Unfinished Desires

This will be my 37th book read for the year. I'm almost to me second (or revised) reading goal for the year. Unfinished Desires was sent to me by GoodReads. I'm very glad that I was able to get this book. I'm halfway finished with it, and I am enjoying it very much. It comes out for sale in December.
I believe that I have only three more books to read and review for the Colorful Reading Challenge also, though I did change one of my planned books. I am going to satisfy my inner list-lover and list the books I've read for the challenge. Maybe I'll be inspired to start the next color.

The Colorful Reading Challenge Update;

Six Required Colors:

1. Blue Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre (May '09)
2. Red Red by Jordan Summers (April '09)
3. White Black and White by Jackie Kessler/Caitlin Kittredge (July '09)
4. Black White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison (April'09)
5. Silver planned: Silver Ship and the Sea by Brenda Cooper
6. Gold planned: The Man With the Golden Torc by Simon R Greene

Three Optional Colors

1. Green Green Angel by Alice Hoffman (June '09)
2. Yellow Crome Yellow by Aldous Huxley (September '09)
3. undecided so far - I'll be on the look out, and open to suggestions (hint-hint)

There is another challenge I'm tempted to try, except I can't remember where I read about it, or what the name of the challenge is. I remember what to do though, and it requires reading a total of 55 books in the space of a year. The breakdown is like this

• read 10 books published in 2010
• read 9 books published in 2009
• read 8 books published in 2008
• read 7 books published in 2007 (see a trend?)
• 6 books from 2006
• 5 from 2005
• 4 from 2004
• 3 from 2003
• 2 from 2002
• 1 from 2001

I think this would be fun. (I might have read about it on Lost in Books-maybe) I'm pretty sure that I have at least 9 books from 2009 in my TBR pile. I might have some from 2008 also. I'm wondering if re-reading books count, since it's been a very long time since I've read some of my books from 2007 and before. If so, then I have plenty of books "in stock"; some of them I would love a reason to re-read. Unfortunately I do not remember the deadline, only that it is sometime in the year 2010.

Update--> after searching this thing (browser searches are great aren't they? I used yahoo search and ended up on a google page.) I found the Countdown 2010 Challenge. there is a sign up form. I'm contemplating this, (actually signing up, because it looks intimidating. the sign up, not the challenge) I'm going to read the rules and decide whether to do it officially or on my own. either way it's a good challenge. I still don't remember the first place I read about this challenge though.

I've read the rules. Nothing stated about re-reads, so I'm going to use my older books. It'll be like reading them for the first time, since I don't remember lots of details from books I've read a long time ago.

Early Review Books

I tried this new to me site called The Library Thing; a place where you can make a list of your books read, reading and to read. I noticed that they have a section called Early Reviewers where you can sign up for a book from the publisher to read and review. Some of the books have over 1,000 people requesting with 30 copies to give out, some have 200, with 15 copies to give out. For July there were over 65 different novels up for giveaways. Apparently they take a look at reviews that are submitted, how many people are requesting a certain book, what kind of books you have listed, etc and make a decision based on all of that. Well, I tried to request quite a few of the books, figuring I might get at least one book. I received nothing so far for the July requests. Not one book.

On the last day of July, I found that Goodreads also provides giveaways. I had already made an account there, but didn't realize that they held giveaways. It's a little hard to find that page. Within a week of putting in some requests, I got notice that I will be getting a book called Unfinished Desires by Gail Godwin. I normally read urban fantasy, but I remember reading a book by Gail Godwin a long time ago. I remember it being a pretty good book, so I'm glad to get a newer one by her. For the life of me though, I don't remember if I read A Southern Family or A Mother and Two Daughters. Cannot remember at all. I do remember that it was very interesting.

Other books coming up for me to read are The Devil You Know and Vicious Circle (which a certain very sweet person sent to me) as well as Dead Man's Boots (which I won from the SciFiGuy's contest).

So I have a few more books to look forward to reading, as well as the books already on my TBR pile/shelf.

I hit book no. 30 out of my 30 book reading goal for the year. I have since read Night Child by Jes Battis and Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris which brings my total of books read for the year 2009 at 32. My new goal is 40 books , or 10 more books from now to December 2009. I should make it 50 books for the year, but I'll see how it goes with 40. I have to start back to work next week and that takes huge chunks out of the reading time.