The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Title:  The Help
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Pages:  522
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Purchased

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.  [via GoodReads]

I will not sit here and write another summary of this story since I'm sure that those of you who have not read the book have seen the movie... although I do recommend you still read the book. 

As fascinated as I found the stories of Aibileen, Minny, Skeeter, Hilly, Celia, and Elizabeth to be, I still, somehow found The Help to be rather long.  Don't take me wrong, I was engrossed, fascinated, disgusted, moved and, on more than one occasion, found myself with tears in my eyes, but I still found it to be so long.  What would normally take me a day or two to read took me almost three weeks.  This doesn't necessarily mean that I wasn't (remember all of the wonderful praises I mentioned above) into it, I just think that the serious subject matter was one that I had to read in short increments at a time. 

I found The Help to be both funny and serious.  I did laugh and cry.  Ms. Stockett did a wonderful job of making me go through a slew of emotions while reading her story... and isn't that what immersing yourself in a book is all about?  All in all, although I felt it to be long, I still do not regret spending my time reading it.  It's a lovely story... one that should be told.  It's uplifting, hopeful and effective.

My Rating:

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

Title: Dearly, Departed
Author: Lia Habel
Pages: 470
Genre: YA/ Teen
Source: NetGalley

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie? 

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses. 

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love. [via GoodReads]

A Steampunk - Zombie - YA novel?!  Be still my heart.  I was thrilled to see three genres that I enjoy all rolled up into one.   Even more interesting than the genre mix, I also found it surprising that although the year is 2195, society is living in a Victorian society while using technology that we can only dream of having.

There were many things I liked about Dearly, Departed.... the earlier paragraph for instance.  I enjoyed the world building, the zombies, the characters, etc.   I liked Nora and Bram - and their unique romance.  You know, it is a first for me to find a girl in love with a zombie.  I even enjoyed reading of the war with the Punks.  But it took me almost 200 pages to actually get into the story.  The first chapter was awesome but I had a hard time fully getting immersed in the story... I'm not really sure why, I just felt that I had to try to hard.  I think the main problem might have been the oh-so-many points-of-view.  Even more disconcerting was the fact that they are told in the first person.  And although the characters differ in age and sex, I still found myself wondering several times whose chapter it was that I was reading.  While I do enjoy a book told using various perspectives, I found that five different narrators (Bram, Nora, Pam, Wolfe, and Victor) may have been a bit much.  The Wolfe and Victor chapters quite frankly felt unnecessary.  I found that those story lines could have been told using other methods and cutting down on the constant character changes and possibly in my confusion.    

All in all, I found Dearly, Departed to be a good start to the series.  While I didn't love it and most likely will not run out to immediately buy the next installment in the series, I will undoubtedly get around to reading it.

My Rating:

Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea by Sophia Nash

Title:  Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea

Author: Sophia Nash

Pages: 384

Genre: Historical Romance

Source: Amazon Vine Program

Six Regency heroes--One royal hangover.

An infamous night has been lost to memory. The scandalous Dukes of the Royal Entourage must make amends. The first step is a heroic rescue.

One of England's most disreputable peers, Alexander Barclay, Duke of Kress, has stumbled upon a perfect opportunity for redemption. Having been exiled to Cornwall by the Prince Regent himself, Barclay discovers lovely Roxanne Vanderhaven clinging to the edge of a cliff, stranded there by her murderous blackguard of a husband . . . just waiting to be rescued.

Back on solid ground, Roxanne is desperate for a new life-- once she's retaliated for her husband's despicable actions. Surprisingly, she finds herself drawn to her unlikely champion, certainly the last man in England she could count on. Yet, the infamous Duke of Kress isn't quite the scoundrel he seems . . . [via GoodReads]

Alexander Barclay, the ninth Duke of Kress, has no recollection of what went on last night.  After waking up with a splitting headache and coming to the conclusion that all the other Dukes he partied with the night before are in the same predicament that he is, he knows that nothing good must have happened the night before.  When their night of debauchery is described in full detail in the paper, he comes to learn that not only has he lost his fortune in a bet that he doesn't even remember, but he has made Prinny very upset.

Now banished to the country, Prinny has ordered that Alex get two things accomplished, first restore his ancestral home/castle back to its former glory and secondly, that he find himself a bride.  No easy feat since, firstly, he's broke and, secondly, he has no interest in settling down.     

This was so fun!!  Very refreshing and entertaining - full of moments that caused me to laugh out of loud... which is no easy task.  I found Alex, Roxanne, Alex's great-aunt and all the other Dukes to be an uproariously funny bunch.   The situations were fun, the characters were quirky and the dialogue was delightful.  Ms. Nash's start to her "Royal Entourage" series is a hit.   I've read that the movie "The Hangover" was an inspiration for this series and I can definitely appreciate a story line like that.   I cannot wait to see what she has in store for the remaining Dukes.  Sheer pleasure to read!

My Rating:

Tempest by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest
Author: Julie Cross
Pages: 334
Genre: YA/ Sci-Fi
Source: Purchased

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.  But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world. [via GoodReads]

Although I had a slow start with the first chapters, I found Tempest to be quite the page-turner.   I'm not sure about you, but I always tend to get slightly confused when reading a time travel story.  And, thus was the case with this one... But let me assure you, I was easily able to figure it out and get my years straight.  Once I had that going, it was very easy to understand and enjoy.  

Ms. Cross has written an intriguing and action-filled story that kept me on the edge of my seat.   When Jackson gets stuck two years in the past - leaving the present year at a moment that is crucial to his relationship with his girlfriend Holly, not only will it be hard to trust anyone in the current year, but he'll have to start from scratch befriending Holly and hoping that he can find a way to get back into her heart.

Jackson is a very likeable and wonderful narrator.  He's just as confused as you, the reader, are.  He doesn't know how he time travels, much less how to maneuver around time.  He doesn't know if he's a good guy or a freak of nature, whether his father is the business man he claims to be or someone with an ulterior motive, whether it's a good idea to contact Holly throughout time or just leave her be...  needless to say, I found myself captivated by Jackson's dilemma.   

Action, romance and suspense are the leading factors in this tale... and it's the first of a series.  I cannot wait to see what happens next!  

My Rating:

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title:  A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Pages: 579
Genre: Adult Fiction / Paranormal
Source: Purchased

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together. 

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell. 

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the "Twilight" series-with an extra serving of historical realism. [via GoodReads]

While studying at the Bodlein Library in Oxford, Diana Bishop calls up the manuscript Ashmole 782.  Little did she know how something as simple as that would change her life.  She was born a witch but she refuses to have anything to do with magic.  Suddenly Diana finds herself in the sights of witches, daemons, and even vampires.  Or, should I say, one swoon-worthy vampire.  When she finds herself being chased and even threatened by those who believe she knows the secrets of Ashmole 782, she'll find herself even more threatened by one vampire who may want more from her than just the contents of the manuscript.

While the book itself is rather long (over 500 pages), the story felt anything but that.  I was intrigued by its characters, the witches, vampires, daemons, the mystery of Ashmole 782, and especially, the romance between Matthew and Diana. 

As a fan of paranormal romance, I think A Discovery of Witches is one of the best.  Diana is a strong, independent character and you can't help but love reading about how her perfect life gets turned upside down.  There was so much depth and individuality to all the characters that you meet that you instantly feel connected to many of them.  In spite of the paranormal aspects, they were very believable.  

While I did have some trouble half way through the story, I thought the research aspects were just a little overdone and wordy, I still found it to be a beautifully written novel delving into both history and the supernatural. I can see where some have compared it to an adult Twilight - but I also found it like Diana Gabaldon's epic Outlander.  In the end, I'd say it has a lot of both of these and fans of these types of novels will devour this one.  Masterfully told - I cannot wait for the next installment in the trilogy.

My Rating:

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Pages: 352
Genre: YA/ Fantasy
Source:  Purchased

A mysterious island.

An abandoned orphanage.

A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows. [via GoodReads]

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children was peculiar... to say the least.

Young Jacob knows there is some truth to his grandfather's tales of growing up in an orphanage where children with certain abilities could grow up safe from harm - when on the day of his grandfather's murder Jacob sees a monster standing over his grandfather's lifeless body.  Could the stories of these children with certain pecularities be real?  Jacob never thought so.  He was always thrilled to hear his grandfather's tales but never thought they were anything other than stories told with plenty of exageration and enough flare to peek the interest of a child. Obviously no one believes, his version of his grandfather's death but with the help of his therapist, he is able to convince his parents that a trip to the island that housed his grandfather's orphanage, the infamous Miss Peregrine and children with super powers might be the only way to preserve his sanity.

Jacob was a wonderful protagonist.  He was such an insightful and depth-full young man.  The mystery surrounding his grandfather's death, the orphanage and its inhabitants really made for a fascinating, odd, and sometimes creepy story.  My only concern was that Jacob had the voice of an adult and not so much that of a teenager.  I also felt that the author was a bit wordy in his descriptions.

But I must confess, my favorite part of all were the creepy, vintage photographs scattered throughout the story.

From what I read, these are authentic and unaltered photographs that blend seamlessly with the narrative to create an exciting and refreshingly unique fantasy.

All in all, I was captivated by the first chapters of this story.  It had a very strong start, a not-so-great middle, and then the storyline grabs hold of you and spits you out at the end looking forward to more.  So beware the slow start, but try to persevere, as I promise the climax will be an explosive one.  Eerily fantastic!

 

My Rating:

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Title: Ripple
Author: Mandy Hubbard
Pages:  260
Genre:  YA/ Paranormal
Source: Purchased

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love-again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free or her curse is giving him up. [via GoodReads]

Lexi is cursed to kill anyone near her when she's swimming in her true form as a siren.  Oh yea, did you think this was a mermaid book too?  Nope, and I promise you'll figure that out a few pages into the book so I'm not giving anything away.  After accidentally killing her first love, Lexi refuses to swim in the ocean, instead she's exiled herself to swim every night in a tiny lake far away from home and from anyone finding her - causing their accidental murder.  Not only has she exiled herself to swim so far from home but she has also alienated herself from her friends and even her grandmother. 

As an outcast, she's found a daily routine - she goes to school, spends the day ignoring her old friends or being ignored or mocked by them, after school she goes home to her grandmother, then when everyone is asleep, she makes her way to her lake where she either swims the night away, or not, and instead wakes up the next morning suffering the consequences.  Everything is uneventful, until the day that Cole makes ripples in her life with promises of renewed friendships and love.  But how can someone cursed find happiness?

Ripple was not what I expected it to be... and that's a good thing.  Ms. Hubbard's tale was much darker than I thought it would be.  As crazy as it may sound, Lexi was a relateable character (you know, aside from the whole siren thing).  Her struggles and turmoils were believable and her need to just be normal was strongly felt.  

Cole comes across as a sweet young man - one, with no ulterior motive in befriending Lexi other than to be nice.  I wish we would've gotten to know him a little better.  He didn't feel as fleshed out as Lexi did... nor, for that matter, did any other character in the novel.  I wish I would've fallen for him as I do for other characters but, nonetheless, their love story was a sweet one.   

I'm really enjoying these different sides of paranormal - for sirens aren't part of the normal stories I tend to read about. All in all, a simple and quick read, with some suspense and a light romance.

My Rating:

The Girl in the Steel Corset / The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

Title: The Girl in the Steel Corset

Author: Kady Cross

Pages: 473

Genre: YA/ Steampunk

Source: NetGalley

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her. [via GoodReads]

Finley knows that she's not your average girl.  For she knows that she has a darker side, one that is so powerful that it can knock a man out in one punch.  She knows the darkness overtakes her when she gets upset or mad.  After a particularly dreadful situation, one where she almost gets killed, she finds herself among strangers that may hold the answers she's been seeking.

Switching point-of-views between Finley Jayne, Griffin King - the Duke of Graythorne; and Sam - a human-robot hybrid we learn that Finley is not the only one with secrets.  They are each on a journey of discovery to find out what exactly caused them to have the powers they have.  Finley is a wonderful heroine.  Right from the first sentence I knew I was hooked.  I especially like both sides of Finley and the fact that each one is attracted to a different love interest - both completely opposite - making this reader very attracted to the whole scenario. 

It was clear from the start that I would love this story and Ms. Cross did not disappoint thoughout.  There was plenty of mystery, action and even some romance.  I loved the steampunk aspect and loved even more that it was set in a historical time instead of in the future.  Through the varios points-of-view we see how each character matures and develops and each storyline comes together. 

All in all, this was a fabulous start to what looks to be a promising series.  I cannot wait to get my hands on The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

My Rating:

Title: The Strange Case of Finley Jayne

Author: Kady Cross 

Pages:   78
Genre:  YA/ Steampunk
Source: Free (e-book only)

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined... [via GoodReads]

This novella is a short prequel to The Girl in the Steel Corset.  In it you meet Finley before she meets Griffin King.  After her latest altercation and the loss of another job, she finds that she cannot pass up the offer to be companion to Lady Phoebe.  Finley and Phoebe quickly become friends and she soon finds herself suspicious over Phoebe's fiance, the much older Lord Vincent.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne has everything that I loved about The Girl in the Steel Corset - a wonderful heroine, action, adventure, a fabulous sense of humor, steampunk awesomeness and many references to Frankenstein (which I loved!).

Fans of The Girl in the Steel Corset will love this short glimpse into the life of Finley and will only look forward to the next installment in the series even more anxiously.

My Rating:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Title: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Author: Jennifer E. Smith

Pages: 236

Genre: YA/ Contemporary

Source: Purchased

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it. [via GoodReads]

What a heartwarming love story!  

When Hadley misses her flight (by four minutes!) to London,  she finds herself stuck at the airport waiting for the next one.  There she meets Oliver - charming, clever, British (I couldn't help but throw that in there since I love a man with an accent) and, luckily enough, also on her same flight.  Over the hours they spend from Connecticut to London you get to know them better - and trust someone as cynical as me, that they will have you believing that love at first sight might not be just a myth.  

Surprisingly, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight had more depth that I originally anticipated.  While I thought it was just going to be a cutesy love story (and, it was), it also had moments that had me at the brink of tears, that were bittersweet and emotional.  

The two protagonists were so easy to love.  Hadley is hurt and angry because not only did her father tear her life apart, but he is now moving on and marrying the woman that he destroyed their family over.  Oliver comes off as quite the charmer with his unique and random ideas, but when Hadley truly looks in his eyes, we can all see that there are some shadows lurking behind his cheerful facade.   

Although the story takes place over a 24 hour span of time, it did not feel rushed. Ms. Smith gives you plenty of insight to her characters and by the end of the story you truly get to know them.  The moments between Hadley and her father were so bittersweet and heartbreaking.  I tried to understand and tried to put myself in Hadley's shoes.  But in the end I found that I could not be as forgiving of her.  I stayed with the bitterness and anger that she felt for her dad.  I tried to understand his point-of-view, but call me vengeful, I just could not get over his transgressions.  I would have liked there to have been more moments of just Hadley and Oliver since those were the one's that stole the show for me.  Their interactions were swoon worthy.  

Have you ever seen the 2001 movie, Serendipity... you know, the one starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale?  The one that you always stop to watch should you happen to see it as you are clicking through channels... at least I do.  That is what I was reminded of while reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight.  Like Serendipity, I found myself sighing and smiling all over the place while reading this one.  It was the perfect read to snuggle up with and just feel gushy over.

Overall, this was a wonderful read. Though I wasn't too happy with Hadley and her father's relationship, the moments between Hadley and Oliver were enough to make me really like this story.  A very enjoyable, light and fun read.

My Rating:

2012 Reading Challenges

Challenge guidelines:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.

Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!

You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)

You can move up levels, but no moving down.

Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.

At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it'sunique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.

If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)

December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL.

You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:
1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

1. The challenge runs from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012.

2. "Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.

3. Choose at least 5 novels to read. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine.

All kinds of books count such as eBooks, Audiobooks...etc.

If you are looking for suggested reading see Best Romance Novels Today, Romance Novels on Wiki or Best Romance Stories.

In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks and Georgette Heyer.

4. Read the books at your own pace in 2012 then post the link to your review(s). You don't need to have a blog, posting your reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing counts as well.

Basics

It goes from January 1st 2012 to December 31st 2012

To sign up, use the form at the end of this post!

You can sign up any time from now until June-ish

I would love you forever if you would follow me, and if you're interested in fairy tales, then you'd probably find my blog interesting anyway!

What Counts

Any retelling at all, or original fairy tales. When I say original fairy tales, I mean books that include many elements of many fairy tales, but aren't actually based on any fairy tales. Some examples are The Princess Bride by William Goldman or Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (BEST BOOK EVER!) Basically a book that should have a fairy tale based on it, but it's too late for it to be the other way around.

Participating

All you need is a desire to read fairy tales, and preferably a way to post reviews. Whether it be a blog, Goodreads, or Amazon, it doesn't matter.

Levels
3 books - Peasant
6 books - Fairy
9 Books - Witch
12 books - Princess
15 books - Dragon

Here are the guidelines:

1.The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012.

2.Since this is an author challenge, there is no restriction on choosing your novels. They can definitely be from other challenges. However, the authors must be new to you and, preferably from novels. Anthologies are a great way to try someone new, but only a third of your new authors can be from anthologies.

3.I want this to be an easy challenge, so you can pick to do either 15, 25 or 50 new authors. It all depends on how fast you read and how adventurous you want to be. For me, I want to say I’m going to do another 50 new authors, but with two kids, I didn’t made my goal in 2011, so I’m going to be smarter and say 25. If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop. Any new author you try can be added to Mr. Linky. We all want to know about your new experience.

4.After reading your new author, write your review and then come back here and add your link to Mr. Linky. Make sure you include your name and the author, but adding the title is completely up to you.

5.Bloggers or Non-Bloggers alike are welcome. You don’t have to have a site to participate. You can link up via Facebook, GoodReads or even Amazon if you’d like.

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2012

• Rules: Read 100+ books in 2012 (any genre)

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.

• At the beginning of Jan 2012, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews.

• Audiobooks do not count, but all other formats are accepted.

• Only fiction, no non-fiction.

• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.

Guidelines:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 - 31 Dec 2012

• Rules: There are FOUR (4) LEVELS to choose from:

- One Chomp: Read 6 Zombie books in 2012
- Two Chomps: Read 12 Zombie books in 2012
- Three Chomps: Read 18 Zombie books in 2012
- Four Chomps: Read 24 Zombie books in 2012

• You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.

• At the beginning of Jan 2012, you will find a link to specific month to add your reviews.

• Audiobooks do not count, but all other formats are accepted.

• Only fiction, no non-fiction ;)

• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.

• You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide to then Mr Linky will be available each month so you can link up your reviews.

Info:

*Goal is to read 12 books in a year. You can pick ANY 12 books you want and read. Starts Jan 1-Dec 31st.

*You can join at anytime.

*Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).

*You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. Some people have just a Goodreads page. You can keep track on there too!

*Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so other readers can join the challenge too.

*You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so!!!

 

What can I say?!  I love a good challenge. 

 

Are there any others you guys can recommend worth participating in?  I'm always open for ideas.