Jayne's Books

This is the 3rd year in entering the challenge and hopefully I will get more of them completed this year. Here is what the hosts have to say about the challenge:

Some of us have a bit of a problem. 
Some of us have a huge problem.

Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. And they are the founding mothers of the Reading Challenge Addict Blog.  Bev from My Reader's Block is one with a HUGE problem and the current author and caretaker of the Blog.  We each can stand proudly and say,
I am a Reading Challenge Addict.
So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

How addicted are you? 
Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)Rules: We're not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it's going to be very simple! Each edit…

This is a fairly simple challenge: read books that have been recommended by fellow bloggers.  If you are interested, you can sign-up here; the list of books that have been recommended can be found here (there is a longer list at the end of the webpage, if none of the books catch your fancy).  The rules are simple:


The challenge runs from January 1st 2014 to December 31st 2015There are five levels to choose from. You can increase your goal as many times as you want, or (because we all know real life happens!) you can decrease your goal once at any point throughout the year.You don’t have to commit in advance to your choices, though of course you can plan them if you want to.

The levels are as such:


The Levels Bronze – 3 books
Silver – 5 books
Gold – 10 books
Platinum – 25 books
Diamond – 50 books +

I am going to be doing the Silver level and these are the books I am going to attempt to read for the challenge and link up to them as I complete them:
1) The Count of Monte Cristo
2) Outlander
3…

This year I am going to challenge myself to three library challenges, especially since I am a heavy user of the library, not only borrowing books, but also audio, video, and digital (both audio and e-books) materials.

Here are the challenges:

Readers to the Rescue Library Challenge




This is being hosted by Shelia at Book Journey.   Basically anything bookish that you sign out (so a movie or a TV miniseries based on a book do count) from the library.  Shelia has more information at her site.  Here are the levels:

6-11 check outs - Rookie12-16 check outs - Intermediate17-22 check outs - Seasoned23-27 check outs - Experienced28+  check outs - Going Pro! I will be going for Going Pro! and only count those that I have completed and returned. 1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobeby C.S. Lewis
2) The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
3) Prince Caspianby C.S. Lewis 
4) Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
5) Daisy Miller by Henry James
6) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
7) The Silver Chair by …

I quite enjoyed this one this past year and while I don't know if I made my goal for this past year,  I am going to attempt it once again.  The Introverted Reader has few guidelines, of which the only guideline is that the book is classified as nonfiction.  The levels for the challenge are:

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books

Explorer--Read 6-10 

Seeker--Read 11-15

Master--Read 16-20

I am going to go for the Explorer level.  Here are the links to the books I have read for the challenge:
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If you wish to get involved with the challenge, you can sign up at The Introverted Reader.

This is another enjoyable challenge that I have done over the past few years and as long you read a book that is over 450 pages and its not a graphic novel, you are fine.  My goal this year is to read about 10 chunky books.  I will link my books here with my reviews while also on the Chunkster Reading Challenge website.

Books read:
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The hosts at War Through the Generations have changed up their challenge this year, but I am hoping it will be fun nonetheless.  This year you can read whatever you want, but they do ask that you post reviews that like this: i.e. Melissa @ Jayne's Books (WWI - All Quiet on the Western Front).

I will be reading books mainly from World War 1 and World War 2 and will be aiming for about 5 books, with a combination of fiction and nonfiction:
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This is a challenge that I have enjoyed over the years and continue to enjoy.  Annette has spelled out the guidelines for the challenge as such:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015.

Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).

Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.

You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.

Sign-ups will be open throughout 2015, so feel free to join at any time during the year.

Levels:

1. Bits – 5 ebooks
2. Bytes – 10 ebooks
3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks
4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks
5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks
6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will r…

I have done this for the last couple of years and have quite enjoyed doing this challenge, probably because I don't put too much pressure on myself to get the challenge completed.  So like other years, I will be doing the Short-Order Cook. I will be linking up with my books here and on the website.

Books completed:
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While I came close to getting a series caught up/completed, I didn't complete a series.  Judging from what I am planning on reading this year, I will at least get two series completed, with the potential for a third.  I am going to aim for Level 2.

These are the series that I am aiming to complete this year:
• Harry Potter
Order of the Phoenix (#5)Half-Blood Prince (#6)Deathly Hallows (#7) • The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (#2)The Horse and His Boy (#3)Prince Caspian (#4)The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#5)The Silver Chair (#6)The Last Battle (#7) I may finish off this series: • All Souls Trilogy Shadow of NightBook of Life If you are interested in the challenge, you can sign up at Socrates' Book Reviews.

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 636
Published: 2000
Challenges: Harry Potter Re-Read
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal

Description: It is the summer holidays, and one night Harry Potter wakes up with his scar burning. He has had a strange dream, one that he can't help worrying about...until a timely invitation from Ron Weasley arrives: to nothing less than the Quidditch World Cup!

Soon Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and gasping at the thrills of an international Quidditch match. But then something horrible happens which casts a shadow over everybody, and Harry in particular... (via Goodreads)
Thoughts: While this isn't one of my personal favourites books in the series, it does have a lot going on in the book that keeps the reader engaged with the story.
 Another thing that the book has going for it is that it is a turning point in the series, in that there are things that happen through…

Title: Texts from Jane Eyre and other conversations with your favorite literary characters
Author: Mallory Ortberg, illustrated by Madeline Gobbo
Pages: 240
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Nonfiction
Genre: Humor
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Hilariously imagined text conversations—the passive aggressive, the clever, and the strange—from classic and modern literary figures, from Scarlett O’Hara to Jessica Wakefield.

Mallory Ortberg, the co-creator of the cult-favorite websiteThe Toast, presents this whimsical collection of hysterical text conversations from your favorite literary characters. Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car.  (via Good…

Title: The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #1) *
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 220
Published: 2002 (first published 1955)
Challenges: I Love Libraries
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. Immediately, without a flash or a noise, she vanished. When horrible Uncle Andrew starts experimenting with magic, Digory and Polly find themselves in another world, and at the beginning of an incredible adventure, as the doorway to the magical land of Narnia opens This is the first adventure in the exciting Chronicles of Narnia. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I saw a set of books while volunteering at my church library and since I had not fully read the series in its entirety from start to finish and took the opportunity to read them.

Even though I do know that the books are geared towards the middle grades, I wasn't exactly wowed with the book and the book to be a little slow at times, even though it …

I have done this for a few years, but with little success.  So I am hoping that this time around I can get most of the categories completed.

Here are the categories:

A 19th Century ClassicA 20th Century ClassicA Classic written by a womanA Classic in translationA Very Long Classic (500+ pages)A Classic NovellaA Classic with a Person's NameA Humorous and Satirical ClassicA Forgotten ClassicA Nonfiction classicA Children's ClassicA Classic Play If you want more detailed information about the challenge, you can head to Books and Chocolate and find more information in regards to the challenge as well as help to find books for some of the challenges.
Here is what I am intending to read for the various categories:
A 19th Century Classic: The Woman in White by Wilkie CollinsA 20th Century Classic: The Age of Innocence by Edith WhartonA Classic written by a woman: North and South by Elizabeth GaskellA Classic in translation: The Illiad by HomerA Very Long Classic (500+ pages): War and …

This one I will admit was a disaster in 2014, but I am going to attempt this one again.  Here are some guidelines for the challenge:

All books must have come out before 1440, when the printing press was first invented.Books chosen for this challenge can overlap with other challenges.Books can be translated into the language of your choice.All the books you've chosen must be read by December 31, 2015.You can read 1-3 books, 4-6 books, 7-9 books or 10 or more books if you're feeling particularly ambitious.The choice of books is up to you. There are no set reading lists, and you don't have to set one when you join.Post your blog address where you'll be posting your comments on your choice of books in the comments of this post when you join, and tell me how many books you've chosen. I'll set up a link to participating blogs from here.Above all, Have fun.The challenge starts January 1st.

I am going to aim for 1-3 books. Here are the books that I am going to attempt:

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I tried this challenge last year and got a few of the categories completed, but hopefully I can do a little better this coming year.

The categories are:

Retellings (fairy tales, legends or myths)A Book set in a country starting with the letter S (eg. Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Singapore, Slovakia)PI Crime (fiction featuring a private investigator)A novel published before you were bornContemporary RomanceFiction for Foodies (fiction featuring food/food related business)Microhistory (Nonfiction)Science fiction set in spaceSports (Fiction or nonfiction)Featuring diversityEpistolary Fiction (fiction written in the format of letters/emails/diary entries)Middle Grade/ YA Adventure Here is what I am going to be reading: Retellings: Ella EnchantedA Book set in a country with the letter S: (Sweden) The Girl with the Dragon TattooPI Crime: The Thousand-Dollar Tan LineA Novel Published before I was born: The Age of InnocenceContemporary Romance: Anna and the French KissFiction for Foodies:Micro…