This week I read Dreams of the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn - can I just say I love everything Carrie writes?  I haven't read anything by her that I haven't loved!

I am reading Midnight's Kiss (Elder Races, Bk 8) :: Thea Harrison

It is okay not one of the best in the series. Perhaps the series is getting a bit stale

So, I missed you bitches.

I let my membership go a la carte so couldn't reply or post. Still not terribly excited about some of the attitudes in the forums (especially one particular member that seems to think the site should bow down and kiss her ass). But, well, I missed this challenge and would hate for everyone to not have it next year.

It's been a crazy few months as I've opened a fairly successful horror boutique and am currently swamped in screening horror movie submissions for Nevermore Film Festival.

Give me a week and I'll start conspiring topics and pretties for everyone. I know it's a lot, but if you even want to participate on just the 1 book per topic level or just follow the discussion thread, that is totally cool.

So, let's brainstorm. Whaddya think you want to read next year. Do we want to knock it down to just 10 categories, then bonus ones? Anything you loved or hated from this one?

Welcome back Melissa

10 and bonuses are good I think. I always like a new author and new release category,

Alice

I like 10 plus bonus categories. I like Alice's suggestions. I don't like YA categories. 

I just finished Pure Blooded by Amanda Carlson. Just okay. Just nonstop action and sex (not bad things) Very little plot and character development....

Thanks Stephenie! I thought there were a few that had some trouble or didn't like YA. That was why I tried to expand it to include New Adult (20 somethings) this past year. I'll be leaving that off and the ones of us that like it can use that as a bonus category. Definitely keep new releases & new authors.

Missed you too, Melissa! 

I think 10 plus bonus would be good.  Like I mentioned earlier, I feel like all I've read is UF this year!  And I know, you can choose to do only part, or only 3 per category or whatever, but I know me and if I try to do it I'm going to do it ALL.

Alice - I seriously thought Pure Blooded was the last one.  I was so excited I was going to finish a series!  Then I read the end and was like, "Wait... what about..." so I went and looked and sure enough, there's Blue Blooded (#6) on the way.  Oh well.  I did enjoy the books, though.  Although the first three that ended with "character X gets kidnapped by bad guy Y and Jessica has to go save them" did get a little old.

This week I read Ink and Bone - I really liked this world Rachel Caine has built with this new series!  Ink and Bone [Great Library] by Rachel Caine

This year has been my lowest volume of reading in the last 8 or more....I'm not going to get to 75, I think....this was 61.  I don't know what's keeping me from reading more this year, other than I changed jobs and don't travel as much!

Just finished The Wizard's Spell by Cynthia Eden. One of her older books so not quite as polished & good as her more recent books, but it's a stand alone and quick to read. I'm still not sure if I liked this one much as it was more the lead guy just wanted the girl for the power she could give him versus the just madly in lust with each other reasons of most paranormal smut.

Strangely, I got this from my local library for Kindle. Looks like they've done a re-release for a digital version since the print copy has been hard to find.

Reading 'Heart Legacy' Robin D Owens newest, it is not really my favorite.  The female MC is wishy washy and indecisvie, driving me nuts.

Still reading the Elemental Assassin series. Reading The Spider. 

I really loved the Elemental Assassin series (cranked that out in the last year). Unfortunately, the exception is The Spider as I really didn't care for almost the entire novel being dedicated to backstory. Her novellas that do that are awesome and get the point across just as well. A lot of the little in between stories are available for free on her website.

I've got Winter by Marissa Meyer from the library then I'm going to devour an ARC of Bitter Bite.

2016 Challenge Ideas:

1. Can't Wait for those New Releases - Read 1-5 new 2016 releases of any paranormal book.
2. One is the Loneliest Number - Read 1-5 books that have either a one word title or is a stand alone novel.
3. Happy Holidays - Read 1-5 books that take place during or mention a holiday.
4. Heaven or Hell - Read 1-5 books that involve Angels or Demons.
5. New To Me- Read 1-5 books by authors you haven't read before or that are #1 in a series.
6. Odd Ball Paranormal- Read 1-5 books that have less popular paranormal characters (merpeople, pixies, fairies, orcs, trolls, elementals etc)
7. Color Me Blood Red - Read 1-5 books that have a color in the title or the color red on the cover.
8. Life After Death - Read 1-5 books that have zombies, vampires, or ghosts.
9. Collecting Dust - Read 1-5 books that have been on your TBR for 1 year or more or that you had WL'ed for 1 year or more.
10. Happily Ever After - Read 1-5 books that involve a HEA ending or are fairy tale reimaginings.

Bonus categories: Create your own. Recommend TBR pile killers.

What do you think? Anything you love or hate? Overacheivers can do 10 per category if they knock out the 5 super fast.

Look good although 5 and 9 are similar though. although first in series helps. Love the oddball category!!

Oops! Thanks for the catch. So, I replaced #9 with Collecting Dust from this year. If anyone had problems with that one I can tweak it a bit to include older books, maybe published prior to 2006.

I don't think I have any books from 2006. HOw about been on your TBR for longer than 2-3 years.

Alice

It's already for TBR 1 year or more. Was thinking of adding the older books as an option for those that maybe don't have any sitting for that long they could possibly check out an older series to fill those in.

Good idea Melissa, I guess I didn't read it through

I finished

This week I finished Thirst 3 - Eternal Dawn by Christopher Pike - There's something that's a little odd in the writing in these books, I feel like the main charactor is somehow abrupt in her decisions, and comes across as a little odd, but, I can't really place my finger on it directly.  It makes for a quick and easy read, in any case.

i like the proposed 2016 categories.  though i was thinking that it might be nice to have another category specified as an alternate that people could swap in if they hated one of the others, or do as a bonus category if they wanted.  i see Heaven or Hell as a potential problem for some, and a lucky few might have a problem with Collecting Dust.  maybe YA would be good for that, or any of the several from the 2015 list that aren't too similar to those on the 2015 list?

Just finished Winter, the final installment of the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. I loved this series and how it very subtly took the basis of fairy tale characters and created this strange new world around them. This last one is pretty intimidating, 832 pages, not the 400 noted on PBS, and the battle for Luna is pretty bloody.

Looking forward to joining everyone for the 2016 challenge!  I think this challenge will help me get through a whole lot of ebooks that I have.

I keep track of what I read in Fictfact and LibraryThing, so why not one more place