December Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

December, a month that feels both endless and passes in a blink! Full of holidays and the anticipation that builds along with them.  I was terrified this month that I wasn't going to get a chance to read anything, but I actually got quite a bit of reading in along the way!

I was super happy that I managed to fit in the two Christmas themed books I'd planned, as I was really feeling in the spirit this year and I wanted the chance to embrace that in my reading. I also finished some great romances that I had flirted with reading in the past so it was a month filled with love and joy.

I hope it felt that way for you, too!

So here's what I read in December:

Audiobooks I Own
Boy Toy by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby
Sweet Tea and Sympathy by Molly Harper
Getting Schooled by Emma Chase

Audiobooks I Borrowed
All the King's Horses by Lauren Gallagher
Unbreak My Heart by Lauren Blakely
From Here to You by Jaime McGuire

Physical Books I Own 
Wanderlust by Lauren Blakely
The Real Deal by Lauren Blakely
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Vox by Christina Dalcher
The Christmas Sisters by Sarah Morgan

eBook I Own
Butterface by Avery Flynn

Required Reading
(for review) Hating to Love You by Erin Rylie
(for work) The Santa Klaus Murder by Mavis Doriel Hay

Borrowed from the Library (to finish my A to Z Reading Challenge!)
Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

I've discovered in the last few months that I can actually do a LOT of audiobook listening at home. My husband leaves for work before I even get out of bed most days so while I'm working out, getting ready for work, and eating breakfast I can have an audiobook running.  It's making my "reading" go a lot faster at home. 

I read some really great books this month. I loved Six of Crows and finally understood all the hype it had gotten.  Wanderlust had me sighing out loud in the best way (and what great accents in the audiobook!). Vox was legitimately terrifying to contemplate and Jane, Unlimited felt like it expanded my brain as it unfolded.  I also loved The Christmas Sisters and found that to be the perfect holiday read this year.  I only hope my reading moving into 2019 continues to be this good!!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading all!

November Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Ah November.  The month that somehow manages to feel super long and super short every year.  As we ramp up to the Holidays, the first part of the month always seems to stretch, then the last two weeks or so FLY by, and suddenly it's December.  EVERY year. 

Though I managed to read a decent amount of books, it was not quite what I'd hoped... As part of a group online, I read A Discovery of Witches, which has been on my TBR long list for ages and while it was EXCELLENT, it also took longer than I expected to read.  It's surprisingly dense. Well worth the read, though! One of my favorite books of this entire year.

So, here's what I actually read in November:

Audiobooks
Possession by Jessica Hawkins
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick
Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas
A Rogue of Her Own by Grace Burrowes

Physical Books I Own
Renegade by JA Souders

eBooks I Own
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
Move the Stars by Jessica Hawkins
Neutral by Jane Washington and Jaymin Eve
Pain by Jane Washington and Jaymin Eve

Nonfiction Title of the Month: FAIL. I did not read one AGAIN.

Required Reading
(work) Murder at the Brightwell by Ashley Weaver *technically a re-read*

Group Read: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

DNF (Did Not Finish): Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast
I read 25% of this book from my home library and decided that I was not interested enough to finish it.  There are too many other books to read! So, this one has a new home as a prize for a teen at our Library...

I did very little actually sit down with a book reading this month! It was much more audiobook listening and sneaking in books on my kindle or phone between things... probably going to be similar in December, but we'll have to wait and see. How was your November reading?

October Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Hey, does anyone know what happened to October? I'd like it back! Seriously, this month FLEW by and I feel like Fall's already on it's way out and before we know it, it's going to be winter and I'm going to cry. 

So, realizing I now only have TWO months left in the year and that there is no humanly way possible for me to finish this challenge within the year, I still found myself staring angrily at my bookshelves as if by somehow wishing hard enough more of those books would be simultaneously read... so, instead of just stewing, I went through my collection again and took about fifteen books off my TBR pile and donated them to the Library.  I can't honestly say I was dying to read them anymore, so out they go.

That still leaves me with almost 75 books I haven't read yet, but it looks a little less intimidating and I may be able to get through them before, say April 2019, which isn't too, too bad. With the holidays coming up, which somehow usually gives me both more and less time to read, we'll see what kind of dent I make in what's left...

So, what did I manage to read in this super fast passing October?

Audiobooks
Something in the Way by Jessica Hawkins

Escapades by Lilly Atlas

Soul of the Witch by Deanna Chase

Born of Darkness by Lara Adrian

Physical books I own
Somebody Else's Sky by Jessica Hawkins

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

eBook I own
Trial of Three by Alex Lidell

The Hookup by Kristen Ashley

Hour of the Lion by Cherise Sinclair

Nonfiction Title of the Month: None (I sadly did not pick one up this month. Boo)

Official cheat book(s): 

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vol. 1 (graphic novel) by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa/Robert Hack

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Required Reading
(work) Death Overdue by Allison Brook
(professional review) Johnny by DJ Molles

I started reviewing audiobooks for the awards this month so that took away some from my regular reading.  I can't specify at all what I'm judging, so just trust me when I say it takes a lot of time and it means the rest of 2018 will be split between that and this challenge.  I'm still planning to pick away as much as I can at what I own though!!

How're you all doing with your reading?

September Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

So, September started out as a pretty great reading month, then sort of petered out... I'm in a bit of a reading slump now. *cries gently*

I think it's sinking in that there's only three months left of 2018 and I have too many unread books to reasonably finish this year.  *sigh* Somehow I'd convinced myself I could do it all in 2018!!

I think, though, that if I could get down to less than say, thirty or thirty-five books sitting there waiting to be read, I wouldn't feel too badly ending the year-long challenge...

So, what did I read in September?

Audiobooks I own
The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye
Strength by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
Flame in the Dark by Faith Hunter

Physical books I own
To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler
Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
Illegal by Eoin Colfer *graphic novel*

eBook I own
Witch's Reign by Shannon Mayer

Nonfiction Title of the Month: The Atlas Obscura Explorer's Guide for the World's Most Adventurous Kid by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco

Official cheat book: Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower

Required Reading
(work) Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay
(professional review) The Oddling Prince by Nancy Springer
(professional review) The Stars Now Unclaimed by Drew Williams

So, I also got a third of the way through Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas, but it's so big, and we're so close to the end of the series that my brain is just like, "Noooooooo..." and it doesn't want me to read any more of it.  I'm working on my current book club book for work trying to take a mini-break, but then my next group discussion for EOS is on the 17th so I have to get it done before then.  Do you ever have that happen where a book is almost too good and you just don't want to finish it because then it'll be DONE?

I'm also starting my annual audiobook judging this month, so that's going to affect my reading.  I can't really tell you more than that, but it'll mean books I can't record here and time away from my own collection. *Sigh*

How're you all doing with your reading?

August Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Well, August was both a good and bad month for reading. It was busy and HOT so I didn't sit and read quite as many print books as I wanted to, but I snuck in a few extra audiobooks so that wasn't too bad!

All links below take you to the title's entry on goodreads.com. So, here's what I read in August:

Audiobooks I Own
Trickery by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
Persuasion by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
Seduction by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington
Unqualified by Anna Farris

Physical Books I Own
The Exact Location of Home by Kate Messner
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Untamed by A.G. Howard

eBooks I Own
Slaying It by Chloe Neill
Greta and the Goblin King by Chloe Jacobs
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Official Cheat Book: Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill
Incidental Cheat Book: My Lady's Choosing by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris

Required Reading
(Work) The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams
(Professional Review) Side Life by Steve Toutonghi
(Professional Review) Blood of the Four by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

CHOSE NOT TO FINISH: Subscribed by Tien Tzuo

I find in the summer I love to dive into "easy" books.  Paranormal romances, series books, etc.  My audiobooks were perfect for the weather and speed of my life in August.  I was able to squeeze them in wherever and they were highly entertaining if not highly intellectual.  Just pure escapism. 

I was also able to finish up a couple of series this month.  I read the bridge novella between the Chicagoland Vampires series and Neill's new spin-off Heirs of Chicagoland series, which starts with Wild Hunger which was my official cheat book for August. I also read Untamed which is the compiled novellas for the Splintered series and Ruin and Rising which is the final book in the Grisha trilogy.  Though I didn't love all of Untamed it was enjoyable.  I was disappointed in Ruin and Rising, but I'm looking forward to reading Six of Crows which kicks off a duology set in the same world.

My Library received its copy of My Lady's Choosing and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to choose my own romance path (SUCH A COOL CONCEPT) so that became an incidental second cheat book for me.   Whoops!

Lastly, my best and worst books of the month. 
I LOVED LOVED LOVED Maas's Heir of Fire. I cannot wait to start Queen of Shadows tomorrow.
I tried desperately to read Subscribed, which was going to be my nonfiction book of the month, but I couldn't get myself to focus and so I skimmed bits then DNF'd it.  I ended up listening to Unqualified which counts as a nonfiction and LOVED hearing Anna Farris tell tales.  Such a funny book.

I'm excited to head into September.  How's your reading going?

July Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

So, after May and June both turned out to be cheat months, I got back in the saddle for July, so to speak! It was a pretty good reading month, though work was at its peak time and so I probably read a little less than I could have if I'd really tried.

HOWEVER, I did finally finish weeding my bookshelves in July, so now all that's on them are books I either intend to truly keep or books I really intend to read!! That was a huge step for me, as over the last few years, I just kept picking up books and shoving them in there, even knowing I most likely wouldn't make the time to get to them.  I had to let go, you know? Now, I'm just trying to decide if I can let go even more and do my bookshelves in rainbow order instead of the OCD library version they are now... *Giggles*

All links below take you to the title's entry on goodreads.com. So, here's what I read in July:

Audiobooks I Own
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Physical Books I Own
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas *group read
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas *group read
Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill
Blade Bound by Chloe Neill
No Ego by Cy Wakeman (nonfic read)

eBooks I Own
Winter Princess by Skye MacKinnon
Winter Heiress by Skye MacKinnon
Scottish Werebear: Books 1-3 by Lorelei Moone

Official Cheat Book: The Wicked King by Holly Black *2018 Book Expo

Required Reading
(Work) Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander
(Professional Review) Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

All in all I felt pretty great about my reading in July! I got to read a book I was dying to get to since I picked it up at the Book Expo, I finished out a series I'd been meaning to for years, I restarted a series I've been collecting but never read AND I finished the nonfiction book I meant to read in June.  Not too shabby.  I've been loving all the audiobooks I've been listening to this summer, so I hope that continues and I feel pretty good going into August.  I'm refueled for my personal challenge!! How was your reading in July?

June Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

So, here we are at the beginning of July, and though I had the best intentions of diving back into my 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge in the month of June, it kind of got away from me and became a second cheat month.  I'm a little disappointed in myself honestly.

But on to the recap. All links below take you to the title's entry on goodreads.com. Here's what I read in June:

Audio Books I Own
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Physical Books I Own
The Bookshop Girl by Sylvia Bishop *Book Expo 2018
Escaping from Houdini by Kerri Maniscalco *Book Expo 2018
My Wish for You by Kathryn Hahn *Book Expo 2018

eBooks I Own
Power of Five by Alex Lidell
Mistake of Magic by Alex Lidell
Claimed by the Gods by Eva Chase

Books borrowed from the Library
War Storm by Victoria Aveyard
Riverdale Vol. 1 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas *several of the individual stories already owned in ebook version

Official Cheat Book: Competence by Gail Carriger

Required Reading
(Work) Murder in an English Village by Jessica Ellicott
(Professional Review) Son of the Dawn by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan
(Professional Review) Twice Bitten by Lynsay Sands
(Professional Review) Language of the Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
(Professional Review) Grigori by Lauren Smith

So, other than not getting back on track with my challenge, I found June to be a frustrating month in general reading-wise.  I did not get through the one nonfiction book I wanted to for the month (No Ego by Cy Wakeman) so I'll be working on finishing that in July.  I blasted through a bunch of great audiobooks, but was so frustrated after finishing War Storm that it took me a little bit to get back into the rhythm of physical reading.  Thus the easy ebook choices... short, romance fantasies... and the shorter books like the graphic novel and the two childrens' books from the Book Expo.  I need a palate cleanser, I guess.

I seemed to hit my stride again towards the end of the month, so I'm hoping now with a fresh month's start to leap back into my challenge and keep progressing through the books I own at home.  I'm planning to do a post in the next few days just giving a half-year progress update on my challenge reading and where that leaves me with my collection at home... 

Very Belated May Wrap-Up

So, it's been a while since I posted... I realized I only posted once in May, because I was both reading desperately to finish all the cheat books I wanted to try to hit in my cheat month, and also because life just got busy!

If you remember, I took the entire month of May off from my 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge to just read whatever I wanted because so many new books I was anxious to read released in May, and because I was going to the Book Expo in New York City right at the end of the month. (IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!! Check my Instagram account - ireadtorelax - for photos, etc. from the Expo) 

Anyway, though I didn't get to everything I wanted to read in May, it felt great to relieve some pressure and just read whatever I wanted for the month.  Now, even though it's June 12th, I'm trying STILL to finish War Storm by Victoria Aveyard, the last book in the Red Queen series, which I started before I left for the Book Expo on May 29th! It's extremely slow going, unusual for me, but I really want to finish it, just because I NEED to know how the series ends!

*sigh* Then, I got four really stellar ARCs at Book Expo that I'm dying to read, so I may be cheating a little bit this month, too. I haven't decided if I can hold out or not.  I'll see how I'm feeling when I finish War Storm...

So, what did I read in May?  

(All titles link to their entries on Goodreads)

Audio Books I Own

In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

High Voltage by Karen Marie Moning

The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Physical Books I Own

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Legendary by Stephanie Garber (ARC)

Furyborn by Claire Legrand (ARC) (review post)

eBook I Own

Fic Against Humanity vol. 1 by B.B. Richard

Library Books I Borrowed

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

At the Drop of a Hat by Jenn McKinlay

Heart of Iron by Ashley Poston

Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

Required Reading:

(Work) Dog Dish of Doom by E.J. Copperman

(Professional Review) The Pisces by Melissa Broder

(Professional Review) Gaslight by Dannika Dark 

All in all not a bad month. Sixteen titles. A lot of which I'd been dying to read!
I've also decided to try to read one non-fiction book a month for the rest of the year after my success reading You are a Badass.  Now, to finish my behemoth of a series ender and figure out what I'm doing for the rest of June... 

April Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Hello fellow readers! Though April felt like an extremely short month and I found the weather wholly depressing, it was actually a pretty successful reading month for me! Giving myself a little more leeway in my books choices definitely felt more natural so I think in June I will use this method again to help me work through my 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge.

Here's what I read in April 2018:
Audio books I Own
Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire (review post)
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling
One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Physical books I Own 
Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (review post)
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

CHEAT BOOK: Everless by Sara Holland

Required Reading:
(Work) Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury
(Professional Review) #Prettyboy Must Die by Kimberly Reid
(Professional Review) The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delaney
(received from author for review) Guns, Rations, Rigs & the Undead by K.E. Radke
(received from author for review) How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger

I have two more books, one a nonfiction physical book and one fiction audiobook that I'm almost finished with, but not quite, so those will be finished in May.  I tried to squeeze them in today, but there just isn't enough time! LOL.  Oh well...

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to May, as I decided to give myself an entire CHEAT MONTH.  So many new books from series I love are coming out this month that I couldn't figure out how to resist so I'm just gonna go for it and get back down to challenge business in June.  I'll post my list of expected reads in the next few days.

March Challenge Wrap Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Well this is certainly a belated post! LOL. The end of March and the beginning of April have sort of been all over the place for me, so this was the first real chance I've had to sit down and collect my thoughts and record what I'd done for the 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge.

Here goes. The link back to my March Challenge Reading Plan can be found here.

Here's what I read in March 2018:
Audio books I Own
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

Physical Books I Own 
Prudence by Gail Carriger (review post)
Imprudence by Gail Carriger (review post)
Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

eBooks I Own
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

CHEAT BOOK: The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (review post)

Required Reading: 
(Work)  Whispers Beyond the Veil by Jessica Estevao
(Professional Review) Inkmistress by Audrey Coulthurst (audio book)
(Professional Review) Cadaver & Queen by Alisa Kwitney (audio book) (review post)

Thoughts from March?
One, I finally was able to say, 'No, I didn't enjoy that and so I do not feel obliged to finish this series.' I had loved Ruby Red so much I was excited way back when to read both Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green, but when I read book two this past month, I hated it.  I would have pushed myself in the past to finish the trilogy out of a sense of obligation to find out how it ended, but now I really know that there are just FAR too many books out there to waste my time if I truly don't care. So, another series got donated to the Library book sale... Secondly, I realized I kept feeling more and more stifled by the way I'd structured my challenge.  I had built a list of books I wanted to read in March, and I'd been trying to stick solely to that, but I am a mood reader by nature, so I realized I have to loosen the reigns a little. I'm going to try something less structured in April...

All in all not a bad reading month, though I certainly read less than I did in both January and February. How did you all do?

February Challenge Wrap-Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Well, today is the last day of February and while I fell off the wagon once, I still feel proud that primarily I have stuck to my 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge.

I didn't quite get to everything on my reading plan for February (you can check back on that here), BUT I didn't do too terribly. I'll be posting my March reading plan either later today or tomorrow and you'll see some repeat books, as I really am trying to finish up some of the series that I've owned forever!!

Here's what I read in February 2018:

Audio Books I Own

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Physical Books I Own

Talon by Julie Kagawa (review post)

Rebel Heart by Moira Young

Raging Star by Moira Young (review post)

eBooks I Own

Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal (review post)

Rogue by Julie Kagawa

CHEAT BOOK(s): Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh...and Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody (review post) 

Required Reading: (Work) Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

(For Professional Review) Elysium Fire by Alastair Reynolds (audio book)

(For Professional Review) Lost Legio IX by Marc Alan Edelheit (audio book)

February Feels? 

So, as much as I am working to stick to my challenge...it's, well, challenging! LOL. Especially now that I'm getting involved with #bookstagram on social media, it is HARD not to covet all the new and shiny books coming out.  However, I really, truly am striving to explore my own bookshelves. 

You may have noticed, and even read my post, that I "fell off the wagon" and read a second (mostly) cheat book in February. It was one that I technically used to own, but if I was being really honest, I'd gotten rid of it and so it was no longer on my bookshelves and shouldn't have counted, thus being cheat book #2.  However, by allowing myself to have this second book, I was then able to dive back in and read three more off of my own bookshelves, so I am feeling like if the hankering hits me and I can't ignore it, it's perhaps better to get it out of my system and get back to my challenge than to get frustrated and then scrap the whole thing for the rest of the year... 

So. I'm still aiming to maintain my challenge next month. Let's all keep our fingers crossed for more success in March! 

January Challenge Wrap-Up Post

2018 Books I Already Own Challenge

Well, the month of January is almost over and I feel like my 2018 Books I Already Own Challenge has been a success so far!!

I didn't complete my reading plan for the month (you can check back on that here), BUT I did almost complete it... with a few more books mixed in. I know there's two days left to the month, but I'm going to give you what I've done to this point so I can do my February reading plan post before the month officially starts.

Here's what I read in January 2018:
Audio books I own
Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

Physical books I own
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Winterspell by Claire Legrand
The Princess and the Stableboy by Rebecca Rynecki

eBooks I Own
Dark Descendant by Jenna Black
Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard
Darker Days by Jus Accardo
Defiance by C.J. Redwine

CHEAT BOOK: The Lost Plot by Genevieve Cogman

REQUIRED READING (Work): Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell

Lessons learned in January?
Well, I like having a plan as a guide, but I also couldn't completely stick to it without feeling stifled. I read to relax after all and feeling like all my reading is assigned is just not going to work long-term.  So, I am going to continue to make a plan each month, knowing that it's okay not to stick to it, AS LONG AS I keep within the limits of my challenge and try to read only books I already own...

Also, I may have to go back and reread some, as some of these books I've owned for so long I can't
remember what happened in the book that came before them...

...and I have to remind myself it IS okay if I decide that I don't want to finish a book. This is part of the purpose of this challenge, is to find out if I really DO love the books I have taking up space in my life...and clearing out the ones that no longer need to be there...

That's it for January. I'll be posting my February reading plan either tomorrow or the next day. 

Oh, and if you'd like in on the challenge, just let me know! We have a private group on both Facebook and Goodreads to give us a place to share, motivate each other, and bemoan having to pass up the shiny new books of 2018... at least for as long as each of us last!!

2011 Debut Author Challenge Wrap Up Post

All right, the annual Debut Author Challenge is to read 12 books by debut YA authors that year. I'm pretty sure that I decently surpassed 12, but let's find out.

2011 Debut Author Challenge titles:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
The Water Wars by Cameron Stratcher
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Hourglass by Myra McEntire
The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
Divergent by Veronica Roth
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Legend by Marie Lu
Die for Me by Amy Plum
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

I was right! 29 titles this year. Nice! There were a lot of really great debuts this year...in fact, I still have a few on my bookshelf that I just didn't have time to read. I'll get to them this year, but they won't count for the DAC anymore...oh well. Onto the 2012 Debuts!!

2011 Shifter Challenge Wrap Up Post

This year I signed up to participate in the 2011 Shifter Reading Challenge by reading 20 books featuring a shifter as a main character. Let's see if I was up to the challenge...

2011 Shifter Challenge Titles:
Blameless by Gail Carriger
The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
The Inside Story by Michael Buckley
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
Black Wings by Christina Henry
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Black Night by Christina Henry
Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Schreiber
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
The Ghoul Next Door by Lisi Harrison
Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Where There's a Wolf, There's a Way by Lisi Harrison
Fateful by Claudia Gray
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

28 titles, Nice! This includes not only werewolf shifters, but angels, mermaids, and any other type of main character that shifted from one form to another...