Goodreads Yearly Challenge

I am excited to say that I have completed my Goodreads Reading Goal for this year! =) My goal was 100 novels, which I honestly didn't know if I'd get to. But I made it with a month to spare! Below are the 100 books that kept me reading from January to November!

100. Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter by Nikki Jefford
99. Firefly Beach by Meira Pentermann
98. Inspired Creative Writing by Alexander Gordon Smith
97. The Rules of Life by Richard Templar
96. Bone Blind by Abigail Padgett
95. Falling in Love by Stephen Bradlee
94. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
93. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
92. Purgatory by Tim Dodge
91. Become by Ali Cross
90. The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson
89. Bohemia by Veronika Carnaby
88. Heartsblood by Carolyn McCray
87. A Lion in America by Robert Mwangi
86. Sleeping Handsome by Jean Haus
85. October Night by Theresa Oles
84. The Sun, the Moon, and Maybe the Trains by Rodney Jones
83. Alone by Seanpaul Thomas
82. The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
81. Donners Bend by Alexa V. James
80. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
79. Blood of Anteros by Georgia Cates
78. Angelfall by Susan Ee
77. One Little Christmas Tree by The Curto Family
76. Fool for Love by Marie Force
75. Pulled by A.L. Jackson
74. Under an Orange Sun, Some Days are Blue by Irving Belateche
73. Sleeping Roses by RaShelle Workman
72. Golden Lies by Barbara Freethy
71. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch
70. Dangerous Waters by Anne Allen
69. The Awakening by L.J. Smith
68. The Seekers' Garden by Isa Ritchie
67. Hemingway Point by Noral Carroll
66. Twelve Months by Steven Manchester
65. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
64. Murder In Silence by Gary Kassay
63. Fierce Dawn by Amber Scott
62. Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot
61. UnEnchanted by Chanda Hahn
60. Tremble by Addison Moore
59. The Jazz Cage by Ray Chen Smith
58. Wuthering Nights by Summer Day
57. Maid for Love by Marie Force
56. Finding Out by Sheryn MacMunn
55. The Transformed by Raphael Hirsch
54. Always the Designer, Never the Birde by Sandra D. Bricker
53. It Rains in February by Leila Summers
52. Grave Situation by Alex MacLean
51. Etheral by Addison Moore
50. Here by Denise Grover Swank
49. Glamorous Illusions by Lisa Tawn Bergren
48. The Turned by Tracy Kiser
47. Just the Way You Are by Barbara Freethy
46. The Last Good Man by Kathleen Eagle
45. The End of the World by Andrew Biss
44. Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase
43. Hollowland by Amanda Hocking
42. Chasing Darkness by Danielle Girard
41. Love Unlisted by Stephanie Haddad
40. A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
39. Bound by Kira Saito
38. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
37. Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson
36. The Mind Readers by Lori Brighton
35. Duplicity by Nikki Jefford
34. Once Bitten by Trina M. Lee
33. Fifty Shades Freed by EL James
32. Entangled by Nikki Jefford
31. Entangled by Barbara Ellen Brink
30. Dead is the New Black by Christine DeMaio-Rice
29. Fifty Shades Darker by EL James
28. Midnight Sun by MJ Fredrick
27. A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
26. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James
25. Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
24. Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle
23. A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
22. Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
21. The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
20. Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas
19. A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
18. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
17. Seduce Me At Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
16. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
15. The Kiss by Elda Minger
14. Only the Strongest Survive by Ian Fox
13. Stuck With You by Trish Jensen
12. The Lady Most Likely by Julia Quinn et al
11. Where the Wind Blows by Caroline Fyffe
10. The Queen of New Beginnings by Erica James
9. Princess Charming by Nicole Jordan
8. The Delilah Complex by M.J. Rose
7. Sins of A Wicked Duke by Sophie Jordan
6. Made about the Duke by Elizabeth Boyle
5. Someone to Watch Over Me by Lisa Kleypas
4. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter

If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it’s to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn’t hurt either.

Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Government agents step in and save Aurora’s life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska. Basically she’s a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job… by hand.

Now Aurora’s only friends are groupies of the undead and the only boy she can think about may very well be a vampire. And if he’s a vampire, she’ll have to kill him.

(For ages 18+)

*May Contain Spoilers*

Nikki Jefford has amazed me. Again. In her newest novel, Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Jefford turns vampirism into a real disease. The explanation that people with the blood type AB can become vampires by extracting a deadly disease (and surviving it) is pure creative genius. I admire that Jefford gave vampirism a new back story, making it a possible realistic occurrence. 

Aurora Sky, the main character of the novel which is told in her point of view, is a simple teenage girl who dies in a car accident. After learning of her rare blood type, the government steps in, replacing a few organs, infecting her with an array of deadly diseases, and then giving her an antidote so she won't turn into a vampire... but instead become their worst enemy. 

After the transfusion, Aurora is trained as a vampire hunter which is a lot like being thrown to the wolves.  And then, of course, is on the job training with her mentor Dante. All of this happening while Aurora is trying to finish high school, falling in love, and making new friends. Talk about a heavy burden! 

But Aurora can definitely handle herself. After the government made her superhuman, her personality shifts into your typical badass. She's not afraid of anything and is learning to stick up for herself (and others). Though, it does tend to get her into trouble. Readers will connect with Aurora based on her new found teenage angst to live her own life, her desire to be a normal girl even if it's impossible now, and her dreams for the future. 

However, even though this book seems like a YA novel, it definitely is not. There's cursing, sexual innuendos, and some gory descriptions. Highly recommended for readers who are 18+! Absolutely cannot wait until the second volume is released! Better get writing Jefford... =) 

Rating: 5/5 Cups

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter

Firefly Beach

When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Meira Pentermann combines the paranormal with the mysterious in her novel, Firefly Beach. With a glowing orb as her guide, Beth must uncover what happened to Katherine Thompson, a young girl who disappeared without a trace. After discovering an old diary, Beth prepares to track down Katherine and put an end to the mystery. 

Beth La Monte is a woman who does not give up easily. When presented with a problem, she goes to the ends of the earth to solve it. Luckily for her, in this case - the problem is in her new town. 

Beth's character is a strong yet battered soul. Struggling to accept a past that would bring depression into a many soft souls, Beth takes on the unknown when she follows the clues to find Katherine Thompson. Readers will connect with her based on how she overcomes her haunted past while helping another family understand what happened to their beloved Katherine. 

Though, it does take a while to form a strong bond with Beth. At first, the events and situations that Beth finds herself in make it seem that she could be suffering from a psychological break. At times, I believed the final twist would be Beth's sanity. After readers accept the "firefly" as a paranormal occurrence  they will have no problem solidifying a connection with Beth. 

Pentermann penned the plot wonderfully. It was full of delicate twists, mysterious clues, and enjoyable supporting characters. I loved how the point of view changed in a few chapters to give readers a more in-depth look at the characters surrounding Beth.

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Firefly Beach

November Wrap-Up

November was a great reading month: allowing me to read all of the books for my Fall Into Reading 2012 Challenge! Plus some. I'd have to say my favorite was The Mistaken by Nancy S. Thompson. =) 

I'd love to hear what your favorite book this month was! Leave a comment if you'd like to share. =)