13/13 The Final Update

You may have noticed the button above in my sidebar (or if you're ignorant of all things sidebar like I tend to be then you probably haven't!) about The Little White Dove 13/13 Reading Challenge. It's a reading challenge issued by The Little White Dove (duh!) to read 13 books in 2013. If you know even the smallest thing about me you'll know that I get massive lady wood for all things books and reading, so joining in a reading challenge for 2013 was a no-brainer! You can read my first update here, my second update here, and my third update here.

Well here we are, two weeks from the end of 2013 and I have completed the 13/13 reading challenge. Actually scratch that, considering I had a baby in the middle of the year I am prepared to say that I didn't just complete the challenge but I smashed it!

The books I'd read by my last update in August 15.08.13 - 
1. Bones are Forever - Temeperance Brennan Series - Kathy Reichs
2. 11th Hour - Women's Murder Club Series - James Patterson
3. Deadlocked - Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series - Charlaine Harris
4. Black Ice - Detective Jill Jackson Mysteries - Leah Giarrantano
5. Vodka Doesn't Freeze - Detective Jill Jackson Mysteries - Leah Giarrantano
6. Voodoo Doll - Detective Jill Jackson Mysteries - Leah Giarrantano
7. Feed - Newsflesh Triliogy - Mira Grant
8. Deadline - Newsflesh Trilogy - Mira Grant
9. Blackout - Newsflesh Trilogy - Mira Grant
10. Dead Ever After - Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series - Charlaine Harris
11. The Boleyn Inheritance - The Tudor Court Novels - Philippa Gregory

And the books I've read to complete the challenge:
12. Bridget Jones: Mad about the Boy - Helen Fielding
13. Cross  my Heart - Alex Cross Series - James Patterson

At the time of the last update I was halfway through The Constant Princess from The Tudor Court Novels series by Philippa Gregory. I unfortunately did not finish it. Unlike other Philippa Gregory novels I did not fall in love with this one. It may have had something to do with the fact that I was heavily pregnant when I started reading it so I just wasn't able to fully concentrate on it like I would usually. Impending birth does funny things to the mind!

But while I did not finish that I re-read The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. The mini-series based on the book was on Foxtel and after I started watching it I wanted to read the book again so I went with that. I am not counting it towards my 13 books though as it was one I had already read and I wanted to only read new books (well, new to me!) for the challenge.

The third and newest Bridget Jones novel wasn't too bad. It wasn't as awesome as the first two novels, but I don't think it ever could be, it had a lot to live it up to! Now this isn't really a spoiler, as you find out from the get-go, but Bridget is a widow. Her beloved Mark Darcy has died, leaving her with two young children, a 6 year old boy and a 4 year old girl.

I found it hard to get in to the story at first as I missed Mark. However I don't think there was any other way she could have done it, there is no way Bridget would have left him. Mark dying was the best way to get rid of him and allow Bridget to start navigating dating in the digital age. After about the first third though it started to get good as Bridget gets back on the horse and finds herself involved with a gorgeous 29-year-old.

The old humour is definitely there and I found myself laughing out loud at a few things. You do see the ending coming from a mile away though, and it's pretty much just a re-hash of the way her romance with Mark Darcy played out in the first book. It's still a fun read nonetheless, and the ending is satisfying.

The last book I read to complete the challenge was the latest James Patterson Alex Cross. I won't say much about that. It's the same old, same old, nothing groundbreaking, but it did end on a cliffhanger so I will have to read the next book. I think I may need to read the book before it as well, I think I have missed the previous two, and there was stuff that I didn't quite get that carried over from them.

So that's the 13 books that I read to officially finish the challenge. In actual fact though, I have read 17 books this year, as well as half of three others.

The extras that I read were:
The White Queen - Tudor Court Novels - Philippa Gregory

Birth Skills by JuJu Sundin (if you are pregnant and planning a natural birth you MUST read this book. It helped me invaluable through both of my labours)

Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Dr. Sarah Buckley (another great read for expectant Mums of the slightly crunchy variety)

Blog Boost e-book Blogging Smarter (affiliate link) by Nicole Avery (blogger behind Planning with Kids, an excellent read for those looking to improve some aspects of their blogging, highly recommend! I will blog more about this in a later post)

I also, as mentioned above, read half of The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory and half of a book called I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes. I Am Pilgrim is one I picked up cheap and started reading not long after Zee was born. However I got sidetracked by the new Bridget Jones and haven't gone back to it yet.

I am also halfway through Game of Thrones, the first book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. At 800 pages it's a bit of an epic, and I'm only reading a chapter a night so it's probably gonna take me another two months to finish it. Unless by some miracle I am blessed with a couple of hours of kid-free and cleaning-free time to read a big chunk of it! It's certainly a great way to tide me over until season 4 of the TV series starts though that's for sure!

I can't wait to read the rest of the series, which will be my challenge for next year. I'm not sure how long the rest of the books are (I think there are 6 or 7) but I figure that's a pretty good reading goal for 2014. Unless I come across another reading challenge that is just too good to pass up. There may however be some study happening next year so if there is I will be reading for that no doubt, leaving me less time for leisure reading.

All up I think my fave reads for the year would have to be The Boleyn Inheritance, Bridget Jones and Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. And of course Game of Thrones! Stay tuned early next year when I talk about some of the new titles I;m breathlessly waiting for and what else is on my To Be Read list (aside from the Game of Thrones books!).

Do you have any reading goals or challenges you want to complete for 2014? Did you do much reading or any challenges in 2013? What was your fave book?

Linking up with Essentially Jess for the second last IBOT of the year!