Dewey's 24-Hour Read-a-thon April 2015 signup

I have decided to go on and sign up for the Dewey read-a-thon, even though I am not for sure what my plans will be Saturday. Hopefully I can spend at least a little time reading that day. You can sign up at this link. This is my third time participating. I will post a reading list closer to time. This is always a fun read-a-thon and they have lots of great challenges and ways to participate.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

I finally finished my first read for the Newbery Challenge, which was this year's Newbery winner.

Harcourt Brace and Company

First, the Crossover is a verse novel, which usually does not appeal to me, but just like past novel in verse winners (Out of The Dust comes to mind), I loved it.

Josh Bell is a master with a basketball, but also a master with words. His vocabulary is out of this world as is his playing skills. Lucky for Filthy McNasty, nickname provided by his father, he has his family to keep him grounded. As he speeds down the court, Josh has his brother JB by his side and he feels like he will always have JB's attention, but things change when JB attracts the attention of the new girl. As JB hangs more with "Ms. Sweet Tea," Josh still has his dad, former basketball star, "Da Man," to work with him on his game. When Josh and JB fight, his mother, the principal, has to discipline Josh leaving him angry and lost. When an illness strikes, the family must come together and Josh must live up to what it means to be "Da Man."

I loved this one and I am trying to not have any spoilers with this one, but that ending was a shocker and a bit heart-breaking. I can't imagine any middle schooler not loving this book. I have already recommended it to a local teacher as a possible class read and I could not be happier with this year's Newbery choice. I read this in one sitting and was blown away. 5 cups of cocoa and a recommended read!

My To Be Read list: The Votes are in!

This is hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading.
And the winner is...

Katherine Tegan

This one won by a landslide! This is the last book in the series and I hope to start it today and get caught back up in Jinx's world. Thanks to everyone who voted!

Brief Thoughts on Shadow Scale

Random House

So I reviewed this one in audio format for SLJ, so that makes it hard to write a separate review without repeating what I already wrote. I just wanted to say that I loved this one as much if not more than the first. I loved how Seraphina searched for the half-dragons and how Rachel Hartman created a believable world and wonderful characters. The love triangle was interesting and had a surprise twist, that makes sense. It had a bitter sweet ending, but it was believable. If you are looking for a good dragon tale or a book with great world-building pick this one up, but make sure to read Seraphina first. 5 cups of cocoa book and one of my favorite reads of the year and it ranks high up there on my all-time favorites. I can't stop thinking about the characters and their world!

April To Be Read List

This is hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. Well, I didn't finish last month's book, but I am still working on it. This month I decided to choose three junior fiction books in the hopes that I can finish last month's book and this month's. All three are series books and are in the middle or close to the end of the series.

First up

Delacorte

I reviewed the first two in this series on audio, but did not receive the third one. This follows gyfted children and the main character is the son of super villains, but he kind of wants to be a superhero.

Next choice is

Simon and Schuster

This is the 6th book in the Missing series, which is about the children who were kidnapped from the past and is based on historical figures who died young or mysteriously disappeared.

My third choice is

Katherine Tegan

This series follows Jinx who wants to be a magician and is connected to the forest of the Urwald. This is the final book in the series and Jinx hopes to save his mentor and the forest from destruction.

These are my three choices for this month and hopefully I can finish this month's choice. Be sure to vote for your favorite!

2015 Bookish Resolutions Challenge: March update

This is hosted by Michelle at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life and Laura at Trips Down Imagination Road and you can sign up at this link. 
My resolutions:
1. Read at least 6 Classics this year.
2. Finish at least half of the challenges that I signed up for this year.
3. Finish at least 4 series this year, particularly ones where I have only the last book in the series left to read.
4. Try to blog more, like at least 10 posts a month.
5. Get healthy!

Thanks to Michelle and Laura for hosting!

Update:
1. I have been searching for books to read and I have started This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It is slow going for this resolution.
2. I have finished three books in the Road Trip Challenge and three books in Read it Again Sam. The rest of my challenges are one book or less so far, so I really need to buckle down on this.
3. I have finished one series and am halfway through the last book in another series, so not bad on this resolution.
4. I met my 10 posts for March! Hopefully I can do more than 10 for April.
5. I stayed under 1200 calories a day for my Lent fast and have lost 22 pounds so far this year! I have been able to keep from drinking cokes and my next goals are to eat healthier and to exercise more.

I need to buckle down on my challenge books and start blogging a bit more, but otherwise not a bad month!

Take Control of Your TBR Pile Wrapup

Well I did finish three books, just not the three I expected to finish. I read and reviewed Eli the Good, School of Wizardry, and Seraphina. I completely forgot about the Twitter Party and only remembered the read-a-thon on the second day. However I am pleased with my progress. Thanks to Kimberly for hosting!