2010 Year of the Historical Reading Challenge

I've joined the 2010 Year of the Historical Reading Challenge hosted by KMont from Lurv a La Mode. I love history and romance, so where's the challenge? Well, for many years I gave up on reading historical romances, instead I opted to read other genres. There's a period of time between the 1980s and 1990s that's a blank for me when it comes to certain authors and books. The challenge for me is to catch up with authors and books from that period of time that appeal to me. I've accumulated quite a few and have them on my TBR pile, I just need to read them.

The other part of this Challenge I love is that it's historical not just historical romance. I've been meaning to return to reading one of my favorite genres, historical fiction. This is a genre I have a passion for and one I have neglected for far too long. I hope this Challenge will help me get back on the historical fiction reading horse again.

KMont's rules are pretty basic:

a) 1 book per month for a total of 12 books. Review posted last week of the month.
b) Books can be new releases, old releases or re-reads.
c) Historical romance and historical fiction (any historical period).
d) Adult fiction or young adult.

I'm ready. Let's see how well this goes for me. Below, I'll be posting a list of books read with links to reviews as I go along. This should help keep it all organized and easy to manage. :)

January:  Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger (WW II) Review here
February: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read) - Review here
March: Dark Angel/Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh - Review here
April: Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi - Review here
          Her Colorado Man by Cheryl St. John - Review here
May: The Endearment by Lavyrle Spencer - Review here
June: Lavyrle Spencer: Morning Glory and Years - Review here
July: Love in the Afternoon (Hathaways, Book 5) by Lisa Kleypas - Review here
August: Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley - Review here
September: Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas (Re-read) 
                    A Separate Peace by John Knowles (Re-read) - Minis for both here
October: The Doctor's Wife by Cheryl St. John - Review here
November: Wicked Intentions by Elizabeth Hoyt - Review here
December: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeane Gist - Review here

'In Death' Reading Challenge

The 'In Death' Reading Challenge is hosted by our own Christine from The happily ever after...

I was a bit reluctant to join this Challenge. I've avoided reading J.D. Robb for years! You see I've been a Nora Roberts fan for years, but I've always been a bit intimidated by the extensive backlist, and frankly there are other concerns. I'm afraid that because I love Roberts' writing I'll become obsessed with this series and won't be able to stop reading it -- and there are ALL those books to read! When would I stop?! Could I stop myself?! Or would I spend the rest of the year hunting used book stores, libraries and/or book stores trying to find the whole series? We'll see... we'll just have to see... I can become obsessive when it comes to reading the next book, and the next, and the next...

The bottom line is that it is high time I read this much acclaimed series. I have to start somewhere. I already have the first 5 books in my TBR pile and I'm ready to begin. I'll be starting at the beginning, so I have a long way to go.

Christine's rules are pretty simple. Read one book per month, post a review or commentary and link it to her blog post.

I'll be keeping track of all my reads and reviews below:

2010

January:  Naked in Death - Review here

February: Glory in Death - Review here

March: Immortal in Death - Mini-Review here

April: Rapture in Death - Review here

May:
June:

July:

August:

September: Ceremony in Death & Vengeance in Death - Reviews here

October: Holiday in Death - Review here

November: Midnight in Death Novella

December:

2011

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)

Thank you Christine for getting me to finally give J.D. Robb and this series a chance! :)

2010 Re-Read Challenge

The Books, Books and more Books: Re-Read Challenge 2010 is hosted by one of my favorite bloggers, Nath.

I didn't join the Challenge last year, I came to blogging too late to do so. But, I followed this Challenge from beginning to end. It became a favorite and every month I looked forward to reading reviews by those who participated. I loved reading reviews of books that I'd already read and I found new-to-me books and authors through this challenge. Visiting every single one of those bloggers who participated, weather I commented or just lurked, was fun and became routine.

I tend to re-read books that I love, my keepers and comfort reads. I think most people do the same -- and that love and comfort usually comes through in the reviews. I'm really looking forward to participating in this wonderful Challenge.

Nath's rules are very easy. Re-read and post a review by the last day of the month and post a link to the review at her blog. That's it! To make things easy for myself, I'll be using this post to keep track of my reads and reviews for the year.

January:  Duncan's Bride by Linda Howard - Review here

February: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - Review here

March: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson - Review here

April: Three Sisters Island Trilogy by Nora Roberts - Reviews here

May: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt - Review here

June: Mine to Possess (Psy/Changeling, #4) by Nalinin Singh - Review here

July: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - Review here

August: Rising Tides (Quinn Brothers, Book #2) by Nora Roberts - Review here

September: Minis: Lady Sophia's Lover by Lisa Kleypas, A Separate Peace by John Knowles, Almost Like Being in Love by Steve Kluger, Cullen's Bride by Fiona Brand, Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard - Minis here

October: Rising Moon by Lori Handerland - Review here

November: If You Desire by Kresley Cole - Mini here

December: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist - Review here

I'm looking forward to participating in this Challenge. Most of all I'm looking forward to reading all future entries. Thank you Nath for hosting it again!

The 2010 Big Book Challenge

The 2010 Big Book Challenge is one of the most creative Challenges I've seen out there, and isn't that the coolest looking banner/button? I love it! Our creative host is the lovely Orannia from Walkabout.

This is a great Challenge, especially if you have a door stopper of a book laying around the house and don't know when or how to tackle it. This Challenge might be the one to help you do it. :) I have just such a book in my TBR pile and couldn't resist joining in.

Orannia's rules are quite easy. All you have to do is read ONE book -- a really BIG book with more than 500 pages, before the end of 2010. A review is not required and the book can be from any fiction genre. The book can be changed at any time, and anyone can join this Challenge at any time.

My choice for this Challenge is:

Title: Naamah's Kiss by Jacqueline Carey
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: June 24, 2009
# of Pages: 656
Reading Start Date: August 26, 2010
Reading Finish Date: DNF

Title: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Re-read)
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: July 2007
# of Pages: 759
Reading Start Date: July 1, 2010
Reading Finish Date: July 3, 2010
Review: July 25, 2010 - Link to review here.

Title: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: May 4, 2010

# of Pages: 516 

Reading Start Date: August 17, 2010

Reading Finish Date: August 21, 2010

Orannia made this a relaxed and fun Challenge -- no pressure. I love it!

2010 M/M Romance Challenge

Anezthezea from I Heart Paperbacks is again hosting the M/M Romance Challenge this year. This is the only Challenge I joined last year and I enjoyed it so much, I signed up for it again for 2010.

I used the Challenge last year to read books written by new-to-me authors whenever possible and it turned out to be a great experience. I plan to do the same this year. Plus, I have many books in my TBR pile still lingering from last year's Challenge -- time to read them.

2010's Challenge is easier. It doesn't have a 5 month deadline, instead the timeline is set from January 1st through December 31st 2010. There are different reading levels to choose from. You can choose 5 books or 20+ books. I've signed up for 20+ books this year again. Books chosen can be any length, sub-genre, or format. eBooks, paperbacks, young adult books, audio books, and re-reads are all okay. Lots of choices that makes this an easy and exciting Challenge.

I've decided not to choose my books ahead of time this year. Instead I'll be posting my books as I read them and my reviews as I post them below.

1. Fool for Love Anthology edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane
2. Best Gay Erotica 2010 edited by Richard Labonte selected by Blair Mastbaum
3. The Boy Can't Help It: Sensual Stories of Young Bottoms by Gavin Atlas
4. Fatal Shadows (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon
5. A Dangerous Thing (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 2) by Josh Lanyon
6. The Hell You Say (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 3) by Josh Lanyon
7. Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 4) by Josh Lanyon
8. The Dark Tide (Adrien English Mysteries, Book 5) by Josh Lanyon
9. Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield
10. Cheating Chance by James Buchanan
11. Carbon and Ash by Chris Owen (Read-read)
12. Henry and Jim by J.M. Snyder
13. Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman
14. Bound by Blood (Soul Mates Book 1) by Jourdan Lane
15. Deceptions (Soul Mates Book 2) by Jourdan Lane
16. Sacrifice (Soul Mates Book 3) by Jourdan Lane
17. Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories by Sandra McDonald
18. Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville
19. A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day
20. A Hidden Magic by Angela Benedetti
21. Unfinished Business by Angela Benedetti
22. Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux
+

Wish me luck!

Looking Forward to 2010

I'm truly looking forward to 2010, and I hope Impressions... continues to reflect my passion for books, reading and the adventure the experience represents to me; an experience I want to continue sharing with you. I've always been a curious reader who loves to see what different genres and new or unknown-to-me authors have to offer. You might might find some surprises here every so often, I know you'll certainly find variety.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've actually come up with a few changes for this blog or "somewhat" of a plan. I say somewhat because I'm flexible and will continue to adapt Impressions... to suit me.

Here are some minimal changes, and policy clarification: :)

1) I will be grading full and mini reviews. I will be keeping the grading system on the side bar.

I've vacillated over this decision for a long time. In the end, after all my experimentation, although I love the freedom of not having to grade a book and leaving that decision up to the reader (after all that's what it's all about), I find that having to come up with that grade provides a better focus when I'm writing a review. It keeps me on my toes. So, here is the grading scale I'll be using:

A = Outstanding. Excellent. Loved it. (+/-)
B = Great Read. Solid. Very Good. (+/-)
C = Good. Average Read. Good but not great.(+/-)
D = Fair. Below Average. Problematic. (+/-)
F = Not Recommended
DNF = Did Not Finish. Not for me.

2) I will also be grading my impressions if I provide enough information about the book to justify a grade. However, I will not grade my thoughts -- (example: see On the Hybrid Zone and Perdido Street Station.) These are my personal thoughts and don't usually include enough information to give the reader a complete view of the book to assess it. I will post my final grade for these books at end-of-month posts.

3) I will also include random posts on my thoughts (see above), if not reviews, on ALL the different genres of books I read, weather they are romance related books or not. That is what I initially wanted to do and would like to go back to it. :) These books will also be included on my list of books read (something I don't do now).

4) All books reviewed at Impressions in 2009 are owned by me, purchased or obtained through book swap, unless otherwise indicated. I did not review nor did I pursue the review of ARCs at Impressions..., although I did review ARCs for Musings of a Bibliophile and announced them here as such. I will continue the same policy in 2010.

5) I've found that I don't enjoy maintaining a schedule to post my reviews or thoughts. I've tried and it takes the fun out of blogging for me, so no posting schedule at Impressions... I've been posting twice per week (slow blogging), and posting more when I have more to say or review. This makes me happy and I'll continue that blogging pattern for now. :)

Of course, who knows what 2010 will bring as I'm still learning and adapting, but for now I think this is a good beginning.

Looking back on 2009

2009 was a busy year for me and brought many unexpected surprises. For one, I began blogging and reviewing, something I did not plan to do or even thought I would enjoy until Brie invited me to join her as a review partner at Musings of a Bibliophile -- one of my favorite blogs to visit. I always enjoyed reading Brie's insightful and thorough reviews and was both happy and honored when she asked me to join her. I admit to being quite the "nervous Nelly" when I began reviewing at Musings, but was lucky to have Brie to provide support. Brie took a chance on me and I truly appreciate that she took that risk. Thanks Brie, for everything!

Impressions...? Hmm... I didn't really plan on Impressions...! That was a total accident, lol! I won't go into details of how that happened (no, I won't), but once the blog was there, I decided to use it as a personal tool. My latest reads, my current reads, upcoming reads, my favorite blogs, impressions, troubled thoughts and announcements for upcoming reviews, that's how I used this blog in the beginning. I even used it as a place where I could practice how to use and experiment with good old html.;P

I didn't post reviews on this site for a long time and was shocked when someone posted a comment the first time. My vague plan at that time was to use it as a sort of "journal" -- just me and the blank page, short thoughts on what I was reading (impressions), not reviewing or grading books. I thought to include short thoughts on all the different types of books I read -- literature, Spanish/Latin American literature, best sellers, in other words other genres as well as romance, fantasy, sci-fi, erotica and/or M/M.

During the year however, between May and December, Impressions... evolved. My lovely review partner Brie went on hiatus at Musings, and I had to make some decisions once I began posting my reviews here. First, I decided to redesign the blog and I'm happy with the new look, although there are still things I would like change in regards to set up. I also decided to experiment the rest of 2009. The blog has become a mish mash of different things. You'll find full reviews, mini reviews, mini impressions, thoughts, and well... a few blog posts here and there.

I never graded reviews at Impressions..., but I did at Musings, so you'll find that I graded my reviews at the end of the month when I posted my summary. I decided to continue not grading reviews, at least until the end of 2009 and then make a decision about it at the end of the year. It has become a bit confusing, even for me. It makes sense and it doesn't. *g*

After all the experimentation, I've made some decisions regarding this blog for 2010, I actually have somewhat of a plan, lol! Next week, I'll be posting those decisions and hope to make things clearer and easier for myself and for you.;P

I would like to end this post by thanking the readers and bloggers who have been so supportive in all kinds of ways (some of you on a personal level), and for being so patient while I learned and experimented with my blog throughout 2009.

...on a New Banner & a Thank You!

After a whole week of staring at the stock banner that came with the new blog template, I knew those three cute little kiddies reading just were not going to do it for me. Nope, I knew they were not going to make it past the first week. I couldn't look at the blog without staring at those three kiddies... they became an obsession of the worst kind -- I HAD to get rid of them! But what was I going to do? I'm still trying to make friends with HTML, never mind that I'm a total duffus when it comes to putting graphics together.

So I sent out a cyberspace distress call and what do you know? The graphics goddess herself came charging in on her mighty cyber-spaceship to save the day! She weaved some magic and ta-da!... in no time at all out of cyber-nowhere a new Impressions... banner appeared. A beauteous one at that!

So, I must thank Ms. Kenda Montgomery (known as KMont to us mortals) for weaving her graphics magic and coming to the rescue. I do hope that cyber-spaceship slows down long enough so she can see me waving my thanks... 

 (Note I made her a goddess who captains her own spaceship AND can perform magic) 

...On Weekends and a New Look!

My weekend started with a Friday night full of family I haven't seen in umpteen years, dinner and conversation. I have a cousin visiting from my native country who I haven't seen since I was 12 years old! Believe me when I say that was a long time ago... 

It's amazing how wonderful it is to see a familiar, unfamiliar face after all those years. He looks so much like our long lost grandfather it's uncanny. What seemed even more amazing to me was the fact that there were no uncomfortable silences. We talked and talked as if trying to catch up in one evening after all these years was the thing to do. It was an unexpected and special evening.

After such a nice Friday night, I woke up this morning with lots of energy and feeling cheerful. I decided to blog about my evening and started thinking... (always a dangerous thing for me)... hmmm... Impressions just doesn't really reflect my personality! The place has been feeling a bit dark and cramped -- I like wide open spaces. Does that happen to you? It was happening to me with my old set up. Soooo, what better way to remedy that problem than to look for a different, lighter, brighter and more open look. 

I liked this three column template with the white background. I think the place looks more open, less cramped... I'm a bit of a "red" person (if you haven't noticed yet), so those red letters had to go UP! I tweaked the HTML a little bit and I'm still playing with the format, but I think it's starting to look a little better. 

You'll probably see changes in the upcoming week as the experimentation continues -- not sure yet if I'll keep the header picture, although I kind of like it. What do you think? Do you like this header?

I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to working Blogger and must thank my friend Nath for sending me to the right place and for her suggestions. Thank you, Nath!

So, what do you think of the new look? Any suggestions?  

...I'M OK, UR OK Blogger Award

Tracy from Tracy's Place passed this colorful, and truly cool award on to me a couple of weeks ago. Of course, the meaning behind the words is what it's all about.

Quoting Lisabea from Nose In a Book makes it easy for me to pass on this wonderful award to a couple of bloggers who "review across the spectrum of romance, who do so with laughter and a good will, and who aren't limited to the expectations of their audience. They open doors."

I'm passing this most wonderful of awards to Ms. Moonlight(Elizabeth Jules Mason) from Moonlight to Twilight Blog and to Carolyn Crane (CJ) from The Trillionth Place -- two ladies whose blogs definitely fit the above description for me and whose reviews and posts I really enjoy.

Thank you, Tracy!

On Awards and Friends

What an introduction! Just started getting comfortable in my little place, have not finished moving in yet, and here I am being awarded a.... Little CJ? And I thought Leslie was my friend, too! 

Woke up this morning, went to check my favorite blogs, and there it was... I must find someone whose blog, I really, really like to pass this wonderful... ahhh... Award to. 

Thank you, Leslie and of course CJ for gifting us with the Little one. I am truly honored.

Leslie has a wonderful picture of a screaming child on her blog, but when I saw the announcement this was my reaction -- I thought it was appropriate. 

A mutual friend of ours, joanna, who has a wicked sense of humor, titled this picture "The Angst that Wouldn't Die!!!" (Thank you, joanna) That's how I felt when I saw my name and my mind went blank. I figure EVERYBODY has a Little CJ by now and I'm going to get skewered, right? 

After much thought, (and research) I decided to share this moment with two people whose blogs I visit regularly and haven't received their awards yet. Of course this must be remedied immediately. They both use the word "addict or addiction" and "book" as part of their titles, so definitely places I would look up. 

Renee's Book Addiction, a lovely site. Renee and I seem to share our love for the varied within the genre. It's a place I love to visit and just enjoy. So, since we seem to be passing this...ahhh... lovely Award to people we like (isn't that right, Leslie?), Renee gets my vote.

Dani from Confessions of a Romance Book Addict just had a birthday in May.  What a great birthday present! Dani is definitely a book addict and we have that in common. So enjoy your present? 

Okay, now I can breath... no voodoo dolls or intense pain for me.  Oh, Renee and Dani? I do suggest you both read CJ's rules for this award or you might be in great peril.