Thirsty Thursday & Hungry Hearts - A Certain Age

TT&HH is a meme hosted by Lexxie at (un)Conventional Book Reviews.  All y'all readers out there are welcome to share a food or drink related quote from a book you are reading or have read.  Click the button above to get the full details and to link up your post(s)!

~~~oOo~~~

The 'book book' (print) I am reading currently is "A Certain Age" by Beatriz Williams.  Here's a short synopsis:

As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue and Southampton, Long Island, has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young paramour, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. An intense and deeply honorable man, Octavian is devoted to the beautiful socialite of a certain age and wants to marry her. While times are changing and she does adore the Boy, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question, and there is no need; she has an understanding with Sylvo, her generous and well-respected philanderer husband.

But their relationship subtly shifts when her bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the sweet younger daughter of a newly wealthy inventor. Engaging a longstanding family tradition, Theresa enlists the Boy to act as her brother’s cavalier, presenting the family’s diamond rose ring to Ox’s intended, Miss Sophie Fortescue—and to check into the background of the little-known Fortescue family. When Octavian meets Sophie, he falls under the spell of the pretty ingénue, even as he uncovers a shocking family secret. As the love triangle of Theresa, Octavian, and Sophie progresses, it transforms into a saga of divided loyalties, dangerous revelations, and surprising twists that will lead to a shocking transgression . . . and eventually force Theresa to make a bittersweet choice.

Now would I like to have a dessert or cocktail named in my honor?  I suppose it would depend on what.it was.  I once made up a concoction at one of those "ice cream and mix-in" places they used to have that I called "Cinillamint Mocha".  You start with a base of chocolate ice cream (or frozen yogurt), then add in ground cinnamon, instant coffee granules, crushed peppermint candy and ... well, I forget how the vanilla got in there...but it was there!  Heaven in a cup!

~~~oOo~~~

So, what are you reading now?  Do you have a quote (food/drink or anything) to share?  I'd love to hear it!

Read One Million Pages (Perpetual) Reading Challenge

The Read One Million Pages Challenge is hosted by Julie at "Smiling Shelves".  It's pretty straight-forward...read 1,000,000 pages during your lifetime.  Click on the button to go directly to the sign-up post!

I suppose I will check on GoodReads for my 2014-2016 totals and then add on from there...(or is it here)?  My plan is to take the month of January to get that caught up.  Before then...well, I'm old enough that I'm sure a measurable percentage of pages are lost to the mists of time. *lol*  But that's ok.  We can only do what we can do, right?

~~~oOo~~~

PRE 2017

24 Dec 2016 - 92 pages - 92 pages - Master the Art of Connecting by Lou Diamond

JANUARY 2017 UPDATE:

1.  The Parting: The Courtship of Nellie Fisher by Beverly Lewis - (352 pp)

2.  The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett - (362 pp)

3.  Unknown: a story of the captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge - (614 pp)

4.  Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer (212 pp)

5.  40 Ways to Get Closer to God by Jerry MacGregor (195 pp)

6.  The Vampyre Legal Chronicles: Marcus by CC MacKenzie (DNF - 51% or approx 105 pp)

My 2017 Color Coded Reading Challenge Sign-Up

The 2017 Color Coded Reading Challenge is hosted by Bev at "My Reader's Block".  Click on the button to go to the sign-up page for the full details.

~~~oOo~~~

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with "Blue" or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc) in the title/on the cover.
--The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett

2. A book with "Red" or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc) in the title/on the cover.
---A Dead Red Oleander

3. A book with "Yellow" or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title/on the cover.
---Yellowstone Heart Song

4. A book with "Green" or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc) in the title/on the cover.
---Chasing the Lost (The Green Berets Book 8) by Bob Mayer

5. A book with "Brown" or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc) in the title/on the cover.
---Dead Highways (Origins)

6. A book with "Black" or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc) in the title/on the cover.
---Black Coke

7. A book with "White" or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc) in the title/on the cover.
---The White Aura

8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magneta, etc.).
---Night of the Purple Moon

9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST OF BOOKS

1.  The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett
2.  A Dead Red Oleander
3.  Yellowstone Heart Song
4.  Chasing the Lost (The Green Berets Book 8) by Bob Mayer
5.  Dead Highways (Origins)
6.  Black Coke
7.  The White Aura
8.  Night of the Purple Moon
9.  

My 2017 Vintage Mystery Scavenger Hunt RC Sign-Up

The 2017 Scavenger Hunt Challenge is once again hosted by Bev at "My Reader's Block".  Click the link above for the full details.

There is a minimum of 6 from one card.  If you want to do both cards, you will need to get 6 spots on each card.

The gold card refers to books published before 1960. 

The silver card refers to books published from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive).

I hope to edit the above cards to include "x"s (or whatever) as the year progresses, and I read more eligible books.

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST OF BOOKS

Gold
1.  Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers [Dead Body]
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Silver
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.  

My 2017 Follow-the-Clues Mystery Challenge Sign-Up

The first ever Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge is hosted by Bev at "My Readers Block"!  This is a very creative challenge that involves a "6 Degrees of Separation" kind of deal.  Click on the button above to go to the sign-up page for the full details.

There are several levels of participation:

Infraction -- six books read in a single chain of evidence
Misdemeanor -- eight books read in a single chain of evidence
Felony -- ten books read in a single chain of evidence
Capital Offence -- twelve books in a single chain of evidence

I'm starting with an Infraction (6 books in a single chain of evidence) and see where that takes me.

~~~oOo~~~

MY BOOK LIST

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Until I can figure out what the connection is amongst the various books, it seems like it would behoove me to have just a master list of the mysteries I read in 2017:

MYSTERIES READ
1.  The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett
2.  Perception by Lee Strauss

My 2017 Paranormal Reading Challenge Sign-Up

The 2017 Paranormal Reading Challenge is hosted by Julie at "Whole Latte Books".  There are no levels/required numbers of books read.  The only stipulation is that they must have a paranormal element.  Click the button above to go to the sign-up page and get the full details.  I'm going with my standard "6".

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST OF BOOKS

1.  The Vampire Legal Chronicles by CC Mackenzie

2.  No Ifs, Ands, or Bears About It by Celia Kyle

3.  Wicked Sense by Fabio Bueno

4.  Cheyenne by Lisa Wiedmeier

5.  BeSwitched by Molly Snow

6.  My Soul to Keep by Melissa Solis

My 2017 YA Reading Challenge Sign-Up

The 2017 YA Reading Challenge is hosted by Julie at "Whole Latte Books".

This is a fairly free-form challenge, no levels, etc.  So, the number of YA books I hope to read in 2017...let me pull a number out of my hat here...is 6!

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST OF BOOKS

1.  The Parting: The Courtship of Nellie Fisher by Beverly Lewis

2.  Perception: a Sci-Fi Mystery Dystopian Romance by Lee Strauss

3.  

4.  

5.  

6.  

My 2017 - 52 Books in 52 Weeks RC Sign-Up

Once again, the lovely Robin of "My Two Blessings" is hosting the 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge, in 2017!  Simple and straightforward, read a book a week.  I'm sure I've done that in 2016 (read at least a book a week), but my admin skills have thus far been...*ahem*...somewhat underdeveloped.  Hoping to change that in 2017!

Click the button above to go to the sign-up page, so you can see the other folks who will be reading along side you (virtually speaking)!

~~~oOo~~~

1.  The Parting by Beverly Lewis

2.  Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

3.  Perception by Lee Strauss

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

TBC....

~~~oOo~~~

(updated 1 January 2017)

Bingo Variety

B1 - Prime Number
B2 - Flufferton (?)
B3 - Eastern Europe
B4 - Best Seller Written in Child or Spouse Birthyear
B5 - Steampunk

I1 - Science Fiction - Perception by Lee Strauss
I2 - Your Name in the Title
I3 - Collection of Short Stories
I4 - Seaworthy
I5 - Middle Ages

N1 - Western
N2 - Ancient (up to 100 AD)
N3 - FREE SPACE
N4 - Dystopian - Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer
N5 - Mystery

G1 - Translated
G2 - Outer Space
G3 - Finance
G4 - One Word Title
G5 - Debut Author

O1 - Over 500 Pages  - Unknown to History: a story of the Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge
O2 - Local Author
O3 - Female Adventure
O4 - Classic
O5 - Selected by a Friend

~~~oOo~~~

Dusty Books (the ones that have been on your shelf for a while)

Safe in the Harbor - 2 Books
Sail on Sweet Sister - 4 Books
Life in the Dark Water  - 6 Books
Beyond the Sea  - 8 Books
The Voyage  - 10 Books or more

1.  Unknown to History:  a story of the Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge (August 26, 2013)
2.  Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer (September 10, 2013)

I've already got 2-3 books on my January list that are anywhere from a couple months to a couple years old, so I'm going for "The Voyage - 10+ books" here.

Chunky Books (500+ pages)

The Tide is High  - 2 books
Down to the Water Line  - 4 books
Big Boat  - 6 books
Big Ship Sailing  - 8 books
Mother Ocean - 10 books or more

1.  Unknown to History: a story of the Captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge (614 pp)

Going to the other end of the spectrum here, "The Tide is High - 2 books".  I don't usually seek out books for their hugeness, but I don't run away from them either. :O)

~~~oOo~~~

Monthly Themes and Readalongs

Jubilant January:  Garnet  /  Haruki Murakami
Festive February:   Amethyst / Authors of Literary Women's Festival
Mystery March:  Aquamarine /  Nordic Countries authors
Artistic April:   Diamond / Somerset Maughan (Razer's Edge)
Eastward May - Emerald  / Eastern European authors
Fantasy June:   Pearl or Alexandrite  / 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter
Scifi July:   Ruby / Octavia Butler  (Dawn)
Adventurous August:   Sardonyx, Peridot or Spinel /  Dorothy Dunnett (Niccolo Rising)
Stifled September:  Sapphire  / Banned Books
Spooky and Spectacular October:  Opal or Tourmaline / Russian Authors
Nonfiction November:  Topaz or Citrine  / Nonfiction
Decidedly December:  - Turquoise, Tanzanite or Zircon  /  Winter

Not sure how many of these I can join in, but I'll put it here j.i.c.

~~~oOo~~~

Well Educated Mind  (follow link for specifics) Perpetual Challenge

2017

Fiction
1.
2.
3.

Autobiography
1.
2.
3.

History/Politics
1.
2.
3.

Drama
1.
2.
3.

Poetry
1.
2.
3.

Science
1.
2.
3.  

My 2017 Book Blog Discussion Challenge Sign-Up

The 2017 Book Blog Discussion Challenge is hosted by: 

Nicole at "Feed Your Fiction Addiction", 

and Shannon at "It Starts at Midnight"!  

Click on the above button to go to the challenge sign-up page!

~~~oOo~~~

The Levels:

1-10 – Discussion Dabbler
11-20 – Creative Conversationalist
21-30 – Chatty Kathy
31-40 – Terrifically Talkative
41+ – Gift of the Gab

I'm going to choose the first level (1-10 - Discussion Dabbler) because it will be my first year of participation, and I don't really know much about what I'm doing here (yeah, like that's ever stopped me before)! *lol*  And, in group discussions, I tend to be the quiet one, which is something I'd like to change in 2017!

I don't have any idea (yet) what my topics will be, but then I just found out about this challenge maybe an hour ago on the blog "Second Run Reviews".  I don't think I'd ever even heard of a "discussion challenge", so of course I had to sign up!

I feel almost like I did when I first 'discovered' reading challenges, and then 'had to wait' until midnight between NYE and New Years to 'start'.  But I can spend the time in-between coming up with topics, etc. etc. etc.

Hope to 'see' a lot of you on the flip side! ;)

Utopian Dreams Writing Challenge #WEPFF *FCA*

Denise and Yolanda over at the "Write, Edit, Publish" blog are hosting a writing challenge with the theme of Utopian Dreams.  Please click the button above to see the full details and a list of participants!

~~~oOo~~~

MY ENTRY

It had been an awful year.

My husband of 37 years had passed some six months ago.  I hadn’t really wanted all the memories of the old homestead but had agreed to keep it in the family, providing our children and their families help keep it up.

So, six months go by and it was either bit someone’s head off for puttering around the ‘sad, old widow woman’ (OLD!) or get away from it all for a while.

So it was that I had touched down in Scotland.  I did not consider myself to be on Scottish soil, however, as my feet had only touched metal, concrete and paving so far.  Yes, I’m a purist that way.

Several hours, and many miles later, I pulled into a little unpaved lot at my B&B lodging in Deen-on-the-Sea.  It was a true village, with nary a traffic light in sight.  I opened the car door, breathing a sigh of relief that I had remembered to drive on the right - er, correct, meaning the left side, of the narrow roads.

I closed my eyes and savored the moment, the feel of Scottish dirt under my feet.  It was almost a religious experience.  I don’t know where I got this powerful yearning for Scotland, but it was there.

As I approached the front door, a sturdy woman of maybe 10 years my senior opened the door wide and greeted me with a smile, “Ye must be Maggie Kennedy from America!  Welcome to Deen-on-the-Sea!  Come in, come in!”  “That I am, Mrs. MacTavish…,” I started.  Mrs. MacT interrupted, “Och, Jean is good enough, Maggie!  We don’t stand on much ceremony here!”

Jean took my soft case and placed it behind the desk before motioning me to follow.  “There’s enough time to put your things up later.  Come and have a cuppa.”  She lead me through a door by the desk and we entered the picture of a small village tea room.  “First one’s included in your welcome package.”

When the bells at the door tinkled, I realized that there was also a street entrance.  The tea woman called out a greeting to the newcomer, “Hey there,  Annie, how be ye and yer Bertie?”  “Tolerable well, thanks, Sally, and I see we have a visitor,” Annie responded, looking from Sal to me.

“Yes, she’s booked into the rooms for a couple’a weeks from the Colonies,” Jean added.

I smiled at the British term for the United States.  I stood, extended my hand first to Annie, then Sal, “Maggie Kennedy from Lexington, Kentucky.”

Annie stood by my small table and I motioned that she was welcome to join me.  She smiled, sat and said, “I thank ye and welcome to our seaside village.  Have ye ever been to that Derby race they have there?”  “Oh yes,” I answered, “My husband and I used to go every year since we were married.”

I took a sip of probably the best tea I’ve ever tasted and swallowed, taking a slow breath before I continued, “This was the first year in 38 that I did not attend.  I didn’t have the heart.”  Jean explained, “Maggie is a recent widow.”

Annie tut-tutted and patted my hand, “Don’t ye worry, Mrs.  I’m sure he’s up in heaven right now, happy to see you chatting with new friends.”

In the next moment, the bells above the front door jingled once again. Was it by pure chance, fore-ordination or careful planning by some dear-hearted village yentas, but in walked a man who could well be on the cover of a Highlands romance book for women of a certain age. I loved my husband with all my heart, and could never see loving another in quite the same way. But I couldn't have called myself alive if I didn't admit my heart started to thump a little faster upon seeing him.

Who would have thought my own healing place would be in a small village in Northern Scotland?

~~~oOo~~~

They've asked that this button be displayed after the post, to give folks a heads up as to how detailed you would like them to be in any comments:

Word Count:  664

My 2017 COYER Blackout Sign-Up

The COYER Black Out Winter Storm challenge is hosted by Berls at "Fantasy is More Fun", Michelle at "Because Reading", and Stormi at "Books, Movies and Reviews! Oh My".  Thanks for hosting, y'all!  Subscribe/follow love is always appreciated. :O)

~~~oOo~~~

The challenge runs from December 17, 2016 to March 3, 2017.

Books must have been acquired between November 17, 2016 and December 17, 2017 and cost $1 or less.  Library books do not count this time.

Books must be in e-book or audio book form.

~~~oOo~~~

There is a Facebook group with daily participation available.

There are monthly Twitter chats.

And an Instagram challenge in February.

~~~oOo~~~

MY BOOKS

1.  The Parting by Beverly Lewis - obtained 12/17 - 345 pp

2.  Perception by Lee Strauss - obtained 12/16 - 313 pp

3.  The Wave at Hanging Rock - obtained 12/17 - 362 pp

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

~~~oOo~~~

UPDATES

2017 New Release Challenge Sign-up

The 2017 New Release Reading Challenge is hosted by Lexxie at "(un)Conventional Bookviews" and Stormi at "Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My!"  Thanks, ladies!  Let's show them a little follow love, eh?

~~~oOo~~~

• Books have to be released and reviewed in 2017.
• Other challenges can be used as well, if you are participating in the Netgalley / Edelweiss challenge or in the COYER challenge, books can count towards more than one challenge, as long as the ones you use for the 2017 New Release Reading Challenge qualify to the other rules.
• The minimum length for a book to qualify is 100 pages, it can be in any format though, physical, e-book, ARC or audiobook.
• The New Book Release Challenge is open from January 1st through December 31st 2017, and sign-ups are open until February 15th 2017.
• You don’t have to be a blogger to participate, you can link to your review on Goodreads or Booklikes instead – so don’t be shy!

~~~oOo~~~

1. 1-30 books per year – New Release Newbie
2. 31-60 books per year – New Release Pro
3. 61-100 books per year – New Release Veteran
4. 101-200 books per year – New Release Enthusiast
5. 200+ books per year – New Release Obsessed

I'm going for the 1-30 books, New Release Newbie level.  Normally I do a number of book tours during the year, so I should have no trouble reaching that number.  I just need to keep up on my record keeping and cross-referencing, etc.

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST

1.  Every Trick in the Rook by Marty Wingate (pub March 2017)

2.  

3.  

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

(more to come)

~~~oOo~~~

MONTHLY UPDATES

January - 

February - 

March - 

April - 

May - 

June - 

July - 

August - 

September - 

October - 

November - 

December - 

My 2017 Shelf Love Challenge Sign-up

The 2017 ShelfLove Challenge is hosted by Terri at "Second Run Reviews" and Julie and Lynn at "Chapter Break".   Thanks for hosting ladies!

~~~oOo~~~

LEVELS

• 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves
• 11-20 books: pat your shelves on the back
• 21-30 books: give your shelves a warm friendly hug
• 31-40 books: regular date night with your shelves
• 41-50 books: my shelves are now my bff
• 51+ books: my shelves and I are going steady

I'm going for 1-10 books: shake hands with your shelves...because even though I will most likely read more than that...I so need to do better on keeping track of my reads.  Reviews aren't usually the issue.

~~~~oOo~~~

There are all sorts of other goodies (groups, discussions and a giveaway, etc.) to help you connect with other rabid readers during the year.  Sounds like fun!

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST

1.  The Parting: The Courtship of Nellie Fisher by Beverly Lewis (July 20, 2015)

2.  The Wave at Hanging Rock by Gregg Dunnett (December 17, 2016)

3.  Unknown to History: a story of the captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge (August 26, 2013)

4.  40 Ways to Get Closer to God by Jerry MacGregor (October 10, 2016)

5.  Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer (October 10, 2013)

6.  Perception by Lee Strauss (December 16, 2016)

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

~~~oOo~~~

CHALLENGE DISCUSSION POSTS

December 2016/January 2017 (recap 2016/goals for 2017)

I read quite a number of books in 2016 and reviewed most of them.  But I kept bad track on my challenges, etc.  That is my main goal for 2017, to keep better track.  And, since I could read a book a day and not clear half of my e-reader load....I want to make that a priority this next year as well.  My secret, non-official goal is to make 50% of my reading things that are already on my shelf (or e-reader) at this point in time.  Well, we'll see...

Here's my GoodReads TBR list.  It's probably 75%/25% books I have vs books I don't have but want to read someday.

March/April 2017 (top books that have been on your shelf the longest)

1.  Unknown to History:  a story of the captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge (August 26, 2013)
2.  Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer (October 10, 2013_

June/July 2017 (mid-year check-in)

xxx

September/October 2017 (top books/genres you are addicted to)

cozy mysteries, historical fiction

December 2017/January 2018 (recap 2017)

xxx

2017 Monthly Keyword Reading Challenge

The 2017 Monthly Keyword Reading Challenge is hosted by Claudia at "My Soul-Called Life".

• This challenge will run from January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017
• You can join anytime before December 31, 2017
• Books must be read and reviewed in 2017
• You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, etc.
• The book title you choose can be a variation on one of the keywords. Meaning, you can tweak the keywords. For example, your title could include the word ‘snowing’ or ‘snowflake’ even though the key word is ‘snow.’ Further, if the key word is ‘family‘ then your title could include the word ‘sister’ or ‘mother.’ It’s similar to the word game Word Association.
• Link up below to participate linking your post, Goodreads shelf, Shelfari, Booklies, etc.

~~~oOo~~~

KEYWORDS

January - Court, Fall, Of, Way, Deep, Thousand

February - And, Rose, Promise, Every, Deception, Blazing

March - Shall, Go, By, Silence, Her, Saga

April - From, Trigger, Tale, His, Crown, Mist

May - Four, Wind, All, Fury, Days, Shade

June - Without, Know, Good, Watch, One, Have

July - Before, Final, All, Freedom, Life, Dream

August - Sun, Infinite, Big, My, Wherever, Most

September - Sand, From, Between, Ever, Reasons, Clash

October - Darker, You, Ashes, Out, House, Sea

November - Place, War, Heart, Why, Give, Meet

December - Forget, Twilight, Only, Crystal, On, Will

~~~oOo~~~

MY LIST

January - The Parting: Courtship of Nellie Fisher #1 by Beverly Lewis
Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall by ...

40 Ways to Get Closer to God by Jerry MacGregor
Doorway to Deephollow by ..,
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

February - 

March - 

April - 

May - 

June - 

July - 

August - 

September - 

October - 

November - 

December - 

2017 Dystopia Reading Challenge

The 2017 Dystopia Reading Challenge is hosted by Claudia at "My Soul-Called Life" and Tracy at "Cornerfolds".  Thanks y'all!

• This challenge will run from January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017
• You can join anytime before November 1, 2017
• Books must be read and reviewed in 2017
• Audiobooks, re-reads, short stories, and crossovers are fine
• You don’t have to be a book blogger to participate! You can track your progress on Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, etc.
• Sign-up below with your post, Shelfari, Booklikes, etc. and leave a comment letting us know what your personal goal is
• Link up your reviews each month on the post we’ll provide!

Recruit Badge: Read and review 1-5 dystopian books

Here's an option added for this year's Challenge:

Misc information:

• March 16th – First Quarter Update
• June 15th – Second Quarter Update & Giveaway
• September 14th – Third Quarter Update
• December 14th – Challenge Wrap-Up & Giveaway

• Best Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic Fiction
• Best YA Dystopia Novels

• January Link-up

MY LIST

1.  Perception by Lee Straus  (sci-fi dystopia YA 1-word title) - (B2-one word title)

2.  The Jakarta Pandemic by Steve Konkoly (B3 - Non-YA)

3.  The Last Survivors by Bobby Adair (G1 - Scary)

4.  Hopebreaker by Dean F. Wilson (steampunk)

5.  The Dawn: Omnibus Edition by Michele Muckley

Road to Paradise by Paullina Simons - #review

Paperback: 544 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (November 29, 2016)

Love, passion, and friendship collide on the road trip of a lifetime in this breathtaking novel from Paullina Simons, internationally bestselling author of The Bronze Horseman and Tully.

There’s no telling where a journey will lead you…

Shelby Sloane has big plans for the summer of 1981. She’ll drive cross country in her graduation present—a classic yellow Mustang. In California, she hopes to find the mother who left her behind long ago, and then return East in time to start college. Her childhood friend Gina is desperate to reunite with her boyfriend in Bakersfield and has convinced Shelby to bring her along.

With Gina on board, Shelby’s carefully mapped-out itinerary is quickly abandoned.

The Survivor's Guide to Family Happiness by Maddie Dawson - #review

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (October 25, 2016)

Three women, three lives, and one chance to become a family…whether they want to or not.

Newly orphaned, recently divorced, and semiadrift, Nina Popkin is on a search for her birth mother. She’s spent her life looking into strangers’ faces, fantasizing they’re related to her, and now, at thirty-five, she’s ready for answers.

Forever Painless by Miranda Esmonde-White - #review

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Harper Wave (November 15, 2016)

End chronic pain—for good—with this practical guide from the PBS personality behind Classical Stretch and author of the New York Times bestseller Aging Backwards.

Chronic pain is the most common cause of long-term disability in the United States. Twenty percent of American adults accept back spasms, throbbing joints, arthritis aches, and other physical pain as an inevitable consequence of aging, illness, or injury. But the human body is not meant to endure chronic pain. Miranda Esmonde-White has spent decades helping professional athletes, ballet dancers, and Olympians overcome potentially career-ending injuries and guiding MS patients and cancer survivors toward pain-free mobility. Now, in Forever Painless, she shows everyone how to heal their aching bodies and live pain free.

Blame it on the Cowboy by Delores Fossen - #review

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: HQN Books (September 27, 2016)

Every cowboy has a wild side—all it takes is the right woman to unleash it… 

All of Logan McCord’s carefully laid plans erupt the day he walks in on his would-be fiancée getting…well, not so carefully laid. Tonight, just once, Logan is acting on instinct. And that instinct is telling him to say “Happy to oblige” to the cute stranger looking for a no-strings fling with a Texas cowboy.

Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan - #review

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing; Reprint edition (May 1, 2016)

Author Patricia Perry Donovan weaves her tale flawlessly, testing the boundaries of family and friendship.

On the night of Alex Carmody’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend, Cass, are victims of a terrible car accident. Alex survives; Cass doesn’t. Consumed by grief, Alex starts cutting school and partying, growing increasingly detached. The future she’d planned with her friend is now meaningless to her.

Beauty and Attention by Liz Rosenberg - #review

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Lake Union Publishing (October 25, 2016)

The riveting story of one brave young woman’s struggle to free herself from a web of deceit.

For misfit Libby Archer, social expectations for young women in Rochester, New York, in the mid-1950s don’t work. Her father has died, leaving her without parents, and her well-meaning friends are pressuring her to do what any sensible single girl must do: marry a passionate, persistent hometown suitor with a promising future. Yet Libby boldly defies conventional wisdom and plans to delay marriage—to anyone—by departing for her uncle’s Belfast estate. In Ireland, Libby seeks not only the comfort of family but also greater opportunities than seem possible during the stifling McCarthy era at home.

Across the Atlantic, Libby finds common ground with her brilliant, invalid cousin, Lazarus, then puts her trust in a sophisticated older woman who seems to be everything she hopes to become. Fraught with betrayal and long-kept secrets, as well as sudden wealth and unexpected love, Libby’s journey toward independence takes turns she never could have predicted—and calls on courage and strength she never knew she had.

Madame Presidentess by Nicole Evelina - #review

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Lawson Gartner Publishing (July 24, 2016)

Forty-eight years before women were granted the right to vote, one woman dared to run for President of the United States, yet her name has been virtually written out of the history books.

Rising from the shame of an abusive childhood, Victoria Woodhull, the daughter of a con-man and a religious zealot, vows to follow her destiny, one the spirits say will lead her out of poverty to “become ruler of her people.”

The Good, the Bad and the Guacamole by Rebecca Adler - #review

Tex-Mex waitress and part-time reporter Josie Callahan is about to serve up some Lone Star justice in this spicy Taste of Texas Mystery from the author of Here Today, Gone Tamale.

Tourists are pouring into the town of Broken Boot for the annual Homestead Days Music Festival. Opening the celebration at Two Boots dance hall is smooth-talking country singer Jeff Clark, the ex-boyfriend of Josie’s best friend, Patti Perez. When the charming Clark woos Patti onstage in an attempt to rekindle some sparks with his old flame, Josie fears her friend will end up as just one more notch on the singer’s guitar strap.

To impress her editor at the Broken Boot Bugle, Josie and her Chihuahua, Lenny, pursue the singer to Patti’s house, hoping for an interview. Instead, they discover Clark facedown in a bowl of guacamole with a bloodied guitar at his side. With Patti suddenly a murder suspect, Josie must use her reporter skills to find out who had a chip on their shoulder—before the killer double dips….