AAR

[library addict]

9th book by an author:
Manhunter by Loreth Anne White: This book has languished in my TBR pile for almost a year and is one of the reasons I picked the Ultimate 9 Challenge for my Wild Card category. I had high hopes for it as the story starts out strong. I liked the fact the book is set in Canada and that the characters, with the exception of the villain, are all Canadian. Sadly, the hero and heroine aren’t as layered as the early chapters suggest and the omnipotence of the villain grows old very quickly . There was more than one instance in the latter half of the book when I wanted to throw it against the wall

Normally I would simply think…oh well. But I ended up disliking the book more precisely because I did enjoy the beginning and the setting, which made the letdown more acute.

8 down, 1 to go…

[maggie b.]

I can't find the original thread for 9 in 09, even using search. Does anyone have a link to it??

maggie b

[Susanna Kearsley]

Maggie, the original post went up January 10, 2009.

I think this is the link for it:
http://likesbooks.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=4437

[maggie b.]

Thanks so much Susanna! I am not officially "in" since I never signed up but I was curious to see if I had met the criteria anyway.

I'm going to have to go back and review what I have read!

maggie b.

[Tee]

[Sandlynn]

We'll have to do a "10 in 10" challenge and come up with some new categories to challenge us, although I'm always up for "authors new to you," since that's a big help in tackling my TBR pile.
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Howzit goin', toots?

[Tee]

[Schola]

+IHS+

Here's what I've managed since the last time I posted:

New-to-Me Author: Lisa Marie Rice

I started with Midnight Angel, which launched the most satisfying glom I've had since I discovered Jo Beverley. She writes RomSuspense very well, and I can see why so many readers thought she was a man.

New-to-Me Genre: Erotic Romance

Since reading Rice was such a great experience, I thought I'd try Sarah McCarty next. Now I really wish I hadn't. The leads have the kind of sex I'd never want to have in real life, so why would I want to read about it?

* * *

Well, it seems I've completed my first two categories and now only have to find a book with "Sin" or "Wicked" in the title and another with "Mistress" and whatever our other word was.
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"To be in a romance is to be in uncongenial surroundings. To be born into this earth is to be born into uncongenial surroundings, hence to be born into a romance." (G.K. Chesterton)

[Tee]

I think I'm failing here, guys. I've probably read about 20 new authors or so this year. Could that substitute and qualify for the other classifications? I didn't think so.

I tried my first new-to-me genre--a paranormal. I chose an author who everyone raves about--Nalini Singh. Ugh, it didn't work. I can't make it thru the book. Does attempting to read it, but not finishing, count toward the challenge?

I have to really get rolling here with some other genres; but I've read quite a few in the past already, so there's not a lot to choose from. And I still have the wildcard class left yet. I am a little behind, I think.
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Just because a path is well beaten is no proof it's the right one.

[maggie b.]

Edited to Finish, Posted before complete LOL

I've done Category One, New to Me Authors, with:

Jane Austin Ruined My Life, Beth Patillo
Bitten, Kelley Armstrong
The Season, Sara Maclean
Fools Rush In, Kristan Higgins
Bad Girl, Michelle Jaffe
Talk Nerdy to Me Vicki Lewis Thompson

I'm not sure about the classification of the first three but the last three are definitely romance novels. So Yeah! I made my first category.

For Category three I am doing Covers and so far have read:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.

I have "A Spell for Susannah" on order from Amazon and two "The English Wife" and a book by Stef Ann Holmes on order from the library. I did not pick the first place winners but "Spell for Susannah" is called a seventh place "winner" so I hope it counts.

Under Category 2 I am doing inspirational romance and have read "Whirlwind" by Cathy Marie Hake and have a bunch on order by other authors. They will be sort of two for ones since I don't normally read Westerns and all three will be Westerns. I think I have technically finished this category since I have read "The Tea Rose" and "The Winter Rose" by Jennifer Donnelly (both set in late 1800's) in England. It's complete if I count "The Luxe", "Rumors" and "Envy" by Anna Godbersen (set in late 1800's America). Splendor, which finishes the series, will be released in October, so I will have read four books set in the gilded age, a new to me era, as well as 2 set in England in the same time frame. However, the "Luxe" books, while romantic, are YA fiction, not really romance, so I guess they don't count. Sigh.

The hardest part of the challenge for me was finding books in categories I haven't read. I have at one point or other read books set in just about every era. However, since I don't normally read Westerns or Gilded Age books I counted them as "new to me". In fact, if it weren't for this challenge I wouldn't be reading the Westerns at all.

Another hard part for me was the romance criteria. I have read many new authors, many "new to me" genres this year. Sadly, most have not been romance novels.

maggie b.

[Schola]

[Tee]

[maggie b.]

Argh! Pulling hair. Gnashing teeth. I read "Lucy get Her Life Back" by Stef Ann Holms to fulfill the cover contest winners category and I already had three! Hours wasted on a book I didn't even like! Ah, the importance of keeping good records.

maggie b.

[Tee]

[Schola]