lgildersleeve 2015 Reading Challenge

Hi y'all!

My name is Lori; I am 33 years old and live in South Carolina with my husband and our four dogs, Devil (golden retriever), Bear (golden retriever), Dalek (English springer), and Maya (Siberian husky).

I earned an English literature degree way back in 2003 from the University of South Carolina. Then I worked as a copy editor for five (5) years. Most recently, I've been studying for my master's degree in Computer Science at the College of Charleston, which I should finish in May 2015 (*fingers crossed*). I'm also working part time as a web designer.

My shelves groan from the number of unread books, despite the addition of an e-reader several years ago. One of these days I'll catch up! I read mostly fiction, with that tending toward Fantasy, some Science Fiction, some Mystery, the occasional Romance, and whatever catches my eye.

You can check out my library here (http://www.librarything.com/catalog/lgildersleeve).

You can see my 2014 Reading Challenge here (http://www.librarything.com/topic/168335).

Thanks for dropping by and happy reading! :)

January 2015

1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (3 Stars)
   
   Poirot looks for the murderer of an elderly woman.


2. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (2 Stars)
   
   A young man seeks answers about his father, who apparently caused widespread death and destruction in 19th-century Seattle.


3. All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka (3 Stars)
   
   A manga adaptation of the book of the same title, a young soldier discovers he is reliving the same hellish day of battle.


4. Deadpool: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly by Gerry Duggan, et al. (3 Stars)
   
   Deadpool's past comes back to haunt him.


5. Deadpool: Deadpool vs. S.H.I.E.L.D. by Gerry Duggan, et al. (3 Stars)
   
   Deadpool and Agent Paulson finally have a chance of getting her back to her family and out of Deadpool's head.


6. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (2 Stars)
   
   A young witch's heritage forces her to challenge the governing power of her day.


7. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? by Fujino Omori (3 Stars)
   
   Fourteen-year-old Bell, an adventurer, thinks he can find a harem for himself in the dungeon.


8. The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes (4 Stars)
   
   A motley group of criminals joins forces to rob a nearly impregnable vault in a floating city.


9. Undertow: Boatman's Call by Artyom Trakhanov, et al. (2 Stars)
   
   A tale of Atlantis and its people, who seek a way to breath air without water.


10. Fairest: The Hidden Kingdom by Lauren Beukes, et al. (2 Stars)
    
    The tale of Rapunzel and her time in the Hidden Kingdom, with ramifications for the present Fabletown.


11. Fairest: In All the Land by Bill Willingham, et al. (2 Stars)
    
    A multi-author/artist tale of a serial murderer killing those gifted with the title Fairest in All the Land.


12. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (3 Stars)
    
    Arthur Dent's bad day, whereas he is defending his house from demolition, turns markedly worse when the entire Earth is demolished.


13. Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney (2 Stars)
    
    Young Tom is taken on as the latest apprentice of the area Spook, a man who deals with troublesome undead and witches plaguing the population.


14. Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe (2 Stars)
    
    Four friends fight for business and for pleasure.

February 2015

1. Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip by Tove Jansson (3 Stars)
   
   Welcome to the world of Moomin, a sincere if simple-minded creature, and his various friends and family.


2. Noragami: Stray God by Adachitoka (4 Stars)
   
   The first volume introduces Yato, a god with little standing and no followers, who hopes to one day earn enough 5-yen coins to build himself an enormous temple.


3. The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami (3 Stars)
   
   A young man finds himself held prisoner in a library and plots his escape along with a sheep man and a beautiful girl.


4. Barakamon, Vol. 1 by Satsuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   A young calligrapher finds himself ordered to a rural island to reflect on his actions.


5. Barakamon, Vol. 2 by Satasuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   The continuing story of Handa-sensei and his time on the small island.


6. Noragami: Stray God 2 by Adachitoka (4 Stars)
   
   Yato, with his new shinki Yukine, introduces Hiyori to other local gods.

March 2015

1. Barakamon, Vol. 3 by Satasuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   Handa-sensei's friend Kawafuji comes to visit the island, with a freeloader in tow.


2. Noragami: Stray God 3 by Adachitoka (4 Stars)
   
   Yukine must face his sins to save Yato.


3. A Certain Magical Index by Kazuma Kamachi (4 Stars)
   
   Touma Kamijou finds a hungry young nun named Index hanging from his balcony; adventure ensues.


4. 4:50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie (3 Stars)
   
   Miss Marple's friend witnesses a murder, but the body can't be found.


5. Born in Fire by Nora Robert (4 Stars)
   
   Maggie, a fiery glass artist, meets businessman Rogan, who wants to manager her career and her heart.


6. Born in Ice by Nora Roberts (3 Stars)
   
   Brie, Maggie's sister, runs a B&B, with an interesting new guest, author Greyson Thane.


7. Born in Shame by Nora Roberts (3 Stars)
   
   Shannon, Maggie and Brie's half sister, comes to Ireland to meet her family, and their neighbor Murphy.


8. Deadpool Classic, Vol. 1 by Fabian Nicieza (2 Stars)
   
   The earliest incarnation of the merc with a mouth isn't nearly as entertaining as later versions.


9. Deadpool Classic, Vol. 2 by Joe Kelly (2 Stars)
   
   Classic Deadpool takes a trip to New York with his new friend Typhoid Mary to play with Daredevil.


10. Deadpool Classic, Vol. 3 by Joe Kelly (2 Stars)
    
    Deadpool discovers he may, or may not, be a mythical hero figure set to lead the universe into a new golden era.


11. Deadpool Classic, Vol. 4 by Joe Kelly (2 Stars)
    
    Deadpool must save (or maybe condemn) the Earth.


12. Deadpool Classic, Vol. 5 by Joe Kelly (3 Stars)
    
    Deadpool's wife appears, and havoc ensues.


13. Deadpool Classic, Volume 6 by Christopher Priest (4 Stars)
    
    Deadpool, and his new roommates, look for an easy paycheck.


14. Deadpool Classic, Volume 7 by Jimmy Palmiotti (3 Stars)
    
    Deadpool gets back together with an ex-girlfriend, tangles with some twins, and takes on the Punisher.

April 2015

1. Monster Musume, Vol. 1 by Okayado (2 Stars)
   
   As part of a species exchange program, a young man finds his house invaded by a lamia, a harpy, and a centaur.


2. At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie (3 Stars)
   
   Miss Marple visits London and stays in a quaint hotel seemingly stuck in the past.


3. No Game, No Life by Yuu Kamiya (3 Stars)
   
   Two siblings, whose lives revolve entirely around games, find themselves whisked to another world by a playful god.

May 2015

1. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 2 by Fujino Omori (3 Stars)
   
   Bell's adventuring life seems to get easier when he teams up with a new supporter, but Lilly has secrets of her own.


2. Accel World, Vol. 1 by Reki Kawahara (3 Stars)
   
   Haru, an outcast filled with self-loathing, finds his life turned upside down by his school's most popular girl and the Brain Burst program.


3. New Cthulhu 2 by John Langan (4 Stars)
   
   A collection of short stories with their various takes on Lovecraft's mythos.


4. Sunset by Arshad Ahsanuddin (1 Star) **Did not finish
   
   This book, ostensibly about vampires, vampire hunters called sentinels, and their attempt to live alongside humanity, is aggressively confusing, with distracting time and narration jumps.


5. Deadly Class, Vol. 1 by Rick Remender (1 Star)
   
   A troubled teen grasps a final straw - an offer to be a trained as a killer at a special school.


6. Low: The Delirium of Hope by Rick Remender (2 Stars)
   
   The remnants of humanity huddle beneath the Earth's oceans as the planet dies.


7. Assassination Classroom, Vol. 1 by Yusei Matsui (4 Stars)
   
   A group of troubled middle schoolers are tasked with assassinating their teacher, a strange octopus-like creature threatening to destroy the Earth.


8. Book Girl and the Suicidal Mime by Mizuki Nomura (4 Stars)
   
   A high school boy with a troublesome past finds solace writing short stories for the president of the book club, who eats them page by page.

June 2015

1. Barakamon, Vol. 4 by Satsuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   The continued story of calligraphy master Handa-sensei and his life on the island.


2. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (3 Stars)
   
   A troubled woman seeks to discover what happened to herself during an alcohol-fueled blackout.

July 2015

1. NightS by Kou Yoneda (5 stars)
   
   A collection of short stories, some connected, about a variety of men. Warning: Yaoi.


2. Barakamon, Vol. 5 by Satsuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   Handa-sensei struggles with rural life while preparing for a national calligraphy competition.


3. Noragami: Stray God, 4 by Adachitoka (3 Stars)
   
   The continuing story of Yato and friends intersects with a plot against another god and Yato's dark past.


4. Sword Art Online: Aincrad by Reki Kawahara (4 Stars)
   
   A young man and several thousand others find themselves trapped in a virtual reality MMO, where in-game death equals real-world death.


5. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 1 by Kazue Kato (3 Stars)
   
   A young man discovers his secret heritage as the son of Satan and becomes determined to be an exorcist to resist father's will.


6. The Martian by Andy Weir (4 Stars)
   
   An astronaut is accidentally marooned on Mars.


7. No Game No Life, Vol. 2 by Yuu Kamiya (3 Stars)
   
   Gamers Sora and Shiro, the new kings of humanity, seek information to pursue their expansionist agenda.


8. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2 by Kazue Kato (4 Stars)
   
   Rin tries to fit in at school while cramming to be an exorcist while enemies both within and without the school target him.


9. Log Horizon, Vol. 1 by Mamare Touno (4 Stars)
   
   Nearly 30,000 gamers find themselves transported into the game world of Elder Tales, with no way back to reality.


10. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 3 by Kazue Kato (4 Stars)
    
    Rin begins training to take on exorcist missions, but he keeps losing his temper and control of his powers.


11. Blood Lad, Vol. 1 by Yuuki Kodama (4 Stars)
    
    A young human girl gets lost in the demon world, where she's killed by a carnivorous plant; and that's just the beginning of her troubles.


12. Crimson Snow by Hori Tomoki (5 Stars)
    
    Three linked stories about an injured yakuza soldier and a young tea ceremony master, along with two one-shots.


13. Log Horizon, Vol. 2 by Mamare Touno (4 Stars)
    
    Shiroe and his friends decide to do something about the declining quality of life in Akiba after the Catastrophe.

August 2015

1. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 4 by Kazue Kato (4 Stars)
   
   Rin and his classmates are sent on an overnight exercise in the forest around the school.


2. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 5 by Kazue Kato (4 Stars)
   
   Now that his secret is out, Rin must navigate his friends' suspicions while helping with an attack in Kyoto.


3. Blood Lad, Vol. 2 by Yuuki Kodama (4 Stars)
   
   In Staz's quest to revive Fuumiyo, he finds himself caught up in his brother's machinations.


4. Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance, Vol. 1 by Reki Kawahara (4 Stars)
   
   Kirito discovers that Azuna, his missing lover, may be alive inside a new virtual MMO and tries to reach her.


5. Sword Art Online: Fairy Dance, Vol. 2 by Reki Kawahara (4 Stars)
   
   Kirito reaches the World Tree and fights to free Azuna and the others still trapped in the virtual world.


6. Blood Lad, Vol. 3 by Yuuki Kodama (3 Stars)
   
   Staz's search for Fuumiyo leads him to her long-missing mother.


7. Sword Art Online: Aincrad by Reki Kawahara (4 Stars)
   
   Four short stories about the lives of individuals who meet with Kirito.


8. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 3 by Fujino Omori (4 Stars)
   
   With help and training, Bell is ready to have his first big adventure, even if it kills him.


9. Barakamon, Vol. 6 by Satsuki Yoshino (3 Stars)
   
   Handa-sensei returns home to visit his parents and submit a piece of his new calligraphy to a contest.

September 2015

1. Accel World, Vol. 2 by Reki Kawahara (3 Stars)
   
   Haruyuki discovers there is more depth, and more danger, in Burst Linking.


2. Sword Art Online: Phantom Bullet by Reki Kawahara (3 Stars)
   
   Kirito is drawn into a new MMO to discover if it is possible for a virtual bullet to kill a real man.

October 2015

1. The Divine by Boaz Lavie (4 Stars)
   
   A soldier-for-hire finds his soul tested by an unsanctioned war against children who are more than they first appear to be.


2. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool by Gerry Duggan (3 Stars)
   
   On Halloween, the worlds of Hawkeye and Deadpool collide.


3. Wayward: String Theory by Jim Zub (4 Stars)
   
   A teenager, half Irish / half Japanese, joins her mother in Tokyo, where awkwardness, angst, and strange occurrences plague her new home.


4. Hexed: The Harlot and the Thief by Michael Alan Nelson (4 Stars
   
   Lucifer, a thief of magic items, accidentally unleashes a soul taker from an innocuous painting and must make amends.


5. Deadpool's Art of War by Peter Allen David (3 Stars
   
   Deadpool puts the tenets of Sun Tzu's Art of War into effect with Loki at its head.


6. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 1 by Ryan North (4 Stars)
   
   Squirrel Girl starts the adventure of college, along with fighting off bank robbers and super villains.


7. Barakamon, Vol. 7 by Satsuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   Handa-sensei returns to the island to continue his search for his own style of calligraphy, while the islanders' lives continue around him.


8. Horimiya, Vol. 1 by Hero (4 Stars)
   
   Seemingly perfect Hori Kyoko spends her time outside of school living as a housewife, taking care of her younger brother; classmate Miyamura Izuki hides himself away at school while elsewhere he's flashy with piercings and tattoos. See the clash and confusion when these two meet their real selves.

November 2015

1. No Game No Life, Vol. 3 by Yuu Kamiya (3 Stars)
   
   Sora and Shiro continue their conquest of their new homeworld, the Disboard.


2. Book Girl and the Famished Spirit by Mizuki Nomura (4 Stars)
   
   Konoha and the book-eating goblin, Tohko, are caught up in a ghost story.


3. She Walks in Shadows edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles (3 Stars)
   
   This short story collection, written, illustrated, and curated by women, focuses on the Lovecraft mythos.


4. Blood Lad, Vol. 4 by Yuuki Kodama (3 Stars)
   
   Braz launches his real plan, to resurrect his father.


5. Blood Lad, Vol. 5 by Yuuki Kodama (3 Stars)
   
   Staz and Braz learn the reason behind their parents' deaths, as well as what being the demon world king really means.

December 2015

1. My Little Monster, 01 by Robico (4 Stars)
   
   Mizutani Shizuku finds her orderly life of studying turned upside down when she meets the class delinquent Haru Yoshida.


2. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 6 by Kazue Kato (3 Stars)
   
   Rin struggles to master his demonic powers while the exorcists battle traitors in their midst.


3. My Little Monster, 02 by Robico (3 Stars)
   
   Mizutani's life remains upended from Haru's eccentric behavior but even more from her own emotions.


4. Barakamon, Vol. 8 by Satsuki Yoshino (4 Stars)
   
   Handa-sensei finds himself caught up in the island's daily ups and downs, leaving little time for his calligraphy.


5. Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 4 by Fujino Omori (4 Stars)
   
   Bell's recent victories have earned him the rank of Level 2, but the news is tempered by jealousy and disbelief from his fellow adventurers.


6. Tea for Two, Vol. 1 by Yaya Sakuragi (3 Stars)
   
   Tokumaru's penchant for exuberance and impulsiveness causes his sister to force him to join the Tea Ceremony Club, where he meets Hasune, the heir to a famous tea ceremony family.


7. Tea for Two, Vol. 2 by Yaya Sakuragi (3 Stars)
   
   Tokumaru and Hasune's relationship has bloomed, but every relationship has its rocky parts.


8. Tea for Two, Vol. 3 by Yaya Sakuragi (3 Stars)
   
   While Hasune's future seems set in stone by his family's expectations, Tokumaru can't decide whether to even remain in Japan.


9. Tea for Two, Vol. 4 by Yaya Sakuragi (3 Stars)
   
   Tokumaru and Hasune's relationship hits a shoal when Hasune's ex appears unexpectedly.


10. Servamp, Vol. 1 by Strike Tanaka (2 Stars)
    
    Shirota Mahiru brings home a stray cat that is far more than first meets the eyes.

I'm also a fantasy fan. Looks like you read some good books in 2014. I'm looking forward to seeing what you read in 2015. :)

Hey Lori, what part of South Carolina do you live in? I'm down in Charleston, so I thought I would say hello. :)

Welcome back!

Good luck with your challenge Lori!

I'm right across the bridge in Mt. Pleasant. :) It's a small world!

>18 lgildersleeve: Nice! I was actually out there last night. :)

Happy New Year, Lori!

Always great to encounter another Lori in the group! Happy New Year!