Hour 6 Mini-Challenge: Top Ten List

Button made by: http://www.truebookaddict.com/

It's hour six. You are already 1/4 of the way finished with the read-a-thon! Way to go! Keep it up! If you are just now starting, that's great too! 

It's time to take a break with a little mini-challenge, David Letterman style. It's time to make your top 10 list of something that has to do with the read-a-thon. Awesome idea right? Well, it's not totally mine. I have to give credit to a 2008 mini-challenge host, jillora (@JilleeBeene). I asked around the Twitter-sphere about your favorite mini-challenges from previous years and this one came up. I loved the idea and decided to bring back this amazing mini-challenge. The original challenge can be found here.

As a thanks for being awesome (you know you are), I am also having a giveaway where you will have a chance to win your choice of either a 15 USD Amazon gift card OR a book from Book Depository for 15 USD or less. To enter the giveaway, post your Top Ten list in the comments and leave a way for me to contact you if you win (email, Twitter, Goodreads, ect.). I will then use a random number generator to determine the winner.

So without further ado, here is my Top 10 list.

Top 10 Ways to Enjoy Dewey's Readathon

10. Talk on Twitter. I'm sure you will find a new friend or two and maybe even get a book recommendation. Don't we all need more books on our TBR piles?

9. Eat lots of snacks. This can be a cheat day. Calories don't count on read-a-thon days, right?

8. Do mini-challenges :)

7.  Stay hydrated. Sleepiness will come if you don't get plenty of fluids.

6. Take naps. You will remember more of what you have read and enjoy yourself more if you aren't totally sleep deprived.

5. Cheer for others. Even if you aren't registered as a cheerleader, we usually have a few rogue ones around #TeamRogue

4. Take a break to play with your kitty [may not apply to everyone, but definitely applies to me :) ]

3. Read with your kids. Involve them in the read-a-thon as well.

2. Read, read, read

1. Don't stress about how much you haven't read. Just have fun!

Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon: Update Post (October 2015)

Hello everyone! It's that time of year again; Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon is starting now. If you follow me on twitter (@blog_gal) you know that I'm super excited about this read-a-thon, as always. This go around, I am going catch up on some of the books that I have received for review. I have a variety of genres, mostly within Christian fiction, to read. I have both hard copies and a few ebooks.

Before the readathon, I have read 153 pages of Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore. I received this book from the publisher (Tyndale Fiction) for review and I am loving it! It is a Christian crime novel with the main character being a female Cold Case cop. I am going to start with reading this one.

Mostly, I will be putting my updates on Twitter, but occasionally, I will come back here for a Mini Challenge and also update my reading status.

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What does your TBR look like?


Opening Meme
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
Georgia, USA

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?
My husband is making a Riesling Gelee with Raspberry Conserve :)

4) Tell us a little something about yourself!
I love to read (obviously). I am currently a forensic DNA analyst, but I am looking to change to a genetic counselor. I currently have an internship doing research in forensic DNA at an army base.


5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
Something I'm doing different is that I had little to no planning for this readathon. My TBR is the books that I have received for review. I just wrote this post this morning. I haven't updated the Excel file for this readathon that I usually use to track my reading progress. I'm a slacker, but that's okay :)

Mini Challenges
Hour 2
For hour two, we had to post a picture of a book cover we would want to escape to. Here is mine:

#readathon #minichallenge: My cat and I would like to escape to Diagonal Alley with Harry and Hagrid.

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Oct 17, 2015 at 6:13am PDT

Hour 6

I hosted a challenge this hour. You can find it here. 

I also participated in the Power of Love minichallege. Here is my entry:

#readathon Power of Love #minichallenge: This book made me fall in love with it because it is filled with action and I love the main character (a female homicide detective)

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Oct 17, 2015 at 10:20am PDT

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?
Life is Beautiful by Sarah M. Johnson

2. How many books have you read so far?
I have finished a book I started before the readathon (Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore), read 73 pages of Life is Beautiful, and I read a children's picture book (The Ride by Kayla Davidson).

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
All of them :)

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
Yes, but mainly it's because I needed to take a break.

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Nothing :)

Reading Progress

• 239 pages of Drawing Fire by Janice Cantore- Finished
• 112 pages of Life is Beautiful by Sarah M. Johnson
• The Ride by Kayla Davidson (A Children's Picture Book) - Finished
• 52 pages of The Pastor's Daughter by T.K. Ware- Finished

Read-O-Rama Readathon TBR

The Read-O-Rama is from Sunday, June 28th to Saturday, July 4 (woohoo Independence Day in the USA). 

There are 7 challenges for the readathon:

1. Read 7 Books (not sure if I can do this one)
2. Read a Middle Grade book
3. Read a fantasy novel
4. Read a re-read
5. Read a book with blue on the cover
6. Read an e-book or audiobook
7. Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name (in any order)

Here are some of the books that I might read throughout the week:

• Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle by M.P. Jones (currently on page 60/272)
• Read a Middle Grade Book
• Read a book with blue on the cover
• The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian (currently on page 41/201)
• Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name
• God Everyday: 365 Life Application Devotions by Mike Lutz (currently on page 6/690)
• Read a book with blue on the cover
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• Read an e-book
• Because You Will Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• Read an e-book
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• Read an e-book

Are you participating in this read-a-thon? What is your TBR? What are some of your favorite summer reads? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Summer Challenges and Readathons Participation Announcement and Summer TBR

In this post, I wanted to discuss what I will be reading this summer and challenges and readathons that I will be participating in. I will update this list as I find more challenges and readathons to be a part of and as I read more books. 

Paperback Summer Challenge
Paperback Summer is a challenge that is hosted by Reviewed the Book and Suze & Friends. The goal is simple: read as many paperbacks as you can during the months of June, July, and August. There are giveaways associated with this challenge. During the course of the challenge, participants use #paperbacksummer. To join and find out more information about this challenge, please visit this webpage.

I wanted to discuss some of the paperbacks that I currently own and hope to read this summer. Also, I am including books that I am currently reading or have finished in June.

Read-O-Rama
Read-O-Rama is a readathon from June 28th to July 4th. There are 7 challenges:

1. Read 7 Books
2. Read a Middle Grade Novel
3. Read a fantasy book
4. Read a book with blue on the cover
5. Re-read a book
6. Read a book with R-A-M-A in the title and/or authors name (in any order)
7. Read an e-book

I probably will not finish many of these challenges, but I hope to give it a shot :)

More information can be found at @readorama on Twitter. 

Summer TBR

Finished Books

• Shaken by Kariss Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Shadowed by Kariss Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Half-Hearts by Kealohilani Wallace
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Are You There God? It's Me Margaret? by Judy Blume
• Judy Blume Read Along (see this post for more info)

Currently Reading

• Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• A Place of Voices by Lauren Lynch
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle by M.P. Jones
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (Read a MG Novel)
• Nest by Esther Ehrlich
• Black Bottle Man by Craig Russell
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Jesus Is ___ by Judah Smith
• The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (Read a book with RAMA in the title and/or author name)
• God Everyday: 365 Life Application Devotions by Mike Lutz
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Read-O-Rama (read a book with blue on the cover)

To Be Read

• Love's Abundant Harvest by Beth Shriver
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• The Matchmaker by Sarah Price
• Paperback Summer Challenge
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)
• Because You Will Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• Read-O-Rama (Read an e-book)

Summer Biannual Bibliothon and #CrushYourTBR Readathons Challenges and TBR

There are two readathons that I am planning on participating in this week: The Summer Biannual Bibliothon (Sunday, June 21st to Saturday, June 27th) and the #crushyourtbr readathon (All day Friday, June 26th).

The Summer Biannual Bibliothon is hosted by Kelly, Brittni, Emma, Selena, Sierra, Kassie, and Red (links are to their YouTube channels). There is also a YouTube account for this readathon (Biannual Bibliothon) and they can be found on twitter (@BBibliothon).


#crushyourtbr is hosted by Jacquelyn and Raeleen (twitter accounts are linked).  This readathon is usually a 3 day readathon, but it is going to be a 24 hour readathon this go around. More information can be found at either of the twitter pages above or at the official twitter account for the readathon (@CrushYourTBR).

The Summer Biannual Bibliothon has seven challenges, which will be my TBR for the week. Here are the challenges and my associated books:

• The Group Book
• Paper Towns by John Green (if I can get it from my library)
• A re-read a book from your childhood
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
• A Companion/Novella/Prequel
• The Falconer by Rachel Cotterhill
• A genre you've read the least this year - Adult Christian Thriller
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• A book that you Did Not Finish (DNF)
• Do What Jesus Did by Robby Dawkins
• A book set in a foreign country (must take place on earth, not in space, or another world, etc.)
• Escape from Sudan by Amanda DiCianni
• A book about an issue you're passionate about- Christian Martyrs
• Jesus Freaks by dc Talk (if I can get it from my library)

Obviously, I will probably not be able to read all of these books throughout the week, but I hope to get through at least 2 of them. I have a busy schedule next week in terms of doing research for my thesis and packing for a big move, so we will see what I can do.

Are you participating in these readathons? If so, what are you planning on reading? Have you read any of the books in my TBR? If so, what did you think of them? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me (@blog_gal).

#Rainbowthon Daily Progress

The #rainbowthon is this week (June 15-21) and I cannot wait to join. It is hosted by The Carpe Librum Book Club (@CarpethisLibrum on Twitter). I probably will not read that much this week, but I will be reading so let's see how much I can get done.

In this post, I will have a running thread in which I discuss my daily progress during the readathon. My TBR pile for this readathon can be found here.

Monday

I read from page 288 to page 330 from Half-Hearts for a total of 42 pages. 

Today's Page Count: 42
Total Page Count: 42

Tuesday

I read from page 330 to 414 from Half Hearts for a total of 84 pages today.

Today's Page Count: 84
Total Page Count: 126

Wednesday

So far today, I have read 2 pages from God Every Day 365 which is a Christian daily devotional. I am loving this devotional so far. As this is a yearly devotional, I do not believe that I will be able to finish this during this readathon, so I think I may change my TBR from what I listed in my #Rainbowthon TBR post. 

I think I will change my blue book to Are Your There God? It's Me Margaret. This book is part of the #BlumeAlong readathon that I discussed in today's post. I also posted a picture on instagram about this book:

I am starting this beauty for the blue book for the #rainbowthon #blumealong

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Jun 17, 2015 at 8:10am PDT

I read 26 pages of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret today.

I also read from page 414 to 424 from Half-Hearts for a total of 10 pages from that book. I am really loving this book; I just did not have much time to read yesterday. I love the world that this book is set in. The characters are finally being developed and I am loving all of them.

Today's Page Count: 38
Total Page Count: 164

Thursday (in progress)

I am 95% complete with Half-Hearts; I read 126 pages today of it and it is absolutely amazing. The intensity of the book is so high right now. I imagine I will be completing this book very soon!

I also read a good majority of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret today. I have read a total of 94 pages of the book so far (68 pages today). This book is engaging, but it is not one of my favorites. I enjoy the writing style, but the content is not something that I can relate to at my current age. I am 22 and the main character is 11 (almost 12). This period in my life is so far gone that I cannot even imagine what I was like at that age. I am sure many younger kids would be able to relate to this book better than I currently can.

Today's Page Count: 194
Total Page Count: 358

Friday

I finished Half-Hearts today by reading 32 pages. I loved this book and gave it a 4/5 star rating. A full review will be coming soon on my blog.

I also read 25 pages of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.

Today's Page Count: 57
Total Page Count: 415

Saturday in progress

I have finished Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by reading 30 pages. I am not sure what I will pick up next.

Today's Page Count: 30
Total Page Count: 445

Sunday

OVERALL PROGRESS

Total Page Count: 445
Books Started Before the Readathon: 2
Books Started During the Readathon: 1
Books Completed: 2

#Rainbowthon TBR

The #rainbowthon is this week (June 15-21) and I cannot wait to join. It is hosted by The Carpe Librum Book Club (@CarpethisLibrum on Twitter). I probably will not read that much this week, but I will be reading so let's see how much I can get done.

Here is my TBR for the readathon:

#rainbowreadathon TBR

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley Barnes (@blog_gal) on Jun 15, 2015 at 12:04pm PDT

• Half Hearts by Keolohilani Wallace (currently on page 228/582)
• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
• Love's Abundant Harvest by Beth Shriver
• Alliance by Mark Frost
• God Every Day 365 by Mike Lutz
• Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning (currently on page 50/311)

#CasualReadathonJ Readathon TBR and Daily Update Post (June 8-14)

The #CasualReadathonJ readathon is happening this week from June 8th-14th (Monday-Sunday) and I am participating. This readathon is hosted by BookaMeggle on Youtube (@lizameggle on twitter). This post is going to include my TBR for the challenges along with my daily updates on my progress. Here are the challenges associated with this readathon:

1. Read 2 books.
2. Read a book with blue on it.
3. Read a book that has been on your TBR forever.

There are also some "overachiever" challenges, which are:

1. Read 4 books.
2. Read a book with red on it.
3. Read a book with over 400 pages.

For this readathon, I am going to have a "TBR grab pile". I call it a grab pile because I do not plan on reading all the books in the list. I am very much a mood reader. Therefore, I make a grab pile of books that I choose from. Here is my TBR for this readathon grab bag:

• Shadowed by Kariss Lynch (read 179/290 pages before the readathon began)
• A book with blue on it
• Almost Perfect by Dianne Daniels Manning (read 47/340 pages before the readathon began)
• A book that has been on your TBR forever
• The Matchmaker by Sarah Price
• A book with red on it
• Half-Hearts by Kealohilan Wallace
• A book with over 400 pages
• A book with red on it
• Love's Abundant Harvest by Beth Shriver
• A May Bride (A Year of Weddings, Novella 6) by Meg Moseley
• Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
• Forever Yours (five short stories) by Andrea Boeshaar, Gina Fields, Joyce Livingston, Kim O'Brien, and Kathleen Y'Barbo
• Taken by Dee Henderson
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

Monday

I finished the last 111 pages of Shadowed by Kariss Lynch, the second book in the Heart of a Warrior series. I loved the first two books in this series. I gave Shadowed a 4/5 stars. A review will be up on my blog on Saturday.

Today's Page Count: 111
Total Page Count: 111

Tuesday

I read 76 pages of The Princess Diaries which was not initially on my TBR, but I received it in the mail as part of a #booksfortrade deal that I did on Twitter. I have been wanting to read this series for a while, but I am not sure if I will continue the book. I really loved the movies as a young teenager and wanted to see if the book was as good. The main character, Mia, has really annoyed me thus far. She is really rude to everyone around her, but maybe that is because she is only 14. Also, there is a bit of talk about sex and other things that I do not think are appropriate.

I also started Half-Hearts and read 47 pages. I am not loving this book as of yet, but it definitely has some potential. This book has 582 pages and I am not sure if I will be able to complete this book during the readathon, but I am hoping to read a good chunk of this book. I received this book for review from the author and I hope to be able to review the book soon. With that being said, this book is a fantasy novel and I haven't read fantasy in quite a long time so I am excited to read another fantasy. Lately, I have read a lot of Christian Fiction and middle grade novels.

Today's Page Count: 123
Total Page Count: 234

Wednesday - in progress

I continued Half-Hearts by reading 71 pages. I am really beginning to enjoy this book. It is an amazing fantasy novel. The writing isn't excellent but the plot is amazing.

Today's Page Count: 71
Total Page Count: 305

Thursday

I continued Half-Hearts and read 50 pages. I was only able to read for about an hour yesterday. I hope to read more tomorrow and Saturday.

Today's Page Count: 50
Total Page Count: 355

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday

I continued Half-Hearts and read 120 pages. I am really loving this book and hope to finish it in the next week.

The Weekend's Page Count: 120
Total Page Count: 475

Totals

Total Page Count: 475
Books Started Before the Readathon: 1
Books Started During the Readathon: 1
Books Completed: 1

#TBRTakedown Readathon Daily Update Post (Complete Thread)

Today, I have my wrap-up post for the #TBRTakedown Readathon. I have it broken up by what I read on each day of the readathon. Also as a reminder, there were 5 challenges for this readathon and these are discussed in length in my TBR post.

Monday

I read the first 19o pages (out of 304) of Shaken by Kariss Lynch.  This book I used for the "First in a Series" challenge. I also read 3% (approximately 11 pages) of an e-book that I recently hauled from Netgalley, The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I loved the beginning of both of these novels. Initially, I planned on not reading two books at the same time because I thought that I would finish more books this way, but I started The Fixer because I needed a break from Shaken. Shaken has a very intense book and I ended up crying for over an hour during the section that I ended on. I wanted an action-packed novel to pick me up.

Today's Page Count: 201
Total Page Count: 201

Tuesday

I read 36 more pages of Shaken for the "First in the Series" challenge. I also read 55% (about 211 pages) of The Fixer. I was not planning on reading so much today, but I was really hooked on The Fixer.

Today's Page Count: 247
Total Page Count: 448

Wednesday & Thursday

I did not read much on Wednesday and did not really track my progress, but on Wednesday and Thursday I read the last 78 pages of Shaken. I absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to pick up the second in the series, Shadowed. I gave this book 5/5 stars and I will have a review of this book up on my blog Tuesday.

Today's Page Count: 78
Total Page Count: 526

Friday

I read the last 42% (approximately 161 pages) of The Fixer. I loved this book and gave it a 4.5/5 stars. I will have a review of The Fixer on my blog on the release day which is July 7, 2015.

I also started Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning for my "Out of My Comfort Zone" challenge. Almost Perfect is a young adult fiction novel about 70 year old dog breeder and her teenage neighbor who has autism and who has desperately wanted a puppy all his life.  I usually read YA dystopian, fantasy or adult clean romance novels, so this book is out of the ordinary for me. I read 27 pages of Almost Perfect today.

I was enjoying Almost Perfect, but was not in the mood for this type of books today; it was too slow of a pace. So I picked up Shadowed by Kariss Lynch for the "Unread Sequeal" challenge. This is the sequel to Shaken that a read earlier this week. I read 15 pages of Shadowed today and I am really enjoying it. So far, it is a very fast-paced book, just like Shaken, and this is really what I think I need at this point in the readathon.

Today's Page Count: 203
Total Page Count: 729

Saturday

Today was a rough reading day for me. I am getting a tooth pulled on Tuesday and until then I am on pain medicine that is making me drowsy. I really wanted to read today, but it was hard to keep my interest up.

I read 62 pages of Shadowed. I am not enjoying this book as much as I enjoyed the first in the series. Although the series is written in third person, each chapter focuses on one of the two main characters: Kaylan or her boyfriend Nick. The first book, Shaken, was mainly about Kaylan and Shadowed seems to be mainly about Nick. Nick is a SEAL and although I appreciate that he serves our country in this series I am finding it more difficult to connect to his story line.

I also read 20 pages of Almost Perfect. Although I am enjoying the story, I don't think this is the book that I am in the mood to read today.

Today's Page Count: 82
Total Page Count: 811

Sunday

I read 102 pages of Shadowed. I am really enjoying this book.

Today's Page Count: 102
Total Page Count: 913

Totals

Total Page Count: 913
Books Started: 4
Books Complete: 2

#TBRTakedown Readathon TBR and Goals

The #TBRTakedown readathon takes place from June 1 through June 7 and is hosted by leaninglights on Youtube. You can find the official announcement video here. This readathon has 5 challenges. Here are the challenges and the books that I am going to try to read:

1. A book that's been on your TBR shelf over a year!
• Nettles by Ronnie Johnson
2. An unread sequel sitting on your TBR shelf.
• Shadowed by Kariss Lynch
3. A first book in a series on your TBR shelf.
• Shaken by Kariss Lynch
4. An "out of your comfort zone" book on your TBR shelf!
• Almost Perfect by Diane Daniels Manning
5. A book from your most recent book haul!
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you want to know more about these books, please check out this goodreads shelf that I created.

I probably won't read all of these books this week, but I hope to get through a chunk of them. I have a really busy week this week because I am a graduate student, but while reactions are running (such as PCR reactions) I should be able to get a good amount of reading completed.

Are you participating in this readathon? What are your goals? What have you read recently? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet me @blog_gal.

Bout of Books Wrap-Up

Last week was Bout of Books 13. Bout of Books is a week long, low pressure readathon.  Here is the official blurb about the readathon:

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 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

This post is my wrap-up post so I will be talking about all I accomplished during the read-a-thon and my thoughts.

I was able to complete 2 challenges from last week, Character Face-Off and Book Haiku. I also finished reading two books that I began before the readathon, A January Bride and Pool of Echoes.  I have already reviewed Pool of Echoes and my review can be found here. I enjoyed A January Bride (5/5 stars) and I have my review for this book scheduled for May 27. 

I also started and completed The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I will also review this book soon on my blog.

Finally, I started Choosen by Rachelle Dekker and I am loving this book! This book will be released tomorrow. I will have a review up for this book before the end of the month.

I loved all of the books that I read during the readathon and I enjoyed the challenges that I was able to participate in. I cannot wait for the next Bout of Books.

Bout of Books 13 Participation Announcement and TBR

This week is Bout of Books 13. Bout of Books is a week long, low pressure readathon.  Here is the official blurb about the readathon:

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 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Initially, I did not think that I would be able to participate this week, but I will have more free time than I thought I would.

For readathons, I usually create what I call a TBR grab pile. My grab pile consists of books that I may pick up during the readathon. It is usually an incredibly long list of books that I may or may not be able to complete. I have a complete list of the TBR grab pile here on Goodreads. Below, I will list a few of the highlights, with descriptions from Goodreads.

A January Bride (A Year of Weddings Novella 2) by Deborah Raney

Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie’s never met the innkeeper––but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie’s alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn’s owner––a man who's likely many years her senior––and who she’s never even met.

Pool of Echoes by David G. Allen

In this Inspirational Thriller, Nothing Is Certain But The Truth. Jordan Mitchfield is heir to a media empire worth billions. He also sees and hears things that aren’t there. Then someone close puts him in an insane asylum against his will. When it looks like there is no way out but to take his own life, he is stopped. Is it a vision? Is what he’s seeing actually real? Is it even part of this dimension? Whatever it is, it opens his cell door and throws him into a dangerous time-travel adventure through his memories. As he goes deeper into the Pool of Echoes, he is forced to confront everything he has ever known, reconstruct his own mental health, and play a role in something much larger than himself. 
Fans of Contemporary Science fiction, Action, Espionage, Christian fiction, and Fantasy with a Psychological edge will dive through each exciting moment. If you or anyone you know has ever questioned their own self worth, get on board this life-changing thrill-ride. You will never be the same.

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

“Not to be Chosen would yield a cruel fate of my own making.”

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority. 
But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within. 
Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle by M.P. Jones

Is Mason Wilson just another wimpy kid? Wimps don't embark on an unauthorized night-time trip to a strange, old factory; he'll do anything to stop his penniless family being thrown out of their home. There's a mystery to solve to win the grand prize - if you hardly ever find dead birds lying around, why are whole flocks of them starting to fall from the sky all over the place? Does the Bible really say that it's a sign of the end of the world? Mason uncovers some gross goings-on and plans that will change the world for ever. Should he do the right thing and try and stop them? He'll lose an opportunity of a lifetime if he does; still, when his parents find out he's gone missing, that will be the least of his worries! A quirky, yet strangely educational, adventure-mystery that the whole family can enjoy.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.
Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.
A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.



I have already started a four of these books listed above. I am 71% complete with A January Bride, 82% complete with Pools of Echoes, 22% complete with Mason Wilson and the Dead Bird Debacle, and 13% complete with The Ocean at the End of the Lane.  I read 43% of A January Bride today, so I am including this in my readathon progress.

Are you participating in Bout of Books?  What books are on your TBR? Leave your TBR and thoughts in the comments or tweet my (@blog_gal).

Rereadathon Challenge: What is your most read book?

As you may know, this week is the re-readathon, where you re-read some of your favorite books. I am taking a break from exams and doing a challenge for the re-readathon.

Here is the challenge (from the official post):

The thing I want to know is, do you have a book that you read over and over (or one that you collect multiple copies of)? Why do you read it so much? What is it that keeps you coming back to it? Basically I want to know whatever you want to tell me about this particular rereading experience!

 My most re-read book is probably the book of Esther from the Bible. I love that Esther stood up for her people (the Jews) even though she risked her life to do so. My husband and I collectively have about 10 or more copies of the Bible, in different translations.

My most re-read fiction book would be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  I have read this book around 5 times (maybe more). I own 5 copies of the book now: 2 UK paperbacks, 2 US paperbacks, and 1 US hardcover.  The US hardcover is special to me because my great-grandfather gave me the book when I was young and wrote a special message inside of the cover.  Sadly, he has passed away and that is a great memory that I have from him.

One reason that I have read this book so many times is I have the hopes of re-reading to whole series. I always start there and then almost never continue reading the series because I feel guilt about my TBR growing. Another reason is because J.K. Rowling is amazing! Enough said :)

What is your most read book? Please let me know in the comments or on Twitter (@blog_gal).

Re-readathon (May 4-10) Update Complete Thread

The re-readathon, hosted by An Armchair by the Sea, is happening this week. The goal is to re-read books you have previously read. More information can be found here.

Previously, I discussed my TBR grab pile. For this post, I plan to update it daily with my reading updates. For more frequent updates, follow my on Twitter (@blog_gal) or on Goodreads.

Day 1- Monday

I was not able to read any today due to working on my take-home final exams for college.

Day 2- Tuesday

I read 47% of a novella, A December Bride by Denise Hunter (approximately 42/88 pages).

Day 3- Wednesday

I completed the challenge for the day and participated in the twitter chat (woohoo!). Here is my challenge post.

I also read from 47% to 80% in A December Bride (approximately 29 pages today and 71/88 pages total).

Day 4-Thursday

I completed A December Bride (read approximately 17 pages).

I started A January Bride and read 9% (approximately 11 pages).

That's a Wrap

I was unable to read the rest of the days. I read a total of 99 pages during the readathon. Due to the week being busy, I am proud of my progress.

Re-readathon TBR Grab Pile

This week is the re-readathon, hosted by An Armchair By the Sea. The official post about the re-readathon can be found here. In this post, I talk about my TBR grab pile and goals. I have final exams this week and family coming in, but I hope to read some this week.

TBR Pile
I have a few books that I would like to re-read are novellas. Here they are:

The next set of books that I am thinking about re-reading is some of the Harry Potter series.  I just recently got a new set of them because these new covers are gorgeous and my old set is a little worn out. Check out my instagram post about it below:

My new #hp book set with the beautiful covers my husband bought me from amazon when they were on sale :) #bookhaul

A photo posted by Jessica Bradley (@blog_gal) on Apr 15, 2015 at 3:19pm PDT

So that is my TBR pile.  Are you joining in on the readathon? What are your goals? What are you reading this week?