Multicoloured Imagery--The Artful Musings of a Woman in The Prime of Life...: Past Reading Challenges

2012 Reading List (lost track after February but hope to do better in 2013)

FEBRUARY 2012

1634: The Baltic War by Eric Flint and David Weber - finished 2/4/2012. HB, AH. 4.75 stars (chunkster - 718 pages)

JANUARY 2012

New Orleans Ghosts by Victor C. Klein - finished 1/6/2012. PB, NF. 4 stars

Silver Lies by Ann Parker - finished 1/7/2012. EB, HM. 4.5 stars

#1 in series--Silver Rush Mysteries

The Making of A Royal Romance by Katie Nicholl - finished 1/10/2012. PB, NF. 4 stars

The Harper's Quine by Pat McIntosh - finished 1/13/2012. PB, HM. 4.5 stars

#1 in series--Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries

Maids of Misfortune by M. Louisa Locke - finished 1/14/2012. EB, HM. 4.5 stars

One O'clock Jump by Lise McClendon - finished 1/17/2012. EB, HM. 3 stars

1632 by Eric Flint - finished 1/25/2012. HB, AH. 5 stars (chunkster - 592 pages)

1633 by Eric Flint and David Weber - finished 1/31/2012. HB, AH. 5 stars (chunkster - 665 pages)

Book Challenges Featuring Some of My Favorite Series

100+ Book Reading Challenge 2011

29) The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (LIFE Magazine)
28) No Time for Tact (by Larry Winget)
27) Brisinger (by Christopher Paolini)
26) Eldest (by Christopher Paolini)
25) Regulated for Murder (by Suzanne Adair)
24) Death of a Dancing Master (by M.E. Kemp)
23) The Copper Sign (by Katia Fox)
22) Drums of Autumn (by Diana Gabaldon)--reread
21) Voyager (by Diana Gabaldon)--reread
20) Dragonfly In Amber (by Diana Gabaldon)--reread
19) Outlander (by Diana Gabaldon)--reread
18) Toil and Trouble (by H.P. Mallory)
17) Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (by H.P. Mallory)
16) The Ninth Daughter (by Barbara Hamilton)
15) Camp Follower (by Suzanne Adair)
14) The Blacksmith's Daughter (by Suzanne Adair)
13) Paper Woman (by Suzanne Adair)
12) Too Close to the Sun (by Curtis Roosevelt)
11) Game of Patience (by Susanne Alleyn)
10) Medicus: A Novel of the Roman Empire (by Ruth Downie)
9) Evil for Evil (by James R. Benn)
8) Blood Alone (by James R. Benn)
7) The First Wave (by James R. Benn)
6) You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online (by Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman)
5) William and Kate: A Royal Love Story (by Christopher Andersen)
4) The Scarlet Pimpernel (by Baroness Orczy)
3) The Masque of the Black Tulip (by Lauren Willig)
2) The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (by Lauren Willig)
1) The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel (by Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nugyen)

100 Book Reading Challenge for 2010

21) Bloody Ham
20) The Embroidered Corpse
19) Capable of Murder
18) Motif for Murder
17) A Dance Through Time
16) Breaking Dawn
15) How to Do Civil War Research**
14) Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story
13) Legend in Green Velvet
12) Garden Spells
11) Haunted City: An Unauthorized Guide to the Magical, Magnificent New Orleans of Anne Rice*
10) Everyday Life During the Civil War*
9) New Orleans Insiders' Guide--Third Edition*
8) Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children and Other Streets of New Orleans*
7) How to Write and Sell Historical Fiction**
6) You Can Write a Novel**
5) By Cunning and Craft**
4) The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction**
3) How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries**
2) The Lost Symbol
1) Face Down in the Marrow Bone Pie

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge 2008 (April-December)

1) Read 6 or more books featuring an amateur sleuth
2) Each sleuth must have a different vocation or hobby (ex. innkeeping, cooking, writing an advice column, owning a craft store, school psychologist, etc.)
3) These can be the first in the series or not

Book One: Invitation to Murder by Elizabeth Bright (main character owns a cardmaking shop); first in a series, I ranked it 4.5/5 stars (wish the cardmaking hints were more advanced, but the story was great!) http://berkleysignetmysteries.com/book1286

Book Two: Too Big To Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian (main character is a corporate paralegal); wowsers! This was awesome! Great characters and boy does she ever attack stereotypes! A debut novel and I am on the lookout for more--these are keepers! 5+/5 stars http://www.sueannjaffarian.com/wst_page3.html

Book Three: Sins of the Fathers by Patricia Sprinkle (main character is a empty-nester dabbling in genealogy); this is the second of a series that I will also be collecting. They don't have to be read in order, but they do "grow" the characters. Just enough history that it whet my appetite to study privateers during the "War of Secession" (Civil War to any Yankee readers LOL!) Again, 5+/5 http://www.patriciasprinkle.com/sins%20of%20fathers.htm

Book Four: Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olsen (main character is a reporter); this is a debut novel and winner of The Sara Ann Freed Memorial Award. About 1/3 of the way through, the title's many levels of social commentary grabbed me and had me almost laughing out loud! Great book with cool characters and lots of twists and turns. A big thanks to Beverly and Veda for the recommendation. Definitely 5/5
http://www.kareneolson.com/sacredCows.html

Book Five: A Deadly Bouquet by Janis Harrison (main character is a florist); this is the fourth in a series that I will now be collecting (again--thanks to Beverly and Veda). I never saw the end coming (until the end); I had not even a clue! Another 5/5
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/janis-harrison/deadly-bouquet.htm

Book Six: Some Like It Hot-Buttered by Jeffrey Cohen (main character owns a movie theater); first in what I hope becomes a series. Elliot Freed is a Jewish environmentalist who loves comedies but seems to attract tragedy. The classic comedy information is sprinkled like salt on popcorn as the story plays out and is worth the price of admission (oops, guess I really got into the movie spirit huh...) A highly recommended read--4.5/5
http://www.aarontucker.com/hotbuttered.html

On The Porch Swing 2008 Reading Challenge

Here is the challenge:
1) read a book with a color in EITHER the title OR the author's name
2) read a book with a person's name in the title
3) read a book with the word house, OR home, OR cottage in the title
4) read a book with the word family, OR brother, OR sister in the title
5) read a book with some type of water in the title -this could be ocean, lake, pond, river, rain, etc.

Book #1 -- Candy Apple Red by Nancy Bush; debut novel about a struggling process server. I was very glad this was a library book; 3/5 http://nancybush.net/excerptCAR.cfm

Book #2 -- Lord John and the Hand of Devils by Diana Gabaldon (three novellas in one volume); it is Lord John written by Diana--what more needs said? 5+/5 http://www.dianagabaldon.com/

Book #3 --The Hot Pink Farmhouse by David Handler; A great couple--a Jewish movie critic dating an African-American former cop turned artist--and a greater setting--Connecticut suburbia; this is part of a series although it stands alone well. Even though I solved the "who" fairly early, I was still turned upside-down and around with a lot of the plot and would never have guessed how it would all end. Very enjoyable! 4+/5
http://www.davidhandlerbooks.com/

Book #4 --Death on the Family Tree by Patricia Sprinkle; Great book; not quite a "cozy" but very entertaining and lots of twists and turns--I really glad it looks to become a series! I loved the genealogy tidbits as well. 4+/5
http://www.patriciasprinkle.com/

Book #5 -- The Tidal Poole by Karen Harper; second in her Elizabeth I mystery series; 5/5 (I collect this series)
http://www.karenharperauthor.com/historical.html