2013 BOOK CHALLENGE! Are you in?

[nemofans]

Finished book #10- The Sorceress: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

This is the 3rd book in the series. Still fast paced & exciting w/more types of beasts & creatures to battle or fight along side with.

Nicholas Flamel's heart almost broke as he watched his beloved Paris crumble before him. The city was destroyed by Dee and Machiavelli, but Flamel played his own role in the destruction. Sophie and Josh Newman show every sign of being the twins of prophecy, and Flamel had to protect them and the pages from the Dark Elders.

But Nicholas grows weaker with each passing day. Perenelle is still trapped in Alcatraz, and now that Scatty has gone missing, the group is without protection. Except for Clarentthe twin sword to Excalibur. But Clarents power is unthinkable, its evil making it nearly impossible to use without its darkness seeping into the soul of whoever wields it.

If he hopes to defeat Dee, Nicholas must find an Elder who can teach Josh and Sophie the third elemental magicWater Magic. The problem? The only one who can do that is Gilgamesh, and he is quite, quite insane.

Next is book 4 of this series: The Necromancer

 

[tiggrbaby]

Finished #5: The Passage


Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: You don't have to be a fan of vampire fiction to be enthralled by The Passage, Justin Cronin's blazing new novel. Cronin is a remarkable storyteller (just ask adoring fans of his award-winning Mary and O'Neil), whose gorgeous writing brings depth and vitality to this ambitious epic about a virus that nearly destroys the world, and a six-year-old girl who holds the key to bringing it back. The Passage takes readers on a journey from the early days of the virus to the aftermath of the destruction, where packs of hungry infected scour the razed, charred cities looking for food, and the survivors eke out a bleak, brutal existence shadowed by fear. Cronin doesn't shy away from identifying his "virals" as vampires. But, these are not sexy, angsty vampires (you won’t be seeing "Team Babcock" t-shirts any time soon), and they are not old-school, evil Nosferatus, either. These are a creation all Cronin's own--hairless, insectile, glow-in-the-dark mutations who are inextricably linked to their makers and the one girl who could destroy them all. A huge departure from Cronin's first two novels, The Passage is a grand mashup of literary and supernatural, a stunning beginning to a trilogy that is sure to dazzle readers of both genres. --Daphne Durham


At first, I was just reading thisbecause it was for my book group, but about 200 pages in, I started really caring about the characters. It is not a book to read if you don't like gore or are looking for fairytale endings. I definitely plan on reading the next book in the planned trilogy.

 

[Bearybear]

Is it too late to join? I have a reading goal of 50 books on Goodreads. I've read 12 books so far this year, most recently Fireblood by Jeff Wheeler.

 

[Swimnoid]

22 of 75

Private Berlin by James Patterson

Private is a Investigation firm with offices around the world; this one in Berlin. One of their agents is missing and they strive to find him ending up becoming involved in something far deeper than they could imagine.

I like this the best of the Private books so far.

Now I need to do something that is not a murder/thriller.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

Book Description of summer promise


From a Wisconsin farm to a California beach, from a measly allowance to unlimited shopping sprees, from an uncomplicated life to a highly sophisticated one. These are the head-spinning changes that lead to Christy Miller's...

Summer Promise

As 14-year-old Christy leaves her family's Wisconisn farm to spend the summer at her wealthy aunt and uncle's beach home in Newport, she realizes this could be the best season of her life. She's full of hope that surfer Todd will like her; the beach crowd will accept her; and she can become like her gorgeous new friend, Alissa.

But the summer doesn't unfold as Christy hoped; she discovers this season also holds heartache. Todd wavers between Christy and another girl; 16-year-old Shawn dies in a drug-related surfing accident-and the police want to know how Christy was involved; Alissa discloses that her sophistication hides a painful past.

Through it all, will Christy keep her promise to her parents not to do anything she'll regret? Or will she do anything to get Todd, to be accepted, to force her summer to give her everything it promised?


Wanted to add the above is from amazon.com

 

[Glynis]

Goal - 50 books

Book #18 - The J.A.P. Chronicles by Isabel Rose

This book was kind of a "Mean Girls" grow up. A group of spoiled rich Jewish American Princesses tell their stories as they are asked to tell about their "defining" moment.

I have to say that I wasn't too thrilled with this book. It was a lot harsher than I anticipated, and at times, it was downright upsetting to read. I don't know that I would recommend this one.

 

[Glynis]

Goal 50 books

Book #19 - "Little Women and Me" by Lauren Baraz-Logsted

Emily March is given an assignment in her English class: to take a book that she loves and find one thing about it she would like to change. The book she chooses is "Little Women" and she decides to change Beth's dying. Something happens, though, and she is literally sucked into the book. While there, she discovers that changing the book is not going to be as easy as she thought.

This is most definitely a YA book. Nothing wrong with that. However, at times the writing was really simple, for lack of a better word. There were moments in the book where I really felt talked down to by the author. However, it was a fun story, and really got me thinking about things I would like to change in my favorite books.

Next up: "Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem"

 

[dismom301930]

Goal - 40 books

Book #8 - Homestead by Rosina Lippi - Each chapter tells the story of a different woman who all lived in the same small Austrian village, spanning from the early 1900s until the 1970s. I thought it was very well written, but it was a bit confusing keeping all of the names and relationships straight. There are family trees in the back of the book, which are very helpful, but it does "give away" the ending to some of the stories (who married whom, when people died, etc.) Overall, I thought it was worth reading. http://www.amazon.com/Homestead-Ros...UTF8&qid=1361800904&sr=1-1&keywords=homestead

Next up - The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott http://www.amazon.com/The-Dressmaker-Kate-Alcott/dp/0307948196

 

[Ginny Favers]

My book #10 was Abbi Glines' FALLEN TOO FAR.

To want what you’re not supposed to have…

She is only nineteen.

She is his new stepfather’s daughter.

She is still naïve and innocent due to spending the last three years taking care of her sick mother.

But for twenty-four year old Rush Finlay, she is the only thing that has ever been off limits. His famous father’s guilt money, his mother’s desperation to win his love, and his charm are the three reasons he has never been told no.

Blaire Wynn left her small farmhouse in Alabama, after her mother passed away, to move in with her father and his new wife in their sprawling beach house along the Florida gulf coast. She isn’t prepared for the lifestyle change and she knows she’ll never fit into this world. Then there is her sexy stepbrother who her father leaves her with for the summer while he runs off to Paris with his wife. Rush is as spoiled as he is gorgeous. He is also getting under her skin. She knows he is anything but good for her and that he’ll never be faithful to anyone. He is jaded and has secrets Blaire knows she may never uncover but even knowing all of that…

Blaire just may have fallen too far.


This author has a huge following on Amazon and Goodreads, but I don't think her books are for me. This book is part of a series but I won't be reading any more of them.

 

[threeboysmom]

Is it too late to join? I have a reading goal of 50 books on Goodreads. I've read 12 books so far this year, most recently Fireblood by Jeff Wheeler.

It's NEVER too late to join!! Glad you found us! WELCOME!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I think I'm on book 13 of 65. I finished "Take a Deep Breath" by Shar Dimick yesterday. Yawn! It was so slow moving, I was relived when it ended. It tried ti be like Sherryl Woods, I think, but it was a VERY cheap imitation. This morning I started "Stiletto Safari", a chick lit-style book about a girl who spends 6 months volunteering in Africa, and packing her snakeskin stilettos. Get the idea? So far I'm finding this one very enjoyable. And it doesn't hurt that now that she's in Africa, I'm reminded of Animal Kingdom, my favorite park.

 

[nemofans]

Finished book #11- The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

This is book 4 of this series. Such exciting reading!

I am on to book 5 now - The Warlock

 

[zippitydoo]

Book 8 of 30: License to Thrill by Stephanie Bond

 

[Caseheidi]

Book 10 of 100

Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney

Summary by Goodreads: Cate Kinkaid is just dipping her toe into the world of private investigating until one of the many resumes she has floating around lands her a real job. All she has to do is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? When the big and brooding house happens to contain a dead body, this routine PI job turns out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?
Readers will be hooked from the very first chapter of this fast-paced and witty romantic mystery from bestselling and award-winning author Lorena McCourtney

This is one of the books I picked up on the Nook deals of the day. It had been recommended as being like a Stephaine Plum book, but it is no where near as fun a read as that. I gave it 3 of 5 stars on Goodreads. While I did enjoy reading it, I did not find myself laughing much. It has a mystery running through the story, but I found myself thinking the heroine was being stupid and needed to mind her own business. If this continues to be a series (which it is set up to be) I don't think I will be reading more of them.

Next up: JD Robb's Calculated in Death which comes out tomorrow! I have been waiting for this one, but then I am always waiting for the next Eve Dallas book!

 

[Caseheidi]

Goal 50 books

Book #19 - "Little Women and Me" by Lauren Baraz-Logsted

Emily March is given an assignment in her English class: to take a book that she loves and find one thing about it she would like to change. The book she chooses is "Little Women" and she decides to change Beth's dying. Something happens, though, and she is literally sucked into the book. While there, she discovers that changing the book is not going to be as easy as she thought.

This is most definitely a YA book. Nothing wrong with that. However, at times the writing was really simple, for lack of a better word. There were moments in the book where I really felt talked down to by the author. However, it was a fun story, and really got me thinking about things I would like to change in my favorite books.

Next up: "Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem"

I think I need to add this to my list! It sounds like an interesting take on one of my favorite childhood books.

 

[willowsnn3]

Goal 72

#15 Whirlwind by Robert Liparulo
Book number 5 of the Dreamhouse Kings series. Only 1 more to go. I have really enjoyed these books.

 

[KrazyPete]

Goal - 24 books

Book #1 - The Passage by Justin Cronin - It was pitched as a post-apocalyptic zombie novel. It was good enough for me not to hold the lack of actual zombies against it.

I'm looking forward to the second book in that series but right now I am woefully behind in this book challenge. I need a fairly quick read so...

Next up - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

 

[disneyfanforever]

Finally! I finished Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett today. What a long book! It has received so many reviews and so many people ranked it as one of the best books they have ever read that I finally decided to read it. It was a very good book even though I did get a little bored sometimes. I am definitely glad I read it and can check it off my list.

 

[kimblebee]

Goal 50

#16 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

I really want to give this book 0/5 because I HATED the ending. But, it was well written and really interesting to see things from another perspective. The story is told from the point of view of a 9 year old boy on the 'good' side of the fence. The boy is naive about things and this comes across in the writing. For example, he can't pronounce where he lives so it is just refered to as Out-With. It did take me a while to catch onto what he meant, and once I did I was like, oh man he lives by the concentration camp. I don't want to give anything away so I will only say again I HATED the ending. My daughter hasn't read the book but knows what happens so we are going to watch the movie on Netflix tomorrow night. To be fair, I will give this book 3.75/5

Not sure what is next. I just got Netflix so I am a little distracted by it LOL

 

[Angiea1114]

Goal 15

#3. Bitter Harvest by Ann Rule

Based on a true crime story, a sad, captivating story of a family destroyed by the death of two children by their own mother.

I gave the book a 3.5/5 just because I felt it was slow moving at times probably because of all the technical evidence reports. Sometimes, it seemed a chore to read through those pages just to continue on with the story.

Next up #4 Ring of Lies by Victoria Howard....