Wrap-up post: Monthly Motif Challenge 2014

Kimberly Lynne over on Bookmark 2 Blog also hosted a Monthly Motif Challenge this year.

Monthly Motifs:
January: Around the World
Choose a book to read that takes place in a country different from the one you live in or choose a book written by an author that is from a country different than your own.

Svart Elfenben (Black Ivory) - Arne Svingen (the Ivory Coast)
Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh (author lives in New Zealand)
The Chocolate Heart - Laura Florand (set in France)
The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand (set in France)

February: Award winner
Read a book that has won recognition or a literary award.
Innsirkling (Encirclement) - Carl Frode Tiller (won the Brage prize in 2007)
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd (Book Sense Book of the Year Award 2004)

March: Fairy tales or fairy creatures
Read a fairy tale retelling or a book with fey/fairies in it
Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George
Hero - Alethea Kontis
The Glass Casket - McCormick Templeman

April: Short and sweet
Read a collection of short stories or an anthology
Side Jobs - Jim Butcher 
Songs of Love and Death - anthology

May: Mystery, Murder and Mayhem
Read a murder/mystery book, a book in which someone dies of mysterious causes, or a book in which a mystery must be solved.
Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
Eternity in Death and Creation in Death - J.D. Robb

June: A Long Journey
Read a book in which the character(s) take a trip, go on a quest, or find themselves on a journey towards something
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson

July: Assassins, warriors and rebels
Read a book in which the character is one of these things or fights against one of these things.
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers (main character is an assassin nun)
Spider´s Bite - Jennifer Estep (main character is an assassin)
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson (one of the main characters is an assassin)
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews (main character is a warrior)

August: Alternate reality
Read a book that's set in the future, on another planet, in another dimension, or in an unknown world. A Dystopian book will count for this month as well.
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
Across a Star-Swept Sea - Diana Peterfreund
The Silver Metal Lover - Tanith Lee

September: Book to movie
Read a book that has a movie based off of it. For an extra challenge, see the movie as well.
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

October: The Witching Hour
There's been a lot of zombies lately, but this year include a 'witchy' book in your scary reads - a book about a witch or that has witches in it.
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

November: An Oldie but a Goodie
Pick a book published before 2000 that you've always wanted to read, but just never got to. Or pick a book set in the past (before 2000).
The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

December: That's a Wrap
Finish a series you've been meaning to finish or read the next book in a series you started but never finished.
An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon

Challenge completed: 9th of December 2014
Total books read: 32

Wrap-up post: Monthly Keyword Challenge 2014

One of my favourite challenges of 2013 was the Monthly Keyword Challenge, hosted by Kimberly Lynne. I´ve very much enjoyed it this year as well. Without further ado, because I´m getting quite fed up with all these wrap-ups:

Monthly Key Words:

January: Angel, Secret, Clock, Black, Day, Wild
Svart Elfenben (Black Ivory) - Arne Svingen
Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh
The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason

February: Her, Life, Night, Red, Dark, Island
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Endless Knight - Kresley Cole
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

March: Forever, Inside, Storm, Sky, Flower, Stay
Stay with Me - Elyssa Patrick
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig

April: Star, Light, Never, Princess, Break, Clear
The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
Songs of Love and Death: All Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love - anthology
The Sandalwood Princess - Loretta Chase 

May: Dawn, Death, End, Lost, Beautiful, And
Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
Teori og praksis (Theory and Practice) - Nikolaj Frobenius
Eternity in Death and Creation in Death - J.D. Robb
Any installment of The Kraken King - Meljean Brook

June: Color, Beyond, Found, Place, Grave, Road
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer
Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
Indigo - Beverly Jenkins

July: Crash, Ship, Prince, Whisper, Sun, Of
The Secred Diary of Lizzie Bennet - Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
This Heart of Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips

August: Forgotten, Down, True, Run, Danger, Me
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Talk Sweetly to Me - Courtney Milan
The Silver Metal Lover - Tanith Lee

September: Number, Take, Shadow, Ice, Who, After
It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain

October: Ocean, Blood, Still, Out, The, Fate
The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake
Codename Knockout: The Devil You Say - Robert Rodi
X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
The Season - Sarah Maclean
The Kid - Dan Savage
The Lady Most Willing - Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway

November: Into, Sound, Blue, House, My, Last
Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater
The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

December: Kiss, Fire, Ruin, White, Promise, Infinity
The Promise in a Kiss - Stephanie Laurens

Challenge completed: 12th of December 2014
Total books read:  44

Wrap-up post: 2014 Romance Reading Challenge

I signed up for the 2014 Romance Reading Challenge, but the website that was hosting it, appears to have been removed. Which is sad. The challenge was basically to read at least five books which had some form of romance in it. To make sure I actually challenged myself, I decided that I had to read from a number of categories to qualify.

Historical romance
Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare
When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
Fool Me Twice - Meredith Duran
Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
The Sandalwood Princess - Loretta Chase
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
What Happens in London - Julia Quinn
The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase
Ten Things I Love About You - Julia Quinn
Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
Indigo - Beverly Jenkins
The Suffragette Scandal - Courtney Milan
My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
Talk Sweetly to Me - Courtney Milan
It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain
The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover - Sarah Maclean
The Promise in a Kiss - Stephanie Laurens
Zoya - Danielle Steel
The Queen´s Fool - Philippa Gregory

Contemporary romance
The Chocolate Heart - Laura Florand
The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand
It Happened One Wedding - Julie James
Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
Landline - Rainbow Rowell
Rumor Has It - Jill Shalvis
It Had to Be You - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Heaven, Texas - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Nobody´s Baby But Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Dream a Little Dream - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This Heart of Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Match Me If You Can - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Rock Addiction - Nalini Singh
Rock Courtship - Nalini Singh

Paranormal romance
The Kraken King - Meljean Brook 
Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster

Sci-fi romance
Saga, vol 3 - Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Fortune´s Pawn - Rachel Bach
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
Across a Star-Swept Sea - Diana Peterfreund
The Silver Metal Lover - Tanith Lee

Fantasy romance
Hero - Alethea Kontis
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor

Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

YA romance
A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson 
Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
The Season - Sarah Maclean

New Adult
Stay with Me - Elyssa Patrick
Play - Kylie Scott  
Lead - Kylie Scott

Classic romance
Emma - Jane Austen

LGBTQ romance
Glitterland - Alexis Hall

Challenge completed: 26th of December 2014
Total books read: 71

Wrap-up post: Alphabet soup

The 2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge, hosted by Dollycas is one of several A to Z challenges online. The goal is to read one book starting with each letter of the alphabet. For Q, X and Z, the word starting with the letter could be anywhere in the title, but this year, I decided to see if I could use only books that started with the letters. I also wanted to read 26 different authors.

A - Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh
B - Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
C - The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
D - Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor
E - Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
F - Fool Me Twice - Meredith Duran
G - The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
H - Hero - Alethea Kontis
I - Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
J - Jackaby - William Ritter
K - The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
L - Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
M - Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
N - Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
O - The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
P - Poison Princess - Kresley Cole
Q - The Queen´s Fool - Philippa Gregory
R - Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare
S - Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
T - Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
U - The Undead Pool - Kim Harrison
V - Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase
W - White Night - Jim Butcher
X - X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
Y - You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Z - Zoya - Danielle Steel

Challenge completed: 24th of December 2014

Wrap-up post: 2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

As in 2013, I signed up for the Historical Fiction reading challenge, because let´s face it, I read a lot of historical novels. This year is unusual in that only about a third of the books I completed were historicals, but then again, some of them were more than a thousand pages long, so that has to count for something. I signed up for the highest level, prehistoric (50+ books)

1. The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
2. The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason
3. Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare
4. Haiene (The Sharks) - Jens Bjørneboe
5. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
6. When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
7. Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George
8. Hero - Alethea Kontis
9. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
10. Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
11. The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
12. The Glass Casket - McCormick Templeman
13. Fool Me Twice - Meredith Duran
14. Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
15. The Sandalwood Princess - Loretta Chase
16-17. Boxers and Saints - Gene Luen Yang
18. How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
19. Teori og praksis (Theory and Practice) - Nikolaj Frobenius
20. The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
21. The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
22. The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon
23. A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson
24. What Happens in London - Julia Quinn
25. The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
26. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
27. Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer
28. Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase
29. Ten Things I Love About You - Julia Quinn
30. Emma - Jane Austen
31. Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
32. Indigo - Beverly Jenkins
33. Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers
34. The Suffragette Scandal - Courtney Milan
35. The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
36-37. The Hidden Blade and My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
38. A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
39. Talk Sweetly to Me - Courtney Milan
40. Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
41. It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain
42. Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
43. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
44. Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster
45. The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
46. X Marks the Scot - Victoria Roberts
47. Jackaby - William Ritter
48. The Season - Sarah Maclean
49. The Lady Most Willing - Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
50. The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
51. The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
52. Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover - Sarah Maclean
53. The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley
54. An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon
55. The Promise in a Kiss - Stephanie Laurens
56. Zoya - Danielle Steel
57. The Queen´s Fool - Philippa Gregory

Challenge completed: 1st of November 2014

Wrap-up post: Lucky 14

As I suspected may very well happen, I of course read many more than 14 books for the Lucky 14 Reading Challenge than I was strictly required to do. It was a really fun challenge, which both made me read outside my comfort zone and get through quite a few TBR books I might never have got round to otherwise.

The 14 categories:
1. Visit the country: Read a book that has a setting in a country that you really want to visit in real life. Make sure the setting has a big role in the book and it can make you know a little bit more about your dream destination.

The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand (France)

2. Cover lust: Pick a book from your shelf that you bought because you fell in love with the cover. Is the content as good as the cover?

 The Twistrose Key - Tone Almhjell (I suspect the book would have been better if I were younger)
The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason (Gorgeous cover, really fun book)
Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George (Lovely cover, book not as good as rest of series)
Jackaby - William Ritter (Stunning cover, really imaginative and entertaining book)

3. Blame it On Bloggers: Read a book because you've read the sparkling reviews from other bloggers. Don't forget to mention the bloggers' names too!

The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig (recommended on countless romance blogs)
Fortune´s Pawn - Rachel Bach (recommended by Ilona Andrews, one of my favourite authors)
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund (Forever Young Adult and others)

4. Bargain All the Way: Ever buy a book because it's so cheap you don't really care about the content? Now it's time to open the book and find out if it's really worth your cents.

Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer (not bad, not sure I would have bought it at full price)
Spider´s Bite - Jennifer Estep (absolutely not worth even the tiny amount of money I paid for it)

5. (Not So) Fresh From the Oven: Do you remember you bought/was given a newly released book last year but never had a chance to read it? Dig it from your pile and bring back the 2013.

When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
Hero - Alethea Kontis
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger

6. First Letter's Rule: Read a book where the title begins with the same letter as your name (so M for Malin, in my case). Articles like "a", "an" or "the" don't count.

Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
Match Me If You Can - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews
My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
Mind Games - Carolyn Crane

7. Once Upon a Time: Choose a book first published before the year you were born. Doesn't have to be a classic book, something only a bit older than you is ok. You can read the most recent edition if you like.

Haiene (The Sharks) - Jens Bjørneboe
Emma - Jane Austen
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

8. Chunky Brick: Take a deep breath, and read a book that has more than 500 pages. Yep, the one that you've always been afraid of! As suspected, this category was not a difficult one to cover. So many fat books read this year.

Cress - Marissa Meyer (550 pages)
Turn Coat - Jim Butcher (545 pages)
Changes - Jim Butcher (546 pages)
Ghost Story - Jim Butcher (608 pages)
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor (624 pages)
Cold Days - Jim Butcher (614 pages)
The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon (1456 pages)
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers (549 pages)
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon (1410 pages)
An Echo in the Bone - Diana Gabaldon (1126 pages)

9. Favourite Author: You like their books, but there are too many titles. This is your chance, choose a book that's been written by your favourite author, but you haven't gotten round to reading it before.

The Season - Sarah Maclean

10. It's Been There Forever: Pick up a book that's been there on your shelf for more than a year, clean up the dust and start to read it now.

The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson

11. Movies vs Books: You've seen the movie adaptation (or planned to see it soon) but never had time to read the book. It's time to read the book, so you can compare the book vs the movie.

The Princess Diaries - Meg Cabot (honestly don´t know if I prefer the film or the book)
Teori og praksis - Nikolaj Frobenius (absolutely prefer the film, it was shorter, for one thing)
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn (preferred the film, which was excellent)
Divergent - Veronica Roth (haven´t seen the film, don´t particularly want to)
Horns - Joe Hill (based on the reviews I´ve seen, the book and the film are quite different)

12. Freebies Time: What's the LAST free book you got? Whether it's from a giveaway, a birthday gift or a surprise from someone special, don't hold back any longer. Open the book and start reading now.

Hounded - Kevin Hearne
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire

13. Not My Cup of Tea: Reach out to a genre that you've never tried (or probably just disliked) before. Whether it's romance, horror or non fiction, maybe you'll find a hidden gem.

The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey (I don´t normally like horror, but I loved this)
Locke and Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez

14. Walking Down the Memory Lane: Ever had a book that you loved so much as a kid? Or a book that you wish you could read when you were just a kid? Grab it now and prepare for a wonderful journey to the past. Comic books or graphic novels are allowed!

The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword - Robin McKinley

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Books read in total: 51

Wrap-up post: RIP IX

From September 1st until October 31st, Stainless Steel Droppings hosts the RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) Reading Challenge every year. This was the ninth such challenge. The goal is to read, or watch stories in the genres of mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, supernatural or anything sufficiently moody that shares a kinship with the genres above. You can sign up for three levels - Peril the first (4 books), Peril the second (2 books) and Peril the third (one single book). I tend to challenge myself to complete all three, as really there doesn´t seem much point otherwise. I also decided to count all the books I read in the two months in my total.

Peril the First:
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire
The Witch with No Name - Kim Harrison
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Peril the Second:
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Peril the Third:
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

Also read:
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake
Jackaby - William Ritter
Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games - Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
Horns - Joe Hill
Burn for Me - Ilona Andrews

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Books read in total: 12

Wrap-up post: Colour Coded Reading Challenge 2014

My readers block has hosted the Colour Coded Reading Challenge for a few years, and this year I decided to take part. The rules are pretty simple. There are nine categories, and you read at least one book in each category, with a book containing the colour or any shade of the colour in the title.

A book with "blue" or any shade of blue in the title:
Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

A book with "red" or any shade of red in the title:
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

A book with "yellow" or any shade of yellow in the title:
Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer

A book with "green" or any shade of green in the title:
The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig

A book with "brown" or any shade of brown in the title:
The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand
The Chocolate Temptation by Laura Florand
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham

A book with "black" or any shade of black in the title:
Svart Elfenben (Black Ivory) by Arne Svingen
The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig

A book with "white" or any shade of white in the title:
White Night by Jim Butcher

A book with any other colour in the title:
Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Greywalker by Kat Richardson
The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

A book with a word that implies colour:
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
Glitterland by Alexis Hall

Challenge completed: 14th of October 2014
Total books read: 20

Wrap-up post: 2014 Book Bingo Reading Challenge

Having greatly enjoyed their Book Bingo Challenge in 2013, I was delighted when I discovered that Anne from Creativity´s Corner and Kristilyn from Reading in Winter not only were repeating their success, but had changed the Bingo Card somewhat, making it (at least for me) easier to complete the challenge).
The bingo card for 2014 looked like this:

I completed my first bingo card on the 26th of June and my second (because of course I had to complete another one, just to show off) on the 22nd of November.

Bingo Card 1: 

From your TBR Pile:
One book:
The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
Two books:
White Night - Jim Butcher
The Chocolate Heart - Laura Florand
Three books:
Poison Princess - Kresley Cole
The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
When the Marquess Met His Match - Laura Lee Guhrke
Four books:
Stay with Me - Elyssa Patrick
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation - Lauren Willig
The Masque of the Black Tulip - Lauren Willig
Side Jobs - Jim Butcher
Five books:
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
Fortune´s Pawn - Rachel Bach
Teori og praksis - Nikolaj Frobenius
The Firebird - Susanna Kearsley
A Company of Swans - Eva Ibbotson

Mix it up:
Non-fiction:
I Don´t Know What You Know Me From - Judy Greer
Classic:
Emma - Jane Austen
Re-read:
The Fiery Cross - Diana Gabaldon
Contemporary:
Play - Kylie Scott

Part of a series:
One book:
Archangel´s Legion - Nalini Singh 
Two books:
Small Favour - Jim Butcher
Scarlet - Marissa Meyer
Three books:
Endless Knight - Kresley Cole
Turn Coat - Jim Butcher
The Princess of the Silver Woods - Jessica Day George
Four books:
Hero - Alethea Kontis
Changes - Jim Butcher
Ghost Story - Jim Butcher
Innocent in Death - J.D. Robb
Five books:
Cold Days - Jim Butcher
Skin Game - Jim Butcher
The Deception of the Emerald Ring - Lauren Willig
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose - Lauren Willig
Skies of Gold - Zoe Archer

Genres:
Fantasy:
The Twistrose Key - Tone Almhjell
Historical fiction:
Haiene - Jens Bjørneboe
Mystery:
Creation in Death - J.D. Robb
Romance:
Romancing the Duke - Tessa Dare

New releases (out in 2014):

One book:
The Chocolate Temptation - Laura Florand
Two books:
The Girl with All the Gifts - M.R. Carey
Cress - Marissa Meyer
Three books:
The Undead Pool - Kim Harrison
Murder of Crows - Anne Bishop
Between the Devil and Ian Eversea - Julie Anne Long
Four books:
The Glass Casket - McCormick Templeman
Dreams of Gods and Monsters - Laini Taylor
Three Weeks with Lady X - Eloisa James
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days - Laura Lee Guhrke
Five books:
The Kraken King - Meljean Brook
It Happened One Wedding - Julie James
Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen
Veronica Mars: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line - Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Vixen in Velvet - Loretta Chase

Free squares - read whatever you want:
Square 1:
The Clockwork Scarab - Colleen Gleason
Square 2:
Innsirkling - Carl Frode Tiller

Bingo Card 2: 

From your TBR Pile:
One book:
Somewhere I´ll Find You - Lisa Kleypas
Two books:
Grave Mercy - Robin LaFevers
Spider´s Bite - Jennifer Estep
Three books:
It Had to Be You - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Greywalker - Kat Richardson
Finding Colin Firth - Mia March
Four books:
Tell Me Lies - Jennifer Crusie
For Darkness Shows the Stars - Diana Peterfreund
The Silver Metal Lover - Tanith Lee
Hounded - Kevin Hearne
Five books:
Etiquette and Espionage - Gail Carriger
Divergent - Veronica Roth
Wicked as They Come - Delilah S. Dawson
The Wicked Wallflower - Maya Rodale
Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake

Mix it up:
Non-fiction:
The Kid: What Happened When My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant - Dan Savage
Classic:
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
Re-read:
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Diana Gabaldon
Contemporary:
You Had Me at Hello - Mhairi McFarlane

Part of a series:
One book:
Rumor Has It - Jill Shalvis
Two books:
Heaven, Texas - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Nobody´s Baby But Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Three books:
Dream a Little Dream - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
This Heart of Mine - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Match Me If You Can - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Four books:
Natural Born Charmer - Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
Across the Star-Swept Sea - Diana Peterfreund
Kiss of Steel - Bec McMaster
Five books:
X Marks the Scot - Veronica Roberts
Mind Games - Carolyn Crane
Double Cross - Carolyn Crane
Head Rush - Carolyn Crane
Blue Lily, Lily Blue - Maggie Stiefvater

Genres:
Fantasy:
The Hero and the Crown - Robin McKinley
Historical fiction:
The Outsiders - Susan E. Hinton
Mystery:
Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Romance:
Indigo - Beverly Jenkins

New releases (out in 2014):
One book:
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet - Bernie Su and Kate Rorick
Two books:
Landline - Rainbow Rowell
The Suffragette Scandal - Courtney Milan
Three books:
The Kiss of Deception - Mary E. Pearson
Magic Breaks - Ilona Andrews
Lead - Kylie Scott
Four books:
The Hidden Blade - Sherry Thomas
My Beautiful Enemy - Sherry Thomas
Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
The Winter Long - Seanan McGuire
Five books:
The Witch with No Name - Kim Harrison
Rock Addiction - Nalini Singh
Jackaby - William Ritter
Burn for Me - Ilona Andrews
Yes, Please - Amy Poehler

Free squares - read whatever you want:
Square 1:
The Season - Sarah Maclean
Square 2: 
It Takes Two to Tangle - Theresa Romain

Wrap-up post: 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

My TBR list gets longer with every passing year, so it seems like a good idea to take part in a reading challenge that makes me at least attempt to reduce the pile a little. This year, that reading challenge was the 2014 TBR Pile, hosted by Bookish. There were a number of levels, and once again, I didn´t want to aim too high.

I therefore chose level 4: Sweet Summer Fling, aiming to read at least 31-40 books on my TBR list. The books had to have been added before the beginning of 2014, and had to have been published in 2013 or earlier. I not only completed my initial goal by June 28th, I also surpassed my wildest expectations this year (way more than I managed in my TBR challenge in 2013), so I will be aiming for the highest level next year.

1. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
2. White Night by Jim Butcher
3. Archangel´s Legion by Nalini Singh
4. The Chocolate Heart by Laura Florand
5. The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason
6. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole
7. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
8. Small Favour by Jim Butcher
9. Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
10. Innsirkling by Carl Frode Tiller
11. Haiene by Jens Bjørneboe
12. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
13. When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke
14. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
15. Hero by Alethea Kontis
16. Stay with Me by Elyssa Patrick
17. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
18. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
19. The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig
20. Changes by Jim Butcher
21. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
22. Side Jobs by Jim Butcher
23. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
24. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White
25. Songs of Love and Death - anthology
26. The Sandalwood Princess by Loretta Chase
27-28. Boxers and Saints by Gene Luen Yang
29. Locke and Key, vol 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
30. Fortune´s Pawn by Rachel Bach
31. Innocent in Death by J.D. Robb
32. Cold Days by Jim Butcher
33. Teori og prakis by Nikolaj Frobenius
34. Creation in Death by J.D. Robb
35. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley
36. A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson
37. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
38. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig
39. Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer
40. Somewhere I´ll Find You by Lisa Kleypas
41. Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
42. Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis
43. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
44. It Had to Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
45. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
46. Greywalker by Kat Richardson
47. Finding Colin Firth by Mia March
48. Nobody´s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
49. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
50. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
51. Match Me If You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
52. Natural Born Charmber by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53. Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie
54. You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane
55. Where´d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
56. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
57. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
58. Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
59. The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee
60. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
61. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
62. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
63. Divergent by Veronica Roth
64. It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain
65. Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson
66. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
67. Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster
68. The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale
69. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
70. X Marks the Scot by Victoria Roberts
71. Locke and Key, vol 2: Head Games by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez
72. The Season by Sarah Maclean
73. The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Get Pregnant by Dan Savage
74. The Lady Most Willing by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
75. Horns by Joe Hill
76-78: Mind Games, Double Cross and Head Rush by Carolyn Crane
79. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
80. An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
81. The Promise in a Kiss by Stephanie Laurens
82. Zoya by Danielle Steel
83. The Queen´s Fool by Philippa Gregory
84. Glitterland by Alexis Hall