A-Z Reading Challenge - Update - July

A – Ashes, Ashes - Jo Treggiari

B – Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

C – Chosen – Jeanne C. Stein

D – Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

E – Enclave – Ann Aguirre

F – First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

G – Green-Eyed Demon – Jaye Wells

H – Halfway Hexed – Kimberly Frost

I – Iron King – Julie Kagawa

J – Jungle, The - Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul

K – King of Plagues, The - Jonathan Mayberry

L – Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld

M – Married With Zombies – Jesse Petersen

N – Nightfall – Ellen Connor

O – One of Our Thursdays Is Missing – Jasper Fforde

P – Paranormalcy – Kiersten White

Q - Question of Guilt, A - Carolyn Keene

R – Rot and Ruin – Jonathan Maberry

S – Shift -  Jeri Smith-Ready

T – Threshold – Jeremy Robinson

U – Unseen – Rachel Caine

V – The Violet Flash - Mike Mason

W – Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

X - Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

Y - Yellow House, The - Blake Morrison

Z  - Zoo City - Lauren Beukes 

A-Z Reading Challenge - Update - June

A – Ashes, Ashes - Jo Treggiari

B – Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

C – Chosen – Jeanne C. Stein

D – Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

E – Enclave – Ann Aguirre

F – First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

G – Green-Eyed Demon – Jaye Wells

H – Halfway Hexed – Kimberly Frost

I – Iron King – Julie Kagawa

J – Jungle, The - Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul

K – King of Plagues, The - Jonathan Mayberry

L – Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld

M – Married With Zombies – Jesse Petersen

N – Nightfall – Ellen Connor

O – One of Our Thursdays Is Missing – Jasper Fforde

P – Paranormalcy – Kiersten White

Q - Question of Guilt, A - Carolyn Keene

R – Rot and Ruin – Jonathan Maberry

S – Shift -  Jeri Smith-Ready

T – Threshold – Jeremy Robinson

U – Unseen – Rachel Caine

V – The Violet Flash - Mike Mason

W – Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

X - Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

Y - Yellow House, The - Blake Morrison

Z  - Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

*************************************************

I had to make a change to the list.  I started reading Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield, but I had to "break up" with it.  The book grossed me out and then didn't make me care enough to keep reading despite my discomfort. 

So, Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari takes its place.  Since they are both a post apocalyptic books, it seems like a fair trade.  

A-Z Reading Challenge

A – Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield

B – Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

C – Chosen – Jeanne C. Stein

D – Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

E – Enclave – Ann Aguirre

F – First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

G – Green-Eyed Demon – Jaye Wells

H – Halfway Hexed – Kimberly Frost

I – Iron King – Julie Kagawa

J – Jungle, The - Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul

K – King of Plagues, The - Jonathan Mayberry

L – Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld

M – Married With Zombies – Jesse Petersen

N – Nightfall – Ellen Connor

O – One of Our Thursdays Is Missing – Jasper Fforde

P – Paranormalcy – Kiersten White

Q - Question of Guilt, A - Carolyn Keene

R – Rot and Ruin – Jonathan Maberry

S – Shift -  Jeri Smith-Ready

T – Threshold – Jeremy Robinson

U – Unseen – Rachel Caine

V – The Violet Flash - Mike Mason

W – Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

X - Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

Y - Yellow House, The - Blake Morrison

Z  - Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

A-Z Reading Challenge - Update

A – Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield

B – Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

C – Chosen – Jeanne C. Stein

D – Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

E – Enclave – Ann Aguirre

F – First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

G – Green-Eyed Demon – Jaye Wells

H – Halfway Hexed – Kimberly Frost

I – Iron King – Julie Kagawa

J – Jungle, The - Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul

K – King of Plagues, The - Jonathan Mayberry

L – Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld

M – Married With Zombies – Jesse Petersen

N – Nightfall – Ellen Connor

O – One of Our Thursdays Is Missing – Jasper Fforde

P – Paranormalcy – Kiersten White

Q - Question of Guilt, A - Carolyn Keene

R – Rot and Ruin – Jonathan Maberry

S – Shift -  Jeri Smith-Ready

T – Threshold – Jeremy Robinson

U – Unseen – Rachel Caine

V – The Violet Flash - Mike Mason

W – Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

X - Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

Y - Yellow House, The - Blake Morrison

Z  - Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

A-Z Reading Challenge - Update - March

A – Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield

B – Beautiful Darkness – Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

C – Chosen – Jeanne C. Stein

D – Desires of the Dead - Kimberly Derting

E – Enclave – Ann Aguirre

F – First Grave on the Right - Darynda Jones

G – Green-Eyed Demon – Jaye Wells

H – Halfway Hexed – Kimberly Frost

I – Iron King – Julie Kagawa

J – Jungle, The - Clive Cussler, Jack Du Brul

K – Kindling the Moon - Jenn Bennett

L – Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld

M – Married With Zombies – Jesse Petersen

N – Nightfall – Ellen Connor

O – One of Our Thursdays Is Missing – Jasper Fforde

P – Paranormalcy – Kiersten White

Q - Question of Guilt, A - Carolyn Keene

R – Rot and Ruin – Jonathan Maberry

S – Shift -  Jeri Smith-Ready

T – Threshold – Jeremy Robinson

U – Unseen – Rachel Caine

V – The Violet Flash - Mike Mason

W – Working Stiff – Rachel Caine

X - Xibalba Murders - Lyn Hamilton

Y - Yellow House, The - Blake Morrison

Z  - Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

50 Book Challenge

12.  Seismic Evil - Heather Long - 244 pages

Second book in the Chance Monroe series.  It was great to have Chance back and have her character grow. 

13.  River Marked - Patricia Briggs - 324 pages

Next book in the Mercy Thompson series.  It was a nice departure from the rest of the series.  River Marked featured Mercy and her finance, Adam, away from the pack and allowed the two characters to grow together.

14.  Spirit Storm - E.J. Stevens - 189 pages

The follow-up to She Smells the Dead.  Truthfully, She Smells the Dead and Spirit Storm should have been a single book, but were split into two.  Spirit Storm had a much more satisfying conclusion than She Smells the Dead, but both were good reads.

15.  47 Echo - Shawn Kupfer - 313 pages

47 Echo is one of the most unputdownable books I have read in a long time.  At first I was a little hesitant to start reading.  With a premise that convicts are given the option of death or being impressed into the armed forces to fill ranks being rapidly depleted by a war with China and Korea, I figured the book would be ultra violent and disturbing.  BUT 47 Echo wasn’t at all what I expected.  It ended up being a great military thriller about redemption in the face of sure death.

Singapore - February 2011 - Part II

Sorry not to have the second part of this out sooner, but I came down with food poisoning and was a little out of it for a bit.

One of the things I decided to do while in Singapore was the Night Safari.  It was super hot and I think I lost about 10 pounds of water weight, but I did have an enjoyable time.  Unfortunately, my camera is not good at night photos so I didn't get any pictures of the animals.  I wish I had been able to get photos of the bats.  They were HUGE and very cool.  Since you were able to go right into the enclosure with them, the bats were within arms length.

One thing that was highly recommended to do at the Safari was get a fish pedicure.  So I did it.  It was totally freaky.  The smaller fish felt like vibrations on the feet.  The larger fish were kind of like being tickled.  Let me tell you, having a fish pedicure is one hell of a conversation starter. 

I tried both small and large fish.  I ended up with the large.

Saturday was my sightseeing day.  To make the most of it, I took the City Sightseeing Bus Tour.  These buses are great if you don't have much time, but want to see a lot. 

One of the first stops was The Raffles Hotel.  The Raffles is Singapore's most historic sights and has been visited by tons of celebrities since it was built in 1899.

While I was there I stopped at the Long Bar.  The Long Bar is the home of the Singapore Sling.  The sling was created as a drink for women so it has a pink color, but damn do these things pack a punch.  What is in a sling? 

Here you go: 
30ml Gin
15 ml Cherry Brandy
120 ml Pineapple Juice
15 ml Lime Juice
7.5 ml Cointreau
7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
10 ml Grenadine
A Dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a slice of Pineapple and Cherry

Cheers!

Off to Sri Mariamman Temple.  The temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore.  I hadn't seen a Hindu temple much less visited one so I was really surprised by the colors and elaborate decorations.

The gopuram, tower entrance, is decorated with Hindu deities and other decorations.



The central part of the shrine is also decorated with Hindu deities.

Just down the road from the Sri Mariamman Temple is the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple.  I had never been to a Buddhist temple and this one was amazing!!!

The main floor of the temple is surrounded by 100 Buddhas. 

The Parkview Square.  I just thought it looked cool.

The World War II Memorial honors the civilian victims of the Japanese occupation of Singapore.

The business district viewed from War Memorial Park.

That is about it for my pictures of Singapore.  The place was gorgeous and I feel really blessed to have had the chance to visit!  Due to the heat, I never would have gone without work sending me.