I *think* this completes my end-of-year wrap-up. Maybe. ;)

1.  The Habitation of the Blessed, by Catherynne M. Valente. Once I've read her early work, assuming I will at least like it a lot, I think I'm going to have to admit that Valente has passed Lois McMaster Bujold as my favorite author.* And while this is more difficult than The Orphan's Tales ( Read more... )

Last year, I posted the following reading goals:

1. Complete some version of the  Science Fiction Challenge
2. Complete some version of the  Fantasy Challenge
3. Complete some version of the  Mystery Challenge
4. Complete some version of the  Classics Challenge
5. Complete some version of the  Contemporary Fiction Challenge
6. Read six nonfiction books cover- ( Read more... )

Total Books Read: 112
--Re-Reads: 7 (6.25%)
Total Pages Read: 36,722

Average Pages Per Book: 328
Average Rating: 3.82

5-Star Books: 22 (19.64%)
1-Star Books: 1 (0.89%)

Average Books Per Month: 9

Best Month:
--Most Pages Read: May (4,515)
--Highest Rating Per Book: April (4.33)

Worst Month:
--Fewest Pages Read: November (1,667)
--Lowest Rating Per Book: October ( Read more... )

Below, all the books I read in the second half of 2011. Links are again to my reviews.

( LiveJournal doesn't like me tonight. . . )

Below, all the books I read in the first half of 2011. Links are to my reviews.

( 112 items makes a long list. )

The challenge here is to read one book in twelve out of the thirteen categories, and by definition a contemporary work must have been published in the last fifty years.

1. 
   Contemporary political issue: Until I Find You, by John Irving. Completed 6/10/11.
   
2. 
   Work by one author that alludes to an earlier work: Among Others, by Jo Walton. Completed 1/26/11. ( ( Read more... )

The challenge here is to read one book in twelve out of the thirteen categories. And for the purposes of this challenge, a book cannot be a classic until it is at least 50 years old.

1. Sea Saga

2. A classic author's first novel: Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen. Completed 9/5/11.

3. A novel by a non-European author

4. Family conflicts

5. Belle Epoque ( Read more... )

1. AND THE AWARD GOES TO?  Read a mystery that has won a literary award within the past five years.

2.   THOSE WERE THE DAYS:  Read a mystery from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Completed 1/23/11.

3.  ONE, TWO THREE:  Read a mystery that has a number in the title.
Six Against the Yard, by the Detection Club. ( Read more... )

There are four options to complete this challenge.

Light Challenge: Read one novel in 5 out of the 10 categories in Parts A-C and read one novel in 3 out of the 5 categories in Part D. A maximum of 3 titles may double-qualify. (Total of 15-18 titles)
Regular Challenge: Read one novel in all 35 categories in Parts A-D. A maximum of 5 titles may double ( Read more... )

There are three options to complete this challenge.

Light Challenge: Read one novel in 5 out of the 10 categories in Parts A-C and read one novel in 3 out of the 5 categories in Part D. A maximum of 3 titles may double-qualify. (Total of 15-18 titles)
Regular Challenge: Read one novel in all 35 categories in Parts A-D. A maximum of 5 titles may ( Read more... )