Summer Reading List

Okay. I think it's obvious that I love lists. And a couple of years ago I participated in the Fall Into Reading challenge and then the Spring Reading Thing Challenge last year where I made a list of books I hoped to read during the season and primarily pulled from that list. It went pretty well, so I thought I'd pay homage to summer reading lists of years gone by and make my own (FUN!) Summer Reading List this year. This list includes review books, upcoming releases, just for fun reads, audio books, and pretty much anything I think might be fun to read over the next three months (June, July, and August).

Want to join in? Feel free to create your own Summer Reading List. If you leave me a link in the comments, I'll be sure to stop by and check it out!

1. Unraveled by Heidi McCahan
2. Rival Hearts by Tara Randel
3. A Woman of Fortune by Kellie Coates Gilbert
4. All My Belongings by Cynthia Ruchti
5. Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt
6. Yankee in Atlanta by Jocelyn Green
7. Lost Then Found by Christina Freeburn
8. Firewall by DiAnn Mills
9. A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson
10. Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund
11. A Match of Wits by Jen Turano
12. Revolutionary by Krista McGee
13. Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble
14. The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron
15. Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter
16. Seaside Letters by Denise Hunter
17. The Rake's Redemption by Regina Scott
18. Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd
19. Piece de Resistance by Sandra Byrd
20. Woodlands by Robin Jones Gunn
21. Wildflowers by Robin Jones Gunn
22. Wonder by R.J. Palacio
23. Hope at Dawn by Stacy Henrie
24. Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson
25. The Waiting by Cathy LaGrow
26. Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg
27. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
28. Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
29. Jingle Bell Romance by Mia Ross
30. The Walk by Michael Card
31. The Wedding Game by Amy Matayo
32. Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake
33. Listen by Rene Gutteridge
34. When I Fall In Love by Susan May Warren
35. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
36. Face Value by Kathleen Baird-Murray
37. The Guy I'm Not Dating by Trish Perry
38. The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
39. Sammy's Hill by Kristin Gore
40. Too Good to Be True by Trish Perry
41. I Do (But I Don't) by Cara Lockwood
42. Don't Make Me Choose Between You and My Shoes by Dixie Cash
43. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale by Lynda Rutledge
44. Accidental It Girl by Libby Street
45. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
46. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
47. It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder
48. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
49. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
50. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Other Books I've Read This Summer ...

1. His Hometown Girl by Karen Rock
2. Good Call by Jase Robertson (audio)
3. The Watsons Go To Birmingham - 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis (audio)
4. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford (audio)
5. A Lesson Before Dying by Romulus Linney (audio)
6. The Husband Maker by Karey White
7. Wish by Jake Smith
8. Escape from Alcatraz by J. Campbell Bruce (audio) 
9. The Night Before by Luanne Rice 
10. Charlotte's Web by EB White (audio)
11. Night Mare by Dandi Daley Mackall 
12. Hidden Falls: When Memory Came by Olivia Newport
13. Hidden Falls: The Groundskeeper Remembered by Olivia Newport
14. Hidden Falls: Distinguishing Marks by Olivia Newport
15. Worth the Wait by Laura Jackson
16. The Wrangler's Inconvenient Wife by Lacy Williams 
17. A June Bride by Marybeth Whalen
18. Chasing Dream by Dandi Daley Mackall
19. The Rogue's Reform by Regina Scott 
20. A Lady's Honor by Laurie Alice Eakes
21. Four: Transfer by Veronica Roth 
22. A July Bride by Beth Wiseman
23. Safe Harbor by Marie Ferrarella 
24. Terminal City by Linda Fairstein
25. Too Close to Home by Lynette Eason 
26. The Captain's Courtship by Regina Scott
27. Don't Look Back by Lynette Eason
28. A Killer Among Us by Lynette Eason
29. Nowhere to Turn by Lynette Eason
30. Marvelous by Travis Thrasher
31. An August Bride by Debra Clopton
32. Gone in a Flash by Lynette Eason
33. In Perfect Time by Sarah Sundin
34. While the World Watched by Carolyn Maull McKinstry 
35. Operation Zulu Redemption: Overkill - The Beginning by Ronie Kendig
36. Just 18 Summers by Rene Gutteridge & Michelle Cox
37. Visible Threat by Janice Cantore 
38. Runaway by Dandi Daley Mackall 
39. Voyage with the Vikings by Marianne Hering
40. Free Four by Veronica Roth
41. The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

 Well, that's a start at least! 

Here's to a marvelous summer of reading great books!

Spring Reading Thing 2013

Aaaaaghhhhhhhhhh! Somehow I managed to erase this entire post while trying to update it. UGH!!! This is definitely a first ... Let's try this again.

Sandra @ The Musings of a Book Addict is hosting Spring Reading Thing this year. You can find out the details here, but it's basically a laid-back challenge to encourage you to ... READ! The challenge runs from March 20 to June 20.

If you'd like to participate, you can sign up here.

My goal is to read 30 books during the next three months. I'll be pulling from this list but of course it will probably change before the end of the challenge! (Thank goodness for Goodreads ... my list for this challenge was stored there!)

1. A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund - Finished 4/24
2. It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist - DNF'd 5/12
3. Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade - Finished 5/30
4. Catch a Falling Star by Beth K. Vogt - Finished 5/9
5. Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck - Finished 5/8
6. The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney - Finished 5/13
7. Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer - Finished 6/3
8. Stress Test by Richard Mabry - Finished 4/4
9. The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie
10. Heart of Lies by Jill Marie Landis
11. Heart of Glass by Jill Marie Landis
12. The Air We Breathe by Christa Parrish
13. To Whisper Her Name by Tamera Alexander
14. Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell - Finished 4/7
15. The Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah E. Ladd - Finished 4/6
16. Heiress by Susan May Warren - Finished 3/25
17. Duchess by Susan May Warren - Finished 4/26
18. A Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas by Annalisa Daughety
19. Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn - Finished 3/20
20. The Dance by Dan Walsh & Gary Smalley - Finished 3/28
21. A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl - DNF'd 4/16
22. The Color of Hope by Kim Cash Tate
23. Poison by Jordyn Redwood - Finished 4/12
24. When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad - Finished 5/12
25. When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason - Finished 5/3
26. Love at Any Cost by Julie Lessman - Finished 4/15
27. Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green
28. Rescue Team by Candace Calvert - Finished 4/18
29. Jennifer by Dee Henderson - Finished 4/13
30. Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert - Finished 4/10
31. Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert - Finished 4/21
32. That Certain Summer by Irene Hannon - Finished 5/19
33. Take a Chance on Me by Susan May Warren - Finished 3/31
34. Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker - Finished 5/22
35. I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp - Finished 4/23
36. Follow Me by David Platt
37. Scorned Justice by Margaret Daley - Finished 3/23
38. Scent of Lilacs by Ann H. Gabhart - Finished 3/23
39. Defending the Duchess by Rachelle McCalla - Finished 5/16
40. The Reluctant Earl by C.J. Chase - Finished 4/30
41. The Heiress's Homecoming by Regina Scott - Finished 5/21
42. Trinity by Ronie Kendig
43. Talon by Ronie Kendig
44. The Cowboy Lawman by Brenda Minton - Finished 5/14
45. The Memory Jar by Tricia Goyer
46. The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer
47. The Doctor's Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt - Finished 3/24
48. A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island by Cara C. Putman
49. Bon Appetit by Sandra Byrd
50. Piece de Resistance by Sandra Byrd

Additions to the List ...

1. Tempest in the White City by Deeanne Gist - Finished 4/6
2. Sunsets by Robin Jones Gunn - Finished 4/8
3. If the Shoe Fits by Sandra D. Bricker - Finished 4/28 
4. A Muslim's Heart by Edward J. Hoskins - Finished 5/17
5. Clouds by Robin Jones Gunn - Finished 5/19
6. Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C. Bennett - Finished 5/27 
7. Barefoot Summer by Denise Hunter - Finished 5/31 
8. I Really Do Miss Your Smile by Susan May Warren - Finished 6/9
9. Hide and Seek by Lynette Eason - Finished 6/11
10. Unwritten by Charles Martin - Finished 6/15

Looking Ahead ... Challenge Accepted (Part 2)

So, the challenges I posted about earlier today were ones I joined because I had goals that matched up with the goals of the challenge. These challenges are just for fun. I'd love to finish them, but it's okay if I don't! (But I really hope I do!)

2013 Fairy Tales Retold Challenge

Hosted By: Debz Bookshelf

Goal: Lady in Waiting: 4-6 books

Library Books Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted By: Book Dragon’s Lair

Goal: Chapter Book: 12 books

2013 A-Z Reading Challenge

Hosted By: Escape withDollycas

Goal: 26 books (one for every letter of the alphabet)

Wishlist Challenge 2013

Hosted By: Uniflame Creates

Goal: 12 books (one per month)

Where Are You Reading? Challenge

Hosted By: Book Journey

Goal: 50 books (one for every state)

2013 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Hosted By: HistoricalTapestry

Goal: Ancient History: 25+ books

2013 Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge

Hosted By: The Book Vixen

Goal: 10  books

2013 Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge

Hosted By: The Book Vixen

Goal: 13 books

2013 Ebook Challenge

Hosted By: Workaday Reads

Goal: DVD: 25 books

2013 New Authors Reading Challenge

Hosted By: Literary Escapism

Goal: 25 new authors

What Countries Have I Visited?

Hosted By: Christian Novels

Goal: Tourist: 5 countries

2013 Christian Historical Fiction Challenge

Hosted By: Creative Madness Mama

Goal: 36 books

Southern Literature Reading Challenge

Hosted By: The Introverted Reader

Goal: 4+ books (pretty sure I'm going to blow this out of the water!)

I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to track all of these. I'll be sure to update the post when I figure that part out. :)

Looking Ahead ... Challenge Accepted (Part 1)

Remember how I said I was going to do a little looking back and looking ahead? And I posted a couple of things and then stopped? Well ... no more! I'm catching up this week with all of these posts and then it will be back to "blog as usual." :)

So ... let's get right to it. Challenges. I love them! I like keeping up with the books I read, and last year (my first year to do challenges), I had a blast tracking my progress on various challenges and letting those challenges encourage me to step out of my comfort zone a little. There are so many great challenges out there and this year I've decided to take on whichever ones I think will be fun—which ends up being quite a few. Ha!

I mentioned in a previous post that I have several (reading) goals for this year. I made these goals a couple of months ago and then sought out challenges to help me stay on track. I'm really, really, really going to do my best to meet these goals / challenges.

2013 Reading Challenge

Brooke has read 4 books toward a goal of 100 books.

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4 of 100 (4%)

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Goodreads Challenge

Hosted by: Goodreads

Goal: Read 100+ books

I will be tracking my progress for this challenge here.

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The Classics Reading Challenge

Hosted By: Thoughts at One in the Morning

Goal: 5 books

So ... as much as I love reading, I've never really liked to read the books that I'm "supposed" to read. (I hated reading for school!) So, while I've read ... er, skimmed ... quite a few books for school assignments, I've never really read them for the sake of reading them. I'm going to try to change that this year. My goal is to read 5 books off of this list (but the list may change!).

1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
3. Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott
4. Emma by Jane Austen
5. Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan
6. The Awakening by Kate Chopin
7. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
8. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
9. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer

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Reading Outside the Box

Hosted By: Musings of a Book Lover

Goal: 10 books

This is another area I'm trying to grow in. It's easy for me to get a little stuck in a rut with my reading, so I'm going to try some new things. The categories are listed below. (If I can fit books into 8 categories, I'll call it a success and try to read 2 others that are outside of my comfort zone.)

1. To the Screen
2. Another Voice
3. Opposities Attract
4. 5 Star Day
5. XyZ pdQ
6. It's My Birthday
7. From one place ...
8. It's All About Me!
9. Visit an Old Friend
10. Look at the Pretty Pictures!
11. She made me do it!
12. I couldn't help myself!
13. To be or Not to be ...

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2013 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

Hosted By: My Reader’s Block

Goal: 25 books

I'll be choosing books off of my TBR shelves on Goodreads (Nook and shelves) and will feel free to add books that were on my shelves but I just didn't realize it. :) I'm clearing the shelves this year! My tentative list (that will probably change a ton!) is below. (I'm not including books that are on my shelves for review purposes but am including books that are borrowed from others.)

1. Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
2. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
3. The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell
4. The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden
5. Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
6. Lady of Milkweed Manor by Julie Klassen
7. Protection for Hire by Camy Tang
8. The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund
9. Christmas Cowboy by Lisa Harris
10. Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes
11. Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris
12. Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth Jones
13. When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason
14. Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
15. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
16. I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp
17. Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
18. Jo's Boys by Louisa May Alcott
19. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
20. The Doctor's Devotion by Cheryl Wyatt
21. The Short-Straw Bride by Karen Whitemeyer
22. Submerged by Danni Pettrey
23. Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert
24. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
25. Heiress by Susan May Warren
26. The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

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2013 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

Hosted By: Socrates’ Book Review Blog

Goal: 5 series

So many great books, so little time. I'm hoping to go back to a few series that I've started (or ... gasp! ... plopped down in the middle of) but not gone back to finish. Here are the books I hope to read as part of this challenge (which will give me 6 series!). (I'm only including series that were previously started - not series that I hope to start and possibly finish this year.)

1. The Sweet By and By by Sara Evans w/ Rachel Hauck
2. The Buck Stops Here by Mindy Starns Clark
3. Abducted by Janice Cantore
4. Avenged by Janice Cantore
5. Heiriess by Susan May Warren
6. Duchess by Susan May Warren
7. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
8. Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
9. When the Smoke Clears by Lynette Eason
10. When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason

2013 Nerdy Non-Fiction Challenge

Hosted By: Bookmark to Blog

Goal: 4-6 books, 2-3 categories (at least 5 books)

Ugh! Non-fiction! It's just not my cup of tea. I love books that I start, but I rarely finish them. I'm going to go for 5 books and try to read at least one book that's NOT a biography/memoir. I have about 20 books on the "short list" but for the purposes of semi-brevity, I'll just list 10 here.

1. I Will Carry You by Angie Smith
2. Follow Me by David Platt
3. I Still Believe by Jeremy Camp
4. Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
5. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
6. Love Thy Rival by Chad Gibbs
7. Orphanology by Tony Merida & Rick Morton
8. Adopted for Life by Russell Moore
9. The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken
10. The Poor Will Be Glad by Peter Greer

Looking Back ... 2012 Challenges

At the beginning of last year I joined 10 challenges. I thought it was a crazy number at the time (but not so crazy compared to this year!), but took the plunge and had a great time keeping up with the books I read. Here's a quick recap if you're interested. Click on the links to see a complete listing of books that I read to fulfill the challenges.

2012 Reading Challenge

Brooke (i blog 4 books) has read 54 books toward a goal of 113 books.

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54 of 113 (47%)

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2012 Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Goodreads

Goal: 113 books (1 more than I read in 2011)

Read: 132

Status: Completed!

100+ Books Read in a Year Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Book Chick City

Goal: 100+ books

Read: 132 books

Status: Completed!

2012 Ebook Challenge

Hosted by: Workaday Reads

Goal: 25 ebooks

Read: 27

Status: Completed!

New Authors: Exploring New Boundaries

Hosted by: Literary Escapism

Goal: originally 25 new authors, upped to 50 new authors

Read: 59 new-to-me authors!

Status: Completed!

2nds Challenge

Hosted by: A Few More Pages

Goal: originally 12 books, upped to 20 books

Read: 34 books (either the 2nd time to read an author or the 2nd book in the series)

Status: Completed!

Just For Fun Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Escape with Dollycas

Goal: 1 book per month

Read: at least 1 book per month just for fun!

Status: Completed!

Where Are You Reading? Challenge

Hosted by: Book Journey

50 States Challenge

Hosted by: Book Obsessed

Goal: 1 book from each of the 50 United States

Read: books from 32 states and 6 other locations

Status: Did not complete

I stopped keeping up with locations towards the end of the year, so I'm not completely certain where I ended with this. I'm trying to figure out a better way to track this for this year.

2012 Christian Suspense Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Christian Bookshelf Reviews

Goal: 10-15 books

Read: 28 books

Status: Completed!

2012 Christian Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Creative Madness Mama

Goal: 24 books

Read: 54 books

Status: Completed!

Overall, I feel pretty great about my progress in these challenges for 2012! I'll be posting about my 2013 challenges in the next few days. :)

Fall Into Reading 2012 | The List

Well, after two read-a-thons and Book Blogger Appreciation Week in the last few weeks, you'd think I'd be challenged and evented out. :) But when Crystal and Melanie started tweeting about another challenge, I was intrigued. After much thought and careful considering ... er, thinking about all the unread books on my shelves ... I decided it could be fun. Count me in for Fall Into Reading 2012!

Fall Into Reading 2012 is hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days and lasts from September 22-December 21 (which just so happens to be fall!). It's a pretty laid-back challenge. Just set a goal, make your list, and start reading!

My Goal: 45 books

The List: My list includes 60 books. Some are books that I've committed to read for blog tours or reviews. Some are ones that I want to read for fun and just haven't gotten around to them yet. It's hard for me to stick to a list, so I'm giving myself a few choices. And I know this is a ton of books! (I even trimmed it down a little!) There are just SO many great books that I want to read!!!

1. Unending Devotion by Jody Hedlund
2. A Love Surrendered by Julie Lessman
3. Love Thy Rival by Chad Gibbs
4. Queen of the Waves by Janice Thompson
5. Where the Trail Ends by Melanie Dobson
6. No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig
7. When a Heart Stops by Lynette Eason
8. Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson
9. All Things New by Lynn Austin
10. Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden
11. Accidentally Amish by Olivia Newport
12. Beyond the Storm by Carolyn Zane
13. Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan
14. A Promise to Love by Serena B. Miller
15. The Bridge by Karen Kingsbury
16. A Flight of Fancy by Laurie Alice Eakes
17. Sofia’s Secret by Sharlene MacLaren
18. The Breath of Dawn by Kristen Heitzmann
19. Travelers Rest by Ann Tatlock
20. Heart of Lies by Jill Marie Landis
21. Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis
22. A River to Cross by Yvonne Harris
23. The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson
24. Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin
25. Love in Disguise by Carol Cox
26. The Messenger by Siri Mitchell
27. To Love and Cherish by Tracie Peterson & Judith McCoy Miller
28. At Every Turn by Anne Mateer
29. A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
30. A Texan’s Choice by Shelley Gray
31. Relentless Pursuit by Kathy Herman
32. Band of Sisters by Cathy Gohlke
33. Her Surprise Sister by Marta Perry
34. The Rancher’s Secret Wife by Brenda Minton
35. Zero Visibility by Sharon Dunn
36. Lakeside Family by Lisa Jordan
37. Montana Dreams by Jillian Hart
38. Submerged by Dani Pettrey
39. A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist
40. The Edge of Recall by Kristen Heitzmann
41. Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans
42. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks
43. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
44. The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck
45. The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden
46. The Beginning by Karen Kingsbury
47. Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
48. Protection for Hire by Camy Tang
49. Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth
50. Blood Ransom by Lisa Harris
51. Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker
52. Gentlemen of Her Dreams by Jen Turano
53. Surrender the Heart by M. L. Tyndall
54. The Red Siren by M. L. Tyndall
55. I, Michael Bennett by James Patterson
56. 11th Hour by James Patterson
57. What Doesn’t Kill You by Iris Johansen
58. Sleep No More by Iris Johansen
59. Night Watch by Linda Fairstein
60. Backfire by Catherine Coulter

Books I've Added Since Beginning the Challenge

1. Paper Angels by Jimmy Wayne
2. A Thousand Sleepless Nights by Michael King
3. Lovelier than Daylight by Rosslyn Elliott
4. Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot
5. A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs
6. Doctor to the Rescue by Cheryl Wyatt

Reading Copy Cleanup - Update #2

I feel like I've made great progress this week on the Review Copy Cleanup.

I finished three more review books: Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble, The Scent of Rain by Kristin Billerbeck, and Starring Me by Krista McGee. And I'm hoping to finish Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney sometime today. That will bring my grand total to six books!

I'm participating in the Bout of Books 5.0 Read-A-Thon this coming week, so hopefully I'll be able to finish several more books!

Bout of Books Readathon 5.0

Well, after seeing three posts about the Bout of Books Read-A-Thon next week, I decided to take the plunge and join them. I've not participated in a read-a-thon before, but this seems to be as good of a time as any.

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, August 13th and runs through Sunday, August 19th in whatever time zone you are in.  Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week.  There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional.  For all Bout of Books 5.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books 5.0 team

Time Devoted to Reading

I will be reading as much as possible throughout the week.

My Goals

I'm hoping to read 1500 pages, which is more than I normally read, but not unattainable (I hope!) and to read at least half of Total Home Makeover (since it takes me longer to read non-fiction!)

Books to Read

Coming Home by Karen Kingsbury (304 pages)

Firestorm by Lisa Tawn Bergren (352 pages)

A Texan's Honor by Shelley Gray (320 pages)

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin (432 pages)

Total Home Makeover by Renee Metzler (224 pages - half would be 112 pages)

That's a grand total of 1520 pages. Seems like a lot when I lay it all out!

Updates

I'll be updating this post each day and tweeting throughout the week (@iblog4books) with the hash tag #boutofbooks

My posts for the mini-challenges will be here.

Mini-Challenges
Literary BFF hosted by Auggie Talk: Well, this isn't something I've ever thought about before, but I think Jo from Little Women could be my BFF. She's feisty, independent, passionate, imaginative . . . I see myself in her. And we'd have a great time together! (She made her sisters do all those plays. My brother got roped into all sorts of performances!)


Passing Books hosted by Reading in Texas and The Space Between: Because I bring so MANY books into my house, I'm not able to keep very many of them. Typically, I use them as prizes for giveaways, pass them along to my grandmother and her friens (or other friends), or donate them. (Does this make me the worst book blogger ever?!)

Reading Copy Cleanup - Update #1

Remember how I said I was participating in the Reading Copy Cleanup Challenge this month? Well, I'm going to (try to) post a weekly update so that I can see my progress. Hopefully, this will keep me motivated. If you're participating in the challenge, let me know how you're doing!

I'm probably approaching this challenge a bit differently from some. Of course, I'll only be reading review copies this month. I'm starting with those I have August deadlines for, then moving on to my September deadlines to get ahead, and then going back to get caught up with some whose deadlines have past (yikes!) or were so flexible that I kept putting them off. So here's what I'm hoping to read this month. I know it's pretty ambitious, but this should make a dent in my review stack.

So far, I've finished TWO: Love Finds You in Mackinac Island by Melanie Dobson and Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon and I just started Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble. I feel like I'm off to a pretty great start!