100 Pages A Day.... Stephanie's Book Reviews

2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

3/4/2019

I will be joining the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge again this year!
Last year I read 49 Historical Fiction books.
I'll be going for the Ancient History Level again.

Here are the details and how to sign up:
Here are the Reading Challenge details:

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

Everyone can participate! If you don't have a blog you can post a link to your review if it's posted on Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon, or you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish.
Add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please use the direct URL that will guide us directly to your review)
Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction, etc.)

During the following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:

20th Century Reader - 2 books
Victorian Reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 books
Ancient History - 25 books
Prehistoric - 50+ books

To join the challenge you only need to make a post about it, add your link in Mr. Linky below or just leave a link to your blog if you are not yet ready to post about it yet. If you don't have a blog you can just leave a comment for this post saying that you are joining, and link to your Facebook, Goodreads or other social media page where you will be sharing your reviews.

The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2019.

Books read:
1. A Murder By Any Name: Elizabethan Spy Mystery
2. The Blue By Nancy Bilyeau
3. All is Fair by Dee Garretson
4. An Improbable Pairing by Gary Dickson
5. The Warrior Maiden by Melanie Dickerson
6. The Peddler of Wisdom by Laura Matthias Bendoly
7. A Cobbler's Tale by Neil Perry Gordon
8. The Peddler of Wisdom by Laura Matthias Bendoly
9. Between Before & After by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
10. Innocence Lost by Sherilyn Decter
11.Passengers by Elizabeth Collums
12. The Woman in the Lake by Nicola Cornick
13. Within These Lines by Stephanie Morrill
14. Song of Sacrifice by Janell Rhiannon
15. Josephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones
16. Midnight at the Tuscany Hotel by James Markert

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COYER Winter 2018

2/19/2019

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I'm participating in the Winter COYER challenge!
What is COYER?
COYER Winter 2018 will run from December 1, 2018 to March 2, 2019! Mark your calendars!
COYER rules:

Read Your E-Reads! Every book you read MUST be in an electronic format – meaning E-Book or Audiobook. It’s okay to start a book before December 1st, you must be less than half way for it to count then review it during COYER.
The books must be FREE or NEARLY FREE! This includes review books, tour books, NetGalley, Edelweiss, etc. What’s nearly free? No more than $2 for eBooks and no more than $5 for Audiobooks (or the equivalent in your currency). This does NOT include library books, borrowed books, or Kindle Unlimited books.
Announce your participation! This can be a blog post (or if you don’t have a blog – Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Booklikes, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.) If you want to list books you would like to read, that’s great, but not necessary. The point is to let everyone know you’re committed to COYER, maybe share some goals, and help spread the word. Not sure how to do your post? Check out this example from a previous COYER.
Link up! Link that post (not just your blog homepage) to the linky below. (remember if you signed up before our site crashed we need you to sign up again)
Review & Link Reviews! Your review may be on your blog, Goodreads, Shelfari, Booklikes, etc. Link the review to the Review Linky (which will be available on the kick off post on December 1st).
We are giving away (2) $10 Gift Cards. One is for the review link and the other is for a goody type of giveaway. It will be for readathons, participating, visiting, etc. We will have all the info on the kick off post.
Visit Each Other, Chat & Have Fun!

Go here to sign up!

Here is what I would like to read this COYER:

Books Finished:
A Light of Her Own- 12/3/2018
The War Between Us- 12/9/2018
From Across the Room- 12/12/2018
What Girls Are Good For-12/17/2018
Beneath The Lighthouse- 12/26/2018
BRAT and the Kids of Warriors- 12/28/2018
A Murder by Any Name- 1/4/2019
Reign Drops- 1/7/2019
The Blue- 1/9/2019
Citadel- 1/12/2019
The Princess of Baker Street- 1/13/19
Pretty In Punxsutawney- 1/16/19
All Is Fair- 1/18/19
The Birds, the Bees and You and Me- 1/23/19
An Unexpected Adventure- 1/24/19
An Improbable Pairing- 1/28/19
The Warrior Maiden- 2/3/19
A Cobbler's Tale- 2/5/19
The Peddler of Wisdom- 2/8/19
Between Before & After- 2/13/19
Innocence Lost- 2/18/19

Read-a-Thon #2
It's Time to Read All the Books!
1. Beneath the Lighthouse- 12/16/18
2. BRAT and the Kids of Warriors- 12/28/18
3. A Murder By Any Name- 1/4/19
4. Reign Drops- 1/7/19
5. The Blue- 1/9/19
6. Citadel- 1/12/19
7. The Princess of Baker Street- 1/13/19

Read-A-Thon #3
It's From Last Year
1. An Unexpected Adventure

Read- A Thon #4
It's All about Love
1. The Warrior Maiden
2. The Peddler of Wisdom

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24 in 48 Readathon

1/15/2019

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I'll be participating in the 24 in 48 readathon!

How does it work?
If you’re new to 24in48, this is the basic gist: beginning at 12:01am (official timezone is EST) on Saturday morning and running through 11:59pm on Sunday night, participants read for 24 hours out of that 48-hour period.
You can split that up however you’d like: 20 hours on Saturday, four hours on Sunday; 12 hours each day; six four-hour sessions with four hour breaks in between. You can pause as much as you need, enjoy regularly scheduled weekend activities, nap, stop for dance breaks with your kids or pets or neighbors. Whatever works for you.
And that’s it. The format never changes but it’s always an adventure.
Have more questions? There’s an FAQ page for that. Also, just as we did in July, we’re still accepting donations to help us send more prizes out to international winners through the PayPal donate button on the sidebar (or you can go here; every dollar helps). And if you’d like to donate prizes directly, send us an email at 24in48readathonofficial@gmail.com.

Sign-up detailsReady to join? Fill out the form below (or if you’re having trouble, click through here) and feel free to list any and all of the places you’ll be hanging out online during the ‘thon. After you sign up, check out who else is participating.

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Bout of Books 24

1/14/2019

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The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 7th and runs through Sunday, January 13th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 24 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Here is what I'd like to read this Bout of Books:

Day 1
Challenge: Introduce yourself in six words
Passionate scientist, dancer, gardener and mother
Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
Began: The Blue

Day 2
Challenge: Character Dinner Party
This is a tough one and I thought very hard about my answers!
For my guest list:
Zee Mimms from I Am Mrs. Jesse James
Jenny Bell from Tiffany Blues
Agnes from All the Ever Afters
Lucy Callahan from The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl
and
Laila Lawrence from She Regrets Nothing
On the Menu:
Make Your Own Taco Bar
and
Sundae Bar
Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Began: Citadel

Day 3
Challenge:
Six Degrees of Separation
The Most Happy by Helen R. Davis
The Boleyn King by Laura Anderson
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
The School of Night Colin Falconer
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
The Cottingly Secret by Hazel Gaynor

Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Currently Reading: Citadel

Day 4
Challenge:
Synopsis Rewrite
Reign Drops from the view of the dragon: The time has finally come to not be stuck inside an amulet inside of a wall. The girl has been chosen and I can carve out a space of my own inside her mind. With my help, the girl is completing her mission to save the tribe. However, she is complicating matters by forming a relationship with the lohil- I'll have to take matters into my own hands.

Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Currently Reading: Citadel

Day 5
Challenge
If you like Philippa Gregory try Hazel Gaynor

Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Currently Reading: Citadel

Day 6
Challenge
Dream Cast for The Blue
Genevieve Planché-Saoirse RonanSir Gabriel Courtenay- Eric Von Detten
Thomas -Eddie Redmayne

Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Citadel
Currently Reading: The Princess of Baker Street

Day 7
Challenge
Stretch Goal
I'd like to finish The Princess of Baker Street and start Pretty in Punxsutawney

Progress:
Finished: Reign Drops
The Blue
Citadel
The Princess of Baker Street
Began: Pretty in Punxsutawney

Wrap Up
Total Books Read: 4.2
Total Pages Read: 1,142
Total Hours Read: about 11
Challenges Completed: 7

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2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

12/17/2018

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I've done really well with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for 2017, so I am delighted to join the 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. This year, I will do the Ancient History Level again at 25 books. Here are the rules and how to participate:

Here are the Reading Challenge details:

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

Everyone can participate! If you don't have a blog you can post a link to your review if it's posted on Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon, or you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish.
Add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please use the direct URL that will guide us directly to your review)
Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction, etc.)

My 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Log:
1. The Muse of Fire by Carol M. Cram- Drama at the Theatre in 19th Century London.
2. The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck- Post WWII Germany and the women who resisted.
3. A Certain Age- A love triangle and a mystery in Jazz Age New York City.
4. A Peculiar Courtship- A Spy Regency Romance, 2nd book in the Beckett Files.
5. The Phantom's Apprentice- Retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with Christine taking center stage.
6. The Atomic City Girls- The story of four people working in Oak Ridge during WWII.
7. By Love Divided-family ties during the English Civil War.
8. Catarina's Ring- the shared story of grandmother and granddaughter between the present and early 20th century Italy and NYC.
9. Courage Between Love and Death- Retelling of President McKinley's assassination from the point of view of a nurse at the Pan-Am Expo in Buffalo, NY.
10. Cleopatra Unconquered- An alternate history from Cleopatra's birth and if she and Marc Antony had won the battle of Actium.
11. River Rising- Time travel adventure to the Johnstown Flood.
12. My Dear Hamilton- Eliza Hamilton's story through the Revolutionary War and into the new century.
13. Come From Away- Historical romance about Canada's role in WWII and the U-Boats on Nova Scotia's shore.
14. Owen: Book One of the Tudor Trilogy- Historical Fiction of Owen Tudor's life and his family lineage.
15: The Deadliest Sport- Historical Mystery set in First Century CE, Alexandria
16. Trouble in Glamour Town- Murder Mystery in 1920's Hollywood
17. Cocoa Beach- Mystery and Romance set between WWI and the Prohibition Era.
18. To Love A Spy- Regency Spy Romance set during the Napoleonic Wars
19. All The Ever Afters- The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother- Cinderella's Stepmother's story set in Medieval England.
20. The Underground River- The Underground Railroad upon a Floating River Theatre in 1838.
21. The Lost Vintage- A dual-time story of the French Resistance and collaborators during WWII.
22. Secrets of the Island- Twins returning from World War II dig through their family's history.
23. What Blooms From Dust- Historical fiction blended with magical realism during the Dust Bowl in Nowhere, Oklahoma.
24. A Hangman For Ghosts- Historical mystery set in Australia's penal colony in 1829.
25. The Romanov Empress- Historical Fiction about the life of Maria Feodorova, Tsarina of Russia.
26. Blood and Ink- Historical Fiction about Kit Marlowe and William Shakespeare in Tudor England.
27. The Memory Tree- Time Travel Adventure to 1918 with the Carson Family. Book 2 in the Carson Chronicles.
28. The Locksmith's Daughter- Historical Thriller about a female spy for Sir Francis Walsingham in Tudor England.
29. A Tangled Ruse- A Regency Spy Romance in 19th Century Scotland, book 4 of the Beckett Files
30. Tiffany Blues- Historical mystery set in the Jazz Age surrounding artists at Louis Comfort Tiffany's Laurelton Hall.
31. The Phantom Tree- Time Travel romance surrounding Mary Seymour in Tudor England.
32. The Secret of the Irish Castle- The third book of the Deverill Chronicles, a family saga from 1939-1952.
33. I Am Mrs. Jesse James- The story of Zee Mimms, wife of Jesee James.
34. The Silver Shoes- Dual time story between the present day and 1929-30.
35. Witch Dance- Dual time story of missing children from the Bynum Mounds between the Hopewell tribes and present day.
36. The Promise of Tomorrow- Historical romantic suspense
37. When the Men Were Gone- Historical fiction of Tylene Wilson, a female football coach during WWII.
38. Stanley & Hazel- Murder mystery in 1930's St. Louis.
39. The Devil's Grin- Murder Mystery in Victorian London
40. The Promise of Tomorrow- Historical romantic suspense
41. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter- The story of Grace Darling
42. The Game of Hope- Hortense de Beauharnais' teen years after the French Revolution
43. The Girl They Left Behind- Story of a Jewish girl who survived the Bucharest Pogroms, WWII in Romania and the Iron Curtain.
44. Miami Days, Havana Nights- Dual time story of the Jewish mob in Florida.
45. Temptation Rag- The story of how Ragtime music grew and the musicians that brought it to the masses.
46. A Light of Her Own- The story of Judith Leyster, Dutch Golden Age painter.
47. The War Between Us- Historical Romance during WWII.
48. From Across the Room- Historical Romance set in late 19th Century and told in epistolary form.
49. What Girls Are Good For- Story of Nellie Bly.

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ARCtober Reading Challenge

10/24/2018

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This challenge was made for me! I have a bunch of ARC's to catch up on and fall is a great time to read. Here are the details and how to sign up:

Challenge details:
Runs October 1 – October 31, 2018.
You have until October 5 to sign up.

The (only) goal is to read ARCs. As many as you want. They can be older ones that you haven’t read for one reason or another OR newer ones for books that haven’t yet released. Print, ebook and audio all count. Just read them.

Even though this isn’t part of the official challenge, don’t forget to review. Even if it’s an older book. You’ll get good bookish juju — and a bonus entry into the giveaways.

You don’t have to be a blogger to participate. You can track your progress on Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube… wherever you want! I’ll be posting weekly updates on the blog and Instagram, but you do what works for you.

Use #ARCtober2018 on social media.

Feel free to use the banner graphic on your posts and/or social media. Or create your own!

Link up

Tell your friends! The more, the merrier!

You know you want to join us! Don’t have a blog? Its okay!! You can track your progress on Goodreads or your social media site of choice.

Here are some of the books that I'd like to read

1. The Promise of Tomorrow
2. Stanley & Hazel
3. Madam Velvet's Cabaret of Oddities
4. The Game of Hope
5. The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter
6. The Girl They Left Behind

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FraterFest!

9/26/2018

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It's that time of year where I like to read all of my Halloween themed, thriller, and paranormal books! So, why not participate in FraterFest?
Go here for the official link up and more info: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2018/09/fraterfest-readathon-sign-up.html

Here are the rules:

Linkup
Spread the Word Grab the button and/or use social media to share the signup post
Read or Listen Between Midnight October 11th and ending at 11:59 pm October 16th read or listen to thrillers, mysteries, paranormal, horror, supernatural, witchy, ghostly, fantasy, or serial killer novels and novellas. (to clarify..these can be cozies and include romance. No need to sleep with the lights on if you don’t fancy a good scare!)
Share your progress on Twitter or Instagram using #FraterfestRAT
Participate in at least one challenge.
Create a shelf on Goodreads (or blog post) marked FraterfestRAT to share your progress
Win, Have Fun, Discuss Books and Make New Friends

Check back here for progress, challenges and updates!
Here are some of the books I plan on reading:

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COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash

8/29/2018

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I have never actually participated in a COYER but has always thought I should! I will be participating in the COYER Big Summer Birthday Bash. For more information and to sign up go here: http://coyerchallenge.com/2018/05/19/coyer-big-summer-birthday-bash-sign-up-now/

My clean up goal will be A Spring Clean- 11 to 20 books. I hope to be on the higher end of that. Check back on this post for updates and challenges.
Here are some of the e-reads I want to clean out for Goody# 9: Make a List and read 10
A Handbook For Beautiful People- Finished June 11 Ghosts and Exiles- Finished June 16 The Lost Vintage- Finished June 22 Secrets of the Island- Finished June 22 The Woman Behind the Waterfall- Finished June 27 What Blooms from Dust- Finished July 1 A Hangman For Ghosts- Finished July 7 The Romanov Empress- Finished July 14 The Memory Tree- Finished August 2 The Locksmith's Daughter- Finished August 11

Goody #1: Declare your reading goal

I want to do a Spring Cleaning with 11-20 books! Hopefully I get through more, but this is a realistic goal with the list I have going.

Goody #10: The Strict, The List and the One with the Twist
I'm doing the list first !
Wish me luck :)
Here it is, books in my possession that I want to read and have been obtained legally:
1. Secrets of the Island- Finished 6/24/18
2. The Woman Behind the Waterfall- Finished 6/26/2018
3. Camp Crush- Finished 6/27/2018
4. What Blooms From Dust- Finished 6/30/2018

Then The Strict, all ebooks, all freebies:
5. A Hangman For Ghosts- Finished 7/5/2018
6. Late K-Lunacy
7. The Romanov Empress- Finished 7/14/18
8. Stanley & Hazel

Then the Twist, all ebooks:
9. Winterglass
10. Bewitching Hannah
11. Steel Blood
12. The Medievalist
13. The Monster Upstairs
14. Into Nature
15. Flow, Spin, Grow

Goody #8:
Survive Hurricane Berls
Letting Go of Gravity

Goody #5: Scavenger Hunt
56: Tribal Affairs- A book with a traditionally evil character as the main character- a genie!
17: Tiffany Blues- A book with the word Blue in the Title
73: The Book of M- A book set a least 20 years in the future.
12: Summer Sizzle- A Romance Novel

Goody #4: Kindle Freebies
Blood and Ink

2 Comments

Bout of Books 23

8/26/2018

5 Comments

I'm Participating in Bout of Books 23!
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 20th and runs through Sunday, August 26th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 23 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

Looks for Updates and Challenges in this post!

Day 1:
Challenge- Introduce Yourself #insixwords
Outdoorswoman, gardener, toddler & dog mom, scientist.

Progress:
Finished up Tiffany Blues and wrote review.
Currently Reading: The Book of M

Day 2:
Challenge- Emoji Book Plot

Emoji Book Plot for Tiffany Blues

Progress: Still Reading The Book of M

Day 3:
Challenge- Favorite Literary Villain
The White Queen - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

Progress:
Finished- The Book of M
Currently Reading- Summer Sizzle

Day 4:
Challenge- Book Trip!
A European Tour:
French Wine Country, The London Underground and Cottingley Fairies!

Progress:
Reviewed- The Book of M
Finished- Summer Sizzle
Began- Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard

Day 5
Challenge-Bookish Playlist
Playlist for Summer Sizzle:
Summer Love- Justin Timberlake
Viva La Vida- Coldplay
Ocean Avenue- Yellowcard
I'm Yours- Jason Mraz

Progress- Reading Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard

Day 6
Challenge: Discover Books
Through Bout of Books I discovered
Tearling Series by Erika Johansen
and
Soulless Series by Gail Carriger
Progress- Reviewed Summer Sizzle
Reading- Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard

Day 7
Challenge: Stretch Goal
I'd like to finish up Barsk and start the Phantom Tree!

Progress- Finished Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard

Wrap-Up!
Total Books Read: 4
Tiffany Blues by MJ Rose
The Book of M by Peng Shepherd
Summer Sizzle by Tammy Andressen
Barsk: The Elephant's Graveyard by Lawrence M. Shoen
Pages Read: 1325
Challenges Completed: 7

5 Comments

Summer TBR Wipeout

6/29/2018

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Another challenge! Why not? These are really helping me get through the ridiculous amount of books that I need to read. Want to join? Here is more info:

The Summer TBR Wipeout 2018 summer reading challenge sign-ups are now open! ! I hope that you can join us in our low-key challenge that will help to wipe some of those books off of your ever growing TBR. It is always a fun part of my summer and I look forward to finding out what everyone else is reading this year.
To make the Summer TBR Wipeout 2018 simple and inclusive to everyone, I am opening this up to anyone who wants to participate. You do not have to run a book blog or a website for that matter. All that I ask is that you create your posts on some sort of social media website, such as Instagram, Facebook or Tumblr, etc. You can also read backlist books, ARCs, new releases, audiobooks, or anything else that has been beckoning you to read it. There will be 4 posts in total that you can link up to here on The Candid Cover.SCHEDULE:June 3- July 5: Sign-ups open!
Week of July 1st: Introductory post- What books are you planning to read this summer?
Week of July 15th: Update post #1- Tell us how your reading has been going so far. What books have you read? Were they enjoyable? What’s next on your TBR? Etc.
Week of July 29th: Update post #2
Week of August 12th: Wrap-up post- How did your summer reading go? Did you wipeout some books from your summer TBR?
Don’t forget to check back during the event to link up your posts and earn more points for the giveaway! I am looking forward to this summer reading challenge and I can’t wait to find out what books you are reading this year.

This is a pretty easy one and since I'm already doing COYER, I'll get in some of my physical book copies for this challenge.

Check back here for updates!

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