January wrap-up post

I know it's technically February now, but I decided to do these posts on the nearest weekend to the end of the month...and here it is. * books were review books, and any reviews are linked to in the titles.

I'm participating in 2 challenges this year, the Contemporary challenge hosted by Katie and Angela and the TBR challenge hosted by Evie and tonnes of other cool people.

For this challenge, this month I read: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

I haven't reviewed it, because I haven't decided how I feel about it. I know I only read one, but I only picked five contemporary books (as it's a genre I don't read much) so it's not that bad.

For this challenge I read: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Again, not great. Worse because I picked a higher amount of books for this challenge.

Overall, this month I read: 9 books, which were:

You Can't Hide by Karen Rose

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Fracture by Megan Miranda*

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey*

Hollow Pike by James Dawson*

Everneath by Brodi Ashton*

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Whilst I'm disappointed with the number of books I read in January, I'm not disappointed with the variety. I read 2 adult crime novels which is a genre I used to LOVE and have been desperate to get back into and TGWTDT is a book I've wanted to read for a long time. I also read 2 contemporaries, which is really unusual for me, and nearly half of the books I read were review books. 

 I'm definitely aiming to read a lot more books in February, but I absolutely want to keep up the level of variety if possible. I definitely need to stop watching so much TV (which now I've watched all of Merlin shouldn't be too hard) as that severely restricts my reading time! I also stuck faiirrrlly strictly to my book-acquiring ban, which I'm happy with. 

How did you all do? Let me know in the comments or link me to your own wrap-up post!

2012 TBR Challenge

I've decided to do my first ever book challenge! As I started my blog at the end of Feb, I missed out on this years challenges, but I'm excited to have one for 2012. I picked the TBR challenge b/c my TBR pile is only a year old, and already it's scaring me 0_0. I want to nip it in the bud before it gets truly excessive.

That being said, I AM being realistic, so I've opted for the lowest level of:

1-10: A Firm Handshake

My logic being I can always increase my goal if needs be. The books I've chosen are:

1. The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Midnight by LJ Smith
2. Entangled by Cat Clarke
3. The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
4. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
6. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
7. Chime by Franny Billingsley
8. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
9. The Missing (Cryers Cross) by Lisa McMann
10. Wake by Lisa McMann

So yeah, that's my list. I figure I can totally justify reading all these awesome sounding books if it's for a CHALLENGE. Plus, I'm super-competitive. I cannot fail. Not even in a self-imposed penalty-free book challenge.

So here's all the challenge info incase you fancy joining me!

Challenge guidelines: 

1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
8. At the end of each month one of the hosts will post a wrap-up. Every wrap-up will have it'sunique theme, a mini-challenge, a giveaway and place for you to link up your reviews from this month. For each review you link up, you will get one entry in a drawing of one book of choice from Book Depository. It's open to INTERNATIONALS. For participating in the mini-challenge you will get +1 entry.
9. If you miss a wrap-up post + giveaway, you can link up your reviews next month. Do not, however, try to link up one review twice - we will be checking ;)
10. December is a wrap-up for the whole year. All the book reviews you linked up January-November + the ones you'll link up in December will be entered into a HUGE giveaway - 12 books, 12 winners, INTERNATIONAL. 
11. You don't have to follow all the hosts to join the challenge, but you do have to follow all of us to be entered in giveaways!

Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

Hosts: 
Evie from Bookish - http://www.evie-bookish.blogspot.com @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - http://www.nicoleabouttown.com/ @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - http://www.handsandhome.ca/ @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com/ @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - http://whatchyareading.net @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - http://missiontoread.com/ @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -http://booksbiscuitsandtea.blogspot.com/ @alouetteuette 
Christa from Hooked On Books - http://christashookedonbooks.blogspot.com @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - http://fansoffiction.blogspot.com/ @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions