welcome to the master plan

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5
23 - Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling 4/5
24 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 5/5
25 - Shadows Return by Lynn Flewelling 4.5/5
26 - Raised by Wolves: Brethren by W. A. Hoffman 5/5
27 - The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett 4/5

Really interesting concept: take a Jane Austen/Henry James/Bronte sisters kind of story and stick it in a fantasy world. It was a fun and very different read, although the middle was quite slow. Plus, there was gay, and I totally called it from the very beginning. I'll probably read the next one.

On a side note, I'll definitely be attempting this challenge again next year. I'm honestly shocked at how little I read this year, although I do hope to get to 30 before the month is out. Despite losing, it was a great way to keep track of what I read, when, and how much I liked it.

I may also keep track of the number of words of fanfic I read next year. Writing down every piece would be far too much to handle, but I think I could keep a running WC tally. It's probably astounding.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5
23 - Traitor's Moon by Lynn Flewelling 4/5
24 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams 5/5
25 - Shadows Return by Lynn Flewelling 4.5/5

The fourth book in the Nightrunner series was much better than the third, but still not quite up to the awesomeness of the first two. I loved that it was once again really focused on Seregil and Alec, although I wasn't a huge fan of them being seperated for most of the story. The writing is still quite good, and there were some serious surprises - I think I actually gasped aloud once or twice. This really felt like the first half of a story, so I'm excited to see where the fifth book takes us. I'm so happy she's continuing the series! Nitpicks aside, Seregil and Alec are some of my favorite characters ever. I love them, and I love their relationship, and I love the series because of it.

So. I'm never, ever going to win this challenge. I spend too much time reading fanfic instead of reading actual books. Bad me.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5
21 - Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King 4/5
22 - The Terror by Dan Simmons 5/5

This book was pretty close to perfection. It was amazingly, AMAZINGLY written. It sucked me in from the very first page to the very last. I got extremely attached to the main character. I feel like I learned a LOT from reading it, just because of all the incredible historical detail. It was just completely awesome in every way. I would recommend it to anyone, and I'll definitely be reading it again. Along with all his other works... :-)

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
19 - Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey 4/5
20 - No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty 5/5

This is my fifth or sixth time through this lovely little book. I read it whenever I miss NaNo, and it does a great job of scratching the itch. Chris has a real talent for motivation, and I usually find myself picking up an old project or starting a new one every time I read his book. Highly, highly recommended for any writer.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5
17 - Tangled Webs by Anne Bishop 4/5
18 - Stalking Darkness by Lynn Flewelling 5/5

An excellent second volume of the Nightrunner series, with a heartwrenchingly lovely ending. I really love Seregil and Alec, and what's really remarkable is that I love reading about them doing plotty things almost as much as I love reading their slowly developing romance.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5
15 - Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch 5/5
16 - Bag of Bones by Stephen King 5/5

731 pages in two days. That's pretty incredible, even for someone who reads as fast as me. King manages to suck me in pretty thoroughly more often than not, but this was ridiculous. Some of my fascination was because I was creeped out, and for some reason, my brain is convinced that if I can only finish the story, the fear will go away - which it generally does. Some of it was that I was emotionally invested in the characters. But more than that, this was an amazingly written story. The main character is a writer, so I was constantly reminded of writing and reading as a writer, and paying such close attention to the craft of this book made me truly admire just how tight it is. Though I love King, there are certainly flaws that show up in his work. Pacing problems, especially at the beginning. Tangents that take us away from the main story. Far too many characters and so many names that you find yourself having to look back to remember which belongs to who. None of these appear in Bag of Bones. This is King when he's simply on, and there's just no better storyteller than that.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5
13 - The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro/ White Teeth by Zadie Smith/ The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor 3/5, 2/5, 4/5
14 - The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene 5/5

This was one of the most intense and challenging books I've ever read. I can't say I understood every sentence, but I do feel that I emerged with a solid general understanding of the theories of relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, and M-theory. This book kept me interested and entertained throughout, and it seriously blew my mind time and again. I'm very glad I read it and would definitely recommend it to anyone I thought was smart enough to get through it.

I need to pick up the pace of my reading - I'll never make it to 50 books by the end of the year at this rate! If only I could count fanfiction and manga... :-)

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5
11 - Yarn Harlot - the Secret Life of a Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee 5/5
12 - How Not to Write a Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman 5/5

I love writing books. I cannot read enough of them. This one, though, is different - instead of telling you how to write a great novel, it outlines common (and some not so common) errors unpublished writers make that keeps their novels from getting accepted. Most of the information I feel I already know, but there were definitely times when I just had to raise my hand and admit I was guilty. And it's awesomely funny - the examples of bad writing had me laughing out loud from time to time. Not only a useful resource, but a fun read as well.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5
9 - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson 4/5
10 - Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling 5/5

I've been wanting to read this book for ages, and it didn't disappoint me. Lovely writing, an interesting plot, characters written to fall in love with, and heavy on the slash. Well, I suppose I shouldn't put it that way...heavy on the implications that much slash is forthcoming in the rest of the series. I looked up the author on Amazon tonight, and I was super excited to see that there's a new book in this series coming out later this year! Quite a shock, as I was under the impression it was a trilogy, the last book having come out almost ten years ago. I hope to be finished with books two and three by the time the fourth one comes out in July.

Plus, this author is SO AWESOME. She has a page on her website where she recommends other SF/F books, and this was in one of her descriptions: "Androgyny, homoeroticism, sadism, lots and lots of sex and anguish. What more could you want?"

Indeed - what more could you want than an author who says things like that? :-)

On a semi-related note: seven out of the ten books I've read so far this year have had same-sex relationships as a main theme. I'm seriously going to run out of good books to read that fall into the "gay fantasy" genre.

1 - The Mirador by Sarah Monette 5/5
2 - Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale 4/5
3 - Transformation by Carol Berg 4.5/5
4 - The Phoenix by Ruth Sims 4/5
5 - I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert 4/5
6 - Sing the Four Quarters by Tanya Huff 3/5
7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker 5/5
8 - Atonement by Ian McEwan 3/5

Well-written enough, but not my cup of tea. It probably didn't help that I was spoiled for the ending before I started the book.