#MakeMeRead Readathon - Running Post

Here’s my original sign-up post for the challenge, which is hosted by Ely at Tea and Titles and Val at the Innocent Smiley. The readathon goes from July 9th to July 16th.

The way the vote turned out:

2016 Book Challenges - June Update

 I can't believe that we are already halfway through 2016. That is crazy! Here's how my reading challenges are going so far. I'll post an update about blog challenges separately. Can you tell I'm trying to reach a goal for posts before the end of the month? 

Book Review: Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier (#RocTBF2016)

Count this as another book I never would have read if it wasn't for the Rochester Teen Book Festival. I assume you know about my challenge to myself (to have read at least one book by each author who attends by at that date).

Click here to learn about my mission.

Click here for the Rochester TBF web page.

I actually already owned this book because it came in a Book Riot YA box last year. So, while I intended to read it, it was not likely I would have ever gotten to it. I checked out a different book of Ms. Larbalestier's from the library before I realized I already had this one and asked Twitter which I should read. Ms. Larbalestier let me know that she had the most fun writing this one... there really isn't a better recommendation than that! I'm glad I asked.

Here's the Goodreads Summary:

The setting: Razorhurst, 1932. The fragile peace between two competing mob bosses—Gloriana Nelson and Mr Davidson—is crumbling. Loyalties are shifting. Betrayals threaten.

Kelpie knows the dangers of the Sydney streets. Ghosts have kept her alive, steering her to food and safety, but they are also her torment.

Dymphna is Gloriana Nelson’s ‘best girl’, experienced in surviving the criminal world, but she doesn’t know what this day has in store for her.

When Dymphna meets Kelpie over the corpse of Jimmy Palmer, Dymphna’s latest boyfriend, she pronounces herself Kelpie’s new protector. But Dymphna’s life is in danger too, and she needs an ally. And while Jimmy’s ghost wants to help, the dead cannot protect the living . . .

Here's what I have to say about it: 

Book Review: Santa Muerte by Lucina Stone

So, last month I posted a Themed Thursday post about bad- ass women monster killers. Super fun post to write, by the way. Check it out... Anyway, in response to that I was offered a copy of Santa Muerte to read and review because it seemed up my ally. Free book? Have opinions? Yes, please!

So, the Goodreads summary is mad long, go find it [here.] Once you've read that you can come back here and I can give you the real story.

- Jeopardy Theme Song- 

Book Review- Red Rising by Pierce Brown

My goal is to read at least one book per month that is on "my already owned by never read" TBR shelf as part of two reading challenge I'm doing for 2016. I've considered trying to rearrange my book shelves like normal people to plan which books I'm going to read. It's daunting. PLUS! And this is key: I would have to separate books in a series! I'm not a monster!

Anywhoo... I've read three TBR books in January: a Kindle Book, a classic re-read, and Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Yes!! Red Rising has been on the shelf for quite some time. It was one of those Buy 2 get 1 free things at Barnes and Nobles which you know I'm a sucka for.

Goodreads Summary:

"...Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so." 

Here's the Review part, if you've made it past my rambling

Broadway, Blizzards, and Books, oh my! (January Recap/ Outbox)

Apparently, I had a good month for books. I posted three Outbox posts (including this one) and read 18 books in January. WHOA! As I said in my mid-January post, I read a butt ton of great books this month. I added one book to the DNF shelf and reread a few old favorites.

I attended the first ever Broadway Convention. Yes. It's like Comic-Con, but related to Broadway shows.

My Reading Challenges for 2016

Book challenges are kind of a new thing for me. I'm not totally sure how I feel about them, yet, but I know that they do help me read a book or two outside of my usual go-to genres. I guess that's important? Of course, I tend to join book challenges that fit with my usual go-to genres but let us pretend that I'm making sense, shall we. It does work, sometimes. I never would have read the Stiff micro-history if it wasn't for the Read Harder Challenge this year. That turned out to be one of my top books of the year. YAY, book challenges! 

For 2015, I didn't really have a Reading Challenge plan at the beginning of the year. For 2016, I've decided to pick a few things ahead of time. We will see how it goes. I'm pretty good at doing that thing where you sign up for everything but then get too bogged down to really do anything. I also don't want reading to start feeling like a chore. If it starts to be a pain in the butt, then I will totally just abandon ship on the whole idea.