It’s Monday. What are you reading?

Bookjourney over at One Persons Journey through a world of books is now hosting this event.

It’s been over a month since I participated in this weekly meme and I’ve missed it. I’ve been so backed up with reviews lately that I can barely get other items on my blog finished. I’ve managed to keep up my reading, it slowed a bit last week but I’m hoping it will pick up more over the rest of the month and into August.

I only finished one book this past week, but I was hardly home long enough to sleep let alone finish reading.

Read Last Week

1. The Anah’jari File by Douglas Armentrout

Reading This Week

1. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
2. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
3. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
4. Lost Light by Michael Connelly
5. 7th Heaven by James Patterson
6. Extras by Scott Westerfeld

REVIEW: Specials

Title: Specials
Author: Scott Westerfled
Finished: July 10, 2010
Pages: 372
Published: 2006
Format: paperback

The third book of the Uglies series picks up not long after Pretties, when the group finds themselves part of an elite group of specials called Cutters. Tally is still learning the ropes and participating in her first mission, in search of finding who is smuggling in the famous pills that nearly killed her boyfriend and promise to save everyone from being “pretty”.

I enjoyed this book, maybe more so than the others. The details of specials along with the continued development of the storyline and characters brings everything together. The more you read about them the more you begin to understand, love/hate, and feel for them and their actions. Like a TV show or movie, I almost wanted to yell at the characters for their actions and constantly found myself rooting for Tally over everyone else for staying true to herself as much as possible despite the circumstances.

I’m looking forward to seeing where book 4 takes us and how it all ties together.

*challenges: countdown challenge, series iv challenge, 1010 category challenge, a-z challenge, twentyten challenge, ya challenge, support your local library challenge, 100+ challenge, july 12×12 challenge

REVIEW: 6th Target

Title: 6th Target
Author: James Patterson
Finished: July 4, 2010
Pages: 390
Published: 2007
Format: first edition

The Women’s Murder Club is haunted once again and looking after a killer close to home, when one of their own is injured with off duty.

Lindsay and crew begin searching for a killer who is as crazy as they come, especially when he open fires on an innocent group of people, injuring one of their own, then running away. It seems like a near impossible mystery of how to find someone who sleeps on the streets, until he takes crazy to a new level and approaches Lindsay.

Thinking one case is solved, Boxer and partner are thrust into a kidnapping case that begins to span over state lines, slowing solving the question as to how they are connected.

To make matters worse, the relationship between Lindsay and Joe becomes even more complicated, fearing the end for good, Lindsay thrust herself into work and the possibility of life and relationships outside of Joe – in the even more complicated of places.

I loved this book. I think sometimes it’s my favorite so far. Lindsay is such a diverse character and it definitely shows as she struggles to maintain her personal and professional lives while everything seems to be crumbling.

*challenges: women’s murder club challenge, countdown challenge, ryob challenge, twentyten challenge, 100+ challenge, july 12×12 challenge

Other Reviews:

• Reading With Tequila

REVIEW: Ten Big Ones

Title: Ten Big Ones
Author: Janet Evanovich
Finished: July 3, 2010
Pages: 340
Published: 2004
Format: paperback

The tenth book of the Stephanie Plum series has Stephanie witnessing a robbery while trying to apprehend another client, only to end up on a hit list from one of the major crime families in the city – only this time they hired an outside guy and no one can find him.

Stephanie, unaware of how dangerous the situation is, finds herself fighting between survival and being held captive by Morelli, neither she really likes. After a major fight, Stephanie walks out and goes into her own form of hiding – breaking into the least likely of places. She begins to struggle once again over her mixed feelings between Ranger and Morelli, which is only inflamed more when she finds herself taking Ranger’s help over Joe’s.

It’s hard to say which way Stephanie will go, and who she’ll choose, but I’m looking forward to the continuation of the series to find out more. It’s hard to imagine I’m closer to getting caught up than I ever imagined.

*challenges: 345 reading challenge, countdown challenge, monthly mixer mele, series iv challenge, stephanie plum challenge, ryob challenge, twenty ten challenge, 100+  challenge, july 12×12 challenge

Other Reviews: Reading With Tequila

July 12×12 Reading Challenge

Hosted By: Good Books & Wine
July 1 – 31, 2010

Another fun month of reading. I’m uping my challenge number to 10 books for this month, especially since I seem to be meeting the 7 or exceeding it the past few months. Let’s see how I do during this busy summer month.

MY LIST:

1. Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich
2. 6th Target by James Patterson
3. Specials by Scott Westerfeld
4. The Anah’jari File by Douglas Armentrout
5. Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
6. City of Bones by Michael Connelly
7. Lost Light by Michael Connelly