Cool Reading URLs!

Oh how I love the web.  I found two nifty links during my foray into the WWW last night.

First a nifty website called Literature-Map where you can type in an author's name and find other related authors.  It shows up as a word cloud.  I'm not sure where they're getting the data, but it's a fun tool.

I also found a link, courtesy of Reading With Tequila Book Blog, to a website where I can create a meter showing how many books I've read in each challenge.  It's called the NaNoWriMo Word Meter and it's found on Language is a Virus.

Filling in the Gaps Reading Challenge

From Editorial Ass's blog.  I'm going to make up my own list and modify the rules.  Eventually.

http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2009/03/project-fill-in-gaps.html

Awhile ago, my friend Andromeda Romano-Lax, the author of the beloved novel The Spanish Bow, told me about a project of hers, which I've decided to totally rip off (sorry, Andromeda).

She collected a list of 100 books that she wants to have read in her life to fill in some of her reading gaps of classics and great contemporary fiction. She knew it was a monumental task ahead of her--we all tend to choose fun things instead of things we should read, right? At least I do--so she gave herself 5 years to try to get through the list, and gave herself 25% accident forgiveness, meaning if she finishes 75 titles in 5 years, she'll consider herself to have been victorious.

I'm copying her rules EXACTLY except I'm giving myself 5 years starting now and rounding up (ie almost 6 years...) so my goal will be to finish 75 of these 100 books by New Year 2015. I hope this window will also allow me to pick up other non-list books along the way (cuz let's face it, I will... I have a compulsive book buying habit).

Series Challenge 2011

Series Challenge Season 5

Hosted by Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic

The rules:

1) The challenge starts January 1, 2011 and ends December 31, 2011.

2) You must read 3 or more books for this challenge.

3) With these books, you should finish the series or at least be up to date with it.

4) Crossovers with other challenges are perfectly alright, as are re-reads.

Series to Complete or Catch-up On:

Legend of the Four Soldiers by Elizabeth Hoyt

To Taste Temptation

To Seduce a Sinner

To Beguile a Beast

To Desire a Devil

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

The Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

Kitty Raise Hell

Kitty and the House of Horrors

Kitty Goes to War

Kitty's Big Trouble

Kitty's Greatest Hits

Enemy Series by Marcella Burnard

Enemy Within

Enemy Games

Lakeshore Chronicles by Susan Wiggs

Marrying Daisy Belamy

Realms Beyond by Jess Granger

Beyond the Shadows

The Prince Trilogy by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Raven Prince

The Serpent Prince

The Leopard Prince

The Highland Pleasures Series by Jennifer Ashley

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage

The Many Sins of Lord Cameron

Highland Lairds Series by Julie Garwood

The Secret

Ransom

Shadow Music

Lairds' Fiancees by Julie Garwood

The Bride

The Wedding

The Key Series by Nora Roberts

Key of Light

Key of Knowledge

Key of Valor

Total So Far: 20/31

I Spy Reading Challenge 2011

From Goodreads SOS Serious Overload of Series Group:

I love challenges where we have to go on a little scavenger hunt through our TBR to find books that fit. This one is a TITLE search challenge--it's not based on finding pictures on the cover, but finding words in the title of the book.

But instead of giving you specific words to search for, we're going to do categories. I've listed a bunch of examples, but you're not limited to those--use your imagination and find words that fit the categories.

You may use anthologies & rereads.  Also, if you are having a hard time with a category, you many use the series name if it is printed on the cover of the book. Everyone can do that for up to 3 categories.

_____________________________________________________________________

In the TITLE of a book, find a word that fits the below categories:

1. Color  --  don't forget the good ones like crimson & indigo

Forever Blue by Suzanne Brockmann

2. Number: one, two, three, as well as once, twice, first, second

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

3. Things That Grow: flower, tree, rose, orchid, garden, lily, forest, seed, thorn, ivy

One Perfect Rose by  Mary Jo Putney

4. 4 Seasons: spring, summer, fall, autumn, winter

A Rose in Winter by Kathleen Woodiwiss or Winter Fire by Elizabeth Lowell

5. First Name: Dick, Tom, Harry, Harriet

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

6. Places: city, state, country, land, town, empire, kingdom, world OR the proper name of a city, state or country (NY, London)

To Scotland, With Love by Karen Hawkins

7. Body Part: heart, eye, hand, bone, skin, mind, foot

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn

8. Weapon: knife, sword, arrow, dart, poison, blade, razor

Dark Lover by  J. R. Ward (A Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel)

9. Body of Water: sea, ocean, river, lake, pond, bayou

The Reef by Nora Roberts

10. Form of Water: ice, fog, rain, snow, water, mist

Steamed by Katie MacAlister

11. Product of Fire: heat, smoke, fire, burn, flames, light, ash, blaze

Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts

12. Heavenly Body: sun, moon, star

Star King by Susan Grant

13. Architecture: castle, house, tower, bridge, gate

Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

14. 5 Senses: sight, sound, touch, scent, taste

To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt

15. Royal Title: king, queen, princess, duke

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

16. Family Member: brother, daughter, mother

Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

17. 4 Elements: fire, earth, air/wind, water

Trial By Fire by Jo Davis

18. Time of Day : morning, noon, night, evening, midnight, twilight, dusk, dawn

All Through the Night by Connie Brockway

19. Metal: gold, silver, bronze, iron, steel

Quicksilver by Amanda Quick

20. Emotion/Feeling: love, hate, pride, passion, desire, fear, envy

As You Desire by Connie Brockway 

21. Animal/Insect: dog, cat, wolf, tiger, bird, spider, fox, crow, goose, snake

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

22. Something to Read: book, tale, story

Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran

23. Gender Identifier: boy, girl, man, woman, wife, husband, lady

The Lady Most Likely… by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway

24. Paranormal Being: vampire, demon, angel, succubus, ghost, zombie, devil, unicorn, dragon

To Desire a Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt

Back to the Future Reading Challenge

I found this reading challenge on Shelfari in the Reading Challenge Addict Group.

Duration: 1/1/11 - 12/31/11

Rules: Read 10-66 books. For each year 2001-2011, read the number of books published in each year that corresponds to the last digit(s) of each year. Read 11 books from 2011, 10 books from 2010, 9 books from 2009, and so on.

2011

1. The Lady Most Likely...by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James & Connie Brockway

2. Quicksilver by Amanda Quick

3. Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

4. Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann

5. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

6. Chasing Fire by Nora Roberts
7. Bossypants by Tina Fey

8. The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh

9. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley

10. Lethal by Sandra Brown

11. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

2010

1. Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt

2. In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz

3. Last Night's Scandal by Loretta Chase

4. A Gentleman Always Remembers by Candace Camp

5. A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde

6. Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

7. Steamed by Katie MacAlister

8. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

9. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 

10. When Harry Met Molly by Kieran Kramer

2009

1. Beyond Heaving Bosoms by Sarah Wendell & Candy Tan

2. True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson

3. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaughn

4. Sold to a Laird by Karen Ranney

5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

6. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

7. The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

8. Heat Wave by Richard Castle

9. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas

2008

1. Trial By Fire by Jo Davis

2. The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran

3. Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

4. To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt

5. Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

6. To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt

7. Some Like it Wicked by Teresa Medeiros

8. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen

2007

1. And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke

2. To Scotland, With Love by Karen Hawkins

3. Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair

4. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

5. Virgin River by Robyn Carr

6. Shadow Music by Julie Garwood

7. The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

2006

1. Extreme Bachelor by Julia London

2. Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase

3. Her Master and Commander by Karen Hawkins

4. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Signh

5. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

6. Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

2005

1. Passion by Lisa Valdez

2. Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
3. A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands

4. The History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage

5. Dark Lover by J. R. Ward

2004

1. Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase

2. Brianna by Judy Mays

3. Love Bites by Lynsay Sands

4. The Legend of Banzai Maguire by Susan Grant

2003

1. Cry No More by Linda Howard

2. To Sir Philip, With Love by Julia Quinn

3. Key of Light by Nora Roberts

2002

1. She Went All the Way by Meggin Cabot

2. Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory

2001

1. Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

Books to Read in June

To Be Read:
The Bride by Julie Garwood (Highlander)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Calling All Bookworms June Challenge)
As You Desire by Connie Brockway (ROR Summer Challenge)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett (read before the movie comes out)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin (I'm Not a Book Snob June Challenge)

Currently Reading:
1. Don't You Forget About Me, Edited by Jaime Clarke (11 in 11 Challenge, TBR pile)
2. Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (Calling All Bookworms Reading Challenge)
3. A Quick Bite by Lynsay Sands (Library e-book)

Books I've Read:

1. Steamed by Katie MacAlister (ROR Spring Challenge)
2. To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt (Historical Romance challenge)

3. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (ROR Summer Challenge)

4. To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
5. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Library)
6. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Library)
7. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Library)

8. To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (ROR Summer Challenge)
9. Bossypants by Tina Fey (11 in 11 Challenge, Library)
10. Last Gleaming by Joss Whedon et. al. 
11. The Guild by Felicia Day 

12. Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper (Mystery & Suspense Challenge)