A challenge to read more... Reading Rainbow (Part 1)

Since joining Goodreads.com I have found many “new to me” authors and series. I took the site’s general “2014 Reading Challenge” and have signed up again this year. In addition to that I decided to sign up for a few reading challenges that the groups I belong to have set it’s members. This post is all about the annual reading challenge that the “Urban Fantasy” Group have set for the whole of this year (2015)…

Reading Rainbow Yearly Challenge

Your goal: 7 to 38 books, depending on your level
 
Duration: January 1 – December 31, 2015 (Honestly, I originally designed this to be an open-ended challenge that would take however long you need to complete it. So if December rolls around and we’re still not done, we could roll it over into next year.)
 
The rules:
- This challenge is divided into four parts. You may choose to do all parts or only one, two or three parts.
- The books may be from any genre, unless specified otherwise in a category.
- Re-reads are allowed as are books used for other challenges.
- You may post your list up front or as you go and you may make changes as you go.
 
Choose your level:
Fingerpaint – Any one part
Watercolour – Any two parts
Acrylic – Any three parts
Oil – All four parts


PART ONE ~ 7 books
 
Roy G. Biv is an acronym for the order of colours in a rainbow. For each letter, read a book in which the title, series name, or author’s name (first or last) begins with that letter  

R: Stephanie Rowe – Darkness Arisen (Order of the Blade #6)
O: Olivia Hardin – Trolling for Trouble
Y: Samantha Young – Drip Drop Teardrop
G: Teresa Gabelman – Duncan (The Protectors #3)
B: Lexi Blake – Steal the Light (Thieves #1)
I: Ilona Andrews – Of Swine and Roses
V: Victoria Danann – My Familiar Stranger (Knights of Black Swan #1)

Have you read any of the above books? I decided to focus on the name of the authors in this part and as always you can see my reviews on Goodreads, some I really liked and some not as much but I love the idea of challenges as they make you source books that you may miss if left to your own devises, a favourite author, book or series could be just around the corner.....

I will post more as I complete each section with the tag/label #ReadingRainbowYearlyChallenge2015 to make it easier for you to find the relevant posts - part 2 is all about the colours of the front covers....
 

Urban Fantasy Group's Reading Rainbow Challenge 2015

*flora*'s favorite books »

A February Reading Challenge!

A challenge to read more…

Since joining Goodreads.com I have found many “new to me” authors and series. I took the site’s general “2014 Reading Challenge” and have signed up again this year. In addition to that I decided to sign up for a few reading challenges that the groups I belong to set. This post is all about the monthly reading challenge that the “Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy” Group have set…

PNR & UF Group - February 2015 Challenge

1. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love and beauty. In the story of the Trojan War, the Trojan Paris awarded Aphrodite the Apple of Discord after judging her to be the most beautiful of the goddesses. She then sided with the Trojans throughout the war: Read a book where a war or battle takes place or a book where main characters fight over a love interest.

“Heart of Darkness” by Felicity Heaton in Eternal Love: Vampire Romance Box set

2. Ishtar is the Babylonian goddess of love, procreation, and war. When the love of her life, the farm god Tammuz, died, she followed him to the Underworld: Read a book involving demons or a book where at least part of the story takes place in an underground realm.

“Darkness Reborn – Order of the Blade #5” by Stephanie Rowe

3. Inanna was the oldest of the love goddess of the Mesopotamian region. She was a Sumerian goddess of love and war. Although she is regarded as a virgin, Inanna is a goddess responsible for sexual love, procreation, and fertility: Read a book where a wedding takes place, or where someone is having a baby, or a book where one of the characters is a virgin.

“To Hell and Back (Lily Harper Series #3)” by H.P. Mallory

4. Ashtart/Astarte is a Semitic goddess of sexual love, maternity and fertility. She is also a war goddess and is associated with leopards or lions. Sometimes she is two-horned: Read a book about shifters.

“Hunted By A Jaguar (Eternal Mates #4)” by Felicity Heaton

5. Venus was the Roman goddess of love and beauty. She was originally an Italic goddess of vegetation and patron of gardens: Read a book involving any woodland creatures, Fairies, Elves, Fae, Dryads, Satyrs, Gnomes, Nymphs, etc.

“Claiming The Vampire (Blood and Absinthe #3)” by Chloe Hart

6. Hathor is an Egyptian goddess who sometimes wears a sun disk with horns on her head: Read a book where a main character has powers similar to the sun, some sort of fire power or pyrokinetics, dragon shifter, fire demon, etc.

“Whisper Cape (Whisper Cape #1)” by Regan Walsh

7. Isis is the Egyptian goddess of magic: Read a book where a main character is some kind of magic user, spellcaster, sorcerer, or mage.

“Of Swine and Roses” by Ilona Andrews

8. Freya was a beautiful Vanir Norse goddess of love, magic, and divination, who was called upon for help in matters of love: Read a book where a character has the power of divination or foretelling the future or a book where at least part of the story involves time travelling to another time or place.

“Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians #1)” by Dianne Duvall

9. Nügua was primarily a Chinese creator goddess, but after she populated the earth, she taught mankind how to procreate, so she wouldn't have to do it for them: Read a book where at least one character is of Asian descent, or a book where there’s some sort of Asian martial arts fighting, or a book where part of the story takes place in an Asian named place or city.

“Shadows and Gold (Elemental Legacy #0.5)” by Elizabeth Hunter

10. Tlazolteotl is the Aztec goddess of fertility, sex, childbirth and love. She appears in four forms that correspond to the phases of the moon: Read a book where at least one main character is a werewolf.

“Huntress & Stunner (Alexa O’Brien Huntress Series #0.5 & #0.75)” by Trina M Lee

Flora Reviews.... Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19166326-clean-sweep)

...So what’s this book about?

This is a short novel, about 60,000 words and is the first book in the Innkeeper Chronicles. It was originally posted as a “serial” on Ilona Andrews’ website.

The Innkeeper Chronicles are about Dina Demille, an intelligent, funny and capable young woman who runs a quiet Bed & Breakfast in a small Texas town. What her neighbours don’t know is that Dina and her Inn are not what they appear to be; her broom is a deadly weapon, her Inn is magic and thinks for itself and is a safe haven for otherworldly visitors.

This story begins with Dina having to decide whether to abandon the rules and get involved when her neighbourhood becomes the hunting ground for a vicious killer...

 ...So, what did I like about it?

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great self contained story that also left enough mysteries unanswered in the back story to allow for sequels.

I loved the original premise that mythological beings such as werewolves, vampires and shape-shifter were not an evolution from humans but extra terrestrials from other planets. The idea of who and what the Inns and Innkeepers are is refreshing and believable within this fantasy world that this husband and wife team have created.

The writing style, depth of characters and story development made this a real page turner for me. I couldn’t put it down! To feel so involved with Dina & actually feel for a building (Gertrude Hunt, the Inn itself) just proves what talented authors Ilona and Gordon Andrews are. The supporting cast of characters were just as thought out and I’m looking forward to finding out more about them in subsequent books.

...So, ummm, was there anything I disliked about it?

Not really, no.

...So, basically what I’m saying is...

I really loved this book! If you’re a fan of urban fantasy with a science fiction twist and a horror/thriller storyline then I suggest you give Clean Sweep a try. I’m glad I did.