Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #08 + The State of My Blog

UPDATE! There's been some interest from others about joining in on my new feature. I've created an interest form. Please fill it out if you would like to participate in Scenic Sundays.

There's some changes coming folks. I hinted at it last week during the Back to School Book Blogger Challenge. And while I initially thought I would wait until the New Year to roll out a feature for my photography, after working on a couple photo projects (Project #1 and Project #2) this last weekend, I decided to roll it out starting in September.

My last The Sunday Post will be on August 31, 2014. While I have enjoyed doing The Sunday Post , it has become somewhat rote for me and I'm not really investing time to think about that post. I just list what I posted on my blog and what's coming up. I don't buy many books so adding a book haul seems a bit much and I'm not that great at keeping track. I do plan to stop by The Sunday Post each week because there are some wonderful participants and I love reading their recaps every week.

So what's Sunday hold for Second Run Reviews if there will be no Sunday Post? I'm starting a new feature. Thanks to some encouragement after my Meet & Greet Feature over on Gin's Book Blog, I'm starting Scenic Sunday. Each Sunday I will post one image from my thousands of photographs along with one quote. So in addition to leaving The Sunday Post behind, I'm moving my Quote of the Week feature to Sundays. I've got the first several posts planned out with some beautiful images. Some of them will look professional, others maybe not so much. But by starting this new feature, I'm going to be able to share two of my favorite things...images and words. I do hope you'll stop by and maybe subscribe to Second Run Reviews to have the Scenic Sunday delivered right to your inbox.

GoodReads Challenge Update

37 of 52 books read.
13,411 pages of 20,000 read.
6,589 pages remaining

January: 665 pages (3.33%)
February: 1,451 pages (7.26%)
March: 3,745 pages (18.73%)
April: 6701 pages (33.5%)
May: 8,202 pages (41.01%)
June: 10,130 pages (50.65%)

July: 13,411 pages (67.71%)
August: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
September: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
October: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
November: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
December: ??,??? pages (??.??%)

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
5. Capricious by Jade Eby
6. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
7. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek
8. The Reluctant Assassin (W.A.R.P. #1) by Eoin Colfer

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. Sunrise by Mike Mullin

The State of Second Run Reviews

As of August 1,2014, here where things stand with Second Run Reviews.

• Total Posts: 190
• Book reviews posted: 30 books, 1 movie
  
• Email Fans: 29
  
• Twitter Fans: 178
  
• Bloglovin' Fans: 41
  
• Facebook Fans: 146

So how are you doing with your reading goals? I'm continuing to read books, but not necessarily those that were in my TBR pile at the start of the year. I need to fix that. If you are a blogger, what is the state of your blog?

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #07 + The State of My Blog

I've decided to put a little twist on this month's reading challenges update and add a bit of information about the state of Second Run Reviews. I've been at this since mid-December 2013 and after implementing Parajunkee's Blog Planner, I thought it might be fun to include some blog stats.

GoodReads Challenge Update

32 of 52 books read.
10,130 pages of 20,000 read.
10,198 pages remaining

January: 665 pages (3.33%)
February: 1,451 pages (7.26%)
March: 3,745 pages (18.73%)
April: 6701 pages (33.5%)
May: 8,202 pages (41.01%)
June: 10,130 pages (50.65%)

July: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
August: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
September: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
October: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
November: ??,??? pages (??.??%)
December: ??,??? pages (??.??%)

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
5. Capricious by Jade Eby
6. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
7. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. Sunrise by Mike Mullin

The State of Second Run Reviews

As of July 1,2014, here where things stand with Second Run Reviews.

Total Posts: 162

• Book reviews posted: 28 books, 1 movie
  
• Email Fans: 10
  
• Twitter Fans: 107
  
• Bloglovin' Fans: 6
  
• Facebook Fans: 65

So how are you doing with your reading goals? I'm continuing to read books, but not necessarily those that were in my TBR pile at the start of the year. I need to fix that. If you are a blogger, what is the state of your blog?

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #06

Here's a quick update as to where I stand with my 2014 Challenges!

January: 665 pages (3.33%) February: 1451 pages (7.26%) March: 3745 pages (18.73%) April: 6701 pages (33.5%) May: 8202 pages (41.01%)

Since January 1, I have read 8202 pages (41.01%) towards my goal of 20,000 pages. Only 11798 pages to go! We are half way through the year and I'm about half way to my goal. Not bad, not bad at all if I do say so myself.

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
5. Capricious by Jade Eby
6. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
7. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which started on February 14th and ends NEXT month. The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. I've completed this challenge. The other series ender I was planning to read releases after the challenge ends.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Here's the update to my Random House of Canada bingo card. One new Bingo this month!

What are your reading goals for 2014? How close are you to completing your goals?

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #05

Here's a quick update as to where I stand with my 2014 Challenges!

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
5. Capricious by Jade Eby
6. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
7. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which started on February 14th! The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. So far I've finished 2 books that were series enders. I might actually be finished with this challenge. I'm not sure I have any other series enders left on my to-read shelf!

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Here's the update to my Random House of Canada bingo card. There are no new bingos this month.

Since January 1, I have read 6701 pages (33.5%) towards my goal of 20,000 pages. Only 13299 pages to go!

January: 665 pages (3.33%) February: 1451 pages (7.26%) March: 3745 pages (18.73%) April: 6701 pages (33.5%)

What are your reading goals for 2014? How close are you to completing your goals?

Book Review #23: A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

I picked up A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek ages ago from Amazon.com. You see I can be sucker for horse novels and the title of the novel intrigued me. As an Arabian, my horse can be trouble some days for seemingly no reason at all.

A Horse Called Trouble is a middle grade novel. Reading it as an adult, the plot direction seemed obvious and characters are caricatures. But when I stepped back and thought about how I felt in middle school and high school, this book has quite a bit of depth. We have all been in situations where it feels like everyone has given up on us and then we find the one thing we connect with, be it horses, books, a T.V. show or movie, that really brings the life back. And then we connect with other people who share that same passion and the world comes even more alive. Ms. Volnek did a great job at showing Tara's progress from a shy girl who eventually finds strength in her passion and connection with horses.

My favorite part about the novel were the descriptions of the farm, the horses and the barn. Those descriptions really came alive for me and it felt like I was at out at my local barn. The names of the horses were top notch! The lesson horses had appropriately plain names--Rocky (we have a lesson horse named Rocky at our barn) and Homer. The pedigreed horses had dreamy names--Jupiter, Jupiter's Dream Girl and Jeopardy's Double Trouble. I wanted to meet these horses and ride off into the sunset on each one of them.

Overall, I really enjoyed A Horse Called Trouble when I stepped back and viewed it through younger eyes. The messages about standing up for yourself and finding your passion run strong throughout the book. The life depicted on the farm in the book was spot on and described with realistic detail. Ms. Volnek knows horses and barns. A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek gets a thumbs up!

Buy on from Amazon.com

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #04

Here's a quick update as to where I stand with my 2014 Challenges!

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon
5. Capricious by Jade Eby
6. REVIEW COMING SOON! Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
7. REVIEW COMING SOON! A Horse Called Trouble by C.K. Volnek

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which started on February 14th! The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. So far I've finished 2 books that were series enders. One review is complete and the second one is still in process.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. REVIEW COMING SOON! Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Here's the update to my Random House of Canada bingo card. There are no new bingos this month.

Since January 1, I have read 4983 pages (24.92%) towards my goal of 20,000 pages. Only 15017 pages to go!

January: 665 pages (3.33%) February: 1451 pages (7.26%) March: 3745 pages (18.73%)

What are your reading goals for 2014? How close are you to completing your goals?

Challenge Accepted: B-I-N-G-O! Bingo was his name-o! Update #03

Here's a quick update as to where I stand with my 2014 Challenges!

Goal: 10 Books

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. REVIEW COMING SOON! A Plague of Zombies
   by Diana Gabaldon
5. REVIEW COMING SOON! Capricious by Jade Eby
6. REVIEW COMING SOON! Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which started on February 14th! The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. So far I've finished 2 books that were series enders. One review is complete and the second one is still in process.

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth.
2. REVIEW COMING SOON! Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Here's the update to my Random House of Canada bingo card. As you can see with the completion of several books including Citadels of Fire, Ashen Winter and Sunrise I now have 2 BINGOs!

Since January 1, I have read 3745 pages (18.73%) towards my goal of 20,000 pages. Only 16255 pages to go!

January: 665 pages (3.33%) February: 1451 pages (7.26%)

What are your reading goals for 2014? How close are you to completing your goals?

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges Update #02

Here's a quick update as to where I stand with my 2014 Challenges!

1. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
   by Barry Lyga
2. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.
3. REVIEW COMING SOON!A Plague of Zombies
   by Diana Gabaldon
4. REVIEW COMING SOON! Capricious by Jade Eby

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which starts on February 14th! The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. I've a got a few on my 2014 reading wish list that are series wrap ups. I'm really excited for this challenge!

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Here's the update to my Random House of Canada bingo card.

Since January 1, I have read 1451 pages towards my goal of 20,000 pages. Only 18549 pages to go!

What are your reading goals for 2014?

Book Review #10: The Breath of God by Jeffery Small

I came across this book by a chance conversation with one of the booksellers at Barnes and Noble. All she had to say was, "It's like Dan Brown, but better." See the issue I had with The Da Vinci Code was the ending. The reveal of who done it was such a let down to me as a reader. "I spent all those hours on the edge of my seat for that?!" was my thought when I got to end. I hate mysteries that leave me feeling like that. So I bit on The Breath of God which I checked out of my local library.

The Breath of God was a better read for me than The Da Vinci Code. Unlike The Da Vinci Code which is based on conspiracy theories, which depending on your bent, may or may not be true, The Breath of God is based on religious doctrine and posed questions I've often asked myself. Why do all the major religions of the world share some of the same basic tenants? How did that happen? Why did that happen? How did history shape religion? Now if you want a humorous answer to these questions, you must really check out Lamb by Christopher Moore. If satire and humor, when applied to religion really aren't your thing, then The Breath of God is right up your alley.

Small doesn't create the gripping cliffhangers at the end of each chapter that Brown does and I was able to read the book in short bursts and walk away without it constantly nagging at me like The Da Vinci Code did. Small, on the whole, does craft a stronger story that provides you with the major building blocks to see how the religions in the world may be connected. You can see how the pieces of the plot and the Issa story fit together. I like being given breadcrumbs that lead me to the end of the story.

A few of Small's characters are a bit on the extreme side and at times, maybe a little over the top. After Grant, the main character in the story, achieves his life long goal, the story isn't quite wrapped up. I'm not a reader who necessarily needs all the plot lines wrapped up into a neat little bow. As a result, the last 30 or so pages after Grant returns to the States seemed a little extraneous. I wasn't necessarily concerned with how his discovery was going be received by the Christian Fundamentalists. However, I'm sure I'm in the minority and Small does a over the top, all the "bad" guys have to pay ending which was disappointing. I was left wondering why the book couldn't just have ended after Chapter 55.

Overall, I liked The Breath of God by Jeffery Small. There was an academic approach to religion that I appreciated. And while some of the characters were over the top, the book had a satisfying conclusion that didn't leave me mystified (or pissed) at the end.

Book Review #09: The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D.

About once or twice a year, I read a non-fiction book. I should probably read more non-fiction as a way of continuing my education, but I really struggle with non-fiction books because they are usually these academically dense works that make my head hurt. I spend most of my days organizing people and projects and finding solutions to problems. The last thing I want to do over lunch or at night when I get home is jump in bed with a book that makes me think and worry more.

A couple years ago, when The End of Illness was released, I saw Dr. Agus on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He seemed like a pretty easy going guy, and easy to understand despite being a doctor. Plus the topic about how to end illness is quite fascinating. I added The End of Illness to my to-read list. After receiving my holiday boon of book store gift cards, I found a copy of The End of Illness on clearance at the local Barnes and Noble.

The End of Illness is a fairly accessible book about some of the progresses that have been made in medical research that might be used to create a more personalized form of healthcare. The approach focuses on the individual by studying the proteins in the blood to determine what is causing the illness and then determining how to treat the individual. For example, by studying the proteins in blood, doctors and scientists could determine why some drugs work for certain individuals and not for others. Nova recently covered this in relation to the treatment of mental disorders.

While the books offers some hope for better treatment of terminal illnesses like cancer, there isn't any immediate change in sight. This book was published in 2011 and I know that some cancer drugs haven't changed in 20+ years. The changes Agus proposes would require the system to change to dramatically and actually force for of dialogue between doctors and patients. With the current way the system works, spending more time with patients and doesn't seem to be at the top of anyone's priority list.

I only only two negatives to mention about the book. One. The dust jacket flap was a bit misleading thinking the Agus was going to provide some great revelation about preventing illness that hadn't yet considered, but it was pretty basic common sense advice. Eat right. Get at least 8 hours of sleep. Monitor your health in a diary daily so when you have a yearly physical you can give your physician an accurate picture of the state of your health. Two. In Chapter 5, Agus talks about the research currently being done on blood proteins and how that can be used for diagnosis and monitoring of a person's health. There is an image shown on page 110. Agus tries to explain how complicated the proteins in the blood are and then shares the picture. It's in black and white. I can't help, but wonder how much more powerful this explanation would have been if the picture had been in color^*.

Overall, I liked The End of Illness. It offers some hope in a new way to treat illness and while this may be a long way off, there are researchers out there working towards this change. If you are reading this book looking for some groundbreaking way to stave off illness in your own life, you will be sorely disappointed. If you are fascinated by the science and history of the treatment of illness, you may like this book. The End of Illness by David B. Agus, M.D. gets a thumbs up.

^{*If you are lucky enough to get an older publication of this book, a color version of the blood proteins appears on the cover.}

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Book Review #08: The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga

I'm not quite sure what caught my attention when I was in Half Price Books after Christmas, but I saw The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga on the clearance shelf and had to buy it. Certainly the price point was a draw, but something else grabbed me when I read the inside of the dust jacket. Perhaps it was a feeling of solidarity.

Fanboy is a loner and he has a passion for comic books. He has one friend, a jock named Cal, who shares the same passion. Then Fanboy meets Goth Girl and everything changes.

I enjoyed The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. The characters were richly drawn teenagers with realistic problems. I was able to identify with Fanboy and his passion for comics. I have my own passions and sometimes hold so tightly to them that sharing them with others seems like a betrayal and a huge risk. No one could possibly love my passions as much as I do, right? But, as Fanboy learns, perhaps sharing your passion allows for other astonishing things to happen.

While Lyga does a great job building and creating the teenage characters in the book, the adults seemed like caricatures. Fanboy's mother complains a lot; and his stepfather was barely redeemable as a human until the very end. The assistant principal at the school was an idiot and easily steamrolled. Would a student really be able to convince one of their teachers that The Great Depression was caused by a Tortoise Blight? I found myself rolling my eyes a lot when the adults entered the picture because the scenes tended towards the extreme. The book is told from Fanboy's perspective so perhaps that was intentional. I guess most teenagers (including myself when I was that age) see their parents in a similar fashion and do wish their teachers were pushovers.

Overall, I liked The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga. Lyga creates vivid teenagers who struggle with real problems. He creates a plot that is easy to connect with and has some surprising twists and turns including a jaw dropping run in with a comic book author. Talk about fangirling! The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga gets a thumbs up.

Challenge Accepted: My 2014 Reading Challenges #01

I buy a lot of books! Going to Barnes and Noble and Half Price Books is a date night for my husband and I. I have quite a few books on my bookshelf and even more on my Nook Color (out of sight, out of mind, right?!). I'm going to try and whittle down my TBR pile and I think this challenge will be perfect.

I plan to read 10 books from my TBR pile!

I'm also participating in [FICT]shun's 2nd Annual Don't Let it End Reading Challenge which starts on February 14th! The goal of the challenge is to read the final books in a series. I've a got a few on my 2014 reading wish list that are series wrap ups. I'm really excited for this challenge!

To go along with these challenges, I'm going to be filling out the bingo card devised by Random House of Canada.

I've already got one done. Cool, huh?!

As I have done the last 2 years, I plan to read 20,000 pages. In 2013 that was a total of 59 books. I will be tracking my progress on Goodreads. So far, since January 1, I have read 665 pages. Only 19335 pages to go!

What are your reading goals for 2014?

My Top 5 Books of 2013 and Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2014

All the links in this post will take you to GoodReads.com so you can add these books to your own to-read list.

My Top 5 Books of 2013

1. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
I loved Seraphina. Hartman does an excellent job creating a fantasy world where humans and dragons exist side-by-side in a contentious peace. The main character is a talented musician with a family secret she is just starting to discover.

2. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I picked up this book at Barnes and Noble during one of their Buy 2, Get 1 free deals. The cover design of the paperback really drew me in and once I started reading it, I couldn’t it put it down. Morgenstern constructs a black and white world filled with magic and wonder. I am still tempted, in these cold winter months, to find a red scarf to wear.

3. The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Ever since one of my friends introduced me to Jim C. Hines's Princess series; I’ve been on the hunt of novels that reframe traditional fairy tales in exciting new ways. Meyer definitely accomplishes this. In a futuristic world, Cinder and Scarlet struggle through their own trials to fit in as well as navigate the political issues of the day where the Earth and the Moon have deep differences in how people are treated.

4. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
I fell in love with Morton when I read The Forgotten Garden back in 2009. Since that time, I've read every one of her books. Morton has a magical way of melding the past with the present that keeps you turning the page until all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

5. Redshirts by John Scalzi
I am a huge fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who and Farscape. Scalzi's book takes the Redshirts who star in a popular science fiction show and places them center stage as they discover they actually exist in the real word and there are real world consequences to the actions taken by the show's writers.  This book is great for those who love a twists on pop culture references.

Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2014

• Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon
• Sunrise by Mike Mullins
• Cress by Miranda Meyer
• Hallow City by Ransom Riggs
• Capricious by Jade Eby
• The Finish by Jade Eby

What were your favorite books of 2013? What's on your to-read list for 2014?