BookLizard's 2019 Category Challenge

Welcome to my thread! Last year I took a break from the Category Challenge and my reading suffered because of it. I'm hoping to get back in the swing of things this year and discover some good books that I might never have picked up on my own.

I'm totally stealing this idea from Roberta (luvamystery65) and using the months as categories. The challenge will be trying to complete a few CATs and KITs each month.

January

AlphaKIT: A, Q
SeriesCAT: Series in translation
SFFKIT: Read an SFF you meant to read in 2018, but never started/completed

The Outcasts by John Flanagan on audiobook (SFFKIT)
The Duel at Araluen by John Flanagan - ARC (AlphaKIT)
The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley - reread
Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich (AlphaKIT)
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (AlphaKIT)
Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion by Michael Holley
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos; Translated by Hildegarde Serle (SeriesCAT)
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines (AlphaKIT)
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Thunderbird Falls by C. E. Murphy (reread)
Prisoner of Night J. R. Ward
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston (CalendarCAT)
Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
Roger That! by The Boston Globe
The Invaders by John Flanagan on audiobook

Books read: 15
Felines completed: 7

February

AlphaKIT: K, O
SeriesCAT:YA/Children's
SFFKIT: Colonization
ScaredyKIT: The Corporeal Undead

Belichick and Brady by Michael Holley (CalendarCAT)
Furyborn by Claire Legrand (SeriesCAT) - reread
Kingsbane by Claire Legrand (SeriesCAT & AlphaKIT)
A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel (AlphaKIT)
Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost (ScaredyKIT)
The Disasters by M. K. England (SFFKIT & AlphaKIT)
No Country for Old Gnomes by Kevin Hearne (AlphaKIT)
All Systems Red by Martha Wells (SFFKIT)
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (SFFKIT)
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (SFFKIT)
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (SFFKIT)

Books read: 11
Felines completed: 13

March

AlphaKIT: U, L
SeriesCAT: Series by a favorite author
SFFKIT: Mystery/police procedural/detective Science Fiction or Fantasy

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (AlphaKIT)
Devil's Daughter by Lisa Kleypas (AlphaKIT & SeriesCAT)

Books read: 2
Felines completed: 3

Possibilities:
Night Train to Rigel by Timothy Zahn

April

AlphaKIT: B, M (Bowel Movement - heh, heh)
SeriesCAT: Series You've Been Meaning to Get Back To
SFFKIT: Sword & Sorcery

Possibilities:
Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind - Sword of Truth series, so it can count for SeriesCAT & SFFKIT!

May

AlphaKIT: H, V
SeriesCAT: Newest book in a favorite series
SFFKIT: International Sci-Fi/Fantasy by Non-US/UK authors

Hunter Hunted by Keri Arthur
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (reread on audiobook)
Exile by Aaron Allston
Sacrifice by Karen Traviss
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (rereread on audiobook)
Inferno by Troy Denning
Demon's Dance by Keri Arthur

June

AlphaKIT: D, J
SeriesCAT: Series that are definitely complete
SFFKIT: Road-trip

July

AlphaKIT: C, P
SeriesCAT: Genre: fantasy
SFFKIT: Space Opera

Uncertain Allies by Mark Del Franco
Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco
Immortal Born by Lynsay Sands

August

AlphaKIT: I, N
SeriesCAT: Series set in a country/region where you do not live
SFFKIT: Alternate History

September

AlphaKIT: F, W
SeriesCAT: Genre: Mystery
SFFKIT: Series

Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 by Mitchell Zuckoff 4*
Suggested Reading by Dave Connis 4.5*
Shout Laurie Halse Anderson 4.5*
The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff 4.5*
Fallen by Benedict Jacka 5*
Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn 4*
Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come by Jessica Pan 4*
Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine 4*

October

AlphaKIT: G, T
SeriesCAT: Historical Series
SFFKIT: Comedy

November

AlphaKIT: S, Y
SeriesCAT: Series with a female protagonist
SFFKIT: Award Winners

December

AlphaKIT: E, R
SeriesCAT: Series that's new to you
SFFKIT: End-of-the-Year Wrap Up

Time for the end of the year meme!

Describe yourself: Someone I Used to Know
Describe how you feel: Scourged
Describe where you currently live: There Before the Chaos
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Once Upon a River
Your favorite form of transportation: The Library Book
Your best friend is: Iron Gold
You and your friends are: The Brightest Embers
What’s the weather like: A Court of Frost and Starlight
You fear: All-American Murder
What is the best advice you have to give: Burn Bright
Thought for the day: That's Not What Happened
How I would like to die: An Easy Death
My soul’s present condition: Fates Divide

>14 BookLizard: Love this! I would also go to a river, I think. And a book is absolutely the best form of transportation - I am a great armchair traveller!

Good to see you here BL! Here's to a great 2019

Good luck with your 2019 reading!

Great to see you here! Have a wonderful reading year. And I love those meme answers :D

Happy New Year!

Lovely to see your thread here! Wishing you a wonderful year of reading in 2019!

>14 BookLizard: I think I commented on your 2018 thread, but good meme answers! I really loved your transportation form.

>15 JayneCM: The title river is the Thames. I somehow managed to be reading 3 books at once that were set in England near the Thames. I highly recommend Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield. It's about stories and storytelling and the pacing is like the flow of a river. I actually read it on my phone at work during my lunch breaks. I'd get immersed in a chapter and when I surfaced at the end of it, I'd be left with a feeling of satisfaction that allowed me to step away from the book and return to work. The pace picks up in the second half of the book, and I had to finish it on the weekend.

>16 luvamystery65: Good to see you! I hope your classes are going well.

>17 Tess_W: Thanks! The same to you.

>18 rabbitprincess: Great to see you again. Overall, I'm happy with my meme, but I hope to read more books this year so I'll have more choices for the answers. Describe yourself: Someone I Used to Know: I'd been swimsuit shopping the night before - "Whose thighs are those? Is my butt sagging? Since when have I had spots here and veins there?"

>19 The_Hibernator: Happy New Year to you as well.

>20 lkernagh: Good to see you too!

>21 thornton37814: Thanks. The other thread was in the 75 Books group and I responded over there as well. I must admit, I'm proud of that response: Your favorite form of transportation: The Library Book. Best. Answer. Ever! LOL

>22 BookLizard: I'm taking that book bullet! Thanks, it looks great.

>23 JayneCM: I hope you enjoy it!

The problem with going on vacation is having to come back from vacation. I'm behind on reading everyone's threads. Maybe I'll have a chance to catch up later this week.

I've decided there's no way I'm going to keep up on describing/reviewing every book I read, so I'm just going to list them under the monthly category and plan to copy that list for a monthly recap. Anything I read worth noting, I will describe, like:

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi. High school student Lucy Moore is looking forward to acting in her school's production of Romeo and Juliet, but when she loses the leading role (and her boyfriend) to her archrival, she makes a series of poor choices that lead to devastating consequences. After testing positive for HIV, Lucy feels as though her life is over. Afraid of revealing the truth to her friends, she unwittingly alienates them anyway. How will she find a way to go on living, when deep inside she feels like she is dying?

This book was a fast read. It was informative without being preachy.

The snow plow woke me at 4 this morning. The sleet against the window didn't help either. My upstairs neighbor was also awake. I heard him go out, but I haven't heard him come back. We got about 4 inches of snow, but now it's turned over to rain. I need to go shovel before it gets too heavy. It's going to turn into freezing rain and ice this afternoon, so I have to shovel before everything freezes. I don't want to go out in this weather which is why I'm stalling. I hope I have some hot chocolate - there's nothing like hot chocolate with a shot of coconut rum to warm you up after shoveling. I hope I have coconut rum! LOL.

Last night I started Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines. It's funny so far.

I call this picture "Hamlet and Jack Reflecting on the Snow." It's actually a still from a video - they would not sit still.

Aww! Great photo! Less great weather :-/ Good luck with the shovelling and enjoy the relaxation that will follow!

>27 BookLizard: - Love that image!

>28 rabbitprincess: >29 lkernagh: Thanks!

Just finished Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston. I saw someone was reading Their Eyes Were Watching God for the CalendarCAT, so that inspired me to finally read Barracoon. It's disturbing, but it should be. In the late 1920s, Hurston interviewed Cudjo Lewis, the last survivor of a group of Africans illegally smuggled into Alabama and enslaved. The book was never published, partly because it's written in dialect. Unlike many slave narratives which focus on gaining freedom, Cudjo's story describes his life in Africa and how he came to be a slave (captured and sold by a neighboring tribe) .

January Recap (a.k.a.Copy & Paste):

The Outcasts by John Flanagan on audiobook (SFFKIT)
Duel at Araluen by John Flanagan - ARC (AlphaKIT)
The Pirate and the Pagan by Virginia Henley - reread
Look Alive Twenty-Five by Janet Evanovich (AlphaKIT)
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (AlphaKIT)
Patriot Reign: Bill Belichick, the Coaches, and the Players Who Built a Champion by Michael Holley
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos; Translated by Hildegarde Serle (SeriesCAT)
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines (AlphaKIT)
Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Thunderbird Falls by C. E. Murphy (reread)
Prisoner of Night J. R. Ward
Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston (CalendarCAT)
Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal
Roger That! by The Boston Globe
The Invaders by John Flanagan on audiobook

I've been enjoying listening to John Flanagan's Brotherband Chronicles on audiobook narrated by John Keating, even though it's not as good as The Ranger's Apprentice series.

I wouldn't recommend A Winter's Promise, even though it got rave reviews. It starts off slow and ends just when it starts to get good. It's the first book in the Mirror Quartet that was a bestseller in France. Maybe it would be better to wait until all of the books are published and read them all at once. If I had had the second book, I would have kept reading at that point, but I was just so annoyed that it ended when it did, that I doubt I'll pick up the rest of the series.

The problem with getting an ARC of a book in a series is that you have to wait THAT MUCH LONGER to read the NEXT book. I got the ARC for Kingsbane, the second book in The Empirium trilogy by Claire Legrand. I reread Furyborn because it had been over a year since I read it and I couldn't remember the minor characters. Kingsbane is coming out in May, so the third book probably won't be out until May of 2020. I don't want to wait that long!

A Danger to Herself and Others by Alyssa Sheinmel

Soon-to-be high school senior Hannah Gold is being held in a facility because of a "misunderstanding" which she expects will be cleared up shortly. Her best friend Agnes is in a coma after accidentally falling from a second story window and hitting her head on the cobblestones. Hannah is smart and knows Agnes' parents were just looking for a scapegoat when they blamed her for Agnes' accident. If Hannah wants to be released in time for the start of classes in September, she's going to have to convince her psychiatrist that she doesn't pose a danger to herself or others, which shouldn't be too difficult since she's not crazy. After all, she's never had trouble making best friends or knowing how to tell people what they want to hear.

I started this book one night and came straight home from work the next day to finish it. I thought I knew where this book was headed. Hannah admits to the reader when she's lying to people, but even though you know that makes her an unreliable narrator, she's so smart and witty that you can't help but feel that even though she might not be telling the whole truth, she wouldn't flatout lie to you. So I thought I knew where this was going, but even though I read a review that revealed what her eventual diagnosis is and what that encompasses without any Spoiler Alert warning, - (Really? I understand young people are so conditioned in school to prove in their writing that they actually read the whole book, that they often ruin the ending for others without meaning to do so, but this review was in a professional journal. Professional reviewers should know how to reveal enough without spoiling the story for others, and if not, that's what editors are supposed to do - EDIT the content and not just look for typos. You would think professional reviewers would be booklovers who would want other people to read and enjoy good books that they themselves have read and enjoyed, so WTF? If you're the type of person who skips ahead or reads the last chapter first, that's fine for you, but that is not the way the authors intended for their creations to be read, so please don't ruin the story for the rest of us.) - I was surprised by the big reveal. (I read the spoiler review when I was halfway through the book, otherwise I don't think I would have been surprised or enjoyed the book as much as I did.)

P.S. I think I already know what I'll be using to answer a question for the end of the year meme. ;P

This weekend I read (and I'm already rereading) The MurderBot Diaries series by Martha Wells. It's a series of 4 novellas told by a SecUnit construct (half robot/half cloned human used to provide security in hazardous environments). MurderBot has hacked its Governor Module so it doesn't have to obey orders, but rather than going on a murderous rampage as its name would imply, it instead downloads movies, books, and serial shows to view in its downtime - or when it gets bored on the job. It's a funny and fast-paced adventure, but more importantly, an examination of identity. What makes one a "person" instead of a "thing"? How is our opinion of ourselves influenced by others? How do we know what we really want versus what we've been conditioned to want?

A quick hello my friend!

Wow! I haven't posted in 3 months. I've been listing some books in my categories, but not keeping count. I'm behind with posting for KITs & CATs too. Been reading - just not telling anyone about it!

I'm currently "rerereading" The Dresden Files on audiobook. I know I've listened to some of them before. When a new one was coming out, I'd usually listen to the previous one to jar my memory. Going for the whole series since other people are reading the series as well this year. I'm just starting Book 2, Fool Moon.

Also reading Star Wars: The Legacy of the Force series. It's about Han & Leia's grown twins, Jacen & Jaina, and Luke's teen son Ben. About to start Book 7 (out of 9).

I'm up to Book 7 in my audioboook rereading of The Dresden Files - Dead Beat by Jim Butcher.

Finished The Legacy of the Force series and I'm up to Book 3 of the Fate of the Jedi series - Abyss by Troy Denning.

My library finally bought the last 2 books in a series that I had requested back in 2016. Better late than never, I guess. Just finished the final book, Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco.

Bought a new Kindle Paperwhite. It's allegedly waterproof and has a flush-front design which is helpful since my old kindle gets cat hair trapped around the edges of the screen. The waterproof doesn't apply to things like salt water or pool water with all the chemicals, so it's a little misleading.