved by Christopher Anderson
    Finished: March 10 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
    Finished: March 21 / Rated: 3/5
  3. The Widow by Carla Neggers
    Finished: March 24 / Rated: 4/5
  4. The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
    Finished: March 31 / Rated: 5/5

Initials Reading Challenge
April 1-Nov. 30. 2008
Read 5 books whose authors have published under initials.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  2. The Disappearance by J.F. Freedman
    Finished: July 8 / Rated: 3/5
  3. Name Withheld by J.A. Jance
    Finished: July 27 / Rated: 3/5
  4. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb
    Finished: Aug. 26 / Rated: 4/5
  5. All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
    Finished: Aug. 29 / Rated: 4.5/5

Medical Mystery Challenge
June 1-Nov. 1, 2008
Read 3 books in the medical mystery/thriller genre
Progress: UNCOMPLETED – Unfortunately I was unable to finish this challenge; in fact I did not read one single book for this challenge. Medical mysteries and/or thrillers just do not interest me. My original hope when I signed up for this challenge was to be able to expand my tastes, however, I did indeed fail at that. I knew going in that this challenge would indeed be quite a challenge for me, unfortunately I was unable to push myself for this challenge, better luck next time!

Numbers Challenge
Jan. 1-June 1, 2008
Read 5 books with numbers in the title
Progress: FINISHED

  1. No Second Chance by Harlan Coben
    Finished: Jan. 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark
    Finished: Jan. 11 / Rated: 5/5
  3. The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell & Dustin Thomason
    Finished: March 2 / Rated: 4/5
  4. 1st to Die by James Patterson
    Finished: March 4 / Rated: 5/5
  5. 2nd Chance by James Patterson
    Finished: March 22 / Rated: 4/5

Presidential Reading Challenge
July 4, 2008-July 4, 2009
Read 5 books that has some connection to presidents
Progress: 0/5 – Since this challenge continues on into 2009, I am not worried about not finishing any books toward this challenge, but I have every intention on getting this challenge finished in 2009.

Series Challenge Season 2
June 1-Nov. 30, 2008
Finish as many series as you can
[I was only able to complete the Maggie O’Dell series]

  1. The Soul Catcher by Alex Kava
    Finished: July 23 / Rated: 3/5
  2. A Necessary Evil by Alex Kava
    Finished: Aug. 9 / Rated: 4.5/5

Suspense & Thriller Challenge
Jan. 1, 2008-Dec. 31, 2009
Read 12 books in 12 different subcategories of thrillers
[I have finished the required 6 books for 2008, I will be reading 6 more for this challenge in 2009]

  1. Political Thriller: The Assassin by Andrew Britton
    Finished: Feb. 28 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Romance Thriller: Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
    Finished: March 27 /  Rated:  4/5
  3. Terrorist Thriller: 3rd Degree by James Patterson
    Finished: April 7 / Rated:  4/5
  4. Medical Thriller: Marker by Robin Cook
    Finished: May 19 / Rated: 4/5
  5. Crime Thriller: Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
    Finished: Aug. 28/ Rated: 3/5
  6. Serial Killer: All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison
    Finished: Aug. 29 / Rated : 4.5/5

Title Master Reading Challenge
March 1-July 1, 2008
Read 4 books whose title begins with the same letter (example: Mary Mary)
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Mary Mary by James Patterson
    Finished: June 3 / Rated: 4/5
  2. Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
    Finished: June 5 / Rated: 4.5/5
  3. The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton
    Finished: June 8 / Rated: 3/5
  4. Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
    Finished: June 29 / Rated: 3.5/5

What’s in a Name Challenge
Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2008
Read 6 books based on the categories that Annie sets out.
Progress: FINISHED

  1. Color: Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark.
    Finished: Jan. 11 / Rated: 5/5
  2. Place: Murder in Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley by Mark Fuhrman.
    Finished: Jan. 21 / Rated: 4/5
  3. Animal: The Serpent Club by Tom Coffey.
    Finished: Feb. 6 / Rated: 3/5
  4. First Name: See Jane Die by Erica Spindler.
    Finished: Feb. 16 / Rated: 5/5
  5. Weather Event: Firestorm by Iris Johansen.
    Finished: March 9 / Rated: 4/5
  6. Plant: A Rose for Her Grave by Ann Rule.
    Finished: April 17 / Rated: 3/5