Books Read in 2015

I was able to squeeze in a fair amount of reading between work, classes, and traveling. A number of these books are ones that I was re-reading because I love them. Featuring prominently are books from independent authors and new releases from authors that I enjoy every word they write. 

My hope for 2016 is that I read more books than 2015 and that my reading list has a bit more diversity in it.

What are your reading goals for 2016?

1. On Basilisk Station by David Weber
2. The Honor of the Queen by David Weber
3. The Short Victorious War by David Weber
4. Field of Dishonor by David Weber
5. Flag in Exile by David Weber
6. Honor Among Enemies by David Weber
7. In Enemy Hands by David Weber
8. Echoes of Honor by David Weber
9. Ashes of Victory by David Weber
10. War of Honor by David Weber
11. Crown of Slaves by David Weber and Eric Flint
12. The Shadow of Saganami by David Weber
13. At All Costs by David Weber
14. Storm from the Shadows by David Weber
15. Torch of Freedom by David Weber and Eric Flint
16. Mission of Honor by David Weber
17. A Rising Thunder by David Weber
18. Shadow of Freedom by David Weber
19. Cauldron of Ghosts by David Weber and Eric Flint
20. Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire
21. Libriomancer by Jim Hines
22. Codex Born by Jim Hines
23. Unbound by Jim Hines
24. Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
25. Winter's Heat by Cristin Harber
26. Introductions by CL Stone
27. The Game by Terri Schott
28. Priceless by Shannon Mayer
29. Garrison's Creed by Cristin Harber
30. The Change by Teyla Branton
31. Innocent in Las Vegas by AR Winters
32. Green Eyes in Las Vegas by AR Winters
33. Red Roses in Las Vegas by AR Winters
34. Cupcakes, Trinkets and Other Deadly Magic by Meghan Ciana Doidge
35. Baggage Claim by Amanda Tru
36. Prudence by Gail Carriger
37. Parasite by Mira Grant
38. Symbiont by Mira Grant
39. Feed by Mira Grant
40. Deadline by Mira Grant
41. Blackout by Mira Grant
42. Countdown by Mira Grant
43. San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats by Mira Grant
44. How Green this Land, How Blue this Sea by Mira Grant
45. The Day the Dead Came to Show and Tell by Mira Grant
46. Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton
47. The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K Hamilton
48. Circus of the Damned by Laurell K Hamilton
49. The Lunatic Cafe by Laurell K Hamilton
50. Bloody Bones by Laurell K Hamilton
51. The Killing Dance by Laurell K Hamilton
52. Burnt Offerings by Laurell K Hamilton
53. Blue Moon by Laurell K Hamilton
54. Obsidian Butterfly by Laurell K Hamilton
55. Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K Hamilton
56. Cerulean Sins by Laurell K Hamilton
57. Incubus Dreams by Laurell K Hamilton
58. Micah by Laurell K Hamilton
59. Danse Macabre by Laurell K Hamilton
60. The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton
61. Blood Noir by Laurell K Hamilton
62. Skin Trade by Laurell K Hamilton
63. Flirt by Laurell K Hamilton
64. Bullet by Laurell K Hamilton
65. Hit List by Laurell K Hamilton
66. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
67. A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire
68. Redshirts by John Scalzi
69. Live Free or Die by John Ringo
70. An Artificial Night by Seanan McGuire
71. Late Eclipses by Seanan McGuire
72. One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire
73. Ashes of Honor by Seanan McGuire
74. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
75. The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire
76. A Rose Red Chain by Seanan McGuire
77. The Heir (The Selection) by Kiera Cass
78. Spirit Hackers by Aaron Crocco
79. Arena Mode by Blake Northcott
80. Assault or Attrition by Blake Northcott
81. Final Empire by Blake Northcott
82. The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox
83. The Housewife Assassin's Deadly Dossier by Josie Brown
84. The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown
85. All Fall Down by Erica Spindler
86. Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger
87. Chimera by Mira Grant
88. The Park Service by Ryan Winfield
89. Isle of Man by Ryan Winfield
90. State of Nature by Ryan Winfield
91. Quantico by Greg Bear
92. Ridiculous by DL Carter
93. Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb

Weekly Weigh In Jan 4

The Holiday Season was rough on my willpower this year so I'm up a bit of weight that should drop off once I get back into strict logging of calories. I definitely disappointed myself last year so, this year I really need to be strictly disciplined. My biggest goal for the year is to continue to be more active. The good news is that since I spent most of the last week at home relaxing, I have no where to go but up this week. Of course, this week is starting with snow and ice so I need to be even more diligent.

Statistics:

Morning Workouts: 3
Lunchtime Weight Lifting: 0
Evening Dog Walks: 0
Bedtime Yoga: 2
Step Counting:
     Monday: 517
     Tuesday: 10634
     Wednesday: 8784
     Thursday: 5125
     Friday: 1109
     Saturday: 151
     Sunday: 718

     Weekly Average: 3862
     Last Week's Average: 6473

     Weekly Total: 27038
     Last Week's Total: 45314

     January Average: 659
     January Total: 1978

Current Weight: 253.2 pounds
Last Week: 245.4 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 0.8 pounds gained

Starting Weight: 249.4 pounds
Highest Point: 254.6 pounds
Lowest Point: 238.4 pounds

Building a Bucket List #92-98

92. See the Tokyo Tower
93. Visit the Wrangell St. Elias National Park
94. See the San Antonio Missions
95. Learn how to surf
96. See Christ the Redeemer in Rio De Janerio
97. Visit the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve
98. Visit the Palenque ruins

Building a Bucket List #85-91

85. Visit Times Square
86. See Sitka National Historic Park
87. Visit Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
88. Learn how to make lace
89. See the Arcopolis in Greece
90. Visit the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument
91. See the Monumental Earthworks of Poverty Point

Building a Bucket List #78-84

78. Visit Lake Clark National Park
79. See the Burg Al Arab Hotel
80. Tour Independence Hall
81. Learn how to refinish wood furniture
82. See the Pyramids of Giza
83. Visit the Noatak National Preserve
84. See the Taos Peublo

Reading List and Mini Reviews November 10

I've been doing a fair amount of reading lately so here's whats been added to the Books Read List since my last update.

Assault or Attrition by Blake Northcott

This is the second book of this trilogy. I thought that it was a good second book: it kept the feel of the first book while allowing the characters to grow and change. It was a really enjoyable read.

Final Empire by Blake Northcott

The finale of the Area Mode Saga. This book did a good job of wrapping up the trilogy but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first two books.  Matthew, the main character, got steadily less likable and harder to relate to while other favorite characters got pushed away and out of the spotlight. Still a fun read but not as good as the first two.

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox

This was a fun light read.  It's quite the adventure with a biker gang of witches, a talking dog and a shape-changing griffin.  The pacing was a little strange at times but the laugh out loud moments did a good job of making up for it. 

The Housewife Assassin's Deadly Dossier by Josie Brown

So, I accidentally read this prequel to the series before any of the actual series. I thought that it was a fun read and I definitely grabbed the first book of the series when I was done but I suspect that I would have gotten more more out it if I'd read any of the series first. Either way, it is a fun spy romp and origin story for a unique character.

The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown

The is the first book in the Housewife Assassin Series. I really enjoyed reading this book.  The main character Donna is an intriguing mix of housewife and assassin. The contrast of her two roles and their demands on her time is fascinating and entertaining. I definitely recommend this book and I plan to find the time to read the next book in the series sometime soon.

All Fall Down by Erica Spindler

This murder mystery with a hint of romance was an enjoyable read. There were plenty of twists and turns that left me guessing until the very end. The mystery may have been a bit overly convoluted but it definitely made for a good story. It was also an interesting exploration of the ethical issues surrounding vigilantism as they affect police work.

Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book and I must say that it was totally worth the wait. Manners and Mutiny is the last of a four book series and it does a nice job of wrapping up the plot lines and character arcs featured in the series.  It was a fun romp through an enemy-occupied airship with an insane vampire and an odd array of weapons. It was fun to see more of Madame Geraldine in action, and I just love who Sophronia ends up working with.  In other words, I absolutely adored this book and I'm sad that the series has come to an end. I may end up re-reading the Parasol Protectorate Books to see if I can spot any more of the girls from the Finishing School Series.

Weekly Weigh In November 9

Looking at the statistics for this week, I clearly didn't carry my phone/pedometer around but I still managed to increase both the number of steps for the week and the average number of steps per day.

This week I'm working on the consistency in my workouts. My goal is to do the morning workout every morning this week and go for a dog walk every night. For the morning workout I've increasing the weight that I'm using and pushing myself to do more challenging versions of the exercises. In the evenings I'm working up to starting Couch to 5K again. This week I'm just getting out the door with the dog for a walk each night. I don't expect to do any lunchtime workouts this week because I'm focusing on study for an exam in Anatomy and Physiology.

Statistics:

Morning Workouts: 2
Lunchtime Weight Lifting: 0
Evening Dog Walks: 2
Bedtime Yoga: 0
Step Counting:
     Monday: 10894
     Tuesday: 11258
     Wednesday: 7580
     Thursday: 9335
     Friday: 14071
     Saturday: 6363
     Sunday: 319

     Weekly Average: 8545
     Last Week Average: 8428

     Weekly Total: 59820
     Last Week Total: 58996

     November Average: 8167
     November Total: 65337

Current Weight: 245.4 pounds
Last Week: 244.6 pounds

Weight Loss/Gain: 0.8 pounds gained

Starting Weight: 249.4 pounds
Highest Point: 250.2 pounds
Lowest Point: 238.4 pounds