Beat the Backlist Challenge

Hey y'all - I found another reading challenge!  I know it's almost halfway through the year, but I just couldn't resist signing up for this challenge. 

It's: The Beat The Backlist challenge - hosted by Novel Knight.Go check out their blog (click the word blog - it's linked)!

Not only will this give me a chance to read through my backlist, but I also get the chance to participate in the Beat The Backlist Hogwarts Mini Challenge! 

I have a long list of books at home to read, and I haven't picked exactly which books from that list will be part of this challenge - but I do know I am going to challenge myself to finish 15 books from my list.  If you feel like jumping in for another challenge - stop by and sign up!

Bout of Books - Day 2 Updates and a Peek at my Books

Hi Y'all!  It's the third day of Bout of Books 17 - but I'm not here to talk about that (yet.)  Let's talk about what I did yesterday.  As you know, I've been making my way (rather slowly) through 3 books:

    

Here's my update from Tuesday!

Books Started: 3

Books Finished: 0 (le sigh)

Pages Read on Tuesday: 45

Total Pages Read: 128

And now for the really fun part: 

The Show off your Shelves Photo Challenge: 

Because I am at the library at the moment, and forgot to take pictures of my paper books, I took pictures of my e-books!  Here are (just a few) of the books sitting on my kindle at the moment: 

  

  

 

(And yes, in case you are wondering, my kindle is named Luna Lovegood!)

Bout of Books and Five Favorite Fantasy Books

Hi Y'all!  Here I am again talking about Bout of Books.  Let me tell you about my progress from my post yesterday.

I didn't get as much reading done yesterday as I did the day before, but that's cool, because the week's only half over!  I was thinking about starting Bad Monkey, but decided to save that one - so I started reading Sarah Dennard's A Darkness Strange and Lovely.  I haven't finished yet, but I am 196 pages in.  So far, I am LOVING it.  I'll let you in on a secret: my favorite part of the book so far... is the cover!

Isn't that just one of the most divine book covers you've ever seen?  I love it!

Now, fair friends, let's talk about the Bout of Books challenge for today!  Wednesday's challenge is to pick your 5 favorite books from anything.  Favorite book boyfriends, favorite classics, etc.  So, I am sharing with you my five favorite fantasy books.  This isn't easy, as fantasy is one of my top 3 favorite genres, but here we go.

I'll start from the bottom work up to my favorite:

5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.  Not the whole series.  Just the first book.  It was dark, and creepy, and weird, and so well written that I couldn't put it down.  I read all three books in a matter of days.

4. The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman.  This story was another amazing story that drew me in and compelled me to read the rest of the series.  The whole book is a magical, wondrous, story that was hard to put down and completely unforgettable.

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling.  Now - I loved the whole Harry Potter series.  From the first time I met the boy who lived in the cupboard under the stairs, to the battle of Hogwarts, and even 19 years after.  I loved every single moment with Harry and his friends.  But, The Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely my favorite book from the series, and totally worthy of being in my top five.  I feel like it's the books where Harry and his friends really come into their own, and where Rowling really got into her groove with the series.

2. Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R Tolkien.  Let's face it: Tolkien is hard to top.  But he still comes in at number 2 with Lord of the Rings, because my number one had such an impact on me.

1. And coming in a Number One: American Gods, by Neil Gaiman.  There are so many amazing, truly amazing, well written fantasy books out there.  But to me, not one of them can even compare to the amazing, stunning work that is American Gods.  Read it.  You'll love it.