Update on Twenty-Ten Reading Challenge

It's time to post my progress in Bart's Twenty-ten Challenge. I posted my intention to participate in this challenge at the beginning of this month. I'm glad that Bart says it's not cheating to count any book read since the beginning of the year, even if you join the challenge later on. So far, I've read 7 of the 20 books which make up this challenge. I'm 35% complete with the challenge at 35% of the way into the year. (Yes, that's true. 8 May 2010 is the 128th day of a 365 day year. Do the math.)

The Categories:

1. Young Adult

1. What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

   This was one of the books I read early in January. I don't think that I realized it was a YA book until I opened it and started reading. Natalya offered in the Mystery book swap in March 2009 over at BookObsessed and I won it. I then offered the book in a Virtual Book Box and sent it along to Azuki after I read it. It was a pleasant mystery which had just a smidgen of the paranormal in it. If you'd like to follow this book's travels, it is registered at BookCrossing.

2. The Great Good Thing by Roderick Townley

   I selected this book from the Teen VBB at BookObsessed. Shaunesay sent it to me just in time for me to add it to the stack of books that I was considering reading for Dewey's 24-hour Read-a-Thon on 10 April. I started reading it about 15 hours into the event, but fell asleep in the cozy overstuffed chair I was sitting in. Woke up around 03:30 and proceeded to read/doze until I finished it just 10 minutes before the 24 hours were up. I enjoyed it very much and I'm very happy that Shaunesay included The Labyrinth in the same package, so I have an opportunity to return to this wonderful world of fantasy.

2. T.B.R.

1. She's No Faerie Princess by Christine Warren

   I received this book in April 2009 from Teachie, a BookObsessed pal who lives in England. It sat on my TBR stack until I offered it in the Paranormal VBB at BookObsessed and it was selected by Nicoleand I needed to get serious about reading it and getting it into the mail to her. So this was the second book I read in 2010 and one fewer book in my TBR stack.

2. Mystery Loves Company by Kate Morgan

   I received this book in September 2009 when I selected it from a VBB at BookObsessed and Tribefan sent it to me. What with the active swapping of books at BookObsessed, there's a constant inflow of books that I need to read. Fortunately, there's a similarly constant outflow as I send books on to other readers. I use my obligations of books offered in swaps and Virtual Book Boxes to help me prioritize the reading order.

3. Shiny & New

1. Swimming Without a Net by MaryJanice Davidson

   This was somewhat of a selfish purchase. I have several hundred TBR paperback books, not to mention the many, many electronic books that I've downloaded, so I shouldn't ever need to buy a book, much less a brand new one. But, I owned books 1 and 3 in this trilogy and I wanted to start reading it, so I took the easy route and placed an order at Amazon.com so that I could read right through these books, practically back-to-back.

2. Vampire Sunrise by Carole Nelson Douglas

   OK, one more reason for buying a brand new book is because it has recently been published and you can hardly wait to read it. That was the case with Vampire Sunrise, third in Douglas's series starring Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator. This book was not yet available at any of the online book swapping sites or used book stores in my area. And, I had just finished the first two books in the series, so of course, I just placed my order at Amazon.com and plunged into the book as soon as the mailman delivered it.

4. Bad Bloggers ***
5. Charity
6. New in 2010

1. The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

   I placed my order for The Mage in Black one week before its release date, which caused Amazon.com to delay the shipment until the book was available. As with Vampire Sunrise, this was the sequel to a book that I had read and enjoyed and I was just too eager to read it to wait for it to be available via swapping or used book stores. Published 1 April 2010; started reading on 15 April and finished on 17 April.

7. Older Than You
8. Win! Win!
9. Who Are You Again?
10. Up to You—Memoirs