laura_88's 2013 Challenge

169 books is too much for me so my goal is to read 80 books.

Categories:

1. Something New - New books
2. Something Magical - Fantasy
3. Something Foreign - Books in English
4. Something True - Non-fiction
5. Something Short - Short-stories, plays etc.
6. Something Bloody - Crime, mystery
7. Something Visual - Graphic novels/comics
8. Something Unknown - New to me authors
9. Something Big - Books over 500 pages
10. Something Finnish - Finnish authors
11. Something Mine - Books I own
12. Something Borrowed - From the library
13. Just Something - Catch-all category

Something New - New books
1.Orvokki Leukaluun urakirja by Miina Supinen read (March 22nd -13)
2.Laskeva neitsyt ja muita kirjoituksia by Anna-Leena Härkönen read (April 13th -13)
3.The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri read (June 14th -13)
4.Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn read (June 19th -13)
5.Federigon haukka ja muita keskiajan eläimiä by Hannele Klemettilä read (August 24th -13)
6.Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple read (August 29th -13)
7.Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko read (September 23rd -13)
8.The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes read (September 26th -13)
9.The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey read (November 3rd -13)
10.Dog Day by Alicia Giménez Bartlett read (November 8th -13)
11.Kokottien kultakausi by Harri Kalha read (November 26th -13)
12.Trippi ihmemaahan by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila read (December 17th -13)

Something Magical - Fantasy
1.City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer read (December 20th -12)
2.A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett read (January 6th -13)
3.The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer read (April 3rd -13)
4.The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman read (April 21st -13)
5.The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente read (July 24th -13)
6.Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman read (July 31st -13)
7.The Demon and the City by Liz Williams read (August 13th -13)
8.The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko read (September 5th -13)
9.City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare read (October 3rd -13)
10.Making Money by Terry Pratchett read (October 26th -13)
11.Diggers by Terry Pratchett read (October 29th -13)
12.Wings by Terry Pratchett read (October 31st -13)
13.The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter read (December 4th -13)

Something Foreign - Books in English

English is not my first language so I try to read some books in their original language.

1.Y the Last Man : Paper Dolls by Brian K. Vaughan read (March 6th -13)
2.Y the Last Man : Kimono Dragons by Brian K. Vaughan read (March 6th -13)
3.Y the Last Man : Motherland by Brian K. Vaughan read (March 7th -13)
4.Y the Last Man :Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan read (March 7th -13)
5.Why Should I Cut Your Throat?: Excursions Into the Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror by Jeff VanderMeer read (March 12th -13)
6.The Walking Dead Book Three by Robert Kirkman read (September 2nd -13)
7.The Walking Dead Book Four by Robert Kirkman read (September 10th -13)
8.The Walking Dead Book Five by Robert Kirkman read (September 11th -13)
9.High Voltage Tattoo by Kat Von D read (September 15th -13)
10.After Dark by Haruki Murakami read (October 25th -13)
11.The Walking Dead Book Eight by Robert Kirkman read (November 6th -13)

Something True - Non-fiction
1.Random Family Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc read (December 28th -12)
2.Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and Women by Simon Sebag Montefiore read (January 2nd -13)
3.Musta, kaunis ja kaupan : Euroopan uudet orjat by Laura Maragnani and Isoke Aikpitanyi read (January 11th -13)
4.Cosa Nostra : A History of the Sicilian Mafia by John Dickie read (April 13th -13)
5.McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny read (April 18th -13)
6.No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women in the Mob by Clare Longrigg read (June 17th -13)
7.Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks read (September 25th -13)
8.The Last Godfathers: Inside the Mafia's Most Infamous Family by John Follain read (October 2nd -13)
9.DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You by Misha Glenny read (October 4th -13)
10.Gomorra : Mafian valtakunta by Roberto Saviano read (October 14th -13)
11.3096 Days by Natascha Kampusch read (October 15th -13)
12.Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone by John Kobler read (October 22nd -13)
13.Noitanaisen älä anna elää by Leena Virtanen read (November 12th -13)
14.Silmän ilot by Anu Korhonen read (December 1st -13)
15.Lapsuus ja arki antiikissa ja keskiajalla by Sari Katajala-Peltomaa and Ville Vuolanto read (December 14th -13)

Something Short - Short-stories, plays etc.
1.The Day Dali Died by Jeff VanderMeer read (December 13th -12)
2.Kumman rakas read (January 9th -13)
3.Kenraali kirjastossa by Italo Calvino read (March 22nd -13)
4.Järistyksen jälkeen by Roberto Saviano read (August 16th -13)
5.Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare read (September 4th -13)
6.Medea & Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides read (October 16th -13)
7.Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb read (October 29th -13)
8.The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare read (December 9th -13)

Something Bloody - Crime, mystery
1.The Last Breath by Denise Mina read (January 5th -13)
2.To the Nines by Janet Evanovich read (February 3rd -13)
3.Arsène Lupin : Mestarivarkaan kootut kertomukset by Maurice Leblanc read (February 20th -13)
4.Ihmissutta ken pelkäisi by Leonie Swann read (March 17th -13
5.Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin read (March 24th -13)
6.Exile by Denise Mina read (July 15th -13)
7.Let It Bleed by Ian Rankin read (July 22nd -13)
8.One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson read (August 20th -13)
9.Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb read (October 29th -13)
10.When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson read (December 8th -13)

Something Visual - Graphic novels/comics
1.Mummo 2 by Anni Nykänen read (January 10th -13)
2.Mummo by Anni Nykänen read (January 31st -13)
3.Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi read (January 31st -13)
4.Y the Last Man : Girl on Girl by Brian K. Vaughan read (March 6th -13)
5.My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf read (March 7th -13)
6.The Walking Dead Book One by Robert Kirkman read (June 26th -13)
7.Lepakkoelämää. IV by Alison Bechdel (July 8th -13)
8.The Walking Dead, Book Two by Robert Kirkman read (July 24th -13)
9.The Walking Dead, Book Six by Robert Kirkman read (September 12th -13)
10.The Walking Dead, Book Seven by Robert Kirkman read (September 16th -13)
11.Super Team by Bill Willingham read (November 4th -13)

Something Unknown - New to me authors
1.Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie read (February 12th -13)
2.Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones read (February 27th -13)
3.Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt read (March 18th -13)
4.Palo Alto by James Franco read (March 27th -13)
5.Reading Lolita in Teheran by Azar Nafisi read (May 3rd -13)
6.Watership Down by Richard Adams read (August 28th -13)
7.Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor read (September 9th -13)
8.Room by Emma Donoghue read (September 13th -13)
9.A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan read (September 15th -13)
10.Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller read (October 8th -13)
11.We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver read (December 10th -13)

Something Big - Books over 500 pages
1.The Night Watch by Sarah Waters read (January 21st -13) 509 pages
2.Fingersmith by Sarah Waters read (January 27th -13) 673 pages
3.Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward read (February 22nd -13) 742 pages
4.The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides read (June 5th -13) 607 pages
5.Crave by J.R. Ward read (September 12th -13) 501 pages
6.Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel read (September 21st -13) 797 pages
7.Bring Up the Bodies by Hillary Mantel read (September 28th -13) 508 pages

Something Finnish - Finnish authors
1.Hytti nro 6 by Rosa Liksom read (December 17th -12)
2.Rautasydän by Anne Leinonen and Miina Supinen read (December 18th -12)
3.Urheilukirja by Tuomas Kyrö read (January 9th -13)
4.Nälkävuosi by Aki Ollikainen read (February 1st -13)
5.Juoksuhaudantie by Kari Hotakainen read (August 14th -13)
6.Säde by Miina Supinen read (October 6th -13)
7.Yön valtakunta by Riikka Forsström read (November 18th -13)
8.Noitavaimo ja neitsytäiti by Sari Katajala-Peltomaa and Raisa Maria Toivo read (November 21st -13)
9.Paholainen, noituus ja magia read (November 24th -13)
10.Ihme ja kumma by Harri Kalha read (November 27th -13)
11.Keijukaisten lähteillä by Suvi Niinisalo read (December 10th -13)
12.Oasis by Meeri Koutaniemi read (December 11th -13
13.Vedenneitojen lähteillä by Suvi Niinisalo read (December 19th -13)

Something Mine - Books I own
1.Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon read (January 7th -13)
2.The Black Book by Ian Rankin read (January 18th -13)
3.Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward read (January 31st -13)
4.Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett read (January 26th -13)
5.Inside HBO's Game of Thrones by Bryan Cogman read (March 2nd -13)
6.Tuhat ja yksi yötä by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila read (May 8th -13)
7.Tuhannen ja yhden yön erotiikka by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila read (May 20th -13)
8.Dissolution by C.J. Sansom read (May 22nd -13)
9.Rakkauden atlas by Virpi Hämeen-Anttila and Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila read (June 8th -13)
10.Mafia export by Francesco Forgione read (June 13th -13)
11.Black Fire by C.J. Sansom read (June 24th -13)
12.Case Histories by Kate Atkinson read (June 25th -13)
13.Blood from a Stone by Donna Leon read (October 12th -13)
14.Death Rites by Alicia Giménez Bartlett read (November 5th -13)

Something Borrowed - From the library
1.Muleum by Erlend Loe read (December 17th -12)
2.High Fidelity by Nick Hornby read (December 23rd -12)
3.Truckers by Terry Pratchett read (January 14th -13)
4.Garnethill by Denise Mina read (February 4th) -13
5.Plugged by Eoin Colfer read (February 24th -13)
6.Elizabeth Taylor by Ian Lloyd read (March 25th -13)
7.Marilyn by Richard Havers read (March 29th -13)
8.Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk read (April 4th -13)
9.The Suitcase by Sergei Dovlatov read (April 7th -13)
10.Lucifer : Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey read (April 13th -13)
11.Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby read (September 17th -13)
12.The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward read (November 14th -13)
13.A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby read (November 19th

Just Something - Catch-all category
1.Fun Home by Alison Bechdel read (April 13th -13)
2.Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel read (April 14th -13)
3.Habibi by Craig Thompson read (April 15th -13)
4.Huumorin musta kirja by Hugleikur Dagsson read (April 17th -13)
5.Lepakkoelämää by Alison Bechdel read (April 24th -13)
6.Lepakkoelämää II by Alison Bechdel read (April 24th -13)
7.Lepakkoelämää III by Alison Bechdel read (April 25th -13)
8.Snake Agent by Liz Williams read (April 26th -13)
9.The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe read (April 30th -13)
10.King's Gold by Arturo Perez-Reverte read (May 6th -13)
11.Léon and Louise by Alex Capus read (July 9th -13)
12.The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett read (November 7th -13)
13.Fingerpori - Kamppailuni by Pertti Jarla read (December 26th -13)

been meaning to read more books by Finnish authors since I go there with work so often - I even made a note of a few on my WL:

I curse the river of time, year of the hare, birdbrain & troll: a love story

Looks like a good reading year you have ahead of you. I'll have a Nordic Writers category somewhere in my challenge, so I'm hoping to squeeze a few Finns in there. :)

Those seem to be a good place to start although I curse the river of time is written by a Norwegian. :)

Good luck with the challenge! Looks like you have a great year of reading planned.

Nice selection of categories! I know I will be following to see how you fill them out.

#18 & 19 Thanks! I've made the challenge easier for me this year so I don't have to worry about the number of books I read in 2013. That's why I have new categories to challenge me a bit.

17 - hmm I got that off a website listing Finnish authors.... should have checked it more carefully!

Did you get the idea for your category names from the wedding superstition; "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"? Nicely organized!

Well not at first but it crossed my mind while I was planning my categories.

*Starred*

Added my ticker. I still have to read six books to my 12/12 challenge. Luckily I have three books in progress. :)

Book #1 The Day Dali Died by Jeff VanderMeer
This book contains 18 poems and ten short stories by VanderMeer. I read this in English so I didn't understand everything. Especially the poems were a bit hard for me because I usually don't read poetry at all. But I liked most of the short stories. My favourites were "The Songs a Dead Whale Sings" and "Bullets and Airplanes".

Being a complete poetry philistine I am really not sure but do love VanderMeer

#27 I have borrowed City of Saints and Madmen from the library and will read it soon. I will read the translated version so will probably enjoy it more than The Day Dali Died. :)

Book #2 Muleum by Erlend Loe
An eighteen-year-old girl looses her family in a plane crash. She decides to take her own life but things don't go as she planned. An OK read for me, but not Loes best.

Book #3 Hytti nro 6 by Rosa Liksom
This book won the biggest literature prize in Finland, the Finlandia-prize, in 2011. It tells the story of a young Finnish girl travelling by train through the Soviet Union in the beginning of the 1980's.

Book #4 Rautasydän by Anne Leinonen and Miina Supinen
Luckily this book was short because it wasn't very good. I was a bit disappointed because I have enjoyed other books by Supinen alot.

Book #5 City of Saints and Madmen by Jeff VanderMeer
Loved this book. Especially "The Transformation of Martin Lake" and "The Strange Case of X" were my favourites.

Holy cow, I'm amazed at your reading speed and at how many you've gotten ticked off of your 2013 list so far!

Ooh, the VanderMeer book is on my wishlist but it has taken me a while to figure out which version to get. Now I just have to actually get around to getting it... :)

#33 Well I've been reading shorter books to get a good start to the challenge. :)
#34 I hope you will like it as much as I did when you get to it.

Glad you liked City of Saints and Madmen. Only got round to reading it myself this year but haven't yet managed to pick up any others by him as yet. I will do at some point though.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Merry Christmas, Laura!

Glad to hear you enjoyed City of Saints & Madmen. The next book Shriek:An Afterword has to be one of my favourite books.

#39 Glad to hear that. I ordered it online because my local library doesn't have it.

Book #6 High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Haven't seen the film but after reading this I think I should.

#7 Random Family : Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in the Bronx by Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
This was an excellent non-fiction book about the hard life in Bronx in the early 1990's.

#8 Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and Women by Simon Sebag Montefiore
In this non-fiction book the author has chosen 101 individuals who are some of the most evil and cruellest people that have ever lived. To mention a few by name: Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Nero, Idi Amin, Vlad the Impaler, Al Capone and so on...
There was a lot of information about the history of when these people lived which was very interesting. There were people from all over the world mentioned, some of which I hadn't heard of before.

Hah! My eight book was also an AlphaCat. ;)

Wow, Laura -- 8 books under your belt already! I really like High Fidelity, both the novel and the film. The movie changes the setting from London to Chicago, but otherwise it's pretty faithful to the book, if I remember correctly.

#42 Well I started in December after finishing the 12 in 12 challenge. Will be interesting to compare the book and the movie.

40, 42 & 43. And it's generally a great film. Just great.

I too did a double-take on the number 8! Already?! I'm a little less stressed when I remembered you started in the wake of the 2012, or I would have felt very much behind on my own reading! :)

#44 Good to hear that.
#45 The first four books were quite short so that explains the number of books read too. :)

High Fidelity the movie was really good. Maybe I should try the book.

glad you like city of saints and madmen I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've read by Mr Vandermeer so far and his blog is dangerous to visit as he has lots of great recommendations...

#47 Hornby is a great writer. I should read more by him.
#48 Haven't yet checked out his blog. Maybe later when I have more time...

Book #9 The Last Breath by Denise Mina
This was the the third Paddy Meehan book. I'm going to miss this series because I really liked Paddy. Will have to start the Garnethill-series soon to see if it's as good.

#10 A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
Book number two in Pratchett's YA series wich follows a young witch called Tiffany Aching. Laugh out loud funny.

#11 Doctored Evidence by Donna Leon
I really like this series. This is Guido Brunetti #13 and I have five more Brunetti books waiting to be read on my shelves.

Hi Laura, I am hoping to get to The Last Breath this year and finish off the Paddy Meehan trilogy. I actually liked the Garnet Hill trilogy a little better, but it is a little darker as well.

Glad to hear you liked Garnethill. I have to read some other library books before I can get to it. Can't wait! :)

Wow - you've already completed 11 books!

#53 Well I started early and January has been a good reading month so far.

Book #12 Kumman rakas
A collection of new weird short stories mainly by Finnish writers. The only foreign writer was Jeff VanderMeer with his story "Kannettu". (Couldn't find the English name for this.) Some of the stories were good some really bad.

#13 Urheilukirja by Tuomas Kyrö
In this non-fiction book Kyrö writes about sport. The competitions that he saw when he was little and how they affected him. The main focus is in Finnish athletes.

#14 Mummo 2 by Anni Nykänen
Hilarious comic book about a grandma, her husband and their cat.

#15 Musta, kaunis ja kaupan : Euroopan uudet orjat by Laura Maragnani and Isoke Aikpitanyi
This non-fiction book tells the stories of several Nigerian women who work as prostitutes in Italy. They are part of human trafficking from Africa to Europe. They come to Europe thinking they will get a good job but they are forced to start selling themselves to men.
The stories about violence (which sometimes leads to death), rapes and blackmail are very grim but some girls find a way to get out of it. Usually when they are able to get out, it's because they have found a boyfriend who helps them get out. A very informative book about a subject I knew nothing about before.

54. Would "proceeds" be an acceptable translation "kannettu"? I get variations of that when I try translating it, both to English and Swedish.

Great to read about Finnish literature, I need to expand my reading to more northern writers.

I think the closest translation to the right meaning is "carried". I don't know if this short story has been published in somewhere else but I couldn't find the English title in a quick google search...

what was it about? I have his short collections so I should be able to identify it, unless of course its not in the collections

It's about a girl named Rachel who finds this strange thing on the beach and carries it home. First she thinks it's a sea anemone but it's not. One day Rachel gets attacked by a group of young boys. The creature kills the boys and starts talking to Rachel.

#57 Interested to see if you can find it Pete. The book it was in, was released in 2012 so I would asume it's quite a new story by VanderMeer.

doesn't ring any bells, will have a look through the books later to supplement my poor memory

Book #16 Truckers by Terry Pratchett
First book in Pratchett's Bromeliad-trilogy. Funny YA-fantasy adventure book. Will be reading the two other books later this year.

#17 The Black Book by Ian Rankin
The Rebus-series is one of my favourite crime series. Luckily there are lots of books left in this series.

#18 The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Waters tells a very interesting story about three women and one man during and after WW2.

#19 Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
I saw the miniseries made of this book a few years ago so I remembered what was going to happen. Still I enjoyed the book a lot and Waters is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors.

#20 Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
These books have become my fluff reads when I want something not so serious to read.

#21 Mummo by Anni Nykänen

#22 Chicken with Plums by Marjane Satrapi

#23 Nälkävuosi by Aki Ollikainen
This book was a Finlandia-prize canditate last year. Short and bleak story about famine in Finland in the 1800's.

61. What did you think about Chicken with Plums? I've read very mixed reviews.

#62 Not my favourite from Satrapi but still good IMHO. It was a quick read so if you want to give it a try it won't be a big time investment.

Book #24 To the Nines by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum never fails to entertain me.

#25 Garnethill by Denise Mina
Interesting start to the trilogy. Will be reading the two other books sometime this year.

#26 Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Very interesting fantasy book. Will read the second book later this year when the translation comes out.

#27 Arsène Lupin : Mestarivarkaan kootut kertomukset by Maurice Leblanc
19 short stories about the master thief Arsène Lupin.

#28 Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
My guilty pleasure series continues with book #10.

#29 Plugged by Eoin Colfer
A crime novel for adults. Not as good as the Artemis Fowl books IMHO.

#30 Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
Book #3 in the Tiffany Aching-series. Really liking this series so far.

#31 Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones
An ok YA-fantasy book. Will probably read more books in this series later.

#32 Inside HBO's Game of Thrones by Bryan Cogman
I love this series so this book was a treat for me. Especially the images in this book were really magnificent.

#33-#37 Y the Last Man : Girl On Girl
Y the Last Man : Paper Dolls
Y the Last Man : Kimono Dragons
Y the Last Man : Motherland
Y the Last Man : Whys and Wherefores
The last five books in the Y series. I read them back to back to know how the series would end. Although I didn't like the main character, he was tolerable in the last books. I liked that the author reveald something from the pasts of all the main characters.

#38 My Friend Dahmer
A very good graphic novel about the young Jeffrey Dahmer.

Finally I've my reviews up to date.

Thought the Joe Abercrombie series was very good and I still have to get to a couple of stand-alones that he's set in the same universe. I also need to pick up the 2nd in the Garnethill series as well. There's an absolute ton of animé originally made as a parody of the Arsène Lupin character but the only one I've seen is the one Hayao Miyazaki was involved with, The Castle of Cagliostro, which was a lot of fun.

#65 Really looking for to reading more from Abercrombie. Have to check out if my library has anything by Miyazaki...

I'm so behind on my reviews again...

Book # 39 Why Should I Cut Your Throat?: Excursions Into the Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror by Jeff VanderMeer
Collection of VanderMeer's book reviews and other shorter writings. I like his fiction more.

#40 Ihmissutta ken pelkäisi by Leonie Swann
The second sheep mystery book.

#41 Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
This was worth the praise it has gotten so far.

#42 Kenraali kirjastossa by Italo Calvino
A collection of Calvino's short stories. Not my favourite of his work.

#43 Orvokki Leukaluun urakirja by Miina Supinen
Pretty funny "career guide" book.
#44 Mortal Causes by Ian Rankin
Still liking this series alot.

#45 Elizabeth Taylor by Ian Lloyd
A biography about Taylor's life.

#46 Palo Alto by James Franco
Short stories that I liked alot.

#47 Marilyn by Richard Havers
This book tells about Marilyn's life and career. The best part was a cd with songs sang by Marilyn in different movies.

#48 The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer
A grest ending to a great series.

#49 Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Really liked this one. I've seen the movie before so I knew "the twist".

#50 The Suitcase by Sergei Dovlatov
I rarely read Russian books, but this was very interesting.

#51Lucifer : Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey
Why oh why doesn't my local library have more of these??

#52Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
Excellent graphic novel.

#53Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel
Not as good as Fun Home but still above average.

#54Habibi by Craig Thompson
Loved the illustrations in this graphic novel.

Great progress on the challenge!! I haven't gotten around to Mike Carey's Lucifer series yet, but it's definitely on the wishlist! Good to hear you're enjoying Rebus - it's one of my favorite mystery-series.

#68 Thanks Eva!

Forgot two books from that previous list...

#55 Cosa Nostra by John Dickie
Very good non-fiction book about the Sicilian mafia.

#56 Laskeva neitsyt ja muita kirjoituksia by Anna-Leena Härkönen
A collection of Härkönen's columns. Pretty funny stuff imho.

Nice selection of GN reads & more Lucifer love yeay :)

I am reading Habibi now. It's a stunningly beautiful book and a real tribute to Arabic calligraphy and art and stories from the Qur'an.

edited to fix apostrophe

Glad you liked The Sisters Brothers! Looks like a good reading lineup overall, too :)

Habibi is on my list -- looking forward to seeing what you think!

#70 Most of the graphic novels I read were mentioned here in LT. ;)
#71 I agree. One of the most beautiful graphic novels I've ever read.
#72 Yes it was. :) I'm currently very interested in mafia and organized crime so will be reading more non-fiction in the near future.
#73 You should definitely read it.

LT is where I tend to find titles for graphic novels as well..... this group is really good for enabling that! ;-)

Great progress on your challenge!

If you're interested in Japan's mafia/organized crime, I read a very interesting book called Tokyo Vice that I would recommend. I picked it up for a single chapter, but I found myself reading the whole book....

#75 Thanks!
#76 The book sounds interesting, but unfortunately my local library doesn't have it :(.

Book #57 Huumorin musta kirja by Hugleikur Dagsson
666 images by Dagsson. Some twisted humour in this one.

#58 McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld by Misha Glenny
A non-fiction book about international crime. Very interesting and well written.

#59 The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
Not my favourite by Gaiman but still pretty good.

#60 -#62 Lepakkoelämää 1-3 by Alison Bechdel
Selected strips from the The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For. They were divided into three different books so I'm counting them as three books.

#63 Snake Agent by Liz Williams
A very interesting start to a paranormal mystery series. I will be reading more...

#64 The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe
First book from "The Book of the New Sun" -series. Liked it, will read the other books of this series later.

#65 Reading Lolita in Teheran by Azar Nafisi
Loved this. A great non-fiction book about a ladies bookclub in Teheran.

#66 The King's Gold by Arturo Perez-Reverte
The fourth book in the Captain Alatriste series and sadly the last one which has been translated to Finnish.

#67 Tuhat ja yksi yötä by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila
A selection of stories from the Thousand and One Nights.

#68 Tuhannen ja yhden yön erotiikka by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila
A non-fiction book about sex and eroticism in the Middle East in the Middle Ages. Very interesting and well researched.

#69 Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
A very interesting historical mystery book. After finishing this one I started the second book in this series right away.

#70 The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
I wish that Eugenides would write more books fast. His books are always a pleasure to read.

#71 Rakkauden atlas by Virpi Hämeen-Anttila and Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila
The meaning of the title is the atlas of love. This non-fiction book tells about the cultural history of love.

So many mini-reviews...

Glad you enjoyed The Shadow of the Torturer as that's a series I'm contemplating starting this year. Also good to see you've obviously been enjoying the Alatriste books too as that's an ongoing series for me (so far just read the first one). I also really like the Matthew Shardlake books and think the series keeps getting better with each instalment that I've read (3 so far) so hopefully you'll find that as you progress.

#79 My reviews tend to pile up... :) I really liked the first Shardlake book so I'm curious to see if the other books are as good.

They are. Enjoy!

#81 Good to know! :)

Book #72 Mafia export by Francesco Forgione
A non-fiction book about the crimes of Italian crime organizations all over the world.

#73 The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri
Book #8 in the Montalbano series.

#74 No Questions Asked: The Secret Life of Women in the Mob by Clare Longrigg
A non-fiction book about American woman who are the daughters or wives of men involved with the mob.

Book #75 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Worth all the buzz. Be warned, there's maybe one likable character in the whole book.

#76 Black Fire by C.J. Sansom
Book #2 in the Shardlake series. Really like this series. Now I have to wait for the translation of book #3...

#77 Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The style of this mystery was very different. Liked it and will continue with this series.

#78 The Walking Dead Book One by Robert Kirkman
A bit different compared to the tv-series but still liked it.

#79 Lepakkoelämää IV by Alison Bechdel

#80 Léon and Louise by Alex Capus
A unique love story.

#81 Exile by Denise Mina
Second book in the Garnethill trilogy. Mina has become one of my favourite authors.

I've seen a lot of people post about Gone girl whose reactions are similiar to yours. Not sure yet whether I want to read it.

Glad you're continuing to enjoy the Shardlake books and I hope the next gets translated quickly for you. I also need to get back to the Denise Mina series as I've only read the first so far.

The Atkinson series with Jackson Brodie is great - he has such a wonderful voice. The Walking Dead series will continue to be quite different from the TV-series and with a lot different characters, so you can easily do both without getting annoyed at them getting things "wrong."

#84 It was a real page-turner but you really have to be ok with non-likable characters.
#85 Denise Mina has quickly become one of my favourite crime authors. I try to pace myself not to read them too quickly so I don't run out of her books.
#86 I have the second Jackson Brodie book loaned from the library. Interesting to see how the series will evolve. Well I have only seen the first season of Walking Dead so that won't be a huge problem. :)

Book #82 Let It Bleed by Ian Rankin
The seventh book in the Rebus series.

#83 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Really cool new YA fantasy series without stupid love triangles. :)

#84 The Walking Dead, Book Two by Robert Kirkman

#85 Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Excellent fantasy adventure by Gaiman.

#86 The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
Second book in the Inspector Chen series. Will read the third when it gets translated into Finnish.

#87 Juoksuhaudantie by Kari Hotakainen
A man wants his wife and daughter back and decides to find the perfect house for them.

#88 Järistyksen jälkeen by Roberto Saviano
Essays about modern Italy for example about the waste problem and organized crime.

#89 One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
I really enjoy the Jackson Brodie series. Really looking forward to reading the third book in this series.

#90 Federigon haukka ja muita keskiajan eläimiä by Hannele Klemettilä
A non-fiction book about different animals in the Middle-Ages.

Only two more books to read and I have read five books in all my categories.

->88 laura_88:
Great batch of books done! Rebus is another one of my favorites, so I'm always happy to see others enjoy the books!

Yay, Rebus! And yay, Neverwhere! :)

There was an excellent BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Neverwhere aired not too long ago. Well worth a listen if you can find it.

You are making great progress with your challenge! I love your comment about the Valente's novel: Really cool new YA fantasy series without stupid love triangles. LOL, that made me smile!

92: AudioGo is releasing it next month and it is available for preorder on Book Depository :)

#88 Rebus is quickly becoming one of my favourite crime series.
#89 I really liked Neverwhere. I'm probably gonna read Stardust for next years challenge and after that wait for the new Gaiman book to be translated.
#92, #94 I usually don't do audio, but this sounds interesting.
#93 Can you tell I'm getting tired of those love triangles in YA series? :)

Wow! Laura you are really reading up a storm lately! You're not the only one a little "over" the love triangle bit in recent YA books! Lol. :)

#96 Thanks Tina! Nowadays I'm quite pleased when I can find a YA fantasy book without those triangle situations. :)

Book #91 Watership Down by Richard Adams
Definitely a classic worth reading.

#92 Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
Couldn't but this down after I started reading it. Worth all the buzz.

#93 The Walking Dead Book Three by Robert Kirkman
One of my favourites in the series so far.

#94 Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
An interesting play about historical people.

#95 The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Loved this. Will be borrowing the second book in this series soon. I also ordered the movie that was made based on this book to see if it is as good.

#96 Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
A very good YA fantasy book. (And no love triangles!) The translation of the second book in this series will be published this week. Can't wait!

#97 The Walking Dead Book Four by Robert Kirkman

#98 The Walking Dead Book Five by Robert Kirkman
After this book Carl is becoming one of my favourite characters in this series.

I do like The Night Watch series of books. Recently found out there's a fifth book out that I've not read yet. Will have to rectify that sometime soon. The movies based on the books aren't bad either and worth a watch if you enjoyed the book.

#98 I'll probably watch the Night Watch movie this weekend. Can't wait!

I have completed my challenge, but I will continue adding books here before I move to the 2014 challenge.

Book #99 Crave by J.R. Ward
I don't like this series as much as the BDB series but it's an ok series when I don't wanna read anything serious.

#100 The Walking Dead, Book Six by Robert Kirkman

#101 Room by Emma Donoghue
Interesting book. I liked the POV and thought the story was believable. I have borrowed a non-fiction book about a simular situation called 3096 Days by Natascha Kampusch.

#102 A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
One of my favourite books all year.

#103 High Voltage Tattoo by Kat Von D
I was a big fan of "L.A. Ink", so when I found this book in the library I just had to read it. In the book Kat tells about her life from childhood to adulthood. She also writes about her favourite tattoo artists and different aspects of tattooing. There are alot of pictures mostly about tattoos.

#104 The Walking Dead, Book Seven by Robert Kirkman
A very action packed part of the series. Will be interesting to see what happens next.

#105 Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
Hornby is becoming one of my favourite authors.

#106 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
What a great book this was. Even though I know what is going to happen to the main characters this is still a very interesting series to read. I'm currently reading the second book in the series Bring Up the Bodies.

#107 Day Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko
Second book in the Watch-series. This was as good as the first book.

#108 Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks
A very interesting non-fiction book about the lives of Islamic women.

#109 The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Time travel AND a serial-killer! I really liked this book and hope they will translate more of Beukes' works in Finnish.

Congrats on completing your challenge.

Glad you're continuing to enjoy the Night Watch series. I thought that Juliet, Naked was a very good read also. I still have to get around to reading that particular Beukes book but I'll get there sometime but I have at least mad a start on The Walking Dead now.

#101 Thanks! Now I have to patiently wait for the rest of the Watch books to be translated into Finnish... The Shining Girls was my first Beukes book and her other books seem interesting too.

Congratulations, Laura! Nine Parts of Desire and The Shining Girls have gotten bumped up the TBR list a bit! Enjoy the free reading time! :)

Congrats on completing your challenge! I'm kind of jealous that now you can read whatever you want. :)

Congratulations on completing!! And good to see you're sticking around.

Congratulations! Room does have an interesting POV and as much as I had my doubts of Wolf Hall I was surprised how enthralled I became with the story and the characters.... so realistic!

It seems that I keep tripping over A Visit from the Good Squad and I keep meaning to read it but never do. Thanks for reminding me to get to it.

Congrats on completing your challenge! Glad to hear Wolf Hall is good. I want to read the trilogy, but at the rate I'm going I'll probably end up waiting until the third book is published! ;)

Congrats on finishing your challenge.

Thank you all! :) I hope my reading year will continue to be as good as it's been this far.

Congratulations! Now you can relax and read whatever suits your fancy.

#111 Thank you! Luckily my categories usually reflect my reading habits so they are easy to fill with what I read. I'm already waiting for the time when I can start my 2014 challenge because it's so fun to see the empty slots filling up with books.

Congrats on finishing! I really liked The Shining Girls. Different from her other books but I still like them too.

#113 Thanks! Good to know. Hopefully next year I will get to read some more by Beukes.

Congratulations on completing your challenge, Laura!

#115 Thank you. :)

Congratulations!

Book #110 Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Loved this one too. Hopefully Mantel will write the third book soon.

#111 The Last Godfathers: Inside the Mafia's Most Infamous Family by John Follain
A great non-fiction book about the Corleone clan.

#112 City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
I think the series could have ended nicely after book #3...

#113 DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You by Misha Glenny
Very interesting non-fiction book about modern day crimes that happen online.

#114 Säde by Miina Supinen
A fun read but not the best book from Supinen.

#115 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Liked this alot. This book encouraged me to read some plays by Euripides.

#116 Blood from a Stone by Donna Leon
Book #14 in the Brunetti series.

#117 Gomorra : Mafian valtakunta by Roberto Saviano
This non-fiction book tells about the Camorra clan.

#118 3096 Days by Natascha Kampusch
Non-fiction story about a girl who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 3096 days before she runs away from her kidnapper.

#119 Medea & Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides
I liked the Iphigenia play more than Medea.

#120 Capone: The Life and World of Al Capone by John Kobler
An interesting non-fiction book about Al Capone. Unfortunately the translation was a bit clumsy.

#121 After Dark by Haruki Murakami
Love Murakami's writing style. He's slowly becoming one of my favourite authors.

#122 Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Another fun book by Pratchett.

#123 Holiday in Death by J.D. Robb
It's been a couple years since I previously read a book from the 'In Death'-series, but this book reminded me why I like this series alot. And it has a Christmas theme which is quite appropriate for the season.

#124 Midnight in Death by J.D. Robb
A short story from the 'In Death' series. I read this online.

#125 Diggers by Terry Pratchett
Book #2 in the Bromeliad-trilogy.

#126 Wings bu Terry Pratchett
The final book of the trilogy.

#127 The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Loved the description of rural Alaska.

Looks like you've been busy reading!

#119 Yes I have. :) in post 118 was a little over a months worth reading. I'm unemployed at the moment so I have plenty of time to read.

That's some progress - well done you!

Thanks Eva. :)

Book #128 Super Team by Bill Willingham
Fables #16 was just ok for me.

#129 Death Rites by Alicia Giménez Bartlett
The first book in the Petra Delicado-series. It's a nice change to read a crime novel from Spain.

#130 The Walking Dead Book Eight by Robert Kirkman

#131 The Unadulterated Cat by Terry Pratchett

#132 Dog Day by Alicia Giménez Bartlett
The second book in the Petra Delicado-series. Even better than the first.

#133 Noitanaisen älä anna elää by Leena Virtanen
A non-fiction book about witchhunt in Åland Islands in the 1600s.

#134 The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J.R. Ward

#135 Yön valtakunta by Riikka Forsström
A non-fiction book about the cultural history of night.

#136 A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

#137 Noitavaimo ja neitsytäiti by Sari Katajala-Peltomaa and Raisa Maria Toivo
A non-fiction book about the role of women from the Middle Ages to Modern Age.

#138 Paholainen, noituus ja magia
A collection of non-fic articles about the Devil, witchcraft and magic.

#139 Kokottien kultakausi by Harri Kalha
A non-fic book about the women of Belle Époque.

#140 Ihme ja kumma by Harri Kalha
Beautiful fantasy-themed postcards form the beginning of 1900s.

#141 Silmän ilot by Anu Korhonen
A non-fic book about beauty.

#142 The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
Liked this very much.

#143 When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
Very good Jackson Brodie-mystery.

#144 The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
An interesting classic.

#145 We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
It took me almost a year to read this book. It got better towards the end but this book wasn't for me.

#146 Keijukaisten lähteillä by Suvi Niinisalo

#147 Oasis by Meeri Koutaniemi
This book contains pictures of HIV-positive men who live in Mexico. Oasis is a care home for them.

#148 Lapsuus ja arki antiikissa ja keskiajalla by Sari Katajala-Peltomaa and Ville Vuolanto
A non-fic book about childhood in ancient Rome and the Middle Ages.

#149 Trippi ihmemaahan by Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila
A non-fiction book about the cultural history of drugs.

#150 Vedenneitojen lähteillä by Suvi Niinisalo

Congrats on 150 books read!

#124 Thanks! I started a little early but read a lot in 2013.

The last book of the challenge:
#151 Fingerpori : Kamppailuni by Pertti Jarla
Some selected strips from Jarla's Fingerpori-series.

My favourite books in 2013 were:

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
The Night Watch by Sarah Waters
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Nälkävuosi by Aki Ollikainen

The Watch-series by Sergei Lukyanenko
The Jackson Brodie-series by Kate Atkinson