100+ Reading Challenge

Reading challenge January 14, 2010 Comments: 5

Ok, this one is hosted by J. Kaye’s Book blog.


Here are the rules:

1. The goal is to read 100 or more books. Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.

Here is the link where you can join: 100+ Challenge.

2. Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts. What doesn’t count: Individual short stories or individual books in the Bible.

3. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them in advance, you can change the list if needed.

4. Crossovers from other reading challenges count.

5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010. Books started before the 1st do not count.

I’ll be listing mine underneath and can already start:

1. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Born of Night

2. Charlaine Harris: A Touch of Dead

3. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast: Marked

4. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast: Betrayed

5. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast: Chosen

6. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast: Hunted

7. P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast: Tempted

8. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Born of Fire

9. Raymond E. Feist: Rage of a Demon King
10. Charlaine Harris: Grave Sight

11. Rachel Vincent: My Soul to Take

12. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief

13. James Rollins: The Doomsday Key

14. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

15. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse

16. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth

17. Laurell K. Hamilton: Guilty Pleasures

18. Kresley Cole: Pleasure of a Dark Prince

19. Laurell K. Hamilton: The Laughing Corpse

20. Laurell K. Hamilton: Circus of the Damned

21. Laurell K. Hamilton: The Lunatic Cafe

22. Laurell K. Hamilton: Bloody Bones

23. Laurell K. Hamilton: The Killing Dance

24. Laurell K. Hamilton: Burnt Offerings

25. Laurell K. Hamilton: Blue Moon

26. Laurell K. Hamilton: Obsidian Butterfly

27. Laurell K. Hamilton: Narcissus in Chains

28. Kelley Armstrong: The Reckoning

29. Patricia Briggs: Silver Borne

30. Matthew Reilly: The Seven Ancient Wonders

31. Kim Harrison: Black Magic Sanction

32. Charlaine Harris: Dead in the Family

33. Matthew Reilly: The Six Sacred Stones

34. Katie MacAlister: Playing with Fire

35. Lynda Hilburn: The Vampire Shrink

36. Stephanie Laurens: The Elusive Bride

37. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

38. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

39. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

40. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

41. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix

42. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

43. JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

44. Julia Quinn: Everything and the Moon

45. M. Reilly: The 5 Greatest Warriors

46. PC and Kristin Cast: Burned

47. Laurell K. Hamilton: Cerulean Sins

48. Laurell K. Hamilton: Incubus Dreams

49. Laurell K. Hamilton: Danse Macabre

50. Laurell K. Hamilton: The Harlequin

51. Laurell K. Hamilton: Blood Noir

52. Laurell K. Hamilton: Skin Trade

53. Curtis Sittenfeld: Prep

54. Laurell K. Hamilton: Flirt

55. Laurell K. Hamilton: Micah

56. Tess Gerritsen: Under the Knife

57. Tess Gerritsen: Ice Cold

58. Keri Arthur: Moon Sworn

59. Amanda Quick: The Perfect Poison

60. Ilona Andrews: Magic Bleeds

61. Danielle Steel: Matters of the Heart

62. JD Robb: Fantasy in Death

63. Sherrylin Kenyon: Infinity, Chronicles of Nick

64. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

65. Laurell K. Hamilton: Bullet

66. Sabrina Jeffries: Only a Duke Will Do

67. Kresley Cole: Demon from the Dark

68. Danielle Trussoni: Angelology

69. Sabrina Jeffries: Beware a Scotts Revenge

70. JD Robb: Big Jack

71. James Rollins: Excavation

72. Gerard O’Donovan: The Priest

73. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Awakening

74. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Struggle

75. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Fury

76. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, Dark Reunion

77. Stephanie Laurens: The Brazen Bride

Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010.

Reading challenge January 14, 2010 Leave a comment

Another Book Chick City challenge I decided to join. 🙂 Here is the link to the challenge.


The rules for this one are as follows:

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don’t need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:

• Inquisitive – Read 3 Speculative Fiction novels.
• Enthusiastic – Read 6 Speculative Fiction novels.
• Addicted – Read 12 Speculative Fiction novels.
• Obsessed – Read 24 Speculative Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

6. If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others, please make sure you add a link back to the original post so others can join in.

There is more information on the challenge if you follow the link.

I joined in the Addicted category and will be posting links to reviews under here (or just listing them, depending on how many from one series I read).

P.S. It seems I’m more obsessed than addicted so I’m changing to that category. 🙂

1. House of Night (6 books)

2. Raymond E. Feist: Rage of a Demon King
3. Sherrilyn Kenyon: Born of Fire
4. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and The Olympians, The Lightning Thief
5. Rachel Vincent: My Soul to Take
6. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters
7. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse
8. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and The Battle of the Labyrinth
9. Kresley Cole: Pleasure of a Dark prince
10. P. Briggs: Silver Borne
11. Kelley Armstrong: The Reckoning
12. Kim Harrison: Black Magic Sanction
13. Charlaine Harris: Dead in the Family
14. Katie MacAlister: Playing with Fire
15. Lynda Hilburn: The Vampire Shrink
16. Keri Arthur: Moon Sworn
17. Sherrylin Kenyon: Infinity, Chronicles of Nick
18. Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian
19. Kresley Cole: Demon from the Dark
20. Danielle Trussoni: Angelology
21. JD Robb: Big Jack
22. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Awakenin
23. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Struggle
24. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, The Fury
25. L.J. Smith: Vampire Diaries, Dark Reunion

Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge 2010.

Reading challenge January 14, 2010 Leave a comment

Ok, I need to get this over with so I can get back to my regular blogging. Yesterday I accidentally stumbled upon a blog hosting several reading challenges (and since I’m an avid reader), I decided to join some. 4! I’ll get to the others in other posts.
Anyway, here is a link to the challenge hosted by Book Chick City if anyone is interested in participating.

And here are the rules:

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 – 31 Dec 2010

Rules: To read TWELVE (12) thrillers in 2010

Details:
• You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• If you decide to join this challenge be sure to create a post telling others, please make sure you add a link back to the challenge post so others can join in.

• You can join anytime between now and the later part of next year.

Here is where you can join: Thriller and Fiction Challenge

I’ll be doing reviews as I read the books and linking them below here as well. I have no idea yet what I’ll read. 🙂

1. Charlaine Hariss: Grave Sight

2. James Rollins: The Doomsday Key

3. Matthew Reilly: The Seven Ancient Wonders

4.Mathew Reilly: The Six Sacred Stones

5.Matthew Reilly: The 5 Greatest Warriors

6. Tess Gerritsen: Ice Cold

7. JD Robb: Fantasy in Death

8. Danielle Trussoni: Angelology

9. Tess Gerritsen: Under the Knife

10. Gerard O’Donovan: The Priest

11. James Rollins: Excavation

Never late to change my mind

Uncategorized January 11, 2010 Comments: 7

This is going to be fast. 🙂

Up to now, I haven’t tried anything by Keiko Mecheri that I liked enough to wear (or actually only like). But that changed today and I will definitely be trying more of her fragrances but first let me tell you of my new love – Iris Pourpre. Mmmmmm. The first association that came to me is this smells a lot like Very Irresistible by Givenchy (the original version). That one was a love/hate smell and I really liked it and went through a bottle ratehr fast (I’m not so sure people around me were grateful for me wearing it). 😉

So, the first thing I did is compare notes. And of course, there isn’t a single one that is the same. Could have guessed that. 🙂

Notes for Iris Pourpre: white iris, orris, ylang ylang and chypre accord.

Honestly, if I had to guess the notes in this, I would never come up with iris because it is not the typical iris I learned to smell. And I always thought ylang ylang smelled more subdued and creamy. This is a loud floral on my arm but such a great one that I don’t mind the fact that this will need to be applied sparingly in order not to suffocate people around. 🙂 Who cares for them though if I can smell this all day long?!

I’m definitely getting myself a bottle of this. Soon! It will be my spring gift to myself (that’s just about enough time to recuperate from Christmas spending).

In the mean time, I’ll check my samples for some iris and ylang ylang thingies to widen my knowledge of those two notes and understand what happened with Iris Pourpre.

And a short side note, I tried November by CB I hate perfume. Very interesting. I got the forest, damp mushroomy feel and then the whole sweet foody note evoking childhood (don’t know what pumpkin pie smells like and that is one of the notes) so I’m guessing that is the smell of pumpkin pie with the barest apple hints. It really is a happy scent. You can read more on notes and the story behind it here.

Gluttony is such a great sin

Uncategorized January 7, 2010 Comments: 6

Before you all start thinking I’m referring to the eating and drinking of past days, you’re correct 🙂 but not completely. I’m also referring to the fact that these days, I’m also a glutton when it comes to scents. I can’t seem to get enough of them. Which is actually not a problem since I still have so many samples I need to try (for the first time) that I can indulge in smelling as much as I indulged in drinking (much less in eating though).

Anyway, that is my excuse for not reviewing perfume lately, I just can’t single out any, I have this need to smell and I just cannot concentrate enough on any of the smelling points on me to be able to discuss it in a coherent manner. Does that happen to anyone else?

So, while I’m enjoying my smell-related gluttonous nature, I decided to curb it when it comes to food and drink. I completely enjoyed days related to the turn of the year without being concerned about my weight (and that is one of the best choices I could have made) so now it’s time to get back on track (the exercising and eating track) and concentrate on work and smell. Well, maybe more like smell and work. 😉

So, I hope that very soon I will have a review for you and I’m considering Chinatown. I’m wearing it today since it’s snowy and cold outside and I’m eating less – and Chinatown fulfills my need for warmth and gourmand taste. I’m aware that this one causes a lot of fuss, you either love or you hate it so I want to tell you why I like it and what exactly is it that I like so much about it (I’m still having problems distinguishing notes in there on my own) – and I hope that soon I’ll be able to do that. I just need a little more time with it.

Picture by: http://www.net.hr

WoW: Sherrilyn Kenyon, The League

Uncategorized January 5, 2010 Comments: 2

First off, I have to say I hate her name, I never know if I wrote it correctly (the “y” place keeps bothering me). 🙂 But that’s about the only thing that bothers me in regard with Mrs Kenyon. Everything else is great and I hope she lives to see my death and keeps writing until then. So I have a lifetime supply of her novels.

I just finished her Born of Night novel, the first in The League series (there are two more at the moment). It turns out, she wrote this in a much smaller format years ago and it went out of print (if I remember correctly) and now it was re-issued and although I didn’t read the original, I’d say improved. I don’t see how something can be taken away from the story.
I wonder how many of you are familiar with SK, she is one imaginative and proliferate writer. Not that I mind. 🙂
I first started reading her novels with the Dark Hunter series, then some Dream Hunters and I think I did read one of the Were Hunters but can’t say for sure. I’ve read so many of her novels, I’m a bit lost. It is very good that her site offers reading order for all the books and series, otherwise one would be completely lost. I’m not even going to go into all other series listed on the site.
What many of her characters have in common is that they all suffered through great injustice and usually a lot of physical pain as well, and in the end all of them turn out as fierce, loyal and positively good protectors sometimes because they find love (although they always had it in them) and sometimes just because that is what they are and they cannot go against themselves.
The good thing is there is always a love story (never an easy one) and even though there are typical things I already mentioned in all of these novels, the characters are always different and stories never feel the same (taking into account the amount of them SK has written).
The League combines a bit of sci-fi (which is something I like) and the hero who has been wronged so much it is sometimes hard to even read it and the heroine had some bad experience from her youth as well. Their story isn’t an easy one but of course it ends positive. Otherwise I wouldn’t keep reading her books.
It also makes me wonder if something like that would be possible in real life – to go through such an ordeal (that is a serious understatement for the character from Born of Night) and emerge as a person who can love and enjoy life – ok, not immediately and without some serious help, but still. I want to think so – that goodness can and will prevail.
While looking for a photo, I came across some reviews on Amazon of this book. It never ceases to amaze me how people come to certain books/authors expecting something completely unreasonable. Especially if they already read some of the novels written by that person. I know what I can expect from SK and that is why I read her stories. As you could have probably guessed by now, I’m not always in the mood for some of the things I read, so I read according to what I crave at the moment. People are so eager and so liberal with criticism. I think about it this way – could I have written it? No? Ok, then, I’m not going to be hoarding criticism on that author then. If I don’t like it, I simply won’t read it anymore and problem solved.
Has anyone here read anything by Sherrilyn Kenyon? What do you think of her novels?

Happy New Year!

Uncategorized December 30, 2009 Comments: 2

I wish everyone all the best in the year to come, that the challenges that are to come are the ones we can face, that the happiness we feel is the one we can share, that there is money we cannot spend and the health is something we don’t have to worry about!

Pictures by:

Best of the Best 2009.

Joint blog project December 30, 2009 Comments: 12

It was a nice surprise to be included in the group of bloggers who are participating in a joint blog project envisioned by Elena from Perfume Shrine – Best of the Best 2009. 🙂

I find it appropriate to end the year (and a decade) on a positive note since it seems to me we are all missing some positivism in our lives, especially at the end of this decade.

Underneath you will find links to other participating blogs to check what are their thoughts on what was best this year.

Hm, I don’t know where to start from. 🙂

*2009 niche perfume releases I bought or plan on buying

Serge Lutens: Fille en Aiguilles
L’Artisan Parfumeur: Al Oudh
Parfum d’Empire: Wazamba

*Mainstream releases I liked enough to own
Lolita Lempicka: Si Lolita
Givenchy Harvest collection 2008: Organza Fleur d’Oranger

*Releases I didn’t try but consider mention-worthy

Cartier “Les Heures de Parfum” collection
Van Cleef & Arpels “Collection Extraordinaire”

*Perfumes that knocked me off my feet

Donna Karan : Labdanum
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz: much of her work is incredible, but to limit myself to one, it would be Sandalo Inspiritu
Parfums DelRae: Amoureuse
Juliet Stewart: Juliet
Ava Luxe: Madame X
Amouage: Lyric for Woman

*Discovery of perfumers whose work speaks of their incredible talent and individuality

*Best vintage discovery

Balmain: Vent Vert – I still have no words to describe it

*The notes I fell in love this year

Labdanum, orange blossom and sandalwood

*House whose work I appreciate but cannot wear

*Author discovery

James Rollins and his Sigma series

*Authors re-discovered by each book of theirs I read

*The movie of the year

Ok, I haven’t watched Avatar yet so this might actually turn into movies, but I did watch Sherlock Holmes and enjoyed it immensely. 🙂

*And in the end, the realization of the year

This is my first year as a blogger (still not a full year) and I would never have guessed how much joy and friendship this would bring. This is not a hobby, it is a way of life which promotes knowledge, positive thinking, intelligent conversation and the thing I appreciate most of all – friendship and camaraderie across the borders and around the world.

Other wonderful bloggers participating, so please check them out as well:

Picture by: Perfume Shrine

I’ve been thinking…

I've been thinking December 29, 2009 Leave a comment

At the moment I have no perfume to review and no books/authors to write about. Soon, but not today.

I don’t know if this happens to anyone else but I find it annoying and strange. Over these Christmas days I didn’t have neither the time nor the will to concentrate on smelling something new and interesting (or just new, or just interesting) so I didn’t. Then as the new week started yesterday, I wanted to go on with all those wonders of samples I have everywhere, so I did. And what happens?! A complete fiasco. My nose and my brain seem to have lost the connection. It is like I’m a beginner once more (ok, so I’m not really far down the road, but I’m not at the beginning either). This has already happened before – right after I came from summer vacation. There seems to be a break where once was a way. It will probably take 2 or 3 days for me to get back on track, but what I find annoying is that it happens. Does this happen to anyone else?
So, yesterday I wanted to begin smelling the color series by DSH and I start with Quinacridone Violet and I got everything mixed (the fruit in the opening) and then I see the list of notes, and I realize there is so much happening in what I’m smelling and I can smell it happening, I just can’t seem to verbalize it. In any manner. 😦
Then I went on with Estee Lauder’s Jasmine White Moss. I already smelled it before when I got the sample but since it was lying near and I saw it mentioned on MUA, I went to check it again. And this time I smelled much more than the initial time, but all I could say is after is that it would be nice to own a decant of this. Depressing really what time away from concentrated sniffing can do to me…
Well, that too shall pass.
I don’t know what you are going to be doing this New Year’s Eve but I’m really only up to enjoying champagne in front of the TV. And it seems that is what I’ll be doing together with my boyfriend. Everyone I talk to these days is pretty much thinking the same. What about you?
This has been a difficult year, to finish off a difficult decade and I hope what awaits us in the years to come brings more light and joy to the world. The world deserves it.
Picture is mine.

Merry Christmas

Uncategorized December 23, 2009 Comments: 6

I wish everyone a merry Christmas to be spent in joy and laughter with your family and loved ones!

Here are some photos from Zagreb (taken by me) while there was still snow. 🙂