What is year of the Book series? It’s a reading challenge I gave myself in 2013,. At the end of 2012, I was going through the books I had to read, and thought of what would end up as my New Year’s Resolution (and I don’t make those often) maybe a week to just a few days before New Years Eve. I thought of the idea to try and read as many books as possible this year to hopefully make a dent in room as well as the book shelf. I was hoping to read 50 books but I came more than half way to the goal. Come see what I read and what I thought of them. You may just find a new favorite series, author or book!
disclaimer: The posts, (or pages) for the 2013 Year of the Book series, & 2014’s Reading room were a couple of my lenses on squidoo, and they do not work well with the new site they transferred to. I thought being as I am including 2015’s reading quest on this blog (& maybe my main blog Zodiacimmortal) I may as well bring you up to speed and maybe help you find some interesting books to read at the same time. I have only copied & pasted them into the post/page for each so if there are any no-no’s please let me know what they are first so that I might be able to correct it.
Before clicking on a link hoover over it and look at the bottom left to see where it will take you as…I have included links for your convenience to the books on Amazon to tell you more about the book and for easy purchasing
2013 – Year of the book series
My Quest for book space.
I don’t normally make New Year’s Resolutions; but this year with my to-read shelf overflowing, having a box of books, plus a big reusable shopping bag over flowing with books, I decided The idea is finish in 7 days or less
#1–my reading would consist of reading only book series (or books I have from a series).
So I decided to make it somewhat of a resolution.
#2– he 2nd part of this I’m not sure I can keep (up), is to try to read a book a week to no more than 2 weeks.
(however, this of course depends on the length of the book, for a basis books with multiple stories will be at least one week per story to finish.) If I finish a book ahead of schedule (for instance: if I read a book in less than 7 days, the number of days I finsihed ahead of time is a ‘Banked’ day or extra day.) I will most likely note an estimated deadline for when I want to finish a book I think might take longer than a week.
The ONLY way I can read a book that’s not in a series is
A — If I finish individual books (or full series) ahead of schedule (Ie: The Broken Heart Oklahoma books should not take me longer than a week each to read. (I read the first 4 books between January 1st – 16. At the time I was on the 4th & 7 or 8 days ahead of schedule on the series itself (let alone the quest).
B– Redeeming those ‘banked’ days I’m ahead.
I hope The Explaination in The Book Worm section will explain more
C–If I am between finishing 1 series and going to another. If I know a book is part of a series, then I may just read the one lone book I have to whatever series it is apart of. *Note if it IS part of a series, I do NOT have to deduct the ‘banked’ days for reading it (its ONLY if its a NON series book I have to deduct the days)
D– I have a book a friend lent me they thought I’d like as well as one I want to read to give to them so they can take their time in reading it. So these 2 books (at least one of them) I will read in the time I made up.
#3– 3rd part which I’ve tried to stick to & I have some what sort of been good (unless I could get them for free or super cheap at Thrift stores) is for every 5 books I read, then I may buy a new one (unless of course its a book in one of the series I regularly (or try to) read. Like The Otherworld Series by Yasmine Galenorn.
ATTENTION I had no choice but to break this lens down to a few seperate pages, this will be the main one but there’s 2 other pages 2013 YOTBS Page 2 and Page 3 which will be in another post
Based on a work at (the now defunct) http://www.squidoo.com/2013-year-of-the-book-series.This Lens is an on going work in Progress (as I Read the books), and will not be fully complete until the projected date of December 31st 2013 when I hope I will finish the last book . (unless of course I beat my deadline to read all the books in a series I have before that!)
2013 Year of the Book series – Reviews Book
The Year of the Books series is now a ‘book’.
Just for a taste of the first few and a couple other series I have noted what page the review appears on. hope you enjoy
- Broken Heart, Oklahoma series
- Night World series 3 fat books each WITH 3 stories in it (PAGE 2)
- C.S. Lewis sci-fi space trilogy
- Tales of Beedle the Bard- J.K. Rowling
- Haunted Moon by Yasmine Galenorn book #13 of the OtherWorld series(the pretty much the only series I regularly read(page 2)
- Autumn Whispers-Yasmine Galenorn (in Fall) (page 3)Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld (check it out for an EXCLUSIVE interview)
- Playing With Fire- Katie MacAlister (page 2)
- Last Dragon Standing G.A. Aiken
- Knights of the Blood-Katherine Kurtz and Scott MacMillan Page 2
- Necroscope Series by Brian Lumley (the first 3)(PAGE 2)
- Dark Gold & Dark Nights Christian Feehan page 3
- Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Immortal by Christopher Golden & Nancy Holder (page 2)
- by Chrstopher Moore (page 3)
- Real Vampires Have Curves & Real Vampires Don’t Wear size six.(page 3)
- Viking Heat by Sandra hill page 3
- Who’s kitten Who by Cynthia Baxter (page 2)
- Before I wake Steven Spurhill (page 2)
- Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon (page 2)
- L.J. Smith Dark Visions (Page 2)
Reading Journals – & prompts
I was looking for prompts to help myself (hopefully) write abetter review for the books, plus I thought they might be useful to those of you that keep a reading journal weather you liked the book or not. This way you have somewhat of an outline or just pick & choose. They are a great Idea for use in book reports, and there are some genere specific as well. .
I have an assortment here for both adults and children.
From these you can even make a book mark like those from knockKnock (I’ve pieced together a couple of mine to make my own personal book notes marker)
The Basics
Title
Author
Genre
Date Started: ~ Date finished or x- didn’t finish
(Following Ideas are from BB from FB group What are you reading now
~~ write a brief description.
~~Have you read this author before?
~~Is this author new to you?
~~Would you recommend this book to others?
Rating 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reading Reason: Pleasure prove something School project
Pleaurable or Shameful
Chapter/Pages/paragaph or line Remember this
Sentence Starters
* I love the Way…..
* I wish that…..
*It Seems like….
*I wonder….
*I can’t belive…
* I Dislike…..
*If I were…..
Note important words from the Story under:
People Animals Places & Things
Vocabulary not familiar with Words to look up
Ideas to discuss or conversation topics to strike up
________(character) reminds me of _______(who) because (this can be another character from any other work of fiction be it Novel, play, or film.)
I am puzzled by or wonder about___________________
The title of this chapter (if any as its usually rare) is perfect because_________
Questions: while reading & After reading
(were any of the questioing while you were reading answered before you finsihed?)
Would you read the rest of the series
would you read more books by this author
Favorite Quotes or lines from the book
What I did & didn’t like
General Story
Characters Main & minor (antagonist & protagonist)
setting (Time Place, social or historical background)
Plot
Problem
Solution
Events
Mystery
setting
Main Problem Mystery at the heart of the story
who are YOUR Suspects (& list the rest from book as well)
some of the clues that helped
Events
Solution /How was mystery solved?
were you able to figure things out before they were solved in the book?
were you surprised by what or who it was that did it?
Conflict List
Character vs. Character
Character vs. Society
Character vs. Self
Character Vs. Enviornment
Write a different ending to the story or a part you did not like
Author tools
Imagery
Similies
Mataphors
Hyperbole (exageration)
Flat or round
Well Rounded Characters Are described in how they look, how they act, what they say & what they think as well as what other charactes think about them
story Questions
Who what where when why How
Thoughts on the beginning chapters & main characters
Why are you so involved (or not) in the reading
What about the story drew you in?
Like most & least about the story & about main character
Message or the theme of the story
Sadest & funniest event in the story
Character I admire & why
Character I least like & why
Fiction
Are the characters reaslistic (as if you might meet them on the street) & why
could the story be realistic (like if its a mystery novel)
Character Comparison to you or another character of fiction (Novel, Play film, short story)
NOTe Similarities and differences of the character and yourself or the other.
Which do you admire more.
Considering what you discovered , what is your reaction to the character now and how do you think they’d feel abotu you?
Judgement
How they behave, their values & behaviors
would you disagree with this character when they act in this way.
What is wrong with it and what would be more preferable response/bahvior or value to you?
If you keep a sheet of paper with some of this info on it
a good idea of note would be along with the basics to include a the date you are reading & from what pages you started & finished reading that day
Is there something that was mentioned in the book, that you would have liked the author to elaborate on more?
A scene at the end maybe (see my Who’s Kitten Who review as an example)
Informational Books
What type of information is this book about
write down some intersting facts you learned
Biography or Autobiography
Which on it is
Family History Date & Place of Birth Family: Mother, Father & siblings (names)
Life Events Early Life Schooling College Adult Life
Death & Beyond Death date & Place of death casue of death How peoplet felt about this person at time of death
Did you know… Information Interesting facts & trivia (favorites for instance, accolades , Hobbies & interests Quotes etc)
(check out ULTIMATE! book Report outline for more ideas to include in the journal as well as if you have to write a book Report
You can also use Book Recommendation cards to jot down the info & include in your journal.
Here’s a journaling workbook for the kids
Time to start Munchin
Here is where I shall keep you up to date on
my Progress
(even though it’s noted with the books, I will use this part as a summary of the current progression of my Mission)
I have a few Reading Rules
1.-You need the first 5-10 Chapters (or 50 pages) to know if you can stick with a book.
(sadly though what do you do when that 10 chapters ends up being the middle of the book, esp. with what to you is the worst to read?) I ended up starting another book & just read the bad book until I couldn’t stand it anymore, & would switch to the other.
2. NEVER Quit on a book
I really HATE to not finish a book no matter how much I dislike it (see Reading rule #1) but sometimes like the afformentioned it is torture to read and therefore the reason I started Rule #1.
(its just the fighting with myself I have to work out before I actually do)
3. Vere away from your Norm! You will never know when you wil find a treasure!
No matter what your fave genre, always through something different in there. Do you normally read romance? Throw in a crime thriller, or horror. Normally read vampire stuff, throw in some werewolves. I found a few favorites this way! a Couple of Crime/mysteries
Called Lethal Legacy,
Flaw in the Blood
Murder on the Prowl &
Ruby
book My mother & a friend do not usually read vampire books, but there was one I reacently read I LOVED see broken heart series) they read the first book!)
As you may have already read above, I want to make sure I read (depending on the size of the book) at least 1 a week; for instance paperbacks up to 300 pages should take no longer than a week, as in 7 days (or less); past that may take up to 2 weeks.
Which for example means the Broken Heart series I estimated should have taken me no longer than the first or 2nd week of February to finish. Well I was right in that estimation, finished the 7 books of the series I had on the 4th of february)
The progress I show here is for the one I Just Finished -Dark Visions I am reading, and is temporary until I start each new book=Dark Nights: 2 stories & am on the 2nd titles Dark Dream
Sadly I lost track of the estimates so I’m just going to go with keeping up on the “finish in 7 days” rule for the quest. For the the fatter books (as some of them are Multiple books in 1 volume) ‘as long as I finish each story within a week’ or less) You might also want to come back every few days or week as I usually write my review as I read the book & sometimes note something after (even when I’m on a new book)
Check out the current Banked Days stats
Extra Days ‘Prize’ Redemptions
1– reading a non-series type book, (-1 day for each it takes to read)
2– just take a break from reading (-1 per day)
3–add the extra days to finishing those bigger books
–(that might take longer than a week or 2) -1 day for each
4– Buying a new book before finishing another 5 (must pay with 3 days)
~~ #books read so far (see bankd days link above) reward myself with the purchase of 2 new books!
5– Cash in up to 3 as PENALTY for not finishing (for whatever reason I won’t be finsihing a book or series)
Total Days Left= 21 (as of Aug 6)
I don’t actually wear glasses a friend & I were joking around & we thought they looked good on me.
Bibliobibuli
(n.) from a mixture of the
Greek biblio & the latin bibulous (from bibere meaning to drink)
1. “one who reads too much” Or
2. loosesly drunk on books
the term was coined by H.L. Mencken in 1957
source 1 * Source 2
Library Pool – ‘bet’ on it
How many books do you thik I’ll read this year?
- 25
- (It was 38)
- 50
- 75
- 100
- OVER 100 ? (how many?)
I CHALLENGE YOU
To do the same quest. (or something Similar) & YOU HAVE to make a lens on it (if you are a squid lensmaster)
Challenge the kids to read at least 1 book per month (aside from school), for a special treat they want
Use a theme
Book series only
Horror
a certain author’s books etc
Broken Heart, Ok Series
Broken Heart, OK Official site &http://www.michelebardsley.com/
I‘m the Vampire, That’s why
Started: January 1st – Finished: January 6th
Even if you are not one for vampire stories, this book will at least have you cracking up weather you are a mom or not.
On another side… the character Jessica I swear has got to be my long lost twin (sounds like stuff I’d think or say of what comes out of her mouth!)
As I was reading one night I had to slap my hand over my mouth a few times not to laugh so i wouldn’t laugh so loud to wake up the other residents of the house. Another cool part of this book, you learn Gaelic & some German words & phrases. Don’t worry there’s a glossary in the back. The Vampire Patrick & His Brother Lorcan (which is werewolf now) are Irish and the legendary Brigid is also among the Vampires.
What does one do when they are a mother & they are turned to live for eternity knowing eventually you’re kids will die before you, not to mention that what’s left of your small town has been being bought out by these vampires & parapersons (without you knowing it) to make a safe community for themselves. Everyone’s lives get turned upside down having to turn the town into a night community, including school for the kids.
having Finished the book, I think this is my 2nd favorite series. (so far my Yasmine Galenorn series is still #1) but Michele Bardsley is definitely another favorite author now.!
This is my friend Jane from England’s blurb on the book :
This is the first in the Broken Heart series by Michelle Bardsley. For once, our heroine is not mere mortal or vampire hunter, although she does start out as human, but is attacked in the very first chapter while putting the bins out! Subsequently, she is ‘turned’ so becoming one of the ‘undead’.
This is real chick lit with supernatural characters It’s fun and quirky and very easy to read. You don’t need to think about what is going on.
So, if you are into a supernatural chick lit, with some great humour, I thoroughly recommend this book.
I for one can’t wait to read the next Broken Heart series. Thanks to my friend Kim for introducing me to this series.
Don’t Talk back to your Vampire
started January 6 – Finished January 9 (5 days ahead of schedule)
This book is about Eve, a friend of Jessica’s and mother to Tamara. Her & her daughter may remind you a bit of Rory & Lorelai from Gilmore Girls. They seem to have their own language but, they just use a word of the day chart, and are from a family of librarians.
While this book I was surprisingly able to finish faster than the first, (probably because the other one with Jessica’s sword for a tongue had me laughing ever other page) I wasn’t as keen on. I missed Jessica! Not to knock the characters in this book but, they just weren’t as fun as Jessica. They were still funny and witty in their own way. This takes place I think it was 3 months after I’m the vampire that’s why. The Consortium is still razing buildings & erecting new state of the art new ones. Eva LeRoy has a very rare vampire power that only she & one other vampire share. Not to mention that the turn-bloods powers are moving along at a faster pace than usual. Eva has some ‘Snow White’ or Cinderella effect on the animals, they for some reason drawn to her. Meanwhile someone is running around Broken Heart without the consortium’s knowledge, however a Roma (lycans that can only turn during the full moon as well as Vampire Slayer) is on the hunt for this ‘unseen’ force. Someone is infecting the vampire population on purpose with the ‘taint’ (the ONLY way a vampire can get sick. Usually they end up crazy then death
Becaue Your Vampire Said so
started: January 9th – Finished January 13
(I’d say I’m doing good! 3 books within 2 weeks!) In the 3rd book we meet turn-blood Patsy who is the towns beautician and has a rare vampire gift (depending on your Point of View) basically she’s a Ghost Whisperer! She also has a teen son Wilson who’s into drugs and such and already seemed to have joined the dark side without becoming dead. Like Jessica and Eva, Patsy’s soul mate finds her, and they just happen to be part of a prophecy (don’t worry I won’t ruin it) In this we learn how each of the ancients were turned and what the family power is. We have a battle between two sides, as one of the ancients has turned droch fola (bad vampire).
Before I forget, I think I will add here that (in case I have not yet mentioned) another reason I like the series so far. You get to learn another language (or 2 even if its only a few words an phrases) plus some rare words most of your friends and family probably do not know! (know someone from Harvard or other Ivy league school? Test this one out on them! Panjandrum (it means self important person of rank someone especially an official who is pompous or pretentious. )
Wait Until your vampire gets home (Currently reading)
As I read this I think I’m burning myself out with the reading; as for the book…
A family of paranormal investigators having heard rumors about the town, show up, and the daughter ends up in the cemetery watching someone planting some flowers. Then all undead rotting corpses break loose, then the big scaly grill comes blasting through. I think this is my 2nd favorite book of the series, Vampires + Dragons= ? Wouldn’t that equal snake? (I mean the fangs + the scales.. lol mmm) what will happen when paranormal researchers come to town? How does a vamp dad take care of twin boys, and how to we get some of these cool sounding gadgets? I think one might be a bit more tame compared to the others but we find out what happens to a nasty ancient! This was another book with great flow to it, an interesting look into some dragon myths and so on.
My progress of the series
Start/ Finished January 1st – February 4th (of the books I had)
1-7 ~ Book 1 ~ 1 day
8-14 ~ book 2 ~ 4
15-21~Book 3~ 2
22-28~ book 4 ~ 4
29- Feb 3 ~book 5 -1 day
feb 4-10 ~ book 6 ~ 0 days (started 23 finished 29th)
feb 11- 17 ~Book 7~0 days started 29th – February 4th
“The Night I died, I was wrestling a garbage can to the curb..”
Banked Days= 12
Broken Heart books 5-7
Over my Dead body
Started January 17- 22
(I fell behind reading this as I was not feeling myself, but still came from behind to finish a day ahead)
This is Simone Sweet’s story. The Mechanic of Broken Heart, is not what she seems. Most don’t think she has an angry bone in her body, & they’re wrong (She just quells it better). She had an abusive husband, that she finally escaped… and now against her better judgment getting the warm fuzzies for Brady. She has a daughter who has not spoken since the night they escaped. The town is getting ready for a big festival to usher in and make official among the lycans, Patsy as Queen. For this, the town is trying to install an invisi-sheild, with thanks to Brady having nabbed some tech from his previous job for the technology for it. There’s something unknowingly lurking around town. Simone has seen a man in a black suit in the woods, then there’s Rainer who gives her the creeps as well. .
Come Hell or High Water
Started Jan 23 – 29th
In the 6th book we meet Pheobe who has a 4 year old son, Danny, who is away with his human dad. She has the power to summon demonkin and send them back as well. Phoebe has to get some sort of talisman for her new demon bedmate Connor, to keep Lilith (yes THAT Lilith) who is his step-mother and other demons from storming Broken heart.
This is my least favorite of the series. We have spent most of our time in hell (literally) with Pheebs & her Demon husband who tricked her in to marrying him. (She didn’t know he was part demon). For me It’s also been a bit of a bore compared to the previous stories of the series. Besides that there were a few typos that messed me up reading & parts that {maybe I just missed something (& hope it was just me) } seemed like parts of the story were missing. I don’t think it was to hide anything like lost would. You would just read from one Paragraph about say Jessica & Patrick then all of a sudden a character seemed to be talking to someone else that doesn’t get mentioned later in the paragraph. Or the scene suddenly changes like a bad script & editing job in a movie.
Cross Your Heart
Started january 29th – Finished February 4
Meet Elizabeth Bretton, the undead heiress of the Silverstone estate. She has a vengeful ghost seemingly out to kill her, and a 150 year old mystery to solve. Enter the homicide detective were-jaguar ‘Tez’; short for Tezozomoc, who she describes as egotistical, presumptuous vulgar & rediculously hot. Queen Patsy & mate Gabriel are making renovations to the Silverstone estate; & come across a dark forboding force. Is this force the same thing that’s haunting Elizabeth, o ris it something else altogether?
So far this one is better than the last book. This one is more entertaining and flows more smoothly.
Apparently it seems as though all the 5 founding families of Broken Heart, have burried something very bad. Could it be something to do with the curse? Ellie Bee or Princess as Tez calls her & Tez travel to her family home to rummage through her great grandfather (or was it uncle)’s things. She is sure there has to be something among his belonging to help them out. While ‘Ellie’ is juggling this with Tez.. he came (invited) to Broken Heart originally to checkout the were cat pride as their Alpha was dying. He tries to avoid Tawny one of the wear cats & The Alpha’s #1 is flirting with Tez and he want’s nothing of her tawdry self.
This was a cool Scooby & the gang kinda mystery (& I note that purposely.. if you read it you’ll get why)
Series information
There are at least 2 more books in the series
Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling
I couldn’t remember if I finished reading it, so I jsut re-read it again as I figured it wouldn’t take long & and didn’t only 2 days.
I read it being as I’m a bit stalled being I finished the other series so quick and need to get to the book store to get my copy of Haunted Moon.
Look as though I may have to start on the next series before I get that book.
Also it may snow enough that I might have to cancle my appointment this Friday (8th), but we shall see what happenes between tonight and Friday morning.
Banked 5 days
The Tales of Beedle the Bard are not your regular fairy tales so muggles beware!
Unlike your Grimm fairy tales which have been made sacrine by Disney, some of these may just knock even the Brothers’ Grimm over the head.
Professor Dumbledore includes footnotes analyizing the stories.
I think my favorite is of the warlock who swore off love, as well as the one of the 3 brothers and the Deathly Hallows.
a “Celebrated space trilogy’ – by C.S. Lewis
I can’t seem to find a name for the Trilogy, so I just noted what it said on the covers. I have no idea how long I’ve had these, but it must be a bit as I cannot recall where or how I procured them. I’m sure I bought them just because of the author’s name as well as the first is as least older than me,(they are from 1974, 1978 & ‘1979) plus I liked the cover of the 2nd book.
These may be diffcult to read, only because the first one at least the glue on the spine dried up and the cover & some pages are pulling away. Ok Trying to read the first book and if it were not fo rthe darn thing being in the shape it is, I would have probably been finished with it already.
I’m not much for purely sci-fi books but I’ve read a couple here & there.
Book #1 Out of the Silent Planet started Feb 9-17 it may say ‘beloved’ on the cover but so far over 3/4 of the way through & the writing does not flow. I can imagine the writer reading it in some monodrome tone and aside from the adventure of it (& the will & drive) to get through it (& the other 2 books) I would have probably stopped reading it long ago! So I may end up having to use one of my banked days to finish. Edit that.. make that used 3 days, Part of this could be the condition of the book that took me so long to finish it as even as I ead it the middl eof the book would fall out, another page would come away from the spine, and even more of the outside of the spine would disintegrate. I’m hoping Paralandra the 2nd book will be easier as well as NOT falling apart
annoyed because the pages keep falling apart between my fingers & I should have been able to finish this within 3 days.
Not sure what to make of the story…but I had to use some of the extra days. SO with that.. in short was not happy with the writing and I’m not really into Sci-fi I don’t mind the occassional one. This one was for be quite hum drum. I like details and such but this was just headache inducing as trying to (in a round about way) exlain things from our world to those of another. This one I give a D+ as I could almost see in my mind the Landscape of the other planet.
Book #2 Paralandra started Februray 19 Feb 23rd… (Incomplete) Did not finish..’peanlized’ myself by cashing in 3 of the banked days & will not read Book #3 of the Trilogy “That Hisdeous strength. It wasn’t just the first book falling apart. It was the writing of the book, it may be well detailed to paint a picture in your mind of being on the planet and such but for me if a book of this size (just a bit over 200 pages.. while the first was 100+) should not take me longer to read than 7 days. Being I had to use 3 days to finish the first.. that shoudl not have happened. For me reading this second book was one of those teddious chores that you half ass the job and rush through. I’m not sure weather I was doing this on purpose or not but I noticed I would skip over parts or re-read others when I took a break. For me the writing just does not flow as I’d like for me to be able to read it. I think any insomniac however by my point of view would love the trilogy as I think after reading about 5 pages I’d have to take a break myself this would probably put them to sleep. I’m sad to give up on reading it as I do not like quitting, as well as it was a good story.
One good thing that came out of the first book at least… it inspired me to write a poem! (I was hoping soemthing in these other 2 would get me 2nd & 3rd stanzas to the poem but I just can’t do it (unless I read the last half of the 2nd along with reading anothe book as I’ve done before but defeats the purpose of having a 7 day deadline to finish each book etc.
My apologies I was not able to find a cover the same as the 3rd book, but I also included 2 options for buying the set together. (Check the used versions they’re cheaper)
Series Notes
Out of the Silent started Fabruary 9 Ended 17
used 3 of the banked days to finish reading between the book falling apart & the writing didn’t flow to me.
More like Allergic to my own mind
Recommend a book
March of Dimes Reading Olympics – OH MY GODS! I cannot belive I found one of these on ebay.
I did a search for the reading Olympics I participated in inmy younger grammar school years. (somewhere along from 2nd to grade 4) I came upon this and see how much they wanted for one I was floored! OF course this is really only here for show.
The ribbon part on mine, looks alot less dirty and raggedy. (but then I’ve had it hanging on my hutch in my bedroom since I won it.) I won the gold medal in the Reading Olympics and the only book I can remember reading for it was a shazaam book!
I wish they had given us a patch or button as well to put on our book bags or something for participation at least. (If they did I would still have it)
When i post, I’ll have to see if I have some sort of picture of it instead
Banked tracker (Long)
Total Banked start= 21
Dark Visions: The Dark Power +2
The possession +1
The Passion +3
Dark Gold -2
Dark Nights= -1
Current # Banked (as of 7/21)= 25
Books Read=22
#books earned= 4
Rewarded -2
my ULTIMATE Book Report
Need help with writing your bookreport? Here I have a format (outline) to follow & organize your notes for a book report? Just copy & paste the info you need into a word (or other word prossessor) file.
You can use one of the print-outs on here or you can see if there’s anything you can use on my Creative Writing 101 page.
From here down to the first dotted line, is required General information for Book Reports, after that anything else that says general should be in your report. There’s also sections you can use for different types of book reports based on the type you read, like Mystery, Fiction, non fict etc.(I may include those in a seperate section or 2 as sineif the information is best included as a grid. If there’s anything oyou have to include on a report that is not here, please let me know so I may include it.
Book Title_______________________________ by Author________________________
Publisher _________________________ Illustrator/Photographer _________________
Copyright date_________________ Number of Pages __________
Length of Time read Start date _______ Finished________
Type of Literature (Genre):
o Non-Fiction
[]Biography (autobio) [] Sports [] History []How-to []Informational/essay
o Fiction
[]Realistic Fiction [] Poetry []Historical []Fantasy []Sci-Fi []Horror [] Mystery / Crime
[] Folk Tales/Mythology []Romance []Thriller []Action/Adventure []Western {}Other______
General Overview of the Topic
In any report you should introduce the report and your book, describe the setting and time as well as the characterizations of the Antagonist and protagonist. Summarize the plot, and what conflicts internal or external in the plot, indicate the theme (what lesson was learned by the characters) of the story and the conclusion including whether or not you would recommend the book.
Does the Book have []Photos []illustrations []Both
WHO- Main Characters (& favorite)
What-
Setting- Where_______________________
When (story Dates) ______________________ ___________________________
Era- Bronze Age, Ming Dynasty, Renissace World War 2 etc) _______________________________________
did the story take place___________________________________
Why
How
Tone & Style
Point of View- First person or omniscient
Did the beginning grab you? (as in chapters 1-5)
Favorite Part of book _____________________________________________________
Book Evaluation (Like-loved) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Would you recommend to a friend? Yes No
Please explain Why or Why not? (at least a 5 line paragraph)
NEW Vocabulary- 3-5 words from book &define (esp. use those you had to look up)
————————————————–
Non-Fiction Topic _________________________________________
Summary of the Book – (Beginning middle & end)
5 Facts about the topic you found interesting
5-10 important or interesting pieces of information in SEQUENTIAL (or logical) order
Why (Person Place or thing) is of interest to you
Write down Page number & describe two illustrations/photos from the book
1. Pages { } Description___________________
2. Pages { } Description___________________
Show 3-5 Non-fictional text features in the book and explain how they helped to enhance your understanding.
You can make up slides consisting of Pictures and captions, graphs and diagrams
Fiction
What were the main plot points
Main Conflict & Resolution
Story symbolism/message (lesson or central idea) –
Blurb- explains story without giving much away (found on back of the book or in book jacket)
Mystery/Crime
Character Names Description & personality traits
Main Character
Minor Character
Suspect #1
Suspect #2
Main Problem (mystery in the story)
Secondary problem (if any)
Important Events
CLUES Discovered by Suspects
1
2
3
4
5
What were some of the clues to help solve the mystery & How was the mystery solved?
Were you surprised who did it?
Red Herrings? (distractions for person trying to solve mystery)
note to teachers or homeschooling parents(for grade school age you can use file folders have them include their name on the tab of the folder, on the outside cover a Case file # Title & Author of book Decorations & illustrations. Outside back cover your ‘detective agency & a logo Inside left of folder should be the report. Stapled or glued to the inside left cover. On the inside right folder staple or glue an ‘evidence bag’ with the artifact or inside
Informational Book–
Why did you select this book
What type of information is this book about?
What was the purpose of the Author writing this book.
Give 3-5 examples from the book to show you knowledge of the content
Choose 5 of the most exciting Interesting or exiting chapters or events in this book.
Describe event #1 (in detail)
I found this chapter or event interesting because
Did you find the book interesting?
Write some interesting facts you learned
Auto/Biography
Subject’s (full) name- (& Include a picture of the person)
Early Life
Date & Place of Birth
Family- Mother Father & ##Siblings + Names
Life Events- Early Life
School/College
Public Life
Adult life
Important Events (note at least 2)
Death date/Place & cause
How people felt about person at time of death.
Accomplishments
Quote
Personal information & Interesting Facts & Trivia
Date Page Number Important information Questions I have
(grid)
Date Page Number Important information Questions I have
In my Opinion
Why were they important
how is it the world different because the person lived?
The most interesting things about this person
3 adjectives that describe this person
–
Ending & Timelines
General End (all reports)
List 5 (or more) new or interesting words from the book & their definitions
{} Didn’t like {} {}Liked {} {} Really like & Recommend
*Important Reference sources & pages
it is also a good idea to include a
Timeline (best used for Biographies, Historyreports & mystery/crime novels )
You can make a ‘BOX’ line or a ‘string’ line timeline. (Here are a couple of examples of what I mean)
Sample of Box line ~*~ Sample of a ‘String’ timeline
Here are samples of a few Types I can think of. (the first 2 are generators)
Horizontal 6 event ~*~ Vertical p to 9 events ~*~ Bubble Line ~*~
~*~ Vertical Line timeline ~*~ Display/Photo timeline ~*~ Graph Timeline ~*~Timeline ‘Tree’ ~*~
I think that last one makes it all the different types I can think of in ways to do it. So pick one you like the way it looks best (or maybe you can make a hybrid of 2 or 3.) Good luck
just remember if you think of another way, use that being creative is the best way to get those A’s for Awesome!
Fun Book Report projects & reading resources for children * Informational Text features
(Disclaimer: Image from my print shop’s clipart gallery)
disclaimer: The posts, (or pages) for the 2013 Year of the Book series, & 2014’s Reading room were a couple of my lenses on squidoo, and y do not work well with the new site. I thought being as I am including 2015’s reading quest on this blog (& maybe my main blog Zodiacimmortal) I may as well bring you up to speed (and maybe help you find some interesting books to read.
These have only been copied & pasted into the post so if there are any no-no’s please let me know first so that I might be able to correct it.
2013- Year of the book series 2
The Black Hole known as my Book case
Why is it a black hole? becasue as I finish books, I still have a bag and box to read through with all the book series’ in them. So it feels like I never get any out of the way. One bag alone consists of the Black Dagger Brotherhood! Another reason it’s the balck hole, is because I tend to stuff newspaper or magazine clippings alongside any book they may go with I forget what kind of library they call that, and no not reference.
If you are not yet familiar with the terms of my Quest for shelf space, (heck the books are literally fighting & climbing all over the place here) You can refer toPage 1.
The Introduction states some of the rules as well as more in the book worm section.
I mostly read fiction and to me Reading (watching movies or tv) is supposed to get out of the real world. I do occassionally read a sport books, Biography etc. This year it’s not aloud other than by the guidelines (which I think I’ve only read one non-series that I know of book so far)
If you’d like to read more on The series and the author please check out Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld You will also find my EXCLUSIVE! interview with her there as well.
Book Info
Start/end ~ February 23- 28
banked ~ 1 day
Favorite lines:
I was the physical & emotional equivalent of a ramen noodle: limp, tasteless, and with no nutritional value whatsoever
Letting the Corpse out of the Coffin
There’s another books out in November
(review not showing in box.. so here it goes)
The Quote at the bottom of the book… works best. A world I don’t want to leave
I love the pop cult reference Yasmine makes about Ramen noodles. (Sorry but it wouldn’t be funny if I explain it to you. Its one of those you have to read up to it things for it to come off right. . ALong the lines of a Tension breaker! There’s a Character that Calls Delilah (a werecat) ‘Puss in boots’ SO the gang looks like they may be up against Galakah a Ghost god who was from the netherworld & was banished from there. Camille has a training meet with the ‘Triple Threat’ as she calls them (The earth side fae queens). The APN is hanging around and wreaking havoc, & chaos with bone walkers, zombies & more at their disposal. Beltane is on its way and more and more emergencies and things just keep piling up and this is after 5 quiet weeks which they were still busy but kept up with research.
Along with all this going on the girls must find the last 2 of the 9 Spirit Seals (in which the big Bad Shadow wing has 2 of them) There’s so much going on you will not be bored. The cast of characters is quite vast, not only is their families (not only the 3 sisters but all their husbands, & extended family live in the house & on the grounds! There’s never a dull moment but is there any privet ones?!
Haunted Moon (An Otherworld Novel)
The Quote at the bottom of the book… works best. A world I don’t want to leave
I love the pop cult reference Yasmine makes about Ramen noodles. (Sorry but it wouldn’t be funny if I explain it to you. Its one of those you have to read up to it things for it to come off right. . ALong the lines of a Tension breaker! There’s a Character that Calls Delilah (a werecat) ‘Puss in boots’ SO the gang looks like they may be up against Galakah a Ghost god who was from the netherworld & was banished from there. Camille has a training meet with the ‘Triple Threat’ as she calls them (The earth side fae queens). The APN is hanging around and wreaking havoc, & chaos with bone walkers, zombies & more at their disposal. Beltane is on its way and more and more emergencies and things just keep piling up and this is after 5 quiet weeks which they were still busy but kept up with research.
Along with all this going on the girls must find the last 2 of the 9 Spirit Seals (in which the big Bad Shadow wing has 2 of them) There’s so much going on you will not be bored. The cast of characters is quite vast, not only is their families (not only the 3 sisters but all their husbands, & extended family live in the house & on the grounds! There’s never a dull moment but is there any prive ones?!out why you love this item.
Who’s Kitten Who – Cynthia Baxter
Book Info
Start/end ~ March 3-8
banked ~1
Cool Character name- Aziza Zorn
Favorite lines: PWS- Pre Wedding Syndrome (those last few weeks it seems the couple argues about everything)
Jessica’s friend brings her to a salon called ‘Hair Explosion of London’ and wonders why a place of business that is not located in London has it in the name. (Like I do with Canada & Boston Pizza. NOt to mention What the F** BOSTON pizza, not New York or Chicago Pizza, which I can unerstand & are supposed to be the best) was beyond her & a good way to confuse the customers.
I’m going to have to bust my brain reading the rest of this. I’m behind. I should have been reading 75 pages a day since sunday but I started off slow for some reason, and am only on page 80+ but plan to be back on track hopefully by the end of tonight (wednesday 6).
The book is about Jessie Popper a mobile vetrinatrian from Long Island who makes a habit of solving crimes. This novel of the series, has Jessie tending to appointments, getting ready for her friend Betty’s wedding and someone in her best friend’s theater group was murdered (and her friend asking her to see if she can figure things out) and ends up getting hired to play a part in the play, after this day she finds out her (Pushy) future parent-in-laws are coming for an unexpected visit or more like last minute guests not giving enough notice to their hosts to amke preparations for their arrival. Jessie and her fiancee Nick live on a big estate, in the little caretaker’s cottage that’s barely big enough for the 2 of them and their minagerie of 2 dogs, 2 cats and a bird, as far as I recollect.
Nick gets pissed when he tells her they are coming because of her full schedule +1! What paterbs me is that when he whines “But What about my parents coming” or complains about no one being their,
I want stearnly to remind him he’s THEIR son for one. 2. They invited themselves and 3. most of the plans and so on I got sucked into was made before I knew they were coming.
So far I think there’s 2 suspects but I have three as usually the one, one character goes off about that its that person, end up being the real culprit, but there is at least one other suspect I have…..dun dun Duuunnnnn
One of the 3 I thought were most Suspect, was right, with a twist.
After the case is solve & they go to the wedding setting, it would have been nice if there was at least a page or even paragraph on how the play went(after all that) even if it was just a review from the paper.
I also had to laugh a few times with a couple lines one in which I ask sometimes. See my Favorite lines
Before I wake (uncorrected Proof) – Steven Spurill
Started March (8 or 9)- 15
Redeemed (to read) 8 days NON-series book)
being as I have a proof, these are not the same cover and franky for now I like my cover better, but I’ll see if it fits the story
The Head of Emergency at Hudson General recovering patients are dying and a madman taking over her dreams-Amazon description. (I’m not into the book enough to do my own writeup)
Crime murder mystery which I like but parts of it drag on for me so I skim the parts that didn’t look like they had any information to thicken the brew. Let’s see a quick rehash of what’s going on (beside me taking 8 day to read this & I’m still 100 pages short of finishing, but am DAMN determined to finish tonight! (friday 15)
I think I need to subtract 8 days from the banked as well.. (just a reminder for myself, trying to keep myself honest.)
Amy is a widow with 2 daughters Denise & Ellie. She works at Hudson General hospital as head of ER.
Lately she’s been having nightmares, someone is trying to kill her, 4 wealthy men have died of heart attacks that shouldn’t have and an old love comes back, plus sessions with her brain damaged brother. Talk about a full plate, sadly that ‘Full’ plate has alot of fat on it as like I said there’s filler that for me drags on in parts (I hope I’m not doing that with my story UGH)
The last 100 pages is better, though I think there may have been a few paragraphs I skipped or skimmed over. Amy notices the pattern of those heart attack victims and starts stat work ups etc. She starts to do the Cops work for them. (She needs some sort of proof beside the someone trying to kill her. Aside from her family and the kids sitter; EVERYONE is suspect!
This is a toss up
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Immortal – Was like watching the just only reading it.
book Info
Started-March 16 – 20
Banked Days- 2
Quotes: (you know the ‘Scooby gang’ has them,)
Too many to note & frankly wouldn’t be as funny out of context.
a good read for Buffy fans
The story starts in Greece on the island of Kefi overlooking the sea of Crete . Here dwells the spirit of Veronique. Flash Forward a bit and we are on a boat with a couple vacationing and one of them (Cheryl) writing a book on myths & legends and therefore take one more adventure for the book. The island is said to have the spirit of a bucolic. Wait vampires aren’t supposed to have souls/spirits. What the…..!!???!)
Present time we are sitting at the Bronze with Buffy & Xander.
Veronique is looking to bring back some ‘big bad’ to take over Sunnydale (mmm Hellmouth & called Sunny go fig!) Meanwhile Buffy’s going through real life drama with her mom being sick and in the hospital.
I thought this was pretty good, the good ol’ ‘Buffy Banter’ was in there (how can it go from show to novel & there be no telling of the difference in the writing?) As I read the book I felt like I was watching a new episode. After reading this I wish they could do the book series as a second generation of the Buffy series. The only question would be who to make the slayer, as well as cameos.
Knights of the Blood – Katherine Kurtz & Scott MacMillan
I have so far only read the prologue and a few pages in the first chapter or 2 (i’m only on page 30 as of now).
So far we have 1972 and a set of odd killings to what looks like surfers with SS tattoos. The cops ask a local neo-Nazi house if they belonged to their organization or not. Then there’s also way back with what may be someone of the Knights Templar, inspecting a small muslim village. All the bodies are bound hand & feet & some are hung on rafters by their ankles. All the bodies have one similar thing in common, the purple bruise on their necks.
This is not the cover I have. Though I’m not sure if I like this one or the one I have more. This one at least shows on the cover 
alone what (sort) of is up in the book without giving anythig away. (even thought in the prologue you sort of do)
I think I’m a bit confused with the story. Between what’s supposed to be present time, and the 2 past (or is it just one past with 2 different settings. I’m behind yet again reading this one… (uh oh. Could it be burn out?) I hope its just the story or the writing.
Book Information
Started- March 21-26 making sure I finish today! I think I have around 70 pages to go. so I can bank a day.
Banked= 1
Other notes
I wasn’t going to note any vocabulary but I thought I’d note it being this is the second time I’ve seen august used as a word (not a month or male name)… its used in place of imposing or invulnerable
The mention of a pale Topaz ‘Evening’ ring. If by evening ring, they meant a cocktail ring… then I’ve got one. As soon as I read the line with that in it, I thought of my ring.
WEll this was the 2nd vampire book that was a chore to read (though not so much as the L.A. Banks Book Forsaken I HATED) Parts of the story are in the past others in present and I’m not always sure when its one or the other (well aside from when Officer Hermmond is in a scene).
Some parts droll on that I skipped over that wasn’t needed for me to know as it had nothing to do with the case. Officer John Drummond not only is researching the old closed case but there have been happnings that may be connected to the 20 year old case file. The story is well detailed that I don’t think its flat, a character or 2 may be but I think the most interesting parts are when John goes to Germany. The ending is less than stellar as well. (mmm maybe would have been better as a movie script than a book. Though I’d guess it would end up really campy looking.)
I’m not sure how to classify this book by genre as its not really a mystery as you already know who did it and why.
Night World – L.J. Smith
Night World Official L.J.Smith Site & home of the ORIGINAL Vampire Diaries Books
I do not have the 4th book or Fan guide. I’ll see how the books are, if I like them enough, maybe I’ll get the 4th book.The books I have, each have 3 stories in each.
I thought it was about time to read a series again.
Book 1 information
*Projected time to read -There are 3 stories so about 1 week for each
Start/ ended= March 28 – April 9
Banked= 7 days
Secret Vampire Started-March 28-30 Banked= 4 days
So far I’m just flying through it.. for the first 2 days I read past page 100- or 150 (have to look again) Who knows maybe I’ll finish tonight (Sat 30th) Anyway so far
The story is about a ‘pixie’ looking girl with green eyes and curly copper hair named Poppy who has a twin brother Phil and whose best friend James seems to have some sort of secret and that she also has a crush on. Poppy has been having pains in her stomach that come & go.Finally her mother takes her to the doctor’s office and Poppy ends up in the hopsital for more tests.
Turns out because she didn’t go sooner, she has a cancer that has no spread and has until maybe the end of summer to live. In swoops the best friend with a big secret to save her, and to put a thorn in their side James’ cousin Ash comes to visit. The end of the story is hardly climatic, and doesn’t seem like an ending at all, at least include a one page afterword. Maybe inthe 2nd story it will go on.
Daughters of Darkness starting May 31- April 4 Banked days= 2
This is about 3 vampire sisters who run away from their world. Their vampire life in ‘Night World’ is full of limitations & most think humans are ‘vermin’. The major rules however are like fight club… you don’t talk about Night World or ‘come out’ to or fall in love with a human the the law says are to be put to death. (my question though is, what if its your soulmate?) If you turn someone it has to be cleared with the elders before you do it. The only humans that are aloud to know about Night World are those of the night themselves like Witches of either kind. The 2 kinds are those who know their heritage, & the others which sadly do not; but have some sort of (even if minimal) powers but are called clairvoiant, Psychic etc.
The one character that pretty much is in both stories is Ash the girls’ brother. The cousin of James from the last story, and goes to reterive his run away sisters. The two stories end where it can be just that, or where we may see the characters again. So we shall see how this ends book wraps up, and then series.
Spellbinder Started= April 4 -9 Banked= 1 day
So this go round we have two witch cousins which are more like sisters as they are only born minutes apart. One a trouble maker in the ways of Aphrodite and the other with the specialty for getting in one’s head literally; however Thea uses it mostly to find out how to help an animal.
So far no one from the past two stories have popped up but I’m guessing maybe these might be a couple of Ash’s cousins as well? Thea & her Cousin Blaise (speaking of a ‘B’ witch: by that I mean change the w for a b) move around from family member to family member for each school it seems because Blaise keeps getting them in trouble. They have been expelled four times, becasue of Blaise’s witchy antics playing with boys (her last one burned the school to show his love for her) .
Like with the rest of the night world, though Witches may be human they must abode by the do not fall in love with a human or reveal night world to them, however they all seem to know there is some soulmate for everyone, that they may or may not meet them but what is the rule if they meet them. Is it ok with the night world then if their soul mate is human Whether they be Vampire or witch? Let’s hope if not this story then one of the other 2 books storeis will. Thea anyway has met Eric an athlete with the school playing multiple sports and who comes to the rescue when a snake is being threatened by a group of students which Thea tries to help on arriving at the school. So I was right, the girls are a cousin of Ash through the Blood binding done back in the 16 or 1700’s. Also there may be an answer coming to whether that soulmate thing MIGHT be a loophole, as it sounds l ike its some old magic or something, really called ‘The Soulmate principle’ and jsut may be coming back (seemingly to her family). Maybe they’ll put their stamp on ours & Night World and rewrite some laws. I think I liked this story best of the 3 in the book. I don’t know if its because the good Thea did a ‘big bad’, and well I’ve never done something really bad as far as I can remember, but I recently burned a pot so I had to scrub, and there’s no proof I did it! So I guess in a way I can relate to this one.
Quotes:
“Seem to sort of love you desperately”- Ash to Mary Lynette in Book 1- Daughters of Darkness
“2 wrongs don’t make a right, …. …but 3 lefts do. -Thea & Dani in SpellBinder
Vocab- Tyrannized (every witch in the country) – exercise absolute power, treat or covern a community in a cruel unfair way
There was also mention of a ‘Thet’ knot and a
BROOM plant (looked it up there is one, actually a few varieties. One is ‘Snakeweed’ there’s a dessert one, sweet broom scotch broom Night World No. 1: Secret Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Spellbinder Buy Now
Night World No. 2: Dark Angel; The Chosen; Soulmate Buy Now
Series Information
Started (book) = April 9 -23rd
Banked= 6
Dark Angel
Gillian is a mouse of a girl. Smaller than most and looks alot younger. On her way to school she hears someone calling for help and goes to try to, however this may have been some sort of premonition as she falls and well I can’t ruin the rest. She’s found by her crush who takes her home & helps her out and as for the rest and in between I won’t ruin. I’ll go with just saying what happened was a life altering experience and she makes a dramatic change in her looks with a little help from an angelic voice in her head. (no she’s not crazy) Her classmates start to notice her and she starts to participate in class. What are the five Kingdoms of Life so I got a rehash (as I had to look up the one not mentioned)
Read from April 9-12 Banked 3
The Chosen started April 13-16
We’ve have Vampires, Witches & Werewolves so far it was bound to have a Slayer in it sooner or later. Rashel (who I think is who the cover art is supposed to be of) Her mother & little brother were killed by a vampire when she was five and since she’s just been from foster home to foster home.
So there are so far 3 ‘covens’ (so to speak) of witches in the stories to speak of .
Circle Twilight Circle Midnight (which would be dark magic) & Circle Daybreak which is trying to get humans & the Night world together (basically those who have soulmates join this)
There’s also the vampire ‘underground’ a club etc. each family (liek a crest) is represented by some form of Black flower (same as the names of the clubs) Black Dahlia, Black Iris etc.
Bokken– a sword made of wood that looks like a samurai sword only the whole blade is made of wood, see here
lignum vitae
Banked 3
Soulmate April 17-23
So far this is my least favorite of what I’ve read so far. Hannah a humman thinks she’s going crazy, she’s waking up finding notes in her handwriting that she didn’t write on her toothbrush, in her pillow and so on. She wants to be an archeologist or was it palientologist and her mother is one as well.
convinced she’s crazy, she goes to the only shrink in the montana area. She’s an ‘old soul’ one who’s been reincarnated many times, Hannah’s is such an old one it goes back to the days of cavemen! So far I think the worst of the stories in these books, and definately not even on a ‘favorite’ list if i even have one (though there’s one more Night world book to read after this.) This took me awhile as to me it really wasn’t a good story for one reason or another. I liked the reincarnation idea in it, but things tend to get tedious when you go back & forth between current & a past life.
variegated- having descrete markings of different coloring
Night World No. 3: Huntress, Black Dawn, WitchlightBook 3 Information
Started= April 24-May 10 2013
Huntress started April 24-29
I don’t know what took me so long to read this, weather it was I was busy or that I wasn’t into the story but I had to bust my brian readingit the last day as I fell quite behind. I think the last day I had at least 100 pages to read!
I wasn’t crazy about this story. Honestly I’m a day or 2 removed from finishing it, and already I cannot recall anything of the story! Wait that’s not right as I did just think of something. Jez (short for Jezabell) is half Vampire half human this is beyond just falling in love with a human but having a child withone is an abomination. She and her friends are trying to find some big new power that is supposed to keep apocolypse from happening.
The one thing I think I like about the stories & the books is that in some way or another all the stories are intertwined, be it characters from other stories names pop up and so on. To me this is a very complex story L.J. has weaved. (I wonder if she got help from the Norns of Fate?)
Cool Character Names- Valerian, Thistle & Iona Skelton
Banked= 1 day
Black Dawn started April 30- May 5 Banked = 1
So far I’m digging this story, and I think I only read the first 2-5 chapters (they were short though) the first night.
Maggie thinks her brother Miles’ girlfriend is lying about an accident when they went camping. So Maggie goes off to follow after Sylvia and walks right into trouble’s lair. Maggie wakes in an unfamiliar place first of all the imediate is in a horse drawn carrige, second, she’s in some hidden reach of the world that very few know about.
Names- Hortense (?? need to see if i can find where that comes from)
Vocabulary- Seceded – to withdrawl formally a membership of organization etc
*Sorrel– a perrenial cultivated as a garden herb
*(This was a way to describe someone’s eyes in the book and had no idea what it was)
Witchlight started May 6-may 10 Banked=2
Not only do we have the soulmate bond in each story, but now there is the ‘big’ power (I forget what its called) in each story so each one sort of feels like an outline only with different species of characters and such. This one has a were panther or was it puma? I just started it as far as writing so please bare with me. Oh yeah and there’s a dragon shifter in this. The dragons used to rule over all shifters until the witches put a spell on them let’s just say for an extended hybernation. 30,000 years the dragons have been asleep after reaping chaos, and now the Night world (Vampires etc that want to rule over the humans) some how brought one back. Circle Daybreak sends Keller and her group to look for the witch child who is a lost witch and supposed to have a Wild Power. The Witch Child is supposed to marry the son of the First house of shifters for a bond between the witches (which no longer are with the Vampires) & the shifters in the fight for Good.
There’s a Character witht he Name Iliana I thought that was pretty.
Vocabulary- Ironwood
series Information
Started=March 28
Finished series=May 10
Banked (series) = 17
Necroscope – Brian Lumley
Necroscope-
The first book of the series, had to repost as there was a problem with the previous post of it.
There’s a story of 2 Necroscopes those to talk with the dead. One from Russia and the other in England. Only one is the bad version and the other good
Not really keen on how it was written it just doesn’t flow and as previously mentioned, it felt like one page took around 15 minutes (or more) to read. (for me) The chapters are too long, and I think each could have been at least split in half or to thirds. Interesting story but at leat 1 hundred pages too long (if not more) I grew bored of it around page 300 or so, even to the point where I skimmed read the pages just to find the more important parts. I would even doze off reading the book.
Finished for the most part the 24th but fell asleep with a page or 2 left.
Well I started with the prologue on the 12th so its a full 7 days and only 228 pages in… (wasn’t feelning well to ‘Read like a Wolf eats”) I like that one of the characters in one of the sub-plots writes stories and is working on a novel.
The prologue to me was a jumble of babble; it has me confused, maybe more like lost. I felt like I was doing a word jumble only it was with part of a story. There’s something about uprooting, someone who dies, another who can see a glimpse of the future but none seems to interconnect, and I don’t see the connection with the first chapter, as far as I’ve read. The first chapter at least is way too many pages. I hate when chapters are longer than around 10-12 pages as it just feels like it drags. What I’ve grabbed is we are either in London or (communist) Russia (I’ve lost track). The cover of the book says Vampireism, necromancy, Supernatural mayhem & shreiking bloody terror. So far we’ve met one who reads the dead which is the necromancer, but still waiting for the scarey. I would have liked to have seen part of the first chapter as a movie with gore spattered walls etc.
So far it seems more like there’s 3 seperate stories so why not just write it that way and have a smaller book. I think I’m getting a little confused with the what characters are what & to what sub plot of the story.
::Grumbles:: This feels like its taking me forever to finish & I still have about 2oo pages to read I really hope the other 2 books do not read liek the first one. Well the second one is at least 470 pages (yeah… still a few too many for me. The 3rd is 500 and 20 or 30 something pages.
Finally maybe a little more than half way thorugh the book, I think the two stories within are coming together.
This is a crazy sort of story where There’s a Necromancer (but not in the Sorcerer sense) & a Necroscope (the later talks to the dead & they love him etc. The Necromancer is the bad version and steals the secrets of the dead from them.) There’s all sorts of elements in this one by that I mean there’s a litle time travel and things like that.
Book Notes:
started May 12 (This will take me longer being as its 500+ pages so I’ll give myself til 25th)
Finished May 24
Cool names= Dragosani (surname)
Banked= 1
A blurb review by my friend Peter
“They do pick up. The first suffered from Harry’s learning curve throughout the book. They can start slow bu they do get going. BTW, 1-3 are a story arc, but there’s 5 total in the main series. And then there’s like 10 more in sequel series”
Vamphyri! (Necroscope, Vol. 2) Buy Now
started may 30 Quit June 5th
This starts off where the first ended. The aftermath of the mess Dragosani & Kough made.I’m only on page 69 (after starting it May 29th or 30th) so I have been thinking of putting it off for another time to get through my other books. I like the premise of the story etc. it’s just the writing (for me) style is making it difficult. It does not flow like other books that you end up finishing in a day or a few for whatever ‘magic’ those kinds have over us to plow through it.
I will be very slow in reading this one as it will likely be very slow in reading it so (look below & you’ll see I’ve already started another book
Usually it takes me about 1 mnute or less to read one side of a page, this feels like it takes me 15 minutes to read 1 page! So struggling with deciding on penalizing myself for not finishing & get to another book or series & save this & the next necro book for a time when I’m not on deadlines!
canning rest of series for another time. Its good but as I said I don’t care for the writing.. can you say BATHROOM READER! becasue that’s what this may become instead of the regular reading book.
Series Information started May 12 (giving myself same amount of time or about.. I’m going to shoot for the 10th)
Banked=1
Playing With Fire – Katie MacAlister
Started =June 7
Finished= June 18
Banked= – 2 days (didn’t read fast enough)
Katie MacAlister’s Dragon Septs
so I’m around or a little over 50 pages in, and gather that the subjects of the story are supernatural twins by that I mean one is a naiad along with her doppleganger shadowwalker. One is bound to a demon lord and has her stealing from others.
Some mistake her identity for being asian and that’s the fun of this I have so far gathered. Oh right & there’s some dragons (so things may get hot & torublesome)
Wed. 12th- SOOO behind! I’m only a little over 100 pages in 😦 but then I’ve been erraticaly going through some of my stuff so I can sell it at my next tag sale. Plus a couple of other things I’ve been busy with. Oh well guess I’ll have to try a mad dash for a day or 2 or use a few of my banked days.
So some of the info on the dragons is that There are Black green as well as Silver dragons. Wyverns are leaders of the septs. The Black & Silver dragons were part of one sept. and one of them (the silver) cursed the black to never have a mate born to them until one becomes leader of the silver dragons (or something like that.) Between May & her ‘twin’ and meeting dragons I’m sure you know what that’s going to end up leading to.
This is a moderately good read. Enjoyable if you like ROmance, Dragons and other fantasy (or supernatural) presence in a story this would be good for you.
I can say this, its never boring, can be a bit funny and portrays a little of all the emotions.
Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon novel – by Keith R.A. DeCanidido
yes the tv show has dripped onto the printed page, great for us diehards who have to suffer through summer
I used to get the official Supernatural Magazine, which would take you inside and behind the scenes. I love reading as well so when they included a chapter to one of the novels (actually I think 2 at different time as I can remember) I love dragons, so seeing this title plus getting to read some of piqued my interest. There is another book Nevermore by the same writer which I think is supposed to have something to do with Edgar Allen poe or his story the Raven so that’s another I’ve been trying to track down & read.
As with the series, a playlist is also included in the back of the book of classic rock and thanks to the show some of those songs I loved that came out when i was born (or before) I know actually know at least the titles to if not the artist.
There’s a mention of Basil Rathbone in the book, which caught me sort of funny as my grandmother is interred across from him in the mortuary.
Started= June 21-26
banked= 0
Ameliorated= to improve or make better
100 years ago a demon tricks a ronin
“The Heart of the Dragon” meaning “Great strength in Character” into moderating an argument between the families of two brides. The demon spreads strife and the mob of villagers thinks the ronin to blame, and execute him.
Present day someone is summoning the ‘heart of the Dragon’ to do their bidding, and take care of their enemies.
(only midway through so more should come)
its a pretty quick read, with a nice flow & the wit we love from the show. Quite honestly I can see this as one of the episodes. (Wish they would pick a book or two to turn into an episode.) Speaking of which, they do note at to where in the Winchester-verse the story takes place, noting it being after one of my favorite episodes called ‘Changing Channels’ which I think may have been season 5.
I like the flashback on page 218 of the boys as kids in the car with John. Sam is already a bookworm or as Dean calls him a ‘Dexter’ (i’m guessing like that of Dexter’s Laboratory. Sam is learning about maps because John & Dean got sick of telling him where they were, at least he had a hobby which he learned th odd Numbers ra North to south and the even numbers east to west The higher the number the further north or east it was located. The Hobby also came in handy when they boys were older, as GPS came into play and would oft send them to a one way (the way they couldn’t go) or a road that no longer existed and such.
I liked the story and at least this novel has the same style and nuances Supernatural fans love about the show. Hopefully I can find Nevermore by the same author soon so I can read that.
More L.J. Smith – These are 2 spereate series
Dark Visions
Started (overall)- June 28th
The Strange Power Finished =July 2
Kaitlin or Kait, has some Psi ability, she gets premonitions in the form of drawings and they can be happening or happen in the future. They don’t just happen in her town or state either. She goes to an institute where 4 others like her (though they have different powers) will have their powers tested as well as learn how to hone their powers as use them when they want as well.
When Kait arrives at the iair port some ‘monk’ attaks her with a few cryptic words of warning, then arriving at the institute, she is describes the exterior of the building and it reminded me of one of the houses in Cape May, NJ that as I called it a “Plum Crazy’ color scheme, 3 different colors of purple. Kait & her new friends start to investigate what is going on and unravel a mystery. This
I’ve so far liked because of the mystery aspect of the story, plus I’ve read it in my normal amount of days.
The end of the story is a little anti-climatic but we move on to the next story
Banked = 2
Chiaroscuro- an art word meaning Light & Shade like in a drawing where you only use black & white)
The Possessed started= July 3
FInished = July 8th
as with the Night World series, this story picks up where the last left off.
The kids are all now on the run, and trying to find some place that Kait has had a recurring dream about that Anna thinks does exist. Kait thinks they may find help at a white house she sees in the dream. Gabriel seems to be gaining new powers & becoming more powerful as well since the incident at Mr. Zete’s house. The group search the coast trying to find this white house to find they have to go to Canada to try to find this white house. On their way, they are the victims of Psychic attacks, of varying sorts.
Basalt- wiki defines it as “a common extrusive igneous (volcanic) rock formed from the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of a planet or moon”
Sepulchrally– pertaining to or serving as a tomb, burial
Banked= 1
The Passion
Started July 9 Banked=3 days
Finished overall = July 12
Kait goes off on her own to find and hopefully help Gabriel, as well as destroy the ‘Evil’ crystal. She is attacked on arriving near the Insitute but not sure by who (a bum maybe) and help arrives in the form of Gabriel.
The Forbidden Game (will come back to this at a later date)
will come back to this one in awhile
Well at least for one it wasn’t a vampire book, though the mention of Psychic vampires but not the same thing. Overall it was ok, nothing really special but I did like the adventure and drama as well as intensity to it. Each character has their own type of Psychic power as well as personality and such. If they make a movie or a tv mini series of it it would have quite the cast of characters. Just when you think one is good it spins around keeping you on your toes so you don’t really know whether to trust them or not.
2013 Year of the Book Series3
Where are all of these coming from?
Honestly I have 2 bags, one in which is full of the black Dagger Brotherhood series, (I am just missing 2 from that series) and I am trying to save those for last (maybe to start in October or November). I have another bag that is over flowing with other assorted series, No idea which ones right now then there’s ones staked on the to read shelf, I also have some Non-series books in a box in the dining room. So you can ‘see’ why i had started this way back. Once I finish them I put them in the pile to sell at the tag sale.
by now If you are not familiar with the terms of my Quest for shelf space, Then I think I’ll have to sick the books on you! You can refer to Page 1.
The Introduction states some of the rules as well as more in the book worm section.
and I was at good will looking for books to series I am still missing a few to got a few which is good I think I jsut have 4 series left to read (that I have all or most of the books to, but this does not include the 7 books within sight that I need to read
The Book Worm
To Reitterate please see Rules of this mission & for my reading rules
my Progress
(even though it’s noted with the books, I will use this part as a summary of the current progression of my Mission)
The progress I show here is for the book I am currently reading & finsihed.. A Dirty Job
Sadly I lost track of the estimates from the beginning of the year (I think it was after February or march) so I’m just going to go with keeping up on the “finish in 7 days” rule for the quest. For the the fatter books (as some of them are Multiple books in 1 volume) ‘as long as I finish each story within a week’ or less) You might also want to come back every few days or week as I usually write my review as I read the book & sometimes note something after (even when I’m on a new book)
Check out the current Banked Days stats
Extra Days ‘Prize’ Redemptions
1– reading a non-series type book, (-1 day for each it takes to read)
2– just take a break from reading (-1 per day)
3–add the extra days to finishing those bigger books
–(that might take longer than a week or 2) -1 day for each
4– Buying a new book before finishing another 5 (must pay with 3 days)
~~ #books read so far (see bankd days link above) reward myself with the purchase of 2 new books!
5– Cash in up to 3 as PENALTY for not finishing (for whatever reason I won’t be finsihing a book or series)
Total Days Left= 0 (as of Dec 15)
Welcome to my reading nook!
Here are some I would LOVE to be mine for one reason or another
My faves are #3 5 7* 11 16-18 24 (love the chair) & 27 (really wish for #17)
Learn more about this lensmaster
about me summary * my Lensography~*~Follow @kymoDragon * Tweet #ZodiacImmortal
Dark Series (or is it the Carpathians series?) – Christine Feehan
Dark Gold: A Carpathian Novel (Dark Series)
(10:28 pm on Day 7 and I’ve just hit past the 200 mark, wonder if I can read the rest tonight before bed!)
pages= 311
Finish= July 21
Banked= -2
In this there are Vampires (which are bad) & Carpathians, (Good Vampires) who after centuries if they don’t find a life mate start losing their humanity, and senses one of note they go color blind. Once this happens if they do not walk into the sun to meat death, they lose their soul and turn vampire. Turning vampire means all loss of humanity and doesn’t hold back from drinking the blood of children, in which the Carpathians do not do. Not all humans can be turned, they more likely will go immediately go insane or end up preying on children. The Carpathian’s do drink blood, but they are protectors of their race and hunters of vampires.
On page 111 and its already the 17th!! I don’t think its rough to read, it reads smoothly enough but I have no idea for the slowness of my reading this one
Anyway. Alex and her younger brother Josh have lost their parents years ago, and Alex is about to go on an interview for a better (paying) job with a videogame making millionaire.
I think I’ve figured out why it’s taken me longer to finish than I would have liked, because Alex & her thick headed stubbornness is a cycle of Aiden telling her over & over why she is his mate, which she can’t seem to understand no matter what way he explains it. Let alone Explaining the ways of the Carpathians
I also came upon some mishaps the editor did not notice be it misspellings or grammar and so on.
I guess another reason it took me long was that the build up was VERY slow. The Book could have had at least another 25-50 pages more edited out of it.
Dark Nights
pages= Dark Decent 268. (fin. July 30)
If I read the short story Dark Dream 420
Finish= August 2
Banked= -1 (Dark Decent)
a Special Author’s cut edition of Dark Decent with Short story Dark Dream
Wow that model on the cover is hot, I hope the flow in this story is better than the last.
I love the way the story starts out “Veins of lightning ilit the clouds, dancing whips of white-hot energy illuminating the midnight sky. The earth Rumbled and rollled, unsettled and flinching” I th Talk abotu setting the tone and atmosphere! I think this is my new favorite ‘first line’ in a story. I’m going to have to reread some of my poems, as this almost sounds like part of a poem I wrote!
So far this is much improved from the other book; easier to read and more interesting. In the beginning we are with Body Guard Joie who is shot in the line of duty and is able to astral project. While out of her body, she travels to some mountains and finds another that is injured. After this interaction she’ thinks she’s going crazy that her mind has made up an imaginary friend or that she now has a split personality. So her & her siblings (Jabal or something like that & Gabrielle) during her medical leave go Mountain Climbing. So we have some adventure to this as well. This is much better and entertaining than Dark Gold was. The writing flows, there’s action and adventure and the character’s are not annoying. So far this is much improved from the other book; easier to read and more interesting. In the beginning we are with Body Guard Joie who is shot in the line of duty and is able to astral project. While out of her body, she travels to some mountains and finds another that is injured. After this interaction she’ thinks she’s going crazy that her mind has made up an imaginary friend or that she now has a split personality. So her & her siblings (Jabal or something like that & Gabrielle) during her medical leave go Mountain Climbing. So we have some adventure to this as well. This is much better and entertaining than Dark Gold was. The writing flows, there’s action and adventure and the character’s are not annoying. Though After the climatic Ending, it’s doesn’t end… we go to a calm end, Which to me should have been done in the middle of the story. It’s nice and happily ever after, but they way it goes it’s just not a satisfying (official) ending. (at least to me.) I will continue on to the next story
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Dark Dream
started reading it and did not get far, could not take the writing style, You want to grab your reader and Christine Feehan just does not always do that (other than with Dark Decent)
Viking Heat – Sandra Hill
Started= August 9
pages= 200+ (have to check again)
Finish= August 17
Banked= -2
apparently I have sadly slowed down on my reading, I guess I’ve got a bit of burn out.
Joy has 3 brothers, her older bro Matt died as a POW and she decides to meet the man to retrieved him. From there she decides to take Matt’s place but she’s in the navy WEALs program. (Women seals). ON her mission somerthing happens and she wakes up with vikings…. Talk about culture shock Oh yeah and Joy is a feminist and a psychologist so what will they do with her way back in the 900’s!
This is a smoothly written book, with sprinkles of humor. The opening does not drag along nor does it stay in one place. It goes from present day to Viking age here & there. My only deal is once in the Viking era why doesn’t the author have a scene where her brothers are worried about her or Seal team is looking for her. The scenes with Bandr and Joy are flirty fun, or her trying to right what in our times is ‘wrongs’ but for that time it’s not. (So she has royaly got to be messing with something in the time space continum) Though I am behind It’s a page turner once I start I don’t want to put it down. Ok well complaint about the Seals or brothers was noted later on. and well enjoyed the book so I’d have to go with a B for this one, and there’s others its a series I believe
Real Vampires series – Gerry Bartlett
Real Vampires Have Curves
So our character ‘GLory’ (to her friends) a vampire is moving from Vegas to Austin Texas and wants to open a vintage store. The Name “Vintage Vamp Emporium’ yes supoed to be blending in, but here ‘Vamp’ means that of a siren or beautiful woman. Like the ‘Vamps’ of the Swinggin 20’s
Started= August 20
pages= 300+
Finish= August 26
Banked= 1
Quotes:
*”Let me show you to my coffin’ -Damien
*”If you weren’t a freak prehstoric vampire, you’d probably kill to taste my triple mocha latte”-Diana
Real Vampires Don’t Wear size six
Started= August 30
pages= 327
Finish= Sept 4
Banked= 1
Quotes:
Good Flow, plenty of Characters (& trust me they are) witty but just amusingly, 80 pages in no full on Laugh out loud quips. Mid-book has gotten pretty funny with more intereaction and ‘laughs in the face of danger’.
The Vampires are pretty superficial and when it comes to fashion (& brands) very A.D.D. They love their Vintage/ retro stuff. This was a mystry/crime thiriller with some paranormal romance. And weould certainly recommend it! The Vampires are superficial when it comes to clothes & They so have A.D.D. when it comes to their fashions and brands. THey love their vintage . Its a mystery crime story as to who is killing vampires as well as a vampire possibly killing another.
So Glory is tasked with mentoring a fledgling (what a pain) for the new Vamp council who wanted her to high tail it out of Austin because of the name of her Store (Vintage Vamps-but the meaning is as in the Vamps of 20s fashion and I don’t mean goth.) is not exactly ‘blending in’ but she in a past book had a problem with a demon and could be one of the reasons as well. Now demons are propositioning her to be a soul harvester but she’s only going to get 1 really bad one (that most agree upon is the worst) to help a friend out.
Banked days Tracker
Current # Banked (as of Nov 23)= 15
Lamb- stopped -1
Dracula UN-dead -10
Autumn Whispers -2
A Dirty Job -10 (so far)
You Suck
banked total to date (Dec 15 ) = 0
books Read to Date= 31 1/2
#books earned= 6
Rewarded -4
I have no idea if this is a series or not. One of the customers from my old job gave them to me. They’re supposed to be humor so we’ll see about that.
Christopher Moore Official site * Harper Collins publishers & you can email him at BSfriends@aol.com
Series information
series Started= Sat Sept. 9
(remember I read a book or 2 between)
Finished=
Practical Demon keeping
Sat Sept. 9 – 13th
Banked = 2 days
Vocab= nomenclature– the act or process in name or designation,like as set or system of terms in a certain community ie: Music, art, movies, sciences
Quotes & fave lines: “I’ve seen more intelligence in the crotch lice of heram whores’ Practical demonkeeping
The lust lizard of Melancholy Cove
started Sept 17 – 22
Well this is an interesting read. It’s supposed to be a bit of a comedy (or so I was told & there are a few) The characters on the cover.. are Travis (the ‘human’ & Catch the demon) THere is a bit of a backstory ( to long to include here) on the demon, as well as how Travis became the keeper. It’s a bit of an adventure, Mystery with other elements mixed in. There are a few characters to keep track of and at time I had to pause to think a bit to be sure I was still with the book. I’ve come across a few mistakes that i think the editor missed as well that I had to re-read the spot a time or 2 thinking I was reading the wrong line.
Fugue– Defination from Merriam webster
Trilobites-a fossile group of marine anthropods that are now extinct
Quotes & fave lines: ‘While a tarryton extra long dangles from her lips dropping long ashes down the front of her sweater like the smoking terds of a tiny ghost poodle’ (this one gave me a chuckle when I first read it
Mavis: “What, you three got thirty years of college between you and not enough smarts to dial a phone without a blueprint?”
Howard: “Astute Observation
Catfish: ” I ain’t got no College”
Mavis “Well cheers to you for being just naturally stupid”
Surfers don wetsuits against chill of storm waves and “white sharks adjust their diets to include shrink wrapped dude snacks on fiberglass crackers”
(LOVE the Metaphors!)
Lamb
Banked= -1 for discontinued reading
read first 25 pages and just didn’t want to torture myself. was getting confused with a few things and the story didn’t flow and a few other turn offs I have with it.
Read first 25 pages and for me its just not readable. I was getting confused with a few things in this for one what angel (Chstian, Jewish or what.. is it supposed to be writen at. I’m not religious, so that culd be another reason but someone gave me these books and told me they were funny so I have no idea what this is all about. I tried to get on with it but just cannot deal
I’m only in the first 20-25 pages and I’m bored I’ll see once I get to 50 or 100 and if I still don’t like it I’m ditching it.
started on 17th and as usual starting off slow. (yeah pretty sure i’m book Burned)
As for the story it was enjoyable funnier than ‘Demon Keeping’ Plus How could you ignore such a cool title?
The chapters are short, and among the chapters are like mini ones dividing up each characters part of the story. Some when they do the story like this is doesn’t really flow and feels more like New York City traffic trying to read whch is a total turn-off, but Christopher Moore pulls it off.
You Suck
This just might be able to be used as an instruction manual for Fledgling vampires. (or at least parts) There’s some Lough out loud quips in this I’d say this is the best of the ones I’ve read. (Then a dirty job)
This will be the 177th book I’ve read in my life (at least since making a list of those I’ve read as I read them)
Quotes: (after the big furry cat is shaved) Looked like a big eyed pot bellied protohuman in furlined duct tape boots the feline lovechild of Gollum & Dobby the House elf
“if you were a guy I’ll bet you would. And I’ll bet I’d have to send you to the S & M ATM beacuse the kinky Sh** is extra”
Banked Days=
A Dirty Job
Will come back to the series to read next to, but first some Halloween reading (like the sequel to Dracula! see below)
Start/Finish= November 13- December 15
Banked= 0 – 10+ days
Our main character Charlie, loses his wife and starts to see red ‘radioactive’ objects. Which turn out to actually be ‘Soul vessles’. THe books has got me wondering what of my possessions would be my soul vessel my ceeal bowl I’ve had since I was a child (which I say I will be buried with), a favorite movie, book, one of my journals or something I made? Oh sorry about that.. Charlie may be death but turns out he’s what one of his kind call a ‘death merchant’ as they retrieve these soul vessel objects & sell them in their shop which is how it should get to the next body. Accroding to the book not everyone actually has a soul. sometimes it has to come along at the right time, if your soul was more mature than you were then when you are finally mature enough or learn from the reason you died in your last life there’s a variety of reasons why one may not have one or have come across ‘their’ soul. Sometimes Your soul is picked up before you die sometimes when you are already. Sadly there are dark forces that from what the book says are Morrigans and are trying to get souls so they can manifest themselves and take over. Bad things happen when one of the death merchants do not retrieve oneof these objects. There is also some dark humor, as well as haha humor as well. Oh I noticed one night the book was glowing and that was after I read about the ‘glowing’ objects that are the Soul Vessel, but it wasn’t glowing like they do in the book, this was glowing in the dark! I thought it was pretty cool. AS for his daughter its a few years later and she’s in school though he’s noticed she has a power when she says a certain word something happens what is that.. you’ll have to read the book. (I’m sure you’ll get through it faster than I have) Not sure how I feel about the end a little indifferent I don’t really think I like it much but certain aspects I guess I like. THough I wish the daughter had a little more to do with things. ^There’s dark & light humor in here so I think anyone can enjoy it P.s. guys.. take the test in back to see if you are a beta male.. ladies… you can do to see if your guy is.
Frankly I think I’m OFFICIALLY burnt out at this point because I can’t seem to get through a book in a week or less. So I’m debating if I’m going to wipe the banked days (as it is now the 29th of november) or figure something out (‘vacation’) so that I won’t have to. yes a bit of a cheat but with the amount I’ve read this year even though I didn’t get as close to 50 books as I’d hoped, I did read quite alot more than I thought I would. I still have quite a few more books to read, however next years ‘challenge’ won’t have a time limit on how soon I need to finish them. I’ll just read the books to relax and try to enjoy them more.
It’s now December 13th and the banked days are wiped out and basically I am still reading the book but being on page 258 I t hink I’m just going to try and finish this over the weekend & start the next book. This way MAYBE I can finihs on time for the new year (or just carry over but no major challenge like this one)
more books by Christopher Moore
The Stupidest Angel: a Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror
Fluke: or I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
Island of the Sequined Love Nun
Bloodsucking Fiends: A love story (read I believe in 2014)
Coyote Blue
Fool
Bite Me
Books Rewarded – The Prizes
Remember for every 5 books I read I can get a new one
and I owe myself one more (so far) for my 2013 reading.
![By Whitman Publishing:Avatar: 3d Collector's Vault [Hardcover]](https://i0.wp.com/ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41uyOCWQP7L._SL160_.jpg)
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Dracula Sequel! Dracula The UN-Dead by Dacre Stoker – a true sequel from a direct decendent
Dracula the Un-Dead written by Bram Stoker’s Great Grandnephew Dacre with noted Dracula expert and historian Ian holt brings us a true sequal. ‘ Un-Dead’ takes place 25 years after Dracula is killed in his castle. Jonathan & Mina now have a son, Quincey who is in law school but wants to persdue acting and their relationship is (if not already) falling apart.
Our other characters like Dr. Seward is a morphine addict, Lucy’s Finace Arthur Holmwood is basically a broken man who wishes to be with his dear Lucy, and can not get the visions of the horrid night out of his head.
Dracula homepage & research center
Started= October 1st -20th (Dracula Day! & Bela Lugosi’s Birthday)
Dracula Day
Banked= -10
Vocabulary= Kukuri knife
Facts
Around the time the book was to be or was released I had heard (& suppose this could just be a rumor but it was too long ago for me to remember right as I only did catch it in passing) Bram Stoker was planning his own sequel and had some notes already written down.
Dacre worked off notes left by Bram from his original book like his characters and research. Oh how I would love to just see one page (any page) of those notes written so long ago. My wish of that comes true, though not in person but in the last few pages of the book, to my surprise I found the notes. there’s 3-4 pages, characters as well as information on the vampire are two of those).
The ending in the published version of Dracula is NOT the original. The version with the original ended was sold at auction at Christie’s and suposed to end with a big explosion and the castle faling into lava (hope I didn’t mix that up)
Dracula WAS originally supposed to be titled UN-Dead but whoever at least minute changed it to Dracula.
One name i came to be surprised to see in the book was Radu Florescu, seeing the name I thought isn’t that Dracula’s (the real one’s) brother and in fact yes this Radu, a professor is Dracula’s actually decendent! His research was the inspiration of Coppola’s opening scene of his Dracula film.
Read the book (or even just the afterward & Author notes for more little known facts )
also see the other suggested lenses as there’s a review for Bram’s lost journals.
UNdead was actually the orginal title of Dracula, only I forget whose decision it was to change it but it worked. (& I don’t mean in the book but i think there is mention of that as well)
The story picks up 25 years after the night they killed Dracula. Un-dead sequel it may be Stoker & his co-author Ian Holt have great story with keeing true to the original but as well as fixing the story of which Bram originally wrote. (read the afterward throw to the end there were copyright problems within u.s. that aloud basically anyone to use the character etc at their own will (basically ruining Bram’s original) Aside from some time revisals our co-authors to liberties to fit their story using the notes as well as Stoker’s Prolog from the Iceland copies as to the ideas of how they would work their story. One of the things is They wanted to Bram to enjoy some limelight and he is written into the story with some non-fiction elements! Then there is the Jack the Ripper murderers as well as Elizabeth Bathory worked into the story. I love the tie ins of these and of how the ending starts to take place the mention of certain things that my mind drifted to thinking of a certain something which surprisingly I had the right hunch where they were going with it.
I greatly advise to read the afterword as well as the authors’ notes that follow, it is an interesting story on how the co-authors put together the story.
If I had a nice deep cozy chair to sit in, I probably could have read half of it in a day that’s how well it flows. The chapters are a good length not long but not too short. If you (like me at times) only want to read 1 or so chapters a day. There’s characters that we meet again from the original book, as well as new ones not mentioned.
Autumn Whispers by Yasmine Galenorn -(book 14 of the Otherworld series)
So I still have 2 more Christopher Moore books to read but i think I’ll go with starting this one first. Imean the title does fit the season!
Otherworld Series ~*~ Yasmine Galenorn
Started = November 1
FInished= November 9
Days Banked -2
In this we learn a bit more about Gargoyles. Now we know a little bit about the woodland type thanks to the girls having saved & raising one at home, but there’s a few ‘races’ of them. Woodland Gargoyles do not have the ability to freeze into statues, but the ‘GRANTICULAR’ type can and do so for centuries at a time and are normally enslaved to spay for their master.(while in statue form they can see what is going on around them)
Quotes Camille or Deliilah called 2 characters ‘Vidiots’
The Next book Crimson Veil is due out in January
The 14th book of the Otherworld series
So in this Delilah is into her Death Maiden training, to the point where she will be graduating. You know things are not good when Grandmother Coyote (one of the Hags of Fate) come to YOUR door. I think in this book more just may be going on than in past books. 1. There’s someone threatening Menolly at her bar, 2. a couple of Vampire tech nerds’ friend is missing, 3. Grandmother Coyote one of the hags of fate came to the sisters for help of sorts! 4. There’s some very dangerous creepy creatchers they have to get rid of and I would swear there was one more thing! Oh yeah One of their friends found some info on their mother’s side of the family. On first night when they get home the hosue is mayhem while whoever stayed at the house is grabbing pillows & sheets for Iris, who has gone in to labor (a couple weeks overdue)
Also while Camille & Delilha are called to otherworld all hell brakes loose in otherworld with s storm that is attacking the villages Camille realises the storm is sentient. While they are able to get out and home the battle in otherworld rages on while The girls and their extended family (or is it families) take care of the chaos earthside.
This is a journaling workbook for the kids – (summer reading lists?)
I gave this a look over, and thought it was a good way to review the book with the students . There’s ‘cards’ you can copy & cut out . They ask something different and can use one for each day.
So they can have a small journal to use with one of each card to write on for something specific. They can later make a report from it.
Original Tracker
Original # BANKED (from OK series) = 17
redeemed days~ – 3 =14
Banked from a prev. book ~ +1 =
total left (3/8) =15
NON-series read (redeemed) -8 = 7
Buffy Banked +2 = 9
Knights of the Blood +1 =10
Night World Book series +17 = 27
Necroscope +1
Vamphyri -3
Playing with Fire -4
Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon=0
Tracker 2
Total Banked start= 21
Dark Visions: The Dark Power +2
The possession +1
The Passion +3
Dark Gold -2
Dark Nights= -2 (finished day late & quit on the 2nd story)
Viking Heat= -2
Real vampires Have Curves= +1
“” “” Don’t wear size 6= +1
Practical Demonkeeping +2
The Lust Lizard of Meloncholy Cove= +1
Lamb- stopped -1
Dracula UN-dead -10
Autumn Whispers -2
A dirty Job – 10+
You Suck
Banked=0 (December 15)
Multiscreen MoTVision 
4 thoughts on “2013 – Year of the book series”