Review: Matched

Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



While not a book I would of picked up myself I am glad I took the word of a friend and read it.

Based in the future (no real dates said) the Society makes choices for you to what you wear to what you eat and can do with your free time right down to who you will be matched with to further the perfect society free of defects.

Cassia just turned 17 and attends her Match ceremony all goes as planned and bonus she is matched with her life long childhood friend. Later in the privacy of her home she looks at the microcard of Xander (her match) to see what society thinks she should know about him she gets a surprise. While Xanders face shows first it suddenly fades to black showing her the face of Ky.

The rest of the book takes you into Cassia's mind and all that she is feeling over this. Was it really a mistake, a cruel joke, or is there more to this story?



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The RRRC Cocktails Challenge

At last, the challenge you have all been waiting for (well, a couple of you anyway…) - the RRRC Cocktail Challenge!! Thanks to all the myriad of suggestions that were posted by our members in the Suggestions for Future Challenges thread :)

This challenge is open for 11 months and 16 days. It will start on 15 July 2011 and continue through until 30 June 2012.

Aim to complete one of the following levels of intoxication by reading the corresponding number of books that can be matched to any of the below-listed categories.
Stone-cold sober - 1 book
Buzzed - 5 books
Tipsy - 10 books
Drunk - 15 books
Hammered: Beer goggles no longer optional - 20 books
Schwasted - 25 books
Passed out in the taxi line - 30 books
Stomach pumped – 50 books or more
These book numbers reflect the total number of books read to hit the intoxication level. This total includes bonus books.

A book selected by location:
Wine of choice ~ a book that is set on a vineyard or in a recognised wine region (eg Napa Valley, Champagne France, Mosel Germany etc). Please note the wine region on your selection. To help, here is a wiki link: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wine-p...
Mojito ~ a book set in Latin America or Cuba, or has a Latino character.
Tennessee Cowboy ~ a book set in one of the southern states of USA, or with a cowboy as main character.
Tequila Sunrise ~ a book that takes place in Mexico or south-west USA (west Texas to San Diego) or has the sun on the cover
Rob Roy ~ a book set in Scotland, has a Scottish character, or the main character is an outlaw/rebel
Manhattan ~ a book set in New York or shows a man with a hat on the cover.
Long Island Ice Tea ~ a book set in (on?) Long Island, or a ‘long’ book (over 450 pages)
Bay Breeze ~ a book set in San Francisco or San Diego, or a book where the characters sail or travel on boats/ships (including space ships).
Rusty Nail - a book that takes place in the 'Rust Belt' (a region of the US stretching from Milwalkee to Syracuse, refer: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_Belt), has an H/h who is a builder/mechanic or has the colours of autumn on the cover
Rum Runner - a book that takes place in the Caribbean, deals with smuggling or import-export or has a H/h that is a fitness fanatic.
Jägerbomb - a book that takes place in Germany, has something to do with a bomb (threat, war etc), or has an explosion (eg starburst) or bomb on the cover or has a character described as or like a 'bombshell'. (As a point of interest, this drink is banned in some Australian regions as it encourages binge drinking and irresponsible behaviour! Huh – who would have guessed! *sarcasm*)
White Russian – a book set in Eastern Europe or has a predominantly white cover
Mint Julep – a book set in Kentucky or Virginia, or has a mint-green cover.

A book by theme:
Bloody Mary ~ suspense/horror, kick-ass heroine.
Virgin Bloody Mary (for the teetotalers) ~ H/h is a virgin or book has a red cover
Cosmo (ala Sex in the City) ~ Chick lit, book with friends as main characters.
Martini (shaken not stirred) ~ Spy, Special Ops, Undercover agent, romantic suspense (you get the idea…) or a book set in England
Sex on the Beach ~ Erotica or a book set on a beach or beach on the cover
Salty Dog ~ H/h is a pirate, the book is set on ship/boat or H/h has a dog companion
7&7 ~ 7 letters in authors name (1st or last), 7 words in title, 7th in series, or has the number 7 in the title.
Lemon Drop ~ a book with an acerbic/sarcastic H/h or with a yellow cover
Snakebite ~ a vampire book, a book that has a snake in it, or has a character that is sneaky
Kamikaze ~ a book with a ‘daredevil’ type character or a character set at self destruct, or a book set in Japan.
Zombie ~ a zombie book or a book where a character is/has been in a coma or is/was knocked unconscious.
Flaming Lamborghini ~ a book with the words ‘flame’, ‘burn’, ‘smoke’ or ‘fire’ in the title or a book with a character who is a dragon, demon or a professional driver.

Bonus themes:
You may create your own cocktails and match this to your chosen book.


Because we know that you may not remember the who/what/where/when or why, try to maintain a list of books as you drink read and repost them in this thread whenever you come down from your high.

If you plan to have a huge drinking session, you must drink read a book from each of the listed categories before you start over again (25 in total excluding any chosen bonus books).

If you encounter a book during your drinking reading session that was so bad that you want to forget it, feel free to add this as a bonus book to challenge, categorizing it under one of the following drinks: Hurlmaker, FYU (F*ck You Up), Swampwater, Afterbirth or Vulcan Mind Grip.


Level Selection rules:
*You must select your level before you start the challenge
*Once you select your level, you cannot move up or down without penalty. You have until 15 July to make sure you are happy with your level selection.
*The penalty - You may apply to me to finish your bar session early if you have bitten off more than you can chew (eg. you have been aiming for stomach pumped but you can't even get tipsy - face it: you aren't as 'p*ss-fit' as you thought!). This session would show in the summary thread as 'incomplete'. But, if you wanted to, you could then start a new session as the team-driver, aiming for 'Stone-cold sober'.
*Some of you may decide to have a few big nights out, so that once you have achieved your desired level of intoxication you can go home and return the next night with a new alcoholic target. The new target must be new books but may involve your preferred drinks.
*As clarification - just because you have been 'tipsy' and 'drunk', that will not qualify you to be shown as 'passed out'.

Note: If you do apply to me to go home early, I want a really good excuse - eg the school yard bully from 30 years ago has just shown up and you are scared to drink in his/her presence...

General rules:
*Books from other challenges may be used
*Rereads are fine
*Book length of at least 100 pages
*Audiobooks are fine
*You can start drinking reading at any time within the stated period, but must not start before 15 July 2011 and must have completed your last book by 30 June 2012 (I feel a bit like a lawyer)
*Your list may be posted in advance or as you go. You may swap books on your list if you have pre-posted.


Questions? Answered! have been transferred across to the Suggestions thread - see link below.

A separate suggestions thread is available to ask all those tricky, mind-bending questions that appear in your brain as you sort through life with friends on your bar-crawl. Please click on this link: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

Please note: this group, the moderators, and the organizers of this challenge, do not encourage or condone excesses in reading. If you experience any intoxication that impairs judgment whilst reading, please stop immediately and seek help.

Credit for the idea and drinks contained in this challenge goes to Joanne, Jim, Penney, Kami, Dee and Rossy.

One Book For Each Genre! (2011-2012)

RULES: Please read before deciding to participate.

*Make sure to pick your selection carefully, for you will not be able to change the books once we get started. Though you may pick which genre you want to read, at any time, for whatever month you want.

*Duration: 11 months (July 30, 2011 - June 30, 2012)

*Discussion: Have you tried this genre before? What did you think about this book/author?

*We start on July, but anybody is welcome to join us at any time. Late comers will have to finish along with us though, no extra time.

*Romance is a sub-genre, so as long as you pick a book that fits the genres stated below, you may pick whatever other subgenre you prefer.

*Lets use the honor system. I will trust that you will comply and not change the books once we get started. When you finish a book(s), you can make a post here of what book you finished and write the discussion topic below each title; as finished with your chosen category for the month.

*If you finish more than one book in a single month. You can skip the following month(s), if that is your wish. You're also welcome to add a book(s), as long as the book(s) you're adding fall under the same genre category you finished early.

*We are allowed to change ONE book in our list, if you have read at least 3 chapters and can explain WHY you cannot keep reading it. Make sure you let me know in the thread, before you change it.

For the Optional/Bonus categories-

If you post your Optional/Bonus books at the start of the challenge then you may read them at any time during the challenge, no need to wait until the first 9 genres are completed.

If you don't post the Optional/Bonus books at the start of the challenge, you may still add them at any time, but you may not read them until after the first 9 genres are completed.

*Pick 1 book that will fit each of these genres, using Romance as a sub-genre. You must try them all to participate!

Contemporary:
Erotic OR BDSM:
GLBT:
Historical OR Regency:
Paranormal OR Fantasy:
Suspense OR Mystery:
Women's Fiction OR Chick-lit: Chick lit is a sub-genre of women's fiction which addresses issues of modern women often humorously and lightheartedly, in an urban setting. Although women's fiction as well as chick-lit are targeted towards female readers, women's fiction contains heavier or in-depth subject. "It’s like having a best friend tell you about her life. Or watching various characters go through things that you have gone through yourself, or witnessed others going through."-CLBs
World Lit/International: ie. set solely in a country not your own, revolves around the country's culture, myths or beliefs.
Young Adult:

*OPTIONAL/BONUS Categories:
Classic: Book you would consider a classic of its genre or literary classic.
Memoir OR Non-fiction:
Thriller OR Horror:
Religious OR Inspirational:
Speculative Fiction OR Dystopia:
Graphic Novel/Manga:

Moderator Note: If you need help with any of the categories, and need recommendations. Click to this suggestion thread for answers to your question(s) and assistance:http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

Love is ... - 120 day challenge

What is love? People have been asking that for thousands of years with thousands of different answers. Corinthians 13:4 says, "Love is patient, love is kind." A popular movie once told us, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Robert Frost said, "Love is the irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."

Do any of these fit our own definitions perfectly? Probably not.

As romance readers, we get to see more facets of love than most. Since we get to see so many sides of what love is, we are probably better qualified than most to define the phases and faces of love. This challenge is to do just that.

Number of Books: 12
Duration: 120 days

EDIT: I know I didn't put a time frame in place, but I think everyone should be wrapped up by June 1st which means if you are in, must start by Feb 1 (if you want the full 120 days)**

Pick any 12 categories but no duplication allowed. At least one book must be from the early stages, one from the middle stages, and ,yes all things end, so one from the end too. Choices from Other Loves are optional but may be used to fill the quota. 12 books in 120 days should be easy for most of you. I'm not declaring that they have to be read in order or anything. If you want a REAL challenge though, do all 25 categories.

It should be noted that so many of the categories are contingent upon things that happen in the book. So you are going to have to rely on the suggestions and reviews of others to know if the book qualifies. Good Luck and ENJOY!




Early Stages:
Puppy Love - Read a book where the h/H knew each other as kids and one of them had a crush on the other.

Young Love - Read a YA book with a significant romance theme.

Love at First Sight - Read a book where the h/H have an instant attraction or read a book that you bought because of the cover without knowing the author or reading any reviews (that's right. Just walk into a book store and buy a book with a cover you like. Don't even bother to read the blurb or the back. Come on, try it.)

Love's First Kiss - Read a book by an author you've never read before.

Blind Date - Read a book that a friend recommends. Unlike the PIFM challenge, you only get one pick.

Friends First (More Later) - Read a book where the h/H are friends for a long time before they become romantically involved.

Summer Lovin' - Read a book where the h/H meet on vacation.


Middle Stages:
Love and Marriage - Read a book where the h/H begin the book married.

A Serious Commitment - Read a book with at least 750 pages.

We're Comfortable - Read a book where the h/H have dated for more than three years but have never gotten married.

Keeping Things Interesting - You knew if I was putting a challenge together there had to be an erotica book in there somewhere. Well, you've found it.

Finding a New Home - Most families once they really start to get established, move/buy/build homes. Read a book that has a house building/refurb/rehab/real-estate as a significant plot element.

First comes love, second comes marriage, then comes Joey in a baby carriage! - Read a book that has a child between the h/H as a major plot element.

I love my job! - Read a book where something about either the h/H job is a significant issue.

The End and Beyond:
Sometimes we have to say goodbye to the ones we love - Read a book where either h/H is a widow/widower.

Death isn't always the end - With the wonderful world of PNR, the h/H don't even have to be alive! Ghosts, vampires, and zombies all qualify here.

My ex isn't dead. I just wish they were - Read a book where the h/H are divorced. Either one is fine.

I didn't know what I had until you were gone - Read a book where h/H had a relationship, were separated for a significant length of time, and re-connected later in life. They don't have to have been married the first time.

We've been together forever - Read a book from an author that you have read (and rated) at least 10 of their books.

The Golden Years - Read a book where the h/H are retired, a grandparent is a significant character, or one of the characters is over 100 years old (yeah, another nod to those PNR folks).

This can't be all there is! - Read the most recently released book in a series that you love.

Other Loves
Love thy God - Read a book where the h/H is an officer of a religion (priest, pastor, rabbi, high priestess of the goddess Boo - whatever).

Filial Love - Read a book where a parent of the h/H plays a significant role in the story.

Love thy neighbor - There is always the girl next door or boy next door stories. Maybe they grew up next door to each other. Maybe they just moved in next door. Either way, they end up doing more than just borrowing a cup of flour.

Love your pets - There is a pet in this story that is a major player in the story. Maybe the h/H is a vet. In any event, pets and animals are a major focus of this one.

 

Example:

Early Stages:
Love's first kiss (new to me author): The Phantom of the Opera
Puppy Love (one had crush on other as kids): Romancing Mister Bridgerton
Friends first (more later): Last Night's Scandal
Love at first sight (chosen for cover): Girl with a Pearl Earring

Middle Stages:
I love my job! (H is a spy): Dancing on the Wind
Keeping things interesting (erotica): Wicked Intentions

The End and Beyond:
We've been together forever (author I've read and rated 10+ books): Dreamfever
This can't be all there is! (most recently released book of a series I love): Shadowfever
Sometimes we have to say goodbye to the ones we love (H is widower): The China Bride
The Golden Years (Grandmother main character): The Lost Duke of Wyndham
Death isn't always the end (Vampire H): A Discovery of Witches

Other Loves:
Love your pets (dog of H is a main character): I Am the Messenger

Read the Month Irish Edition

Read the Month Irish Edition
mi MEITHEAMH (June)
Duration: June 1, 2012 - June 30, 2012
The challenge lasts the entire month of May, starting on the first and ending on the thirty-first.
Rules: Using the letters of the month, you may read a book by an author whose first or last name starts with that letter or you may read a book whose title starts with that letter. Feel free to disregard articles: a, an, the, etc.

 

Example:

M - Michele Bardsley - Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home
E - Elisabeth Naughton - Tempted
I - Imperial Haven
T - The Tardis Handbook: Doctor Who
H - M.L.N. Hanover - Unclean Spirits
E - The Edge of Morning
A - Sidney Ayers - Demons Prefer Blondes
M - Master of Fire
H - Highborn

JUNE MONTHLY CHALLENGE

This thread is for participants to post their books and update their progress. The suggestions thread is HERE
Many Thanks to those who stopped by the Suggestions Thread. Your help is very much appreciated!!
1. “J" is for June: Read a book that starts with 'J' or a book whose author's first or last name starts with 'J'.
2. Happy Birthday!: Read a book from a June birthday celebrant's GR bookshelf. To change up your choices a bit, this month choose a June birthday celebrant whose name/nickname starts with the letter before your initial in the alphabet. If no one has the that letter, choose someone with the closest letter to it alphabetically, just not your letter. RRRC June Birthday List
3. Geography: Read a book whose author, character or setting is from Greece. OR/ Greece is well known for its beautiful beaches, fabulous art, and the Greek Gods – read a book that has beaches, art or Greek mythology as a significant element.
4. Sixth Month: Read a book that is the sixth in a series, has six words in the title or has the number six in the title.
5. Donut Day - June 1; Chocolate Ice Cream Day - June 7; National Jelly-filled Donut Day June 8; Peanut Butter Cookie Day - June 12; Fudge Day - June 16: Read a book in which cooking/baking is an important part of the book, that takes place in a bakery or restaurant, or whose main character is a dentist!
6. Repeat Day - June3! Repeat Day - June 3! Read a book about twins, in which a word is repeated in the title, or reread an old favorite
7. Father's Day - June 17: Read a book involving a single father, written from the male perspective or the presence or lack of father is a significant part of the story.
8. First Day of Summer - June 21: Read a book about a summer love or that takes place during the summer.
9. Helen Keller's Birthday - June 27:Read a book with a main character that has a handicap of some sort (blindness, in a wheelchair, mutism, etc.), or has overcome an accident or other traumatic event.
10. Reader's Choice
When posting your challenge progress, please make sure to put the dates when you finished your books.
Please repost your progress as it helps when updating.r progress as it helps when updating.

June 2012 PIFM Picking Rules

Keeping with the casual and relaxed atmosphere of summer, we are going to keep things casual and relaxed in this month's PIFM. So, with the categories this month, I am not going to specify some from their to-read shelf and some that are new. I am going to ask that each of us try to select at least half the picks from your pickee's TBR, you get to choose which categories though. I tried to make sure there was lots of flexibility within each category, so as long as you think it fits - that works for me!
Schools Out for Summer! - Select a Young Adult book, a book with a child or children, or one with a vacation.
Flag Day, June 14th - Pick a book featuring someone in the military, a politician or a policeman/firefighter.
Don't Forget the Sunscreen - Recommend a book with a hot cover or a steamy story.
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream - Suggest a book where a bakery or desserts play a role or one that has a sweet story.
Fire up the BBQ - Pick a book with a story that involves food or takes place outside.
Summer Solstice - Select a book that takes place during the summer.
Gay Pride Month - Pick a book that features same sex leads or has a cover with at least three colors of the rainbow.
Old Maids Day, June 4th - Choose a book that has an older lead (male and/or female) or one that has parents or grandparents prominent in the story.

Buddy Reads:
Pick at least one from their TBR.
Sand in Your Shorts - Pick a book that you might consider a good beach read.
Best Friends Day, June 8th - Select a book where friends play a large role in the story.
Bonus Pick: Not necessary but nice.
Father's Day, June 17th, because we all love a good daddy! - Recommend a book where the main character is a father or a father figure is part of the story.
Please Note: Buddy Read selections are not optional! If you are unable to participate, you still need to make the picks. Just let your pickee know that you will not be able to read with them in advance.

Review: Nobody's Child

Nobody's Child by Austin Boyd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I loved this book and would of read it in one sitting but life got in the way.

When I first read the book cover I knew I wanted to/had to read it.
Man am I glad I did.

Laura Ann McGehee makes a choice in life to get through a hard time, a choice I myself have thought about for other reasons. After reading this it makes you stop and wondering about a lot of what ifs.

I would recommend this book to anyone who will let me yak about it.

There is some Christian undertones but it is scattered though out the book and does not overload you on it at any point.

**I may come back once my mind is clear to fix this up a bit**



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Review: Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul

Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul by Jack Canfield

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Like most other books in the Chicken Soup family this had some heart warming entries as well as some you have heard before.

I liked the book well enough



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Review: Masquerade

Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not a over the top OMG must read.

Schuyler goes off to find her grandfather and once back in the states the rest of the book is all about the Four Hundred Ball.

The characters were dull and had no life. It took me ages to read cause there was nothing there to pull me in kinda dreading the rest of the series if they continue like this one.



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