If I were asked to name one great male romantic fiction author 2 years ago, I would have said “None comes to my mind.”

However, having read A Walk to Remember and watched the movie (on YouTube, no less!), and recently followed that up with the heart-achingly sweet war romance (well, sort of), I can confidently name Nichols Sparks as a favourite male author now. I gladly recommend Dear John to all die-hard romantics.  Here’re the reasons why …

Synopsis:

A rebel in his younger days, John Tyree joined the army “because he needed to” and to make something out of an aimless life with an uncommunicative father. While on home leave one summer knowing he’s ready to turn over a new leaf, he met the lively Savannah Lynn Curtis, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual, and the budding romance quickly turned into a serious vow, on John’s part to marry her when his tour of duty is over, and on Savannah’s part to wait for him.

However, none of them could foresee the great change that 9/11 would wrought to their lives and their love. Faced with the choice of country or love, John made a decision that changed their future. Now, finally returned, he would finally learn the transformational power of  love.

One of the most exciting things about reading is joining a challenge.  This year, with three challenges across different genres, it’ll require more careful planning so the journey is enjoyable yet fulfilling.  Looking at the themes of the two major reading challenges I’ve signed up for, here’s the list I’ve drawn up:

Jan (Category Romances): Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Feb  (hero in pursuit): How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist (also for Who Are You Again?)

Mar  (His­tor­i­cal romance or fic­tion or mystery):

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen – definitely can be entered for Older Than You

The Return from Troy by Lindsay Clarke

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald – definitely can be entered for Older Than You

Apr (SFR or SF/F or fantasy):

Any of these could be entered under this category or the TBR category for 2010 or Up to You! category

Hades’ Daughter by Sara Douglass

The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik

Jun (YA fic­tion): could be read for the 2010 Challenge — The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

While surfing the web and reading Kailana’s latest post, I stumbled across this interesting challenge that I’ve decided to join up.  Hosted by Bart, the aim of the Twenty Ten Reading Challenge requires the reader to read a total 20 books, over ten categories (details here), in 2010.

The good news is crossovers with other challenges are allowed. The only thing that may make this a little tricky is that each book can only qualify for one category. So, as it sounds do-able, and fits in with my resolution to be more disciplined, and thus more well organised, I’m up for it. I haven’t made concrete plans yet, but for the TBR category, it ties in nicely with Keishon’s TBR Challenge.

These books have been sitting in my TBR pile since 2009 (some from 2008!), so hopefully I’ll be able to tell you that I finish reading them this year!  I’ve created a dedicated page to keep track of these reading challenges I’ve entered into this year — yep, another nod to staying well organised.

Well, it’s a new year, and besides giving away books, it’s time to break bad habits and face new challenges with a grin and finish up books that have been gathering dust on shelves.  So, while I’m echoing Kristie’s and Sayuri’s “Read More, Buy Less” ethos, naggings from the DH and my own eco-conscious friends have prompted me to start seriously consider switching to digital.

While I’m pondering that, here are 10 things related to reading and blogging that I told myself I’ll do in 2010:

1. Finish up the backlog of reviews before the first quarter of the year.
2. Limit buying of print books to collector’s and special editions.
3. Visit the local library more often.
4. Switch to electronic book formats whenever possible.
5. Resolve to remain UNPLUGGED at least one weekend per month at home. (Huge thanks to Jen and Candace for the idea).
6. Bring back the WebWatch series, it’s one of the reasons I started blogging, so no reason to stop now.
7. Do better at the TBR Challenge.
8. Finish reading the few BIG BOOKS* that I’ve been postponing for months, eh, years actually, before the end of 2010.  (BIG, BIG thanks to Orannia for this challenge).
9. Read the Bible from cover to cover, no slacking this year round!
10. Last but not least, be more disciplined about posting.

* A BIG is one with more than 500 pages. There’re several I’ve been avoiding, at the top of the list is Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien.
Other big books in my TBR pile include:

Chronicles of Narnia (an omnibus) by C S Lewis

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Return to Troy by Lindsay Clarke

Chronicles of the Celts by Peter Berresford Ellis

It’s the New Year, and time for me to catch up on that backlog of book reviews, over the next couple of weeks (I hope!).  One post that has been sitting in my draft folder for the longest time, is that follow-up to the Great Western Drive spearheaded by Kristie, Sybil and Wendy some months back.

Well, I had the chance to read through several Western romances from different eras in the last couple of months: Diablo (1990s), The Scotsman Wore Spurs (1997) by Patricia Potter, and Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman (2009). Without further ado, here’s how they stack up in my books …

I have Kristie to thank for pointing me in the direction of Diablo. I’ve read other books by Patricia Potter but never touched any of her Western romances until the Great Western Drive. And since the UBS I visited carried The Scotsman Wore Spurs, I took that out on rental too.

A brief summary on Diablo … Kane o’Brien, a.k.a Diablo, was sentenced to death when a US marshal who wanted information on a secretive, and notorious outlaw hideout called Sanctuary, approached him with a deal.  Find out where it is, and he and his friend would be pardoned. However, nothing prepared him for temptation in the form of Nicole Thompson when he rode in to Sanctuary.

Yep, you’re not seeing things. I’m really giving away selected books from my shelf over the next 3 weeks.

Reason for this? We’re moving house soon, and I’ve simply run out of shelf space. Plus, even after donating a box of books to Share the Love and another local charity, the tomes of novels I’ve accumulated over the years are still too numerous.

So, without further ado, here are the ‘goodies’ which are still in really good condition that are up for grabs.  I’ve linked them to the reviews posted so you can have a ‘preview’.  Have fun reading!

If none of them below suits, browse through the list on my shelf (see sidebar) and let me know which one you fancy. All you have to do is register your interest in the comment field of this post before 31 January 2010. In your comment, tell me why you’d like to read the book(s) you’ve chosen.

That’s it! No strings, no contests.

[Edited: Books not in this Give-away: Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Return to Troy, Chronicles of the Celts, the entire Harry Potter series and these on my TBR pile.  Books that are struck out below have been taken. Hurry!]

The Russian Concubine by Kate Furnivall

Fallen by Erin McCarthy

A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson

Scandal Becomes Her by Shirlee Busbee

Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

Goddess of Light, Goddess of Spring, and Goddess of the Rose by P C Cast

The Desperate Debutante series by Julia London:
The Hazards of Hunting a Duke, The Perils of Pursuing a Prince, The Dangers of Deceiving a Viscount

The Courtship Dance and The Wedding Challenge by Candace Camp

[Also taken OFF the Shelf:

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory ]